The Adventures of Frank Race, starring Paul Dubov, with Tony Barrett as Mark Donovan. 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. Music Now we join Frank Race for the adventure of the Pharaoh's staff. Music Dead men and the worldly possessions they leave behind are often the concern of an insurance investigator. But this case had one peculiar aspect. The dead man in question had been dead for centuries. Mark Donovan was so intrigued by it that he forgot his dislike for air travel as we winged our way from London to Lisbon, second leg on our flight from America to Cairo, Egypt. Hey look, you mean to say they dug up another one of them all Egyptian guys wrapped up in bandages? You put it rather crudely, Marcus, but that's it. So don't tell me the Brenner Clark Insurance Company is now going to pay off an insurance policy on the life of a guy which has been dead for a million years? No, Mark. I'm afraid Brenner Clark wasn't in business when Farat Ankhamen was roaming the face of the earth. Fat rat who? Farat Ankhamen. He was a king of Egypt, one of the Pharaohs. It's his tomb that the archaeologists have just uncovered. All right, that's great. So what was he insured for? He wasn't insured, but Brenner Clark has insured a few items that were dug up in the tomb. Items of fabulous value if the estimates are correct, especially the staff of the Pharaohs. Well of course, but what's that? It's a staff made of solid gold and mounted with precious jewels. Takes a strong man to lift it according to the appraisal reports. And that is the thing which Brenner Clark insured? To the tune of one million simoleons, Mark. Boy. It's in the Cairo Museum being created for shipment to London. And until it gets there, it's our job to stay right with it. Yeah, and to me that sounds like a very dry job. So I am going to make the most of the present and sashay to the club lounge and quaff a few. Do you wish to accompany me? No, thank you. It'll also be a sleepless job when we get there. I'll settle for the proverbial forty winks. Okay, be back in a while. I closed my eyes and relaxed, but I didn't sleep. From the seat behind us I had been catching the subtle and intoxicating scent of taboo. It grew stronger and I opened my eyes to find that the wear of the scent had moved into the seat Mark had vacated. Am I disturbing you? Isn't that your intention? Not that I mind. I couldn't help overhearing part of your conversation about the staff of the Pharaohs, you see. I'm an Egyptologist. She didn't look like an Egyptologist. A woman steeped in the history and lore of an ancient civilization buried beneath centuries of sand. Even the drape of a conservative tweed skirt and jacket couldn't hide the charm she might lend to a French bathing suit. My name is Linda Marshall. You're on your way to meet my father, Charles Marshall. My yes, he's curator at the Cairo Museum. A talent that I rate second to his ability to produce a very beautiful daughter. You'll pardon me if I don't acknowledge the compliment, Mr. Ace. I just want you to promise me that you'll let nothing delay you on this journey. I want the staff of the Pharaohs to pass into your hands before it costs my father his life. During the rest of the journey to Lisbon I made several attempts to engage her in conversation, but she turned away tight-lipped and frightened. When we hit the landing strip at Lisbon she was first out of the plane and I saw her speak to a man and a woman at the gate. They walked into the airport restaurant and Mark and I followed. Our plane for Cairo wasn't due for two hours. I don't know. If the dame really thinks her old man's gonna get knocked off, wouldn't you think she'd talk? She might be afraid of sounding foolish. Now what's foolish about a guy getting killed? It depends on who or what she thinks is gonna do the killing. There are many legends about curses in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Wait a minute. Spook stuff? Ghosts and such? Something like that. So why don't you tell me this before you drag me away from Brooklyn. You know I don't like no ghosts. Especially ones which can't speak English. They're terrible. Hey, look there's the dame now at the corner table with her friends. And she is giving you the big wave. Yes. Rather a sudden change of heart. I think she wants you should go over there. Hmm. Well, go ahead, go ahead. I will amuse myself at Jaco's while you are making friends and influencing people. Jaco's? Yeah, yeah. I get around to it. This is a sort of Portuguese bar and grill I discover when I'm here during the war. See you later. Get back in time for the plane. Don't worry. Hello. Hello, Race. I think you'll be interested in meeting these people. Mr. and Mrs. David Horton, Mr. Race. Just call me Dave. Everybody does. And call me Eve. The name fit her. Eve. There was something new and wild and awakening about her. Her mouth was like ripe fruit. And she had a way of making everything about her disappear. They all do it. I beg your pardon. All men stare at my wife. Dave, please, I'm blushing. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Oh, don't blame you and me. I do. You didn't stare at me, Race. You didn't give me a chance. Where did your friend go? Mr. Donovan, isn't it? Yes, Mark Donovan. He has a fondness for a spot called Jaco's. Dave and Eve are going to Cairo to Race. Taking a look at the pyramids? No, same as you. Taking a look at the staff of the pharaohs. Now don't look at me like that, Race. I haven't been tattling. Dave financed the expedition. The staff really belongs to him. Yes, I'm turning it over to a museum, of course. My contribution to culture. Oh, bother culture and the pharaohs and the pyramids. I want to walk. Care to join me, Race? May I call you Race? I like it. You may, and I would definitely care to join you. Well, then go ahead. Give Linda and I a chance to talk. You'll have to excuse me for a moment, Dave. I have a telephone call to make. Greetings to a friend of father's at the Lisbon Museum. Well, run along, all of you. I'll have a drink. Eve Horton and I walked down the path to the far end of the field and watched the ships come in for landings. She held tight to my arm. Then suddenly, when there was nobody around, she swung about facing me, not holding my arms but in them. Race, you'll be with us, won't you? Promise. You're trembling. What's wrong? My husband, he frightens me. And the staff, there's a curse on it. Promise. It's part of my job. I promise. Not that way. Promise me. Promise me. She pressed that mouth to mine and I was ready to promise anything. But when we broke it up, I wasn't happy. I thought of her husband and what his life must be like married to a woman like this. You're angry with me? No. I was just thinking. I won't do that again unless you want me to. Let's walk some more. We walked around the field three times, the better part of an hour. Then we came back into the restaurant. I say, there they are at last. Oh, Race, we've been looking all over for you. We were just walking... There was a call for you from Jaco's. Your friend has been hurt. Don't go. I've got to. Mark, what's wrong? I said you were hurt. Hurt? Oh, no. I feel no pain. You ought to try one of these brews. Let me taste that. It's drugged. It's drugged. Come on, Marcus, I'm getting you out of here. Somebody doesn't want us on that plane to Cairo. Whoever didn't want us on that plane got his wish. It was taking off when we reached the field and I watched it until it was airborne. I made a quick check of all schedules on all continental airlines. By taking the plane from Lisbon to Rome and picking up an Italian flight to Cairo, we could pull in only five hours behind the plane we had missed. We did, but it was too late. I knew it as soon as we reached the Cairo Museum and walked into the curator's office. I knew it. I knew it would happen. There, go ahead and cry. It'll do you good. Grace, a fine time for you to turn up. What's happened? The staff of the pharaohs is gone and Linda's father has been murdered. When did it happen? A couple of hours ago. If only we had arrived sooner. It would have made no difference. It was fated. Who are you? I am Hassim. I am a student. I was assistant to the curator. Assistant and probably assassin too. Don't be so liberal with your opinions, Dave. He's right. You've no right to be making such accusations. I am connected with the royal families of Egypt, sir. I do not like thieves plundering the graves of my ancestors. Don't you call me a thief. Don't be a fool, Dave. Let me go. Hassim, please leave. I'll talk to you later. I go because you ask. I will help you find the truth. But remember, Mr. David Horton, I do not leave through fear. We shall meet again when you wish. Hello, Race. Hello. Oh, sit down, sit down. Glad you could join us for dinner. Where's Linda? Linda's going to get control. She'll join us in a little while. I say, find out anything from the police? No trace of anything yet. But the staff is still around. A thing like that isn't concealed easily, and it would be too risky to move it for a while. Oh, there's Tibbet now, Eve. I'll get him. Excuse me for a moment, please. I say, Race, he's a great guy. You'll love meeting him. Who's Tibbet? Lou Tibbet, an archaeologist. He was in charge of the excavating. He and Dave are old friends. I see. What do you mean? Don't make a scene, Dave. Old friends, huh? Hello, Eve. Hello, Lou. Lou Tibbet, Frank Race. How are you? How do you do? Here comes Linda. How are you, honey? I'm better. Please sit down. I understand that you were in charge of excavation at Parat's tomb, Tibbet. Yes. I'd like to see the spot. Where is it? Near the pyramids, about nine miles out in the desert. Can we drive out? Sure. Morning all right? Why not tonight? At night? Well, you wouldn't be able to see anything. Oh, yes, they will. Most of the digging is done at night when the sun is down, power generator for light and cooler, you know. Yes, it would be, Dave. After dinner, Tibbet? If you like. Well, just like chasing rum, well, again, a jeep in the desert. The excavation is right over the next dune by the lights. We walked to the excavation and down uncovered steps into the catacombs of the tomb. Arab workmen were digging carefully and others were carrying the dirt out in baskets. This was the main tomb chamber. I don't expect we'll find much in the others they're digging out now. What's through this passage? The minor chambers we've already excavated. You want to look through them? Yes. Here, take these flashlights. We've pulled the lighting equipment out of there. Hey, fellas, look, I think I'm going to go back and wait under the stars. I like stars. This grave stuff is definitely not for me to place my cave in. It's well-beamed, Mark. We'll take an explosion to cave it in. I explore it easy. I'll see you later upstairs. Bye. Wait here, Race. I'll lead him back to the main chamber. All right, I'll be right here. Welcome to the tombs of my ancestors, Mr. Race. Who is it? Turn your light this way. Hussain. Yes, Mr. Race. And you were right. The tombs are solidly beamed. It would take an explosion. What do you intend to do, Hussain? What do you intend to do, Mr. Race? We'll return to the adventures of Frank Race in just about one minute. And now the story of the Great American War. And now back to the adventures of Frank Race. Dust choked me and I was buried under what seemed to be tons of earth. But I dug my way out, got to my feet in the darkness. I'd lost my flashlight. The air was silent, black and oppressive. Then I heard a sound in the tomb. Hussain, where are you? I'm trying to find you, fella. Oh, here you are. Take it easy. I'll dig you free. Are you injured badly? I do not think so. Good. This beam is pinning you down. I'll raise it. You try to slip out. Ready? Yes. Now! I am free now. You rest a little, Hussain. Then we'll try to get out of here. We cannot dig out, Mr. Race. Not before the air is gone. For you I am sorry. For myself, I do not care. But there are diggers outside. They'll get to us. If somebody wishes them to do so. But I am afraid the order will not be given. Relax and do not think. It is an honor to make this step into eternity in the company of the pharaohs. He was right. And I knew it. Exertion would only use up the air faster. There was little enough. I kept track of the time by the luminous dial on my wrist watch. Two hours passed. Three. Five. The heat was stifling. I felt weak. Busy. Hussain, listen. They're digging. You dream. Hussain. Hussain. All right, all right. Where are another cloth? Here. Come on, come on, come on. Take it easy. There you go. Where is Hussain? A local constable came to Haulamore before he came too. He got him for bombing the place. He didn't do it. He was in front of me and the explosion came from behind me. Blocking the exit. Hello. I am so glad you're all right. Fine, fine. Be glad. But don't smudge him right now. I wanted a guy for good. I'm sorry. I didn't think. Where's Tibbet? He's the guy which went back into town to call a cop so they could take Hassim away. He did that before we were dug out? Yeah, yeah. I was too busy digging to notice. Then he knew Hassim was in there. We've got to get back in the town, Mark. Grace, you mustn't exert yourself. Yes, baby, I must. Because it was an official police who picked Hassim up. We'll be lucky if we find him alive. My hunch was only too right. Hassim was not in the Cairo jail and Tibbet hadn't placed a call there. I sent Mark on a hopeless search of the city. Then I located Linda Marshall and Dave Horton in the bar at the hotel. Grace, good to see you, old man. You've told us what happened. Anybody tell you how it happened? Yes, Hassim blew up the passage. Wrong. Tibbet blew up the passage. But why would he do a thing like that? Because he had no intention of letting the staff of the pharaohs get to London. And I've got a sneaking suspicion he isn't the only one. Are you implying that I'm involved in this? What makes you ask that? Are you calling me a thief? Keep your voice down and your hands. I'll show you. You deserve that, Grace. That's only a sample. I don't like scenes. He's a strangely sensitive man. Good night. Wait for me, Grace. I'm going with you. She followed me into the lobby and just as we rounded a bunch of potted plants, the revolving door at the entrance turned and Eve Horton stepped in. But this was one time when the sight of her didn't blot out everything else. Pulling away from the curb was the car she had stepped out of. Behind the wheel was Lou Tibbet. I made a dash for the door, but as I brushed past Eve Horton, I stumbled, grabbed onto the sturdier plants and managed to avoid falling. But it was all the time Tibbet needed. He was gone. Oh, Grace, I tripped you. I'm sorry. She did it deliberately. I didn't. That's not important. Tibbet was in that car and you let him get away. Why? Because he hasn't done anything. I believe that when I see Hassim alive. He is alive. Tibbet faked that police call so we could get Hassim away from the tomb without interference. Hassim belongs to a student group that isn't too popular with the natives. The explosion was an accident. Why didn't Tibbet come and tell me about it himself? And what makes your husband so sensitive about the word thief? Grace, please. Please. She's fainting. I've got her. I'll sit her down here. I'll get some help. Never mind. She'll come to in a minute. If she isn't all right this minute. What do you mean? Well, maybe she's fainted. Maybe she's faking. In any case, I'm going to do a little checking on her husband. I went to the nearest cable office, shot a few inquiries to key men in London and waited for the answers to come back. When they came, they cleared away part of my mental sandstorm. Dave Horton was in tight quarters financially. He'd been speculating in money exchanges, especially the British pound sterling. And devaluation had knocked the props out from under him. I went back to my room to think it over. Ray, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'd been beaten, horribly beaten. I knew immediately that I was looking at a man who was dying. There was nothing I could do for him. I said I would help you find the truth. Who did it, Hassim? I did not tell them. Hassim. Hassim. Hassim. Hey, Ray, you better get... Holy cow, I better go. No, no, Mark. He's dead. Get a car fast. Where are we going? After the staff of the Pharaohs. It's back in the tomb of King Farat on Kaman. Almost there. Just over this dune. Look, did Hassim tell you the thing was here when he passed out? I have a hunch that's what he tried to tell me as he died. Hey, what are the cars here? Doesn't one belong to Dave Wharton? Yes, the other belongs to Lou Tibbet. Nobody's working. The shift must have been called off. Wait a minute, somebody's working. Guy coming between those two cars. Hey, that's the muggle, slip me that Mickey at J.Cole's. What do you guys want here? We're just tourists. Yeah, then start touring. Go on. Hey, hands off. Take a mark. Get off. Where were your bright led? Down market. Hey, nice kick, Grace. Get his gun and time off for the police. Then follow me and hurry. The cars made it a cinch that my hunch was paying off. I went into the tomb and the lights were out. I groped about in the dark until a flashlight glared. I pulled tight into an alcove in the war and waited. Let me go. Take it easy, Dave. Grace, I... Now that your lights are out, friend, I'll borrow that flash. I groped again, keeping the light off until I might need it. I took a turn off the main chamber and stumbled over something. I cupped the light and flashed it. It was the body of Lou Tibbett. Something had crushed in the back of his skull. He was dead. The rest of the chambers were empty, but I finally found what I wanted. The narrow opening through which Haseem and I had been pulled from the cave in. I slipped through quietly. There was a faint light from the small room at the turnoff. Somebody was digging. I came in behind the sound. All right, Linda. What? Oh, oh, oh, oh, Grace. Found it, didn't you? Yes, I... I was just digging it out. I'm glad you're here to take possession, Grace. Now the trouble is all over. Not quite, baby. There's a bill to be collected for a couple of murders. I... I hope Eve isn't mixed up in this. I like her. Sometimes murders are committed by very lovable people, we'll see. As soon as we get this staff back to the Cairo Museum. All right, Mark. Put the staff of the pharaohs on that table. This time we'll stay with it. Okay. Oh, brother. I told you this thing was heavy. It wasn't lying. Hey, look. What'd you make Linda and Dave go into the next room for? Because I had the police bring Eve in, too. I'm gonna put a jigsaw puzzle together. You can listen from behind the door, but make sure nobody gets through here if one of them try to crash out. They will run into a mighty left hook, I assure you. Good boy, Marcus. Sit tight. Grace, what's the meaning of bringing Eve here and having her detained? Take it easy, Dave. Thank you, Linda. The reasons are obvious. Somebody in this room is a murderer and a thief. No! I told you never to use that word. Sit down, Dave. Why were you angry with Tibbett when you went to get him that night at dinner? Just a few seconds after you told me what a great guy he was. Because he said I shouldn't be upset about the theft of the staff. He said I could cash in on the insurance. You could use a million dollars, Dave. You're broke from speculation. I checked. I said I'd give the staff to a museum and I meant it. I don't get my money that way. Then why does the word thief bother you so much? You! Don't bother me. Stop it. Stop it. I... I'll tell you why, Grace. My father was a wealthy man. Then he went broke in the market crash in 1929. He was used to living well, so he got a job. And embezzled. He died in prison. Grace, I'll kill you for this. I'm sorry, but it's necessary. Go on, Eve. Now I've seen my husband lose his fortune. And I was afraid, afraid of what he might do. I wanted you around, Grace, to prevent it. That's why I kissed you. You what? Take it easy, Dave. And try to understand it. I think I do. It was because I was on the right side of the law, wasn't it, Eve? The safe side. That's all you want. The safety of being honest. Yes, I love my husband. Truly, Dave, I do love you. Tell me you didn't do it. There, there, you poor frightened girl. Of course I didn't. Now, Grace, perhaps you understand why the word made me so sensitive. I do. And I apologize to both of you. Humbly. Wait a minute, Grace. Don't tell me you're falling for this cornball act. Yes, Linda, because they're telling the truth. Then who? You, baby. But I found the staff and helped you out with it. You helped me because I was blocking your exit and you knew it was all over. Your outside boy killed your partner, Tibbet, and you knew that the thug was knocked out too or I couldn't have gotten in. The curator was my father, race, remember? I wouldn't have killed him. I doubt it, baby. He wasn't your father and you're not an Egyptologist. If you were, you'd never have said we wouldn't be able to see anything at the tombs at night. You'd have known that most of the digging was done at night under generated light to escape the heat of the desert sun. Very clever, race. But have you got an answer for this? A gun? How charming. I'm going to back out of here. Don't follow me. Come to me, arms wet. My arm! The police are outside, Marcus. Take her to them. Yeah, easy, wildcat. We'll do that with pleasure. You know something, these dames, dames, always beefing and crying about something. The Adventures of Frank Race starring Paul Dubov with Tony Barrett as Mark Donovan comes to you from Hollywood. Others heard in tonight's cast were Elizabeth Root, Rosemary Carver, Gunnar Peterson, Byron Cain, and Jane Ovello. This series is written and directed by Buckley Angel and Joel Murcott. The music is composed and played by Ivan Dittmars. Be sure to be with us again this time next week for another dramatic chapter in the Adventures of Frank Race. Art Gilmore speaking. This is a Bruce Ells production. .
