 Here is a mystery, ladies and gentlemen, that will challenge your powers of deduction. If you were Irene Delroy, clever girl operating of the Department of Justice, assigned to discover who was responsible for the deliberate wrecking of France-American Airlines fastest mail planes, and the subsequent robbing of each shift after the crash, what method of investigation would you use? Here are the important facts. France-American Airlines have lost three of the newest type high-speed mail planes. In each incident, the pilot who saved himself by parachute reporters at the ship's moher cut out over a dangerous country, making a forced landing impossible. When the wreckage of each plane was located, it was discovered that a valuable shipment was missing. The characters involved are Andy Andrews, the pilot of each wrecked ship, Ernest Powers, general manager of France-American, J.A. Fitzgerald, assistant to Miss Delroy of the Department of Justice, and Jimmy Gifford, roving newspaper reporter in love with the girl detective. This party has just returned to the France-American offices from the scene of the last crash. Ernest Powers is opening the door to his private office. And I went in the office to wonder where Robert is. Who is Robert, Mr. Powers? A radio operator. He's usually at the control panel. Maybe he's in my office here. Come on in. Hey Scott, please shut the door quick. It's gas. Stand back, Irene. There's a man lying on the floor in that room. We can't leave him in there. Let me in there. I'll get him out. Give me your coat, Gifford. Here. Let her be careful, Fitz. I'll get him out. Open all the windows around the place. I think it's tear gas. We can't be sure. There's a ventilating system in the hall. I'll turn it on. Good. That'll clear the gas out of the room. How's the sergeant coming along, Jimmy? He's got the fellow all right. He'll drag him out if the gas doesn't get him. He's got him all right. Here he comes. It's tear gas all right. Pretty heavy layer. This poor devil hasn't had too much. Oh, got a handkerchief, Gifford. Here you go, Sergeant. Anybody know this fellow? Yeah, he's a night radio operator. Roberts. He must have been the only one around. The dispatcher's probably outside loading the westbound. Get some water. Okay. I'll start working on him. Loosen these collarments, Delroy, and try to get some fresh air to have around him. The ventilation system is working now, Sergeant. That's good, Powers. Get some wet towels. Hurry. I don't like the looks of this, Mr. Delroy. What do you mean, Fitz? This fellow Roberts ain't a nosy sort of a guy. He don't go pokey around in Powers' office for nothing when Powers is out. You mean there must have been a reason for him being in the office? That's the way it looks to me, ma'am. Roberts either saw something or heard something that made him go into that room. I'll take something pretty important to get him away from his radio panel out here. Fish of water, Irene. How's it coming along, Fitz? Don't know yet. He ain't getting his breath very quick. You better get a doctor out here right away. I'll call one from the waiting room for him. I wonder what Roberts was doing in the private office. That's what Fitz was trying to figure out. Where's the pilot, Andrews? I dropped him off at the big hangar before we came over here. He's taking the eastbound mail out at 11. Said he wanted to check up on the plane. You don't think he had a hand in this, do you? Oh, no, not this. This happened probably 15 minutes before we came back, and Andrews is along with us. Fitz, his eyelids were fluttering just now. Good. I can just get some fresh air into his lungs. We may be able to get him out of it. Oh, here comes powers. Ask him if there's any whisky around here, will you? Not necessary, Sergeant. Glad to accommodate you. Oh. Hearings. Uh, let's have his head. I, uh, called for a doctor. How's it coming along, Miss Delroy? This is oh, he'll be all right, thanks to the Sergeant here. What shit is that? Must be our westbound passenger technology. Yes, that's it. Is Roberts the only one in here at this time of night? It all depends. He's the only one on active duty, the dispatcher and field manager outside with a ship. Do you know of any reason for Roberts to be in your private office? None, whatever. I've never seen him in there before. Was your office locked? It's generally locked, yes. It was locked tonight. Well, does Roberts have a key? Not that I know of. He's coming, too. Help me get him up in this chair here, will you? Okay, Fitz. Oh, you fan him a bit, it, Jimmy. How do you feel, huh? Oh, okay, I guess. What was it? Gas, tear gas, I think. How did it hit you? I, I couldn't breathe. It choked me. That's all I remember. Hmm, you feel like talking? Yes, I, I suppose so. Did you get him? We get who? The man that was in that room. Who was it? I don't know. Let's start at the beginning, Roberts. How did you happen to go into Mr. Powers' private office? Well, I heard something in there. So I thought I'd better go in and see who it was. What did you hear? Voices and noises? Well, it sounded like someone filing or sawing something. I see. How did you get him? By the door. Wasn't it locked? No, ma'am. I opened the door and there was a man standing over at the steel filing cases working on them. The filing case? You better look to see what's missing if the gas has cleared out of your office enough, Mr. Powers. Yes, I'll do that at once. We have some very valuable papers in that case. Did you recognize the man, Roberts? I'm trying to think. His face seemed familiar. That is, I'd seen it before somewhere. I want you to think hard. Or is it anyone connected with the airport? Let me think. No, it wasn't any of the chaps around here. Well, go on with your story. What did you do when you saw him? Well, his back was to me and I asked him what he was after. He whirled around and something blinded me and choked me. That's all I remember. Do you know if he had the filing cabinet open yet when you discovered him? I don't remember. Well, I found out what the thief was after, Mr. Delroy. What? The operation schedules. They're gone. The operation schedules? What could anyone want with them? They contain the departure and arrival times of all our ships in the Western division, both mail and passenger. All connection schedules and route markings. All landing field data and radio schedules. Something very funny is going on around here. I've got it. I've got it. I know who the fellow was that I saw in Europe. Who? I don't know his name, but I do know that he's the same man who was here earlier tonight and bought a seat on the Westbound plane. The Westbound? And the Westbound just took off a few minutes ago. Quick, get over to the radio. Tell Chapman and the Westbound to return to the field. We'll see who this man is. Hurry up. Call 610 and tell them to get back here right away. We'll meet the ship. I'm sure it was the same man. I saw a scull. Don't talk. Don't talk. Get 610. Hurry. Metropolitan to Chapman in 610. Metro to Chapman in 610. Go ahead. Metro to 610. Powers orders you to return to the field right away. Go ahead. Metro to 610. Powers wants you to return to the field right away. It's urgent. Go ahead. Put the receiving set out of order as soon as he saw the pilot working in the field. That's what happened. He'll get away. Where did the pilot say he'd land? Salt flats. It's about 90 miles. Do you have a radio station there? Yes, ma'am. That's it. Call Salt Flats. Tell them to hold the Westbound plane until we get there. Okay, Miss Delroy? I think we'd be justified in doing just that. What a story. Boy, this is great. Metropolitan to Salt Flats. Metro calling Salt Flats. Go ahead. Salt Flats. Salt Flats. 610 is landing there in half an hour. Now get this. Get a couple of men and hold the ship when it lands. There's a man aboard wanted by the Department of Justice. Don't let anyone out of the ship. Got it? Go ahead. He thinks it's a joke, huh? Well, I'll tell him to get the set on. Give me the mic. Salt Flats, this is Powers. Listen, you. You meet that ship when it gets down and hold everybody on board. If you don't, I'll fire every man at your field. That's all. I guess that'll hold him. Yes, sir, Mr. Powers. Hey, Mike, this is not a problem. Poor guy's so excited he almost forgot to cut his mic off. He'll be more than excited if he doesn't hold that ship. Let's get going. Hello? Yeah? Who's that? A phone from a hangar, sir. What did you want? Now, just a minute. It's Andrews. He's ready to leave with the eastbound mail. That guy sure got nerve. Three bad crashes and he's ready to start again. Andrews, huh? Do you want to let him go, Ms. Delroy? He's under suspicion, you know. I think we can let him go for now. He'll be back tomorrow afternoon, won't he? At 4.40, yes. It'll be all right. But tell him I want to talk to him before he leaves. Hello, Andy. The chief says okay. Ms. Delroy is coming over to the hangar to see you before you hop. Come along with me, Jimmy. I want just a word with Andrews before he starts eating. All set, Andy. I fixed that booster switch. Good. We'll warm her up. Pull her through. That's enough. Okay. Contact. Contact. Sounds okay enough. Oh, here you are, Andrews. I'm glad I got here before you took off. I'm just warming her up, Ms. Delroy. What did you want? I could look the ship over carefully. Yes, ma'am. I gave it special attention. I'm flying, if you know. I don't mind telling you. There's something very strange going on around here, Andrews. I don't want anything to happen to you, but I have a feeling that... Well, cheer up. There's nothing but mail aboard tonight. Nothing of value. Even so, I feel like... Now, let me tell you something, little lady. When we were out in Devil's Canyon today, I took a good look at the terrain there. If I have any more trouble over that spot, I'm reasonably sure that with a little luck, I can set this old bus down on the floor of the canyon. Then we'll see who is doing what. Oh, there's my signal. You better step back so I won't dust you. Well, good luck and be careful. Watch out over Devil's Canyon. Okay. Well, Jimmy, I hope he likes it. He'll make it all right. Those crooks aren't after just plain mail. That's what worries me, Jimmy. What do you mean? We've kept the secret, Jimmy. Not even Andrews knows it. But there's a $60,000 shipment aboard that plane.