Good evening, creep. Your mystery playhouse story for tonight was written by Percival Wilde and is entitled The Adventure of the Fallen Angels. The leading role will be played by one of your favourite radio stars, Les Tremaine. In tonight's play you're going to meet a woman named Lucky, beautiful but cynical, cold and deadly. A suave gambler named Ace Kendricks who plots to win a fortune with a marked deck and a steady hand. And, played by Les Tremaine, a young man named Tony Venard who discovers that the only solution to his desperate situation is murder. A death warrant is not always a legal paper with court seal affixed in wax. Sometimes a death warrant is a simpler thing. An ace of diamonds or a jack of clubs gleaming ceilingward on a green felt table. As our story opens, Tony Venard, bankrupt young playboy, is leaving a nightclub intent on getting home before his hangover arrives. Twenty thousand bucks. Where am I going to get it? Pardon me, you are Tony Venard? Oh, sure. I am Johnny, Johnny the Gent, Mr Venard. You and me are taking a little ride. Get into the car, please. What is this? I work for Rocco Rossini. Rocco? Yeah, Rocco. Into the car, please. What's the idea? Alright, hit it up, Eddie. Hey, you're... You're taking me for a ride. Listen, I told Rocco I'd pay him. Please, please, please. Don't raise your voice like that, Mr Venard. You are a gentleman. I am a gentleman. Leave us behave like same. Rocco only asked me to see you get home safe, is all. Well, you... You aren't going to... Oh, no, no. Not tonight. Tonight we just drive you to your place. What does he want me to do? He knows I'm broke. This is of no interest to Rocco. All he wants is what you owe him. He tells me, say to this character... That's how he talks, Mr Venard. He ain't been to school like me. He says, say to this character, Venard, that does he not get up 20,000 clams he owes me in the fifth race at Belmont last Tuesday? He is fish in the Gowanus Canal. Well, how much time have I to raise it? That he doesn't tell me. This is your residence, Mr Venard. Good night. Yeah. Good night. Oh, Mr. Venard. A lady came in looking for you around 10. Said to hand you this envelope. Here. Oh, thanks. And nice perfume she uses, huh? What the devil is this? Just a playing card. The Ace of Spades. Didn't she leave her name? Oh, no, sir. Oh, she said for you to look at both sides of the message. Maybe there's something on the back of the card. Oh. Hey. This card's one of the fallen angels. And there's something scribbled here. Meet me tomorrow, 4 o'clock, Savoy Bar. Sign your fallen angel. Here, waiter. Yes, sir? Bring me another old-fashioned. Yes, sir. Twenty after four. Probably won't show up. Would you like your fortune told, sir? No, no, no, thanks. Oh, but I'm very good, really. Let me try. Huh? Your initials are TV. You've gone through a $200,000 inheritance in six months. You're broke. You... You are good. Too good. You must be... Lucky. Lucky Maddox. Your fallen angel. Sit down. Thanks. Did Rocco send you? No. We want to help you, and you can help us. Us? Yes, I'm a friend of Ace Kendrick. He sent me to see you. Ace Kendrick? Oh, the gambler. That's right. Go on. He has a plan which, by an odd coincidence, will make you $20,000. Twenty thousand? Where is he? In this room, waiting to see if you're interested. I'm interested. Call him over. She doesn't have to, Vanna. Hey, what... Nice going, Lucky. You were sitting at the next table. Sure, but let's get down to business. I'll deal you the setup. You're a member in good standing at the mayor's office. I'll deal you the setup. You're a member in good standing at the Metro Club here in town. That right? That's right. And more than that, you're chairman of the club's purchasing committee. Right? Yes. And the Metro is known for its high-stake games. Its members are exceedingly wealthy, and its membership is highly restricted. Well, for years, your members have played with a certain make of playing card known as the Fallen Angels because of the picture on the back. Right? Well, Fallen Angel decks are the tradition, all right, but we've run out of them. Companies quit making them. Exactly. And now, I have six rows of Fallen Angel decks. I bought them a year ago, and I've been working on them ever since. Working on them? Marking them. I can win, lose, or draw with them at will. Well, now, Wade, I belong to the Metro Club because my father did. I've got a social position to maintain. On what, Mr. Vanna? Your social position is going to be horizontal unless you kick in 20 Gs to Rossini. Go on. What's the rest of it? Well, it's very simple. As chairman of the purchasing committee, you buy six rows of Fallen Angels playing cards from me, the ones I've marked, and your fellow members pat you on the back for obtaining them. And then, later, you propose me for membership. I play, I win, you get 20 grand. There won't be any rough work. No breaks. The only breaks there'll be will be good breaks for you, honey. Okay. Deal me in. Well, God forbid, Vanna, I don't know how you ever got those cards. I thought I'd seen my last deck of Fallen Angels. Oh, Tom. Tom. Oh, hello, Tony. Tom, I met a chap I'd like to propose for membership. You're on the membership committee, aren't you? The devil of a nice guy. Why, certainly, Tony. I'll push him. What's his name? Ace Kendricks. I mean, Mr. A. Kennedy. Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Mr. Kennedy. Our newest member. Well, good evening, gentlemen. Mr. Kennedy would like to sit in on your game if you haven't filled the table. Oh, here, Mr. Kennedy. Take my spot. It's been pretty lucky for me. Oh, well, thank you very much. That's very kind. Shall we have a fresh deck of cards? Well, that beats me. You are a disgustingly lucky man, Mr. Kennedy, and I am disgustingly broke. I'm going home. Well, get real. This Kennedy fellow has amazing luck. One over 50,000 in three weeks. But look, Kendrick, why can't I have my 20,000 now? I know I promised to wait until you were all through making your killing, but I... I'm not sniveling, but Racini is threatening... Hello. Hello! Hung up. Quite a dirt. Who's there? Me, Mr. Vanna. Johnny. The gent and Pyson. Listen, Johnny, I'm going to have the money soon. Just ask Rocco to give me a little time. That's it, Mr. Vanna. You got no more time. Will you stand up, please? Well, wait a minute. I'll get the money tonight. Oh, now look, I'm a busy man. If this is a stall... No, no, on the level. A man owes me 20,000 dollars. Yeah? Well, then you don't mind if I go along with you, do you? No, no, that's all right. I do hope there's no slip-up, Mr. Vanna. Well, there won't be. He'll give me the money. He'll have to, or I'll... Well, I'll get it. Don't worry. Hello, Ace. Where, Mr. Vanna? Come in. I just got a call from the bank. We had a good evening, partner. You had a good evening, Kendrick. I almost was shot by Rocco's executioner. He's waiting outside for me now. Oh, well, let me pour you a drink. Steady your nerves. Thanks. I'll get right to the point, Ace. In the last three weeks, you've made over 50,000 dollars playing cards with the fallen angels. That's right. All right. Give me 30,000 dollars. All right. Give me 30,000 and we'll call the whole thing square. All the rest you win, you can keep. 30,000? You get 20,000. And you get it after I'm through cleaning up. No, Kendrick. I gotta have that money now. Racini can't be stalled anymore. You cheap little punk. I've always hated snivellers, especially blue blood snivellers. Get out of here. You're not even getting the 20 grand. I hope Racini rips your throat from ear to ear. It'll save me the trouble later. You're murdering me. You're handing me over to Rocco. Well, you won't get away with it. Put that candlestick down, you little fool. Put it down! Sniveller, am I? Sniveller! You dirty double-crossing murderer. Are you... Are you... Oh, good Lord. Why? I couldn't have done that. She's dead. I'm just gonna get out of here. Oh, Johnny the Janitor, you'll see me... The back way. I'll go out the back. After all, how are they gonna connect me with the murder? Nobody saw me go to Kendrick's except Johnny and he won't talk. I'm just gonna sit here and drink. Yeah, that's it. Get a drink. There. Just drink and forget it. Wait. Police. Oh, no, no, no. Not this fast. Oh, the devil. Who is it? Yes? Mr. Venner? Yeah, that's right. Sorry to trouble you. I'm Burke from Homicide. Can I come in? Yeah, yeah, sure. Come in. Thanks. You knew a Kendrick's, didn't you? Or perhaps you knew him as a Kennedy? Kennedy? Yeah, certainly I know him. Why? You knew him, Mr. Venner. Ace Kendrick's dead. Beaten to a pulp with a brass candlestick a couple of hours ago. Dead? Why, I saw him at the Metro Club earlier tonight. Well, how? Who? How and who is what I'm after, Mr. Venner. This is just a routine check, is it? What time was it you saw Kendrick's last? About eight, I'd say, Inspector. Good gosh. Beaten to death. Uh-huh. Messy. Now, exactly what did you do from eight o'clock on? Well, I... I suppose I must tell you in a case like this. Would be smart. And smarter still to tell it straight. Well, I left the club and... Well... Look, Mr. Venner, Kendrick's had hundreds of enemies I have a lot of calls to make. You'd better come to the station with me. No, no, I... It's just that I had a date. She's your alibi. You'll have to dig her up. Come along with me. But I... Who's that? Who's in the bedroom? Why, tell me, honey. You didn't tell me you expected anyone. Why... Hello. She's... I'm Alice. Aren't you going to introduce me, you jealous boy? Oh, sure. I'm from homicide. You two been here long? Why, since nine o'clock at least. Tony picked me up at eight thirty. Why? Just curious. I gotta be going now. Look, son, let me give you some advice. When a friend of yours gets killed, that's no time for chivalry. Waste my time. Lucky. Lucky, you know... Sure I do. I don't know why you did it, but I know you did. I must have gotten to Aces right after you killed him. What? How did you know it was me? I didn't. Thanks for telling me. I was surprised to get here ahead of you. Well, I didn't come directly. I was going to run for it. Went to Grand Central, and then I changed my mind. It's too hot in here for a man's dressing gown over a dress. Throw it on the chair. How'd you get in here? Up the fire escape, through the bedroom window. Why are you doing this? You were pretty thick with Ace. Ace is dead. Now you're carrying the ball. I thought you might need an alibi for your whereabouts. Oh, you're pretty icy, aren't you? Let's forget it. From now on, you're going to play at the Metro Club for big stakes. And to win. Me? Yes. I'm going to teach you the markings on the fallen angel cards you bought for the club. You're taking Aces place tomorrow night. I picked up a Texas oil man last night. He's got plenty. I'll bring him along, and you take him. It is my only chance to get that money I owe a senior. Lucky. Yes? Will you stick with me? I can't answer that, honey. I go with the money. I think I got what it takes, Vinner. I'll raise you 3,000. Vinner's had a terrific winning streak all night. Yeah, I know. He never won a nickel in his life before. One of those few lucky streets. I'll bump it 5,000. It beats me how I can be so lucky. If I find an oil well in Texas, the minute I come north, I get so unlucky. All right, I'll see you, Vinner. Wow, a full house. Who's the lovely creature smiling at Vinner? It's a friend of his. Of course, a lucky. She must be for him. You know, I think Tex is on the make for her. Let's get closer. I've lost 100,000 to you, and I'm just about ready to call it quits. But I'd like one more chance, a kind of quick chance. Okay, Tex, I owe you a chance. Well, we'll cut cards. High card for $200,000. That's pretty steep, Tex. Well, then you kind of think it over, Vum in this, Vinner. Joe, bring me a drink, will you? What'll I do, Lucky? Do it, honey. How can you lose? You know those markings as well as I do. Yeah, but 100,000 cleans me out, Lucky. I have to pay Rocco Rossini 20,000 tonight. Look, let's make it 80,000. No, all of it. You'll never get another chance. They're running low on fallen angel decks. Well, Vinner, how about it? Okay, Tex. Boy, bring a fresh deck. Well, that's very sportin' of you, Vinner. But then you had an unfair advantage of me right along. Unfair advantage, Tex? Oh, you had Miss Lucky for moral support. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's so. Here's the deck. You'll break it open, Tex. Mm-hmm. There you are, Vinner. After you. Yeah, sure. I'll take this one. Oh, not bad. You gotta beat the king of hearts, Tex. Pretty slim chance, I'd say. Well, there goes nothing. Hold it, Tex. Yes, Miss Lucky. Let me draw your card. I'm Lucky. No, I'd say that's up to Miss Lucky, Vinner, unless there's some reason she shouldn't. There isn't. I'll take this one. Ooh. One of the ace of diamonds, Miss Lucky. The ace of diamonds. Miss Lucky, I kind of owe you a great deal. Would you allow me to start repaying you with a dinner, ma'am? Why not? I go with the money. Mr. Vinner, it's 10.30. You got an hour and a half to dig up 20,000 clans of rock or we close the books. All you do is talk about a bay. I've got to see you, Johnny. Take me to my apartment. Okay, Mr. Vinner, if you want to spend your last minutes with a doll, it is your business. Come on. Come on. Oh. What do you want, Tony? This is Johnny the Gent, Lucky. He's going to wait outside for me. How do you do? I will be close by, Mr. Vinner. Remember that. Yeah, I know. Okay, Tony, what's it all about? You know we're washed up. Yeah, I know. You go with the money. And Tex Ruskin has millions. You know you're dumber than I thought. Didn't it ever occur to you that I might really love Ace Kendrick? What? Well, I did. More than any man I ever met. I was crazy about him. Oh, I... Did you think I'd let you get away with murdering him? Oh, but then why did you help me? Furnished me an alibi. You were so grateful you couldn't see you'd pulled a perfect job. You were clean on that murder, no fingerprints, nothing. Well, then why didn't you turn me over to the police? How could I? I had no proof. Anyway, I wanted to square it for Ace myself. Your face was wonderful to watch when I flipped that card tonight. It was white and pasty like it is now. It's going to be when they shave your head. Now, do you understand? You killed the man I love, you milk-fed lounge lizard. You're going to whine all the way down the last mile. And I'm laughing. Your mistake, Lucky. You shouldn't have laughed. Ah! Fallen angel. Okay, Johnny. Hello, Mr. Venner. Remember me? Burke from homicide? Burke. I've trailed you and Johnny the Gent here. Just had Johnny taken down the headquarters. See, we learned Johnny had driven an unidentified man to Kendrick's apartment the night he was murdered. We figured it was his boss, Rocco, so we raided his place. Found his books, found Ace owed Rocco some dough, so we doped it Rocco, bumped Ace. You think Racini killed Ace Kendrick? Sure. We also saw your name in the books and figured you were in danger. What was Johnny telling you all over? I'm glad I didn't arrive too late. Well, I'll be going now. Oh, by the way, I got to call headquarters. You mind if I come inside and use the phone? No, no, you mustn't. I'll only be a minute. I... I could have been free. I could have been free. Oh, Lord. Venner. The girl in there. Yeah. Yeah, I know. You should have dealt them off the top of the deck, kid. Let's go. And that creeps brings down the curtain on the adventure of the fallen angel. Tonight's performance in the Mystery Playhouse starring Lester Mane as Tony Venner. The original music for tonight's program was composed and conducted by Alexander Semler. For creeps, our Mystery Playhouse doors are closing, so until next time, good night. Sleep tight. This is the Armed Forces Radio Service.
