The ringing of that phone bell means... ...mystery, adventure. Mero Wolf's office, Archie Goodwin speaking. Mr. Wolf? Yeah, he's right here. Who's this? Archie, hang up. Don't ask questions. You, uh, you have a while? Archie, it's past your bedtime. Well, I'm afraid, Mr. Wolf, it's past his bedtime. Your bedtime? It's a client, boss. That's what I was afraid of. Hello? Hello? Hello? Well, why do you look so bewildered? He's coming right over. He says he's got a date. With murder. Ladies and gentlemen, it's the detective genius... ...who rates the knife and fork... ...the greatest tools ever invented by man. The pounder's brilliant and unpredictable Mero Wolf. Created by Rex Stout and brought to you in a new series of adventures... ...or with this NBC network in the person of Mr. Sidney Greenstreet. Tonight's story, the case of the calculated risk... ...was as strange and baffling as any Mero Wolf had to deal with. It started late one night when a big-shouldered man... ...sporting a reddish beard and billing himself as Dave Keffrey... ...pushed his way in, walked up to Mero Wolf's desk... ...and rocked him with his opener. Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wolf, you'll be the first to know... ...that the man who made the knife and fork... ...was the man who made the knife and fork... ...and rocked him with his opener. Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to kill a man. I beg your pardon, sir? I'm going to kill a man with these two hands. I've been told strange things across this desk, Mr. Keffrey. This is the first time a murderer has confided his intention... ...to me in advance. This man you speak of... I'm not telling you his name. I'm not telling you where I'm going to meet him. This session tomorrow is going to be private and personal. But if anything happens to me between now and then... ...I want you to take over. Mr. Keffrey, do you seriously think I could assist you... ...in a matter of private vengeance? That's not what I'm asking. This guy deserves to die. I plan to kill him with these two hands, me, myself. But if I slip up, if he gets me first... ...I want you to see that justice is done. But I assure you, sir... I told you this guy deserves to die. Let me tell you why. Years ago down south... ...there were three men in business together, partners. Me and two others. You're a notebook archie. Mr. Keffrey doesn't mind? You're wasting your time, Wolf. The names I'll use will be phony. I won't give you anything you can check back on. We'll take our chance, sir. Please proceed. It happened in a town about 40 miles from the place where we had our business. We'd gone there to collect some money. The three of us. Carl, Mitch and me. Dave Keffrey. But all we collected was bad news. So bad that Carl hadn't even given our right names at the hotel. Said it was scared some of our creditors would come hitting up on us for what we owed. Three of us had had some drinks and... ...we'd been pacing around for nearly an hour. I can still remember the way Mitch stood and looked at me. Then up at Carl... ...when Carl suddenly pulled to a stop and came out with this idea of his. So, Dave, you got 6,000 cash on hand. You counted it, Mitch. Well, didn't we make it 62.40, Carl? Whichever. We've got this 6,000 odd. Plus some slow accounts receivable against debts of 38,000. With three of us trying to live from the business, we haven't got a chance. Well, we ain't got much of a one, Carl, but... It's hopeless, Dave. With two partners, though. Two partners? You reckon I'm pulling out, Carl? I say we cut cards for it, Mitch. Low man drops out. Break up the partnership? After sticking together all these years? Oh, wait a minute, Dave. Wait a minute. Maybe Carl's right. Maybe this could work. Carl, you mean the low man drops out clean right now? Right now, Mitch. The other two to take over assets and debts... ...and see if they can get this thing back in the black. Okay, Carl. Get the cards out. Dave? Well, that's what you guys want. Okay, then. Here's a new deck. Shuffle them, Mitch. All shuffled. Cut them, Dave. Go ahead, Mitch. You get first pick. Spread them if you like. Here goes. Six. Your turn, Dave. Okay. Nine of clubs. Lucky guy, Dave. That puts you in whatever Carl pulls. I'll pull it fast. There she is. An ace. Sorry, Mitch. That leaves you elected. Well, Mitch, I'm sorry, too. I guess we all had a fair whack at it, but... Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see that ace again, Carl. Easy, Mitch. I said I was sorry, but... Look, Dave. What is it, Mitch? All the aces are marked. Carl, I'm gonna cram this deck right down your cooking throat. I got it, Mitch. He's got a knife. Carl, you... All right. I've cut him for keeps. What do we do now? What do we do? Look, Carl, I didn't mark those cards. I didn't kill Mitch. And what's more... Shut up, Dave. We're both in and out now. Come on. Let's get out of here. Come on, Mitch. Now what, Carl? Look, Dave, this is where we split up. Two men together, easy to trace. You head one way, I go the other. Yeah, but the door... I got no money. Here. I'll split up the 6,000. This is your head. Here, stick the envelope in your pocket. Now, grab that trace. Get set. I'll catch the next one going the other way. Come on, Dave. That's how it was, Mr. Wolf. It all happened so fast that I... This man you call Carl... He seemed to be one of the worst-choice creatures, Mr. Gaffrey. When I thought to look in that envelope he gave me, I found 40 dollars and a few folds of wrapping paper in it. I was mad enough to... Well, I got off the freight and intended to go back, but... Then I picked up a paper. And read all about the murder of your friend Mitch with the statement that Carl had accused you of the crime. And that the police believed him in view of your escape. That's it. Classical, but not at all original. Well, I was young then and stupid. I'd had those drinks to start with. And you spent the intervening years hunting down the man Carl, am I correct? Yeah. I trapped the country from east to west, from north to south. Tramped up for years searching for him. Yesterday I located him. He's a big wheel these days up on that 37th floor of his. But tomorrow when I get to... Yes, Mr. Gaffrey, the 37th floor of... Never mind what building. Now, wait a minute, Gaffrey. If you expect Mr. Wolf to help you... I don't want him to help me. I'll help myself. But if I slip off, I know Wolf's reputation well enough to know that he'll never rest till this rotten, chiseling murderer is sitting in the chair. That's why I've come here. Just to provide a backstop in case my dear friend of long ago manages to get the best of me. How will we know? You see this envelope? Read what it says. Near old Wolf, 601 West 35th Street, New York. Delivered to him in case of my death. That's right. And this envelope is $500. Nearly all I've got in the world. Along with it, the full details on that knife. Real names, dates. The proof you'll need in case I don't finish it up. Go on. Tonight, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to give this envelope to the manager of the hotel where I'm stopping. I'm calling on, well, Carl. Tomorrow at noon, right after his secretary goes to lunch. If I'm not back in my hotel at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon, the hotel manager will deliver this envelope to you. Is that clear? Perfectly. But you don't think I'm going to allow you to go through with this wire-pranderer? You can't stop me. And don't have Goodwin follow me. I'd lose him in two blocks. Good night. Shall I try to tail him, boss? It's no use, Archie. Get Inspector Kramer on the phone at once. I want the police to help us head off this murder. Nero Wolf speaking. It's Archie. I'm calling from the morgue. And? They found Caffrey's body in a subway washroom, mugged and stabbed. While it gone, pockets cleaned out, no envelope. Just two hours ago he was here. No envelope, eh? Gone. Witnesses? None so far. Homicide's calling it straight mugging and robbery. As it well might look, except for... Except for a guy named Kahl. How much do I tell Kramer? All of it. Ask the inspector to start queries throughout the South on the original killing. The original killing? Look... It's our best chance of getting a description of the man called Kahl. The original killing and the partnership. Starting from, say, eight years ago and working back to the middle twenties. Tell him to concentrate on towns and railway lines. Putting out pictures of Caffrey and... Pictures and dentistry. Fingerprints to Washington. Kramer will know. And if I come across a haystack, do I keep my eye out for needles? We are going to find Kahl, Archie. We are going to find him if he takes him now to a doomsday. Mr. Wolf, let's face it, we're licked. Licked, Archie? Three days now. We found Caffrey's hotel here in New York. No traceable phone calls. Not a witness has turned up on that subway washroom party. And Kramer says he's getting nowhere with those answers from the Southland. The original story is bound to come slowly, Archie. We are asking a check on the unsolved killings of a dozen states over a twenty year period. Hmm. Then what now? You start trudging, Archie. Trudging? Through office buildings, through 37 floors of many office buildings. You keep trudging till we find him. Oh now wait a minute, Mr. Wolf. This is a big city, remember? I might have to go through hundreds of buildings. This morning, Archie, the municipal reference library informed me that there are exactly 34 buildings of 37 floors or higher in Manhattan. Now, when you rule out the United Nations building, hotels and... Okay, okay. Maybe not so many 37 floors, but lots of offices per floor. Maybe 40 or 50. Call it 30 times 40 and you've still got 1200 to start with. And you don't know what kind of business, you don't know what Carl's real name is, you don't even know what he looks like. There could be 4,000 men like him. 4,000 affluent men, Archie? Yeah, well, all right. Caffrey said he was in the chips though. You know, for a guy who'd been bumming around, that could mean anything from 10 grand a year up. Hey, wait a minute, that cuts your field to a thousand. A thousand tall men? Tall? I've been over those notes. Caffrey didn't say he was tall. As plainly as you could ask. Caffrey was almost your height, but he said Mitch stood and looked at me. And then he looked up at Carl. Up, Archie. That makes Carl your height or taller. Yeah, well maybe Caffrey and Mitch were sitting down and Carl was... Caffrey told us the three were standing at the time. Check your notes. I've studied them. Okay, maybe that does cut it down some. Yeah, it's still a lot of citizens that start checking for a southern accent. Don't rely on accent, Archie. Carl has had many years to lose any accent he might have had. Yeah, that's true. And so we narrow it, Archie. A man almost surely tall, a man not using the name he was born with, a man with an unexplained gap in his past. I ought to be able to reach right out and tap him. You go skeptical again, Archie. Well, it's still a pretty big haystack. Let's see if we can't trim it some more. On these building lists I've been going over, I've ruled out for now the members of professions requiring lengthy formal training. Medical men, lawyers, scientists of most kinds. Yeah, that's chopping it down. I'll admit that. I'll have further eliminations as we get into it. And I'm putting soilpans on a second list this afternoon. Some of the credit references I'll handle by phone. So I start trudging, huh? You start trudging. And remember, Archie, since you'll probably be operating through secretaries, you are looking for a murderer named Carl. Not for a new set of telephone numbers to brighten your winter. Tall? Well, I don't know what you're peddling, Goodwin, but if my boss put his elevator shoes on and stood on a box, he'd still be down somewhere around my necktie. If he stood on his money, though, we'd need a helicopter to get up near his shoelaces. Oh, Miss Jonas, do you mind if I sit down? Why, of course not, Mr. Goodwin. Oh, thanks. You know, I've been in 12 offices on this floor, and you're the first girl who's seen the importance of this survey first crack out of the box. Well, I'm sort of new here, and I try to pay attention when... Oh, you're not just beautiful, you've got a head on you. Is Mr. McClain in? Well, he's at lunch right now. Lunch? Oh, that reminds me. No any good restaurants up this way? Well, I was just going to the downstairs drugstore myself, but I wouldn't say... Well, come on, put your bonnet on and let's skip the drugstore. This meal is on the executive resources survey. There you are, boss, the boil down. Tinsley, McClain, Fernandez, Tesoro, and Kaplan. All five of them tall, all five a little misty in the backdrop. You and Saul have done well, Archie, very well. But I'm crossing off Fernandez and Kaplan. Why? The credit bureau report clears Fernandez, and Kaplan was on a special war job. The FBI x-rayed his record twice. Leaving J.P. Tinsley, Carson McClain, and Philip Tesoro, huh? I'd like to see all three here, Archie. Get them here one way or another. And so you do admit that Tinsley isn't your real name. Mr. Wolf, are you a blackmailer or what? I'm a licensed private investigator, sir. Any disclosure you make will be kept in confidence, provided it doesn't touch on the case I'm engaged on. You haven't said what the case is. I don't intend to. If you prefer to explain this mysterious gap in your background, at the district attorney's office. Well, I'm using the name Tinsley because I've got an undivorced first wife out on the coast. We broke up 20 years ago, but she said she'd see to it that I never married again. And she knew where I was today. Well, I don't say I'm a saint, but she's a vindictive woman. I see. May I have names, dates, and places starting 1924? I can't quite understand your interest, Mr. Wolf. It's rather complicated, to put it briefly, Mr. McClain. I'm working in the interest of a client. Our people have found this puzzling gap in your background, and I'd appreciate such clarification as you may be able to supply. But I told you, Mr. Goodwin, I was raised and educated in the Orient. Until 32, I was in business with my father in China. Where, you say, your father died? Died. With the Depression, I returned to New York, started this importing business in a small way, weathered through the early 30s, and I think my bankers can assure you of my standing today. They've done so. Carson McClain and company has an excellent credit rating. Thank you, Mr. Wolf. To switch somewhat abruptly, Mr. McClain, would you happen to remember how you spent the evening of the 19th? Of this month? Of this month. Well, I could hardly... Wait. You say the 19th. Would that have been on a Tuesday? Yes, it was Tuesday. That simplifies it. I'm nearly always at the office on Tuesday nights dictating the revisions in our weekly wholesalers' lists. Let me see. Yes, I was there on the 19th at a tray center. Miss Tunis and I worked till just after midnight. Miss Helen Tunis, the secretary Mr. Goodwin spoke of. She's been with me for two or three months. Miss Tunis can confirm this dictation on the night of the 19th? Of course. And Mr. Wolf, your manner is so persuasive that I'd scarcely realize you're asking some extraordinary searching questions. May I ask why in the world you... If you'll indulge me, Mr. McClain, my prying is nearly concluded. You say you were in China until 1932. Mr. Tesro, I'll be brutally frank. We know that your name is not Tesro. And we know that you served a prison term from 1934 to 1938 for arson. I'd like some straight answers. I didn't say I wouldn't answer your questions. The past can remain your own provided... Look, Mr. Wolf, I've been going straight for 12 years. And this business of mine is on the level. Now, if this is a shakedown... I'm asking where you were on the night of the 19th. And I'm telling you, I stayed in town. I ate alone. And I went to a movie. I caught the 1135 for Stanford. And that's all there is to it. You're denying that you were ever in business in the South? I was born in the South, but I haven't been back there since I was a kid. What about the arson? I put in four years squaring for that mistake. Let's start again, Mr. Tesro. You say you were in Cincinnati in 1931. Okay, Mr. Wolf, three candidates and we're still on the one yard line. Our one yard line. Tesro McLean Tinsley. No, no, rule out McLean. He gave references enough for those years in China. And with Helen Tunis, he's got the one firm alibi we've laid on to. Caffery was killed before midnight. With conditions as they are in the Far East, Archie, it'll be weeks before cables came back on McLean's claims. Claims? You figure the whole Chinese background's a fake? I want you to see Miss Tunis again, Archie, taking all precautions for her safety. And this is one time I give you permission to ply her with all the attentions you can contrive. Are we far enough to pull tails on any of these three? I've got Saul Panzer on Tesro and Saul promised to have men on Tinsley and McLean. Pictures of the three have gone to Kramer for circulation in the South. Oh, no answer yet from the coast on Tinsley, huh? Not yet. For the moment, Archie, you'll concentrate on Helen Tunis. Helen, I've got to see you tonight. I'd love to, Archie, but... Now, look, Helen, I phoned you to come out in the corridor this way because I didn't want McLean to know we're talking. Do you still say you got that new make-code on your own money? Mr. Goodwin, I don't know what right you have to... Helen, if you get five guys to buy your stuff, it's your business, but... Helen said his wife might be sent hectors around, but you can go right back to your old Mrs. McLean and tell her that I... Easy, Helen, easy. He was dictating to me. You know, baby, the harder you lie, the prettier you look. But if this is a fake alibi and if you keep propping it up, you're going to find yourself in trouble, bad trouble. Now, how about it? Do I see you at your apartment tonight or would you rather come down with me to near old wolves right now? Archie, I... All right, I can't go with you now and I've got a dinner date with my aunt tonight that I can't break, but... I'll try to be back at my apartment by 11. Archie! Near a wolf's being. This is Archie, Mr. Wolf. I'm in Helen Tunes's apartment. Well? I could cut my throat for not making her come with me this afternoon. Trouble? Not for her anymore, poor kid. I got here three minutes ago and found her strangled. Couldn't have happened more than half an hour ago. McLean. McLean. Didn't Saul Panzer say he was getting a tail on him? He was a new man and he lost him. I should have left you on McLean, Archie. Yeah, we were both wrong. What do you want me to do? Phone the police immediately. This is 32nd Street. I'm only three blocks in a job from the office. What if I come back and call from there? Come back then. I'll phone Kramer myself. Mr. Wolf, I'm still kicking myself for that. Look out, Archie. Too late, Mr. Wolf. Keep coming right in, Goodwin. With your hands up. No, I wouldn't try that. McLean. And keep your hand out of that desk drawer, Wolf. This time you're too late, McLean. My hand's in the drawer and I think I'll leave it there. You don't think I'd shoot? I'm sure you would. But you've got two of us to cover now. No Archie, don't try to draw yet. How'd you get in here, McLean? He surprised me after making his way in through the area way below and of course it had to be Fritz's night out. I caught your fat friend just two seconds before he could get in his call to the police, Goodwin. I overheard his talk with you from the hallway here. My apologies for not crying out sooner, Archie. Get your hand out of that drawer. Pull it out without the gun, Wolf, or I'll let you have it now. I refuse to, McLean. Seems obvious that you mean to kill us in any case. I'm afraid that's true, Wolf. But when you called me here and Goodwin started making dates with Helen Tunis... Boy, kid, I told her not to talk to you. He didn't, Goodwin. I've been scared of you and Wolf since I followed Colby here that first night. Colby? You knew him as Caffrey. I caught up with him afterward in that subway washroom. No? Keep that hand up and watch that gun of yours, Wolf. When I found that envelope on him and read the letter to you contained in it, I knew he hadn't spilled the whole South Carolina story to you. South Carolina? Will the original knifing have been taken place anywhere near Hampton or Jasper Countess? Hampton County. But our business is over the line in Georgia. It doesn't matter now. Ah, pity, Archie. We learned this afternoon that we were growing warm on South Carolina. Mr. McLean, may I ask what you hope to achieve by this insane project of disposing of Mr. Goodwin and myself? I'm buying time, Wolf. I've 90,000 in small bills in that bag there, plus a plane ticket to Buenos Aires. I've got a silencer on this gun. If you two aren't found till tomorrow morning, I'll be out of the country before they start looking for me. You don't think the police will put out an alarm for you when they find the body of Helen Tunis? Goodwin left it to you to report that. Remember? Let's remind ourselves to be prompt on reporting death, Archie. Starting with our own, Mr. Wolf? Glad you can take it that way, Goodwin. You actually think you can knock the two of us off? I'm about to find out, Goodwin. One moment, McLean. You've never been a real gambler, you know that. With marked cards, of course. But you're not the man to face the sure loss now. The sure loss? The loss of your life within seconds after you tried to pull that trigger. I told you I had a silencer. You think anyone will hear the shots? There'll be more shots than you count on. My hand's on a pistol now in this draw, and Mr. Goodwin has a.38 in his shoulder holster. You can't shoot through the desk, and Goodwin won't get a chance to draw. You're an intelligent man, McLean. Vicious, but intelligent. May I describe the certainty of your immediate death if you don't throw that pistol on the desk and give yourself up? There are two of you. I know that, but... McLean, you must be aware that in the actual fact, exceedingly few men are killed instantly by a single shot, even from a pistol of heavy caliber. The one you hold is a.32. And it's a.45 in that draw, McLean. I assure you, McLean, that neither of us will surrender the weapons we have should you start shooting. We'll both do our best to draw and keep firing until you're dead. You're stalling, Wolf. What have I got to lose by trying for you both now? Your life? I'll correct that. The loss of some six or eight weeks of your life, possibly months, whatever the time necessary to bring you to trial and to convict you and execute you for the murders you've committed. Suppose I cancel you out and then take my chances with Goodwin. A better choice, but still a dubious one. I am fat, exceedingly fat. And for perhaps the first time in my life, I am thoroughly grateful for that. My bulk affects the calculation, McLean. McLean, you could pull off all seven shots and still not hit Mr. Wolf where it counts. If you have to start, you better start on me. You exaggerate, Archie, and I thank you for the gallantry of it. No, it's quite likely that with two or three shots, McLean might well dispose of me, but not with your first shot, McLean, and will not permit you many more than your first. Look, if I promise to do no more than tie you two up to give me my head start, will you toss in your guns? Of course not. Do I speak for us both, Archie? Check. I say let's start it now. Wolf, if I give you half of what's in that bag, would you forget these admissions I've made and help on my defense? I've told you I refuse the bargain. I think that I should count five. If your weapon hasn't been tossed on the desk by then, I'll do my best to get my pistol into action. Are you in accord, Archie? Start counting. Wait a minute, Mr. Wolf. One. If I trade half that bag for no shooting and one hour start, no tying up, just your promise that... Two. All the bag for a half hour start, 90,000. Three. Are you ready, Archie? All set, sir. Except if you're the one who walks out of this, call up every number in my little red book, huh? And tell each girl I was thinking of her just before you got the five. Agreed. I resume four. Okay. You win. Good, Susan. It worked. It worked. A commendable choice, McLean, for us at least. You see, I'm afraid I forgot to mention one slight factor which might have operated in your favor. What's that, boss? I must confess, Archie, that my.45 is in the upstairs den where I took it to oil it last night. Holy cow! You didn't have a gun? Why, you... Take it easy, McLean. I've really got one. Oh, by the way, Mr. Wolf, signals off on those women, huh? If the hot gets back down out of my throat, I'll call him myself. I'll trouble you for a beer first, Archie. And then if you'll be good enough to phone Inspector Kramer, you can bid him pick up his triple murderer. The one-time cutter of cards. Fortunately for us, who's never been a real gambler. You have been listening to The New Adventures of Nero Wolf starring Sidney Greenstreet. Tonight's transcribed story was based on the characters created by Rex Stout. This is an Edwin Fadiman program produced and directed by J. Donald Wilson. In the cast were Gerald Moore as Archie Goodwin and Lorraine Carter, Bill Johnstone, Howard McNear, Herb Butterfield and Vic Rodman. Next week at this same time, Nero Wolf and Archie will bring you the case of the Phantom Fingers. Don Stanley speaking. Three chimes mean good times on NBC.
