 Adventures by Morse, the City of the Dead, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. First, a message from our sponsor. Eight o'clock on Sunday morning, the second day in the City of the Dead. Eight o'clock in the morning after a night of unearthly events and sudden death. And it all seems to be centered about the caretaker's cottage at the gate of the old abandoned cemetery. Those present include the caretaker himself, better known as Mayor Joshua Friday, Dr. Tuner retired, all his patients are laid away in the City of the Dead, Captain Friday, son of the Mayor and private investigator from San Francisco who has come down to the City of the Dead to help his father fight grave robbers. The only person's caught in the net so far are Jimmy Parker, a nice-looking college boy and his girlfriend, Phyllis Carroll. At two o'clock this fog choked winter morning, Captain Friday was roused from sleep to find a phantom-like white-robed figure, its face covered with long white-flowing hair, patrolling about the caretaker's cottage. Yes, I awakened Jimmy Parker and the two of us slipped out of the house and around the corner just in time to see the phantom creature leap on the figure of a man who at the moment was attempting to break into the cottage. The man died instantly under the gleaming knife in the creature's clawed hand before Parker I could stop it the thing had gone. Yeah, Captain Friday and I rushed to the scene but the housebreaker was dead. Captain Friday sent me back into the house for Dr. Tuner. I wasn't gone more than a couple of minutes but when we got back not only was the murdered man gone but Captain Friday was lying on the ground, unconscious. And a peculiar thing, all the time this was happening Mayor Friday's been missing from the cottage but now it's eight o'clock the next morning and Phyllis is telling what she saw. I tell you I saw it all from my window. You were awake, Miss Carol? The scream of that man outside my window awakened me. You mean the man that was murdered? Yes. Who was he, Captain Friday? I don't know. He was trying to break into Parker's room when the family ghost jumped him. It sprang on his back like an animal and was gone quicker than the flash. Stabbed him in the back. He was dead when I reached him. That's what I heard. I jumped out of bed and I looked out through the bars of my window. You were just bending over the body, Captain Friday. Well? I didn't know what had happened. It was too dark to tell who you were. Then all at once I saw two shadows creeping up on you from behind. Two? Yes, there were two. Suddenly I heard myself scream. I heard you. That's what brought me to my feet just in time to get that crack on the side of the head. That's funny. Dr. Tuner and I didn't hear a scream. Did we doctor? What did Dr. Tuner go? Said he was going to walk around while he smoked his after breakfast cigar. Well, anyway, we didn't hear full a scream. Well, I did. I must have frightened the men. They didn't wait to examine Captain Friday. They just grabbed the body of the murdered man and ran. Did you see the face of either of my attackers, Miss Carol? No. I was too frightened to notice. Captain Friday, did you find out where the mayor was all this time last night? What difference does it make, Parker? What? Nothing? Only Dr. Tuner thought it rather peculiar. Did, huh? Well, there seem to be a lot of peculiar things going on around here. Do you think that ghoulish killer we saw last night was a man in disguise? At least it was human. You didn't really think anything could actually look like that, do you? Oh, Jimmy, let's not keep still any longer. I'd rather go to jail right now than spend another night here. Bill, let's keep still. If you're part of this gang of cutthroats... Oh, we're not. We're not. Look here, Captain Friday. If we tell you everything, will you let us go? I can't promise that. Well, will you take us away from the city of the dead? You indicated last night that the presence of you and Miss Carol was aggravating the situation. That it was due to your being in the city of the dead that all these murders are taking place. No, no... Well, we're only part of the... a part of the cause. I see. Well, you see how it is. If I let you two slip through my fingers, my only tangible clue to the whole business would be gone. No, you've got to stay here. Keep us here. We'll be killed. You saw what happened last night. That fella cut through the bars in my window. They'll try again, and next time they'll get me. I know they will. You needn't worry about that. I'll fix the windows so they'll be murder-proof. Now you're going to tell me what it's all about? Oh, Jimmy, let's tell him. Please, Jimmy, we can't be any worse off than we are now. Well, then, I'll tell you. I'm going with Dr. Tuner and the mayor over to Lamy Fink's cabin this morning. After that, we're going down to the old church. I'll lock you two up together and you can thrash the thing out. But mind you, I expect an explanation tonight. Oh, yes, but put us together. I couldn't bear to be alone in this horrible place again. You understand, don't you, Parker? I'm not promising anything. So much the worst for you if you don't come through. Oh, Captain, Captain Friday. Oh, now what, sir? Hey, Captain Friday. Now, I don't think that you suppose it's happened. Find another corpse, Dr. Tuner. No, I didn't. But that grave we opened last night has all been filled up and decided to put back on it. Don't look as though it had ever been touched. Filled up, huh? Now, there's an idea. Graves automatically opened and closed while you wait. I'll tell you, Captain, this is no laughing matter. Something bigger than the mayor and I ever figured on is broken loose. Hey, where is the mayor anyhow? Catching up on the sleep he lost last night. Where was the mayor last night, Captain? Don't you know? That's where I don't. You were supposed to be sleeping with him. If you don't know, how should I? I didn't even know he'd left to bed until Parker came in and woke me up. I swear I didn't. You don't think old Dr. Tuner and your own dad would hold out on you, do you, boy? Nothing's funny somewhere. Now I want you and Dad to go over to Lammy Fink's place with me. Don't you hurt good dad'll do. After that, we'll run down to the old church ruins and see if we can find out who took a shot at that night before last. Yeah, I've told you all I know. Maybe. Well, you don't suppose we'd have brought you down here in the first place if we'd had anything to hold back to you? I'm not supposing anything. I'm putting facts together. Doc, go right out the mayor and we'll be started. How far is Lammy Fink's house from the city of the dead, Mayor? Just a harp and a jump. But it ain't a house, son. Just a shack. Look here. You can see a giant among the trees. They're looking self at odd times. Hmm. A gloomy place for a house. Looks more like a hunted animal's hole. He acts like a hunted animal most of the time, don't you, Mayor? Yeah. He's a little off, all right. I'd rather sleep in the city of the dead than down in this hovel. Not Lammy. He's graveyard shy after dark. Well, this is it. Hmm. Lammy Fink's residence. One room. One door. No window. And a cellar. Cellar? I didn't know about that. Never even thought of a cellar when I was over there today. Well, then that's the first place we'll look. Go ahead, Dad. You know the way. Lean on. Yeah, there's no need to lead. If your path leads around the house, the cellar steps. All right. Keep going. Here's the steps. They seem to get down under the house. I'll lead off with my flashlight. When I get to the bottom of the cellar steps, one of you follow, then the other. And take it easy. Those steps don't look any too solid. They ain't. It's dark and murky down there. There I go. Watch out. You don't break your neck. All these steps won't hold much weight. Captain! Captain! What a rat trap this turned out to be. Son, son, are you hurt? No. Hello down there. Captain, are you still alive? Yes, of course I am. I've lost my flashlight and it's blackering an old maid's future down here. Light a match. We'll give a man a chance to pull himself together, Doc. Still got two or three steps around my neck. Can we help? As soon as I unscrabble myself. Hey, what's that? Hey, Doc Turner, Mayor. I'm holed up down here with a body. Who is it, Captain? How do I know? We just met here in the dark. Well, why don't you light a match and find out? We can't get down to the cellar without a rope now that the stairs are busted. How'd you happen to find that? It just reached out and lay hold of me. Jiminy crickets. How about my feet again? Now for a light. Well, I'll... Hey, there are two... Oh, three. Doc, Mayor. There are three bodies down here in this cellar. Watch out. What did he say? Did you hear me? There are three bodies down here. That ladder will hold any of us. Now, Dr. Turner, I want you and Dad to come on down into the cellar with me and examine those bodies. One of them is Lamy Fink, all right enough. One of them is the Stranglefeller we dug up. And the other is the man who was stabbed to death last night. Yeah, if you know so much about him, why should we get a look at him? I want to see if you know either of the unidentified bodies. I bet money I don't, but come along, son. What makes you think you don't, Mayor? Trying to get something on your father, boy. Never mind. Come along. Careful on the ladder. There you are. Now, over this way. Look out for those boxes. All right, I'll hold the torch for you. There they are. Three bodies laid out side by side. Yes. He says Lamy, poor fellow. I suppose he died, son. I can't find a mark on him anywhere, Dad. But get that look of terror on his face. You mean he was scared to death? Take a look for yourself. How long has Lamy been dead, Doctor? At least 36 hours. You're certain of that? That's fairly accurate. Then Lamy think couldn't possibly have filled up the grave we opened last night. He could, right? And who did do it? Dad, you said that you and Lamy were the only ones capable of doing an expert job of replacing turf on a grave. Yeah, he said it all right. Well, Dad? Must have been wrong. You mean there's someone else around the city of the dead who's capable of such a word? Looks like it, don't it? Well, never mind. Mayor, did you or Dr. Tuner ever see either of these other two bodies before? I mean, while they were alive? Let me get them. I don't know nothing about them, boy. It's darn funny. Having through their clothes, not a thing to identify them. Listen, there's someone in the shack over there. Just a moment. Who's that, you suppose? There's somebody up there, all right. Come on, we'll go up after him. Take it easy. We don't want to frighten him off. Off you go, Doc. You next, Dad. Yeah. Come on up, Captain. Everything's clear. Here, I'll pull the ladder up and then no one's likely to bother the bodies while we're away. Captain, I smell smoke. I did smoke. I knew I smelled something. Look, look, the cabin's on fire. Quick, we've got to stop it. Come on around the house. Quick, get water for the creek. Look there, holy mackerel on a blaze. Hey, somebody set that fire. The house has been saturated with oil. Look at that black smoke. But where's the fella we heard walking around? He's probably a mile away by this time. Of all the cock-eyed, lung-headed fools. Now we've lost those bodies. But couldn't we still get him out? That cellar was a furnace 30 seconds after that fire was set. There goes that can of kerosene I saw in the cellar. That ends that. Quiet carnation. Did anyone want to burn down Lammy's shack? Ask me a hard one, doc. Somebody doesn't want us to know who's being murdered. Dead men can't talk, especially after they've been cremated. But there is still the contents of Ernie Morton's grave and old clothwood down in the abandoned church. But more of that in a moment. We've been dawdling, Captain Friday. It's almost one o'clock already. And we promised the mayor we'd meet him at the cottage at two. Well, there's the old church just ahead. Yeah, gloomy as ever. You know, Doctor, this place has always given me the creeps. Even when I was a kid. The mayor never brought me here unless it was to arrange for a funeral. Well, that's about all it was ever used for as far as back as I can remember. Funerals and, again, a country wedding. This is the first time I've been near the place since it was abandoned. But I remember the day they found the old bell ringer hanging by the neck in the study. Well, I always did think the place was infested with what? Well, it's something ghoulish. It's a nice thought. And our visit night before last only went to confirm my opinion. You mean the clawfooted man? Oh, he was only the climax of the whole business. I tell you, the place absolutely reeks of something unhealthy. Oh, that's probably the bats. Plenty of them here. Well, shall we go in? From the slide of that roof, I'd say the whole place would be tumbling in in another year. Careful. The mayor went through the floor there the night. Gloomy as the inside of a grave in here. There. Don't you feel it? Feel what that? The moment I stepped in here out of the sunshine, I felt something come over me like a slimy wet cloak. Don't you get it, Captain? Give yourself the creeps if you keep that up. All I get is an unpleasant smell of mustiness and decay. The place is rotten to the foundation. Yeah, there's something more than a physical rottenness here, Captain. I smell something else. Yeah, I tell you I do. Well, shall we go back and have a look at the old study? That's where the mayor was shot, wasn't it? That's right. That's where we ran into the claw-footed man or beast or whatever he is. Did you leave the door shut when you carried the mayor out the other night? I did not. Yeah, I was too scared. I had just picked up the mayor and dashed through. The door was still open. Well, it's shut now. Oh, that's right. Do you suppose that thing's in there now? I got my gun handy to pot him if he is. You better not stand in front of the door. You'll know what happened to me last night. You stand at the side of the door. I'm going to block the way. Don't be a fool, sir, and you're able to get hurt. Not while I've got this little play thing in my hand. Yeah, I warned you. You ready? Go on, open the door and get it over with. Captain, are you hurt? What in the Sam Hill kind of a thing is that? I'm a bald-headed liar if that jack-in-the-box didn't kick me in the face. Are you hurt, Captain? Are you all right? Let me help you out. Of course I'm all right. Why shouldn't I be all right? That was a nasty fall. That claw-footed old boy with his white beard knocked me down and walked the full length of me. Look at me. It's dusty footprints all over my front. I say I was going to block his path. I got one good look at him, an ugly critter, flowing white hair, a face that looked like a death man. I've seen him before. He's the chap that murdered the housebreaker last night. I wonder who he thinks he is on those long, white robes. Crazy as you go, he does. Say, we'll need some kind of a light in this study. I still got my flashlight. Turn it on. How's that? Good. Great jumping G-horsifact. Captain, look there on the floor behind you. Skeleton. Human bones. All laid out in order. Layed out is right. Looks like old claw-foot was in here reconstructing a skeleton. Where do you think they came from? The bones? They came out of one of the graves in the city of the dead. Nice person, old claw-foot. I don't care for the company he keeps. He's crazier than I thought. Imagine a guy shutting himself up in a dark room to play with a human skeleton. Looks like we're going to have to do some close inspection on the mayor's graves out yonder. This seems to indicate that grave robbing has sought to become a practice down here. I told you something unhealthy was going on in this place. Old claw-foot never lacked for company. Whenever he got lonesome or downhearted, he just up and digs himself a skeleton until we're museum. Hey, Captain, where do you suppose this old fool lives? Offhand, I'd say he'd been making this his headquarters. There's no sign of a place to sleep here, and there's no food. That's something I'll have to look into. Now, Doc, where's this bell rope the mayor was pulling on the night he was shot? All right, David. It's gone. Where was it? Well, it hung right down there where you were standing. Mm-hmm. Look at the ceiling. No hole in the ceiling for it to come through. Well, there was a rope. Much more, he just pulled it when he was shot. And you're certain the door was shut at the time? I certainly was. Anyway, the shot came from across the room. Mm-hmm. There are no windows. Are you certain there was no one else in the room with you, too? Of course there wasn't. Where'd the shot come from, then? The same place the bell ropes come from. What in the tongue does he do that for, going around making noises like a sick cat? Well, we'd seen the last of him today. Did we try to grab him? Don't you think we'd better finish looking over these ruins? What more is there to see? Well, you haven't been up in the bell free yet. Well, climb that rotten ladder? Not me, Doc. The mayor and I did it, and in the dark, too. Well, that was your own funeral. You can see with half an eye that you, too, are the only ones who've been up there in the last ten years. Look at the dust and dirt and the cobwebs. Come on, we spent an hour in here. That's enough. I want to get my hands on that fella. Come on, it's one o'clock. We told the mayor we'd be back by two. All right, anything's better in this place. Well, come on out in the sunshine and get it out of your system. Well, where is our sunshine? Fog, if that ain't the luck. First afternoon, Fog, we've had this season. That puts an end to hunting old clawfoot. Miserable stuff, Fog. Gets in your nostrils, wets your clothes, hides murders. Come on out of it, Doc. You'll feel better when you head to lunch. Let's go back to the cottage. You gonna leave that skeleton in there? Why, yes. You don't want to pack it around with this, do you? Yeah, you jackass. As well off there as anywhere until we can find the grave it was taken from. Perhaps that's old Ernie Morton's skeleton. We'll dig in his grave this afternoon. Oh, there. There you are. There you are. Oh, thank goodness you've come at last. Captain, come in the house quick. Come in here. What is it, then? Mayor, yours. Why did you go? Well, if I'd have had a gun handy, I'd have shot that fellow very steward. Shot who? What are you talking about? Come on in. Hurry up. You too, Doc. You'll have to tend to the girl. Girl? You mean Miss Carol? Here, shut the door, Doc. That Parker filler stabbed the girl. He'd killed her too if I hadn't arrived just when I did. Stabbed, Phyllis Carol? So he did. Wait a minute, then. Did you see him, Stabber? Just as I come in the house, I heard a scream. I rushed in and unlocked the door. And there she was lying on her face on the floor. Parker was standing over with this bloody knife in his hand. Where is the girl? In her room. Go on in and see what you can do for her, Doc. She's unconscious. Go ahead, Doc. Tell me how she is as soon as you can. All right. All right, Dad. Where's Parker? He's locked in this closet. The bar's on the window to his room's cut. And I wasn't taking any chance of losing him. Now, let him out. Let's see what he has to say. Parker said he didn't do it. Catch him! What in places? Is he dead? Dad, you've smothered him in that closet. Get me some water. Hi, Doc. Come here. What's the matter? Get a move on. No, what's the matter? Hello. What's happened to Parker? Smothered in that little closet. His heart's still going. He's going to be all right, just to faint. Mayor, throw a little water in his face. There he comes. Here, boy. Think a little bit of water. He's going to be fit in a jiffy. The girl's not in any danger either. Fresh wound, a little blood, that's all. There. Let me out of here. Give me air. He's all right now. I'll go back to the girl. She'll be around in a few minutes, too. Air. Where am I? You're all right now, Parker. Here, can you sit up? Give me a hand, Mayor. We'll get him in that chair. All right. There, how's that? What do you want to do? Smother me? You had it coming. What do you mean stabbing a girl? I didn't. I told you that before. I saw you. You saw me stab, Phyllis? I saw you with a bloody knife in your hands. Bend it over. You'd have finished her off. I hadn't rushed into the room. You old fool. That talk won't do you any good, Parker. What's your version of this affair? Well, Phyllis and I had been talking for about an hour. Talking about what? Whether we should tell y'all of all we know. Did you decide to talk? No. Did you quarrel? Well, she turned her back on me and called me pigheaded. She was insistent on talking and you refused, huh? Yes. You know that what she could tell might get you in serious trouble. Is that right? I suppose so. So you decided to stab her to death to prevent her talking? No. No, it isn't so. Not so. Then what did happen? You won't believe me. You bet I won't. Hold it with you, Dan. Well... Come on, Parker. Well, when she turned her back on me, I walked away. I went over to the dresser and put out my cigarette in the ashtray. Your back was to her? Yes. Suddenly she screamed. I turned just in time to see her fall with a knife in her back. Likely, story. I told you you wouldn't believe me. Come on. I haven't said I didn't believe you, Parker. Then what happened? I was so confused. I don't hardly know what I did. I guess I dashed over to Phyllis and bent over. I don't remember pulling the knife out of her back, but I suppose I did. Because I know I had it in my hand wondering where it came from when Mayor Friday rushed in and grabbed it away from me. Wondered where it came from? Well, I didn't have any knife. How could I have done it? The knife might have been in the room. You recognize it, Dan? No. Parker could have smuggled it in with him. He's had every opportunity. Well, I didn't. How was the girl standing? Facing the door. I would have put her back to the window, wouldn't I? Yes. If you were at the Bureau, you couldn't have seen the window, I don't suppose. No. But the shade and window raised? Well, the shade was. I don't know about the window. Hey, Doc. All right. Is the window up in there? Yeah. There it up. There's a possible out for you, Parker. A good knife thrower could have sent a knife through the bars of the window without any trouble. You think that's what happened? I'm not thinking anything. I really say it's a possibility. Well, I didn't do it. I think I'd hurt the girl I'm engaged to. People will do strange things to save their own skins. So, you're engaged to Miss Carroll? Well, practically. What does that mean? Well, he kind of got an understanding. You asked her to marry him? No. How does I...? In other words, you said that about the engagement because you thought it would be a point in your favor. Look, Parker, you better stick to facts, so you're gonna get yourself in one fine mess. Well, I intend to ask her. I don't know whether you do or not. Hey, Captain. Come in here. The girl's coming, too. Come in and give me a hand. Come on, Parker. Come on in here, Captain. You help me with her. I've got her all benches. Ain't you ashamed of yourself, Parker? You let me alone. Keep still, both of you. You mustn't cry. I'm perfectly still. Oh, Phyllis. Are you all right? Jimmy? Yes, Phyllis. I'm here. Oh, Jimmy, why did you stab me? Why did you do it? In the midst of the desperate happenings in the city of the dead, has Jimmy Parker turned on his own companion, Phyllis Carroll? And what about the phantom claw-footed killer and the desecrated graves? Who is disturbing the dead? And what do they expect to find save moldering bones? Listen next week to the fifth episode of Carlton E. Morse's City of the Dead, entitled, The Skeleton Walks In.