Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Pat Novak for Hire: Sam Toliver (EP1300)

Transcript

Pat Novak for Hire: Sam Toliver (EP1300) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
0:35
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, please send
0:39
it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter
0:44
at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot
0:50
com Slash Radio Detectives. Before we do get started, I want to encourage
0:55
you to pick up your copy of Slime Incorporated. It's my first ever full
1:00
length detective novel and we've been receiving some very positive reviews on it. Scott
1:07
picked up the copy just and he wrote a review, very nice review on
1:12
Goodreads and Amazon. He said just picked it up to be supportive of the
1:15
show and didn't have any interest in reading it. However, he said once
1:21
he picked it up, I could not put it down. He said,
1:25
It's a really fun and unique read in a genre that is very crowded with
1:29
characters who are hard to differentiate and Clinhay's that become quickly irritating. However,
1:36
Cole is, with all of his faults, a flamboyant, albeit cocky detective
1:41
driving a pink Jaguar who is also a person of integrity and Honor Rare for
1:46
a modern Detective, and you can pick up Slim Incorporated for the kindle for
1:53
the nook, as well as an eyebook, also available at smash words dot
1:57
com and in paperback form. Well now it's Tom for today's episode of Pat
2:02
Novak for Hire, Sam Tolliver. Pat Novak for Hire. Sure, I'm
2:36
Pat Novak for Hire. That's what the sign out in front of my place
2:57
says. Pat Novak for Hire. It's the easy way because down here on
3:01
the waterfront in San Francisco, you can't afford to wait your turn. You're
3:07
going to make a living down here. You've got to do everything you can,
3:10
and you got to be out of the henhouse. My son up.
3:14
Even then, it doesn't work out always because you get troubled tax free.
3:20
It's like leukemia. There's nothing you can do about it. There's no way
3:24
to duck it. You might as well try to start a conga line in
3:28
the cathedral. I found that out Monday night when I met an old friend.
3:35
It was the night before elections, and I was sitting in the office
3:38
scratching married women out of an old date book. When Sam Tolliver showed up.
3:44
I hadn't seen him for years, but it was a nice, easy
3:47
meeting. What other way is there when you're good friends and you look just
3:55
the same Betsy. Yeah, it's good to see you. Sam. Sit
3:59
down, sure doing well? I guess? Huh? You get different stories?
4:08
Where have you been? All odd like? Staves Syracuse for a while?
4:13
And Joliet that's where I come from now, Yeah, that's where they
4:17
got a big prison. When he came too far, Sam, you should
4:20
have stopped and open. Huh. That's right. If you're out here to
4:24
play small Robbert, you better think it over. It's a tough time,
4:26
all right me, Patsy, I'm not Sam. Once you start losing them,
4:28
it's hard to win again. I just thought you might want to know
4:31
about San Francisco. Thanks. Thanks, But you don't have to worry,
4:35
Patsy. I got a smart streak. I'm here mostly to ask a favor.
4:42
Yeah, can you spare me one for a time sake? Medium sized?
4:47
Go ahead? I want to borrow one of your boats. You come
4:51
all the way from Joliet to borrow a boat? Sam, If it's gonna
4:55
hurt that much, forget it. I just asked, all right, when
4:59
do you need it? Tonight? It's to pick up a package in a
5:01
bay about nine o'clock. Sure, i'll run you out. No, a
5:05
little different, Patsy, I can't make the trip. You'd have to do
5:10
it for me. The favor is getting bigger. Sam. You'd have to
5:12
pick up the package and bring it back here. I'll be waiting at ten
5:15
o'clock. I guess you won't buy Betsy. I'm not impressed. It mean
5:21
a lot to me, Patsy. It really would, and you couldn't get
5:26
hurt. Honest, nobody gets hurt. Honest. It's the other way I'm
5:28
worried about. I wish I could tell you, Patsy, but I can't.
5:30
You know how it is. Sometimes you can't. Well, let's say
5:33
way out of it. You'd be doing me a real favor and you wouldn't
5:38
get hurt. That's what Henry used to tell his wives. All right,
5:40
Sam, but you put out a bad story. Well, Patsy, you
5:45
have to go by the China Star. She's out in the stream. Just
5:47
tell him you came for that package. They won't ask. Just tell me
5:50
you want the package. Yeah, talk to the captain. I'll be waiting
5:54
here at your place about ten o'clock and Patsy is important. Don't let anybody
5:59
else have it. All right, I'll see you here at ten. Thanks,
6:03
Prissy, it's a big favor. We're old friends. Yeah, we're
6:08
old friends. Nothing wrong with that man. No, there's nothing wrong with
6:12
old friends, Sam, except sometimes they wear out on you. When Sam
6:24
Tolliver walked out of there, I began to worry. I don't know why,
6:29
because he was always a good guy. But if you leave a good
6:31
silk out in the ring, it'll shrink. Thought it was too late to
6:35
change my mind. Now I was going to get that package and say goodbye
6:41
to Sam's Tolliver. Only things didn't work out that way. You start with
6:46
trouble and it never stops. It's like offering to buy aspirin for a two
6:49
headed boy. About eight point thirty, I took a boat and I started
6:55
out into the bay. Halfway out into the stream, I had to give
6:58
way to a tanker after she throbbed by. I picked up the China Star
7:02
tied up at Boy three twenty seven. It was a broken down, old
7:08
barge, so old I expected to find Noah hiding out in the bilges.
7:16
Well. I went aboard and he took me into the captain's cabin. It's
7:19
gonna be tougher than Sam thought. The old man had some questions, and
7:25
he was about as smooth as a bag of fingernails. Right away, I
7:28
got the idea, what do you want? I came out for a package.
7:31
What good'll a name do you? What do you care? Mister?
7:34
This isn't our dance. Just give me the package and I'll leave. Keep
7:38
shouting tough boy. And when you're all through, tell me your name.
7:40
Look, I'm not out here to haunt your boat. You've got the right
7:42
face for it. I'm just passing through. If you're running a small boat,
7:46
you got papers, let's see it. Yeah, you're too handy in
7:50
your own cabin. Novak. Eh, give a pollock, Novak. Yeah,
7:58
and it feels fine. How's it being a pig these days? Don't
8:01
get jumpy. I just asked, who sent you here? No, I'll
8:03
forget you asked. Just keep the package. I'm going home and walk home
8:07
in the bottom. And I look, Novak, somebody steered you wrong.
8:11
Maybe there was no questions once, but it's not that way anymore. Just
8:15
when I keep the book straight, who sent you? Sam Toliary? You
8:18
need a pencil. No, that's enough questions, you see, Novak,
8:22
All you had to do is answer. You can have the package, now,
8:26
talk some more. I'll take it now. Where is it on the
8:30
desk behind you? There? Yeah? Thanks, you're welcome, Novack.
8:50
The captain didn't like company. When he hit me, I dropped down to
8:54
the floor like a piece of hardworking length. Last thing I remember was Sam
8:58
Toliver sending me out to this boat. I knew then I had no more
9:03
business here than second trumpet and a string courts at. I could hear voices
9:07
and people are moving around, but it didn't help much. You can get
9:11
that kind of service in a tomb somewhere along the line. They moved me
9:16
because when I woke up, I was lying in a cloud of platain on
9:20
a couch in a different cabin class of people that improved. She was bending
9:26
over me with a cold towel and a warm look. From where I was.
9:31
She had a figure like a shot of brandy on a winter night.
9:37
When she said hello, you knew that all you had to do was send
9:39
up a flare and relax. Good evening, welcome back. Yeah, how
9:46
do you feel a little used up? I need recharging. Yeah, put
9:52
your head on my lap. That's it. Yeah, Yeah, that's it.
9:58
Forget the I'll struggle along this way. By the way, whose lap
10:03
is it? I'm Ellen Marrow. Where's your friend, Captain? I guess
10:07
so the brave guy? Ax alarm, he's down getting your boat, Betty?
10:11
What's he doing punching holes in the bottom. He'll be back in a
10:13
minute. The package will be ready and you can leave. No, you
10:16
keep the package. And the last time I got a headache, Sorry about
10:18
that. It was a mistake. That's what they told Marianna Nett. By
10:20
that time our head was forty feet down the street. What's in that package?
10:24
It wouldn't help it. You let me work that out of it.
10:26
God, Dan, how about Sam Sallis. I'm not going that fast.
10:31
He's going the wrong way. You lick your wounds, darling, But I'm
10:33
not going to get talking. What you got to lose? What have I
10:37
got to gain except your gratitude? I can't get that any night with a
10:39
couple of drinks. How does he look too comfortable on your feet? Novack?
10:50
Yeah, you ought to rent that out, sweetheart. I'd sign a
10:54
lease myself. I'll finish this week talk novack. You get on your way.
10:58
Here's the package. You know, I changed my mind about the pack.
11:00
Could you keep it? Your boat's ready unless you want to get tossed
11:01
like a micro. Take the package and beat it. What's in it?
11:05
And where does Sam's oliver fit last? Once already with your head and her
11:07
lap, you wanted me to sit down. Well, you've got brains after
11:11
all. Sorry, I thought they were all on your fist. Yeah,
11:18
you're still smart. Take this package shown the boat. Ellen. I'm going
11:22
to remember you, mister Hellen's going to lead you by the hands of the
11:26
dark. Stop beeple and settle for the simple pleasures I will. I'll remember
11:31
you. Concentrate on that one. You'll get a bit of memory. I
11:45
went out on deck with the girl, and as I got to the starboard
11:48
side, I noticed her hair for the first time, the way you're liable
11:52
to suddenly notice a flower after a hard rain. Her hair was red,
11:56
and as the orange lights of the bridge reflected against it, it seemed like
12:01
a prairie fire way down in the valley, flaring up quick and then burning
12:05
low again. The rest of her would have made a good prairie fire too.
12:11
It was the only good thing I could think of. On the way
12:13
across the bay, the water was as quiet as a drowsy caterpillar, and
12:18
I had a chance to think, why had they changed their mind about giving
12:22
me that package? And how wet were Sam Todiver's feet. Well must have
12:26
been about eleven thirty when I pulled into the pier and started on the run
12:30
for my office. The lights were on and I burst right in because I
12:33
had a lot to ask Sam. But it wasn't Sam. What's your hurry,
12:37
dude, I came here to meet a friend. That's the guy laying
12:39
in the corny. I don't have to hurry. Oh this isn't my friend,
12:46
it doesn't look like one. I'm Sergeant Grimes from Homicide. If you're
12:50
no vacuate in trouble, why a guy lying under your desk, dripping like
12:54
a broken Inkwell, and you tried out a question like that. Well,
12:56
it's a bum keeper somewhere I was supposed to wait for guy I named Sam
13:00
Tolliver. It might as well have been a street car. I'm not going
13:03
to pressure Novak. I don't care. I'm just gonna take you downtown.
13:07
Oh this boy quit too late. I've been in the bay the last two
13:09
hours. You can check. I went out there to pick up a package
13:11
larn you've got in your arm. Yeah, it's for a guid named Sam
13:15
Tolliver. Let's say Okay, it doesn't say that, says mister John Reedy,
13:20
seven to twenty Post Street. I do wonder what that means. Let's
13:24
find out. I'll take it by a Redi's place. I got it for
13:26
Sam Tolliver. You can buy them another. I'll go and buy a Redi's
13:30
before we get downtown. What's the matter with you? Do you want to
13:31
go on an eighteen foot screen. I didn't kill a guy. I don't
13:33
even know him. I don't even know this John. Ready, wait a
13:35
minute. I believe you. I believe every word you're saying, except this
13:41
is one time you'd be better off line. When we left my office,
13:54
I fell as if somebody had walked through my stomach on stilts. Oh.
13:58
There were loose ends bobbing up everywhere, and you couldn't get to any of
14:01
them. It was like chasing a spider with a bowling ball. With all
14:05
this new stuff, I forgot about the ship. Who's going to worry about
14:09
blood? Poisoning if he's busy having hemorrhages. I began to wonder more about
14:13
Sam. Where was he and how was I going to palm off that dead
14:18
stand in. Grimes didn't seem worried. We got into his nash and headed
14:22
for seven to twenty Post Street. It was an apartment hotel, and Redy
14:26
lived up on the third floor. On the way in, Grimes picked up
14:31
a key at the desk and we rode up in the elevator with one of
14:33
those shifty eyed little guys. Whould sell his mother if he didn't have to
14:37
fatten her up. When we got to Ridi's door, Grimes took over.
14:46
Maybe he can't hear you, Grimes, how many home? Let's go in.
14:48
Why we don't know him well enough to sneak in Schnowbank. Okay,
14:56
the lights on your side, leave it up. Let's look around. Okay,
15:00
the stray bodies belong to you. Grimes. You go look on that
15:03
set of bedrooms. I'll check over here in the library. Give me a
15:07
yelling, you see me? All right? Two of them, I got
15:18
one by the desk, the other started down the fire escape. I'm going
15:20
down in front. Take this gun and stand by the fire escape. He
15:22
may get trapped and started up, so keep your eyes off. I walked
15:28
into the library. The window was open and the curtains were blowing over the
15:31
dead man's face. It was a good thing, because you can't split the
15:35
difference with a service forty five. I took him to the heels and dragged
15:41
him away from the window. His eyes were rolled back, as if he
15:43
expected somebody to tap him on the shoulder and tell him it was all a
15:46
mistake. His face was contorted and frightened, maybe a little embarrassed, like
15:52
a deer caught in a traffic jam. Well. I stayed at the window
15:56
about ten minutes and watched the fire escape. Was no action there and Grimes
16:00
wasn't back, so I started for the door. I had company right away.
16:03
I don't know vak you move. Oh, hellman, it's a big
16:07
gun. You got last junior here on the floor. He thinks it's even
16:11
bigger. I'll check myself, sure, and it's going to be easy because
16:14
it's right in the family. Yeah, yeah, belongs to one of your
16:15
boys down in homicide. Go ahead. A sergeant by the name of Grimes
16:19
steamed in here and knocked down junior, and then he beat it down to
16:22
get the other guy. I don't believe it. We'll talk to him.
16:25
That's why I don't believe it. There's nobody on the force named Grimes on
16:30
this one. You're all alone Novak. There's got to be a Grimes.
16:32
The guy had on a uniform. I don't care if he had on a
16:33
places with Novak. The guy's a phony. It's not from homicide. He's
16:37
a killer. That's what I met Helman. I knew Hellman was right.
16:49
If Grimes was on the level, he to book me. Instead of coming
16:52
up here. He came up to read he's with murder in mind. Even
16:56
if they believed the story about Grimes. I was still in this spot that
17:00
made me accesserate a murder, and I was gonna look worse when Helman found
17:03
the guy down in my office on that one, I had star building.
17:07
Oh, everywhere I turned, things were worse. I knew it was going
17:11
to take a low budget miracle to bail me out. It was like trying
17:15
to give nose drops to a herd of elephants. Hellman seemed to like the
17:18
idea. Helman rolled the guy and there was no identification, but he never
17:25
works for nothing. A few bucks in the guy, I'll put it in
17:27
the safe. The only safe you got has suspenders on it. I don't
17:30
like that, Novak. Oh, you do anything for a buck, Helman.
17:32
If you got the right bid, you'd sell a tub of the Unknown
17:33
Soldiers. Thanks, Helman. I'm getting a big list tonight. I can
17:38
do all that I want, Novak, because you're in the corner pocket now.
17:41
I got a tip off from the Chronicle to come up here, and
17:44
I find you holding last rite. You got a bigger headache, Helman.
17:47
There's another stiff down at my place. That's right Grimes again. He was
17:49
sitting there when I walked in. Where were you out in the bay picking
17:52
up a package? It's right there on the desk. What's in it?
17:53
I don't know. It was for a friend of mine named Sam Tolliver.
17:56
He's disappeared and Grimes brought the package up here. I'll take it down.
18:00
You better tag but the China Star that's where I picked up the package.
18:02
It's out in the base or you'll need a boat. Even a guy with
18:04
your complex needs a boat. I'll touch all the basis, Novak. You
18:07
just stay ten cents away from headquarters. You can pay your own way into
18:10
the can. Yeah, well that's what will happen. If I wait for
18:11
you, I'll be standing out in the downpour. That's right, Novac.
18:14
If there's a chance, I want to see you get first prize, and
18:17
I'm going to be stuck on us, I shop around myself because you've got
18:18
lockjaw the brain helmet. Yeah, that wouldn't hurt you so much. But
18:21
if it's bread, you're gonna be in trouble. That's what I'm waiting for.
18:30
Well, if something didn't happen soon, I was going to be about
18:33
as embarrassed as a hostess with leaky plumbing. I was counting on Helman to
18:37
shake down the skipper of the China Star. If that didn't work, I
18:41
could close shot. I didn't have any leads. There wasn't anything I could
18:45
do but sit on my hands. It was like taking your niece to a
18:48
nightclub. I had to stumble around until something showed. So I looked up
18:53
the only honest guy I know, an next doctor and a boozer by the
18:57
name of Jack o'madigan. He was all right until he found out. Sometimes
19:02
you can feel as bad the next morning without a hangover. I toured the
19:06
town and finally found him at LOOPO was trying to put the vineyards out of
19:08
business. Ah, Patsy, you're just in time to start the day off,
19:15
right, Mama, Lupo. Some wine for mister Novak. You can
19:19
only have a quart. We're running low like it's almost midnight, Jacko,
19:22
I gotta talk to you. We're not going to turn into pumpkins. You
19:26
need some wine. No, I don't, Patsy. When you die,
19:30
the artwork is going to be simple. On your grave, they'll chisel a
19:33
picture of a pair of slacks, a hamburger, and a double malt.
19:36
All right, Jacko, the final symbols of a decayed civilization. Because that's
19:41
as close as you ever got to civilization, a remote connection at best,
19:45
like a bookie. They love horses, but they die on a stock farm.
19:48
It's the same with you and civilization. You all through, Jacko.
19:53
I won't fight against your sober babel. What's the matter as a dead guy
20:00
in my office a friend of ours. No, that's too bad. We'll
20:03
miss the wake. I'm gonna get half hung by homicide. The other half
20:06
is dead up in a post street apartment. Helman thinks I'm the boy hat
20:08
see. I wish you wouldn't hang around me when you've just killed somebody.
20:12
You tarnish my declining years. I went out to the bait to pick up
20:17
a package. When I got back to my place, instead of a friend
20:18
named Sam Tolliver, there was a dead guy there and a phony cop called
20:22
Grimes. How do you make the distinction? He grabbed the package and we
20:26
took it up the postry after a quick hassle in the dark. I'm standing
20:29
over a dead guy in John Reidy's apartment. John Reedy, Yeah, do
20:32
you know him? Most people do. He's running for office tomorrow. Is
20:36
he the dead man? I don't think so. What about ready, he's
20:38
running for a board job. Would anybody have a reason to work a plan
20:42
on him? Maybe? What's he like? Oh? Sort of liberal by
20:45
marriage, a reactionary with a rich wife, supposed to be a good man.
20:51
How about the opposition? A lot of them are running. One is
20:53
Simpson. He couldn't beat an asthmatic turtle across a tennis court. We're getting
20:59
somewhere at If Redi's good, the gambling dough would frame him to lose.
21:03
Yes, his politicians can ever lose. A murder in his apartment would look
21:07
too phony though. Yeah, but maybe that package wouldn't. Jocko, you
21:10
gotta help me. I want you to check on the registration of the China
21:12
Star and then nose around to find out what you can about tomorrow's election.
21:15
Will you if we lived in a monarchy, this wouldn't happen. That fast
21:18
double play has got something to do with this election. Now, hurry up,
21:21
Jocko, and when you're through tagged by my place, i'll call you
21:23
there. Have you bottle in the house. There's a tap in the kitchen
21:26
that'll have to do. No thanks. Outside of a child in pain,
21:30
the most pathetic sound in the world is running water. Good Night's lover.
21:42
I left Jocko inducked into a phone booth when I called Helm and he poured
21:47
out news like a rotary press. They broke up in that package down at
21:51
headquarters. It was full of dope, plain garden variety, the kind of
21:55
man uses to forget either his wife or secretary. I was sure then the
21:59
package was a plant on reedy. Helman didn't see it that way. He
22:03
said the two dead men were gunsels. Last address before San Francisco's State prison
22:07
at Joliet. I needled him about that phony cop Grimes. Helman said they
22:11
just got a tip off by telephone. Grimes was an ex sergeant in homicide
22:15
whose real name was Vic Rothrey. I asked him who phoned in the tip
22:19
off, and Helman said he didn't know the guy. His name was Sam
22:22
Tolliver. I got out of the chronicle. Morgan looked up everything I could
22:26
on John Reedy. All politicians' children sit on the floor. There was a
22:32
picture of Redy there with his family grouped around him on the floor. I
22:34
pulled the clips on Vic Rothrey. It was Grimes. All right, A
22:38
lot. Gave me something to work on, so I went on the prowl
22:41
for Ellen Morrow. I found her running a dice game, and a little
22:45
after hours joined on Eddie Street. Do you want chips? Novack? You
22:49
don't want to play against yourself? Yeah, give me some, all right?
22:53
See how good you are? Gay? Yeah? You've seen Sam Taliver.
23:00
Make your point, Patsy, that's it. Where's Sam Saliver? Five?
23:07
You're not he's warm. You're not warm on Sam either. He left
23:11
me hanging with a murder er. A friend double crossed you. He double
23:14
crossed you too. Another five. You're in a rough, Patsy, he
23:18
turned in Grimes. That's right, baby, they know he's vic Rothry.
23:22
Now you still like Sam Solliver? No keep brawling, darling. This Grimes
23:26
your boyfriend he used to be. I'm sentimental. Where's Sam Salivary Harry Hotel?
23:30
When you see him, tell him I sent you. I will if
23:32
we talked that long. There it is eight. That's right. I guess
23:37
I lose, Patsy. I guess you do be seeing your baby. She
23:52
changed When I left the first time out, she was alive and breezy,
23:56
like the main coast in July. But now she was broken up and lonely
24:00
looking. And as I walked out, I thought of an old dixie cup
24:03
somebody had used up and thrown in the alley well. I got down to
24:07
the Harry Hotel, but Sam Tolliver wasn't there. Maybe it was better that
24:11
way. I left a note for him, a short note that even a
24:15
Mongolian idiot couldn't trip up on. If Sam was going to show his hand,
24:19
he had to do it soon. When I got back to my apartment,
24:23
Jocko was already there. He was giving a concert for the mice.
24:26
Oh, she pushed a baby carriage. She pushed a baby carriage in the
24:32
merry, merry month of me. All right, Chuck, she pushed a
24:36
baby carriage. She pushed a baby carriage. She pushed it for a Williams
24:41
man who's far far away. Stop it, will you, Pat Shee?
24:45
I wish you'd get rid of that radio and buy a good HOPSI card.
24:48
What'd you find out, Jocko? Nothing from the China Star. She weighed
24:52
anchor and went to see it a quarter to twelve. How about Reedy?
24:56
Oh, there's heavy gambling money against him, and there's talk of out a
25:00
last minute scandal. All the newspapers had tip offs. Where was he?
25:03
Tonight? Had a rally in the Mission District with his whole family, all
25:07
to leave time for a plant. They broke up in that package. It
25:10
was full of dope. That makes sense. He was once sounder treatment for
25:14
malaria. The drugs found in his apartment would make it look bad. Yeah,
25:18
I'll get him. Hello Novak talking, I hope so, because you've
25:22
got a lot to do. What's on your mind? Helman? A girl
25:25
named Elan Morrow who killed her good They about twenty minutes ago, Vick Rothery's
25:30
picture was all over the place. Yeah, they were chims. You better
25:33
pick up Sam TOLLI he's at the Harry Hotel. I'd rather have Rothery.
25:37
Haven't you picked him up yet? No, we're on our way up.
25:38
You better hurry, Helman. There won't be any voters left. I thought
25:41
Sam Tulliver was a friend of yours. Well, that's the trouble with close
25:44
friends. You give him the shirt off your back so they can see where
25:45
to put in the knife. After Hellman's call, I knew we were coming
25:57
up for the last hand. I met him and we rode down to Vic
26:00
Rothery's hotel. It was early morning, just about the time dawn. It's
26:04
too sleepy to get out of bed. In the pale light, Geary Street
26:08
looked like a shabby old lady with a snoopful, and Rothery's hotel was worse.
26:15
Helman flashed a badge and the night clerk who reached over and handed us
26:18
a key. It was a funny thing to notice then, but the guy's
26:22
hands were short, and his fingers were peeled and stained yellow, as if
26:26
they'd been dipped in weak acid. Well, we rode up to Rothrey's room.
26:30
As we got out of the elevator and turned the corner, somebody ducked
26:33
into Rothrey's room. That was enough for Helman. He started down the hall.
26:40
Open up in there, you got another customer, Helman. Hop it
26:45
up, good one in you're gonna wake everybody up. Hello, Sam,
26:52
come on in. I't mind a gun, it's loaded. You're a handy
26:56
cop, Helman. I close the door. All right over near the window,
27:03
Yeah, go on, sure you got an answer for Rothery? Him?
27:07
You too, copper over near the window. I asked him, you
27:14
got an answer for Rothery? Here you're looking at it, mister. You
27:18
know, Patsy, I'm sorry you came. I could bounce a few off
27:21
of this guy with no pain at all, but it's gonna hurt on you
27:23
don't kid me, Sam. I don't know why you came, Patsy.
27:26
You could have left me alone. I didn't mean to put you in for
27:29
this. Things went wrong and you were in, that's all, But I
27:30
didn't mean to do it. Patsy, give a man your gun. You
27:33
were a good guy to me. No, Vic, I'm sorry you drew
27:36
the deuce. I'm really sorry because you were a good guy to me.
27:38
Well, I'm not go need moore, Sam, you got five feet to
27:41
make up your mind. I got it made up, Patty, and I
27:44
stay back. Let me try it out on him first. You've had practice.
27:47
Stay back, Patsy. I'm in a hole and I'll burn my way
27:48
out. You know that, Patsy. I'm in a hole. I gotta
27:51
get act. I'll kid me. Sam. I was your last friend.
27:53
Are you got now? Is the road? Stay back, Patsy, Please,
27:56
Patsy, stay back, Sam. I must have prayed wrong, Novak.
28:08
Yeah, sorry, Sam, I'm a tough loser. You are right,
28:18
Betty. It's a bum down for a small Robert. For a while
28:22
you looked big, not for long. No, No, you're a small
28:26
time bum, Sam, and you're better off dead. I wouldn't argue it.
28:30
I'm sorry. I doubt it. I guess that's right. I didn't
28:38
very right. I was your friend, Novak. Let's go A friendship's over.
29:15
Well, Hellman finally pieced it all together. He got that skipper back
29:18
and put him under the lights. The story was damp, but it fit
29:22
together. They were all in on a deal to railroad. John Reedy.
29:26
Vic Rothrey headed up a bunch to plant the dope in his apartment, but
29:30
Sam Tolliver got anxious and decided to get the stuff for sale. He talked
29:33
a couple of buddies into it and sent me out to the ship to pick
29:37
it up. The captain smelled a switch and knocked me out long enough to
29:41
get word to rothree on the beach. Rothree got the guy in my office
29:45
and the other guy that Sam posted in Ready's place in case anything went wrong.
29:48
That left only Sam on the other team. Rothray wore the uniform because
29:52
it was an easy way to plant the stuff in Ridy's apartment, but the
29:56
timetable went haywire and he got tripped up by that tip off call to the
30:00
chronicle. That's about the way it was well. Helman asked only one question,
30:07
how come Sam Tolliver headed for the girl's place? And then roth Re's
30:11
I don't know. Maybe that note I left Sam, How do I know
30:15
we'd believe a lie? It worked out for everybody except John Ready. He
30:22
lost the election anyway. Jocko forgot to mention the guy was a Republican at
31:00
Novak for Hire was previously released by ABC, the American Broadcasting Company for listeners
31:06
in the United States and rebroadcast for our men and women overseas. This is
31:10
the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the Voice of Information and Education,
32:24
and welcome back. You know. Some of the similes in the show make
32:31
more sense than others. For example, Novak talking about the trouble he gets
32:40
into. It's like leukemia. There's no way to duck it. You might
32:45
as well try to start a conga line in a cathedral. Okay. Uh,
32:52
yeah, that one's not particularly logical, because Pat Novak could just stick
33:00
to renting boats. Nevertheless, an interesting episode was kind of an absurd twist
33:07
at the end. You find the guy whose campaign they were trying to sabotage
33:12
was a Republican so in San Francisco even in the nineteen forties, they were
33:19
sitting there going to all this trouble to frame a guy who wasn't going to
33:28
win anyway. Okay, but Pat Novak definitely has its charm. Some listeners
33:36
enjoy it and some don't. Actually had a couple of dueling comments regarding Pat
33:44
Novak, Joel says, Adam, I continue to struggle with Pat Novak in
33:50
that the shows alsound seems so repetitive and cliche. They're almost a parody of
33:57
the radio noir detective programs. Debbie said, I love Pat Novak. The
34:02
repetitive in the cliche are what makes it great? That? And what that?
34:07
And Jack Webb and Raymond Burr. I love you replaying these episodes,
34:12
and that's pretty much the point of view. He then Joel kind of summarized
34:17
the various cliches, but he also had some comments on some of the other
34:21
shows we do, and he says Police Headquarters, on the other hand,
34:27
is a wonderful program. Each episode is tightly written in the characters of the
34:30
hard boiled top detectors are wonderfully drawn. The episodes moved quickly from crime to
34:38
detection to solution in a very satisfying way. Nick Carter is also an interesting
34:44
program. I thinks it's interesting how the relationship with the police officers. Among
34:49
the principal characters of these shows. Nick and Riley have a great relationship.
34:53
Well. Novak is always in a battle with a top detective who seems to
34:58
want to indict Novak for every crime every episode. Boston Blackie seems to have
35:01
an antagonistic relationship with Faridi. Johnny Doller has mostly friendly relationship with the police,
35:08
as do the other detectives whose name I can't recall but was the Ladies
35:14
Man. There's some These are some of the benefits of your wonderful podcast and
35:21
your own commentary on these shows. I'll make it notly go to bed ritual
35:25
to tune in to the War and Great Detective podcast. They keep my mind
35:29
focused on the entertainment and away from business issues. Well, thanks so much
35:32
for the comment, Joel and I agree, it's interesting that there is this
35:38
contrast in police relationships. In some ways, the relationship between Riley and Carter
35:46
is certainly fed by the amount of awe that everyone holds Nick Carter in within
35:57
his own main from pulp fiction. Other you know, very brilliant detectives such
36:05
as Neural Wolf and Sherlock Holmes have more mixed relationships with the police, though
36:10
with Neural Wolf that the conflict with the police was not so much of a
36:15
staple, particularly when you get to the late forties early fifties, the hard
36:22
boiled police or detectives really does depend. The level of antagonism between Novak and
36:31
Hellman is extremely high. You don't see that with Philip Marlowe and Lieutenant Dundee,
36:40
and you also don't see it with or excuse me, lieutenanty Bara and
36:47
Sam Spade and Lieutenant Dundee. Excuse me. So in a lot of the
36:52
books there tended to be more of an antagonistic relationship with the patent Novac.
36:59
Everything is dialed up to the nth degree sometimes whether it makes sense or not,
37:04
it's the ability to put things in there. I think that is the
37:09
appeal. And as I've said before, if this, you know, went
37:13
on for one hundred episodes, I don't know if I would enjoy it quite
37:17
as much. But I think that the twenty with the eighteen we have,
37:22
it's pretty interesting. I will say. I think the last episode is somewhat
37:28
of a different take and has a different tone, and that definitely makes it
37:31
work listening to. Well. Thanks so much. I do appreciate your common
37:37
jol and that will do it for today. We will be back tomorrow with
37:43
the Adventures of Philip marlow and then be sure to listen in next Tuesday for
37:46
another episode of pat Noeback for Hire. In the meanwhile, send your comments
37:52
to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter Radio Detectives
37:57
and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot Com. Calm Slash
38:00
Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam graham'son and off