 That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program the whistler Rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program and Signal gasoline is tops to tops in quality It takes extra quality, you know to give you extra mileage and signal is the famous go farther gasoline Available wherever you see the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies independent signal dealers from Canada to Mexico I am the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak And now the whistler strange story search for an unknown The tall dark haired man and his companion moved away from the bar Crossed the cocktail lounge and stopped before the huge windows to gaze out over the city As they stood there watching the flickering lights across San Francisco Bay The girl unconsciously began toying with the shiny new wedding band on her finger Then as the man raised his glass to drink she turned and looked up to it. What are you thinking about Frank? Albert Maxwell A little guy over there across the bay waiting in the best cell What time is it? He's got ten minutes to go He deserves to die. Yeah What if I'd played this case smart things might have turned out better Sometimes I wish I'd never been mixed up in it at all Do you tell me if you hadn't you wouldn't have met me how to find you somewhere darling You know Julie, maybe I ought to give it up quit making like a private eye and take up selling shoelaces I'd much rather you remain Frank Ferguson private investigator funny most wives would object But it make any difference if I did maybe Maybe not Come on Julie. Let's go home. All right Frank In a few minutes when the execution's over You're gonna forget the whole thing, aren't you sure sure? I'll forget it As Frank Ferguson and his bride of 24 hours moved across the cocktail lounge toward the elevators He wondered if he could forget it forget the story at all. Of course. It wasn't his he'd only played a small part in it Actually, it was Duncan McKay's story Duncan McKay head of the largest gambling syndicate west of the Rockies and Ferguson's thoughts went back to the night it all began the night months ago when he arrived at McKay's heavily guarded the state in San Mateo had been ushered into the billiard room by Jim Slade McKay's bodyguard Mr. McKay. Yes, lady. Oh Come in come in. So you're a billiard expert So you're Ferguson. Yeah, I'm Ferguson. You know, you don't look I don't look like a private eye That's what they keep telling me You Play by the boys along Montgomery Street. I was voted most likely to rip up the table in 1949 Yeah, how'd you play this one against the cushion? Where else five says I do it the hard way five You can deduct it from my bill man Why did you send for me McKay? Well, they tell me you're a pretty smart boy. Let's get to the point, huh? Yeah The point Ferguson is that Somebody is out to kill me. That's news. All right. I've been threatened before but this time Well, it's a little different. I Received a letter a few days ago a letter threatening my life doesn't sound like any of your former playmates, huh? That's right. They wouldn't operate that way From the crowd, you don't get advanced notice. You suddenly wind up in an alley full of slugs So you got a letter why worry you got a nice set up here you can hide behind your steel fence and those guards There isn't a chance of anybody getting close enough to you to do any damage. What are you so nervous about? I'm not nervous Ferguson I worried at all Let's say I'm amused My curiosity has been aroused This whole thing intrigues me. I don't get it. He will Just a second. Yeah Yes, the afternoon's paper on page two pictures and there it So a couple of citizens and Frisco received threatening letters same as yours as the same Julie Wilson Albert Dobbs a hat-check girl in a hardware clerk friends of yours never saw them before in my life She's a good-looking dame if you like hat-check girls I don't throw rocks at anybody According to the paper the Wilson girl doesn't know Dobbs and he's never heard of her So there it is for three strangers We each get a letter threatening us with death and we don't know why there must be some connection That's why I hired you for this. I want you to find out what that link is What ties me up with a hat-check girl and the guy who sells nuts and bolts in some crummy hardware store He resent the company McKay. That's what's bothering you At some point in our lives our paths must have crossed somewhere Somewhere along the road the three of your kicks somebody in the teeth And now there's somebody wants to introduce you to an embalmer the hard way Look, I want you to find out all there is to know about this Wilson Dane and this guy Albert Dobbs Where they're from what they've done who they know everything I want a complete report on both of all right McKay, I'll even find out what kind of toothpaste they use Let me see you make this shot, huh? Ten says that you don't Ten says I do Thought you said you weren't nervous McKay. I'll add it out of the bill. Hmm. I'll see you around. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything You smile as Ferguson leaves don't you McKay? Confident that once he finds out all there is to know about Julie Wilson and Albert Dobbs Once the link is established between the three of you that you'll know is threatening your life and then You'll take care of everything In the days that follow you wait anxiously for some word from Ferguson and then finally one evening Yes, hello, McKay. This is Ferguson. Well, I thought you better know McKay Somebody else received one of those letters a guy named bro belly Gino Brevelli, you know him Revelli and I've heard of him but put him on the list along with Julie Wilson and that Dobbs guy talk to him Okay, but he won't answer. Why not? Hey, uh, he met with an accident. He's on a slab at the morgue With the prologue of search for an unknown the signal oil company brings you another strange story by the whistler But first a word of wisdom about a major purchase that many of you drivers will be making during the coming winter months a new battery When you compare the cost of different batteries remember this the important thing is not the first cost But the cost per month which of course depends on how long the battery lasts Measured by that yardstick one of today's most economical batteries is the new extra long-life signal deluxe battery instead of being guaranteed for only a year or 18 months like most batteries the new signal deluxe batteries are guaranteed for a Full two and a half years on a service basis The secret of this amazingly long life is their improved type all rubber separators the finest kind known to battery engineering In addition this improved construction helps signal deluxe batteries deliver up to 35 percent more power a Great help in taking care of the many electrical gadgets on today's automobile So before you buy any battery find out from your signal dealer the generous trade-in He's now offering for old batteries plus his convenient credit terms on new signal deluxe batteries You'll see for yourself that on a per month basis It actually costs less to enjoy the quicker starting and long dependability of today's finest battery a signal deluxe battery And now back to the whistler You don't like to admit it do you mckay? But the news is more than a little disturbing the news that the killer has claimed his first victim a man named Bruvalli is dead a Man who along with Julie Wilson and Albert Dobbs received a threatening letter similar to the one that was sent to you But the killer will never reach you willy Not as long as you remain within the protective walls of your estate with Jim Slade your bodyguard close by your side You're going to play it safe and wait until you find the link The tie between you Julie Wilson and Albert Dobbs and then you will go after the killer yourself As you pace the floor of your library a thousand questions flash through your mind Questions you waste little time asking when Ferguson finally arrived. That's what I said mckay a window washer Bruvalli a window washer. Yeah, he fell out of a 20-story window late yesterday afternoon It looked like an accident that is until this letter came around to his boarding house this morning The landlady spotted it the way it was addressed, you know she called the cops. Oh, wait a minute Bruvalli was already dead when the letter arrived. Yeah, the letter was postmarked yesterday at 5 p.m Bruvalli took a dive around three But why mail a letter to a man if you've already killed him? Well, maybe the killer saw an opportunity to knock off Bruvalli ahead of schedule and took it That's one way of looking at it. Yeah, there's another a couple of more mckay Suppose Bruvalli wasn't on your friends list at all Suppose the letter was written by some crack plotter a guy with a warp sense of you said the letter was the same Well, sure, but anybody can get a piece of butcher paper and square all something on it with a hunk of red crayon Oh, you think that's what happened. No, here's what I think happened The killer hears about a guy falling out of a building. This gives him an idea He decides to make you sweat a little so he writes the letter you get the picture as I get the picture Your nerves are showing mckay. All right All right, what do you want to what do you find out about the others? The wilson girl dobs Well, here's a 10 page report on julie wilson or a hat check girl faces life. She's a sweet kid mckay Is she Ferguson? How'd you meet her bar room pickup? She threw herself at your feet when you bought her a beer. No It was all very formal mckay the gent who owns the club where she works introduced us Like I said, she's a sweet kid I've been at the club lots of times somehow. I never noticed it. Maybe that's because you never check your hat uh too shaggy Now, uh, how about this is hard work like this elvord dobs? What'd you dig up on him? I didn't he's disappeared disappeared I went around to his hotel this afternoon the clerk told me he packed up and left the dress unknown Fine, that's great. Well, don't get excited. I got a couple of leads I want to check on as soon as I get back to town I'll find them a case you'll see that you do and call me the minute you line up in it You're sure You show mr. Ferguson out and see I'm not disturbed for the next few hours. All right, mr. mckay It's almost four in the morning when you finally set aside the report on julie wilson You've been over it again and again and again But it's revealed absolutely nothing not the slightest clue Not a single link to connect your life for that of the girl You turn out the desk lamp lean back in your chair and close your eyes There's still albert dobs the hard work clerk isn't there mckay? Yes, perhaps in his story. You'll find the missing pieces of the puzzle The day's drag on you wait impatiently for fergusson to call but he doesn't Then on the morning of the fourth day slade interrupts you at breakfast What is it slade it's about fergusson mr. mckay. Yeah. Well, how about him? He's been checking up on you You what that's right and going around town asking a lot of questions. They're all about you I don't like that slade. I don't like that at all I'm not paying him to pry into him Wait a minute How did you find out I've had one of my boys tell him for a week Why? All right, I thought it would be a good idea. You know what else we found out He's been spending a lot of time with that julie wilson I'm getting real chummy real real chummy Of course. He's a good-looking dog. Yeah. Yeah, he's up to something mr. McKay. Maybe she's in it with him You uh, you never trusted fergusson heavy slade. No, why hasn't he told you he's found albert dob He what yeah That's something else I found out My boy tailed him two days in a row to a crummy little hotel on mission street Only it wasn't until a couple hours ago. He found out who fergusson was seeing there Dobbs dobs fergusson was talking to the little guy in the lobby It hasn't turned out the way you planned it all has it mckay Slade is right fergusson must be up to something You're not exactly sure just what it is, but you're not going to take any chances You hurry to the phone and dial and as you do you notice your hand is trembling You call fergusson's office. There's no answer. Then you ring his apartment. Who is this? Well, who do you wish to speak to fergusson? I'm a client of his Oh, just a minute. It's the wilson dame. She's at his apartment. Huh? Hello There's mckay. Yeah Was that the wilson girl? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, we figured to be a lot safer if she stayed here at my place Well, I'm away. You're not going anywhere fergusson. You're wrong mckay. I am. Oh, you're wrong fergusson I want to see you right away. Sorry. I'm due at the airport in half an hour. I'm flying down to la. I'll see you when I get back I'm on to something Yeah, yeah, I'll bet you All right fergusson. I'll see you when you get back You can count on it Leaving town is he yeah He didn't mention dobs We got to get moving slade Fergusson's a smart operator if you can fit this puzzle together before I do you'll have me right behind the apel Yeah, he gets the story from the girl from dobs checks on your background and he's in Yeah, you can cause you plenty of trouble and cost you plenty of money too Now that may not be what he has in mind, but i'm not going to take many chances From now on i'm going to handle things my way Tonight we're going to drop around the fergusson's apartment and have a nice long talk with julie wilson Hello, we're uh friends of fergusson. Oh, well, he isn't here right now. Yeah, I know Come on slade. Just a minute. What do you want? Relax? Nobody's gonna hurt you. We just want to talk About what? Yeah, this Little report on you julie I want to be sure you didn't leave out anything on purpose Now sit down I don't know anything about it. You gotta believe me. Come on sister. Take it easy slade. You might hurt the pretty lady Please I told you all I know now leave me alone. What did you tell fergusson? What'd you tell him? He forgot to include in his report honest. I don't know what you mean Now look that's getting late and my patience is getting a little bit Hello fergusson. Yeah, you got back from ellie and hurry That's the idea mckay. Oh, yeah Just drop around have a friendly chat. Look mckay. I don't like guys to call on my girl unless she invites them Your girl, that's what I said julie and I are gonna get married. Please frank it All right, marry You know, I don't get you with all fergusson When I showed you her picture in the paper. You didn't know it. I didn't then this happened kind of quick between us I see. I don't think you do mckay Whether you're doing that you can take a powder now and take your ape with you All right slade don't annoy mr. Ferguson. His drink of figure is nervous. You might do something rash Come on We'll uh, see you around fergusson Remember I still want to talk to you. What do you think mr. McKay? I'd say the girl was leveling But I'm still not sold on fergusson And we'll find out soon enough Where's dobs hiding out mission street near the waterfront not too far from here. Let's go see him You know He might have the answer Yeah, you want to believe that don't you mckay? The dobs holds the key to the mystery that once you've heard his story You'll know who sent the letter threatening your life A quarter of an hour later you parked your car on lower mission street While slade hurries into a small dimly lit hotel A few minutes and he's back He's registered under a phony name. The clerk said he hadn't come in yet. Are you sure? Cost me five bucks. I'm sure. All right We'll wait Give me a cigarette will you slade sure mr. McKay Yeah Thanks What time is it a little after two o'clock? Two o'clock What's keeping him think he'll show he's got to I uh Never saw you like this mr. McKay jumpy. It isn't all right. I'm jumpy. What do you expect sure sure I don't like this setup slade. I don't like it at all I've always known who my enemies were always been able to take care of them when they came around looking for trouble This time. I don't know who I'm up against Makes a lot of difference slade makes a lot. What's wrong? Up ahead just turn the corner coming this way could be wait Wait until he walks by Dobs Like to uh to talk to you. Are you uh your police? No, no, we're not the police Take it easy dobs. We're not gonna hurt you. No, no, no wait. Wait relax. Come on Hello dobs Who are you a handy guy for you to know if you want to level with me? But uh, I don't understand and we'll talk about it on the way Where are we going down to my place in the peninsula? Nice quiet very safe place for both of us Both of us I think it'd be a good idea for us to have a little talk Maybe we can add up a few things and find out who's trying to kill us Us You mean You too. Yeah, we're both in the same boat I'll get in dobs. We're wasting time Shortly after three in the morning you arrive at the gates of your estate watch them swing open You nod to the guards and drive on up the roadway to the house And a few minutes later you're sitting in the library facing albert dobs across the desk Sure, you won't have one mr. Dobs. No, no, no, thank you Yeah Now go ahead slade fix yourself a drink. Thanks So you don't know why anyone would want to kill you any dames No idea at all. No, no mr. McKay. I I don't have any ideas. Oh You're scared aren't you? It is. Yes, I am Aren't you Now look suppose you start in from the beginning. Maybe we can help each other Start in yeah, I want you to tell me all there is to know about albert dobs Where you're from where you've been what you've done who you know everything. Oh, I see. Yes. I'll go ahead Yes, well, uh But I was born in 1893 1893 Yeah Might as well pull up a chair slave. This is gonna take a long time But I've got a hunch this is it and it's going to be worth it The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime I'd like to ask one of you ladies a question Are you going to serve iced tea with your Thanksgiving dinner? Of course not in cold weather We prefer a hot drink precisely and just as you choose a different diet in cool weather Remember your car needs a different cold weather diet too if you want to keep performance up and wear down Just what do you mean by a cold weather diet for a car? Well, first of all the transmission and differential should be drained and refilled with the correct winter grade of signal gear lubricant If your front wheel bearings and speedometer cable haven't been repacked for 5 000 miles Now's a good time to have your signal dealer tend to that And of course the tired old motor oil should be drained and replaced with signal premium compounded motor oil The new type oil that does so much more than just lubricate. What more can an oil do than lubricate a good question You see because scientific compounds have been added to signal premium compounded motor oil It actually removes carbon and prevents corrosion That's why more and more drivers who want a sweeter running motor are switching to signal premium compounded motor oil And now back to the whistler It's almost dawn now and you're tired. Aren't you mckay? You lean back wirly in your chair close your eyes Listen to the voice of albert dobbs as it drones on and on Names dates places and more names and dates in places Not a one stirred a single spark in your memory, but the story of albert dobbs isn't over yet Is it somewhere your paths must have crossed somewhere you met the one person who now wants to kill you both I had to leave I went back to los angeles. Oh, wait a minute When was this again? Well see 19 At 1929. All right. All right 1929 la Where'd you live on? 54th street near figure off Where 54th street? I had a small flat near the But what's the matter mr. McKay? Have I said something? In an instant your thoughts raced back through the years back to that unfortunate little affair on 54th street in los angeles 19 years ago, wasn't it mckay? You were just one of galette's strong armed boys then selling protection to small shopkeepers And that night your methods of persuasion proved fatal to a man who ran a grocery store You're confident now that you're on the right track at last Dobbs the frightened little man who sits facing you across the desk as established the link The rest of his story will supply information. You've been looking for But you don't want your bodyguard slayed around over here Uh Slade uh, yeah, mr. McKay. Yeah, why don't you turn in get some sleep? Oh, that's all right. I don't think you better You better turn in Sure. You're the boss About 54th street in la as opposed you tell me who Hello, mckay. This is furgus. Yeah, what do you want chamois? Look mckay, you can thank julie for this call. She talked me into it. I was in favor of letting you sweat What are you talking about till I made that trip to la? I wasn't sure I am now I've got your man the guy who's trying to kill you As soon as I hang up i'm calling the police. Oh, wait a minute You know who yeah a guy named max well died in la His brother's been after you a long time mckay With all that protection you had he couldn't get close to you So he figured out a way to get you to come after him What that letter he sent you You know if he mailed the other two to a couple of strangers people you'd never heard of your curiosity would be aroused The letter he sent to julie was a blind But the one he sent to himself was going to pay off To himself he'll kill you the first time he gets you alone mckay, so I thought I ought to warn you His real name is albert maxwell, but we know him as albert dobs Dobs That's right I'm albert maxwell. No, no wait wait a minute. You got me wrong. You got me Ah Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each sunday night at this same time Signal oil company has asked me to remind you that the community chest drive now in progress Deserves the support of all of us because all of us benefit either directly or indirectly through improved community conditions So give generously to your community chest Featured in tonight's story were willard waterman and frank love joy The whistler was produced and directed by george w allen with story by adrian John doe and music by wilbur hatch and was transmitted to our troops overseas by the arm forces radio service Remember at this same time next sunday another strange tale By the whistler Marvin miller speaking. This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system