It's time now for Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. ["Tracer of Lost Persons"] Ladies and gentlemen, Aniston and Colin Oates present Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, one of the most famous characters of American fiction, in one of radio's most thrilling dramas. Tonight and every Thursday at the same time, the famous old investigator takes from his file and brings to us one of his most celebrated missing persons cases. Tonight's case is entitled, The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses. ["The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses"] If you suffer from the pains of headache, we urge you to try the remarkable product this program features, Aniston. Aniston is like a doctor's prescription. That is, it contains not just one, but a combination of medically proven active ingredients. That's why the relief it brings is often incredibly fast. Many of you I know first discovered Aniston tablets through your own dentist or physician. But if you've not yet used Aniston, we urge you to try it. You can get Aniston at any drug counter. Use only as directed. And if pain persists or is unusually severe, see your doctor. Aniston is spelled A-N-A-C-I-N. ["The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses"] Now for Mr. Keene and The Case of Murder with a Thousand Witnesses. Our scene is set at a county fair which is opened in a community just outside New York. It is a bright sunny afternoon, and as the visitors to the fair wander from exhibit to exhibit, they create a gay holiday mood. A well-dressed handsome gentleman of 45 has paused near an exhibit of cakes and pastries. After a moment, he is approached by his wife, a lovely woman in her early thirties, whose worried, tense expression sets her apart from the cheerful faces around her. William. And, darling, so you decided to come to the county fair after all? I...my headache's gone, William. Good. You're just in time, too. The bacon contest is about to begin. Oh. You know, I love these county fairs and the people who run them. They're wholesome, these folks. And by asking me to be an honorary judge, well, they flatter me more than I can tell you. I know that, William. In spite of your success, you've always been modest and simple, just like our neighbors. Plus, that's one reason I fell in love with you and married you. That's another thing I can't get over. How a lovely young actress like you ever gave up the stage just to marry me. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Brooks, but they're waiting for you to judge the baking exhibit over there. Oh, thanks, Miss Wilkins. I imagine you've got your usual delectable entries on the table again this year. Well, I baked a large cake, but maybe it isn't exactly right that the judge's housekeeper should be a contestant. Or the judge's wife, for that matter. My wife? And did you? I...I made a few small cakes, William. Just little decorative. Well, this is a surprise. I didn't know you were a cook, Anne. Up to now, I imagine that actresses couldn't even boil an egg. And you still may be right. This way, Mr. Brooks. We're waiting. Here I come. And now, folks, Mr. Brooks, our favorite country squire, will taste these cakes and tell us who's the best pastry cook in Bellows County. Mr. Brooks. Well, let's see now. Here's a delectable-looking morsel, if I ever saw one. Well, this cake is guaranteed to expand a man's waistline. I'll score that at 80 points. And now...oh, these little cakes look out of this world. Just...just a mouthful of... Mr. Brooks, what's the trouble? Get a doctor, somebody, quickly! Mr. Brooks! Mr. Brooks, what happened? Don't touch him, Miss Wilkins. He...he's dead. Dead? He was poisoned. The poison must have been in the cakes. And those cakes were baked by Mrs. Brooks, his wife. His wife! Then what happened, Miss Wilkins? When I shouted that the poisoned cakes had been baked by Mrs. Brooks, everyone, all those people turned to look for her, Mr. Keen. But she was gone. Saints Preservus. Murder with a thousand people looking on. You say Mrs. Brooks disappeared? Yes, Mr. Keen, and she hasn't turned up since. Holy mackerel, that makes her look even more suspicious. My partner, my Clancy, is right, Miss Wilkins. Mrs. Brooks has certainly made things more difficult for herself by leaving the scene of her husband's murder. There's no question about the fact that Mrs. Brooks murdered her husband, Mr. Keen. The police have an alarm out for her right now. Then why did you come to me, Miss Wilkins? Because I know your reputation, sir. You're not only one of the most famous criminal investigators in the country, but you have just as big a name for finding people, particularly criminals in hiding. If anyone can ferret that woman out, you can, Mr. Keen. You're very bitter about Anne Brooks, aren't you? Why shouldn't I be? Her husband was one of the finest men I ever knew. She only married him for his money, she and her theatrical heirs, while he was over 12 years older than she was. And besides, what did she know about running a country home and pleasing a man like Mr. Brooks? Miss Wilkins, how long had you worked for Mr. Brooks as his housekeeper? For 15 years. I've taken care of him as if he were my brother. And when he married that woman six months ago, I still remained in spite of everything. How do you mean, in spite of everything? Well, Anne Brooks and I never got along, Mr. Keen. But that's beside the point. I'm asking you, pleading with you to accept this case, sir. A man's been murdered, a good man, and I know that you'll want to see that justice is done. I most certainly do, Miss Wilkins, and I intend to see that justice is done. Thank you, Mr. Keen. I have the address of Brooks' home. You'll hear from me very shortly. Just one thing more before I go, Mr. Keen. In regard to her brother... Anne Brooks' brother? Yes. He's been living with them ever since the marriage. I see. And frankly, I think that man is worthless. He's been sponging on Mr. Brooks' generosity. Of course, I don't believe he had anything to do with the murder. But there is a chance that he may know where his sister is hiding. Well, in that case, I'll have a talk with him. You can expect my partner and me at the Brooks' home this afternoon. Very well, Mr. Keen. And thank you again for your help. Goodbye, sir. Goodbye, Mr. Clancy. Goodbye, Miss Wilkins. So long. Well, what's on your mind, Mike? Sir? I noticed how you stared at Miss Wilkins as she talked. What were you thinking about? You want me to come right out with it, boss? Well, you usually do. In my opinion, the killer just walked out of this office. And how did you reach that conclusion? Well, sure, in jealousy was written all over her face. She kept house for the man, Mr. Brooks, for years. Then he marries a younger, prettier woman, an actress. When the bacon contest comes up at the county fair, the housekeeper slips some poison into the wife's cakes... and the wife would get the blame for his murder. Well, Mike, that's not a bad theory. And look how anxious she is to nab the wife. Why, she can't even wait until the police grab her. Then she's got to come to you and ask for help. I'm glad she did. This is a strange case and an interesting one. We'll drive out to the Brooks' home this afternoon, Mike. Mr. Brooks' murder is certainly worth looking into. See, this is a nice-looking house, boss. Yes, Mike, it is. Mr. Brooks must have been a man of taste as well as wealth. That roadster parked in front of the door has a New York license plate. He's certainly a visitor in the house. Let's go inside. Mr. Keen and Mr. Clancy, please come in. Thank you. Is Ann Brooks' brother here, Miss Wilkins? No, and I don't know where he's gone. He wasn't here when I came back. But Mr. Hilton's here, sir. Mr. Hilton? Lawrence Hilton. He's in the living room. And he's the man you might be interested in talking to, if I may say so. Is he? Why? Well, he's young and he's good-looking. And he knew Mrs. Brooks before she married. I'll bet he's an actor, sir, and frankly, I don't care much for actors. What is he doing here? Well, he said he just stopped off to say hello to Mrs. Brooks and her husband. I told him about Mr. Brooks' murder, and he couldn't get over it. But he may be putting on an act. He might even know where she is, and he came here to check up for her. Miss Wilkins. Mr. Keynes, the investigator. What? I'll speak to Mr. Hilton alone, if I may, Miss Wilkins. Well, step right in there, Mr. Keynes. I told him you were coming here, and he said he wanted to wait for you. Now, as soon as Mrs. Brooks' brother arrives, please tell him I'd like to speak to him. Yes, sir. I will. The more she talks, the surer I am that she had something to do with the murder boss. We'll see soon enough, Mike. Now, let's have a chat with Lawrence Hilton. Mr. Keynes? Yes. I'm Lawrence Hilton. Miss Wilkins, the housekeeper, told me you were expected. Oh, yes, yes. This is my partner, my Clancy. Oh, how do you do? Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hilton. Needless to say, I'm still stunned by the news. I can't believe that Anne Brooks had anything to do with the murder of her husband, even though she did disappear right afterward. She's under strong suspicion, however. Yes, I can see that, Mr. Keynes. I understand you're a good friend of hers, Mr. Hilton. Yes, I toured with her for months in a Broadway production. She was the leading lady. I must admit, for a while I almost thought I was in love with Anne. But I was wrong. And I was very happy about our marriage. You don't happen to know where she is right now, do you, Mr. Hilton? Why, no, I thought she'd be here. I... Oh, great, Scott, Mr. Keynes, you don't believe I'm the one who's hiding her, I hope? Why, not at all. I just thought you might be able to give me some kind of a clue. No, I'm afraid I can't. Mr. Keynes. Yes, Miss Wilkins. Here is her brother, John Ainsley. Oh, how do you do, Mr. Ainsley? How do you do? I don't believe I know you, sir. My name is Hilton. Mr. Keynes, you're wasting your time here. I don't know where my sister Anne is. And what's more, she's innocent. She didn't murder her husband. That remains to be seen, Mr. Ainsley. However, I hope you're telling the truth about not knowing where your sister is. If you aren't, you're only placing her in further jeopardy. What do you mean? Every hour she's in hiding makes her look more guilty. Now, if she gives herself up willingly, she'll at least show faith in her own innocence. But if she's caught while hiding, I wouldn't give much for her chances of escaping a verdict of first-degree murder. Mr. Keynes, you're just trying to scare me into telling you where... In other words, you know where your sister is. Mr. Ainsley, I took this case to help your sister if she's innocent, not to convict her. But I see I'm getting no cooperation from you. Perhaps I'd better drop the whole thing and let Anne Brooks face the situation alone. Mr. Keynes, you... you really mean you want to help her? If she's innocent, yes. She won't be the first innocent person Mr. Keynes helped to free them, Mr. And don't forget it. Yes, I... I know his reputation. I'd put my trust in Mr. Keynes if I were you, Ainsley, and I assure you, I'm just as anxious to see Anne in the clear as you are. Mr. Keynes, call the Hotel Newton. The number is Central Four, 1174. Ask for Miss Brown in Room 103. She's hiding there under an assumed name? Yes, Mr. Keynes. Anne may never forgive me for giving her away, but I'm putting my trust in you. Hotel Newton. Miss Brown, please, Room 103. One moment, please. Yes? Is this Anne Brooks? Who are you? My name is Keynes. I'm investigating the murder of your husband. I never heard of Anne Brooks. There's no one here by that name. I'm only trying to help you, Mrs. Brooks. If you'll just trust me... Well, keep away from me. I warn you, keep away. You're not going to take me. If you try to do it, I won't be responsible for what happens. Hello? Hello, hello? My sister hung up on you, Mr. Keynes? Yes, Miss Ainsley, with a threat. She may try to get away again, or she may remain there at the hotel and do something foolish when we arrive. But in any case, we're going after her. Come along, Mike. We're heading for the Hotel Newton and a long talk with Mrs. Anne Brooks. In just a moment, we'll return to Mr. Keynes and the case of murder with a thousand witnesses. Meanwhile, beware of unpleasing breath that breeds between teeth. Get Collinose toothpaste with amazing dental floss action for a clean mouth and a pleasing breath. Most unpleasing breath breeds between the teeth in the deep recesses where food particles can collect and decay. These are the places that must be reached to have a really clean mouth, a pleasant breath. Your dentist knows this to be true. Now Collinose toothpaste gives you dental floss action, that is, sends thousands of active cleansing bubbles to penetrate hard-to-reach dental areas, helps dislodge bits of food that can cause unpleasing breath and tooth decay. What's more, Collinose has high polishing action, brightens dingy teeth by removing ordinary yellow surface stains. Collinose is gentle, safe for even children's teeth and tender gums. Enjoy its cool, clean, minty flavor, most refreshing toothpaste ever. Test Collinose in your own way. Keeps your teeth bright, your breath right. Collinose toothpaste is dentist approved, dentist recommended. Get the Collinose with dental floss action today. Save 31 cents on the giant economy size. Now back to Mr. Keen and the case of murder with a thousand witnesses. Mr. Keen, the great investigator, and his partner Mike Clancy are investigating the murder of William Brooks, a wealthy country squire who was poisoned to death while judging a baking contest at a county fair near his home. Mr. Keen has just discovered that beautiful Ann Brooks, the victim's wife, who is suspected of murder, is hiding in a nearby hotel under an assumed name, and as he and Mike reach the room she's occupying. Well, this is it, Mr. Keen. Room 103. We better handle this carefully, Mike. Ann Brooks knows she's under strong suspicion of murder. She may prove to be difficult to reason with. Knock on the door. Knock, knock, knock, knock. Ann has no answer. The hotel clerk said he didn't see her leave. Use the key he gave us. Boss, look. She's sitting in a chair over there, just staring out of the window. Yes. I think she's been weeping, Mike. Mrs. Brooks. Yes. I'm Mr. Keen. This is my partner, Mike Clancy. Who... come to turn me over to the police? We've come to talk to you. I'm glad you didn't try to get away after we phoned. There's no point in running away. I'm tired and beaten. They believe I killed William, my husband. There doesn't seem to be any way to prove my innocence. Perhaps everyone doesn't hold to that theory, Mrs. Brooks. What do you mean? It doesn't seem logical to me, for instance, that you murdered your husband. You mean you really want to help me? I wouldn't be here if I didn't. I would have notified the police at once. I love my husband, Mr. Keen. I wouldn't kill him if I didn't. Do you feel you can answer my questions calmly now and tell me everything I want to know? Yes. Yes, of course, Mr. Keen. Now, the poison that killed your husband was in the cakes you baked. Tell me, when did you prepare them? The night before we went to the county fair. Why did you enter the baking contest at the fair? I understand you were an actress before you were married, and your domestic experience is limited. I decided to enter the baking contest because of Miss Wilkins. Your husband's housekeeper? Yes, Miss Keen. She worked for the Brooks family for many years. She resented my marriage to William. Perhaps she hoped he'd have married her someday. At any rate, I had to prove something to Miss Wilkins and to William, my husband. What was it you wanted to prove, Mrs. Brooks? That I wasn't useless in the house. That I could cook and clean and do anything I had to do to make him comfortable. So you learned how to bake and tried to win a contest at the county fair to impress your husband. Yes, Mr. Keen. Who was in your home the night you prepared those cakes, Mrs. Brooks? William, Miss Wilkins, and my brother John Ainsley. I remember I quarreled with Miss Wilkins that night. I was in the kitchen, and the cakes were in the stove. She came in while I was mixing the icing. You say Miss Wilkins, the housekeeper, quarreled with you? Yes, Mr. Keen. She accused me of messing up the kitchen. She said I'd left a box of rat poison on the pantry floor and that it was dangerous. Rat poison? I remember looking for something in the pantry and maybe I took the box out of poison out by accident. Never mind the quarrel at the moment, Mrs. Brooks. Just tell me, what happened to that box of rat poison? Miss Wilkins said she replaced it where it belonged. Now, while you were mixing the icing for the cakes, did you leave the kitchen for any length of time? Why, yes, I did for five minutes. I wanted to talk to my husband. About what? I thought Miss Wilkins was going too far. I decided to have it out with my husband about her. But I changed my mind when I found him in the study. He was upset. He... Yes, Mrs. Brooks. Why was your husband upset? He asked me a very odd question. He wanted to know if I'd ever been involved in a scandal before he married me. What did you tell him? I was amazed. I denied it, of course. He seemed to take my word for it, Mr. Keen, because he looked relieved. Then you returned to the kitchen and the cake icing, eh? Yes. Now, tell me, Mrs. Brooks, what ingredients did you use for the icing? A prepared chocolate mixture and sugar, mostly. Sugar from a bowl? Yes, Mr. Keen. And did you leave the bowl in plain view when you were out of the kitchen? It was on a table next to the stove. Mike. Yes, boss? I think I have an important clue to the murder of Mr. Brooks. I'm going to take you back to your home, Mrs. Brooks, and give you a chance to clear yourself. Your brother is there with Lawrence Hilton. Lawrence? Is he a good friend of yours? Why, yes. He's an actor, and we toured in the same theatrical company. I haven't seen him in quite a while. I asked them both to wait at your home. Oh, just one thing more, Mrs. Brooks. Can we get inside the house and into the kitchen without being seen by anyone in the living room? Why, yes. There's a service entrance, Mr. Keen. I think we'd better get started. Incidentally, can you brew a good pot of coffee, Mrs. Brooks? Yes, Mr. Keen. But what's coffee got to do with all this? It may enable you to go free and point an accusing finger at your husband's murderer. Here we are, Mr. Keen, Mr. Clancy. This is the kitchen. Be very quiet, Mrs. Brooks. Where is that sugar bowl you used the night before your husband's murder? Usually kept in this cabinet. Yes, here it is, Mr. Keen. It's empty, boss. Oh, that doesn't matter, Mike. We'll fill it up again with sugar. Very well, Mr. Keen. You start to brew that pot of coffee, Mrs. Brooks, and serve it when it's ready, exactly as I instructed you to. All right. Meanwhile, Mike and I will join John Ainslie, Miss Wilkins, and Mr. Hilton in the living room. I still don't see what you'll get in that, boss. You may find out, Mike, that a murderer can be caught with a bowl of sugar. Good evening. Oh, it's Mr. Keen and his partner, Mr. Clancy. We didn't hear you come in the front door, Mr. Keen. We came in through the service entrance, Miss Wilkins. Did you see my sister? Yes, I did, Miss Ainslie. How is she? Anne hasn't done anything foolish, I hope. On the contrary, Mr. Hilton. Mrs. Brooks is in the kitchen right now, preparing some coffee for us. Coffee? At a time like this, Mr. Keen? As good a time as any, Miss Wilkins, and that means Anne's been cleared of suspicion. She's free. Not quite. She must turn herself over to the police tonight. But what? Anne. Good evening. Here, let me help you with that tray, Mrs. Brooks. Oh, thank you, Mr. Clancy. I think everyone can use a cup of coffee. It's going to be a strenuous night, I'm afraid. Would you serve, Mrs. Brooks? Of course, Mr. Keen. This is crazy. We're sitting here drinking coffee as if nothing... Sugar, Mr. Ainslie? Oh, I don't care. Either way, give your brother two teaspoons of sugar, Mrs. Brooks. How about you, Miss Wilkins? Yes, I'll have some coffee. Sugar? Please. And now, Mr. Hilton? I don't care for coffee, thank you. You don't, Lauren? Why, I remember how fond of you used to be when we were on the road together with the play. Was I? All right, I'll have some. But no sugar. I already put sugar in it just a moment ago. I also remember how you liked your coffee. Very sweet. I'll have a cup, Mike. And take one for yourself. It certainly smells good. You're not drinking your coffee, Mr. Hilton. I... I don't feel very well, Mr. Keen. I believe I'll leave. Nothing to do with that coffee. What? You heard what the boss said. You either drink up, Mr. Hilton, or I'll take you over my knee and feed it to you. That's not a bad idea, Mike. No! Let go of me! No! That's all I wanted to know. Put the handcuffs on him, Mike. Get out of my way! Never leave with your right, Mr. Stope! Can you have a little more of the same or will you behave yourself? I think he'll be quiet now, Mike. Well, his bracelets will make sure of that, boss. I... I don't understand. What's it all about, Mr. Keen? Lawrence Hilton murdered your brother-in-law, Miss Drainsley, and tried to place the blame on your sister, Anne. But... but how could he have done it? I think I can reconstruct the story now, Miss Wilkins. Hilton was hiding outside the kitchen window when you and Anne Brooks quarrelled about that rat poison. When you both left the kitchen, he placed some of the deadly poison in the sugar bowl. And when Mrs. Brooks returned, she innocently mixed it in with the cake icing. That's why Hilton refused to drink the coffee just now. He thought the poison was still in the sugar bowl. And that's how I hoped to trap him. But why, Mr. Keen? Why should he want to murder Mr. Brooks? Well, from what Mrs. Brooks has told me, perhaps I can guess that too. William Brooks asked his wife if she had ever been in a scandal before she married him. Obviously, someone had told him she had and tried to blackmail him. Am I right, Hilton? You may as well talk, Mr. You don't have a chance to get away with it any more. All right. William Brooks said he was going to turn me over to the police for blackmail. He threw me out of the house. I killed him to protect myself. In other words, after you saw William Brooks, you hid outside on the grounds, trying to find a way to strike back at him. And then when you overheard his wife's conversation in the kitchen, you thought you had your perfect opportunity. I wanted to marry her once, and she refused. Who did she think she was, a goddess? You didn't love me, Lawrence. You only wanted to marry me because I was the star of the show and a good friend of the producers. How could I get further your career? So you saw through Hilton even then, Mrs. Brooks. Yes, Mr. King. But I never dreamed he'd resort to murder. When he heard of your advantageous marriage, he thought he'd cash in on it. So he tried to blackmail your husband by creating a sordid lie about your past. And he hoped he'd be able to strike back at you for turning him down. Hilton, you thought your plan for murder was clever. But it really wasn't at all. And I think you'll agree with that when you are convicted of murder. And so Mr. King finds the solution to the case of murder with a thousand witnesses. The next time you are suffering from the pains of headache, neuritis or neuralgia, try Anisyn. You'll bless the day you heard of this incredibly fast way to relieve these pains. Now the reason Anisyn is so wonderfully fast-acting and effective is this. Anisyn is like a doctor's prescription. That is, Anisyn contains not just one, but a combination of medically proven active ingredients in easy-to-take tablet form. Thousands of people have received envelopes containing Anisyn tablets from their own dentist or physician. And in this way have discovered the incredibly fast relief Anisyn brings from pain of headache, neuritis or neuralgia. So next time such pains strike, take Anisyn. For most effective relief, use only as directed. Your druggist has Anisyn in handy boxes of twelve and thirty, and economical family-sized bottles of fifty and one hundred. The name is Anisyn, A-N-A-C-I-N. Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, is based on the novel Mr. Keen. The radio sequel is originated and produced by Frank and Dan Hummert. Dialogue by Lawrence Klee. Bennett Kilpac plays Mr. Keen. It's on the air every Thursday at this time. Don't miss Mr. Keen next Thursday when the kindly old Tracer turns to the case of the man who invented death. Music Ever suffer heartburn from acid indigestion, new Bicidol mints, medically proven, quickly rid stomach of that blown-up feeling. Anywhere, anytime. Bicidol mints give longer lasting relief than baking soda, help prevent immediate return of the trouble, soothe irritated stomach lining, let you sleep when indigestion strikes at night, carry new Bicidol mints for fast relief, and always have Bicidol powder in your home. 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