 Lair of the Mounties! We present episode 34 in Lair of the Mounties. Into the peaceful law-abiding atmosphere of England, there comes suddenly the startling news of a gold robbery in the English Channel. A story of unbelievable piracy in the 20th century. Across Channel Boat, the Ibex has been stopped in mid-channel shortly after midnight. Armed men hold up the offices and crew. Two million dollars in gold bullion is taken from the ship's strong room and the pirates disappear into the night without a trace. All England is ablaze of the incredible news. Miss Gess! Yes? Wait a minute. I wish you'd shut that door. All right. Do you get that paper? What is this robbery? Just a minute. Oh, here it is. Good gracious listen. What is it? Daring robbery on high seas. Ships seized by armed bandits. Half million sterling in bar gold in transit from London to Bank of France. Stolen from ship's strong room. Oh, how dreadful! Here, give me that paper. Are the things impossible? Hmm. Offices and crew held up by armed bandits. Ship's purse have forced to open strong room. Gold removed in ship's boats. Well, what do you know about that? As you say, the thing is impossible. A robbery like that isn't impossible, of course. According to the report, there were over 20 men in the gang. Must've been carefully planned. After getting away with it, that's something else. But who would want to steal all that gold? And where could they hide it? How could they dispose of it? Now, that's a very sensible question, Miss Gess. It's what puzzles me. If the report is true, then it must be. What organization in the world could be big enough to handle such a job short of a nation? A nation? What do you mean? I don't know. I'm just wondering. Hello? Yes? One moment, please. It's for you, Inspector. Hello? Oh, yes. Speaking. Yes? Yes. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Room 48. All right. Room 48, eh? We must be getting important. I don't know. Naval Intelligence Number 5, Commander Reid. Let us stall off any appointments, Miss Gess. Looks like a job. Yes. All right. Hold everything to the present. I'll telephone if I have to go out of town. All right. Hello, Blair. Thanks for being so prompt. Sit down. You've heard this news, of course. You mean the gold robbery? Yes. Only the newspaper report? I see. There's a good deal more to it than that. The biggest thing we've had since the war. How'd they manage to stop that ship? That's the most astounding thing of all. The ship's engines failed suddenly. She's a motor ship. The ignition went off. Lights went out. The ship was helpless. You mean before the robbery? Yes. Something stopped her. Well, I never heard of such a thing. The funny thing is that it happened once before. What? Yes. Four months ago. It happened to the cruiser Thetis in the Mediterranean. Just east of Malta. She stopped suddenly the same way. Nothing happened. The power came on again and she proceeded on her course. But it was never accounted for. That's extraordinary. Yes. Now, the details of this Ibex affair. Just a minute. What is my standing in this affair? Orders are to employ you as before. Special investigation work. That's satisfactory? Certainly. Good. The Ibex is a small, cross-channel boat. Passengers and mail. Left Southampton at midnight. At about 1250, as I said, the engines failed mysteriously. The passengers were all asleep below. The watchman on deck noticed a small group of men near the bridge steps. Before he could give the alarm, he was knocked out. Then the gang was already aboard ship? Part of them, apparently. They went aboard as ordinary passengers. But two of the engine room crew were in it. All right. Carry on. There was a whistle signal from near the bridge. Men all over the ship moved simultaneously. They killed the officer on the bridge and seized the quartermaster at the wheel. The officers and crew are locked in their rooms and all exits from below are blocked within a couple of minutes. And they carefully planned jobs. How'd they get the gold? There were two Treasury guards on duty. They were overpowered. The bandits lowered three of the ship's boats and opened the iron doors on the lower deck. Inside 10 minutes, the gold was in the boats. At 13 minutes after one, the officers broke out of their quarters and found the boats gone and the ship drifting. What an astounding thing. Are you quite sure of this mysterious topping of the ship? Well, yes. That's the queerest thing of all. Our people are working on it. It was some sort of influence that came from a point directly ahead of the Ibex. Hard to know that. Because the freighter Lucerne was three miles directly astern on the same course. She felt it slightly. Another ship running parallel with the Ibex noticed nothing. What do you want me to do? Tell me something. What do you know about a place known as Greystone Manor in Devonshire? Greystone Manor? Why? Well, I'm asking you. I know it's slightly private estate near Coombs Seaton in Devonshire. It's all right, Blair. Don't hesitate to talk of it. Lord Waverton told me all about the job you did for him down there. Made? But what does Greystone Manor do with this affair? It might have a good deal to do with it. As I said, I know about that affair of Greystone Hall and about Schwartz, the man they deported. Well? The interesting thing is that the new owner of Greystone Hall is another rather mysterious character. His name is Paul Kassar. Ever hear of him? Yes, of course. Big financier, isn't he? That's the man. He moved into Greystone Hall soon after Schwartz left the country. What nationality is Kassar? He's a citizen of Mauritania. Ever hear of it? Mauritania? Yes, once or twice in the Balkans somewhere, isn't it? That's near enough. Anyway, it's a little nation, very progressive. Has a fascist government that is very active in Central Europe. They have a good army and a magnificent air force. Kassar is the financial power behind the throne. And so? I still don't see any connection. Right. Here we go. We've been picking up a lot of short-wave messages in figure cipher lately. Here's one of them. Hmm. Where'd they come from? Three places. There are three different stations sending this cipher. The Mauritanian Embassy in London and a private station we located at Greystone Hall. Then, last night, before and after the robbery, we were picking up messages from a ship somewhere in the channel, all in this cipher. Or one similar. But still, it might have nothing to do with the robbery. Do you understand our method of locating a sending station? Not very well. I know that you're going to get the exact direction or bearing of a sending station. We can do a lot better than that. It's perfectly simple. We have plenty of naval wireless stations all along the south coast. We were working on these cipher messages before this Ibex robbery happened. And what did you get? We had all our stations plot the bearing of the ship that was sending. The directions all intersect in and around the area where the Ibex was stopped. You mean the night of the robbery there was a ship sending these messages from positions near the vessel that was stopped? Right. And why couldn't you find it? Oh, come now. We did the best we could. We had five destroyers out within an hour of the report of the robbery. They all picked up the wireless signals and headed for the location that the signals stopped and they didn't find any ship. What do you think it was? Submarine? It could be, of course. Now for the last point. After that robbery occurred, as I said, we got messages coming from a ship in the channel. We plotted her position on the map. She was steering a course from the Devonshire coast. And Coombsheaton's in Devonshire. That's right. The chief would like you to get down there and see if you could find anything. You have full authority. Sounds like a wild errand. Can I have a copy of those cipher messages? Certainly, you can have them all. I'm afraid it's not very much use. We have some pretty good cipher experts. They say it's an outlaw cipher, sort of arbitrary code. Still, I might stumble onto it. Yes. Well, good luck, Blair. Where is your address at Coombsheaton? Yes, you can get me care of Dr. Craig Holland. Astley Cottage. He's a friend of mine. I'll be there this evening. Right. Goodbye, old chap. And keep your head down. Right, old chap. Goodbye, Reed. Hello, McLean. Glad to see you. Hello, sir. The doctor said to make yourself at home. The supper will be ready in half an hour. Good. That gives us time to talk things over. Hello, McLean. What do you think of it? Search me, Inspector. There's been so much happening. I haven't got my bearings yet. What do you think of this idea about Grayson Manor? That's what I'm wondering, sir. Funny that place should come under suspicion again. Yes. Did you look around there? I was there this afternoon. Do you see the owner of this, Mr. Cassar? The guy he was there showed me over the place. A very friendly old gentleman. You find nothing suspicious? I did not. You see, I've nothing definite to go on. Well, McLean, we've got to find something. This is the biggest thing since the war. The intelligence people believe that Grayson Hall is the place from which this robbery was directed. I may be, but there is nothing to show it. Do you inquire about those cypher messages? I talked to Mr. Cassar about them. He didn't conceal anything. He says there are messages in financial code. It might be, too. I've gone over everything with the naval people. They got men out along the coast hunting for likely places. I don't see what chance we have down here. They couldn't conceal a force of men at Grayson Hall without showing some activity. But there is one thing that looks very suspicious. What's that? You mind when Schwartz, the former owner of the hall, whispered to the country, Yes. Funny, he turned over everything to this new man, Cassar. Yes, the force had to get out in a hurry. He had much choice. Still, I'm thinking they're both in the same gang. That's a guess, McLean. Not altogether, sir. Swartz lose that same cypher for messages. And what? How do you know that? I took one of them. When we arrested him that time. Good Lord, you keep it? Certainly. I have it here. Just a mass of figures like the others. No rhyme or reason to it. Hold on. What's this in pencil at the beginning of the message? Just a couple of letters. Looks like OT. Swartz must have made that notation himself. Doesn't help, honey. No, I was wondering if it might be a guide decoding the message. OT. Does it suggest anything? Not a thing, unless... unless Old Testament. How does all the things Swartz would deal in? Well, how about in supper, Inspector? It's getting late. All right. Hello? Who? Oh, yes, sir. Hold the lines, sir. Inspector Blair. Yeah. Hello? Oh, yes, Reed. What's wrong? Eh? What? Another robbery? Where? Great scot. How much? What's that? Grace in the hole? Well, yes, if you think it's any use. No, nothing yet. All right. What, no, sir? Another gold robbery. Liner Altonius stopped off the coast of Ireland. A million sterling this time, taken in just the same way. Oh, gosh. What is this, anyway? I don't know. They're working fast. McCain? Yes, sir. Monterey wants us to watch Grace in Manor. It's funny. I think it's the idea that this thing's being direct from there. We've got a bite to eat and then get down there. Very good, sir. Well, come on. Let's get some supper. Just a minute, Inspector. What? Keep still. Why? What's wrong? There's something moving out there in the shrubbery. See it? Look through the big windy. Yes. Good Lord. What is it? In part, the Ibex mystery will be heard in episode 35 of Blair of the Mounties.