Seven Days to Noon

On Monday, the British Prime Minister receives a letter from a man signing himself 'Professor Willingdon' claiming he has stolen a nuclear weapon and will detonate it in central London next Sunday at noon unless the government halts its nuclear program. Officials treat the claim with gravity, weighing the risk of a genuine attack against the possibility of a hoax. Detective Superintendent Folland of Scotland Yard's Special Branch is tasked with determining whether the message is fraudulent or a real threat.

At the Wallingford Research Centre, Folland discovers that Willingdon and the UR12 nuclear bomb have vanished, shifting the case from mystery to active pursuit. He recruits Stephen Lane, Willingdon's assistant, to help with the search and they head to Willingdon's known haunts. The disappearance signals that the professor may be on the run with a weapon that could threaten London.

Back at Willingdon's house, the investigators uncover troubling notes among his papers and hear remarks he made to the local vicar that suggest he believed his life's work was being used by the government for evil purposes. The material hints at a man driven by paranoia and moral outrage rather than a straightforward fraud. The case grows more complex as personal motives emerge.

After seeing his photo in the newspaper, Willingdon shaves off his moustache to alter his appearance and blend back into the city. He continues to travel, seeking a temporary place to hide while the net tightens around him. The change marks a pivotal turn in the pursuit.

Willingdon rents a room from Mrs Peckett and spends the night pacing inside the room as nerves fray. The next morning, a news article about the hunt for the 'landladies killer' prompts Mrs Peckett to alert the police. The search begins to close in on the location.

A quick-thinking constable realises the description matches Willingdon, and a police car is dispatched to the boarding house. Willingdon returns but, upon seeing the patrol outside, makes a quiet getaway. The pursuit continues with renewed urgency.

Willingdon, trying to avoid detection, visits a pawn shop where he meets Goldie, a fading actress, and her dog Trixie. Later that evening, Trixie leads Goldie to Willingdon, and they head to a pub to talk. Goldie invites Willingdon to stay at her apartment for the night.

Willingdon sleeps at Goldie's spare bed and leaves before she wakes in the morning, forming a tense but surviving alliance. The situation grows more complicated as the police intensify the search and the pair sense the net tightening. Goldie begins to realize the danger surrounding their liaison.

Unsettling reports about possible war circulate as cabinets meet in secret. The Prime Minister decides to make a radio address to the nation, announcing the evacuation of a 12-square-mile zone around Parliament. Army units are set to sweep central London once the evacuation begins.

Goldie spots a new poster bearing Willingdon's face and heads to the police station to report him. Her information broadens the search net and keeps pressure on Willingdon as the city braces for action. The incident heightens her own involvement in the looming crisis.

Goldie returns home to pack for evacuation, only to find Willingdon waiting and taking her hostage. He threatens to detonate the bomb if she calls for help, pushing the tense situation toward a dangerous climax. The city races toward mobilization as authorities plan a rapid response.

As the systematic search reaches Goldie's street, Willingdon escapes through a window and dissolves into the city. The manhunt pivots toward central London as the clock ticks toward noon. The public anxiety peaks as authorities close in.

Shortly before noon on Sunday, Willingdon is found praying in a church that was heavily damaged in The Blitz. Folland and Lane arrive with Ann to speak sense into him, but he insists it's too late. Lane begins to defuse the UR12, Willingdon breaks free, and a nervous soldier fires as the clock strikes twelve, killing him; the bomb is finally disarmed.

With the threat over, the all-clear sirens sound and the city begins to recover from the near-disaster. Goldie, who has been on Westminster Bridge, heads home once the danger passes. Evacuation and rescue operations wind down as London returns to a tentative normal.