Danger, Dr. Danfield. The human mind is like a cave. Beyond the light, there are dark passageways and mysterious recesses. I, Dr. Daniel Danfield, have explored those unknown retreats and know their secrets. Dr. Daniel Danfield, authority on crime psychology, has an unhappy faculty for getting himself mixed up in hazardous predicaments because of his astonishing revelations regarding the workings of the criminal mind. As our story opens, we find Dr. Danfield in his office dictating to his pretty young secretary, Rusty Fairfax. Period, paragraph. And therefore, I feel that the following experience will conclusively prove that in the field of crime, the amateur, as in all other fields, is less likely to succeed than the professional. The incident began on Monday of last week. I was sitting in my office dictating to my secretary on the telephone line. Hello, this is Danfield's office. Oh, you do? Who is it, Miss Fairfax? It's a woman in chief. No, I won't tell him. A woman? Let me have the phone, please. But she said that... Thank you, Miss Fairfax. Hello, Dr. Danfield speaking. Oh, yes, my dear. My dear? Really? Now, don't get excited, my dear. Just tell me as calmly as you can what happened. Indeed? In your bedroom? Well, how do you like that? Just a moment, please. How do you know it's suicide? Suicide? Oh, I see. You haven't the faintest idea who he is? Really? Gun in his hand? Suicide note? Suicide note, did you say? This is incredible. Any woman who talks like that would... Quiet, Miss Fairfax, please. Yes, yes, my dear. I'll be right out. Don't touch anything, please. Well? Well what? That, Miss Fairfax, was Harriet Miller. Am I supposed to swoon? Her father is United States Senator George Miller. What about it? Has the good senator committed suicide on his daughter's best carpet? And what do we care if he has? Look, Dan Danfield, you just got through dictating a lot of stuff about not being interested in murder and getting mixed up with criminals or... Dan! Oh, hello, Miss Fairfax. Hello, Miss Fairfax. Listen, Dan Danfield, if you think you can ignore me like that, you're mistaken. Quiet, Miss Fairfax, I'm thinking. Oh, you're always thinking. Yes. Yes, I believe that's what we better do. Miss Fairfax, get your notebook. Now, wait a minute. Just because some dame calls up with a sob story... Harriet Miller is not a dame, Miss Fairfax. She's the daughter of a very good friend of mine. At this point in his career, Senator Miller can't afford unfavorable publicity. It becomes known that a stranger entered his daughter's bedroom and committed suicide on her best oriental rug. I'm afraid that... A stranger? That's about the craziest story I ever heard. Oh, is it, Miss Fairfax? Yes, a stranger entering a girl's bedroom, writing a suicide note and then quietly expiring on her rug. I bet even Ripley would turn up his nose at that one. You don't believe it, eh, Miss Fairfax? Not a word of it. I'm surprised that you do. I don't, Miss Fairfax, not a word. Therefore, it's important that we go out to the Miller house at once. Would you call Mario, please, and ask him to ring the car alarm? In a moment we'll return for the second act of Danger, Dr. Danfield, but first... Now for the second act of Danger, Dr. Danfield. That's a very funny story, Doc. It makes Mario laugh. This girl, she's worried about the whole rug, eh? Miss Miller is worried about more than her rug, Mario. Miss Fairfax, did you bring your notebook? Of course I brought it. Miss Fairfax, do you suppose it would be possible for you to work yourself into a more pleasant frame of mind? Ah, that Miss Fairfax always is jealous of the doctor. Mario! Well, don't you worry, Miss Fairfax. Maybe this senorina is very fat with the eyes of the look both ways at one time, eh? Dan, are you going to let him talk? That's enough, Mario. Miss Fairfax is not amused. Excuse me, boss. Enter here, Mario. This is the Miller place. Okay. Weee, summer place, eh? This Mr. Miller must be very rich man, eh? Senator Miller's home is quite a show place, Mario. Oh, I see. Well, here we are. Come along, Miss Fairfax. Let's go in. What do you want me to do, Doc? You better stick around the outside, Mario, and keep your eye out for anything suspicious. Come along, Miss Fairfax. Maybe somebody else will decide to commit suicide on the front lawn, eh, Doc? I don't see why you have to let Mario talk the way he does. Sometimes I could choke him. Here, I'll ring the bell. Mario, my dear, is very important to me. He's known as a put- Dan! Oh, Dan, I'm so glad you've come. This is horrible. There, there, my dear. We got here as soon as we could. Perhaps I shouldn't have called you, but I didn't know what else to do. Well, right now you can take your arms from around his neck. Oh, I didn't see you. Dan? This is my secretary, Harriet. Uh, rather, this is my secretary, Harriet. Miss Rusty Fairfax. Miss Fairfax, Miss Miller. How do you do? Hello. Come in, please. Both of you. Dan, I know I should have called the police, but- Yes, yes, yes, I understand. The police will have to be notified, but, uh, well, suppose we look at the suicide. Yes. He's upstairs. I'll show you the way. Come along, Miss Fairfax. Are you living alone in the house, Harriet? Yes. Dad went to Washington a month ago. I'm taking my meals at the club, so I gave a servant a holiday. And, uh, Sam? My brother? Well, he's not at home just now. This is my room here. Do you mind if I don't- Of course not. I'll go in alone. You two girls stay here and, uh, get acquainted. I'm well enough acquainted. I'm going with you. As you will, Miss Fairfax. Well, that's indeed amazing. What's amazing about a dead man lying on the floor with a gun in his hand? Name of the dead man, Miss Fairfax, is Mugs Berendo. Mugs Berendo, the gambler? Gambling is one of Mugs' lesser vices. He's a very interesting type. I've, uh, I've always intended to study him. Well, now you've got your chance. I'm going to see if you can do it. I'm going to see if you can do it. Let me see. Gun in left hand, finger crooked around the trigger, bullet through the left temple. Amazing. Yes, amazing. This is something I don't get, Dan. What would a guy like Mugs Berendo be doing in Senator Miller's daughter's bedroom with a bullet through his head? That's what's amazing, Miss Fairfax. Ah, yes, yes. Here's the suicide note. I'll touch it, Miss Fairfax. Don't worry. I'm not going to touch anything. Let me see. I can't stand it any longer. Decided to end it all. Say goodbye to the gang. Ridiculous. Entirely out of character. Miss Fairfax, I must confess, this situation interests me. It's going to interest the whole country if the story ever gets into the papers that Mugs Berendo was found dead in Harriet Miller's bedroom. Exactly. Now what are you looking for? Oh, just the thing. Come along, Miss Fairfax. We've got to work fast. We've got to work at what fast? Discovering who murdered Mugs Berendo and left his body in this bedroom. Hmm. That's strange. Harriet seems to have disappeared. Never mind Harriet. Did you say Mugs Berendo was murdered? Of course. What other explanation is there? Harriet! Oh, Harriet! Hmm. It's odd. But she won't go far. Now look, how do you know that Mugs was murdered? Why, it's obvious. Close the bedroom door, William and Miss Fairfax. Look, would you do me a favor, Dan? Why, of course, Miss Fairfax. What is it? Stop calling me Miss Fairfax. I have a front name just like everybody else. Really, Miss Fairfax? What's it? I mean, uh, I know what it is, don't I? Well, you ought to. At least when we're alone, you could just... Dan! Harriet, she's in trouble. Come along, Rusty. Dan! Harriet! Harriet, we're coming! Hold on! Dan! Dan! Dan! Hey, what's happened? What's the matter? A face, a horrible face, of a dare at the window, leering in at me. A face? Yes. Well, I'd like to take a look. No one here now. The window's locked. Are you sure you saw someone, Harriet? Yes, yes. It was horrible. Horrible! Oh, I don't know how much more of this I can stand. There, there, there, my dear. Your nerves are on the spot. Help me with your hand. There. There, you feel better? Yes. Oh, Dan, I'm so glad you're here. This ought to be a lesson to me. How was that, Miss Fairfax? I only said that if I had any sense, I'd put on an act myself and get you to hold my hand. Come on, you funny fellow. Nobody gets away from Mario. Keep it quiet for now or I'm going to get a man. Oh, hello, Doc. Mario, who's the young man? That's it, the face. He's the one I saw at the window. Take him away! Hey, what's this? The senorita said that Mario has a funny face? That I don't like. Mario, were you looking in the window a few minutes ago? Look in the... me? Look in the window? Sure he was. I saw him. I jumped him, but he... well, he got the best of me. He got the best of him. This is a little squirt. Very funny, you know. Oh, yeah? You hadn't hit me when I wasn't looking. You might have... Just who are you, young man? That's Harriet who I am. Well, Harriet? His name is Shakespeare. He's a friend of mine. A friend? Oh, that's rich. We were engaged to be married until she began playing around with Mugs Verendo. Doug! Well, it's true. I came here one night and met Verendo coming out. I asked Harriet about it and she wouldn't give me any explanation. I couldn't, Doug. I told you. Yeah, you told me. Say, this is getting interesting. Let's hear some more. That's enough, Miss Fairfax. Tell me, Doug, you've been making a practice of hanging around here nights just to check on Harriet's caller? Sure I have. Harriet and I were engaged. Had other men coming to see her, I wanted to know about it. Well, now that I can understand. Doug, I told you and told you that all your suspicions were foolish. Okay, then why does Verendo keep coming here? Does Nigel Verendo come here often, Doug? He's been here four times in the past month. Was he here tonight? I don't know. I just got here a little while ago. That's all right. That's all right. I watched him come up at the driveway and then he started looking all over the windows. He did a surprise when I came up behind him and kicked him in the pants. I see. Well, this is most interesting. Harriet, how can I get in touch with your brother Sam? Sam? Well, I don't know. He's away on a business trip. Oh? What kind of business? I don't know. I don't cry under Sam's affairs. On the contrary, my dear, I think you've cried too much. You're crying because of this deplorable situation. How dare you say that to me, Dan Dantio. Because it's true. Mario, do you think you're capable of keeping Mr. Spear under control for a short time? Under control? You make a joke, Edd-Doc. You silly little squirt. You keep your hands off me, you big ape. Yeah? And what are you going to do, huh? Well, I'll call the police. You won't have to, Douglas. Ms. Fairfax, will you call Sergeant Plummet headquarters, please? Ask him to come out here and arrest this young man for the murder of Mugs Burrendo. In a moment we'll return for the third act of danger, Dr. Danfield, but first... Now it's third act of... Danger, Dr. Danfield. The facts of this case were now becoming surprisingly clear, although there was one element which had me baffled. Unless a solution were reached before Senator Miller returned from Washington, the results would be tragic. I felt that the answer to the problem could be found at the Marble Forum, a nightclub formerly owned by Mugs Burrendo. Later I learned that at the moment I was reaching this conclusion, a tense drama was taking place in an office behind the nightclub's dance floor between Sam Miller and a man named Enrico... Hey, what's up? Oh, that's you, Sammy boy. Yeah, that's me, Enrico. He could have put away the gun. He had? He shouldn't have come busting in on me like that. You might get hurt. Might I? Okay, Enrico, I'll take the notes. Notes? Yeah, the notes. Come on, give them to me. Why, Sammy boy, I don't know what you mean. Look, Enrico, I was promised those notes if I played ball, and I'm going to have them if I have to tear this place apart. Is that a fact, Sammy boy? And who made you these promises? Burrendo, you heard him. Did I? That's funny. I don't remember a thing about it. Why, you dirty little... Take it easy, Sammy boy. You wouldn't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to mugs now, would you? You're not scaring me, Enrico. You're not fool enough to shoot the son of a United States senator. No? Kid, you've got a surprise coming for you. Your old man isn't going to be a United States senator after the next election. You're crazy. You'll win hands down. So? Look, kid, you're in this thing over your head, only you don't know it. Mugs the Burrendo is dead. That means I am running this organization. I got things set up so you, or anybody else, ain't got a chance of shoving me around. Now get out, I'm busy. I am not getting out if you give me those notes. Kid, you're making me mad. Do you think I give you those notes when you know as much as you do? Yes, I do. Because if you don't, I'll... Hey, what's that? What's happening out there? Maybe some of Mugs' boys have come back to square accounts. Better take a look through the wall panel, Enrico. I need to keep that gang out of here. Don't be too rough, Mario. Just clear a passage. That's not a destination, daddy. I clear a passage when I can double-fold. Oh, that devil is there. Gosh, it's Dr. Ampoule. He's a friend of Dad's. I gotta get out of here. You stay right here. What's the matter, Enrico? You're scared? No, I ain't scared. So this Dr. Denfield is a friend of your old man, huh? Well, it's fine. Maybe this is the break I've been waiting for. Yes, maybe it is. Enrico is a fool. This Danfield is bad medicine. If you're smart, you'll get... Well, well, well. Hello, Sam. It's fortunate finding you here. Close the door, Mario, and don't let anyone in. Don't you worry about anyone getting in, Doc. What's the idea, Denfield, if that's what your name is? You've got a nerve busting in here. Suppose it did seem rather abuff. Sam, would you mind introducing me to a friend? His name's Enrico Caterham. Look, Doc, who sent you down here? Nobody, Sam. I came with my own accord. Enrico, I suppose you're the new owner of the Marble Fawn now that Mugs Berendo has... resigned, shall we say? Yes, that's right. What about? Oh, a great deal about it. Sam, did you know your sister was in trouble? Harry? What kind of trouble? Very bad trouble, my boy. It seems that she'd been seeing a good deal of the late Mugs Berendo. Harry had been seeing Mugs Berendo? Oh, you're nuts. Harry wouldn't have any part of it. Indeed? Why do you suppose he's been calling on her at your house? He hasn't. I'd have known it if he had. Would you? Unfortunately, Sam, you've been spending entirely too much time away from home lately to appreciate what's been going on. For example, had you been home this evening, you would have known about Mugs Berendo committing suicide in Harry's bedroom. What the devil are you talking about? Oh, yes, it's quite true. Mugs is there, all right, and quite dead. Well, now ain't that a shame. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Why, when that story hits the newspapers... That story isn't going to hit the newspapers, Enrico. Well, that is, when it does, there will be certain alterations. Now, uh, suppose we all get into my car and return to the Miller home. It'll be necessary to identify the body and then we can... How do you like that? Dan Fields, I could use you in my organization. Yes, sir, you're just so dumb you don't know all the stories. My God, like you. Do I understand that you're refusing to accompany us to the Miller home, Enrico? Ha ha ha ha. Dan Fields, you'll catch on quick. Yes, that's it. I'm refusing to accompany you. As a matter of fact... Mario. Ha ha ha. You wanted me for something, you don't? Yes, yes. I, uh, wonder if you might, uh, persuade Mr. Caterin to take a short automobile ride with us. Persuade? Ha ha ha. Doctor, you sure are a funny one. Sure, I think I can persuade... I'll fix it up, all right? Keep away from me, you big gorilla. I got a gun here. Ah, you hear that, doctor? He got a gun here. Funny fellow. Now, wait a minute, Mario. I got something to say. Oh, you got something to say? Yes, sir, this... Oh, you want to play, huh? Ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Oh! This Enrico, he's a very funny fellow. He said he had something to say. Ha ha ha. See what you mean. Mario, now let's get going. This way, gentlemen. Yeah, this way. You get inside the Mr. Enrico, Mario will help you. This way. You think you're going to get away with this, you mug? By one of my boys, find out after... Sam! Oh, Sam, are you all right? Sure, I'm all right. Why shouldn't I be? Hey, what's this stuff about a guy committing suicide in your bedroom? It's true, Sam. He did. I found him there. He'd written a suicide note and... and then Dan said it was murder and had the police arrest Doug. Doug? Well, what did he have to do with it? He didn't have a thing to do with it, not a thing. Dan Danfield, I'm going to wire Dad tonight and ask him to demand Doug's release at once. I think it's terrible that you've had Doug arrested. Do you, Harriet? Well, that's a healthy sign. Ah, Mr. Peck, come in. Did you and Sergeant Plumb get Douglas safely installed in jail? Yes, he's there all right, but Sergeant Plumb is pretty mad. Mad, why? He says he can't arrest a man without evidence and there isn't any evidence against Doug's fear. If he didn't know you so well, he'd be pretty mad. Doug, oh, Plumb. Fortunately, we can depend on him. I, um, I hope you followed my further instructions, Miss Fairfax. Yes. Sergeant Plumb was glad of the chance. The police are raiding the Marble Farm nightclub right now. Ready to... say, what is this? Danfield, what kind of a gag do you think you're pulling? You, shut up! I hope the gag will prove successful, Enrico. Unless Sergeant Plumb finds certain papers with Sam's name signed to them, I shall be greatly disappointed. Why, you... Shut up! Certain papers with Sam's name signed to them? Well, Dan, then you know about... Yes, yes, indeed. I know all about the notes with Sam's name. Well, why didn't you tell me? Because I've been waiting for the real murderer of Mugs Verendo to confess. The real murderer? But I thought you said that Doug... No, no. I merely asked Sergeant Plumb to take Douglas into protective custody. You see, he knew too much. Doug knew too much? About what? About Mugs Verendo coming here to colon you, my dear. I'm afraid that if Enrico, for example, knew of the information Doug had acquired, it would be bad for Doug. You're not kidding, brother. Shut up, please. That's a lie. Mugs never came here to colon Harriet, didn't he, Sam? Ask your sister. Tell him, Harriet. Tell him it's a lie. Well, my dear? Well, Dan, if Douglas didn't shoot Mugs Verendo, who did? Well, the answer to that is obvious, my dear. You did. I didn't. Oh, Dan, how can you think me capable of such a thing? The facts, my dear, prove quite conclusively that... The facts don't prove a thing. Harriet couldn't shoot anybody. Oh, couldn't she, Sam? Let's review the facts. To begin with, Harriet was obviously lying when she called me and said that a strange man had committed suicide in her bedroom. Why? Because when I examined the gun, I found that the safety catch was on. Obviously, a man couldn't shoot himself and then snap the safety catch on his gun, could he? Why does that prove that Harriet was lying? Secondly, the suicide note read, I can't stand it any longer. I've decided to end it all. Say goodbye to the gang. Well? Mugs Verendo wouldn't write a note like that. What was it he couldn't stand? Whom did he want to say goodbye to and to what gang? What's that got to do with Harriet? A great deal. She'd read that type of suicide note and used it in prison books. It's quite standard. Instinctively, she'd written down what she'd read. That's crazy. Oh, is it? Thirdly, the suicide note was written in pencil. Ms. Fairfax and I searched the room and found no pencil, yet Harriet said she had touched nothing. Hey, Doc, Doc, maybe this mug's a fellow. He swallowed the pencil after he wrote the note. The brighter you are. No, Mario. I hardly think that could have happened. Lastly, we found the pencil which Harriet used in her handbag, checked her fingerprints, and discovered it was she who had written the alleged suicide note. You couldn't have. Harriet isn't capable of shooting anyone. She... Well, she just wouldn't. Unfortunately, Sam, people who seem incapable of murder are the very ones who are most frequently guilty. You see, in the study of the human mind... Ah, you nuts. You spent more time studying human beings and forgot their minds for a while. You might get somewhere. Harriet, for heaven's sake, tell this guy that you didn't. I... I can't, Sam. It was I who wrote the note. What? They can prove I wrote it. It won't do any good to lie. Thank you for saving us a lot of trouble, Harriet. Ms. Fairfax, is Sergeant Plumb waiting outside? Yes, shall I get him? I think you'd better. Tell him that Miss Miller has confessed to the murder of Mugs Berendos. No, no, wait. Well, Sam? It... it wasn't Harriet. I can prove it. Come, come, Sam. We've already proved it. Listen to me. Let me finish. Harriet is trying to protect someone. Who, Sam? Me. She thinks I murdered Mugs. No, Sam, no. Well, did you, Sam? I... I don't know. There was a fight at the marble font. I was there. I had a gun. Take it easy. Shut up! I'm going to tell it all, Enrico. I don't care what happens to me. You're not going to arrest my sister for something I did. You open your mouth and I... If you don't see yours, I'll put my foot in it. Go on, Sam. There were five of us mixed up in the fight. I had a gun. When the lights came back on, Mugs was dead. They said that I'd killed him. They were worried that they'd take care of everything. I didn't know what they'd done with the body. And then when Harriet said it was suicide... You can't hold him back, Enrico. Look out, Mario. He's got a gun. He's got a gun! In a moment, we return for the conclusion of Danger, Dr. Danfield. But first... Now for the conclusion of Danger, Dr. Danfield. It was so much fun. It was so much fun. It was so much fun. It was so much fun. It was Sam who prevented Enrico from causing anyone bodily harm. Fortunately, a later investigation plus a bit of questioning from Sergeant Plumb revealed the fact that it was actually Enrico who shot Mugs Verando. In closing, I'd like to make mention of the fact that it was my knowledge of the working of the human mind that actually made this... Dan! Yes, Mrs. Rusty? Stop bragging. What do you know about the human mind had nothing at all to do with the apprehension of Enrico? I beg to differ, Rusty. Had I not been a student of human nature, it would have been impossible to force Sam a new confession. Force him into a confession? Of course. It was necessary to apprehend Mugs as murderer before the press got hold of the matter and Senator Miller's name was brought into the picture. There was absolutely no evidence against Enrico. And there was plenty against Harriet. Precisely. Sam had been gambling heavily at the Marvel Fawn. He signed notes in lieu of payments. Mugs had been using those notes to blackmail Harriet, threatening to create a scandal. For the time Harriet stayed, finally realizing there would be no end to the blackmailing, she threatened to go to the police. That's the reason why Mugs' body was deposited in her bedroom. I see. And the only thing she could think of to do was to try and make Mugs' death look like suicide. Quite. All right. Now, what made you so sure that Enrico was involved in the murder? Why, Rusty, that was ridiculously easy. When I suggested to Enrico that he was now the boss of the Marvel Fawn since Mugs had expired, he nodded quite casually and went on with the conversation. Well? Rusty, I'm surprised. How did Enrico know of Mugs' demise unless he was somehow involved in it? No one knew about it except you and me, Harriet and Mario. Dan, I've got to break down and admit it. You're clever. No, my dear, not clever. I merely work hard at understanding human nature. Well, shall we get on with our dictation? No. No? Mm-hmm. I'd much rather have you work hard at understanding human nature. Hmph. I see what you mean, that's very vexed. I mean, Rusty, would you mind stepping this way a moment? The End
