 The F.W. Fitch Company presents Dick Powell as Private Detective Richard Rogue in Rogue's Gallery. Rogue speaking. Well, tonight you're going to meet some charming people, and you're going to run into a little bit of a very fancy murder. The name of the story is Little Drops of Rain. But before we get into our story, here's Jim Doyle, the man from the Fitch Company. Did you know that there are over 50 million men in the United States who shave? Yes, that's a lot of men. It was in the interest of these 50 million shavers that Fitch Company chemists and technicians went to work in their laboratories and came up with Fitch's No-Brush, a shaving cream especially designed to give a solid comfort shave. You see, Fitch's No-Brush shaving cream contains not one but three important shaving ingredients that work together to give you a smoother, faster shave. It also contains a special skin conditioner ingredient. Men appreciate this ingredient because it has a soothing effect on the skin the instant it's applied, and it keeps the skin feeling smooth and refreshed long after the shave is finished. Men also like the just right consistency of Fitch's No-Brush. It's neither too thick nor too thin. It's not greasy and won't clog the razor. If you're among those who prefer a lather cream, try Fitch's Brush Cream. It gives a rich, dense lather that wilts whiskers completely soft for clean, fast shaves. Both Fitch's Brush and Fitch's No-Brush shaving cream come in big 25 and 50 cent sizes. Try a jar. You'll find it easier on your razor and easier on you. Thank you, Jim. And now I'd like to tell my story. Okay, here's Dick Powell as Private Detective Richard Rogue in another personally conducted tour through Rogue's Gallery. Well, I'm still confined to my little cranked-up Donnie couch in the hospital, but not as still as I was last week. I am now allowed to get up and totter around a little, and I use the word totter advisedly. My legs act like strangers who have different political beliefs and my knees have suddenly developed sideways hinges. But my nurses, ah, my nurses, yes, they're beautiful and tender and resistant. And speaking of nurses, nurses are girls, and girls are my favorite pastime. And that brings me up to the girl who has done the most to confuse my life, Liza, the girl I was so sincerely in love with a couple of months ago. Liza was in to see me. She just left, and we were talking about the time when I showed up at her apartment for a date. It was raining out, and I was sitting at the piano doodling around a little bit. I don't want to go to a nightclub tonight, Richard. I'm too tired. Let's just go to a show, shall we? Anything you say, baby. That's kind of the guy I am. I want to see two girls in a sailor. It's playing at the Rialto. June Allison's in that, isn't she? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. That's for me then. You think so? Definitely. You think she's prettier than I am? Well, you're not in pictures, Angel. Do you think she's prettier than I am? Well, you're a different type. Are you going to answer me? Oh, if you're jealous. How can you be jealous of a girl I don't even know? Give me a kiss. No. Oh, but baby, I love you. I love you like anything. Jeff. All right, all right, all right. Pop then. I don't care. June is busting out all over, all over the meadow and the hill. Bus are busting out of bushes, and the robin river pushes. Every little wheel that wheels beside a mill, June is busting out all over. The feeling is getting so intense that the young Virginia creepers have been hugging the bejeepers. Out of all the morning glories on the fence, because it's June. June, June, June. You're insufferable, Richard Rowe. Oh, now quit potting. Come on over here. On the bench by me. Are we going to a show or not? Sure. Get your lipstick on again and we'll see you later. Oh. I'll get it. No, I'll answer. It's probably George. Oh, George. Well, I'll tell him that home record. Hello. Is Richard Rowe there? Speaking. This is your call service, Mr. Rowe. We've got a call for you. Oh, who is it? Richard says it's very important. Okay, put her on. Who is it? Richard Rowe speaking. This is Mrs. Harvey Burgess. Yes? I must see you at once, Mr. Rowe. Oh, well, any time tomorrow, Mr. Burgess. I will see you tonight. Well, can't you tell me about it over the phone? No. Could you come to my house at once? What's the address? 485 Hillcrest. You'll be well paid for your time. I'll be right out, Mrs. Burgess. Wait for me. I'll be right back, honey. Go on. Go on out to see Mrs. Burgess. Don't mind me, Dick Tracy. Well, what could I do? Mrs. Harvey Burgess was the wife of a tycoon with a dollar for every Democrat in Georgia. I tried to explain to Liza, but I was talking to myself, and I left for the Burgess residence. I left Liza burning like Mrs. O'Leary's barn. The Burgess mansion was a huge colonial affair. George Washington could have slept there every night. He was at Valley Forge and never seen the same room twice. A butler who talked like he was choking to death on an olive pit conducted me into the library and into the presence of Mrs. Harvey Burgess. Oh, my. What a presence. She was sitting in front of the open fire, filling out a hostess gown that didn't straighten out any of the curves she featured. I pulled my eyes back into my head and tried not to look too interested. Sit down, Mr. Rogue. Oh, thank you. I'm in a bit of a hurry tonight, Mrs. Burgess. As a matter of fact, I... Mr. Rogue, my husband is making a fool of himself. He's lost his mind completely over a secretary in his office. His secretary. A girl by the name of Helen Stark. You mean that... Yes, I mean he prefers her company to mine. Well, that doesn't sound reasonable if you'll pardon me for saying so. What do you want me to do? Somebody has to bring Harvey back to his senses, Mr. Rogue. Well, I'm afraid you've called in the wrong man. I'm not very good at long fatherly talks. Mr. Rogue, please, I'm so lonely. Hey, now wait a minute. Good grief. You mean to tell me that Harvey is neglecting you? What you need to straighten Harvey out is a psychiatrist, not a detective. Harvey is definitely off his trolley. Please, help me, Mr. Rogue. No, no, no, Mrs. Burgess, I... He's worth the right this minute. How do you know? When he left the house tonight, I followed him. He went to the home of his best friend, Clarence Roman. I parked across the street. I was going in and faced them, but I saw Mr. Roman leaving. I lost my nerve. That's when I called you. Oh, Mr. Rogue, I want you to go out there and talk to Harvey. Tell him I know all about him and that Stark girl. I'm sewing him for divorce. Well, that's not my kind of work, Mrs. Burgess. I'm sorry about that. Please, I don't want a divorce, Harvey, but I do want him back. And I'm sure that if you will do as I say, he'll come back. You must do it for me, Mr. Rogue. Here, oh, where is it? I have $500 here in an envelope. You did? Oh, wait a minute here. Oh, is this it? Yes, that's your fee. For going out there with me, Mr. Rogan, trying to bring Harvey back to his senses. You'll do it for me, won't you, Mr. Rogue? Well, I... You'll do it for me, won't you, Mr. Rogue? Okay, come along. All right. Well, it seems there's nobody home. There's my husband's convertible out in front right where he left it tonight when I followed him out here. How did the girl arrive? In her car. Oh, her car isn't here. It was right behind Harvey's. Looks like we got here too late, doesn't it? Try the door. I know Harvey's still here. All right, you're an old friend of Roman's, I suppose. Yes, why? I just want to know before I try to open the door. You see, there are laws against that sort of thing. Door's unlocked. Do we go in? Yes. Okay, after you. You know the house better than I do. Go ahead. All right. The living room is over here. Ah, nobody home. Look, Mrs. Burgess, we better get out of here. No. I know Harvey's in this house someplace and I'm going to find him. I can... What are you sniffing for? Wait a minute. That's smell in the air. You get it? What? Oh, I don't smell anything. You don't? I smell chloroform. Chloroform? Yeah. You take a look upstairs. I'm going to shake down the first floor. That smell of chloroform can mean trouble, you know. Mr. Roke, what do you mean? You're frightening me. Mrs. Burgess was very fetching when she was frightened, but I calmed her down a little bit. Now, this may sound fantastic, but I've got a little bell in my head that rings an alarm every time I really get around serious trouble. And it was playing a tune that sounded too much like a death march right that minute. I had to get her out of the way. She finally went upstairs and I went to work. I took the living room first and looked behind all the couches and in all the dark corners. I was bending over, looking under a huge Italian carved table when I thought I heard a stealthy footstep behind me. Ah, don't move. The ears were still full of that ringing scream Mrs. Burgess had let out as I caught that sock behind the ear and drifted gently through space toward cloud number eight and my alter ego, Eugor. I was hoping he wouldn't be there, but he was. Sitting there with that sully smirk on his face with his little short legs pulled up under his chin and his funny little arms around him and his long white beard waving the cosmic breeze. Oh, shut up. Oh, stop acting like a landlord, Eugor. What happened to me? Tell me, why did Mrs. Burgess scream? Answer me, Eugor. Do you know why she screamed? You wanted to tell me? Someday I'm going to get rid of you, you little pest. That's right. Well, here goes. Please, come on. You didn't have to hit him so hard, Clarence. Oh, who hit me? I'm Clarence Roman Rogue. I came home. I found the front door unlocked. I walked in. I saw a strange man falling around my parlor. A woman screamed and I hit you with my cane. Well, what do you carry for a cane? A ball bat? Why did you scream, Mrs. Burgess? I found my husband upstairs. He's dead, murder! We'll return to our story in just a moment, but now I'd like to say something to the ladies. Do you ever feel like hanging your head in shame because your hair isn't well looking as nice as it should? Perhaps you get discouraged because every time you shampoo your hair it seems dry and difficult to set. Then for your next shampoo why not try Fitch's saponified coconut oil shampoo? This clear golden liquid shampoo is made from mild coconut and vegetable oils. These pure natural oils keep your hair from becoming dry and brittle. When you use Fitch's saponified shampoo you can have a shampoo as often as you like and after each one your hair will be soft and lustrous easy to set into your favorite hairstyle. You love the glorious quantities of fragrant lather this shampoo makes. It cleanses thoroughly and then rinses out completely without a special after rinse. You see Fitch's saponified shampoo contains its own patented rinsing agent. All you do is rinse with plain water and the rinsing agent contained in the shampoo ensures the removal of all particles from your hair making it sparkle with cleanliness. Ask for Fitch's saponified coconut oil shampoo at your drug counter, barber or beauty shop. Look for the bottle with the bright yellow label. Now back to Rogue's gallery. Richard Rogue is telling our story. Well I had accepted a case for Mrs. Harvey Burgess, a suspicious wife. Yes that's the Mrs. Harvey Burgess of the Burgess Millions. She suspected her husband of having a rendezvous with Helen Stark, his secretary at the home of Clarence Roman, Burgess's best friend, and we went out there together. Nobody answered the door so we went in. My suspicions were aroused when I smelled the unmistakable odor of chloropharm. Mrs. Burgess was looking around upstairs while I searched the downstairs. Suddenly I heard Mrs. Burgess scream. Snap me out of it. I got to my feet and ran up the stairs. Mrs. Burgess and Roman were right behind me and she directed me into the library which was just off the main hall and there he was as dead as last summer's romance with a neat little blue hole right below the part in his hair. He was a nice looking old guy about 50 which made him a good 25 years older than his wife and his widow was really taking his death big which was natural. A woman doesn't have a husband murdered every day. Poor Harvey, this is horrible. Has anything in this room been moved or touched? Well I just arrived home. When I looked in here and saw Harvey, I knew he was dead. I screamed. Yes, yes, I heard you. Then you ran right downstairs. Yes, sir. I saw Mr. Roman hit you and I ran down to tell him who you weren't. It's a little late. Okay. Just don't touch anything. Stay right there in the door, both of you. Just who are you to be giving us orders? You'll find out. Have you ever seen this gun before? Yes. Where? It was Harvey as he kept it in his desk at the office. Oh, you recognize it. Might he quickly how? It has his initials on it. I can see them from here inset in the butt of the gun. Oh, his gun, huh? Yeah. Well, it wasn't suicide. Not with the gun clear over here on the opposite side of the room. This is murder. Hey, what's the matter? Well, this ought to do it. What is it? That's a handkerchief. A very nice linen handkerchief with initials in the corner. And blood on it. What initials? HS. I heard the start. That's a handkerchief. She killed Harvey. She killed my Harvey. Is there a phone upstairs here? Yes. You'll find an extension in the hole. Thanks. Come on out of this room. I don't want anything touched or moved. Oh, no. Dear, please. You two wait for me downstairs. Harvey down just a minute. As soon as I call the police. Speaking. Hello, Urban. Rich Rogue. Yeah, who's dead? Harvey Burgess, wise guy. Sure. You would never find a body if it wasn't for me. Where are you? At the residence of Clarence Roman on Cypress Avenue, 2120. Better get the boys and get out here. A couple of vague ideas. Stay there. Oh, hello, Liza, Dolly. This is Roggy. Oh, you know what time it is. Oh, sure. I'll give you 10 minutes to get back here and take me to that show. Well, look, Roman. Roman, the cops will be here in a minute. Tell Urban, that's Lieutenant Urban. He'll be in charge for the police that I'll be right back, will you? Tell him I went out to get a murderous for him. Of course. And I hope you manage to catch a rogue. Is Helen Stark at home? I beg your pardon. I'm a bit deaf. I couldn't hear you. Oh, I said, is Helen Stark at home? Oh, oh, Helen. No, no, she isn't home this evening. Has she been home? I say, has she been home in the last hour? No, no, she hasn't. I don't know what time to expect her either. But I imagine she'll be home soon, though. You know where she is? Well, she didn't come home from the office tonight. She's working late. Oh, she called you and told you she wouldn't be home. Yes, yes. She said she was going to work with Mr. Burgess. That's her boss, you know, the millionaire. Yes. Well, thank you. Could I tell her who called? No, no, no. That won't be necessary. Thanks. Thanks very much, Mr. Stark. I, oh, uh, you and Helen live here all alone? Yes, yes, since her mother died several years ago. Are you an old friend of Helen's? No, a very recent acquaintance. Oh. I'm sorry I bothered you, Mr. Stark. Good night. Good evening. Nice out after the rain, isn't it? Yeah, sure is. Good night. Good night. Oh, that nice little old guy. It was going to be tough for him to realize that his daughter was a killer. I hated the world as I walked down the steps from that porch and started from my car. I, uh, oh, I don't like murder. It upsets so many people who aren't involved in the act or the reasons for it. Yeah, I guess I'm a chicken-hearted patsy. But if I am, I'm glad. Anyway, I was walking down the walk when that little bell rang in my massive intellect again. I noticed something, something peculiar. There were tire tracks running into the Stark garage. It had only stopped raining about 45 minutes before, and if that car had been driven into the garage while it was still raining, there would be no tracks. They would have been washed away. Now, very peculiar. I ran up the driveway and opened the overhead garage door, then I jumped back. The garage was full of carbon monoxide. I wet my handkerchief in a puddle of rain water, held it over my nose and ran into the garage. I wrestled the door of the small coop open and saw a young girl unconscious, slumped over the steering wheel. I pulled her out of there. She was dead weight and carried her into the house. Oh, Helen. Helen. I'm afraid he's a little late for that, Mr. Stark. Where's your telephone? In the hall. Right in the hall. Thanks. I get a pull motor squad out here right away. Get a pull motor squad to 640 Inglewood Drive. Attempted suicide. Bad shape. Russian. Right. Ramsay. Reading. Roman. Roman. Clarence. Hello, Lieutenant Urban, please. This is Richard Rogan. It's important. This is Urban speaking, Rogue. I thought I told you to stay here. Look, never mind the argument. Get out here to 640 Inglewood Drive. I've got Helen Stark for you. You have? Well, you missed the boat. I think she's dead. Suicide. Carbon monoxide poisoning. Step on it. Okay, Rogan. I gave Helen Stark my own interpretation of artificial respiration until the pull motor squad got there. Urban arrived on the heels of the fire department, and we went out and looked around in the garage. Made some fascinating discoveries, too. The car had run out of gas and stopped turning over for one thing, and one thing led to another, to corner phrase. Anyway, Urban and I made a little deal. I went back to the Roman residence, and while he and his boys were being scientific, I sat in the parlor and talked with Mrs. Burgess and Clarence Roman. Mrs. Burgess had recovered her poise to some extent. They were both very anxious to know all about my daring capture of the Stark girl. I'm glad she's dead. I couldn't stand a trial. I'm glad she committed suicide. Yes, I guess it seemed like the only way out. She wasn't very smart about murder, leaving clues all over the place the way she did. Even the cops would have had her in 24 hours. How well did you know the Stark girl, Roman? Rather well. I'd see her on the office a great deal. Harvey was, well, not very discreet about the fact that he was fond of... Please, Clarence. Harvey's dead. We should forget those things. He was a good husband. I don't know what life is going to be like without him. I just have an idea that it's going to be pretty simple, Mrs. Burgess, and possibly rather short. What do you mean? I mean that the police suspected you and Mr. Roman murdered your husband and Miss Stark. That's a serious accusation, Rome. Your husband was suing you for divorce, wasn't he, Mrs. Burgess? He knew you were going to be there with Mr. Roman, his best friend, tonight, so he came and surprised you with Helen Stark for a witness, didn't he? And you, Mr. Roman, you killed him and then you had to kill Helen Stark to shut her up. This is preposterous. Ah, sit down, Roman. You were right, Rogi. We found Roman's fingerprints on the steering wheel of Helen Stark's car. And one of the boys just got back with the report that Roman's shoe is a perfect fit in that shoe print outside Stark's garage. I have nothing to do with this. Clarence killed Harvey and then he chloroformed that Stark girl and then... You're in this as far as I am. Shut up. I've got more news for you, Roman. Helen Stark isn't dead. The car ran out of gas just in time. She'll be there to appear against you when you're tried for murder. Hello, Liza, honey. I don't want to talk to you, Richard Rowe. Oh, now, honey... The lady says she's busy. Yeah. Who are you? The name... Little Drops of Rain. The stuff we're getting so much about here in California right now. Saved Helen Stark's life. Because if I hadn't noticed those tire tracks, she would have stayed in the garage until it was too late for the pole motor squad to save her. Ah, yes, sir. Little Drops of Rain put the curse on what was almost a perfect double murder. With the help of my massive intellect, there's only one thing I can't understand. How come a guy as smart as I am gets hit on the head so often? Answer me that, will you? This is Dick Polligan, ladies and gentlemen. How did you like our little story tonight? Ray Buffham wrote it. Leith Stevens composed and conducted the music and D. Engelbach produced and directed. Oh, uh, don't forget to tune in next Thursday night. We're going to present a strange story of a house where everybody was scared. We call it the House of Fear. So make a date with us, will you? Thanks for listening and good night, all. Now here's Jim Doyle. Don't forget to tune in again next Thursday, same time, same station, when you will again hear Dick Powell as Richard Rowe in Rowe's Gallery. Remember, if Dandruff is your problem, ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo. Remove Dandruff the first time it is used. Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo is the only shampoo who's guaranteed to remove Dandruff, is backed by one of the world's largest insurance companies. This statement can be made by no other shampoo. Ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo at your drug counter, Barbara Beauty Shop. Fitch is spelled F-I-T-C-H. Folks, when we see a wounded veteran, we can thank him with our eyes and with a smile. We can also thank him in more material ways, like helping make sure he gets all the benefits of the GI Bill of Rights. That takes money. The money we lend when we buy victory bonds. Buy victory bonds.