 Adventures of Frank Race, starring Tom Collin. The war changed many things, the base of the earth and the people on it. Before the war, Frank Race worked as an attorney, but he traded his law books for the cloak and dagger of the OSS. When it was over, his former life was over too. Adventure had become his business. The Adventures of Frank Race. Frank Race for the Enoch Arden Adventure. Those places that feature his music, not only for atmosphere, but also to drown out the cries of the patrons when they get their chicks. Mine was a mellow mood. I expected to be joined at any moment by a creature both feminine and blurring. So I was settling myself for a gentle and interesting evening when... Well, thank you, not that miss you, miss you. Hey, Ray, you tell these guys you know me, will you? Now, don't make a scene already. Let the gentleman in. Yeah, you see, wise guy. What's the fetch, Mark? I got a dame and a cab. She wants to see you. Why didn't you come in? She's supposed to meet me here. Oh, you're expecting a dame? You don't think I'd go white-tying the dine alone, do you? Well, I got me a feel of the dame in my cab. Ain't the one you're expecting. Larm, statuesque, rather beautiful. Uh-uh. Redhead, stacked, completely a pit. That good. All right, you saw me. Conray. Uh, you wish something, miss you, Ray? Lady, you're seeking me. I've been taken suddenly. You'll make it convincing. Oh, but of course, miss you, Ray. You are dying. The deal of phrase from Mark, the lady in the cab was a pip. I had a look at her while lighting a cigarette. Hell, the match until it almost burned my fingers. Then I sat back to await developments. I'm Hillary Stewart. I have a personal problem that I think you could help me with, Ray. A matter of insurance. The policy is for half a million dollars. Something tells me the insurance is on your husband's life. Yes. And at the moment he's alive? I don't know. You see, Ray, I'm 26 years old. I was married eight years ago. Almost seven years ago. My husband disappeared. Disappeared? Just disappeared. The police had the case. There was a lot of publicity. Oh, yes. Yes, I remember. Martin Stewart, senior partner in the importing firm of Stewart, Ronnick, wasn't it? That's right. And in this state, when a person's been missing for seven years, they... He may be declared legally dead under the Enoch Ardenlaw, which would make that little insurance policy of yours payable. You cover ground quickly, Mr. Ray. Half a million dollars, I'm afraid I can't see where you'd have any problems. Do you think the insurance company will be inclined to pay all that money without investigation? No. I think they'll investigate all over the place. But, everything's above, boy. Suppose they were to find that my husband had been murdered. It'd be important only if you murdered him. Did it? That's what I mean. That's why I want you to look into the affair for my protection. Will you take the case? Have dinner with me. It cocks me a little. I'd like that, but I can't. Not tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps? Let's drop it, perhaps. All right. And now, if I could be transferred to another cab, I must go home. Well, we'll take you home. Where to? Sumter Terrace, 1450. Sumter Terrace is an exclusive district. One of those streets where tall, thin trees line the curves and short, fat women prey to dogs. There was a man standing before the entrance to number 1450 as I escorted Hillary Stewart up the steps. She spoke to him. Hello, Gary. I'm sorry I'm late. I've been waiting an hour. I'm truly sorry. I'll go in and get ready right away. Thanks a lot, Mr. Race. If you'll call for me... Tomorrow. I'll remember. I watched her go into the building, then I turned toward Mark in the cab. But I didn't go toward them. Gary was there on the steps, blocking the way to the street. Stay away from her, understand? No, you're making me very sad. It's practically an engraved invitation to come back. Yeah? And what's this? He nailed me to the wall of the building. His outline danced in front of me as I fought to breathe. Stay upright. I was conscious of his grilling at me, an ugly grin. Then he put the door open and went inside. Oh, of course not, Race. No, just embarrassed, Mark. I'll be all right. I thought I saw him throw a snake punch at 30 Lothar. No good. What are you slugging? Well, I digest my food. Go on inside. I'll go in and beat his brain. No, not now, Mark. I can take care of myself. I have an idea we'll be seeing him again. The enforced soup that Gary had thrust upon me was wearing on my nerves for the next evening. My appetite was back in working order and my spirits were high. The housekeeper who answered the door at the residence of Hillary Stewart sent them into a nose dive. I don't understand it, sir. She left no messages. You have no idea where she could be reached, huh? Well, she took a plane last night to Europe. Europe? Last night? Yes, sir, to Zurich, Switzerland. Perhaps you could write to her there at the Hotel Metropole. I must suppose you have any idea of why she went there. Well, Mr. Stewart, God rest him, used to have a branch of his company there. I think Mr. Romick, his partner, works from there now. I'll take it you've been with Mrs. Stewart for some time. Oh, yes, sir. I was Mr. Stewart's housekeeper for ten years for a marriage. I understand he disappeared not long after the wedding. Yes. Happened right here in this very room. It was a Sunday afternoon. He was listening to the radio. And then the news came over that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. Mr. Stewart, he didn't say a word. He got up and walked out of the house, and we never saw him or heard of him again. Well, thank you. Thank you very much. With Hillary Stewart running out on me, my first reaction was an impulse to flip that old thing. I can do without women to play games, even glamourous redheads. I thought of her playmate Gary in that sneak punch and decided that I had to see that boy again. When he'd acted, made me certain I'd find him wherever I'd find Hillary. I played a hunch. I went into a phone booth and called several of the bigger life insurance companies. And I hit the jackpot when I spoke to Steve Watson, vice president in charge of claims at Columbia Life Plan. Yes, Rice, we issued the policy on Stewart's life. Why? Well, I just think the claim's a little fuzzy. I'd check some more before paying off. You told me that a little bit sooner. The claim was paid off in full yesterday. Yesterday? She'd already collected all her money. Was that Rice? Nothing, nothing, Steve. Anyway, you got something on your mind. Spill it. Hey, look, Steve, let me through your proposition. I think that claim's off base. Let me look into it. And if I come up with something, I'm working for you. And if I fail, I'm on my own. That's the deal. Where can I reach you? Make it care of American Express, Zurich, Switzerland. Switzerland, land of peace and comparative plenty, nestling in the heart of a war-torn and starving continent. Sitting down in the runway of the Zurich airport was different from most European landings. There were no bomb-shedded buildings, no rubble-choked streets. Mark and I smudged the register at the hotel metaphor. I found Hillary Stewart's name in the book, but she wasn't in, so I left Mark at the hotel and located the office of Stewart Runnig. Good and tug? Good and tug. I'm looking for a... No, a... Ich bin... An American, well, don't talk about the lingo, pal. Let's just talk the United States. Gladly. I always have trouble with my umlauts. So do I. Hey, where are you from? New York. No place like it. I used to play ball for the Dodgers. Two years with them before Uncle Robbie traded me. Third base. Yeah, the hot corn. Yeah. That was a long time ago. What'd you say your name was? Frank Reyes. And I'm looking for a young lady, I think you may know. Hillary Stewart? Sure I do. I was her husband's partner. I'm Pete Romick and you're in luck. Hillary's in the other office. Came in a few minutes ago. Come on. Hillary was sitting beside a desk, sitting hot chocolate. There was no flicker of surprise when she saw me. We were still playing a game when she was winning. Because I could see that she had been expecting me. Behind the desks, I had a dark-skinned man who might have been from the Mediterranean area. I had a feeling that, at home, he'd been wearing a turban. He was introduced as Sutra Heyman, manager of the office. You have just arrived in Switzerland, Mr. Reyes? A few hours ago. Enjoy a pleasant voyage. Enjoy the fast flight. You must have raced. Faster than I expected. Ah, but you did expect. You know, we never quite finished that chat we started in New York. Our dinner dates might result in a case of malnutrition for me. Forgive me, Reyes, and I'll make it up to you this very evening. There's a quaint place just on the outskirts of town. The Dorth. Let's meet there, um, say at eight. Fine. Eight o'clock it is. The Dorth is the kind of place you dream about. It had all the old world charm, along with candlelight, exquisite linen, and fine old silver. Place did something extra for Hillary's eyes. And it was difficult not to forget that this lovely creature was a very dangerous companion. Oh, I'm enjoying this enormously, Reyes. It's the sort of place I'd enjoy spending every evening with someone like you after I get the insurance money. You must be suffering from amnesia, child. You've already received the money. You can put away that fetching stare, Ducky. I got my information from the insurance company. All right, Reyes. I guess I should have given you my confidence in the first place. I'm listening. I engaged you, Reyes. Because I'm afraid. Of what? Of being murdered. For whom? Gary? Romick? I don't know. Perhaps my husband. Perhaps he really isn't dead. Oh, Ralph, I'm a coward, and the money only gives me more to fear. You're not silly enough to be cutting half million dollars around with you. No. No, I cashed a check, but I put the money in one of those rental lockers that look out of your field before I came over. Here. Here's the key that opens that locker, Ralph. I want you to keep it for me. You want me to keep it? I don't know why, but I'm convinced that getting rid of this key is my only chance of staying alive. Yeah, it's a very sweet thought. Now, we can stop worrying about you, but what about me? We'll return to the adventures of Frank Race in just about one minute. Back to the adventures of Frank Race. I waited for somebody to make a play, but nothing came. Until I got an invitation from Superhuman to take part in some winter sport to the chalet he owned above Snowline. Inside the chalet, there was a roaring fire in every room. Ramek was there. And so was Gary and a few other people I didn't know. But Heyman didn't bother with introductions. He showed me up to my room and he came in too. Closed the door. There is a small balcony outside the window, Mr. Rice. But do not become overly enthusiastic about the view. There is a sheer drop of almost 1,000 feet. You didn't come in to tell me that. Merely polite conversation. A payload to more important things. What's on your mind? Hillary Stewart. In what way? I'm in love with her. I want you to leave her alone. So you invited us up here to spend the weekend together? Rotten planning. I have several plans. Some of them pleasant. And the others? Most unpleasant. They do not come within a thousand feet of being pleasant. What do you want? The girl with the money. Because if it's the money, you have to deal with me. What do you mean? Stewart's insurance. Half a million dollars. It's locked up and I've got the only key to it. Then you are not interested in Hillary. Casual sort of way. Many men would be. Gary is the land you better keep the eye on. Gary works for me. It was his job to keep other men away from her. So that's it. Brace yourself for a shock, Hammond. Your muscle man has fallen in love with his work. Gary. You are joking. It's no joke, Hammond. He'll kill anybody who tries to take her away from him. Including you. After planting the seed of doubt within him and I went to bed. But I was rested. With that thousand foot drop outside the window, I felt like a flagpole sitting the day before he breaks the record. It was with sleepy delight that I found myself alive in the morning. But the sleepiness wore off with tobogganing and skiing. And the inevitable snow fight. Watch him race. He's putting chunks of race on him. As a kid, we used to use coal. I'll leave it up with you. Why don't you get on my right side? You're blocking my swing. No, son, I forgot you were a southpaw on. Oh, there's Hammond in the open. Let him have a camp. Damn, it's dying at last. Just when I was getting away in the shower, well, look, there's a car coming up the road. Yes, I think it's a plant of mine. I'm going to meet him. There's Mark all right in a battered cab that a New York hacky wouldn't have taken into the Catskills. I told the cab driver to wait, and I dragged the protesting Mark up to my room. What's the matter with you? What did you tell him to wait for? Because he's going right back with him. How about the cables? Oh, yeah. Bad news. The insurance company got in touch with the police, like you said, and they opened that lock at LaGuardia. But the loot was gone. Gone? Are you sure, Mark? Empty as a horse, play as pocket here. Read it yourself. Hmm. How about Rommick? Ah, two years with the Dodgers, all right. Don't base like he told it. Bad at a lousy 2-12, but he was okay in a few. Still, a southpaw third baseman is a bit unusual. What are you talking about? Rommick ain't no southpaw, he says he was the right-handed. Good boy, Mark. That's what I wanted. Then I don't have to go back down with that nut? No, more than ever. You're going to Paris. Paris? Ha! Why don't you say so? I'll slide down a hill on my nose. There's a Columbia Life Plan office on the Rue de la Paix. Get to the man in charge and tell him a sentient. Check. Rue de la Paix. Check. Tell him to contact every major insurance company on the continent and find out if any of them have ever paid a claim on the life of Pete or Peter Rommick. He ain't dead. You may be. Miss Rommick's an imposter. Yeah, and one more thing. I think Hillary brought the money over here with her. Half a million shouldn't be too hard to trace. Have all the foreign exchange branches of the banks checked to see if any private individual has had large sums of American currency exchanged for Franks or British pounds, any European currency. Consider it, I have done it. And we'll be back with the info in a couple of days. Wait a couple of days. I'll be as cold as Yann Mountain Peak. Heyman has a phone hidden in his den. That's part of the wires. Now, you stay at the Columbia Life Plan office and make them keep the place open all night if you have to. And I'll slip down during the night and fawn you from him. I would persuade him to stay open with me and ranch. I had less time than I thought. It was in their eyes at lunch. There was a lot of nervous tension around that table. Another very obvious thing was that all the other guests with the exception of Hillary, Rommick, Gary, and of course, Hamon, had suddenly left for other places, another company. You are not eating well, race. I should think the sports would sharpen your appetite. He goes on diet sometimes. He loves soup. No, I'm not much of a lunchhound. Neither is Hillary. Maybe we need more exercise. I think I'd like that. Excuse us, of course. The snow was beautiful and deadly. Deadly because he left a trail behind you with every step. There was no use trying to hide. There was no place to hide. Hillary knew it too because... Race or race? Hey, hey, take it easy. Hold me, race, I'm frightened. One of them's going to kill me. Why you? I've got the key. There's no time to argue the point because unless I'm mistaken, there's a man in that far slope and he is a rifle with a ton of scopic psych. Get down. Where is he? Never mind. Do as I tell you. Keep low. Race, we can't go any further. There's a drop here. There's a slight slope. It isn't too sure we may make it. Hold on to me now and relax. We're going to go bobsledding without our bobsledding. No, race, no! We hit the bottom. It was a little extra distance on our side. But we had to keep moving. At least we had darkness to cover us. Then we rested, but not for long. I was trying to figure out a way to work back to the house and keep my telephone roundable with Mark when... Race, race, look! Following the trail with torches. They're gracious, aren't they? It's only two lights, though. Somebody isn't playing. Race, you can hear me! Don't answer him. Well, thanks for the advice. Think I like to play clay pigeon? Answer me, Race. Or I shall have your friend call you. You don't think I let him get back to Zurich, do you? He's got Mark. Your friend wants you to join us here. I will let him tell you. Don't be a sucker, Race! Keep going! I'm sorry, Hillary. All right, Heyman, Gary. You convince me. Bargain with him, Race. They want the key. Very pertinent suggestion. Listen, Heyman! Before I make a target of myself, remember, I'm the only one who knows where that key is. Are you and your friend for 48 hours after which you will be released? Get lost! Race, get lost! All right, Heyman, but make Gary lay off. You can stop him by walking toward our torches. Here we come. We walk to the lights. Poor Mark. He looked like he'd gone 40 rounds of the Dempsey. His eyes swollen. Oh, God. Perhaps to fight another day, boy. All right, Heyman. Shall we march? An excellent suggestion. Your scout troop seems to be short a member of the Eager Beaver Patrol. Rummick? No, no, the man who posed as Rummick. You are very clever, Race. The real Rummick is dead, of course, as you surmised. How about the fake Rummick? He is dead too, Race. You see, he went up to search your room and he found part of the cablegram you tried to burn. The information about the real Rummick. He was very excited. He wanted to find you and confide in you, I think. But in his excitement, he fell from the balcony. Well, that's convenient. Only two of you to split the money now. Maybe how are you going to split Hillary? What do you mean, Race? Heyman was in a tender and confiding mood yesterday. He loves the lady. That makes you rivals, doesn't it? Heyman, he's needling you, you fool. If you can convince him of that, Heyman, you're dumber than I thought. I'm smart enough to make sure. Drop your gun, Heyman, and work with the rest. This is earlier than I had planned to scare him. But you had to be eliminated sooner or later. Oh, careful, Race. Now I knew you'd be a sucker, Gary. Leave me. Now, I'll take that. Good shoot, Race. Please, don't worry. I love the type. How do you feel, Mark? That's too bad. I thought you might want to tie this score with Gary. I get it. For that, I'm in a pink. I got one good run in me, and that's just about all it's going to take. No, you listen. You're a very lucky guy. I got my hand wrench. What do you know? Boy, look at all that ocean on us, would you? Well, I'd be glad to see New York again. Hey, what do you suppose them Swiss guys will do to that Gary? They murdered Heyman. They have laws. Good ones. You saved my life, Race. I'm very grateful. You'll pay for it. Of course. I'll pay you well. Are you sure the insurance company will close the case when we've told them everything? When we've told them everything, yes. And as soon as they locate and attach the money, we'll be a banked it in Europe. But I don't understand. And you've yet to be tried for being an accessory to your husband's murder. Oh, it's Mark's, Race. What are you... You made a big mistake, Hillary. You were the only one who knew the money wasn't in the locker. Or Heyman would have shot me on sight without trying to get the key. That's not true, Race. Oh, yes it is, Ducky. You were all in it together. You, Heyman, and the others. Heyman was easy to tag, too. You know, the manager of a branch office of a bankrupt firm wouldn't own a Swiss chalet. Equipped with servants. Unless he had private means. Like the money from Romick's insurance. That doesn't mean that I had any... It means you were greedy, Ducky. You didn't want Heyman to cut in on your half million. But, Race, why would I have called you in if I had anything to do with it? Yes, just so you could ask that very question. You knew that I would be the perfect alibi in the eyes of the insurance company. But it worked, too, beautifully. If you hadn't taken that money out of the locker. You're not going to send me to prison, Race. Never! Never! Race, he's getting away! Twenty thousand feet with all that ocean down there. Relax, Mark. She isn't going far. Race, starring Tom Collins with Tony Barrett as Mark Dollins with Tony Barrett as Mark Dunn. Others heard in tonight's cast were Michael Ann Barrett, Tom Holland, Charlie Lung. This series is written and directed by Joel Murcott and Buckley Angel. The music is composed and played by Ivan Dittmarz. Be sure to be with us again this same time next week for another dramatic chapter in The Adventures of Frank Race. Art Gilmore speaking. Broselle's production.