1 00:00:28,519 --> 00:00:35,159 Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This 2 00:00:35,359 --> 00:00:39,079 is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it 3 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:45,000 to me BOS thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter at 4 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:51,200 Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram dot com, slash 5 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,280 Great Detectives. If you are enjoying this podcast, I do encourage you to 6 00:00:56,399 --> 00:01:00,799 subscribe using your favorite podcast software Weather, Apple, Podcast, Good Pods, 7 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:06,439 tune In, or the Amazon Music app at Amazon dot com, slash otr 8 00:01:06,519 --> 00:01:11,000 Detectives. That way you never miss an episode. Also, I do want 9 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,319 to remind you we do have our new Famous Investigator t shirts now available over 10 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:22,599 at Famous dot Great Detectives dot net. Well, today we're celebrating three thousand, 11 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,840 nine hundred episodes and we're doing it with an episode of suspense. The 12 00:01:26,879 --> 00:01:33,519 original air date is March the twenty eighth, nineteen forty six, and the 13 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:45,400 title is out of Control. Mister Brian Dunleavy, a star of out of 14 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,719 Control, a suspense played, produced, edited and directed by William Spen. 15 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:01,640 I arrived in Catlinberg around ten in the morning. I checked in at a 16 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:07,519 hotel called the Mountain Inn. Went downstairs to breakfast. My dog Schnooky went 17 00:02:07,599 --> 00:02:10,520 with me, as she always does. I gave my order to the waiter, 18 00:02:10,599 --> 00:02:14,599 and as I sat there, I looked the place over. It was 19 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:19,000 a good sized room by the echo in it. There was a log fire 20 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,879 crackling in a fireplace on the far side of the room, and a large 21 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:27,840 view window on my right glass as a special kind of echo. There was 22 00:02:27,879 --> 00:02:30,879 only one person in the room when I entered. It was a woman, 23 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,319 apparently a wealthy and rather vain woman, judging from her perfume. She was 24 00:02:35,319 --> 00:02:38,960 sitting at a table diagonally across to me. I looked in her direction, 25 00:02:39,159 --> 00:02:45,439 so to speak. I heard a man's footsteps approaching across the room and smelled 26 00:02:45,479 --> 00:02:50,039 fresh polish on riding boots. As he went past me, he paused before 27 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:58,199 her table. Well is gonna still more? He Walter Crane. She surprised 28 00:02:58,199 --> 00:03:02,560 to see me. I here. Your husband is thinking of running for governor. 29 00:03:04,439 --> 00:03:07,439 So what well, Marsha, I've got a newspaper clipping here, I 30 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:13,199 thought it might tempstim. It's about your pal, the late Eddie Hasson. 31 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:19,120 What about Eddie? I'll read you their headline, Eddie Hasson't killed an auto 32 00:03:19,159 --> 00:03:24,240 crash. Colorful renal figure punges from mountain road car out of control, say 33 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,719 police Dennis Never, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I never mean to. 34 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,719 But as some people can read what's on the marquee of a movie theater ten 35 00:03:32,759 --> 00:03:38,280 blocks away, the most intimate conduct and conversation comes to me from across the 36 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:44,120 room, as if spoken into a microphone. This is a dubious pleasure for 37 00:03:44,159 --> 00:03:47,879 me at most times. But as Marsha Fillmore and Walter Crane continued, my 38 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,599 interest became more than casual. He was reading again from the newspaper, clipping 39 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,080 here at the bottom of the article. Marsha Hanley, hostess at the Blue 40 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,759 Parrot Hassen's gambling club, has been fishery of an insurance policy. Miss Henley 41 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,360 was the late mister Hasson's companion and was to have been married to him upon 42 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:13,400 his divorce degree becoming Colonel Well. I was just wondering if your brand new, 43 00:04:13,719 --> 00:04:17,079 politically minded husband would be interested in the fact that you were known locally 44 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:23,000 as a gangster's companion. You always were a louse, Walter, but I 45 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,759 never thought you'd stoop to black man. Look. I lost a good job 46 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:30,120 because of your musha. When an insurance indust together gets fired because his employers 47 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,959 think he's too susceptible to beautiful dames, he never gets back in the racket. 48 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,839 I've got to look elsewhere for a sauce of income, and it so 49 00:04:39,079 --> 00:04:46,079 happens. There are some things about Eddie Hasson's accident that might interest my former 50 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,319 employees. Eddie's car got out of control, and that's all there is to 51 00:04:48,439 --> 00:04:53,959 it. Look, you seem to forget baby. I investigated that case of 52 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,480 Pacific All Risk before they paid off, and I didn't tell all the things 53 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,000 I knew or all the things I thought, because well, you were making 54 00:05:02,519 --> 00:05:09,079 life very interesting for me in those days. Well, Marsham, they're wasting 55 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:14,399 your time. Water, am I get out and take your clipping with you. 56 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,519 Well, you can't blame a man for trying. Oh waiter, bring 57 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:26,800 me a glass of water? Will you ice water? Or something wrong? 58 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,360 Man? No, nothing's wrong. Get the water, by the way, 59 00:05:31,079 --> 00:05:35,720 Why did you do that? What? Nothing? Skippid? Oh? The 60 00:05:35,759 --> 00:05:40,360 ice water? I'm thirsty, that's all. You're sure? That's all? 61 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:46,160 What else would I want with ice water? Okay, book water? I'll 62 00:05:46,199 --> 00:05:49,800 sell Dennis on the idea of investing some money in a company of yours. 63 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,920 Well, now that's more like it. When's you coming up here tomorrow? 64 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,839 You mustn't see him till I've had a chance to talk to him. Get 65 00:05:56,879 --> 00:06:00,600 out of town right away tonight. Where will I go? I have a 66 00:06:00,639 --> 00:06:01,800 fishing lodge up in the mountains. I'll give you the key to the place. 67 00:06:02,639 --> 00:06:05,839 You go up there and stay till I've sold Dennis on the idea. 68 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,600 When the time's rife, I'll come and get you. I've got you in 69 00:06:09,639 --> 00:06:13,879 on the deal. If you sound good enough. Women do things sometimes walter 70 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:21,240 that they don't want to be paid for lonesome women. Maybe maybe, Marsha, 71 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:24,959 you're still the most beautiful woman that never let a man up a garden 72 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:32,040 pack. That's strength to that water in ice water. In ice water, 73 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,759 the man who had come to blackmail Marsha Fillmore remained to whisper sweet nothings in 74 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,319 her ear. It didn't make sense at first, but then I remembered I 75 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:55,800 had been told that she was a very beautiful woman. Beautiful to look at. 76 00:06:55,879 --> 00:07:00,399 That is. There are times when I am profoundly grateful that I have 77 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:17,560 no eyes to deceive me. It must have been shortly after midnight that I 78 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,480 heard it. I awoke with a start and sat up in bed. Although 79 00:07:21,839 --> 00:07:27,480 I have been blind for many years, I still reach out automatically for the 80 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,319 light switch when I am awakened in the night. When the light went on, 81 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:42,240 the sound stopped. I turned it off and waited, oh, actually 82 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:49,920 quiet. It started again. It seemed to be below my window, somewhere 83 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:56,959 down by the garage hotel garage. Through the years, I have finally trained 84 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,560 myself to identify almost any action by sound, but this one stumped me at 85 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:09,079 first. It continued for perhaps ten seconds longer, and then it stopped for 86 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,279 good, and the car door slammed. And made a careful mental note of 87 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:18,639 the car's motor as it started up was a packard and one of the spark 88 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:24,000 plugs was missing. Fire. But it got underway fast and was soon out 89 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,720 of even my ear shot. Of one thing, I was certain it turned 90 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,879 off the main road on to gravel. There was only one such turn off 91 00:08:31,919 --> 00:08:37,759 within earshot of the hotel, the private road to the Fillmore's Fishing Lodge. 92 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:41,440 Evidently, mister Walter Crane was going to have a visitor up there sooner than 93 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:48,080 he had expected, As I dropped off to sleep, the memory of that 94 00:08:48,279 --> 00:08:54,000 sound came back to me. There was something strange and altogether sinister about it. 95 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,080 It was still ringing in my head when I dropped off to sleep. 96 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:13,120 I was awakened early by an insistent rapping on the door of my room. 97 00:09:13,639 --> 00:09:18,120 Why stucky. Just a moment, I fumbled about sound my robe and put 98 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:24,840 it on. Captain McLean, I'm duncan McLean? May I come in for 99 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:28,360 a moment? Of course? I do hope you will forgive me for bursting 100 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,440 in here like this. But I saw you in the dining room yesterday morning, 101 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,840 and when I heard who you were, I hope you won't be angry 102 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,759 with me? Why not at all? Past my getting upturn anyway, must 103 00:09:39,759 --> 00:09:43,000 have been the mountain air that made me oversleep. Won't you sit down? 104 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:48,919 Thank you? Cigarette? Yes, thanks here, I've got it. You 105 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:56,840 know you're really amazing. One would never suspect that you're blind. Well, 106 00:09:56,919 --> 00:10:01,120 i's just fillmore weed. Blind people can compensate to a certain extent by developing 107 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,759 other senses more acutely. You know my name. I took the liberty of 108 00:10:03,799 --> 00:10:07,720 asking the head waiter last night who the lady was with the intoxicating put him 109 00:10:09,639 --> 00:10:13,600 just as I asked who the man was with the police dog. Oh no, 110 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,320 Schnookie here is not a police dog. She's just an amiable old German 111 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:22,000 shepherd. I have a police dog, though, dryst I only take him 112 00:10:22,039 --> 00:10:26,200 along when I'm on especially dangerous assignments. Oh I gather you're not on one. 113 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:31,240 Now shall we get to the point, Missus Fillmore. Oh well, 114 00:10:33,279 --> 00:10:37,039 well, there's a man staying here in this hotel, or rather he was. 115 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,399 His name is Walter Crane. He's a blackmailer. Yes, well, 116 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,840 there's no need going into it, but he's got hold of something about my 117 00:10:46,879 --> 00:10:50,519 past. If if it were published, it would ruin my husband's career. 118 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,960 There's only one thing to do with a blackmail and missus Fillmore turn him over 119 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,480 to the police. Oh no, you don't understand. The police here is 120 00:10:58,039 --> 00:11:03,159 Sheriff Blackman. He and my husband are political enemies. I'm afraid it would 121 00:11:03,159 --> 00:11:05,200 be too good an opportunity for him to pass up. Yes, I see 122 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:11,279 your appointment. My first instinct was to get Walter Crane away from here. 123 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:13,879 I told him to go up to our fishing lodge. I even gave him 124 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:18,960 the key. I even pretended to renew an old interest which he once fancied 125 00:11:18,960 --> 00:11:22,240 I had in him personally, always a mistake. Oh, you don't know 126 00:11:22,279 --> 00:11:24,919 the worst of it. My husband came in from Knoxville early this morning, 127 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:28,320 without even waking. We went straight on up to the fishing lodge. He 128 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:33,840 left a note asking me to join him up there. My husband is a 129 00:11:33,919 --> 00:11:37,480 violent and unreasonable man when he's angry, Captain mc crane. If he finds 130 00:11:37,519 --> 00:11:41,679 Walter Crane staying there in the lodge, he's likely to think that, what 131 00:11:41,759 --> 00:11:48,440 are you afraid of, Missus Filmore. I'm afraid my husband. Heaven forgive 132 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,159 me for such a thought. I'm afraid my husband will murder him there. 133 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,600 Now I've said it. Yes, now you've said it. Excuse me? 134 00:12:00,159 --> 00:12:03,120 Yes, oh, Missus Fillmore. Yes, he's right here. It's for 135 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:05,039 you, Missus Fillmore. Oh no, don't don't go. I'm afraid. 136 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:16,759 Hello. Yes, Sheriff Blackman, Oh, dreadful. Oh I know we 137 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,840 didn't know him. I I did speak to him for a moment yesterday evening. 138 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:26,159 But of course I'd be glad to help you in any way I can. 139 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:31,159 I'll be in my cottage. What is it? I found him his 140 00:12:31,919 --> 00:12:39,080 car trunged over the embankment. He was killed instantly when some people in the 141 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:52,000 cottage down. But oh saw it happened when just five minutes ago, on 142 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,919 the way over to her cottage, I was stopped at the hotel desk and 143 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,879 send a wire to the Seeing Eye Cannel in New Jersey. Then drift Air 144 00:13:00,159 --> 00:13:05,519 Express immediately. Christ is my police dog, the dog I use only on 145 00:13:05,799 --> 00:13:20,159 very dangerous mission. Sheriff Blackmar was a big, professionally cheerful man, but 146 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,600 I could tell from his voice that he was plenty worried glad to have you 147 00:13:24,799 --> 00:13:28,159 on this capa McClain. We don't have any case with his kind in these 148 00:13:28,159 --> 00:13:31,399 parts. I'll be glad to do what I can, Sheriff Blackman, Oh, 149 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:33,960 so let is running them there? Seeing Eye critters don't look no different 150 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:41,480 from any other boots. To me, I thought they're Seeing Eye dogs were 151 00:13:41,519 --> 00:13:45,960 trained to be gentle I trained this one myself for special jobs. What the 152 00:13:46,159 --> 00:13:52,720 corner? I think I know the answer to that one. Well, oh, 153 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,399 let's get down to business, missus fillmore. Yes, I suppose you 154 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,360 want some information about that road up to the fishing rodgers. It's quite steep 155 00:14:01,399 --> 00:14:03,720 and hard to negotiate if you don't know it. I know the road very 156 00:14:03,759 --> 00:14:07,919 well, missus willmore then what you said you didn't know this man, Walter 157 00:14:09,039 --> 00:14:13,639 Crane, Sheriff. I was very foolish when I spoke to you on the 158 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,399 phone. As a matter of fact, he he's a very old friend of 159 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,720 mine, or was. I think you'll understand when I tell you my husband 160 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:26,960 was very jealous, jealous enough to have killed him. Killed him. I 161 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:30,360 thought he died in an auto crash. He was murdered and thrown into the 162 00:14:30,399 --> 00:14:33,000 car just before it crashed. He died with an ice pick through his heart. 163 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:41,960 Whatever she knew, she wasn't telling that part of it came to her 164 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,639 as a complete surprise. I know that now, and I knew it at 165 00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:50,879 the time. Whatever Marsha Fillmore had known about Walter Crane's death, she was 166 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:54,559 innocent of stabbing him through the heart with that ice pick. As for the 167 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,360 rest of it, her alibi was perfect. I was her alibi this time. 168 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,200 She was in my room when it happened, twenty miles from the scene 169 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:07,879 of the crime. But someone had driven up to that lodge before, Dennis 170 00:15:07,879 --> 00:15:15,559 Sillmore, someone who had made elaborate preparations for that little drive. As I 171 00:15:15,799 --> 00:15:20,039 walked over to the hotel garage, the memory of that sound came back to 172 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:22,360 me, the sound that I was convinced held the key to the mystery of 173 00:15:22,399 --> 00:15:30,440 Walter Crane's debt and Eddie Hessen's as well. I found a mechanic working on 174 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:33,399 a car. Why, sir, all right? Looking for your car? 175 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:39,960 No, I I don't drive. Oh, missus Fillmore asked me to stop 176 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:43,200 by. Is her car ready yet? Yeah? Sure? It was only 177 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:46,840 one of the spark plugs this the car? Yeah, station wagon packer, 178 00:15:46,919 --> 00:15:50,120 didn't it? Ay, you've got a good sense of touch. Mister, 179 00:15:50,399 --> 00:15:56,519 thank you. Hey that's nice uphold street three liver, isn't it? Yeah? 180 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,840 Hey, that's pecuter. What is the floor is wet and cold? 181 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,720 Or maybe they want fishing this morning? I carry a chunk of ice sometimes 182 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,120 when I go trout fishing ice. Of course, that's what it was. 183 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:22,799 Ice. Captain McClane. You must believe me. I know that my husband 184 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,159 didn't do this terrible thing. Then why did you come to me this morning 185 00:16:26,159 --> 00:16:29,360 and tell me you were afraid your husband would murder Crane? Oh? Don't 186 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,799 you understand why I needed help? I knew you only work on murder cases, 187 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,639 so I tried to get you interested by making that story up. I 188 00:16:37,639 --> 00:16:41,320 think I can save your husband, Marcia, but only if you tell me 189 00:16:41,399 --> 00:16:44,639 the absolute truth. Oh I will, I swear I will. Did you 190 00:16:44,679 --> 00:16:48,080 go up there to that cabin last night to see Walter Crane? No? 191 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,960 Line number one? You drove up there around twelve thirty? How did you 192 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,360 know? I heard a car drive out about that time. It was a 193 00:16:56,360 --> 00:17:00,080 packard with one dead spark plug. This morning, your packet was in the 194 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,319 garage getting a spark plug replaced. You don't know I went up there. 195 00:17:04,559 --> 00:17:07,640 I heard your turn off on a gravel road about halfway up the mountain. 196 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:12,839 Your road is the only one up that way. All right, all right, 197 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,160 I did go up there, but I wasn't there when when it happened, 198 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:25,079 Marcia, have you ever seen this bottle before? Certainly it had fell 199 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,960 and in its sleeping medicine. It's it's a prescription of my husband's. Have 200 00:17:29,039 --> 00:17:32,720 you any idea how it gut in Crane's car? But I gave it to 201 00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:36,119 him. He said he couldn't sleep. How did you give it to him? 202 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,680 In the bottle? Of course? Are you intimating that I dropped him. 203 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,079 I'm only trying to find out what Crane did the last few hours of 204 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:48,880 his life. If he took an overdose of sleeping medicine, it might account 205 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,240 for the accident. He might have got up this morning, still woozy from 206 00:17:52,279 --> 00:17:56,680 the effects of the drug gut in his car, released the emergency brake and 207 00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:00,400 blacked out for a split second. Its sometimes happens in the reaction into an 208 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:04,160 overdose of sleeping medicine, lost control of the car and crashed over the embankment. 209 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:08,480 It might have been as easy as that, but that wouldn't account for 210 00:18:08,519 --> 00:18:15,319 the ice pick through his heart. No, not unless you took a chunk 211 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:19,319 of ice up there last night, didn't you. I don't know how you 212 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:25,440 knew. Well, Yes, he needed some, especially if he was going 213 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,319 to do some trout fishing, and Walder was very fond of ice water. 214 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,039 Yes, I know he ordered some last night at dinner. Is there anything 215 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:37,519 you don't see with those sightless eyes of yours? I still don't see the 216 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:45,880 murderer of Walder Crane. I thought, for a moment there you suspected me. 217 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,440 I'm perfectly capable of it. You had the motive, you had the 218 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:55,160 ice pick. But you weren't there when it happened. No, they can't 219 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:57,759 prove that Dennis was canny. Well, he's a pretty likely candidate, isn't 220 00:18:57,759 --> 00:19:02,920 he. Mosiah so worried about him. They have a posse out for him, 221 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:11,559 probably go I wonder, I wonder. I knew where he'd go, 222 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,440 and so did she, and they both knew that matters would have to come 223 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:19,240 to a head that night. I didn't tell Sheriff Blackmore everything, but he 224 00:19:19,319 --> 00:19:23,799 agreed to drive me up there. About twenty minutes after the sheriff left, 225 00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:27,599 a man came into the lodge from the storeroom where I was hidden. I 226 00:19:27,599 --> 00:19:32,119 could hear perfectly. He didn't turn on any lights, but went out to 227 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:36,720 the kitchen and started some coffee. It could only have been Dennis Fillmore who 228 00:19:36,759 --> 00:19:40,799 paced up and down in that darkened room. Then I heard the door open 229 00:19:40,839 --> 00:19:44,519 and a woman's footsteps coming in. Dennis marsha, Dennis, you should not 230 00:19:44,599 --> 00:19:45,359 come here. What are you trying to do? Lead them to me? 231 00:19:45,519 --> 00:19:48,200 I didn't tell the sheriff about you, Dennis. I swear I didn't tell 232 00:19:48,279 --> 00:19:52,640 him what Dennis. I know you killed Crane, so you know I'm a 233 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,119 mooderer. And what are you doing? Oh Dennis, I love you so 234 00:19:56,200 --> 00:20:00,440 much. I hated that man. I'm glad you killed him. What was 235 00:20:00,519 --> 00:20:03,640 Crane to you? I was going to tell you, Darling, I used 236 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,599 to know and he's a blackmailer. It was perfectly innocent before I met you. 237 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:11,519 But with your career about I didn't want you to get mixed up in 238 00:20:11,599 --> 00:20:15,400 it. That's why I told you to hide. Don't cry. I love 239 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:21,599 you. I make some coffee. Would you like some of it? You 240 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:29,839 sit? You sit still, darling, Dennis, what are we going to 241 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,799 do? Have you thought about it? I'm I'm thinking as hard as I 242 00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:38,519 can wash you. You can't confess to this terrible thing, Dennis. I 243 00:20:38,559 --> 00:20:42,319 just won't let you. I don't think the insurance company would pay if I 244 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,480 were electrocuted, wouldn't they? Oh, Dennis, don't say such a thing. 245 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:56,200 Here, drink your coffee. Taste rust, but it's high. What's 246 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,920 the matter with you? I just feel said, I can't seem to get 247 00:21:00,079 --> 00:21:03,119 my breath. It's stuffy in here. Must be the wood smoker. I 248 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:12,039 had trouble starting the fire. Come along outside, aerobuck, Yes, there 249 00:21:12,559 --> 00:21:15,599 that is better. Would you like to take a drive somewhere, No, 250 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:26,519 Dennis, let's just sit in the car for a while. They sat there 251 00:21:26,519 --> 00:21:33,480 in the car, perhaps ten minutes before the car door slammed shut. And 252 00:21:33,559 --> 00:21:37,359 then I heard it, the sound that had been ringing in my ears since 253 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,640 that first night. But now I was hearing the real thing for a second 254 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:45,440 time. As calmly as the neighborhood iceman chipping out a fifty pound chunk for 255 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:51,200 a housewife, the murderer was making preparations for a third experiment in a method 256 00:21:51,279 --> 00:22:08,559 of almost perfect crime. Hello, Marcia, how did you get here? 257 00:22:08,799 --> 00:22:12,920 I'm afraid I was eavesdropping. Then you heard what Dennis said? Yes, 258 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:17,400 I did with Marcia. Oh, Captain mc crane, would you could you 259 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,720 forget what Dennis said? Crane was, what does it matter who killed? 260 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:26,200 Don't come any close to Marcia. This dog isn't snooky. This is drist 261 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,000 the dog I told you about, Remember the one you take on dangerous missions. 262 00:22:30,839 --> 00:22:34,000 They're frightening me, Captain. You terrified me for two whole days. 263 00:22:34,039 --> 00:22:38,960 Marcia, you're the most perfect killer I've ever met. You said yourself. 264 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,400 I couldn't have stabbed Walter Crane. Eddie Hasson wasn't stabbed. You're bluffing. 265 00:22:45,079 --> 00:22:48,200 You can't prove a thing. No, that's the beauty of your method. 266 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:52,799 The ice melts away before the accident happens. Ice, that's your method, 267 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:56,799 Marcia. First, the victim is drugged with an overdose of sleeping medicine, 268 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,799 then lured into the car and kept there till he falls asleep. The rest 269 00:23:00,839 --> 00:23:06,119 is simple. Put ice wedges under the front wheels and release the emergency break. 270 00:23:06,519 --> 00:23:10,000 When the wedges melt away, the car rolls over the bankment with the 271 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,079 sleeping man in it. Your miles away from the scene, and the evidence 272 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,000 has vanished, literally melted away. Only this time it's not going to work. 273 00:23:18,599 --> 00:23:22,480 What are you going to do? Phone Sheriff Blackmer. I want him 274 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,599 to get here before that ice melts. Captain, stay where you are, 275 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:30,640 Marshal. It would be ashamed to have drice mutilate your beauty. Your beauty 276 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,599 is your most powerful weapon, you know. I only hope it won't free 277 00:23:33,599 --> 00:23:37,200 you and turn your loose to start killing again. You. What do you 278 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,799 know about a woman? Usher? Stay back? I wrong you. This 279 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:45,119 dog is a killer. I'll kill you, and that monk grew with I've 280 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,920 hated you from the moment I first saw him. What kind of a man 281 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,640 is it that looks at a woman with those cold, dead eyes? You'd 282 00:23:49,680 --> 00:24:07,599 be better off dead. I'm doing you a favorite. She's dead, all 283 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,319 right. I'm sorry the dog. I guess I'll have to have him put 284 00:24:11,319 --> 00:24:15,240 away. It won't be necessary, Captain, she did that for you, 285 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:19,400 jabbed the ice pick square between his eyes. Oh, poor fellow. Well, 286 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,319 I can't figure out how did she manage to stab Krane and still keep 287 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:26,680 her alibi. She didn't stab Krane? Then? Who did? Nobody? 288 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:30,359 Then? How it was a freak accident. The ice pick was on the 289 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,839 seat of the car when it crashed. I knew that when you told me 290 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,279 the angle at which it entered the body. That's why I kept insisting that 291 00:24:37,319 --> 00:24:41,480 Marcia hadn't stabbed him. That in the fact that the stabbing was so obviously 292 00:24:41,559 --> 00:24:47,400 news to her. She really thought her husband had done it after she left 293 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:51,480 Crane asleep in the car, so much so so that she even accused him 294 00:24:51,519 --> 00:24:53,839 of doing it. By the way, is he all right? Oh sure, 295 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,680 just a little dopey from the sleeping pills. And he's really broken up 296 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:00,880 about her. He really love the sap. I can't blame her though she 297 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,240 was a beautiful woman. When she looked at you with those big blue eyes 298 00:25:04,279 --> 00:25:07,000 of hers, you could believe anything she wanted you to believe. So they 299 00:25:07,039 --> 00:25:11,680 told me, Yes, Sarah, Sometimes I am very glad I have no 300 00:25:11,839 --> 00:26:12,720 eyes to deceive me. This is the Armed Forces Radio Service Welcome Back. 301 00:26:12,759 --> 00:26:18,640 Well a really solid episode with a good mystery, a good solution, and 302 00:26:19,079 --> 00:26:25,720 I think a very unique sloth. I certainly not the only blind detective. 303 00:26:26,079 --> 00:26:32,240 Max Carados is probably the most famous of this sort of detective, though this 304 00:26:32,279 --> 00:26:41,240 one has some unique twist. I did find myself fundering why Captain McLean would 305 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:48,759 suggest putting away the dog, given that the dog was a trained security and 306 00:26:48,839 --> 00:26:55,039 protection dog. It acted to protect its owner and acted in accordance with its 307 00:26:55,079 --> 00:27:00,680 training in order to protect Captain McClean. I was also unclear how he would 308 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,559 not have known that the dog had died. That came off as a little 309 00:27:04,599 --> 00:27:11,079 bit of clumsy exposition, because I think he would have known through you know, 310 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:15,160 what they've established about him, whether the dog was living or not, 311 00:27:15,599 --> 00:27:18,799 would not need anyone else to explain what happened. That seemed to be more 312 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:26,039 for the audience. The true ugliness of the beautiful woman I think was shown 313 00:27:26,079 --> 00:27:30,400 at the end, I mean the way she went after McLane and the way 314 00:27:30,559 --> 00:27:36,880 she irrationally hated him, like, how dare you be a blind person whose 315 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,559 eyes are going in any way in my general direction? Now, this character 316 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:48,200 was really well developed, and as I and I have to admit that when 317 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:52,359 I went ahead and I selected this for a thirty nine hundredth episode special, 318 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:56,440 I didn't listen all the way through. I just kind of read the synopsis. 319 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:59,680 I'll listened to a bit of it just to get a feel for what 320 00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:03,720 the episode was like, and you know, just getting a feel for it. 321 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,920 I did not take a close listen through the entire episode, but listening 322 00:28:08,039 --> 00:28:15,079 very closely as I was going to be recording this, I thought, you 323 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:19,400 know, Captain McClean is very well developed, and I realized he was too 324 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:26,640 developed to be a character that was created for a one off radio play. 325 00:28:26,079 --> 00:28:33,640 So I then began to research him and found out that he actually had a 326 00:28:33,759 --> 00:28:45,240 very long life in a literature with several novels published around a dozen all featuring 327 00:28:45,799 --> 00:28:55,400 Duncan McClean, who was created by Baynard H. Kendrick, and this particular 328 00:28:55,559 --> 00:29:02,160 story out of Control was actually a full length novel, and of course there's 329 00:29:02,279 --> 00:29:07,480 not a novel's worth of material in here. This book's been condensed, even 330 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:12,599 though according to Amazon, the original book was only one hundred and twenty two 331 00:29:12,599 --> 00:29:17,960 pages long. I was kind of on the short side of novels, so 332 00:29:18,079 --> 00:29:25,160 this does flow very well. I do find myself wondering what the original novel 333 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:30,960 had in it and what the expanded book looked like. I found myself wishing 334 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,079 that I had been aware of this in advance, because then I could have 335 00:29:36,599 --> 00:29:41,160 backed down the books and read them. But there was no indication, even 336 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,240 like in the credits, that this was based on something else. Though if 337 00:29:45,319 --> 00:29:48,680 we had a network version maybe that would have given us a clue. But 338 00:29:48,799 --> 00:29:55,119 they still may be worth checking out. Like a lot of older out of 339 00:29:55,319 --> 00:30:07,400 print detective novels, Mysterious Press had has actually gone ahead and rereleased the Duncan 340 00:30:07,519 --> 00:30:11,079 McLean mysteries, so I may check those out at some point. In addition, 341 00:30:11,359 --> 00:30:19,599 there were actually Duncan McLean films. The first was for Universal, The 342 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:30,160 Last Express, and it starred Kent Taylor, who starred in the Boston Blackie 343 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:36,279 TV series in the nineteen fifties. Then there were two films in the nineteen 344 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:42,799 forties, Eyes in the Night and The Hidden Eye, both starred Edward Arnold 345 00:30:42,839 --> 00:30:48,759 as Duncan McClane. One of those, Eyes in the Night, is actually 346 00:30:48,799 --> 00:30:55,200 available on DVD and as a rental through Amazon Prime. I have to say 347 00:30:55,319 --> 00:30:59,680 that I would probably be interested in checking that out. Not only do I 348 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,880 find the McClain character interesting, but Edward Arnold is always a talented actor, 349 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,200 and I never knew that he played an attactive as in the Night, also 350 00:31:08,319 --> 00:31:15,079 as a really compelling past including Rosemary to Camp, Barry Nelson, and an 351 00:31:15,119 --> 00:31:19,279 early appearance by Donna Reed. So again, looks like an interesting film. 352 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:26,440 Of course, this special means that we are closing in on four thousand episodes, 353 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:30,079 and I already know what I'm going to play for that, and I 354 00:31:30,119 --> 00:31:33,480 think you're going to enjoy it. But you've got another seventeen weeks or so 355 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:37,599 to wait for that. Now, though, let's go ahead and thank our 356 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:42,079 Patreon supporter of the day. Thank you to Kelly, Patreon supporter since September 357 00:31:42,559 --> 00:31:48,000 twenty eighteen, currently supporting the program at the rookie level of two dollars or 358 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,640 more per month. Thanks so much for your support. Kelly, and that 359 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,559 will do it for today. If you're not subscribed already, I do encourage 360 00:31:55,599 --> 00:32:00,039 you to subscribe with your favorite podcast software, whether it's Google Podcast, tune 361 00:32:00,079 --> 00:32:06,480 in, cash Box, or Amazon Music at Amazon dot com, slash ot 362 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,039 Art Attactives. We'll be back on Monday with an episode of the Adventures of 363 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:17,000 Sam Spade where the package was light in the drawing room and the train was 364 00:32:17,079 --> 00:32:22,200 comfortable, seemed like an easy waiter and one hundred bucks. I knew it 365 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,279 wouldn't last. Never does. I was prepared for the knock on the door, 366 00:32:27,319 --> 00:32:30,440 and I got ready for the inevitable small dark man who plays the Peter 367 00:32:30,559 --> 00:32:32,839 Lauri pot. But this one tooled me. It was a tall, thin 368 00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:37,599 actor with sandy hair. Okay, Sean has hand over the packet. You 369 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,920 won't be no trouble. Sure, there it is on the seat. Take 370 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,920 it. It's okay. You got me covered. I won't make any move. 371 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:47,000 What are you trying to pull? It's a stick up, isn't it. 372 00:32:47,519 --> 00:32:50,880 Maybe I got the rock a pot. Oh that's it. The cups 373 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:52,720 in there. Unwrap it and see for yourself. Oh no, you don't 374 00:32:52,759 --> 00:32:57,160 know. I'm picking up no booby traps. Oh yeah, yellow huh, 375 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:00,480 I know that one too. I don't cut no ice from me yourself. 376 00:33:00,759 --> 00:33:02,839 Damon jin, you're nuts. I'm getting out of here. Wait a minute, 377 00:33:02,839 --> 00:33:06,480 Fillo, buy a drink, Hello, Drake, Lunch in a go. 378 00:33:07,599 --> 00:33:10,440 Yes, indeed, mister Spade, I agree. Clarence is a very 379 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:14,759 comical fellow. So are you I to believe he was stepping into your folks? 380 00:33:14,759 --> 00:33:16,440 So least you have your bit of railway in the off companion ways and 381 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:22,160 my mate, yeah, Clarence, you mind not at all? Well, 382 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,119 sir, I'm afraid you're going to mind. The great to you. I 383 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,880 hope you'll be with us then. In the mean time, do send your 384 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:32,680 comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at 385 00:33:32,799 --> 00:33:38,039 Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash 386 00:33:38,079 --> 00:33:43,720 Great Detectives from boise idahole. This is your host, Adam Graham. Sign 387 00:33:43,799 --> 00:33:44,160 and off.