Hey, you. Yes, you. Are you one of those people who like to know the answer? Have you a logically and analytically nature? Is murdering the mystery fascinating? It does, eh? Well, get out the magnifying glass, Sherlock. I think it's time for a crime. Yes, sure. This is Peter Laurie opening again the doors of the mystery playhouse. And tonight, we bring you detective mystery, and we are all invited to try to solve it, along with another amateur dick, a guy named Jonathan Pierce. Mr. Pierce earns his three squares a day selling antiques, but his real love is criminology, a hobby that seems to make his life anything but dull. Well, let's give Mr. Pierce a run for his hobby, huh, Sherlock? Let's try and beat into the solution of tonight's mystery. Clothes will be all there. So let's look alive now, mates, and get the answers to a crime to take the punishment. Our scene opens in the antique shop of Jonathan Pierce. With him is a friend, Betty Hughes. Look, Jonathan, why don't you give up this antique shop and become a full-fledged private detective? That's why you've been very successful. Besides, I'm yearning for a life of excitement and mystery. Meaning? Meaning I'll be your assistant. Uh-uh, nothing doing. If I need an assistant, it won't be a woman. You'd probably faint the first time a mug said boo at you. Faint? Well, of course I'd faint if that was a thing to do. Furthermore, I think that... Say this some other time, here comes a customer. Young man, are you Jonathan Pierce? I am. What can I do for you, sir? That's what I'm here to find out. Who's the young lady? Oh, this is... Never mind answering. I was young once myself. Pierce, I want to hire your services as a private detective. How did you know that I... I am David Warlock. You could call Warlock's tycoon filthy with money. All the Warlocks are. So I'm able to pay well. Well, that's very nice, but I... My son, Freddie, is about to be blackmailed. Actually, my adopted son. His father was my business partner before he died. And he knew Freddie was a weak-will lad, so he wanted me to look after him and his inheritance. He knows my name now, and I won't stand for blackmail. Blackmail? Do you have an... Don't interrupt, Pierce. Not through yet. Freddie's been playing around with a young lady named Rhys Day, a gambler by the name of Lance Norman. Nothing wrong with women and gambling. You should like both myself. But these two are bad ones. And you think they're blackmailing your son, your adopted son? Going to blackmail him, or rather me. Well, how's that? Well, it amounts to blackmailing him. But they have to come to me because I still control his inheritance. Are you a detective, young lady? Why not? Well, then don't ask questions and waste my time. Mr. Warlock, what did you mean by saying that they're going to blackmail you? Well, I had a phone call yesterday, just after I got back from Mortonville. I mean, from uptown. Mysterious voice said he had something concerning my son which he wanted to tell. Didn't identify himself, but said he'd call again in a day or two. I see. Well, you'll give me a free hand in dealing with this blackmailer? Completely. Now, Pierce, here's a $500 retainer. Oh? I want you to come to my house, meet my son, and the two I suspect being back of this blackmail scheme. I'll drive you out. All right. Oh, but there is one more question, sir, I've been trying to ask since you came in here. How did you come to hire me? I suppose it's because you heard of my reputation in solving a few little crimes and battled the police. On the contrary. Have I heard anything like that? Oh. Take a bow, Sherlock. Quiet character. Well, then, well, why, Mr. Warlock? Well, I always liked the name of Pierce. I once was in love with a woman named Pierce 30 years ago. Always hired people named Pierce since then. Chauffeurs named Pierce, butlers named Pierce, gardeners named Pierce. Oh, it sounds very logical to me. It would to you. Now, Jonathan, I want you to come over to my house and size up the situation. Are you ready to go? Oh, I'll say we are. Not you, young lady. You're staying here. Now, listen here, Jonathan Pierce. I'm going to hate you if you turn to one of those big, stronger women's places in the home, men. Goodbye, dear. Just use some of that slow burn to keep the home fires cooking. Well, this is my little home, Jonathan, my boy. That was Pierce who left it in. Oh. I imagine that we'll find Freddy and his friends in the library, so come. I'll leave you with them for a few minutes so you can size them up. Well, how are you going to explain me to them, Mr. Warlock? Oh, don't worry about that. Now, then, here we are. Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want you all to meet a young friend of mine, Mr. Jonathan Pierce. Jonathan, this is Miss Lisa Dane, Mr. Lance Norman, and my son, Freddy Warlock. I'll leave you to get acquainted. Goodbye. Well. Not so well. It would seem that Mr. Warlock does not exactly possess the delicate touch. He is screwy. Who are you, Tom? Oh, I thought you knew. I'm Jonathan Pierce, and you're Lance Norman, the Lido Club, fast gambling for fast people. And what do you do? You don't look like a bodyguard or a keyhole snoper. Oh, I haunt houses. I've just been hired to haunt this one. A wise guy. Every time a guy starts talking wise like that, you want to watch him. He's liable to start lifting the silverware. Now, you look here, Pierce. Did my father hire you to snoop on us? He's always hiring people named Pierce. Well, if he did, you might as well know I'm going to marry Rita whether he wants me to or not. All I got to do is wait another six months. Then I get all my own dough and I can do just as I please, you see. Oh, don't bother explaining to him, Freddy Dog. Now, look, both of you keep quiet and let me handle this. Look, John, I don't like the way the old man dumped you in here and walked off. What's the pay off? Well, we might as well get everything straight. I'm an antique dealer. Whose hobby is playing detective, huh? Something like that. A shame, huh? Gee, they're even getting private cops now who wear neckties. I thought I smelled copper when you walked in. Well, get this, cop. These two kids are in love. They're floating on the clouds. I'm not surprised. The kid's breath has enough alcohol on it to make me float on the clouds, too. I suppose the old man pays you for being funny. Anyway, these kids can't live without each other, see? So just keep your nose out of the picture, Lord. It might get stressed out. How touching. And I suppose you're the marriage broker, or maybe you're just here to chaff her on them. Well, what is it, Pierce? I beg your pardon, but Mr. Warlock would like to see Mr. Jonathan Pierce in his den immediately. Oh, thank you, Pierce. I'll be seeing you later, lad. I can hardly wait, Seamus. You wanted to see me, Mr. Warlock? Yes, Duncan. Here on the telephone. It's the blackmailer I told you about. Pierce recognized it as the same voice that called yesterday, and I wanted you to listen in on my conversation with him. You can leave that extension over there. All right. Go ahead. Hello? This is Warlock speaking. This is the same guy that called you yesterday, Warlock. I got a little piece of paper about your son that the police would like to get their fingers on. But I might be willing to sell it. Eh? How much? Five grand. You want to talk about it, or do I go to the cops? No, no, no. I'll talk about it. I won't meet to myself, but I'll send someone I can trust. You name the place. Okay. Send a guy to 4527 Fernando Plains. Tell him to ring the bell and to rename a clip matter. I'll let him in. If he's got the five grand, we'll talk. Are you Mr. Matson? Never mind who I am. Just do as I say. And Warlock. Yes? Don't try any fancy stuff. Or you'll soon end up in a pig house. Tell it kind of hurry up. You heard him, Jonathan? Yes. I've got $5,000 right here, and you'll take it with you. I'll leave it up to your judgment as to whether to give it to him or not. But remember one thing. What's that? If Lance Norman and Rita Dayne are back on this, as high as the fact they are, I'll pay any amount over and above this to pin it on them. Now, you go see this clip matter and see what you can do. Yeah? What do you want? Are you Clip Matson? Maybe I am, and maybe I ain't. What are you selling, Mac? My name is Jonathan Pierce. I'm representing David Warlock. Oh, OK. I'm Matson's man. Did you bring the dough? Maybe. First, I want to see what you're offering to sell. And while you're at it, Matson, maybe you'd like to make another $5,000 all for yourself. What do you mean? I mean that the name of the man who's working this with you is worth another $5,000 to you. I don't know what you're talking about, Mac. There ain't nobody in this with me. No? I'm just telling you this information I'm offering to sell. That's all. Well, they tell me it gets awfully lonesome up in Sing Sing. Now, wait a minute, Mac. You don't want to talk like that to me. I might get scared and decide I ought to turn this over to the cops. Maybe I ought to anyway. Suit yourself. We're really more interested in getting the name of the man back of you than in anything else. I might be able to raise the price a little. But I tell you... Hey, what's the idea of walking in here, mister? What's going on? Oh! You suck beers! What's the idea? Okay. Okay, I got my hands up. Hey! Take it easy with that gun. No! You... Jonathan! Jonathan, wake up! Jonathan! What? Oh, hello. Oh, so this is what heaven's like. Now stop that, Jonathan. Are you hurt? No, no, Betty, no. Outside of a lump on my head. Oh! Oh, boy, it could serve as a road marker. A headache and a certain loss of pride. I feel fine, just fine. Ah! Did Clip Mattson get away? I don't think so. There's a man over here on the floor, but I haven't asked him his name because he's dead. Dead? But how? Well, I'm not up on these things, Jonathan, but I imagine the two bullet holes in him have something to do with it. Bullet holes? Oh, I remember now. I sort of heard two shots just as I was drifting out of this world. Look at the nose. Here, let's see. Yeah, that's Clip Mattson, all right. But why? Well, maybe somebody didn't like him. Oh, you're a big help. By the way, what are you doing here? I thought I left you at the store. Well, you did, darling, but you see, I'm the type that feels men need looking after, so I followed you. First to Warlock, and then here, and you ought to be grateful. Well, it's touching to know that someone is interested in whether I'm alive or dead. Jonathan, what happened? Well, I was talking to Clip there. He... Well, he was the guy who was trying to blackmail Warlock. Suddenly somebody came in the door behind me. The murderer! Exactly, my dear Watson. I started to turn around, and the guy slugged me. Huh! All I got a chance to see was a hand wearing a gray glove and the barrel of a gun that was rapidly nearing my head. That's the last I remember, except for the two shots. Boy, some detective I turned out to be. Oh, well, don't be too hard on yourself, Jonathan. It could have happened to anyone. Yeah, sure, sure, but it happened to me. All right, come on, we've got to give this apartment a fast once-over to see if we can find that paper Matson wanted to sell. You take that side, and I'll take this side. Well, I finished my side, and I found nothing incriminating except to your Clip Matson. He's not my Clip Matson. I drew a blank here, except for one thing. A check signed by Lance Norman. Lance who? Lance Norman, that's the gambler Warlock thinks is back of the blackmailing. All right, come on, we're going to see Mr. Lance Norman at the Lido Club. But I haven't got my chips with me. This is the club Lido, Betty. If you look around you, you'll see half the elite of our city busily engaged in losing their shirts to Lance Norman. Very exciting, Jonathan. Well, well, hello there, kids. Well, Lance, hello. Well, is this a business visit or a social one? Well, it's a business visit. Well, I'm glad you're here, Mr. Lido. I'm glad you're here, Mr. Lido. I'm glad you're here, Mr. Lido. I'm glad you're here, Mr. Lido. I'm glad you're here, Mr. Lido. Is this a business visit or a social one? Oh, let's call it a business visit, shall we? Is there some place that I can talk to you? Why not? Come on in my office here. Oh, thank you. Come on, you'll be just as safe in here as out on the floor. Safer, probably. I don't see any wheels in here. You know, your sense of humor is going to kill me someday. If it doesn't kill you first. Does the chick have a name? Oh, of course, my name... Not to you, Lance, no. Do you know a Cliff Matson? I might. And I might not. He probably did a lot of odd jobs for you. Such as blackmail. I don't need any sideline as long as I have these clubs. It pays off very nicely. Cliff had one of your chicks, which he hadn't cashed. Well, I write a lot of tips. Well, then he talks exactly like the gamblers in the movies. Well, I like a dame with nerves. Anytime you get tired of that dumb Seamus, come around and see me, sweetheart. Well, maybe I will. Yes, you do. It'll be on a visiting day, and you'll have to talk to him through bars. Not this week, Seamus. Look, if you've got any more questions, ask him to get over with it, not get out. Where's your girlfriend, Rita? She's out on the floor. And the warlock boy? He got drunk on us, so we left. Oh, that must have been a touching scene. The parting lovers. Okay, Chum, I'm on your way. You're beginning to bore me. We're practically gone. Oh, by the way, Lance, I'm sure you've got a pair of gray suede gloves. Maybe. And maybe not. Well, your eloquence is touching. Come on, Betty, let's go. You've done enough slumming for one day. I wonder what you think you're up to, Jonathan Pierce. First we go and visit that gambler, Lance Norman, then we rush over this apartment house and walk up the stairs, and there's a perfectly good elevator to ride up in. Lance Norman's apartment is on this next floor. Oh, it is. We didn't find the black male elevator in Clips' apartment, so now we're going to look in Lance's. There we are. Oh, let's see if this skeleton key works. How do you know there isn't somebody in there? Lance lives alone in the apartment in the dark. I look from the outside, and don't bother me. There. I got it. Okay, in you go, dear. I don't think we'd better risk turning on the room lights. We can use matches to see how... Who turned on that light? I did. Just take it nice and easy both of you on this gun, and you won't derail. Lance Norman! Jonathan, I thought you said there wouldn't be anybody here. No, I'm wrong. Go ahead and kill me. Well, not so smart, are you, Seamus? I figured you'd come fine around my apartment, but you didn't get anything out of me at the club. Too bad I got here first, huh? Okay, so you got here first. What do we do now? What we have to do, Seamus. You know, it's too bad you both look too young to die. You... You mean you're gonna shoot? Oh, no, no, no, please. Not that. Jonathan, I think I'm going to faint. Hey, turn them lights back on. Please, Mr. Norman, don't shoot. I didn't mean to turn out the lights. It was just that I almost fainted, you see, and I bumped into them. I'll turn them right on again. Please don't shoot. I don't want to die, Mr. Norman. I don't want to die! I got you. Stop that gun! Stop it, I said! Let go of me! Let go! That was nice work, Betty. Oh, thank you. You can turn the lights on now. Our friend won't bother us anymore. Oh, boy. Come on, now. Let's search the place. You take that side of the room, and I'll take this. Jonathan, what did you say the name of that girl was? Huh? Rita Dane? Yes, why? Well, I think I found something there. There's a marriage license here made out to land Norman and Rita Dane, dated two years ago. Good. I found something, too. Come in here, Betty. What is it, Jonathan? What we're looking for. Look. This was in an envelope with Warlock written on it. It's a photostat of two sets of fingerprints exactly alike and a newspaper clipping from an out-of-town paper dated two weeks ago. Well, what's it say? I'll read the clipping to you. Mortonville, New York. Sometime last night, thieves broke into the Mortonville Third National Bank and made off with more than $10,000 in cash. The thieves left no trace behind them except a small metal case which probably held some of their tools. Fortunately, the mortonville third national bank fortunately, the mortonville police were able to get a clear set of fingerprints from the case. They have not yet been able to identify the prints. A bank robbery. Yes, and one set of prints on the photostat is labeled prints taken by the mortonville police. The other set is labeled fingerprints of Freddy Warlock and they're identical. You mean that the son robbed the bank? Since... Oh, Jonathan, maybe he's the one who murdered that... I'm beginning to see a lot of things I didn't see before. We're going over to the Warlock house, but in a hurry. Come on. Hello, Pierce. Did you tell Mr. Warlock that Mr. Jonathan Pierce is here? You may go in, Mr. Pierce. You'll find everyone in the library. The police too, sir. The police? Yes, sir. I believe they're about to leave and take young Mr. Warlock with them, sir. What? He's been here quite some time. Come on, Betty, we've got to hurry. Oh, Jonathan, my boy. You're just in time. This fool policeman insists about arresting my son. Well, if it isn't Jonathan Pierce. Hello, Lieutenant Valley. What's happening here? Well, it's like this, Pierce. We got a phone call tipping as Clip Matson was murdered. No. We investigated. In Matson's pocket I found a photostat of a story about a bank robbery up in Mortonville and proof that young Freddy Warlock pulled the job. Pocket, sir, that's where it was. What's that? Oh, nothing, nothing, lieutenant. Go on, please. I got the idea that maybe Clip was blackmailing the kid and the kid bumped him off. But how could I kill anyone I didn't know, huh? Of course he didn't do it. The whole thing's stupid. Freddy was with us all afternoon and dead drunk when we left. Weren't you, Freddy? Lieutenant, you've got some pretty flimsy evidence, haven't you? You think so? We gave the kid the paraffin test and it showed traces of nitrate on his hands. That proves he fired a gun. So I'm checking him in. Hey, I'll try it now. I'm saying... I wish you'd wait a minute, lieutenant. I think I can clear up a few points for you. With the help of Mrs. Lance Norman... What do you mean, Mrs. Norman? It's Miss Rita Dane. I'm sorry, Freddy, but it's Rita Norman. She and Lance were married two years ago. That's right, and I saw the license. And with the help of Clip Matson, they've been trying to blackmail you. You'll find another one of those photostats in Lance's apartment. You can't prove a thing. Good work, Jonathan. I knew you'd do it. Look, Piss, you think Lance did the killing, too? No, Lance didn't do it. Who did then? The kid? No. The killing was done by my client, David Warlock. Jonathan, what kind of nonsense is this? No nonsense at all. Warlock's been handling the inheritance of Freddy, and I suspect you'll find it short. Freddy was due to collect in six months, however, so Warlock thought of framing him for killing Clip Matson. But how did he know this blackmailer would show up? Because he planned it that way. He robbed a bank in Mortonville and planted Freddy's fingerprints on the scene. Then I imagine he thought to it that this evidence was placed where Rita and Lance could get hold of it and pass it on to Clip. A blackmailer was to be killed and Freddy framed for it, and I was called in for window dressing. It's a kind of not really fantastic story. Fortunately, no one will believe it. Jonathan, this sounds awfully bad. Well, certainly it's bad. It was planned to be a way to eliminate Freddy, a crime to fit the punishment. I don't know. What about the paraffin test on the kid? Simple, Lieutenant. The kid's drunk and out cold, so all Warlock has to do is take some dirt, rub it in the kid's hand, and there's your traces of nitrate. That's right. You got any proof of the rest? Well, the motive should be easy to check. Warlock made a slip today about being in Mortonville. Then I imagine you'll find a pair of gray suede gloves in Mr. Warlock's room, and the gloves should show traces of nitrate. Finally, Warlock was the only person who knew I was going to meet Mattson. Very clever, Mr. Pierce, but let's see if you can outsmart this. A gun! Just like in the movies. Now look, Mr. Warlock... Shut up! Get away from that door, Lieutenant. I'm leaving. Oh, Jonathan, I think I'm going to faint. What again? Of course you don't. Oh, yes, yes. Go right ahead. I'll catch you. What is this? I'm going to trick you. Mr. Warlock, I just can't stand the sight of a gun. Turn those lights back on! Like this, Mr. Warlock? Okay, Betty. Lights, please. Coming up. Holy smokes, Warlock is out cold. The gal faints and Pierce conks Warlock. A very nice trick. Well, think nothing of it. We do it twice a day. Yes. Well, I think that clears up your case, Lieutenant. And as for you, sweetheart, you asked me a while ago for a job as my assistant. The job is yours. Your assistant? Are you kidding? This detective works such a cinch, I'm going to business with myself. And there you have a crime to fit the punishment. Tonight's performance in the mystery playhouse. How do you come out, huh? You put the finger on the right guy? No. Don't be discouraged if you didn't, because the only people who consistently get the right answers are the ones who like them. Oh, speaking of writing, don't forget that we still like to hear from you. Just address us, mystery playhouse, Armed Forces Radio, Los Angeles, USA. Oh, while we are on the subject, I'd like to say a word or two about the me. I just finished reading a few facts that I'd like to pass on to you. You know that your V-Mail letter has priority over all other mails? That's right. The only mail that always flies. It's never delayed or left behind because of lack of train space. So it looks to me like a smart thing to do is for everybody to use it all we can. Especially since use of V-Mails definitely helps shorten the war. Oh, I almost forgot about our trip to the Greenhorn. Come on, we'd better get down there right now and get to know our next mystery playhouse performance. Follow me, please. Come on. Let's go. Chief, officer. Yes, sir, this is my... Look, Chief, I think I'd better go out... Chief Enguder, it's the mayor. The mayor? Martin, you stay here then. Yes, Mr. Mayor. How'd you hear about it so fast? Well, I suppose the newspapers will make a big... But I'm doing everything I can. Oh, Reynolds, eh? Why should he... Yes, Mr. Mayor. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Goodbye. What cause, Chief? Plenty. The whole town is upside down. Villagers are jamming the morgue trying to identify the dead. The citizens' committee is planning a mass meeting tomorrow to demand action. Every newspaper in town is roasting the city administration. What are we doing, Chief? You? You do nothing to hear from me. Miss Meyer's my hat. Where are you going? The mayor's office. The mayor and I and that columnist Reynolds are going to have a little conference. Reynolds? Yes. The mayor seems to think Reynolds knows more about this thing than the police department. Answer me this, McGroota. Answer me this. Has there been a murder? Are these accidents murders? There could be there aren't any murders, Mr. Mayor. Not in the ordinary sense. I believe there is, McGroota. Just a minute, Reynolds. Your Honor, except for the panic at the movie house, every death was accidental or natural as sure as we three are in this room. What do you mean? What about the man in the velvet hat? Put the screws on some of the people who say they saw him and he'd disappear like that. Forget it. To the people of this town he's real. And this panic, cold panic, right in the middle of the holidays. The people are scared boo. May I say something, Mr. Mayor? Well, certainly that's why you're here. Look, the way I see it, either it's all a hoax or there is a man in a velvet hat. That's right. So either prove the hoax or catch the man. All right. All right. I think we can do one or the other. If Reynolds will help, then certainly I'll help. How? I'm going to challenge the man in the velvet hat, and Reynolds is going to publish that challenge. I'm going to say I don't think he's a god. I'm going to say I don't even think he's a good criminal. Anybody can boast of a murder after it's happened, but only a master criminal can boast of a murder before it's happened and get away with it. I'm going to challenge him to name his next murder before it happens. And Reynolds will publish my challenge. Okay, Maguta, but I predict that he'll accept your challenge and that when he does, he will not catch you. And in his newspaper column, December 24th, John Reynolds says, a challenge from the police commission of New York City to the man in the velvet hat. Quote, I challenge you to prove that you were a criminal. I think you're a fraud. If you're not a fraud, you will announce in advance the time and place of your next killing, murder, mercy, death, whatever you call it. Unquote. Hello, this is Reynolds of the dispatch. Give me the commissioner. Please hurry. Just a minute, Mr. Reynolds. Hold on. Yeah? Maguta, Reynolds. Yeah, Reynolds. I got an answer from the man in the velvet hat. You got? What did he say? He says at precisely 9 o'clock p.m. on Christmas Eve, a man will die poisoned in front of a Times building on Times Square. He says, quote, after this, I will move again in silence for only those without faith need signs. That's all. 9 o'clock Christmas Eve in front of the Times building? Like poison. That's what he says. Okay. Thanks. There, my friends, we have a portion of our next mystery, and an exciting one it is, too. The town of New York is turned into turmoil by the appearance of what seems to be the master of all mad killers. So you better be on hand to hear the entire show. Don't you think? Yes, I think we can give you the creeps when you join us next time for... The man in the velvet hat. This is Peter Lawler closing the doors of the mystery playhouse. Good night. Good night. This is the arms course of the mystery.
