Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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month. Just go over to Patreon dot Great Detectives dot net. Well,
now it is time for this week's episode of Dangerous Assignment. The original aired
eight November the twenty sixth, nineteen fifty two, and the title is a
nursery rhyme, Dangerous Assignment, starring Brian don Leveez Steve Mitchell. Yeah,
danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can't
even pronounce. They all spell the same thing, though, trouble. But
when I walk into the Commissioner's office, I don't realize that this assignment's going
to have me trying to trap a killer with a new kind of a weapon.
A nursery rhyme, warning, Commissioner, you sent from made Steve.
Are you fond of Swedish cooking? Yeah? Sure. So there's a man
named Fred Gainesley. He's with the project we're participating in to evaluate Scandinavian defense
potential, with headquarters in Stockholm. Several times a week, Gainsley has a
lunch trace and up to his office from the nearby cafe. So someone in
the project is apparently using that tray as a means of getting secret information to
the outside. Gainsley No, he's the one who told us about it,
quite by accident. Yesterday afternoon he discovered a message in cold tucked under a
napkin. Discovered it just before the tray was to be picked up, and
the waiter who came to pick up the tray he didn't show up and hasn't
been seen since. Someone in the project must have tipped them off that the
message had been intercepted. Steve get over to Stockholm check with Gainsley, find
out who's peddling this secret information and put a stop to it. Well,
I said, you've got your assignment. Good luck. The National Broadcasting Company
is presenting Dangerous Assignment, starring Brian don Levy and the role of Steve Mitchell,
colorful two fisted government agent. At all those places of the world where
danger and intrigue walk hand in hand. There you will find Steve Mitchell on
another dangerous assignment. Here's a word about some of NBC's great Sunday programs.
We're justifiably proud of such stellar productions as Theater Guild on the Air, the
Phil Harris Alas Face Show, and drag Net. In our Sunday schedule,
Theatre Gil brings you top stars of Broadway and Hollywood in the best available dramatic
works. This combination of top stars and great writing makes Theater Gild one of
the high spots of the week. And you will find that Phil Harris and
Alice Faye team together to present one of radio's best comedy shows on Sunday night,
the same night that Dragnet presents true stories of your police force in action.
So this Sunday and every Sunday, set your dial to the NBC Radio
Network for the best radio programming here. I've got my assignment. Fly over
to Stockholm and find out who's copying top secret government information from a project we're
participating in. Its early Wednesday evening. When my plane lands and I hustle
over to the building where the project is quoted. Several lights are burning in
the east wing, and it looks like some of the office staff is putting
in overtime inside. I flashed my credentials and then follow a young clerk down
the corriday. Now, mister Gamesley should be in his office sera, at
least he was there a few minutes ago. Here we are, mister Gaines,
will you have a bit? Mister Gainsley doesn't seem to be around well.
I was sitting over there at the typewriter when I looked in a couple
of minutes ago. The French windows over there they're open. Oh sure.
They lead out to the back garden, and mister Gainesley probably stepped out for
a breather that came from the garden. Come on, Gainsley, Gainsley,
you out here? It's pretty dark? Yeah? See anything hard to all
this shrubbery? Where does this path lead to? Back gate. Let's try
it, Gainsley. There it is hop ahead should be locked though, yeah
it is. Does this wall go all the way around the garden? That's
right? Okay, you take this side and out? What is it,
Gainsley? Yes? You see? Yeh. Look his his coat's been ripped
open, inside pocket torn. No wallet here here, anywhere else? That
back gate the only way out of this garden. Yes, unless you climbed
over the wall ten feet high at least. No. I think our killers
sneaked around us and ducked back into Gainsley's office. Come on, Johnny,
is that you? Yes, miss Boorland, there is something wrong. Uh,
this is mister Mitchell. Miss Borland, is mister Gainsley secretary. How
do you do? Mister Mitchell? I thought I heard a shot you did,
Miss Borland. I'm afraid someone's just shot your boss, mister Gaines shot.
Where is the eyes hold? It won't do any good, he means
horrible. Anyone come through here the last minute or so? No? No
one? Why there are other offices facing the patio the garden, mister Mitchell,
that's mister Horbson's mister Walker's okay, we'll check him in a minute,
something else I want to look at first. Come on, let's go back
inside. You've been going out of the office long, miss Borland, ten
minutes or so. Mister Gainsley sent me down to the fireroom. I see,
and when you looked in, Johnny, he was alone, right,
he was pecking away at a typewriter, mister Gainsley. Was it my typewriter?
Yeah? Look, there's a piece of paper still in it. That's
what I'm interested in. Let's see what what is it, mister Mitchell?
Oh brother, here's what mister Gainsley typed out one sentence. What did he
write? It reads? Mary had a little lamb. Yeah, that's it.
Mary had a little lamb. It's typed at the top of the page,
nice and neat nothing else. So Mary had a little lamb. And
it looks like I'm gonna have a little headache trying to figure this one out.
Seconds later, the other employers come pouring into the office, all of
them generating a lot of excitement. I finally get them to clear out and
return to their desks. I'm left alone with Miss Borland. I don't understand
it, mister Mitchell. Why would anyone want to kill free mister Gainsley.
Well, there happens to be a very good reason. We'll skip it though
for now. Do you mind answering a few questions? No, of course
not. I'm particularly interested in the lunch trade delivered to this office yesterday,
the lunch tray. What can I tell you about? Wait a minute,
mister Mitchell. Does all this have anything to do with a piece of paper
mister Gainsley found on that tray yesterday? You know about that? Of course
I was with him when he found it. He seemed puzzled. I asked
him about it, and he said it was nothing, folded the paper and
put it in his wallet. There's wallet. Tell me where is this tray
picked up? Miss Borland. There's a table outside in the hall. I
usually placed the tray there when mister Gainsley has finished lunch. What time did
you place it there yesterday? Do you remember? Two minutes after one?
I'd say? And what time is it usually picked up? Half an hour
so later? How did Gainsley happen to find the piece of paper? Well,
he'd been working during his lunch, and some time after I'd taken the
tray into the hall, he missed his fountain pen thought he might have left
it on the tray. Huh. Yes, the two of us went out
to look. Is the tray usually picked up by the same way. Yes,
his name's Carl. He works at a cafe down the street. That's
all I know. What does he look like? Short? Very short?
Have you set? He wears rather thick glasses. Okay, miss Bowling,
I guess that'll be all for now. Oh, mister Mitchell, come in
you Dave Walker right, and this is Gil Halverson. How are you?
Halverson? Still a bit shaken? I'm afraid, mister Mitchell, Gainsley was
a good friend of ours. You two have the other two offices in this
wing. Both of you heard the shot I did. I was here in
my office at the time. First I thought it was a car backfiring.
Then I heard people running down the hall, so I went out to investigate.
Your French windows were open, no locked. I was getting ready to
go on home. Why it's possible a killer slipped out of the garden by
way of one of these offices that could have been mine. My windows were
open. I'm afraid. Where were you downstairs? The fireroom? That's why
I didn't hear the shot. Fireroom uh, you see miss Borland there.
I no, I didn't. Look what's this all about? Anyway? Why
would anyone want to kill Gainsley? Yeah? And what's this business about Mary's
little lamb? How do you know about that? Walker? Well, Johnny
the clerk told us what's it mean? I wouldn't know what it was meant
for? You, wasn't it? Was it? Well, look you're a
government agent. You come here looking for Gainsley. He gets himself murdered,
but before that he leaves a message in his typewriter, and you don't know
what it means? I don't. Yeah, maybe you have some ideas well?
Maybe all right, Halrison, let's have it. Well, Walk and
I were talking about it before he came in. It has to be a
message of some kind. But what so we finally arrived at something. Sure
it might sound crazy, but I come on, what is it? Well,
look there's a cafe here in town called the Golden Fleece. Oh what's
that got to do with? Oh? Yeah, yeah, Mary had a
little lamb. It's fleece was white as snow. Oh I don't know,
Halvers. And it sounds pretty far fetched? Well sure it does, But
still is that the cafe where Gainesley got his tray. No, well,
the Fleece is run by an American named Daniels. It's on the other side
of town. Well, as I say, it sounds a little wild,
but there's everything else about the deal. Thanks for the lead, I'll follow
it up. I go back to Gainsley's office. The police are there now.
I huddle with Inspector yours, and then I grab a cab and head
out across town. Twenty minutes later, I pull up at a small cafe
and bar known as the Golden Fleece. Sure it's a wild lead, one
thousand to one shot, but at this stage of the game, I can't
pass up anything, no matter how silly it sounds. Is a chance I
might run into something or someone, maybe a waiter named Carl. I'm sorry,
Pilgrim, I don't think I can help you. Just see, I
don't employ waiters, just dolls. Yes, sir, give me a good
waitress anytime. You wouldn't have one named Mary by any chance, Mary thought
you were looking for a guy named Carl. Look, do you have a
waitress named Mary? Nope? Ilga Ilda Sam Samantha. We call her Sam
for short, and that's her over there, rocking up the meatballs. Yeah.
Look, maybe you have a regular customer named Carl. It could be
this is sweeten. Carl isn't a very unusual name. As a matter of
fact, there's a regular custom mine over there at the bar. His name's
Carl. Where into the bar. See the little guy standing at the far
end. Yeah, short and fat, he fits the bill. Now,
well wait till he moves out of the way. The tall, skinny character
sitting back up, that's Carl. Oh all right, Daniels, Just make
believe like I didn't come in. I'm sorry, Pilgrim wasn't able to help
you. You haven't, but thanks just the same. I go back outside.
Wait a few minutes in front of the Golden poleee for inspector yours squad
car to show. And when it doesn't, I start walking along the street
toward the corner. But I don't make it. Halfway up the block.
Someone steps out of a doorway behind me. A cord drops around my foot,
tugs back. All right, I ahead hits the side of the building.
I go out like a light. Steve Mitchell will continue his dangerous assignment
in just a moment. Next time your car needs a grease job, or
you're having your shoes repaired, or a suitor dress dry cleaned. Look around
in the place that performs the service for you. You'll see something new.
A poster carrying the words OPS ceiling prices for retail services and listing the principal
services which the place performs and the OPS sealing prices. Now, the new
OPS rule requires that these official posters must also be displayed in shops that do
repair work on radios, TV sets, household electrical equipment, on watches and
clucks, furnaces, heaters, automobiles and trucks. Yes, the prices you
see may be the highest prices which can lawfully be charged. You may pay
less, but you need pay no more. Get the habit of checking the
new OPS price charts in service establishments where you trade and when you shop for
goods or services. Shop carefully, Use restraint in your buying and spending,
and save when you can. All you can remember cooperation can whip inflation.
And now back to Dangerous assignment and Brian don Leveille as Steve Mitchell Mitchen,
Yeah Mitchen, Oh, inspector yourson? What happened? I guess somebody didn't
like the way I breathed and tried to put a stop to it. The
corder on your neck, Yeah, you must have gotten it off just in
time. Perhaps whoever it was saw my card approaching had to run. Did
you get look at him now? He came up behind me. What did
you find out inside the cafe the golden fleece? Not much. This attempt
on your life seems to indicate that the cafe is somehow involved. However,
it looks that way could be this waiter I'm looking for Carl spotted me nosing
around and tried to put me out of his way. If so, he's
probably some distance from here by now. Ah well, let's go back to
the project headquarters and go to work on that nursery rhyme again. We might
as well use Gainsley's office all night. Michael oh Elverson. You boys work
pretty late. Yeah, they've been piling it on lately, just knocking off
now. Walker worked this late too, No, No, I guess he
cleaned up his desk early than usual to I. Yes, left the building.
Yeah, matter of fact, he left shortly after you did. All
uh, and he lucky to Golden Place. Yeah. All bad, but
at least it looks like a solid see you in the morning. Oh sure,
so Walker left here shortly after you did. It's very interesting. Yeah,
well here we are. Do you still have the piece of paper right
here? Mary had a little lamb. Do you suppose that mister Gainsley intended
this is some sort of message for you? Mitchell, I doubted, inspector.
He had no way of knowing I'd be arriving just then. The way
it looks to me, he was sitting here at the typewriter, probably heard
a sound outside when to investigate, and was killed quite possibly. But then
what does it mean this fragment of a nursery rhyme? Answer that one and
will be halfway home. You know it's possible Ganesley was working on that message
he intercepted on his lunch track. Yes, the message might have been in
cold. Mary had a little lamb, could be part of it. Seems
to tie in with a golden fleece cafe. All right, I could he?
But but what I don't know. There's something wrong, something that doesn't
quite add up. If Gamesley was trying to decipher the message, why do
it on a typewriter? A good point. Let's see Gamesley was sitting here
at the typewriter. He heard he pasjammed, he heard a noise outside.
Wait a minute, what is it? I just had an idea. Maybe
we've been on the wrong track with Mary and her little lamb. What do
you mean just a second, I want to put a piece of paper in
there now, M A R Y H acre typing the same phrase. Yeah,
now let's take a look. I see nothing on us, sue.
Maybe that's the point. Gainsley could have typed that line to check the typewriter.
He might have been looking for some in perfection, a letter out of
line or something like that. Yes, quite possibly, he wanted to compare
it with the message he had intercepted here. This was a logical typewriter for
him to start with. It belongs to his secretary MS. Borland. But
there are no irregularities on this machines, so he drew a blank here.
But how about the others in the building. Yes, let's see. He
could have been looking for something to do with the letter A. There are
four of them, and the sentence, if we can find a typewriter like
that, we may have our killer. We split up inspector yours and takes
one wing of the building, I take the other. I work my way
from room to room, checking the typewriters. I draw a blank until I
get to Walker's office. M A l Yeah, letter A raised slightly all
four times. This could be the one. Oh, mister Mitchell, Hello,
Miss Borland. I heard someone moving around in mister Walker's office and couldn't
imagine who it could be. You're here pretty late tonight, aren't you.
I forgot something in my desk and came back to get it. Mister Mitchell,
were you in my office earlier? Yeah? I found the same sentence
from the nursery rhyme typed out on my desk. You were testing my typewriter
the same as mister Gainsley was doing. You figured it out too, huh?
Okay, so I was. But I'm not interested in your typewriter anymore,
Miss Borland. This is the one, mister Walkers. Yeah, the
A is raised slightly. But mister Walker couldn't have typed the message mister Gainsley
in her sectory? Why not? He was out of town for a week.
Walker was, yes, on business. He got back only yesterday.
Oh great, anybody could have used this typewriter then, yes, I suppose
so Wait a minute. Hmmm, this basket of correspondence on Walker's desk.
Oh, that's probably correspondence he hasn't signed yet. What's wrong with it?
Nothing? That's the point. The a's and these letters aren't raised, mister
Mitchell. That means somebody switched typewriters and put this one here in mister Walker's
office. It sure does. Any way of checking on these machines to find
out which office they were originally assigned to. Yes, all typewriters are listed
by serial numbers. The list is in the stock room. Let's take a
look. You think the answer is here, mister Mitchell. Could be there's
a copy in this fileroom of every confidential report sent out of this project,
isn't it. Of Course, whoever switched the typewriters and stole the list couldn't
possibly have removed all the reports typed on that machine. That's the point.
You take one of those other file folders and start, well, never mind
the other folder you found it sure did. Take a look at this report,
dated three weeks ago. The letter A is raised slightly all through it.
Yeah, see this signature at the bottom. Steve, Hello Halverson,
when I saw you heading down here to the basement. I figured you were
getting too warm. Mitchell. You're the boy who was smuggling information out on
Gainsley's lunch tray. You spotted him checking Karen's typewriter and figured he was on
the right track. That's why you killed him. Yeah, that's right.
And you dreamed up that wild goose chase about the Golden Fleece cafe. I
had to keep you thinking the nursery rhyme with some sort of code. So
what happens now? You shoot both of us? Oh hardly security guards in
the building, so as your friend inspector yourson, you shot at two would
bring them running, Donna, I got a much better idea. Step back
into the vault, both of you. You've heard me. Okay, it's
good enough. It's gonna lock us in. Huh. You catch on pretty
quick. Look, there's no down up on the inside. The vault is
sound proof. Also, there's no ventilation, so go ahead, yell if
you want to, you use up the oxygen faster. You catch on quick
too. Karen salong kids, but oh oh, I inspected yours. I'm
looking for mister Mitchell. Mitchell, have you seen him? Oh? Yes,
it's about ten minutes ago. We hurried out of the building. Oh
yeah, I seemed very excited, said something about going back to the Golden
Fleece cafe. Well, that's very interesting, mister Hollerson. It is,
yes, if he went to the Golden Fleece. Who is the man who
you're stepping on the corner behind you? No, jump, don't try it,
Just old still while I get that, Gunny your Alderson, his r
man. He sure is inspector. How'd you get out of there? Mitchell?
Oh, Treck Holverson. I was holding a folded sheet of paper in
my hand. Remember the report made out on your typewriter. When you closed
the door, I slid the paper between the door and the jam over the
latch that kept the door from locking. A sheet of paper. Yeah,
at sheet of paper sort of wrapped you up, didn't it. Our star
Brian don Levy will return in just a moment. Daytime programming on the NBC
Radio Network is tops in listening pleasure and while you're at home during the day,
set your dial to this NBC station for entertainment by Bob Hope, Dave
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here's a special note. Next Monday, Bob Hope and Dave Garaway will be
heard at a new time on some NBC stations next week. The Mediterranean a
pleasure cruise that almost turns out to be a one way trip, and that
will be Steve Mitchell's dangerous assignment next week. Included in tonight's cast were Ken
Peters, Kay Stewart, Tony Barrett, Dan Riss and her Bigron. This
is John Storm speaking Dangerous Assignment starring Brian don Levy as Steve Mitchell, with
Herb Butterfield as the Commissioner. Is written by Bob Bright Been Adrian John Doe
and is directed by Bill carn Be with us again next week at this time
when Brian don Levy, starring in the role of Steve Mitchell, will embark
on another transcribed dangerous assignment. Always listen for the familiar three NBC chimes.
They're your invitation to fine radio entertainment tomorrow. Here both Judy Canova and Truther
Consequences on NBC Welcome back. I'm a little dubious that a piece of paper
would be enough to hold the vault open. However, I'm sure there's an
expert on vault somewhere, so all about of their opinion. Other than that,
I thought this was a good little mystery with some solid misdirection that Dave
Mitchell was able to cut through by realizing he was at a dead end.
Well, we turned down to listener comments and feedback over on YouTube. Barney
Wrights reguarding the butterfly chaser corny as corn soup but charming as well well.
Thanks so much for the comment, I think, and now it's time to
thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to thank Adrian,
Patreon supporter since January twenty twenty, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant
level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or more per month. Thank you so
much for your support, Adrian, and that will do it for today.
If you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software.
If you're listening on YouTube, be sure to lock the video, subscribe
to the channel, and feel free to leave a comment. We'll be back
next Wednesday with another episode of Dangerous Assignment, but join us back here tomorrow
for mister Chameleon, where was threatened by Jones and Dale? Mister Chameleon,
are you implying that I might have killed those men? How quaint? As
a matter of fact, I'm not even sure that the blackmailing notes came from
Jones and Dale. They were anonymous, but Jones and Dale had access to
all the facts. Besides, yes, so you have a low opinion of
detectives. Missus contrad where were you between midnight and twelve thirty? Are you
asking me for an alibi? I am missus contright. I was in bed,
young man. My maid will verify that. Besides, I thought that
this Danny mulcahy you spoke of was suspense instead of having killed those men.
He is a suspect. The evidence against him is very strong, and why
aren't you willing to let it go? At that? Does this Danny mokay?
Does he have an alibi? I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on
Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham signing off.