 Suspense the George Caloris a star of the long shot a suspense play produced edited and directed by William Spear How in the world a man of your intelligence could expect to get away with it. Oh, you haven't heard the whole story Yeah, well come on. Let's have it. You got your book Miss Andrews Okay, Raymond. Okay start from the beginning. You know of course there's anything you say What difference does it make if you found the body nothing? I can say now it's going to matter one way or another Well, well, I admit it was a long shot But if you followed the horses as long as I have you know that once in a while a long shot pays off When it does it pays 20 Just like this one would have if it hadn't been for a smart Nevada cop smart Nevada cop Oh, I don't understand. Let him talk. Okay. Go on Raymond. Thanks Seems a year, but I guess it's only 10 days since I was sitting in the Aster Lobby in New York I'd had a terrible run of luck at the track Started out the season with $2,000 and ended up with 28 cents Hey, give me one. Give me one. There you are, mister. Thank you I don't know why but I found myself absentmindedly looking through the classified section All of a sudden a small black square in the help-wanted column seemed to come up and hit me right in the eye Englishman will pay $150 and expenses to fellow countrymen preferably Londoner in return for services as driver and traveling companion on automobile trip to San Francisco There was a phone number and an address on 76 Hello, you say you're from Devon shop Yes, I understand I tell you if you spend much time in London Well, frankly, I'd much prefer a Londoner town to sort of fetish with me understand. Yes. I'd probably bore you to death However, if nothing else turns up I'll I'll call you. I hope Step inside please. Thank you You've come about the advertisement. I presume. Yes. Oh have a chair. Thanks You know, I couldn't help overhearing a conversation. Yes being plagued all day not a prospect in the lot What about you? Well, my name is Kelly Raymond born in London in Zigo Lane Just off St. James Square August 18th 1902. I know the town like the inside of my hat. Oh, really? You're not making this up. Oh, no, of course. How long did you live there 30 years? Zigo Lane, I'm not sure I know it. Oh, I suppose the Vigo Street is proper name It turns right off Sackville and runs a few squares before it crosses weeds. Oh, yes Yes, of course I place it now where Raymond you seem to be a bit of all right Tell me why would you like to drive with me to San Francisco? Are you at all interested in horse racing? Sorry, oh boy. My name is Hendricks Walker Hendricks. No, I can't say that I am particularly Been to Edson towns on a few occasions. I see. Well, I've become rather fond of it I might even say financially dependent on it in recent years and with Bay Meadows opening shortly They made a little track near San Francisco. Oh, yes, I say perhaps you wondered about my advertisement Well, it was a bit unusual. Yes Well, fact is I'm extremely depressed with Americans frankly never would have come here if it hadn't been for urgent business in San Francisco Naturally, I couldn't bear the prospect of making the trip alone. I hope to find a fellow Britisher in the same predicament. Oh Excuse me, mum Hello. Oh, oh, yes Well, I'm frightfully sorry, but I've just engaged a man I Didn't tell him why I had to leave town, of course There was a small matter of a few bad checks and a cell waiting for me in the city jail if I ran into the wrong people and Thank heaven with all his eccentricity. He knew when to stop asking questions Yes, I was sitting pretty the only thing I was afraid of was death from sheer boredom Because from the moment we started out all he could talk about was London Have you spent much time in Soho Raymond? Well, I never lived there. That's what you mean Oh, no, no, no, I mean the restaurants and so on. Have you visited them? Oh, well, let me see There's the Moroccan. Oh, no, no, what was it the Algerian cafe in Dean's? Oh, quite right the Algerian in Dean's Street Isn't that the place where they sell the wonderful coffee in the little brown packages? Yes. Yes, I'm sure There's a big French woman there that we used to call Madame. Oh quite. I recall her now You remember the sign on the wall behind the counter Is something about anyone caught gambling or playing for money will be kicked into the gutter and not picked up again. Oh, oh, yes That's the music wasn't it matter of fact, I remember her clearly now. Yes. I saw her there only a short time ago Oh, it seems to me. She died. What's that fact? Oh, you probably met her daughter. Oh, slow down a bit. Will you? There's a sign Cleveland 12 miles. Oh, well, we'll spend the night there actually. Oh, good idea. Let's see. Oh, yes, we were talking about so Yes, we were talking about so and we continued to talk about it the rest of the way to Cleveland and most of the night in the hotel room I began to think the man doubted my authenticity was trying to trip me up on the way to Chicago the next day We covered Whitechapel, Fleet Street, Bloomsbury and Mayfair He still hadn't stuck me, but I was beginning to feel like a well-thumbed as guide by the time we reached Chicago We just finished settling down in our hotel room. You've seen that remarkable man in Covent Garden, Raymond Yes, a lot of remarkable men in Covent Garden. Of course, but I mean the one who does that wonderful balancing act. Oh, yes Yes, Jim the porter balances 20 vegetable baskets on his head in the middle of traffic at High Noon. It's quite a sight, man Sandrix, I wonder if I might have a small advance on my salary. Oh, I suppose so, yes It is still rather early and I thought I might look over the windy city. Of course, Raymond. Oh, sure. Let me open my release The internal lock is always acting up Oh, there we are Won't it be enough? Oh, fine. Thanks. Hey, I believe I'll join you. Stretch the legs a bit, eh? I could see that he was good for a couple more hours of London But there was no getting out of it. Around the corner from the hotel was a place Where I was reasonably sure of running into some of the racing crowd I'd met during the Arlington season. I Lost no time getting there. Had a club sandwich and if Mr. Hendricks request I was expounding scholastically on the difference between Chicago and London bacon when Kelly Tommy good to see you Kelly. I thought you were in Miami. I'll leave it in a couple of days How about coming along? Oh, well, I'm on my way to San Francisco. This is Mr. Hendricks. Tommy do it Do you can't walk out on me like this Kelly? I got a deal for you. No, yeah Oh, sure. You'll excuse me, Mr. Hendricks. Oh, oh, oh rather of course I'll get right to the point we bought us some jockeys. It's coming up next week at High Lea 500 will get you 10 grand on a parlay, but it's got to be 500. I'll give you a show I never failed you yet. Have I? Oh, I've got to drive that stick to San Francisco Oh, what if you just walked out? Well, I suppose I could yes, but the 500 has he got any money wait a minute That's the least huh? Tommy is sure this can't lose. I'm positive listen Listen, all you have to do is watch that boot where Hendricks is and phone me at the hotel if he leaves I'll call you in about five minutes and tell you where to meet me I'd remembered about that wallet full of bills in Hendricks believes back of the hotel It was easy to slip out the back of the place leaving Tommy watching him from the small window in the door to the back In two minutes. I was back in our room hotel There it was just like we'd left it and to make things even easier He'd forgotten to lock it $680 in $20 bills in the wallet and a sheaf of legal looking documents in the portfolio next to it Blanched at the midway that pocketed the money on top was a letter to Hendricks from a law firm in San Francisco And although this was no place to be caught reading other people's mails. I began reading it It was dated two months ago October the 18th 1934 addressed to Hendricks in Bedford Park, London Which to thank you for the patience and cooperation you've shown in the matter of your uncle's estate Realize our position of course since you are completely unknown Personally to either relatives or legal counsel in the United States It's been necessary to establish proof of your right to be a state entirely by documentary evidence Happy to state that such proof is not only established Ask that you print it yourself for documents requested in our previous letter to our San Francisco offices and trust that final Disposition of the estate will be accomplished without further difficulty the signed Martin Kelsen attorney at law I put the papers back in the police grab my luggage and started to leave But I Didn't leave I stopped with my hand on the door knob and all of sudden my mind started going a mile a minute But certificate I think David from friends note a right statement from the Department of Records chief of letters Evaluation of estate My heart to get a pound Yes, this was a long shot. I knew it as I stood there looking down at those papers checking them carefully But it paid off a hundred thousand dollars everything every affidavit and statement Was a guarantee that their bearer was Walker Hendricks and to tie it up tighter one of the letters said pictures wouldn't be necessary Just a passport Yes, it was a long shot Did you ever see odd like that boys? Maybe you're right boys. Oh, I don't know Maybe I lost my reason there in the hotel room with a hundred thousand dollars under my nose trying to think a million things through at the same time trying To calm down and see it clearly when I knew Hendricks was liable to walk in any minute Anyway, I put the papers in the six hundred eighty dollars back in the valise and Put the copy of McVault is your London and mine on top Then I called Tommy Dewitt at the horse's neck told him the highly a deal was off that there wasn't any money in the room We left Chicago the next morning right on schedule Oh my house expired expect we'd better stay there tonight. Oh, you were saying you know the Georgian Raymond Yes, you know if it's not in London proper. It's in Southwark on the other side of the river. Oh, yes, I'm really all right at that Ah What would you give for some of their jugged hair or their bubble in squeak? That's a rare oldie in the door. I couldn't see a leak anywhere. All I had to do was pick the right time and place Look 45 but according to the birth certificate. He was only a year older than I and you can't tell how old a man looks by the way He writes a letter Yes, I thought of the handwriting tool made traces of the signatures on the letters and practiced on them every minute I was alone Have it been there Raymond have it been to the cock. Yeah, what the cock? Yes, yes. Oh, yes a fleet street I used to go there with a friend of mine the reporter on the time It seems there was a waitress there that he was quite fond of much to the dismay of his parents Here we are right on schedule salt Lake City three miles Joe I'll be glad for a wash that plane countries are pouring nice to have some trees for a change But in fact, I have an aunt here, you know, huh? No aunt. Yes Why how long since you've seen her? Oh, I've never seen her don't intend to she's a sister of my mother's a margaret stoddard Thoroughly Americanized I understand and probably a crashing boy But really oh man, aren't you going to look up your dear old aunt now that you're right here in Salt Lake? No, definitely not definitely not I managed to get away from Hendricks right after dinner and told him I had a friend to look at Yes, here was a way of telling about that payoff ahead of time a Laboratory test right here in Salt Lake City with nothing to lose if it didn't work out. How do you do? Are you this is margaret stoddard? Yes I'm Walker Hendricks. I can't believe it May I come in? Yes, of course I'm a little You must excuse me. I understand on Margaret You know, I was so hoping it would be you I found your address in the phone book, you know Please make yourself comfortable. I'll fix some tea. Oh, no, I just finished dinner. Please let me I Don't maybe a minute and somehow I can talk much better over a cup of tea very well I give in you're a pleasant surprise walker. Thanks I Expected you'd be a little more likely like what? Oh, perhaps I'd better not mention it. Oh, please do You know, I think it's time we talk these things over You'll never know how much your uncle Gerald regretted what he did Oh, you mean the will of course not long before that Cecilia never told you I suppose no. Oh, no, she never told Your mother was so hurt. It's no wonder It they did only have understood each other better But she and your uncle Gerald were as two peas in a pod walker Neither would give in an inch. You know aunt. She never mentioned her family No, I suppose she wouldn't After all she loved your father and Gerald hated him And so she she left. Yes Of course, you naturally don't know all these things. No, no naturally I know Gerald would be the last to admit it But I'm sure the will was his stubborn way of giving in to her. Well, perhaps I'm sure of it And since I've met you walker I'm happier than ever it worked out this way And now that there's nothing any of us can do for your poor mother and father Oh, but I was going to fix tea wasn't I? You just make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back There ever was any doubt in my mind it disappeared then and there I even tried to catch myself up and she never suspected a thing They knew absolutely nothing of Cecily Hendricks from the time she left home until Gerald died leaving her the hundred grand At that point they made a pretty thorough search found both she and her husband had died in England And their son walker was the only heir. I could have told her I was born in a tower of London and she would have believed me That was it Yes, and now I even had an identity witness to back me up It's 521 miles from Salt Lake Torino, but I convinced Hendricks we could make it before stopping. I had a special reason We had to hit the desolate section of middle Nevada about midnight As usual from the time I stepped on the starter that morning. He was off on another tour of London You know for all the years I've lived in London. I've never visited Billingshead. Oh, you must have passed it It's right next to the bridge. Oh, you've been there? You know, there's hardly a spot in London where I haven't been if you like fish you'd be interested. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it Oh fascinating district around there though When you get right down to it killing a man is a pretty tough job Even when it's as perfect as this was going to be So for once I was so thankful for London It gave us something to talk about and there was so much in my mind That I might have given myself away in silence So I've prattled on like a phonograph Yes I used to go down there as a boy to watch the dutch eelboats put in and out of the harbor I've never heard of a dutch eelboat. Well, I expect most londoners haven't you're amazing thing about that town It seems that the greenest tourist knows more about it than the londoners themselves I'd say you've done rather well boy. Don't you know, I I've been on my own since I was 14 Now take yourself for example 10 to 1 you've never been in Fetico Glein Perfectly marvelous place regular Oriental Bazaar right in the heart of the city That effect jabs Chinese Malay and everybody's shouting at one and selling something different That's rather near hangman's dock, isn't it? Catch that sign. Very well, slow down a bit Uh, Wendover Oasis, well, oh, yes Elko three mile By the way, Raymond, don't you think it might be wiser to spend the night here? I thought we decided well, yes, I know, but I've been thinking it's rather a long go to Reno Well, you can doze in the car, you know, but why we've got lots of time. Look Here's what we'll do make Reno tonight and take a little extra jaunt around Lake Tahoe tomorrow And we won't lose a bit of time and I'll promise you that it'll take your breath away. How's that? Well, we'll have a quick bite in Elko and move right on. It's only a few hours Oh, very well, although frankly, Raymond, I'm enjoying this reminiscing so much. I hate to cut the trip. Sure. Oh good. Well, that's decided then, eh? Left by eight Midnight, we were somewhere between Winnie Muck and Reno passing through some barren hills I knew that I would come I handled against the sheikhs so much that I had to grab the wheel with both of them I felt beneath the cushion for the wrench and it was still there Finally, I held my breath and pulled over on the shoulder Huh? Oh, I see Oh, what were we stopping for? Oh, look look over there against that cliff. Well He never knew what hit him I turned out the lights of the car and pulled the body out on the right hand side We hadn't passed the car for hours. I wasn't worried much about being seen Ah, he was heavy, pretty heavy But I managed to carry him over my shoulder as I walked off in the brush There was a small cave on one side of the ravine I shoved the body in Rolled a large rock over the opening Started a small landslide which completely covered the hole. Nobody could possibly find it Clouds came back across the moon again and I got a bit off in my direction because I I ended up on the highway at the top of a rise some distance ahead of the car I just about reached the car and I saw something that made my stomach feel That it was full of ice water But there behind my car was another one with a seal on the door The seal of the nevada state police There was nobody in the car The officer must have been wandering around looking for the driver of my car I lifted the hood of the engine and knocked the battery cable off one of the terminals waited For a year there in the silent And then I almost cried out in relief The officer appeared from the other side of the highway. Hey there What's the trouble? I don't know officer. He just went dead on me Having a look up the road when you arrive. Yeah, we usually check on stalled cars on this stretch You say she went dead on you. Yes, the lights went out. The motor just died The lights went out, huh? You uh been under the hood? I wouldn't do much good. I'm afraid. I'm pretty greener that sort of thing Now let's have a look fine. Yeah get the flashlight on Oh your battery cables jar loose brother Got a wrench? Yes Yeah, right handy There you are Say uh try her now. You know that look pretty simple. Yeah it was Thanks. Thanks ever so much. That's okay. Let's see uh Your name's henricks, huh? Check the registration. You're a long way from home, brother. That's right. Yes. Well, thanks. Thanks a lot. You're welcome, brother Good night I'm too sure I guess I had the passport fake here in san francisco compete with picture and a perfect imitation of an english visa I was all set yet when the time came I began to waver again I wasn't sure about that cop What if he sent someone back the next day to look around battery cables just don't jar loose by themselves The three days I sat in my hotel room here thinking I bought nevada papers from an out-of-town newspaper stand on market street No mention of the murder nothing nothing. Yeah, that's why you were smart You'd never have got me if anything had leaked out of the papers about finding that body Now anyway, when I couldn't stand it any longer and flip the coin Heads I'd do it sales I wouldn't I came up head You know the rest Actually, I denied it until you spanked on me that the body had been found and then I knew it was no use Well, why don't you say something? I still think I couldn't carry it carried it off kelson Well, don't just sit there with a blank look on your faces say something Well, raymond, we were holding you for the murder of walker hendrix, but here's we were wrong What? What's the matter with all of you? Oh, it was a long shot raymond, but it was a pretty good bet Maybe that's why both of you gamble on it What do you mean both of you you and whoever you bumped off in the manner with whoever I But hendrix is dead. I know he's dead. Oh, hendrix was murdered. All right, but you didn't do it. What you see he beat you to it raymond Who be who you're traveling companion? He wasn't hendrix. He wasn't even an englishman That's why he was popping you so much about london He was uh, oh what a whackers call it getting up in his park. What are you talking about? I thought you found hendrix body in nevada. Oh brother Hendricks never was in nevada Poor guy never left new york The new york police turned up the real hendrix in the east river the day after you left town Shopping for the guy who killed him The armed forces radio service