 Yes, you. Are you one of those people who like to know the answer? Have you a logically and analytically nature? There's murder in the mystery. Fascination? It doesn't. Well, get out of that, it's time to ask Sherlock. I think it's time for a crime. Sherrod, this is Peter Laurie opening again the doors of the mystery playhouse. And tonight, we bring you to take the mystery, and you're all invited to try to solve it, along with another amateur dick, a guy named Jonathan Pierce. Mr. Pierce earns his three squares a day, selling him cheeks, but his real love is criminology. A hobby that seems to make his life anything but dull. Well, let's give Mr. Pierce a run for his hobby, huh? Let's try and beat him to the solution of tonight's mystery. Clues will be all there. So let's look at life now, mate, and get the answers to a crime to take the punishment. Our scene opens in the antique shop of Jonathan Pierce. With him is a friend that he hues. Look, John, why don't you give up this antique shop and become a full-fledged private detective? After all, you've been very successful. Besides, I'm yearning for a life of excitement and mystery. Meaning? Meaning I'll be your assistant. Nothing doing. If I need an assistant, it won't be a woman. You'd probably faint the first time a mug said boo at you. Faint? Well, of course I'd faint. That was a thing to do. First of all, I think... One more time, here comes the customer. Young man, are you Jonathan Pierce? I am. What can I do for you, sir? That's what I'm here to find out. Who's the young lady? Oh, this is... Ever since I'm entering, I was young once myself. Pierce, I want to hire your services as a private detective. How did you know that I'm David Warlock? It's called Warlock Tycoon, filthy with money. All the Warlocks are. So I'm able to pay well. Well, that's very nice. My son, Fede, is about to be blackmailed. Actually, my adopted son. His father was my business partner before he died. And he knew Fede was a weak-willed lad, so he wanted me to look after him and his inheritance. Lord, by my name now. And I won't stand for blackmail. Blackmail? Do you have any... Don't interrupt, Pierce. Not so yet. Fede's been playing around with a young lady named Police Day. A gambler by the name of Lance Norman. Nothing wrong with women and gambling. Just like both myself. But these two are bad ones. And you think they're blackmailing your son, your adopted son? Going to blackmail him, or rather me. Well, how's that? Well, it amounts to blackmailing him. But they have to come to me because I still control his inheritance. Are you a detective, young lady? Right now. Well, then don't ask questions and waste my time. Mr. Warlock, what did you mean by saying that they're going to blackmail you? Well, I had a phone call yesterday just after I got back from Mortonville. I mean, that's the most common. Mysterious voice said he had something concerning my son that you wanted to tell. He didn't identify himself, but said he'd call again in a day or two. And see. Well, you'll give me a free hand in dealing with this blackmailer? Completely. Now, Pierce, here's a $500 container. I want you to come to my house. Meet my son and the two I suspect of being back of this blackmail scheme. I'll drive you out. All right. Oh, but there is one more question, sir. I've been trying to ask since you came in here. How did you come to hire me? I suppose it's because you heard of my reputation in solving a few little crimes that battled the police. On the contrary, have I heard anything like that? Take a bow, Sherlock. Quiet, character. Well, then... Well, why, Mr. Warlock? Well, I always liked the name of Pierce. I once was in love with a woman named Pierce 30 years ago. Always hired people named Pierce since then. Shefers named Pierce, but they're named Pierce. Gardeners named Pierce. Oh, it sounds very logical to me. It would, do you? Now, Jonathan, I want you to come over to my house and size up the situation. Are you ready to go? Oh, I'll say we are. Not you, young lady, you're staying here. Now, listen here, Jonathan. Pierce, I'm gonna hate you if you turn to one of those big, stronger woman's places in the home, man. Goodbye, dear. Just use some of that slow burn to keep the home fires cooking. Well, this is my little home, Jonathan, my boy. That was Pierce who messaged in. Oh, I imagine that we'll find Freddy in his friends' library, so come. What? I'll leave you with them for a few minutes so you can size them up. Well, how are you going to explain me to the Mr. Warlock? Oh, don't worry about that. Now, then, here we are. Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want you all to meet a young friend of mine, Mr. Jonathan Pierce. Jonathan, this is Mrs. Peter Dane, Mr. Lance Norman, and my son, Freddy Warlock. I'll leave you to get acquainted. Goodbye. Well... Not so well. It would seem that Mr. Warlock has not exactly possessed a delicate touch. He is screwy. Who are you, Tim? Oh, I thought you knew. I'm Jonathan Pierce, and you're Lance Norman, the Lido Club, fast gambling for fast people. And what do you do? You don't look like a bodyguard or a keyhole snooker. Oh, I haunt houses. I've just been hired to haunt this one. A wise guy. Every time a guy starts talking wise like that, you want to watch him. He's liable to start lifting the silverware. Now, you look here, Pierce. Did my father hire you to snoop on us? He's always hiring people named Pierce. Well, if he did, you might as well know I'm going to marry Rita whether he wants me to or not. All I got to do is wait another six months. Then I get all my own door and I can do just as I please, you see? Oh, don't bother explaining to him, Freddy Doll. Now, the court of your keep quiet and let me handle this. Look, John, I don't like the way the old man dumped you in here and walked off. What's the tale? Well, we might as well get everything straight. I'm an antique dealer. Whose hobby is playing detective, huh? Something like that. A shameless, huh? Gee, they're even getting private cops now who wear necktie. I thought I smelled proper when you walked in. Well, uh, get this. Crap, these two kids are in love. They're floating on the clouds. I'm not surprised. The kid's breath has enough alcohol on it to make me float on the clouds, too. I suppose the old man pays you for being funny. Anyway, these kids can't live without each other, see? So just keep your nose out of the picture long. It might get stepped on. Outtouching? And I suppose you're the marriage broker or maybe you're just here to shaffer on them. Well, what is it, Pierce? I beg your pardon, but Mr. Warlock would like to see Mr. Jonathan Pierce. Oh, thank you, Pierce. I'll, uh, be seeing you later, lad. I can hardly wait. Shameless. You wanted to see me, Mr. Warlock? Yes, Johnson. Here on the telephone, it's the blackmailer I told you about. Oh, Pierce recognized it as the same voice as called yesterday. And I wanted you to listen in on my conversation with him. You can leave that extension over there. Oh, all right. Hello? This is Warlock speaking. I won't meet for myself, but I'll send someone I can trust. You name the place. $5,000 right here and you'll take it with you. I'll leave it up to your judgment as to whether to give it to him or not. But remember one thing, what's that? If Lance Norman and Rita Dane are back on this, as high as they are, I'll pay any amount over and above this to pin it on them. Now, you go see this clip, Mattson, and see what you can do. Are you Clip Mattson? Maybe I am, and maybe I am. What do you sell them, Mattson? My name is Jonathan Pierce. I am representing David Warlock. Oh, okay. I'm Mattson's man. Did you bring the dough? Maybe. First I want to see what you're offering to sell. While you're at it, Mattson, maybe you'd like to make another $5,000 all for yourself. What do you mean? I mean that the name of the man who's working this with you is worth another $5,000 to you. I don't know what you're talking about, Mattson. There ain't nobody in this with me. I just found this. This information I'm offering to sell. That's all. Well, they tell me it gets awfully lonesome up in Sing Sing. Now, wait a minute, Mattson. You don't want to talk like that to me. I might get scared and decide that you ought to turn this over to the cops. Maybe I ought to, anyway. Do it yourself. We're really more interested in getting the name of the man back of you than in anything else. I might be able to raise the price a little. But I'll tell you... Hey, what's the idea of walking in here? What's the idea of walking in here, Mr. What's going on? You suck, Pearce. What's the idea? Okay. Okay, I got my hands up. Take it easy with that gun. No! A lump on my head. A headache and a certain loss of pride. I feel fine. Just fine. Did Clip Mattson get away? I don't think so. There's a man over here on the floor, but I haven't asked him his name because he's dead. Dead? But how? Well, I'm not up in these things, Johnson, but I imagine the two bullet holes in him have something to do with it. Bullet holes? Oh, I remember now. I thought I've heard two shots just as I was drifting out of this world. What's with the nose? Yeah, let's see. Yeah, that's Clip Mattson, all right. But why? Well, maybe somebody didn't like him. Oh, you're a big help. By the way, what are you doing here? I thought I left you at the store. Well, you did, darling, but you see, I'm the type that few men need looking after, so I followed you. First to Warlock, and then here, and you ought to be grateful. Well, it's touching to know that someone is interested in whether I'm alive or dead. Jonathan, what happened? Well, I was talking to Clip there. Well, he was the guy who was trying to blackmail Warlock. Suddenly, somebody came in the door behind me. The murderer! Exactly, my dear Watson. I started to turn around and the guy slugged me. Well, I got a chance to see with a hand wearing a gray glove and the barrel of a gun that was rapidly nearing my head. That's the last I remember except for the two shots. Boy, some detective I turned out to be. Oh, well, don't be too hard on yourself, Jonathan. It could have happened to anyone. Yes, sure, sure, but it happened to me. All right, come on. We've got to give this apartment a pass once over to see if we can find that paper, Watson wanted to sell. You take that side, and I'll take this side. I finished my sign. I found nothing incriminating except to your Clip, Watson. He's not my Clip, Watson. I drew a blank here, except for one thing. A check signed by Lance Norman. Lance who? Lance Norman. That's the gambler Warlock thinks is back at the blackmailing. All right, come on. We're going to see Mr. Lance Norman at the Lido Club. But I haven't got my chips with me. What is the Club Lido, Betty? You look around you, you'll see half the elite of our city, busily engaged in losing their shirts to Lance Norman. Very exciting, Jonathan. Well, well, hello there. Here's my Lance. Hello. Is this a business visit or a social one? Oh, let's call it a business visit, shall we? Is there some place that I can talk to you? Oh, I know. Come on in my office. Oh, thank you. Come on, you'll be just as safe in here as out on the floor. It's safer, probably. I don't see any wheels in here. You know your sense of humor is going to kill me someday. If it doesn't kill you first. Does the chick have a name? Oh, of course, my name. Not to you, Lance. No. Do you know a Clip, Watson? I might. And I might not. He probably did a lot of odd jobs for you, such as blackmail. I don't need any sideline as long as I had these clouds, these hazels, very nicely. Clip had one of your checks, which he hadn't cashed. Well, I write a lot of things. Tell him that he talks exactly like the gamblers in the movies. Well, I like a dame with nerves. Any time he gets hired, if that dumb shameless come around and see me, sweetheart. Well, maybe I will. If you do, it'll be on a visiting day, and you'll have to talk to him through bars. Not this week, shameless. Look, if you've got any more questions to ask, get them over with it. Not get out. Where's your girlfriend, Rita? She's out on the floor. And the warlock boy? He got drunk on us, so we left. Oh, that must have been a touching scene. The parting lovers. Okay, Charm, I'm on your way. You're beginning to bore me. We're practically gone. Oh, uh, by the way, Lance, do you own a pair of gray suede gloves? Maybe. And maybe not. Well, your eloquence is touching. Come on, Betty, let's go. You've done enough slumming for one day. I think you're up to, Jonathan, here. First, we're going to visit that gambler, Lance Norman. Then we rush over to this apartment house and walk up the stairs, and there's a perfectly good elevator to ride up in. Lance Norman's apartment is on this next floor. Oh, it is. We didn't find the black male evidence and clip the apartment, so now we're going to look at Lance's. There we are. Oh, see if it's a skeleton. He works. Who do you know there isn't somebody in there? Lance lives alone in the apartment. His dark eye looked from the outside. Don't bother me. Hey, can you go, dear? You don't think we'd better risk turning on the room lights. We'll use matches to see how... Who turned on that knife? I did. You take it nice and easy. Both of you and this gun won't go up. Lance, Norman... Jonathan, I thought you said there wouldn't be anybody here. No, I'm wrong. Go ahead and sue me. Well, that's a smart eye of Sheamus. I figured you'd come flying around my apartment since you didn't get anything out of me at the club. Too bad I got here first, huh? Okay, so you got here first. What do we do now? What we have to do, Sheamus? You know, it's too bad you both look too young to die. You... you mean you're going to shoot us? Oh, no, no, no, please. Not that. Jonathan, I think I... I think I'm going to faint. Hey, turn them lights back on. Please, Mr. Norman, don't. She redded me to turn out the lights. I almost fainted. You see, I bumped into them. I'll turn them right on again, only please don't shoot us. I don't want it done. I don't want it done. That was nice work, Betty. Oh, thank you. You can turn the lights on now. Our friend won't bother us anymore. Oh, boy. Come on now. Let's search the place. You take that side of the room and I'll take this. Yes, why? Well, I think I found something there. There's a marriage license here made out to Lance, Norman, and Rita Dang, dated two years ago. Good. I found something, too. Come in here, Betty. Uh-huh. Oh, what is it, Jonathan? What we're looking for. Look. This was in an envelope with Warlock written on it. It's a porous stat of two sets of fingerprints exactly alike. And a newspaper clipping from an out-of-town paper dated two weeks ago. Oh, what's it say? I'll read a clipping to you. Mortonville, New York. Sometime last night, thieves broke into the Mortonville Third National Bank and made off with more than $10,000 in cash. The thieves left no trace behind them, except a small metal case, which probably held some of their tools. Fortunately, the Mortonville police were able to get a clear set of fingerprints from the case. They have not yet been able to identify the prints. A bank robber, right? Yes. And one set of prints on a porous stat is labeled prints taken by the Mortonville police. The other set is labeled fingerprints of Freddie Warlock and they're identical. You mean that the son robbed the bank? Since... Oh, Jonathan, maybe he's the one who murdered that... I'm beginning to see a lot of things I didn't see before. We're going over to the Warlock house, but in a hurry. Come on. Hello, Pierce. Who told Mr. Warlock that Mr. Jonathan Pierce is here? You may go in, Mr. Pierce. You'll find everyone in the library. The police too, sir. The police? Yes, sir. I believe they're about to leave and take young Mr. Warlock with him, sir. What? You've been here quite some time. Come on, Betty. We've got to hurry. I'll take you. Oh, Jonathan, my boy. You're just in time. This poor policeman insists upon arresting my son. Well, if it isn't Jonathan Pierce. Hello, Lieutenant Valley. What's happening here? All is like this, Pierce. We've got a phone call tipping us clip Mattson was murdered. We investigated. In Mattson's pocket, I found a photo start of a story about a bank robbery at Mortonville. And proof that young Freddie Warlock pulled the job. Huh. Pocket, sir. That's where it was. What's that? Oh, nothing, nothing, Lieutenant. Go on, please. I got the idea that maybe clip was blackmailing the kid and the kid bumped him off. But how could I kill anyone I didn't know, huh? Of course he didn't do it. The whole thing's stupid. Freddie was with us all afternoon and dead drunk when we left. Weren't you, Freddie? Lieutenant, you've got some pretty flimsy evidence, haven't you? You think so? We gave the kid the paraffin test and it showed traces of nitrate on his hands. Oh. That proves he fired a gun. So I'm taking him in. Hey, Lieutenant. I wish you'd wait a minute, Lieutenant. I think I can clear up a few points for you. With the help of Mrs. Lance Norman. What do you mean, Mrs. Norman? It's Ms. Rita Dane. I'm sorry, Freddie, but it's Rita Norman. She and Lance were married two years ago. That's right, and I saw the license. And with the help of Clip Mattson, they've been trying to blackmail you. You'll find another one of those photo stats and Lance is a partner. You can't prove a thing. Good work, Jonathan. I knew you'd do it. Look, Piss. You think Lance did the killing, too? No. Lance didn't do it. Who did then? The kid? No. The killing was done by my client, David Warlock. Jonathan, what kind of nonsense is this? No nonsense at all. Warlock's been handling the inheritance of Freddie and I suspect you'll find it short. Freddie was due to collect in six months, however, so Warlock thought of framing him for killing Clip Mattson. But how did he know this blackmailer would show up? Because he planned it that way. He robbed the bank at Mortonville and planted Freddie's fingerprints on the scene. Then I imagine he thought to it that this evidence was placed where Rita and Lance could get hold of it and pass it on to Clip. The blackmailer was to be killed and Freddie framed for it and I was called in for window dressing. It's got a notherly fantastic story. Fortunately, no one will believe it. Jonathan, this sounds awfully bad. Well, certainly it's bad. It was planned to be a way to eliminate Freddie, a crime to fit the punishment. I don't know. What about the paraffin test on the kid? Simple, Lieutenant. The kid's drunk and out cold. So all Warlock has to do is take some dirt, rub it on the kid's hand, and there's your traces of nitrate. That's right. You got any proof of the rest? Well, the motive should be easy to check. Warlock made a slip today about being in Mortonville. Then I imagine you'll find a pair of grey suede gloves in Mr. Warlock's room and the gloves should show traces of nitrate. Finally, Warlock was the only person who knew I was going to meet Mattson. He's clever, Mr. Pierce. But let's see if you can outsmart this. I'm gone! Just like in the movie. Now look, Mr. Warlock. Shut up! Get away from that door, Lieutenant. I'm leaving. Oh, Jonathan. I think I'm going to faint. What again? Of course you don't. Yes, yes. Go right ahead. I'll catch you. What is this? I'm going to trick you. No, no trick, Mr. Warlock. I just can't stand the sight of a gun. Oh. Turn those lights back on. Like this, Mr. Warlock? Okay, Betty. Lights, please. Coming up. Holy smokes. Warlock is out cold. The gal faints and Pierce Conks Warlock a very nice trick. Well, think nothing of it. We do it twice a day. Yes. Well, I think that clears up your case, Lieutenant. And as for you, sweetheart, you asked me a while ago for a job as my assistant. The job is yours. You're an assistant? Are you kidding? This detective worked such a cinch. I'm going to business with myself. And there you have a crime to fit the punishment. Tonight's performance in a mystery playhouse. How did you come out, huh? You put the finger on the right guy? No. Oh. Don't be discouraged if you didn't because the only people who consistently get the right answers are the ones who like them. Well, speaking of writing, don't forget that we still like to hear from you. Just addresses mystery playhouse, armed forces radio, Los Angeles, USA. Well, while we are on the subject, I'd like to say a word or two about V-Main. I just finished reading a few facts that I'd like to pass on to you. Do you know that your V-Main letter has priority over all other names? That's right. The only name that always flies. It's never delayed or left behind because of lack of plain space. So it looks to me like a smart thing to do risk for everybody to use it all weekend. Especially since use of V-Main definitely helps shorten the war. Oh, wow. I almost forgot about our trip to the Green Room. Come on, we better get down there right now and listen then on our next mystery playhouse performance. All right. Look, Chief, I think I'd better go out. It's the mayor. The mayor? Come on, can you stay here a minute? Yes, Mr. Mayor. How'd you hear about it so fast? Well, I suppose the newspapers will make a big... but I'm doing everything I can. Oh, Reynolds, eh? Oh, why should he... Yes, Mr. Mayor. Yes, Mr. Mayor. Goodbye. What goes, Chief? Plenty. The whole town is upside down. Verges are jamming the morgue trying to identify the dead. The Citizens' Committee is planning a mass meeting tomorrow to demand action. Every newspaper in town is roasting the city administration. What have we done, Chief? You do nothing to be here for me. Miss Myers, my hat. What are you going? The mayor's office. The mayor and I and that columnist, Reynolds, are going to have a little conference. Reynolds? Yeah. The mayor seems to think Reynolds knows more about these things than the police department. That's a missus, Mr. Verges. That's a missus. What about the murder? Are these accidents murders? They'd be the underneath murders, Mr. Mayor. Not in the ordinary sense. I believe there is, McGrew. Just a minute, Reynolds. Your Honor, except for the panic at the movie house, every death was accidental or natural, as sure as we three are in this room. What do you mean? What about the man in the velvet hat? Put the screws on some of the people who say they saw him and he'd disappear like that. Forget it. To the people of this town, he's real. And this panic, cold panic, right in the middle of the holidays. The people are scared. They're booed. Can I say something, Mr. Mayor? Certainly, that's why you're here. Look, the way I see it, either it's all a hope or there is a man in the velvet hat. That's right. So we either prove the hope or catch the man. All right. All right. I think we can do one or the other. If Reynolds will help, then certainly I'll help. How? I'm going to challenge the man in the velvet hat and Reynolds is going to publish that challenge. I'm going to say I don't think he's a God. I'm going to say I don't even think he's a good criminal. Anybody can boast of a murder after it's happened, but only a master criminal can boast of a murder before it's happened and get away. I'm going to challenge him. The name is next murder before it happens and Reynolds will publish my challenge. Okay, Maguda, but I predict that he'll accept your challenge and that when he does, you will not catch him. And in his newspaper column, December 24th, John Reynolds says, A challenge from the police commission of New York City to the man in the velvet hat. Quote, I challenge you to prove that you were a criminal. I think you're a fraud. If you're not a fraud, you will announce in advance the time and place of your next killing, murder, mercy, death, whatever you call it. Unquote. Hello, this is Reynolds of the dispatch. Give me the commissioner. Please hurry. Maguda, Reynolds. Yeah, Reynolds. I got an answer from the man in the velvet hat. You got it. He says it's precisely 9 o'clock p.m. on Christmas Eve, a man will die poisoned in front of a time building on Times Square. He says, quote, after this, I will move again in silence for only those without faith need time. That's all. 9 o'clock Christmas. That's what he says. Friends, we have a portion of our next history and an exciting one that is true. The town of New York is turning to turmoil by the appearance of what seems to be the master of all mad killers. So you better be on hand to hear the entire show. Don't you think? Yes, I think we can give you the creeps when you join us the next time for me. The man in the velvet hat. This is Peter Loving closing the doors of the Miss Tree Playhouse. Good night. Good night.