 Good evening, this is Ken Roberts inviting you to listen to another adventure of Casey crime photographer Ace cameraman who covers the crime news of a great city our adventure for tonight woman of mystery About 10 o'clock in a private office at police headquarters a telephone rings and I'll start your old captain Logan speaking Who's this speaking? What's your address? What makes you think I will be there right away, Mrs. Banks Tell the tech squad and the doc to follow us to 12 21 stiger Street. Are you go there with me? What's happened to 12 21 stiger Street? What are you two doing here? We usually drop in some time during the day to inquire what's happening in the murderer department And it seems we picked just the right time today. Okay, miss Williams. You win that luck with the camera. Follow my car Right behind him boy is this a crummy neighborhood. Yeah, we won't get any front-page stuff here Murder's got to be glamorized to rate big headline. Yeah, come on any The little woman's come out of that door Mrs. Charles Peter Captain Logan, this is Sergeant Martin Who's that fellow with the picture? Just a press photographer, Mrs. Banks pay no attention to him. You're here to take pictures of me young man Definitely, Mrs. Banks come in and make yourself to home you and your lady friend both Where's this rumor you think in the front bedroom just off my parlor here there Doors locked well, it's the only room. I rent out only room. I got a rent matter of fact Sergeant yeah, take a squint through this keyhole. There's only four rooms in this place Paula kitchen front and back bedrooms. I'd say the woman lying on the floor in there has been stabbed captain I used to have a nice big house when my husband was alive One pushes all the door like that needs Well, I'll get another door somewhere Woman's stone cord been dead for hours and a knife in her back was pushed in up to the hilt. How do you keep out of this room? I don't want you stepping on possible evidence What's the dead woman's name, Mrs. Banks? Oh Miss Jessup poor miss Jessup Miss Jessup Dorothy that's at least that's what she told me such a nice woman She was so quiet and she paid a rent so regular. I want to hear all you know about her in a minute The big gal only a husky could have driven that knife so deep in her back modern And it was done with one clean stroke. Yeah, it took muscle to do that captain They got any idea who was with your rumor last night, Mrs. Banks No, I haven't young man. Miss Jessup came home about eight o'clock and said good evening And then when it over here and I heard of both the door I went to my own bedroom pretty soon after that and went to sleep This morning I called to her and she didn't answer. I tried the door and found it locked and then I did what? Any woman would do and peek through the keyhole and after that I run out to the corner store Where there's a phone and called you the door was fastened on the inside with a good strong bolt Hey, see I told you not to come in. I'm only poking my head around the door frame Well the killer never left this room by the door. That's all together obvious miss Williams. He used the window He couldn't have done that captain that when this lock. Mrs. Banks. It's open several inches from the bottom. I say it's locked I know my own house It is locked in this position and locked from the inside by them spring bolts in the frame Miss Jessup always left it like that at night open enough to get fresh air, but not open enough So even a cat could crawl in Say She's been killed in a room that nobody could have got in or out of Casey let me take another look at that knife. Yeah, the woman couldn't have stabbed herself in the back like that, sir I was miss Jessup murdered. How the answer seems very simple to me. Mrs. Bank. Oh, it is Well, sure. I'll show you why it's simple pal if you'll give me your royal permission to come through this doorway Okay, but watch your step. Thank you When I look This is an old-fashioned type of window without counterweights or friction slides Raise or lower the sash you pull out two spring catches on the side. I know that what I don't know wait a minute wait a minute The round spring bolts in the sash snapped into holes in the casing and lock that is when they find those holes Now that can be prevented I was a kid. We lived in an old house had this arrangement. I used to monkey with it You get to the point me a chance Now probably to delay this discovery of the body whoever killed this woman figured it's smart to leave the window as she usually locked it at night Only a few inches from the bottom So Ran a pair of thin strips common metal bailing straps to do the trick between the sash and the casement Climbed outside lowered the window pulled out his strips and let the spring bolt shoot into place It could have been done that way easy captain. Yeah, okay. See now. You've ruined a nice mystery I've always wanted to run into a real case of murder where the killer has vanished from an escape-proof room You and I should live so long any but who could have been the big strong person who dropped that dagger into Miss Jessup's bag Mrs. Banks step back into your part. We are I want you to tell me all you know about this Yes, and that sounds like the tech squad sergeant. Let him in and help me give that room the works. Yes, sir Oh, Mrs. Banks How long have you known miss jessup only two months captain since she rented my room I don't really know anything about her at all except She was a woman of mystery a woman of what mystery captain a woman of mystery The sum up what you've been saying mrs. Banks this woman dorthy jessup answered an advertisement you put in the paper It said refined lady has pleasant furnished room to rent in own home That's beside the point I decided to take a room a captain not so much because I needed the money though I could use it of course as because I get kind of lonesome and I figured having another woman in the house He's gone over that jessup seemed so nice and quiet. She wasn't a giddy young thing She was 45 at least so I know the point mrs. Banks is that she never told you anything about herself That's why I say she was mysterious captain most women do tell things women like to talk Yeah, I'm getting the proof of that Take it easy logan take it easy Mrs. Banks you want take another picture of me mr. Casey Well, I've taken a half a dozen of you while you've been getting acquainted with the captain But you see now we'd like to nail something down Did miss jessup ever say or do anything to give you the idea that she had secrets Secrets that might possibly explain her murder. She certainly did do something She come into my house with a suitcase and from that day on she never went out of her room without leaving that suitcase locked How did you discover that I How do you suppose I discovered it a body's got every right to find out where the folks distrust him and lock things up Our sergeant martin Yes, sir as a locked suitcase in the dead woman's room and bring it here if the tech man have finished with it Okay, captain. I was just coming out for you. The doc would like to have you in there for a minute All right. Do you stay here with mrs. Banks? You don't have to leave a policeman to watch me. No, no, no, don't worry. You're not being watched mrs. Banks They whose pictures this on your wall is beautiful young woman. Why mr. Casey Believe it or not. That's a photograph of me Took 50 years ago. You know, I figured it was you you could tell Seeing me all wrinkled now and shrunk up. Yeah face still has the Fine lines of the girls in this picture. Oh, that's nice of you to say My husband used to make pretty speeches like that to me Charlie's been gone now for 14 years. Tell us about yourself and your husband mrs. Banks for the story All right, well your newspaper story won't be the first one read about charles peter banks and me mrs. Williams We was once some hoodies Uh somebody you ever hear of lisabeth fontanoy? No, of course you didn't lisabeth fontanoy was my stage name back in your grandmother's day You were an actress. Uh-huh. What was called a soup grad? What do you know? I wasn't a very good one I guess I was just young and pretty and looked good and tight and My husband was a real somebody though. Charles peter banks was educated a scholar He wrote a book a book. Yeah about historical things. You probably wouldn't understand There's a book he wrote on the table. Oh, may I look at it? Sure, but handle it careful It's old and not very strong like me. I'll be careful. Let's see casey Hmm The art of war in the middle ages Colleges and museums used to ask for my charlie's opinion on that subject Oh, he knew all about battle axes and swords and what men wore when they fought in ancient days and Newspapers and magazines used to mention his name and mine too Uh, you might maybe put in a word or two about that and your story miss I shall move back. Oh, here's that dreaded captain back again All the docs just confirmed my opinion of this stabbing casey. What do you say logan? At only a very strong person could have done the job The knife was driven completely through that woman's body and through a rib bone through a rib bone Yeah Say mrs. Banks, do you know of any big or very strong people who were associated with miss jessup? Well, I don't know if you called my next-door neighbor associated with it But he's big and strong and she had a fight with him last week She had a fight. Well not exactly a fight She just told him she'd scratch his eyes out If he didn't stop getting drunk and pestering her Gus ettenberg's what I call a masher Made leaner finnigan mad as all get out when gusts put a shy in the miss jessup No, well, what was leaner finnigan mad about she was jealous She wants to marry gusts They'd make a good pair lean as big as a skinned horse just like he is at last Telling me something that they helped my investigation. Hold your horses. I don't think gusts or leaner killed miss jessup Though I might be wrong Have you looked into a suitcase yet? No, but I got it here Also the key to it far to the dead woman's purse. I'll open it now and let's see Only a few papers inside. I see what they are Look at I have seen documents like that before it's a parolee's discharge of avon prison in the name of dorthy jessup Prentice Dorothy Prentice. Well, she's the dame who murdered them. I remember reading about that case The parole board let her out last spring after she'd served 20 years of a life sentence You mean my rumor was a murderous Sure was she carved up a guy named lou costa who was a big rum runner back in prohibition days, mr And now she's been killed with a knife kasey. This is finally beginning to look like front page I'll see it as we can resurrect the story of the costa murder Dorothy Prentice's trial or 20 years in prison everything. Oh, I never would have dreamed Now I can figure why she was scared of that man Man what man the mysterious man. Oh, no, lady. Will you please talk straight? She told me if this man ever come to the house that I was to say she didn't live here She described him to me and then one day he did come I did as she asked and he went away But later only two or three days ago I seen him watching the house When I told her she liked to die to fright now you tell me about this Well, you didn't ask me about the mysterious man before Of course now I figure he was a detective who was watching this his banks. Let me figure hold it Hold it pal. Mother banks. Will you describe the mysterious man to me? Of course. I will boy He was a big gray headfella with a little black moustache And a long scar on his left cheek a scar it ran from the bridge of his nose right down to his jaw Logan She's described Mike cost a brother of the rat Dorothy Prentice killed Mike's one of the toughest crooks in my book and he's never been known to forget a grudge He's paid that demo for knifing his brother. Oh, casey. Will this be a story and I'll be in it miss will you? I'll say you'll be in it mrs. Banks as a star witness, but on your hat and coat mrs. Banks We're going to headquarters where you can look at Mike cost his picture And if you identify him this case will be all washed up It's a picture the man I know captain that mysterious man miss jessup with a fear of Sergeant get out of pickup order on scarface. Mike costa have him brought in here and quick Boys have got Mike costa captain. That's swell sergeant bring him in here I I don't think you'd like him in your private office the way he is sir What do you mean? Mike tried to shoot it out with a cop's who cornered him and uh But he didn't do so well They're in good health, but uh, he's dead. He tried shooting it out, right casey That's pretty good proof that he killed Dorothy Prentice. We knew why the cops were after Excuse me miss williams according to the report I just got Mike started shooting for an entirely different reason What reason he thought the boys had his number for the stick up killing of that gas station attendant last night Captain he was pulling that stick up way over on the east side At the very time Dorothy Prentice was being stabbed Away over on the west side. Are you sure? Yes, sir. He's been positively identified as the stick up killer There goes my case against Mike costa And my beautiful corny story about a brother's revenge The death of mrs. Banks woman of mystery is becoming mysterious after all Come in mr. Casey. I'm delighted to see you. Thank you mrs. Banks It's set down and I hope you won't mind the must and my policy Some of my neighbors were in neighbors who never called on me before They wanted to hear first hand about my poor dead rumor They just left and I ain't have time to clear up the tea things we use Can I give you a cup of tea? No, no, thanks No, mrs. Banks. I um I came here for a talk That's fine. I like to talk Yeah, you like to have people want to talk to you, huh? Yes, everybody wants that especially those who've been as somebody Like you were oh, I was never much just an actress without much talent My husband was really the somebody. Yes. I uh stopped in at the public library this afternoon and looked over the book He wrote you did I found his the art of war in the middle ages pretty highbrow stuff A lot of it was way over my head But it gave me an idea Just like it gave you one I don't know what you mean You killed Dorothy Jessup Prentice, didn't you? Of course you're joking. No, mrs. Banks young man I weigh just 87 pounds in my heaviest coat and winter galoshes Are you saying that I drove a knife completely through that big woman? Yes And you did it from outside of a locked window Exactly. How did I do that? You did it with one of the medieval weapons your husband wrote about The kind that could throw an arrow a spear and a knife with accuracy and silence and great force Like modern guns some of those old contraptions could be operated by a child or a weak little woman The window was open three inches the knife was shot through that opening You figured you were creating a really great mystery That appeal to the dramatic instinct no actress ever loses You're pretty smart young man You know, I never figured that wendy could be shot and locked from the outside the way you said You kind of spoiled the mystery You admit you killed Dorothy Prentice, of course, I don't I'm just talking It's nice to talk even on a crazy subject Why in your opinion did I kill that woman? In order to get attention The attention you've been without for so long. Well, I've been pretty lonesome I've wanted folks to notice me again, but Do you think that's a good enough motive for what you say? I've done It wouldn't have been for you if you hadn't learned that your rumor was a freed murderous You considered her life a little value. It didn't have any value. She was a bad woman I went to the library got old newspapers and read about her case That's how you found out about scarface mike costa the brother of the guy she killed Even come across some pictures of him. He never came here looking for Dorothy Prentice as you said no But that seemed a good story to tell the cop I guess you're ready now to tell the True story to the cops. There ain't been much in the papers about me during the last couple of days and Next week there wouldn't be nothing maybe And folks had stopped calling on me and I'd be alone again By me telling the cops I won't be forgotten so quick And you would put some more pictures of me in the papers soon. Yes We'll go down to headquarters right now and I'll confess to everything you said Good idea. You've given me young fella. I'll get the code. Hey, well, wait a minute Uh, what what do you mean? You'll confess to everything I've said that I've given you a good idea Well, you understand English, don't you? Yes, but look here. Am I wrong about this? Did you kill that woman? Well, wait a minute, mrs. Banks if if you're not really guilty if you mean to confess to something you didn't do I say you can't do that What did you say I couldn't do you you What's that in your hands the thing that shot a knife clean through that woman's body There's another knife in it now young fella And it's pointed straight at you I see. I'm gonna let you have it now. There's nothing I can do to stop you. I guess of course the ring Here take the darn thing out of my hands. It's heavy you You're just handing it to me. Well, it's the evidence you needed. You didn't have none before Fooled you didn't I you would jump enough to think that I'd hurt a nice young fella like yourself Yes, I can fool folks right along. I'm the real woman of mystery mr. Casey But I guess you're guessing again before we're through Oh, let's be getting down to headquarters. I want to confess and have some fun with them, please What was the gadget mrs. Banks had Casey that shoots knives that was a crossbow effort A deadly little war machine used about seven or eight hundred years ago Crossbow to short bows set across a hunk of wood that was shaped pretty much like a rifle stock Was made to shoot short arrows or bolts that were about the length of modern carving knives Things in antique that mrs. Banks husband had picked up Poor old lady so lonesome. She committed murder to get attention What'll be done with her insane asylum Where she'll be perfectly happy because attention is something she's sure to get there for the rest of her life She's crazy, huh? So the doc say In the legal definition Poor old lady Think of the poor doctors and nurses are going to have her on their hands They'll never know what she's going to pull from one moment to the next I wish I were sure of what she's already pulled What do you mean, Casey? I'm never going to be absolutely sure she used that crossbow That she's really a murderous I'll never be really sure that she hasn't played me for a chump in order to get what she wanted The solution of this mysterious mystery is Still a mystery, huh? I don't think so, but Ah nuts. Look if you two won't kibbit too much, maybe I can really dope out that third race One photographer starring Stott's Cotsworth is produced and directed by John Deets It is written by Alonzo Dean Cole and is based on the fictional character of Flash Gun Casey Created by George Harmon Cox Original music by John Gart and the program features Jan Minerazan and John Gibson as Ethelbert And Eva Condon as Mrs. Banks Herman Chittison is the blue note pianist This adventure of crime photographer starring Stott Cotsworth as Casey Came to you through the worldwide facilities of the united states armed force of radio service the voice of information and education