Panic in the Streets Page #3

Shortly after that,

you'll have the makings of an epidemic.

Commissioner, what's the use

of kidding ourselves?

We can't turn up

an unknown killer in two days.

He's absolutely right,

Mr. Mayor.

The police department

can't be held responsible for this.

Now, if you want to believe

the doctor here...

I'm sorry, sir, but frankly,

I honestly don't...

...but if you want to believe him,

there's only one way to handle this.

Give the story to the press.

You get on the radio...

And have everybody who was

in contact with the dead man leave town?

You can't give it to the press!

I may be an alarmist. I may be entirely

wrong about the whole matter.

But I've seen

this disease work...

...and I'm telling you if it ever gets loose

it can spread over the entire country...

...and the result will be more horrible

than any of you can imagine.

And the key to the whole thing lies

right here, now, in the next 48 hours.

You can take me at my word.

Whatever you like.

What can we do?

Find this man.

Dan, put your best men on it.

Yes, sir.

Tom, you work with the doctor.

Anything else you need,

ask for it.

- Mackey.

- Thank you.

- We'll give him all the assistance possible.

- That's it, gentlemen.

All right, Tom.

Make your arrangements with the doctor here.

I'll be on call

waiting for a report.

Take any emergency action

you feel necessary.

Annapolis man?

No. Why?

No reason.

- Hope I wasn't too rough.

- On me?

- No.

- No, I meant the rest of'em.

I still have a feeling

they don't believe me.

I just know how serious

this can be.

- I was trying to put it across to 'em.

- Mm-hmm.

Now I'd start worrying

about what you're gonna do...

...when we don't turn up

with your boy.

- Just a minute, Captain.

- Hi, Cap.

- Hello, Josh.

- If this is the attitude you're gonna start out with...

- We're not going to get far.

- I was assigned to this. I'll do the best I can.

But let's not get the idea

that I'm a sailor in your, uh, navy.

- Now, wait a minute...

- Hello, Warren. I've been looking for you.

- You found me and you're interrupting me.

- Heard you had a meeting.

- Little pitchers.

- Had Mackey and the Board of Health in too.

- What's the score?

- Some complaints about your newspaper.

- We ought to fumigate it.

- Now, you know you can't hide anything.

When it breaks,

I'll spell your name wrong.

That's what I told them...

We just ought to fumigate you.

- You boys worry me when you take off on your own.

- No sense in our both worrying.

- Good-bye, Neff.

- Now, wait a second, Warren.

Good-bye, Neff.

Where are you going,

Mr. Reed?

I don't know.

That depends on you.

Listen, Doctor, I've got a job to do...

just a routine sort of thing...

...like rounding up every

possible suspect.

I'm supposed to be pretty good at my job,

so why don't I call you if I need you?

Are you implying you'd

like to get rid of me, Captain?

- No, but, uh...

- Then I'll go with you.

Come on.

- Hi, Johnny.

- Hello, Mr. Neff. Good seeing you.

You call that a concealed weapon?

You think you can hold me on this?

- Where were you with it last night?

- Last night?

Why, I was home shucking oysters.

- What goes on here, Charlie?

- Who knows?

- Your wife says you didn't come home all night.

- She didn't come home all night.

- She don't know what she's talking about.

- I got a right to a lawyer.

You can't just haul me in

without a lawyer.

Oh, why don't you shut up?

You meet a lot of guys.

Did you ever see this one?

What kind of a crack is that?

So I hang around the Roost once in a while.

Does that make me

an information bureau?

Listen, buddy, I happen to be

a personal friend of Charley Sweeney, see?

- He ain't gonna like this.

- Maybe Sweeney can tell me where you was at last night.

Why don't you

call him and find out?

He'll have me out of here

in 20 minutes.

Well, for 20 minutes,

you'll tell me where you was at last night.

You can't do this to me.

I'm a citizen, and I got rights.

Raymond Fitch, laundry attendant.

1943... Petty larceny.

Thirty days.

1945... Petty larceny. Ninety days.

Shall I go any further?

Nah, forget it.

Mind if I smoke?

Trying to get away from cigarettes.

Put it out.

You ever see this guy?

- No, I never seen this guy.

- Well, look.

I never seen this guy.

What are you asking me for?

A kisser like that, you see it,

you remember it, huh?

- Where were you last night all night?

- Last night? Last night.

Oh, yeah. I went to see my mother-in-law.

She was wrestling semifinals...

- Where were you?

- I was only kidding. Actually...

- Me and my wife went to see a movie.

- Where were you, fat boy?

- What's the matter? You don't believe me?

- You're a constitutional liar.

Lot of people have told me the same thing.

I don't mind.

Of course, the body was burned,

so we don't have too much.

The boys who did examine him

say he may be an Armenian...

Czech, or mixed blood...

...approximate age, 42;

height, 5'9"; weight, 143.

Suit made in Haifa,

shoes in Buenos Aires.

You ought to notify

the immigration authorities immediately.

- Get rid of him.

- All right. Let's go.

- Keep going, Scott.

- Mobile, Tampa, and other gulf ports have no record of him.

- Anything else?

- Uh, let's see. The F.B.I. Has no record on him.

Our lab found traces of fish,

rust-resistant paint, and salt in his clothes.

- The fish traces could be shrimp.

- It's certainly positive he came in off a boat...

Unless he walked through a fish market,

bought four pounds of shrimp...

...and brushed against

a freshly painted fire escape.

I suppose those are all

the photographs we have?

Those are the only ones, sir.

The emergency shifts are coming in now, sir.

- Okay.

- Oh, Captain...

...the, uh... The boys are sort of wondering

why they have to take these shots.

They've been wondering, have they? Where

do they think they are... in a summer camp?

- Because the commissioner said so, that's why.

- That's what I told 'em.

What's the matter? They afraid of

a little needle? They been wondering.

- Roll up your sleeve.

- What do you mean? What do you think you're gonna do?

- Roll up your sleeve.

- Why should I take one of those things?

Because the commissioner said so.

And I told the commissioner.

Roll it up.

- Anything funny, Scott?

- No, sir. No, sir.

Oh, brother.

This I've gotta see.

What's the matter?

You guys ain't got enough work to do?

- Yes, sir, Captain.

- Well, get on it!

- How about that?

- You can't say you're not getting action.

There's half the two-bit criminals in town.

More of them coming through.

I wish you sounded more confident

of getting information.

Information? We'll get plenty of it... about

pickpockets, sneak-thieves, wife-beaters.

But about your murderer?

Not a chance.

If it isn't gonna work,

what are you doing it for?

I'm doing it because

the commissioner told me to.

And I'm doing it this way

because it's the only way you let me.

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