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because we're going to talk about some of the programs you're going to hear coming
in the two thousand and eleven two thousand and twelve season, and you'll definitely
want to listen to that. But let's go ahead and we will take a
listen to today's episode of Rogues Gallery. This one is called The Impossible Murder.
B F W. Fitch Company presents Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue
in Rogues Gallery. A while lighter song, be your style, you stitch
shampoo is better use your head Baker Hair, U Stitch. He f W
Fitch Company, makers of Pitchers have Pomified coconut oil shampoo and Pitcher Shaving Creams,
presents Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue in Rogues Gallery. Rogue speaking,
I guess it wouldn't be polite for me to make the statement that Judge
Colin Baker was a snake. I'll just say I think there was some truth
of the rumor that he did shed his skin three times a year. The
judge, who isn't a judge anymore, was a big barrel chested guy with
a dramatic mop of wavy white hair worn in a sort of a modified wind
blown bob, the better to impress the juries with He'd made himself a reputation
back East as a fire eating da and then later as a hanging judge.
He'd been not here about five years, and it built a statewide reputation as
a brilliant criminal lawyer on a Seva thief to catch the thief faces. He
had just won a big case, and he was having a cocktailed party of
his penthouse apartment on top of the building which housed his flush officers. Betty
Betty Callaghan had covered the trial, and now she and the photographer from her
paper were covering the party. I tagged along. Oh, there was a
dandy crowd there, pasty faced politicians, tired faced women, and the old
two faced judge and all of his glory. Oh, Richard, isn't this
a lovely place? Clear up here on top of this building? Just like
living on a mountain, only you can't lock the bottom entrance of a mountain.
Didn't see anybody here? You would really like to know? Now,
don't step better? You know I had to come here tonight. I don't
like these people any better than you do. I'll get it over with as
soon as you can. Let's go someplace where I can take my hand off
my pocket an maybe, Miss Cannahan, And sorry, I couldn't get over
to you before. Indeed, I am mate, so you coming, but
Richard Rogue games so glad you could come, sir, Thanks and now made.
And I suppose you like some pictures. I see you have a photographer
with you, Oh thoughtful love you. Yes? Could I get a group
around the fireplace, just you and the people connected with the trial, the
defendant and the witnesses. Of course I'll run them up for you immediately.
Thank you, Joe my, Yeah, you're ready to go. Oh hey,
it's your serving. Good. Look you're here, real Scotch, None
of that near Scotch. I get at the bar. Good. Now,
here's what I want, Mike, get me some shots of the group that's
forming over by the fireplace. Right. We'll put the judge in the middle
and had everybody congratulating him and the man he faded from the gas chamber.
I can think of a few captions for that picture, Richard. We couldn't
credit him. You can't call a prominent guy like the judge of Crook,
And you can't call a murderer a murderer after a boort, jury says he's
not. You get the idea, Mike, none, Mike, you stay
right here, Richard I'll be back as soon as we've covered the art angle.
I'm the starry and then we leave, right, yeah, just as
soon as I can. Here, I wandered around in the crowd and listening
the scraps of conversations. Jim Dorset and Oily, a politician on the judge's
payroll, was talking with the merry miller Mary as herself made wealthy widow,
whom the judge had defended after she had poisoned her husband. She was glaring
hate at the judge like a death ray, and I moved with an earshot
at them. Well, Mary, you enjoying yourself at this testimonial to our
friend's genius. I'd rather be adeous weak. I'd enjoy my cocktails more.
You can count me in on that too. I'm surprised at you, though,
Mary. He got you out of a pretty bad spot, didn't he.
Yes, exactly half the money Fred left me. I didn't kill Fred.
You know I was innocent. Oh sure, sure, Well, haste
to meeting you again soon. At his wake, happy little gathering, The
laughter, which was bouncing off a high ceiling, had all the gay spontaneity
of an open grave, but everybody was getting along with the judge. He
was a big man. He had lots of money, lots of power.
In a way I couldn't help it. Ring the old boy posing over by
the immense fireplace, tossing that snowy mane of his about, and filling the
rooms with his deep throated laughter. Betty finally got all of the pictures she
wanted and came glaring over to me. I got a little lump in my
throat, like I always do when I see Betty. Oh, if Mark
Anthony could have seen her, Cleopatra would have been in a second barge rowing.
We'll leave in just a moment, Richard, we happy to stay and
drink fue toast of the jack. He's going to be hurt. We don't
well, I wouldn't want to cause him pain. Oh, he's getting our
cocktails now, he's going to bring them over. Okay, did you get
some pretty pictures of the old wind Bang? He's charming. I like it.
Here, Come, how can you like a guy like that? Here?
We are open enough, too strong. If he's kind of him?
I wonder if you forgive me if I borrowed mister rogue ball. Just a
moment, I have something I wish to ask his advice on private later.
Why couldn't we make it tomorrow, Judge, Betty and sorrow will be too
late? Time a faid, mister Rogue, This will only take a few
minutes. You won't mind, willy, miss Callahan. Now, okay,
all right, Judge, I study right through here. Now. I received
a rather alarming note tonight, mister Rogue. Yes, when it was under
my glass and I returned to the saving table after those pictures were taken here
it is m paper and then blow up from the dime store. Huh,
I can't trace them. Oh, let's have a say here, m have
a good time, you murderer. You won't be alive at this time tomorrow
night. You're going to sell them rate an anniversary. You can't run so
far that I won't find you and kill you. Unsigned of course credit in
block letters with no skill, anybody could have written man, and anybody could
have lifted here on the saving tables. Right. There've been a hundred people
drifting in and out of here. You take the notes seriously, Rogue.
I've head thrifting litters before, of course, but this one will I have
a hunch about it. A premimission. We'll return to our story in just
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for one dollar. Now back to Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue in
Rogues gallery. I didn't want to go to the party in the first place,
but I wanted to be with Betty Callahan and she had to be there.
It was a victory cocktail party, which Judge Colin Baker was throwing to
celebrate the fact that he'd cleared another guilty murderer. I wasn't particularly happy when
the judge took me in his study and showed me a note threatening him with
death within the next twenty four hours. In fact, I didn't pay much
attention until I looked at the judge's face. He was scared. Rogue.
I've had threatening letters before, but this one may I have a hunch of
body to crimination. What are you going to do about him? The safest
place in the world for me to stay is right here in this penthouse,
and I want you to stay with me. Rogue at me. I'll pay
you him for your time and what's well, I'll give you five hundred dollars
if you'll stay with people the next twenty four hours. Mister Rogue, Oh,
five hundred clams. Huh wow, Judge, that makes it very interesting.
You'll accept the assignment in like a flash. Just let me explain it
to Betty Callahan. I was to take her off to night and very billy.
I'm sure miss Kahan will understand when you tell her about the fee.
I need you, mister rogue. It's so busy you have to break your
date with me. That's a habit of yours, is in the preacher.
Oh well, you won't ever have to do it again. You'll never have
another chance. All but daddy, maybe listen to Judge figures someone who's gonna
try to kill him tonight. You don't want to be a party to a
murder, do you. You're not worried a bit about the judge, and
you know it richer. You're thinking about five hundred dollars, Well, is
that bad? Five bills will buy a lot of entertainment. You can have
a lot of joy on five hundred dollars. Don't knock it, don't snare
at it. Well, I suppose I might just as well get Mike to
take me home. I should have known that you get a better offer.
You always do, Mike. It's Callahan, Miss Callahan. I am afraid
I owe you an apology. Oh no, Judge, I can't very well
blame you if my friend Richard is so crazy about that money. Judge,
I I got word for you. I can't take the assignment, but I
have your word, mister Rogue. Why wouldn't want to bake your word?
If anybody else would you? Oh? No, are you ready? Mike?
You can shove off, Mike. I'm taking miss Callahan home, okay?
By me? I'm really sorry, Judge MS. Look, you two
youngsters, there's no point in having a disagreement over this. Why don't you
just stay here until the rest of the guests leave. They are beginning to
leave now, then, mister Rogue, you can take Miss Callahan home and
come back. That will leave you alone for about an hour. There's only
one entrance to this place. That's my private elevator. I'll give you the
key. You can knock it as you leave. No one can possibly get
up here. Oh I don't want to go. Was all that trouble?
Oh alone to be a little while, Dibi. I hope you do this
fever for me, Miss Kellaan, I need mister Roogue's moral support tonight.
Even at my age, I feel that I'm too young. Could die.
Betty and I hired on for another hour until all the guests either walked or
were helped from the cocktail party. Then the Judge and I went through the
penthouse like acid goes through cotton. We looked under everything that was raised from
the floor and behind everything that stood a foot high. Then we turned on
the floodlights and searched the area surrounding the penthouse, then the roof. There
was nobody there. The judge was alone when Betty and I rode his private
elevator and locked it with a food proof lock before we got into my car
and headed for her place. Betty was annoyed, and that ride home was
as romantic as a tub full of wet wash. She'd been annoyed before,
and I wasn't worried. I left her at her apartment and fiddle foot it
out of my car. I opened the car door bent to get in.
Lightning struck me in my ear. I heard the thunderboats rocketing past and latched
onto one for a wild ride through the firmament. Stars kept exploding in my
face, but I hung on until I saw my home away from homes,
good old cloud aid. I let go dropped in me on or two and
landed as softly as smoke ring. I didn't know my eyes for a moment.
Keep me jep, wake up. You're home. Hello, you gore.
I didn't think you were ever gonna get here, Rokey. I was
worried. Well, where have I betten it? I saw you go by
here a couple of centuries ago. You went right past. I saw you
way upstairs, knocking at the party gates, I think, but they wouldn't
let you in. You go, this isn't. Oh, tell me that
this isn't. Oh, no, giv you way. Not a bear and
you're a wife. Oh, I'm glad to know that. What happened.
Somebody knocked you out of the pot, rokey, and then you went for
an automobile ride. And well, I've got to get out of here.
Oh, yes you do. You've been gone a long time. An old
friend of yours is trying to get through to you. You know what time
it is? No, it's not th emmon one. All right, you
go, give me a shove, see you next week. No, oh,
Harman, and what are you doing. I'm trying to get these handcuffs
off you. Oh we have. We're in the hills about Mulholland Drive.
Somebody brought you up here chloroforms your and handcuff you to this tree with your
own handcuffs. You need a bodyguard, Rogy, how did you find me?
No, you got a phone call telling me where you were to bring
a file. Fan Still, I'll leave you here? Okay? Who did
it? I'm waiting for you to tell me that. I don't get it.
Somebody wanted you out of the way for a while. Rogie, how
do you want to tell me what you're mixed up in? I wasn't on
a case. And oh oh, madam, I don't even have to get
a new chain for your bracelest. But anyway, you're unharnessed from that treeck
Urban, I was supposed to be bodyguarding Judge Colin Baker last night, bodyguarding
that crook? Why you got a death threat note found on the serving table?
Doing it? Cock? Go on? Yeah? Somebody promised to kill
him within twenty four hours. What're you're leaving for? I took good Betty
Callahan home. Somebody wants to follow me when I left the judge's gun house.
They knocked me out as I left, Betty. Maybe we'd better check
on the judge's health. Maybe that note wasn't kidding, How do you feel
h woozy? You can hang your head out the window on the way bank.
We'd better see whether your client needs a bodyguard or an undertaker. Oh,
my head was full of feathers and my hands felt heavy on my arms,
my mouth was lined with brown blotting paper, and my shoes were full
of lead. I wasn't feeling very well as I got an Urban's official sedan
and headed for the penthouse where I had left at Colin Baker. My head
ached like a broken heart until I took a cup of pills from Urban's first
aid kits, and by the time we pulled up in front of the office
building, I felt like I had a chance at lifting if I wanted to,
And I decided I wanted to the private penthouse. Elevator was still locked,
just as I had left it. That made me glad we entered it.
Maybe we should have called before we took this trip. No, I
want to see the old boy. I owe him an apology that he's still
alived. How could he be dead unless somebody else had a key to if
elevator. It didn't be on the other keys on the Judge's keyring. He
told me that, and what are you worried about? I'm not worried.
I just hate to give him back those nice crisp sea notes. I saw
him. I hope he's out ze. Oh good lord. Well, a
judge will never be any debtor wruin the face. He's been strangled, Roggie.
We'll continue our story in just a moment. First, the word of
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ponified coconut oil shampoo. Now back to Dick Powell as private investigator Richard Rogue
in Rogues Gallery. Maybe I was surprised when I saw Judge Colin Baker looking
up at me from the floor of his living room. I'm not sure.
I had a hunch. Don't ask me why. I just had a hunch
that he was dead. When Urban brought me out of that stupor up there
above Mulhalla Drive. Judge Baker's face was as blue as a policeman's coat as
he lay there, and his eyes were staring wide open. Urban and I
walked over to him. He's been strangled, Rogy, Yeah, yeah,
it looks like it. And he marks on his thought. No, no
marks looks likely with a struggle though, table kicked over. How could anybody
get in here? I love it. There was locked. There's no other
entrance. What are you trying to do? Tell me this guy's not bad.
No, he's dead, all right? But how could he be strangled?
Cigarette? Urban? No thanks, Ruggy. So he was murdered,
wasn't me? Yeah? That calls for the medical examiner. Oh, I
don't get it. There was nobody here. Why I left? There's been
nobody here since there's Hey, there's a peculiar order in here. No,
no, no, sit down, rog, He want to look around.
There's been a murder. You're mixed up in it, and I want to
talk with you. You think I killed him? I didn't know him that
well. I wasn't even mad at him. Hey, what's that shack check
for twenty five hundred dollars made out of the victim and signed by Mary Millard?
Was she here last night? Yeah? She was here, and she
didn't like to judge. But I've ever heard of a dame her age doing
a human fly act. Maybe she had a key to the giant, but
she didn't believe me. She didn't wave the phone. It's in the bedroom.
I'm going to use it. Wait here, Rog. There was a
peculiar order in that room, a faintly familiar order, but I couldn't place
it. My pole beat up mind was whirling a million revolutions, a minute
and getting no place, And then I remembered the note the judge received.
It had mentioned an anniversary, so I decided not to wait. Instead,
I took that long elevator riot and grabbed a cab for the library. Yeah,
I hope you. Oh yes, I I want to see the files
on the Gotham City newspapers for the last ten years. All right, sir,
it's going to take me some time to get them out of the storeroom.
Any specific date. Yes, I would like to see copies of the
editions five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten years ago today.
All right, sir, If you just have a chair, you too,
You feel all right? You look at you? Oh, I always
look like this. Thank you. Just get me the papers, please,
They're mighty important. Confidentially, I think they're going to solve a murder.
The librarian got me the papers. I'm at work on them. Gotham City
was the city where Judge Colin Baker made his reputation as a hanging judge.
My hunt was as strong as a bride's coffee and had paid off in the
issue for seven years ago. That day I found the name of Judge Colin
Baker on the front page a man he had sentenced to the chair for murder
had been executed, screaming his enness. Within an hour after the electricity had
torn through the body of this man, Harold Michael, the real killer,
had confessed. And this was the anniversary of that legal murder. I called
Betty Callahan at her paper. She wasn't there. She was covering the police
investigation of Judge Baker's murder. I took a cab back to the Judge's penthoff.
Isn't this terrible? Richard? Hadn't been for me insisting on you taking
me home, Judge would have been a lie or I would have been dead.
Where have you been, Rogie? I told you to stay here.
I'm not doing your work for Urban I got demoted for this murder. What
did the medical examiner I have to say? Ah, you know the duck.
He just did a little muttering about cyanide. Won't give any official opinion
until he's had a chance to analyze the contents of the body. What's your
theory on the motive? Well, anybody, where are you going? I'm
with the working press, Mike and I. When you get some pictures on
I can hear that massive intellect of yours taking, Rogie, and I recognize
that far away look in your eyes. Now what goes? Don't stand there
like a dummy. If you've got any theories, let me in on him.
Cyanide. Huh, Look, Urban, this place is air conditioned,
isn't it? The penthouse is the building isn't. Yeah, I'll be back
in a minute. Hey, where are you going? I'll be back in
a minute. I want to check that theory of mind. Cyanide. That
word brought back that dainty smell I'd noticed in the apartment when Urban and I
had discovered the judge's body. Cyanide. The order of cyanide is bought out
by a cigarette smoke I had been smoking when I detected it. The pieces
of this murder were falling into place like a well trained course. I found
the ladder that led to the top of the penthouse where the air conditioning machinery
have located, ran up the ladder, gun in hand, and there he
was, the murderer, just lifting an earthenware croc from inside the housing of
the intake fan on the air conditioning system. Put it on. Mike,
take another move toward me, Rogue. Now let you have this cluckful of
asset right in your face? What good luck do you? Mike? You
can't get away Another five minutes and I would have been at home free.
How did you figure me, Rogue? Why did you have to horn in?
I looked up the Gotham newspapers for seven years ago to day that day
Judge Baker executed the man named Harold Michaels. And then it's a man.
Was he your brother? Your name's Michaels, isn't it? It was my
father, And I executed the man who executed him in his own private guess
chamber, just like they do it at Quinton. I waited a long time
for the chance. Look, Mike, I'm not arguing right a wrong with
you, but now you're a killer, and I'm going to take you in.
Put that crock down. Oh I don't think so, Rogue. I'll
just stand here. I have to think, just for my information, Mike.
How did you delay the action of the gas until you knew the judge
would be along? I thought of everything. I didn't want to hurt anybody
but Baker. I hung the cyanide tell it over the acid on a piece
of cotton cord. I tested it half dozen times. You know it took
a drop of acid three hours to heat through the cord. I'm glad I
killed him. Rogue. I'm coming after your Mike. I'm not waiting,
Rogue. I don't like the gas chamber, Mike. Mike, don't come
back here. I'm not sorry for anything, Helen. That was my payoff
line when your rogue so long. No, don't Mike, don't jomp it.
Mike's plan for murdering the man who had caused his father's execution was as
near perfect as any murder will ever be. While the guests were having whoopie
at the cocktail party, he put that jar of acid in the air conditioning
intake, hung the cyanide pellet over it, and was back at the party,
leaving that note before anybody missed him. When he found that I was
going to return to spend the night with the judge, he ever had to
knock me out, get me out of the way for at least five hours,
three hours before the cyanide fell into its acid bath, and two more
hours which it took for the air conditioning system to completely change the air in
the penthouse. Claire, I thought it, yes, it looks like I
did it again. Had a narrow escape though, but that didn't bother me.
I'd drive every day in the Los Angeles traffic. Do you know what
I mean? This is Dick Powell again. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope
you enjoyed our story tonight. Ray Buffam wrote it, Leith Stevens composed and
conducted the music in the Engelback, produced and directed. Be with us again
next week, will you We have a story for you about a black eye'd
seenor Rita from Argentina, the Latin type corpse and a mysterious goldpiece we call
it Latin type A. While I have a song me you sign you stitch
jam wood despare, use your head, save your hair U s stitch shampoo
A while let us on me is valu stitch shampoo a wi let us on
me as values pitch shampoo dog is better use your head to save their hair
us stitch sham boo. After and between fitch shampoos, you can keep your
hair shining and manageable by using a few welcome back. Well. On the
bright side, we found out that rogue leaving the apartment did not lead to
the judge's murder. As a rogue Express. The only thing that would have
happened differently was that he would have been killed as well. And of course
we have Gerald Moore back in the role of the murderer, and I was
thinking about that last week. It's an episode of Rogues Gallery and Gerald Moore
is not the heavy He's not even in the episode. But thankfully balance has
been restored. All right. Well, now, as promised, I'm going
to share with you about the shows that we are going to be adding on
Tuesdays during the two thousand and eleven two thousand and twelve season. Rogues Gallery
will take us through the rest of this season and a couple weeks into the
next one. Those that will do will be Kendy Matson, The Adventures of
Christopher London, the old time radio Poirot shows from the nineteen forties, and
that will be replaced by Pete Kelly's Blues, then Leonidas Witherall and finally The
Fat Man. So to repeat, Candy Matson, Christopher London, Poirot,
Pete Kelly's Blues, Leonidis Witherall and The Batman. So a lot of shows
will be parking in on Tuesdays on next season, all right, and we
do have one listener comment simple best podcast around. Well, thank you so
much and appreciate all of your support. Be sure to follow us on Twitter
at Radio Detectives and give us a call two O eight nine nine one four
seven eight three and support the show with your donation during the community during the
show support campaign, which runs between now in September tenth, go to support
dot Great Detectives dot net. But we'll be back next week another episode of
Rogues Gallery, and tomorrow it's Let George Do It from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham, Sign and off.