Kill or Cure

James Bullingsworth, a bank employee loaned to the Greater Florida Betterment League, decodes its computer printouts and discovers that the League is a cover for CURE’s covert investigations into local corruption. He tries to sell his notes to Miami Beach politicians, but Marshal Dworshansky kills him with an ice pick. The resulting scandal exposes CURE: the unnamed incumbent President gives Harold W. Smith one week to resolve the exposure or disband the organization, and Smith alerts Remo with the condition-red code. Remo initially welcomes the chance to leave CURE but changes his mind after seeing Smith’s distress. In Miami Beach, Remo identifies Willard Farger, the election official publicizing the League papers, as a lead.

Farger admits that Mayor Tim Cartwright and City Manager Clyde Moskowitz arranged the publicity to prevent prosecution of their corruption. Remo finds Moskowitz dead with an ice pick in his ear; the scent points toward Dworshansky, who has hired himself out to Cartwright and wants control of the city. Remo decides to defeat Cartwright electorally and recruits Mac Polaney, an honest disabled veteran and habitual candidate, to run for mayor. He hires Dorothy and Teri Walker’s advertising firm, gives Farger campaign money, and coerces union and ward leaders into endorsing Polaney. Dorothy and Dworshansky secretly use the campaign to spy on Remo, while Farger reports Polaney’s plans to Cartwright.

After Dworshansky murders Farger, Chiun turns Ethel Hirshberg and dozens of elderly women into an energetic volunteer force. Dworshansky’s paid intimidation of the volunteers fails, and Polaney’s deliberately simple “Sunshine is Nicer” campaign catches on. Two fake television cameramen try to shoot Polaney during a live special; Chiun kills them, and the attempted assassination becomes public. Remo confronts Dorothy and Dworshansky aboard the yacht Encolpius. Dworshansky explains that the League-paper scandal was designed to protect Cartwright and gain the city; he admits killing Bullingsworth, Moskowitz and Farger. Remo turns Dworshansky’s ice pick against him, then kills Dorothy when she proposes continuing the scheme. Remo confronts Cartwright, forces him to write a confession that the League papers were fabricated to conceal his graft, and takes him aboard the Encolpius.

Remo sets the yacht on fire and escapes; the ship explodes with Cartwright apparently aboard, though the later news report says he fled or disappeared and speculates about his crimes. Polaney wins overwhelmingly and appoints Ethel Hirshberg city treasurer. Smith tells Remo he will report to “Number One” but offers no thanks.