Good evening. This is Ken Roberts inviting you to listen to another adventure of Casey, crime photographer. Ace cameraman who covers the crime news of a great city. Another adventure for tonight, the cotton. Early afternoon, the quiet restful reception room of a casket company. The street door opens and two hard-eyed men enter. From a glass and closed inner office another man emerges and... Good afternoon gentlemen. Hi. You the boss here? Well, I'm the sales manager. Cook is my name. Cook? That's a hot name for a coffin salesman Andy. Ain't it foot. Yes, so I'm often told. We want to see some samples of your product. I want to buy a coffin. You are a mortician of course. A what? He means undertaker boys. No cookie, I'm no undertaker. Oh well I'm sorry but we sell only to the trade. You mean a guy's got to be an undertaker in order to buy one of your plush line boxes? That's our rules. Rules are made to be busted mister. I want a coffin, I got the dough to pay for it. So show me one of your fanciest models. I want the guy I'm buying it for to have the best... after he's dead. When a guy kicks off boys you'll all be the first. You want a casket for somebody who isn't yet dead? He isn't even sick yet. I don't understand. You don't have to, just show us your box. Yes but... First I'll give you the name and address of the guy you're to send it to. He's Nick Maddock. Nick Maddock? And he lives in the manor hall apartments. Nick Maddock is the notorious gang leader. He's Jack Belize when he reads to the newspaper. Yeah, seems that way Mike. Look don't fall for that cheap publicity stuff Cookie. Yeah, he has no professional standards. He's like the boss here for instance. Our boss is the real good. He's Andy Grallo. You're Andy... Andrew... Grallo? Guess you didn't recognize me from my pictures in the papers. Now Cookie let's see your coffins we're in kind of a hurry. You see this punk Nick Maddock just might be your mortgage case. Tonight. Now Miss Williams, this coffin salesman Cook knew Andy Grallo's reputation so he took little Andy in his hood back into the display room and let him pick out a silver plated slumber box which Andy paid for cash on the line. And as soon as the mobsters were gone Cook phoned the nearest precinct station and was sent here to headquarters where I heard his story in person. And it's a front page story Captain Logan. I wish this lug has probably given to all the papers in. I haven't given it to any paper Casey including yours. Including ours? What I've just told you to is off the record for the time being. Oh Captain. Off the record I said. I'm not going to have any press break on this until I'm sure what it's all about. It's easy enough to figure what it's all about. There's been a long standing feud between Andy Grallo and Nick Maddock and now it's come to a head and Grallo's planning to remove Maddock. No it isn't that easy to figure Nick for you. No I'll say it isn't. Little Andy is one of the smartest crooks I know of. When he pulls such a grand stand play as the one at that coffin shop he's planning anything but the obvious. Well Logan what did you do when you heard the story? I had to do the obvious for my own protection. You ordered your cops to make a round up of Andy and his mob. Sure and so far we've pulled in every known member of the gang except Andy and the gorilla who went with him to that casket sales room. You got Maddock protected of course. As much as I can protect his type. I got cops spotted around his apartment house. He won't let them inside the apartment itself. He knows about Andy Grallo ordering a coffin for him. Yeah I told him myself. I had to again for my own protection. And did Nick Maddock do a burn up. Which gave me another worry. He's undoubtedly sent guys out to gun for Andy and if we don't find that little rat first. Yeah a war is now definitely on between the Maddock gang and the Grallo gang. Which means you won't be able to keep this coffin story off the record very long Captain. I'm afraid you're right Miss Williams. Not until shooting actually starts I'm not going to further Andy Grallo's plan whatever they are. By allowing publicity for a yard he must have wanted to hit the papers. I think I'd only dope out the little rats. Is Nick Maddock staying inside his apartment? Yes he's too yellow to want to leave it while Andy's still in the loose. He's safely locked in with half a dozen of his muscle men and that girlfriend of his, Inez Kelly. She'll be his best protector. That Inez is really tough. But attractive though Annie. A polka-tutinous bundle of feminine charm. Oh they've asked me. Excuse me. Out of sight Gerald. Captain Logan speaking. Yes Maddock. Maddock Jason. Oh we haven't found Grallo yet. Now we picked up everybody but him and put Larkin. That's right Larkin was with him at that casket place. But don't worry we'll get him soon. Yeah I can tell you're not worried. I'll sit tight. Goodbye. Maddock's worried huh? Gladly. And he's glad to have us cops around him. When his heart's in danger he says... Come in. We've got Andy Grallo and the last of his guerrillas captain. You have? Yeah. They just walked into the front desk here sir. Said they heard they were wanted. So they just walked in. Bring him here to me. Yes sir. That's that Logan. No worries are over for a while. I'm not so sure of that. I don't like any part of this business. Well at least Maddock won't become a morgue case tonight as Grallo hinted to that coffin salesman. Grallo and his hoods are going to be guests here for some time. Inside you fellas. Thank you sergeant. Good evening captain. Hello Grallo. Well well well. Miss Williams my old pal Casey. My buddy. You folks know Footslarkin? He's a business associate. Cut the comedy Grallo. What was the big idea of that coffin gag you pulled this afternoon? What? You heard about that little joke of mine captain? It was a joke. Well what else could you think it was? I had no idea that news got around so fast at you Footslarkin. No no. Gee I hope our pal Nick Maddock ain't heard about it. Thought a joke could be ruined to feel. Your act isn't funny and I'm not laughing. Sergeant we'll take these jokers into the boiler room where they can do their stuff under spotlights. Maybe we can improve their brand of humor. Alright come on. Now look here captain. You come on. Get going. See you later Miss Williams. Yeah. Well Annie let's be on our way. We may as well go back to the office. Uh uh. We're calling on Nick Maddock. Maddock? Yep right now. I have a hunch that little Andy's joke has been too well planned to miss. Well what's the point of the joke? Come on. At Nick Maddock's apartment we may find the points. Grallo said that carpentry was just a gag. That case is- No that's a story Mick yeah. Very funny. And just a big laugh don't it Inus? I've been busting my sides ever since I heard about it honey. Oh the laugh's on Andy Grallo right now Mr. Maddock. He and his men are having a session with a cop for the last all night at least. They were smart and giving themselves up to the cops Miss Williams. If I or my guys had come across them it had been just too bad. Nick means that little Andy would have got his teeth knocked out. Nothing more. Sure sure Annie. We know that law abiding guys like Nick don't go into extreme forms of violence. Miss Williams how about you in case he having a drink or two on us. If them bodyguards and Nick's haven't drunk it all up. No thanks Miss Talley. But I'd like to stick around here for a while and ask you and Mr. Maddock some questions. Questions? Oh well nothing too personal. Just something I can use if the paper runs a story about this thing. Why should it run any story? Grallo's coffin gag is washed up before it got going. Well in a newspaper racket we try to prepare for possible emergencies Nick. Same as you do in your business. Now how about letting me shoot some pictures of you while Miss Williams asks her questions. I don't want any publicity. A guy in your spot gets it whether he wants it or not honey. So be nice to these folks and maybe they'll be nice to you. Sure we like to give the kind of treatment we get. Well okay. Well take some decent pictures of me Casey. The ones I see in the papers always make me look like a big fat mug. Well I'll try to show you who you really are Nick. And reveal the genuine you. What do you mean by that? He'll snap at your best Nick if you'll help him. And you're a long way from your best with that crummy neck tie on. Crummy neck tie? This ribbon cost me forty bucks. It ain't becoming to you honey. Oh next tie is well. It ain't either Casey. What do you think Miss Williams? Them big yellow flowers are loud ain't they? Well they are a little noisy. They are no class. Go back to your bedroom Nick and change to the one with the hand painted blue birds on it. That's a refined tie. Come on I'll go with you and see if you do it right. Okay. In case you come along Miss Williams you can ask some of them questions while Nick is changing them. Alright. This is all jerky. Put on another tie. The one with the blue birds honey and fix it in front of the mirror not just by the sense of feel. I'm standing right here at the door to watch if you do it correct. Ah you dames give me a pay. You guys have got to be managed one way or another Miss Williams. How right you are. Don't give this gal ideas in us. She'd have the same ideas if she'd been brought up the way I was. How, where were you brought up Miss Talley? That's one of the questions I wanted to ask you. My dirty lousy mill town. My old man was a mill worker weaver. He was so poor our kids were put to work as soon as our fingers were big enough to pluck at a loom. You see I'm not one of those gals who tries to kid the folks that I come from a fine old town. Hey that shot. He's got Nick he's fallen. He was shot from that window. Keep away from that window Inez. If you have a shot Nick may drill you. I don't care. Inez. And then don't you go to that window cake. Let me go. I see the gun in the case. He's getting away over the roof. Get out of the way let me look. It's too late. He's gone but there's the rope ladder he used. I see that. What's happened here? Well the bodyguard you must have turned out to be. The guy that shot Nick is on the roof. Get up there all of you and hit him off. All right come on you guys. Casey. Is Nick dead? I'm afraid Inez that Nick is ready for little Andy's coffin. We've got to find the rat that killed my Nick Captain. Why ain't he been found? Now please take it easy Miss Talley. You know the roof of this apartment house connects to those of three other buildings at about the same level. The killer could have made his escape through any of those buildings. Find out where he went to after. I hate to ask the cops for anything but I want the rat that shot my Nick. I want him to burn. My men are after him and eventually they'll find him. If you'll calm down and help us. You say you saw the killer. What I saw can't be any help. It was only his feet and legs on that rope ladder up above me. And then he disappeared. They see you didn't see even the guy's feet and legs. No Logan he was completely out of sight by the time I had a look out that window. You've got to find him Captain. You've got to. Miss Talley suppose you go into another room and lie down. You're a present friend of mine you're only hindering my investigation. I guess you're right. Can I go to my own apartment? Your own apartment? It's three floors down. Nick didn't like handing me around this place all the time. Now go ahead. You go with her Miss Williams. Okay Captain. Come on in. Sergeant. Yes sir. Send a man downstairs with those gals and have him stand watch outside this building. Yes sir. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. I'll go with you. You watch outside Miss Talley's apartment. I don't want her to leave it. Okay Captain. You don't suspect Inez of this murder Logan. Okay Captain. You don't suspect Inez of this murder Logan. Now from what you told me she couldn't be a suspect and I'm afraid she might get a crazy notion to go after the killer on her own so I'll keep her under wraps tonight in case. Oh. KC I want you to show me exactly where you Inez and Miss Williams stood when that shot was fired. Well we were just outside this bedroom door Logan and was here I was back a little farther about here. Inez was directly in the doorway, leaning against that side of it. But you couldn't see the window where the shot was fired. No, I got... Oh, nuts. What? I just stepped on something. A thumbtack. I'm gonna dig it out of my shoe. Well, one of those things is on the floor. It's always pointed. That's right. Well, chances are, you couldn't see anything worthwhile if that window had been in your line of vision. It was covered with those drapes, and the killer shot through the drapes. Yeah. You know, not many guys would have the guts or the ability to shag themselves up and down that flimsy rope ladder eight stories above the street. No, no. Killer was a crack shot, too, Logan. Hanging onto that ladder, he planted a single shot in Maddox's back at just the right spot. Captain Logan. Yes, Sergeant? Bernstein here just found a gun on the ground below that window. Let's see it, Bernstein. Here you are, Captain. Miller dusted it with the fingerprints right away, but they weren't any. That's always nice. It gets a.45, Logan. And we had one exploded shell in this holodeck. That's the murder gun, all right. The killer must have dropped it accidentally, Captain. Fell on a straight line from that window and landed in soft dirt. Oh, I found something else, sir. This length of fishing line. Fishing line? Yes, it was snagged on the bush not far from the gun. There may be no connection, but I think there is. Go on. This line's in two pieces joined together in a sheet bend knot. What kind of knot? A sheet bend, sir. I was in the Navy, you know that kind of stuff. Also, it occurs to me this killer has been a sailor, too, on account of how he could use a rope ladder so good. Bend the sheet bend as a sailor's knot. There is a connection. Logan, the killer may have used this fishing line to hang the gun from around his neck, while he used both hands to come down the ladder. That way, he wouldn't have to dig into a pocket for it. Yeah. Going up the ladder in a big hurry, he could have snagged the line and torn it loose. Take it to the lab, Bernstein, and tell the profs to get busy on it. Yes, sir. If neither line nor gun can be traced, we've still got a small lead, Casey. Mavic's killer must have been a sailor. Whatever he's been, he's only a hired hand tonight. The guy who hired him is little Andy Grohl. Sure. And what a sweet alibi he and all his mob have got. When Nick Mavic got the works, every one of them was being held at headquarters. Captain Logan still ain't got no where's on Nick Mavic's murder, huh, Casey? Nope, nowhere at all, Ethel Byrd. Gee, and it happened almost two weeks ago. I thought with all the swell clues the cops had, it'd be solved in a couple of days. What swell clues did the cops have? Well, to begin with, they knew Andy Grohl must have planned it and hired the actual killer. You've got to do more than know a thing when you charge a man with murder, Ethel Byrd. The law demands proof. That's why his attorneys were able to spring him out of jail only a few days after Mavic's funeral. How about that fish line, the gun, and the rope ladder? Well, they haven't been traced to the person who used them. Maybe they never will be. And millions of men have been sailors. Finding the sailor who used that rope ladder and who tied the knot in that fishing line, well, looking for a needle in that old haystack is easy by comparison. I never thought too much of that sailor idea, Miss Williams. You know, when I tie a couple of pieces of string together, I loop what you call a sheet bend as a matter of habit. But you? Mm-hmm. You've never been a sailor, Ethel Byrd. Me a sailor? Hehehe. Oh, goodness, no. Well, then... But my old lady used to do fancy work on aluminum. When I was a kid, she taught me how to weave, too. And what sailors call a sheet bend is exactly the same as a weaver's knot. Wait a minute, a weaver's knot? Mm-hmm. Well, why didn't you tell me that before? Did you ask me? I... Annie, come on, let's get over to the office. Huh? I want a good look at the pictures I took in Madduck's bedroom right after he was shot. Annie, look, look here, in this picture, I pulled the drapes back from that casement in order to show the dangling rope ladder outside. Oh, yeah, I remember. Well, only one side of the casement was open. You see the angle of the opening? Angle? No, no. Now, look, a gun clamped to the open side of that window would point directly at anyone standing in front of the mirror, as Madduck stood when he was shot. Oh, Casey! And a strong cord could have been looped around the trigger, then passed around the butt of the gun, and then further passed along the wall of the room behind the bed, and fastened to a thumbtack in the wall near where Inez stood. Will you think Inez... Inez was taught to tie a weaver's knot when she was a kid, don't forget. No? Became part of her job to tie them. It's a kind of a knot she instinctively uses. And if you remember, Annie, I stepped on a thumbtack just inside that doorway. But she couldn't have set off a gun trap while we stood within a few feet of her. Why not? All she had to do was pull on a fishing line that we didn't even know existed. And the purpose of the whole setup was that somebody should be with her to alibi her. She did persuade Madduck to go into the bedroom and to fix his tie before that minute. Yeah, and after the shooting, she made a beeline for that window. Before I got there, she had time to loosen the spring clamp and stuff it inside her dress. Well, naturally, the gun fell carrying the fish line with it. And the line only looped around the trigger and actually would fall free of it. Well, but can't you see that rope line? It was never used. It was hung from the roof simply as a red herring. You see, there had to be believable evidence that Madduck was shot from outside. Well, I don't believe that Inez Talley has the brains to have planned such a setup. Oh, you underestimate that gal. But I think the plan was mostly Andy Gralos. Gralos? Man, that coffin gag, Andy. It wasn't pure coincidence that he got himself and his entire mob a perfect alibi on the night Madduck was killed. Oh, no. We never kidded ourselves about that. But instead of hiring a killer as we thought, someone who wasn't a regular member of his gang, he had an inside track on Madduck's girlfriend. And she double crossed Madduck because Gralos has more money, more brains, better looks? Or maybe simply because she didn't like mixed taste and necktie. I don't know. Female motives are anybody's guess. Well, how are you going to prove your pretty fairy? Annie, Inez may have something in her apartment that'll tie her up with Andy Gralos. And of course, you prefer to search her apartment without police assistance. Well, remember, Annie, exclusives earn bonuses for poor newspaper stiffs like us, and Christmas isn't too far away. Well, I've been in Inez's apartment and the locks on her door should be easy for an accomplished housebreaker like yourself. Shall we, Miss Williams? Tonight, Mr. Casey? That lock was a cinch, Annie. No trouble at all. Close the door quick and re-lock it. All set. Okay. Now, where we begin? In her bedroom. Look for a clamp that might have held that gun and for anything that may connect Inez with Andy Gralos. Okay, her bedroom's in here. All right, we'll work it over together. Remember where the light switch is? I think so. Yeah, I've got it. Good evening, Miss Williams. Andy Gralos. And my old pal, Casey. The other surprise is on me as well as you. Uh-oh, well, that's nice to know. When did you... I left myself in the front door right after Inez left. You see, I'd been casing her movements from the hall instead of down on the street due to, uh... Well, I wanted to search her place too. I see you'd made a start before we interrupted. You find what you were looking for, Andy? No, I didn't have time. Now, you two can help me. We're always willing to help a man who has a gun pointed at us. Oh, yes. I thought you'd be. What's here that you want, Andy? Same thing you wanted. Special kind of clamp. You know, this Inez Townley's a smart girl. Before she'd do a certain little favor for me, she made me write a letter I wouldn't like the cops to see. Yeah, I figured her as that kind of a businesswoman. Yeah, but brainy girls are dangerous, like snoopy newspaper people. A guy like me's better off without him. So after you two help me find the things I want for Inez, the three of us will stick around until she comes home. I'll get rid of her at the same time I lose you for keeps. Right here in her apartment. You'll be blamed for killing her, she for killing you. Stop that, Rod! Inez! Lousy double-crosser! No, no, don't shoot! Smart girl, Janney. Now, fast thinker. Don't try to think your way out of this, you poor sap. I saw you watching my apartment from across the hall. You wouldn't have found what you wanted. I got them things put away in a safer place than this. But I've caught you and these newspaper stiffs robbing my apartment. I got a right to shoot all of you and that's just what I'm going to do. Now, don't reach for that gun! Ah! Casey! They shot each other, Casey. Shot each other! They certainly have and good. Oh! These double-crossing playmates both need coffins now. St. Miss Williams, did the cops find what Andy Grallo was looking for in Inez's apartment? Mm-hmm. In a safety deposit vault, she had a letter he'd written that would have incriminated him plenty in the Matic murder. Why did a smart guy like him let her have something that she couldn't have? Well, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Why did a smart guy like him let her have so much on him? Well, he thought he was smarter than he was, apparently, Edelberg. Andy met her very stiff terms because he was sure he could double-cross her, you see, and get everything back. Well, what was her big motive in playing along with Andy Grallo? Love, money, revenge, or just... Oh, we'll never know, really. And female motives are anybody's guess. See, Miss Williams, you called me a skinker the other day. What's a skinker? Yeah, Annie. You know, I looked it up, and the only definition I could find was a kind of lizard. I'm no lizard. Well, you didn't look far enough. In the big dictionary, you'll find it also means one who pours drinks. Oh. So I am a skinker. But that sounds like... Hmm. I'm not sure. Tonight's adventure was written by Alonzo Dean Cole. Stott Cotsworth played the part of Casey, Jan Miner was Anne, and John Gibson was Edelberg. Next week, another adventure of Casey, crime photographer. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education. And this year celebrated with theWhoopi know the U.S.A., the world was a perfect place for that benefit. You
