 Standard of California, on behalf of standard stations and independent chevron gas stations throughout the west, invite you to let George do it. Another adventure of George Valentine. Personal notice. Danger is my stock and trade. If the trouble you're in is way off the beaten track and you need help that's strictly confidential, you've got a job for me. George Valentine. Write full details. Dear sir, you employed the word confidential in your advertisement. Well, I need confidential help. My enthusiasm for birds has led me into a predicament. I was watching starlings, but I saw something that was never meant to be seen, and it keeps haunting me if I really saw it, unless my eyes deceive me. To deceive me, I was the witness, the only witness to an outrageous crime. There's nothing more I can say in a letter. Please contact me at once, and it's signed Elliot Wormsley. Oh, Wormsley, that sounds like a name on a dickens. Elliot Wormsley, MSPHD, Statistical Services, Baxter Building. Birdwatcher, huh? What kind of canaries is this statistician interested in anyway? Oh, stop kidding, George. That's a pretty grim phrase. I was the only witness to an outrageous crime. And he's in a predicament. That's a twist. What was it he could have seen? I don't know, Brooksy, but let's see what we can see. Let's drop in on Dr. Wormsley. These are the binoculars, Mr. Valentine. The ones I use to watch starlings on that penthouse roof down there. But that's almost three blocks away, Dr. Wormsley. I know. The riverhouse, huh? Pretty swanky. Golly, George, you can see halfway around the world with these binoculars. All right, Angel, stop playing. Back to you, Dr. Wormsley. So you look for starlings and saw a killer hawk. Something like that, Mr. Valentine. OK. Now, just what was this outrageous crime? What did you see that you shouldn't have seen? Murder. I guess I dropped your binoculars, Dr. Wormsley. Did you say murder? I can't be sure, but I just trained my eyes down there, as I've been doing for weeks. And in that instant, I'm almost certain I saw a man push another man off the roof. Of course, he had his back to me. What do you mean almost certain, Dr. Wormsley? Well, it was over in a second, and I didn't expect to see what I think I saw. Besides, statistics show that the element of error in visualization over 100 yards is 14 to 1,000. Yeah, well, we'll take your word for that. But why didn't you go to the police with this story? Oh, no, no, Mr. Valentine. I'm a modest man, and I don't like publicity. Besides, I'm coming up for the presidency of my club. And so many people think bird-watching is, well, a little peculiar. Yes, I know. You wouldn't make it. But murder is a very serious business. Mr. Valentine, if I had seen any mention of what I suspected in the newspapers, I would have volunteered this information to the police. But as it is, no crime has been reported. That's right, George. I didn't say anything about it. Still, the picture of those two men keeps haunting me. I'm thinking of my reputation, but I do have some public spirit, and I have to make sure my conscience wouldn't let me rest if I didn't. Oh, I see. Would you want me to check at the riverhouse and soothe your conscience? That's it, young man. Precisely. It shouldn't take you more than a day, and I'm willing to pay your usual fee. Okay, it's a deal, Wimsley. Oh, Brooksy. Yes, George? Just another hunch get out of the Bureau of Missing Persons. See Finley. Okay. Find out if anybody's been reported missing from the riverhouse. You will keep my name out of this, won't you? Oh, yes. We'll do our best, Professor. I'll meet you back here later, Brooksy. Okay, George. I'm going over to the riverhouse. Oh, you're very fortunate, Mr. Valentine. Penthouse B is vacant, and it's only $5,400 a year. Yeah, a point of information, Mr. Stevens. As I get at the sun deck of this wing facing the river is for the exclusive use of Penthouse A and B. Oh, it's very private, and Penthouse A is occupied by the Dunlaps, Philip Dunlap, the broker. So that would put you in very good company, and only $5,400 a year. Well, I was thinking of something a little better, but I'll let you know. Like a wet and wrang my doorbell, wouldn't be the fuller brush, man, would you? Not unless my samples are showing. Oh, come on in anyway. I hope you'll pardon the sun suit I wasn't expecting company. No, it's nothing at all. I mean, practically. I was out on the roof sunbathing. And Mrs. Dunlap? That's right. Well, I'm the chapel. It's been a dull afternoon. Suppose we wait a while before you tell me what you want. Well, as a matter of fact... You aren't going to stand there, are you? Here, sit down. The truth is, Mrs. Dunlap, I may be your next-door neighbor in Penthouse B. Oh. Well, that would be the first improvement they've made in Riverhouse without raising our rent. I thought it'd be a nice gesture to sort of drop in on my possible neighbors and introduce myself. There is a Mr. Dunlap, isn't there? Yes, but you needn't worry about him. He hasn't been home for two days. Oh, just like that, huh? Oh, yes. Philip, for you. Thank heavens. He must have decided to go up to our cabin in the mountains to brood, or he may be staying at his club. But as I said, this looked like a dull afternoon. We're not going to let it be one, are we? Ah. Oh, fine. That wouldn't be Philip. He has his key. Well, whoever it is, just explain I'm looking at the penthouse next door. Hell. Listen, Paula, we haven't heard from Philip yet, and there are letters and contracts he has to sign downtown. Oh, right, hell. I'm not my husband's keeper. Oh, just the same. I thought you might be worried if... Oh. Oh, I didn't know you were having company. Well, this gentleman may be our next door neighbor, I hope. Uh, Mr.... The name's Valentine. Oh. Really, Paula? At least now you know his name. Oh, Mr. Valentine. This intense young man is my husband's secretary, Hal Sterrett. How do you do? I don't know what you're going to do, Paula, but I'm going to call the police and report Philip missing. Ah, please do that, Hal. I'd feel so much better. Lord, how I hate righteous men, especially when they're young. So petulant. Well, where were we, Mr. Valentine? Ah, I was just about to leave. A mood is a very fragile thing, isn't it? Oh, you've been right, neighborly, ma'am. Goodbye. I don't think it's goodbye. Anyway, it was very nice even not having known you. Mr. Valentine. Mr. Valentine. Oh, Dr. Wormsley. I was waiting for you to come out of the riverhouse. But why? I thought you made it a point you were to be the unknown factor in this deal. Well, after you left, I did some calculating. Yeah, good for you, good for you. There must be a way of getting into this empty lot without climbing over that fence. And in my calculations, I discovered that the odds against anything as extraordinary as this happening to an ordinary man like me would be about 14,000 to one. You don't say. So if you don't mind, Mr. Valentine, I'd sort of like to tag along with you and see if I'm really that one in 14,000. Uh-huh. Much as though there's a gate in this fence, if we can get these baskins out of the way. George! Hey, Brooksy, you should have brought a friend. We'd have a fourth for Bridge. Oh, hello, Miss Brooksy. Oh, George, there's been no report of anyone missing in this district. Oh, thanks. I was on my way to your office, Dr. Wormsley, when I saw you heading for the riverhouse. So here I am. Well, kids, let's see what we shall see. It's just an overgrown lot. That's right, yes. George, you think that if Dr. Wormsley is right, the man would be... Nothing like checking, Brooksy. Dr. Wormsley, you did say that when you saw a man pushing another one off the roof, his back was towards you. If I saw what I thought I saw. That's right. Uh-huh. That would mean he was facing away from you toward the river. Yes, yes. Well, there's the river behind that highboard fence. And on this side of the building, there are only the windows and the elevator shafts and the stairways. I've seen him fall. Mr. Valentine, over here, over here, look. That's a man. I mean, it was. Uh-huh. Past tense is putting it mildly. Oh, George. Then it wasn't my imagination after all. No. No, Dr. Wormsley, it wasn't. And just to quote a few more odds, it's at least a million to one. This is the body of Philip Dunlap. We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Meanwhile, a word about the great American pastime. If you're a baseball fan, check these two tips for getting the most out of this season. Number one, when you're driving to and from the game, use fast-starting Chevron Supreme gasoline. Special blending agents in Chevron Supreme give your car speedy warm-up and quick pickup for traffic getaways. And when it comes to hill climbing, premium-quality Chevron Supreme gasoline takes you smoothly over the steepest ones. Number two, at independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations where you can get Chevron Supreme gasoline, there's a grand gift for you. It's a 48-page book about baseball, written by Bert Dunn. You'll find in your free copy of Batter Up the fundamentals about this great American sport. One illustrated section shows how to play each different position. Ask for a free copy of Batter Up tomorrow. It's yours at standard stations and independent Chevron gas stations where they say and mean, we'll take better care of your car. And now, back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. It's only natural for a member of the Birdwatcher Society even when he's a professional statistician like Dr. Wormsley to be watching starlings on a penthouse roof. But when instead, his maculas reveal one man pushing another off that self-same roof. Well, that's just sort of a case George would get involved in. It's been an hour since George found Philip Dunlap's body in the weed-covered lot back at the apartment building. And now we find George and Claire talking to Lieutenant Riley at homicide. Yeah, what is it? Lieutenant Riley, Donnelly just brought Health Starret in. Do you want to see him now? No. Let him cool his heels out there a while with Mrs. Dunlap. Yes, sir. How about Dr. Wormsley, Lieutenant Riley? Okay, Valentine, okay. When Lieutenant Johnson turned the case over to me, I didn't know what I was getting in for, but I'll do my best to keep your client's name out of the case. Ah, you're a pal. Well, as a matter of fact, Lieutenant, you owe our little bird watcher a debt. He did uncover a murder. Miss Brooks, I don't want to appear ungrateful. Oh, no. I can always use a new murder. Oh? I'm overjoyed that when you and Valentine stumbled over this homicide, you were thoughtful enough to let me know about it. Oh, well, it's nothing at all. If you haven't, I'd like both of you to be up and throw the key away. Well, now that you've banked your own sweet snout, why are you telling us what you found out from Mrs. Dunlap? Well, she said she was out shopping all that afternoon, and the doorman is out buying it. When she got back, this kid, uh, Starrot was still there waiting to see his boss, Mr. Dunlap. He hung around a little longer and then beat it. Did, uh, Mrs. Dunlap suggest that there might have been any bad blood between Starrot and her husband? Well, she wasn't too anxious to admit it, but it seems young Starrot was being fired. Yeah, but what was the reason? Bad spelling or making Google eyes at the boss's wife? I wouldn't know, not yet. Mrs. Dunlap was too broken up to go into every little detail. Oh, broken up, huh? I can just see her tears flowing like wine. What do you mean by that? Uh, well, just thinking a lot. Yes, Lieutenant? You can send Starrot in here now. Yes, sir. Well, it looks to me as though Mr. Starrot has some explaining to do or else. Well, we know that he was there that afternoon, and your Dr. Wormsley saw a man push Dunlap off the roof. Yeah, come in, son, come in, come in. Lieutenant, I don't understand any of this. I... Oh, you. Hello, Starrot. What are you doing here? Just, uh, neighborly interest in the fate of your late employer. Say, what is this? Yes, George, I didn't know you two had met. Well, never mind. Now, what's this about Dunlap deciding to fire you, Starrot? Well, I, uh... Why? He, uh, he didn't like my work, I guess. That's the usual reason, isn't it? You'll save a lot of time if you tell us the truth. You ask me a question, and I gave you the only answer you're going to get. You had a fight with your boss, didn't you? No. In the struggle, you pushed him off the roof. No. A man saw you from an office building. He couldn't have. Oh, Lieutenant. Yes, Donnelly. Can I see you in a minute? Yeah, okay. I'll be right back. Hey, tell me something, Starrot. Yes. If you were already fired, why were you so worried about Dunlap? Even going to the Bureau of Missing Persons yourself? Because he was the best friend I ever had. He had hardly jies with the story Lieutenant Riley is building up. Hey, Starrot. Yes. You're a college man, aren't you? What of it? Syracuse, 1942. What? Oh, yes. But how did you know? This, uh, Phi, uh, Phi Beta Kappa 2, weren't you? That's right. But what are you driving at, Lieutenant? Well, uh, this Phi Beta Kappa key. The medical examiner found it clenched in Dunlap's fist. It's yours. I, I don't know how it could have gotten there. He must have ripped the key off your chain as he fell off the roof. Okay, Starrot, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder. It's nice of you to visit me in jail, Valentine. But what's the use of going over the same story again? Let's say it intrigues me, Starrot. Paula would go right on denying I ever gave her that key. I can't prove it. Why should you believe me any more than anyone else? Because I happen to know a little more of the lady in question. Now look, friend, let's stop being delicate. Paula decided she liked your type and made you the odd man in the triangle. That's why Dunlap was giving you the gate. Oh, I, I tried to break off with her, but she always managed to be around taunting me. She had me spinning on my head. Yeah, I know what you mean. Say, did you have a fight with Dunlap when he fired you? No, I, I wish there had been. That would have been easier than the way it was. Go on. He was hurt, and I was sick and ashamed of myself. He knew there were others, and that made the whole thing even cheaper. Now surely just firing you, Sterret, wasn't the answer for Dunlap? Oh, he knew that. One of my last acts as his secretary was drawing up papers that cut her out of his will. Now wait a minute, that just puts you in deeper. That means Paula had no motive. Hey, how about insurance? Well, there was a big policy Philip took out recently with Paula's beneficiary. He didn't change that. Oh, wasn't that kind of strange? Oh, it wasn't something he overlooked. There was a funny smile on his face when he told me he was leaving that as is. That's pretty interesting. Look, Valentine, I didn't kill Philip. When I was there, I didn't even know he was out on the roof. Okay, I'll just take it easy. I'll do what I can. What can you do? You'll never get the truth about that key out of Paula. And Dr. Wormsley swears it was a man out there struggling with Philip. What man? A burglar? One of Paula's ex-boyfriends? Or possibly the man on the moon? I think I'll drop in on Paula again. I don't know what I expected fine, but with a gal like that, the unexpected is bound to be interesting. Oh, if it isn't my next-door neighbor. What now? A cup of sugar? A couple of eggs? Well, maybe I did make a little fib, but you didn't believe me anyway, did you, Mrs. Dunlop? Paula. Okay, Paula. Too bad about young Sterret, isn't it? What a thing to say to a grease-trick and widow. Can I get you anything? We may as well make ourselves comfortable. You've got a head start in those lounging pajamas. They're really something. I was wondering when you were going to notice them. Hey, you know, I never appreciated before what lounging pajamas can do for a woman. Didn't you? No, no. I might say if she were bought on a roof and someone happened to see her from Dr. Wormsley's window, he might mistake her for a man. If he'd never seen a woman before. His office is more than two blocks away. But to get back to our hypothetical woman, how much do you guess she'd have coming to her if her husband were murdered? And it was a nice fat insurance policy, the only thing he didn't cut her out of. We've gotten a long way from lounging pajamas. Oh, I don't know. And I can't help wondering what the lady in question would do if she had a perfect patsy and a difficult young man who was suffering pangs of conscience. She might even do something brash if she happened to remember the 5-E to Kappa key he gave her in a tender moment. Tell me, have you confronted these flights of fancy to anyone else? Oh, no, my sweet. I wanted you to be the first to know. And you, my sweet, will ruin your eyes reading all those pulp magazines. There's another angle to this lady of the rooftop. Oh, what's that? With all the insurance money she's sure to get, with an admiring eye for a certain broad-shouldered character who seems to know what it's all about. Oh, she might make life very pleasant for him. Very. You couldn't say he knew what it was all about if he fell for a pitch like that now, could you? Oh, I'd better get my cigarette before we go on with this little game. Or you can quit playing any time you want to. My dear old father used to play a lot of poker. He used to say the game was never over till the last bluff was called. Uh-huh. Didn't your old man tell you that even one of those effeminate looking automatics make a loud noise and leave holes when they go off? I have a permit for this gun. Uh-oh, come on now, Paula. Let's see if you can answer that phone with one hand. You know, Georgie, that could be your next to the last, livery mark. When that phone stops ringing, you're gonna worry yourself into a tizzy, trying to guess who it was. We've been supposing a lot of things here tonight. Now, let me top it off. Suppose they found you draped on the floor there with a bullet in your head. Okay, what then? I was in bed when I heard sounds in the living room. I opened the door. There was a figure in the darkness. After everything I'd been through, I didn't stop to think. I shot the prowler. I gotta hand it to you, Paula. Skip it. Just sit there on the couch a few minutes till I get my story straight. When I shoot you, I may have to tell the story a dozen times tonight, so it's got to be perfect. Okay, you stalled too long. You missed your chance, beautiful. It'd be a mistake to shoot me now. What are you talking about? Behind you. There's somebody out there on the penthouse roof. Ah, you know I'm smarter than that. Well, who's it? I'll take the point out. You got it, Paula. That's you. Oh, Charles, there you are. I tried to call, and then I remembered about the empty penthouse next door on the adjoining Sunday, and both of Pete's sake, somebody say something. Oh, just a little parlor game, Bruxy. Yes, yes, I was just showing Mr. Valentine how I almost mistook him for an intruder. Oh. Lieutenant Raleigh will probably find it very amusing when we tell him about it. That ain't the way I seen it. By the time being, Angel, we have to see things Paula's way. But more important right now is to see if we can get a man out of bed. No trouble at all, Valentine. Don't mind selling a little insurance any time of the night. Are these all right? Are you selling a little insurance any time of the night? Are these all representative policies, Bennett? Yes, sir. Anything you want, we've got it. Life, accident, comprehensive liability, tornado insurance, plate glass. Any insurance against fatality during parlor game? What's that, Miss Brooks? Just a private show. This is life insurance policy. Oh, any amount you want. It's a simple physical exam. Well, these clauses at the beginning, they are pretty standard in all life insurance policies, aren't they? Yes, indeed. We need to protect policy holder and the company. What's up, George? Well, thanks a lot, Bennett, too. You've been a great help. Yeah, but look, old man. Sorry, shopping around, but I'll keep you in mind. Let's go, Brooksy. Now, Brooksy, first thing in the morning, I want you to check with all the druggists in this section of town around Riverhouse, Dr. Wormsley's office, 20 or 30 blocks in each direction. Oh, my aching feet. I'm going to be with Lieutenant Riley. I hate to think of his blood pressure when I mention one little word. See, that's the word. Valentine, if I had any hair, I'd tear it out. What are you talking about? Well, I look. I can't do any harm, Lieutenant. No one in his right mind can doubt how done that done. This Wormsley saw him shoved off the roof. Then the body was found sprawled all over an empty lot, 12 floors below. Cause and effect. I have every reason to doubt that Sterrick killed Dunlap. I suppose you're going to tell me Mrs. Dunlap killed him, huh? That she used to be the strong woman in the circus. I didn't say she killed him. Then who? What? Ah, for the love of heaven. How about that autopsy, Lieutenant? All right, doctor. Will you tell Valentine here that he's just been wasting our time? I wouldn't say that, Lieutenant. Huh? What you find? Enough poison in Dunlap to sup an army dead in his tracks. All right. All right, I can't argue with the laboratory. But I don't get it, Valentine. How many times do you kill a man? Poison, throw him off the roof. Ah! It's a wonder we didn't find a knife in his back too. Doctor, just how does this particular poison work? Instantly. Every muscle in the body becomes rigid all at once and stays that way. Uh-huh, then it's possible and after a couple of days the effects of the poison could be mistaken for rigor mortis. Not only possible, Mr. Valentine. It seems just what happened. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. If Dunlap's fist was clenched like that the moment the poison took effect, how did that 5-beta copper key get in his hand? That's the point, Lieutenant. It was forced into it. And certainly Hal's stare it didn't do it. That does it. That does it. I'm gonna have Paula Dunlap picked up and she'd better have all the answers. Oh, no. No, Mrs. Dunlap, you're going to have to do better than that. I know how it looks, Lieutenant Raleigh, but you're wrong. Believe me. Paula, you had to be the one to put that key in your husband's hand. Sterret wouldn't sign his own death warrant. I know, but... Here are the facts the jury will hear. You were the man Wemsley saw wearing laundry pajamas. You had the motive, the insurance money, so you poisoned Mr. Dunlap, then pushed him off the roof to implicate an innocent man. All right. All right. I'll tell you just what happened. Remember, Mrs. Dunlap, you're doing this of your own free will. Hal Sterret left that afternoon. I went out on the roof for a moment. Philip was there, an empty highball glass next to him. He was dead. Oh, don't look at me that way. He was already dead. He committed suicide. How do you know that? There was a note, cruel note, saying that I was the cause of all the unhappiness in his life. He was leaving me without a cent. Okay. I suppose you have the note. No. No, I destroyed it. Donna, that wasn't very smart. Don't you see? I had to. So no one would ever find out it was suicide. Now, wait a minute. There was a clause in his policy. It's in most policies, saying that if he killed himself within the first year, the beneficiary wouldn't get a cent. Not much is true, Donna. But I did was wrong, but I was going to let Philip leave me without a cent. That'll stand up in court, won't it? Even though I did destroy the note, they'll believe me, won't they? Since you asked my opinion, the answer's no. But my job is finished now. No, no! George! George! Hey, how goes it, Bruxy? What luck? You were right. I found out what you wanted to know at the Gotham Pharmacy on Morton Boulevard. Now what? What am I going to do? I've got to find a way to prove I'm innocent. This isn't fair. Remembering that gun you held in my face and, Hal, stare at it, I'm tempted to keep my mouth shut and let you still in your own juice. What do you mean? Me and you both. I don't know what charge you're going to hold her on, Lieutenant, but it won't be murder. What? Did you hear what he said, Lieutenant? What are you talking about, Valentine? Bruxy just found out that Philip Dunlap bought that poison himself at the Gotham Pharmacy. On a doctor's prescription, he forged. Oh, George, how can I ever thank you? Oh, that's easy. The next time you're up on that roof alone, see if you can prove the law of gravity really works. George, don't you think that was sort of a morbid joke for Dunlap to play on his wife? Well, Angel Paula played a few pretty grim jokes herself. Yes, but to leave her name in that insurance policy, knowing that she wouldn't get a penny. Crime? Punishment? Supercell? Hello? Anybody here? I just thought I'd drop you and take care of that little bill I owe you. Oh, thanks. Um, how did the first look these days, Doctor? It was. Oh, yes, yes. That reminds me. I must thank you, Valentine, for keeping my name out of the Dunlap case. After all, I was the key witness, and I, uh... Oh, dear. Well, that's all washed up now. Thank goodness. Oh, yes. Mrs. Dunlap isn't living there anymore, you know? It seems three young ladies are sharing that apartment now. And yesterday... Why, Dr. Wormsley, what kind of birds are you watching now? Oh, well, they were very wild canaries. Oh, goodness. What am I saying? And now, a message of importance to motorists. If this is the time of year your family gets travel-minded, it's probably the time you start thinking about new tires. And you know which make of tire gives you a written warranty against ordinary road hazards? The answer is easy. Atlas tire. That's right. Each new Atlas passenger tire is warrantied for 12 months against blowouts, cuts, and bruises that might happen to ordinary tires. And each Atlas tire has a double warranty. First, by the manufacturer, and second by the distributor. Another thing to keep in mind when you're buying tires is that two or four wear better than an uneven number. Give you softer riding and easier car handling. For that extra margin of safety, get Atlas tires at standard stations and independent Chevron gas stations where they say and mean, we'll take better care of your car. Next week, when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine, you'll hear... Well, Brooksie looks like playing big brother Alice Spencer Tracy didn't work out. Eddie beat it while I was shaving. Oh, that crazy little kid. He left this note. He's on the prowl. The quote is going after Stan Lucas. Oh, no. What can we do, George? I gotta stop him somehow. Hey, listen, you look up Emily. Maybe she can give us a clue on how we can find Eddie. Okay, George. And remember, Brooksie, it's a race against time. Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West. Let George do it, stars Robert Bailey as George, with Francis Robinson as Claire, Wally Amair appeared as Lieutenant Riley. Tonight's story was written by David Victor at Herbert Little Jr. and directed by Don Clark. Also heard cast were Louise Arthur, Fred Howard, Peter Leeds, Charles Seal, and Charles Lung. The music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter, your announcer, John Heiston. Don't forget to listen again next week, one hour earlier, over the same station to let George do it. This is the Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.