Broadway's My Beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle, the guardian, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway's My Beat, with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. In the soft night of June, Broadway's heart beats fast. The girls clothed in summer wear the glow of neon in their hair, on their lips. And the glitter of the spectacular winds their throats with the quick jewels of night. Their perfumed walks mix as well with Broadway's own exotic odors, the seared electricity, the air, cool, washed, scented by installment plan air conditioning systems. The mist of steam rising from manhole cupboards. And Broadway follows close on the heels of the frost night, because somewhere the night turns the corner and vanishes. And in your hands are its gifts of emptiness and shock. To me they were given on the fourth floor landing of a tenement near the river. The emptiness, the silence after terror's shriek. The shock, the girl with her beauty strangled out of her. The blood from her night wounds finding the cracks in the wooden floor glinting in the sallow light of the ten watt bulb. And the man lets you take it all in, touches your arm and brings you back. Francesca Brown, Danny, waitress at Harper's Grill. Strangled knife with this gold penknife. Fancy, corkscrew, bottle opener, nail file, and no prints. Wipe clean. You'll trace it on my government. Oh, I got the description. Here, you take it. Their husband's inside, Danny, in their room. I think maybe you ought to talk to him. All right. You're a different one, aren't you? Uh-huh. Mind if I turn on the light? Go ahead. I turned it off before because it's all the same. One good thing, though, it stays on the electric bill. You're a good girl. That's right. Blind. Stir it. Blind Jimmy, all you want, mister, and you don't get hurt anymore. The girl out there, your wife, I have to tell you about her. I have to tell you about Francesca. Married me in Italy. Naples came to the army hospital with a priest. Said she wanted me, even like this. Francesca led me around. Sonny Naples showing it to me, letting me touch it. Then I brought her home. Do this. You feel like telling me now we couldn't wait. Why would I need to wait? She worked late tonight, overtime at Harper's Grill. I waited up for her. I came to sleep and she... I waited up for her. I heard her steps with a man. They stepped in front of our door and she was going to scream. How did you know that? Are you kidding? I'm blind. That way I knew all I was to know about Francesca. She taught me. What did you do then? I went to help her. All I got was a feel of a guy standing with Francesca dead in his hands. Nothing else? Yeah. Something else. He threw her at me. Said, she's all yours, blind boy. He laughed when he said it. You're still laughing when you ran away? We'll do what we can, Jimmy. We'll show you the world. Let me hear Francesca's steps on the stairs again. We'll do what we can. Muglin. You talked to him, huh, Danny? Yeah. Take care of him, Muglin. Do whatever's got to be done. And then I happened to look down the stairwell, four flights down, and on each landing the people looking upward at death. Death was on the fourth floor and that was a blessing for the first, second, and third. And then one landing down, a kid in a paper hat released a paper airplane. For an instant it held in the air, then darted downward. A little later when I got to the ground floor it was crushed and stained with tobacco juice. I walked out into the street. Harper's Grill was within walking distance, a second-rate addition to a second-rate hotel. A place catering to loneliness and a not-too-finicky appetite, 24 hours a day. I went in, sat down at the table. A girl in a blue uniform came over, put a water glass in front of me, forward. Do you want to look at the menu? Thanks, not now. I want to talk to you. Police. What for? What did I do? There's nothing to be frightened of. Sit down. Why don't you tell me what's the matter? Sit down. My name's Rose. Rose Keeter. I'm Danny Clover. How long have you been working here tonight? Came on at seven last night. I'm off at seven this morning. Pretty long hours, huh? Uh-huh. I'm on a counter convention at the hotel. Oh? Uh, came to nail club, something like that. Boys of the Canes have been coming in here like flies. That's why I'm working overtime. Did you know a waitress named Francesca Brown? Lucky her. She got off a little over an hour ago. But she has to work overtime. How should have done that? She's dead. What? Dead. Strangled. Knifed. Hey, now, wait a minute. I got something. Take it easy. Do you want me to? She's dead? Burke? Burke. What do you mean? It's Bert Simmonds. What about him? You said she was strangled, didn't you? You said- You lose Bert Simmonds. The guy who hung around her, asked for dates. Got nasty. You know, winks with a blue place. He wasn't kidding. Was he here tonight? Sure he was. He waited for Francesca when she got off. He's a Caner, too. A what? Caner. I call him Caner. The boys from the Caner nail club. This week they got a penalty if they don't carry a cane. This week they come from all over with canes. Grown men. Where do I find Bert? I don't know. He lives close. That's all I know. Thanks, Rose. Thanks a lot. Wait a minute. Did she really dance? Dead? Strangled? And leave the girl trying to wipe off the terror I've still on her table. And go home and try to sleep against the image of a sightless boy sitting in a darkened room remembering, counting the touch of the woman who lay in death on his threshold. And wait for the morning so you can go back to headquarters and blot it out in routine. And not making it. Not even when the uniformed officer comes up with Bert Finley's address. Not even Bert Finley, who offers to clear out the kitchen table and make you a cup of instant coffee. My wife had known I was going to have a visitor. She'd have left a whole pot of coffee. It's all right, Mr. Finley. I don't want any. Maybe it's a good thing she's not here, though. I'd have a heck of a time explaining to her what I'm doing with a policeman in our flat. The missus is very choicy about the friends I keep. How about girls like Francesca Brown, for instance? Franny, a waitress in a grease pan, a hashlinger. What's the matter? You getting high and mighty? I pass a few typical remarks like you pass the hashlinger, she's dead. Murdered? Dead. That's the way. What you come to me for? Doesn't it always happen to girls like her? The looks they give you, the way they bend over the table close, the way they walk away from you. You ask me, I'll tell you, it doesn't always happen that way. Not to women like Francesca. What makes her so special? You thought she was, you just told me. That doesn't make me want to kill her. It makes it quite the opposite. That makes you... You saw Francesca last night. Waited till she got off. You took her home, Bert. That's a lie. Who told you a dirty lie like that? You take her home, Bert. You listen to me. I'm a good guy. Respect it. My wife, my classmates, class of 36. Last year they even made me prexy of the Cane and Ale Society. You take Francesca home, Bert. I tried to. Or I tried. I was showing off to my friend, Cane and Ale buddy. Tried to impress him how I was like that with Franny. When I didn't make it, he laughed. Helped me into a cab, sent me home. Helped you? I needed it. I'd had more ale than cane. You're a laughing friend. Who is he? Harry Bruno staying at the Acme Hotel. You go ask him. You'll tell you how I came right home. Ask him. I will. Is this your plan, Bert? Why'd you get it? It's the one that stabbed Francesca. And you think I... You're crazy. I lost it. This morning the missus asked me for it. To open a cannon. I looked for it and I lost it. Well, that's the night the Cane and Ale gave me in gratitude for my term of office. Preexy, I told you, I... Sure, sure, you're respected, you told me. Grab your cane, Bert. At headquarters we too respect men with canes. Look, can you come back later, fella? Police. Danny Clober. Can't come back, huh? Come on in. In the middle of a shave here, fella. Go right ahead. Oh, it's important, huh? I think so. Go right ahead, Mr. Bruno. Shave. Mm-hmm. That's on your mind, pal. You know, Bert Finley. Are you kidding, Bert? My classmate at the university. You're a university man, huh? Three years of it. Broke my shoulder one summer so they wouldn't renew my scholarship. Ah, waste of time anyhow. Who needs college? Color-wors. You belong to the Cane and Ale Club, don't you? Yeah, yeah, I belong. What do you think I'm here for? What do you think I came all the way from Kansas City for? To carry a cane and drink ale? Class, huh? Great city, great. Right. Gotta get me some back in Kansas City. Hey, what? I didn't say anything. I'm waiting for you. Oh, that's a second. Let me have a taste of this face perfume. What about Bert, then? He said he had you look at a waitress last night. Oh, well, acquaint me with the laws of New York City, fella. No looking at waitresses. Oh, okay. I won't look. Hand me that talcum powder like a good son. Waitress named Francesca. Francesca Brown. Neat. She can carry my tray anytime. She was stabbed last night with this pocket knife. Did you ever see her? What is Bert going to do that for? What about the knife? Bert, we gave it to him a couple days ago. Outgoing pexie of the class of 36, Cane and Ale. Stand it. He says he didn't. I believe him. Did you see Francesca after she left work last night? I don't know, April. I didn't say you followed her. Did you make a date with her? Not this fella. Oh, I admit it, fella. I reached down for her hand, got my fingers wet in the chicken noodle soup. She knew the defenses of that girl. Where did you go after you left Finley? Up to Harlem. You know, sightseeing. Yeah, now. Yeah. Let's go down to headquarters, Mr. Bruno. I want you to meet somebody. Sure. Whatever you say, fella. Hand me my shirt, will you? How long we gonna wait in this office, fella? Till I tell you you can go, fella. Look, Mr. Clover, Harry's got no family here. I have. The Mrs. is going to worry. What's with those canes you boys are carrying? What's with them, Danny? Explain it to Tar-Taglia, Markham, and I'll be right back. Okay, Danny. What's with the canes and the canine? I'll just try to do. We're ready for you, Jimmy. You don't have to take my arm, Mr. Clover. I'll be all right. This is adorable. You're all right now, Jimmy. Here. Sit down. Thank you. Last night when your wife was killed, Jimmy, the man who did it said to you, she's all yours. He said she's all yours, blind boy. There are four men in this room beside us, Jimmy. They're each going to say that sentence. I want you to listen, consider, and tell me if you recognize his voice. You. You say it. She's all... She say it. She's all yours, blind boy. Now you. She's all yours, blind boy. You. She's all yours, blind boy. You. She's all yours, blind boy. Well, Jimmy, the third one. Let me hear him again. You. She's all yours, blind boy. Again, Jimmy. Well, none of them. None of these men killed my wife. You're positive? I'm positive. Keep after me, Jimmy. You're listening to Broadway's My Beat, written by Mortimer. Jason Fine and David Brician with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. There's a stir on Broadway when summer starts coming in. The visitors arrive and Broadway is festooned with latest styles from Peoria, the bumper crop of girlies from Iowa. The kid who got tossed off the box cart Scranton and hitchhiked the rest of the way. This is the time. This is the promise. This is the dream. And it's precisely the instant when the citizens of Broadway put in for their vacation to Scranton, Peoria, and Iowa. And it takes the bus tickets and the two whole weeks holiday to find out you rode to an empty corner of the faraway world. With me, it was still routine. Murder is never seasonal. The girl had been knifed and thrown back at her husband. Find out why and who and what circumstances conspired to wander dead. My job. And at police headquarters at night, a man. His name was Sergeant Geno Tartaglia. Many people thought him a friendly type. What do you think of me, Danny? What's the matter, Geno? Go ahead, Danny. Let me have it. Both barrels. I stand arms at Kim Bowen. Wait for it. Between the eyes, Danny. What happened? What brings this on? This morning, Danny, on my way to work, I stopped into Zimmerman's to Baker, as is my wonk, to purchase my daily Zimmerman Bums. And? Mr. Zimmerman walked over and said, stop pinching the Zimmerman Bums, and proceeded to tell me what he thought. Then he heaved the Zimmerman Bum at me. That's why my uniforms forced it all over. Geno. I'm not a bad chap, am I not, Danny? Geno, you're kind, trustworthy, loyal, obedient. Would you give me a note of Zimmerman to that effect, Danny? Soon, after we attend to the business at hand. Our business is bad, Danny. There's not much to hand. Only the fact that the members, 500 strong of the Cane and Ale Club, are a raising hob among the populace with their antics with Cane and Ale. Such goings on, that's- Over, speaking. Get your hat, Danny. What's the trouble, Morgerman? That waitress at Harper's Grill, Rose Keeler? What happened to her? Beaten, knifed, emergency hospital, Danny. Squad car downstairs. Oh, I didn't ask for nobody to get out. I talked to you before, Rose. Danny Clover, remember? I'm a good patient. I don't ask for nobody when I don't need them. I don't need you. I need you. I'll push the night buzzer for you. You want us to find the man who hurt you, don't you, Rose? I don't want to talk about it. I know how you feel, but you've got to try. You've got to help us. You don't have to get up. I know I don't. I want to watch your face. I want to see how a man looks when he gets a good look at what another man did to me. See? See? He had a knife. It wasn't his fingernail. You finished looking. He just finished. Who was he, Rose? So you can compare. No, who was he? Can I help you? It was in a dark alley. I heard a cane tapping. And a voice ask a question. And a whisper. And I answered. I tried to scream. I mean, funny no scream came out. What were you doing there? It's a shortcut. I'm on my way to work. I don't ever hardly take it, except when I'm late. You live near Harper's Grill? Yeah. Yeah, maybe too near. Why do you say that? Guys find out I live near when I walk me home. Too cheap for cab fare. Like who? Bert Finner used to. Before Francesca came to work, Bert became an aler. They all been asking. Bert suggested they say. You think it was Finley? I don't think Mr. I just heard. Was it Finley? I don't know. I just heard. I'm in the night buzzer machine now. I need somebody. In a few moments the door opens noisefully. The sister in a white nun's habit leaned over the girl in the bed with her hand against the girl's heart. Then the sister turned to me and smiled faintly. She told me Rose was sleeping. That was good. I left. And another scrap of information. Bert Finley had also made a play for Rose Keeler. Bert Finley, ex-prexy of the Cane and Ale Boys, was quite a boy. Go now to the home of the ex-prexy and ask him what else he wants. The door was open. Oh, I thought it was my husband. I'm from the police. Bert hasn't been up to any mischief has he? May I come in? What is it you wish? Where's your husband? Well he'll be home soon. He'll be home at twelve. Just about half past that now. Oh it certainly is not. Bert is always home by midnight always. Not tonight Mrs. Finley. Where is he? Well he's former prexy you know of the Cane and Ale Club. They're in town thirty three lodges. Why is he home? I said twelve o'clock. Nobody gets into mischief if they're in bed at midnight. It's important that we find your husband Mrs. Finley. Do you have any idea where he might be? I know exactly where he is. What do you think of that? I think that's very nice. You think I have a dad about for a husband. Bert's University you know. Last year's president of his society. He's with the boys now. Is that right Mrs. Finley? At a banquet his life. The one of the class of thirty six. Where's the banquet? Well I don't know. I don't know but now that's home. Hey Danny. Margaret Ben. Yes Danny. Get in. What's the trouble? Bert Finley's staff. Yes. Alley back a Harper's grill. Let's go Margaret Ben. Hey incredible. Oh. Yeah. Get out of here kid, get out. There he is mister. Same place he was at when I found him. You did don't get around much do they? How come you're fond of Mr. Harper? I'll tell you about that. I was closing up the grill, understand? Lots of things to do when you close up. You gotta check the shortages on your wait procedure. You'd be surprised how they try to cut you sometime, understand? All the lieutenant wants to know is how come you found him? I was coming to that mister. You wanna force me? Closing the grill tonight was somewhat a chore. Them Kane and the Aylas had a banquet. Good old boys arranged it. My favorite customer. The Kane and Aylas kept walking in and out through my kitchen into the alley. I don't serve liquor, understand? Them back crew can't mess up everything. Was friendly one of those that came through? Must have. How come he's bleeding here all over my alley? He didn't come back so you weren't looking for him. You the type that keeps pressing, aren't you son? No. I didn't go looking for boys. I happened to notice them here while I was emptying the Dean's garbage. First I thought it was one of my alley clients falling asleep waiting for a charity. Then I thought it wasn't. It was good old boys. Dead in the joe-nade. Take care of it, Muggerman. I'm going back into the grill. You come too, huh, Harper? I understand you. You want me along while you go clue hunting. Ain't no time a man's looser than when he's out hunting the road. Come on in mister, I'll be your friend. This is my kitchen. Want a nose around it for a while? Make you a hot sandwich if you want in the meantime. Bankrupt table. Which one was it? That'll be out in the mess hall where it all is. Come on, I'll show you. Ain't had a good chance to clean it all off yet. I do that myself. Nose like overtime on my hands if I can help it. You understand? You got your nose in the wind, boy. What you smell? A cane leaning against the wall. The table near the door. Don't surprise me, none. One of them canes and alias forgot his cane. They forgot their manners. They forgot their cane. That cane's white. That's a blind man's cane. With old Ned back home had one just like you. Remember a blind man in your grill? I was back in the kitchen going crazy. I didn't look for no blind... How come a blind man forgets his cane? That's like... Pay your respects, doctor. They're taking old Bert away. I want you! I want you! Open up, Bruno! I want power! I want power! No, I want power! Break it up, you twit! Break it up! I'll kill him! I'll kill him! On your feet, Jimmy. Now, stay there. Get him out of here. He's crazy. He's not only blind, he's gone to his head. He killed my wife. He killed Frances. I know, I know. Take it easy, Jimmy. He's not only blind, he killed in the alley, but he killed Frances. Let's see. What did I tell you? Crazy. Get him off of me! Let him go! Let him go! Huh? Give him to me. Jimmy, your wife is dead now. I'm sorry, Ted. You're blind. I'm sorry for that, too. But you cost a man his life. That man? Timley? What's that to me? Take it easy, Jimmy. That's better. You're a killer, Bruno. Huh? You've gone crazy, too? I'm gonna get out of here. Yeah, do that. I want you to try. Go ahead. Try. You won't let me kill him? You kill him. Shoot him. Kill him. We had Bruno at headquarters earlier. We gave him to you, but you wouldn't identify his voice. Why? I wanted him for myself. So you let him go, and he kills again. What do you got on me that's the word of a blind man? That's right. The word of a beaten girl. A girl who heard a cane tapping before she was mugged. I got 500 buddies with canes. But nobody like Bert Finley, a man who knew you stole his knife when he was drunk, when you put him in a cab. I stood out in the LA and listened to him kill Bert Finley. Bert screamed. Francesca did. Bert showed you Francesca. So you followed her home, Bruno. Tried to talk nice to her, then strangled her, nighted her. Bert showed you Rose. You did the same thing. Listen to me. He did it. I heard his voice again at police headquarters, found out about the banquet at Harper's, and I went there. Spotted his voice again, and I followed his voice, followed him out in the alley. When he finished with Finley, I followed him here. Nobody followed me. You're blind, Dad. I heard your cane. Jimmy didn't have a cane. I left it at Harper's. But you did. You're a canine, Ailer. You had a cane. Jimmy followed your cane. Smart. Blind boy, smart. That's what made you big with your wife, blind boy. Faced with fellas you felt sorry for. You think she could love a guy like you without eyes? Listen to him. Listen to him. How long was it since you got a good look at your wife? Saw what she was, what she could be to a man. But was she to you? Somebody that'll eat your arms so you wouldn't be hit by a cab? I'm the kind of a guy who could have had her. You can't see, fella. You can't see like us. They allow witnesses, Mr. Clover. I want to be there when he dies. I want to be there when he dies. The people race against the nighttime on Broadway. Each in his own way. Make time stand still, that's the trick. The dawn comes and the gutters are choked with wasted minutes. The infinite man hours of loneliness and the tears. It's Broadway, the broadies. The most violent. The lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway. Broadway's My Beat. Broadway's My Beat stars Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover, with Charles Calvert as Tartaglia, and Jack Crouchon as Muggerman. The program was produced and directed by Elliot Lewis, with musical score composed and conducted by Alexander Courage. In tonight's story, Lamont Johnston was heard as Jimmy Brown, Lou Merrill as Harry Bruno, Kathy Lewis as Rose Keller, Herb Butterfield as Bert Finley, and Bea Benaderi as Mrs. Finley. Broadway is My Beat. Broadway is My Beat has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. Tonight on At the End Presents, you've been listening to some of the best in radio drama, with Fibber McGee and Molly, and Broadway is My Beat. Join us again Monday evening at the same time, 9.05, for a new episode of At the End.
