Dan Mathews stops for breakfast in the small, isolated town of Larchmont. He finds that the residents are unwilling to do any business with him (or even talk to him) and that they are obviously anxious to see him leave. Even the county medical officer is behaving secretively and gives evasive answers to Dan's routine questions.
Dan decides to investigate further when an inquiry to headquarters reveals that local farmer Charlie Barrett was attempting to drive away in a stolen convertible. Relentless questioning of Barrett, diner owner Jenny Crane, and other local residents finally results in an admission that general store owner Frank Wilkins had killed a man in self defense the previous evening. Dan interrupts a hastily arranged funeral service for the dead man and learns that he had been wanted for robbery and murder. He also learns that there was a valid reason for the townspeople's attempts to conceal Wilkins' actions.
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