 When I started I thought one man was in trouble and three were trying to help him But after I found two pounds of tobacco two pieces of brass and a boat without a pilot heading straight out to sea I Knew they had all been in trouble and all had taken the hard way out From the pen of Raymond Chandler outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character as CBS presents the adventures of Philip Marlowe and And Now with Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe. We bring you tonight's exciting story the hard way out I had killed a shank of the afternoon in a Hollywood department store Trying for the fifth consecutive year to select something unique in a personalized Christmas card a Bright-eyed sales girl finally suggested in desperation a smoking 38 Spelling out Noel in delicate wisps of white curling smoke Well, I gave up settled for a reissue of last year's unoriginal message An hour later I was driving out towards a pulvera and my new client August quick And I was glad to be away from the pre holiday crowds and back to work When I pulled up in front of the factory building a an Immodest sign told me the man I was to meet inside was president and co-founder of quick and Slater manufacturers of nothing but the best in construction materials Come in come in We bid you in a minute. I'm on the floor Listen August peak does not change his policy overnight Slater not after 25 years You should know that you have all people never mind the excuses later those you always have and they make me sick Partnership trouble mr. Quing. Oh no, my partner is dead now 10 years That was his son Keith Slater But he has nothing to say here his father left it that way well sit down mr. Marlowe Please Slater is not what I want to talk to you about all right, mr. Quig Who is the man and what's his problem my general manager Frank Emory? Oh, he has embezzled $60,000 of this company's money in the last year Hmm and isn't this a great time for you to climb the nearest rooftop and scream copper No, because I want to save Frank Emory not condemn him why what's so special about a general manager who keeps dipping itchy Fingers into the till mr. Marlowe Frank Emory has worked for me for seven years And in that time he has climbed from shop worker to plant foreman to general manager and that is something which took me 15 years Which proves what that Frank can one day go right to the top here to my job the honest way And that is just the party was on until a year ago when he got married And he started to fill his pockets with company lettuce before he'd even gotten rid of the rice Is that it yes, but don't leap to any conclusions with the Marlowe because his wife Sheila is a very sweet woman Everybody knows that if anything she should be a good influence Mr. Quig what's Frank Emory salary 175 a week When's your last Sam this afternoon about two o'clock I called him in here But I didn't say anything about the shortage. We just talked. I asked him if he thought he needed a vacation He only sulked he said he'd be all right in a little while then he left But when he got back to his desk, he only stopped there long enough to pick up his hat That was three hours ago. You've called his house since twice, but I got no answer. Here's the number Marlowe and the address Now we better stop talking start moving. I must know what Frank Emory plans to do Yeah, this is my private number a plant will close in half an hour, but I'll be here working late Okay, but before I get going mr. Quig one more question just so all this will make some sense to me Will you ever in a jam like this yourself a long time ago? Maybe and you know what it's like to be in Emory shoes You're a pretty alert fellow mr. Marlowe I do seem to remember rich men who once kept me out of a lot of trouble But the details aren't very clear anymore. So good night and good luck Mr. Frank Emory, please. I'm sorry. He's not in Is this Philip Marlowe? Yeah, that's right. That should make you Sheila Emory, huh? Yes, I just finished speaking to august quig at the plant mr. Marlowe. He told me about you And about frank take it easy mrs. Emory crying isn't going to help frank any Yes, I know, but how can I help frank? What can I do? I'm not sure but look can you meet me right away? I'm at the golden crown. It's a cocktail lounge on Santa Monica Boulevard near bradley. Yes, of course mr. Marlowe I'll be there as soon as possible Exactly 34 minutes later a two-tone sleek convertible about the size of a pullman car glided to a stop in front of the golden crown The loveliness behind the wheel was wearing a hundred dollar hand knit dress that just wouldn't let go I knew it couldn't be Sheila Emory But it was She was a tall luscious blonde with blue gray eyes that was set Wide apart in a face that any angel would have gladly traded his wings for Now five minutes later. We were seated inside at a quiet corner booth But only two weeks ago everything was perfect mr. Marlowe frank didn't seem to have a care in the world Then all of a sudden he changed he became quiet almost morose You never suspected that he was stealing from queen? Of course not and I still think there's some explanation something We don't know about maybe but from where I said it looks like you two have been keeping up with the Vanderbilks instead of the joneses It always dents the bank account. Just what do you mean by that mr. Marlowe? Exhibit a that knit one pearl two number you're wearing what? Exhibit b that splash of automobile you drove it in but frank said we could afford those things I know because I was worried when we bought the boat. Yeah, what boat? The carefree it's a 30-foot sailboat. We docked near our cottage just beyond Santa Monica Hey, wait a minute a sailboat a cottage at the beach that car Just how far do you think 175 bucks will stretch these days? What do you mean? Frank makes twice that plus bonuses not unless he has a very fancy paper route on the side Because 175 Period is the figure that quig quoted to me an hour ago Oh, no No, I can't believe that frank wouldn't lie to me that way Yeah, some guys do funny things when they're too much in love On our little tears take time honey. How about holding him back long enough to give me some built that'll put me on frank's trail, huh? I mean names and numbers his clubs his friends anything will give me a line Yes, of course But all that information is isn't is in this address book at home. All right home's our next stop Uh just between us shillie What are the chances that frank has an extracurricular interest on a back street somewhere another woman? Oh, no, I'm sure that's not the way things are Frank loves me very much Yeah, yeah, I guess so Believe me if he doesn't we're not looking for an embezzler. We're after a maniac. Come on. Let's get out of here When we left the golden crown shillie was still crying in a no-shape to drive So after parking my coop in a nearby lot, we floated out to the emery place in Brentwood in a two-tone nash Which did everything at the push of a button except drier girls tears At her house shillie pulled herself together long enough to give me a handful of addresses that might possibly lead to frank emery But just as I was about to leave by I noticed a single phone number scribbled in pencil on the edge of a desk blutter It was crunch your two two one three one And since shillie couldn't explain it. I wrote it down on a slip of paper and filed it in my pocket and left But once outside I remembered that my car was still on Santa Monica Boulevard at the golden crown So I started back to the house to call a cab I stopped suddenly at the sound of somebody in the shadows alongside the house When I moved toward the noise a man dotted out between two trees and I went after him Get your hands off me so we can play another round of hide and seek No dice brother. I'm getting too old for it Now who are you? What are you doing around the emery place? Come on. Let's have it Say wait a minute aren't you aren't you marlowe? The man august quig hired. That's right. You still haven't answered my question Oh, no, but I will now that I know who you are I'm quits keith slater You're like dear quig must have told you of me the wasteful son of his late partner He did but you're still parrying slater. Why were you hiding behind those trees? Correction marlowe. I wasn't hiding. I was waiting for frank emery. All right. We won't argue terms Why were you waiting because I wanted to get hold of emery and help him before he goes too far You see marlowe. He came back to the office after you left what did he talk to quig? No, the place had just closed and the old man was out for dinner. Did you talk to emery? Yes, and it wasn't much fun that poor fellow's just about out of his mind marlowe I raved on for an hour and a half about how unfair quig was Said he knew that I was the one who'd get to run quig and slater after the old man died I don't follow that. When did you become the fair-haired boy around there? Oh, I'm hardly that but I do own a quarter of the plant unless of course quig fires me one day Those are the terms of my father's will but quig won't fire you. Is that it? He wouldn't think of it after all that would keep my dear father from resting easy in his grave Okay, okay. Let's skip it. Exactly. What did frank emery tell you slater? He said that august quig was a two-faced liar and that he'd settle with him in his own way I told quig that when he got back from dinner And I also reminded him that frank had a key to the office. That didn't face quig, did it? No, he said he never worries twice if emery walked in on him He'd think about what to do about it then I tell you marlowe We've got to get hold of frank emery and stop him before it's too late In just a moment back to the adventures of filibolo, but first Just one hour from now over most of these same cbs network stations Evardon will be midway through her regular sunday night roll of our miss brooks America's most charming and most highly unusual school teacher You've seen evardon make her hilarious way through many a hollywood movie Now you can hear her every sunday night as our miss brooks Just a little later over most of these same cbs network stations And now with our star jerald more we return to the second act of the adventures of philip marlowe And tonight's story the hard way out It was nearly an hour later before I was back in my office on kawanga with my finger in the dial of the Telephone checking the names and places the chila emery had given me Two night clubs three hotels and five friends later. I'd run through the list without a single kosher lead Sitting there thinking of all the places a guy could disappear to I I reached into my pocket for a lifesaver and found something else The slip of paper that read crunch or two two one three one The number I'd seen on the desk plotter at emery's place So with nothing more to lose than another millimeter off the tip of my index finger. I went back to dialing newtons, what Not a thing all time of my mistake Piping's a back-o-shop Marlowe speaking You do yes had our cottage at the beach it's closed up But I was just going through some things in my desk when I discovered that the keys to the place were gone And I clearly remember seeing them only yesterday. What's the exact location of that cottage? It's two miles north exactly behind a large white frame house on the pacific coast highway number 1221. You can't miss it 1221 Okay, I'm leaving right now and I'll call you as soon as I can so try not to worry Somehow or other I made it straight out a long sunset to the beach and then north as far as the large white frame house without Being tagged for low flying by any of the boys in blue But when I got down to the cottage on the beach I found it deserted and boarded up like opening night in an unlicensed peep show in boston Except for a couple of stray gulls who probably had insomnia. I was all alone But the gregarious streak in me didn't suffer very long Because a minute later I had an unannounced visitor It was a nasty caliber 45 automatic And the man on the other end who gripped the handle like he knew what he was doing was none other than the general manager of quiggan slater Mr. Frank emory mind telling me who you are and what you want here Of a name which probably doesn't matter mr. Emory is philip marlowe But my business with you is something else I'm working for your boss august quiggan believe it or not. He wants to help you lie marlowe Nobody wants to help me and you know that this is a smart trick, but it won't work It can't work and I'll tell you why when the police do get to me marlowe They won't find anything but a corpse is that clear suicide. Don't be a fool. What about your wife marlowe? That's why I took the 60 000 bucks to sell your breath Unless you're interested in joining me to exactly as I say I hear pick up these keys and open that door go on. He's back gently. Please emory listen to me No, I've listened to too many people already now. It's my turn to talk But all I'm gonna say is goodbye in my own way. I don't know what you're doing emory stop I'm in a think this isn't the time to think marlowe. This is a time to act Get in Emory back me into the cottage stepped outside and pulled the door shut I waited a moment until I heard his car start And I tried the door and knew I was wasting my time Emory had run a piece of pipe through the handle and got gancho himself couldn't have opened it from the inside Took me 10 minutes to kick enough boards off one of the windows to wiggle out and another five to get to a phone And I told sheela that her husband was on her way home in a very desperate frame of mind She promised to hold him at all costs until I could get there 20 minutes later. I was in sheela's house on bundy drive Marlowe, what happened? Where's your husband? I don't know. He hasn't been here. Oh, fine after you called me I waited but he didn't come back Marlowe, what did you mean when you said frank was desperate? I'm afraid frank intends to kill himself kill himself Oh, no, he can't now we still may be able to stop him when he left the beach house He was heading someplace to say goodbye. I figured for sure that meant you but wherever he was going You didn't want to be followed. He locked me in and the gun. Holy smoke. Where's your phone? What about a gun? Does frank have one? Yeah, yeah 45 Didn't come here to make his last goodbyes. That only leaves august quig. You know what you're saying. Come on. Come on answer that phone No answer on quig's private wire. You're accusing frank of murder. He hates mr. Quig. Yes, but I know he couldn't kill him He couldn't are you listening to me your husband's cornered and he's decided to blast his way out of a hopeless situation I'm going to quig's office if frank comes back try to keep him here But don't try too hard because it might be dangerous now even for you I drove down Spover to the black hulking plant of quig and slater pulled over parked and walked up the alley toward the side entrance Through a barred window. I saw the feeble nightlight glowed in the outer office Otherwise the place was dark When I got to the door I stopped A diamond shaped key stuck out of the lock And the heavy door was a jar I eased it open and listened. I pulled the key out of the lock and dropped it in my pocket And I went inside and switched on the lights. Oh, I found him on the floor next to the desk in his private office He'd been shot in the chest point blank with a 45 Which meant that even before he fell august quig was dead The room was untouched quig's key case laying the pencil tray on his desk I snapped it open and saw what I expected his diamond shaped key I switched off the lights and started out When I heard heels clicking up the hallway I backed up against the wall and waited It was Keith slater He hesitated in the open door a startled look on his face Good lord Quick. Hello slater. Who is it? Marlow I wouldn't touch anything if I were you the police will want to see it just as it is. Marlow, he's been murdered I had no idea frank would go this far. Yeah, he's full of surprises tonight Are you sure he's not carrying any grudges against you? Frank and I are old friends That old man in there was different. He wasn't human. He was a machine a rock crusher with a concrete heart Only sorry it was frank who did that to him because he'll never be able to get away with it He doesn't intend to plans to commit suicide any minute now Tell me something straight slater. How does he feel about his wife? Is he jealous jealous? Why? Marlow, you don't think that he might kill Sheila. I'm gonna call her right away. Wait a minute if frank is there a phone call Would only hurry things come on. Let's go I don't like the looks of this marlow. How did it wind? Sheila Frank Anybody home They're not here neither one of them unless they are they're not talking Oh, you've got a macabre sense of humor. Nobody's laughing brother. Look you check upstairs. I'll see what I can find down here For once. I hope it's nothing I gave the ground floor a fast run-through It was neat and tidy from copper potted ivy on the dining room wall of the sunbeam toaster on the breakfast tray The only thing out of place was a bottle of scotch near the kitchen sink and lipstick on the glass beside it said Sheila I was back in the living room before I found out why she had needed that bracer Propped against a bowl of violets on the coffee table with two notes pinned together The top one was for me from Sheila It said Marlow, I just found this note from frank I'm sure he means that he's going out now both the carefree I've got to stop him Sheila I turned to frank's note and was reading it a slate. I came down the stairs. Nothing unusual upstairs. Marlow. Did you? What's that? What have you found? Frank's suicide note He asked Sheila to forgive him and forget him Yeah, read it yourself. I'm gonna call the police Say wrong. I I thought you were gonna call the police. I was But I noticed this phone number here on the desk blotter again. It's a tobacco dealer Slater, I've got a very wacky idea. I'm gonna give it a try Newton tobacco shop. No, I know this is the police mr. Newton. We want some information Take it easy. Do you have a customer named emory frank emory? What do you buy? I see how much of it did he get you could lay quite a smokescreen with two pounds of tobacco, couldn't he? Thanks, mr. Newton. You've been a big help It's a matter of slater. You look trouble. Are you thinking the same thing? I am. I don't know what you're thinking. Marlow It's mighty weird for a guy who's planning suicide to go buy himself two pounds of tobacco a few hours before he blows his brains out Put it succinctly pal. I'm thinking that frank emory's suicides are big fat phony Marlow ebara catching you at this hour is the best break I've had all night Guy's been murdered and his killer one frank emory is getting away by boat Can you sell the hob of a troll on running him down for me? It's his own a sailboat called the carefree a 30 footer with an auxiliary motor He'll be out of ways off to pank a canyon. Well, that can be a right. I'm going to his beach place It's in a little cove two miles above Santa Monica. There's a pier in a boat house a couple of hundred yards beyond Okay, Marlow the emory beach house was deserted in dock So slater and I went out of the boat house, which was docked too That's where we found Sheila lying on the planks sobbing out the end of a long hard cry Slater ran to her and lifted her to a feat Oh, Sheila Sheila what happened? Where's Frank? Oh, I was too late. I saw him leave He waved to me and called goodbye I begged him to come back No, he never will. Don't be too sure of that, honey What do you mean, Marlow? Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute. That boat coming in is probably borough Yeah, here he borough. I'm directly here Oh, who's this? Uh, mrs. Emory, mr. Slater, lieutenant. He borough. How do you do? Well, Marlow, what's it all about? Well, embezzler killed his boss set up a strong case of suicide And at the moment is pulling a very fast switch. You mean he's not really checking out. How do you figure? He bought two pounds of his favorite pipe tobacco today What's that? Wait, Sheila Well, that's interesting, Phil, but suicides are peculiar to people. Okay, but I'll bet you my C scout insignia against a dead jellyfish That he's got a small boat aboard and that he's going to get off the calf free and row to shore How about it, mrs. Emory? Is there a small boat? There's a rubber lifereft in one of the locks. That'll do it It's all he needs. Senator borough. Yes, mooney. What is it? We just got a call on the radio from the other boat They've spotted the calf free running without light southwest about two and a half miles offshore He's holding a steady course, but there's nobody at the wheel bag seems to be abandoned I'll tell him to stand by. I believe we're alone. We'll be right out Well, molla will know in a minute. Let's go folks. Get aboard A hover patrol cutter sliced through the black swells with the easy grace of a head waiter after a $10 tip And all the way out it looked as though molla was going to be the bright boy of the evening When we pulled alongside the calf free and made her fast and boarded her It still looked that way. It looked great Right up to the point when he borrowed peered through the porthole in the closed cabin Jerked the door open and went inside After that it didn't look so good. Is this frank emory? Yeah Yeah, that's him. He's been shot over the heart from up close with a 45 undoubtedly the one he still has gripped in his hand there Yeah, you better not come in mrs. Emory your husband has killed himself And walked back to this turn and sat down He borrowed was going through his grim routine inside and I felt lousy I stared down vacantly at my feet and Only gradually became aware of the little brass cylinder that Danced across the deck with every roll of the boat I picked it up Was an ejected cartridge from a 45 I had found an empty 45 cartridge All at once things began to take shape for me He borrowed he borrowed a whole everything. I was right emory didn't commit suicide after all Bill the man's body's right here the gun in his hand. I know I know but he was murdered Now look I found this out on deck and the door to this cabin was closed You remember when a man is shot with a 45 he drops He doesn't walk in close the door and then fall. Well, did emory have any keys on it? Yes, these are his they're in the ignition by the wheel sure sure look look this diamond shape one It matches one. I've got in my pocket. Come on out on deckie bar and watch closely Hey slater Slater, can I see your key to the side door of the factory? I certainly malo. It's right here in my pocket It's not in your pocket because it's here in my hand slater You were so excited when you shot quig you ran off and left it sticking in the lock And here's one for you mrs emory While the carefree was still tied up with a dock you stood right here Surprised your husband in the cabin door and shot him This little cartridge was ejected back to the stern But you forgot about that because after you shoved him inside and put the gun in his hand You closed the door then you started the motor locked the wheel and cut the boat loose I don't know what you're talking about. Look out Ibarra Ibarra he's after your gun That was nice Ibarra malo. I wouldn't have believed this Don't lose your place because you'll have to go over it all again. Don't worry. I won't You see it's sort of like an equation Two pounds of tobacco and two pieces of brass added up to two bodies and two murderers Beats me that mrs emory seemed to be nothing but sweet soft and stay at home nights. Yeah Yes, she pulled one of the richest double crosses on record Ibarra she let her husband steal a fortune for her and even helped him plan a fake suicide to get away Then she turned around and used this plan only no fake this time to kill him So she'd be free to marry slater, but she didn't want slater without the money, right? Right As long as august quig lives slater could never be sure of his income So slater killed him and they hung that on frank emory too And they worked a fast routine of past the detective right through the middle of it all While slater killed quig I was with Sheila and slater took me over while she killed frank I make a great team in a shell game wall. Yeah, but you did all right. Well, see you tomorrow the report, you know Good night, Phil I sat alone in the pier for a long time I watched the waves come in and gradually my mind got untangled in the treachery and violence that had been wrapped up in all night And the lady turned out to be the tiger And then as my thoughts plowed back through the whole mess of the afternoon when I've been shopping for christmas cards I made up my mind to cancel my order And have an entirely new set printed up They say it pays to advertise and if that's true Right across the top of my new cards and big block letters I'm gonna have the words Goodwill toward men Who knows Maybe it'll help Anyway I hope so The adventures of philip barlow created by raymond chandler stars jerald moore and is produced and directed by norman mcdonnell Script by melden ellie robert mitchell and gene levitt Featured in tonight's cast where barbara fuller louis van ruten bill dally and edgar barrier Lieutenant ebara was played by jeff corey. The special music was conceived and conducted by richard iran Be sure and be with us again next week when philip marlowe says I walked into it smiling because it had all the corny elements The weird doctor the beautiful girl the gloomy house on the windswept cliff Even the hulking menace Only one thing was missing the body And that's when I stopped smiling because I turned out to be the corpse myself almost Listen later tonight and every sunday night to john dixon car's newest mysteries on the cbs series cabin b 13 Over most of the same cbs network stations And now stay tuned for the electric theater starring miss helen haze in angel street Which follows immediately over most of the same cbs stations This is royer robert speaking for cbs the columbia broadcasting system