 The mutual broadcasting system presents hello. I hope I haven't kept you waiting Yes, this is a crime club I'm the librarian Cowhide Yes, we have that story for you Come right over Good Take the easy chair by the window Comfortable the manuscript is on this shelf Here it is cowhide The very intriguing story of a suitcase that was packed with murder Let's look at it under the reading lamp It was early afternoon and the customer's room in the brokerage offices on the second floor of a midtown office building was crowded as usual Harold Phillips the middle-aged clerk crossed the large room Nervously adjusting his time and stopped outside the office of Mark Baldwin the manager Excuse me, mr. Baldwin Thank you, sir You sent for me, mr. Baldwin Come here Phillips. I hope nothing is wrong sir my books Sit down. I've always been very careful, sir. I never let a page go without checking and rechecking Phillips You've been with this company for 30 years. Yes, sir Have you ever thought of leaving us leaving? Why no sir not once in 30 years Well Please don't hold it against me sir There were times when I thought I might do better somewhere else but yes I realized that I couldn't and I stopped thinking about it. It's been 15 years since I Good for you Phillips. I Guess we can trust you and what? Open that suitcase on my desk. Yes, sir Good heavens Securities the half a million dollars worth and they're all negotiable, but I Will look here mr. Baldwin if you're accusing me What are you talking about if you're accusing me of having packed that suitcase Phillips You don't know me sir You've been the manager of this office less than a year, but I have a record of excellent service You can ask the gentleman in the main office if you want to Phillips. Don't be an idiot. I'm not accusing you But the suitcase is going to our Los Angeles office. Oh You're going to take it there. I naturally you're the only one I can trust with it But such transfers are usually made by all about it now you'll leave tonight on the nine o'clock train I've reserved a drawing room for you. Yes, sir. You will be careful, of course You won't leave that drawing room for one minute, but mr. Baldwin. I said not for one minute Phillips Enders for your meals. I'll make arrangements. That's the idea One more thing Phillips. Yes, sir. You're not to discuss this matter with anyone Not with anyone Including the members of your own family at Los Angeles mr. Baldwin. How can I explain that to Doris my daughter? Don't but I'm going away for a long time for two weeks. Perhaps take up a good excuse On you I and the manager of the Los Angeles office know about this transfer We want nothing to happen to that suitcase Or to you. Yes, sir In other words, mr. Phillips We don't want you killed. Thank you, sir. I appreciate your consideration. Yes I'll go home and pack after closing time, of course, then will I take the suitcase home with me? No, you stop back here on your way to the train and I'll give it to you Would the eight o'clock be all right fine, but be prompt the train leaves at nine And I won't be late and now mr. Baldwin if I may say so. Yes Thank you for your confidence in me Oh In here Doris my room Did you eat scrambled eggs? You would every time I come home late from work. Can you? Hey, what's going on here? Just packing Walking out on me only for a little while dear. Yes, mr. Baldwin has given me a two-week vacation Oh with pay of course. Oh Now don't stare at me like a frightened little girl dad. Well, where are you going? Aunt Martha that sister of mine has been after me to pay her visit, but you have two weeks vacation not three months ago Well, Baldwin wants me to have another one. Why? As a bonus for my good work 30 years on one job. Why not cash? He's only the manager of a branch office there. I'll stop worrying you get wrinkles dad He's not sending you away Because it's something that happened this afternoon. What do you mean to her? You didn't get sick. Oh Those headaches you used to complain about. Oh, I haven't had one. Well, I know you've been seeing the doctor Oh, I didn't say anything because you didn't I I thought if you didn't want me to know There's no keeping a secret from you. Is there well everything's all right my blood pressure is down Yes, but this afternoon a mild attack nothing serious But mr. Baldwin happened to notice it and well, he's very fond of me and the kind who appreciates loyal dad Why won't you give up your job? Give it up. Well, what would I do? Must you do anything? I'm making enough for both of us nonsense beer You're going to be married someday. Oh sure. Don't you think so? First I've got to find a man. What's wrong with the men you know now. Oh white dog about them Listen dad, you've been working long enough and I'm going to keep right on with Goodbye, dear. I'll see you in two weeks. Oh, no, you don't I'm going to station with you. Haven't you a date for tonight? I'll call it off. You'll do nothing of the kind Dad I'm sorry, dear. I didn't mean to lose my temper It's all right. I when you see treating me like an invalid I just wanted to see you off dad. It isn't necessary. You've got a date keep it Goodbye, darling. Goodbye. Take good care of yourself Hello, I'd like to see Mr. Kenneth badger. I'm Ken badger. Are you the private detective? Well, so they say All right, take a look at this newspaper for free read it now look miss. I read a headline, please You've got a way about you Okay Brokerage clerk disappears with half million Harold Phillips for 30 years a clerk in the brokerage offices of how am I doing kid? Do I pass the literacy test? My name's Doris. Hmm my favorite name Harold Phillips is my father Well, he what'd you say? Mr. Badger? I'm desperate a good-looking girl like you my father didn't steal those securities What a shame. I know he didn't and you're going to find him and prove that he didn't I am yes Will you I listen honey there comes a time in every man's life when he's got to say no, this is my time You don't know my father that bad. He's not a thief. He's the most honest the most Somebody told you about my weakness, huh? He'd only try to understand And has been with that company for 30 years handling money and securities every day If he wanted to steal he could have done it in dribs and crabs Didn't have to wait until yesterday take I have a million at one time. Maybe he didn't get the idea until yesterday Will you please cut it out I'm not going to be carried away by a flood all right All right, Mr. Magic You don't have to take this case, but I'll tell you what I really think over a cup of coffee When I came home from work last night dad was packing his nice old restaurant down the street. Come on listen to me Dad said the mr. Baldwin the manager of his office had given him a two-week vacation He was going to spend it with Aunt Martha at her place in the country. I phoned Aunt Martha this morning dad wasn't there. No Mr.. Badger my father wouldn't lie to me something happened to him last night. What are you saying? He might have been kidnapped Murdered what mr. Baldwin's got those securities That's why he told daddy could go away and then last night his dad was going to the station. Wait a minute Why did you phone at Martha this morning? Dad hasn't been feeling well. I was worried I'm gonna give you a break baby. Oh Only because I like you but there's one condition what from now on it can Yes Can okay nice I'm going down the brokerage office to see what mr. Baldwin looks like I'm going with you. You are I am that's what I said you are Now you say here dars. Oh, but can I baby I want Baldwin all to myself well I've got a special interest in international pigs. So it's a long honey. I'll see you later Come in Why badger what are you doing here inspector Hopkins? My old friend. I asked you a question Ken. I've been retained by who Dara Phillips the daughter of I'll inspect it. Don't I get a knockdown? It'll make you happy I'm talking about those two nice people over there. Walter Conrad the assistant manager, and that's Joyce Lipton Mark Baldwin's private secretary Joyce Lipton Say haven't we have way. Oh, I'm pretty sure of it, but where I see here can I'm conducting an investigation Oh, you're a hard man inspector all the pretty women state your business and get out of here Well, since you put it so politely I'm looking for Mark Baldwin. That's good. So am I why anything else can't wait a minute Let me get this straight Are you saying that Baldwin and Philip that seems to be his pet theory mr. Badger shut up Conrad all you Have to do is answer questions and all you have to do inspectors to ask them Intelligent ones you're looking for trouble aren't you just because mr. Baldwin didn't come to the office today Doesn't mean that he and Philip put those securities He didn't show up at his hotel all night either that can mean anything inspector. Well, so how do you do huh? Mr. Conrad are you budding in Ken just for a couple of questions inspector mr. Conrad When was the last time you saw Mark Baldwin when I left the office yesterday about six o'clock and you joy Seven o'clock. Mr. Baldwin wanted me to say for some last-minute dictation Dictation to back. Oh, yes, sir. Anybody see him after that. We've been all through that Ken my client wants to know inspect Well, I don't know who saw him afterwards. I left at seven o'clock. I don't suppose you realize how ridiculous This is do you now see here Conrad all these questions about mr. Baldwin if he had a pot in this robbery You think it'd be full enough to disappear. It's been done before mr. Mark Baldwin wouldn't take half a million dollars to share with a clerk is that your opinion to miss Lipton? I have no opinion And I just can't believe that either mr. Baldwin or mr. Phillips could have done such a thing Yes, now mr. Conrad let me tell you something about who takes and who shares Can if you don't stop budding in a look over here. I Think you'll be my friend again. What did you find? I always travel with my nose close to the carpet my dog taught me that trick listen can down here, huh? Tell me what they look like to you. Hmm Bloodstains that somebody tried to wash out funny. That's what they look like to me They form a line from the desk to the coat closet. What do we do now inspect? I'll let you know Yeah There's one thing I didn't expect Would you say he's dead? I don't say anything with the corner gets here can Mr. Conrad who's that man Baldwin or Phillips? That That's mr. Baldwin No, no, darling. You can't come in. I've got to know what's going on Ken. I told you I'll tell you later Why did all those men come here that those policemen and the men with the camera? They're holding a convention. Somebody's been murdered Dad no Mr. Baldwin all right all right. I'm still working for you Can you know what they're going to think just keep looking at those quotations. I'll be out soon as I can Stabbed in the back, huh died between eight and nine o'clock last night. What's that inspector? You'll still hear between eight at nine o'clock last night, huh? That's about when Baldwin was murdered according to the coroner. Holy smoke and the old guy's innocent sure I'm not kidding Phillips didn't do it his daughter told me he took an eight o'clock train last night Yeah, where was he going to the country to see a sister at Martha, so it's a Martha. Oh, all right So I'm gone for the girl, but it did he get there did he? Oh All right, you win inspector you've got logic. Yeah, stick around sonny boy. I'm giving free lessons today Now mr. Conrad you get first crack at the truth. I've told you everything. I know inspector I haven't asked you everything. What was kept in that safe? Oh Security cash who do the combination mr. Baldwin myself you too miss Lipton I have a wink of that safe unless it was open. Did you know the combination? Of course not look here inspector What are you driving at somebody gave Harold Phillips those security somebody did nothing of the kind? Phillips knew the combination of that safe a clerk. He was our oldest employee We felt that we could trust it I'll take that miss Lipton might be company business inspector. Yeah Mike Hello Yeah, Hopkins talking You don't say good perfect Tell detective Riley to hop on a plane right away. Yeah, I know he's with homicide. We want Phillips for murder Well, they picked him up in Chicago on a train with two suitcases What's the matter can no comments from love Lauren? What about the security that's the next episode tomorrow morning at police headquarters? What do you mean the suitcase wasn't loaded with clothing and personal effects and it wasn't loaded with securities either Huh, it was loaded Ken with newspapers Right Phillips. Let's forget everything you've told me so far, but I've told you the truth inspector Hopkins Yeah, well now tell me a few lies. I don't know what to say to you I didn't kill mr. Baldwin. I didn't steal any security You didn't load that suitcase with newspapers either. No Baldwin did that huh and then he stabbed himself in the back He was alive when I left him at 8 20 the other night. He wasn't in the closet I told you he was alive sitting at his desk. Where are the securities Phillips? I thought they were in the suitcase Listen to me inspector. Mr. Baldwin told me to deliver the securities to our Los Angeles office He didn't want anyone to know where are they mister? He wouldn't even let me tell Doris where I was going I had to lie to her about a two week vacation that I was going to spend with my sister Martha Phillips I got to believe me inspector. I saw the securities in the afternoon They were in that suitcase, but mr. Baldwin wouldn't let me take it home Yeah, I met him that evening at the office his office and he handed me the suitcase locked and Trained ticket one way. Yes. He said the manager of the Los Angeles office would give me a return ticket You've got to believe me inspector. Come on Phillips. Let's start from the beginning now You knew Baldwin was working late. So you went to the office and killed it No, you opened the safe and took the securities then you took a train for Chicago with a load of newspapers No, I didn't just in case you got picked up you figured we might take you for a poor sucker who was being framed That's exactly what I am, but you hold everything Yeah What'd he say? Yeah, that's what I thought All right Dempsey Phillips we've just had Los Angeles on the phone. Oh Well, then the manager out there has told you he didn't tell me he spoke to my assistant What's the difference you know? I'm innocent. He was expecting no security. No, mr. What? Well, but there must be some mistake mr. Baldwin told me sit down Phillips have a cigarette and then talk Can coffee with tears Combination did you get inspector Hopkins? Yes. When can I see my father will your promise not to turn on the faucet? Can you can see him anytime? He just been booked Murder in the first grade without a confession. He didn't do it Ken the inspector also told me a lot of other things He didn't do it. Thank your father told him Doris yes, your father knew he wasn't going to have more What he was going to California on orders from ball, but he told me what time is it? Quarter past four, but come on. Let's get out of here. Are we going down to the prison? Nope We're going to find out more about a certain security transfer About a certain gal with red hair and blue eyes The way that's very tantalizing No, mr. Badger, I've never been there. Well, then how about there? Okay, George can't blame a guy for trying. Can you I can? North wind blew me right out of my Say have you heard the latest about Philip? No, he's gonna be indicted for murder Oh for pity's sake, and he is guilty after all only indicted baby. He's still got an alibi. Really? He claims Baldwin sent him to Los Angeles for those security Los Angeles. Hey, you mean our office out there. Mm-hmm Sort of transfer who told you about it my bosom pal and crony inspector hopped in If a if a transfer had been arranged Would there be a record of it of course in the form of correspondence possibly well now we're talking the same language Where's the correspondent? It's in those files. I mean the letters he dictated when he asked you to stay late. Oh, they're in my scenographic notebook still there I didn't take them off. Oh, that's nothing a good secretary choice. Why don't you mind your own business? Okay, I'll just take the book and let inspector Hopkins mind his business Well, I was going to type them up, but mr. Baldwin told me to go home and then the next morning Well, I don't have to tell you about the next morning. Don't you plan? There's nothing in that book about transfer security. Nothing What do you mean? Well, it might be in cold, you know $10,000 a word spelled backwards. Well, I don't think so because I know I'll I'll take the book down to police headquarters Why well, they've got some of the best type of some cold busters in the world Hello Conrad What are you doing in this office? Just talking to a lady. You talk to no one but me understand Oh, you've been promoted. I'm in charge here now, and I don't want snoopers around the reason this is a private office You have any business the customer's room is open every day from ten to three now Get out Conrad. Did you ever get a massage shoot? You wouldn't bear. Oh, I would but why wasting on you hoodlum Well, Ken, what did you find out what I'm going to find out Daris the counts. What do you mean? You go back to your apartment and wait for my call and you please headquarters and wishes luck I Hello Pete's safe Daris where have you been? Don't be angry dear. I told you to go back to your apartment wait for my call I did but you didn't call for three hours, and then I had an idea where you're not in a drugstore Oh, that's nice. Tell them to set up one for me to a double model You don't understand this drugstore than the building my father works in the brokerage offices are on the second floor What got you there? What's the matter 15 minutes what's the matter Daris I'll tell you when I see you, but hurry All right, kid. You just leave him to me. I'll take care of it. Don't be rough with him. Kenny's not young You went out and got a detective, huh? What's this about you refusing to answer questions message? I got a right to angry when they come from her. She's only a civilian like me. What's your name Joseph? Now look officer, you know Harold Phillips I do not the times when he's working late in the brokerage office. Did you see in the night of the murder? I ain't talking to you lady. All right, then you'll talk to me Sure, I seen him that you came up in the innovative what time now listen you all right. All right. Tell him 15 I brought him down again exactly 8 30 you talk like radio time foul I got it on my mind another detective asked me them same question about me I would go Showed him the book what book that's what I wanted to see Ken the book everybody must sign when they come in and go out of an Office building after six o'clock did you Did you think of that all by yourself all of a sudden? Where's the book Joe? And that's where mr. Phillip sign it Darling hey you talking to me not tonight Joe's if you go right up and down your elevator come on Daris That does it Ken that proves dad's innocence You thought of that all by your dad wouldn't have signed that book if you were going to steal or commit murder He wouldn't have used the elevator and I went to school and paid for life What are you talking about? Just thinking out loud about how good I am. Will you do me one thing? Oh, you know I will and go home what and stay there and don't move until you hear from me Hi a cookie you mind mind if I come in how you have the nicest way of asking I didn't mean to push you an old habit. I picked up in the subway. What do you want? Well, well It's a nice place You live here alone now listen mr. Badger joy When will you learn to call me Ken? I'll be at the office at nine o'clock in the morning if you have anything I have Your stenographic notebook. Oh Did the police get anything out of it? A murderer really You're pretty cute, baby What did Philip have to do with my finger print on my notebook? You're not working on all cylinders cookie They were your fingerprints I'm afraid I don't follow you mr. Badger. You don't have to I'll follow you why oh I knew I met you somewhere before But I don't recognize the gun. I let you pull a fast one on me didn't I I have a lot of fun Ken Because you're gonna be a dead duck in about two minutes any choice the confidence gown How long they keep you in stairs year and two months. Yep You've come a long way in the last eight years, baby I'm swindling the murder. Well, now wait a minute. You Don't have to be so impatient It's all right with me if it doesn't shoot at all tell me you How did you get Baldwin to turn his back for the night? I didn't He was kissing me when I killed him Phillips had gone up with a loaded suitcase and Mark and I were gonna wait until he'd been arrested and sent to jail and then you were gonna Split a half a million. That's right, but you decided why wait and why split and selfish that way Yeah, but you're going to wait cookie for a quick burn. Well, you won't be around to see it She doesn't have to inspector it just changed hands well Did I do all right inspector for once in your life? When you came in here, I was afraid you was going to close that door with a snap lock on inspector You don't think much of me. Do you? You want the truth? No, just skip it Hiding those securities under a rug and such a nice rug to a half a million dollars worth in her apartment And me stepping on it all the time Um Ken yes, dear How well did you know her? Daris I told you I I saw in a courtroom eight years ago, and you remembered her for so long I've got a weakness for redhead. I'm not a redhead. Oh, that can be remedy Would it make you happy? Take it easy your father to sleep on that chair Supposedly wakes up and and Supposedly does Dad won't mind Will you? Well Well, we're now what dad I can't wait all night Doris. I've got to go to bed And so closes tonight's story cow hide Steadman Coles wrote the radio script Roger Bauer produced and directed Bill Quinn played Ken Badger Joan Tompkins was Doris Phillips Cameron Poudin was Harold Phillips Eleanor Phelps played Joyce Lipton Joe Latham was inspector Hopkins and Murray Forbes was Walter Conrad Why beg your pardon? Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting Yes, this is a crime club. I'm the librarian Yes, come over a week from tonight Good, we have the very intriguing story of a decision that almost cost a man's life It's called sentence of death In the meantime Well in the meantime, there's a new crime club book available this week and every week at bookstores everywhere Yes, it's available now Fine, and we look for you next week Oh yes, and another thing Troutic accidents have been increasing at an alarming rate Avoid them by respecting the rights of your neighbor on the road and by being sure that you and the car you are driving Are in good condition? This program came from New York Stay tuned now for another mutual favorite quiet, please follows in just a moment This is the mutual broadcasting system