Speaker 1: And now the first in a series of adventures featuring
Debonair Detective John Jinky Spence. It's the Big, the Big Blonde.
Speaker 2: Come in. She was tall, and she was blonde. I
figured she was somewhere in her early thirties, and she
was wearing black dress. Madam welcome, Please see yourself on
one of the chairs before the desk and tell me
how may I be of assistance.
Speaker 3: Oh well, you see, it's like this, mister Spence. I've
been trying for weeks, but I haven't been able to
find any sign of her. And even though she's probably fine,
and she's probably just forgot to leave a forward in address,
but I can't help but wondering if something awful has
happened to her, and I just she's all I have
left in the way of family, you see. I'd just
like to find her to know if she's on.
Speaker 2: It took me somewhere north of ten minutes to get
a coherent story from her, but eventually I got the
dame to make sense. Her name was Dorothy Sunstrom. She
was from the Midwest but had been living in the
big City for many years. She had a younger sister, Mamie,
who had followed her here. Now, if I understood her
ramblings correctly, Maimie was missing. I understand you correctly, Mamy
is missing.
Speaker 3: That's what I said.
Speaker 2: Yes, I see, And tell me, madam, what did the
police say when you approach them?
Speaker 3: The police? The police wanted nothing to do with it,
mister Spence. They said they couldn't investigate without some sort
of proof she was missing. But I got nothing. I
don't know where she's been living or working. Me and
Maimie we kind of fell out a while back.
Speaker 2: I see. So what makes you so certain that she
is a wall? Madam? Oh?
Speaker 3: I don't know, mister. I just got a feeling. We've
had our fats before lots of times, but she's never
done a disappearing act like this. I've always been able
to find her when I wanted to, But now it's
something's different.
Speaker 2: Have you got a recent photograph of her?
Speaker 3: I don't have anything recent, but this is her a
few years back.
Speaker 2: The crumbled photo she pulled out showed another blonde girl,
but this time in a white dress. Yes, very nice.
Can I keep this to show people? I mean people
who might know where she is?
Speaker 3: Of course, mister Spence. So you'll take the case.
Speaker 2: I did think it odd that the police weren't interested
in finding a missing young lady, but I wasn't going
to worry about that, not when my electricity was one
week from being cut off. Tell me, miss SUNSTROMB, will
you be paying cash or check? Before she left, Dorothy
gave me a list of places where I might be
able to turn up a lead on her sister. There
were a couple of the part blocks, one on each
side of the city where she used to live, and
a clothing store where she used to work. I set
out early the next day to work my way through
the list. I could take your details in case you
do suddenly recall having met her.
Speaker 1: Oh gee, yeah, I suppose so great.
Speaker 2: I'll just write your name and telephone number down here
so I can get in touch of her. Everywhere I
went it was this safe. I got nothing. It was
as if Mamie Sunstromb never existed.
Speaker 3: Sorry, missus, Sorry, I never seen this girl before.
Speaker 2: Okay, madam, thank you, good day. The last place on
the list was a dive bar called Bulldogs. It wasn't
much to look at from the street, and it was
less to look at inside, Dorothy said, she'd heard made
me speak of it from time to time. A friend
of hers used to drink there. Guido something barkeep. Pardon me,
but you wouldn't happen to know where I could find Guido?
Would you sure?
Speaker 3: That's him over there?
Speaker 2: That man sitting at the far end of the bar.
Speaker 1: You see anyone else here?
Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, I don't. As a matter
of fact I didn't. The place was empty apart from me,
the bar man, and a large man sitting at the
far end of the bar. He had greasy, slicked back
hair and a pockmarked face. He was heavy set, and
his frame was giving the seams of his pinstriped suit
a good workout. He was wearing leather gloves, even though
we were indoors and the bar wasn't cold, and he
was a Guido Jinky Spence private, I Guido. No state
license required?
Speaker 3: Huh?
Speaker 2: No state license required, It's just the the judge said,
I have to make that clear to people who hire
me to work for them.
Speaker 3: Well, I ain't hireda no.
Speaker 2: Indeed, he was tight lipped at first, but his attitude
softened when I stood in a beer. I'd met my
share of tough guys before, and I knew how to
get through to them and speak their language. Tell me,
have you ever heard of a broad called Maimie Sunstrom?
This broad here in this photo, that blonde broad right there? Uh?
Speaker 3: Maybe let me see.
Speaker 2: Just that broad there? Yeah, yeah, I know her. I
pulse quickened and I lead forward to fix my gaze
upon Guido. Finally I had a lead capital. Do you
happen to know where she is?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: Uh ah? Do you know her most recent address? Uh?
Uh I see? And just like that the trail had gone, well,
thank you anyway, Guido, Well, what's the hurry?
Speaker 3: He went, hardly touched your cosmopoton?
Speaker 2: No, I don't suppose I have all right, I'll stay
a while. My feet were sore, and it was a
long walk home. Plus I figured some further jawing with
Guido might turn up something about Mamie.
Speaker 3: They just igno all those witnesses who said they'd seen
smoke on the grassy.
Speaker 2: No, say, do you ever happen to discuss this with
that broad Mamie?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 2: No, why would I?
Speaker 3: And then there was the other guy who said, who
said he's smelled.
Speaker 2: But as the hours ticked by and the empty glasses
piled up. I was getting nowhere another cosmo, please, Robert,
I think I might look.
Speaker 3: Good than jacket like that?
Speaker 2: Is that real leather? It is, Guido? I just bought
it today. Have you seen that new film Grease? The
man in that wears a jacket like it? And where
did you get it? Sometime between five and six I
decided to split. Still no closer to finding Mamie Sandstorms.
Is that the time i'd I'd better be getting to
buy home to do some prep for the rehearsal. I
was telling you about a short while ago today.
Speaker 3: Abe, before you go, kid, what do you think of this?
Here you go take a hold of it.
Speaker 2: Ooh, thank you very much. This was a gleaming black
handgun which Guido had suddenly produced from his pocket. I
thought at first it was a replica which he carried
for the lock, but as I felt its weight, it
slowly dawned on me that this was the real thing. Hagsquido,
you can have it back now, you can believe it
on the counter. Kid, I got a sudden case of
the hebe gbis. Maybe it was the way Guido kept
calling me kid, even though I was pretty certain I
was older. Than him. Maybe it was because I'd had
a few too many Cosmopolitans and I was feeling somewhat tiddly.
Maybe it was because Guido pulled a handgun out of
his pocket. Whatever it was, I suddenly couldn't get out
of Bulldogs far thanks very much. Should be or not?
I was awoken by the sound of knocking at my
door before I even opened it. My intuition told me
it was Dorothy, come to see if there was news
of her sister. I have a packet for you. Ah, yes,
my business cards. My intuition was wrong. It was a
courier delivering some business cards I had ordered before calling
into Bulldogs. I'd used up the last of my existing
stock during the fruitless search for me two for one offer,
so I got this second set designed and printed as well.
Take one if you like.
Speaker 1: Thank me.
Speaker 3: There.
Speaker 1: I gotta be gone. I gotta delivery to make a
cut down.
Speaker 2: Okay, no problem. You sure you don't want to stay
for a night cap. What time is it, Oh? An
early night cap, now that's fine. I sat counting my
business cards to make sure the printers hadn't taken me
for the mug again. When another knock sounded hello Jinky.
It turned out my intuition wasn't wrong. It was just
ten minutes off Miss sunstromb please do come in.
Speaker 3: Miss Sunstrom, thank you.
Speaker 2: She was more made up than before, and the red
dress she wore under a long black coat seemed to
my eye to be at least a size too small.
Let me help you with your coat, unless you're cold
and you'd like to keep it on.
Speaker 3: I feel just fine without a chinky, So you don't
mind if I call you Jinky? Do you Jinky?
Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, I hated the name, which
was given to me against my will during my youth
in England. But she was a client, and clients are
always right, not It's all Miss Sunstrom.
Speaker 3: Oh call me Dorothy Jinky. Say what's chinky?
Speaker 2: Short for it's long for John?
Speaker 3: Ah, Oh, you're too much shinky. Say what's this card?
Jinky Spence private Eye, No state license required.
Speaker 2: Yes, you'll recall that I made that quite clear yesterday
when you engage my services.
Speaker 3: Hmm, yeah, I'm sure I do. Oh here's another card,
Jinky Spence Thesbian.
Speaker 2: Yes, the printer's had a two for one offer, you see,
And as it happens, I'm also something of an actor
in my spirit. I reluctantly told Dorothy of my parallel
thespin career. She hung on my every word. I was
painfully aware of two things. I'd soon have to break
the news that I hadn't turned up any leads on
her sister, and I was in danger of missing my
Amateur Dramatic Society rehearsal of Hamlet, afraid I shall have
to potter off to the rehearsals shortly, suntrum Miss Sunstromb, Dorothy, but.
Speaker 3: You wouldn't leave me all alone on a cold, lonely
night like this, would you?
Speaker 2: Chinky? She battered her eyelashes at me and powdered her
lips so they resembled two red, wrinkled sausages. I could
loan you a thermal vest. You think you'll be chilly? What?
She looked at me for several seconds, a frown creasing
her brow.
Speaker 3: Okay, what what about? Maybe?
Speaker 2: H ah? I went to each of the places on
your list, Miss Sunstramb, but it was as if she'd
never been to any of them, apart from that bar,
that is. But even there I hit a dead end
with Guido. I'm sorry, miss sunstrombe. She looked as if
she was about to turn on the waterworks, so I
tried to cheer her up. If you want, I can
refund you one hundred and fifty dollars deposit, less the
expenses I incurred today. Of course, Dorothy, there was nothing
I could do to stop the water works. In many ways,
I was glad she hadn't taken the offer of a refund,
as I'd already use most of her money to invest
in a fashionable leather jacket. I took a moment to
telephone the Grant Street Amdram Society to break the news
that I wouldn't make tonight's rehearsal. Norm said they'd manage
fine without me, which, if anything, made my mood worse.
As far as I was concerned, Rosenkrantz is one of
the cornerstones of Hamlet, so surely the rehearsal would barely
be worth staging in my absence. Eventually, he said that
the line was bad, so I hung up and tried
telephoning again.
Speaker 3: Anything.
Speaker 2: No, it's just ringing out. The line must be really
bad or something. Dorothy ended up staying for close on
two hours. She'd cry, and then asked me to tell
her everything that happened that afternoon, hoping to land on
some crucial detail I'd missed, and then she'd cry again
when she realized that we had no clues nothing. We
went through this routine over and over until she glanced
at her watch, pulled herself together and got up to go.
Speaker 3: I'm sorry for wasting your time, Jinkie, or should I say,
mister Spence.
Speaker 2: That's quite all right, miss Sunstrom. These situations can prove
highly emotional for all concerned. After promising to get in
touch the next day, she waited for me to help
her into the long black coat.
Speaker 3: Thank you for everything.
Speaker 2: Don't forget to close up that coat or your chest
will be cold. I felt like I'd earned a nightcap,
but it turned out the night wasn't quite capped yet.
Five minutes later, Dorothy was back.
Speaker 3: Oh, mister Spence, I'm so sorry to burst in on
you again, but I seem to have mislaid my purse.
Can I just pop in to see if I left
it in here?
Speaker 2: It must have been terribly nippy outside, as her coat
was now tightly buttoned and she had on a pair
of thick leather gloves. Of course, come right in, miss Sunstrom. Uh,
you'll notice that the office sofa has been transformed into
a sleeping bed. Think nothing of that. I was just
trying something.
Speaker 3: Oh I feel honored to be in the same room
with you in a bed, Jinky. No, okay, let me see.
I was sitting over here like this.
Speaker 2: You can keep your coat on.
Speaker 3: Uh huh say, would you mind checking under that sofa bed.
It might have fallen underneath when you were pulling it out.
Speaker 2: I was pretty certain that there hadn't been any purse
in the office when Dorothy left, but not being a
man who was wont to say no to a lady,
I did what she asked. Nothing on to hear this
Sud's job.
Speaker 3: Oh that's quite all right, Jinky. I'm afraid I've led
you on a wild goose chase. The purse was here
in my coat pocket all along. Good night again, I
can let myself out.
Speaker 2: I hold myself to my feet and waited for the
head rush to subside. Then I poured another nightcap. I
felt like I'd earned it. Things escalated somewhat. The next
morning was shortly before noon when the knock came, and
this time it wasn't a big Blande standing there. It
was a big cop with a deep chink left and
thick wrists.
Speaker 3: John Spence, that is I, yes, we have a warrant
to search your premises.
Speaker 2: Oh uh to what is this? In reference, Officer inspector.
Speaker 3: We're investigating the murder of Maimie Sunstrom.
Speaker 2: Murder, murder or maybe Sundstrom. That's what I said, bugger me.
Speaker 1: In the second and concluding part of The Big Blonde,
Jinkie tries to prove that he never murder the girl
he never met. Join us, won't you