 Adventures by Morse. Carlton E. Morse presents Dead Men Prowl, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. The village of Holman, isolated little beach resort on the Marin County coast, two miles from the nearest railway and five miles from the only road, has for transportation facilities only commercial tugs and private sailboats which ply between San Francisco and its one rickety pier at buried intervals. There are perhaps 30 permanent residents in Holman. This late in the season, all the summer residents are gone and the resort hotel is closed. And to this out-of-the-way nook, Captain Bart Friday has brought Dr. Jamie Croft for a quiet weekend, but it was anything but quiet. Let Captain Friday tell it. First we found Carmel and Andres Ruiz, cousins, on the beach, frightened by what they called a skeleton parading in a long cloak. Carmel and Andres are niece and nephew of Andrew Walters, one of the two rich men of Holman. Next we found the body of old Doc Sims on the beach. Sims was the village's other rich man. Apparently he died of natural causes. Doc Sims, among other things, was coroner of Holman and at his own expense, had erected a tiny modern morgue. To date, the morgue had never had a victim, but on carrying Sims to the concrete structure, we discovered on the slab the body of the village half-wit, murdered, but that wasn't all. No, that wasn't all. In fact, it was just the beginning. For on top of everything else, Carmel and Andres found the body of their uncle, Andrew Walters, hanging in his room, three deaths in one night, and Holman hadn't had a death for 20 years. And then to add a dash of macabre to the mystery, who should Captain Friday and Dr. Croft see walking in the moonlight ahead of them, but one of the bodies they had just locked in the morgue? At the moment, Dr. Croft and Carmel Ruiz are at Captain Friday's cottage. No, no, Mr. Ruiz, sit down on this little footstool. Right up close to the fire. You must get over this fit of shivering, you know. I'm so cold, Dr. Croft. If... if maybe I had something hot to drink. A suspended idea. Now, you sit here close by the fire with this blanket around you, and I'll rummage about in the kitchen and see if I can't make some coffee. Oh, it's terrible. It's terrible. No, Mr. Ruiz. Please, won't you call me Carmel? Mr. Ruiz makes me feel so... so lonesome. You look like a very small infant huddled up in that blanket. I'm 18. Oh, quite. Now then, I'm going to see about that coffee. Hello? What's up? Dr. Croft, how could a dead body be walking down the road? Now, see here. Didn't I tell you you weren't to think anything more about that? I can't think of anything else. Now, here. Let me take your hands. Mm-hmm. Ice cold. Now, this will never do. The coffee's on. Supposing I sit down here beside you and hold these cold hands. Oh, in a very professional manner. And then we'll talk. That was the worst of all. Dead man walking around. Everything else was bad enough. The skeleton that followed us on the beach. My uncle hanging. Oh, why doesn't Andreessen the captain come back? They'll be here presently. I don't think they should have followed Dr. Sims. Tell me, Carmel, tell me something about yourself. Your childhood. There isn't very much. Oh, there must be a great many things. Mostly, I've been with other girls in the convent. It was very little when I went there. Hardly six. You've been under the care of the counten since you were six? That was when mother died. I don't remember father at all. But you've had some very happy years, it would seem to me. Oh, yes, they were so good to me. But I did want someone of my very own. Family, the same as other girls. Quite naturally. And so when Uncle Andrew sent for me. You see, I didn't even know I had an uncle until he sent for me. Queer business. Oh, but I was happy. I came just as quickly as I could. Then when I got off the train on this side of the bay, there was Andreessen. And you discovered that you had not only an uncle, but likewise a cousin. A real family. Then it all started. All these terrible things. Now, now, now, see here, you're not going to tremble anymore. See, see how warm your hands are getting. Oh! Hello? Here comes Captain Friday and your cousin. Well, Norton, here we are. Oh, please, carman, is everything all right? You see, it was necessary I go with Captain Friday, or I would not have gone. Did you catch him? Ah, we have found nothing. Almost we have come to conclusion that we have made mistake. Well, make yourself comfortable, Andreessen. I'm making coffee out in the kitchen. If you'll come along and show me where you keep things, Captain. Yes, good idea. Any luck at all, Captain Friday? No, not much. Nothing about this thing makes sense. It's beginning to give me the jitters. Fancy that. Fancy all you like, but that was Dark Sims that went down the road ahead of us. But Dark Sims is dead. He placed his body in the morgue. Yes, I know that. How can you be certain? Did you catch him? No. But we went back to the morgue and had another look. I see. Yeah. I didn't care about that either. My word. Don't tell me that the great detective Captain Friday has nerves. We went back and had a look in the morgue. Dark Sims' body was gone. But does that necessarily mean that the body got up and walked off? Well, what else does it mean? We saw it leaving. Still, you might consider the theory that someone hid the body and then dressed to look like Sims. But I saw his face. And I know Dark Sims' face when I see it. Well, what do you think? That the coffee's done. And if you get more cups and spoons, we'll give our guests a hot drink and put them to bed. That was a good idea, bringing Carmel and Andres here. Yeah. Now, somehow I've got a notion they're going to play a pretty important part in this thing before it's finished. Ah? You think it isn't finished? Not by a jug full. Rich Hartley's half-wit son shot to death. Andy Walters hanged. Dark Sims starts walking around after dropping dead. I'll say it's not the end. Dark Sims' body is the only one that has moved. Yeah. Oh, by the way, Captain, what about informing Mr. Hartley about his son's death? I've had enough tonight. The morning will do just as well. Grab the coffee pot, Doctor. Let's go back to the front room. Don't you think it would be a good idea to minimize everything before Carmel? Yeah. Yes, too bad about her. She's an attractive youngster. She's 18. Yeah? She doesn't look in. You can't always tell, Captain. You can't always tell. Coffee served. Come now, Carmel. You'll have a cup. And then we're going to tuck you into bed and see that you'll get a good night's rest. Oh, please. I don't think I could sleep. Of course you will. I guarantee it. Snug is a mess of puppy. And just to make sure, I'm going to give you the bedroom that hangs out over the beach. When the tide's in, the water laps right up under your window sill. But it'll rock you to sleep. It might help. But, Senor Captain, supposing it should lap over the window sill. Well, never has so far, fella. But is it not possible? Perhaps, Carmel, to satisfy your cousin Andres, you should wear a bathing suit to bathe in place of pajamas. You're all so friendly. Would have been wonderful to know you all. Well, for me, I think it is wonderful to find so good friends in this trouble. I'll pull you out of it, okay? You just forget about it and let us do the work. No, no, it is my burden, and I shall not forget my part of it. Still, it is very good to know that one has friends. You know, these people in Hormann, they have not been very friendly. I do not know why. Perhaps because they do not speak English very well. Yeah, and more specs. Don't like anything that's different. Well, three deaths in one night aren't going to set very well with them, either, I'm afraid. I'll say it won't. I'll be buzzing like a hat full of bees by morning. Coffee make you feel better, Carmel? Clear. I do feel like sleeping. Sleepy, eh? Captain, where is this room? Clear at the back, right down to the end of the hall. And I'll show you. Ready, Carmel? Well, all right. Good night, Andres. You wait here, Andres. We'll get your cousin settled and be right back. See, I will wait. Good night, Carmel. We brought all your personal effects from your uncles. You'll find them in the room. You're all so good. This it, Captain? Yeah, that's right. Here you are, Miss Ruiz. Please don't call me Miss Ruiz. I prefer Carmel. All right. Carmel it is. And I think the room's beautiful. Hey, look. Come into the window. See how close the ocean is? Looks friendly, doesn't it? Hello? What's that? What is it, Captain? Tug boats pulling into the wharf. You can see the searchlight. Is that unusual? Yeah. Have you heard of it before? Not at 11 o'clock at night. Oh, probably some citizen of home and anxious to get back home from San Francisco tonight. No, no, no. Home and residence don't go to the city. Perhaps a delivery boat that supplies for the store. This time of night? Oh, well. We're keeping Carmel up. When you're ready, knock on the door and crawl into bed. Then I'll come in and give you something to make you sleep. Don't want you tossing and fretting. Thank you, Dr. Croft. Good night, Carmel. Good night, Captain. Now, Doctor, I have a notion of going down to the wharf. Everything seems to be taking on a sinister hue for you tonight. Yeah. Why, shouldn't it? Well, what is it now? Something else? Nothing at all, Andreas. Captain saw a tugboat landing down at the wharf and he's just wondering about it. There are too many coincidences taking place tonight. Hardly call them coincidences, Captain. I never saw a more unrelated set of circumstances. Of course they're related. Really? Well, I can't see it myself. Now, what relation is there between Doc Sims falling dead on the beach and Andrew Waters hanging himself in his home? The two rich men of Holman dead on the same night. That's enough for me. But what's the relationship between them and the village half which we found in the morgue shot through the heart? The mere fact that there hasn't been a death in Holman for 20 years, and then suddenly there are three deaths. It smells like plenty of trouble. Yes, I suppose it does. But where does the skeleton in the moonlight seen by Andres here in Carmel enter the picture? And what does all this to do with Dr. Sims' body wondering about after we've definitely locked him up in the morgue? Not so fast, Doctor. Let's take them one at a time. Dr. Cross. Carmel is calling. All right, you make him in, Dr. Cross. You'll excuse me if you... I just put a drop of sedative in the child's coffee, but I want to give her one more tablet to be certain she sleeps. Okay, go right ahead, Doctor. Andreas, tell me something about your uncle. How was he acting before you left the house tonight? My, my, what a nice lot of hair. Didn't let you cut it in the convent, I see. No, Doctor. Now, I'm going to open this window. The salt air will make you sleep like a top. The sound of the waves will lull you. Ah, seems to be stuck. Ah, ah, there it is. There. Doesn't that sound good? Oh, yes. Now then, now sit up and take this tablet. A glass of water. Just enough to get the tablet done. Ah, it's done. Good girl. Now then, lie down. You're going to be warm enough? Oh, yes. Well, that's all right then. I'm going to make the captain give me the room right next to you. There's a door in between, and I'll leave the transom open. If you want anything, just call. Thank you. That way I won't feel so, so frightened. No, of course not. I need to be frightened of child. Good night now. I'll snap out the light as I leave. Good night. Well, that seems to settle that pretty well on this. I assure you, Captain Friday, it is everything I know about my uncle. Yeah, I'd say there were a lot of things you haven't found out yet. Oh, got your patient settled, Doctor? Yes. Carmen will sleep. Seems to me I promised you a restful weekend. I intended having you lie down all day, Saturday and Sunday, just listening to the ocean. Wait. What was that? Oh, I see, Captain. You do have the jumps. Didn't you hear it? Something on the porch. Could it be the walking body? Oh, come now. There. There. Didn't you hear it? Rather what you suppose. Quiet. Well, if it's old Dark Sims body, it hasn't forgot its manners. Manners? Yes. Open the door and let the corpse walk in. In the weekend cottage of Captain Friday in the isolated village of Holman, the girl Carmel has been given a sedative and put to bed by Dr. Croft. The three men, Croft, Captain Friday, and the girl's cousin, Andres Ruiz, were discussing the three deaths of the evening when there came a knock on the door, a midnight visitor. Is it Dr. Sims body? Has the decency to wrap before entering anywhere? I will hold my gun on the door. Nonsense. Indy, Andres. For certain. Shall I do the honors, Captain? I'll answer it. You keep back out of the way. Well? Oh, please. Have you a room where we could stay tonight? A room? Well, this isn't a hotel. I told you how it would be. Come on, Gail. Oh, I say, Captain, how about having them in for a few moments anyway? What's going on here tonight, anyway? Okay, come on in. Follow the doctor into the front room. Of course, if we're not wanted. Oh, it's okay. Come on in. Now, drop your bags there in the corner. Right in here. Well, where did you two drop from? Both of you look badly done up. We are. But may I introduce myself? I'm Gail Stanley, and this is my brother Martin. Delighted. And I am Dr. Jamie Croft, and this is Captain Bart Friday, who's your host. And here is Mr. Andres Ruiz, a guest. How do you do? Where did you two say you came from? From the south. You see, when we heard that our uncle had died here in Holman... What's that? Well, he did die, didn't he? Who? Well, our uncle. Isn't Dr. Sims dead? Well, he's still... My dear child, but who sent you were that Dr. Sims was dead? What if he's just signed a friend? When did you get it? The messenger boy got me out of bed at 3 o'clock this morning. Said Dr. Sims had died suddenly, and we should come immediately. Funny you should get the message this morning when he didn't die until sometime this evening. What? Oh, how horrible. Got the telegram with you? You have, haven't you, Martin? Yes, of course. Just a minute. Ah, yeah, here it is. Hmm. Yeah, it's authentic, all right. You two came over on that tug we saw a few minutes ago, I suppose. Well, yes. We came just as fast as we could. You see, the message said, for us to hurry. We thought there'd be a hotel, or some place we could stay tonight, but there wasn't a single light in the whole town, except in this house. Yes, that's the reason we came here. And quite properly, too. Well, how about it, Captain? Well, I suppose so. There are two bedrooms with twin beds in the lounge in Carmel's room. Just a minute. I want to get this straight. Dr. Sims is dead, isn't he? Well, what's wrong? He is, isn't he? Say, Gail, there's something queer here. You don't know the half of it, brother. Well, why don't you tell us? Is he dead or isn't he? Yes. Yes, he's dead, all right. Well, then? Yes, he's dead. But he doesn't seem to know it. What do you mean? Now see here. The best thing to do is for us all to get a good night's rest and then tomorrow thrash this whole business out. But if there's something we should know about... Nothing that won't keep until the morning. Now then, Captain Friday permitting, I'm going to assign sleeping quarters. Go ahead, Doctor. Then I suggest that Miss Stanley take the couch in Carmel's room. Oh, I wouldn't disturb him. Oh, no, no, you won't disturb anyone. The girl who's a cousin of Mr. Ruiz here is already asleep. Now then, I'll take the next room so that I'll be close by in case Carmel grows restless. No. But she's had a most distressing evening. Andres, supposing you occupy the second bed in my room? With pleasure. That will put you, Mr. Stanley, with Captain Friday in the bedroom on the other side of the hall. If it isn't an imposition. How about it, Captain? As good as any. I'll get extra bedding for the couch. Please, if you'll just give me the bedding, I'll make it up. Okay, Miss Stanley. I'll leave everything just outside the door. Please, I too have had a hard day. You would excuse me if I should retire? Run along, Andres. Please, then. Good night. Good night. Second door to the right, you know. Now, how about you, Mr. Stanley? I'm dog-tired, all right, but I would like to know something about this business of my uncle. Please, Mr. Stanley, in the morning. Right. Where's the room I'm to share with Captain Friday? Right down the hallway, son. I'll show you the room. I'll be right back, Mr. Stanley. Night, sis. We're a business all around, all this bother. No bother in the least. Right in here. I think you'll find it comfortable. Thank you. Not at all. Good night. Good night. Oh, here you are, Captain. You have Miss Stanley in tow, I see. Oh, we're making so much trouble. Oh, forget it. Wait until you see the sort of hotcakes I turn out for breakfast. Now, then, here's plenty of covers. Oh, yes, plenty. Well, I... I guess that's everything. We'll delight bother the other girl. Oh, not in the least. She won't await. Good night. If you need anything, just call out. Well, I'm certain I won't. Good night. Oh, it'll be good to get out of these clothes. One slipper. And two slippers. Oh, dear, another runner. Hmm. Quite old-fashioned room. Perfectly darling. Just imagine sleeping on the edge of the ocean. Hello. Who are you? Oh, I've wakened you. I'm sorry. No, I've been awake. Really? I'm afraid you're just being kind. You're a friend of Captain Friday. No, we're total strangers. I'm Gail Stanley. Captain Friday was good enough to put Martin and me up for the night. Martin? Yes, he's my little brother. Little? Well, he's 22. Oh. I'm Carmel Ruiz. You're sleepy, child. I'll do not the lie. Oh, no, you're not finished undressing. Well, I can easily finish in the dark. I'm glad you're here. I mean sleeping in here with me. That's awfully generous. Not really. I feel a lot safer now. Safer? Well, what's there to be afraid of? Then you don't know? There, you're getting yourself wide awake. I'm going to turn out the light and crawl in. I need sleep terribly. Honey, I feel awfully drowsy in spite of everything. Oh, my, but a bed feels good. Imagine going to sleep to the sound of waves. Isn't very dark, is it? Is it the moon coming in? It's simply enchanting. What? That's strange. What? That shadow. Didn't you say it crossed the room? What? Why, no. Huh. Queer. I guess it was my imagination. Well, good night. Good night, Gail. I can just feel myself unwinded. Huh. Who's there? What is it? Shh. There's someone at the window. Oh, please. Go get them, Friday. Don't let it get in. Be quiet. mustn't I tell you? Yes. Don't you hear it? Don't you? Yes, of course. What is it? Sounds like bones rattling. It's what it is. Bones rattling. It's a skeleton. Skeleton? Oh, that's silly. It's probably the wind blowing the shutters. Of course there's some explanation. No, no. Carmen, you're just nervous. Look, supposing I come and get in bed with you. Would that help? But you said yourself there was someone. Well, I shouldn't have. It was just that I heard the noise. I was startled for a minute. Would you come and sleep with me? Of course. That big bed looks absolutely luxurious. I feel kind of lost in it. So big. My grandmother slept in beds like this. Oh, marvelous. Old fashioned feather bed. You don't think it was the skeleton? See, what in the world are you talking about, Carmel? What skeleton? The one that followed Andre sent me on the beach tonight. Why? I never heard of such a thing. I never did either until I came to Holman. But it did. You mean just a bare skeleton? No, it was wearing a cloak. A long black cloak. It had a huge black hat pulled down over its face. But if it was covered, well, how do you know it was... Because the wind blew the cloak back in. And there it was. And you think it's come here now? It's what I thought. Hmm. Do these people, I mean Captain Friday and Dr. Croft, know about it? Yes. What did they say? They didn't say anything. But I know they think we were mistaken. Oh, of course you were. Skeletons don't walk around you're old enough to know that. Oh! Oh, shh, listen. It isn't the shutter at all. You can tell it isn't. Well, if it's a skeleton, he's certainly giving himself a good shaking. Miss Tannen, get back in bed. What are you going to do? I'm going to see what's outside the window. Please, please don't go near the window. Oh, please. Nonsense. You mustn't. Three people have already been murdered. What did you say? It's true. Please keep away from the window. Did you say three persons were murdered? I don't know. You stay in bed. I'm going to have a look. Please, please. I'll only be a minute. Already the new arrivals, Gale and Martin Stanley, have been dragged into the evil which is a foot in Holman. Three dead. Two waters rich man hang. Doc Sims, mayor, coroner, and second rich man, dead of natural causes. And third, the half-wit boy shot through the heart. One of the body's on the prowl. And the skeleton of still another, keeping a close and menacing guard over Captain Friday's cottage. Listen next week to chapter three of Dead Men Proud, which is entitled, The Dead Do Walk at Night. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.