Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Mr. Moto: The Case of the Dry Martini (EP1036)

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Mr. Moto: The Case of the Dry Martini (EP1036) · 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
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show at support dot grit, the factors dot net. When we are now
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to our last episode of Mister Moto and the title of the episode is the
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Dry Martini, let's enjoy. A walesperson once said that vengeance is a dish
2:27
that should be eaten cold. In the case of the dry Martini, the
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Avenger drank his vengeance from a cocktail glass. It began as the routine investigation
2:46
of a tip on a West Coast smuggling operation. Although I arrived in San
2:52
Francisco after business hours, I found mister Jerome Pearson, the head of the
2:55
Monsoon Trading Company, still at work in his office. Well, mister Moto,
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this is indeed a pleasure. I wanted to meet you for a long
3:05
time. Thank you, mister Pierson. Ah yes, hell no, no,
3:07
no, take the leather chair, it's more comfortable. Thank you.
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I will not take up much of your time, mister Pierson. I was
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just on the point of knocking off for the day. Have a cocktail,
3:16
No, no, thank you. Nothing like a dry Martin to step it
3:22
back after a long, hard day's work. Sure you won't join me?
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Quite sure, mister Pierson. Thank you. Well, some people think that
3:29
the martini should be stirred. I say, if you don't take a cattail,
3:32
it's never really cold. I am told there are two schools of thought
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on that cold right. Perfect, Well, then, mister Moto, what's
3:45
on your mind? I was sent here to San Francisco to investigate an anonymous
3:51
letter about me, not specifically your The Monsoon Feeding Company was mentioned by name
4:00
in what connection, sir? In connection with a smuggling operation? We're able
4:03
to trace the writer of this letter, Not yet, sir, Any smuggling
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going on this one. I don't know anything about a mister Moro. Would
4:12
it be possible for such a thing to occur without your knowledge? I don't
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know how. All our shipments are checked through customs in the ordinary manner,
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all our records invoices, build of lading and so on or double checked by
4:25
the customs people and by us. What do you deal in for the most
4:29
part, oh, textiles, strawmatting, that sort of thing we import chiefly
4:32
from India and Malaya. Yes, pardon me, dividend. What shipping firms
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do you deal with? Well, we generally wait until we have a full
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cargo and try to ship. If you'd like to look over our records,
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our treasure, mister Harper will be only too glad to show them to you.
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Oh, thank you, mister Pearson. But when would that be convenient?
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Ooh, say, first thing tomorrow morning. Excellent, Please be on
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time. Time's money, you know. By the way, Moto, my
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chauffeur's right downstairs. If you're liking to drive you anywhere, hey, him
5:08
a large Sorry, and you might as well be earning it. Oh,
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thank you, but my hotel is only a few blocks away. Hell,
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I was just going to mix another batch of martinis here. You want joy
5:15
away. You are so very very kind, mister Pearson, but I'm afraid
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I must refuse. Well then, oops, hey, that that rink really
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got to me. Good night, mister no pleasure smonors to make sure a
5:31
queen. Thank you, mister Pearson, and good night. Oh and I
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closed the door. Mister Pearson was happily preparing another shaker full of crime martini.
5:48
As I emerged from the building, I noted a large limousine of foreign
5:53
manufacture standing in front of a note parking sign. Our uniform. Chauffeur was
5:58
leaning against it. You are you addressing me your men? Yeah, you
6:03
come from the Monsoon officers. That is correct, you are mister Pearson chauffeur.
6:09
Yeah? What what condition did you leave him in? A condition?
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How many more Teenas he was preparing a second shaker when I let him.
6:17
Oh, I better get ready to pour him out of there. Before I
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had time to ponder on the behavior of mister Pearson chauffeur and his abrupt departure
6:29
into the building, a second car, a taxicab, grew up behind the
6:32
limedine, and two more worried looking people emerged from it, A plump,
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heavy set man carrying a briefcase and a thin, sharp faced woman, also
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carrying a bricase. Did you see a chauffeur in this car a moment ago?
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Why? Yes, he just went into the building. I hope we're
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not too late. If you are on your way to see mister Pearson,
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I believe you would find him in his office. What condition did you leave
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him in? Everyone seems very much concerned about mister Pearson's condition. Well,
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I've got a payroll for him to sign. I want to catch him while
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he can still write, Oh you are mister Harper. Yes, I am
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for you, mister Moto. Mister I a Moto. I'm married Dona Hu,
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Miss Not. I'm the attorney for this cooperation. You want you to
7:18
know that anything he said to you while under the influence of martinis will not
7:21
fold up for five minutes in any court of law. And thank you,
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Miss Donne, I will remember that. You'll have to excuse us now,
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mister Moto, come along, Mary, lay upold you all shut up.
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They disappeared rapidly into the building, and I walked on back to my hotel.
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When I rose the following morning and read the morning paper, I saw
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a story headlined corporation head waylaid by mysterious assailant chauffeur foils would be kidnappers at
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offices of Monsoon treading. Before I could read the text, my telephone,
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man, it's the Moto speaking. I must see you at once. Where
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are you at? Peasants that appears in the hospital I left this morning.
8:16
I'm at my residence one thousand Marina Boulevard. You'll take you exactly twenty minutes.
8:22
Cam you'll meet me in front of the building now and I'll have a
8:26
conference in the office. I will meet you there in twenty minutes. I'll
8:31
expect you is money. As my tax fee drew up to the curb in
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front of the canopy entrance, I saw this appears and facing insignantly up and
8:46
down before the building. This gren Hamburg hat was touched the top and outside
8:50
turban of Gau's bandage. At how you're exactly one minute then twenty two seconds
8:58
flight? But now I don't apologize, only waste more time. Come along
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cards just around the corner. Hey, that should alarmed swy must't keep him
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waiting. Huh, I suspected as much? Do you guy have a carmestromoto
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the viker and the eye? Oh never mind, never mind, I see
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him and see who mister sleep from the busy get watch out. I was
9:30
behind mister Pierce and and slightly to the right. The shock of the rapid
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bio cirtic caliber bullet lifted him off his feet and knocked him against me.
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Before I could regain my balance, the gunman had jumped out of the limousine
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and into a based dend that was double parked alongside. It was soon lost
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in the weather of traffic on the Bulevard, but I did succeed in getting
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the first three numbers of a license plate. At that moment, a fragments
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of perfume tempered the exhaust fumes from a seeming street, and I turned to
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face a very very effective, very very just scotch young woman. Who did
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it? You saw him? Don't write to me? Why don't come?
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Where's the ambulance? Please? Are all those people standing around staring at him?
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Makes him go away? I stand let him. I ask him to
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stop this At once, I said stop it. Oh, that is very
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much better. Now then, who are you his wife? It was all
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my faults. I called it Ernie out the window and asked him to come
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upstairs. I wanted him return to lagerie. They turned the wrong color,
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Peach. Who is Ernie our chauffeur. I was looking for the sales check
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when we heard the shots. Oh, mis, Jerome really did this?
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God quite quite dead, missus Pearson? And may I say that your grief
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is very very touching. Cool Jerome, he looks so ned stretched out there
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on the pavement. I keep thinking you'll get up and stagger on into the
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elevator. He didn't drink it all? Well? Why don't you go upstairs
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and relax? Missus Pearson? All right, I'm going oh oh, Nettie,
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all right, Anie, where did you go? I done to the
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girl? I heard a car drive in or mister Pearson so my phone?
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Oh no, no, it's fine if I only haven't mislaid that sales check
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here when I called you out the window to come and get oh all that?
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All right? All right? What have we got here? Those are
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the witness I was thinking when it happened. After name whichell? I am
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all right, all right, clear a space that come on, come on,
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let us throw that stretch over that I step over here out of the
11:50
crowd. Mister Moddle. I want to get your statement this one to day
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alway, boys, pardon me? Yeah, that's quite all right? Are
11:58
you ready for that's? Oh yeah, they got a penzil thanks, okay,
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okay, let's have it. This man is Jerome Pearson, a chairman
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of the board of an important firm called the Monsoon Trading Company. Do you
12:13
have that? Yeah? Yeah. Last night he was working late at his
12:16
office and was knocked out and robbed. He telephoned me this morning. He
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did not say what was on his mind. But he seemed quite agitated.
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The gunman was punched in the backseat of a limousine, and the muzzle of
12:28
a carbine emerged when mister Pearson opened the door. I see what do it
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look like? I did not see him distinctly. If you will look at
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the design of the car, you will see why the backs and sides are
12:37
almost completely enclosed. Yeah, what about the getaway I saw the getaway car
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and the back of the killer's head. The car was a gray two door
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seed Dan. I saw only the first three digits of a license plate five
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D nine. Have they anything else? Again? I mean, I have
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my pencil back. Very what did that policeman say to you, very little,
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missus Berson? But I suggest that you and that chauffeur get together on
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those alibis of yours. Well, I don't know where Ernie is. Please,
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mister Moto, I can't say so questions just here. I'm apprecia.
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We would it be legal if I just avoided them till I can collect myself.
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I do not know about the legality of the matter, Missus Bison,
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but it would most certainly be white. Where can we talk, mister Motel,
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Have you any suggestions little little cocktail lounge upon lamb. But Ernie and
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I it's just around the corner, very very convenient. I suggest we go
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there, missus persons, and it was all I guess my mother's added I
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should have listened. But that's why I married mister Peers. Yes, very
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very interesting. That brings he stu up to nineteen hundred and forty three.
14:01
And it is only a quarter to clone. You're just like him, always
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holding a stop watch over my head always, mister Pelt, Well, he's
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right, you know, yes, I believe you mentioned that, but it's
14:13
much more important than you think. He often fell down and bumped his head.
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Are you suggesting that your late husband's mysterious assailant was a double martini to
14:22
picturesful before I didn't. Ernie often had to carry him up to his office.
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Do you know why he was working late last night with his business?
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He had an appointment with the vice president of the firm and mister harper A.
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Something had come up and he wanted your own the signs on papers.
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I don't know what it wasn't the first time I waited outside in the car.
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You were in the car when Ernie spoke to me, oh yeah,
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and then he came back to the car, and we thought, Ernie appears
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to have alibis upstairs, downstairs and all around you, Missus Gilson. Well,
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then when the others came out and Jerome didn't, Ernie went up stairs
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to see why the others you mean mister Harper and miss Stunny you yes,
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she is the attorney for the company. I know that. But if you
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think everything was legal between those two, well, after all, who am
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I to called a kettle black? Missus Bison? What are you trying to
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tell me? Between you and me, mister Moto, I think that Donahue
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woman knocked him down a flight of stairs. In his condition, he'd never
15:28
remember. Why are you so anxious to incriminate Miss Dunnyhube? Well, what
15:31
would you say? She was the last one out of the building. Why
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did you not tell all this to the police when they investigated the attack on
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your husband last night? I didn't want to talk about his drinking things.
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Were that enough already? That would just up in the end. I see,
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And what do you want me to do for you, missus Gibson.
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Prove that Mary Donahue did it and Ernie didn't. I think I can rely
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on you to take care of Ernie. Oh, no, no alibi,
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And unless I have to, he might get the wrong idea, wrong idea,
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he might think Ananta, I still care for him, and I don't.
16:08
Oh, I just can't stand him anymore. The way he choose on
16:12
those two picks. It's just the end. And besides, if his alibi
16:17
is too good, I might have trouble about that carbine I found in the
16:19
backseat of my car. Yes, yes, but this is pearsiness, missus
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Pierson. Did you say you front a carbine in the back seat of your
16:26
car? Yes, and for all I know, it may be the gun
16:30
that killed my house. Where was your car the time your husband was killed
16:33
in the garage in the basement of the building where our apartment did That is
16:37
where Ernie appeared from just after the accident. He didn't make any secret of
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it. Remember, he said he heard a noise and went and did not
16:45
allow him to say very much. Tell me this car of yours? Is
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it a great two Doorsidans, that's the whole point. And the car the
16:52
murderer escaped it was a great two Doorcidan. What is the license number of
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your car? This is business. Oh wait, my key ring here,
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I'm not quite sufficient, Missus Pierson. Why did you not tell me this
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before? I couldn't get up the nerve, miss and Moto after I heard
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your killer police and the gun that killed Jerome as a carbine and the gray
17:15
Sedan and all that. It's the end. I agree, mister Pearson.
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It might very well be the end for Ernie. Well, I don't care
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if it is the way he's always wandering off the job. I mean,
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it is just the end. I sincerely hoped that she was right, but
17:38
I did not think so. And when I went to examine the gray Sedan
17:42
in the garage, I knew it was far from the end of the matter.
17:47
It was the getaway. But Ernie had turned into a very very poor
17:52
prospect. He was crunched on a carpet between the front and rear seats.
17:57
He had been shot at proser changed than Jerome Biffon, and the killer had
18:03
used only one bullet in the base of his brain. I decided my next
18:08
call would be on mister Harper on Soon Trading Company. Good afternoon, I'm
18:17
sorry, mister Harper's in conference. Yes, I'll see that he gets your
18:19
message. What can I do for you, sir? I would like to
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see miss Dannel you please. Miss Donnehue is in conference with mister Harper.
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That is splendid. I wish to see them both. I have orders not
18:30
to disturb, thank you, but that is quite quite unnecessary. I will
18:34
do so myself. But there's a gentleman waiting ahead of you, sir,
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The idea shoving the slane. I'd
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push him ahead of me. Huh. I got personal connections here, mister,
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see me and the chairman of the blob where I got connections. See,
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I'm getting very nervous with a sinus toe. You follow me. I
18:51
gotta see Harper. I got to see hoppright. I will glad to tell
18:53
mister Harper that you are here. Mister tell him, tell him, push
18:56
on Martin, Push on Martin. Yeah, tell him. I ain't taking
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an Tell him I got out of contact. Only I listen to the reason
19:02
I kind of. I gotta have a fix right now. I shuttle for
19:06
half only, no Robert checks. They owe me, they owe me.
19:07
I will be most happy to deliver on it. Please just relax you to
19:14
tournament of the board looks like I'm not here. I left spatif mister Harper,
19:21
my business with you and Miss Dunning you at the moment must take precedence.
19:26
What be your business with each other? Well, I'm glad you're here,
19:27
mister Motto. You know that the bezzling old fools actually had the nerve
19:33
to threaten usually Miss Dunning you, I presume you are referring to mister Harper.
19:37
Who else but the dean of Double Entry? Why does he keep starling
19:42
when I asked him to see his books? Ask him that, mister Motto.
19:47
But I'm the attorney for the corporation and I have to make a tax
19:49
return. Well, you won't leave the books for that. The Monsoon company
19:55
is booked. Did your own piers and ask for explanations? Is that why
19:59
you mission to her? Mister Moto? This is the hag who just informed
20:03
me that she now owns fifty five percent of the common stock of this corporation?
20:07
Is that true? Miss Donny you Segonally, It's true. I brought
20:11
up Jerome's debts and threw an attachment on his dock. Perfectly legal, but
20:15
not very ethical? Was it? When you met him? He wasn't competent
20:18
to run the firm dry martinis, one after the other. They came in
20:22
very handy last night, just before you pushed him down the stage. Just
20:26
a minute, and you better be specific, and you make an accusation like
20:30
bat Mister Harper, gladly you tricked Jerome into changing the beneficiary of his insurance
20:36
from whom to whom the beneficiary was that muddle headed wife of Disney changed it
20:41
to the Monsoon Trading Company, a corporation of the state of California, which
20:45
I gather is now mostly yourself. Miss Donny, you're writing the wrong brief,
20:51
mister Motto, you can't try a corporation for a murder. A personal
20:56
responsibility can be fit now a stockholder, and that's all I am. I
21:00
believe you have a point there. On the other hand, mister Harper,
21:04
as treasurer and first vice president. All right, mister Moto, what do
21:11
you want? I want to see those canceled checks. Sadly, mister Moto,
21:15
just step into the next office. I was somewhat surprised at his sudden
21:23
willingness to cooperate, but when I had finished examining the cancel checks, I
21:29
was even more surprised. The Monsoon company's payroll contained more checks for salesmen than
21:36
the total net pufft on legitimate imports, which was considerable. The most frequently
21:41
recurring payee of these checks was a person named Jacob Martin. I recalled the
21:48
very nervous gentleman in the rescription room who gave his name as Pusher Martin.
21:53
Well, Moto, are you satisfied? Yes, thank you, mister Harper.
21:56
Wait a minute, what's your game? Out of how many child can
22:00
say that those figures don't add upright? I am not interested in your business
22:04
difficulties missed on you. I am not even interested in whom killed mister Pearson.
22:10
I am only interested in the motive behind his death. Well, she
22:14
did it because she cheated her way to the top of the firm, only
22:18
to find that nothing could save the business but Jerome's life. And now where
22:22
and then at? I came here to investigate a tip on dope smuggling through
22:26
your import business. What yesterday evening, mister Pearson seemed to have nothing to
22:30
tell me. Last night, someone apparently attempted his life. This morning on
22:36
the telephone, he said he had something important to tell me. He died
22:40
before he could tell it. I think I know now what he wanted to
22:45
tell me. How was that that mister Harper, through juggling the books,
22:49
was able to carry on a smuggling operation without mister Pearson's knowledge. Recently,
22:56
mister Harper appears to have been caught short, and you took advantage of the
23:00
factness done you that was Pearson's fort. He withdrew a terrific amount of cash
23:03
the day before he was killed. No explanation. I'll explain plenty when I
23:07
drag you into court. You can count on me for a witness, mister
23:11
Modo. My suspects were beginning to cancel each other out, But of one
23:19
thing, I was certain the actual shootings had been done by a hired killer,
23:25
and the fact that he operated in broad daylight on a crowded street,
23:30
taking such desperate chances indicated that he would either insane or a dug addict.
23:36
I suspected the latter. As I left Harper's office, I observed Pusher and
23:41
Mutton had decided not to wait, but I soon located him in a Ginger
23:48
establishment called the Atmis Hotel. What do you want? I want to talk
23:55
to you, mister Pusher Martin. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, come
23:59
on, come on, come on, come kind of thing for me?
24:02
Okay, okay, the stuff that. Do not be so impatient. I
24:04
don't feel so good. I tell you that that monkey let's break in my
24:07
back. You can still feel worse. What will you when I got money?
24:11
I got a check for a grand will not suffice. I need information
24:15
for me? Who gave you that thousand dollars checks? Martin? I leave
24:18
alone with you alone, sick. I have plenty of time, Martin,
24:22
and I feel very much better than you do. Say, will you find
24:26
that crocle for me? I put I want to send for a Joey be
24:27
fake. I will do what I can for you, but you will have
24:30
to help me. Who gave you that thousand dollars check? I can't stand
24:36
it no more? Sprink at my back? It will get worse Martin.
24:40
Okay, okay, okay, I should do not exert yourself. I will
24:45
get it. Just a little sponge on the coun I'm so wet. I'm
24:49
so wet. You see that a signature that the chairman of the board.
24:53
Yeah, yeah, chairman of the board go forged this signature, Martin.
24:56
You wrote himself. You wrote himself like might bring in front of me.
24:59
What he's supposed to be in payment for. He wanted I should knock up
25:02
his brother. Then you made a mistake, didn't you. Huh, He's
25:06
definitely exactly on the papers. The papers, they got it wrong and they
25:08
got a run. That was his brother, his twin brother, said another
25:11
guy to show for. He kept hanging around the grudge. I had to
25:14
burnt him through to get out. Do you know what rot thing? Yeah?
25:17
Yeah, no, feel so good, so I know I'm making sense.
25:18
Oh, I got to sweat some girl. Do not discuss yourself,
25:22
Martin. You will be in a very nice, cool place. Very shortly
25:33
after I had turned push on Martin over to the police, I investigated his
25:37
story as suddenly as I could at that late hour. Apparently it was quite
25:42
impossible that mister Pearson could have had a brother, twin or otherwise. He
25:48
was a first child. His mother died in childer and his father died one
25:52
month later. Unfortunately, I was not finished with missus Pearson. Mister Moto,
26:06
I've been calling and calling trying to reach you. I've been so worried.
26:08
Oh it's just the end this time, Missus Biffon, you may be
26:14
right, Can I pix you a drink. There's nothing in the house but
26:17
those prepared martinis Jerome used to drink. Is that all right? I have
26:21
never tasted prepared martini's, but I should be interested in stampling one of those,
26:25
Missus Biffin, I could use one myself. So what did you think
26:30
of Mary Donna? Hugh? Isn't she the end A most interesting lady?
26:36
I find you all most interesting. Jerome used to drink some cold but I
26:41
put in even more rice than nicety for that. Thank you. It doesn't
26:45
make you call down the way it did poor Jerome. Yes, indeed,
26:49
well, cheers, cheers. What's the matter to drive for you? Did
26:56
you open a fresh bottle when you made these? Oh? Yes, that's
26:59
the matter. Where is that bottle? This is please right there by the
27:03
ice berckel. Ah, he's just all your husband ever drank. Yeah,
27:11
gallons of it. It's a special brand. This whole case underneath. I'd
27:15
like to determine that thinks and this one too, This is busy. You
27:26
are quite quite sure that this is all your husband ever drank. Why he
27:32
even took it with him to bars and the people's homes. He'd sit and
27:36
drink them right out of the bottle like a little child. Does any be
27:40
falling down drunk? Of course, that's how we lost so many friends.
27:42
They dropped this just like like flight. I believe you said before it was
27:47
the end. Excuse me, who are you phony? Patience? This is
27:53
bison and I think you would be very lighting homicide, mister Carr speaking,
28:03
This is just a motto, mister gy has the autopsy been performed? Un
28:08
Jerome Pierson yet rushed them through? Do you have the report at hand right
28:15
here in front of me? A funny thing was the motto the doctor said.
28:18
They could have said themselves in trouble. He would have been dead in
28:22
a week or two without assistance he was doing. What was there any alcohol
28:32
presents in the body? No, no, none from drinking? Mister?
28:36
Is there a no tician or the head wound, no accidental fall through the
28:41
periodic paintings film out of his condition? Thank you, mister, thank you
28:45
so very very much. What is it, mister about her with the martini?
28:49
He's probably no, No, missus Pearson, quite the country. The
28:52
martinis your husband drank contained nothing but colored water? Then what made him get
28:59
so drunk? He did not fall down from Brankleveness. Missus Pearson, your
29:03
husband was a very, very sick man who gill him. He killed himself.
29:08
Oh but he couldn't have encled a gunman to do it. But it
29:12
was suicide. And why didn't he Liven notice something? He could have ruined
29:18
us all? I imagine that is precisely what he wanted to do. You
29:22
all thought that he was a hopeless drunk and took the advantage of him.
29:25
He allowed Mary Dunno you to freeze him out of his interest in the company,
29:29
Let mister Harper juggle his books to cover a smuggling operation he was engaged
29:33
in, and let you go your way with Ernie. In shortness, person,
29:38
your husband allowed all three of you to furnish ourselves with as convincing a
29:44
set of motives as a jury could ask for. But Chern wasn't like that.
29:49
He must have intended it is a joke in your case, let me
29:53
very well be. But he would not have involved me in his plan just
29:57
for a joke. I think he sincerely wanted to bring miss Dunnehue and mister
30:02
Harper to justice. He must have wanted his suicide to be found out sooner
30:07
or later in order to prevent them from collecting the insurance that would have kept
30:11
the corporation from going bankrupt. Oh really, Jerome, was the end?
30:17
Oh what's going to become of us all? If miss Dunne and mister Harper
30:21
do not go to prison, they will probably sue each other to death.
30:25
You might even be forced to earn your own living, Missus Pierson. Oh
30:30
well, my mother always used to say that hell hath no fury like a
30:34
dry Martini. But this you are so very very right, Missus Pierson.
30:40
It is the end. I did not learn until later how thoroughly mister Pearson
30:49
had planned his charade of the dry Martine. The final joke was the check
30:55
with which he paid the man he hired to kill him. It not only
30:59
furnished proof that he was a suicide, it also bound, thus depriving the
31:04
assassin of his still burned feet. Mister pusher Martin should have heeded the advice
31:10
of a Japanese sage who said, where a prophet is, loss is hidden
31:17
nearby, and now near the autumn fragrance of an October evening, lie gently
31:41
upon your lidded eyes, and the cares of the day drifted away. I
31:45
silently at the fallen petals of a flower, upon the serene waters of a
31:51
stream curving between two willow trees, at a place where two lovers meet.
31:59
Goodness, welcome back. This episode seemed kind of familiar to me, and
32:07
I went and I double checked my memory, and this was originally Now we've
32:14
done We've talked about script reusage before, but this may be one of the
32:20
biggest stretches. This was a reworked script from Sam Spade. Now you just
32:29
think about it, reworking a Sam paint Spade script into a Mister Moto script.
32:37
I listened to a little bit of it just to confirm my memory.
32:39
And while the basic plot was essentially the same, the dialogue by the detective
32:47
had to change so much just because those two characters they talk completely different.
32:54
Usually you don't have to do like a ton of rewriting, for example,
33:00
going from Jeff Reagan to Rocky Fortune, or not Rocky Fortune but Rocky Jordan,
33:09
or going from Jeff Reagan to Johnny Doller. You know, there's certainly,
33:14
certainly some of the dialogue needs rewritten, but not as much. But
33:21
with mister Moto, such a different change of tone. In some ways,
33:23
It's kind of sad as we got to the end of the series because when
33:28
we started out, you know, I think that what's made Mister Moto interesting
33:32
to me is how very different it was from the other detective detective series.
33:40
And the script for use for the last episode kind of ends on a on
33:46
a downbeat. No, but to be fair of the series, it looks
33:51
like it's just not getting the ratings. Canceled as it was after twenty three
33:57
weeks, because a usual length for a series to be canceled or to be
34:06
considered for canceled is about twenty six weeks. But this this was apparently the
34:10
very last episode, so yeah, it was it was sad that it didn't
34:15
keep with that, but still at least it ends with a good script,
34:20
even though they had to work. You know, you almost think it would
34:23
have been easier to rewrite that. Uh the script. The script was originally
34:29
written by Bob Towman and Gildaut. All right, well, now we turn
34:35
to listener comments and feedback, and we did have some comments on Mister Moto,
34:44
and I want to go ahead and just pull that up here. Joel
34:49
says, I'm loving mister Moto. Exciting plots, great acting, super personality,
34:53
as good as any movie. Real Feeder of the Mind. Brian says,
34:58
I hate to admit I stopped listening after the first two episodes. I
35:04
will give it another shot after seeing the positive reviews. Well, thanks so
35:07
much, Brian, and I think the show did get better after the first
35:13
episode. And as I said, when I listened to the first episode of
35:17
Mister Moto several years back, I actually was like, no way am I
35:22
going to run this on the Great Detectives podcast. But I gave it a
35:25
more extended tryout, trying out different shows, and ended up deciding to run
35:30
it. Rebecca's is definitely worth the listening. But on the other hand,
35:37
Bobby Lee Walker says, it amazes me how they use racial slurs like it
35:44
wasn't anything, and that's that references. I think an episode a couple of
35:47
weeks back, and that's one of those things I you know, I kind
35:53
of I will kind of debate whether to call her attention or to let go
36:00
certainly any you know those that sort of language, you know it was not
36:06
not appropriate. Uh But but I almost take it for granted the audience knows
36:12
that, and question the value of going too deeply into that. I will
36:15
say that that there there were these uses of slurs on occasion against the great
36:30
Oriental detective characters, and uh usually you know, they get they get the
36:37
slur, and they overcome it, you know, not so much by comments,
36:43
but by solving the case. I do remember reading about one Charlie Chan
36:49
movie back during the first few movies where I think it was in the thirties,
36:57
where someone dropped a racial insult and then when Charlie solved the case,
37:02
he turned to the person who had hurled it and said not bad for a
37:07
and then just basically through the insult back in the guy's face. Usually,
37:13
though the response was more subtle. It's that the hero who has been insulted
37:19
wins, he solves the case. He's the good guy, and in some
37:22
case the person who says it is either the villain or just not a very
37:29
good person. There was definitely in the post war world, as you listen
37:34
to radio, a focus on trying to judge people based on their merits and
37:42
not on the basis of race or religion. And in some ways, even
37:47
though some of these characters are now viewed as offensive in and of themselves,
37:54
that was often not the author's intent. In particular with Charley Chan. Earl
38:01
dor Bigger's created Chan as kind of based on a Honolulu detective name chang Upauna,
38:14
with the goal of showing a heroic portrayal of Oriental characters, kind of
38:21
a contrast to all of the Fu Manchu type stories out there, and mister
38:25
Motors origins, I think very much different as it kind as the original books
38:32
and the movie played into our fascination and perhaps our concerns with the rise and
38:42
the increasing influence of the Japanese Empire. This story series made after the war,
38:49
I think had much more of an intent similar to the Chan series,
38:54
despite you know, moto real portrait as kind of someone who is fully American,
39:04
fully patriotic, dedicated to the country, and the overall message and thought
39:10
of the series that regardless of where we come from, whatever our background,
39:15
if you lived in the United States and loyal to the country, you're an
39:20
American and should be treated and respected as such. So that's my fault on
39:24
that, the definitely unfortunate use of language, But I think the broader message
39:30
of mister Moto should not be forgotten. That all right, Well, that
39:36
will do it for today. We will be back next week. We're going
39:43
to be bringing you Murder and mister Malone. And join us tomorrow as we
39:49
continue the Fathom Vive matter Sendor comments to Box thirteen A great detectives dot now,
39:54
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends
39:59
on face Book, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
40:04
This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.