 No matter what it is, it's a case for Nick Carter, Master Detective. Yes, it's the case of the make-believe robbery. Another case for that most famous of all man-hutters. The detective whose ability at solving crime is unequaled in the history of detective fiction. Nick Carter, Master Detective. So Assistant Director, well how about putting me in this picture too? Why should I pay you 10 bucks to see you ain't no cop, or ain't I, I says to him? I'm Wild or McGlynn, that's who I am. I don't wear no uniform, but I'm the best dog gone detective in this town. Well, when he hears that, he says, OK, give the other cops a hand, holding back the crowd, then. Well, why don't you give me? Quiet, quiet, everybody, quiet. We're ready to start shooting. Each one of you policemen knows the job we're going to do. The crooks get out of the car, walk into Ryan Gould's jewelry store, and go straight through the store to the offices in the back. The camera will follow them as they go. We're not taking any sound now, that'll be dubbed in late. Crooks come out of the store again, they'll get in the car, and drive up the street. The sound truck and camera will follow them for some other shots later, is that clear? Now, you know what he's saying? Yeah, I know. All right, stand by, everybody, the scene act natural, please, and don't look at the camera. Don't shout, take it easy, will you? Jean McGlynn, this is exciting, being part of a real moving picture. Oh, I don't know, it's all right if you ain't never done it before. Have you ever been in a picture before? Have I been in a picture? Have I been in a picture? That's what I said, have you? You know, this ain't a bad way to make Ken books, just turn it around, watch as some other guys work. Ah, I bet you've never been in a picture. Hey, those are pistol shots, come on. Hold it, you dope, those are part of the moving picture, remember? Yeah, yeah, I just wanted to find out what you do. Oh, you kid. Look, when I was out in Hollywood, I used to be in a town... To follow you for the other scene, now get going, we'll be right behind you. You'll get your checks at headquarters tonight. Thanks, I haven't been in so long. That's that, I sure wish I could make Ken books. Absolutely! But hey, what is it, lady? The gas. Easy, lady, he ain't dead, this was just a... At least one of your cops wasn't bright enough to have seen through this phony moving picture business. Oh, don't rub it in, Nick, please. Was headquarters ever approached at all? Never. The individual cops were the only ones they contacted. One million dollars away, the beautiful stones, they took right out of the main safe and killed my cashier. Don't you carry insurance on your jewels, Mr. Reingold? Sure, I carry insurance, but I lose all my stock stones. Did you know about this moving picture business in advance? Sure, I did. About 11 o'clock this morning, a guy who said he was Fred Harlan, a director for colossal pictures, come in and asked me, could they use my store for making a movie? Said they wanted a one-story building like mine, not too big, but important. I said, would the sign over the store show in the picture? And he said, yes, so I told him okay. Did this man who said he was Harlan have any credentials? Oh, sure. Sure, his papers was good, colossal pictures, it said. Who was here with you at the time? There was me, my nephew, Mr. Green and my cashier. What did this Harlan look like? A little bigger than me, blonde hair, good looking, about 45 maybe. It was wearing sunglasses, the Hollywood kind. You keep the safe open or closed during the day? Always, it's closed, so much jewels it contains. When we want something, we unlock it. Take out what we want and then click, close it and lock it again. Who had the combination? Me, my nephew Lester and my cashier, nobody else. Keep the burglar alarm on or off during the day? Always, it's on. We have a button to turn it off and we want to get in, see right here. Look, the alarm is still on, but didn't it go off when the safe was open? The alarm wasn't turned off, we can be sure the cashier didn't open the safe for them. See. Huh, here's why the alarm didn't work. What you got, Nick? The alarm wire's been cut, piece taken out of it to make sure it stays cut. Hey, Nick, since the safe wasn't forced open and the cashier didn't open it, that means the crooks had the combination. Mr. Reingold, you say only the three of you knew the combination? Yeah, that's all right. And one of you three helped in this robbery and the cashier's dead, but lets him out, I should say. But then you think me a lester if he should rob ourselves? I've been done before. Oh, come in, come in. I got here as quick as I could, Mr. Reingold. Who are you? Well, I'm Mickey Armbruster, the store detective. What were you doing while they pulled off this fast job? Well, I'm off on Monday, Sergeant. I work Sundays as watchman and Lester takes over for me on Monday. Oh, Mr. Reingold called me, so I came right down to see if there's anything I could do. I don't think so, thanks. By the way, where is Lester? Since the robbery, I ain't seen him to no good. Well, let me know when he comes back, will you? I'd like to talk to him. Sure, sure. Right away, I'll tell you. Waldo, was the sound truck a colossal truck? Well, no, Nick, I noticed it came from the Kramer Sound Equipment Company, why? That's strange. Should think that if Colossal was doing the job, they'd furnish their own truck. Colossal had nothing to do with it, Nick, we checked. That part was as phony as the rest of it. Maybe there ain't no Fred Harlan, neither, Nick. That's the odd thing about this, Waldo, there is a Fred Harlan. Huh? Well, there was, years ago, used to be top director in the colossal lot. Maybe this wasn't that Harlan, Nick. That thought occurred to me too, Maddie. Well, we've done all we can here. We said there were no fingerprints. My men couldn't find one anywhere. Oh, it was a slick job. And let's go. See you later, Mr. Rangold. Yes, sure, sure. Maddie, I suggest you have some of your men check up on this Rangold and this nephew of his, Lester Green. Yeah. Also check the Kramer Sound Equipment people and see if they can help us. Waldo and I are going to drop in on Scubby and see what he can dig up for us and Fred Harlan. Right, Nick. Me seeing it. Now, Mr. Kramer ain't here now. When'll he be back? I don't know. Look, have you seen a fellow with blonde wavy hair around here in the last couple of days? Blonde wavy hair? Yeah. Wish my hair was wavy. I tried my sister's hair crown stuff, but it didn't do no good. Did you see that guy around? Maybe I should have wore a hair net like she does. Look, dimwit, can you answer me a plain, simple question? Sure, well, go ahead. Ask me a question. Ask me a question. Look, has a guy with blonde wavy hair been around here lately? The fellow directed the movie this noon had wavy hair. That's the one I mean. Have you seen him? Yeah, he was directing the crooks. And they shot off guns, and a woman came rushing out and yelled, murder, but she didn't fool me. I'm too smart. Yeah, yeah, I'll see you. She said somebody had been killed, but I knew better. A man was killed. That's why I'm- Well, you, huh? Well, maybe you've never been to the movies. I shoot a guy, and blood runs all down his face, and he falls down. That's all he catch up. I read about in the book. Why, you dumb half-witted dope. You ought to be- What are you doing here, honey? Oh, it's just hanging around. Well, why don't you go home? I told you not to hang around the office. I won't, buddy. Hey, you Ted Kramer? Yes, here I am. What can I do for you? I'm Matheson, homicide. You seen a man with blonde wavy hair around here recently? Well, you must mean Fred Haaland, the movie director. Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, sure, he was in here yesterday. Hired my soundtrack. He, uh, tell you anything about himself? Well, he said he was an old-time director and showed me his credentials. Said he was doing a job for a colossal, but they weren't furnishing the truck because the job was too small. He had to furnish the cameraman, too. Know who he was? Yeah, he's a friend of mine. I recommended him and Haaland hired him. Don Goodman, too, does a lot of picture work. What does this Haaland look like? Oh, about 5'10". Good looking. A man of about 45, I'd say, who wore big Hollywood sunglasses. But it was raining yesterday. Yeah, yeah, I know. But you know these Hollywood nuts. All right, did he tell you anything about the job he was going to do? Yeah, he did. He was all excited about it. Said he was just shooting a few scenes, but it would give him a chance to show that he was still a good director. Just trying to make him come back, he said. Your truck's not back yet. No, no, he said he'd probably keep it all day. Well, OK. Thanks, sir. See you later. Here, Nick, this is everything I can find in the files about Fred Haaland. Thanks, Scobby. Hey, look at the bunch of stuff he's got there. That Haaland must have been quite a guy. Well, he sure was. Here, Waldo, you take these clippings. OK. Scobby, you take these. Yeah. I'll go through these others. OK. Oh, here's a picture of the guy, Nick. Oh, let me see. That's the guy, Nick. That's the lad who directed the movie this morning. Sure as you're a foot high. Yes, it's the date of this. Taken 15 years ago. No change in his looks in 15 years? I wish I could do that. Nobody can do that, Scobby, and that's what interests me. Well, Nick, he had his horoscope told, too. Well, anything for publicity, Waldo. Yeah, I see. Here's an article about him and his fingerprints, too. He didn't miss a trick. Let me have that, Waldo. Yeah, sure. Oh, here are the last ones, Nick. Reports of his accident and the follow-up stories. Accident, huh? Serious? Almost fatal. Doctor said he suddenly cracked up while he was driving. Went over an embankment and was badly broken up. Let me see those, will you? Oh, sure. Here you are. Thanks. Reds broken, arm broken two places, leg cracked, bad cuts on head, long jagged cut under right here. Cut under right here. Yes, I seem to remember seeing a scar like that very recently. You mean Harlan still has it, Nick? I've never seen Harlan, Scubby. I've seen that scar somewhere today. Where in it? I'm not sure. Spent months in the California Medical Hospital under the care of Dr. Edward Wilson. That all, Scubby? Yeah, that's all. He dropped out of sight after that. All right, thanks. That helps a lot. Now I'll call the office and see what's happened there. Then we'll look up Harlan himself if we can find his address. And if there is such a person. Isn't anything new? Oh, not much, Patsy. The boys, there we go. Oh, one moment, Sergeant. Nick heard his office, Patsy Bowen speaking. Patsy, Nick. Have you heard anything from Maddie yet? Well, he's right here. You want to talk to him? Yes, put him on. Nick wants to talk to you, Sergeant. Oh, thanks, Patsy. Hello, Nick. Maddie, anything new? Well, the boys just found the sedan the crooks used about six miles out of town near the river. The sound truck is in the river. They're hauling out soon as the crane gets there. Any reports on Ryan Gold or Lester Green yet? Yeah, we've been working fast. Nothing much on Ryan Gold except that he had his stuff completely insured so he won't lose a nickel. But this nephew of his, this Lester, seems to have been quite a lad in days past. That's wrong. Yeah, has a long record with the Hollywood police. Oh, nothing serious, just some studio brawls and several arrests for reckless driving. Lost his job at the studio because he was so wild. You mean he worked in a studio? Yeah, he was a bit actor for a while. And he'd know the movie technique, wouldn't he? What? My golly, Nick. He sure would. Has he turned up yet? No, he hasn't. But we got the boys watching for him. Good. Going out to have a look at the truck when they get it out of the river? I'm on my way there now, yeah. Now take Patsy with you, will you? Why, sure. What do you want her to do? Put her on, I'll tell her. OK. Here, Patsy, Nick, want you? Thanks. Yes, Nick? Patsy, listen. I want you to go with Maddie. Get the license number of the crooks' car so we can trace it. Get copies of any fingerprints, Maddie Fines, and any other dope you can get. Bring them back to the office. All right, Nick. Call Dr. Wilson at the car here. I want to see Carter. Hold it, Nick. I'm sorry, but Mr. Carter's not in just now. Who are you, please? I'm Lester Green. Lester Green. Just the boy I want to see. Who are you? Sergeant Matheson, homicide bureau. Oh, so you're the guy. What the devil do you mean by telegraph in Hollywood? Check it up on me. We wanted to find out what kind of a guy you are. And we did. So I get into a couple of jams out there. What's up to you? Plenty. Right now? Well, I was just a kid when I was in Hollywood six years ago. I'm different now. Says you. You got into jams out there. Now you're in a jam here. Who says I'm in a jam? I do. You want to poke in the nose? Just one little poke, Mr. and you'll find yourself behind bars. OK, Nick. I'll take care of everything. Now then, what do you know about the robbery of your uncle's store? The store? Yeah. Robbed? Yeah. When? Oh, I suppose you don't know nothing about it. Well, no, I don't. Huh? Well, then you won't mind answering a few questions for me, will you? Gosh, no. Well, that's better. Now, I got to go out to have a look at that truck. So suppose you come along with me. On the way, you can tell me everything you've done since you got up this morning. We'll be out in the sticks by now. Are you sure we're going right? That's what the cop said. Straight ahead to the next gas station and turn right. Maybe this address we're going to is a fawny, Nick. Just because Harlan gave it to the man he rented the sedan from, though, don't prove he really lives there. Doesn't prove he doesn't either. There's a gas station up ahead, Nick. One of them little one-pump places. Good. That must be it. I hope he's got something to eat there. I'm starved. How many you want, please? Fill it up. Should take about five gallons. OK. By the way, do you happen to know if a man by the name of Fred Harlan lives around here? Harlan, sure, King. Lived about half a mile up this road, seen him lots of times. Good-looking, Harlan. Blonde, wavy hair, about my height. Where's big sunglasses? Yeah, that's the Harlan. Does he always wear those sunglasses? Oh, sure, all the time. Oh, once he took them off to ride them, I've seen he had a bad cast in his left eye. Guess he don't want nobody to see his poor life. Anybody live up there with him? I never see anybody. Always alone when he come in here. You want anything else? Well, you better look at the oil. OK. You know anything about his business? Well, yeah, he was here a couple of days ago. Told me he was moving director. Said he was going to have chance to make a picture and get his yacht back again. It's the same guy, all right, Nick. And it is Harlan. Maybe. Have you seen him in the last few hours? No, he went out to here this morning early. I ain't seen him since. Well, his dog is still there, though. I hear him barking while back. It's a mean crate of that dog. Harlan told me once I'd better keep away from his place if I didn't want to get it up. I see. How much oil? Well, six gallons gas is $1.20. Your oil's all right. Here you are. You got anything to eat here? Got some hot dogs and some candy bars. Hot dogs? Them's for me. Give me two. You want mustard or cold slaw on them? Put them both on. I ain't for see. And a pickle, too. Give me two hot dogs, no mustard or anything. Not even a roll, just the plain Franks. Two? Without no rolls? No nothing? A used plain? That's right. Well, it seems to me you've been crazy for this your business. I thought you never ate them things, Nick. I don't. I'm buying them for a friend. I hope he likes them. Nick, it's almost dark here under these trees. Yes. It is in a very attractive place, Harlan is in. That must be the dog he told us about. Yes, the dog. I hope he don't decide to take a bite out of my leg. Well, if my plan goes right, Walter, this dog won't take a bite out of either of us. Now, let's see if Harlan is home. Seems to be no one here but the dog. Well, let's see if we can get this door open. This was easy. Now what? Now I open the door just to crack like this. And give Mr. Fred Harlan's dog the two minis I bought for him. Nice doggy. Bet you're hungry. Here, see how these taste. You think you're going to be his pal for life because you've brought him a little hot dog? You're crazy, Nick. Perhaps, and perhaps not. You're feeling chai, doggy? Well, I don't take a little nap. That's the way. I'll close your eyes. What are you doing, Nick, hypnotizing him? And now we can open the door all the way and walk in. What a holy mackerel. That hound is dead to the world. What did you do to him, Nick? Just fed him the two hot dogs he bought at the gas station, that's all. You mean them two weenies? Did that to him? Those two weenies, Waldo, had a couple of knock-offs drops in them. Well, I'll be a monkey sucker. Now, let's see what we can find here. Now, this room hasn't been used recently. Try the next one. Oh, this one ain't either. Dust is thicker than the rug. Says the kitchen. Yeah, may use this room all right. What a mess. If you start hunting for clues in this place, you've got yourself an all-night job. And I can't spend that much time on it. Well, let's have a look upstairs. Yeah. You know that the guy at the gas station said he never spent much time here. Maybe he just lived in one room in the kitchen. I think you're right, Waldo. Yes, and this is undoubtedly the room he used when he was here. Nick, do you suppose the crooks talked Harlan into a deal and then bumped him off when they were through with him? Waldo, the fact that the man who ran this show looked like the Harlan of 15 years ago leads me to believe that there's been an impersonation. Yeah, but who impersonated who? That's what I'm trying to find out. Now, first, let's pick out some good fingerprints. Should be plenty of them on this dressing table. Yeah, here and here. Lift them off of the files. You mean the way you showed me the other night, huh? Yes, use the clear scotch tape. Oh, kitty, Nick. Hey, did you notice all the makeup he's got here? Yes, and there's several pictures here that look like those taken 15 years ago. You notice? Yeah. Looks as if they've been used as models for making up. And here, what's this? Huh, hairs. Blonde, wavy hairs. That's what we're looking for, ain't it? Yes. Uh-huh. Now we're getting somewhere. Waldo, these hairs didn't come out of a head. They came up a wig. Off in a wig? How do you know? Have no roots on them. Nailed up in a wig, yeah? Now, I know that was an impersonation. Oh, Nick, Nick. Just happen to see it is here in the wastebasket. What is it? It's a piece of wrapping paper from Rein Gold's jewelry store. And do you see what it says on it here? To be carred for. Yes, and look at the name of the one who was to do the calling. Yeah, well, what's the connection between him and Harlan, Nick? A very strong one, I believe. You got any ideas? I have. Right now, we're going back to the office to figure out what loose end we can. And you're going to bring Harlan's dog along with you. Bring the dog? Are you crazy, Nick? Maybe I am. And bring him along just the same. All the truck up out of the river, they found this megaphone in it. And it has fingerprints on it. You mean the water didn't wash them off? Water doesn't hurt Prince Waldo. Batsy, did you get a picture of them? Uh-huh, Sergeant Matheson gave me one. Here. Now, where did I put that news picture? Ah, yes, here it is. The prints on the megaphone match the picture of Harlan's prints exactly. Then by golly, Nick, it was the original Harlan who did the job. Is that good or bad, Nick? Anything could help solve the case. It's good, Batsy. And if Harlan himself did it, it's certainly one step nearer the end. Nick Carter's office, Batsy Bourne speaking. Oh, yes, just a moment, please. I'll put Mr. Carter on. And Nick is Dr. Wilson at the California Hospital. He's the one who treated Harlan after his accident. Oh, yes. Hello, Dr. Wilson. Yes, I see. Wouldn't have recognized him, huh? Yes, of course. Well, Doctor, do you know where he went after he left the hospital? Oh, he did. I see. Well, thanks very much, Doctor, for taking the time to call me like this. I really appreciate it. Goodbye. Well, Nick? Just as we suspected, when Harlan left the hospital, it would have been difficult for even his old friends to have recognized him. He'd badly cut about the head and had lost over 50 pounds. Dr. Wilson said he was in pretty bad shape. And he came back here to live. Nick, Nick, I'm getting all balled up here. If Harlan actually is Harlan, he couldn't look the way he did 15 years ago before the accident. But if he does look the way he did then, it can't really be Harlan, which it is. Oh, boy, you are tangled up, aren't you? Batsy, call Mary and tell him to meet us at Rangol Store. Waldo, how's the dog? You're still sleeping, Glory Bee. He's a mean son of a gun, that one. OK, put him under your arm and let's go. Put him under your arm and let's go eat it. It's all I can do to lift the brute off the floor. No, don't cry, Waldo. Just be glad it isn't a great day. A great? Oh, nuts. Come on, you. Hi, Maddie. Hello, Nick. Ah, so you brought Lester too, huh? Excellent. Yep, I thought we might as well all be here for the fireworks. Hello, Mr. Cardi. You got news first, yes? I have, Mr. Rangold. I have news, the solution of the case and the name of the murderer. You hear that, Mickey? That's the kind of a detective you should be. The way you should catch more people stealing in my store, maybe. Well, how'd you do it, Mr. Carter? I didn't mind learning something when I came. I studied the facts and found out more facts. I discovered that this robbery today was the result of years probably of careful planning, of leading a double life, of the killer being himself half the time and somebody else the rest. I learned that a man was so badly broken down through a nervous collapse in an automobile wreck that his own friends wouldn't have known him. And he traded on that fact, got himself a job of trust and confidence. In fact, he became an employee of a jewelry store. He was a store detective. Well, what do you know about that? Carter, are you insinuating that? I'm insinuating nothing. I'm giving facts. You got yourself this job here, watched and schemed and planned, and when you were ready, pulled this phony movie set up and robbed the safe. That's hard to believe, Nick. Has he got proof? Well, no. Let the dog in. OK, Nick. Glad I am to do it. Hey, hey, what's all this, Nick? Why, the door gang? That dog belongs to Harlan. He also belongs to Mickey, as you can see, by the way he greets him. For a while, I thought somebody impersonating Harlan had done this robbery, but I finally realized that the man who impersonated Harlan was Harlan himself, now known as Mickey Armbruster. Well, a man mixed up. You got not proofed in a dog, Mr. Carter? I have. When Matty takes Mickey's fingerprints, you'll find that they match the prints of Harlan's I found in a newspaper. And they'll match the prints found in the megaphone the phony movie director used. And you'll find Mickey knew the combination of the safe also. It took time to get it, but he was in no hurry. I was here in the store Sunday watching. He cut the burglar alarm wires as a safety precaution. And he wore the dark glasses while he was playing Harlan to conceal the cast in his eye, which, as Mickey, is so plainly evident. Well, Mickey, am I right? Yes, Carter, you're right. I thought my plan was foolproofed. By impersonating myself, as I looked 15 years ago, I'd throw you all off the track. My jewels. Mickey, you bum, they're my jewels. Why, you'll never see them. My pals will take care of me when the time comes. Who worked with you, Mickey? You don't really expect me to tell you that, do you? They're friends of mine. I'm going to need friends before this is over. You don't have to tell us who they are, Mickey. We'll find them without your help. As a movie director, you should know better than to take moving pictures of your pals and then not destroy the film. That's the best evidence in the world. The camera was on the soundtrack when we drove it into the river. It was, but it just happens that the camera was watertight and the film is still good. It's being developed right now. And when we get a look at it, we'll be able to pick up your pals and recover all of Ryan Gold's jewelry. The movie you were making may have been a phony, but the film you took was real. And your conviction is going to be real, too. You can depend on that. Melnick, before you give us a peek into your story for next week, I want to talk for a moment to the young men of America. You know it is no longer true, if it ever was, that men join the army only if they can't get jobs anywhere else, or if they're not fitted for some other job, or if they're too lazy to look for one. The new American army of today is a compact, carefully chosen group of skilled technicians with brains and ability. Young men seeking to enter the army today must be able to understand and profit by technical training that is second to none. The skills that the men in the new American army acquire no matter what branch of the service they may be in equals and often exceeds that demanded by many of the best paid civilian trades. You can do no better for yourself in your country than to join the new American army and become an informed technician in at least one of the many specialized fields offered. Excellent advice, Ken. Well, Lake, what about your story next week? Well, next week, Ken, I'm going to tell you about an adventure I had recently when an explosion of unknown origin burned down a warehouse. An alarm clock missing from an ex-oldier's trailer proved that the fire was in Fendi area. And a bit of green paint on a crowbar led us directly to the fire bug himself. Who wasn't a fire bug at all, but a crook who wanted to get rid of some very incriminating evidence. What do you call this story, Nick? I call it the case of the missing alarm clock. Nick Carter, master detective, which is produced and directed by Jack McGregor, is copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications Incorporated. Pictured stories of Nick Carter appear in every issue of the Shadow Comics. In the broadcasts of Nick Carter, Master Detective, Lon Clark is starred as Nick, Charlotte Manson is featured as Patsy, Mattie is played by Ed Latimer, Waldo by Humphrey Davis, and Scubby by John Cain. Original music is played by George Wright. Script is by Jack McGregor and Peggy Mayer. Any resemblance in these programs to actual persons living or dead or to actual places is purely coincidental. Nick Carter, master detective, is presented over most of these mutual stations each week at the same time. This is Ken Powell saying so long until next week. The program was heard in Canada through the facilities of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.