Presenting Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons in The Mother's Plea Murder Case. A new weekly feature on NBC's All-Star Festival of mystery, comedy, music and drama. Ladies and gentlemen, once again we present Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. One of the most famous characters of American fiction and one of radio's most thrilling dramas. Tonight, the famous old investigator takes from his files and brings to us one of his most celebrated missing persons cases. Tonight's case is entitled, The Mother's Plea Murder. Mr. Keen is presented by Dentine, the gum with breathtaking flavor and Beeman's Pepsin, the gum that's great to chew and good for your digestion too. By Chesterfield, ask your dealer for Chesterfield, the only cigarette that names all its ingredients. Brought to you by Anison for fast relief from pain of headache, neuritis and neuralgia. Now here's something of interest to you. For breathless moments, for your breathless moments. Chew Dentine, the gum with, ah, breath taking flavor. Dentine tastes so good. Dentine freshens your breath. Dentine helps keep your teeth sparkling clean and white. Dentine, the gum with, ah, breath taking flavor. Before you go out and always after eating, drinking, smoking, refresh your breath with Dentine. You'll love Dentine chewing gum, for Dentine has a wonderful tingling, nippy flavor that lingers on and on. It's delicious. And remember, Dentine helps keep your teeth white too. Keep Dentine handy. You'll enjoy refreshing your breath when you chew Dentine. So for breathless moments, for your breathless moments. Chew Dentine, the gum with, ah, breath taking flavor. Now Mr. Keene, tracer of lost persons in the Mother's Plea Murder Case. Our scene opens as a middle-aged woman, obviously under great tension and deeply troubled, enters the elevator of an apartment house in New York and asks the question whose answer plunges her into a frightful sequence of horror and murder. I want to go to Miss Shirley Spears' apartment. Oh, it's the third floor, ma'am. It's a funny thing when you came in, I thought I knew you. Maybe you visit in the building often. I've never been here before. That's Miss Spears' apartment right there. Thank you. Yes? Are you Miss Shirley Spears? Yes. But I'm Mrs. Gilbert Gray. Mrs. Gilbert Gray. Come in. Well, what do you want with me? Miss Spears, I threw away pride, self-respect, all the things I value to come here and plead with you for the sake of my children and my home. Okay, you did. So what? This morning, my husband Gilbert asked me for a divorce so he could marry you. I told him that was the only way he could get me. I've got some pride of my own. You're young and attractive. I can't believe you're in love with my husband. Maybe we both love him for the same reason, Mrs. Gray. To slice it cold, I mean dollars. I love him because he's my husband, because he's the father of my children who adore him. Oh, don't make me cry. It ruins my makeup. If it's money you want, I'll give you everything I have. How much is that? $20,000. Oh, 20,000 against his cool million? Don't make me laugh. You're cheap and vulgar and horrible. She's dead. I've got to get out of here without being seen. But how? How? I've come to you in desperation, Mr. Keen. You're the only person I could think of to help me. My name is Mrs. Gilbert Gray. Sit down, Mrs. Gray. This is my partner, Mike Clancy. Pleased to meet you. Mr. Keen, I came about the murder of a girl named Shirley Spears. Shirley Spears? Mr. Keen, sir, I just finished reading about that murder in the paper. You did, Mike? The police are scouring the town for a woman the elevator lad at the apartment gave them a description of. He says he took her up, but she never came down again. I'm that woman, Mr. Clancy. Saints preserve us. Mrs. Gray, were you in the murdered girl's apartment when she was killed? Yes. I escaped through the back service stairs. Mr. Keen, you've got to help me. Mrs. Gray, I must ask you the direct question. Did you murder the girl, Shirley Spears? I'm a religious woman, Mr. Keen. I'll put my hand on the Bible and swear that I didn't. She deserved being killed if a creature ever did, but... To help you, I must know all the details. What was the purpose of your visit to Shirley Spears? Oh, Mr. Keen, don't ask me to tell you that. Then I can't take the case, Mrs. Gray. A tigress fights for her cubs, Mr. Keen. Her mother fights for her children. Yes? I was pleading with her and begging her. I offered her every penny I have to let my husband alone. I see. She laughed at me. And just then a shot rang out. And she fell dead before me. I knew then that I had to get out of that woman's place, so be caught there and accused of murdering her. Boss... Now let Mrs. Gray go on, Mike. The evidence she presents against herself is so black. It seems only an innocent person telling the truth would present it. Then you will help me, Mr. Keen. Yes, provided you promise to do exactly what I tell you. You must surrender yourself to the police immediately, Mrs. Gray. To the police? And be as frank with them as you've been with me. You made a grave mistake leaving the murder scene. But Mr. Keen... It's good advice Mr. Keen has given. Why? Your case goes before a judge and jury, evidence of the temptation to escape will go bad with you. Before a judge and jury? Mrs. Gray, has your husband sufficient means to furnish bail if the police arrest you? The last word she said was twenty thousand dollars against his cool million. Is your husband Gilbert Gray the wealthy lumberman? Yes, Mr. Keen. And a finer husband and father never lived until he met that girl. Mrs. Gray, you mentioned the murdered girl's last words. Tell me, what led up to them? I told her I couldn't believe a young girl like her could love Gilbert. And that I loved him as my husband and the father of my children. Yes? And she said something about maybe we both loved him for the same reason. His dollars. It was horrible. Here's the address of the police station, Mrs. Gray. The sooner you arrive there, the better. I'm in your hands, Mr. Keen. Mike Clancy and I will call on your husband and arrange for your bail. You are Mr. Gilbert Gray? Yes. My name is Keen and this is my partner, Mike Clancy. Mr. Keen, Mr. Clancy, come in. Well, Mr. Keen, I just received a phone call from my wife. That thanks to you, the police are holding her for murder. I demand an explanation. Your wife came to me for help, Mr. Gray. So you threw her into jail. Strange way to help her, I must say. Besides, she doesn't need your help. Well, maybe it's you yourself that needs help. And why so, Mr. Clancy? My wife in a jealous rage killed a young woman who was employed in my office. Mr. Gray, you seem as firmly convinced that your wife is guilty of murder as I'm convinced she's not. Mr. Keen, I realize the position she's in and I will get her out myself. I know exactly how to do it and very quickly. How, Mr. Gray? By confessing you are the murderer? What's that? As I understand the situation, you asked your wife for a divorce so you could marry the murdered Shirley Spears. Did my wife tell you that? Yes. And she also informed me that the fatal shot was fired almost the instant the murdered girl made the statement that the only reason she was attempting to break up your home and marry you was, as she put it, for your dollars. What? If you were concealed in the apartment and overheard that statement... I wasn't in Shirley Spears' apartment when my wife was there, Mr. Keen. So I didn't overhear anything and I didn't kill her. The police will undoubtedly bring up that possibility, Mr. Gray. I have drawn no conclusions myself. Mr. Keen, I'm sure you rate me among the lowest of the low. And I am. My wife is the most wonderful woman in the world and few men have children like ours. I must have been out of my mind to involve myself with a girl like Shirley. Remorse often comes too late, long after the harm is done. Mr. Keen, I want you to investigate this case for my wife and myself jointly. I work with the police, Mr. Gray, and my investigation is solely in the interest of your wife. But Mr. Keen... I will do everything in my power to prove her innocence. But to accomplish that, I'll have to prove someone else guilty. I... Hello? Yes, yes, he's here. It's for you, Mr. Keen, a lieutenant hail of the police. Oh, thank you, Mr. Gray. Hello, Lieutenant Hale. You have? That's very interesting. We'll be there at once. Goodbye. Mr. Keen, have the police found anything else against my wife? I fear so. The elevator boy at the murder building has positively identified Mrs. Gray. I suggest you accompany Mike Clancy and me to the police station. Our car is outside. How do you do, Lieutenant Hale? Glad to see you, Mr. Keen. Thanks for turning in Mrs. Gray to us, the Spear Girl's killer. Hello, Mike. How do you do, Lieutenant? Lieutenant Hale, this is Mrs. Gray's husband, Mr. Gilbert Gray. Your wife spoke something about bail, Mr. Gray. I have my checkbook with me. We're holding her without bail. We've got an open and shut case. I'll call my attorneys. Wait, Mr. Gray. Lieutenant Hale, where is the elevator boy who identified Mrs. Gray? In the next room, Mr. Keen. His name is Tom Emmett. Tom, this is Mr. Keen. The famous investigator? I'd swell to meet you. Tom, do you positively identify Mrs. Gray as the murderess of Shirley Spears? Well, not as the murderess, Mr. Keen. But I took her up to Miss Spears' apartment, and she must have killed her because she made a getaway down the service stairs. Do you know this gentleman, Tom? Oh, sure. He was Miss Spears' boyfriend. Pretty old for that kind of work, to my way of thinking. I don't know his name, though. My name is Gilbert Gray. This is Gray's husband. What do you know? Always wondered why you kept your name in the dark. Tell me, Tom, was Mr. Gray in the murdered girl's apartment today? Not today, Mr. Keen. Of course I wasn't. I've got other things to tell you, Mr. Keen. And I have other questions to ask you, Tom. Perhaps you'll excuse us, Mr. Gray. Certainly. I know that we're alone, Tom. You may talk freely. Now, what else have you to tell me? I, uh... I want to give you this $50 bill, Mr. Keen. I see. Does it relate to the murder? I don't know, but... But I got it from Miss Spears' sugar daddy. You mean from Mr. Gray? Sure. He gave it to me to say he wasn't near Miss Spears' flat today, if the police question me. Was he there near the murder time, Tom? He got there about an hour before his missus did. And I didn't take him down in the elevator, either. Say, uh... Say, do you think maybe he did the shooting? Mrs. Gray looks like a pretty nice woman to me. May I keep this bill, Tom? I'll give you a receipt for it. I don't need any receipts from you, Mr. Keen. I'll return it to you at the proper time. You'll testify to what you told me in court? Yes, Mr. Keen. You can depend on me. Then I shall see you later, Tom. Lieutenant Hale. Yes, Mr. Keen? Will you be kind enough to have this $50 bill fingerprinted? Of course. What's it all about? In my opinion, it's positive evidence that Mrs. Gray did not murder Shirley Spears. You don't change your mind often, Mr. Keen. And you turned her in. I turned her in because I knew she wasn't guilty, Lieutenant Hale. And I promised to deliver the actual murderer to you within the week. I'll release Mrs. Gray, then, on your word. Good. And send her to my office, please. Okay. I'll send her to your office. Mike Clancy took a call from there saying Mrs. Gray's son, Jack, was there wanting to see you. And Mike and I will hurry down there now. Goodbye. And thanks, Lieutenant. Mr. Keen will return in just a moment in the mother's plea murder case. But first... The mask is off. The mask is off in cigarette advertising. Chesterfield is first to name all of its ingredients because you should know what gives you the best possible smoke. The right combination of the world's best tobaccos, pretested by laboratory instruments for the most desirable smoking qualities, and kept tasty and fresh with tried and tested moistening agents. Pure natural sugars, chemically pure, harmless, far more costly glycerol. Nothing else. Only these are entirely safe for use in the mouth, as proved by over 40 years of continuous use in tobacco products. And remember, your Chesterfields are wrapped in cigarette paper of the highest purity, the best that money can buy. We name our ingredients because every smoker should know what makes Chesterfield the best possible smoke. Much milder with an extraordinarily good taste, and most important, no unpleasant aftertaste. Ask your dealer for Chesterfields, sound off for Chesterfields, and do it today. Now back to Mr. Keen and the mother's plea murder case. Mrs. Agnes Gray, the wife of a millionaire lumberman, has come to Mr. Keen begging him to save her from a murder charge. When her husband, Gilbert Gray, asked her for a divorce so that he could marry Shirley Spears, his young secretary, Mrs. Gray had gone to Shirley's apartment to plead with her. During their quarrel, Shirley was shot to death, but Mrs. Gray insists she was not the murderer. Mr. Keen has learned from the elevator boy, Tom Emmett, that Mr. Gray had given him a $50 bill as a bribe to conceal the fact that Gray was also at Shirley Spears' apartment near the time of the murder. Now Mr. Keen and Mike are returning to their office, where Mrs. Gray's young son, Jack, is waiting to see them. And Mike is saying, Mr. Keen, sir, look through the glass. It seems Mrs. Gray beat us to the office. She's inside talking to a young lad. No doubt it's her son, Jack. I'll open the door, Mike. Oh, Mr. Keen, I knew you'd have me released from that jail. Mrs. Gray, I assume this is your son, Jack? Yes, Mr. Keen, the pride of my life. But it's the first time he's ever held back on telling his mother what he's up to. I can't get it out of him, what he's doing here. Mother, I came to tell Mr. Keen that neither you nor Dad murdered Shirley Spears. I killed him, Mr. Keen. I'm the murderer. No, Jack. Mr. Keen, Mr. Clancy, don't believe him. And why did you kill a young fella? Because she was pulling your father away from your mother? That's right, Mr. Clancy. And I expect to go scot-free. The son's got plenty of justification for killing a woman who's breaking up his parents' home. Mr. Keen, Jack is just saying he killed that girl to save me. Calm yourself, Mrs. Gray. Go on, Jack. Mr. Keen, it will hurt my mother to hear it, but I was mixed up with Shirley Spears myself. No, Jack, no. He's true, Mother. What? I was there when you pleaded with her to give up Dad for our sake. And when I heard her laugh at you, I shot her. Arrest me, Mr. Keen. I deceived you. I killed her. I'm convinced you didn't, Mrs. Gray. You're attempting to pay the penalty for what may be your son's crime. That's just it, Mr. Keen. Mother sacrificed her whole life for Dad and her children. Jack, how did you gain admittance to the murdered girl's apartment? Why, I rang the bell and went in, that's all. Did you walk up or take the elevator? I took the elevator. Why? Mike? Yes, Mr. Keen, sir? Please phone Tom Emmett, the elevator boy at the murder apartment. Tell him we're bringing up another suspect for him for possible identification. Okay, boss. I'll use the phone in the back office. I came to you for help, Mr. Keen, and you gave me your solemn promise. So I did, Mrs. Gray. The only help I ask of you now is to charge me with murder. I won't have my son pay for my crime. What a wife and mother you are. You like you in the world today. Oh, Mr. Keen, sir, the elevator lad says that he'll be there another hour. Thank you, Mike. We'll drive Jack out there. Mr. Keen, I'm going back to the police station and confess to that girl's murder. Mother, mother! I'll bring her back, Mr. Keen. You're not so fast, Maybuckle. You're going with Mr. Keen and me to be identified. I don't have to be identified, Mr. Clancy. I've already confessed. Isn't that enough, Mr. Keen? The stronger the case against you, Jack, the better for your mother. If the elevator boy identifies you, I'm certain the police will pay no attention to your mother's confession. In other words, she'll be released. That's sane at all, Mr. Keen, sir. Hello, Mr. Keen speaking. Mr. Keen, this is Gilbert Gray. Oh, yes, Mr. Gray. Are you speaking from your home? Yes. My daughter Vera is very anxious to talk to you. She's in a high state of excitement. Indeed? Vera claims, and I believe her, that her fiancé murdered Shirley Spears. Your daughter Vera's fiancé killed the woman you were involved with and wanted to divorce your wife to marry? It does sound unreasonable, but it's a fact. The chap's name is Lionel Curtis, and he's here now. What was his motive? He had a prime motive, Mr. Keen. While he was audibly courting my daughter, he was actually using that as a pretext to kill her. As a pretext? Why? Because he knew my regrettable connection with Shirley and wanted to throw me off the track. He himself was infatuated with her, and when Shirley told him our plans, he murdered her. While your wife was pleading with her to give you up, Mr. Gray? Yes, Mr. Keen. My daughter saw him going in the apartment house where Shirley lived a matter of minutes before the murder. Mr. Gray, your wife has already confessed the murder. What? But I think she did it to save you. Does that mean you want me to confess to save her, Mr. Keen? No. Your son Jack has confessed the crime. I tell you, the murderer is my daughter Vera's fiancé, Lionel Curtis. The case rests on identifications. Whose, Mr. Keen? I'll ask the police to escort you to the murder apartment with your daughter's fiancé. And I refuse to go there, Keen. I'll spend a million to get my wife and son out of this mess, but I won't go to that place. I think the police will persuade you, Mr. Gray. Goodbye. Mr. Keen, sir, I heard it all on this extension. And if I ever listen to a cock and bull story, that's it. You and Jack Gray go to the car, Mike, while I acquaint Lieutenant Hale with my plans. I'll join you in a moment. Okay, boss. Come on, Jack. Yes, Mr. Clancy. Well, Mr. Keen, there's that elevator boy, Tom Emmett, waiting at the door for us. So I noticed, Mike. Tom? Oh, hello, Mr. Keen. Tom, look carefully at this young man and tell me, did you take him to the murdered girl's apartment in the elevator this morning? That's funny, Mr. Keen, I did. Just before I took Mrs. Gray up. Well, Jack, I confess I didn't believe you were on the murder scene. I told you I was there, Mr. Keen. Mr. Keen, is this the guy that bumped off Miss Spears? It may be, Tom, but I'm expecting the police with other suspects for you to identify. More, Mr. Keen? Oh, will I be a big shot when it comes out in the papers I was working with you? Excuse me if I pop a button off my vest. Mr. Keen, sir, it's Lieutenant Hale. And he's got Mr. Gray and his wife, and that young feller, I guess, with him is Lionel Curtis. Good afternoon, Lieutenant Hale. It's always gratifying to work with you. And with you, Mr. Keen. Although I'm not entirely in agreement that your client, Mrs. Gray, isn't our killer. I confess to the murder, Mr. Keen, but I'm grateful to you for trying to save me. Mrs. Gray, you confessed to murder you didn't commit to save your husband and your son, Jack. That's what I've been telling Mr. Keen, Mother. When Dad told me that the police were holding you, I couldn't take it. I had to own up. Oh, son, son. Mr. Keen. Yes, Mr. Gray? Neither my wife nor my son, Jack, murdered Shirley Spears. Here's the killer, Lionel Curtis. Mr. Keen, this old two-timer is lying his head off. The question is, can you prove he is Lionel? Well, I was ten miles away from here when Shirley was shot. Can you prove that? Why, I don't know. Tell me, mate. Yes, Mr. Keen? Can you identify this man as going to the murdered girl's apartment shortly before she was killed? I can and I do. Say, do you think he killed her? I'm getting all mixed up. You've already identified Mrs. Gray as a visitor, Tom. Yes, sir, but I don't think she done it. And you gave evidence that Mr. Gray, her husband, gave you this $50 bill to say he wasn't in the murder apartment. That's right, Mr. Keen. I wasn't taking no payoff to life to keep a guy from getting a murder rap, Mr. Keen. I never gave this boy $50. I wasn't near Shirley's apartment today. I swear I wasn't. Lieutenant Hale had your movements traced, Mr. Gray. What? And he discovered you were not. Is that correct, Lieutenant? Mr. Gray wasn't here. Neither was his son Jack, Mr. Keen. Only Mrs. Gray was. I'll let you make the arrest, Lieutenant Hale. Right. I arrest the person you told me you suspected, Mr. Keen. This elevator man, Tom Emmett. You're talking through your hat, copper. When you tried tricks on Mr. Keen, you put yourself in the electric chair, Emmett. How'd you get me, Keen? The police unearthed the fact that you, Tom, were the real lover of Shirley Spears. I wasn't until this old goat Gilbert Gray came along, and she ditched me. You, Tom, identified three people as being on the scene whom the police proved were not. And you gave me this $50 bill as coming from Mrs. Gray's husband. And that made me suspect you in the beginning. Why? It seemed unreasonable a man of Mr. Gray's intelligence would take a chance like that on an elevator boy. I had the bill fingerprinted by the police. Mr. Gray's prints were not on it. But yours were, Tom Emmett. It was all quite simple. Mr. Keen, you saved me and my husband and my home. The good God in heaven will reward you. Your gratitude is the most valued reward I can hope for, Mrs. Gray. And so Mr. Keen finds the solution to the mother's plea murder case. If you would like to know a quick, easy way to ease the pain of a headache, neuritis, or neuralgia, then by all means try Anison. Your own dentist or physician may, at one time or another, have handed you an envelope containing Anison tablets. Then you already know how incredibly fast and effectively Anison brings relief. Anison is like a doctor's prescription. That is, Anison contains not just one, but a combination of medically proven active ingredients. For your own sake, try Anison. Anison is sold to you on this guarantee. If the first few tablets do not give you all the relief you want as fast as you want it, you may return the unused portion and your money will be refunded. You can get Anison tablets at any drug counter. Anison comes in handy boxes of 12 and 30 tablets and economical family-sized bottles of 50 and 100. Listen again next week to Mr. Keen Tracer of Lost Persons, a new weekly feature on NBC's All-Star Festival of mystery, comedy, music, and drama. Brought to you by Denteen, the gum with breathtaking flavor, and Beeman's Pepsin, the gum that's great to chew and good for your digestion, too. By Chesterfield, the only cigarette that names all its ingredients. Sound off for Chesterfield, the cigarette that's much milder, with an extraordinarily good taste and, most important, no unpleasant aftertaste. And by Anison, for fast relief from pain of headache, neuritis, and neuralgia. Mr. Keen Tracer of Lost Persons is based on the novel Mr. Keen. The radio sequel is originated and produced by Frank and Ann Hummert. Dialogue by Frank Hummert, directed by Richard Leonard. Philip Clarke plays Mr. Keen. Your announcer, Jack Costello. Remember, Mr. Keen is on the air at this same time every Thursday at 8.30 Eastern Standard Time. Don't miss Mr. Keen next Thursday when the kindly old Tracer turns to the Apple Orchard Murder King. Dragnet, authentic adventure is next on NBC.
