Episode 657 - Where's the Beef? (Boston Blackie, Suspense, The Saint, & Richard Diamond)

Get this and get it straight. Crime is a sucker's road, and those who travel it wind up in the gutter of the prison of the grave. The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective. The Adventures of the Saint, starring Vincent Price. Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Hello, and welcome to Down These Mean Streets and more old-time radio detectives and crime fighters. This week, we've got a quartet of meaty stories, mysteries set in and around the butcher shop. First up, we have Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. Now, usually when we hear adventures of the master thief turned detective, he's played by Richard Calmer. But Morris, who starred as Blackie in a series of B-movies, played the character in a 1944 summer series. We'll hear him in an episode known as Black Market Blackie, where he runs afoul of a black market meat ring who wants him to join their organization. It originally aired on NBC on July 21st, 1944. Next, it's a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. Kirk Douglas stars as a grocery store clerk who unwisely embarks on an affair in The Butcher's Wife. This originally aired on CBS on February 9, 1950. We'll hear Vincent Price as The Saint with Larry Dopkin as Louis the cab driver in The Horrible Hamburger from September 10, 1950. And finally, Dick Powell stars as Richard Diamond in an episode from March 9, 1951, where he goes undercover in a butcher shop to stop a protection racket that's preying on the owner. It's mystery well done, and we'll kick things off with Chester Morris as Boston Blackie, right after these messages. This is the cold season. What do medical authorities say about the common cold? Doctors tell us there's no known drug which will cure a cold. 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Get a jar of craft chocolate-flavored malted milk from your grocer and enjoy a craft malted offer. Here's a poor chap who could be anyone you know, including you. Francis. So what are you doing stretched out on the couch? You'd better get ready if you're going to that meeting. I'll have to miss it tonight. Too much supper. My stomach's got me down. Well, don't blame supper. You stuffed yourself like a glutton. I'm not just stuffed. I feel awful. I can imagine. You've got a good old-fashioned upset stomach. And I've got just the thing for it. Pepto-Bismol. Oh, I don't want to take anything. I can't afford to stay home tomorrow. You won't have to. Pepto-Bismol's not like that. It won't add to your upset, but will help to soothe and calm it very quickly. Oh, nothing could be that good. No, just try it. Here, take a good swallow of Pepto-Bismol, and you'll begin to feel better in no time. Why, you might even get to that meeting tonight after all. Pepto-Bismol is a gentler, better way to help an upset stomach. In fact, it's better in many ways. Pepto-Bismol helps bring relief almost from the first moment. It begins to calm and quiet the upset right away. Then, because the Pepto-Bismol formula is gentle and soothing, it doesn't interfere with normal digestion and doesn't add to the upset. Yes, Pepto-Bismol is a dependable, speedy, pleasant-tasting way to care for common stomach disturbances. Remember this. When your stomach's upset, don't add to the upset. Take Pepto-Bismol to soothe it, calm it, and feel good again. I dedicate this program to the fight against crime. Not merely crimes of violence and crimes of dishonesty, but crimes of intolerance, discrimination, and bad citizenship. Crimes against America. 10 p.m. B-U-L-O-V-A, Bulova watch time. For supreme accuracy, expert design, and outstanding value, choose a Bulova. Masterpiece of fine watchmaking. W-E-A-F, New York. Lever Brothers, makers of RINSO, R-I-N-S-O, Soapy Rich RINSO presents Boston Blackie, starring Chester Morris. Step on it, Steve. I got my foot on the floor now. We gotta do something, then. We'll never lose that car that's chasing us. Don't talk. Lean out and see if I can hit a tire. Okay. Well? Missed. Hey, hey, watch that curve. I'll take care of the driving. Try it again. Try and hold this bus steady, will you? I'm doing the best I can. I've been fighting this wheel for 20 minutes. Now, after I swing around that next curve, I'll slow up. Try and get that tire again. Okay. Here goes. I got her. I got her, Steve. She's heading right for the telegraph pole. What a crack up. Them plainclothes cops in that car ain't going to interrupt another one of our hijacked jobs. Plainclothes cops? Those ain't no cops. The driver of the car that just wrapped around the telegraph pole is Boston Blackie. In a moment, we'll meet Boston Blackie. Enemy to those who make him an enemy, friend to those who have no friend. But first, a fashion note for summer. The spotlight is certainly on cotton. And that's not just my idea. I was looking through a couple of those fancy fashion magazines, and every page had something about crisp, colorful cotton dresses, cotton evening things, daytime dresses, and so on. Well, speaking from the man's point of view, I'm for it. Those printed cottons are certainly mighty pretty. And speaking from the soapy rich Rinseau's point of view, it's easy as a breeze to keep them crisp and colorful. Rinseau's rich suds are gentle and safe for washable colors, leave their bright colors gay and sparkling week after week. And it's so easy to do a Rinseau wash, a short soaking, a few quick finger rubs on extra soil places, and your clothes are ready to rinse. Really, Rinso White and Rinso Bright, too. So, next wash day, be sure you have Rinso on hand to give you a hand. And now, here is Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. Tell me, Blackie, how does your wrist feel, huh? Oh, just a slight sprain, Shorty. But we're lucky. We might have been killed when those thugs got our front tire last night. I thought for a moment we were killed. Hey, Blanky, let's stay up here in your apartment and mind our own business for a while, huh? At least until I get over that shaking up I got you. Well, we weren't looking for trouble. We were just driving along and... Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, I know. Always that and. That's what gets us into more jams. All right, so we went for a drive. Nothing unusual in that? No, but why'd you have to notice that big sedan was parked right in front of a truck and two guys were holding up the driver? Well, I always feel sorry for the guy on the other end of a gun. Yeah, but listen, boy. If you want to listen to... You too, Shorty. Up high. Way up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. I cover, Mike. Hey. So the crack-up didn't kill you guys, huh? The boss sent us to find out. You live more lives than a cat, Blackie. Yes, I've got ten. That means you rats better look out. Hey. Hey, that's good, huh, Blackie? It's wonderful, Shorty. Say, what are you mugs doing here? The boss didn't like the idea you were interfering with that hijack job last night. Oh, well, I don't like the idea of having my car wrecked either, Stooge. Well, you ain't interested in what you like. We got a pretty good setup, Blackie. Well, I'm so glad. That's fine. We got a lot of meat tied up, and we're getting good prices for it. Well, what do you want me to see me about? What's the catch? The boss wants to know if you weren't in on the racket. What? Yeah. See, he don't want no more interference from you. That's the catch. Oh, black market, huh? Well, if I say no, what does the boss say? He says we should give you a little treatment. Oh, and by the way, who is your boss? Never mind. Well, how do I know your boss is a reasonable guy? Hey, where you going? Now, don't be scared, Stooge. You know, I always talk when I'm thinking. After all, you're the one that's got the gun. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Well, boys, I've finished thinking. I guess I have no choice, huh? Well, tell the boss I'll go along with him. Now you're talking sense. Well, I guess that makes us partners, huh, boys? Say, how about a little drink on that? Yeah. Yeah, I'll take a snort. Fine. I'm sorry. All I've got is bourbon. That's okay with me. With soda? Yeah, yeah. Well, come on, boys. I'll build you a couple. Say when, Steve. When? Look, I gotta hold this gun on you, Blackie. It ain't that I'm impolite. It's just that I'm careful. You flatter me. How much soda? Gee, I never had it with soda before. Really? You haven't? Well, you're going to get it. All right, give it up. All right, Shorty, I'll take care of this one. Okay, boss. Okay, I got his gun. Why, you... All right, take it easy, Steve. Now cut out the nonsense. I've got your gun. Now be a good boy. You wanted an answer for your boss, huh? Well, you have it. Now get out of here. And in the future, boys, remember, never drink during business hours. Say, boss, did you know that it was 103 in needles yesterday? That's an enlightening breakfast conversation, Shorty. Thanks. Never mind, I'll get it. Boston Blackie? That's right. Sorry you disturbed me so early in the morning. Well, uh, won't you come in? Thank you. Uh, Shorty, another cup of coffee for Miss, uh, uh... Parker. June Parker. Well, Miss Parker, you're a charming eye-opener for so early in the morning. Faust and Blackie, I need your help. And I'm glad to know you, too. As a matter of fact, you've already helped me. I have? Mm-hmm. My driver tells me you helped one of my trucks get through the other night. One of your trucks? Yes. Well, uh, I don't quite understand. This may sound a little strange to you, but I have a ranch and I raced up. Yeah? I've sold a lot of cattle, only I can't deliver it to my customers. Oh, I see. And your trucks are being hijacked by that black market gang, huh? Yes. That's why I came to you. Will you help me get them through? You know, that's the second offer to go in the meat business that I've had in the last 24 hours. Why don't you go to the police, Miss Parker? I'm sure Inspector Faraday would be glad to give you protection. I've gone to the police, but my trucks still aren't getting through. You're really in a jam. Those black market thugs are worse than any racketeers we've ever had in this country. I'd been offered any amount if I'd fell to the black market. But I won't, not for anything. Of course you won't. Then you'll help me? Now look, Miss Parker, it isn't only helping you, it's helping me. It's helping everybody. The black market is one of the biggest things we've ever been up against. And you're fighting that black market. You know, you're the kind of a girl who's helping win this war. Coffee's ready, boss. Forget the coffee, shorty. We've got a job to do. The biggest job we've ever done. That's you, Matthews. Yes, Inspector. I'll be with you in a minute. Got to finish writing this letter. Hey, Matthews, how do you spell stupidity? F-A-R-A-D-A-Y. F-A-R-A... Hey, what? Oh, it's you, Blackie. I should have known. Matthews can't spell. All right, what do you want here? I don't know. What have you got here? One of these days, we're going to have you here in a cell. Faraday, you're nothing but an idealist. You know, I've been lonely. You haven't been bothering me lately. What's the matter? Don't you love me anymore? I love you anymore. I love you like poison ivy. What do you want, Blackie? Well, Faraday, my life has been threatened. I want police protection. You're wonderful. You want police protection, Blackie. Stop it. Now, wait a minute, Faraday. I'm serious. There's a gang after me, and they're not fooling me. Poor little Blackie. I'd like to see the gang that you couldn't handle. What is this, a gang? No, no, no. Wait a minute. I'm on the level. Blackie, you're breaking my heart. You've never been on the level with me in your life, so why could I start believing you now? Oh. Oh, so you won't give me police protection, huh? Don't make me laugh. Okay, Faraday. That's all I wanted to know. Blackie wants protection. No! Got him, Mike. Help me get him into the car. Come on. Let's get out of here. Boston Blackie's going for a long trip. Well, it looks as though Boston Blackie's in a pretty tight spot, but Blackie is also a pretty resourceful individual, so just wait and see what happens. You know, we used to have a nice hand-embroidered motto hung up on our wall that said, true friends are like diamonds, precious and rare. How well that applies in wartime to the washing machine. Yes, ma'am, if you're lucky enough to have a washer, keep in mind that it's your true friend and take care of it. One way is to follow the advice of the makers of 33 leading washers and use Rinseau. You see, soapy rich Rinseau gets out more dirt. And with such a short run, it's easy not only on your clothes, but on your washer. And Rinseau results are something to see. All your white clothes gleaming, sparkling. Sure, Rinseau white. And colors washable Rinseau bright. So be sure to put Rinseau, R-I-N-S-O, right on top of tomorrow's shopping list. And now, back to Chester Morris as Boston Blackie. Well, Boston Blackie, intent on breaking up a black market meat ring, was waylaid by thugs as he was leaving police headquarters where Inspector Faraday had just refused him police protection. Blackie has been thrown into a car. Hey, Steve, he's coming too. Must be this country here. Stop the car. Okay. Let's get this over with. Yeah, I'll take the gag out of his mouth. Yeah. Nobody can hear him out here. Yeah, thanks, Steve. I want to get my necktie back anyway. The best one I got. My girl gave it to me. She's a redhead. Says it matches her hair. You know, it's too bad she ain't a brunette. Yeah, you just don't like redheads. Hey, never mind putting on your tie now. Leave it there in the seat and let's get this job over with. Come on, Blackie. Can you talk? Well, what is this, the end of the line? No. This is where we transfer. Okay, boys, what's the score? Two to nothing, and you're the nothing. Blackie, can you stand up? Well, I'm not so sure. You better stand up while you can, Blackie. You're gonna be laying down for a long time. You have a charming sense of humor. You had a chance to join up with us, Blackie. You nixed it, and now you're getting rubbed out. Oh, boss's orders, huh? Yeah, and besides, it gives us a chance to get even for that soda trick yesterday. I see. Get over that fuzz, Blackie. Say, what is this, an obstacle course? Yeah, and you're the obstacle. Hey, Steve. Hey, what's that over there? Huh? Ah, nothing. It's just a cow. That happens to be the cow's husband, gentlemen. Gee, a bull. Hey, if a bull sees red, he goes crazy. What's the matter? You scared, Mike? Now we gotta finish our job. Okay, Blackie. Anything you wanna say? Any, uh, last request? Well, uh, well, I'd like to start running, gentlemen, if you don't mind, and I'm sure you would, too. What? That bull's coming this way, and fast. Hey, he's after me. Hey, he's after me. Thanks for the gun, Steve. Hey, let's get out of here, will you? Don't worry, Steve. The bull's after Mike. You see, I stuck his own red necktie in his back pocket. Who's that? It's me, June. Boston Blackie. Oh, Blackie. Just a minute. Well, please come in. I'm glad to see you, Blackie. Thanks. I'd like some information, June. These gents we're up against are playing a little rough. Blackie, what happened? Well, I went to Faraday for protection. He didn't believe I needed it. Next thing I knew, I was tapped on the head and ended up in a cow pasture playing matador. Blackie. Now look, June. All I want to know is just one thing. You told me that somebody tried to get you to sell your cattle to the black market ring. I want to know who that somebody is. Well, I can't tell you. I don't know. If you're being afraid, don't be. I'll see that nothing happens to you. And it's also a little bit important that nothing happens to me, too. Now, look, all I want to know is, who approached you on that black market deal? Well, some men who said they represented a Mr. George Williams. Williams? Well, who's he? I don't know him. He has a wholesale meat plant on Johnson Street. But, Blackie, I've never seen him. Shh. Quiet, June. What's the matter? The doorknob. It's turning. I'll be in back of the door when it opens, but you keep on talking. Okay. But, Blackie, I don't know whether I can go to dinner with you or not. I... Oh. Okay, drop those guns. Drop them fast. I'm right here in back of you. Better drop your gun, too, Steve. Well, you two matadors again, huh? This is getting a little monotonous. How far did that bull chase you this morning? I'm a little fed up with you two guys. Uh, June. Yes, Blackie? Take the cord off those drapes. I want to tie up these two bullfighters. Then I've got to go over and see a man by the name of George Williams. Blackie, I'm afraid I... You don't have to be afraid, June. Oh, when Blackie ties them up, they stay tied. And when I get through with this, you'd better call the police and have them pick up these mugs. And I've got to work fast. Hey, Miss Parker. You ain't going to call no police. What? What do you mean? And besides, you're going to untie us right now. Or else, the boss won't like it. You mean Mr. Williams? No, Miss Parker. You see, Williams ain't his name. His real name is Parker. Parker, yeah. George Parker, your brother. Now, will you untie our hands? I don't know what you're talking about, Blackie. I operate a legitimate business here. I sell only at ceiling prices. I came up here to tell you I'm tired of being kicked around by those two mugs of yours. And also that you're going to lay off June Parker. June Parker? Who's she? Well, she's the girl you've been threatening. You know, the one that owns the truck she's been hijacking. But you won't do it anymore. You see, I'm taking you with me. You're taking me with you? That's right. You're going to be my insurance that from now on this black market gang of yours is unemployed. What are you going to do with me? What's he going to do with you? He ain't going to do anything with you. Faraday, I'm glad you're here. Yeah, I'll bet you are. Inspector, my secretary had the good sense to call you. And I'm glad you got here so fast. What's Boston Blackie been up to now? He held me here in my office at the point of a gun, Inspector. He was going to force me to go with him unless... Unless what? unless I stopped selling meat at ceiling prices and went into the black market. Now, wait a minute, Faraday. That's ridiculous. You know that can't be right. I don't know nothing. Oh, you know a thing or two. You're just being modest. I'm a reputable merchant, Inspector. I've been in business for years. This Blackie person wanted me to make this plant his headquarters for illegal meat sale. Now, Faraday, listen. He claims I pulled a gun on him. I don't even have a gun. It was in his hand when you came in the door, Inspector. Well, Blackie, that don't make any difference. He can make anything disappear. Thanks. Someday I hope he goes to work on himself. This Williams is head of a black market ring. That's not true. Not only that, but he's got a couple of thugs that have an obsession about my collecting old age pens. That's ridiculous. Please take Blackie with you, Inspector. I'll prefer charges. Now, wait a minute, Inspector. I know I've tricked you, and we've been playing hide-and-go-seek for years. Go on. But I've never gone back on my word. Now, have I? That's right. And I'm not going to try any tricks. I just want you to come with me to a young lady's apartment. Oh, now, but... Now, really, I want you to meet two friends of Mr. Williams. And if I can't prove that my story is true, well, I'll go downtown with you. Now, nothing could be fairer than that. Sounds all right. But then you can make anything sound okay. You want me to see a gal who'll set me right on this whole thing? That's right. Okay, Blackie. I'll give you a chance to square yourself, but remember this better not be a runaround. This is the apartment, Inspector. Come on in. Who is it? It's me, June. It's Blackie. I'm here with Inspector Faraday. Who? Inspector Faraday. Wait a minute. I'm coming. Well, hello. Hello, June. Would you mind telling the inspector about that black market ring that threatened you? What black market ring? Well, you know that the... June. I'm Miss Parker. And who are you? That's all, Blackie. I've heard enough. June. Now, what happened to those two men I left tied up here at your apartment? Inspector, who is this man? Don't you know? He says he's a very dear friend of yours. Why, I've never seen him before in my life. And now, will you excuse me, please? Okay, Blackie. We made a deal. This gal who was supposed to explain everything claims she never saw you before. Come on, let's go. No, I can't go with you, Inspector. I've got to find out what this is all about. Sorry, Blackie. Figured out while you're waiting trial. Faraday, will you listen? This girl is lying and I can prove it. If you give me time. I'll give you time, Blackie. You're coming with me. And keep your hands where I can see them. Now, come on over here to the telephone. I'm going to get you an escort downtown. Okay, Inspector, but you're making a great mistake. According to you, I always make them. So what's the difference? Remember, Blackie, I'm keeping my eye and my gun on you. Get me police headquarters. Blackie, stop playing with that telephone cord. You make me nervous. I'm not playing with it, Inspector. Get that wire off my gun, Blackie. Stop the twisting that gun. You're breaking my wrist. I'm sorry, Inspector. Now let go of the gun. You're going back on your word, Blackie. Yeah, that's better. You're going back on your word now. You never did that before. I'm sorry, but I've got to be free to get the head of that black market ring. And put a ring right through his nose. Shorty? Hey, open up, will you, boss? Wait a minute. Come in, Shorty. Well, I... Oh. Oh, what are you doing here? She made me bring her down here to your waterfront hideout, boss. Oh, that's fine. What do you mean she made you? She came to the apartment and she was crying. Oh, of course, you know I can't stand to see a poor dame cry. Blackie, you've got to listen to me. Yeah. Yeah, I listened to you once. I know. I lied to Inspector Faraday, but I had to. Well, that's fine. Why don't you tell it to Faraday? I can't tell Inspector Faraday I lied. I can't. You can't do this. You can't do that. You sound like the Summer Sisters. Why did you make Shorty bring you down here? So that I could beg you to please forget all about me in the black market ring. Well, forgetting about you will be a pleasure. I don't blame you for feeling that way. But believe me, it's for the good of everyone for you to forget about all this. Believe you? Are you kidding? You almost did once. I almost died once, too. And I've no desire to try that again, either. You wanted to help me when I was in trouble, Blackie. I'm still in trouble. But the only way you can help me now is to drop this whole black market case. And you're the girl I thought was going to help win the war. Oh, Maggie, please. June, there's no point in your coming here to see me. But, George, I didn't even know you were here in the city. And then to find out what you're doing. How in the world did you ever get started on this? Just why should I explain that to you, June? I can't understand you. And Dad couldn't either. When you ran away from the ranch five years ago, you broke Dad's heart. And not hearing from you after that didn't help any. I don't see why you should complain. Dad left the ranch to you, didn't he? Yes, but what else could he do? But it's worked out all right anyway. You've done a good job, Joan, raising good cattle. That's helped me and my business. But black market, George, you call that a business? I don't go for those names. All I know is I'm making money. And incidentally, June, it wasn't in my plans that you should know who I am. And it's your own fault that you do. You got mixed up with this Boston Blackie and I had something to do about it. Well, well, this is convenient, finding the two of you here together. Boston Blackie. Blackie. Well, now who wants to talk first? You, Williams? I got nothing to say to you, Boston Blackie. I see. How about you, June? I can't tell you anything. Well, let me tell you then. Williams, you ought to pick smarter stooges. Or I might say you ought to pick a dumbstooge, the one who can't talk. You see, Steve talked. With a little persuasion, of course, but he talked. So, Williams, I know that you're really Parker, June's brother. But, Blackie, I didn't... And June, that explains a great deal, too. Of course, you made Faraday very happy by pretending not to know me, but you didn't make me very happy. Oh, please, Blackie, you've got to listen to me. Look, I didn't know that my brother was going under the name of Williams. And when I found out, I was so stunned. I didn't know what to do. Except I knew I couldn't turn him over to the police. Now I know he deserves to be. Well, sister, I got her. Yes, I think so. Blackie, you said it was very convenient having two of us here. Well, I think it's very convenient having the two of you here. And this gun is very convenient, too. Put them up, both of you. Georgie. Georgie, did anyone ever tell you what happens to little boys who play with fire? Both of you stuck your noses into my business. June always did, and I'm used to that. In any way, she's my sister, but I don't have to take her from you, Boston Blackie. Well, you have something there, Georgie. Not to mention the gun. June, would you please leave the room? If I'm right in supposing what your charming brother intends to do with me, it won't be very pretty. George, you wouldn't. Please, June, do as I say. But Blackie... Please, June. It's all my fault. I got you into this. I didn't know that... Oh, my old brother. Blackie! Oh, Blackie, I thought... You know, June, for a man raised on a ranch, your brother isn't very quick on the trigger. Personally, I'm very glad because it gave me a chance to show him his mistake. Blackie, what did you do to George? Can I see him? Well, a little later, he's busy right now, you see. He's got a thousand pounds of steaks hanging in his wholesale plant, and he's looking for one little piece of beef to put on his eye. Yeah, Blackie, I guess I'll forget about you going back on your word. Good old Inspector. I had a pretty good reason, you know. Yeah, I know. Anyway, you broke up this black market ring and I get the credit. Thanks. You know, sometimes I find it kind of hard to hate you. Well, keep trying, Inspector. You know you're much prettier with a worried look on your face. You know, this thing kind of calls for a celebration, Blackie. Yeah? You and I break up a black market gang and a million people can buy beef at reasonable prices. What do you think we ought to do? Well, let's see, Inspector. How about coming up to the apartment for a home-cooked steak dinner? Shall I bring anything? Yes. Points Boston Blackie will be back in just a moment with an interesting preview of next week program Meanwhile, let's see now. There are the dishes, the floors, the woodwork, the tiles, sink, windows. Hey, I could keep this up for hours. Listing the jobs at Rinseau will make easier for you. Yes, those same soapy rich suds that are such a help when it comes to washing clothes are great for all the soap and water jobs around the house. So be sure to get Rinse-O tomorrow, ladies, for dishes, housework, and to keep you singing through wash day like this. Rinse-O, white, Rinse-O, white, happy little wash day song. Rinse-O, white, Rinse-O, white, bird is singing all day long. Your fine feather friend has a message to send, so listen, you can't go wrong. Rinse-o, white, Rinse-o, white Happy little wash day song Yeah, Matthews, yeah, I know the guy's dead, you said that Now listen, did you find the gun? Sure, we found it It was hooked up inside the radio When the guy turned the set on, it fired the gun I get it Hey, hey, was the telephone receiver off the hook? Sure, when we broke down the door Hey, Inspector, how could you know that? Just so happens, that's the way a guy was killed in a play I've been watching Somebody lifted the idea, and I've got an idea who that somebody was. Yeah? Who, Inspector? The man who's backing this play, a fellow by the name of Boston Blackie. Tough luck, ladies. I mean about choice cuts of lamb going back on rationing. It means you've got to be smarter than ever at figuring ways to fix the meals your families want, especially since you don't have as many points as you used to. Well, the smartest thing to do is to get extra points by turning in waste fats. You know your meat dealer will give you cash and two red points for every pound you turn in. So get going. You'll be doing yourself a favor and your country an important service. For used fats are urgently needed for military medicines, armaments, and a host of things so necessary to win this war. Strain every drop into any tin can, no glass containers please, and turn them in as soon as you have a pound. THE END Carla Wilcox saying goodnight for Boston Blackie. Brought to you by the makers of Rinseau, the soap that gets clothes. And don't forget, tomorrow, when you ask your grocer for the new Rinseau, buy a cake of Lifebuoy at the same time. Lifebuoy's rich, purifying lather goes right after dirt and perspiration, leaves you feeling extra clean. So use Lifebuoy daily in your bath or shower. Remember, it's the only soap especially made to stop... This is the National Broadcasting Company. Suspense. Autolite and its 96,000 dealers present Mr. Kirk Douglas in The Butcher's Wife, a suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. Wilcox, I say there, Wilcox, old man. Reming Chester shotgun as I live, breathe, and batter my brains for burgeoning boasts It's about the battery of batteries, the Autolite Stay-Full battery. The battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use. See, sounding off, was it not you who defied me to find a camel that could go without water as long as an Autolite Stay-Full battery? Defy you I did, you dubious dunderhead. Please, no compliments. I concede your claim regarding ordinary one-hump camels, but what about a two-hump camel? Need I say more? Well, you probably mean he can go twice as long without refilling. But Autolite Stay-Full batteries hold over three times as much liquid reserve above the plates as ordinary batteries. Need I say more? So, I shall have to find a dromedary with four hums. Even that won't do it, for Autolite Stay-Full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use. What's more, in recent tests, based on SAE life cycle standards, Autolite stay-full batteries gave 70% longer average life than batteries without stay-full features. So get wise, get an Autolite stay-full battery, because you're always right with Autolite. And now, with the butcher's wife and the performance of Kirk Douglas, Autolite hopes once again to keep you in suspense. It started the first day of the job. I was clerking the liquor department of this supermarket. I hadn't been in Los Angeles a week. My brother, when I'd left New York, had given me this letter to a friend of his, a guy who owned a string of these markets. The letter was about could he use me, I was a good fellow, he'd counted a favor, you know. And the guy had this opening liquor clerk, and comes the following Monday. I'm at work. I spent the morning loading the refrigerators with beer, soda water, all that stuff. And sizing up the place. You know, back east, we don't have these supermarkets. There was a vegetable department run by a nice little dark guy. There was a delicatessen. That was run by an old geezer and his frowl. There was a bakery department, a meat department, of course, the groceries. No clerks. You pushed a little card around and helped yourself. To get out, you passed the cash register and the girl loaded your stuff and rang up the price. My, uh, surveillance of the place had reached the girl who checked the groceries when the trouble started. She was looking at herself in her little mirror and putting on some lipstick. Her back was to me. I see her stop putting on the lipstick but still looking at the mirror. I see her eyes in the mirror. And then she turns around very slowly and looks at me. just looks at me. She must have been 50 feet away at the least and with customers between us. But it was like we were all alone, the two of us on a beach somewhere, an empty beach. I should have looked away. I should have winked and forgotten it. I should have gone on stacking beer and thinking about how to be a success. That's what I should have done. What I did do was I stood right there and locked eyes with her for I don't know how long. And all the time I was looking at her, I was sending her mental telegrams. You and me, baby. You and me. Hey. Hey, you. Hey. You and me, baby. Hey, what's the matter? Sleep on your feet? Oh, what'd you say? You the new guy, huh? Yeah, I just started this morning. I'm Nick Arno. I work the vegetables. Oh, Harry Carr. Pleased to know you. Yeah. You got two bottles of cold beer? Oh, sure. Cold as a witch's heart. And don't open here by the comrade. You know, it's the law. Yeah, sure. I have them out back with my lunch. Well... Oh, uh, uh, Nick. What? Uh, the, uh, the gal over there by the cash register. Huh? Mary? Is that her name? Mary? Yeah. What about her? Well, that's what I'm wondering. What about her? Oh. No soap. She's Mary. Are you kidding? You see that big guy over there with a knife? The butcher? Yeah? Ask him if I'm kidding. Well, who's he? Our husband. Oh. See ya. I looked over at him. He's a funny-looking guy, a real creep. He stood there stropping a tremendous big cleaver, whistling to himself. He had on, you know, one of those hard straw hats and a white apron. He had those rimless glasses with thick lenses so that his eyes looked like baseballs. When he saw I was looking at him, he nodded and went on whistling and stropping. It's a real creep. Later on, I watched him softening up some sort of stakes. He had a big steel mallet with points on it. He was whacking away at this meat like a pile driver. I watched him grinding and slicing, quartering, sawing the bones off some of the cuts. And always those eyes like baseball. And that teeny little mouth lost in the big red face. Whistling. I looked over at her, and she was giving me the eye again. We closed at seven. The vegetable guys carted out the old stuff. Delicatessen man put away his pickles. I checked the register, counted my slips, made my entries. Krause the butcher was still there packing and cleaning, putting stuff in that big refrigerator room back at the counter, but she'd left. I got to my street coat and walked out. Hello. She was standing, looking at the shoe display a couple of doors down from the market. I said hello. Don't you say hello wherever it is you come from? Sure. Hello. Taking the bus? Yeah. Which way do you go? Down to Western. I'm going that way. I'll drive you. No, no, I don't think you're better. What's the matter? I wouldn't want to trouble you. No trouble. Well, I... Come on. I'm parked right here. Yeah, but what about Mr. Krause? He'll be there an hour yet. He takes the bus. Oh. Come on. Well, I... Come on. Don't be afraid. I'm not afraid of you. You're afraid of me. Come on. Get in. So all day long I'm pushing liquor at them. Now they're pushing it at me. Oh, you're cute, Harry. I mean it. You're really cute. So are you, baby. You really think so? Sure, baby. Harry, let's get out of here. Go someplace else. Hey, hey, wait a minute. I got to work in the morning. Hey, silly, this is the morning. It is. Hey. Hey, Mac, what's the time? Uh, 2.30. Harry, Harry, you really think I'm cute? Oh, sure, baby. Look, but it's late, real late. Don't worry, sugar. Look, look, come on. I'll take you home. No, no. I'll take you home. Oh, it felt lousy the next morning. I'm not much of a drinker. She looked fresh as a daisy, smiling and joking with the customers. I didn't look over there. I didn't want to. I didn't want to think about what she must have gone on between her and Krause when she got in. He didn't look happy. I knew why. I kept waiting for him to turn those baseball eyes on me. But he never did. Just went on, smashing, slicing, grinding, sawing. All that. When I came out that night, she was there. I tried to disregard her, but she... Harry. She said she had something very serious to talk over. Well, the way she said it, I got in the car again. Now, he's awful, Harry. Really, you don't know. Yeah, I guess it's tough. You just wouldn't believe some of it. Look, Mary, I... He's crazy jealous. Of you? That silly. Well, I guess it's... Jealous of me. Or should I say of you? Me? What's he know about me? Well, I got him this morning and there he was. Sitting up like grandma in his bathtub. He says, where you been? I said, what's it to you, Annie? They call him Annie. He drives him crazy. Look, Mary, I... So he said, don't think you can fool me. And he started to cry and say a lot of things about Babylon and then sitting on the water is real crazy talk. Look, I better go, Mary. Oh, Mary, don't be silly. He doesn't know who you are, who it is. Yeah, but he could find out. Not unless I told him. Oh, look, you wouldn't do that. Of course not, baby. As long as you're good to me. The next night I stayed in the market. I was scared. I didn't want any more of that stuff. I did inventory, counted bottles, cleaned the refrigerator, changed the water in the soft-drink cooler. I kept busy. Across the market, Krause was moving around, cleaning up. After a while, he took off his apron and his straw hat, and he came over. Hello, Mr. Krause. Give me a bottle of beer. Sure thing. All right to drink it here? Sure. We're closed, aren't we? Yeah. Oh, here. Here's an opener. Thanks. You're working late, huh? Well, you know how it is. Nothing to do evenings. No? Nah. I'm new out here. Takes time to make friends. For me, maybe it would take time. But not for a good-looking young fellow like yourself. Oh, I don't know. You're a big, broad-shouldered guy. Yes, you're big. That's me. How's the beer? All right. Listen. Do you know my wife? Your wife? Yeah, you know her? She, uh... Oh, isn't she the one who checks the groceries? Yeah. Oh, very nice-looking lady. You think so? Well, of course, I... Oh, don't get me wrong. I mean it very sincerely. A very nice, respectful-looking... Yeah, sure. Listen, have you noticed anything funny going on there? Funny? Somebody's playing around with her. And I want to find out who. With her? You wouldn't think it now, would you? No, I should say not. I don't know who it is, but listen, haven't you noticed anything? I mean, some guy who shoots the breeze with her or something like that? No, no. Then will you do me a favor? Sure. What? Keep your eyes open. Oh, I will, Mr. Krause. I promise you. I'll find the guy. I'll find out who he is if it takes a year. And when I do, I'll kill him. Good night. Good night. Autolight is bringing you Kirk Douglas in The Butcher's Wife. Tonight's production in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense. I say, Wilcox, you're keeping me in suspense. Ah, but not for long, Remingchester old man. I'll tell you here and now, you just can't find anything, man, beast, or battery, to beat the liquid reserve of a genuine Autolite stay-full battery. That's a powerful statement, Wilcox. That's a powerful battery, Reming Chester. Needs water only three times a year in normal car use. Extraordinary. Well, I must be on my way. If I'm to find a more capacious camel, after all, life is short. Not the life of the Autolite Stay-Full battery. With fiberglass retaining mats at every positive plate, Autolite Stay-Full batteries give 70% longer average life than batteries without the Stay-Full features. That's based on recent tests conducted according to SAE Life Cycle Standard. See your Autolite dealer soon, friends, because you're always right with Autolite. And now, Autolite brings back to our Hollywood soundstage our star, Kirk Douglas, in The Butcher's Wife. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. See how it happens? You go along minding your own business, trying to be a sweet guy and a whammy. Up pops the devil. The roof caves in and there you are. The executioner's honing the axe and whistling to himself. I tell you, I was nervous. My hands were sweating and my teeth were aching. Well, if it hadn't been for needing the job bad, I'd have put on my coat and hightailed it out of there but fast. That was a situation. And Mary's looking over at me every now and then, giving me the big eyes. Yeah, to heck with you, baby. Get yourself another boy. And Krause is looking over, raising his eyebrows. Do I know who it is yet? And I'm making a long face and shaking my head. Then Nick, the vegetable man, comes over. I see you didn't understand what I told you the other day. What's that, Nick? About Mary. I told you she was a married woman. Oh, what are you talking about? I see you. The both of you coming out of a bar the other morning. You're nuts, Nick. Don't pull the hard face with me, Harry. I ought to tip Krause off to what's going on. Nick. Nick. Be a good guy. Will you? Be a good guy, will you? I'm telling you, you better be a good guy. And leave the butcher's wife alone if you know what's good for you. Look, I will, Nick. I will. I swear it. It was a mistake, that's all. Yeah. Oh, be a good guy, Nick. Forget about it. All right. This once, okay. But do it again and you'll get what's coming to you. Sure, Nick. And I'm not just talking. Harry. What? Blow, will you? Blow. Harry, I wish you wouldn't treat me this way. Look, Blow, get away. Look at me, Harry. Don't you know your husband's watching you? He's got his glasses off. He couldn't see Hollywood Bowl. You better be nice to me, Harry. Please, Mary, please go back your cash register. I want to see you tonight. No. Oh, yes. Look, understand me, Mary. You're poison. Now get away. You'll see me, Harry, or you'll see Krause. All right. Where? I'll be parked around the corner. It's around the corner. Don't be late. Oh, Harry. Stop being silly. Come on, get in. Look, please, can't you understand? I don't want any trouble. What are you so afraid of? Trouble. Oh, come on, baby. Let's go and have some fun. What's the matter? Oh. Hello, Nick. I warn you. Listen, you've got it wrong, Nick. Oh, no. What is all this? You shut up. Don't you talk to me like that. I talk to you like I please, Cheek. Harry. Hit him, Harry. I didn't hit him. He was looking down his nose at me, and he was a nice, wide-open target, but I didn't hit him. Because all of a sudden, I knew what I had to do, and I knew I had to do it fast. Harry. Hey, where are you going, baby? I didn't turn. Nick was still back to beside the car. I went into the market. Mr. Kraus. Mr. Kraus! Yeah? I, uh... What? I found out. What? I can't hear you. I said I found out. I found out who it is. Who? Nick. The vegetable man. Yeah. The vegetable man. I knew yesterday, but I didn't want to get him in trouble. I told him to lay off, but he said nuts. He said if I opened my mouth, he'd tell you it was me, that I was the one. A vegetable man. I'm sorry, Mr. Cross. I never did like him. I never did like him. Well, uh, good night. Good night. I took a bottle of brandy home with me. No dinner. I just laid around the bed about three hours, talking to myself. Finally, the heck with the job. I got up, started the pack. I was broke, but I didn't care. I'd have to skip out of my rent, but it didn't matter. I didn't care. I wanted out from Krause, from Mary, from Nick, and... Suddenly, I figured that even if Nick was a snooping little rat with his holier-than-now, I ought to clear him. So I wrote a note to Krause. I said, I did it, Krause. Don't blame anybody else. I took the note in my bag and the key to the market, and I tiptoed out of the rooming house. I caught a bus and went to the market. The boulevard was deserted. I looked into the glass door. In the back of the place up high, there was a red neon beer sign that blinked on and off, on and off. I unlocked the door, went in, and locked the door behind me. The place was kind of eerie in the dark. What, with that red light blinking on and off? One minute the place was pitch black, and the next was a thousand little red lights bouncing off the canned stuff in the groceries part. I went to the butcher counter first. I laid the note on the scale where he'd be sure to see it. Then I crossed over past the vegetables and the bakery, past Delicatessen, to the living department. It was dark, and I kept bumping into things, and I thought, why am I acting like a criminal? So I turned on the lights. The whole place was suddenly so dazzling it hurt my eyes. I looked at the cash register. I was just thinking, well, maybe I'll take a couple of bucks and... When it happened. I hadn't touched it. There were other switches in the place. I didn't know where. After the brightness, the place seemed twice as dark. The red sign blinked on and off, on and off. Then I saw Krause. He was standing behind the meat counter at the scale. And he picked up the note, my note. I did it, Krause, and he read it. I couldn't see his eyes, just the glasses. Every time the light blinked, they shone red. Bright red like some sort of terrible toy. And he began to move. And it was like a movie that you see one frame at a time. Each time the light blinked on, he wasn't where he'd been before. But closer. Closer. Krause! Mr. Krause! Mr. Krause! Those red glasses kept coming at me. I edged over toward the vegetables, and he moved too. I moved the other way toward the groceries. There was a railing. I climbed over. I was in one of the long, narrow aisles of cans and bottles. The stuff was filed head high. I waited, hoping maybe he didn't see me. But he did. I hid behind a stack of canned dog food. He sounded 30 or 40 feet away. I waited. I looked around the corner. He was looking down another aisle. I'd knocked my head back. Couldn't understand that sound. I looked again. The aisle was empty, but in the center where Krause had stood were his shoes. He'd taken them off. Very quietly, I bent and took mine off. And I began to chip through a wave from where I'd seen him. And then I rounded a corner. There he was, not two feet away with his back to me. And I lost my balance. I put my hand out to steady me. A whole stack of cans went over. I ran. I kept running, and there I was. I was at the end of an aisle, and there was the wall, the back wall. And I turned, and he was coming, coming straight at me. My hand put something cold, a bottle. I grabbed it. It was ammonia. Krause, get back. Get back, Krause, or I'll blind you. Krause, I warn you. I swear I will. He stood there like a crazy junk, like Cyclops, staring at his eyes, the ammonia running down his face. I didn't wait. I ran past him, bumping him aside, ran and ran and cut around the cash register, past the delicatessen in the bakery to the door. It was locked. The key. I'd left it in the lock. It was gone. I tried to break the glass with my fist, but it was like steel. Well, I couldn't kick it. I'd left my shoes behind. And Krause kept coming, feeling his way along, moaning. In the blinking light, I could see he still had the knife in his hand. I slid behind the counter of the meat compartment. Under my feet, the sawdust. I bent, scooped up a handful. His face was awful, twisted and gleaming. His glasses were gone and his eyes were screwed tight, shut in pain. He stopped ten feet away, swaying. Then he opened his eyes, opened them as wide as he could and moved his head from side to side, trying nearsightily to see me. Then his head stopped moving, and holding it sideways, using one eye to see me, he came on, the knife held way back. I went. I went fly with the sawdust. He jumped to one side, my back up against the block, and he twisted and skidded in the sawdust and he fell. He was very still for a moment. I waited. He rose to his knees. In the blinging light, I saw the knife. He'd fallen on it. It stuck out of the middle of his chest. Krause! Then, very slowly, he got to his feet. One hand over the place where the knife was. And started toward me again. There was a rack over the chopping block. He reached up and got a cleaver. I backed up. Behind me, I felt a large cold handle. The door to the meat storage room, I heaved it open. Where inside, it was cold. Bitter cold. And dark. In the center of the door was one small thick pane of glass. It was clouded. I wiped it clear with my hand and looked out. Krause stood there. His face an inch from mine, looking in. And then his eyes rolled back and his face went slack and he fell out of sight. He was dead. I was sure of it. I felt around in the dark with a knob, but I couldn't find it. I felt the door from top to bottom. There were bars and bolts and something that felt like a handle. I can't and chugged, but it wouldn't move. There was a knife on a slab. the butcher knife. I felt around the door for a crack, slipped the knife in, and twisted. Broke off. Another door, I thought. Maybe there's... Oh, please. Another door out of this place. I began to search for it in the dark, feeling along the icy, damp walls. I walked into something cold that moved when I touched it. Oh, the sight of beef. But no door. I moved farther. Another icy cold thing. And I moved on and came up against another... As cold as the rest, but... And I'm crazy. I know it. I'm crazy. This one... This one feels as though it's wearing silk stockings. So here I am. It's awfully cold. Cold as a witch's heart. Cold as a tomb. This thing I have in my hand, this knife handle. I wish it had a blade. I know what I do, I know, but it hasn't. Anyway, I'm innocent of anything. They'll believe me. They will. There's a letter outside on the scale. It says, I did it, Krauss. Don't blame anybody else. And there's my suitcase. Well, that'll prove I meant to go away and not cause anybody a hard time. And there's... Oh. Oh, the time goes slow. And while I'm waiting and waiting and waiting, I'll tell myself the whole story again and again. It'll give me something to do, you know. Something to think about. You see, it started the first day of the job. I was clerking the liquor department at the supermarket. I hadn't been to Los Angeles the week. My brother, when I left New York, had given me this letter to a friend of his. You know, a guy owned a string of these supermarkets. The letter was about could have used me. I was a good fellow. He counted in a favor, you know. The guy had to soak in the liquor quick. It was the first day in that time to the Los Angeles. I didn't give you a short time. Suspense. Presented by Autolite. Tonight's star, Kirk Douglas. Reming Chester. Marsh, hey, you gave me a start. No I didn Remingchester old man It must have been your new Autolite Stay Full battery the battery that needs water only three times a year in normal car use Just the thing for starting right And remember it just one of more than 400 products made by Autolite for cars trucks planes and boats in 28 plants coast to coast These include complete electrical systems for many makes of America's finest cars. Batteries, spark plugs, generators, coils, distributors, starting motors, and Autolite bullseye sealed beam headlights. All engineered to fit together perfectly, work together perfectly, because they're a perfect team. Though don't I accept electrical parts supposed to be as good? Ask for and insist on Autolite, original factory parts, at your neighborhood service station, car dealer, garage, or repair shop. Remember, you're always right with Autolite. Next Thursday for suspense, Marlena Dietrich will be our star. the play is called Murder Strikes Three Times, and it is, as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in... Suspense! Tonight's suspense play was produced and edited by William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald. Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Morawieck and conducted by Lud Bluskin. The Butcher's Wife is an original play for radio by James Poe. Kirk Douglas, whose thrilling performance in Champion has placed him among the Academy Award contenders, will soon be seen in Young Man with a Horn. You can buy Autolite Safeful batteries, Autolite regular or resistor spark plugs, Autolite electrical parts at your neighborhood Autolite dealers. Switch to Autolite. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. The Adventures of The Saint, starring Vincent Price. The Saint, based on characters created by Leslie Charters and known to millions from books, magazines, and motion pictures. The Robin Hood of modern crime now comes transcribed to radio, starring Hollywood's brilliant and talented actor Vincent Price as... The Sink. Taxi! Taxi! Among men who know locomotion best, it's Louie, three to one. Hello, Louie. Hi, Mr. Templer, climb in. Thank you. And whither can I waft you this beautiful evening? Whither can you waft me? Louie, what's wrong? Something has to be wrong before I use a poetical type speech. No, but I... There's a law which says cab drivers can't use good English? Well, no, but I... So whither can I waft you? Waft me to Spring Lake Road, if you please. Spring Lake Road? I never heard of it. You've nothing better to do than go around making up new streets? Louie, Spring Lake Road is in Westchester. Good, let it stay there. Louie, I want to go there. Why? I've been invited to dinner by some friends. The food tastes better in Westchester? No, but my friends live there. Okay. Oh, please don't sulk, Louie. Lots of people live in Westchester. Lots of people are crazy. Westchester happens to be a very lovely place. Full of trees, ain't it? The trees are attractive. To who? Apes. I'd better tell you how to go. You don't have to tell me. I'll find it. I know, but... Listen, Mr. Templer, I'm a cab driver. The cab drivers never get lost. Louie. Don't say it. We've just passed that oak tree on the left for the third time. So it's an active tree. I thought cab drivers never got lost. Somebody swiped all the street signs. From the trees? So I got lost. So I'll turn my badge in. So my wife will despise me. So my children will go through life ashamed of their old man. So I'll... Louie, Louie, it's 10 o'clock. My dinner invitation was for 8.30. You'll never make it. I don't doubt that, but I'm hungry. Next time you get to an eating place... Don't say anymore. Right up the road. Oh, yeah, the happy hamburger. Ben Lawton proprietor. It doesn't look very happy. What has it got to look happy about? I meant the place itself. So maybe it looks a little like if the wolf came around and huffed and puffed, he wouldn't have to strain along before it fell down. But food is food. Except when it's a happy hamburger, perhaps. However, hey, it must be the wolf huffing or maybe puffing. Here he is. Yeah, savage looking animal. Some wolf. The poor dog looks as if he hadn't eaten for a week. Let's get into the joint before he mistakes me for a T-bone steak. Oh, I must have made a speech. Happy Hamburger is not having a busy night. What can I do for you? We'd like some dinner. Well, we're kind of closing. But you haven't closed yet. No, I guess we ain't. Set anywhere. I guess the missus will dish you up some food. I'll go tell her. A very enthusiastic type host. Never mind that. I hope they have a well-stocked larder. I hope it further occurs to me that they don't have to go out and catch that dog before they have a larder at all. Stop hoping a man could get seasick. Of course, this place may be an undiscovered gourmet's delight, but I wouldn't bet on it. A gourmet who could have delighted in this place is still undiscovered. What do you think of Mrs. Lawton's cooking? I don't want to think of it. I'm trying to eat it. You finished with your dinner, fellas? The dinner is more likely to finish up. Oh, how about dessert? Well, we got blueberry pie and we got huckleberry pie. What's the difference? Huckleberry pie is a nickel more. Why? Harder to spell. Which will you have? Apple pie. Oh, man. What's the matter, Louie? Dinner. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. However, we won't starve to death while you try to find your way back. I beg your pardon? It wasn't me. That was a tiger. Yeah, I was afraid it was. I think maybe... Yeah. Flat? Flat. All right, fine. We're back in front of that oak tree again. You keep your eye on that oak, Mr. Templer, while I get the spare. Yeah. Want some help? No, thanks. Mr. Templer? Yes, Louie? Come here. Don't tell me you can't lift the spare all by yourself. The spare I could lift, but there's something else. You see? Yes. A hitchhiker. A man in his 40s, perhaps, dressed in farmer's clothing. He must be tired of walking. Terribly tired, Louie. He got dead. Somebody shoots a guy all right. Maybe you don't like him. Why does he have to stuff the corpse into the trunk of my cab? I don't know. There were no papers of any kind on the body. All right, so he's a total stranger. But why are we heading back to the Happy Hamburger? Because that's where we must have acquired the corpse. It's the only place we stopped. and were out of sight of the car, unless he was already in the trunk before we left the city. No, no, I checked the tires plus the spare before I picked you up. Then it's the happy hamburger. The man was murdered fairly recently anyway. How do you know? Oh, no rigor mortis, body warmth. Never mind, never mind, you know. I'll stay a dope. Hey, Mr. Templer. Yes, Louie? What kind of a welcome you think we're going to get at the hamburger? It's hard to tell, except that it may not be a welcome at all. The joint is dark. Looks like maybe they went out of business. There's a house behind the restaurant. That's dark, too. The Lawtons may have gone to bed. It's after 11. It is very late. Maybe we should go to bed. Here comes that junior werewolf again. Yeah, that animal should be fed. But not by me. All the flesh I got, I need. Come along, Louie. Yeah, I'm coming. So is the hound of the basketball. Oh, he's not bothering us. So far he kept his teeth to himself. Suppose he decides to risk a few and see how we taste. That's a chance we'll have to take. Well, here goes. Don't look now, but our chum has left us again. I couldn't be more pleased. You know, if they're asleep, then they're going to love us with a great love. And I'm not at the moment seeking affection. Yes? Mrs. Lawton? That's right. My name is Simon Templer. This is Louie. What do you want? You cooked dinner for us a little while ago. So I cooked dinner for you. Well, since that time, we've had a little trouble. We had a flat tire. This ain't a garage. I wasn't referring to the tire when I said trouble. Why don't you say what you're referring to? Well, I would rather your husband were here when I do. He's asleep. He can be wait. What for? It's a matter of some importance. You still ain't said anything. The matter might be murder. Murder? That's right. Come in. Thanks. Wait in here. It's the parlor. We shall. It takes time to waken Mr. Lawton. He sleeps hard. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid it's necessary. That don't make it easier. Set. I'll get him up and dress. I think the word for her is gracious. Very few women are at their best in the middle of the night, Louie. That's what you think. Would you like... No. Okay. Hey, Mr. Templer, you figuring the deceased we got in the cab was put there by the lawtons? Not necessarily. They did have the opportunity, but so would anyone else who might have been around the place while we were having dinner. Oh, stop complicating things. It's bad enough. This is Sao Paulo. Yes, I've seen cheerier places. They got a radio, though. No television set. Is that bad? Well, Mr. Templer, what do you think of television? I think of it as infrequently as I can. Mrs. Lawton is apparently having difficulty waking her husband. From what we've seen of the guy, how can she tell when he's awake? Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. You know what happens at midnight? What? Ghosts take walks. Maybe our birds have flown the coop. That's a possibility. How can a bird fly a coop? They're in here. In the parlor. Mm-hmm. They can't fly a coop. Hi. Hello, Mr. Lawton. You didn't have to bother dressing for us. I dress for myself. And don't go tracking mud over the best rug. Set where you are. I'll set where I am. Wife tells me you're a Mr. Templer. I am. She also tells me you got something to say about a murder. I have. Say it. In a moment. Your wife and you own the Happy Hamburger? You already know that. I noticed quite some farmland behind the house. Yours? Yeah. You farm it yourself? Pretty much. Does that pretty much mean you have help? Sometimes. Hired hand named Webster. Why only sometimes? Well, he up and quit this afternoon. That's too bad. Oh, he'll be back as soon as he spends his money. You might be wrong about that. Always has before. What are you getting at? Suppose we go outside to the cab, huh? I don't mind. Come on, Emmy. I'm right here. What kind of a man is Webster? Not much of count. Works when he has to eat. Gets a full belly. Stops working. A philosopher, perhaps. Ever have any quarrels with him? Kind of nosy, ain't you, Mr. Templer? Perhaps. But is there any reason why your husband should hesitate about answering that question? No reason. No quarrels. Fine. Louis. Yeah? Please open the trunk compartment, will you? Sure. In a second. There's something I'd like to show you, Mr. Lawton. Mr. Templer. Yes, Louis? If you were planning on surprising anybody, give up. What do you mean? Look. Hmm. Looks like birds can fly coops. Only I picked the wrong bird. We have mislaid our corpse, Mr. Templer. So it would appear strange. Say, how about letting us in on this? Mr. Lawton, was your hired hand a man in the middle 40s with brown hair and eyes of stocky build, a small scar under his left jawbone? That's Webster. You must have met him. What did he have to say for himself? We met him, but he didn't have anything to say. We didn't start out being the great loves of the Lawton's life, but I hate to think what they must be thinking of us now. I hate to think of the missing Mr. Webster. Yeah, he didn't even say goodbye. Mr. Templer, what happened to him? I don't know. Corpses rarely are the active type, but the late Mr. Webster may have been an exception. Exceptions like that, I hope, stay away from me. We're in what could easily be an overgrown filling station. Nonsense. Slow down, Louie. This is Xbrook. Oh. Town nearest the Happy Hamburger. Place seems to be shut up for the night. They didn't take the sidewalks in, though. Hey, up ahead, the Gay White Way. The drugstore apparently is still open. Let's stop there, Louie. Okay. Okay. The window is full of harnesses, fertilizer, and yard goods. How did you know it was a drugstore? There's a large sign advertising ice cream sodas in front. Oh, well, that explains it. We're thirsty? Only for information. Come along. Eee. Joint is crawling with juveniles. Now look at a jukebox. So it is. The waitress behind the fountain. It's too public. The waitress? The fountain. Ah. Mr. Templer, I just noticed. Behind the cash register. This end. Look it. Yeah. I'm looking. Now put your eyes back in their sockets. She's dressed in kingdom. She's wearing pigtails and big blue eyes. She's merely the farmer's daughter, Louie. Is that a fact? Hey, maybe she knows a joke. Be still, Louie. She may be able to help us. Is help the word you really had in mind? Good evening, miss. Hiya, Toots. I beg your pardon? So far, what for? That farm ain't what it used to be. Not to mention the farmer's daughter. And who's the little stranger? Who's the... Oh, that's Louie. It's not bad either, but it looks married. Who are you? I'm Simon Templer. I'm Teddy, and what are you doing after I get through here? Well, I... You married? No. What a coincidence. I'm not married either. Well, it happens all the time, but what I wanted was... Star closes in half hour. Tell me that. My dear Teddy, I... Look, what do you know about a man named Webster? Dan Webster? I imagine so. Hired hand out to the Lawtons? Yeah, that's the Dan Webster I had in mind. He wears a private property, no trespassing sign on him. Oh, whose sign? Mrs. Lawton's. How does Mr. Lawton feel about that? Mr. Lawton has never seen fit to whisper sweet nothings in my shell-like ear. Don't you think they're shell-like? My ears, I mean. I hadn't noticed. Stop wasting time and do some noticing. Look, I'm almost old enough to be your father. Maybe, but you're not my father. Good evening, Teddy. So far, it's a terrible evening. Where are you going? Louie and I have an errand to do. My phone number is 137, in case. In case of what? Your errand is out of town. Goodbye. Wow. I'm afraid wow is exactly right. Oh, you know, I'm coming to the conclusion they got something in these small towns up in Westchester. What do you mean they have his teddy and you're married and we have an appointment? Yeah. Where? The happy hamburger. You mean we're going to wake the Lawtons again? I hope not. Then what are we going out there for? We're going to trespass on very private property. I ought to hang a sign with shuttle on it on my can. I don't imagine we're going to be coming out here again. You're not breaking my heart. You know, every time we come out to the Happy Hamburger, it gets darker. I think I'll coin a proverb. It's too late. It's always darker before it's lighter. I don't think that'll catch on. Happy Hamburger's up ahead. Louie, we have a problem. Oh, thanks for letting me... What kind of a problem have we got? We've got to find a pond, a brook, or perhaps a lake. You've got a sudden desire to go swimming? No, not swimming. You forget something, Louie. I always forget something. What is it this time? Ponds, brooks, or lakes create mud. Oh, thanks a lot. Tonight, I don't need any mud. Call me hypersensitive. I just don't need any mud. You better stop the car under these trees. Okay. You know, about that mud, I suspect you're mistaken. That's because you've got a suspicious nature. Besides... We better get started. Hey, we're heading away from the house. How true. Why? We're looking for... I know, I know. And they rarely occur in houses. Okay, okay. Uh, does this watery object you're looking for have to be any place in particular, or are we surveying Westchester County? Hmm, it has to be on the Lawton's land. Oh, well, that helps, yeah. Probably they got 139 acres. And in the dark, how are we going to search it? I understand hazel twigs don't work anymore. That hound would out of home again. I hope he goes away. Don't be silly, Louie. We'll want to meet up with him. You'll do all the wanting by yourself. Why? Because he's going to be a hazel twig. What is? Mm-hmm. Hey, wait a minute. You mean he'll help us find water? That's right. Well, what is all this excitement about water anyway? Among other things, Louie, water washes away blood. You know, I'll tell you a secret, Mr. Templer. I never liked hikes. It can't be much longer. That dog is definitely leading us somewhere. Sure, sure. Probably to a bone he buried last month. I don't... He's done it. Are you referring to the junior-sized lake? That pond, yes. Now what? Oh, fine. Fine. He went swimming. We got to go swimming, too? No, we can walk around the pond. We're at one end of it. Yeah. Hey, look it. That unground hunk of hamburger has stopped. Yeah, just beyond the pond in a small clump of trees. We're joining them? Of course. Come on. Why? Because the land around the pond is muddy. All right, so the land around the pond is muddy. This fills me with a great joy. The dog's not moving. He's waiting for us. Also fills my shoes with mud. Hey, you know what happens to trees when they die? Yeah, they become telegraphed, folks. Stop swiping my jokes. That dog is going nuts. With joy. What has he got to be so happy about? He hasn't even gone near a tree. He's digging at the ground. Oh, sure, yeah, that bony buried last month. Do you know what we're going to do, Louie? I got an unhappy idea we're going to copy the dog and dig. Right. I'm already looking for something to do with. What are we going to dig for? Something the dog lost? No, something we lost. Hey, Mr. Templer, a couple of feet more, I'll be in China. Oh, don't be silly. You can't get to China by digging straight down. Well, you can't, huh? Where you get is Australia. Nobody ever tells me things like that. Hey. What is it, Louie? From where you are, you can't see. But from down here... Well, I'll come to the edge of the hole. Well, Louie, we've kind of found that corpse all over again. Look, tell that dog to shut up, will you? I don't feel so. No, give you a hand, Louie. Help you climb out of the hole. Hey, that sounds like a car backfiring. Road's too far away. Never mind climbing up here, Louie. I'm going to join you down there. Hey, what's going on? And I'm not going to like the answer. Someone is having target practice with us for targets. Ooh. I could see a vague figure at the other side of the pond, too dark to identify. Oh, there goes that hound that walks like a horse. Probably figured it was too crowded down here. Hey, Mr. Templer, I hate to mention this, but if the boy with the gun kind of wanders over here... Yeah, I realize that. Louis, this grave we're in isn't level. The edge on your side is lower than the one facing the pond, which means you can climb out without being seen. make for the trees, then for the roads, your cab. And if you police me... It may be so, but then what are you going to do? Stay here. Otherwise, our gun-shooting friend will head for the cab, too. But while I'm getting help, you are liable to be getting killed. That's a chance we'll have to take. And believe me, I'm not taking it with any great joy, but we have no alternative. You'd better hurry. Okay, Mr. Templer. But look, with the way the taxi business is, be careful. I don't want to have to look for another fare on account of you got shot in the woods. Well, it's been a lovely life. Simon, what on earth are you doing down there? What on earth? Teddy! Uh-huh. Is it fun down there? Because if it's fun, I'll come right down. Teddy, stay where you are. I'll... Hmm. It may not be very fancy down here, but it is cozy. Simon, you didn't tell me you weren't alone. I didn't have a chance to. You better not look at him too long. Simon, what on earth are you doing down at the bottom of a grave with Mr. Lawton? He is Mr. Lawton, isn't he? Well, of course he is. Why do you say it in that funny way? Because we were supposed to think it was Dan Webster, except that I hadn't thought so, not for a while, and he was murdered, Teddy. Did you murder him? No. Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that. Because you're very handsome. But after all, even handsome fellows shouldn't murder people. What they should do is... Teddy, Dan Webster, along with Mrs. Lawton, murdered Mr. Lawton. Well, that's not very surprising. Because they did have a crush on each other, and nobody loved Mr. Lawton anyway. They must have planned to leave town immediately after the murder. But, uh, Teddy, did you happen to notice a dog about not to mention Dan Webster? I heard somebody running and a dog barking before I found you. Hmm. Dog must have frightened Webster off. So that's all right. How did you find me? I noticed your car outside the Happy Hamburger. I lived on the road a bit and was going home. So I knew you were someplace around. And when I was a little girl, I used to be a Girl Scout. Because you wanted to learn how to tie knots or build campfires? No. Because I wanted to learn how to track a man. I had a feeling it would come in handy. It has. Did anybody call for a cab? Louie. Oh, excuse me, Teddy. Hello, Louie. Hello, Louie, he says. I thought you'd gone to town for help. I figured it would take too long. I figured maybe I could get behind the villain and surprise him. So instead, Mr. Templer, you surprise me. Back to the hamburger again. We're hungry? No, except perhaps for justice. Simon, the Lawton's car is out front. Mrs. Lawton's in it. Yeah, come on, into the cab. Over this way. Be as quiet as you can. All right, Simon. You can't see us under the trees here. Turn your ignition on, Louie. Be ready to start the car. Okay. It's ready. Webster's coming out of the house. Carrying a couple of suitcases. He's getting into the car. There they go. Newy. I know. Follow them. You may not notice they're being followed. I'm supposing they do. We'll have to chance that. Okay, but look, I don't mind so much being shot myself. But don't forget, this here cab belongs to the company. I can't afford to get bullets in it. We're coming into Exbrook. What now, Mr. Templer? Teddy, at this hour of the night, no one would be about, am I right? It is kind of late. The police station is where? The next block. In that case, catch up with him, Louie, quick. Why not I should have a collision with him? Preferably a small-sized one. You're a good driver, Louie. Run them off the road. But the cab... Never mind that. Hit them as soon as we get opposite the station. Okay. I only hope it'll show on the meter. We're getting close to them. And here goes. Nice going, Louie. Oh, didn't even scratch your fender. Say, weren't those cops polite, which is very unusual, and... Louie, be still. Why? I have to explain things to Teddy here. From what I heard, she don't... Louie! I shut up. Please, Simon, tell me. Well, you see, Teddy, Mrs. Lawton and Webster planned to kill Mr. Lawton and then leave town, figuring no one would ever know. How did they expect to get away with it? Actually, their idea of placing the corpse in the trunk compartment of the cab was clever. Normally, the body wouldn't have been discovered for days and then miles away from Exbrook. But instead, you got a flat and came back. A very lucky flat, but not for Mrs. Lawton and Webster. She got quite a shock when she saw our smiling faces, but she kept her head and sent Webster out to remove the body from Louie's cab and hide it. The only mistake she made was being too housewifely. What do you mean? When Webster returned, her instinctive reaction was to tell him not to track mud on the rug. If he'd been asleep in the house, there shouldn't have been mud on his shoes. Therefore, I concluded he'd been out. I see. And when the body was missing, I knew that he'd buried it. The mud also told me the burial place had to be near water. And Mr. Lawton's dog led you to the burial place, and that's where I found you, Simon. Mm-hmm. Yes, it was. But we were kind of interrupted back there, so... Wow, wow, wow. Louie! I'm not hearing anything or seeing anything in my rearview mirror. Louie, we've reached Teddy's place. Stop the car. Okay. But Simon... My dear, you're very lovely, but you're very young, so I'm afraid this is where the farmer's daughter goes back to the farm. You've been listening to another transcribed adventure of The Saint, the Robin Hood of modern crime. Now here's our star, Vincent Price. Ladies and gentlemen, our cast tonight included Louise Erickson, Noreen Gamil, Arthur Q. Bryan, and Dave Light. Larry Dobkin was Louis. This is Vincent Price inviting you to join us again next week at this same time for another exciting adventure of The Saint. Good night. Tonight's script of The Saint was written by Louis Bittes. The music was composed and conducted by Von Dexter. The Saint, based on characters created by Leslie Charteris, is a James L. Safier production and is directed by Helen Mack. Vincent Price is soon to be seen co-starring in RKO's production of His Kind of Woman. All you Saint fans will be glad to know that the Saint comic books are on sale at all newsstands. Your announcer is Don Stanley. Three chimes mean good times on NBC. Wednesday marks the return to the air of that delightful couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Coleman. As more good times when the Halls of Ivy with Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Coleman returns to NBC next Wednesday. Make a date. Here are the Halls of Ivy next Wednesday evening. The chimes are your invitation. Next, it's Sam Spade. Then an hour-long drama on Theater Guild on NBC. The End The makers of Camel Cigarettes present Dick Powell as Richard Diamond Private Detective No other cigarette has camel's rich, full flavor. The flavor of camel's costly tobaccos. And no other cigarette gives you this proof of mildness. In a coast-to-coast test of hundreds of people who smoked only camels for 30 days, noted throat specialists reported not one single case of throat irritation due to smoking camels. Make a note. Think of your throat. Try camels. Here transcribed is Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell. Now, in my business, I run into a lot of people, make a few friends, and a lot of enemies. I remember a few weeks ago when one of those friends walked all the way over from 31st Street to tell me about his trouble and leave me a share of it. His name is Angelino Giuseppe, and he runs a butcher shop. little guy with a big broad stomach and a smile to match. I met him when I was on the force. He used to stop in and buy some cold cuts or a pound of bacon. I liked his smile, and I always hung around for one of his bad jokes. But when he came into my office that afternoon, pushing his big stomach in front of him, I spotted trouble right away. The smile was gone. Well, well, Angelino. Hello, Mr. Diamond. Haven't seen you in a long time. Como está? Estomale, estomale. Yeah, I can tell. Well, that's the trouble. The pig's knuckles got arthritis? Pig's knuckles. That's better now. That's more like my answer. You're always kidding. You make it easy to smile. Yeah. Ascetti. Grazie. Grazie. All right, Angie, let's have it. What's wrong? Well, I'm going to ask you to do something. I can't pay you. We'll talk about it later. You can take it out in a trade. That'll run into a lot of ham hocks, Angelino. I want to pay you. Hmm. Well, I can always throw a barbecue. Now tell me about it. Well, you see, it's like this. I come to you as a sort of representative from all the other butcher shops, the independent ones. I see. I ain't the only one that's worried. So all the butchers got together last night and decided to do something about it. All of the independent butcher shops? That's right. Every week, a couple of guys come around and collect. Now, if we don't pay, we get our shops bussed up, and if that ain't enough, we get our heads bussed too. Look, see? I still got three stitches right here on the top of my head. Oh, I see. That's a nice job. Doctor must have used a loom. I got this last week when these two guys came for the money. I couldn't pay, so one of them hit me with a black jack. Oh. That's too bad. What about the law, Angelino? That'd give you the right kind of protection? Well, we discussed that at a minute, but we decided it was too dangerous. We've been warned. If we go to the police, we get hurt bad. Well, we all got families, Mr. Diamant. We can't take the chance. Now, have the two men who beat you up been back? No, but they will be. Okay, let's go. Well, we're going someplace? Yep, we are going someplace. You don't know it, Angie, but you just hired yourself a new assistant. I have? You certainly have. Come on, I want you to show me how to carve a locks. Well, that's what happens when your reputation gets around the butcher shops. I'd been telling Angelino what a great detective I was for the past ten years, But I should have known he'd never take my word for it, so I had to prove it. We went out, grabbed a cab, and 15 minutes later I was standing behind the butcher shop counter. Angelino handed me a white apron. I don't get it. Why you want to be a butcher? Angie, you want me to get a line on these guys who do the collecting, don't you? Why, sure. Well, I can only think of two ways I could watch them and not look suspicious. Make like a butcher, or crawl in with the ground round. Crawly. What would happen if someone looked down for the price of ground round and caught it staring back at them? Scalista, that's a fool. Oh, now, come on, Angie. It wasn't that funny. Well, make me... Uh-oh, customer. Nothing like learning firsthand. Let me handle the sale. Well, you think you can? Sure, sure, sure. Here she comes. Oh, good morning, Mrs. Hennessy. Oh, good morning, Mr. Angelino. Well, business must be good, I see. You have a new butcher. Oh, yes, yes. This Mr... Hangtooth. Mr. Hangtooth. Hangtooth? Good morning, Mrs. Hennessy. Something I can do for you? Oh, yes. How much is the lamb's shoulder today? Which one? What? Look, maybe you better let me... Relax, Angie. I'll make it. Which shoulder would you like, Mrs. Hennessy? Is there a difference, young man? Oh, yes. You see, this lamb here is really a ram. A ram? That's right. Heard his shoulder playing against the Cardinals last season. We're also selling his shoulder pads at 21 cents a pound. Mr. Angelino. You'll find him hanging in the back with the spare ribs. Now, uh, Mrs. Hennessey, if you can tell me which shoulder you want, I'll wrap it up and send it off tackle between the liver and the... Well, I never... Of course you haven't. That's the trouble with you people. Here's a nice little ram that played his heart out. Oh, by the way, the heart is special today. 11 cents a pound. Angie. She's a-gone, huh? Like laundry in a tornado. Why do you want to do that for Mr. Diamond? She was one of my best customers. I wanted to get her out of here. I wanted to get her out in a hurry. Just as she came in, I spotted two guys heading this way. When they saw her, they backed off. Look, they're standing across the street right now. Where, where? Right over there. You see them? In front of the drugstore. In front of the... Ah, yeah, yeah. That's them. It is? They're the ones that hit me. They're the ones that come around collecting. Well, they're coming again. You better duck. I'll take care of it. Well, listen, please, you be careful. They're pretty rough monkeys. Go on, Angie, and beat it. They're almost here. All right, all right. I'll be in the back. Okay. How mile, how mile, how mile can a cigarette be? Make the camel 30-day test and you... Well, good morning, gentlemen. What can I do for you? Hey, where's Angelino? Oh, well, he's out buying some old buffalo. I'm the new assistant. Buffalo? Shut up. Well, tell me, new assistant. When will they be back? Well, it's hard to say, gentlemen. These buffalo are in Wyoming. Oh, yeah? Carl, I think this guy's trying to be funny. You, my friend, win yourself a lamb chop. How do you have it, with or without the bloomers? Hey, you know, some red, I think you're right. Hey, what's your name, laughing boy? Hangtooth. Hangtooth? Oh, I'm gonna have more fun with that. Blows everybody. Well, look, Hangtooth, you know who we are? How many guesses? You won't need even one. We're in a hurry. We're collectors. Oh, well, we put all the scraps out and back in a can. You can't miss it. I don't like you. Well, I have a friend. Maybe we could double date. Look, let's stop the clowning. If Angelino didn't tell you about us, it's gonna be too bad for you. We're for some money. We get every week 25 bucks. Yeah, last week Angelino didn't have it, so he accidentally hit his head. We figured that all that blood would make him remember it this week. Well, I'm sorry, friend, but Angie didn't say anything about it. Tell me, what does he pay you boys for? Oh, little things. Protection, mostly. You see, if he paid us last week, he wouldn't have hit his head. Hmm. You know something? I know a big, fat cop who would just love to hear all about this protection Angie's paying you for. You do, huh? Yeah, I do, huh? Well, look. Seeing as how you're a new boy around here, maybe we ought to tell you first. Why don't you do that? Yeah. Let's go in the back. I like it here. I listen better. Oh, you do, huh? Is that all you guys can say? Now get out from behind that counter. I want to explain the thing to you. Yeah, go on, Red, explain it to Mr. Hagtooth. Hangtooth? You'll have to partner me. Don't hear so well. How's your hearing, hangtooth? Depends on what I'm listening to. Well, listen to this real good. Seeing as how you're working for Angelino, you're going to need protection too. So let's have the 25 bucks. I want to know what I'm buying. Oh, sure. Hey, let me hit him this time. Hey, a rough one. Yeah. You're bleeding. Yeah. Want to get rough? Hang tooth. Hey, you're liable to kill him. Yeah. Let him alone. We better get out of here. Yeah. We'll come back for Angelino later. Well, you really can't blame brave little old me for going to sleep at that point. One, I could have handled. But in that cramped space behind the counter with both of them coming from different directions, I had to give it up sooner or later. And I did for about 20 minutes. When I finally snapped out of it, I looked up and saw three heads staring down at me, two herring with Angelino in the middle. Mr. Diamond, you all right? Oh, lovely. Here, let me help you get up. Swell. Now, look for my eyes, will you, Angie? I didn't know what to do. I guess I should have called the police. Oh, fine time to tell me. Let me sit down. When I thought about calling the police, I also thought about my family. Those two men might beat up my family just like this. Yeah, I guess you're right. Mr. Diamond, please, you better forget about this. It's too dangerous. When they come back, I'll pay them the money and nobody gets hurt. Look, Angie, I can understand why you're scared. Those two headhunters aren't kidding, but you can't let them get away with it. I can and I will. I ain't taking no more chances. First they bust open my shop, and then they bust open me, and now you. No thanks, I got enough. Okay, Angie, but not me. What are you going to do? Well, I got a sore face and a nasty disposition. I won't get back to normal until I find those two guys and tie their necks in a bow. I left Angelino's shop and headed for the 5th Precinct Police Station. I wanted to look up two sure bets for the police gallery. One named Carl and the other, Red. Two guys who went around scaring poor little businessmen like Angelino. By the time I reached the station, the aches from the beating were making me very unhappy. And when I walked into the squad room, I spotted something that didn't make things any better. Yeah, what are you... Holy cow, Diamond! Well, Sergeant Otis, I'm glad you noticed. Means I put myself together all right. What happened to you? Don't be silly. I always bleed just before lunch. Well, how'd it happen? It wasn't easy. Is the lieutenant in? Sure, go ahead. Well, thanks. Say, Otis, when are you going to start shaving in the morning? What? What's wrong? Your five o'clock shatter is four hours fast. Oh. Hiya, Walt. Wow. What hit you? Well, the bruises show up. I come on in Technicolor. Someone sure did a good job. Yeah. That someone is two guys, Walt. One named Red and the other Carl. Red and Carl. Yeah. I got closest to Red. Name matches the hair. Busted nose. About 190. Very nasty with a sap. And Carl? Dark. Greasy. Well-dressed, if you like the type. Big boy with a scar under his, uh, right eye. I gave Walt the complete descriptions. and briefed him on what had happened in Angelino's shop. We went down to the mug file and started going through pictures. Twenty minutes and eight dozen charming photographs later, I found what I was looking for. I showed them to Walt, and he said... Now, you know him? Yeah, Carl Tate and Red Dillon. Here's the package. Dozen arrests, half a dozen convictions between them. Hmm, very impressive. Couple of muscle men. What do they go after you for? I've been pulling a protection racket on some of the independent butcher shops. Who do they work for? He used to work for Jack Arno before he got sent up. I know they're not working this setup alone. It's too big. No, they wouldn't be. Hey, Tiny Easter's in town. Tiny Easter? Oh, used to be Arno's right-hand boy. That's right. Came in about a month ago. I'd love to get something on him. Nobody's ever been able to nail him. Well, it adds up. Easter worked for Arno, and so did Carl Tate and Red Dillon. Well, we can't pick him up just because two of his boys worked you over. He'd just say they weren't his boys. I don't want him picked up. I want Carl and Red. If Easter goes along with the deal, you could have him. What are you going to do? Get cleaned up and pay Mr. Tiny Easter a visit. What's his address? He's got an office on East 48th Street, 804. Thanks, Walt. Tiny's a bad boy. I'll take along my .38 just in case I have to spank him. I left Walt, went back to my office, took a clean shirt out of the closet, washed up. Locked up again, went down to the street. I grabbed a cab, and 20 minutes later, I was standing in the reception room of Tiny Easter's office. A big guy with a bulge under his arm was trying to be as unreceptive as possible. So you want to see Easter? You have an appointment? No, I haven't got an appointment. Now, tell Easter I'm out here. What's your name? You're gonna get hung up on this. What do you mean? The name's Hangtooth. What? I see. Now, make like an office boy and tell Easter I got a message for him from Carl and Red. You're a pretty fresh guy, aren't you? Yeah, and I'm gonna spoil if I have to stand around much longer. You can spoil rotten for all I care. You're not gonna see Easter. He's busy. Okay. You know, you get so excited you'll ruin your stomach someday. Oh, I don't think so. You don't, huh? Skeptic. What do you want? I'm collecting scalps. How'd you get by, Lefty? He's tied up with a stomach ache, swallowed a fist. Okay, so you got muscles. Also, you got a pushed-in face. Lefty do that? Carl Tate and his blood brother, Red. Oh? What you come to me for? They're working for you, aren't they? You smell like a cop. Name's Hangtooth. I doubt it. Good for you. I'd hate to go through that again. and I'm a private cop. Now, good for you. I was in a butcher shop when your two boys wandered in and started playing squash with me. I don't like to get pushed around, Eastern. I don't like your racket. I want Carl and Red, and if I get you along with them, the state will hang a medal on me. Looks like you got nothing to lose. Don't look at it any way you like. Now, what about your two playmates? I don't know what you're talking about, Seamus. Never heard of those two guys. I don't think you understand, Tiny. I'm pretty mad. I'm going to find these two guys, and I'm going to do it even if I have to be unpleasant with you. Just what do you mean by unpleasant, Mr. Hangtooth? You break a leg, that's unpleasant. Don't try to pull a gun on me. You busted my hand. Take your foot off. Drop the gun in the drawer. Okay. My hand's busted. Now take the hand out. Empty. Now let me explain it again. If you go out and shoot 12 people tomorrow, I'm gonna be sore about it. But when you start intimidating a bunch of hard-working little guys and their families, I go off like a skyrocket. And then when a couple of your cheap gunsles push me around, I explode. I tell you, I don't know these guys. Look, Easter, please believe me. I don't know them. You work with them in Chicago. I'm telling you the truth, Easter. I'll work you over till you look like an eggplant in a subway. Look, whatever your name is, I got boys, they'll take care of you. Who's gonna tell them to do it? I am. With your jaw broken? Now, where do I find Carl in red? You knock all my teeth loose. I got 31 to go. I guess you really don't understand. Yes, yes, I understand. Now, where are they? Do you still need some encouragement? No, no, in a warehouse by 14th Street docks. What warehouse? Rogers and Sons, big sign on the top. You mind if I use your phone? Go ahead. Don't you know it's not polite to listen, Easter? Well, what do you want me to do? Go to sleep. No! Before we continue with Richard Diamond, here are a few words about smoking enjoyment. More people smoke camels than any other cigarette. That's right. More people smoke camels than any other cigarette. Behind camels' great popularity are the two things that mean steady smoking enjoyment. Flavor and mildness. No other cigarette has the rich, full flavor of camels' costly tobaccos. Tobaccos that are properly aged and expertly blended. And no other cigarette gives you this proof of mildness. In a coast-to-coast test of hundreds of people who smoked only camels for 30 days, noted throat specialists reported not one single case of throat irritation due to smoking camels. Make your own camel 30-day test, the sensible test, based not on a puff or a sniff, but on day-in, day-out smoking. You'll see how flavorful camels are and how well camels get along with your throat pack after pack. How mild, how mild, how mild, how mild can a cigarette be? Make the camel 30-day test and you'll see. Smoke camels and see. And now back to Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell. I put in a call to Walt and told him what had happened. He said he'd send a couple of men down to pick up Easter and agreed to meet me at the warehouse. It was getting late in the afternoon when my cab pulled up near the river and I got out. A cold breeze was kicking up little patches of white on the water and the light fog was moving in from the Atlantic as I started down toward a big building with a sign on the top that read Rogers and Sons, importing. The place was boarded up, but a window in the basement showed signs of recent use, so I jimmied it open and dropped down on the dark, cold pavement. I held my breath and listened. The place was as quiet as a tomb, so I moved across the room until I found a flight of stairs and went up to the main floor. I opened the door and listened again. Hey, it sure is getting cold in here. Yeah. How long are we going to have to stay here? Till Easter tells us to leave. Now relax. It was Carl and Red, all right. They were somewhere in the warehouse, so I kept on my toes and moved as quietly as possible toward the voices. You want to play some cards or something? Yeah, it's okay with me. I don't know why we got to hide out like this. Because Easter said to, that's why. We got to stay cool till he finds out about that guy we worked over this morning. Hag toot? Yeah, might have been a cop. So what? We were cops over before. I'm cold. Look, just steal the cards and... Uh... Yeah? What? He did, huh? Hey! Hey, what's the matter? Boss! Hey! What's the matter? I don't know. That was Easter. The guy we worked over was in his office, tied him up. He got loose, but the guy's headed down here. Hack dude? Yeah. Just as Easter was gonna say what to do, what to do. Sound like you got in a fight. The cops. Yeah. I think we better get out of here. Afternoon, boy. Huh? Hat tooth. Hang tooth. Come back here, Carl. Help me. You shouldn't have pulled a gun, Red. Since when do you butchers carry rods? Since we get pushed around by guys like you. You're the doctor. I'm shot bad. I can't take it back. The law will be here in a minute. You're a lousy butcher. I hope Carl pays you good. I'll see that he gets the chance to try. I left Red lying on his face and ran toward the front of the building. The only way out was that window in the back, and Carl was sure to be hiding somewhere in the dark, hoping to get around me and head for the basement. There were a dozen places to hide in that warehouse, but I had one advantage. He couldn't see me any better than I could see him. I stopped and listened. Come on, Carl. Red's hurt pretty bad and the law's on the way. You gotta get me before you can get out of here. Carl! Come on, Carl, give it up. You're stuck and you know it. Carl! I had his position pretty well spotted. by his gun flashes, I could tell he was edging his way toward another large pile of packing cases. I moved off to my left, still keeping his approximate position in line with my gun barrel. It was my idea to circle him, but something changed my mind. A metal ladder stretched down from the ceiling and led up to a catwalk overhead. I went up, one rung at a time, half-turn to keep Carl in line in case he made a break. After what seemed like hours, I reached the catwalk. I started crawling on my hands and knees toward Carl's position. I was nearly over him when I heard the door open. Rick! Lieutenant? Yeah? Here's one of them. He shot up pretty bad. Rick! Come on, Otis. Maybe he's up that way. I couldn't answer him and he was heading right for Carl I kept looking down, hoping Carl would show himself Walt got nearer and I held my breath Just then Carl stepped out and aimed his gun at him I beat him to it Lieutenant, shut up It's okay, Walt, I got him Where are you? I'm up here on the... Oh. There he is up there. Rick. Good grief. Yeah, good grief. Get Otis out of here, will you? What's so funny, Lieutenant? If you knew Otis, you could rip Diamond for the rest of his life. Yeah? Walt. Come on, tell me what it is. Walt? Okay. Okay. Get out of here, Otis. Oh, Lieutenant. You heard him, Otis. Now beat it. Yeah, go on, Otis. Oh, gee, Lieutenant. Won't you even... No, he won't. Now you beat it. It's real funny, isn't it? It sure is. I just saved your life and you stand down there and you... Well, don't look down. Get the fire department. Don't you ever think about these things before you start climbing ladders? Well, it was the only way I could get in a position to shoot. I just didn't think. For a guy who can't stand high places. Walt. Well, it's your own fault. Fault, smalt, get me down. I'm getting dizzy. It's only about 50 feet to the floor. Walt! Great big boy like you. If you don't get the fire department. Okay. Oh, you big fat ox. I hate you. Dick Powell will return in just a minute. According to a repeated nationwide survey, more doctors smoke camels than any other cigarette. Again, doctors in every branch of medicine, doctors in all parts of the country have been asked what cigarette they smoke. Again, the brand name most was Camel. Friends, make the sensible cigarette test. Smoke only camels for 30 days and you'll see why so many people say, once a camel smoker, always a camel smoker. And remember, your best buy is camels by the carton. How mild, how mild, how mild, how mild can a cigarette be? Make the camel 30-day test and you'll see. Smoke camels and see. Here's Dick Powell with a special message. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, many men who have served valiantly in our armed forces are hospitalized. And as a tribute, the makers of camels send them gift cigarettes to hospitals in the country and overseas. This week's camels go to Veterans Hospitals Dallas, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona. U.S. Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida. And to all hospitals operated by the European Command of the U.S. Army. Now, until next week, enjoy camels. I always do. The End Lake Edwards with music by Frank Wirth. Our director is Helen Mack. Featured in the cast for Virginia Gregg, Wilms Herbert, and Arthur Q. Bryan. Men, whether you buy the handy pocket tin or the big one-pound tin of Prince Albert, you're in for real smoking joy. PA's Choice Tobacco has a rich taste and delightful natural aroma. It's specially treated to ensure against tongue bite. and its crimp cut for smooth, even, cool smoking. Get Prince Albert, the National Joy Smoke, America's largest selling smoking tobacco. Listen next week for another exciting transcribed adventure of Richard Diamond starring Dick Powell. We just heard Boston Blackie, Suspense, The Saint, and Richard Diamond. That will do it for this week's show. Thanks so much for joining me. It's hard to believe, but next Sunday is March 1st, and we'll be kicking off a new month-long series on the show. In honor of the upcoming Academy Awards, we'll spotlight five radio detective stars who took home Oscars. In the meantime, you can check out Stars on Suspense, my other old-time radio podcast. New episodes of that show are out on Thursdays. If you like what you're hearing, don't be a stranger. You can rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. And if you'd like to lend support to the show, you can visit buymeacoffee.com slash meanstsotr. I'll be back next week with more old-time radio detectives. But until then, good night and happy listening. And now here is our star, Vincent Price. Ladies and gentlemen, in a prejudice-filled America, no one would be secure in his job, his business, his church, or his home. Yet racial and religious antagonisms are exploited daily by quacks and adventurers whose followers make up the irresponsible, lunatic fringe of American life. refuse to listen to or spread rumors against any race or religion help to stamp out prejudice in our country. Let's judge our neighbors by the character of their lives alone and not on the basis of their religion or origin.