 The Kadehy packing company makers of old Dutch cleanser and Dalrich is happy to bring you today's Nick Carter adventure transcribed This was done so that everyone connected with this program would be able to spend Christmas Day at home with their families and now New wonderful old Dutch cleanser the only cleanser made with activated seismite Invite you to stand by for Nick Carter master detective today's Nick Carter adventure starring Lon Clark The case of the phantom shoplifter brought to you by new wonderful old Dutch cleanser It is mid-afternoon a sergeant Matheson and Nick Carter in a speeding police car Turn into a street of cheap rooming houses You can understand Nick that Warren's specialty shop can't stand losing all those Expensive fur coats even if it is a big woman's store. You sure it's the work of shoplifters Sure, and we think Peggy Matthews the girl we're going to see is one of the shoplifters Any reason to pin it on her well one of these store detectives spotted her in the store this afternoon But you got away from him, but after she left Another fur coat was gone. He just found out where she lives Oh, yeah, we learned who she was from a beautiful set of fingerprints. She left on the plastic case. She'd been handling So I got a warrant to pick her up one suspicion How many fur coats are they lost Maddie? Oh, it doesn't know more Nick each of them worth over 3,000 bucks quite a lot. Yeah, must have been mink. They were what do you want, but who are you? This is my room and house on the land lady. We want to see Peggy Matthews. Yeah, what do you want Peggy for take a look at this badge? Couple of flat feet. Oh Okay, second floor turn right into the hall. Well, that's better Come on, Nick, right with you. I hope you fall and break your head. Thanks He said turn right at the top of the stairs This must be the room Don't hear anything Nick. Well with this warrant, we can go right in Hey doors a lot great Scott Someone move faster than we did Maddie. She's been strangled with one of her own nylon stockings In just a moment. We'll return to the case of the phantom shoplifter today's adventure with Nick Carter Maybe you were up way past midnight last night trimming the tree Wrapping last-minute packages planning wonderful surprises to greet your youngsters when they hopped out of bed at dawn this morning You see Christmas does get here even though the youngsters think it's slow and coming and you do somehow managed to get your thousand and one extra jobs done in time and Isn't it wonderful? Right now chances are you're all together the whole kit and caboodle of you with your Christmas tree lights Glimmering in the twilight your radio turned on a perfect opportunity for us to bring you this special message The makers of old Dutch cleanser are happy indeed for the privilege of bringing these radio programs into your home throughout the year Happy to that old Dutch cleanser itself is a trusted and helpful friend in so many of your homes We hope you've all had a wonderful wonderful Christmas day Never to be forgotten now back to the case of the phantom shoplifter today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by new Wonderful old Dutch cleanser Nick and Matty are back in the murdered girls room after unsuccessfully searching the house for the killer Several men from the homicide squad have just arrived and are going to work as Patsy Bowen I came as fast as I could Nick. Oh You didn't tell me it was a murder We called you Patsy because we thought this needed a woman's touch. Oh, yeah, there's dead woman as Peggy Matthews She's a shoplifter was seen acting suspiciously in the Warren specialty store this afternoon just before another mink coat disappeared Is this the code here on the chair? No, we found that one in a clothes closet She bought it a month ago on a small first shop downtown now There's a label in the code and we found the store to check it. She paid $400 for it 400 for this rabbit skin. Yeah. Oh, she got stuck, but good. That's why I wanted you to see it Patsy. I needed your opinion. Oh Hey, Nick, look, I've been thinking maybe we ought to bring the manager of the fur department of Warren's specialty shop Down here to look at her just to be sure this is the girl he saw huh? Good idea, Matty. Come on Patsy We'll bring her back here soon as we can Matty So this girl was murdered before you could talk to her a mr. Carter, that's right mr. Dodd You sure you'd recognize her again? Oh, yes This particular girl snooped around the fur department for some time although I didn't see her take anything But you kept an eye on her. I am afraid I didn't you see I was very busy with miss Robards miss Robards She's a fashion expert on one of the women's magazines. That's right Bad this girl is dead mr. Carter one of our most expensive fur coats was missing right after she left the store Maybe she could have told us what happened to it. Well, we want to know where that coat went We'll have to find out some other way mr. Dodd The final curtain has fallen for Peggy Matthews Mr. Dodd is this the woman you saw in your department store this afternoon. Yes, Sergeant I'm certain of it. No question at all. Uh-huh Well, okay, mr. Dodd and thanks for coming down. Oh, perhaps you now run your back to the store Mr. Dodd we want to get a full description of the stolen coats anyway Can we leave at once mr. Carter? You see miss Robards is waiting for me to get back We've been in conference all afternoon, but there's still a lot left to do sure sure We'll even just a moment. Hey Matty. Yeah, Nick. Did you dig up anything when we were gone? Well, just one thing Nick the landlady broke down Finally told me that Bruno Sealy has come here to see Peggy a couple of times recently Bruno Sealy, yeah Smart character I'll have a talk with him shortly. Oh, uh, mr. Dodd Would you give me your expert opinion as to the value of this fur coat? It belonged to Peggy Hmm. He didn't shop lift that from our store, Miss Bourne. I had roughly guess it was worth about a hundred and fifty dollars Well, Nick, I guess I'm a fairly good judge of fur values Fatsy means that she told us Peggy Matthews was cheated when she paid $400 for this coat, Mr. Dodd You just backed up her opinion. I see well, I don't think miss Matthews minds being cheated anymore Shall we go? Miss Bourne, Mr. Carter, this is Audrey Robard the fashion expert I told you about come on miss Robard How do you do? How do you do miss Robard? I I'm familiar with your work in the magazine Lovely. Well, I thank you miss Bourne. Oh, Nick just look at all these gorgeous fur coats hanging on the racks here Hey, mr. Dodd, tell me just how many coats that shoplift is taken from this store why I can't say exactly I don't have the figures the price is on the coats I mean could anyone tell they were getting the best just by looking at the price tags? Oh, no indeed each coat is marked with a code number only the sales lady knows what it sells for and you have No idea how the coats were smuggled out of here none at all Mr. Carter store detectives assigned to this department a spotted shoplift is dawdling about follow them to the street and stop them But although we found a number of stolen items there wasn't a single fur coat Well, I don't think you're too careful with your coats mr. Dodd all the time We've been talking there's been a lovely coat lying right there on that display table with no one near it Oh, that's my coat miss Bowen. I threw it down there as I came in and it's not as nice as it looks from here Well, you've had it a good many years Audrey nothing lasts forever. I'll write you off Mr. Carter, why don't you go up and see mr. Warren the owner of the store? He might be able to tell you things I couldn't a good idea. Is he here? Well, it's almost closing time, but I'm sure he's here. He never leaves until later than this His office is upstairs fourth floor in the rear good. I'll go see him. We need every scrap of information we can get Sit down sit down both of you. Thank you, mr. Warren I don't mind telling you mr. Carter. How glad I am that you're helping us tell me mr. Warren Just how many coats have been stolen 15 and the cheapest of them retail for $3,100 say they really made a hole didn't they over $50,000 miss Bowen your store detectives haven't seen anything suspicious. Well, there is one rather odd thing What's that? Lately we seem to be attracting an unusual number of professional shoplifters many of them are known to our detectives But they haven't caught them with anything. Well, just small miscellaneous items miss Bowen never anything really valuable There's no way of smuggling the coats out to a crooked employee perhaps absolutely not mr. Carter Why we've checked that thoroughly yet. We're completely at a loss to know how the coats get out of the store Well, thanks mr. Warren. Oh, not at all mr. Carter not at all now Please don't hesitate to call on me for any sort of help at any time I will and we may have news for you soon good. I got one clue that may lead us somewhere In fact, we're going to see the man in question right now This is the place Nick see Lee's bargain outlet. Oh, that's what he called Wonder how legitimate of business it really is well Bruno's already done one stretch as a fence for stolen goods Anybody's in the position to direct the shoplifters ring Bruno see Lee's the man. Well, Maddie. Come on. Let's see what he has to say Nick all the fur coats that were stolen were the very best quality one According to mr. Warren they were but Nick is Peggy Matthews got jipped on the coachy boy for herself How would she know enough to pick out a really good one the price that weren't on the coat? Hey That's a very good thought betty if Peggy got cheated so badly when she bought her own fur coat It's proof. She didn't know good furs from bad. Hey, that's right. Oh Patsy it takes a woman to notice a clue like that And if I'm right Peggy had nothing to do with stealing any of those coats not unless someone pointed out the good ones Do her first. Yeah, Nick. Well, come on. Let's go in and see if silly can throw some light on this Oh, hello anybody here. Hello. Hey Bruno, Bruno Hey, Bruno Maybe he's in the back room Yeah, it could be Hey, the back room is empty too What's that sounds like somebody in pain? It's coming from inside that closet Great Scott it's Bruno. He's been stabbed. Is that Just a minute. He's trying to tell us something Bruno I'm Nick Carter. Who stabbed you. I don't know his name Not as real name Yes, Bruno see much on it See much on it much Burnett All right, Bruno in my pocket key most office box Clark Street station Nick I better call an ambulance. There won't be necessary. Maddie. He's dead Nick and Matty are faced with a second murder. We'll see what happens in just a moment There are no words for Christmas The reef of Holly on your front door the mistletoe the glow of candles in your window Yes, and the stately Christmas tree brilliant with lights shimmering with tinsel the dinner for gifts and gay wrappings All these are merely frosting on the cake Outward symbols of the deep inner meaning Christmas really has for us There are no words for Christmas Just as there are no words for the love you feel for a Towsel-haired youngster the joy you feel with a close friend the warmth you feel when you say Merry Christmas May this day be so filled with everything fine everything good that you'll never forget a single golden moment of it That's the Christmas wish to you from the makers of famous old Dutch cleanser Now back to the case of the phantom shoplifter today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by old Dutch cleanser After summoning the homicide squad to take over at Bruno's store Matty Nick and Patsy have hurried to the Clark Street branch of the post office where they have just opened Bruno's post office box Yeah, there's a package here, but Don't weigh anything. Well open it up. Yeah, that's a Bruno wanted it to do. Yeah. Yeah Well, will you look at this what in the world is a sergeant a sting of beads Especially Dollars yeah, I don't get it. Let me see that wrapper. Will you? Yeah, sure This package is postmarked early this afternoon at a postal substation near the Warren store And this necklace was stolen from that store today and mail to Bruno. Yeah Probably from a mailbox right in the store One to the branch post office on the fourth floor. See it's a smart idea You nab something small have an envelope all addressed you just slip the loop inside seal it and mail it Yeah, but what is all this to do with stolen for a coat? I don't know Patsy But we can be sure of one thing Nick the murders of Peggy and Bruno are tied up together somehow And to one man, Matty Bruno said it was a man that we didn't know who he was I'm just who is this Marge Barnett Bruno wanted us to see she used to be a pretty good confidence woman Patsy Confidence woman you yeah, that's a lot of these conferences women turned to shoplifting when they began losing their nerve Well, they look look I can get her address from our records Nick and you and Patsy can go and see huh sure Matty I'm going back to Bruno Sealy's store. I want to finish my report Okay, Matty Patsy now see much better hurry because the murderer may have the same idea Oh Nick, this is Marge Barnett's apartment. Here's the name below the bell Hope she's home The police certainly keep an up-to-date file on crooks, don't they? Sgt. Matheson got this address for us known you a few minutes. Yeah, Patsy people only knew how Yes, hello Marge. I Thank you pardon. Am I supposed to know you I know you you must have slipped to turn to shoplifting. Who are you? I'm Nick Carter. Oh Nick Carter, huh? Well, what do you want? Should we talk out here in the hall? Everybody can listen Come on in Snoopin coppers give me a pain Thanks This is Patsy Bowen my assistant. Hmm. Do you want to make a copper to her too? You ought to be ashamed. Well, I like it Marge Bruno's dead Bruno dead. He was murdered Marge So is Peggy Matthews. Who did it? Suppose you tell me? Oh Oh Goodbye Carter. I'm not talking about nobody. Yeah, wait Marge wait Bruno was stabbed when we found him. He's still had a few seconds to live and the last thing he told us Was to come and see you Bruno said that didn't he? He did. I Wonder why maybe he was trying to save your life Hey, come on. Tell me how'd you get into this anyway? No, I'm getting old Carter As you know, I've been everything from a cheap shield of the operator of a big store from the best rope he ever saw to a plane Subway dealer you've been what in English Patsy She means she fronted for con men and rose to become the operator of an important con man con game herself She worked from the top as the smart pretty girl who brings in the suckers Being a subway dealer means she was reduced to dealing cards from the bottom of the deck. Well, it sounds almost Fascinating if I could understand it how many of these small Inexpensive items that you steal put into a package and mail to Bruno Marge They are wise to that. I thought it was pretty good. Yeah, it was until fur coats and murder got mixed up in it Where'd a fur coats come in? Look Bruno Pager to steal these small articles for him and paid you more than you could get anywhere else didn't they? Yeah He said he had a particular customer for a lot of that junk. All right Just what orders did he give you well? I never did understand it Carter We were supposed to show up at Warren's specialty shop at a certain time and just Wander around those instructions include visiting the fur department. Oh, yeah Yeah, well, we had a pass through the fur department on our way to the counter where there's certain kind of glass junk was sold and you Lingered in the fur department what woman wouldn't she's got a point there, Nick Yeah, and this business is getting a little clearer. Well, they helped me. That's everything I know. Well, thanks, Marge All right, Petsy. Come on. We'll make another call on Hugh Warren who owns the store I think we can do something for him if he'll do something for us first. I Hate to bother you at your home like this, mr. Warren. It's perfectly all right, mr. Carter perfectly all right I hope we're not interrupting your dinner, mr. Warren dinner. Why miss Bowen? It's after nine o'clock. Oh, so it is You've been pretty busy. Well, have you learned anything enough? So I think we're on the right track, mr. Warren Good good. We'd like a key to your store and permission to go inside tonight. I want to look around a bit Why I think that could be arranged But a word of warning mr. Carter this store is wired for burglar alarms not only the outer doors But many places inside the store for example the door to the cashier's office will flash an alarm if it has entered without a key And there are other things to look out for too. We'll be careful, mr. Warren I think you'll have no trouble if you follow my directions now if you have a pencil I'll give you a list of things to watch out for Golly, Nick Never realized how long some of store like this can be after everyone's gone. Yeah Wonder where the watchman are the Warren said there'd be two of me here. We haven't run into either one of them yet It's positively eerie in here with just our two flashlights for company. I see According to mr. Warren's directions we turn right here Yeah, that's what I'm looking for Hey white surrounding oh Nick look at all the fur coats dozens of them all second hand bad Huh? Oh, yes, so they are but some of them are still lovely. I know I Well, that's funny Nick What's funny remember how I fought for a minute this afternoon that Audrey Robards coat was a new one Yeah, what about it? Well, this coat here is her coat the one I saw this afternoon. You sure positive I took a close look at it as we went by and I noticed this funny jagged tear in the lining I'd know it anywhere good for you Betsy. Now. I know I'm right. What do you mean by that? He means you have good eyesight and an excellent memory miss Bowen Robards don't move either of you my father taught me to use a gun when I was a girl I see Jason Dodds with you showing you all those coats he has in his arm. No doubt keep your hands up Carter You too miss Bowen Yes, Jason and I stole those missing coats We knew you'd find out so we came back tonight to clean out the place and we're going to You can't stop us Carter Jason had his own keys and he's arranged for the watchman to be in another part of the store for a while Too bad we came in just when we did. Yeah It's too bad for you caught Jason put down those coats and walk around behind Carter and search and look I do as I say you fool I know everything we heard that much Keep your hands in the air both of you and don't reach for your purse miss Bowen. I know there's probably a gun in it Looks as if you hold all the cards miss robot Jason stand right behind Carter I'll reach over his shoulder probably carries his gun and his shoulder What happened are you fool Jason? I didn't throw you like that. I couldn't help it He moved so fast when I reached over never mind they're headed for the cashier's office to phone We can stop that the switchboards right over there. I can even find it in the dark and then find it if we can stop them from calling for help We've got them cornered I know you're in that cashier's office Audrey let's get out of here not before I take care of Carter and the girl. Oh, how are you gonna do it? They're in the cashier's office, and that's the only door right ahead of us. Yes, but oh stop sniveling We've got Carter's gun miss Bowen dropped her handbag, and I found her gun in it Yes, that means there are on week We can smash the glass panel in the door of the cashier's office and get them that way No, Audrey grab one of those chairs and throw it through the glass I guess you're right here goes That's Carter You can come outside and get it or I'll come in after you it makes no difference to me Nick and Patsy are trapped in a small office without weapons and with the telephone cut off We'll see what happens in just a moment Once again the makers of old Dutch cleanser and the entire cast and the director of your Nick Carter program Join in adding their warmest Christmas wishes to the many you have already received We hope that today has been a truly beautiful Christmas for you and that the coming new year will be filled with an abundance of pleasure Prosperity and peace Now for the conclusion of the case of the phantom shoplifter today's adventure with Nick Carter brought to you by new wonderful old Dutch cleanser Cautiously Audrey Robart moves up to the broken glass on the door reaches inside and unlocks it Jason Dodd hovers on certainly behind her Carter are you coming out? All right if you won't come out. I'm coming in There aren't many places they can hide please hurry, but at least 10 minutes since I smashed that door you were so darn careful. Take it easy Without a gun Carter You don't pick those guns my way Hey, Nick are you in there? What kept me listen, it's not 10 minutes since the alarm came in the headquarters. What alarm are you talking about the alarm you send in this robot? What I made you smash the glass panel in the door to the cashier's office when the glass broke a burglar alarm went off automatically in police headquarters You turned yourselves into the police All right, Nick give with the details you say it was worked with second-hand coats, huh? That's it Maddie Miss Robart to go out and buy a cheap second-hand fur coat worth practically nothing Oh, then when she came to the store to see Dodd which was practically every day She'd leave the old coat and walk out with a new mink coat How she was well known in the store so no one ever thought of suspecting her and when she came in with the cheap coat She'd carry it over her arm so wouldn't show how cheap it really was What a racket and dad would put the old coat with the used coats the store had for sale and Fix the records to account for it and another nice new valuable mink was missing without a trace And the shoplifters were just part of a setup to confuse us on it Yeah maddie Dodd arranged that with Bruno the shoplifter stole some small object and mailed it to Bruno's post office box right from inside the Store in previously prepared envelope just so we'd think the professional shoplifters were stealing the furs and they killed Peggy Matthews because she got wise and wanted a cut don't admit of that he killed Bruno too Yeah, when we connected Bruno on Peggy I suppose Dodd was afraid of how much Bruno might know so we had to put him out of the way, too So he sent Patsy and you to see mr. Warren so you'd be out of the way while he killed him. Yeah Well, I think we better let him lock up the store. Oh in just a minute. Hey Patsy. Where you're going into the fur department? The woman's privilege to look at those beautiful mink coats even if she can't have one Quarter come on come on Patsy. You had enough lemonade and hot dogs. Let's go right in the carousel Oh, no, I want to have my handwriting analyzed in this machine handwriting Hey Patsy remember that case down in the Smokies Oh, do I how could I ever forget Sheldon Corrie the man who wrote letters to his uncle just so he could porridge a will And will you ever forget how the sheriff trapped us in the cemetery when I was trying to have a look at a dead man's hand Wouldn't that make an exciting adventure to tell about next week? Yeah, I would at that And I'll call it the case of the perfect pen money It's been only a few short years since del rich margarine was first introduced But in those years del rich has won many many friends more than any other margarine in fact and At this holiday season the makers of del rich want to thank you most sincerely In many homes del rich has played an important part in your big and bountiful Christmas dinner today We hope this has been the merriest Christmas you've ever had and that next year's will be even better Nick Carter master detective is presented each week at this same time by the Cuddehy packing company It is produced and directed by jock McGregor and is copyrighted by Street and Smith Publications Incorporated Lon Clark is starred as Nick and Charlotte Manson is featured as Patsy Ed Latimer plays Matty Today's transcribed adventure was written by Norman Daniels with original music played by Henry Silverne This program is fictional and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental This is Michael Fitz Morris saying when minutes count use new wonderful old Dutch cleanser This is the mutual broadcasting system