 Stand by for crime Chuck Morgan KOP newscaster speaking The other day while shooting a round of golf with my friend Lieutenant Mill Megs of police headquarters I learned something that surprised me and I'm sure will surprise you as well That is that the mafia or black hand is still actively operating in this and other countries You know the mafia originated in Sicily several hundred years ago It was originally designed to protect the common people against the tyranny of landowners and royalty But today members of the mafia are a bunch of gangsters thugs murderers and lesser criminals who use it to further their own ends The most effective weapon they have is fear instilling fear in the hearts of their victims Well the story I'd like to tell you about tonight is a good example of how the mafia works Carol Curtis my blonde secretary and I were having dinner at Nick Adele's following my 7 o'clock broadcast And we're wondering what kind of a feature you are and I could use on the 11 o'clock show How about those two jokers who think they're going to race their hot rods up the Mount Wilson? Maybe you could build that into something They're both war veterans and Chuck Hmm? Oh, what were you saying Grandma Puss? What was I saying Grandma Puss? For heaven's sakes. Why can't you pay attention when I beat my brains out trying to... What in the world are you staring at? That man talking to Nick. I think he wants to see me Yeah, yeah. Nick just pointed this way and he's coming over You look scared to death. Do you know him? No, total stranger. There's something wrong with him. That's for sure You Mr. Chuck Morgan? Yeah, that's right. Hi Morgan Can I talk to you a minute? Sure, sure. Sit down Alone Oh, pardon me Sit still, Grandma Puss. This is my secretary, Carol Curtis. She's harmless Thanks, Pam I'm sorry, Miss Curtis. I didn't mean to be rude Sit down, sit down. Tell us what's on your mind Oh, yes, well thank you My name's Frank Dawson. You've never heard of me I'm just an ordinary person. Clothing store clerk What's on your mind, Frank? Well, I... Well, it's taken me a long time to work up enough courage to tell somebody this You see, I'm a very frightened man That's easy to see Is it as obvious as that? I try to cover it up, but it's no use You sound like a man whose conscience has been bothering you and you can't take it any longer Yes, I guess that's it exactly You see, four nights ago I witnessed a murder I saw Elmer Hatfield shot to death Elmer Hatfield? Well, he's the councilman who was murdered for cracking down on rackets around town Yeah, and the police have been on a sweat trying to find out who did it Did you recognize the man who fired the shots, Frank? No, but I recognized the man who was driving the getaway car Who was that? Jack Stone Well, now we've got a real fine situation Jack Stone out of the gambling syndicate, huh? Well, it's a logical suspect for the killer of the man who was trying to undermine his gravy train You must have a good reason for not going to the police with his information Yes, I have a good reason, Miss Curtis, a very good reason And it's here on this card Dawson reached into his pocket and took out a small white card and laid it face up on the table There was nothing on the card except for the imprint of a black hand Bill Megs hadn't told me that story about the mafia or black hand I would have thought this was some corny routine being played by a practical joker But Bill had told me the story and had showed me facts and figures And he was this Frank Dawson looking dead serious and scared to death And there was that white square of card with the imprint of the black hand on it lying between us on the table Well, that's nothing but a picture of black hand Does it mean something? It means plenty, Clamapris Haven't you ever heard of the mafia? No, have you? Certainly When? Last week Oh, last week? Yeah Well, how about that? Acting as though you'd known about it all your life Well, my goodness That's enough, Clamapris So that's why you haven't gone to the police, eh, Mr. Dawson? You're afraid of what will happen to you if you do Telephone call for Scrappy Lambert Well, not what will happen to me I think I could take it But I have a wife and two kids And I'd do anything to protect them Even if it's refusing to do your duty as a citizen? My first duty is to my family, Mr. Morgan Yeah, same old story Same old runaround, it always works Well, what do you expect Chuck to do, Mr. Dawson? And if he does it, won't you be endangering your family as much as though you told the police? Well, I... I hope that... Well, it... That I wouldn't let it be known you'd told me, huh? That somehow I'd have Jack Stone arrested and charged with Hatfield's murder Without bringing your name into it Just how do you expect me to do that? You're the only witness to the crime The police haven't got enough evidence to arrest Donan's suspicion that long to convict him No, I'm afraid, without you to testify, Frank, it's a dead issue I can't, and I won't They'll take my little girl if they told me they would Who told you? The man who gave me the card I didn't know that they'd even seen me When I heard the shots and saw what was happening, I ducked into a doorway Then the man who had done the shooting came running out of an alley And jumped into the car that Jack Stone was driving They roared away, and then the other people in the cars appeared And all I could think of was to get out of there and go home And so I started running most of the way I was almost there when a car came up behind me Calling me? Yeah, I was calling you What's your name? Well, I don't know why I have to answer that What's your name? Frank Dawson Where do you live? Come on, talk Two houses down the street, but don't hit me again And talk pretty Where'd you come from just now? From work I'm a clothing store clerk The store stays open Friday nights Yeah? Where is this store located? It's on the corner of Melrose and Catherine Melrose and Catherine, eh? Then you must have walked there in Catherine to get here, that right? Yes, that's right You're the guy all right What'd you see in that alley? I didn't see anything What'd you see? Nothing, I didn't see a thing What'd you see? Nothing, I didn't see anything What'd you see? Don't, don't hit me again And talk I saw the shooting That's better You got any kids, Dawson? Yes Two Well, kiddin' Kind of make it feel bad if anything happened to them, wouldn't it? Oh, no, no, you can't, you mustn't My kids didn't do anything You can do what you want to me, but don't touch my kids I thought so, you and your old lady would be kind of put out If one of those kids should disappear And you never saw them again, wouldn't you? Why you... Not so fast Just take it easy, I'll break you in two You want some more? My kids! Nothing will happen to your kids if you're smart Now, let's have a little rehearsal What'd you see tonight? I saw the shooting You saw what? Nothing, I didn't see anything That's better Just remember, you didn't see nothing Not a thing, you didn't even come home that way You walked down another street, did it? All right, I walked down another street And don't forget it You walked down another street, and you didn't see nothing Remember it, and nothing will happen to your kids Forget it, and one of them will be dead You get that straight? Yes, I understand Good, and just so you won't have a lapse of memory Here's something to keep it... What did this character look like? He was a big man, with sandy hair And kind of a flat nose He must have weighed well over 200 And it'd be Doc Zerbe, Jack Stone's first lieutenant Was Stone in the car? No, Zerbe must have dropped Stone And then cruised around until he saw a lone man hurrying home In another two minutes, I would have been safe Oh, how about the car with the black hand on it? Wanted to give you that I found it in my jacket pocket after I got home I don't know how long I lay there on the sidewalk And when I came to, the man in the car was gone Somehow, I reached the house and I got inside Without Sue and the kids seeing me I went up to the bathroom I wanted to clean up as best I could I found the card when I took off my jacket Did you tell your wife what it happened? No, I was afraid she might call the police But how did you explain the bruises on your face? Oh, I told her I got into a fight at the store And she believed you? No, but Sue's pretty understanding She knows something is wrong, she's just waiting for me to tell her Telephone call for Mr. Frank Dawson, yield side number That telephone calls for you, Mr. Dawson For me? Why, nobody knows I'm here Somebody does, you better answer it Oh, yes I'd better Excuse me a moment, please So Dawson went off to answer the telephone And I had an uneasy feeling that the message he was about to receive Wasn't going to be good He thought that no one knew he was here So what did that mean? It meant that he'd been watched ever since the night of the murder Just in case he was foolish enough to think he could get away With telling a story to the police Or someone else So Carol and I waited And both of us were thinking the same thing We knew the minute Frank Dawson returned to the table The worst had happened Dawson was wild-eyed and his mouth was trembling They've taken a little soothe They've kidnapped her They told me that unless you promised to forget everything I told you That I'd never see her again Sit down Dawson, you're tracking attention But they've taken soothe Don't you understand what that means? I will sit down You're cold of yourself We'll get you young to be back You won't go to the police, though, will you, Mr. Morgan? They'll kill her if you don't They'll promise me you won't Not while they have Sue, I won't Oh, Chuck, this is terrible What if you don't tell the police? That isn't going to get Mr. Dawson's little girl back And when Mrs. Dawson finds out that Sue is missing She isn't going to keep quiet I know, you're right, Clamapus Whatever we do, we'll have to work fast Frank, do you think you can keep your wife From reporting Sue's disappearance for 24 hours? Well, I don't know I'll have to make up some story About taking Sue to see her grandmother Or some... I don't know You'd better think up a story and sell it to your wife If you ever want to see your youngster again But Chuck, 24 hours is so short of time You can't possibly do anything Maybe no, maybe yes Every man has a weakness No matter how tough or cold-blooded he is If my memory serves me right Jack Stone's weakness is a nightclub singer Named Bubbles Deering Do you mean that redhead at the silver slipper? Yeah, that's the one She's Jack's girl and he's nuts about her I wonder how he'd feel if she were kidnapped Chuck, for heaven's sakes You're not thinking of kidnapping a full-grown woman Yeah, not kidnapping I have something else in mind Glamour purse By the way, you wouldn't mind If I made a couple of passes at Bubbles Wood? I made a couple of... You wouldn't dare Chuck Morgan, if you ever dream of making... All right, Glamour purse, okay, take it easy This is strictly business Strictly business You're just using it as an excuse That dizzy redhead If she ever got her clothes on, you should... Shut up What? I said shut up A child's life is being threatened You're carrying on like a schoolgirl Are you going to be sensible or are you going to have to knock you over the head with this water pitcher? All right, I'm sorry But Chuck Yeah? You won't... You won't... You wouldn't Only if it's absolutely necessary Will I ask Bubbles for her... Autograph, Glamour Puss I haven't any illusions about my personal charm But as a news reporter, it's my business to know all I can about what goes on in the underworld The story about Jack Stone and his girl Bubbles Deering was common gossip He'd imported her from New York about a year ago And she hadn't been working at the Silver Slipper a month before he let it become known that Bubbles was his private property A couple of guys had argued the point But now they're in no position to argue or do anything else So Jack Stone's chain of armor developed a weak link, huh? Well, if it was weak as I hoped, I might be able to cash in on it So I sent Carol back to KOP with instructions to have a sub do my 11 o'clock broadcast if I didn't show up And then drove out to the strip where the Silver Slipper was located I got the tail end of the first floor show which featured Bubbles doing her song and dance routine And sitting alone on the edge of the dance floor, I did my best to let her know her act was being appreciated I had the feeling she was aware of my presence Afterward, I went backstage and found a door with a star on it Hey, what are you doing here? I just thought I'd drop her arm and tell you how much I enjoyed your act Yeah, well now you told me to get out Wait a minute, I've got a proposition to make I ain't interested in no proposition Hey, does Jack know you're here? Jack? Who? Jack Stone, the guy who owns this place Ain't you never heard of him? Well, now that you mention his name, I guess I have You better had You came prancing and here's dead Yeah, it's like that, huh? Yeah, yeah, it's like that Not if you're smart, you'll beat it Well, I appreciate the warning, but first I've got to state my proposition How about coming to work up in San Francisco for me and twice your present salary? Say, who are you? My name's Jones, Bill Jones I own the high tide club in San Francisco Never heard of it Ever been to San Francisco? No Yeah, that explains it Okay, so Arata ain't been around I ain't interested in getting around What's the matter, Bubbles? Scared? Scared me? What? Jack Stone Jack Stone? It's a laugh Hey, listen, Buster, I got news for you I'm Jack Stone's girl, he's in love with me, see? Are you in love with him, Bubbles? Or do you just hang around here because you're scared of what will happen if you leave? I ain't scared of nothing, I tell you nothing How do you like being someone's personal property, Bubbles? Not being able to even talk to another man Only going out when Jack Stone says so And then only to the places he chooses You can't call your soul your own, can you, Bubbles? Ah, you're crazy You're talking yourself right into a dose of lead poisoning Pretty dull routine for a girl as young and pretty as yourself What you need is freedom to move around without the knowledge that you're being spied on Without being afraid all the time Yeah, you think I'll get that freedom in San Francisco? Jack's got connections up there, too Not as good as mine Stone may be a big shot down here, but up there he's small fry Yeah You mean I wouldn't have to go around looking over my shoulder all the time? You mean I'd have protection? Plenty He'd be as free as a breezes Oh, I don't know That guy's got me pegged He'd follow me no matter where I went, he'd kill me, he said so Ah, no, I ain't taking the risk Well, you better think it over, Bubbles It's probably the only chance you'll have to get out of this trap Trap? Yeah, that's it I'm trapped in this thinking club till Jack Stone gets tired of me and throws me aside I can't go no place, I can't talk to nobody, but Jack Stone and a couple of old bitties who weighed on me I hate it Of course you do, Bubbles, any normal girl would Now, up in San Francisco you'd be... How am I going to get up there? How am I going to get out of here? Look, he's got guys watching me all the time Yeah? Well, then they're pretty lax No one saw me coming in here Now look, there's a plane for the north leaving Burbank in an hour That'll give you time to go home and pack and get over to Lockheed I'll meet you in the St. Francis Hotel tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock Yeah, well, suppose one of Jack's boys asked me where I'm going Jack's out of town in San Diego, I checked that before coming in here If anyone asked you questions, tell him you had a phone call from him He wants you to join him in San Diego Yeah Hey, yeah, you know what my work at that Well, it just might Hey, Jonesy, you made yourself a deal Well, see you at the St. Francis tomorrow Maybe this would work, and maybe it wouldn't Anyway, it was the best I could think of at the moment I went outside, crossed Sunset, and got into my jalapé Which was parked on the other side After a while, Bubbles came out of the alley That led to the stage door of the Silver Slipper And got into a cab The cab started west A sedan pulled away from the curb and followed I made a U-turn and followed the sedan Both cab and sedan turned left and doheny Then made a right turn The cab stopped in front of an apartment house And Bubbles went inside The sedan parked about a half a block up the street I parked about 50 yards this side A light came on in the upstairs apartment window I caught a glimpse of Bubbles as she came over to draw the shade 15 minutes later, the light went out I got out and strove up toward the sedan Reaching it, just as Bubbles came from the apartment house And headed for the cab The guy in the sedan started to get out Hello there, you got a match? Hmm? Oh, yes, sir Yeah Wait a minute Oh, yeah? These won't work, they're wet They probably got that way from the clam who's been holding them Hey, what is this? Let go of my arm Sure, man There you are Now here's something else So far so good Bubbles was on her way up north and no one knew where she was going but me I went back to KLP and found Frank Dawson in the waiting room of my office with Carol Any luck, Chuck? Yeah, I'm doing all right, I think Did Bubbles fall for that winning smile of yours? Don't ever mind that Go find Pappy and tell him to put on a sub for my 11 o'clock show Well, where are you going to be at 11 o'clock? At the Silver Slipper, picking up Sue I get going And remember both of you, not a word to anyone, not even Pappy It would ruin everything So I went into my private office and called Lockheed Airport and Burbank And asked if Flight 183 had gotten off all right They said it was just leaving the ground So that was that The gorgeous Bubbles was out of reach for at least an hour and three quarters So then I began dialing the Silver Slipper I want to talk to Doc Zerbe This is Zerbe in this column Chuck Morgan, KLP Newscaster Oh yeah, deeper change Yeah, that's exactly what I have in mind, Doc I don't suppose you have a guest over there named Sue Dawson The important? Yeah, yeah, she is You know, we've a guest over here named Bubbles Deering Thought you might like to know Just what you think, Doc Shall we make a deal? Just so We suppose you take a look and see Loud voices at the other end of the wire Then Doc was back on the phone again Morgan, match that babe, you'll get a bullet through your head, you know that, don't you? And if Bubbles isn't at the Silver Slipper When Stone gets back from Dago, you'll get a bullet through your head You know that, don't you, Doc? Bring the kid to that office where you are right now I'll be over and pick her up in 15 minutes What about Bubbles? As soon as Sue's safe at home, I'll give you a ring and tell you where Bubbles is How do I know it won't be a double crush? You don't But the way I look at it, you haven't got much choice in the matter, have you, Doc? He was thinking he'd snatch one of Dawson's kids anytime But he couldn't get Bubbles back anytime And he wasn't hankering for a hole in the head So I took Carol and Frank Dawson to sit tight and I drove off to the Silver Slipper again The second show of the evening was over and the handkerchief size dance floor was mobbed I wandered around until I found a door that looked as though it might lead to an office It did Inside, Doc Zerbe and a couple of his strong-arm boys were sprawled out in chairs It wasn't any youngster in evidence And I didn't like the sneering expression on Doc Zerbe's face I started to say something And just then, a door across the room opened And Bubbles' Deering walked in A plan of action. One thing I was dogged on sure of Bubbles wasn't on that plane to San Francisco And that meant I was a dead duck Doc Zerbe started to speak and one of his boys reached toward his gun I put my hand behind me, jerked open the door and jumped backwards, banging it shut But instead of trying to lose myself in the crowded room I flattened against the wall behind the door The door banged open and Zerbe, his two boys and Bubbles came pouring out I jumped inside the office again, slammed the door and locked it Then I spent it for the door through which Bubbles had entered Found myself in another room And also found myself staring down at the tear-stained face of Susie Dawson There was a window that opened onto an alley I threw a chair at her, picked up Susie and dropped into the alley Just as the rear door of the club opened and Zerbe and his boys came out They started for me and I started for Sunset Boulevard holding Susie A couple of bullets passed too close to comfort then someone was yelling Shark, shark, this way She was getting out of a squad car that had just pulled up to the curb Bill Megs and a bunch of cops and Frank Dawson were all on the sidewalk I was within ten feet of them when, of course, I had to stumble I went down and cracked my head on the pavement trying to keep Susie from getting hurt That was the last I knew for quite a while When I came to, I was in the back seat of the squad car And my head on Carol's lap, a cop was driving Oh, what, what the? Hi, Chucky Boy I thought I told you to stay back at the office Aren't you glad I didn't? No I, I mean, yes How'd you know where I was? Well, you told me, remember? Besides that, I listened in on the extension phone to your conversation with Doc Zerbe Oh, you did? Yeah, and that's how I knew Susie would be at the Silver Slipper And it would be alright to tell the police I wonder why I didn't think of that Because you're honest, Chucky Boy You made a deal with Doc and you intended to keep it You're honest and good and fine Shut up, where's Susie? She went home with her father Where's Doc and his boys? In jail Where's Bill Megs? He went to the airport to meet Jack Stone Where's Bubbles? Oh, she's gone somewhere to make reservations on a plane for San Francisco tomorrow She said every seat was taken on Flight 183 And she says she has to be at the St. Francis Hotel tomorrow to meet a man named Jones Oh, no Mm-hmm, that's what she said Uh, that reminds me What? I have to be in San Francisco tomorrow myself A very important date at the St. Francis Hotel