D.O.A.

Bigelow walks into the St. Augustine police station and tells Detective Parker that he has been poisoned and may die soon. He states that he must narrate his story because the killer will likely strike again. He begins recounting the sequence of events leading up to the poisoning.

Three days earlier, Catherine Phillips visits Bigelow at his Crescent City office. She explains that her husband Gene has vanished and that a gangster named Majak may be involved, so she hires him to uncover the truth. Bigelow agrees to take the case and heads toward St. Augustine to begin his stakeout.

Bigelow drives to St. Augustine to stake out Gene Phillips at the Ponce de Leon Hotel. He sees Phillips meet with a shadowy man, but a hood named Chester bursts in and chases him away. The stakeout foreshadows the conspiracy surrounding the iridium.

Following the lead, Bigelow goes to the Blue Bay nightclub and meets Sam Haskell, who earlier bought him a drink. Rita, the nightclub singer, appears to be involved with Phillips. A hood named Whitey interrupts, and as Bigelow tries to pursue them he is knocked down and loses consciousness.

Bigelow collapses after the encounter and is rushed back to the hotel, where he wakes in the hospital. A doctor informs him of iridium poisoning and that he has only days to live. He resolves to use his remaining time to uncover his killer.

In hiding from the authorities, Bigelow meets Grace, a patient, in the hospital chapel. She offers quiet support as he vows to find who poisoned him. Rita later asserts that Majak is behind the scheme, deepening the plot.

Bigelow's secretary Kitty reports that Gene Phillips' brother Stanley wants to see him. He goes to the Phillips office, where Stanley orders him to leave town. Bigelow refuses, and Stanley hands him over to Whitey and Chester to be taken to Majak.

Majak explains that the poisoning stems from a deal gone wrong and that whoever stole the iridium also poisoned Bigelow. He promises to kill the culprit if Bigelow can locate the iridium, setting a grim bargain. The underworld closes in as the hunt begins.

The next morning Bigelow confronts Catherine, who admits her story was a con to mislead Majak. She confesses she and Stanley Phillips are partnered with a man named Lockwood who stole the iridium. The betrayal raises the stakes for Bigelow’s search.

Back at his motel, Kitty retrieves a message about a meeting at a lighthouse. Bigelow goes there and finds Gene Phillips dead, confirming the theft and the danger surrounding him. He chases Lockwood, who escapes, and returns to the Phillips' office to press on.

Bigelow returns to the Phillips office to find Stanley dead and Whitey and Chester attempting to kill Lockwood. They capture Lockwood and take him to Majak, who orders further action against Bigelow. The web of killers closes in around him as the trail of the iridium grows colder.

At the alligator farm, Chester tortures Bigelow while Whitey tries to curb him. A struggle breaks out and Bigelow manages to grab a gun from his car, killing Chester. Whitey then informs him that Mrs. Phillips is leaving by air with the iridium.

Bigelow hurries to the local airport to confront Catherine, who reveals he was merely a test subject to verify the iridium. Haskell arrives with the iridium and admits poisoning Bigelow. Rita and Mrs. Phillips reveal they are partners and depart on a plane with the iridium for Cuba.

Bigelow meets Grace outside the church to say goodbye and accepts his impending death. He then goes to the police station to tell Parker his story, aware that the criminal world remains untouchable. The weight of the case lingers as Majak remains untouchable.

In the police station, Bigelow recounts his tale and collapses, dying in his chair from iridium poisoning. Parker regrets that he could not do more against the powerful figures involved. The killer Majak remains untouchable as the story closes.