 My name's Regan. I work for Anthony J. Lyon Detective Bureau. They call me the Lyons Eye. Good Jeff Regan, investigator, starring Paul Dubov as Regan with Frank Nelson as Anthony J. Lyon. So stand by for mystery, suspense, adventure. In tonight's transcribed story, a claw, a corkscrew, a coffin, a crab. There was about everything in this one. A claw, a corkscrew, a coffin, a crab, 67,000 clams, some deep sea fish, and Juliet. Case took me all over LA, out to San Pedro, down to Long Beach, took me 20 feet under water where it looked like I wasn't gonna come up. Yeah, but Juliet was where it started. Juliet Jones. Now sit out, Jeffrey. Sure, sure, Lyon. Just the man I wanted to see. I was just about to phone you. Juliet Jones. Our new clients. Yeah, our new client wants you out in Inglewood right away. Her life's in danger. That's so? Yes. Yes, she wants protection. Our bodyguard, Jeffrey. Here, here's her dress. Juliet Jones, 712 Garbanzer Avenue, Inglewood. Oh, she was beautiful, my boy. It came here to the office an hour and a half ago. Lovely, lovely. In never, Jeffrey, in all my vast experiences, President of the Lyon Detective Bureau has it been my privilege to see such a gorgeous, oh, and she had a voice, my boy. Well, it stroked you when she talked. And she smelled, as a matter of fact, Regan, she smelled of tea. Tea? She's a broken pico tester. You don't tell me. Yeah, I do. She feels, smells, and tastes broken pico tea. It's the very best, Jeffrey. Best black tea, of course. She wouldn't think of testing green or oolong, or so she said. Sure. Anything else that'll help? Well, there was one thing. Now, we mustn't jump to any rarest conclusions, Jeffrey. But everything she had on, everything was brand new, and all very expensive, very expensive. Maybe some guy likes her. Yes, yes, I suppose that would be it. Look, Lyon, if you think she's a phony, we just don't take her case. And now, Regan, don't start that. What's the matter? She give us dough? Juliet Jones advanced us $400. That's a broth of clams. Yes, it is. Look here, my boy. Just look. One, two, three, four, four, one hundred dollar bills. Oh, Jeffrey, isn't life wonderful? Life was. I drove to Englewood. She was there. It was like the lion said. Haired, tawny. Eyes that were golden when she looked at you a certain way, and she looked at you a certain way. I found out the guy threatening her life was named Adam Garth. Then we found a place for dinner and danced. After nine o'clock, I was on time and a half. Jeff, Jeff. Yeah, Juliet. Jeff, you make a wonderful bodyguard. I like my work. Jeff, just think this is all we have to do for days and days. Till Adam Garth takes that slow boat to China. You know, I'm going to be sorry when Adam Garth gets tired of trying to kill me. Because, Jeff, what reason will I have to hire my own writer? Lady, let's try fresh air. Oh, Jeff, I know just where there is now. Let's walk along another few yards so the lights of the Long Beach Amusement Pier won't blind us. Yeah. Juliet. Yes, Jeff. Adam Garth. Oh, Adam Garth. Maybe I ought to take off and hunt him up. You just stay right with me. Sure, it's nice work, but if Garth is gunning for you... Jeff, I explain. I looked at the guy once. He's a big lug, Jeff. All thumbs in the brain, I mean. I looked at the guy and he fell over his thumb. That could happen. Well, it isn't easy to be a girl like me, every guy's dream. Guess not. You've got to be triple careful, huh? I didn't do anything, Jeff, to encourage Adam Garth to think... But he got crazy all of a sudden. He thought he owned me. You told him he didn't. He said if that was it, then nobody else would. I see what he means. Adam Garth threatened to kill me. He said he... Jeff, he said he'd fix it so my beauty would never wreck another guy's life. You hired me to block his punch. Yes, Jeff. I want you with me every minute, all day, evenings, wherever I go. Because... well, because... She stopped on the sand, stood in front of me, turned up her face. And that was when... Even Juliet's kiss didn't pack a wallet like that. Somebody sat me from behind. I whirled, half groggy. There was a black shape between me and the white cream of the surf. But I didn't even get my fists up. All right, Regan? Couldn't figure it out for a second where I was. It's like a dream, far, far away. A big production, and Juliet was in it. Wherefore art thou lo me oh? Yeah, wherefore... You, Regan? Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Good job when I hit you. All right? Oh, sure. Well, then you'd break it up off the sand, Regan. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Okay. You can stand up. Fine, fine. Now, just sit down here on this bench. I'll stand in front of you. Thanks, I'll stand. Sit, Regan. Yeah. A gun in your hand. Yours or mine? Mine. Yours is in my pocket. Sure, that's how it would be. Juliet, take a walk someplace? That's right. She took a walk. With Adam, maybe? Why, yes, Regan. To get apples. Hand-eat apples up on the amusement pier. Yeah, well, you're not Adam. You don't fit the description Juliet gave me. Squat, hairy guy, thumbs in the brain. You're a little taller, smarter. And I have my clothes on. Regan, quit kidding. Where's the money? I got $4.75 in my pocket. Oh, that's enough, lion's eye. You know me. You're one of those private investigators. It'd be hard to do any kind of a job. This time, you took the wrong assignment. Working for Juliet Jones. That's right. Regan, I want $67,000. Just don't happen to have it on me. I didn't expect you to, but wherever it is, get it. Bring it to me. Bring it to you like where? I told you not to kid. Why? You know where. Oh, and Regan, the police aren't doing this job for me. Holding a gun on you, getting $67,000 from you. Maybe you're wondering why. Nope. Hadn't occurred to me, they might. Of course not. All right, Regan, I'll be fair with you. I have a reason to keep the police out. When you come with the money, make it $66,000. Keep $1,000 for yourself. Thanks. Here's your gun, unloaded. See you around. He handed me my gun, walked off. He was a nice guy. Lovely. And he smelled. Yeah. Yeah, when he came up close and handed me my gun, I caught a whiff of... I couldn't place it the first second, but then I remember what the line had said about Juliet Jones. He'd said she was lovely. Said she was lovely in smell of tea. That was it. The tough guy that was $67,000 G starved, he smelled of tea too. Wake up. Jeffrey, it's half past ten. I've gone to bed. Where are you? Payphone booth, Long Beach amusement pier. Jeffrey, this is a toll call. That's right. When Juliet Jones talked at the office this afternoon, she said she was a tea tester, even smelled of tea from being around it so much. Jeffrey, if you've called me in the middle of the night, half past ten, a 25 cent toll call, a 30 cent or whatever it is... Did she say where she tested tea? Where she works you mean? I can't remember a thing like that. Call me tomorrow. Jeffrey. Yeah, Lion? Juliet Jones isn't with you. That's why you haven't asked her. That's it. Jeffrey, my boy, nothing's gone wrong with our lovely $400 case. A couple of things. We're in the red on it. In the red? We can't be. I have the four $100 bills right here, Jeffrey. In the shimmy bag tied around my neck. Yes, yes, here it is, under my night shirt. So that $400 taken away, we're only $66,600 in the hole on the case. That's the amount we have to cough up to get out. Jeffrey, Jeffrey! No, no, I understand now. I'm asleep. This is a nightmare. Regan, get out of my dreams! It's a nightmare, Lion, only you're not asleep. So shove your pillow between your teeth, so to stifle your screams, I'm going to give you the rundown. Lion whimpered, moaned, but he took it. The story shocked his memory into double quick. He remembered where Juliet Jones had told him she worked. The Phelan Great East importing company place was called Tea Importers, San Pedro Docks. I phoned Juliet's house in Inglewood, like I figured nobody home. Tracks in the sand down on the beach hadn't helped much either. I just had one thing to go on. Phelan Great East. I drove out to San Pedro. Dock section parked. Docks empty. It was far apart. I unclipped my shoulder holsters. I walked up the dock. My unloaded gun might back up a bluff. Voice out of the building's shadow. Stand still, no more. Who are you? Private Detect. You two credentials? Sure, I got credentials. Straight your looks. Well, that sounds fair. Over there, under the light. Here you go. Private Investigator. Beckett's Private Investigator. Here. You working tonight? Yeah. You? Yeah. Doc Detail. Keep an eye on stuff for some warehouse owners. Big shippers. Fat guys. Who you work for? I work for a fat guy. That's the way it is in this world. A smart work for the fat. Beckett. Phelan Great East warehouse around here somewhere. Yeah, that's it up there. Go up the stone steps, turn into the alley. There's a door in the alley. Yeah. See ya, Peeper. I climbed the stone steps, turned into the alley, and then I saw high up behind shut blinds, light burning in one window. The door Beckett had told me about wasn't locked. Inside the warehouse, I burned my fingers with paper matches finding the stairway that led up. After that, it was easy. There was a light under a door on the fourth floor. You could just make out the single word painted on the door. Phelan. As I opened the door, the drapes swirled across the room. A door slammed behind them. I went in. Hello, Regan. Hello, Phelan. Oh, yes. That's right. It's on the door. Well, sit down. Sit down, Regan. I was just drinking tea. Two cups. That's right. One for Julia Jones. Well, maybe. It adds that way. She just went out that other door. You picked her up the same time you slugged me. You must have had a helper, Beckett. Go on, Regan. Tell me what else you know. Beckett, the private investigator, works for you. I suppose I should have figured that. Man can't think of everything, Regan. You haven't thought of the 67 grand. Now it's smart of you, Regan, to see it in that light. Three quarters of an hour ago, you thought I was the one that stole your dough. Now you know the money was stolen. I didn't catch on at first, but you told me that on the beach. You asked me if I was surprised the cops weren't getting the dough for you. Only way that could make sense was that you actually had been taken for dough. You gave me the amount yourself, 67 grand. Only, Phelan, you told me something else. Yes. Yes, Regan. I said I had a reason not to go to the police. Yeah. Have a cup of tea. No, thanks. I understand. Darkened warehouse, waterfront docks. But I don't mean you any harm. Here, I'll prove it. Look here. The tea leaves in the bottom of this cup. Yeah. Well, I read them, you know. Now let's imagine this is your fortune. Go on. Well, we're now here. Now this form in the tea leaves is a coffin. That means look out for trouble. And here, shape of a crab you've got an enemy and a claw, Regan. The enemy wants to kill you. See anything else? A corkscrew. Which means? Don't be curious. About why you don't want to go to the cops. I guess you can find your way back downstairs, Regan. I'll see you around. Yeah. Maybe you will. I had the pieces of the puzzle. Jagged jigsaw pieces. Phelan of Phelan Gray East, tea importer. He'd been robbed of $67,000 was out to recover the loot himself because he was scared to go to the cops. My client Juliet was mixed up in it. That made sense. She worked for Phelan as a tea tester. She'd blossomed out all of a sudden and knew clothes from head to foot. She had 100 clam notes to pay private detectives. Then there was Adam Garth gunning for Juliet. Juliet said. I hadn't met him yet, but I didn't have to wait long. I let myself out of Phelan Gray East warehouse by the door that opened on the alley. That was when I got a big surprise. Not who, but what she did. Jeff. Juliet. I knew you'd come out this way. I've been waiting. How come you beat it out of Phelan's office upstairs just when I got there? I'll explain all that later. I've been waiting here. I've been hoping you'd get here in time. To what? Hold me. Huh? When you are in time. Not too early, not too late. Oh, Jeff, hold me. Are you nuts? Jeff, I've got a good reason, a good, good reason. Jeff, you've got to hold me close to you and kiss me. You are not. Hold me. What? I think this will do it nicely. I'll stand back, Jeff. I said stand back. Lady, you've skipped your rocker. Jeff, I've got to get back from you. I've got to get back. Jeff, stand back. She hurled backward, flattened herself against the far wall of the alley, and then I saw end of the alley away from the Doc's man standing watching us. He couldn't make out his face, but his posture feet apart right hand forward meant gun ready. I sucked back flat to the wall across from Juliet. Six parts of orange from the black silhouette. Yeah, but Mr. Jealous didn't score. Instinct anger through my right hand to my unclipped shoulder. Hoster brought my gun to ready. Then I remembered. My gun empty. Regan, why don't you shoot? No bullets, baby. Gun's not loaded. Oh, you stinking dumb sap. You're dumb. Shameless, and I paid 400 bucks for this. You did, huh? What do you mean? You let go of me? Oh, no, Juliet. Exactly what did you pay 400 bucks for? Regan, let me go. My you little... Juliet ran down the alley toward the Doc's. Only I decided to play it away from the Doc's instead of toward. I couldn't go both ways, and the guy who fired the shots had disappeared in the other direction. It didn't figure he'd be hard to find. All I'd have to do was make myself available and he'd find me. Only I didn't expect him to find me so soon. Walk straight ahead. Don't look back and don't try nothing. Okay, Garth. Hey, how come you know me? Well, I was born in the dark of the moon. Hey, don't make no gags. You're healed. I got a gun with no bullets in it. Don't make no gags. Well, it's the truth. Look, Garth, we've got things to talk about. I don't know who you are. I'll show you. No funny stuff. Sure not. Hey, look, Jeff Regan, private detective. Here's my license. Oh, looks okay. Garth, you stole 67 grand from Phelan. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did. That's right. Yeah, I did. You seem pretty set up about it. I stole $67,000 from Mr. Phelan. I don't know what come over me. I'm sorry I did it and I am ready to go to prison and pay the penalty for my crime. Wait a minute. Huh? Turn off the gramophone. I don't know what you mean. Garth, where's the 67 grand? Oh, I was a crazy fool. I tried to double it. I don't know what come over me. I went to Las Vegas, Nevada, and I... Lost every cent of it. Yeah, yeah, that's what I did. Garth, you gave the 67 grand, or most of it, to Julia Jones before you left. No, no, no. That ain't what happened. Oh, yes, Garth. You gave the 67 Gs to her. You went to Las Vegas to pretend to lose it gambling. You came back here to California. If Phelan had reported the theft, you'd have been caught. You expected that. You meant to serve your time. You figured it was worth it. Julia had waiting for you when you got out. Yeah, yeah, well, she will be. That's how we planned it. Yeah. Yeah, sure. Well, you want to start serving that time, Garth. So come on, let's go. I drove him to the police station in Long Beach. I let him think Juliet's plan had just misfired. I didn't have the heart to tell him what a real plan was. When Garth was booked out of the case, I had other business. I wanted to see Juliet bad, and I figured I knew how to find her. She'd left her coat in the check room at the Long Beach place where we dined and danced. She'd be going there to pick it up. I'd wait on the pier and get on her trail. That's how it worked out. Hello, Juliet. Jeff, how could you possibly have found me here? Not tough. You unchecked your coat just now at the dine and dance place. I figured you wouldn't. Then you followed me out here on the amusement pier. That's it. Well, I'm glad to see you, Jeff. Sure, yeah. Case Garth shows again you want me to protect you. Yes, of course. That's it. Sorry I lost you at the docks. Oh, well, that's understandable, Jeff. The confusion. I took off after Garth. I don't suppose you found me. No. No, I guess like you said, I'm a no-good don of shamus. Oh, well, now, Jeff, I was upset. I wasn't responsible for what I might have said, what I might have done, Jeff. You knew Garth was in range, watching. Yes, that was it. Why you wanted to get close to me? Because Garth was around. Well, yes, Jeff, I wanted protection. Lady, you and I got things to talk about. Things, Jeff? Things. Like a fall guy, like a poor dumb clock in Las Vegas, Nevada, pretending to lose 67,000 bucks. Like that guy being willing to come back here, get caught, service time, expecting you to be waiting with the dough when he came out. You did find Adam Garth. I found him and I didn't tell him all I knew. What else do you know, Jeff? Why you hired me. You wanted me to be around you all the time. No, you wanted to make Garth shooting iron jealous. No, why on earth would I have wanted a thing like that? So he'd shoot, kill me and go up for murder and I'd kill him in self-defense. Either way, you'd have the 67,000 clear for yourself. Jeff, you... You are smart. Thanks. Come on, we're going to the clinic. Jeff, are you sure there isn't anything else we could discuss? Such as? Jeff, I... I know a place we could talk. Alone? Just up the midway. It might be worthwhile. All right. Let's go. She was thinking of one thing, buying me off. I was thinking of something else. There was one little bit of the puzzle I didn't have. So I went along. She wouldn't get away. Not where she took me anyway. There was a big steel tank at one side of the midway. Tank full of water, water full of fish. And down into the water and fish, 20 feet down spectators were lowered in a diving bell. Juliet and I bought tickets. Went down. The two of us alone. This one reminds me of you. That's a man-eater, isn't it, Jeff? Yeah. Long, sleek, beautiful, tiger shark. Jeff, over here through this porthole, on this side of the diving bell, look. Yeah, lady. Over there in that corner of the tank. Octopus. Could that octopus suggest you, Jeff? I mean tentacles reaching out in every direction, reaching for whatever there may be to crash. What you mean is, can you buy me off? I've got a lot to buy you off with, Jeff. 67,000 years. And good lucks. Good lucks, Jeff. And something else. A way you and I could make a lot of money. Blackmailing Phelan. That's what I came down to this diving bell to find out about. Yes? Sure, baby. So talk about Phelan. She talked about Phelan. Turned out all he brought in from the Great East wasn't broken Pico T. In a couple of minutes, the last piece of the jigsaw was in place. I had leads that when the Federal Narcotics Squad had got its teeth in would send Phelan to the pokey for an even longer stay than Garth's and Juliet's. So that wrapped it up. Yeah, it wrapped it up. All of a sudden I noticed something. It was silent in the diving bell. The air tube had stopped hissing. There were a couple of windows in the outside wall of the tank come on for customers by letting them glimpse the fish and the diving bell down in the water inside. Face appeared in one of the windows grinned at me. Beckett. Phelan's Gunsel. Beckett drew his forefinger slowly across his throat. I was as dumb as Shamus as Juliet said. Jeff, I can't... I can't breathe. Jeff, I... I'm scared. She passed out. I was next. Everything was getting wavery. Water. Fish I saw through the portal. Funny thing. One fish looked in at me. Looked like... looked like my boss. Anthony J. Lyon. Lyon. Stand back, everybody. Give the man our free stand back. He's in a dangerous situation. Jeffery, my boy, are you all right? Oh, Lyon, what happened? I came here to the Long Beach Amusement Pier to get my phone. I was worried about our $400 case, you see. And when I got here, that man Beckett was looking into the tank, making suspicious gestures. You've tangled with him? No, not exactly, Jeffery. I found the operator of the tank. Beckett had knocked him out, Jeffery. I revived him through water in his face, you see. And he and I managed to get air going to you and Juliet again. The police were attracted by the disturbance, my boy, and they rounded up Beckett. And they've taken charge of Juliet, too. Oh, that was a macro. Yes, yes, my boy, you were. Well, Lyon, one thing. Yes, Jeffery? How come you're sopping wet? Oh, well, well. It was nothing, my boy. I saw you in peril in that diving bell. My heart overflowed. I dove in to save you. Saved me through the steel wall of the diving bell? Jeffery, I was going to tear those steel walls apart with my bare hands. Lyon, you were going to do that for me? I was just judging you. Don't bother me, lad. Well, Jeffery, we'll forget the past. Let bygones be bygones. No man really sees another's metal till the test of battle. Mr. Lyon, please, sir. Get away from me. Stop bothering me, boy. Go away somewhere. Mr. Lyon, here's your shammy-skin bag full of money. You dove into the tank to try to save. Money. Lyon? Lyon? Jeffery, don't excite yourself, my boy. You've been a sick man, you know. Jeffery, what are you doing? Oh, no! Not! Friends, mystery, adventure with Jeff Regan, investigator.