 Adventures by Morse, Carlton E. Morse presents You'll Be Dead in a Week, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Four o'clock of a sunshiny afternoon in the Greenfoot Hills north of Hollywood. A sedan raises clouds of dust as it ascends rising, winding dirt road toward the uninhabited summit. Looking on this innocuous scene, no one would suspect that Captain Friday, Skip and Wes Carson are prisoners in the back of the sedan. Half turned in his seat, alongside the driver, is a man dressed in a soldier's MP uniform. He rests a gun on the back of the seat, keeps it pointed at the three in the back. While an army uniform is sacred to most of us, it isn't to Blacky North, notorious gangster. He used this disguise to trap Captain Friday and his companions after they had successfully robbed a bank. But we're getting ahead of our story. We'll start back at the beginning. Last night, Captain Friday and Skip were summoned to Maggie's intimate drinking salon on the sunset strip by a mysterious letter. Eve Carson, Beverly Hills Eris, was the writer. Yes, I wrote that letter. I've come to you for help. I'm in trouble. What sort of trouble? About two months ago, my brother Wesley lost consciousness and fell downstairs. Affected his brain? No. No, he's apparently as alert and healthy as ever. But when he went to our doctor to find out why he lost consciousness, the doctor told him, Wes, in a week you'll be dead. Well, you didn't just take one doctor's word for it. Oh, no, Captain Friday. We checked with three other specialists. And they all say in a week your brother will be dead, Yes. Only two days are gone already. I see. Well, of course, we're very sympathetic, Ms. Carson. But where do we fit into the picture? Ever since Wes heard the bad news, he's been doing everything that amuses him. Right now, it amuses him to be tight up with Blackie North and his bunch of cutthroats. That's Wes now at the table over there. A clean-looking fellow with those two gorillas? That's your brother? Yes. Oh, if you could sort of look out for him, take care of him, protect him. Protect him from what? Well, from himself, I suppose. If he's got to die, at least he can die with a family name clean, not as a criminal. If I get you right, you want us to curb his last week of fun just so you can write, he was a good man on his tombstone. I want him to have all the fun and excitement he wants. All I'm asking is that you keep him out of trouble, keep him out of jail, keep him from harm or violence. It's worth $10,000 to me. All right, Ms. Carson. It's a bargain and a bad one, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, Captain Friday took the job of watching over Eve's brother, Wes Carson, during his last five days. But as he put it, it was a bad bargain. Wes had become entangled with Blackie North, a Southland gangster who was only one step ahead of the police. To further complicate matters, Wes, just for the thrill, had stolen a handful of diamonds from the home of a movie star. Captain Friday solved this problem by planting the gems on Blackie North, then called the police, hoping they would search him, find the gems and stole him away safely behind bars. Before they were able to accomplish this, however, Wes Carson came up with a startling announcement. He wanted to rob a bank. But here's Captain Friday to tell you about that. Yes, Wes wanted to rob a bank and there was nothing to do but humor him. We arranged for him to rob his own bank by having his sister deposit $200,000 with a cashier before the robbery took place. Wes, of course, didn't know about this, and everything went off as we planned it. Wes picked up all the money in the teller's cages. We backed out of the bank and ran for the car parked at the curb. Skip Turner covered our getaway. I mean, we made it. Look, there's a soldier, motioning us to stop. Hey, no time to hitchhike us now. He's an MP. Look at his armband. We can't turn the corner without running over him. I guess we better stop and see what he wants. Hey, there's somebody coming at us from the other side. They're jumping on the running board. All right, get them up and into the backseat. Into the backseat before I drill you. Blackie North in a soldier's uniform. That's a federal offense. Look who's talking. Take the wheel, Poggy. I'll take their gas. And I don't want to hear a peep out of anybody for 10 minutes. You get it? All right, suckers, hands in the air, and get out one at a time. You first, Friday. I got them covered, Blackie. You next, Carson. No funny stuff or I'll drag Gulch every one of you. Well, you certainly turned the tables on us, Blackie. Not you, wise guy. Just call Miss Skip. And keep them hands up. Poggy's a little nervous with his trigger finger. You said it, Chief. It is kind of itchy. Now get moving, single file, towards those trees. Bring your rope, Poggy. Coming, Chief. If you want to play soldier, why aren't you in the army, Blackie? Because the army's full of dopes like you guys. I'm smart. I'd rather play you, see? How'd you get that uniform? Roll some poor soldier? People are always giving me things like diamonds and gunny sacks full of dough. Halt! Well, I must say I approve your taste in nature, Blackie. This is a beautiful spot you picked. You won't think it's no picnic before I get through with you, Carson. What are you going to do, boy, unless it's a steak? You pray for burning before long. Lay down, you two. Head's facing that tree. You on one side, Friday, you on the other, wise guy. You mean lie down on the ground? Fair to surly, you pretty panties. Get down here quick before I bust your skull open. Okay. No need to get rough, Blackie. No? What about that pink tea you gave at my place last night? Yeah, what a bullet. I got a memory like an elephant. You got a nose like one, too. Yeah. I got it last night. And I ain't forgetting that neither. Shut up, Skip. You're only antagonizing him. All right, you guys. She'll be heads against the tree. Like this? Okay. Now put your arms around the trunk. Now, flutter your back. Anything you say, Blackie? All right. Go to work with that rope, Poggy. Yeah. Get their arms around the tree and tie their wrists. Thank you. Hey, I feel neglected. Don't I deserve some attention? We got something special in mind for you, West. How'd you know we were going to rob a bank today, Blackie? You small-time operators. You thought I was out cold last night. You mean you were playing possum? You take a better man than that wise guy you got with you to knock me out. Let that be a lesson to you, Skip. Always be thorough. Time to be given out with lechers. There. There, I guess they won't slip out of them knots. Let me see them. Yeah, they're good knots. But slip them a little tighter. Didn't it? These guys got too much circulation already. Okay, they see. There. How do you like that? Fits me just like a tourniquet. Now get their feet, Poggy. The same kind of knots. Same kind. And you'll cast and keep those hands up. Oh, about putting them behind my back or something. I've been holding them up a long time. You'll keep them up there. I'll saw your fingers off one by one. Yes, sir. Hey, listen. What's that? What, Chief? I thought I heard a car. Wouldn't be no cars up here. Probably the police after the bank robbers. I didn't hear nothing, Chief. Well, hurry up with that rope. Okay. Since you overheard everything last night, Blackie, then I guess it was your man you had staked outside the Carson home this morning. Sure. We've been tailing you all day. Congratulations. I only saw him once through the window. You hear that, Poggy? That'll cost you. The fog wound up like a scared window shade, Chief. It never did that before. Don't let him jiff you out of your sheer, Poggy. Shut up, you. All them ropes, Poggy. Well, they're all tied up like fish in the net, Chief. Yeah, good and tight. Good job, Poggy. Maybe I won't find you for that lousy tail and job this time. Thanks, Chief. Say, I can't stand this much longer. Can't I rest my hands on my head? I'm giving the orders and I said keep them up. I'll get around to you just as soon as I tend to a little unfinished business. And now you wise guy, you beat me up last night, didn't you? Well, I didn't even hurt you. You said so yourself. But you're meant to, and now it's my time. How do you like this, Lordy Sculley? Oh, look here now. You can't kick a man when he's down. Oh, can I just watch? Oh, you dirty... Look at that flying tag. Had a boy, Wes. Get him. Poggy, hit him on the head. Don't shoot. Hit him. Get his head out of the open, Chief. That's it. I guess that'll stop our little football player. Hit him right back in the air with a butt, Chief. Good aim. You've killed him, Blacky. He'll be all right in a couple of years. If he dies, you'll go to the chair. You know that. Who'll tell on me? You guys are gonna lay here till you rot. Won't do you no good to yell, neither. Nobody can hear you up here. Listen, Blacky, I don't care about myself, but you'd better take Carson to a hospital. He's bleeding around the ear. Yes, for it, didn't he? So long, you guys. Hope you enjoy the warings. Come on, Poggy. How are you, Skip? Okay. Hurt much? Just a couple of busted ribs. Is Wes breathing? Can you see? Yeah, I think he's breathing all right. He's in a bad way. You've got to get him to a hospital. Yeah. Any ideas how we're going to do it? Yeah, there go our friends. Yeah, I'm glad to see him go up here as me. But Poggy must have spent some time at sea. More I work my wrists the tighter these knots get. Same here. Yeah, we're in a pretty pickle, all right? Hey, I wonder if I do us any good to yell. No, nobody'd come up here, even on a hike. Yeah. Makes you feel kind of alone. Skip. Yeah? I've got a hunch. What? I think Blackie made one big mistake. What? Tying us both to the same tree. I don't get it. Look, if you slide around a little, your wrists would be directly in front of my face. Try squirming around. Okay. Is that your nose up for you? Don't poke your finger in my eye. Hold it. Then what you're going to do? Stare those knots loose? Yeah, just as I thought. This isn't rope at all. It's sash good. Same thing, ain't it? But it is nearly as thick. Hold still. Now, what you doing? Chewing on the rope. I'll make it too. If my teeth hold up. You mean you're trying to chew through the strands? Well, that'll take days. With trying anyway, besides, doesn't taste bad at all. Blackie North and his torpedo porgy overheard the planning of the fake bank robbery and devised a means of cutting themselves in on the $200,000 taken from the bank. The two gangsters, wearing army uniforms, stopped Captain Friday's car, drove to a secluded spot in the Hollywood Hills, and after knocking out Wes Carson, bound Skip Turner and Captain Friday to a tree. The only possibility of escape seemed to lie with the Captain's efforts to chew through the sash cord with which Blackie North had tied them. How's it coming, Cappy? It won't be long now. I'll come in the last train. Well, can you hold out? It's getting pretty dark. Jaws are tired and my mouth's full of rope. Why don't you rest a while? You've been at it for hours. Only three by your wrist, watch. It seems a lot longer. It's getting black on the infidels' heart. Has Wes moved? Mm-mm. He's out cold. That's awful gas he's got behind his ear where Blackie hit him. I hope he isn't dead. Poor kid. Well, I can't stop now. Time may save a life. Yeah, go ahead and awe. He'll get in some place all right. I can feel the cord given. Hey, I'll pull on my wrist. It may help some. You know, I ain't sure, but I think I heard Wes sigh just now. You know, he got a hand into that kid. He's got what it takes. And if we'd all pitched in on Blackie like he done, we might not be in this pickle. But then, on the other hand, we might all be laying flat like Wes. I mean, I guess we had a better chance this way. Keep going, Captain. I'm helping all I can. Hey, I'm loose. You did it, Captain. Thanks to a good dentist. And we'd like to get this rope off my wrist and find my knife. That's another mistake Blackie made. Not frisking. Yeah. Well, how was he to know you had a roll of razor blades in your mouth, Captain? Well, I'm through using my knives for a while. How about yours? I got it. Boy, my hands are so numb I can't hardly feel it. Now rub your hands together. Oh, they'll be all right. Here we go. Oh, like needles of blood running back into your fingers. It only hurts for a minute, though. Mine are practically all right by now. Here, I'll cut your feet loose. Now how about your own? After you. You'll have to take a second. There, that's it. Now give me the knife. I'll get yours. I reckon I would have to be a sort of acrobat to do it myself. Porgy was right about this being a fishnet. Now, I guess that doesn't... What if I can stand up? Yeah, my feet are not so bad. Good thing they left our boots on. Yeah, my feet are a lot better than my hands. Now let's take a look at Wes. Yeah, here he is over here. Then I'll strike a match. Yeah, poor kid. He's bled quite a bit. His pulse is beating. Good. Maybe he's got a chance. If we can get him to a doctor. How? We're miles from nowhere. Only one way. Carry him. Help me get him out of my shoulder. Oh, no. You load him onto me, Captain. With two busted ribs, you wouldn't get very far. I reckon you're right. All right, up he goes. There. Now, you lead the way to the road. That's going to be a long trek into Hollywood. It's getting pretty dark. Yeah, we'll stop at the first house we come to and get help. Wasn't these disguises? We're giving ourselves up as bank robbers. Man, the papers must be full of our descriptions by now. I bargain to see this kid through. I'll keep my part of it as best I can. But if you want to... Hey, boss, you know I'm sticking with you. Here's a road. Sorry, skip. Oh, sure, I know, skip. Hey, look, there's a house down yonder. Where? I don't remember any house on the way up here. Won't you see that light? No, that's not a house. That light's moving. Yeah. It's a car on the winding road. Coming up the road towards us, too. He's supposed it's blackie coming back? More of the police. Blackie might have tipped him off. What are we going to do? If it's the police, we'll give ourselves up and get some medical attention from west. And if it's blackie? Nothing we can do but hide in the brush and let him go by. What if it ain't neither blackie or the police? And we'll get them to drive us to a hospital, of course. Whoever it is will recognize us from the descriptions in the paper. Man, that's a chance we'll have to take. Here it comes. Hey, we better get off the road. You make out what kind of a car it is? No, not yet. Coming at a pretty fast clip. Oh, now I can see it. It's a roadster with a top down. All right, maybe a couple of spooners. How about a hail? Go ahead. Stand out in the road when they can see you. Hey, we need help! That's a girl, alone. Hi, miss. Will you help us? We had an accident. Skip, Captain Friday. What's this gossip? Eve, what are you doing here? Oh, I've been looking everywhere for you. Where's Wes? Right here. You've been badly hurt, I'm afraid. Oh. We've got to get him to a doctor quick. Get in. Is he conscious? No, hasn't been for hours. Now, hold him on my lap. Yeah, that's it. Close the door, Scott. Yeah. Hey, you want me to turn the car around? No, I'll do it. Good girl. Drive slowly over these bumps. You don't want to shake Wes up any more when we can help. Bullet wound? No, bump on the head with a gun button. Concussion? I'm afraid so. Blacky North. How did you know? Well, after you left the house, I was so worried I couldn't stand it. I jumped in the roadster and drove to the bank. I was parked outside when you came out. Hey, and you saw a blacky kid in there, please? I saw a soldier and another man jump in the car. I knew that wasn't part of your plan, so I got suspicious. You followed us? Yes, but I had to stay far enough behind so I wouldn't be seen. I lost you in the hills. I've been looking for you ever since. You're a brave girl, Eve. Let's hope you were in time. Well, I-I feel responsible for all this. I'm terribly upset. They were coming to the paved road now. Now you can step on it. Our house is closer than the hospital. I can have the doctor in a few moments. I felt kind of bad walking out on Miss Carson. Nothing we could do. Wes is in the hands of the doctors now. Yeah, sure was a flock of them. Good thing we had time to change clothes and get our makeup off before they arrived. Eve did a good job on Wes too. Not a trace of that beard left. Yes, well, kid. Hope we can recover our money. And a car. And I hope those doctors can do something for Wes. Too bad if he has to die like this. Well, at least he had some excitement. If he has to die, I reckon this is the way he'd want it. I'd hope to keep him alive for five more days until his time was up. Well, it's out of our hands now. Hey, Captain, you want me to carry that package a while? No, thanks. Must be pretty heavy. No, I'm all right. How's your side? All right. Hurting you? A little. You should have let one of those doctors back at the house fix you up. All you can do for broken ribs, tape it up. Shucks. I've had busted ribs before. Well, it won't be long now. There's the sign in the middle of the block. Maggie's intimate drinking salon. Hey, do you see what I see? And where? Parked at the curb in front. Yes, I believe it is. See, Carson's car. Well, if the car's here, then Blackie must be here. And the gunny sack with her money. And don't forget the diamonds. Yeah. Feel up to a tussle? With Blackie North? Any time. What about your ribs? Blackie North broken, didn't he? Don't ask foolish questions. Excuse me. I want to drop in this drug store for a moment. Make a phone call. Who you calling? A couple of friends of mine. Look out for this package while I'm gone. It'll just take me a second. Yeah. I got a paper. See what it says about the bank robber. Looks like we got headlines. See you, sir. Bank robbed of quarter million. That's pretty good. Okay, Skip. I got my call through. I'll make a wisely spent, I think. Yeah, I spent one too. Look here at the paper. Well, you give us quite a splurge, didn't you? They call me young and handsome. They make quite a point of my paunch and beard. That's good. And poor Wesson get a bang out of what they said about him, too. Too bad it can't read it. Well, Skip, we have much time for biography. Let's go to work. Yes, sir. It'll be a great pleasure to work on Mr. Blackie North. Well, if we don't see Blackie or Paul Gean, we'll sit at the bar and have a drink. And if we do see him, well, that's just too bad for them. Blackie must have an office somewhere in the back. Keep your eye peeled for it. That's where the money problem is. Okay, let's go. See anybody? Mm-mm. I need my hat checker. Not a customer in the house. Well, the bartender, either. I'll look behind the bar. You look in the kitchen. Yeah. Nobody in the kitchen? I'll have my package back here. May come in handy later. See any more doors? Not a one. Must be an office here somewhere. Well, sure. Elsewhere is everybody? Beats me. Man, this place is like a deserted village. Yeah, there's something screwy here. Mm-hmm. Silent like a haunted house. Hold it. What's that? Sounded like a sliding door. Oh, someone's coming. Sit at the bar, quick. Yeah. Oh, good evening, gentlemen. I did not realize there was anyone at the bar. And I deserted tonight. We keep them mostly to the after theater crowd. What would be your pleasure, gentlemen? A glass, mill. A glass of youth. You are here last night. Well, sweetie, you do remember. But Blackie said, chief! I had him skip. Yeah, come on, you are... Yeah, that's enough. He's out. Anybody here? Apparently not. Where did he come from? Sounded like a sliding door. Obviously, one of those panel slides back. He maybe he was fetching a drink for somebody. If it was, he'll be after him in a minute. Oh, yeah. Help me prop him up against the bar. Prop him up? Why? Anyone comes after him? Give us a little more time. Oh, I get it. Hey, looks like a wax dummy. Pretty lifelike, all right. Here comes somebody. Grab a stool. Get going, Gene. The chief wants a drink. We? How was that? Well, Fred checks it. Great. Takes his Frenchman. Skip. Yeah? I saw the door. It's in the wall to the left. Well, come on, let's go look. Easy now. Right here, this panel. See anything that looks like a button? Not yet. Are you sure this is it? Positive. Or he leaned against the wall before the door opened. Maybe this little knot of pie in here. Shall I try it? Yeah, go ahead. Well, nothing happens. Can they help you, gentlemen? Hey, the waiter. And he's got a gun. When you knock a person out, you should make sure he is really unconscious, gentlemen. This is the second time you have failed in your objective. No, Gong, guess I'll never lie. I believe you are trying to open the door, gentlemen. If you will put the eel of your boot on the second square of an olium, you will find it will slide back automatically. We ain't so anxious to get in as it was. But I am, gentlemen. I am sure Mr. North will be delighted to see you. And if we refuse? In that case, gentlemen, I shall be first to commit justifiable murder. What with? My revolver, naturally. Well, you didn't think we'd be silly enough to leave any lead in that gun, did you? Why, after the chamber's myself. Didn't you see the bullets in the shake on the bar? I do not believe you. Grab him. Yeah. I got him thoroughly. I didn't think he'd fall for that old turkey. Man, it had whiskers. But it worked. What's going on out here? Gene. Hello, poor girl, pal. And you too, blackie. If your gun on him, skip. I'll dust him off. Where did you... How did you... You're a professional, blackie. Why should we explain to you dope? Thanks for the gat, blackie. You too, porgy. Oh, and lookie, it deny stacks of money on the desk. Nice of you to count it for us, blackie. Is it all there? Listen, you guys, I make a deal with you. Keep them up, blackie, or I'll drive, gulch you. Listen, you guys, I'll split with you. Winner, take all, blackie. I'll squilt it a cup. Which reminds me, skip, bringing that little package at the bar. Oh, yeah, sure. Hey, is it behind the bar, Captain? Yeah, it's near the sink. Now, listen, is some reason, Friday? We might make a deal at that. Where's that handful of diamonds we left here last night? Yeah. What kind of a deal? We'll take half the dough and the diamonds and call it quits. Half the dough and half the diamonds? That's reasonable. There's a package, chief. Fine. Just open the package and screw the contents around, skip. We, as Gene would say, don't want to hear himself. Ah, just lay those clothes on the back of the chair. Boots on the floor. The beards on the desk near the money. What's the idea, littering the place up with that stuff? These were the costumes we wore this afternoon, blackie. I thought you might like to use them next time you robbed a bank. I thought we was going to make a deal. Well, where are the diamonds? Right here, my best pocket? Here. Hey, look out. You're dropping them, Kev. What's the idea of throwing the diamonds around? I thought we ought to plant a little more evidence. Oh, I get double-crossed. Hey, you're making a break. Tackle him. I got him. Go after Porgy. Never mind. We've got Porgy. Well, if it ain't the homicide squad. Didn't waste any time after my phone call, Lieutenant. What's going on here? They were just making a break. We had to use a little action. Nice job, Captain. That the money on the desk? I think you'll find it's the stolen money, Lieutenant. Here's the disguises they wore. Blackie's friend, Gene, is outside the door. Yes, one of my men has him. Oh, what's this on the floor? I think they're the diamonds stolen from that movie star last week. Blackie tried to make a deal with us. Well, Captain, thanks very much for the tip-off. How'd you have an onto it? Miss Carson of Beverly Hills hired us to recover a stolen car. It turned out to be the bandit car. Nice work. And I believe you said you wanted your name kept out of it. Credit's all yours, Lieutenant. That is, if you let us drive Miss Carson's car away without any further red tape. I think that can be arranged. I just won't mention a car in my report. Thank you very much, Lieutenant. And I'll be reading about you in the papers. We have some wonderful news, Miss Carson. All your money has been recovered. Yeah, and your car's in the driveway. That is wonderful news, but I have better. Your brother? The doctor's performed an operation. The blow on his head released a nerve that was strangling his spine. Oh, he's going to live. That is wonderful news. Needless to say, Skip and I are delighted. Yes, sir. And when Wes gets well, I have a hunch he'll be free from Blackie North. And I have a hunch that Blackie North won't be free.