 Box 13, with the Star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd as Dan Holliday. Dear Mr. Box 13, care of newspaper start times. I am Nick Nerikius. For 20 years I own a restaurant and there is no trouble. That is good. Now I got trouble and that is bad. One day I look through paper I see Box 13, that you go any place, do anything, you want adventure. All right Mr. Box 13, you come to Nick's place, 21, 29, 10, 3. You have no trouble finding because it is only Nick's place in the neighborhood. Maybe you help Nick, yes? Maybe I help Nick, sure. At first I was laughing and later I was laughing. But I was laughing with tears in my eyes. And now back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure. Tempest in a casserole. Mr. Holliday? Nerikius. Oh. Doesn't seem like anything interesting could come of it, does it, Susie? Well, I think you ought to go and see him. What? I've had better letters than this and you've thrown cold water on him. His place is on 10th Street. Keep going, Susie. What's your point? Well, I thought you could do me a favor at the same time. Uh-huh. What? Look. What's that? I ordered an earthenware pot from Call Wealth Department Store on 10th Street. And look what they sent me. It's cute. A little merry-go-round. A toy. I know. But it isn't what I asked for. What did you ask for? I told him to send me a carousel. Well, you got it. I didn't. I got this. If you ordered a carousel, you... You... I do not think this is very funny. Susie, did you by any chance mean a casserole? Oh. Uh-huh. I guess I did. The customer at Call Wealth is always right. You ordered a carousel and a carousel you got. Will you take it back for me? No, sure. And even if Nick doesn't have anything interesting, I can do you a favor. So long, Susie. A half hour later, I was in next place on 10th Street. A clean, neat restaurant that seemed to be doing a wonderful business. The table was filled and the counter was loaded with crowded people. I asked for Nick and a waitress guided me to his office in the rear. Yes, sir? Yes, sir. I can do you something, sir? Well, the question is, what can I do for you? What are you selling? My services. Free. I'm sorry. I do not understand. Mr. Thirteen? Mr. Thirteen? I am so glad to... Please, you sit down, please. Oh, thanks. I have a name as well as a number, Nick. Oh, good, Mr. Thirteen. My name, Alexander the Racheus. Alexander? But I thought... Oh, sure, sure. My name, Alexander. But when I first come this country, everybody call me Nick. One name, she's good like any other. But that is not here or any place, yes? Yes, I suppose not. Mr. Thirteen, you see my restaurant, you come in, yes? Yes, and you're doing a roaring business, Nick. Like Shakespeare says, it's a robe. What do you mean? Mr. Ben, you look here, I open the door. You're still proud about that? Yes, but each one have coffee, just coffee. They sit and read newspapers, books, anything, and they drink one cup of coffee. Nothing else? Nothing. Oh, I see. And how long do they stay? All day long. I am losing money, fist over hands. Any enemies who might want that? I, enemies? No, no, I have no enemies, Mr. Ben. I like everybody, everybody like me. You ask all around. Everybody say, Nick, nirikius, good man. Has anyone else ever wanted this spot? Oh, sure, sure. Lots of times people come, they want to so bliss from me. I say no. Has that happened recently? Sure, only two days ago. I think that's it, Nick. This is a good spot in between Caldwell's department store and a bank. You probably did a lot of business before the coffee drinkers moved in on you. Yes, but now, my regular customer, they come past at noon time. They look in, they see all the business, they any hurry, so they go someplace else. Mr. Ben, you help, Nick, yes? Sure. I'll tell you what, Nick. You put a sign on each table and on the counter. One that reads minimum charge, 50 cents. Oh, that is wonderful. That's magnificent, Mr. Ben. Yes, sure, sure, I do that. Okay, now I'll be running along. Look, any time you want, you come to Nick's place, you bring friends, all your friends. Nick cooked personally for you, anything you want. You do that, yes? It's a deal. Now you tell me something else. What's that, Nick? Why you do this? Why you put that ad in the paper? Well, I write stories, Nick, and sometimes a letter leads me to a good one. You don't take money? No. How you live? Buy my stories, when I haven't got writer's cramp. Hmm. Well, I've got to be going, Nick. Meanwhile, don't forget the signs on the tables and the counter. So, marking that little visit off to profit and loss, I went home. Then the next day at the office. You forgot, didn't you? Huh? I forgot what, Susie? You didn't take my carousel back for a casserole. Oh, I'm sorry, Susie. I put it in the back of my car and forgot all about it. I'll do it for you, though. When, Mr. Holiday? Maybe the day. All right. Hello? Please, let me talk to Mr. Holiday. I want to talk to Mr. Dan. I know what you have done. Oh, wait a minute. I don't know who this is, Mr. Holiday. Yeah, I'll take it. Hello? Mr. Dan, Mr. Dan Holiday, I want to talk to Mr. Dan Holiday, the writer. This is Dan. Oh. Oh, Nick? Yes, Nick. Oh, Mr. Dan, I am in trouble once more again. What's the matter? My idea, didn't it work? Oh, sure. Sure, fine. Work fine. Then what's the matter? My credit is ruined. Your credit? Now, go slowly, Nick, and tell me all about it. For years, I buy on credit. Same as big business. All the time, I pay my bills sharp on the dash. Now, more or less, so than no credit. Mm-hmm. Sounds like someone fixed that for you. What do I do now? No wholesaler sent me food. He needs for business. I cannot open my restaurant. I am ruined. No, no, no. Calm down a minute and listen to me. I listen. Did you make money last month? Always I make money. Well, have you got a bank account? Four of them. All right, then. Have one of your banks call a wholesaler with whom you do business. Just re-establish your credit. That's all. That is all I do, Mr. Dan. Mm-hmm, that's all. What a wonderful man, Mr. Dan. Yes? You're not right. No? No, you are a genius. Goodbye. Susie, I am now a genius. Good. But is there a story in it? Oh, you slave driver. What a wonderful guy. Who, Nick? Why didn't you go down there then? But you heard me handle it over the phone. My casserole, Mr. Holiday. Oh. All right. Later. Well, I'm glad we had that thing put in. It keeps me awake. I'll get it, Susie. Uh-oh. Hello. Mr. Dan? Yeah, Nick? You again? Mr. Dan, the whole world is terrible. Now what's the matter? Nothing like has happened since Adam and Eve. The world is upside down, dobsing, dobsing. Hold it a minute, Nick. Better start over again. Oh, I will take back the drinkers of coffee. I will pay them to come back, but this is too much. Please, please, you come to me. Help me, Mr. Dan. All right, Nick. All right. I'll be there in a half hour. I hurried down to Nick's place, and before I could drive up in front, I knew something was wrong. The street was crowded with trucks and the drivers. The place was a bedlam. Horns tooting, drivers yelling at each other to get out of the way, and right in the center of it all, Nick. His hair was standing on end. His face was as white as a sheet, and his arms were flying around like a lunatic windmill. I parked in an alley a half a block away and walked toward Nick. No, no, no. These are not mine. I did not order 10 radios and G-boxes. Now, look, you're Nick, never... Are you, Nick? I am, Nick. I wish I was not, Nick. Hey, Nick, what's this all about? Oh, Mr. Dan, Mr. Dan, my friend. Look what has happened to Nick. Hey, mister, you know this guy, this Nick? Yes, I do. What is all this, driver? Eh, just look at this bill here. It says deliver 10 radios and great jukeboxes to Nick's place. Now the guy says he don't own them. No, I don't. No, Mr. Dan. Hey, pull that hand of yours out of the way. I've got to get in there. Hit your ass and lie down here first. No, Mr. Dan. My restaurant is filled with things I do not order. Look, all up the street, down the street, drugs. Yeah, I see them there. Two pianos, five refrigerators, 19 beds. My customers are all gone. They are scared of the elephant. Elephant? Oh, what do you mean? Somebody sent Nick an elephant. Oh, Mr. Dan, please, about an elephant, there's nothing funny. Okay, Nick, you go back into your restaurant. I'll take care of this for you. Oh, you do this, Mr. Dan. Nick is grateful. Yeah, sure. What would I do with an elephant? Oh, I did what I could. I convinced the truck drivers with the help of five cops. But a mistake had been made. It took over an hour, but at last the tangle was unsnarled. Radios, refrigerators, jukeboxes, razor blades, pianos, beds, whatnot, and the elephant. Well, they were all sent back where they'd come from. Then I went in to see Nick. Oh, Mr. Dan, Nick does not know what to say. Nick is spokeless. Sit down, Nick. Oh, sure. You want some coffee? Not right now, thanks. Look, Nick, you said someone had asked you to sublet your restaurant. What reason was given? They say Nick does not know how to run a restaurant. They say they make a gold mine. Yet you've been making a comfortable living. Oh, in America, I am very happy. I come here a long time ago now. All right, Nick, here's what you do. You sit tight. Sit tight? Stay right where you are. Don't sublet to anyone. Understand? Oh, I never give up my place, never. That's the ticket. Whoever's doing this to you will have to give up some time. And if anything else happens, you let me know. Oh, sure, sure. I'm calling my good friend, Mr. Dan. Swal. Why do you think they do this to me, Mr. Dan? I don't know, Nick. But it'll be interesting to find out. I went back home and the more I thought about Nick and the trouble he was having, the more curious I got. Why should anyone want a restaurant badly enough to go to all that trouble? Why? I was still wondering when... Hello? Mr. Dan? Is this Mr. Dan? Yes, who is this? I am Mrs. Nick Naracios. Mrs. Naracios? Yes, sir. Mrs. Naracios, what's the matter? What about him? He wants you to come to him. Where? Home. You come, please. Please come, please. Right away. What's the address? 789 Bourdon Street. Please, you have... Now back to Tempest in a casserole, another Box 13 adventure with Alan Land as Dan Holiday. I heard to Nick's home whatever had happened to him was enough to make his wife almost hysterical. She might be at the door, her face stained with tears. She led me through the clean little flat and... Nick, Nick, here is Mr. Dan. Oh, my friend. Nick, what happened? Who did this to you? Look what I do to my Nick. His poor eyes, his nose, my Nick. Gina, you go out of room for me. Yes, I want to talk to Mr. Dan. I'll make you some coffee. All right, Nick. All right. I'll make you some coffee. Nick, how did this happen? Tonight I leave my restaurant. Always I take the shortcut through the alley back of my place. I walk for a little bit and somebody hit me. Did you see who it was? No, I... Did you go to the police? No, no, I come home. I tell my wife to call you Mr. Dan. But you should have gone to the police. But I am scared, Mr. Dan. I read in paper that men who do this will also maybe hurt my wife. I do not want that, Mr. Dan. I do not want that. Nick, I want you to sublet your place. Oh, no, no, I do not do that. I will send my wife away where she will be safe. But, Nick, stay here like you say. Sit tight. I'll not give up. You want me to help you, don't you? Sure. And listen to me and do as I say. Sublet your restaurant. Sublet it and we'll see what happens. After I left Nick, I went to see Lieutenant Kling. He listened to what I had to tell him and... But Dan, he should have come to the police. He was scared, Kling. Besides, what could he prove? The men who beat him up were hired by the person or persons who want next place. Why? There's a bank next door, Kling. I know that, but you're not thinking those guys will drill through the walls in that restaurant to get to the bank. It's been done before. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. So you told Nick to go ahead and sublet it. That's right. Look, Kling, here's the way I figured. They want Nick's place badly enough to commit man. They counted on his being scared enough to keep him away from the police. But what they didn't know was that Nick had written to me asking me to help. So what's your idea? Let them have the place. Let them do what they want. But watch that bank. Well, Nick sublet his place to the men who had been after it. And Kling and the police watched the bank. Special alarms were set in the walls. Night and day the restaurant was watched. And what happened? Well, exactly what happened to simple Simon's fish hook and the pail of water. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. One day after a couple of weeks of this game of watch and wait, I was in my office. Mr. Holiday. What, Susie? Did you ever look in the backseat of your car? Backseat of my car? Why? Who's there? Not who. What? What's this? 20 questions? My carousel is still in the backseat of your car. It's been there for weeks now. Oh, I'm sorry, Susie. I'm sorry. I hope I haven't held up your cooking. If you'll give it to me, Mr. Holiday, I'll take it back in exchange. I wouldn't want to put you to all that trouble. No, Susie, don't be cross. I'll take it back today. I'm going to the next place anyway. Promise? Honest engine and stuff. Fine. Now I can make baked noodles sometime. Good enough. I'll go right now. Oh, hello, Mr. Holiday. Hello. If it isn't Lieutenant Klane. Come on in. This isn't a social call. Look, Holiday, the department's pulling the men off the bank and the restaurant today. But why? Why? There's a needed someplace else. For two weeks we played find the gimmick because you had an idea. Now we're very tired. But that's what those men might be waiting for. Yeah, look, if they're going to make the pitch, they'd have made it. But they didn't. There's no sign they won't. Okay, okay. So we know who they are in case they do. They wouldn't get ten feet before we'd have them. Oh, Dan, we can't play anymore. Sorry. I... okay. But I'm sure they're playing some kind of a fast game. Then you get in it. So long. Maybe Klane was right. But then again, maybe I was right. I hadn't been in the restaurant since the last time with Nick. I wanted to keep out of the way in case I'd been spotted then. So I thought I'd drop in before going to the department store. A waiter came up to me. Yeah, what'll it be, mister? What's your menu? We ain't got any. No menus? Our customers can't read. It's a funny way to run a restaurant. Okay, it's funny. So laugh. What have you got to eat? Hamburgers. And? Onions. Nothing else? Nothing that hungry. Okay, bring me a hamburger. No onions. And a cup of coffee. Take a while if you don't want to wait and leave. This was a great restaurant. Not like when Nick had it. I was the only customer, and from the waiter's attitude, the lack of business was understandable. What was going on? As I sat there, I heard a sound that puzzled me. I couldn't figure it. As best as I could judge, it was right in the back of me. I just couldn't place that sound. Although I knew I'd heard it before, someplace. Then the waiter came back after a 15-minute wait. Yeah, mister. How about the coffee? Be up in a minute. Oh, just a second. You put onions on this. No extra charge. But I don't want onions. This is loaded with them. Okay, okay. Don't eat it then. So I sat there and looked at the hamburger. It was fried hard. And the bread was well on its way to being toast by reason of age. And the waiter? And if he had ever waited tables before, I'd eat the hamburger, which I didn't. I never did get the coffee, but waiting for it gave me the chance to look around and think. That sound puzzled me. But I couldn't figure it any more than I could get the reason for the whole setup. But one thing was obvious. The management didn't care if any customers came in or not. So I left. I went next door to Caldwell's department store to exchange Susie's carousel for a casserole. And at the counter... Yes, sir. May I help you? Yes, please. I want this exchange. Do you have your slip, sir? It's with a carousel. You see, I'd like to get one of these casseroles in exchange. For yourself, sir? Does that make any difference? Well, I thought you might have a color preference. We have them in earth, brown, red, and green. Green? Yes, sir. Oh, I'm sorry. We're out of the green one. Well, that really doesn't make any difference. Well, how about the red? That'll be fine. Do you like to cook? Not particularly. Oh, many men do. Well, this is not for me. Oh, all right. I see. Let's see now. These are 195. And the exchange on the carousel is... Let's see now. You owe me 187. Here you are. Out of five. Thank you. And I'll have you change in just a moment. Hey. Hey, that's sound. I beg your pardon? That's sound. Now I know. Know what, sir? The Compress Air 2 for sending slips and money to the cashier. Oh, lady, I love you. Really, sir? This is neither the time nor the place. Where's the manager? Yeah, you have a complaint? No, a hunch, and I'm going to play it. Where's the manager? Well, the second floor office is in the rear of the building. Thank you. You change. You change, sir, and your casseroles. Don't worry. I'll be back. It was a hunch, all right. But I thought it was a good one. A call cling told him to get to the car wells right away and to bring a certain something with him. And later in the manager's office. But I don't understand, Mr. Holliday. That makes two of us, Mr. Bartow. Holliday, what gives? Mr. Bartow, has your store shown a loss for, say, the last two weeks? Loss? Are you a stockholder? No, but has it? Well, then I hardly think... Dan, get to the point. What are you doing? You call me here and tell me to bring a tear gas bomb. I think you've slipped your hinges. Listen, let's all get under the kitchenware department. Kitchenware? All right, any place in the store. I want to prove something. Well, this is highly irregular, but since you've brought in the police, I must assume you're serious. I assure you I am. Come on. Conning? Miss Conning? Yes, Mr. Bartow? Oh, it's you again. Hello? Miss Conning, this gentleman... Mr. Bartow, I assure you I was courteous. I... Well, he told me he loved me. What? What's going on? It was a figure of speech. Look, Mr. Bartow, please ask Miss Conning to do what I asked. Really, this is ridiculous. However, Miss Conning... Yes, Mr. Bartow? Make out a sale slip for... Oh, this frying pan. Here. Yes, sir. Now, here's a $10 bill. Send it along through the compressed air tube. Shall I wrap the pan? No, I don't think I'll want it. Just a slip, the money, and the change tube. Go ahead, Miss Conning. Yes, sir. And what about the tear gas bomb, then? Tear gas. Miss Conning. What about it, then? I will see. All right, Miss Conning, send the slip and the $10 bill through the change tube. Oh, wait. What now? Mr. Bartow, call the cashier and tell her to expect this carrier. If it weren't for the police, it... Give me the house phone, Miss Conning. Thank you. Extension 490. Hello, Miss Roebling. This is Mr. Bartow. In just a moment, a carrier containing a sale slip for a frying pan and a $10 bill will come to you and... Mr. Holliday, why am I telling you this? Just tell her to do the usual with it. Oh, very well. Miss Roebling, handle the carrier as usual. Yes, thank you. All right, now what? Send the carrier, Miss Conning. Dan, will you tell me why I'm here? I'm on a perfectly good homicide case and you drag me here to go throw an idiotic... I think you'll see. How long will this take, Mr. Bartow? Oh, a few seconds. The store isn't crowded. Business isn't good today, not at all. Yeah, that goes for me, too. There's a carrier. Open him, Miss Conning. Yes, sir. Oh, the change is here and your receipt for the frying pan. You... you're sure? Of course. Look at it. Dan, you just bought yourself a frying pan. Now you should go home and bang your head with it. Or let me... I... I don't get it. I... Oh, excuse me, that's my extension. You thought you were dead? I thought I had a hunch about this. You've taken up a great deal of our time and... Mr. Bartow, Mr. Bartow, the cashier phoned. She said she didn't get the carrier. That's impossible. There's the slip and the change. I knew I had a hunch. Cling, let me have that tear gas bomb. Oh, I give up. Mr. Holliday, what are you going to do? Give me one of those carriers, Miss Conning. Thanks. Now, we'll put the bomb in the carrier. So, and gimmick it so that when the carrier is opened, the tear gas bomb will do its stuff. Okay, send it along, Miss Conning. Holliday, are you crazy? The cashier opens. That should... She won't get it. Go ahead, Miss Conning. Send it on. Mr. Bartow, should I? Yes, send it. I'll warn the cashier by phone not to open it. Mark it with your checking pencil. Come on, Cling. I'll buy you a hamburger next door. You think we made it? Sure. I'll just keep an eye on the front door of the hamburger. Here they come. Grab them, Cling. Grab them. Hey, what's the matter? Ah, the waiter with tears in his eyes. I told you there were too many onions in that hamburger. And those crooks were taking money like that? That's right, Susie. They had tapped into the compressed air tubes, which ran through the walls of the department store in Nick's place. And were helping themselves with some nice, easy cash. They must have made a fortune. No, not a fortune, but enough. You see, if they had grabbed every one of the carriers, it would have spoiled the game. The store would become suspicious. Oh. But they work each city for a month, and they move on to another spot. What won't they think of next? Eh, who knows? Now, excuse me. I've got a date at Nick's for dinner. Oh, Mr. Holliday. Hmm? Why'd you get a red one? Red what? Casserole. I like green. So, as long as you're going down that way, will you excuse me? Oh, good night, Susie. Next week, same time, through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Alan Latt stars as Dan Holliday in Box 13. Box 13 is directed by Richard Sandbell, and this week's original story was written by Robert M. Light. Original music is composed and conducted by Rudy Schrager. Part of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker and that of Lieutenant Kling by Edmund MacDonald. Production is supervised by Vern Carstensen. Box 13 is a Mayfair production from Hollywood. Watch for Alan Latt in his latest Paramount Picture.