 Adventures by Morse. Carlton E. Morse presents Dead Men Proul featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Two days ago Captain Bart Friday and his friend and guest Dr. Croft arrived in the little resort village of Holman across the bay from San Francisco. They had intended spending a quiet weekend at Captain Friday's summer cottage, but they had no sooner arrived in the village when things began to happen. On the beach they stumbled on the dead body of old Doc Sims. They found Andrew Waters, the other wealthy man of the village, dead by hanging. Then they found the half-wit Hartley boy shot through the heart. The weird part of the whole thing is the fact that these three dead are apparently prowling the streets and houses of the town of Holman. That right, Captain Friday? Yes, that's right. I've tried everything. Hand-cuffed them, tied them down, even stuffed the three bodies in the refrigeration room at the morgue. But it didn't do any good. They're still prowling. The only thing I know for certain is that Doc Sims and Andrew Waters are brothers. Walders had been masquerading under an assumed name. The half-wit Hartley boy had been accidentally shot by Andres Ruiz. I've smoked out that much, plus the fact that our other guests, Andres and Carmel Ruiz and Gail and Martin Stanley, are related. But this latest development has just about got me stumped. Carmel Ruiz has disappeared. Yes, Carmel Ruiz has disappeared. The prowling dead have taken the little cousin of Andres. Death stalks in Holman. While Dr. Jamie Croft lay bound and gagged in Captain Friday's cottage, and while the Captain and Andres were racing along the coast of the Pacific to bring back the runaway Martin and Gail Stanley, brother and sister, one of the prowling dead had somehow escaped from the ruins of the morgue. He escaped from the ruins to stalk into the rear window of the cottage and kidnap the sleeping Carmel. And the dead thing who did this was the strangled body of our own uncle, Andrew Waters, the prowler who earlier had buried Gail Stanley alive in the sand. And the reason Captain Friday knew it was Waters was that the prowler had left damp footsteps on the bedroom floor and on the wet sand outside the window. And those footprints were Andrew Waters. And the thing with the swollen face, dead eyes and a rope around its neck had Carmel Ruiz in his possession. Andres Ruiz, cousin of Carmel, is beside himself over the disappearance of Carmel. He is pacing the floor in Captain Friday's summer cottage. But I will go crazy. I will kill myself if anything have happened to my Carmel. If you do not fight this on your Captain, I will go mad. Now take it easy, Andres. Sit down, will you? You get on my nerves pacing up and down like that. But Captain Friday... Look here, Andres, be reasonable. There's no use running around the country. We'd never find her that way. If you'll just hang on to yourself for a minute. Do you have an idea? I might have if you'd be quiet for just two minutes. Oh, in two minutes I will be mad. I do not know what I do now. Look here, Andres, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I haven't the faintest idea of what happened to Carmel. Well, you have shown very bad nature, Senor Stanley. I do not know what to believe about you. I don't blame you for saying that. It's true and I know it. And I'm sorry. Well, for why have you done all these things? Say bad things. Try to run away. Oh, no, I'm always pulling something I'm sorry for afterwards. But look here, Andres, if there's anything I can do to help save Carmel, I'll go the limit to do it. And he means it too, Andres. Yes, I think he does. Hey, look everyone, I've got a hunch. I'm going out for three or four minutes and you four stay here. Don't one of you dare move out of this room? Not out of the room? Not a move. Like company, Captain? Not this time, Dr. Croft. I've got to travel fast. Anyway, I'd like you to stay here with the others. You'll all be safer. But what about your own safety, Captain? Don't worry, I'll be okay. I'm fine now. Don't even leave the room. Where do you suppose he's going? Oh, if he will only bring back Carmel. Oh, I hope he does. I feel we should be doing something. Oh, see, but Captain Friday said to wait here. It's all nonsense sitting around in one room when we might be out searching. You are nervous too, Senior Doctor. Oh, it is enough to make everybody crazy. But still, Captain Friday said he had an idea. Yes, but supposing it is wrong, Miss Stanley. You're right there, Andres. Theories are very dangerous things to work with. There is apt to be wrong, as right. And still, I have very great faith in this Captain. Oh, yes, we must believe in him. We'd be lost if we didn't. Who else have we to turn to? Well, there's Dr. Croft here. I'm afraid I'm not much of a detective, Stanley. I tell you, it is not possible that my Uncle Andrew Walter should have Carmel. It is not possible. He's dead. The dead have done a number of impossible things lately, I'm afraid, Andres. Oh, I know, but I see with my own eyes the walls of the morgue fall down on all three bodies. They are pinned under hundreds of tons of stone and mortar. That's a wonder you and the Captain weren't killed. Well, we would have been if we had not seen the walls falling and running through the ice-cold room, which protected us a little from the falling stones. A remarkable escape, Andres. But what I am interested in is about these bodies. They are buried deep under the walls, and yet one of the dead men have carried off Carmel. Open the door. Somebody open the door. Who is this, the Captain? Have we opened? Have we opened it? Carmel! Carmel, have I opened Carmel? Ah, get out of the way, Andres. Can't you see she's tied, hand and foot? Here she hurts, Captain. Here she hurts. Oh, no. Here, let me put her on the lounge. Here is knife, Senor. Cut her loose. Here, here. For the love of Mike, Andres, get out from underfoot. She is not hurt. Kamish is not hurt. Oh, Carmel, please, you mustn't cry like that. You mustn't. Ah, there. Here, Andres, take the knife and cut her legs free. See, see, Senor, I will do anything. Oh, Carmel, but it is good you are safe. Poor kid. Get back, you folks. Don't crowd in so close around her. Here, Captain, let me give her a couple of these tablets. She mustn't go on like that. Will they quiet her? I think they will. Here, child. Swallow these and then take a sip of water. Is there anything I can do, Dr. Croft? No, I think not. She's just highly wrought up. She'll grow quieter in a few minutes. Here, Andres, you sit here beside her. She was calling for you when I found her. And she... She was calling for me? Oh, Senor. She was calling for me? Oh, never again will I let you out of my sight. You know, Gail, that Andres isn't such a bad fellow, either. I knew he was in love with Carmel the moment I first saw them together. But, Captain, where was Carmel? Where did you find her? If you've examined this cottage closely, you'll notice that the backs of the closets have not been finished off. You can go through the back in among the floor studdings and rafters. Oh, yes. Yes, I noticed that. My old aunt used to put junk that she didn't want to throw away back in them. I found Carmel stuffed back among the joists and studdings of her own closet. But what made you look there? Then you must have carried her through the back window and around to the front door. Yes, I did, all right. But what for? Did it to throw our would-be murderer off the trail? You mean he's around here? Maybe. Maybe not. But why didn't we hear her crying? She was gagged. Captain, what made you think of looking in the house for her? It would have been too dangerous to take her out. He might have been spotted. Besides, the tracks he left when he went away showed he wasn't carrying anything. No, I remember it, Captain. That was the same clue you got when we were hunting Miss Stanley here. When she was bedded to the sand. Well, we think even a dead body learned not to make the same mistake twice in a row. And so you figured out the body must be in the house. How did you happen to think of looking in the girl's own wardrobe? I figure he'd probably be working fast, not knowing how long I'd be gone. Besides, Dr. Croft, you were tied up in the other room. Might get free at any minute. Yes, quite natural when you stop to think of it. And so from force of necessity you figured he'd hide her in the handiest place. Force of necessity and craftiness. He'd hardly expect us to look so near the scene of the crime for her. Oh, well, Andre seems to have Carmel quieted. Perhaps we can talk to her now. We'll have a try anyhow. Carmel, you're not going to cry anymore, eh? Oh, we are going to be very happy you and I. Eh, Carmel, you don't look like the same young lady I carried in a few minutes ago. Oh, but, Senor, she understand now that she's going to be very happy for the rest of her life. Look here, Carmel, you feel like talking? Yes. Please, you will not bring back bad memories? Sorry, Andres, but we've got to get all the information we can. Please, Andres, I don't mind if you'll sit beside me. Oh, nothing in the world could make me move. Okay, now then tell us what happened. I was asleep when something touched me and I opened my eyes and... Oh, please, get... I'm all right, Andres. There was a horrible face looking down at me. It didn't look like it was alive. There was a rope around its neck. Oh, it is a monstrous thing. What did you do? When he saw it was awake, he put his hand over my mouth. I tried to scream, but I couldn't. He held me so tight I fought just as hard as I could. Oh, my poor Carmel. And one of his fingers slipped into my mouth. And I bit down on it just as hard as I could. You bit his finger, huh? Yes. And when he jerked it away, there was blood on his hand. Captain, a dead man doesn't bleed. Oh, he doesn't. No. Yes, that's just what I was thinking. What then, Carmel? He put a plother on my face so I couldn't see your scream after he tied me up so I couldn't move. He carried me someplace. But if it is live man, Captain, my uncle couldn't be alive and dead at the same time. Never heard of it being done before. But if there's a live man mixed up in this thing, we ought to get after him. Yes, but where would we look? I think that'll be easy. You mean, you know where he is? I have a hunch I can walk out that door into the hallway and march our friend Andrew Walters back in here in jig time. What are you saying? Are you listening to us on the other side of the door? I have a hunch he's been listening, all right. Oh. Dr. Croft, am I coming with me? Not at all. You armed? No, but... Never mind. I don't think we'll have much trouble. You folks stay here. And I mean right where you are. I'll be back in two minutes with Andrew Walters, dead or alive. Captain Friday has promised the four young people, Andres and Carmel Ruiz and Gail and Martin Stanley, that he would return in two minutes with Andrew Walters, the man who was found hanged in his home. The eyes of the four are fixed on the doorway as it opens slowly and cautiously. You're going to choke me. The rope around his neck. Oh, no. All right, go on in. I've got to get in your back and I won't have to... Take him away. Take him away. It's all right. I have his hands cuffed together behind him. He can't hurt you. But who is he? Hey, don't you see? Don't you see he's got on one of those rubber face months? Oh, no. What is this? Captain Friday, where's Dr. Croft? Don't you know? What? Captain. It is Dr. Croft behind that mask. Oh, sure. Have a look. Captain Friday, would you mind removing that rope from around my neck? It has an ugly feeling. Now, see here, Doctor. I'm giving you a choice. Do you tell him or do I? Why? Well, make a very pleasant story. I think I should like to tell it. All right, go ahead. My dear nieces and nephews. What's that? What did you say? For why do you call us nieces and nephews? Because it happens due to certain biologic and sociological phenomena to be true. Oh, cut that stuff out. Who are you anyway? Very like Dark Sims, you are intemperment boy. Nuts. As to who I am, do you recall the autobiography left by Andrew Walters, Elias Van Sims? Do you recall that there was a third brother, Franklin Sims, who was murdered in the Near East? I am Franklin Sims. Right, Captain? That's right. Get along with the story, Doctor. Oh, yeah, quite right. You see, that night 20 years ago we got news that our father was dying. The night Dark Sims took Vance out and got him thoroughly intoxicated and then hit me over the head and dumped me in a nasty smelling river. Then Dark Sims, not Andrew Walters, was the murderer. Oh, no, there was no murderer. But I crawled out of the river and foul and smelly as I was from the thick river water. I continued to live. But if you are who you say you are, why didn't you come back to the United States at once and claim you're part of the estate? Because, my dear, for almost three years I was so horribly ill I spent most of my time balancing on the brink between life and death. Later, I went to Germany and I became a medical student. And still you didn't try to get your share of the money? My life had become a thing apart from my family and my rightful estate. I intended never to return to America. And then about 12 years ago everything became changed again. I became interested in certain biological experimentations. I spent every cent I had saved, could earn and borrow and still I needed more. And then I remembered the great fortune which had been taken from me in America. I determined to get it back by fair means or foul. It was mine and I determined to have it. But, senor, it was not us who had her... Wait a minute, Andres. I returned to San Francisco under the assumed name of Dr. Jamie Croft while I got the lay of the land. When I first arrived my brother, Doc Sims, held the entire estate. It seemed an easy matter to put him out of their way. Enter my claim. And then I discovered that he had a niece and a nephew to whom the property would go in the case of his death. That's you, Miss Stanley, and your brother, Martin. And while I was trying to find some means of overcoming this difficulty who should come on the scene but Andrew Walters and without any fuss, he took over half the Sims estate. It took me three years to discover that he was my other brother, Vance. And then, by a bit of house-breaking and prowling, I discovered that he too had a niece and a nephew whom he favored in case of his death. Maybe you can't, mainland. You, Andres. Yes, go on. Well, in the meantime, I was working out a little scheme which worked rather nicely when the time came. About eight years ago, my brother, Doc Sims, died. Hey, what's that? Our uncle died eight years ago? Yes, all of eight years ago. And being on the ground at the time, I quietly buried the body and stepped into his shoes. Now, wait a minute, Doctor. I've known both you and Doc Sims for more than two years. Which says a great deal for my ability as an impersonator. Do you mean to say that you've been acting the part of two doctors for eight years? I have sufficient proof for even you, Captain Friday. But the body? We saw the body of Doc Sims. That, my dear, was also a plant. For the last year, I've been taking care of an old chap over in my San Francisco office. He was a nondescript without any family. But he looked remarkably like me in my role of Doc Sims. For six months, I practically made him live with narcotics and drugs, waiting for the proper time to inject him into the picture. And when Andrew Walter's mellow, St. Fandrius and Carmel to come and live with him, I knew that time was at hand. Well, you'll have to explain that a little. Easily. By whole trouble lay in the four cousins who were to inherit the two estates. They must be gotten rid of. With all four in Holman, I believe that might be attended to. You were going to kill us all. And so when my brother Vance, Walter's, as you know him, called you two, I sent for Gail and Martin Stanley. What about this old fellow you passed off for Doc Sims? Now, Captain, I assure you I didn't kill him. The poor chap died a natural death. He's body out of the morgue ruin. Show it to any coroner. Worn out body will be the verdict. Died mighty handy for you. Quite, but the point is he did die and naturally. Which, by the way, gave me the idea for the rest of this amusing little drama which has occurred since. And you admit that you're responsible for the movement of these bodies from the morgue? Naturally. And you admit burying Gail Stanley alive? My apology, Miss Stanley, but it wasn't necessary to my plan. Oh, you must be mad. Quite sane. Thank you, quite sane. And by the way, Captain, I had to rush like the deuce to get Andrew Walter's shoes back on him for the morgue, but I made it all right. Yes, so I noticed. And you're the guy that took a shot at me in Doc Sims' study in Club Captain Friday over the head. Again, my apologies. I always was a bad shot. You put us out and then took the papers out of the safe and stuck them in the pocket of your substitute Doc Sims and left his body where we'd find it. Exactly. Oh, what for? To impress you all with the fact that dead bodies actually were on the prowl. You leave Carmel's Hexchief in Doc Sims' house. Why you do that? Oh, that was simply a little touch to implicate you, Andres, and to cause dissension between you and Stanley here. Nice fellow. And it was you who shattered me from the whore when we were upstairs examining Andrew Walter's room. You know, Captain, I think that was my masterpiece. How did you do it? Why, I simply had the Hartley Boy's body handy. When you, Carmel and Andres, were in the room, I crept upstairs. I got the body, I took a crack at Andres, I shouted and I rolled down the stairs with a half-wit's body. Oh, sacrament. Startling bit of realism. May, Captain? Dr. Croft, were you the one that got us to go to the refrigeration room of the morgue? I thought I had all of you at that time. After knocking the Captain out, I ran to the cottage and changing my voice as much as possible told you to go to the basement of the morgue. When you rushed in, I swung the door shut at... There you were. Please, when we liked you so much, how could you do that to us? Oh, let's not go into that, please. Well, then I set the three bodies on guard. Startling effect, eh, Captain? Then you came back and dragged me in the closet with you and locked the door. And all the time, we were breaking down the door. I had the key in my pocket. Seems to me I'm the guy that told you once that the solution to this business, once I got my hands on it, would be so simple, I'd blush to think as to it sooner. Well, get an eyeful of me blushing. Oh, see here, Captain, you're not giving me enough credit. I admit, however, I made a couple of mistakes. One of them was forgetting to turn off the light in the morgue. If I hadn't been in such a hurry that time, you'd never have thought of searching the morgue until it was too late. See here, Doctor, how did you fix it so that the halfway took a shot at me and then fell down the stairs? Simple. I braced the body against the handrail and hooked a gun in his coat. Fastened the trigger to the door with a piece of wire. Bresto, when the door opened, the gun exploded and the body lunged down the stairs. Mm-hmm. Good thing for me it didn't allow for the up jerk of the muzzle of the revolver when it went off. I told you I didn't know much about guns, Captain. After all, I'm a medical man, not a gangster. But why did you kill the half-wit boy? Surely he didn't... Oh, that I know nothing about. You didn't kill the boy? Please. Please, he did not. I did not know it until the senior captain told me, but it was I who did this thing. Andres! Andres, you didn't! Oh, please, Carmel, it was the most horrible mistake. It's like this. Remember the night you kids saw the skeleton on the beach and Andres shot at it? Well, the skeleton was the half-wit boy and Andres killed him. His father had given him several rubber masks and some luminous paint for Halloween and the foolish boy continued to use it to amuse himself. The boy's father knows all about this now. And that, by the way, is where I got that mask you recently saw on my face. I found it lying outside the morgue. Dr. Croft, what was your idea in blowing up the morgue? Oh, Captain, you cannot imagine how uneasy a person grows having a bloodhound like yourself on his trail. I grew more and more certain that you were beginning to suspect the truth. So I laid the trap and got you and Andres off on a pretext of hearing a woman scream. Well, I'm glad I knocked you over the head. Too bad I didn't do a better job of it. I get your point exactly, Martin. The rail simspirit. Oh, I never want to hear that name again. You see, you made your big mistake, Doctor, when you kidnapped Carmel here. I was plain crazy. You're right, Captain. But I was getting rather upset. Things were growing a little too warm. You'll have to excuse it on that basis, I'm afraid. You see, I'd stolen Andrew Walter's shoes again before I set the trap in the morgue. But I must confess, I entirely forgot to make deep tracks in the sand when I left. Juicy thought this of me. Yes. So was that stunt of hiding your mask and rope and shoes in your medicine case after you'd finished with them? Undoubtedly. Oh, I can see a number of things I'd do differently if I were going to do it over again. You know, one thing puzzles me, though. How did you get the body of this substitute Doc Sims on the beach? Captain, I don't know if you realize it, but I angled like the juicer to get you to bring me over to home on this particular weekend. Now that I think of it, you were plenty eager to come. Well, I got the invitation. The day we were to come over, I took the body in my lounge and I brought it over. The natives sold them walk on the beach so I felt perfectly safe in leaving it there for a few hours. I got back to San Francisco just in time to meet you. Then we came over together. Oh. I presume you know we've got enough attempted murder charges against you to keep you behind bars for life. But you're not going to use them, are you, Captain? You think not? Drag these children through the mire of prosecuting their own uncle? Bring all this family history to life? Oh, no. We don't want to do that. I couldn't bear it. Exactly. That's just too bad. Oh, look, Captain, Friday, haven't we gone through it enough? Are you folks crazy? I think the police department would like to have a little talk with Dr. Crofts. As a matter of fact... Come in. Hey, cryin' out loud, Kathy. I've been... Oh, excuse me. I didn't know you had company. Oh, that's all right, Skip. These people are all friends. Yeah? Well, you sure got some nice friends, boss. Now, this is Gail Stanley, Miss Stanley, my right-hand man, Skip Turner. Hello, Skip. Howdy, Miss Stanley. And Miss Carmel Ruiz. Oh, how do you do, Mr. Turner? Miss Ruiz. Well, ain't that funny? You know, I think I remember meeting you before, Miss Ruiz. Um, Carmel. Wasn't it down at, uh... Skip. Huh? Did you come all the way from San Francisco just to meet my guests? Oh, hey, I almost forgot. We got an important job down south. Down south? Where down south? Hollywood. Here's the telegram. Who's it from? Don't say it. Go ahead and read it. Meet me at Maggie's intimate drinking salon. Sunset strip Hollywood tonight at 8. Signed a desperate sister. And what is this, a gag? Gag? I just got a phone call from the same gal. And she wired us $1,000 expense money. Why did she phone? Well, just to be sure, it would be that 8 o'clock tonight. Hey, look, we just got time to catch a 5 p.m. plane south. That's why I hustled over here. I got the tickets. She must be desperate. Come on, we ain't got no time to lose, boss. Okay, Skip, we'll look into it. Oh, by the way, you got your handcuffs? Why, sure. Why? Just slip them on Dr. Croft here. We'll drop them off at the Hall of Justice. You bet you. Here you are, fella. And another one. There you go. Nice little charm bracelet. Oh, see you here, Captain Friday. I can afford to... Save it for the judge, Dr. Croft. He loves those little stories. The rest of you check in with the police in San Francisco. I'll see you as soon as I get back from Hollywood. All right, let's go. Yeah. Oh, uh... Carmel, if you should happen to be in Hollywood in the next few days... Come on, Skip. There's a desperate sister waiting for us in Maggie's intimate drinking salon. Let's get moving. So Captain Friday and his operative Skip Turner are headed for Maggie's intimate drinking salon on the sunset strip in Hollywood. The telegram's said to be there at 8 o'clock tonight and was sent by one who signed herself a desperate sister. Tune in next week at the same time for this newest adventure thriller by Carton E. Morse titled, You'll Be Dead in a Week. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.