The Adventures of Frank Race, starring Tom Collins. The war changed many things, the face of the earth and the people on it. Before the war, Frank Race worked as an attorney, but he traded his law books for the cloak and dagger of the OSS. When it was over, his former life was over too. Adventure had become his business. The Adventures of Frank Race. And now we join Frank Race for the adventure of the Shanghai Incident. My seat was a park bench that overlooked the oil scum waters of the East River. Everything considered, it wasn't what you'd call a glamorous atmosphere. But I was drowsy. Sun felt warm in my back. I didn't want to move. Hey, Race! I flinched. The voice belonged to Mark Dannerman. Never exactly a soothing influence. He hunched my shoulders, closed my eyes. Hey, I've got a guy who wants to see you. I'll tell him I'm out. He's waiting in the cab. He said to tell you his name is Breslin. That broke my eyes open. Matt Breslin. One of the best blocking backs that ever scythed his way through a broken field. I know. I carried the ball behind him on more than one of his jaunts. I hadn't seen him for years. I got up and we went to the cab. It's good to see you, boy. It's been a long time. Too long, Matt. What are you doing for yourself? I guess you can say I'm in the same rank as you are. Insurance. I'm running the American branch of Gloyds. And when you say insurance, you mean insurance. You underwrite everything from weather to the possibility of triplet. That's us. And we've got a job for you. I was after you about a month ago, but you were in Europe. Matt, I promised myself I wouldn't do a thing for a month. I've still got three weeks to go. You remember Chuck Howard, don't you? Chuck Howard? Oh, of course. Very decent guy. When we couldn't get you, we turned our assignment over to Chuck. He did all right. He's a good operator. He's a dead operator, Race. He was murdered on the job three days ago. You're ribbing me, Matt. I wish I were. Chuck Howard had three kids. I keep thinking of that. How did it happen? Why? We thought you might want to find that out for us. What was the assignment? Did you ever hear of South China Transport? It's an airline. I know some of the boys that fly the freight. We indemnify them against cargo loss. And lately, they've been nothing but losses. They've been strewing valuable cargoes all over the countryside. That's a great countryside for such goings-on. Who should I contact over there? A lad by the name of Jack Stacey. He handles operations. Used to be in the Navy. You'll probably find him pretty sick. He was badly wounded in the fracas that killed Chuck Howard. Where will he be? In Shanghai. It was raining in Shanghai. I got the feeling that all of China was weeping. Maybe I was thinking too much about Chuck Howard. What do you know? To think that when I was 16, I tried to join the Marines just to see China. What kept you out? Were you underweight? Nah. Under the thumb of me old lady. She wouldn't sign a paper. What's the pitch on this, Ray? What do we do next? I have to see a man named Stacey at a hotel called the Kalani. Kalani, huh? Probably run by a Lithuanian who calls himself Clancy. What do you want me to do? Go long, witches? Mark, whenever you ask a question like that, I always know you have a project in mind. Well, they tell me there is a place here in Shanghai where you can get them tattooing done, which will knock your papers out. Ah, that kid stuff. Don't you have enough of those things on you? Oh, I want just one more. This guy does a dance which they say will keep you dreaming even after you're too old for it. Ah, go on then. Get your tattooing done. Ha ha. Well, I'll see you early enough so we can have supper together. The lobby of the Hotel Kalani looked like the breakup of a rose bowl crowd. I spent 15 minutes at the desk just getting the number to Jack Stacey's room. Then, as I turned away, I felt a grip of fingers on my arm and the nudge of something sharp against my side. There is a divan at the far corner of the lobby, Mr. Race. It would be discreet of you to accompany me there so that we may talk. He had the face of a Buddha. He wore the clothes of a New York broker. Sensing that the sharpness against my side came from the point of a knife, I went with him. As we sat down, three other Chinese closed in around us. I am Lin Wan. Would you care for a cigarette? No, thanks. You are naturally wondering why I took such pains to converse with you. Naturally. It is because I wish to give you a warning and at the same time offer you a sum of money. That's interesting. I am going to ask you to forget your assignment, Mr. Race, and to accept from us an amount that will soothe any abrasion to your pride. Just like that. On the other hand, should you choose to be difficult, I can promise you trouble of that exquisite nature for which we Chinese are noted. Besides, what can you really accomplish, Mr. Race? Your investigation will take you into the open country of China, where you will find no worthwhile law enforcement authority. We've run across that problem before, Mr. Lin. Indeed. When we lack local means of breaking up a racket, if you're familiar with the term. I am thoroughly familiar with it. We break it up ourselves. Mr. Race, I still have the point of a sharp blade pressed against the most vulnerable part of your person. I'm quite conscious of the fact. It would be simple for me to drive it into your body. It would simply leave you sitting here. And the point of that being that I should carefully consider your proposal. Carefully. I shall give you until this evening to assure me that you will efface yourself. Until six o'clock this evening. There's one factor about all this that piques my curiosity. Yes? As you pointed out, it would be such a small matter to murder me. What keeps you from doing it? Perhaps, Mr. Race, because I dislike violence. But that will not keep me from acting should your decision prove unsatisfactory. I found Jack Stacy propped up on a couch in his room, his arm in a sling. It's dispositionally matched for the weather. It's a mess, Race. Somebody's trying to force us out. That's the size of it. We've been doing well, too well, I guess. So now they're moving in. You have no idea who killed Chuck Howard and crippled you. The only thing I know about it is the bullet they took out of my arm. I really knew about that. They were short on anesthetic. That's it? You think I'm going to let you go? That's it. 38. But over here, that won't mean much. How do they know when you're going to fly those cargoes? Can't you keep it quiet? I've done everything but make my people wear muzzles. Gets out somehow. They never miss. What about your pilots? Could I talk to one of them? Well, there's one of them in the hotel right now. I'll get them here for you in a few minutes. The pilots showed up in about half an hour. Tall, weathered-looking Westerner. Yeah, sure. They try to pump us. Try it all the time. They're cute about it, too. They use women. Mighty nice-looking women. Chinese? Not the one I ran into. Might have been Russian. I'm not sure. Whatever she is, it's an awful exclusive pattern. What's her name? Alicia Vronsa. I don't suppose you know where she stands. I don't know. Mr. The Day I Slip Up on Finding Out a Lady's Address, I'm going to be ready for that old rocking chair. All right, Brian. You just relieve yourself of that information right now. Hello, Miss Vronsa. Who are you? Hello, Miss Vronsa. Who is it? Her name is Royce. How did you get in here? For practice of bribery, you'll do wonders in any part of the world. May I suggest that you turn up the lamp? What is it you want? I couldn't answer for a moment. The greater light she was, as Brian had said, of an exclusive pattern. A tawny of skin and hair. Luck ever gave me that odd feeling in my chest, one reminiscent of my first deep drag in a cigarette. You stare at me. Why? You must be used to it. What do you want? Last week, a friend of mine was murdered in Shanghai. I thought you might be able to tell me something about it. I'm sorry. I can tell you nothing. Who was your friend? A man called Charles Howard. You knew him, didn't you? Yes. Yes, I knew him. A nice person, gentle and kind. Had nothing to do with his death race. Not directly, perhaps? Nor indirectly. I told them nothing about Charles Howard. Why does a girl like you have to become involved in such an affair? Do you know what China is like for a woman who has no nationality? A woman who comes from a group of people who have no place in the world. You're white Russian. My father was white Russian and my mother. What I am, I don't know. Let's get back to Chuck Howard. How long did you know him? A week or two. He was lonely here. He would talk about America, about his family. He was a nice person. Who killed him? I don't know, Race. I took hold of her, pulled her close to me. Her body felt lax and responsive. Suddenly she stiffened in my arms. Her head turned, her eyes stared at the balcony that opened into the room. Race. A dark bleak figure had etched itself inside the frame of the window. A figure with an arm drawn back, with a knife poised. I beat the throw by a hair ducking as he let go. The blade dented with regret as it went by me and bit into the door. Twisting through the window, I got hold of the thrower and... Are you all right? Yes, thanks to you. I won't forget it. Come with me. Where? Just a minute. Come along. Hold it. What are we doing, Race? Look up at the building. Our knife-throwing frame is climbing down from the balcony. Oh, yes. Now you can go back. I brought you out here to keep you safe. Why did you let him go, Race? He's small-tribe. I want to follow him to where the big ones are biting. My shadowing act ended in a run-down section of the foreign settlement. Here, the knife-thrower disappeared into the recesses of a bleak-looking structure with all its windows boarded up. I strolled casually alongside the place, giving the heavy, timbered door the once-over... When I became conscious of shadowy figures around me, familiar boys spoke out of the night. Good evening, Mr. Race. Lin Wan. Is this your place? For you, Mr. Race, that can have no importance. I warned you that your time would be up by six o'clock this evening. It is now nine. We'll return to the adventures of Frank Race in just about one minute. And now back to the adventures of Frank Race. There must have been six or seven of them. The one nearest me I put out of action with a fast backhand of the Adam's apple. But this threw me off balance for Lin Wan, who stepped in, gripped me with a hard wrist lock, and... spilled me against the wall of the house with a judo hold I hadn't been prepared for. On my back, I caught the first one with my feet and gave him the taste of a flaw. But Lin Wan came in, again catching me off balance, twisting me with a toehold, getting me face down. I came with a sweet, compelling smell of chloroform and... I got back my senses, of all places, on a train. A Chinese train, if I'm not mistaken. From the position of the sun, I knew we were heading north. Well, we just can't seem to stop traveling, can we? Mark, what are you doing here? It's what I get for knocking around with you. How do you feel? Like a first-class case of suspended animation. Yeah, must have had me out for quite a while. All night. I think they give you some kind of a shot. Oh, we seem to have this compartment to ourselves. They got a guy outside the door. And there's a glad boy who drops in on us every once in a while. Tell me, how'd they take you off? With a sash weight from the feel of it. I am right now thanking me old man and me old lady for giving me this thick Irish skull. Did you get your tattooing done? Did I? Well, you see, let me get my sleeve up. Remarkable piece of art. Now look, look, see? A wiggly old muscle like this. Ain't that terrific, right? Just like Minsky's by Alaskan Broadway. We kept rolling north while the sun reached the zenith midday, and until its glare mellowed into late afternoon. It was at this time that a man opened the door, motioned for Mark to leave the compartment. Then I had company. Lin Wan. He came over and sat down beside me. I trust you are feeling no ill effects from your experience, Mr. Race. I'm suffering from curiosity more than anything else. Indeed. You murdered Chuck Howard. Why hold back where I'm concerned? Then the insurance company would send another man, and we would have to do it all over again. It is our opinion that we should just take you out of circulation for a few months. Besides, too many murders could bring unfavorable scrutiny from your government. I'd say it was your government, too. I do not comprehend. Don't you relax, Lin. You can cut it with American ease as good as mine. What gives you such an impression? Your clothes, for one thing. Purchased in London. Bond Street. Purchased in Los Angeles. Spring Street. I'll give odds on that. All right, Race, but you must admit my way of handling myself is completely oriental. Your judo? That's good. To learn it, I had to come to China. You could have gotten in the States. I didn't. Your judo is, shall we say, just a little tired. Smoke? We were slowing down for some reason. And as he lit his cigarette, the train lurched, causing the light to go out. He handed me the cigarettes and the small box of safety matches. I looked at him and grinned. Why do you smile? I was thinking what a difference it makes to have an advantage. In my eyes, you had your boys to tip me off balance. At this moment, you're the one who's behind the eight ball. You will explain, won't you, Race? With gestures. This box of matches you handed me. I simply rolled my fingers around it and... Fast clout at the temple with a box of matches, you fist. It's always a good trick. A match is triple the impact. I was a little surprised he hadn't been happy to it. We were even. He had a Colt.45 on him, the old Army model. This I confiscated, figuring with the odor to me. Mark and I had to get off the train. There was still another lad to handle on the far side of that door. Unfortunately, he stood facing me. We both fired at the same time. Race! I'm all right. I'm all right. Get his gun. You're bleeding. It's all over your face. Crease me. Get that gun. Hey, there's more of them coming. Get back in the compartment. Had it gone up right yet? We'll have to jump for it. Break the window. We'll move it too fast. We'll have to try it. Break the window. All right. Let's go. China is rough these days, particularly when it comes to travel. But you can get around if you carry weapons and money, and show a disposition to use both. So we made it back to Shanghai, taking four days to do it. And at the Hotel Colani, I found not only Jack Stacey and Brian the Flyer, but also Matt Breslin, who had just flown in. You don't know how glad I am to see you. When I heard you were missing, it was too much for me, so I came over. I wish I could report a little progress, Matt. How about this fellow who's been giving you so much trouble? Lin Wan? He's an American. Part Chinese, but an American just the same. Which probably means that he's plenty smart. Ah, see, you've got your arm out of the sling, Stacey. How's it feel? Good as new. He needed it good as new this morning. He had to swim with it. What happened? Brand and I went out in the fishing junk and, like a goof, I fell overboard. Nothing serious. Brand flipped me a life, boy, and that's all there was to it. Race, what about this Lin Wan? How are we going to handle him? I don't know, man. I imagine we'll just have to wait until he pries into the picture again. Late that evening, just after Mark had slipped out for a nightcap, I had a visitor. Hello, Race. Come in. I've been afraid for you, Race. That is the reason I cabled your company in America. You did what? I cabled you. Well, you brought Matt Breslin over here. Matt Breslin? You're a friend of mine. It doesn't matter. Oh, I'm glad to see you back, Race. Are you? We left something unfinished the last time we saw one another. Remember? I remember. It was this. She put her arms around me, tilted her mouth up to mine. When they tell you that such kisses taste like wine, they're crazy. Wine doesn't even come close. I'm very fond of you, Race. It happened in a hurry, didn't it? You think it is impossible for it to happen in a hurry? No. No, I don't think it's impossible. You might do something to prove it. How? Tell me who asked you to talk to Stacey's flyers. You know the man, Race. Lin Wan. Did you ever see anything about others being tied in with him? No. He just gave me a group picture of all the men who work for the airline. Picture? Could I see it? I may have it here in my purse. Wait. What are you doing carrying a clip of.38s around with you? The bullets? They came from Chuck Howard's gun. Chuck Howard's gun? I was one of those who found him. He was still conscious. And these seem to want me to have it. Sort of a grim bequest. Where do you keep the gun? At my place. Could I have it? If you like. Here. Here is the picture. Let me have a look. Does it tell you anything? Tells me a lot. That gun may tell me more. Do you want it tonight? Not this late. I'll come by your apartment tomorrow. Do you keep the gun in a safe place? Where no one would ever find it. In the center of a sack of salt. I went there next morning. As soon as I got to her door, I knew something was wrong. The door stood half ajar. Inside the room, everything was chaos. Chairs overturned, broken, tables on the sides. I found the gun alright. Where Liesche said it would be. But Liesche was gone. I knew I'd have to move quickly. So I found a phone called Jack Stacey. Stacey speaking. This is Race. Gonna need your help. Sure, Race. Do you know where to find Matt Breslin and that pilot of yours, Brand? Not right now, but I can probably locate him. I told him to let it ride. We couldn't afford to wait. I gave him the location of the place in the foreign settlement. The house where I'd bumped into Lin Wan and company. Stacey promised to be there in an hour. And as good as his words, he was there. He looked curiously at Mark and me as we met him in front of the heavy door at the structure. Is this the headquarters? It seems to be. And I think they're holding a girl here. The girl who's been helping us. You willing to go in? Sure, if you'll show me how. I thought we might go in by way of this door here. With that lock to open, we'll need TNT. I thought possibly you might have a key for it. You thought I'd be able to get in? Neither did I, until I remembered that you were supposed to have been in the Navy. Well, I was in the Navy. Now, Stacey, or whatever your name really is, no Navy man would ever say, Life Boy. Pronunciation's optional, but you call them buoys in the Navy. Always. Move ahead of us and open the door. Oh, my brother. This ain't no great white way. Turn the flashlight straight ahead, Mark. You're making a big mistake, Grace. How could I take the place of another man? By murdering him. Then firing the man who did it. I saw a picture of the regular pilot group last night, the ones who were in it before you installed your own buoys. Besides, the bullet that wounded you in the arm was fired from Chuck Howard's.38. I checked the ballistics. Door, Grace. Over to Mark. Oh, you came to see us again, Grace. Grace, they've got guns. So have we, so that makes it even up. Try to even this up. Grace! Grace! Grace! Grace! Grace! Grace! I'm OK. But Stacy took one of Lin Wan's bullets. Yeah, he took it all right. Right between the eyes. How about you, Alicia? I'm all right, Grace. Thanks to you, I'm quite all right. Oh, brother, what a finish. Hey, how's that Lin Wan carrying you? I shot him in the thigh. He should recover in time. Yeah? In time for what? To be executed. Over here, they do that in a rather sharp manner. The Adventures of Frank Grace starring Tom Collins with Tony Barrett as Mark Donovan comes to you from Hollywood. Others heard in tonight's cast were Gene Bates, Ted Von Elst, Bert Holland, Barney Phillips, and Charlie Lung. This series is written and directed by Buckley Angel and Joel Murcott. The music is composed and played by Ivan Ditmars. Be sure to be with us again this same time next week for another dramatic chapter in The Adventures of Frank Grace, Art Gilmore speaking. This is a Bruce Ells production. Thank you.
