 Personal notice, danger's my stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. If you know who first said, let George do it. Now, if your name happens to be George, don't say my wife, because you'll be wrong. Now, it was all started back in the 15th century by a fellow named Louis XII. Who must have been a pretty stale character because unlike his grandson, Louis XIV, he didn't have any furniture named after him. You see, back in those days, it wasn't considered fashionable for a king to go around stabbing people in the back. So as a result, when some peasant got out of line, he called in George, a fellow with a sharp knife and no scruples. Now, I don't mean to say that George Valentine employs the same tactics. But if you hire him to do a job, he expects you to look the other way if someone starts to bleed. All of which brings us up to the moment whereby George is about to get himself hired because he has no connections. If you'll shut the door, we can put the plot on to boil. Boys are a little noisy. Guess your luncheon's broke out. Civically. Just a lot of talk. None of them will ever do anything, but the three of us, always away, you know. I don't know. You've only written one sentence. Shut up, Vic. And summer, spring. Perhaps you've visited the hotel here yourself, Mr. Valentine, but at least it's a sure thing. You've seen the outrageous charges that the grand jury and city newspapers have been making about us. Now, wait a minute, Nielsen. I'm still not so sure this is the right way to go at this. Here, here, the mayor speaks. Well, now, Vic, you're a lawyer. Would you hire a man you've never seen to investigate your own backyard? Now, there's a man I know, a fine detective. He would be only too glad to come down here. Find detective like that police force of yours, I suppose. Can't see what's under their own noses. Well, I'm the responsible one, and it seems to me that I should be... Full of surmises. Now, you've got to stop being cautious some time, Emmett. In my bank, I make decisions and I make them fast. I agree with Nielsen, Emmett. If we don't get an outside investigator quick, the grand jury will do it. I say let's us find out first. Clean up our own town. Objections overrule now are getting someplace. Mr. Valentine, I'm enclosing railroad tickets. A public spirited group of which I am the head. Three of us. Don't we sound fancy, though? Expect your immediate presence. It has been alleged that summer springs is being used as the center of payoffs for the big city collection rackets. That our fair town has a jackal in its midst. And it's your job to find it. There. I do it. That's all right. Now we'll get some action. I'll mail this right now. Only see here, both of you. Nobody knows about this but the three of us. Remember, nobody else knows about Valentine. Now that's what I call a happy little trio. I wouldn't trust that mayor any farther than I could toss the city hall, which ain't far. On the other hand, here's something you can put your faith in and never be wrong. Well, I guess George got the tickets all right because there he is at the railroad station. The gorgeous one with him, that's Bruxy. She works for Valentine when he hasn't got anything else to do. They made a reservation for me at the Summer Springs Hotel, Bruxy. You can phone me up there. George, why can't I go with you? Just because they don't expect me to come... Look, it's a five alarm fire all set to go off and you know it. Summer Springs is going to be hotter than... But nobody knows about you. Just the men who wrote. Angel, I'm looking for a guy who poses as respectable. A big timer hasn't been identified. And if you were there, I wouldn't be able to duck as fast. But there's nothing dangerous if nobody knows. Hey, wait. Mr. Valentine. Yeah. The baggage man pointed you out. Yeah. I need your help. I need you a lot. I got a case for you. Sorry I'm tied up on one. My grandmother is dead. Oh, that's too bad. My grandfather killed her. He was an ax. What? I'm not interested. You see my aunt's insane and what happened was... I doubt if you ever had a grandmother, gorilla boy, or even a mother. Now say it in English and fast because I'm not going to miss that train. I got a thousand bucks here for you to take my case. I could think of one. You mean if I don't take the train? I don't mind. I could tell it to you on the way to summer springs. That's where you think I'm going? No. Just where you think you're going. So somebody else does know? Hey, Busty, get out of my way before I miss that train. I'll stay away. I'm telling you. Oh, no. You don't look out. You're easy. We're attracting attention. A corpse would attract more. Who hired you? A thousand bucks. The trip ain't necessary. Stay home. Okay. Okay, maybe you're right, Busty. Too late now anyway. There she goes. It's a suddy kind of a trip you wouldn't have enjoyed it. Uh-huh. Shall we go count the money? Sure. My name's Lemuel. You're smart guy. I thought you'd see the light. Yeah. I hope you do. So you get to go after all, ain't you? Yeah, you get to drop me off in summer springs yourself from the car. Not much of a hotel, is it? For a fancy town like this, no more potted palms than usual. Do I get to come in with you? Sure, sure. Lemuel kept me off the train, didn't he? Okay, then the more casual, the better. You mean whoever hired him won't be expecting you to show up? No. I mean Lemuel isn't in condition to report for a while. I do not care what the union says about Chambermaid. I have an opinion too, you know. Have you been a clerk for 12 years? Well, have you? Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. Be just a moment. Oh, no, no, finish the phone call. Now listen, I don't care how many Chambermaids you've known. Do you run a laundry service or a... Oh, hold on, will you? I'm so sorry. Now, what was it? George Valentine. I've got a reservation. No, I won't call the manager. He doesn't live here, but... What was the name, sir? George Valentine. Oh, let me see... Yes, he's in his room. What? 350 towels, I told you. Not 340. Go for heaven's sake. Hang on, will you? What's the matter? Well, I asked... Oh, yes, yes, yes. It was George Valentine you asked for, wasn't it? Well, he just checked in a few moments ago. Yes, he's in his room. Oh, I'm so sorry. It's room 419. It's elevated to the right. Oh, thanks a lot, Buster. Come on, Angel. You see, my dear fellow, if the Chambermaids don't count the towels... Who is it, George? If somebody took your room... Oh, I don't know, Bruxy. Looks like there's still one step ahead of us whoever they are. His essential amulet couldn't have revived in time. Well, whoever the impersonator is in there, he doesn't seem to answer very fast. Come on. Of course he's dead. They shut that door. There's no gun. I don't see a gun. Shut the door, will you? Shut all right. George, he's about your same bill. Around the same age. Yeah. It is a briefcase over here under the bed. It's a sample case, isn't it? The kind salesman carry? Neckties. Nothing but nekties. Look, George. There's a key on the floor next to it. Yeah, let me see. Yeah, to another room, 631. Hey, wait on it. Yeah. A card and his wallet. Sure, of course. Harold Stark, sure-soaked tie company from Salt Lake City. Necktie salesman. Well, he suppose he came in on the train tonight, George. Sure, a single guy looking generally my type. You mean suppose he got picked up by somebody watching the hotel here, somebody expecting me? So they kill him and put him in your room? Wait a minute, wait a minute. Let it ring. We ought to talk to the clerk, to the bell boys. Now listen, whoever shot this guy did it and ran. Okay, then so will we. George, that's crazy. Isn't it? I was hired to find out who a big-time collection man is in this town, right? Only whoever it is got one jump ahead of us. I can't even start working until I get out from behind the eight-ball, can I? George, that phone, it keeps ringing. Somebody's gonna hear it and... What are you doing? I'm putting my wallet, my own wallet on the body. What do you think? No! You take this guy, go back to that drive-in on the edge of town, run a fast telephone check on him. Harold Stark, Salt Lake City. The clerk knows we're here. He'll keep ringing. We'd like to grab the neckties. We'll dump him in the alley. And I'll be out from behind the eight-ball if I'm dead. George! I'll be free to find out those guys who hired me. So come on, give the police a chance to find the body of George Valentine. Yes, come in, Mr. Valentine, I told you. Your name is Nielsen, isn't it? You sent for me, didn't you? Yes, yes, of course. Don't look like a ghost, like you're scared. What do you want with me? What's that? Why do you keep your head in your pocket? Because I want a cigarette. Look. See? Now all I want is a little talk, Mr. Nielsen. With you and Mr. Vickery and Emmett Wall, the mayor. You know all of our names. Of course, here's the letter you wrote me. Oh, hey, I'm beginning to get this. Have you just had a phone call or something? Yes, I have, as a matter of fact. From Vickery, he happened to be at police court. But once they worked fast in this town, a patrolman has reported the murder of George Valentine. Okay, sit down. I'll explain if you will. Buster, I'll use your phone, prove it to you, the police here in the city. I know you've never seen my face, but they can identify my voice for you. Here, let me have it. No, no. Hello? George? Oh, yeah. What did you find out, Bruxy? I found out that you're crazy. Absolutely crazy. What? Darling, I tried to contact those people in Salt Lake, but I can't. I mean, I got the company all right, but nothing about Harold Stark. Why not? They've never even heard of him. Nobody by that name has ever sold neckties. Don't you see what you've done? Throw away that wallet, George. The man who was killed was a phony. You can't be somebody that doesn't exist. All right. I believe you. I agree you're Valentine. Then you realize how fast I got to work, Nielsen. I told you what Miss Brooks said. The body was a plant of some kind. This thing gets deeper every minute. And you haven't even started your investigation. Whoever the man is, I'm after is calling the shots in advance. And you claimed only three of you knew about me. Yes, yes, I understand. You think it's one of us. But I'm afraid it doesn't make much difference if I do help you now. What do you mean by that? Well, Mr. Valentine, I'm not a cowardly man. But I'll admit, when you knocked on the door... Yeah, sure, you were scared to death. But what's that got to do with... Valentine, I don't think you realize yet just how far behind that eight-ball you are. That same patrolman who found the body also saw a man and woman throw away a briefcase in an alley. You and Miss Brooks, there was identification with the neckties. At the door just now, I thought you were the man that every policeman in town is looking for. Harold Stark. He doesn't exist, you say? His description is yours. And you know who you are? Never mind, never mind, I get it. I dug my own grave, didn't I? Yeah, I killed George Valentine. This should prove something, but nothing's impossible. Who else do you know can bump themselves off and live to tell you how it felt? If George is wasting his talents in Summer Springs, this boy should be in Washington. They could use him, just like you should hear this. I don't know if you've been able to follow this little story up to now, so in case you haven't, don't let what I have to say confuse you, because it will. It seems that a group calling themselves the syndicate figures the politicians in the town of Summer Springs as fall guys for their nefarious deeds. Now, the mayor of said Hamlet looked kindly on this plot, as he figures that he's committed enough crimes already to go around. So what does he do? He writes George Valentine. And what does he do? He bumps himself off, which is getting out of it the easy way, which the mayor does not like and tells himself. Well, Valentine, for once it seems the police wasted no time discovering a mistake that George Valentine was not killed. Well, that's nice to know. Well, up and coming accountant, his name's been mixed up in this thing already. He's been making a tremendous amount of money the past few years. It's just possible our big shot is already dead. Well, why would this man, this accountant, have the identification of Harold Stark on him? Who killed him? Who put it there? Who put him there in my hotel room? Now, listen to me, Valentine, you can get to work now. You're off the hook. They know it's not your body. Now, look, I've been in trouble because it wasn't kept secret that you three were hiring me. Is that right? No, there you go again. We're honest. Stupid? Yes. But honest. None of us are mixed up in any racket. Okay, okay, skip it. But even if the big shot isn't one of you, you're now on the way, aren't you? What? Well, maybe I'm wanted by the police, but if the killer with strong boys knows about me, he also then knows about you. Yeah. Lock your doors tonight. Shh. Turn out those lights. That car just stopped out there. I could see the lights blinking. Take it easy, Nielsen. It's only Miss Brooks. I'll see you later. Oh, George, sometimes I think you're the eight ball. Angel, the heat's on the big shot, however. He is a lot more than it's on me. Come on, we're going in here. The drugstore? Yeah. Got a nickel in your purse. Yeah. Why don't you go straight to the mayor himself? Brooks, see, I need a little more time to work alone. You're going to give it to me. What? The mayor's got his own ideas. I've got mine. But if I don't work fast, a lot of people are likely to get hurt. Hello, operator. I want a policeman. This Mr. Rex will do anything to cover his tracks before a full investigation. George, what on earth are you doing? Hey, police, look. I just heard that thing on the radio. I mean that description of that guy and that girl at that Harold Stark with the girl who was dressed. Well, slow down. How can I? I just seen it. The girl having a soda. Hey, what's the name here? Oh, yeah. Clash him in his drugstore. She's wearing a brown coat. You better come and get it quick. George Valentine of all the dirty tricks. You heard, Angel. Tell him to look for me any place with the Summer Springs Hotel Room 631. Now you play eight ball for a while. 631. Key fits all right. Ouch. Where are the lights in this point? How long have you been dead, Baldi? Just about as long as the other guy, I guess, huh? I mean, what's your name? You the real Harold Stark? Are you the... Hey! Hey, who in the name of... Shut up. People in the next room. Hey, Lemuel. Yeah. It's a lousy hotel that let anybody in. I thought I knocked you out of the picture before once. Where even? I didn't hit you hard enough either. Yeah, you're out of condition, Buster. That's bad. You kill that guy? I was with you in another town. Don't talk so long. All right, all right. Hey, wait a minute. What are you trying to... Park it. What's the idea? There's a gun in your stomach. Don't argue. Well, why put a gun in my pocket, too? It's empty. Don't get your hopes up. Be quiet. Another wallet, too. If you think you can frame me for killing this guy, whoever he is, you're crazy. I'm not. Cops don't kill cops. What? Can't you tell flat feet when you see him? His name's Harold Stark. An eye that got shot. Like you're gonna be. Oh, so that's it. Yeah, sure. There is a Stark, a detective. He came to town acting like a necktie salesman, huh? Ouch. Just let me get in that chair, would you? Sure. You're fixed. You got everything. Wait a minute. Two guns. Two guns I got in my pockets. That's a lot. There's two men dead out there. You're a bright boy. A real up-and-coming eye. Dead eye. Yeah, yeah, sure. The real Stark dead in this room. That accountant named Prell dead in my room. So come on, bright boy. Get on your feet. Yeah. Look out. Get away from that. Hello, anybody. Now shut up, like I said. Now for the love of... Walk, will you? Go on the door. All right, all right. Plenty of standing room. Don't shove. Now out the door. Okay, okay. Just thought you might not want the guy who's coming down the hall to see you. What? Call me the desk clerk. Get back in there. What's going on here? What do you think you're doing? Come on, get out of the way. Let go of me, really. Okay, he's not gonna shoot. Shoot? What kind of a disturbance is this? This is not the sort of hotel you get... Wait a minute. I've seen you before. Yeah, you're the guy who gave out my description, I guess. What? No, no, I didn't give any description. Oh, you're the laundry man. Oh, no, no, that's what I was talking about. I remember you're the... Oh. Well, see here, there was a mix-up on the room. Come on, skip it. Just show me the fastest way out. Don't get that gun away from me. That big man in there. Was there anybody with him when he came into the hotel? What? Well, no. Oh, yes, I mean, yes. There are several men down the lobby. I don't know who they are. You're wanted by the police. That's all I know. They're upstairs, then. Where are they? Come on. I won't help a criminal. Come on, don't argue, friend. All right, here. Here, duck in here. There are several policemen in the hotel, too. There are cars at the alley entrance. You're gonna find me a way out, so stop shaking. I didn't kill anybody. The police don't think I did. Why not? I'm just a guy behind the eight-ball, see? There's a big crook in your town, Clarence Prell. You know him? He's an accountant, man in a nice spot to take payoffs coming in from the city. But Prell is dead, so he's not the crook. What? Oh, for heaven's sake. Find me a way out of here or people will be wrong. They'll think he was the crook. They'll say he killed a detective named Harold Stark who was on his trail. Let them say what they want. They'll say I killed Prell, maybe in self-defense. But I was real smart and collected all the evidence, including the guns, then poor Valentine. He was on his way to get himself out of trouble with the police when something happened to him. You're mad. You're worse than the laundry people. Now, look, Buster, I'm telling you all this so you'll help. It's a frame-up, see? To get rid of two private detectives and take the heat off by making Prell look like the big shot. A triple play. Here we are. Here. Give me a hand with the window. Ah, okay. Only six stories up. I forgot my umbrella. I can't jump, Buster. No, no, no, no, look. Out there, you see? To the side. It's an old fire escape. It hasn't been used since we built the new wing, but it comes down in the service yard. This is the side street. Yeah. Well, go on. How much help do you need? No. There's no one down there. Here, you see? Yeah, sure, I see. Little rusty, though, isn't it? Well, what do you expect, a red carpet? I expect you to go first. Lead the way. What? It just occurred to me it's not so bad being behind an eight ball. If you've got the cue in your hand. Mr. Valentine, for the love of... Remember the gun, Buster, lead the way. Now, tell me. Why do you call me Valentine? Why not Prell, a Stark, or any of the other names thrown around tonight? Well, back there, Lemuel called you Valentine. How do you know his name? Well, I'm a hotel clerk. I see lots of people. I don't know what to say. I don't see how anybody could have done it, but the hotel clerk himself... What on earth are you talking about? Human nature. How you and your boy Lemuel found out about my coming here. How I? An accountant sees lots of people, sure, but a hotel clerk sees a lot more. Now, who's in the better spot to receive payoff deliveries on the QT than the man behind the desk? I'm going back up. The clients are you. Take human nature again. It couldn't be one of them, or why get me in it. But they did write the letter right after a Civic League luncheon. What do you mean, human nature? I mean how people mail letters in hotels. In a hotel, you just hand the letter to the clerk to mail, don't you? Get out of my way. I'm going back. What's the matter? Don't these rusty stairs go on down there? Do they just fall off in the dark someplace? Yeah, it's you who's going to fall off in the dark. Hey, where the gun are you? You already know it's not loaded. Just evidence to be found on the patsy. Look out, go on! This is where you get racked up, 8-ball! I don't think that was very nice of George. He gave Buster time to open everything but his parachute. While we're waiting for the desk clerk to make a three-point landing, here are a couple of good points for you. But George, how did you get off that fire escape? It was rusty, you would have fallen through. That's why he led you out there. Hey, hey, slow down, will you? How'd you get out of jail, Angel? Oh, George, please, I want to understand. Well, he was a guy all right, the hotel clerk. Yeah, he kept a job so nobody'd ever guess as well as because it was such a perfect spot for payoffs. He knew the heat was on when he heard I was coming and Lemuel couldn't stop me. He had me all set for a double fancy frame. But that other detective... Well, the mayor said he wanted to handle things himself, didn't he? That he knew a man he wanted to hire? Harold Stark. Yeah, that accountant had been working with the clerk on the rackets so he figured he'd make him fall guy. Strictly from desperation, Angel. But it all might have worked. But you would have died accidentally fallen and been killed and that would have been the end of it. Only how on earth, after you knocked him out, how did you get him off the fire escape? How did you get out of jail? Well, you saw him. That big, good-looking policeman. So what? You said you didn't tell him anything? No. Well? He was very sweet. Well, he... I mean, after a while, there was no reason to hold me. In jail, I mean. Oh, why Bruxy? And... Well, why should I tell you if you won't tell me? No. Good night, Georgie. I'm telling you, George, you better watch your step with Bruxy. Didn't you ever hear the saying how when the cat's away, your secretary will play? Play what exactly I don't know. But I do know that Robert Bailey plays George Valentine with Virginia Greg as Bruxy. David Victor and Jackson Gillis wrote the story and Eddie Dunstetter kept things organized at the organ. Now this is yours truly inviting you to another visit with Valentine when you will again hear what happens when you let George do it.