Standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West invite you to let George do it. Another adventure of George Valentine. Personal notice, danger is my stock and trade. If it's something you can't handle and that must remain strictly confidential, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Rightful details. Dear Mr. Valentine, I've worked very hard to get what I want out of life. A successful marriage, a husband who's highly respected in the community, everything. Now by one of her foolish whims, my own sister threatens to destroy all that. She's been missing for two days and must be found without any publicity. That's why I'm calling on you. Calling on you instead of the police. Phone me this afternoon when my husband is sure not to be here. Tuxedo Lake 673. I'll be at your office any time you say. Signed Edith Wilder. Tuxedo Lake, huh? That little body of water has become very fashionable lately. I don't want to sound grasping, George, but if the Wilders live on the exclusive island in Tuxedo Lake... I know, Brooksie, the fee could be a thing of beauty. I call Mrs. Wilder for an appointment at the office tomorrow morning. After thinking it over, Mr. Valentine, I decided to bring Angela's husband with me. Oh, Edith, you shouldn't have hired this man's services. Angela is free to do anything she chooses now. Leave this to me, Walter. This is my sister's husband, Mr. Phillipson. How do you do? My assistant, Miss Brooks. How do you do? How do you do? Do you mind if she takes some notes? So far I'm in the dark about this whole thing. Any time you're ready. It'll take just a few not very pleasant words. Angela's disappeared again. This time there's every reason to believe it'll cause a scandal none of us will ever live down. Oh, Edith! Mrs. Wilder, just how old is your sister? Well, she's two years younger than I am, 42. You'll get all the information you need, and I'm sure you'll know just how to proceed. You may as well tell him the whole truth, Edith. As long as you've gone this far. Walt, do you want me to put all this down, George? No, no, Brooks. I think we'll get to the point right now. Look, Mrs. Wilder, what about the whole truth? Oh, I wanted to avoid that. You see, Mr. Valentine, I'm Angela's third husband. Take it down from here, Brooks. Right, George. The third man she's married through a matrimonial agency. And now corresponding with another man before she's even divorced from Walter. Oh, I see. No matter what happens, it must never come out. You don't know how people are out at Tuxedo Lake. Even if my own husband found this out... When I put the word confidential in my ad, Mrs. Wilder, I meant it. Now, Mr. Philiston, are you sure your wife was corresponding with another man? Yes, I found a letter from him in his picture in a bureau drawer. I tore it up right in front of her face and threw it in the fire. Well, that wasn't very smart. It might have helped you get a divorce without paying through the nose. Oh, I realize that now. What do you mean by that? Last Monday I had lunch with Angela. She said she'd settle for 20,000 in cash in our house on Tuxedo Island. And you mean you just shelled out $20,000 like that? Yes, that same afternoon. It seemed the easiest way. She threatened to sue me for possession if I left her and take all the money I have if she took me to court and tied up my contracts. Oh, I'm a builder, you know, and it would cost me much more than that. I just want you to bring Angela back here before she causes a scandal that will wreck all our lives. Mr. Philiston, would you recognize the man in that picture if you ever saw him? I can't be sure. I suppose so. I was so upset I don't even remember the name if there was one. George, don't you think we ought to get the name of that marriage club? I ought to know that. That's the way I met her. It's the Selby Friendship Club. Meet your companion for life. The important thing is this, Mr. Ballantine. Walter is staying with me and my husband on the island. So far we only told Richard that Angela is off visiting some friends. It must remain that way. OK, I'll do my best. You better give me the keys to your place, Philiston. Maybe I can pick up a lead there. Here you are. Yeah, that's that. When a woman is just over forty, well over sixty. This is no time for you to feel sorry for yourself, Walter. Hey, Brooks, you take these keys. I'll meet you on the landing at Tuxedo Lake in a couple of hours. Then we'll go over to Mr. Philiston's house. OK, George. What are you going to do, Mr. Ballantine? Pay a visit to the Selby Friendship Club. See what I can find out about Angela's unknown suitor. Now, Mr. Selby, I'm afraid I'm not mistaken. I can't believe it, Mr. Ballantine. Not Angela Cramer Holloway, Philiston. Amazing how you remember the names of all her husbands. But of course you've been providing it with them for years. Young man, I don't like your cynical tone. So sorry. I got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning. The Friendship Club serves a very definite purpose. Yeah, I know. Bringing together people with identical interests has proven much more successful than aimless courtships and haphazard romances. Our motto is meet your companion for life. Such as Mrs. Angela Cramer Holloway, Philiston. Of course, there are exceptions. All right, let's skip the spiel, Cupid. It stands to reason that if Angela got the romantic urge again, she'd patronize the Friendship Club, which gave her such excellent service in the past. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir. I know of no correspondence between Mrs. Philiston and any of my clients. You sure about that? In fact, Mr. Ballantine, I tore up Angela's card in our files. After a year, I assume she was blissfully united with that nice elderly Mr. Philiston. Well, don't get a nervous breakdown, friend. You can always type another card. Now look, you put out a bulletin, don't you, listing the different eager beavers been on matrimony? Yes, indeed, once every month. Well, if I could get a hold of your latest bulletin, maybe Mr. Philiston could spot the man he saw in that letter. Unfortunately, the new bulletin won't be off the press at the Bixby printers for another week. Then I shall be glad to let you see one. Thanks a lot. Oh, don't mention it. But if you think I'm just one of those fly-by-night marriage bureaus, you're sadly mistaken. I've spent 30 years bringing together people who thought they didn't have a soulmate in the world. Goodbye, Mr. Selby. Well, George, it looks as though this trip to Philiston's house wasn't worth the boat ride across the lake. Yeah, Angel. Everything needed is a pen inside there. Not a sign of violence anywhere. Well, we don't have much to work on, do we? Well, I thought I could get something out of Selby. That was a complete washout. Oh, George. Yeah, Brooksie? May I say something? I mean, as a woman. I wouldn't have you say it any other way. Oh. Well, did you notice Mrs. Philiston's closets? Like any other woman's? Why? Stuffed too overflowing with furs, lined with dozens of dresses and racks of shoes. Look, this is no time to comment on feminine extravagance, Angel. Yeah, but how about feminine psychology? Well, members of our sex just don't leave all those frills and fripperies behind, especially when we're supposed to be running off with another man. Yeah, hey, wait a minute, Brooksie, you've got something. Mm-hmm. Look, answer her phone. Okay, I saw one in the living room. Call the Wilders. If Edith doesn't want to walk over here, ask her for a quick inventory of a sister's thing. Of course. She'll know if Angela took anything with her. How do you like that? She can't just be missing. Nothing ever is, my friend. Hey, where did you come from? Who are you, one of Angela's friends? It's hard to tell. Sometimes they're young, sometimes they're old. What have you got to do with Angela? Oh, nothing. I'm just a friend. I'm just a friend. I'm just a friend. I'm just a friend. I'm just a friend. I'm just a friend. Son? So you see, I speak with authority. Can I get your drink? Well, if you're her son, aren't you at all concerned about what's happened to her since Monday? I haven't been able to sleep one single night. That's obvious. I have the greatest admiration for my mother and her assorted husband. I'm Bud Kramer. I spring from Mama's number one marriage club bargain. Are you going to be the fourth, Papa? The name's Valentine. I'm here to see if I can find your mother. Get out. Hey, now, wait a minute. I said get out. If you never find her, it'll be the best break I ever got. This house will belong to me and I'll come into some money. If you don't stop sticking your chin in my face, son, I'm going to have to do something about it. Oh, it's fine to have a mother you can respect. You know, you can always help her with her letters when she decides it's time for another husband. Well, didn't you hear me? Get out of here! Let's not be a problem, huh? Let's throw up my arm. You'd better go upstairs and go to bed. You've had a busy night. I'm going to bed. I'm going to bed. I'm going to bed. You've had a busy night. You've been getting around today, too. Go on, sleep it off. Yeah, I'll do that. I'll sing myself to sleep with Brahms lullaby. Oh, maybe I'll make it Mother McCree. Be sure to find my mother, Willard. Tell her how much a little boy needs her. George, who was that? What does he mean? We'll get to him later. What did he say? Well, it's the strangest thing, darling. Yeah, what is? Well, she says apparently Angela didn't take a stitch of clothing with her. And you know that blue plaid dress hanging over the chair in her bedroom? Yeah, I saw it. Well, Walter said that was the one she wore the day he gave her the $20,000, and she disappeared. With a towel around her or a bathing suit? Oh, no, Brooksie, this doesn't whack up at all. Yeah, I know. It's beginning to look more like something for homicide, not missing persons. Well, Lieutenant Riley is just going to love us when we present him with this case. Well, of course, we're not sure yet. Brooksie, I'm going to take one more stab. But keeping this confidential. Meaning? A visit to Bixby printers. I'd like to get a preview of next month's bulletin of the Friendship Club. I know Selby's bulletin hasn't come out yet, Mr. Bixby. But could I take a look at the advance proofs? I suppose I could do that for you. They're right over here. We'll have them back in the morning. We just want someone to take a look at. I take it, Mr. Valentine, you're from the police. Well, let's just say I'm working with the police. Well, okay, just so long I don't lose any time on the job. Yeah, they're right here in this file. I just had them out a couple hours ago. Selby called up, wanted something ripped out before he went to press. George, that would be after you talked to him. Yeah, I know. Look, Bixby, have you got that part Selby wanted left out? Was there a picture of a man in it? No, as I remember it, it was a listing of a lady. She must have changed her mind. Happens all the time. Sent the picture back to Mr. Selby by messenger. But here, here's the copy that went with it if you want to see it. Yeah. Friendship Club member number 40. Young, attractive, divorcee. Amiable, fun-loving, anxious to live life to the fullest. Major interests, good books, cooking, and so forth and so on. Well, that's a dead end. Yeah. All right, Mr. Bixby, we'll have these back to you in the morning first thing. I'll get back, Bixby. You know, I'm beginning to feel like a Tuxedo Lake commuter. It's all very well to be exclusive, George, but I'd hate to make this trip to the island every time I came home late. Yeah, it is kind of dark, Angel. But that green light way up ahead, that's the Philiston Dock. Hey, what happens if Mr. Philiston doesn't recognize any of these Romeos in the bulletin as Angela's boyfriend? Well, suspecting what we do, Brooksy, we'll just have to dump the case in Lieutenant Riley's lap tomorrow morning. We won't be giving you much to work on, except our suspicions. And the fact that when a woman walks around with $20,000 in cash, she just naturally... Hey, Brooksy, that motorboat coming toward us. Well, they can see us. They've got their search light right on us. Well, I can't see a thing with that glare. Turn, George, turn. They're coming right at us. I'm trying. What's the matter with you? Oh, can't you see it? Brooksy! We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Meanwhile, a word about preparedness, and that's summer holiday. If you're planning a vacation trip with the family car, here is a suggestion from a whole group of service folks. The men at standard stations and at independent Chevron gas stations. As soon as you can, stop in. They'll be glad to give your car a troubleshooting vacation check. It's no fun to be way out in the middle of nowhere with a broken fan belt or sparkless spark plugs or a radiator that wants to be a geyser. To guard against that kind of mishap on your vacation, get a bumper-to-bumper inspection before you leave. Comes the day you're ready to start out, make sure your car has its two best highway friends, Chevron Supreme Gasoline and RPM Motor Oil. Wherever your vacation takes you in the West, just keep in mind that the men at independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations say and mean, we'll take better care of your car. And now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. A small outboard motorboat heading toward the island in Tuxedo Lake. Suddenly, out of the darkness roars a powerful motorboat, its searchlight blinding George and Claire. A sudden terrifying crash as the boat upsets, leaving its shaken occupants to struggle ashore. And now a few minutes later in front of the fireplace in the Philiston home, George and Claire are trying to puzzle out just what they might have stumbled on in this strange case of Angela Philiston. Angela, still married but corresponding with a matrimonial club and now missing for days. Oh, George, this fire feels wonderful. Yeah, it sure does. Well, there's one thing, sure. Whoever just tried to feed us to the fish is right here on Tuxedo Lake. Yeah, but what is it we know that we don't know we know? Oh, Brooksie, at this point I don't know for nothing. The three people who might possibly want us out of the way are right here on this island. Bud Cramer, Angela's son who hates his own mother. Mr. Philiston who got such a raw deal from Angela the one and only time he used the services of the friendship club. Yeah, that's right. And Sister Ebe, who said she'd do anything to keep a breath of scandal from the swank shores of Tuxedo Island. All this doesn't exactly give you a comfortable feeling, does it? Brooksie, before we see Lieutenant Riley in the morning, we're going to check every boat tied up around this lake. George, where are you going? Hey, come here, Brooksie. George, the Philiston boat. Yeah, the Angela, tied up right here in front of the house, as innocent as you please. And look at this big dent right here on her nose, all the paint scraped off. Well, it looks more and more like it has to be one of those three. Help! Help! What happened? There's somebody out there in the lake, George. Oh, what a night. Just hope whoever was using this boat tonight left the keys in it. Valentine, I've told you. I went into the village to celebrate. Sounds funny to me, Bud. What have you got to celebrate with your mother missing? Well, that's what I was celebrating. Let's skip that routine. I was feeling pretty good, so I thought I'd swim across the lake. Clothes and all? Seemed like a good idea at the time. Suddenly I had to prove to myself that I was a reasonable facsimile of a man. I guess I'm not in very good shape. How about this version, Bud? You tied up the Angela after you plowed into us, and you were swimming away from the island toward the shore. Then you'd be in the clear. I don't know what you two are talking about. We'll see about that later. Now you go upstairs to your room and stay there. Look, you can't order me around. I said go to your room. Yeah, go to your room, Bud. When I was a kid, whenever I was in the way, Angela would say, go to your room, buddy. My adoring mother, one loving, anxious to live life to the fullest. Oh, where's my wandering mother tonight? I can't help feeling sorry for that, George. To tell you the truth, I wasn't listening to her very hard. What? These red flagstones in front of the fireplace. Yeah, what about them? Red stains on red flagstones wouldn't show up very clearly, ordinarily. But the light of the fire brings them out. Huh? Look at them, Brooksie. Is that blood? Could be. This might be the sign of violence we didn't find when we went over this place before. Well, if you're right, Lieutenant Roddy will certainly have something to work on when we come back here in the morning. And if I'm right, Brooksie, it means Angela Philiston was murdered. All right, Valentine, where are these blood stains you dragged me out here to see? George, they're gone. Wait a minute, what is this? Someone scrubbed these flagstones clean during the night. You don't say. Oh, what a metal midget I turned out to be. I should have stayed right here while you went back to town, Brooksie. But how could anybody know what we found? Oh, well, at least I'm bright enough to know the answer to that one. Somebody knew every move we made last night. Ah! Stop sounding like a B picture. Next you'll be talking about trapped doors and hidden passages. Oh, that's not fair, Lieutenant Roddy. I get dragged out of bed. I bring the best men in the department out here with me. They reds the lake and all they're coming up with is some undenourished trap. All right, all right, Riley. Give me a chance to think, will you? Hayes here. Look at him. One of the best men in our lab crawling around on his knees like a charwoman looking for something that isn't here. Let me through here in a minute, Lieutenant. Oh, I can't thank you enough for that bracing, invigorating trip across the lake, Valentine, but I've got better things to do with my time. Lieutenant, somebody tried to run us down on the lake last night. And he was using Philiston's boat. Oh, Lieutenant. Yeah, what is it, Hayes? These red particles between the cracks on the floor here, they might mean something. All right, be careful with those. Hayes, very careful. Got them in this bottle. You want to initial the label, Lieutenant, in case we ever need it for evidence? Yeah, yeah, sure, sure. But just remember this, Valentine, if this proves to be ketchup from the weenie roast they had in this fireplace, I'll... So help me out, do it! What do you say we wait and see, Lieutenant? It may not be ketchup at all. Just barbecue sauce. The kind that's too hot to handle. Well, Valentine was right. It was blood, all right. Human blood. Angelus, I don't understand. Who'd want to kill her? I can't believe it. We found it's the same blood type as your sister's, Mrs. Wilder. Oh, no. No. Now that's not going to help at all, Mrs. Wilder. I know I may have sounded selfish and petty. Just thinking of the scandal Angela might cause, but now that it looks as though my sister was murdered, none of that matters. All right, folks, now let's settle down and do some straight talking, huh? Mr. Filiston. Yes, Lieutenant. Well, this is the way it shapes up. Your wife never left the island. If she did, she was carried out after she was murdered in front of that fireplace. And we'll find the body if we have to dig up every inch around Tuxedo Lake. Lieutenant, I admit I wanted to hate Angela when I found out what she was doing. But I'll give everything I own to find the man who killed her. Mr. Valentine, you were trying to track down the man Angela was corresponding with. What did you find out at that friendship club? I did have some pictures for Mr. Filiston to identify. But they're all at the bottom of the lake now. Yes, very convenient. About the $20,000, Mr. Filiston, that you were supposed to have given your wife. Oh, what about it? We checked into all of your accounts. There's no record of any withdrawal like that. Well, I took that money out of a safe deposit box. Well, that's not where most people keep that much money. Is it, Mr. Filiston? No, but being in the building game, it pays to be able to put your hands on ready cash. All right, that's your story. I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. Maybe it was foolish to resort to a marriage club, but I was lonely. She never brought me any happiness, but I... I never hurt Angela. Well, we're going to stay right here at headquarters because we got a lot of things to talk about. I'm still checking on Bud Kramer's story. All he does is prattle about his amiable, fun-loving mother. Oh, he's still at it, huh? Look, Brooksie. Yes, George. You stick right here. Lieutenant, you don't mind if I duck out for a few minutes, do you? No, I won't waste time asking you why. Oh, but I'll tell you, there's a little angle to this case I overlooked. But I'm going to take care of it right now. Come on, Selby, give. You were holding out on me before, weren't you? Well, I answered all of your questions to the best of my knowledge. You mean you just told me as much as you thought I should know. But now you've got to open up, Selby. This is a murder case, and the police are in on it. Oh, dear. Well, come on, give. All right. You understand I had to think of my business. What it might sound like if Angela's disappearance ever got into the papers. You never mind that, Cuba. Get to the point. Yes, yes, of course. I suppose I should have told you that Angela was the second wife of Walter Philiston met through the friendship club. Well, well, surprise. That's the truth. Some names, Selby, some facts. Well, the name of Philiston's first wife was Frieda Merritt. She was a widow. Pretty well off. Yeah. They were married five years ago, and then she... Then what? She was out alone fishing about two years ago. Her boat turned over and she was drowned. But it was an accident, Mr. Valentine. The police said it was. Uh-huh. Better get your hats, Selby. Why, where are we going? Police headquarters. I want you to repeat that story to Lieutenant Riley. I think we found the answer to just what's been happening over there on Tuxedo Island. Well, thanks, Mr. Selby. Now, uh, what about this Philiston? I suppose I should have known this would have come out anyway. Why didn't you tell us before that you got your first wife through Selby's friendship clubs? Yes, you made us believe you were just a lonely man. And that was the first time you ever did anything like that. Does any man ever want to admit that he was played for a fool twice? What's that supposed to mean? Frieda and I went too happy after a while. And she died. Well, believe me, we're going to check into that accident, and much more thoroughly this time, now that we know what we're looking for. That was an accident. And what about Angela? Oh, I don't know what happened to Angela after I gave her the $20,000. Of which we find no record. I'm sorry, Mr. Philiston, but I had to tell them what I knew. Oh, leave me alone. Oh, I do hope there'll be as little mention of the friendship club as possible in this affair. Is that all you've got to worry about, Mr. Selby? Of course, Miss Brooks. I've spent years and years building all this. Okay, Selby, okay, you can beat it now. We'll call you when we need you. Yes, Lieutenant, of course. Just a minute, Lieutenant. Ah? Is it your usual practice to let a murderer walk out of your office? What are you talking about? You mean Selby? What kind of a joke is this supposed to be? I told you all I knew. Let me in on this, Valentine. Me too. I'd certainly like to know what you're talking about. You had me on the hook for a long time, Selby, until I started remembering a few things. Lieutenant, he doesn't know what he's saying. Well, uh, suppose we listen anyway. And stop squirming, Mr. Lonely Hearts. You can't talk your way out of this. It's airing black and white. Please, Mr. Valentine, tell us what you know. When I first walked into your office, Selby, you said you thought Mrs. Philiston was happily married. Well, yes. You said you even took a card out of the file and tore it up. That's right. But then why did you have her name listed in your new bulletin as a likely marriage prospect? That's a lie. Friendship Club Member Number 40, young, attractive divorcee, amiable, fun-loving, anxious to live life to the fullest. Of course. That was a description of Angela. We never thought of it because we were looking for a man. Those are the same words her son keeps repeating like a drunken parrot. Words he could never forget, because they were the ones Angela always used when she was looking for a new husband. That's the same way she described herself in the ad I answered. Lieutenant, you don't believe... Say it, Cupid. You just ran your business too well. And that's what's going to hang you. George, I still don't understand what reason Selby had for killing Angela. Because Cupid got double-crossed, Angel. Double-crossed? Yep. According to Riley, Selby had quite a little racket on the side. Like Angela, for instance. Oh? He saw she was getting restless with a man so much older than herself. I see. So why not get a nice fat settlement from the old boy? The Friendship Club can always come up with a new husband. They would have split that 20,000, Brooksie. But when she said, no go, and if you do anything about it, I'll go to the police, he killed her and buried her body. Hm. Selby didn't miss a trick, did he? Even to using Philiston's boat to run us down. He knew what the police would think when they learned about how he married the first Mrs. Philiston and how she died. Which, by the way, was an accident. Oh, darling, I'm so glad. Hm? That we met in a nice, normal way. Oh, yeah. A USO canteen. Yeah, I remember. You were one of the hostesses. Yeah. You walked up and said, du burly, what about a soldier dance? Oh, yeah. Wasn't it beautiful? And then I said, uh... And that was that. After all, no girl could resist such a pretty compliment. It's after eight o'clock and every minute counts. Mary's going to lead the promenade at the senior ball, if she ever gets there. Right now, she's with Roger in his car and there's a big silence. Roger choked the engine and flooded the carburetor. Too bad. He should have used Chevron Supreme gasoline in his car. Special blending agents in this premium quality gasoline assure instant starts. Speedy warm-up, powerful getaway in heavy traffic driving. Fast starts and all the power your car can handle wherever you're driving in the West. That's because Chevron Supreme is scientifically tailored to each different climate and altitude zone. Whether you're driving a new car or one that's many years old, you'll like the new get-up-and-go that Chevron Supreme gives your car. Ask for it tomorrow at any standard station or independent Chevron gas station where they say, Aunt Meme, we'll take better care of your car. Next week when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine, you'll hear... Ah! Oh, Mr. Dimmick, what was that? One of the many voices of darkness that echo through the tunnel of love. Calm yourself, Claire. What's that up ahead? Yeah, what is that dim light, Dimmick? It seems to be coming from the wall of the tunnel. It looks like a man. Maybe he's in trouble. You'd better hurry. Patience. We can travel only as fast as the water flows through the tunnel. It's like fate carrying you. That man's got a gun in his hand. Man, point it right at us. Down on the boat, everybody. That guy means business. Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West. Let George Do It stars Robert Bailey as George with Francis Robinson as Claire. Wally Mayer appears as Lieutenant Riley. Tonight's story was written by David Victor and Herbert Little, Jr. and directed by Don Clark. Also heard in the cast were Irene Tedrow as Edith, Paul McVeigh as Walter, Jack Edwards as Bud, Bill Forte as Selby, and Stanley Farrar as Bixby. The music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter. Your announcer, John Heston. Listen again next week, same time, same station, to Let George Do It. The Mutual Downly Broadcasting System.
