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Richard Diamond, Private Detective - "The Betty Moran Case" (1949) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: Dick Powell stars as New York private detective Richard Diamond,
0:04
Speaker 1: with Ed Begley as Lieutenant Walt Levinson in this early
0:08
Speaker 1: NBC broadcast. First heard May 29th, 1949, episode six of
0:15
Speaker 1: Richard Diamond, Private Detective is the Betty Moran case, written
0:20
Speaker 1: by Blake Edwards and John Michael Hayes. Wealthy Betty Moran
0:24
Speaker 1: shoots a blackmailer and is later found dead. Police initially
0:28
Speaker 1: treat the matter as a murder-suicide. Her husband, William, believes
0:32
Speaker 1: the blackmail operation is still at work and brings Diamond
0:36
Speaker 1: in to find the dead man's unknown accomplice, a trail
0:40
Speaker 1: leading from Diamond's Broadway office to police headquarters. Ladies and gentlemen,
0:46
Speaker 1: here is the original broadcast.
0:49
Speaker 2: ¶ ¶.
1:09
Speaker 3: Here's Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, private detective.
1:22
Speaker 2: My name's Diamond, and I'm in business for a very
1:24
Speaker 2: simple reason. I like money. Oh, sure, I could do better,
1:30
Speaker 2: 2021 I'm in partnership with a shill called Human Nature.
2:04
Speaker 2: And with him on my side, it just figures that
2:06
Speaker 2: people are going to get in trouble. Like the character
2:09
Speaker 2: who's ringing the doorbell of an apartment on the east side.
2:13
Speaker 2: He's built just right for more trouble than he can handle.
2:22
Speaker 4: Well.
2:23
Speaker 2: Hello, Mrs.
2:24
Speaker 5: Moran.
2:24
Speaker 4: You say that like you're really glad to see me.
2:28
Speaker 2: I'll let you know as soon as we can talk business.
2:31
Speaker 4: Did you bring a rubber hose along?
2:33
Speaker 2: Why? Are you going to be hard to get along with?
2:35
Speaker 4: This time, yes.
2:37
Speaker 2: Where's your husband?
2:38
Speaker 4: He went out.
2:40
Speaker 6: I tried to convince him the window was the quickest
2:42
Speaker 6: way to the street, but he's old-fashioned.
2:44
Speaker 4: He took the elevator.
2:45
Speaker 2: You're drunk.
2:47
Speaker 4: You can't get a bit out of me. Want a drink?
2:50
Speaker 7: Just get the $ 500.
2:52
Speaker 2: I don't want to be around when your old man
2:54
Speaker 2: gets back.
2:54
Speaker 4: You couldn't afford that, could you?
2:56
Speaker 2: No, and I don't think you could either, baby. Now
2:58
Speaker 2: let's stop playing games, Mrs. Moran.
3:01
Speaker 4: I've got a big, fat surprise for you, Mac.
3:05
Speaker 2: Keep it in small bills. Isn't that funny?
3:08
Speaker 4: That's your surprise.
3:09
Speaker 7: Yeah?
3:10
Speaker 4: Yeah. You don't get the money. You get something else.
3:14
Speaker 2: Stop yelling. You'll have the whole building up here in
3:16
Speaker 2: a minute.
3:17
Speaker 4: It'll be up anyway, Mac. A gunshot makes people curious.
3:21
Speaker 2: Now, wait a minute. You don't have to pull a gun.
3:23
Speaker 4: I don't have to do anything. And I'm breaking myself
3:26
Speaker 4: of one habit right now. I'm through paying your dirty blackmail.
3:32
Speaker 2: Now, you know I got my orders.
3:34
Speaker 7: If I don't collect, someone else will be around.
3:36
Speaker 2: Come on, give me the gun.
3:37
Speaker 5: Sure.
3:38
Speaker 4: A piece at a time. I need a drink. Well,
3:51
Speaker 4: here's to nothing, Betty, old girl.
3:53
Speaker 5: X-T, X-T, read all about it. Matt Grayson shot to
4:08
Speaker 5: death in blackmail plot. Socialite Betty Moran kills gangster, then
4:12
Speaker 5: takes own life. Read all about it. Paper.
4:16
Speaker 8: I can't.
4:16
Speaker 7: Oh, paper, mister? Yeah.
4:19
Speaker 2: Here you are, Mr. Jack.
4:20
Speaker 9: Oh, thanks.
4:25
Speaker 2: Wealthy wife of William Moran kills.
4:28
Speaker 8: Well, I have to call Mr.
4:31
Speaker 7: Moran.
4:32
Speaker 2: No sense to lose a good source of income.
4:34
Speaker 5: Yeah, come in.
4:37
Speaker 2: Mr.
4:37
Speaker 6: Diamond?
4:48
Speaker 2: Over here. This clothesline, I couldn't see you. Do you
4:54
Speaker 2: always do your laundry in your office? Free soap. Pull
4:57
Speaker 2: up a chair, Mr... Moran. William Moran. Oh. Nice pair
5:04
Speaker 2: of argyles. One of my old clients. Sends them down
5:06
Speaker 2: from Sing Sing. Have you read the morning papers, Mr. Diamond?
5:09
Speaker 2: I haven't had time. Took some throw rugs down to
5:12
Speaker 2: the laundry mat before I started on the socks. My
5:14
Speaker 2: wife died last night. What did you eat for breakfast?
5:17
Speaker 5: Why.
5:18
Speaker 2: Pancakes and eggs? Why? You must eat a whole pig
5:21
Speaker 2: when you're not in mourning. How did she die? She
5:23
Speaker 2: was shot to death. Couldn't she get two people for
5:25
Speaker 2: her pyramid club? She was being blackmailed. It's usually the
5:28
Speaker 2: other way around. The victim shoots the blackmailer. She did that.
5:31
Speaker 2: His name was Mac Grayson. I want you to find
5:33
Speaker 2: the other man behind this blackmail ring. What makes you
5:36
Speaker 2: think there was more than one? I received an anonymous
5:38
Speaker 2: phone call this morning. It was from a man who
5:41
Speaker 2: said he was a friend of Mac Grayson. He made
5:42
Speaker 2: it perfectly clear that he was going to continue with
5:45
Speaker 2: the blackmail. You know what they had on your wife?
5:48
Speaker 2: She was a very wealthy woman, Mr. Diamond. Before she
5:50
Speaker 2: married me, she was rather wild. They get that way sometimes.
5:56
Speaker 2: There were some letters. Why don't you go to the police?
5:58
Speaker 2: As far as they're concerned, the case is closed. They
6:01
Speaker 2: say it's a murder and a suicide, and that's that.
6:03
Speaker 2: But I want to get the people who drove my
6:05
Speaker 2: wife to suicide. Okay, Mr. Moran, but if you want
6:08
Speaker 2: me to try and dig up your blackmailers, my fee
6:10
Speaker 2: is rather high. I want to start sending my laundry out.
6:13
Speaker 2: Money is no object. That's the nicest thing you could
6:16
Speaker 2: have said. $ 100 a day and a fifth of plasma. Plasma, Mr. Diamond?
6:20
Speaker 2: A hundred proof. I never know what I'm going to
6:22
Speaker 2: run into in a case like this. I may bleed
6:24
Speaker 2: a little. You can reach me at Evergreen 4-5021. I'll
6:26
Speaker 2: write you a check. Here, use my pen. It's getting
6:30
Speaker 2: an inferiority complex. Do you know anything more about this
6:34
Speaker 2: man who called you this morning? Only that he said
6:36
Speaker 2: he was a friend of Mac Grayson's. There you are, Mr. Diamond.
6:40
Speaker 2: This should be enough of a retainer. Oh, yes, yes.
6:44
Speaker 2: And that's all you know? I'm sorry I can't be
6:47
Speaker 2: of more help. You've been a brick. I'll get the
6:50
Speaker 2: rest from Homicide. Thank you, and goodbye, Mr.
6:52
Speaker 5: Moran.
6:52
Speaker 2: Goodbye, Mr. Diamond, and good luck. Oh, I'm sorry. I
6:56
Speaker 2: knocked down some of your washing.
6:59
Speaker 1: There.
7:00
Speaker 2: Well, I'll be hearing from you. Well, that's the way
7:05
Speaker 2: it goes. One minute you're washing socks, and the next
7:08
Speaker 2: you've got enough money to stake out a claim on
7:10
Speaker 2: every night spot from Mott Street to Harlem. Unless a
7:13
Speaker 2: particular blackmail ring likes to kill private detectives. I had
7:17
Speaker 2: a hunch the assignment might run into overtime, so I
7:20
Speaker 2: put in a call to a lovely redhead named Helen Asher.
7:23
Speaker 2: Francis the butler answered, and I told him to pass
7:26
Speaker 2: the word along that I might be late for my date.
7:29
Speaker 2: I hung up before Helen could get on the pipe
7:31
Speaker 2: and start screaming at me like a wounded eagle. I
7:34
Speaker 2: locked the office, went down to Fifth Precinct, and an
7:36
Speaker 2: old friend, Lieutenant Levinson. He was in charge of the
7:39
Speaker 2: homicide detail and could tell me about the late Mrs.
7:42
Speaker 2: Moran and her victim. When I walked in, Sergeant Otis
7:45
Speaker 2: was polishing his billy. Hello, Otis. The lieutenant in? Well,
7:51
Speaker 2: Richard Diamond, the all-American gumshoe. Oh, you're just jealous because
7:55
Speaker 2: that club you've got is a better shape than your head. Lieutenant,
7:59
Speaker 2: Diamond's out here. Okay, send him in. Tell me, Shamus,
8:03
Speaker 2: how does one get to be a great big private detective?
8:05
Speaker 2: Saving box tops? You have to observe things, Otis, my boy.
8:09
Speaker 2: For instance, one look at your shirt and I can
8:11
Speaker 2: tell you've been eating well for a week. Why don't
8:14
Speaker 2: you either get it cleaned or stick it in a
8:15
Speaker 2: pressure cooker? Hello, Walt. Now, wait a minute, Rick. If
8:19
Speaker 2: you've got a body somewhere, take it to another precinct.
8:21
Speaker 2: I'm a little short right now, but maybe I can
8:23
Speaker 2: dig one up.
8:25
Speaker 8: Yeah, that was a swell one. Is this just a
8:28
Speaker 8: social visit, or am I a dreamer? It's about the
8:30
Speaker 8: Moran suicide.
8:31
Speaker 2: You handle it?
8:31
Speaker 3: Uh-huh.
8:32
Speaker 8: One of the neighbors called us. They're both deader than
8:34
Speaker 8: Otis on a double date. What about the Grayson guy
8:36
Speaker 8: she knocked off?
8:37
Speaker 2: Cheap thug. Couple of convictions. He.
8:39
Speaker 8: Oh, don't tell me Moran's been to you with that
8:42
Speaker 8: blackmail story.
8:43
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah. He seems to think Grayson was working with someone.
8:46
Speaker 8: Rick, that guy pestered us all morning, but there's no
8:48
Speaker 8: proof of blackmail or anything else, except two people got killed.
8:51
Speaker 2: Give me a quick rundown. I don't know why you're interested.
8:54
Speaker 8: I think Moran drummed up the blackmail theory just to
8:56
Speaker 8: cover that his wife was running around with another man.
8:58
Speaker 2: Well, I'm interested because Moran gave me a fat 200
9:01
Speaker 2: bucks in advance to get me in the spirit of
9:03
Speaker 2: the thing.
9:03
Speaker 8: Well, if you want to be bored, here are the
9:05
Speaker 8: photographs of the deal. Here's Mac Grayson. Bullet entered his
9:09
Speaker 8: chest just below the 10th rib. Guns are 32. Same
9:13
Speaker 8: one that the Moran dame used on herself. Enough powder
9:15
Speaker 8: burns on his shirt to show that she was standing
9:17
Speaker 8: pretty close when she gave it to him.
9:18
Speaker 2: She'd have to be not to miss him.
9:20
Speaker 8: You can see she was lying about ten feet from
9:22
Speaker 8: Grayson near the bar. Probably needed a stiff shot before
9:25
Speaker 8: she knocked herself off. That's the highball glass on the
9:28
Speaker 8: floor near her head.
9:29
Speaker 2: And that's the.
9:30
Speaker 8: 32 she used, about six inches from her right hand
9:33
Speaker 8: and only her prints on it.
9:34
Speaker 2: Powder burns on the girl?
9:35
Speaker 8: Sure, all over her temple. We did the paraffin test
9:38
Speaker 8: on her hand, too. She fired the gun all right.
9:40
Speaker 8: Did Grayson have any friends? We never tied him up
9:43
Speaker 8: with anyone except an old wino that hangs out on
9:45
Speaker 8: Skid Row, a dump called the Para Club.
9:48
Speaker 2: Name's Wilbur Truitt. Mm-hmm.
9:50
Speaker 8: Now, well, thanks, Walt. Now, look, the dame killed the
9:54
Speaker 8: guy and then shot herself. What more do you want?
9:56
Speaker 2: I'll let you know. Now, wait a minute.
9:57
Speaker 8: I know that gleam in your eye. I always get
10:00
Speaker 8: a sour stomach from it. If you've got something, you'd
10:02
Speaker 8: better tell me. Oh, you're a cynic, Walt.
10:05
Speaker 2: Have you talked to this Wilbert Troy? We questioned him
10:07
Speaker 2: this morning. Got a tail on him? Sure, but he
10:10
Speaker 2: won't take us anywhere. Now, what are you cooking up? Well,
10:13
Speaker 2: maybe you think there's something to Moran's blackmail story. Oh,
10:16
Speaker 2: don't be an idiot. And what are you tailing Truett for?
10:19
Speaker 8: Because I can't take a chance. Blackmail's a federal rap,
10:22
Speaker 8: and if Moran keeps stirring up trouble, I want to
10:24
Speaker 8: be able to prove he's nuts.
10:25
Speaker 2: Now, you look here. I want to know what's on
10:26
Speaker 2: your mind. I'll send you a letter. Oh.
10:29
Speaker 7: Otis!
10:30
Speaker 2: Yeah, Lieutenant? Get me my bicarbonate. And shut up.
10:34
Speaker 5: Bye.
10:34
Speaker 2: Goodbye. I went through the squad room and out into
10:40
Speaker 2: the hall. I used the payphone by the door and
10:42
Speaker 2: put in a fast call to my client, William Moran.
10:46
Speaker 2: I had a hunch that Moran's $ 200 retainer in my
10:49
Speaker 2: pocket gave him an A priority on it. Yes? Mr. Moran.
10:54
Speaker 2: That's right. This is Diamond, Mr. Moran. I've got a
10:56
Speaker 2: lead on someone who knew Mac Grayson. That's fine, Mr.
10:59
Speaker 9: Diamond.
10:59
Speaker 2: Who is it? A guy who hangs out on Skid
11:02
Speaker 2: Row named Wilbert Truitt. Ever heard of him?
11:06
Speaker 6: No.
11:07
Speaker 3: Oh.
11:07
Speaker 2: Well, he might have been the one who phoned you
11:09
Speaker 2: this morning. I think I'll go down and find out.
11:11
Speaker 1: Good, good.
11:12
Speaker 2: You'll keep in touch, won't you? Oh, as long as
11:14
Speaker 2: I'm on the case.
11:15
Speaker 5: Yes.
11:16
Speaker 2: Goodbye, Mr. Moran. I left the 5th Precinct and headed
11:26
Speaker 2: for Skid Row. If you've never seen the street, it's
11:29
Speaker 2: a liberal education in the misery of human beings. Even
11:33
Speaker 2: the sun winds up with a hangover if it shines
11:35
Speaker 2: on the place too long. The Parrot Club was a
11:38
Speaker 2: cellar with a low ceiling and a drink of wine
11:40
Speaker 2: for 10 cents a glass. The smell of stale alcohol
11:43
Speaker 2: was so strong that if he opened the door to
11:45
Speaker 2: air the place out, the walls would probably cave in.
11:49
Speaker 2: I found Wilbur Truitt sitting at the bar with a
11:51
Speaker 2: dirty towel around his neck. He held the towel and
11:55
Speaker 2: the glass of wine in one hand, and with the
11:56
Speaker 2: other he pulled the towel, lifting his hand and the
11:59
Speaker 2: glass up to his mouth. You must have been an engineer.
12:04
Speaker 7: I learned this little stunts in grammar school, Bucko. I
12:08
Speaker 7: started missing my mouth 30 years ago, so I use
12:11
Speaker 7: this towel as a sort of alcohol pulley. It cuts
12:16
Speaker 7: down the element of risk.
12:18
Speaker 2: Hate to spill a drop. You know a guy named Grayson?
12:21
Speaker 2: It's the shakes, Bucko.
12:22
Speaker 7: I am completely exhausted after a night of revelry, and
12:26
Speaker 7: my hand waves like it was flagging down a caravan
12:29
Speaker 7: of whiskey trucks.
12:30
Speaker 2: Look, friend, I.
12:31
Speaker 7: But after one or two pick-me-ups, I am perfectly capable
12:35
Speaker 7: of lifting the.
12:36
Speaker 2: Glass by myself.
12:38
Speaker 7: And come nightfall, I'm in excellent condition to entertain my
12:42
Speaker 7: little friends.
12:43
Speaker 2: Oh, swell.
12:44
Speaker 7: Most cowards let their little fellows frighten them, and they
12:48
Speaker 7: end up in Bellevue, but I like them.
12:51
Speaker 2: They worried me at first, but.
12:53
Speaker 7: When they found out how much I drank, they began
12:56
Speaker 7: to show the strain, and the shoe was on the
12:58
Speaker 7: other foot.
12:59
Speaker 2: So to speak. Oh, no.
13:01
Speaker 7: They tried to frighten me the first night, but I
13:04
Speaker 7: just kept right on with one bottle after another, and
13:07
Speaker 7: it finally drove them to drink. Now my DTs have hallucinations.
13:12
Speaker 7: We are rapidly building up a thriving community.
13:15
Speaker 2: What were you saying, Bucko? Uh, something about the evils
13:19
Speaker 2: of self-indulgence, but I've forgotten now.
13:21
Speaker 7: Good.
13:21
Speaker 2: In that case, I will let you buy me a drink. Oh, sure. Waiter,
13:26
Speaker 2: bring the bottle.
13:27
Speaker 7: You just gave me cold chills. If I lick your hand,
13:33
Speaker 7: it's only a sign of fond endearment.
13:37
Speaker 2: Okay. Now, do you know a guy named Grayson? I
13:42
Speaker 2: knew there was a catch. Are you a cop? No.
13:45
Speaker 7: In that case, I trust you. Besides, you are holding
13:48
Speaker 7: this lovely bottle.
13:49
Speaker 2: What about Grayson?
13:50
Speaker 7: First, a small glass of truth serum.
13:53
Speaker 2: First, Grayson.
13:54
Speaker 7: I can't stand to look, so I will turn my
13:57
Speaker 7: back on the bottle and tell you what I know.
14:01
Speaker 2: Mr.
14:02
Speaker 7: Mac Grayson, a very unsavory character who reached a sudden
14:07
Speaker 7: demise last evening, dealt in smutty pasts and made them
14:11
Speaker 7: pay off by milking his victims. He has only one friend,
14:15
Speaker 7: a Mr.
14:15
Speaker 2: Leo Fink. Now, please, I'm beginning to spit out wads
14:18
Speaker 2: of cotton. Where does this Fink live?
14:20
Speaker 5: Oh.
14:22
Speaker 2: You are indeed a heartless rogue. I was once.
14:25
Speaker 7: You aren't by any chance a spy from the Purity League?
14:29
Speaker 2: You get the bottle when I find out where Leo
14:31
Speaker 2: Fink lives.
14:31
Speaker 7: 1120 Second Avenue, now, please.
14:35
Speaker 2: Ah, there you are. Don't struggle with the cork, Bucko.
14:38
Speaker 7: I have just acquired the strength of an uncropped Samson.
14:43
Speaker 7: And as I gaze upon this ruby goblet, I am
14:46
Speaker 7: reminded of the fact that you are not the first.
14:49
Speaker 7: to come seeking the whereabouts of one Leo Hink.
14:52
Speaker 2: Huh? Play it back in English.
14:54
Speaker 7: A thug with a disagreeable habit of twisting my ascot
15:01
Speaker 7: approached me not ten minutes before you came in seeking
15:04
Speaker 7: the same information.
15:06
Speaker 2: Did you give it to him? I had to.
15:08
Speaker 7: One more pull on my tie and dissipation would have
15:11
Speaker 7: been a thing of the past.
15:13
Speaker 2: Thanks, Wilbur. Here, buy yourself another jug. Oh, bless you.
15:17
Speaker 7: And good morrow, cousin... Here's to my love.
15:25
Speaker 2: Oh, true apothecary. Thy drugs are quick. Thus, with a kiss,
15:34
Speaker 2: I die. I left Wilbur with his first love and
15:42
Speaker 2: walked out on the street. I grabbed a cab and
15:45
Speaker 2: headed for Leo Fink's address. All the way over, I
15:47
Speaker 2: kept thinking how wonderful fresh air really was. When we
15:51
Speaker 2: finally got there, I paid off the cabbie and looked
15:53
Speaker 2: at my watch. It was 4.30, and the city was
15:56
Speaker 2: turning soft and mellow as the sun started giving up
15:58
Speaker 2: behind the tall buildings. I got that lousy feeling again
16:02
Speaker 2: when I looked across the street. A prowler car was
16:05
Speaker 2: parked at the curb, and it looked like Homicide's private limousine.
16:09
Speaker 2: Something was wrong. I went up to Fink's apartment in
16:12
Speaker 2: a hurry.
16:15
Speaker 1: Yeah?
16:17
Speaker 2: Ah, what do you want, Shamus? Well, good afternoon, Sergeant.
16:19
Speaker 2: I'm taking the census. How long ago did you die, sir?
16:22
Speaker 2: Very funny, Diamond. Otis, who is that?
16:24
Speaker 4: Diamond.
16:25
Speaker 2: Who else?
16:26
Speaker 8: I didn't ask for a quick quiz on well-known personalities.
16:28
Speaker 7: Let him in.
16:29
Speaker 2: Yeah, Lieutenant. Shame on you, Otis. You'll never make an
16:32
Speaker 2: Eagle Scout. Hello, Rick. What do you want? I bet
16:34
Speaker 2: he's dead. You'll bet who's dead? You know who's dead. Sure,
16:37
Speaker 2: I know who's dead. Who do you think is dead?
16:38
Speaker 2: The guy I came up here to see. Well, who
16:40
Speaker 2: did you come up to see? I think it's the
16:41
Speaker 2: guy who's dead. Don't you know? No, I ask you. Well,
16:44
Speaker 2: I'm telling you. You told me nothing. Look, why are
16:47
Speaker 2: you up here? Because I'm looking for a guy. What guy?
16:49
Speaker 2: I think it's the guy who's dead. Who's dead? Oh,
16:51
Speaker 2: he's on third. Don't you know? I think I know, Lieutenant.
16:54
Speaker 2: You shut up!
16:55
Speaker 8: Of course I know. Well, all right, all right. If
16:57
Speaker 8: you're going to hold out on your old pal... Now,
16:59
Speaker 8: wait a minute, wait a minute. How did we get
17:01
Speaker 8: into this thing?
17:01
Speaker 4: Otis, here's your bicarbonate.
17:03
Speaker 2: All mixed. All right, now let's start again. Walt, who's dead?
17:09
Speaker 8: Oh, let's not have two bodies up here. The guy's
17:12
Speaker 8: name is Fink. Leo Fink.
17:13
Speaker 2: Why did you say that in the first place? Because
17:15
Speaker 2: I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. What?
17:17
Speaker 2: Lieutenant Levinson. Now, what are you doing up here?
17:20
Speaker 8: Oh, I came up to see Leo Fink, that's all. Well,
17:23
Speaker 8: he's in the other room. If he spilled anything, don't
17:25
Speaker 8: believe it. He's been dead for ten minutes. That's too bad.
17:28
Speaker 8: He knew Mac Grayson. Yeah, how did you find out?
17:31
Speaker 8: That sweet old gentleman you sent me over to, Wilbert Truitt. Oh,
17:34
Speaker 8: you got something out of him, huh?
17:35
Speaker 2: What else did he tell you? Nothing, but we struck
17:37
Speaker 2: up quite a friendship. I'm going to go back over
17:40
Speaker 2: and see what another bottle of wine will do to
17:42
Speaker 2: his memory. I'd better haul him in. Don't do it, Walt.
17:44
Speaker 2: Don't do it. I can find out things a lot quicker. Shh.
17:48
Speaker 2: I got a system.
17:49
Speaker 8: Okay, but keep me posted. I've got to clean up here.
17:51
Speaker 8: How did Fink get it? Two bullets in the head.
17:54
Speaker 8: No idea who gave it to him. They used a luger,
17:56
Speaker 8: I think.
17:57
Speaker 7: Hey.
17:58
Speaker 2: Have you questioned Otis? Oh, go on, get out of here. Walt,
18:03
Speaker 2: tell me, did you check the prints on that highball
18:05
Speaker 2: glass next to Mrs. Moran to find out whether they
18:07
Speaker 2: were from her right or left hand? Now, what difference
18:09
Speaker 2: does it make? I'll let you know. Now, you wait
18:12
Speaker 2: a minute. No, I can't. I'm behind schedule now. Bye. Oh, Otis!
18:21
Speaker 2: I went downstairs in a hurry and started back to
18:23
Speaker 2: Skid Row and Wilbur Truett. I turned a corner and
18:26
Speaker 2: had a quick change of heart. That's far enough, Seamus. Wow. Wow,
18:32
Speaker 2: look what I picked up. All right. Get in this alley.
18:35
Speaker 2: Why don't you put that cannon away? It shows up
18:38
Speaker 2: like a pair of gums at a dentist convention. Turn
18:40
Speaker 2: around and get going. I can run if it would help.
18:44
Speaker 2: Take your time. You haven't got too much of it left.
18:47
Speaker 2: Stop nudging. You got a cold barrel. Don't you like it? No,
18:52
Speaker 2: but it helps. A lesson in the manly art of self-defense.
18:56
Speaker 2: Next time, don't get so close with a gun. Well,
18:59
Speaker 2: what do you know? A luger. Okay, so I'm a butterfingers.
19:05
Speaker 2: You got the gun now. What are you going to do?
19:06
Speaker 2: I got a mean streak, and it shows up when
19:08
Speaker 2: someone tries to kill me. I'm going to ask a
19:11
Speaker 2: couple of questions, and if you don't answer them, you'll
19:13
Speaker 2: wish you'd picked on an octopus. Now, get up. Oh,
19:18
Speaker 2: you're a big one. Now, who sent you after me?
19:22
Speaker 2: I don't know. Who sent you after me? Honest, I
19:25
Speaker 2: don't know. Wait, wait a second. All right. The guy
19:30
Speaker 2: told me on the phone his name was Jones. Sure.
19:33
Speaker 2: First name's John.
19:34
Speaker 7: Now, wait, wait.
19:35
Speaker 2: I know it's a phony, but he was recommended. You
19:37
Speaker 2: get paid for your work, don't you? Yeah, but this
19:39
Speaker 2: one I collect after the job. Where? I thought you'd
19:43
Speaker 2: gotten over that stubborn streak.
19:45
Speaker 5: Okay.
19:47
Speaker 2: The 8 o'clock ferry to Staten Island. He's gonna slip
19:50
Speaker 2: me two bills. And you don't know his right name? No.
19:53
Speaker 2: Did you know Mac Grayson? I heard of him, but
19:56
Speaker 2: I never met him. Are you as handy with a.
19:58
Speaker 2: 32 as you are with that Luger?
19:59
Speaker 5: Huh?
20:00
Speaker 2: Forget it. Next question. Who killed Leo Fink? That's a
20:05
Speaker 2: pretty big one. Okay, I'll word it differently. Who killed
20:08
Speaker 2: Leo Fink? I'll take the beating. Yeah. Well, I gotta
20:13
Speaker 2: hunch this luger of yours will check with ballistics. Come on.
20:16
Speaker 2: Homicide's still up in Fink's apartment. Nuts! What did you say?
20:20
Speaker 7: Okay.
20:28
Speaker 2: I hustled Lowy up to Walt and left him handcuffed
20:30
Speaker 2: to Sergeant Otis. They deserved each other. Louie said he
20:34
Speaker 2: was going to be paid off at 8 o'clock... and
20:36
Speaker 2: my watch said it was a quarter after 7. That
20:38
Speaker 2: gave me 45 minutes to check at Homicide... and still
20:40
Speaker 2: catch the ferry to Staten Island. The fingerprint man at
20:44
Speaker 2: the 5th Precinct... put the prints from the highball glass
20:46
Speaker 2: under a microscope... and told me what I wanted to know.
20:49
Speaker 2: My hunch had been right. So I grabbed a cab,
20:52
Speaker 2: and 20 minutes later... I was paying for my ticket
20:54
Speaker 2: at the ferry landing. A thick, wet fog was beginning
20:58
Speaker 2: to roll in off the river... and by 8 o'clock,
21:00
Speaker 2: it was hard to even see your watch... Someone was
21:05
Speaker 2: playing a piano in the lounge as the ferry began
21:07
Speaker 2: to move slowly across the river. I didn't know who
21:10
Speaker 2: I was looking for, but I figured if there was
21:13
Speaker 2: going to be a payoff, it would be outside. I
21:15
Speaker 2: leaned against the rail and took out a cigarette. Got
21:20
Speaker 2: the match, mister? Yeah, yeah, right here.
21:23
Speaker 4: Thanks.
21:25
Speaker 2: Lousy night.
21:26
Speaker 7: Yeah.
21:29
Speaker 2: He wasn't my man. When he struck the match, I
21:32
Speaker 2: could see his dirty work clothes and his factory badge.
21:35
Speaker 2: I started down the other side of the boat. Finding
21:38
Speaker 2: a killer in that fog was like looking for your
21:40
Speaker 2: car keys in a mine shaft. I reached the bow
21:43
Speaker 2: of the boat, and right then I knew I was
21:45
Speaker 2: about to score. I get a tight feeling in my
21:48
Speaker 2: stomach when I start closing in on danger. I spotted
21:52
Speaker 2: the dark outline at the rail, so I pulled my
21:54
Speaker 2: hat down and walked up beside him. He was hunched
21:56
Speaker 2: over with his arms resting on the rail. Terrible night.
22:01
Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
22:02
Speaker 2: It'd be awful if you had to find someone in
22:04
Speaker 2: this fog. Not if he found you first.
22:07
Speaker 4: Yeah.
22:08
Speaker 2: I like the name Louis Osgood. Have you heard of it?
22:11
Speaker 2: I like the name Moran.
22:12
Speaker 7: Huh?
22:12
Speaker 2: William Moran. Who are you? Just an employee.
22:15
Speaker 7: Diamond?
22:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, you get a gold star. Well, what do you want?
22:18
Speaker 2: Have you found the blackmailers? Now, stop playing Alice in Wonderland.
22:22
Speaker 2: I just pushed around your hired gun if Louis Osgood.
22:24
Speaker 2: He had enough to say to put you away for
22:26
Speaker 2: a long time. He couldn't have. He didn't know my...
22:28
Speaker 2: Didn't know your name? Who murdered your wife, you or
22:31
Speaker 2: Louie Osgood? Why do you say murder? The police said
22:33
Speaker 2: it was suicide. Well, I got news for you, Buster.
22:36
Speaker 2: Homicide just changed its mind. I checked and found out
22:39
Speaker 2: that the highball glass near her head was covered with
22:41
Speaker 2: prints from her right hand. What does that prove? It
22:43
Speaker 2: proves that to take her own life, she'd have to
22:45
Speaker 2: have fingers a foot long. The prints on the gun
22:48
Speaker 2: were also from her right hand. You're going to tell
22:50
Speaker 2: me that your wife shot herself while holding a highball
22:53
Speaker 2: glass in the same hand? That's not my problem, Mr.
22:55
Speaker 3: Diamond.
22:56
Speaker 2: Well, I think it is. If Louie Osgood didn't shoot her,
22:59
Speaker 2: that leaves just one suspect.
23:01
Speaker 4: You.
23:01
Speaker 2: Now, let's take a walk back to the cabin. I
23:03
Speaker 2: want to keep an eye on you for homicide. All right.
23:08
Speaker 8: This is where I leave you, Mr.
23:09
Speaker 9: Diamond.
23:09
Speaker 8: Hey, come here!
23:11
Speaker 2: I hadn't thought he'd make a break, but as long
23:13
Speaker 2: as he had a gun and knew how to use it,
23:14
Speaker 2: I could understand why he did. I got my gun
23:17
Speaker 2: out and took off after him. I expected him to
23:19
Speaker 2: go over the side and in the fog, and he'd
23:20
Speaker 2: have a good chance. But when a guy gets cornered,
23:23
Speaker 2: he does funny things. I never would have spotted him.
23:26
Speaker 2: but he threw open a door and framed himself in
23:28
Speaker 2: the light from the inside. I must have caught him
23:31
Speaker 2: because I saw him start to fold and stagger through
23:33
Speaker 2: the door. I took my time getting there. A wounded
23:36
Speaker 2: man with a gun can get pretty mean sometimes. The
23:39
Speaker 2: door swung back and forth with the motion of the boat,
23:42
Speaker 2: and I could hear the sound of the engines. He'd
23:47
Speaker 2: gone down in the engine room, so I dropped to
23:49
Speaker 2: my knees and went in after him. A long, polished
23:52
Speaker 2: ladder led down to the big diesel's blow, and I
23:54
Speaker 2: knew I'd hit him with the first shot. because there
23:57
Speaker 2: was a bright red trail of blood leading down the
23:59
Speaker 2: ladder and behind the churning machinery.
24:00
Speaker 3: Moran!
24:02
Speaker 2: Moran, come on out! You can't get out of here.
24:05
Speaker 5: Come and get me, Diamond!
24:09
Speaker 2: I don't like being slapped around, and I'm going to
24:11
Speaker 2: see that you get yours. He was somewhere off to
24:14
Speaker 2: my left and keeping himself hidden. The catwalk circled the
24:17
Speaker 2: engine room, so I pulled an old stunt. I took
24:20
Speaker 2: a wrench off the wall and tossed it down the
24:21
Speaker 2: metal ladder. Shh! I watched for his gun flashes, and
24:26
Speaker 2: when I spotted his position, I got down on my
24:27
Speaker 2: stomach and crawled along the catwalk until I was directly
24:30
Speaker 2: over his head. He was sitting in a lot of blood,
24:33
Speaker 2: and he didn't look like he had long to go.
24:34
Speaker 2: Come on, Diamond. I know you're down here. Surprise. Look
24:37
Speaker 2: at the birdie.
24:38
Speaker 5: What?
24:38
Speaker 2: Don't try it. Sorry, Moran, but this just wasn't your night.
24:49
Speaker 2: You want to tell me about it? I shot my wife.
24:53
Speaker 9: I came in just after she shot Grayson. She was
24:56
Speaker 9: standing at the bar with her back to me mixing
24:58
Speaker 9: a drink. She dropped the gun by Grayson's body, so
25:01
Speaker 9: I picked it up and shot her. Wiped my prints
25:04
Speaker 9: off and put hers on it. Why did you do it?
25:06
Speaker 2: I hated her. She had money.
25:10
Speaker 9: I found some letters and turned them over to Mac Grayson,
25:12
Speaker 9: the well-known blackmailer. I wanted him to drive her crazy
25:15
Speaker 9: until she drank herself into a sanitarium.
25:17
Speaker 2: Then I'd have her money.
25:19
Speaker 9: I never guessed she'd kill Grayson, but when I did,
25:21
Speaker 9: I saw a chance to kill her and make it
25:22
Speaker 9: look like suicide.
25:24
Speaker 2: You should never have called me. The police were satisfied.
25:27
Speaker 2: I had to find Leo Fink. He knew I'd hired Grayson,
25:30
Speaker 2: and he was going to blackmail me. So when I
25:34
Speaker 2: dug up the little whiner that knew Fink, you hired
25:36
Speaker 2: Louis Osgood to bump Fink and me. Is that right?
25:40
Speaker 7: Hey.
25:40
Speaker 2: Hey, Moran. Oh, well, it was a dull conversation anyway.
25:46
Speaker 2: Lousy night. The captain came and helped me carry him
25:59
Speaker 2: up to the deck. Back at the ferry landing, I
26:01
Speaker 2: called Walt Levinson and told him the whole story. I
26:05
Speaker 2: didn't wait around. I just hung up in the middle
26:06
Speaker 2: of his lecture on good behavior and started walking. A
26:09
Speaker 2: stiff breeze was kicking up and pushing the fog back
26:12
Speaker 2: where it came from. After a good round of murder,
26:15
Speaker 2: a guy likes to relax. and I knew just the
26:18
Speaker 2: place to curl up and get my fur brushed. I
26:21
Speaker 2: grabbed a cab and headed for 975 Park Avenue, and
26:25
Speaker 2: the only girl in the world who looked better than
26:27
Speaker 2: her $ 10 million bank account.
26:33
Speaker 4: Oh, good evening, Mr.
26:34
Speaker 7: Diamond.
26:35
Speaker 2: Hello, Francis. Is Miss Asher in?
26:37
Speaker 4: Yes, sir.
26:37
Speaker 2: She's in the library. Thanks. Get me a glass of milk,
26:40
Speaker 2: will you, Francis? Milk? Oh, yes, sir.
26:43
Speaker 7: Right away.
26:44
Speaker 8: Thank you.
26:46
Speaker 2: Hey, that's a B-flat.
26:47
Speaker 4: Rick, where have you been?
26:50
Speaker 2: Sailing, sailing over the rounding main. Move over.
26:54
Speaker 4: You were supposed to have been here at 8 o'clock.
26:56
Speaker 2: Oh, what's an hour if you tack it on to
26:58
Speaker 2: the end of the evening?
26:59
Speaker 6: Well, I'm glad you've been keeping out of trouble. I
27:02
Speaker 6: can't stand it when you wander in all beat up.
27:07
Speaker 6: You smell nice. What kind of cologne is that?
27:10
Speaker 2: Gunpowder, 38. What? Oh, nothing. What's this you were playing?
27:15
Speaker 4: Oh, a new song. Again.
27:17
Speaker 2: You were just dandy.
27:18
Speaker 4: Well, you know I don't play well. I just pick.
27:21
Speaker 2: You should be glad you don't play the guitar with
27:23
Speaker 2: those beautiful nails you'd sawed in half. You're ridiculous.
27:27
Speaker 3: Whoops.
27:29
Speaker 2: Oh, that wasn't a B-flat.
27:31
Speaker 4: Rick.
27:31
Speaker 2: Mm-hmm.
27:33
Speaker 4: Who do you love?
27:34
Speaker 2: I won't tell. Rick. I love you, baby.
27:37
Speaker 4: Then let's get married.
27:40
Speaker 2: Hey, these are pretty good lyrics.
27:42
Speaker 4: Now stop that.
27:44
Speaker 2: Again This couldn't happen again I hate you This is
27:52
Speaker 2: that once in a lifetime This is that moment divine.
27:58
Speaker 4: You never sing when I want you to What's.
28:01
Speaker 2: More This never happened before Though I have waited a
28:10
Speaker 2: lifetime For such as you To suddenly be mine No comment?
28:19
Speaker 7: No.
28:20
Speaker 2: Mine to hold As I'm holding you now And yet
28:27
Speaker 2: never to part Mine to... Hey, what's the matter? Don't go.
28:34
Speaker 4: You want to sing? Go ahead.
28:36
Speaker 2: Well, what did you have in mind?
28:38
Speaker 4: I won't tell.
28:39
Speaker 2: You're not being original. That's my line.
28:41
Speaker 4: Well, I'm mad.
28:41
Speaker 2: Come here. Come here. No. Come here. Helen. Still mad? No. Well,
28:51
Speaker 2: let's get you mad again. It's so much fun making up.
28:55
Speaker 2: Mine again. What's the name of the song again? It
29:00
Speaker 2: never happens again. I'm mad. Oh, good.
29:04
Speaker 7: No.
29:06
Speaker 2: Mickey. Here's your milk, Mr. Diamond. Oh, my goodness, you
29:12
Speaker 2: never warned me.
29:16
Speaker 3: You have just heard Richard Diamond, Private Detective, starring Dick Powell.
29:26
Speaker 3: Helen was played by Virginia Gregg, Lieutenant Levinson by Ed Begley.
29:30
Speaker 3: Also in our cast were Wilms Herbert, Tal Avery, Herbert Butterfield,
29:34
Speaker 3: and Jack Petruzzi. Music was under the direction of David Baskerville.
29:38
Speaker 3: Richard Diamond is written by Blake Edwards and directed by
29:41
Speaker 3: William P.
29:42
Speaker 2: Rousseau.
29:43
Speaker 3: Now this is Eddie King inviting you to be with
29:45
Speaker 3: us again at the same time next week when we
29:47
Speaker 3: will again bring you Dick Powell as Richard Diamond, Private Detective.
29:51
Speaker 3: This program has come to you from Hollywood. Now NBC
29:57
Speaker 3: brings you a three-way cavalcade of grand comedy with Phil
30:00
Speaker 3: Harris and Alice Faye, Fred Allen and Henry Morgan, all
30:03
Speaker 3: following in fast succession over most of these NBC stations.
30:07
Speaker 3: This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.
30:20
Speaker 1: Richard Diamond, private detective, has now closed with The Betty
30:25
Speaker 1: Moran Case. Thank you for joining us at the radio dial,
30:28
Speaker 1: and good night. Follow Old Time Mystery Radio for more
30:33
Speaker 1: classic mystery and detective broadcasts.