 Hello, I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the crime club. I'm the librarian. Hurses, don't hurry. Yes, we have that crime club story for you. Come right over. Take the easy chair by the window. Comfortable? The book is on this shelf. Here it is. Hurses, don't hurry. By Stephen Ransom. The very exciting story of a cleanup campaign that was messed up by murder. Let's look at it under the reading lamp. The city was small and clean and comfortable. Seen from a train window, it looked like many another American city, but something new had been added to this one that could not be seen from a train window. It was Christopher Chance, young special prosecutor who's been appointed by the governor to investigate corruption given the office of Anthony Pierce, the district attorney. It was early evening when Christopher Chance left the courthouse after a long conference with his friend and political benefactor, Judge Rosseter. Main Street was deserted and so was the little side street, two blocks away where his office was located. He walked slowly, but as he was about to step into the lobby of the small building, he turned just in time. I'm all right, Lee. I heard shots. Are you sure? You're not hurt. Not a scratch, darling. Oh, thank heavens. I've been so worried about you. There's nothing to worry about. Those gangsters had no intention of killing me. But they shot at you. The strategy of terror, Lee. I'll have Tony Pierce. Let's go upstairs to the office. He'll do anything to make you resign now, won't he? I'm afraid so. Maybe I'm getting a lot closer to his neck than I think. I'd give anything to see this case closed. You don't know what it's doing to me, Kit. It hasn't made you less beautiful, sweetheart. Don't forget, Mr. Chance. I'm still only your secretary. From nine to five. And from five to nine. You've got a big job to do. Is that why you're still here at seven o'clock? Because you're only my secretary? I was cleaning my typewriter. I bought this bottle of cleaning fluid this afternoon and I thought, well, I didn't know how long you were going to be with Judge Rosseter. I'm serious, Kit. What did he want? I've got to bring Tony Pierce to trial in two days. You can. I've got to. I've been on this job for three months and the governor wants action. Oh, are you sure it's the governor? What do you mean? It could be the judge for the sake of his daughter. What's Diane got to do with my case against Tony Pierce? Nothing, but she would like to be Mrs. Christopher Chance. You're not making sense, Lee. Well, you and Diane were pretty thick before you got the appointment and hired me. Look, dear, I've known Diane since we were pups. We were good friends, that's all. Kit, wasn't it Judge Rosseter who got you this appointment? Yeah. Why did he pick you? Because he thought I could do the job. Are you sure Diane didn't put him up to it? Well, I suppose she did. This golden opportunity, the magic carpet of a political career. Make good and you can go anywhere. All right. She wanted you to have it because she wanted you. But now I think she's out to break your political neck. You don't know Diane. She's very sweet, dear. But why is her father putting the pressure on you? He knows you're not ready to bring Tony Pierce to trial. I told him I have 18 witnesses who are ready to testify. Tony frame charges against them and settle for cash. He thinks that's enough. Did you tell him that Tony never took that money in person? Yeah, I even told him about Hope Schuyler. The mysterious lady who can't be found. Whom nobody even saw. He's got the whole story, Lee. About the abandoned warehouse on River Street, too? Well, the money was left in envelopes addressed to Hope Schuyler. Yeah. And still he wants you to be ready for trial in two days. Don't you think he realizes you have no case without Hope Schuyler? I'm not going to believe that Diane is knifeing me. Well, suit yourself. I won't say another word. You don't seem to understand. These people wouldn't put me on the spot. They're the oldest friends I have. They. Hello, Special Prosecutor's Office. Is Mr. Chance there? Yes, he's here. Who's calling? Skeets Nally. Just a minute. It's for you, Kit. Skeets Nally. No. Hello, Skeets. Where are you? I'm in a phone booth across the road from Art Gurney's flying school. There's a gas station here. Yes, I know. What's new? Plenty. The biggest break so far. But I ain't talking unless you're alone. All right. Hold on a minute. I'll take this inside, Lee. Go ahead, Skeets. Listen, I got the dope on Hope Schuyler. What? Yeah, I figured that she and that Tony Pierce guy must have been like mashed potatoes, so I done a little snooping. Go on, go on. Well, he's got a cabin in the woods near Bedminster, about a hundred miles from our town. Some of the folks up there remember seeing Tony Pierce driving through. Oh, what about Hope Schuyler? She used to get there by plane. Did anybody see her? No, but lots of folks who had a plane. And what do you know, boys? There's a very small landing field right near the cabin. Very, very private. How do you know there's a woman in that plane? I checked the cabin. That's how I know. It's called Lark Lodge, and there was a woman's dressing gown in one of the closets. Great. Does that prove she was Hope Schuyler? The plane that thing was using came out of the Art Gurney flying school. How do you know? Because I seen it. It's a two-seating job with the initials. H.S. painted on the side. Well... I got a break, see, when it took Gurney's heart, and his wife, Phyllis, went up for a little stratosphere. They left the hangar door open. So what was I going to do? It did fine, Skeets. Stay where you are. I'll be there in 15 minutes. Okay. I guess the Gurney should be able to give us a good description of Hope Schuyler. See you later, pal. Lee. Lee, darling. Lee, come on in. Lee, we cracked the case. We've got... Lee. Coral form. Operator. Get me police headquarters right away. I want to report a kidnapping. Skeets. Skeets is going to meet me in 15 minutes. I waited two hours. And I tried to get you on the phone. Lee Dale's been kidnapped. The Gurney's came down from their flight. Huh? What did you say? It's right out of my office while I was in the next room talking to you. Cloroplamman carried out. Wow. Somebody took an awful chance. I've been scouring the town of the police. Every joint from the warehouse on River Street to the back rooms of the pool parlors. Sony Pierce got this job done. And if he asked me... I thought I'd have locked large too. Did you tell the cops? No, not yet. Well, I don't get it. I've got to be sure she's there before I do anything. Oh, okay. I'm expecting a phone call. That's why I came back to the office. Who's going to call you? One of Tony Pierce's gangsters. And I can tell you exactly what he'll say. Yeah? Resign a special prosecutor and kill the evidence you've got, or you'll never see Lee Dale alive again. I suppose that happens. What do you do? I don't know. Would you quit? I said I don't know. Okay, so you'll quit. Just when we've gotten Tony Pierce and Hope Skyler. Hello? Kid? Lee, Lee Darling, are you all right? Yes, I'm all right. Where are you? I don't know. Oh, just a minute. Skeet, I know you want me to trace. Make it snappy. Lee, tell me what happened, huh? I can't. What was it, Tony Pierce? I haven't seen him. Kid, I've got something to tell you. Naturally. These men want you to quit. Yes. They say that if you don't quit, they'll kill me. I expected it, darling. I don't want anything to happen to you. Tell them I... No, Kid, I don't want you to resign. I don't... Kid, listen to me. I don't care what they do to me. I don't want you to... Lee, Lee. Skeets, Skeets. Just got it, boss. The number's bedminster942. Lock Lodge. That's what the operator said, Mr. Chance. Are we going now or are you still quitting? We're going. There it is, boss. Lock Lodge. And there's somebody home. Yes. We should have took the cops along, Mr. Chance. Okay, so you didn't want to shoot him. But what about us? We even got gunned. We're going right in. What? Oh, it's a special prosecutor. Come in, come in, won't you? And, uh, next time don't bother to knock. Where is she, Pearson? Where is who, Mr. Special Prosecutor? Lee Dale. Lee Dale. Oh, yes, yes, your charming secretary. Has she, uh, given you the win? All right, Skeets, search the house. That's easy. There's only three rooms. Excuse me, Mr. Special Prosecutor. I, uh, don't want to be picky on, but, uh, have you a warrant? Go ahead, Skeets. I'm afraid I'll have to say no. Hey, he's loaded. We, uh, back woodsmen always insist on our rights. We don't like intruders who, uh, break in without words. Listen, Pierce, I'm not only going to send you to jail as a crook, I'm also going to send you to jail as a kidnapper. Really? Well, this is serious, isn't it? But if you'd rather go to the chair as a murderer, put a bullet in my back because I'm going to search this house myself. You don't have to, kid. What on earth? Hey. Diane. I guess I won't need this gun now. You can search the place if you still want to. Diane Rosseter. I'm sorry about this, kid. I didn't think that Tony and I would ever be found out. Where's Lidae? My father mustn't know. It would kill him. He must never find out. Just tell me where I can find Lidae. I don't know. You're lying. I haven't seen her since this morning. She was here. She phoned me from here. Skeets traced the call. I haven't seen her since this morning, kid. Where's she been moved to? I... Oh, right at that time. But listen to me and you two, Pierce. You've given me my case. I can drag Hope Schuyler into court now. You're wrong, kid. I'm not Hope Schuyler. But I'll forget the whole thing. It leaves in her apartment by the time Skeets and I get back to town. Does that mean that you're going to resign? You've got exactly three hours. Come on, Skeets. Kid? Leave him alone, Diane. He knows what he's doing. But, Tony... It's a great sacrifice. I told him once that herces don't hurry. The grave always waits. It's too bad, Mr. Special Prosecutor. We had to dig such a deep one for you. What's the time, Mr. Chance? Oh, about half past two. Yeah. It's been a great day for the grave diggers. Mind if I turn on the radio? I feel like some slumber music. Skeets, I just can't get it through my head about Diane. She's Hope Schuyler. A partner of that chief chiseling crew. A girl I've known practically all my life. Yeah, but that ain't no reason to quit. She's Judge Rossiter's daughter. Skeets, have you any idea what that man did for me? He got your point at Special Prosecutor. He let me money to go to law school with him. Then he set me up in practice. How can I show up his own daughter? That ain't easy, boss. But in this world, the guy's got to be practical. Friendship, okay. But when you've got a chance, you've got to be practical. Friendship, okay. But when you've got a chance to go places, you've got to. We interrupt the early morning recital of organ music by Al Finnelli to bring you the latest developments in the flying school murder. Hey, what's that? The police are now satisfied that Art Gurney, who operated the school and landing field with his wife, Phyllis, was shot and killed sometime between 10 and 11 o'clock last night. Did you hear that, Art Gurney? All indications point to a woman as the murderer. Phyllis Gurney, the murdered man's wife, has disappeared, and several motorists have come forth with information that a small, unidentified plane took off from the field at about the time Art Gurney was believed to have been killed. Several of these witnesses insist that the person at the controls was a woman. But when asked for a description, they were not able to... Now you can't quit, boys. It's murder between 10 and 11 o'clock last night. Them two people was the only ones who could have told us what Hope Skyler looked like. Now one of them's dead. Hey, what's the idea, turning off the road? We're going to the Gurney Field. I want you to see if Hope Skyler's plane is missing. Sure, but I can tell you right now. Look, Mr. Chance, is that girl Diana Rossiter know how to fly? Well, she has a license. Okay. I go where you go, but between you and me, I'd rather go home. There's the hang of it, boys. The door's open. Hey, you have to run so fast. Hey, better save my breath, huh? I'll need it in the future. All right, skis. Phew. Where's the light switch? It should be, uh, right about here. I got it. What color was it, skis? Yellow. Two-seater. Yeah, and initials, eight chests on this side. There's a yellow plane. That ain't it, Mr. Chance. That's a single. Hope Skyler's plane ain't here. Well, you know, we wasn't made right. Don't run, Santa. Let's go, skis. I'll drive you home, and I'll stop off at Lee's apartment. And she'd better be there. Oh, please. Not all at once. Oh, darling. Um, don't you think we ought to close the door? All right. Oh, you don't know what looking at you does to me. I'm a little glad to see myself. Let's sit down. They didn't hurt you. Kit, they let me go. They drove me to the door downstairs. They even let me see their faces. Why, Kit? I'm resigning. No. I've got to, Lee. Tony Pierce hit me twice tonight. Once with you and... I'm not letting you quit. I don't care what kind of a bargain you made with Tony Pierce about me. You don't... You don't have to keep it. He's a thief. Ah, there's more to it than that. Diane Rosseter is Hope Skyler. What? Well, no doubt about it. I bring Tony to trial. I have to prosecute Diane for murder. Murder? Ah, what's... You don't know I wasn't cut out for big things. I'm too sentimental. Who was murdered, Kit? Art Gurney. The flying school. Yes, I've seen it. But why him? Look, dear, you've had a pretty eventful night. I'll tell you the whole story at the office tomorrow. You're going to tell me now why Diane Rosseter is so important that you've got to protect her. I'm not protecting her, Lee. It's her... Who can that be at four o'clock in the morning? Well, probably a wrong number. Don't move. I'll be back. Hello? Yes, speaking. Who? I just got in a few minutes ago. What? I see. Yes. Where can I reach you about ten o'clock? Uh-huh. All right, phone me in the morning. No, here. I'll tell you where I can meet you. Yes. Goodbye. Who was it, Lee? Hmm? What? Uh, something a matter? The matter? No. No, of course not. That was a friend of mine. She's at a party and she... It's nothing important. Nice people. Well, see you at the office. Yes. I'm going to be a little late. I got some business with Judge Rosseter first. All right, kid. I'll see you whenever you get there. When did you return to the fold? Kid, please. Yeah. Tell Judge Rosseter I'd like to see him. Kid, I tried to get you on the phone a few minutes ago. I'd like to speak to your father, Diane. He's at the courthouse. He left early this morning. All right, I'll speak to him then. Wait. What for? I want you to give me a chance to explain about last night. Some other time. No. You're not leaving here until you've let me explain. Now look, Diane. Don't be a fool, kid. I'm not hope, Skylar. I hate the living sight of Tony Pierce. Sure. You've got to believe me. I went a little crazy yesterday. I saw Lee Dale in the morning. She told me that you were going to be married. She told you? I stopped thinking. Oh, kid, I've been in love with you for years. I've never shown it, but I hope to spend that girl in less than three months. Now, what's that got to do with Tony Pierce? I hated you, kid. I wanted to hurt you. Anything. So long as it would destroy you. What about that crook, Diane? There was only one way. Your career. You would never finish the case against Tony if it meant disgracing my father. So I called Tony and I told him that I would be willing to let you suspect me of being Hope Skylar. And I told him why. But last night at Lark Lodge, you denied it. I lost my nerve. I realized what a vicious thing I was doing. And then when you asked Tony and me about Lee Dale... You knew she'd been kidnapped. No. No, all I knew was that Tony was sure you'd come there. I didn't know why. Yeah. You don't believe me. How did you get up to the lodge? In Tony's car. He called me a few minutes before eight and asked me to meet him near the lodge. What about your plane? My what? The one you stored at the Gurney flying field. Get you know I've never owned a plane. Do I? I have a palace license, but... What are you talking about? The Art Gurney murder. I heard about it on the radio. The plane that took off between 10 and 11 and never came back belongs to Hope Skylar. Oh. Art Gurney was killed between 10 and 11 last night. And you think that I... You've got nothing to worry about. I won't tell a soul. Get you're so wrong. You're so wrong. And it's all my fault. If I had lost my head yesterday. It's selfish and stupid and cheap. Oh, can't forgive me, please. Forgive me. You don't know what it means to be in love with someone who doesn't love you. I didn't realize what I was doing. You'd better answer that phone die, and it might be your boyfriend. All right, and I'll answer it. Hello. Is that you, Mr. Chance? What's the matter, Skeets? I've been trying to get you all over town. Your apartment, your office, no answer, no place. So I figured... Here you are. Listen, I spotted that Phyllis Gurney thing. She was driving right through the middle of town. What's that got to do with me? Well, listen, will you? So I get in the cab and I follow her. Guess where she went? Skeets, in case you've forgotten, I'm resigning. Yeah, yeah, I know. She went right to that old warehouse on River Street. What? You know, the place where Hope Scala used to pick up the sucker dough for Tony Pierce? Where are you now? I'm in a phone booth a couple of blocks away, at the ferry station. Wait for me. I'll be there in ten minutes. That's how I figured, boys. What's this thing wanting is warehouse? Get out, Skeets. See? Sure. And then it hits me. Tony Pierce collected a lot of dough in the way, but it don't show up in his bank books. And you checked all the safety boxes in town, so where's the dough? Is that her car over there? Yeah. Hey, that came from inside the warehouse. Come on. It's locked. We'll have to break it down. Come, ready? All right. One more. McCauskey's. The back of the warehouse. It's gone. Must have been parked in that open lot. Whoever was here with Phyllis Gurney got out through this open window. Maybe it was Phyllis. Let's look around. That storage room over there. But her car is up front. Hey, there's a light in that room. Looks like something's on the floor. Burn it. Come on. There's more than a light. Step on that light. Quick. She looks dead to me, boss. She is. Huh. First the husband gets knocked off. Now it's Phyllis. Maybe I was wrong about her coming here for... Hey, I smell cleaning stuff. The dress is saturated with the skeets. You mean that burning rag was meant to... Holy mackerel. Somebody was out to do a good job, huh? But didn't have time to finish it. The killer even forgot to take the empty bottle. What are you holding her like that for by the top of her neck? Maybe fingerprints. You stay here, Skeets. I'm going to put this bottle in my car. Then I'm going to make a couple of phone calls. One of them to the police. Oh, he's just come in, Judge Rosseter. I'm sorry I bothered you. Goodbye. Kit, where have you been? I surely thought you'd gone to resign. There's no hurry, Lee. I can do that an hour from now. You're not going to do it at all. Kit, you must listen. Where were you about 40 minutes ago? Where? I called you here at the office several times. There's no answer. I was downstairs looking for the super. I forgot my keys and he had to... I noticed your car downstairs. What's the matter with you? I always leave my ignition key at the garage. I have my car delivered every morning. Oh, I'm sorry. There's been another murder. Oh? Who? Phyllis Gurney. Good heavens. When? About an hour ago. Well, I guess I'd better get cleaned up if I'm going to see Judge Rosseter. You're not resigning, Kit. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about it, Lee. Where's that bottle of cleaning fluid you bought yesterday? Listen to me, please. It was standing right there in your desk when I came in last night. You were using it to clean up your typewriter. That's not important now. Don't you realize what's going to happen to you? You'll be called a failure. Look, honey, I want to get these grease spots out of my coat. Will you get me that cleaning fluid? Kit, don't I mean anything to you? Have you been just talking to me about love? Lee, haven't you got that bottle? Yes, I have it if that's all you care about. It's in the closet where I put it. You'll worry about grease spots, but I can talk myself sick. Here. Here's the bottle of cleaning fluid. Enjoy yourself. Thanks. I, uh, spoke to Tony Pearson on the phone before I came back here. Of course. You're his buddy now. He is at Locke Lodge. I'm not interested. He couldn't have been in town this morning and gotten back to the lodge so fast. I knew he didn't fly. Say, did you screw this cap on yourself? Yes. You must have hidden strength. Or would this be a new bottle that had never been opened before? What do you mean? Would you like to make the rounds of the hardware and department stores with me? There aren't too many in this town. I'd like to know what you meant by that, Kit. All right. Your Hope Schuyler. What? Have you gone out of your mind? You weren't kidnapped last night. You just walked out after you listened in on my conversation with Skeets. Isn't that right? No. You heard him tell me about Locke Lodge, the gurneys and the plane so you decided to get rid of the gurneys. You don't know what you're talking about. You had chloroform and you left the odor of it in this room. Then you got in touch with Tony and told him what Skeets had found out. Oh, for pity's sake. Our est was operation frame-up. You flew to Locke Lodge and phoned me. You know I'd have the call traced. In the meantime, Tony was getting Diane ready for her grand entrance. You deliberately told her that you and I were going to be married. You knew how she'd react. You wanted to marry me, didn't you, Kit? Yes. But you never said you would to me. There's a good reason, wasn't there? You're already married to Tony Pierce. What? I found his marriage certificate in the bottom drawer of your dresser. Anthony Pierce, Hope Schuyler. Just one week before you came to work for me. Wedding before him by a justice of the peace upstate. Big secret. Well, what are you going to do about it? Is that the gun that killed two gurneys? Mm-hmm. Two gurneys and one special prosecutor. Lee, didn't you notice I left the door open when I came in? You what? Why do you suppose I did that? To create a draft? Oh. You have a CUNY police department in this town? It likes to be in on everything. There's only one place in the world that feels like home. The old, rossety living room. I'm glad you still think so, Kit. It's all over Diane. Lee confessed, Tony confessed. They're going to be tried for murder, and I'm prosecuting. But Tony didn't commit murder. He certainly did. Lee did the shooting, but Tony helped her plan it. Kit, what made you suspect Lee? Up to this morning... A bottle. In fact, she didn't answer the phone at the office. That's all? That's all a fellow needs, honey, to start thinking. After that, I remembered everything. How things began to move after Skeet's phoned me about Hope Schuyler. Then the mysterious phone call, at four o'clock in the morning. Who was it, really? Phyllis Gurney. You see, Tony and Lee had been paying the Gurneys to keep quiet about Hope Schuyler. But when Art Gurney was murdered, Phyllis decided it would take a lot of money to compensate her. A hundred thousand dollars. Well, we all do foolish things sometimes. Diane, would you do me a favor? Of course. After we're married, if I ever look at another woman, will you please? Darling, I'll never be selfish again. Oh, no. Be selfish. But if you're going to ruin me, dear, do it with a kiss, huh? And so closes tonight's crime club book, Herces Don't Hurry, based on a story by Stephen Ransom. Stedman Cole's did the radio adaptation, Roger Bauer produced and directed. In tonight's cast, you heard Sidney Smith as Christopher Chase, Charlotte Lawrence as Lee Dale, Joseph Julian as Skeets, Helen Shields was Diane Rosseter, and Larry Haynes was Anthony Pierce. Oh, I beg your pardon. Hello? I hope I haven't kept you waiting. Yes, this is the crime club. I'm the librarian. Yes, come over a week from tonight. Good. We have the very exciting story of an image that was the reflection of death. It's called Death Never Doubles. In the meantime? Well, in the meantime, there's a new crime club book available this week and every week at bookstores everywhere. Yes, it's available now. Fine. Can we look for you next week? Oh, yes. You've probably jotted down the birthdays to remember during June. Remember that June is Remember Disabled Veterans Month. This program came from New York. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.