 Broadway's my beat, from Times Square to Columbus Circle, the gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway's my beat, with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. In the time before dawn, Broadway is an island of silence torn from the blazing neon, the midnight sun of the spectaculars. The river mists, mingle with the vapors rising from manhole covers. Through them move the rejects, the stragglers, the wanderers, the men without sleep. One detaches himself, scavenges in a trash bin, choked with the remnants of night, finds nothing, moves on to the next. It's the time of the endless search, the restlessness of an anguish you can't understand, on the street built for the purpose. You walk it, and if shadow whimpers and you hurry on, close your heart to it, because the whimper was yours. And finally, you must put aside whatever it was you were looking for, because on a side street a man waits for you to give you the night time's departing gift. The boy lying dead against the iron gate of the Tenement Spacement Court. Pablo Molari, Danny, from uptown, west 109th Street, carried one of those handwritten identification cards. Find anything else on him? Not much, five dollar bill in his wallet, his saint's medallion he's wearing on a chain around his neck, that's about all. Now you question the people in there? Yeah, Danny, every door. No one ever heard of the kid, had nothing to do with him, didn't want to talk about him. You know, most of them were trying to sleep, the kid squalling, you know. Yeah, beaten, jaw broken. This bruise on his throat. Must be the one that killed it. Eric, come down here, Danny. Huh? What? Take a look at the sign on this door, Hudson Club, Johnny Hammett, president. I guess it's one of those street clubs the kids make up for themselves. This neighborhood's loaded with them. You think what happened to this kid is part of it? Yeah, I think. What do you think? Maybe. Check it, my government, I'll get back to you. And wait now for the decent hour. Give to someone a few more hours of sleep before breaking the news about the death of a young man. And at 8.30 to an address on West 109th Street, climb four flights and be careful of the rotting steps and the three-year-olds at play. The door opens to your knock and the woman who pinches her shawl close to her throat doesn't understand what you're saying and calls a neighbor who understands, who explains to the woman the mother of a murdered young man explains what must be done. Accept the fact of death. Identify the body, bury her son. Then walk away from all of it. You've started a new day. Call headquarters. Detective Mugerman gives you an address, looked for and found and checked by the night shift. Johnny Hammett, president of the Hudson Club, a tenement on West 43rd near the docks. Johnny's glad for the company. I dislike having my coffee alone, Mr. Clover. You work, Johnny? Yeah, here and there, mostly on Broadway, sir. People always want things done. You mean you run errands? No, if you think all it is is running down to the corner drugstore. No. Broadway, Mr. Clover. It's full of tourists. Anybody else live here with you? Yeah, my father. I think he still does. Hardly ever see him. How's the Hudson Club coming along? Oh, fine. Fine, thank you. What kind of club is it? Oh, a little bit of everything. Sports, dances, beach parties. The girls do most of the arranging. Girls? Isn't that funny? About a month ago I mentioned girls to my father. He had the same expression on his face as you do. Yeah, girls. I'm 19. I don't chalk walls anymore. Johnny, a member of your club was murdered last night, a boy by the name of Pablo Malari. Oh, is he dead? Man, he wasn't a member of the club, sir. He just hung around. What about him, Johnny? Who killed him? I didn't. And no one's come up to me since last night and said he did it either. Where were you last night? We had a meeting at the club, a special one. Initiations, plans for the summer. Broke up about two. I came right home. I want a list of your members, Johnny. Names, addresses. No, sure. Before you go. Look, where was Pablo found? Outside your club, in the vestibule. Nelson might know. Nelson? Toby Nelson. We had him in front of the door last night to keep away undesirables. Where can I find him? Works at a cigar and magazine counter in the Flick Building Lobby. I wish there was more I could tell you. I really do, sir. Hey, sis, don't forget your change. There you are, baby. Good luck at the track. What's yours, Busted? Your name, Toby Nelson. Someone sent you to ask an important question? Police. That buzzer could stand a little metal polish, mister. Don't worry about it. Oh, sure not. Tell me what I should worry about. About a boy named Pablo Malari. Yeah, I've been reading him the newspapers. What's he to me? He was found beaten to death in front of the... Huts in the club. I know it says so in the papers. What went on there last night? I don't have to read the minutes of the meeting. I was outside making these two big muscles that Tatsu wanted and couldn't get in. What happens at these initiations, Toby? Kid stuff. You swear to do this and that and be a nice Hudson. To tell you the truth, I was embarrassed for the kid. Who are you talking about? Paula. Paula got taken into us last night. Johnny Hammond wanted it, so I arranged it. Paula Chopac. Which makes us fellow members. Which makes me happy happy. This Paula is your girl. Man, it carries my pinkies. Look. Pretty jab, huh? Gives me locks of hair. Missed me argyles. Oh, it's a nice thing we got. Tender. Paula Chopac. Uh-huh. I've got her name on my list. She doesn't on top of the grocery store. Corner 11th Avenue and 46th. Yeah, thanks a lot, Toby. Anytime. Oh, here, take a scratch sheet, mister. You're free. Go ahead, take it. It's last Monday's. And bring to the top of the list Paula Chopac. Climb the stairs. Knock on a door with the curtain panels of glass. And hear the furtive scurrying behind it in the slam of another door inside. Then hear a woman's steps approaching. And an instant of silence. Then the fumbling with the catch. And the door opens. And the woman had not finished making herself presentable to the caller. The wrinkled cotton house dress needed another smoothing. The graying hair needed to be pressed back again from the for it. The tired voice. There was nothing to be done about that. Yes, something. I'm from the police, Danny Clover. It's good you're here. We not think police come so soon. Pleased to come in. Pleased that chair. I sit by window in it by evening. It's comfortable, clean. You be cool. Please, mister. Thank you, but I'd like to... By my daughter to speak. By Paula. Paula, is she here? Yes. By room listening to records. But first, please, mister, first. You want to tell me something, Mrs. Chopin? About Paula. You see what I am, mister. But Paula, by her is great beauty. By the face, by the rich black hair. Mrs. Chopin. Like crown she wears at my Paula. My baby. I comb for her, brush, wash, put in braids by night for sleep. My Paula is good. Clean. Respectful to me. Do such as you never trouble. Never bring me tears. Will you call her, please? Go to her. She wait for you. She say me. Policeman, come this afternoon. I have much thing to tell him. My Paula say this to me. What my Paula got to say to policeman, mister. What? In that room? Yes. You see, my Paula tell you her thing. Then you, policeman, go away from us. I'm mister. Paula, I'm from the police. I know. I heard. Your mother said you had something you want to tell me. Mom's wrong. I don't think so. Tell me Paula. Mom can hardly speak English. Sometimes she doesn't understand the things I say to her. I've got nothing for you. Besides, I'm busy. Brushing your hair? Let it alone for a while, Paula. Talk to me. The boy was murdered last night in front of a club where you were initiated. Pablo Molari. Is that what you wanted to tell me about? Is the married Paula scared? Look at me. You think you could scare me? Toby Nelson talked to me. He said... He told you I was sweet to him, baby. Told you I joined the Hudson's because he asked me. Because I used to jump when he asked. That he told you. That too. The next time you see him explain to him it's finished. Threw, wiped off my memory book. It was of last night. What happened last night? I got initiated in a club. What else can happen to a girl? Murder, maybe? A murder she saw being committed? Maybe something she's afraid of? I said it once. I got nothing to tell you. So go tell Mom I got nothing to say to a policeman. It'll cheer her up. I hope you're right, Paula. For you. For your mother. I hope you're right. I give you the evening's greetings. Thanks a lot, you know. You're here so late tonight. Why didn't you go home after you saw the Chopac girl? I had some work to do. Uh-huh. Danny, would you mind very much if I regaled you with a tidbit that happened early this evening at the house of Tataglia? Please do. Cousin Stanley from Gay Paris showed up after ten these many years. Not him. Oh, him it was. And with arms of Kimbo with goodies. Knicks for Mrs. Tataglia. Knacks for the kiddies. And for me, a great big bottle. Champagne, huh? Had a call, Danny. Fifty-one. From Paris? Those Continentals know how to live. Gino, did you have that list of the Hudson Club checked? Indeed I did. And each and every member swears on the bylaws of the club that they know nothing of the murder of Pablo Malari. Danny Clover speaking. Squad cars downstairs for you, Danny. Fallout Chopac was washed up on the beach at Far Rockaway a little while ago. Maybe an accident, maybe homicide. You going, Danny? Right away. The night wind off the sea was soft, warm. It sighed against the flames of the beach fire strung along the coast, riffled the sand across Driftwood, across the litter. It brought close the far-off sounds of a summer beach at night. The laughter from behind-screen porches, the siren call of the ukulele gently strummed, the distant screeching of gulls, and closer, the other sounds, the lash and wash of the surf, the opening and setting up and adjusting of the mechanical devices that attend the dead, and then the trembling voice of the boy who tries to tell you about the girl lying there, how it was, why it was. We were swimming, sir. Lost her someplace out there in the dark. And I heard her kind of scream. Just you and Paula, Johnny? Yeah, it was a beach party. Like the ones I told you about. The other members left. Paula wanted to stay. I asked me to stay with her. You said she screamed. Why? She hit her head on one of those rocks out there. The high tide covers them up. I didn't know until I hit the beach she was dead. I tried to... dead. She is, isn't she? Look at me. I killed Paula. You are listening to Broadway's My Beat, written by Morton Fine and David Friedkin with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Tonight's the night. Yes, beginning this evening, there will be a new host on Songs for Sale, his affable Steve Allen, a young comedian whose likable personality you're really going to enjoy. Steve Allen becomes head salesman on Songs for Sale, introducing new songwriters and their tunes tonight over most of these same CBS stations. On an early summer's night, Broadway stands in a corner, leans against the orange juice stand and sums up the day. Some days are better than others. Some days you break even. You only had one end of the daily double, but the new blonde in the office looked over her shoulder at you and smiled. And later when she dabbed on her lipstick with a finger, she smiled again. It was quite a day today. The Dodgers passed a miracle. You forgot to pay the check at the cafeteria and got away with it. And a girl. A song of a girl was washed up on the beach at Fire Rockaway. Here is maybe a tragic day, but here is a day. It was 11.30 toward the end of it when we got Johnny Hammett back to headquarters. Sit down there, Johnny. Cigarette kit? No. No, thank you. Well, maybe you'd rather have one of Danny's. Yeah, here. Here, have one, Johnny. I don't want one. I don't want to smoke. That's all. Can a man not want to smoke? Take it easy. Sure. Sure, relax, kid. Am I under arrest? You said you killed Paula. That was my fault. I shouldn't have let her swim out that far. Did you kill her or didn't you kill her? That was my fault. Who killed Pablo Molari? You think I did? Did you, Johnny? You think I killed him, don't you, Mr. Clover? There you go again, Johnny. You killed. We're police. We're asking. I didn't kill anybody. You don't have to explain it, Johnny. He knows why he's here. He knows we need his help. Help, Johnny. That's what we want. We're not asking for a confession. Who's kidding? Who? Were you in love with Paula? She wasn't around long enough. What happened tonight? You know what happened? What's the matter with you? Look, Johnny, I'm going to tell you something. You're not talking to your little hoodlum friends. You're talking to a policeman. There are many things you don't want to say. You're talking to a policeman who's trying to do his job. What happened tonight? We had a beach party. The Hudson's? Yes, sir. That's better, Johnny. Paula and I came late. The others were already there. Toby Nelson? Yes, sir. Toby wanted to take Paula home. Paula wanted to stay. So we stayed. Paula and I. We were the last ones there. What made Paula want to stay? She'd never been swimming at night. Then she swam out past the breakers and a wave washed her against a rock. Is that what happened? Yes, sir. All right, Johnny. Can I go now? Good night, Johnny. Thanks. What do you think, my good one? You believe him? I don't know. I'm going to check. I'm going to talk to Toby. Toby? Toby? You got a long nose, mister. Your landlady told me you were up here in the roof. Hers is even longer than yours. What's the guy have to do to get a square foot of air to himself? Your girl's dead, Toby. Paula's dead. You're stale, mister. The smooth voices on the radio been telling me Paula's dead. For an hour now. Up here I thought I couldn't hear him. Johnny Hammett says it was an accident. That makes it an accident. You were at the beach party, Toby? Never miss it. You did that? Then what happened? Let me think now. After that I roasted the hot dogs for the group. We all ate hearty, then it broke up. I came home. And left Paula alone with Johnny? Yeah, that's the other thing I did. Paula was your girl. How come Johnny took her to the party? If she was alive, you could ask her. I wouldn't know. Johnny says you wanted to take her home. Why didn't you? Because she slapped me across the mouth when I asked her. They all laughed. Johnny too. Then she left harder than anybody. That's how I got the message. She didn't want me to take her home. She wanted Johnny. Up to the night of the initiation at the Hudson club, she was your girl. What happened there to make her turn on you, Toby? She's dead. Paula's dead. What else do you want from me? What else do I have to give you? How much can you... She's dead, mister. That's all I got. She's dead alone. Given the time and place of his grieving and the quality of it that's bled out of a tenement rooftop in a city stretching into the hours after midnight. Go away. Resign yourself that another day is over. The next morning and the legwork go on out to a corner of the city where the signs says 11th Avenue and 46th. Climb the steps and stop at a door. Intrude upon two rooms newly filled with grieving. Please. Please come in. This is Chopac. The police are not satisfied that Paula... Of my daughter Paula? There's a possibility that it wasn't an accident. Paula is in another room. The others. Neighbours by me. We have only boxes to sit on. I want you to try to understand what I'm saying. Nothing. Nothing I understand. Only up to yesterday. To yesterday when Paula said to me, Mama, I'm going to swim with this boy, this Johnny. Johnny Hammett? Johnny. He called for her? At first my Paula she said she would want to stay home rather. Then the boy said something to her. Then down low over her ear. Paula took her suit for swimming. Her cap not to get her hair wet. Then she said what I said to you. I see. Just one more thing Mrs. Chopac. The night before last your daughter went out. Do you know where she went? To some place. To party. The club has party. What time did she come home? Late. I don't know what time. Did you talk to her when she came home? Only when I tried to give her help. Help? White. Like ghost. And sick. I hear this. I get out of my bed. I come to her. I say Paula you're sick. Mama get something. She tell me go away. Like I'm someone she never see before. Was she drunk? Sick. Was no whiskey I smell. Sick. White. Sick like ghost. I see. She's dead now Paula is. And the neighbors by me. They're in next room. They sit. They cry. They touch my shoulder. They don't talk. They don't know what words to say to me. Then walk the tenement street. And have your passage greeted by the sudden silences of the yelling kids. The turning of backs after the furtive gesture of insult. Because somehow you were guilty of that anguish over the corner grocery store. Once you had been welcomed by a mother. For that you had left her a dead child. And on that street the guilt was yours. So I got away from it. At headquarters read re-read the file on Malari. Dead of a beating. On Paula Chopac dead of a head wound while swimming at Rockaway. And finally read away the daylight. And sit in darkness till a man comes in. Looks at you for a moment. Turns on a light. You don't mind the light, huh Danny? It's alright Gino, thanks. I agree with you that this killing. This dying of kids makes one wish to sit alone in the dock. However... Got something for me Gino? Danny all I can give you is a comment upon the children of today. The clubs they must make for themselves. The things they do in said clubs. The hurt they bring upon themselves for so doing. Go on Gino. That's in all the papers Danny. How they go out of the way from new thrills, new sensations, new emotions. Only this morning while shaving I was bending a knee to the comment from the radio. I called him to tag me across. I don't know Danny, maybe yes, maybe no. What? Gordon and technical gave it to me to give to you. See if the big man can figure it he says to me. I got news about Gordon. I actively dislikes him. What did they give you? He's been studying the bathing cap Paula Chopac wore to the beach party. He says it's curious. Why? He says the girl didn't have the cap on when she went into the water. Paula was proud of her hair. She'd have worn the cap. Why does he say she wasn't wearing it? Because there was no bloodstain inside it. Gordon says if she was wearing the cap when she hit the rock it would have held some of the blood. Which means he says that the cap was put on her after she was carried to the beach. It means another thing Markman. What? Paula was murdered. Give me a squad car. It's the police. You want? Let's go inside I'll tell you. Inside Toby, the only Hudson here. Hey Johnny look what's here. Good evening Mr. Clover. Nice clubhouse you've got here. Can I show you around? Where's everybody? I thought you had quite an organization. They'll be around. When you leave people will start swarming in here. I'm glad you came Mr. Clover. Thanks. Hey what's with you Johnny? You buy a cop for a friend? Don't pay any attention to him sir. He doesn't know about policemen. He doesn't know they have a job to do. You understand all about that though don't you? Hey what's going on? Too bad about you Toby. Huh? I said too bad about you. Your muscles, your temper. The mad you had on the other night. Hey Johnny what's the... You never saw Toby work over a guy did you Mr. Clover? No. Tell me about it. Once a boy tried to get in here. Tried real hard. Toby was in front of the door. The boy never made it. Johnny. It wasn't premeditated Mr. Clover. Toby didn't mean it. He was just angry about something. You're under arrest Toby, put out your hands. You gotta do something first! Don't be a fool! Yeah! Take him off! Thanks Mr. Clover. That's just the way he went after that boy. He would have killed me. Toby will rest a while. What are you doing Mr. Clover? Fresking him. Nice cigarette case. Cigarette Johnny? Are you kidding? I don't smoke those. Don't blame you. Marijuana brings you grief. That's what it brought Paula. Paula? Paula was a sick girl after she got home from her initiation. You have to smoke this stuff to become a member of your club. Oh now look... You look Johnny. Paula was Toby's girl you wanted her. That's why you insisted she become a member. Put her on this stuff she'd lose her sense of values. You think I'd do anything like that? Yes I do. You know me better than that. I told you what happened out there on the beach. You forgot to tell me why she went there with you. What were you going to do Johnny? Tell her mother she was smoking marijuana? Is that why she went with you? Stayed at the beach after the others left? I don't know what to say to you Mr. Clover. You're wrong. And I think you ought to take care of Toby here. Paula had beautiful hair Johnny. I'd go along with that. She'd have worn her cap into the water. You killed her before she went into the water. How Johnny? The rock? Mr. Clover. Then you threw her in the surf so her suit would be wet. Pulled her back. Remembered about the cap. Put it on her. Why did you murder her? She was so beautiful. She was so beautiful Mr. Clover. She refused more of your cigarettes? Funny. Worked before. Let's go Johnny. It always worked. You know it got so they'd come around here begging for the stuff. A young man like me. Connections. It's like a king. I'll tell you another funny thing. I wouldn't touch this stuff. Come on. Yes sir. Broadway looks clean. The winds of the evening have swept away the litter. Everything looks sharp. Sharp. Like a knife at your heart. You walk against it and it plunges deeper. Deeper until there's no pain at all. It's Broadway the godiest. The most violent. The lonesomeest mile in the world. Broadway. My Beat. Broadway's My Beat stars Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover with Charles Calvert as Tertaglia and Jack Krushian as Muggevin. The program was produced and directed by Elliot Lewis with musical score composed and conducted by Alexander Courage. In tonight's story, Dick Crenna was heard as Johnny Hammett, Bill Tracy as Toby Nelson, Peggy Weber as Mrs. Chopat and Michael Ann Barrett as Paula Chopac. On July 8 next week, Broadway's My Beat will be heard on a new day, Sunday. Beginning a week from tomorrow, be sure to listen to Broadway's My Beat and the adventures of Danny Clover starring Larry Thor. Bill Anders speaking. This is CBS where Phil Regan brings you the service man's own show every Sunday on the Columbia Broadcasting System.