 Personal notice, dangers 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. Standard Oil Company of California, on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west, invites you to let George do it. Go jump in the lake, another adventure of George Valentine. Dear Mr. Valentine, or rather I should say dear Miss Brooks, because if you're anything like I am, you open all your boss's letters. And now that you have, it's really you that I'm writing to, Miss Brooks. I need your help to get Mr. Valentine's help. You see, I work for the same kind of a man you do. He likes trouble, and so he's always in it. His name is Terence Doyle, and he's vice president of the Consolidated Machine Tool Company. Of course, he would never, never admit how desperately he needs help, and right now. So please, Miss Brooks, bring that help quick. Otherwise, it won't be long until I'm taking dictation from a corpse. Sincerely, Miss Mona Chandler. Well, let's try this one, ain't you? I think you're in the wrong office. Excuse us, we were just looking for... The sales department's down on the next floor. Employment's out at the plant. We're looking for Miss Mona Chandler. She's an old friend of mine. Well, Miss Chandler's pretty busy this afternoon. I asked you to run through some financial statements. Oh, sure, sure, we realize, but... Uh, you did, huh? That's right, and she's out. Perhaps if you called later, you could speak... Oh, so I'm a liar. You got back quick, Miss Chandler. Any reason? No, sir, he's not back yet. All right, friends of yours. Mr. Valentine? I'm Claire Brooks, Mona. Thanks for making it so fast. Sit down, won't you? Yeah, thanks. That boss of yours throws out quite a welcome mat. Yes, and Mona, he's not quite... Well, I expected something a little more... Errol Flynn-ish. What? Oh, no. No, Mr. Doyle's out of town for the day. That was Gil Frank, Mr. Frank. He's the other vice president. He's quite different. Oh, I get it. You mean you're not in love with him? I'd like both of you to understand I don't love Mr. Doyle. Oh, I'll grant you. He's exciting and different, but you can only take so much adrenaline, you know, and I got over that a long time ago, so I'm not being just silly about anything, Mr. Valentine. All right, all right. But in your letter, you weren't very specific, either. I know it. And if Terence Doyle is in trouble and wants help, that's one thing. But suppose he tells me to go jump in the lake. Oh, he'd never do that, Mr. Valentine. He'd just throw you in himself. That's the way he is. I don't know exactly what the trouble is. I've tried to ask him about it, but he just laughs. And so you want me to pose as a palm raider? Well, look, lady... Do you think it's normal for a bright young businessman to get mixed up with a lot of thugs and to have to stay at work at night because in the daytime he's busy dodging strange callers? Well, Mona, that... Oh, I've nursed him through escapades with heiresses and fights with newspaper men, but this is different, Mr. Valentine. It is. Do you think it's normal for a man who loves publicity to jump a foot every time the telephone rings? Nervous condition. Mr. Valentine, do you think a man should have to sneak out and buy himself a gun? Ah, go on. I'm listening. I know I'm not very specific, but I'm positive he's finally gotten mixed up in something that's way over his head. What about that gun? Well, he bought one day before yesterday, and he got a permit to carry it for self-protection just because his office handles money sometimes, but that isn't it. He's in danger. He's being watched. He's being threatened. I know he is. And look what came this morning, a package addressed to him. You see? Just addressed in printing, but I've already opened it. Here. Well, well, well, well. Merry Christmas. Mr. Doyle. All again, sweetheart, and a happy new year to you and you. Oh, Mr. Doyle, these are friends of mine. Miss Brooke, how do you do? Pleasure. I like friends. And Mr. Valentine? Valentine? Of course. It's me who's out of season, isn't it, huh? My real name. Thank you. Must haunt you like a red necktie this time of year. Well, go on. Go on, sweetheart. Open the box of candy. Well, it's addressed to you, sir. I mean, I already didn't. What would I be doing without her? I'd probably stab myself in the letter, and I... She'd open anything, including a heart. Look, Mr. Doyle. Look at it. What? Look what it is. Somebody sent you a... a second gun. Only, see? It's broken. They've broken it right across the... Let me see that. Broken gun, huh? And... and there's no note or anything. But it means a... a gun won't do any good, doesn't it, Mr. Doyle? Isn't that what it means? Somebody knows you bought the other one, and now they're telling you it won't do any good to protect yourself. Well, isn't it? Mr. Doyle, look at it. I did. So what? By the way, where's Gloomy Gill? I've gone back to the plant, I guess, sir. But Mr. Doyle... Oh, take the day off, sweetheart. But you, Mr. Valentine, may I see you for a minute? My secretary thinks I'm in trouble, doesn't she? Never mind the understatement. What's this all about? She's in love, you know. That stretches a woman's vision, carries a torch for a blind man. That stick of a man, Gill Frank, only he's too sober to look at it. I said, what's this all about? What's with you? No reason, I should tell you, of course. No, no. Except I like to keep ladies happy, and I'd rather stop trouble before it happens than pick up the bloody ends of it. Gambling. Yours truly is a few thousand behind a meeting as gambling debts. Now you have it. Suppose I told you you were lying again. Oh, get out of here, will you? If you think the way you act, Buster, fits in with just a little gambling, makes up you're crazier than I thought you were. It's none of your business, Valentine. Give me that phone. No, I've got it. Hello? Hello? This is Mr. Doyle's office, isn't it? That's right. Then let me speak to him, please. Who shall I say? If you please, I said, will you let me speak to Mr. Doyle? All right, Valentine. Now let me have it. Thanks. Hello? Yeah. Yeah, this is Doyle. Hang on a second, will you? Goodbye, Mr. Valentine. Okay, sucker, be the big shot. Be the one-man band. Now look here, Valentine. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you, but I just... Well, I don't want to spread this danger. That's all. That's how people get a quick spread on a tombstone. What if it is? I can take care of myself. I can take care of everything. Now beat it. Go jump in the lake. But, Mr. Valentine, listen to me. After you went out of the office, Mr. Doyle was still talking on the telephone to somebody. I know. I opened the door by mistake, and I heard him screaming. I'm not afraid of you nor any of your thugs. Where's Gil Frank? I tried to get him to meet you here, Mr. Valentine, the way you asked. I know he can help us because he's noticed the way Mr. Doyle's been acting, too. But I couldn't find him at supper time, and now he's back at the office. And when I rang there, Mr. Doyle himself answered and said that Gil had taken his car out to get some sandwiches, and why did I want him? Okay, I'll find him in his home later on. Well, I do have some more work back at the office. Oh, what kind of work, Mona? Mr. Valentine, I've been going over some of the financial things, and one of our accounts is a little short. What? Well, I don't mean anything wrong, and a regular audit doesn't come up till the first anyway, but a special cash account for the executives will... Well, one of them has had to burrow a little, I guess. How much? A few thousand. One of those cases. Well, I was told to go jump in the lake. So why don't you just go on back? Mr. Valentine, you are going to help, aren't you? I mean, you just can't just... I don't know what I'm gonna do. Maybe nothing. I don't know. I said go on back to the office. Good night. Good night, Mona. But George, I thought you said you weren't going to handle the case. The fewer people know I'm crazy, the better. Listen, the guy phoned you. You can hear a rumbleband in the background. The guy talking might be a gambler. Question? Where is he phoning from? Oh, a rumbleband. But the only place I know, the Club 50? Uh-huh. So the guy who telephones just might be the owner of the Club 50, Starchy Bennett, one of the biggest crooks in town. That'd be trouble enough for anybody. Even Doyle. Yes, hello. It's him, all right, Angel St. Boys. Who is this? This is George Valentine speaking, Mr. Bennett. Mr. Valentine? Oh, now, really, when tomorrow's the 14th, suppose I let you speak to Mr. George Washington. Well, if you prefer, you can just call me Better Business Bureau. What's that? That's right, Mr. Bennett, Investigations Department. It's in regard to a minor debt collection. Just routine, you know. Name of the party is, um... Yeah, here we are. Terence Doyle. Doyle. Just thought you might know him. Heard he's traded with you and... Yes, yes, of course. I know Mr. Doyle. Yeah, that's what I mean. Ever matched pennies or anything? Young man, Doyle's just a drinking acquaintance. But he pays for his drinks and I pay for mine. Oh, nothing on the cup. A few thousand, maybe. No, no, a very sweet boy, Terence Doyle. Um, why? He in trouble someplace else? Someplace else? No, Mr. Bennett, I don't think so. Young man, you're making a mistake. I haven't seen Doyle for a long time. We were no longer in touch. Heck, you're not. And how about Gil Frank? You after him, too? Gil Frank? I'm afraid I've never even heard the name. See, young man, where are you calling from? There's something about that music. That's a little familiar. I'm calling from your own club, Mr. Bennett, from downstairs. Can I come up? Downstairs? Well, how convenient, Mr. Valentine. How convenient for my men to throw you out. I guess it's just that nobody wants a Valentine, ain't you? Here we are, number 316. At least Gil Frank shouldn't have any reason not to talk. Unless he's already asleep in bed. You mean if he knows anything? George, that Starkey Bennett must be really mixed up with Doyle. Sure, but how? We'll tell us. Apparently, Bennett would like us to think it's nothing but a little minor debt or two. Not the way Doyle's acted. McGon and everything. Because Starkey Bennett is mixed up with a lot worse things than gambling in this town, and maybe... Yeah, yeah, maybe nobody's answering the door. I wonder if there's a chance we could... George, listen. No, no, outside. Coming up the street. Oh, no. Mr. Frank. Mr. Frank. George, look at him. His face, there's blood on it, and his clothes are torn. Here, I've got him. This guy didn't just tie one on, ain't you? Mr. Frank. Mr. Frank, can you hear me? I'm going home. Let go. That's my home there. Well, at least he needs help. It's Mr. Valentine. Gil, do you understand? Can you give us your keys? Valentine? That's right. That's right, friend. I'll just take it easy and I'll get you. No, no, get away. Leave me alone. What? Leave me alone. I'm all right. Just a little accident, that's all. Go on. Stay out of it. Go jump in the lake. Hey, you... Well, that does it. He swung so hard, he fell in himself. At last, I got company in that lake. In just a moment, we'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. If the family car is a sweetheart and you want to treat it like one, give it Chevron Supreme Gasoline tomorrow and every day. For this premium quality gasoline is climate tailored. 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Not even Gil Frank, the other businessman. But Mr. Frank is a little different from the others. He's been beaten up. And as you carry him into his house and examine his bruises, you know that here at least is one man who doesn't have enough strength to help. You don't like Doyle, do you, Mr. Frank? He's big and flashy. I hate him. We have the same job, but he gets all the... well, all the credit. He's faster than I am. Sharper, more guts. Oh, look, I feel horrible. What am I saying all this for? Because you're toying with the idea of being a heel, a real first-class heel? But they told me they'd kill me if I said anything. Do you want to stall over the back of your coat, Mr. Frank? Most Alley's don't have that. Simple. I wanted you to go away, Mr. Valentine, to let things happen. It'd be so easy. I don't know what Doyle's mixed up in, but he's always in trouble and I have to help protect him. And this time you were going to let him die? No. No, I would have told the minute I got around to my senses. Well, then start telling, Buster. You left the office. It was night. Doyle's known to be the one who works at night. And you walked right up to his car, hauling out his keys. He was sure that they thought I was Doyle. There were too many, Mr. Valentine. I never did get a good look at them. Just guys in overcoats. Midwestern accent, though. Anyway, I put up a pretty good fight until one of them got me over the head. Next thing I knew, I was in the back seat of a car. Big convertible it was. My pockets were inside out, and I heard them talking. They were mad about something. They had my wallet and stuff. Identification card with a picture. I remember one of them said something about a mistake. Then they slammed down the brakes and kicked me out of the car into the gutter. That was it. That's what happened. Uh-huh. What else was in the back of that car besides cement? Some bailing wire, a couple of chains. George. Yeah. A concrete coffin, designed for Doyle. All right, Busty, you were pretty lucky. Taking for a ride, only they gave you a transfer. I-I intended to tell, of course. It's what happened. What are you doing? You believe me, don't you, Mr. Valentine? What difference is it, Mike? I'm calling Doyle's office to see if there's a... Hello? Wow. Mona. What are you doing there? Mr. Valentine? Well, I told you I had work to do. Only there's a policeman here, a friend of yours, a-a Lieutenant Johnson. What? Where's your boss? Where's Doyle? I don't know, Mr. Valentine. We just found his office is empty. He's disappeared. Happy Valentine's Day, Valentine. Fourteen minutes after midnight. In honor of your name, I probably won't get any sleep until the next midnight. Oh, forget it, Johnson. Now, you take, for instance, two thugs from Kansas City. What's that? Oh, yes, my friend. The police department's ever alert. Two of the roughest monkeys in the Midwest showed up in town today. The two guys who kidnapped Frank, huh? Who else hired hands? Do any kind of a job without disturbing the local boy's manicures? Explains how they made a mistake. You mean the first time? And something else in honor of your name day. The girl here finds some more money missing. That's right, Mr. Valentine. From several of the accounts. Okay, Johnson, I didn't tell you this was a peanut case. Who in this town would hire thugs like those two? And who'd like to get a businessman all mixed up with him so he could engineer a pipeline into a rich company's books? Sweat a man into dipping into the till for maybe a few hundred thousand. Then have that thug rub him out before any link between them was found. All right, all right. Send some boys out after Starchy Burnett. I already had. Where's Doyle? He's the kingpin. Let's find him while he can still talk. Mr. Doyle is down at the plant. Yeah, he's all right for a while. Notice his car was gone, didn't you? Well, after you called, we found a note. He went to meet the plant manager about something. It's just business. Yeah, take a look here, Mr. Frank. Mona, somebody at Harbor Plant Phone says plant manager wants to see me. Urgent. Tell Gil where I'm going. What's the matter, handwriting? No, no, it's his all right. But I was down at the plant in the late afternoon. I thought I told Doyle. The plant manager wasn't feeling well. He went home to go to bed. So Doyle's all right for a while, huh, Johnson? Going to meet the little man who isn't there. Come on. Now, everybody's car is out there with the side entrance empty. When I'd watch them, they're all inside. They didn't see anything. Well, there's no reason they would, Lieutenant. If anyone had telephoned the office from here. And they hadn't, of course. And the plant manager is in bed. There was a phony call to sucker Doyle out here. Yes, Sergeant? Found a man here, works at the service station down the road. Okay, let's have it. Let's have it. Just by the bend there, Harbor Service, we call it. Only things are kind of slow at night. Come on, what'd you say? Well, there was two cars, sir. I mean, just a little while ago, that car Mr. Doyle came driving by. I see him stopped there by the plant. Then he drove up. A couple of men got out and went over to him. And they put him in their car, a convertible. And drove off. Oh, go on, go on. I saw they had him sitting in the front seat with the driver. And the other two guys were in the back seat to watch him, I guess. Which way to go? Down to Ocean Road, Bay Road. The one that goes to the pier. Up to the pier, huh? Well, Valentine, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. They got him this time. Don't be so sure, friend. It takes time to build a concrete coffin. See? Dry sand where they walked out on the pier. Steps go over to the side there. Pretty shallow water to dump a guy. Oh, wait a minute. No, take a look down here. Huh? Easy. Rested slippery plants. Look, the boat was tied up. They cut it loose. They got him out there someplace where it's deeper. Let me see that line. Sure, sure. The rope's still dry where they cut it. Not even wet from the floor yet. Well, you will never be able to see far enough with a search like it. Listen, listen, listen. Hit a motor out there? Huh? Well, Johnson, there's a big live bait boat here on the other side of the pier. What? Well, why didn't you say so? Let's steal it. Sergeant! Where's the rest of that crew? Come on, Sergeant! You know, Mr. Frank, that counterpart of yours, Doyle, is an idiot. I suppose so. Yeah, the big, strong boys. They want excitement. Want to take care of everything themselves. Don't want help. Well, he was apparently in pretty deep attendance, and man can't ask help when he has to admit he's dipped into his company's money. I'm not so sure. Somebody was apparently strong-ominent. Somebody like Starkey Bennett gets a hold on him through gambling and then twists his arm for some real money. He picked up that motor again, Johnson. The guy up for it can hear it. Oh, you mean so now. The other boat can hear us. Sure, sure. They're running all right, but we're faster. Oh, cool, isn't it? It certainly is. 14th of February, Mr. Valentine, I wonder how many smart people will come up to you today and ask you... He's tired of the gag already, Mr. Frank. Yeah, listen. Yeah, we're getting closer now. But closer to what? Is Doyle dead or alive? Valentine, Starkey gave you a lot of double-tump, but somehow I don't think he'd have done that if he was a guy who hired two killers in Kansas City to get rid of Doyle this very same night. Yes, that makes sense, but if Bennett didn't hire those killers... But he'd make a great fall guy, though, wouldn't he? Yeah, wait a minute. Hold it. There goes the searchlight. Ah, not a fall guy. We're turned. You're shooting. Duck down. Don't cut that motor! Get him, Sergeant! Look, he's alive, Johnson. Three guys in the boat. Well, they can't get away now. Those men, those are the ones that thugs. Well, he's fighting with them. Oh, hurry it up, Sergeant. Give it to the gas. Look out! There it goes. He's up above. Cut the motor, Sergeant. Cut it. Hey, you can see him in the watery swimming. Sergeant, pull it up closer, can't you? Yeah, it goes Kansas City. Out into the fog again. Can't even hear the motor. Hurry it up. Put it in that guy's all right. I can reach him. I'll get him. All right, come on. Step on it. Come on, now. Here you go. Give me a hand. Easy, though. Come on. How are you, Doyle? You all right? All those better conditions. Don't just stand there, Sergeant. Get those motors going. No, Johnson. Wait a minute. Don't worry about those guys when we get back to shore. Oh, yeah, yeah. In this fog, they can land any place they want. They'll be back in Kansas City by the time... I said, wait a minute. They won't get away. Optimus. They're pretty tough, I can tell you that. They're quite a guy, Doyle. I'm proud of the Irish. Well, I'm a little glad to meet you, too, this time. But you should have asked for help a long time ago, Doyle. Like I said, I have to tell Mr. Frank, a guy shouldn't work alone. Especially when you're the villain of the piece like you, Doyle. Him, Doyle? Sure. Sure. I went swimming for fun. You went swimming because you knew all three of you couldn't get away, so you made it look good. Yeah, you have got a lot of guts. Well, they're wet now, my friend. Stop smiling, will you? I mean it. You'd have come back and still tried to face down your embezzlement. You tried to blame it all on a vague mix-up you cooked up with a gambler. But you hired those thugs. You're the pal of them. You even got them to rough up Frank here intentionally by mistake. Is that so now? Yeah, that's so. It all boils down to a convertible, Johnson. How you get into one. Right. Yeah. A convertible has two doors. Well, a guy in a service station saw you riding in the front seat of that car, Doyle. Well, what of it? They forced me to... Well, who has to climb in the car last? The front seat, isn't it? Did you ever hear of anybody being taken for a ride who got in the car last? Hey. Really? All right, so it's not conclusive. But we can ask the boys, they'll be easy to find, Johnson. And a bezler needs to throw the police off his trail. Well, for years we might have dragged this bay for this guy's body. I would have been dead. There's some men there. Sure, sure. It was a green act. All the clues. But they fit with something else. The guys didn't come down here for murder. They came to take a longer ride. They came to meet a ship. Well, ask the coast guard to pick up your thugs' rally off the nearest slow boat to China. Southern China. No. No, you're wrong. I didn't do any of these things. That's all there is, Doyle. There isn't anymore. Unless you'd like to go jump in the lake. Yeah, you see, Angel Doyle did the whole thing. Intentionally got himself in trouble with Bennett. Got Bennett after him over a small gambling debt to set up a fall guy. Then he bought himself a gun and sent himself a broken gun as a threat. And then got those thugs almost killed, Mr. Frank. Sure, they admitted it when Johnson hauled them off that ship to South America. Oh, it was a neat, exciting plot, all right, up to the point where he pretended to be suckered into going down to the bay to his own death. And in concrete shift. Well, at least now I understand why I didn't want you around. No, I'm not so sure, Angel. I just made it more exciting for him. That's all. Well, maybe prison will cure him of his yen for thrills. But, George, it isn't finished yet. Hmm? I mean, I've noticed all night people have been starting to say something else to you besides jumping the lake. They've beaten around the bush, sort of, and said it was the 14th of February. Why, Bruxy, what do you mean? But maybe none of them really wanted to say it. Only it is the 14th of February, and... well, I've got to get it out of my system, so... So? George, will you be my valentine? Why, George? If the tread on your tires is almost gone, don't take chances. Get new Atlas grip-safe tires now. Your present tires, worn as they are, are far more valuable for a trade-in than they will be after another month's driving. So, for both economy and peace of mind, why not pull in at a standard station or an independent Chevron gas station tomorrow? They can supply you with those famous Atlas tires. Famous? You bet they are. Across the country, millions of motorists know that Atlas grip-safe tires have the wider, flatter tread that puts more tire surface on the road. They know the broader surface lets the tire edges do a better, safer, skid-resisting job. And they probably know that Atlas tires have special cooling vents that reduce tire heat and blow out danger. On top of all, with each new Atlas tire, you get a year's written warranty against tire damage from any road hazard. And this warranty is honored by 38,000 Atlas tire dealers from coast to coast, many of whom are open 24 hours a day. So, play safe. Get those tires tomorrow. It's another protective service offered you at independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations where they say, and mean, we take better care of your car. Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard Oil Company of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West. Robert Bailey is starred as George. Let George do it is written by David Victor and Jackson Gillis and directed by Don Clark. Virginia Gregg appeared as Brooksy, Ken Christie as Lieutenant Johnson. Michael Ann Barrett was heard as Mona, Walter Burke as Gill, Dan O'Hurley as Doyle, and Bill Conrad as Starkey. The music was composed and presented by Eddie Dunstetter, your announcer, John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, same station to let George do it. This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.