Color Me Dead

George Raynolds steals a piece of iridium and sells it to Philips while Bigelow is asked to notarize the transaction. Bigelow is about to leave for a one-week vacation, and the deal ties Philips to the valuable iridium. The notarization sets the stage for the later murder plot by linking the players to the stolen material.

Bigelow arrives at his vacation destination and goes to the Pink Panther nightclub with a couple he meets at the hotel. Someone switches his drink while he chats with a charming woman. He ends up with a stomachache and is rushed to a hospital, where doctors diagnose a luminous toxin with no antidote.

The doctor confirms the poisoned condition and that Bigelow has little time to live. He resolves to uncover his killer before the end arrives. Paula informs him Philips had been trying to reach him, hinting at a connection he has yet to understand.

Bigelow travels to Sydney to confront Philips' circle, meeting Halliday and Miss Foster. They tell him Philips committed suicide by jumping from his apartment. Their account pushes him to doubt the official story and pursue the truth.

To verify the suicide claim, Bigelow visits Philips' house and finds the family unaware of the death. Miss Foster drops a crucial clue: Philips had called a model named Marlo Stevens before dying. This link points toward the iridium deal and the people who stood to gain.

Using the Marlo Stevens clue, Bigelow identifies Bradley Taylor as the man who tried to buy the iridium. He learns there is a larger scheme involving Philips, George, and the stolen material. The discovery reframes the case from a single murder to a conspiracy.

Bradley explains he was deceived by Philips and George and that Philips sold the iridium to him and then kept the proceeds. He reveals the chain: George steals the iridium, Philips sells it to Bradley, and Halliday later takes the money. Enraged, he orders his subordinates to kill Bigelow.

Bradley's men launch an attempt on Bigelow, but he narrowly escapes death. He returns to Philips' home and discovers Philips' wife and her brother have been poisoned. He realizes Halliday had been there before, strengthening the case against the controller.

Bigelow pieces together that Halliday is the mastermind who killed to cover up the missing money. Halliday killed those who knew about the financial transaction between Philips, George, and himself. The motive is protecting stolen funds rather than any personal grievance.

With little time left, Bigelow confronts Halliday, kills him, and then goes to the police to reveal the truth. The exposure of the conspiracy comes as his time runs out, giving him a moral victory. The case closes with Halliday exposed and Bigelow seeking justice.