The makers of Camel Cigarettes present Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, private detective. What cigarette do you smoke, doctor? Again, that question has been asked of doctors in all parts of the country, doctors in every branch of medicine, and again, the brand name most is Camel. Yes, according to this repeated nationwide survey, more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette. Here transcribed is Richard Diamond, private detective, starring Dick Powell. It was a cold afternoon in New York. There was six inches of snow on the streets and twice that much on the fire escape outside my window. I looked down at Broadway and watched the miserable pedestrians edging their way over the slippery ice-covered sidewalks and thought about burning some of my furniture. It was just the day for anything unpleasant, and when the door to my office opened, I turned around to look at one of the most unpleasant sights I'd ever been faced with. Standing in the door was something that looked human, and I used the term human only because I stuck around long enough to find out for sure. He was about six feet and well dressed in a dark gray overcoat, but his face raised goosebumps from my argiles to my haircut. It was as dark gray as his overcoat, his whole face, his eyes, his lips, and when he spoke, even his tongue. Mr. Diamond? Yeah? I want you to find a man, and I want you to find him in the next five hours. He didn't sit down. He just stood there facing me like a bad dream. I pushed the chair back and got up as though I had to be standing to protect myself from what was coming. The man I want you to find is named Carnes. He's a science teacher at State College. Is he missing? Would I want him located if he wasn't? Would I have asked you if I'd known the answer to that? How much is your fee, Mr. Diamond? When I know what I'm getting into, a hundred a day in expenses. Yes, five hundred. Find Lewis Carnes in five hours and you get another five hundred. Does it matter if you know what you're getting into? I never go waiting if there's quicksand around. Not even for a thousand dollars? I never like to count money when I'm suffocating. You only have to find Lewis Carnes. I guarantee you'll live through it. And after I find him? You can spend your thousand and forget about it. Why do you want him found? I owe him a debt. I want to pay him. And why do I have to find him in the next five hours? Because that's how long I've got to live. Interesting situation? You bet. And that thousand made it about as interesting a situation as I'd ever gotten into. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, standing there as gray as an early morning ghost. I wanted to ask him about his color. But in a business like mine, if a client comes in riding a purple llama, you greet him like everybody rides purple llamas and keep your mouth shut. He handed me the five hundred dollars and a card with his business address on it. Roger Vegas, 64 West 110th. Studio of modern photography. He backed up two steps, smiled a slow, dead smile, turned and walked out of the office, like he was going to look at his own grave. I sat back down and thought about it for a while, and a little voice in the back of my head kept whispering, Don't do it, Diamond. Don't do it, Diamond. Don't do it, Diamond. Oh, shut up. You'll be sorry. What about the thousand dollars? It'll buy a nice funeral. Eh, peasant. Well, if it ain't Richard Diamond, the overstuffed flatfoot. Well, if it ain't Sergeant Otis, the overstuffed flathead. Oh. No. Someday you'll be sorry. Well, everybody is sooner or later. Think of what your poor mother must have gone through. That ain't funny. I'll bet your father didn't think so either. Oh. Oh, Rick. Still picking on him? Oh, he'll be picked on till somebody plucks off that other head. What's up? Uh, Walter wants some information. If I can? History on a fellow named Roger Vegas. Here's his card. Also, a Mr. Lewis Kynes, science professor at State College. Well, I'll try. What's it all about? Roger Vegas wants me to find this Lewis Kynes. Wants to pay back a debt. What's unusual about that? I don't know. Oh, but you should see Roger Vegas. He'd scare you right into a dozen more ulcers. I doubt it. No room for any more. Well, the ones you've got would hide. You should see this guy, Walt. His face, his hands are dark gray. What about the rest of them? Now, wouldn't you know it if I got to ask him to take his clothes off? Very funny. What do you mean he's gray? Well, that's just what he is. Even his eyes. Not just the pupil, but the whole eye. The whole eye? Yeah. If he raised his collar, he could stick out his tongue, put a tie pin on it, and wear it with a dark blue suit. His tongue, too? Even his fingernails, his gums. I suppose his hair is plaid. Okay, okay. But if you ever run into this guy in a dark alley, get set to faint. Well, see what I can find out about him. I've got to have the information pretty fast. I've only got four and a half hours to find Lewis Kynes. How come? Because Roger Vegas has only got that long to live. Rick. That's what he told me. A guy with a gray face comes into your office, wants you to find another guy, and tells you you've got to find him in the next four and a half hours because he's going to die. Who's going to die? The guy with the gray face. You didn't say that. You said, got to find the guy in the next four and a half hours because he's going to die. Oh, well, you know what I meant. No, no. Vegas gave me five hours. You said four and a half. Well, that was a half an hour ago. Duh, swell. Oh, I'm wasting my time. I've got to find him. The man with the gray face? No, the science professor. Walt, you're getting pretty confused. I'll see you later, huh? WAP WAP WAP I left the fifth precinct, grabbed a cab, and 20 minutes later, I was walking across the campus of State College. Being Saturday, the big school was quiet and impressive as it stretched out over the dozen acres of snow-covered grounds. I located the administration building and found one lonely student working in the main office. Ahem. Yes? Oh. Good afternoon. Looks like it might be. Can I do something for you? Well, yes. I'm looking for Professor Karnes. Professor Karnes? Mm-hmm. He's in the science department, isn't he? Professor hasn't been on campus since last Thursday. Faculty's been rather worried. You don't know where I could find him? No, but I'm through here in half an hour. I could help you look. Oh, I bet you could. You know where the professor lives? Sunphile. Well, why don't you be a good little freshman and... Junior. A junior and get me his address from that file. Because it's more fun not being a good little junior. And the college has certain rules. Well, then be a bad little junior and break the rules. I'm off in half an hour. Might be able to then. I've got to find a science professor, dear. And until I do, I'm afraid I'll have to pass the extension course in biology. And if you find the professor? We'll talk about it. I'm in here every afternoon. College hasn't changed a bit since my days. Just jumped into second gear. The cute little junior walked her sweater and saddle shoes over to a long file and came back with Professor Karnes' home address. I thanked her. Promised she could wear my gold badge if she passed lunch hour and took my cab back to town. At the professor's house, I met his sister, an elderly lady named Drusilla, who reminded me of my math teacher at P.S. 14. I haven't seen my brother since Friday morning, Mr. Diamond. And you have no idea where I can find him? No. Why do you want to find him? Well, I'm a private detective, Miss Karnes. I was hired by a man named Vegas. Oh, you know him? I most certainly do. Would you hire you to find my brother? That's right. He's not a good man, Mr. Diamond. I believe he's the reason my brother disappeared. Maybe you'd better tell me about it. My brother married a girl many years younger than himself, and unfortunately it was not a good marriage. Did this Vegas person mention my brother's wife? No, he just told me he wanted to find the professor in order to pay him a debt. A debt? That's what he said. Watch out for that man, Mr. Diamond. He broke up my brother's marriage. Well, maybe I'd better talk to your brother's wife. That would be impossible. My brother's wife killed herself. Oh, well, that's too bad. My brother and I believe she killed herself because of that man Vegas. My brother found out they were seeing each other. When he begged her to stop, she said that it was impossible and refused to give a reason. A week later, she killed herself. Have you ever seen Mr. Vegas? No, I have not. Why? Well, I was just wondering why any woman would go for a man like him unless she liked ghosts. I left Drusilla Kines and looked at my watch. It was three o'clock and I had only two hours left to find the professor and earn my thousand dollars. On the way to the nearest phone booth, I thought about the case and wondered if the thousand dollars would be worth in the long run. I watched part of my last five bucks drop in the phone and decided it was. Lieutenant Levinson, homicide. Diamond, Walt. I want to know about a suicide. Otis won't do it. Professor Kines' wife. I thought so. I checked for you on Vegas and the professor. The professor's wife jumped off a building five days ago. What did you find out about Vegas and the professor? Not much. At the inquest, the professor accused Vegas of breaking up his home and driving his wife to suicide. Neither man's got a record. Vegas is a professional photographer and the professor has been teaching at State College for the past 11 years. I talked with some of the men at the inquest and they remembered Vegas. They all say his skin looked pretty healthy at the time. Do me a favor, Walt. Check with the coroner and find out what would turn a man's skin that color. Sure. Got any leads on the professor yet? No, but he got a hunch. I just left his sister's and she doesn't seem at all worried about her brother's disappearance. So? So if she isn't worried, there's a good chance she knows he's all right. And if she knows he's all right, she might know where he is. Oh, no wonder they made you a Lieutenant, Walt. You keep thinking like that and someday you might even take over for Sergeant Otis. Bye. I left the phone booth and walked back toward Drusilla Kahn's house. I staked myself out across the street in a corner gas station and warmed my blue little ears inside while I waited for the good Drusilla to contact her brother. I was just guessing, but it worked. Ten minutes later, Drusilla, dressed in a heavy fur coat that looked like it should be out on the river building at Dam, walked out of her house and hailed a cab. I hailed one too and followed. Fifteen minutes later, I was back on the campus of State College. I watched her get out, walk around back of one of the buildings, knock on a door. She waited until someone opened it and then she disappeared inside. I tried the door, but it was locked again. So I toured the building. The front door was locked too. I set to work trying to pick the lock. I broke a Boy Scout knife, half a dozen fingernails, and several bobby pins that for some strange reason had found their way into my coat pocket. So I did the next best thing. I went back to the door that Drusilla had entered earlier and waited. Five frozen minutes later, the door opened and I stood there facing Drusilla while her look melted every icicle within ten feet. Standing directly behind her was a small man, his breath showing clearly against the cold air coming in short gasps. Drusilla. It's all right, Lewis. What do you want, Mr. Taimond? Nothing now, Miss Karnes. I have found it. Is that the man, Drusilla? Yes. He's a detective. Vegas hired him. It's all right, Drusilla. If Vegas wants to find me, I'm tired of hiding. Tell Vegas that I'll be waiting here, young man. Lewis, you know what he'll do. It's all right. Vegas knows he's only got a few hours left. Has that strange color of his skin got something to do with it? Yes. Have you seen him since the inquest, Professor? No. Well, that's funny. How did you know about his skin and that he only has a few hours left to live? MUSIC Before we continue with Richard Taimond, here is an important question. What do you look for in a cigarette? Well, most people say flavor and mildness. Those are two things you'll find in camels. No other cigarette has camels' rich, full flavor. The flavor of costly tobaccos, properly aged and expertly blended. And no other cigarette gives you this conclusive evidence of mildness. In a coast-to-coast test, hundreds of people smoked only camels for 30 days. Each week, noted throat specialists examined the throats of these smokers and reported not one single case of throat irritation due to smoking camels. Yes, that's proof of mildness based on day-in, day-out smoking, not just a sniff or a puff. Make your own 30-day camel mildness test, the sensible test, the thorough test. You'll enjoy camels' rich, full flavor from first puff to last. You'll see just how mild camels are, and you'll know why more people smoke camels than any other cigarette. How mild, how mild, how mild, how mild can a cigarette be? Make the camel's 30-day test and you'll see, smoke camels and see. And now back to Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell. Well, I'd found the professor and the thousand dollars was close to being mine. All I had to do was notify Vegas and collect. Even the professor guaranteed to help by staying and waiting for Vegas. But something was wrong. Standing there in the snow, looking at the timid professor, something began to smell to high heaven. I turned and walked away. Even if the professor was going to run, what was I supposed to do? Carry him piggyback until I located my dying client? The thousand was important, but there was a lot more that had to be solved in a hurry. I went back to town and over to the photography shop run by Roger Vegas. Is there something? What's the matter? Oh, nothing. Nothing. Can I do something for you? I'm looking for Roger Vegas. Oh, he ain't in. Ain't I seen you someplace? You might have. I move around. Where can I find Vegas? He ain't here. I know he ain't. Where can I find him? Home, I guess. Home. That would be somewhere in New York, huh? I, uh, I supposed to give out the address of who wants him. I do, and I ain't supposed to give out the name. You're pretty sharp. Sharp guy, huh? Tell him to call Richard Diamond. Richard? Richard Diamond. My family thought it up. Okay. You know me now? No. No, I was mistaken. Well, I'm surprised. I sent you to Sing Sing ten years ago. The professor's hiding in the school? That's right, Walt. In the basement of the science building. I just left Roger Vegas' photography shop, and guess who was working there? Who? George Youngwell. Youngwell? The guy you sent up on that blackmail rap? Ten years ago. Well, I knew he was out, but I haven't heard anything about him in a couple of years. Well, he's working for Vegas. Must be keeping his nose clean. No, I've seen cleaner noses on pigs. Somebody want me? No. What is it, you melonhead? Well, gee, don't yell at me like that. I got something more in Roger Vegas. Well, do you want to hand it to me, or would you just like to stand there and throw it? Oh. Gee, I wish you'd stay away from Diamond. Every time you see him, you get meaner and meaner. Come on, come on. What do you got? Here. Ain't nothing much robbery detail come up with it. Huh. That photography shop was broken into this morning, Rick. What was? A burglary got some prints on the windows. Belongs to some guy named Carnes. Carnes? Yeah. Says here, checked prints with State License Bureau. Prints belonged to one Lewis Carnes, professor of science at State College. I'll see you later. Rick. Yeah? I nearly forgot. I checked with the coroner. Told him about the color of Vegas' skin. He said that it could only be caused by a strong dose of silver salts. Silver salts? Poisoning known as pyrinia. P-Y-R-I-N-N-I-A. Silver salts. They use that in a photography shop. The coroner said a man would have to drink about 30 grains for a fatal dosage. That's quite a bit. Hmm. Can you tell you how long he'd live? Yeah. Anywhere from six to eight hours, according to the dosage. First the victim turns gray, then green. About what time was that photography shop broken into, Walt? Oh, sometime before nine this morning. Before they opened up. Thanks. Where you going? Gonna talk to George Youngwell and then find out if my gray client has turned green yet. Hello, George. I told him, Diamond. I told him you wanted to see him. He said he was going over to your office. Oh, thanks. Look, what are you looking at me like that for? I'm going straight now. Swell. I got a good job, see? Legit. I don't want no trouble. I don't blame you. Okay. Mr. Vegas has gone over to your place. Why don't you go meet him, huh? Plenty of time. Look, he's in a hurry. He's got a big trouble and he's got to take care of it in a hurry. Yeah, I know. He's got about an hour. Well, go on, go on. He paid you, didn't he? What do you do around here, George? Ah, listen. Listen, you, I know my rights. I'm clean. I don't know what you're trying to prove, but I don't buy none of it. Now, get out of here or I'll call a straight cop. You know why Vegas is gonna die in an hour, George? Yeah. No, no, I don't. If I did, I don't have to tell you nothing. Nothing, see? Maybe you know why he wants to find the professor. No. Maybe you knew the professor's wife. No. Maybe you know why she got killed. No, no, no. Get out of here, Diamond. Get out. I'm clean. I'm legit now. Yeah, like a tub of mud. What do you mean? I want you to tell me about Vegas. What about him? What about him? He owns the shop. That's all. He makes pictures. What else does he do? Nothing. Nothing that I know of. What else he does, I don't know about. What are you doing? Get away from me. I want to know all about it, George. I think I know most of it. I want to know the rest. No, I don't know. No, get away. I'm not a cop anymore, remember? I don't have to play the rules. You can't scam me. You won't get rough. You ain't a cop. It's right to lock you up if you get rough. Get away. I want to know why the professor's wife got killed. I don't know. I swear. I don't know. She jumped. She jumped off the building. I thought you said you didn't know. Get away. No, please. Please. I could figure everything with the wife. If she jumps, she had to have a reason. When I saw you, George, I got the idea. Please, please. Blackmail, maybe, George. I'm legit. I told you. I'm working here. Blackmail with pictures, maybe? No, no. The dirtiest racket in the business. Diamond, no. You're going to tell me, George, or wish you were dead. I'm not telling you anything. Blackmail's the dirtiest racket I can think of. No, please. Please. Please. If Vegas finds the professor, you'll kill him. I've got an hour to stop a murder. Okay. Okay, okay. Okay. We were blackmailing the wife. Phony pictures? Yeah. How many others? How many others? A lot of them. Lots. Okay, George, let's get down to the station. I hate to get in a rut, but I'm going to see that you get another ten years. I hauled George Youngwell down to the precinct and went back to see the professor. He gave me some very interesting information. Interesting enough to make me call Walt and set up a plan. Then I went back to my office. When I walked in, I found Roger Vegas facing me. He turned an ugly shade of green, all but the gun in his hand. Where is he, Diamond? I've got less than an hour. I just left George Youngwell at the fifth precinct. He's singing like a quartet. I thought that would happen, but I'm not worried. You've got plenty of poisoning, huh? That's right. I've been headed for about seven and a half hours, ever since the professor broke into your store and made you drink the silver sauce. Yes. He was getting even for his wife. I've got about 40 minutes to live. Where is he? If you're short on time, maybe you'd better start looking. No, I don't think so. You're going to show me. No, I don't think so. I can't argue. I guess you won't live through it after all. Oh, no. Wait a minute. Let's not lose our heads. He's at the college. Don't lie to me. He's in the science building in the basement. You're coming along. It'll take 30 minutes to get there. If you're lying, I've got five minutes left to kill you. I think that's plenty of time. The professor's in this building. Is it open? It should be. Go ahead. Stop. I can't see anything. The lights are out. If you're lying to me, Diamond, if he's not here... He's here. Call him. Okay. Professor? Professor Carnes? Yes? He's in the back room. Tell him to come in. Will you come in here, Professor? Who is it? It's Diamond. The detective? Get him in here. Yes, Professor. Yes, what is it, Mr. Diamond? Hello, Professor. Vegas. Yes. Surprise. No. No, I knew you'd hire this detective. I knew you'd come. Not too late, huh? All right, Professor. I've got about five minutes, so you're going to die before me. You're a pretty terrible man. Look who's talking. Break into my store, pull a gun on me, make me drink that stuff. You're a killer and you're going to pay for it. I'm not a killer yet. I haven't got the time to talk about it. You won't get away with it. You think you pulled it off just great, don't you? Well, I'm not only going to kill you, but I'm going to tell you something. I want to see how you take it. I got a little additional revenge, Professor. Your wife didn't jump. I pushed her. I don't believe it. She was going to stop paying me, going to tell you about the pictures I was blackmailing her with. Well, I couldn't have that, so I pushed her off the roof. That's all I wanted to know, Vegas. What do you mean? Walt. Help! Help! Very nice, Lieutenant Levinson. Here's his gun. Thank you, Mr. Diamond. Get up, Vegas. You cheated me. But you've got to take him. He made me drink this stuff. Oh, relax. You're going to be all right. You're crazy. I'm going to die, but he'll be the murderer. It's a little satisfaction anyway. You'll hang, Professor. Tell him, Professor, you lose all the way around Vegas. What do you mean? It takes 30 grains of silver salts to be fatal. I only gave you 15. No. In another few hours, you return to your natural color. No. Oh, no. Oh, no. Don't be so unhappy, Vegas. You tried so hard to die, I think the state will do everything they can to see that you make it. Dick Powell will return in just a minute. More people smoke camels than any other cigarette. And among the millions of camel smokers are many stars who know the importance of mildness in a cigarette because their voices are their living. Our own Dick Powell has been a camel smoker for a good long time. Is that right, Dick? Yes, it is, Ed, and I'm smoking one right now. Well, you're in good company. Among other stars who smoke camels are John Wayne, Reza Stevens, Ezio Pinza, Martha Tilton, and so on. Friends, find out for yourself how mild and flavorful a cigarette can be. Make the camel 30-day test, and you'll know why more people smoke camels than any other cigarette. How mild, how mild, how mild, how mild can a cigarette be? Make the camel 30-day test, and you'll see. Smoke camels and see. Here's Dick Powell with a special message. Thank you. You know, ladies and gentlemen, no one deserves our appreciation more than the hospitalized men and women of our armed forces. As a tribute to them, the camel people send gift cigarettes each week to service men's and veterans' hospitals in this country. And also to overseas where our fighting men are hospitalized. This week, camels go to veterans' hospitals, American Lake, Washington, and Fort Bayard, New Mexico. U.S. Army Station Hospital, Camp Stoneman, California. U.S. Naval Hospital ship, repose. Now until next week, enjoy camels. I always do. Music Dick Powell will soon be seen in the RKO picture, Cry Danger. Tonight's adventure of Richard Diamond was written by Blake Edwards with music by Frank Wirth. Our director is Helen Mack. Featured in tonight's cast were Virginia Gregg, Wilms Herbert, and Arthur Q. Bryan. Men, for pipe pleasure, get the national joy smoke, Prince Albert. P.A. has a rich flavor and wonderful natural fragrance. It's crimped cut for cool, smooth smoking and specially treated to ensure against tongue bite. You'll enjoy Prince Albert, America's largest selling smoking tobacco. Music Listen next week for another exciting transcribed adventure of Richard Diamond starring Dick Powell. This is your FBI. The official broadcast from the files of the FBI follows immediately. Stay tuned. This program came to you from Hollywood. This is the American Broadcasting Company.
