 Personal notice stages my stock and trade if the job's too tough for you to handle you got a job for me George Valentine write full details Greetings mystery lover time for another let George do it adventure This one is all about a young artist named Priscilla who had two burning ambitions in life one she wanted to be able to paint people's portraits and Two she wanted to live long enough to be a grandmother and you know something She failed miserably at both Is anyone here? Is anyone Knock over the scrub. Oh, I'm so sorry. I I was looking for the proprietor of the art store How should I know look around yourself, but I I haven't much time. I'm from Upstairs after lunch maybe look around steal a picture. I don't care I do a legitimate business with the shop supplies prints and Reproductions in the dollar 95 class my department store in Ferville sells quite a few Oh Well, I say is anyone up there And he's glass chimes would you look at that? But it's not bad portrait by Priscilla Who's that? You're listening to let George do it our adventure will continue in just a moment now back to let George do it and George Valentine But couldn't you see who it was couldn't you see who hit you know miss Brooks? It happened so fast I was struck from behind. I have a terrible lump on my head. All right, mr. Simpson I understand that part of it whoever it was was probably hiding behind the door. Yes That's what I kind of a place was this the graftess clay and art shop. Well, they sell mostly art supplies there in the Bohemian section of town But the owner Ben graftess does a mail-order business too. That's how I happen to be there You mean he sends pictures to this department store of yours in Fairview. Yes, just Prince reproductions. It's very modest But I've always wanted to meet mr. graftess his letters have always been so friendly When I order pictures I tell him about the fishing up there and he answers with gossip about his wife his car Or his opinions of the art world quite an authority. I Yeah, I always wanted to know more about art And so you decided to look him up this time when you came to town. Well, he knew I was coming He wrote and asked me to he asked me to meet him for dinner tonight at the Romany restaurant When I found a moment spare time, I thought I'd run around to a shop and meet him in advance. That's all I was doing there But nothing of mine had been stolen. I was carrying a great deal of money to five hundred dollars So you come back to your hotel here and you didn't report it to the police Where do I fit in all this mr. Simpson? Well, I thought graftess has never actually seen me I Thought perhaps if you went in my place tonight to meet why are you suspicious of graftess? Yes, the first thing I would have done would have been to get in touch with him Well, mr. Valentine, I'd written this man from Fairview that I would enjoy some some excitement I was anxious to meet some of the artist the Unusual types one here's so much about I'm beginning to see you had yourself set up for a fast night in the big city And now you've got cold feet. Oh no I'll grant you. I'm not exactly the type for Well, I don't really know anything about graftess and suppose he's in trouble of some kind would I be of any health? I'm sorry. Oh, listen. Listen. I haven't told you about the portrait yet But what I was standing looking at this oil portrait. It was on the easel not quite finished You did tell us about that portrait by Priscilla or whatever that might be well when I came to the portrait was gone It had been taken right off the easel Well, you find me set some mr. Simpson portrait of what it was an oil Just the head and shoulders of a man Gray-haired man about 50 a bushy eyebrows. Oh, I remember a rather sharply cleft chin Because his mouth was young with a mole on the left Grafters that must be him in his last letter. He said he'd call me up to confirm. Never mind. I'll find out for him Hello, hello, mr. Simpson. It's so nice to hear your voice. How are the potatoes and fish and everything up in Fairview? Who is this my fresh? I'm calling for Benny then grafters. Oh, oh, yeah The customer just wanted to make sure that eight o'clock is all right at the Romany It's a gloomy little place, but you will be there. Won't you you can find it all right? Well look here I Your How do you do? Yes, yes, yes, of course. Tell mr. Grafters. I'll be there at eight. I am mr. Simpson I thank you pardon your honor mr. Simpson. Yes. Yes, it's it's not so easy to find anybody here. It's it's really dark Sorry, I should have waited at the bar, but I Hello, mr. Simpson. This is miss. So we've met on the telephone What's the matter? Haven't you ever shaken hands with a girl that wears black nail polish before violent reaction to the name Priscilla? I suppose it's very attractive. Oh, but you're going to be alone. Don't worry two men in the town I only stop by for a drink Priscilla, please. I told you no, Benny I have another engagement and I have to run home and dress and drink your drink stop fiddling with your wine Uh-huh, that's a very unusual watch. Oh, isn't it though new that even strikes. They are see and it's eight o'clock and much too late And goodbye. Oh, no, no, please gee. I I don't get to meet artists every day. I'm in fair view I mean, well, I've heard of you your portrait. I'm not a good painter mr. Simpson, but you're sweet. Oh, no, please sit down Look, this is my night in the city, but you know Ben here is kind of a surprise. I expected an older man Gray hair, bushy eyebrows, cleft chin, maybe or a mole on your lip Well Mystery is solved, Benny Did you steal my painting mr? Simpson no But who was the old guy the cleft chin a very dull painting of a very dull man. Good night, Priscilla. What? The penny I said good night You've got a date, haven't you? Hey, no, wait a minute. Oh, please mr. Simpson a lady can take a hint It's not important anyway. Bye. Bye. Thank you What's the matter? Well, it was pretty easy to figure out what had happened upstairs there Picture missing blood on the floor little signs of struggle Had been somebody up there besides whoever it was that took that picture But I had no idea that it had been you Mr. Simpson. I Yeah, I hope I didn't mess up your store too much I rent the upstairs to Priscilla as a studio. Oh, you would have known that if If you were really mr. Simpson, I Mentioned it in one of my letters. Oh I see Look, my name is George Valentine. I've looked you up, mr. Grafters and you seem to be okay. Come on now What's this all about? Well, I don't quite know that's the crazy part of it Maybe it's like she says not important Hello came mr. Valentine or Whoever you are. It's in the budget to entertain a customer from out of town tonight. So let's go. What a mistake Tell me the story of your life You in love with this painter this Priscilla Mr. Valentine don't try to solve all the riddles I've got a wife. She's not very well. I work hard for her. Okay. I'll try again I said, don't you just curious as I am what it was all about Isn't that what you yourself are doing here with Priscilla trying to find out who might have stolen the picture and why? That is unless you did No, no, I didn't I don't know mr. Valentine Priscilla's strange all that gaudy manner and well not really a very good painter Yes Yes, I suppose I am a little curious. Okay, then what do you say we skip the steak and try to find some answers Mr. Stakolsky, we're trying to identify a man in a picture. We haven't had much luck the past hour or two Any man any picture you settle a bet huh? You're the right place gentlemen. I understand you one of the biggest art gallery owners in town The biggest 300 pounds Now what is the period? It's a portrait mr. Stakolsky a man and a portrait huh a portrait by Priscilla Well, I told mr. Valentine here that you handled her other pictures for sale. It is some of them Well, you were in a studio just a couple of days ago I thought perhaps you'd noticed what does the man look like in the subject of this portrait He's gray hair about 50 bushy eyebrows cleft chin a rather young or weak mouth With a mole on the lip. I am just on the telephone to a man who has been asking about the same person The subject of this particular portrait by Priscilla is Richard Rattaman. Oh I'm just informed that this mr. Rattaman has blown his brains out That's right. He's a big shot broker and now he's stone cold dead on the market Lieutenant Devlin. You sure it's suicide Of course, I'm sure every test proves. What about the picture the portrait? It's lying on the desk in his study He's lying on top of that. So maybe he's the one who slugged Simpson. So maybe a lot of things So maybe there's a lady I'd like to talk to named Priscilla. All right. All right Devlin I'll meet you at her place only I told you she had a date date with home What kind of a social secretary are you grafters? You sure you don't know who a date was with? I'm sorry mr. Valentine, but she has an apartment up Valentine is still there. We could wait for you We can look around Devlin. Maybe she keeps a diary. I'll see you there Valentine the lady of mystery. Yeah She'll be keeping her mystery now. Won't she Devlin if she's dead? She's been strangled You are listening to let George do it Our adventure will continue in just a moment by Priscilla The man whose portrait was is now dead the suicide Well, of course, if your name is George Valentine, you'd like to have another talk with the artist Priscilla Only when you go to her apartment you find a slight hitch in your plan Priscilla is dead too. She's been strangled Yeah, that's what the doc says Hurry it up with the pictures. What are you there boys? How long ago did he say lieutenant? Our to God to tell her I don't must have been just after she left us in the restaurant If she said she was gonna change her clothes and she didn't same gold dress Black fingernail polish in the same flash earrings. She jingled when she walked Lots of color that mysterious date of hers tonight. That's what I'm going to find Wait a minute Devlin. Yeah, I watched. I noticed it too George. It stopped running, hasn't it? It's like all the things it's so unusual looks valuable to Bruxy. Hey, what if I take it Devlin? Hey, what is this? Why? Why do you want to take it to get the same answers? You're after only while you're going your way me? I'll take a shortcut Mr. Valentine you are in general not stupid But there is nothing wrong with your watch that a little winding will not fix for this you should get me from bed, huh? now Like so it will chime for you. Hey, will you please slow down? I want to know the price of the watch this gaudy old-fashioned the way it's fixed It's really quite fashionable for a bubble to catch the eye and never tell the right time Well, that's just it it is a bubble But it has stones in it and a woman wouldn't buy that for herself, would she but George she might I mean for a woman with Money, I say two thousand dollars. I say maybe 2,500 I Take it back. She wouldn't a gift from an admirer Well angel I remember Priscilla mentioned the watch was new so maybe from the current admirer Maybe the man she had the date with who'd sell a thing like this friend only an idiot who would sell gold paddles for canoes and Ignorance who has never seen the eyes look buster. I know what a friend's a good Swiss taste, but would you please a custom job, monsieur? EW that is excelsior watches Chicago. You will have to see them the makers And may I say monsieur? Have you ever noticed how all the wrong people get strangled yourself not accepted? Good night All right. All right, Valentine. You got your wire off to Chicago. Now you're happy, are you? I still say that in a murder case you should never overlook the obvious. Why what Helen? I rechecked on the times of death and I found out oh, you mean you finally figured out that maybe mr. Radiman killed her and then went home and shot himself miss Brooks I got Mrs. Radiman on the griddle. She admitted she told her husband She was going to leave him because of this Priscilla who'd been painting his portrait He'd been spending plenty of money on the girl Well, it was too much for the guy and later on he pulled out his gun and that's that If Radiman was Priscilla's one and only which you've made the crack to me that it was a very dull picture of a very dull man So tell us what else you've been doing Devlin now listen to me both and wait a minute. Yeah Lieutenant Devlin lieutenant this has been grafters. Yeah grafters here. Give me that. What is it grafters? Valentine I came back to the shop. It's where my wife picks me up in the car to drive home only Well go on what there's a light still on upstairs and Priscilla's studio Didn't go in because I I think there's someone up there Those graphics don't have to break my arm. I'm not doing anything. Oh, no, you're not doing anything not much Yeah, how do you like this one of the biggest art dealers in town and we catch him burning a picture? And I'm not saying anything either. I know my rights That's a good one, but some of them are his pictures. Mr. Valentine. You be quiet, Ben I mean he paid her for them several times. I've seen him come up here giving her checks Poster it's your turn to shut up. I look you're a big shot. You buy nothing but the best and Priscilla wasn't a very good painter Here, let's take a look at this stuff. Whatever's left of it Here's one George upside down. Yeah, let me see that piece of a landscape Here's another portrait. Hey, wait a minute. I've met this guy this one Not very good of him, but he's a paving contractor here in town pretty well-fixed And this other one over here I've seen his picture in the newspaper Big manufacturer. Yeah, Devlin for a second-rate artist Priscilla seemed to draw a first-class clientele Only the noble Stakulski here probably thought the boys had appreciate no publicity Mr. Valentine, you're making fun of me. He came down here the minute you heard about a death to keep things quiet Like the prices you paid for her landscapes that were lousy Like who these other suckers were in a little black book. Yeah, we can you bought pictures from Priscilla Buster It was only to hide the fact you were paying blackmail That's the explanation of where she got her money Devlin blackmail. Sure She was just a good enough painter to get the big boys close enough to work on They get mixed up with her and set for the frame Portrait by Priscilla. I didn't say anything. I remind you That's the case than any of these guys might have had just as much motive as Ratterman Go away. Go away. I'm sorry sir, but the car radio says there's a telegram from mr. Valentine at the office It's from Chicago. You can use the phone down the street. Well, yes We better play it my way after all that Devlin if we keep our fingers crossed. Maybe we can chop the field down to size again Yeah, I Got it all Okay, thanks. What was it mr. Valentine? Oh Not exactly what I expected graftess. What do you mean? Well, maybe it wasn't that only We'll have to work fast now. Look you said your wife was waiting for you around here someplace. Yes, right out here by the car Darling this is George Valentine Isn't it simply awful about poor please excuse me But we haven't much time and I think it'd be safer if your wife came back upstairs to Priscilla's studio with us I'm sure whatever you say Everybody gone outside That's part of it Here mrs. Graff to sit down with you Thank you, but I don't understand. Well, it's it's really pretty simple. I need your help both of you You see the doctor says the Priscilla couldn't have been strangled by a woman Well, and of course Ben here was right with me all evening. So you're the only ones I can turn to now listen That phone call I made it was about a telegram to Chicago an outfit that makes custom watches only the trouble was They said the watches were sent to mr. Zimmy Zimmerman care of general delivery of the city wait a minute You mean you were thinking about that watch of Priscilla's the funny one that she had on yeah I was hoping they could tell me who bought it Only Zimmy Zimmerman That's a phony pretty obviously I see Benny what's the matter nothing nothing darling. I just mr. Graff to You would help clear the air a lot if you'd admit that you gave Priscilla that watch what mr. Valentine I think you've got a lot of nervous in time now listen Yeah, they're right out there now mr. Valentine really you want to know what devlin and the others are doing out there They're searching your car grafters searching my car something might catch their eye It's funny how things catch your eye Especially in a dim place like the romany you said lieutenant devlin is outside looking at my they won't find any of the flashy things Will a gold dress big earrings the jingle Might find some polish remover though for the black nail polish You don't costy. You're not big enough That telegram said watches plural But I'd already begun to guess before then no guess no Priscilla wasn't really so exceptionally good-looking or anything else if you took your eyes away from all the trappings the exotic touches the eye catches But who could do that please No, no when I saw her the real priscilla Especially after the way she was killed How could I tell the difference? Hey, what's the matter with your purse sister? Give me back The little wife got rid of the other stuff for the masquerade, but couldn't resist hanging on to the expensive watch could she? Sure, here it is The other watch graft is Exactly like the one you gave priscilla I gave her the straw that was to break the camel's back when it came to my identifying her body Only it's a straw that broke your back instead buster Broke your perfect alibi. Then he then he stopped at me. You've got to stop him Because you killed priscilla, didn't you buddy? Killed her and right afterwards brought your wife around to meet me and start setting up your perfect alibi at the ramen What are you talking about valentine? Look what i'm doing I'm nervously fiddling with a watch It's exactly what you did in the restaurant mrs. Graptus to call attention to it. So I'd remember Only when you fiddled with a watch you whined at don't you sure you did like this remember But only a few minutes later priscilla's watch had run down it stopped so so I suspected two watches You're pretty smart mr. Valentine. No, no, our car doesn't have anything in it But this is a gun you're looking at Who's the sucker? Thanks devlin Back to the conclusion of our let george do an adventure in just a moment You know the thing that still keeps bothering me is this poor ratamin fellow Oh, that was just coincidence mr. Simpson He's messing around feeling sorry for himself from the picture being stolen But he might have been blamed entirely on him. I know that would have been lucky for the grafters There were a lot of men mixed up with a real priscilla mr. Simpson any one of them could have been suspected But wasn't ben grafters mixed up with her himself? No. No, he just wanted to move in on her blackmail Up in the hospital. He admitted he'd already swiped a little black book the notes she had on the boys So since his wife was the same general typist priscilla They dreamed up what they thought was a perfect way of getting rid of her and taking over and And inviting me a man who'd never met them inviting me to dinner here was part of their plan You would have been the alibi from fairfielder. Yes here at the raman area My it's a dark mysterious place, isn't it? Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. I like a word stuck People can't see you when you Oh Yes, darling when you take your shoes off Oh, I feel so good. Oh, george You have just heard portrait by priscilla another let george do an adventure robert bailey was starred as george valentine with virginia greg is brooksy david victor and jackson gillis wrote the story with music by eddie dunsteader Now this is yours truly inviting you to another visit with valentine When you will again hear what happens when you let george do it