 Box 13, with the star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd, as Dan Holliday. Hey, look, boss, look at this. An ad in the start times, how to tell in those people. Yeah. Box 13, adventure-wandered, we'll go anyplace, do anything. Well, this looks like the right answer, Tony. I think I'll write a letter to Box 13. The letter was postmarked from the city in Nevada. It came air mail, especially delivery to Box 13 and me. It sounded like a great chance to grab a change of scenery and maybe a little fun. Fun. Brother, how wrong could I be? Back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure, Triple Cross. Just run an advertisement in the star times, one that reads, adventure-wanted, we'll go anyplace, do anything, and see what you get. A lot of them can be interesting, like the one I listened to Susie read. The one that came air mail, special delivery from Nevada. And closed is enough money to buy you a plane ticket to Los Maros. You want adventure? All right, come to Los Maros, register at the Paradise Hotel. Wait in your room until you're contacted. And that's all it says, Susie? That's all, Mr. Holliday. There's not even a signature, even. It's what's called an ominous letter. What kind of a letter, Susie? Ominous. You know, that means it's not signed by anybody. The word you mean is anonymous. But you could be right after all. Well, Susie, lock up the office and look for me when you see me. With a new plot and a nice tan. A new plot and a nice tan, I said. I got the plot that the tan almost turned into a beautiful white teller. The kind that goes well with lilies. The plane trip was smooth. The trip from Mariport to the Paradise Hotel was nice and easy. And the hotel itself? Well, it was the only one I could remember that looked like the ads in the travel folders. Oddly enough, there was a room reserved for me. In my name. Okay, somebody checked and found out who I was. I explored the suite thinking maybe I'd get a lead on what this was all about. But it was just a fancy set of rooms. All newly decorated. I sat down and then about a half hour later... Come in. Message for you, Mr. Holliday. Oh, thanks. Here you are. Oh, thank you. Uh, just a minute. Who gave this to you? A man, sir. What kind of a man? What'd he look like? Oh, just a man, sir. Oh, I see a head, two eyes, nose, two ears, and a mouth. That is description. Yes, sir. That's exactly what he looked like. Good. But I'll know him when I see him. Oh, did he ask for an answer? No, sir. He just told me to bring the envelope to you. Will that be all, sir? Oh, yes, yes, thanks. Well, two $100 bills. And a message that said, buy a red carnation in the flower shop and put it in your lapel. After dinner, go to the casino roulette table, buy $200 in chips and put them on number 18. If you win, walk away, wait 10 minutes, and put half the winnings on number 22. After you play, wait in the casino. So, with the carnation in my lapel, I bought $200 in chips and walked to the roulette table. There weren't many players. It was a little too early for the big crowd. So I waited a minute and watched the play. Took a look at the croupier, but I might as well have been in Timbuktu. He didn't give me a tumble. Okay, the best way to see what was going to happen was to see. I shoved a whole 200 on number 18. One or two of the other players placed bets and then... No more bets, please. No more bets. Number 18, red and even. Your chips, sir. The croupier shoved the winnings across to me. I watched his face. If he had any expression, it was on the soles of his shoes. Well, maybe $7,000 win was coming around here. I left the table, sat down, and did a little problem in arithmetic, which figured out to be $126,000. That's what I'd have if number 22 came up. And brother had looked from where I sat as though it would. The 10 minutes went by and I walked back to the table. Waited until the wheel stopped. Number 16, red and even. Place your bets, please, ladies and gentlemen. Slowly I shoved 3,500 in chips to number 22. This time the others around the wheel did less. 3,500 at 35 to 1. Then the wheel began to slow up. No more bets, ladies and gentlemen. No more bets, please. That croupier was as cold as the floor of a mausoleum. Somebody dropped a pin and I heard it hit the floor. The white ball clicked, clicked, clicked its way until... Number 22, black and even. Your chips, sir. I cashed in the chips and there I sat, with $126,000 tucked away in my inside coat pocket. Somebody had that wheel fixed for a killing. I began to wish I was back in my office. I didn't like it. A crooked play. Why? Who? I made up my mind to go to the owner of the place and wash my hands with the whole thing when... Oh, there you are, Mr. Holliday. I've been looking for you. I have a message for you. Yeah? Well, it's verbal this time, Mr. Holliday. Oh, what is it? You're to go into the bar and wait. Is that all? Yes, sir. The same man gave you this message? Yes, sir. Did he still have a head, two eyes and nose and two ears? Yes, sir. All right, here you are, kid. Thank you. You know, if this keeps up much longer, you'll be able to retire my tips alone. Thank you, Mr. Holliday. Will that be all? How much did this character give you to forget what he looked like? Nothing, sir. Nothing at all. And a smart boy like you should have taken a good look the second time? Huh? Especially since I asked about him after the first message. Oh, he was big, dark, a little mustache and he had a little white scar over his right eye. Would you take $5 for that information? That's all right, Mr. Holliday. No charge for that service. Good boy. I'll see you later. Yes, sir, Mr. Holliday. I walked toward the bar wondering what was coming next. I didn't like that fortune burning the cloth in my pocket. The bar was like my sweet. Fancy, rich and expensive. I climbed up on one of the stools and the bartender came over and... Yes, sir, may I serve you, sir? Got any ginger ale? Yes, sir. What with, sir? Oh, by itself. This is a glass of ginger ale. Mr. Ginger Ale? Uh-huh. You see, I like the bubbles. Champagne has bubbles, too. But they're still around the next day. Just a ginger ale. Yes, sir, of course. Excuse me. Is someone sitting here? Oh, no, no, I don't think so. Thank you. Here you are, sir. Ginger ale. Thanks. The usual, please. Okay. Yes, sir, ma'am. Is that a light? Of course. Thank you. Don't mention it. Here you are. Thanks. Why do you drink ginger ale? I like it. Why do you drink martinis? Same reason, I guess. It's a brilliant conversation, isn't it? Well, I've heard better. You're not very friendly, are you? Boy, Scott is always friendly. And there's good turns. So I hear. Do you want to be helped across the street? All right. I'll shut up. I took a good look at her. There was something scared looking about her, and she was nervous. Well, so was I, because the minutes were passing and I still had that money, and I wanted to get rid of it. But I wondered about the girl, whether she had any part in this. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, she picked up her bag, reached for a lipstick, and then... Oh, clumsy. So it's true what they say about women's handbags. You get the stuff on the bar, I'll pick up the kitchen sink off the floor. I'm so sorry. Did the powder spill on you? No, it's all right. Yeah. Here you are. The mirror didn't break, did it? Nope, you're still good for seven years more. Thanks. Thanks ever so much. I told you I was a good boy, Scott. You have a nice smile. Want a toothpaste commercial to go with it? Don't be nasty. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just as nervous as you are. I... Let's talk about something else. She chatted away, and I listened to what happened here. Once in a while, through in a year or so, and the clouds began to gather. The mirror at the back of the bar went back and forth. The people got bigger and shrank the midgets. Somebody drove a plane through my head. Buzzed around and made a bad landing on my brain. There you are. Feeling better now? You'll be all right. Just lie there and take it easy. Sure. Hey. Hey, I'm in my room. Of course. We brought you here. We? I'm the hotel physician, Mr. Halliday. Oh, what happened? Just a fainting spell. Nothing serious. Fainting spell? What are you talking about? Fainting spells. Your wife told me you'd get them. My... What told you what? Oh, no, no. Just a lie bag. Whose wife said what? Your wife. She's got to have her prescription told. Now listen, Doc, I... Hand me my coat, will you? It's better if you lie here. It's better if you hand me my coat. Give it to me. Very well. There you are. What's the matter? Was my... wife in this room? Of course. She came up with me. Uh-huh. Doc, what would you do with $126,000? What? A hundred? That's an odd question. What would you do with it? I don't know. Because I haven't got it anymore. Back to Triple Cross, another box 13 adventure with Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday. So there I was, $126,000 in the red. If it was meant to be taken from me, then somebody was working at the hard way. Sure, the girl slipped something in my ginger ale when I picked up the stuff that fell out of her handbag. She took the money. All right, I want to know more of it. I was going to head for the nearest exit running, not walking when... Come in. Yeah, do I know you? Call me Tony. I'm the guy who wrote the box 13. Oh. All right, goodbye, Tony. Sit down. That's your idea. Funny, I was going to ask you that. If we're playing 20 questions, let's skip the other 18, Tony. I got a big one left. Where's the dough? You tell me. Give it to me. Well, I didn't like him. I didn't like the gun he was playing with either. And I didn't like the little white scar over his right eye or the little black mustache. I was willing right then and there to cross him off my friendship list. But I told him what happened. It's a great story. I haven't heard one like it since I read fairy tales. Well, I don't care if you believe it or not. You got no regard for your health, holiday. Look, Tony, I'm leaving this place now. You'll be too heavy to carry out if you take one more step. That's better. Now, what kind of a frame is this? Once more, you tell me. I played a crooked wheel downstairs. I don't like that. You got adventure, didn't you? I don't want anything that's crooked. Look who's talking. Who was the girl? Believe it or not, I never saw her before. What did she look like? I don't know. Yeah. Ever tried to take a good look at anyone in that bar downstairs? It's too dark to even see a lighted match. You're smart, holiday. The game with the girl is neat, awful neat. You get the dough, play doggo. Act like the girl slipped your mickey. Later, she turns up with the dough and you two split. Now talk sense, Tony. I didn't know why I came to Los Morris in the first place. I didn't know how I was going to get that money. How would I have time to dream up that frame with a girl? Yeah. Yeah, I never thought of that. Okay, holiday, maybe you're telling it straight. Okay. Now can I go? Anna, you get that money back first, then you can go. I don't think I'll stay for the ninth inning, Tony. The game has not started yet, but you get that dough. How? That's your problem, but get it. Look, Tony, I'm backing out of this. You know I can go to the sheriff. Oh, no, you won't. Because there'll be a tail on you from now on up. One move like you're going to the law. Understand? Okay. Okay, I get it. And there'll be somebody in this room to see that you don't use the phone. You'll be covered like a pool table, holiday. What if I can't find the girl? What if I can't get the money back? That'd be awful, Ned. And? There are worse places than Los Maros to spend a lifetime, if you live. Ever have one of those dreams in which you try to run away from something and can't? Well, this one, with my eyes wide open, was really something. Tony and I went downstairs. Two other characters detached themselves from chairs when Tony nodded at them. Brother, I was covered. It looked hopeless. With Tony not far behind, I asked the doctor if he'd ever seen the girl who said she was my wife. Well, there was no dice there. Then I remembered something. I told Tony I was going back into the bar. Bar? What for? I'll look, Tony. Let me do it my way. I'm the one that's on the spot, so let me play it the way I want. Okay. I'll watch. And don't try for a quick steal, because the boy's outside know who to look for. Go ahead. Thanks. What would I do without you, Tony? I don't know, because you're not going to be without me. Remember, I'll be watching. May I serve you some? Wow. Feeling better, sir? Much. Where were you when I fainted? At the other end of the bar, sir. Oh, yeah. So you were. It wasn't our ginger ale, sir. No, it wasn't. I just have a loose head, and when I shake it, it comes off. May I serve you something, sir? Yes. An answer to a question. What's that, sir? Who was the girl who sat down next to me? I don't know, sir. Oh, yes, you do. I beg your pardon, sir. Quit the serve business. You knew that girl? Why do you say that? Because when she sat down, she asked for the usual, and you brought her a martini. And you said okay when she asked you. What does that prove? The martini proves you know who she was. The okay means she wasn't a guest of the hotel. No bartenders, polite as you are, would say okay to a lady guest. That makes sense. Why do you want to know who she is? Does that make any difference? Yeah, because I wouldn't want to see her in trouble. I'll try to keep her out of it. I won't tell you. Ever see a picture of Alexander Hamilton? What are you talking about? Well, here's one. And funny enough, it's on a $10 bill. In fact, it's pictures on all five of these bills. Yeah. Her name's Kathy Lee. I think she has a place at the Los Palmas Courts. Thanks. Put these pictures in frames, will you? I found the Los Palmas Courts. And of course Tony behind me all the way. The name list in front said Kathy Lee lived in number eight. I looked around before I turned in the walk. Yeah, Tony was closer to me than Barnish on a tabletop. I found number eight and stopped for a second. Looked for a phone line, but there wasn't any. I knocked at the door. No answer. I tried it again. Then I heard Tony whisper from the shadows. Try the door, Halliday. I did. It was unlocked. Tony coached from the sidelines. Go on in. I went in and closed the door behind me. It was dark. I decided to risk a call. Kathy. Kathy. Kathy Lee. She wasn't there. I fumbled my way to what felt like a dresser and a lamp. Turned it on and what I saw made me turn that light off fast. What's the matter? She's dead. What are you talking about? You heard me. She's dead. Yeah, sure. Well, go in and look. You go back in and look for that dope. Go on. Look, Tony, I don't know any more of this. That poor kid's dead, murdered. I want you to call the sheriff. Now you don't. I said you go back in there and look for that dope. You look for it. Leave my fingerprints all over the place. Now you go back in there and hunt. Don't be a sap. Whoever killed her took the money. Don't you see that? Maybe. But we'll play this angle all the way. Now stop talking and get in there. I hated to turn on that light, but I had to. I didn't look at it. I looked through the room. Then I found something. A plane ticket to San Francisco, leaving that night. And a boat ticket for South America. They were in an envelope, but the information on the envelope said there would be two reservations. I put it back where I found it because I didn't want Tony to find it on me. And there was something else. A locket with a man's picture in it. I took it off his chain and shoved it in my pocket and I left. Well, Helen Lee? It's not there. I told you it wouldn't be. Stand still. Back toward me. A frisk, Tony. You don't trust me, do you? Shut up. Well, I told you. Who killed her? Find that out and you'll know where the money went. Come on. That's so funny. Helen Lee, right now I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Tony was right. People at the casino saw me win that money and somebody must have seen the girl with me. Then I got the Mickey. The money was taken. The girl killed. Who did it? Me. Dan Holiday. Because the girl clipped me for the money. Well, this was a beautiful frame. Any art gallery in the country would be proud to hang it. But I knew something Tony didn't. The plane and boat tickets. Two seats. One for Kathy and her murderer. Somebody who left her tickets in her bungalow to make it look as though she was in on the $100,000 job by herself. Sure. Now her killer was taking a plane. In one hour. Then a boat to South America. I could have told Tony, but I wanted to wrap it up myself. Besides, I wanted to get the whole thing to the law. On the way back to the hotel, I figured something out for myself. But I'd have to see the boss of the casino and I thought I knew how to do that without Tony tagging along. The casino was full. I stopped. Tony stopped. What's the idea? What now? I've got to think. Up to your room. Now. You want to get hurt? Sure. Go ahead. Shoot me. Now. In front of all these people. You know, Tony, you wouldn't get 10 feet. Smart, eh? Okay, what's now? I'm going to play blackjack. Want to watch? I sat at the blackjack table. I had as much interest in the game as Aunt Mamie back in Iowa who never saw a deck of cards in her life. But I had an idea. And I played it for all it was worth. Look, uh, dealer. I didn't like that last deal. I beg your pardon, sir. I said I didn't like that last deal. Return your money, sir. Never mind the money. Who runs this place? It worked. In three seconds I was surrounded by muscle boys and Tony was hotter than a New York sidewalk in August. But he couldn't touch me. A minute later I sat across the table from the owner of the casino. I told him what happened and when I finished he stared at me and said, You're trying to tell me somebody let you win that money of my wheel? I am? You're crazy. The wheel's straight. But you know I won that money? Sure I do. Anytime a hundred grand slides across, I know it. But eh... But this time it was fixed. The croupier was tipped I was to win. Wait a minute. Marty, send Frankie up here right away. Huh? Oh. Okay, forget it. What's the matter? Frankie, the croupier, went off duty just after you won. He's not back yet. And he won't come back. Now somebody planned to take the house this evening for that money. Somebody who couldn't risk getting it himself. So I'm the logical one. No one knows me here. I'd look like just another player. Later, Mr. Fixett plans to pick up the money and beat it. Who? Someone besides yourself who could get to the croupier and bribe him to fix the wheel. Got any ideas? Yeah. One. My partner. Well, that's it then. It's got to be. But the girl, she doped you. That was a hard way to get the money from you. Listen, I've got an idea, but I'm a little cramped for room. Some of your partner's boys, particularly a guy named Tony, are glued to me. Get some of your boys to shake them off and I'll bring that money back to you. How do you know where it is? I know. Okay, holiday. Remember, fast play and I'll find you if it takes the rest of my life. It's a deal. Now, uh, how about the boys? They won't follow you. Marty, that guy will leave my office. Some mugs are telling him. Stop him. Got it? Good. All right, holiday, you're on first base. Go ahead. I was sure he'd be at the airport and I wasn't wrong. He was sitting in the shadows on the outside. I walked over to him and he looked up. Holiday, I thought you would be... Thought I'd be framed, huh, Frankie? What are you doing here? I've got a message from Kathy Lee. Kathy? She's... You ought to know, you killer. You're crazy. Not only that, you've got $126,000 in that bag. $126,000 that looked like easy money. Shut up. That money doesn't mean a thing. It's the girl who counts. The girl who was willing to do what you told her to do. The girl you triple-crossed and killed after you double-crossed your boss who bribed you to fix the wheel. It's too bad you're so smart, holiday. It's too bad you led with that right, Frankie. Somebody call the police to, uh, come and clean this up. It was... Oh, please hurry, Mr. Holiday. I want to hear the ending. All right, Susie, all right. What do you want to know? Well, how did you guess that Kathy Lee was the croupier's girl? Well, her locket had his picture in it. Oh. They should have given you the money as a reward. No, thanks, Susie. They can have it. But there's one thing I don't understand, Mr. Holiday. And that's? You didn't get a tan at all. Your justice pale is when you left. Oh, $126,000. A murder and a tan too, she wants. Good night, Susie. Next week, same time, Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday in Box 13. Alan Ladd appears through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures. Watch for him in his new picture, Saigon. Box 13 is directed by Richard Sanville with original story by Russell Hughes. And original music composed and conducted by Rudy Schrager. The part of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker. Production supervision is by Vern Karstensen. This is a Mayfair production.