 Yes, it's another case for that most famous of all man hunters. The detective whose ability at solving crime is unequaled in the history of detective fiction. Nick Carter, master detective, presented by the three great Linux home Brightoners. Linux Clear Gloss, Linux Cream Polish, and Linux Self-Polishing Wax, created by ACME, America's great producer of ACME quality paints. Today's curious adventure, murder in a decanter, or Nick Carter and the mystery of the missing body. In just a moment we'll hear how Nick Carter solved the mystery of the decanter murder. But first I want to ask you something. Does your home have that inviting holiday look the whole year round? It can have. Yes, just as chemtone the miracle wall finish has brought new beauty to your walls, so the three great Linux home Brightoners will bring added loveliness to your floors, woodwork, and furniture. Linux Self-Polishing Wax, which beautifies your floors with a satiny yet tough, non-skid finish that resists wear, water, and dirt. Linux Cream Polish, which cleans as it polishes, leaving no oily film on your furniture. And Linux Clear Gloss Varnish, the durable supervarnish that dries to an elastic transparent surface, which protects all wood and linoleum in your home. You'll find the three great Linux home Brightoners at your hardware, paint, or department store. Your headquarters also for Chemtone, the miracle wall finish. And now for today's mysterious adventure with Nick Carter. As our story opens we find Nick and Patsy at a New Year's party talking to their host. I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, but the man I asked you here to meet has been unavoidably detained. You and he would have had a great deal in common, I know. Yes, Nick's been looking forward to it for a long time now, Mr. Carter. And I can keep looking forward to it for a while longer, I guess. Well, Mr. Carter, you'll probably find all kinds of people at my parties. I'll be seeing him. Well, there are certainly all kinds of people here, Patsy, but I can't see anyone I care about talking to. The trouble with you, Nick, is that all you think about is business. Well, true enough, but in my business I meet people who are interesting and frequently intelligent, even if they are crooks, but here. There are probably interesting characters here if we only knew which ones they are. Yes. Now, look at that man just coming into the room. If you can call him a man. Macley, I believe his name is. Typical jiggaloo if I ever saw one. And he's not contented with drinking at the bar. He's carrying his own private decanter of whiskey right along with him. Yes, he's hardly an attractive type, but to me that is. I understand that he's considered very attractive by many women, however. Do you know him? No, but I know something about him. For one thing, I understand that he and our hostess are pretty sick and that he... Uh-oh, he's coming over here. I hope he doesn't want to stick around. Having fun, Carter? Great party, isn't it? Yes, if you like it. Well, I've just been giving a bit of extra attention to our lovely hostess. She's almost out. She shouldn't drink so much, you know. The lovely Cynthia just can't take it, I'm afraid. Is she all right, Mr. Macley? Oh, yes, yes, practically speaking. I just left her on the devan in a small den upstairs. Gave her a little snifter and left her there to sleep it off. The small den? Yes, her upstairs library where she keeps her account books and whatever. Nice private little place to get rid of that too much, too fast feeling, you know. Yes, I see. That's why that whiskey decanter you're carrying around, I suppose, Mr. Macley. Oh, yes, yes. I can now put it back on the shelf behind the bar where it belongs. Cheerio. What an unpleasant creature. Yes. Now, Cynthia wants a two-timer husband for a thing like that I certainly don't admire or taste. Well, I've had enough of this any time you have, Nick. Shall we leave here? You're Mr. Carter the detective, aren't you? Why, yes, I am. It must be thrilling to be a detective. Well, I suppose that's all on the point of view, Miss... Bentham, Carla Bentham. My brother's Wallace Bentham, Mr. Cord's private secretary. Oh, yes. Mr. Carter. Yes, Miss Bentham? Will you please help me find my brother? Find your brother? What do you mean? I'm sure he's here in the house somewhere, but I can't find him. I'm really terribly worried. But why? He was to have taken me home an hour and a half ago, Mr. Carter, at 11 o'clock. We'd both work and he knows I have to get up early for my job. But isn't it just possible he's simply forgotten it? He may be sitting in a corner somewhere with some very young... Wallace isn't like that, Mr. Carter. I know he'd have met me unless something serious was detaining him. Quite frankly, Miss Bentham, I can't get very worried about you, brother. He'll turn up, I'm sure. Mr. Carter, I've searched all over the house. He simply isn't around. You mean you've looked in every room in the house? Every room, but one, literally. But the door of the small den on the second floor is locked. I couldn't get in there, so I don't know if he's there or not. Did you knock? Yes, and nobody answered. Nick, that's the room where Mr. Macley said he left our hostess. Probably, Betsy. Well, if she's practically out on her feet, it's funny the door should be locked, isn't it? Oh, I don't know. Mr. Carter, will you come up with me? I'm afraid. I don't know why. I just am. Go ahead, Nick. It won't take but just a few minutes. All right, Miss Bentham. It'll make you happier. Lead on, and we'll follow along. It's right over here, Mr. Carter. Is this where the 40 thieves hung out? How do you mean? Look at the size of those jars or urns or whatever you call them. Two at the head of the stairs and two more in the landing. Boy! They're Oriental, I believe. Brought back by one of Mr. Coord's ancestors. This is the room. Here. The door's locked, all right. Well, let's try knocking. You see? No answer. Well, the detective's supposed to look through keyholes, so I might as well live up to my reputation. Yes, I think I will have a look in there after all. Well, something is wrong, Nick. Mr. Carter, what is it? You'll see in just a moment. And it won't be pleasant, I warn you. Let me get this door open. That's Mrs. Coord. That was Mrs. Coord. Oh, the whole top of her skull is smashed in. Oh, Nick! Wallace! Wallace! There's obviously no one in this room but the body. But Wallace, where's Wallace? This is the only place where he could be and he isn't here. Excuse me. Please, Mr. Ben. This is a matter for the police. I hope Lieutenant Riley doesn't mind being hauled out of bed in the middle of the night. You sure nobody's touched anything since you found the body? Positive, Sergeant Kilroy. It's a wonder to me how we always find you on the scene of a killing whenever we get here. Lieutenant Riley lets you get away with murder. But now that he ain't here, you've got me to deal with. And I ain't as soft in the head as he is, not where you're concerned. Sorry, I annoy you, Sergeant, but I just happen to be here. Yeah, I suppose so. Well, suppose you just happened to tell me what you found out so far. I was glad to help the police, Sergeant, when they needed, which is often enough generally. Well, look here. The body was just where you'll see it now on the floor there. I could see it through the keyhole, which is why I opened the door in the first place. On the desk, you see two glasses and an empty bottle of burgundy. And that's all. Where's the murder weapon? That you'll have to answer for yourself. I haven't found it anywhere. Got any suspects? Have you talked to Mackley yet? I have. He says he was up here in the den helping Mrs. Corde get over a bad spell. He says he gave her a shot of liquor and went downstairs again. That's all he knows. Put some in a pretty tight spot, doesn't it? It might, except for a few facts you've overlooked. Such as what? Carla Bentham swears her brother must have been in this room. Says she searched the rest of the house and couldn't find him. Therefore, he was in here. Therefore, he killed Mrs. Corde, and scrammed out of here with a murder weapon. He ain't here anywhere, so he must have taken it with him. Sure of that? Mrs. Corde was clubbed to death. There's nothing in any of these rooms that could have done the clubbing. Therefore, young Wallace and the weapon went out of here together. Kail Roy sounds like a pretty feeble story to me. You don't even know Wallace was in this room. You may have been outside on the grounds while his sister was looking for him. You think Mackley did it? I feel quite sure he didn't. His motive would have been to keep her alive rather than otherwise. He could get money and gifts out of her only as long as she was alive and healthy. No, I haven't found the murderer yet, and neither have you, Kail Roy. Yeah? Well, how about this? Wallace bent them in here now, is he? Apparently not. Then how did he get out of this place? He ain't in the house, he ain't anywhere on the grounds. My men know that now. And there's a wall around this place with only one gate. And the man at the gate says he ain't left here since he came in last night. Which means he sneaked away by somehow climbing over the wall. If that don't mean he's guilty, I'm a herring's uncle. You got any theory about what happened here? I got just one theory and it's the right one. The servants told us there's been something going on between young Bentham and Mrs. Cord. Tonight young Bentham found Mrs. Cord and Mackley having a drink in here. There's the two glasses in the empty burgundy bottle. He was jealous, waited until Mackley had gone out and clubbed her over the head in a jealous rage. Very simple when you put it that way. You got any better ideas? Until I have facts to go, I don't have any ideas at all. Well, I think I'll be getting home if I can find Patsy. Good night, Lieutenant. Or should I say Sergeant? That's all right, Carter. It'll be, Lieutenant, one of these days and don't you forget it. And when it is, Carter, watch your step. I'll be happy to. So long. Nick Carter's office. Hey, Mr. Carter, this is you know who. Don't mention my name. Oh yes, I recognize your voice. Can you come to 2343 Ordeen Street at once? I'm in terrible trouble. Terrible. But what's the matter? I can't tell you on the phone. For the love of heaven, come. All right. Lucky you caught me. I was just going out to dinner. Be right over. Hey, that's Mackley. With the top of his head crushed in two. Yes, there's what did it. A heavy glass book-ender. I found him like that when I came home. You just got in when you phoned me? Yes. I opened my door and there he was. Been dead less than an hour, I should say. What will the police say? And after what happened to Mrs. Cord last night? Yes, Sergeant Kail Roy will undoubtedly have plenty to say. How do you suppose Mackley got in here? He may have picked the lock. Or... Or what? My brother Wallace had the only other key to my apartment. If he were here and opened the door to find Mackley there instead of you, you might have swung with a book-ender. Oh, I wonder. Miss Bentham, how well do you know Mr. Mackley? I only met him once before last night. If he's almost a stranger, why should he come here to see you? I don't know. And that's the truth. Let's see what he has in his pockets. Maybe that'll tell us something. Usual junk man carries around. Pencils. Pen. Seated bill. Check for his car in a parking lot around the corner. See here. This is addressed to you. What is it? Says, dear Miss Bentham, I've phoned all day to try to get in touch with you. Finally, I came in person as I could wait no longer. I must see you. I have something to tell you about last night and your brother. Also, I want your help. I want you to keep... and that's all. That's a funny way for a note to end, Mr. Carter. Yes. That and the ragged way the note is folded makes it obvious. He was scribbling this note to you here at your table when something startled him and he crammed it in his pocket. And then he was killed. But who killed him and how did they get in here? See what's outside this window. Ah, here's the answer. Marks of shoenails in the window sill. A flat roof only six feet below your window here. Looks as if somebody got out here. Probably the killer. May have heard your key in the lock and dashed out this way. Maybe I'm lucky he didn't wait and kill me too. Miss Bentham, does your brother drink wine? You're thinking of the empty bottle in the two glasses in Mrs. Cord's room last night, I suppose. Yes. Yes, Wallace drinks only wine. Nothing else. But what does that... Open up in the name of the law. The police. Open up, Carter. I know you're there and the girl too. Quiet. Let me handle this. Just a second. So, another killing, eh? And you are in on this, Carter. Last night I thought you weren't, I was here with this girl and a dead man. What I told you last night was a truth kill, Roy. I know nothing about this except that you see here. Miss Bentham came home tonight and found... Sure, sure. I know. Hold out your hand, Carter. What are you figuring on, Sergeant? What do you think? You're in this thing up to your neck. I'm taking you in and locking you up. No. What can Nick do now? Arrested and in jail for a murder he didn't commit, he can't do much to find the real murderer. What's going to be his next step? We'll see in just a moment. No matter how careful we are, we're all likely to track in mud, snow and slush from out of doors these winter days. Save time and energy by protecting your floors. Use Linux self-polishing wax, the non-skid finish, to give your wood and linoleum floor surfaces protection plus beauty. Because Linux self-polishing wax contains genuine carnauba wax, it wears well and may be renewed at any time without re-waxing the whole floor. Linux self-polishing wax resists water too so that it may be wiped up easily and it lessens your work because Linux self-polishing wax keeps dirt on the surface where it's readily wiped away. What's more, Linux self-polishing wax gives all your floors a beautiful, satiny appearance you'll be proud of. Best of all, Linux self-polishing wax requires no tiresome rubbing or polishing. You simply wipe it on, in a jiffy. So depend on the modern way to keep your floors looking their best with a minimum of work. Get Linux, L-I-N-DASH-X, Linux self-polishing wax now. You'll find all three great Linux home brightness and ChemTone, the miracle wall finish at hardware, paint and department stores everywhere. And now back to our story. I met Nick trying to talk Sergeant Kilroy out of arresting him for murder but without much success. You're in this thing up to your neck and I'm taking in and locking you up. Well, that's absurd, Kilroy. I have nothing to do with it. Put your hands out, Carter. Kilroy, you're a fool. Why are you interfering? You shouldn't hit a policeman, Mr. Carter. I know it, but I had to do it. I've got to be on the loose for a time. I'm just beginning to make sense out of this. Come on. Where? Kilroy was alone when he came up here, but he must have men downstairs. Do you have any money? Yes, some. Good. Go to a side street hotel somewhere and register under an assumed name. I'll be at the Green Hotel under the name of John Nicholas. But don't call me unless it's very important. Casey's parking lot. Yes, this is the one. Will you get this car for me, please? Here's the check. Yes, this ought to be far enough away. Now let's see if there's anything in this car of Magleys. Nothing inside here. Well, maybe he has something in the rear compartment. Just one of these keys unlocks this. Ah, hat box, huh? That's a whole lot heavier than any hat box I ever... Uh-oh. I'll have to postpone this investigation for now. I'd better get out of here. It's you, Nick. Yes. So long since you've used that private entrance of yours, I'd almost forgotten about it. It's been a long time, Pat, since I've had to get into my office without anyone seeing me. What have you done now? Oh, Sergeant Kilroy and I had a little argument, and I won by a knockout. Oh, Nick, you didn't. I had to. It was Kilroy or me. So that's why those two cops have been hanging around out in front here for the last hour. What's going on? Plenty. Is that a hat box you have there? Yes, it belonged to Magleys. To Magleys? Yes. He was murdered in Carla Bentham's apartment earlier this evening. Oh? I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I want to find out why a hat box would be so heavy. Give me those scissors. Here you are. Oh, a snip here, a snip there, and the string is off. We lift the lid and we find... Huh, lots of tissue paper. Hurry up, Nick. And under the tissue paper, we find... a whiskey decanter. Oh, but that can't be whiskey in it. It's too red. You're right there. Oh, don't touch it, Betsy. Maybe fingerprints on it. Oh. Let me use my handkerchief. I'll take it out where I can see it better. Oh, that's a beautiful thing, Nick. Why, it's cut glass. Yes, but what's that in it? Smells like wine. As it is wine. A sparkling burgundy, I should say, with no more sparkle left in it. That's a funny thing to do, put wine in a whiskey decanter. Yes, and I have a feeling I've seen this decanter before. Of course, Nick. Matley had it at the Chord's party last night. Right, Betsy. He brought it downstairs and set it on the shelf of that little private bar. Brought it downstairs from the den where Mrs. Chord was murdered. And let me look at it again. That's why the wine was put in it. This was what killed Mrs. Chord, Betsy. What? Yes, see the blood right on the corner here. What? You can't see it with a decanter full of wine unless you look for it. And there are fingerprints on it, too. I can see them. Betsy, that's the answer. I don't get it, Nick. You will later. Right now, I've got to get over to the Green Hotel where I'm supposed to be registered as John Nicholas. I'll see you later. And take good care of that decanter. No wonder why I ever picked out such a dump to come to. She would at least have picked her radio. Yes? Can you come to see me again? Right away? What is it this time? Something special. Wallace is coming to see me, and I thought... Wallace? Your brother? Yes, and I thought he could get some advice from you. How do you know he's coming? He just phoned me. Said he'd be here in five minutes. But that's utterly and completely impossible. That's what he said. How do you know where to phone you? I guess he must've been near my hotel when I left and followed me here. Can you come? You bet I'll come. I wouldn't miss it. Where are you? I'll be there in ten minutes. Oh, clerk. Yes, sir? Miss Helen Laughlin's room. Uh, number 211, right at the head of the stairs. Is she expecting you? No, she's not expecting me. And I don't want to phone up to her. I want a surprise her, see? Oh, sorry, sir. Rules are that all visitors have to be announced. Is that so? Well, here's a $5 bill. See it? Yes, sir. I'm not tired and half. So... Here's half for you and half for me. You get the other half if you don't phone on the head that I'm coming. If you do phone ahead, I've got something else here in my hip pocket that you'll get when I come down. And I know how to handle it, too. You get me? Yes, sir, I get you. You can go right on up. Nobody will announce you. Okay. See you later. Get your hands up, quick, Carter. Close the door, Arthur. Yes, father. Very nicely done. Mr. Cord and son Arthur. I'm not mistaken. I'm sorry, Mr. Carter, they made me phone you. No, they did. If you'd twisted her arm and she was glad to oblige. I knew they'd be here, Miss Bentham. So I notified the cops on our way up here. They should be along anyway. Father, hear that? We've got to get out. He's lying. The police would never believe him now. He's wanted himself. Besides, why should he expect to find us here? For the simple reason that Miss Bentham's brother Wallace just couldn't be coming here to see her. It's a physical impossibility. What do you mean by that? The dead can't walk. He's just talking, Carla. Come, Carter. Where's that decanter? Suppose I told you it was at headquarters. Fingerprints, blood and all. I wouldn't believe you. You couldn't know anything about it. It couldn't be much planer. Blood in two places and the decanter. Well, your wife was clubbed once and the other place must have been where you clubbed Wallace. Oh, no. No. I'm sorry, Miss Bentham. These two killed your brother's who. Father, he knows. Just what do you know, Carter? Plenty. You caught Wallace and your wife together and killed them both by slugging them with a whiskey decanter. I imagine that Macley was close enough to see you do it without being seen himself. Then you had the idea that if young Bentham disappeared, the police had blamed the murder on him. So you and your precious son carried his body out and hid it. But while you were gone, Macley got his big idea. Blackmail. Here in front of him was a decanter with blood and fingerprints on it. And you, Mr. Cord, were now a very rich man, having inherited your wife's fortune at her death. So Macley got the decanter, poured out the whiskey and filled it with the wine from the bottle on the desk. The blood didn't show up that way. Then he took it down to the bar, carrying it carefully so as to preserve the valuable fingerprints. Father, how can he know all this? Go on, Carter. Anything else? Plenty. Judging by the note we found on Macley's body a while ago, he must have gone to Carla's apartment to let her in on the blackmailing scheme, too. Maybe he wanted to hide the decanter there for safety. But you trailed him there, Cord, and sucked him with the bookend, figuring you don't hang any higher for three murders than for two. But Carla came in just then, and you had to leave before you could search Macley's body. Then I got into the case. You trailed me and sold me a get-hold of Macley's car in which the decanter was hidden. Meanwhile, your sweet son trailed Carla here, and the rest was easy. Force her to call me and then force me to produce the incriminating decanter. You're a fool. Why should I kill my own wife? Because she had money and because you were broke. That and a jealous disposition are motive enough. Okay, so I killed her. Now I want that decanter. You'll call a messenger on that phone. Tell him where to bring it to you at once. If you don't, we'll start working on Carla again. Okay, God, you win. For Carla's sake, I'll do it. Let me have the phone. That's more like it, Carter. Call Cranston 1365. That's the nearest messenger office. Here, take the receiver. I'll dial it for you. Very well. Duck up! Are you slapping that little whore? Give me that gun. I'll fix you. Take it easy. I'll take over now. All right. Good for you, Sergeant. Well, did you hear anything while you were out there? I heard enough to send the old boy to the chair. I'm glad you got my message okay. Message? I didn't get any message from you. The hotel clerk downstairs phoned and said... That was the message I sent you. After I threatened him with my gun and flashed a torn $5 bill on him, I knew he'd get in touch with headquarters right away. Smart fellow, that clerk. Wouldn't let anyone put anything over on him. And you're a smart fellow, too. Kill Roy, recognizing his description of me and answering the call yourself. Well, nobody but me was going to have the pleasure of pulling you in. But look here, Carter. You said Cord and his son hid Young Bentham's body. We went all over the house last night. And he isn't hidden there. Could you look at one of those big urns that Cord's place is decorated with? You mean those big vases? Heck, no. Never thought to look inside there. I'll send someone up right away. Well, how about me? I haven't forgotten. You wanted to arrest me a while back. I ain't forgotten it, Carter. And I ain't forgotten about that sock and the jaw you gave me. But, uh, look, suppose we decide that I broke this murder case myself. Would you have any objections? Why, no, Sergeant. Tell you what I'll do. I'll swap you a decanter, complete with fingerprints and blood stains, and return for letting bygones be bygones and no hard feelings anywhere. Agreed? Okay, but in the future, keep out of my way. I don't want to have any more arguments with you. Your arguments have too much punch behind them for me. In just a moment, Nick and Patsy will return with a preview of next week's exciting case. But before they do, here's a New Year's resolution for you. One, you'll find it easy to keep. The resolution that this year, will make your home a more pleasant, more inviting place to be. With the three great Linux home brightness, it's always easy to keep your floors, furniture, and woodwork shining clean. Take Linux Cream Polish, for instance, which gives your furniture a handsome, lustrous look in half the time. Yes, it's true. For Linux Cream Polish cleans as it polishes, saving you one whole step in your cleaning day routine, and removing in one quick application the cloudy accumulation of dust and previous polish. Linux Cream Polish banishes messy fingerprints and helps conceal ugly scratches too, and it leaves no oily film to attract more dust to make more work. So be sure to ask your dealer for Linux Cream Polish. Get all three great Linux home brightness. That's Linux, spelled L-I-N-dash-X. You'll find them, Linux Self-Polishing Wax, Linux Cream Polish, and Linux Clear Gloss Varnish at your nearest hardware, paint, or department store. One other important reminder. This is the final week of the Great Sixth War Lone Drive. Make the world's safest investment now. Invest in victory, in post-war stability, in your own future security. Buy an extra war bond, and make your idle dollars fighting dollars. And now let's hear from Nick Carter himself. How are you going to start the new year off, Nick? Have you got a good story for us? Well, I think so, Ken. A friend of mine, a college professor, was shot in his own home just a few minutes before I got there to see him. The motive was not robbery, but we couldn't find any other motive either. And as Nick didn't take me with him on that trip, he didn't have the advantage of my experience and training as a super detective. Which was a great mistake, Patsy, as Nick undoubtedly found out. Another murder followed on the heels of the first, and a third victim was nearly added to the list. The said third victim being Nick himself. Yes, I came near the end of that time that had any other in my life. What do you call it, Nick? I've called it Monkey Sees Murder. Or the mystery of the Peruvian Red Mark. Listen next week for further details. So long for now. I think you'd be interested to hear Nick Carter as the guest detective on the Quick as a Flash program this evening at six o'clock over most of these stations. Why not tune in? And now, so long. And so long to you both, Nick and Patsy. Be seeing you again next week. Next week at the same time, listen to another curious experience of Nick Carter, master detective, entitled Monkey Sees Murder. Or Nick Carter. And the mystery of the Peruvian Red Mark. Nick Carter, master detective, is featured in Street and Smith magazines. Lawn Clark is starred as Nick, with Helen Chote as Patsy. Original music is played by Lou White, and the programs are written and directed by Jock McGregor. And now, the three great Linux home brightners, Linux Clear Gloss Varnish, Linux Cream Polish, and Linux Self Polishing Wax, created by ACME White Lead and Colorworks, America's great producer of fine ACME quality paints, wishes every one of you real contentment and success during the new year. Ken Powell speaking. This is Mutual.