 It's time now for Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. Ladies and gentlemen, Anasin and Colinos present Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. One of the most famous characters of American fiction and one of radio's most thrilling dramas. Tonight and every Thursday at the same time, the famous old investigator takes him his file and brings to us one of his most celebrated missing persons cases. Tonight's case is entitled The Quick Sand of Murder Case. I want to tell you about the way thousands of people are using, where they want quick relief from the pain of headaches, neuritis, or neuralgia. It's a way many people first discovered through their own physician or dentist. It's Anasin. Anasin brings incredibly fast, effective relief. Anasin is like a doctor's prescription. That is, it contains not just one, but a combination of medically proven, active ingredients in easy-to-take tablet form. We ask you to try Anasin tablets the very next time you suffer from headache, neuritis, or neuralgia pains. We know you'll be delighted with the incredibly fast, effective relief they bring. Ask for Anasin at any drug counter today. For most effective relief, use only as directed. Anasin is spelled A-N-A-C-I-N. Now for Mr. Keen and The Quick Sand of Murder Case. Our scene opens in a large, well-furnished suburban house, where a woman is making a hurried telephone call in a state of apparent fear and excitement. Betsy, this is Edna. Oh, hello, dear. I was waiting for your call. Have you moved into your new house? Yes. I moved in an hour ago. Betsy, can you come over here immediately? What's the matter, Edna? You sound nervous. I am. I... I can't explain. I'm not sure of what I found yet, but I wish you'd come over. It's terribly important that I... I'm frightened. I'll be there in 15 minutes. All right. I hope Betsy comes right over. Maybe I'd better call the police. I... No! Hello, Mr. Keen. Oh, I'm his partner, Mike Clancy. You want to see me, Miss? Mr. Keen? Yes. Oh, my name is Betsy Harlow. I've come to you for help, sir, because I'm terribly worried about my sister, Edna. Something's happened to her. I just know it. Oh, take it easy now. Bring over a chair for Miss Harlow, Mike. Why, sure, boss. I... I'd have gone to the police only. I'm not certain myself exactly what happened. I looked through the house, but everything was in order, and I... Here. Relax in this chair, Miss Harlow. You look all worn out. I... I've been up all night hoping I'd hear from Edna. Has your sister disappeared, Miss Harlow? Completely, Mr. Keen. Edna phoned me yesterday about 6.30 in the evening. She just moved into a new house she rented on Wilson Drive. That's in the suburbs, eh? Yes, Mr. Keen. When she phoned, she seemed to be very worried about something. She asked me to come right over to her house, and she'd explained. Yes. Go on. When I got there, the house was dark. I kept bringing the doorbell for half an hour, and then managed to find a window on the ground floor that was unlocked. That's how I got in and searched the place. What did you find, Miss Harlow? Wasn't your sister there? No, Mr. Keen. It wasn't a trace of Edna. Then I got in touch with her old apartment house here in town. They told me she'd moved out hours before. Well, what about her furniture? Edna had no furniture of her own, Mr. Keen. She always rented furnished apartments. Edna's my older sister, and she never married. I see. Last week she told me she'd found this wonderful furnished house to rent quite cheap. Then she moved in, phoned you, and vanished. Yes. Mr. Keen, my sister couldn't have left town without letting me know, and when she telephoned yesterday, she sounded so frightened. Miss Harlow, you say you've searched the house thoroughly? Yes, Mr. Keen. Mike, we'll take a look at the premises ourselves right now. Thank you, sir. I've been so worried. I've been afraid to think of what might have happened to Edna. There's a couch in my office inside, Miss Harlow. Why don't you lie down and try to get some rest? Well, my partner and I make a search of your sister's house. We'll phone you here if we have any news. You mean if you find out that my sister is... No, sure now there's no point in being pessimistic about it. Maybe everything's all right, Miss Harlow. No, Mr. Clancy, I can feel that something's happened to Edna, and I don't believe I'll ever see her alive again. Here's Edna Harlow's house, Mike. It's a big place, boss. All quiet and peaceful looking. That's how it looks from the outside, Mike, but a search may reveal a different story. There's a fella parking his car right behind us at the curb, Mr. Keen. Just a second, Mike. Let's find out what his business is. If you gentlemen are interested in that house, I'm afraid it's already been rented. As a matter of fact, we are interested. Well, I rented it a week ago. I'm the agent, Fred Dunlap. Came over to give Miss Harlow an extra set of keys. Mr. Dunlap, when did you last talk to Edna Harlow? Three days ago, and what makes you so interested in my tenant? My name is Keen. Mr. Keen, the famous investigator? My partner, Mike Clancy, and I would like to examine that house thoroughly, Mr. Dunlap. Well, I'm sure Miss Harlow won't object. But what's wrong? Why do you want to search the house? Edna Harlow seems to have disappeared. Disappeared? But I only talked to her. We'll explain further when we get inside the house. Now, I'd appreciate your opening the door with that extra set of keys you have, Mr. Dunlap. Okay, Mr. Keen. Mike, you start on this floor. Take Mr. Dunlap with you. I'll search the second floor. Okay, boss. And call me if you'll find any clue whatsoever. Right. Where do you want to begin, Mr. Clancy? Well, where does that door lead to? The kitchen. The house has eleven rooms altogether. The living room and the dining room are off this foyer? That's right, Mr. Clancy. Well, let's have a look at them. Say, does Mr. Keen think something's happened to Edna Harlow? Well, she ain't shown up in almost twenty-four hours. I'd better answer that phone. Hello? May I talk to Ms. Edna Harlow, please? Well, she isn't here, Mr. Wicker. This is Fred Dunlap, the house agent. Oh, yes. Has my wife arrived at the house yet? No. Well, look, maybe you'd better come over here yourself, Mr. Wicker. You see, Mr. Keen, the famous tracer of Lois Persons is here, and, well, there's something wrong. Well, you'd better come over and he'll explain. All right. Tell my wife to wait there for me. I will, Mr. Wicker. Goodbye. Who is that on the telephone, Mr. Dunlap? Oh, Mr. Keen, it was Henry Wicker. He and his wife own this house. I act as their agent. He's coming over here? Yes, and his wife is on her way. There's Mrs. Wicker at the door now. I'll let her in. I found something upstairs. What is it, Mr. Keen, sir? I picked up this cigar stub in the corridor. The band is still on it. A cigar stub, eh? Yes, it had been dropped and ground up by someone's foot. Judging by the ash, it must have been dropped there very recently. Now, it may not mean anything, but it's worth keeping in mind. Have you searched the ground floor yet? No, Mr. Keen. We'll start with the entrance hall. I'll talk to Mrs. Wicker, the owner of the house. Right. Mr. Keen is inside here. I hope this isn't serious. It may be, Mrs. Wicker. Very serious. Oh, you're Mr. Keen? Yes. I'm Mrs. Wicker, the owner of this house. You rented it to Edna Harlow? Yes, Mr. Keen. It's the first time we've ever rented the place since we inherited it from my uncle. My husband and I have been abroad for months, and during that time the house was empty. Mr. Keen, sir, come here quick. What is it, Mike? Sands preservers, but look what I found in this closet. The lady better keep back. It aired a pretty sight. Well, I'm afraid this ends our search, Mike. What is it? It's the body of a woman, Mrs. Wicker. She hasn't been dead very long. She was strangled, apparently. The closet door was locked, boss, but I forced it open. That explains why Betsy Harlow didn't find her sister's body when she searched the house, because I'm almost certain this woman in the closet is Edna Harlow. Here's her handbag, Mr. Keen. I look for a positive identification. Oh, I think I'm feeling ill. Where's the real estate agent, Mr. Dunlap? Right here, Mr. Keen. Oh, Mr. Dunlap, please take Mrs. Wicker into the next room and let us sit down. You come with me, ma'am. A murderer, right in this house, too. Well, here's a card the murdered woman was carrying, boss. Yeah, it's Edna Harlow, all right. We'll have to inform her sister Betsy. Call the police first, Mike. Then call our office and tell Betsy Harlow what's happened. Oh, that must be Henry Wicker, the other lady's husband. He said he was coming over. I'll answer the door, Mike. You handle those phone calls. Okay, sir. Are you Mr. Keen, sir? Yes. I'm Henry Wicker. My wife and I own this house. I, uh... I have some disturbing news for you, Mr. Wicker. Your tenant, Edna Harlow, has been murdered. Murdered? Here in this house? Yes. We found her body in a closet only a minute ago. Well, I can't believe it. Well, that superstition couldn't be a fact. What superstition? My wife's uncle, Amos Ridley, built this house two years ago. One of the workmen was accidentally killed by a falling block of plaster. And then there was a fatal automobile accident in the street outside just after my uncle moved in. Where is your uncle now, Mr. Wicker? He's dead, Mr. Keen. And that was another strange thing. How do you mean? He was swallowed up by quicksand in a deserted section about a mile from here. Quicksand? Yes. All that was found was his cane. I remember him saying before it happened that this house was bad luck. He was sorry he built it. Your uncle's body was never found? No, Mr. Keen. The area he was killed in is fenced in for a quarter of a mile. No one knows how deep the quicksand goes down. Only his walking stick was found. Hmm. I'll have a look at that spot, Mr. Wicker, after I report to the police about Edna Harlow's murder. Mr. Keen, do you think Miss Harlow was murdered by some thief who broke into the house? No, when my partner examined her purse for identification, I saw a small roll of bills still inside. Mr. Wicker, when did you and your wife first meet Edna Harlow? When she signed a lease for the house. She was a quiet woman who seemed to mind her own business. I see. Well, perhaps you'd better join your wife inside and wait here for the police. They'll undoubtedly want to question you. Very well, Mr. Keen. Well, the police will be over in five minutes, Mr. Keen. Sir, I couldn't reach Betsy Harlow, the murdered woman's sister. She must have left our office. She may be on her way over here. You know, Mike, this is one of the most baffling situations we've ever encountered. Edna Harlow apparently rented a house and paid for it with her life. But there's a tie-up somewhere. We've got to find it. What kind of a tie-up, boss? Well, Mike, the man who built this house, he is presumed to be dead. What happened to him, sir? According to the story, he became mired in some quicksand near here. His body was never recovered. And you think that had something to do with the murder of Edna Harlow here in this house? Well, I don't believe in superstitions and coincidences like this are rare. But some motive must link the death of Edna Harlow and the mysterious disappearance of Amos Ridley. And we're going to find out just what that motive is. In just a moment, we'll return to Mr. Keen and the quicksand of murder case. Meanwhile... Stop tooth decay and unpleasing breath. Yes, stop tooth decay and unpleasing breath that breeds between the teeth. 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Now, several hours have passed, and Mike and Mr. Keen have found their way to a large area of quicksand fenced off from Passersby where Amos Ridley, an uncle of the Wickers and the man who built the house is believed to have perished two years ago. Here's the quicksand area, Mike. It's surrounded by a fence. There are several warning signs around it. I'm sure, and what would a man be doing poking around in a dangerous spot like this? Amos Ridley was supposed to have been rather eccentric. According to the story in the police files, he was thinking of buying this land and filling it in. He evidently made a fortune in real estate before his death. They believe he was mired in the quicksand while looking over the property. Well, with no clues in hand, I guess the police had to file the case as a mysterious disappearance. Yes, they couldn't dredge the quicksand, would have cost a fortune and taken months. So, when they discovered Amos Ridley's cane on the bank, they took it for granted, he'd been caught in that treacherous sand. Oh, don't go too close, Mr. Keen. I don't like the looks of that quicksand. You know, Mike, after finding the strangled body of Edna Harlow, who rented Amos Ridley's house from his niece and nephew, I'm almost convinced of one thing. What, boss? Her death came about because of Ridley's disappearance. She may have discovered something in the house, a clue, perhaps, and someone wanted to make certain that clue would never be known. Listen to that wind, Mr. Keen. The place gives me the creeps. It's like an empty graveyard, just waiting for some customs. Look it down, Mike. Someone shooting at us. Keep down, Mike. Whoever it was went through that clump of trees over there, Mr. Keen. There's no point in chasing. It's getting dark. However, I'm grateful to him or her. Grateful for being shot at? Faith in if I could get my hands in the buck-eyed shore migratitude. It's convinced me, Mike, that we're on the right track. The secret of Amos Ridley's disappearance and Edna Harlow's murder is back in that house. And we're going to find it now. Is that you, Mr. Keen? Yes. Boss, it's Betsy Harlow, the murdered woman's sister. Mr. Keen, I've just come from police headquarters. They called me at my apartment and told me that you'd found my sister Edna. Murder. I'm sorry to have such bad news for you, Miss Harlow. I still can't believe it. What could anyone have gained by killing? Or what's the meaning of it all? Perhaps we'll know before the night is over. I... I left your office before to go back to my own apartment. Then when the police phoned, I knew I'd find you here. Have you been in this house all alone, Miss Harlow? No. A real estate agent ain't Mr. Dunlap to let me in. He's inside making a phone call. Oh, he's the agent who rented the house to your sister. Mr. Keen, I've made up my mind that if it takes me the rest of my life, I'm going to find out who murdered my poor sister Edna. And why? I have every intention of doing that myself, Miss Harlow, with your cooperation. Are there anything you say, Mr. Keen? Then leave here immediately. This house may not be a safe place to be in, and I don't want you around to complicate matters. What are you planning to do, Mr. Keen? Crap, a vicious murderer. Mike, it's getting dark outside. Take Miss Harlow to the corner and see if you can find her a cab. Okay, sir. Thank you again, Mr. Keen, for all your kindness and help. We can't bring your sister back, Miss Harlow. We can certainly see that justice is done. Good night. Good night, Mr. Keen. I'd find a cab for you, Miss. Oh, Mr. Keen. Good evening, Mr. Dunlap. I didn't hear you coming to the house. Betsy Harlow told me you were making a phone call in here. Yes, I've been trying to contact my office. But I guess they're closed for the day. Did Mr. and Mrs. Wicker, the owners of the house, go to headquarters with the police? No, they went home, Mr. Keen, after you left here to visit that stretch of quicksand. By the way, did you find anything there that might be useful? Someone may have thought we did, Mr. Dunlap, because two shots were fired at us. No. See, this thing seems to get more and more dangerous, doesn't it? Well, I think I'll move along, Mr. Keen. Do you smoke cigars, Mr. Dunlap? Oh, yes. I wonder if you have one on you. I've run short. Oh, sure thing, Mr. Keen. Here you are. Thanks. What are you doing? Comparing this cigar with a cigar stub, I found a few hours ago in the upper hallway. The bends are identical. What about it? When were you last in this house, Mr. Dunlap? The day I showed the place to Edna Harlow. Now, look here, Mr. Keen. I may have dropped that cigar stub, but there's no reason for suspecting that I had anything to do with Edna Harlow's murder. How do you know I suspect you? Well, you've said so, didn't you? I only mentioned something about a cigar stub. You brought up the rest. Well, anyway, Mr. Keen, I think it's time I went home. Mr. Dunlap, before you go, I'm going to ask you to do something for me. What is it, Mr. Keen? You know Mr. and Mrs. Wicker's phone number, don't you? Yes. I want you to call and give one of them a message. Mr. Wicker or Mrs. Wicker? The first one who answers the telephone. What do I say? Just say that you found it, but you'll keep the secret if you're well paid. I found what, Mr. Keen? Never mind that now, Mr. Dunlap. Just do as I ask. You may discover that you're instrumental in breaking a very puzzling murder case and finding the killer. 10 o'clock, Mr. Keen. Yes, Mike, and maybe I was wrong and my scheme won't work. But we'll wait a little longer. It's a good thing we sent that real estate agent Dunlap home. Yes, but he came in handy, Mike. When he phoned the Wickers, he spoke to the maid. Neither of them had arrived home. We're coming in the door, Mike. We'll be spotted if the lights go on, Mr. Keen. I don't think they will. That was the closet door that opened, the big closet where we found Edna Harlow's body. Yes. Come on, Mike. Let's have your flashlight. Mr. Keen, the closet's empty. I could have bet my last dollar that whoever came in here went through this door. Run your hands along the closet wall, Mike. There must be a secret panel here. Some kind of... Look, boss. The wall's sliding open. Stand where you are and don't move, or I'll shoot. I suggest you put the light on, Mr. Wicker. You won't be able to hide your identity any further. Save the preserves. We're in another room. Yes, Mike. A small secret room built in behind the closet. Evidently built by Henry Wicker here, the man who murdered Edna Harlow. You must admit it isn't a bad job, Keen. You never have found this room yourself. Perhaps not. That's why I had the real estate agent, Dunlap, trick you into coming here to see if your secret had been discovered. Boss, look. There's a big canvas bag in the corner. It looks like a... It undoubtedly is, Mike. Old Amos Ridley's body. The body of Mrs. Wicker's uncle. Would you like to see it? I'll be glad to show it to you. Open the bag, Mike. It's a body all right, boss. At least it was once. It looks to me as if it was treated with acid. But only if partly destroyed. Well, that just about puts together all the missing pieces in this murder puzzle. I'm glad I've been obliging enough to help you out, Keen. You murdered Amos Ridley months ago, Wicker. Then put his walking stick near that massive quicksand to make it appear as if his death was accidental. You tried to destroy his body with acid, but it didn't work. So you put it in this hidden room behind the closet. I built this room myself while Amos Ridley was out of town. It didn't take me long. Edna Harlow must have accidentally discovered this hidden room when she moved in here, Mike. She probably became frightened when the closet panel slid open. But she didn't get the chance to look any further. You murdered her, Wicker, but didn't have time to get rid of her body before we arrived to investigate. The closet panel jammed her. I'd have put her in there with Amos. And if my stupid wife hadn't disobeyed my orders and rented this place while we were away, things would have been much simpler. Wicker, you evidently don't have any more affection for your wife than you had for her uncle. Uncle Amos was rich. And he was kind enough to leave everything he had to my wife, Alice, and to me. Which is why you murdered him. My wife isn't clever enough to think up a plot like this. Or finish it, the way I intend to finish it. And just how are you going to finish it, Wicker? I have a car outside. And tonight I'm taking Amos' body and you and your partner here, or what's left of you, to that mire of quicksand. I'd have put Amos in there a long time ago. I was afraid they'd try to dredge the place and find his body with a bullet in it. But they won't think of the quicksand this time because I'll leave no trace of it. Mike, look. The canvas bag is moving. The bag is moving? I saw you, mister. That'll hold Wicker for a while, Mr. Keen. Sure, when you said that canvas bag moved, I was almost as startled as he was. But I managed to nail him when he turned his head. I tricked you, Mike. The canvas bag didn't move and it never will. Amos Ridley is dead and so is Edna Hollow. They were both innocent victims of this maniac Henry Wicker. But Wicker will pay for his crimes and he'll find that all of Amos Ridley's wealth isn't enough to make murder worthwhile. And so, Mr. Keen finds the solution to the quicksand burner case. 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The radio sequel is originated and produced by Frank and Anne Hummit. Dialogue by Lawrence Klee. Directed by Richard Leonard. Leonard Kilpac plays Mr. Keen. It is on the air every Thursday at this time. Don't miss Mr. Keen next Thursday when the kindly old Tracer turns to the amusement park murder case. Ever suffer heartburn or upset stomach from acid indigestion? Safe new bicep ailments medically proven quickly rid stomach of that blown up feeling. Give longer lasting relief than baking soda. Yes, hours of relief. Bicep ailments not only neutralize, but actually carry away excess stomach acid. Soothe irritated stomach lining. Let you sleep all night long when acid indigestion strikes. Carry new bicep ailments for fast relief anywhere, anytime. Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons will be on the air next Thursday at the same time. 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