Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Crime and Peter Chambers: The Double Indemnity Murder (EP1474)

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Crime and Peter Chambers: The Double Indemnity Murder (EP1474) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it
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url as well, so just go to support dot Great Detectives dot net.
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Well, now it is time for today's episode of Crime and Peter Chambers.
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The original air date is July sixth of nineteen fifty four and the title is
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the Double Indemnity Murder Crime and Peter Chambers, created by Henry Kaine, transcribed
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and starring Bane Clark, Private Investigator, duly Licensed, done duly sworn.
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Peter chambers. You're a private eye. That's your business. Anything else that's
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for laughs. No laughs now, because you're working on a case, and
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the case happens to involve a little matter of murder. And there ain't no
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laughs in murder. Despite the Broadway playwrights in arsenic and old lace, there
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just ain't no laughs in murder. No how your client is an insurance company
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that stands to lose three hundred thousand solid Simolians. And you're down at headquarters
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at the office of a good friend by name of Detective Lieutenant Louis Parker.
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Frank Reid, wealthy manufacturer of dolls, senior partner in the firm of Reed
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and Carson, dead by reason of an infusion of bullets the office of his
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factory on twenty third Street. Happened last night at ten o'clock. Now,
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what's your interest, Peter pan I've been hired by the insurance company Louis eh
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what insurance company Samson Indemnity and SHT Frank read for one hundred and fifty thousand
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double indemnity, which is three hundred thousand in case of accidental death. Frank
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Reid's brother is beneficiary under that policy. Correct, gent by name John Reid.
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Quite a guy, this John Reid, poet, dreamer, highly sophisticated,
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hunk of nothing. Look, Louis, this guy stands to pick up
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three hundred thousand big ones. Frank took out that policy only four days ago,
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paid one premium. The company's going to get stuck and get stuck heavy.
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Exactly why have you been hired? Pete well overall to help salve murder?
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But if it turns out that John Reid knocked off his brother, the
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company saves three hundred thousand bucks, so they hire a private eye. Oh,
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sort of an investment, all right, what do you want to know?
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Uh huh to coin a phrase, the facts, pal, the facts.
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See now. The Dull Factory's on twenty third office on the ground floor,
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windows face out win Alley. Frank Reid had an appointment with his partner
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for ten o'clock yesterday evening, private business conference. Windows were open hot night.
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Partner gets there and she finds she did you say she? Oh,
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Sonny, when do you get to that? She and a gorgeous one by
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all the cars and young, beautiful, skillful designer junior partner. Boy,
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is she okay? Okay? So she gets there. Yeah, when she
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gets there. According to her, the play shows signs of a terrific struggle.
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Frank reads on the floor, three bullets in him. That's her story.
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That's all we got is her story. Anything else. Yeah, the
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guy's dying. She revives him. He comes to maybe a minute. He
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tells her a courting to her that someone came in through that office window,
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conked him from behind, that he tried to fight him off, and then
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the bullets came. See, he tried to write a note after his assailant
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left. Then this Frank Reid dies in her arms and clutched in his hand
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as a note. You got the note? Yeah, right here? Yeah,
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take a look. See the cufflink is. That's the entire note.
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The cuff link is. Yeah, that's right, the cufflink is. Notice
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the straw at the end there. His strength gave out. He was trying
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to tell us something. But the Lord knows what was he wearing? Cufflinks?
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Yeah, he was. Any connection, none that we can figure out,
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p D. Why don't you get down there and look over as they
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say, the scene of the crime factories closed, but the office is open,
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and that gorgeous partner of his is there. Well, you talked me
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into it, Pal, I'll join you there a little later as well.
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Oh, by the way, louis any special suspects, Well, if it
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wasn't some kind of ordinary hold up, The only ones with any interest is
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John Reid, this partner vi Ela Cosson, and then there's John Reid's wife
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Linda. Oh, and a guy she's kind of stuck on, a dancer
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by name of the Salvatore Cortez. Here, let me wrustle up some of
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the details for you. You see this John Reid is married to a haughty
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kind of mind type. Twenty minutes later, you're in the ground floor office
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of a couple of doll manufacturers, Reid and Tarsi. The alley windows are
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open, but there's hardly a breath of air coming in. The walls aligned
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with shelves holding hundreds of dolls, all the same, the one type of
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doll they manufactured. There's a large desk and that's cluttered with many papers,
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and on that there's a doll too, a sample of the one on the
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shelves, but seated at the desk is a real doll. She's wearing a
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man tailored suit, but man tailoring or no, this one's all woman band,
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blue eyed with soft rost petal lips. She stands up, and the
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figure she displays adds a sparkling new interest to the matter at hand. Yes,
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what is it? Please? Are you Whyola Carson? Yes, I'm
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miss Carson. Miss Carson. That doesn't hurt either. You tell her who
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you are and why you're here, and she smiles and dimples and cooperates splendidly
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in the question and answer routine. She corroborates most of the facts that Lieutenant
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Parker gave you, and that's about all I know. Mister Chambers. Did
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you read that note that he had in his hands? Yes? I did.
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The cufflink is and then a scrawl. He just couldn't complete it.
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Any ideas on that, No, sir, none. I notice that with
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that lovely bloss of yours that you wear cuflings too. Yes, at the
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moment, I'm wearing cufflings. Now, you say you were to have a
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business conference with Frank Reid for ten o'clock last night. Isn't that an unusual
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hour for business conference? Well, mister Chambers, I wish you'd call me
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Pete. Why people I like I like him? To call me Pete,
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and I like you, Viola quick like that? That's me quick as a
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bunny. Well, and we have the same natures. I'm rather precipitate in
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my likes and dislikes too. Well, how do you precipitate with me?
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I like you? Well, then, before we start talking about cocktails and
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candlelight, let's get back to the detective and suspect of routine, shall we,
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Viola, it's your party, Peter. Now about that unusual hour for
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a business conference, Oh, there's nothing unusual about that. We frequently had
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conferences at that hour. I see. See. Do you know Frank's brother,
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this John Reid, I know him very well. A guy best I
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can express it a character. You'd have to meet him to understand. You
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know his wife Linda, Well, that's her name, I think, a
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spectacular brunette from one I hope will never call you Pete. Well, from
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what I hear, there's small chance. From what I hear, she's got
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a guy other than her husband, whom she loves to call by his first
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name, Salvatory Cortez. You know him too. He's a ferment coo dancer
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at the Bungo Club. Aside from being a terrific dancer. He's quite an
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inventive guy. It was he who originally gave Frank Read the idea for this
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doll. We make this Mamma Dad. Oh you mean Frank stole it and
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this guy bears a grudge. Oh no, it was well paid for his
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idea. There was no hard feeling between Frank Reid and Cortez. Well,
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how about hard feeling between John Reed and Cortez? None? Their reader.
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Well, from what I hear this, Cortez is real palsy welsey with the
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guy's wife. Well, you simply have to meet John Reed. Do you
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understand that I intend to meet John Reed. Look, mister Chambers, Peter,
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I have got to go now. You can pick this up with me
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anytime you like. I'll be home most of this evening. My address.
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I know your address, Oh from the police. Oh so all right then,
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Oh you'd have loved to have gone with her, But you've got work.
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You mess around looking the place over. You take a doll off the
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wall shelf and you handle it huh kimming. Then you look the desk over,
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You pick up the doll on the desk and suddenly it slips. Is
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a floor, and you stooped for it when somebody with a piece shoe in
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the alley and the target is you. A look out of the alley window
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shows you that whoever it is is gone. Then the door opens. It
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sounded like gun shut it. Well it wasn't backfire, oldbean throw a cun
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meaning were you doing the shooting or were you being shot at flight? I
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don't know. I don't know. Maybe I was getting too nosy. Well
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I think I'm through here. Hey Louis, Look do you think I can
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sort of steal this little doll and take it home with me? The one
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here on the desk? What's with you and dolls? Wow? This kind
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I got a little attachment for this one. It slipped from my hands when
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I stooped for it. Those shots came over my head. So this little
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one sort of a saved my life. Shoes shoe. Anytime you need a
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carriage or maybe a tricycle or something, just call on Old Louis. So
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Papa takes his Mama doll back to the apartment and there you shower, clean
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up, and then you're off again on the usual routine pitch checking on all
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the principal characters. It's late when you finally get to John Reid's place,
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but they should be expecting you. You called and made an appointment. Good
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evening, mister Chambers. I'm missus Linda Reed. Linda Reid, tall,
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olive skinned and attractive, and she greets you with about as much enthusiasm as
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an Eskimo greets an ice cube and a negla. She's wearing an office shoulder
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evening gown tied to her figure, and she's got the kind of figure that
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a dress should be tight to. Mister Reader is in his study, nappy
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before you start fetching Missus Reid. A couple of questions, please, well,
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I'm in rather a hurry about Frank Reid deceased. Was he married?
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Nobody's told me a widower, two children, both grown, both living in
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Paris. They had brothers and sisters, Me, John, my husband.
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He was the only brother, only other relative inpact. Did they get along
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John Reid and brother Frank, Well, let me put it this way,
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Frank adored John has witnessed the life insurance policy in his favor. On the
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other hand, on absolutely abhorred. Frank abhorred. But why because my husband
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abhors anything or anyone who is dull. And he found Frank a stuffy bore.
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I see your husband is a poet of sorts, isn't he. Well,
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let us say, a writer. Do you sell many things? John?
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Oh? No, nothing commercial about any of John reads it. Then
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where's the wherewith all come from? Frank was always very kind a guy said
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he adored John, actually admired his peculiarity. I'll fetch him now, if
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you'll please, mister Chambers. M hm. She goes down a corridor and
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disappears. And you move about looking things over in the well furnished room.
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When you start going in the direction of the shots, when a tall blond
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man with sleepy blue eyes comes towards you, are you the alleterature check?
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Yes, yes, I suppose Chambers, Yes, right now? Look what
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was that, lays man? You'd serve a better purpose in there my study.
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Don't play clues and whatnot? Those shots? What were they? Did
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you say? Whoever it was is gone? Now he ran down the parros
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cape man or woman. I couldn't tell. I saw somebody, but I
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couldn't tell. That's too bad. Well, let's get out of the shooting
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gallery and go back out there and talk to your husband. Well, have
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you too apprehended the misguided soul who attempted my murder? What do you know
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about him? Mister Reid? You are John Reid as I am, and
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I know nothing about it. I was just opening my eyes from a delicious
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dream. As far as I know, it could have been my dear wife
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attempting me as session he's never a beloved husband. I wouldn't put it past
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a notoriously poor chap. Well, as long as we're all safe and sound,
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I'm a little late us, of course, if you go, my
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dear and then my best to mister Cortez. That was salvatory Cortez, I
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was referring to. My wife is quite enamored of him. A hyeball,
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mister Chambers, No thank you. Look, don't our modern poets indulge themselves
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in the ancient emotion of jealousy, mister reader, As they do, I
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suppose, and they do not. Speaking for myself, no jealousy. Oh,
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I should explain the because of my wife and I cordially detest one another,
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I say, And now that the howling clatter of pistols has subsided,
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I do we should state your business mister Chambers. Well, sir, as
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you know, I represent the insurance company. Yes, and they have some
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absurd idea that I murdered Frank in order to fall heir to three hundred thousand
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dollars. Well said, a pretty good idea at that in time. I'm
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sure I'd have come around to thinking about it, but I didn't. That's
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final. Any idea who did none whatever? Any idea who just took pot
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shots at you? Answer? I'll say this for you. You're amazingly unruffled.
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Well, I'm a fatalist, mister Chambers. My philosophy is that of
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the ancient Indians predestination. To put it in modern and laconic terms, when
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my number is up, it is up. I'm always singularly free of wording.
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Okay, let's change the subject now. Your wife, beautiful woman,
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isn't well? I mean your wife and this Salvatory Cortel, the great dancer
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that young man performs at the Bungo Club. That's well she wait, no,
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no, no, What I mean is that? What is the Chambers?
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Your reaching and your attempt to be tactful. There's no reason for that,
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none whatever. If she's in love with him, just between you and
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me. I don't give one to two in hades now, if you please,
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a very good evening juicer. Next up the Bungo Club. From there
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you phone to Viola Carson that you'll see her later, and then you lap
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up some scotch at the bar and you watch the salvatory Cortez perform the guy's
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dark, slender and graceful, wrapped up in tight black pants and a white
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silk shirt and banging his heels against the floor like he's sending out Morse code
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messages. When he's through, he joins Linder a secluded table, which turns
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out to be not so secluded because you sort of mosey over now, mister
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Chambers, really that is you are the mister Chambers. Missus reed tellicbluster for
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me. You don't have to make with that phony Spanish accent, and I
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do not understand. I will not have you speak these ways. Tom Off,
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will your pal. I've done a little back checking. Your name is
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Sam Cortland, you were born in Brooklyn. How do we get it straight
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or phony? Okay, you get it straight, mister Sluth. Traders like
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this beat it, Sonny. Unless you talk nice, I'm gonna yank you
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up by your little lily white shirt and maybe paste you up against that wall.
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What do you want? Just a little chatter, intimidate you. Salvador
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name is Sam. Didn't you hear me? I know what's his name?
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Okay, what do you want? Answers to a couple of questions, Sibyliz,
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all right, all right, let's have them. You wear couplings sometimes
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I do, Sometimes I don't wear couplings. Last night, last night,
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I don't remember. I don't remember putting it to my diary. Oh you're
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very funny. Next question, where were your last night between nine thirty and
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ten? In my part? Can you prove that I don't have to path
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if it doesn't suit you? You prove I wasn't You won't cooperate? Huh
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words of one syllable? No? What am I waste my time for?
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That's your time. It's my time at your waste. It bothers me.
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You keep making with the crack Sonny, and sooner or later I'm going to
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rearrange that phony pussy you so please, mister Chambers. You grab a cab
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to Viola Carson's place and a cute little hideaway she's got terrace and stuff exactly
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the spot for cocktails and candlelight. And she's most gracious. Oh won't you
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sit down, Peter? Is there anything new on Frank's death, any clues,
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any idea? Well, there is something beating around the back of my
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head, but I can't put my finger on it. It's a funny case.
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Somebody running around taking potshots at everybody, even me. Please please sit
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down, Peter. Wait, I'll take that dollar off a chair. It's
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one of ours. That's it, sweetheart. I think I've got it.
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Where's your phone? You call down a Parker and you ask him to round
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up the entire cast of characters and bring him to your apartment. And there
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with Parker's cops making a blue coated semicircle, and back with the principles,
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you go to work with the two dolls, the ones in Viola's place and
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the one you took off Frank Reid's desk, and now beet it Chambers.
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The gentleman with the dolls is not going to do an Edgar Bergen or a
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Paul Winchell. Beat it Chambers is going to do beat it Chambers. Thank
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you, Lieutenant. Our first ladies and gentlemen, the regular doll. Listen
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please, and now the doll I took off Frank Reid's desk. Listen.
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You know what the difference, mister Chambers. If you're so settled playing with
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dolls, I have a suggestion, shut up, go write yourself a poem
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that Louise easy, Louis. One more, ladies and gentlemen, the regular
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doll. Now the doll from Frank reads. Now there must be a reason
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for the vocal restriction of the second doll. There must be something jamming up
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the soundbox. This doll just says ma, and the other says mam Ma,
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you know you sound cute. Louis. Oh, I don't shoot.
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Now let's get back to the unfinished note that Frank Reid wrote. The cufflink
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is and then he passed out before he could finish it. Now, let's
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figure it this way. There was a tussle. He tore off his assailant's
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cuffling, and he put it somewhere, and he tried to write out a
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note as to just where he did put it, so that the killer would
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be identified. Now it's my hunch that it's in the innerds of this doll.
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So I unscrew the head. I dig in like so, and I'd
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come up with a cufflink with initials sc sc for Salvatore Cortes or even for
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Sammy Cortlin. What about that semi? Why I saw you get the picture
22:03
of Lois? You see this Brooklyn Tomali bumps off Frank Reid. So John
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Reid latches onto three hundred thousand. Then he's gonna bump John, which explains
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the shooting off that fire escape. So then dear old Linda latches onto the
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seid three hundred thousand, and then Linda and Salad. She talk me into
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it, said it was all his idea, you were gonna get married Linda
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and I. But it was her idea. She talked me intoise me.
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I don't care who talk who went to what? Just keep on talking,
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mister Flamenco, Dan Louis, just a minute, look style, What about
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me? Why should I be part of your private shooting gallery? Wow?
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Alright after I got out of there, I realized my cuflink was missing,
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and then the place was allowsy with cops and I couldn't go back. After
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a day, I knew they didn't have it. I had my initials on
22:52
its lungs. I wasn't arrested. I knew they didn't have it. Then
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the they I came back for it. You were in the office. I
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saw you with that doll in your hands, and I heard it as you
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said, vocally restricted, and I knew where that cuff link was. I've
23:08
had experience with dolls. The idea for this type doll was mine. I
23:14
used my gun. You dropped in time. Okay, you two, let's
23:18
go. And so Parker links up with his culprits and heads for downtown,
23:33
and you link up with a lovely viola Carson and head four cocktails and candlelight,
23:42
and there you've had Crime and Peter Chambers. Dane Clark was starred as
23:56
Peter Chambers. Crime and Peter Chambers was we had been written by Henry Kane.
24:02
Others in the cast were Bill zuckerd Heard as Lieutenant Parker, Bill Griffiths
24:04
as John Reid, and Leslie Wood as Biola. It was directed by Fred
24:10
Way. This is Bred Collins inviting you to tune in next week's same time,
24:12
same station for Dane Clark in Crime and Peter Chambers. Be with us
25:21
again next week at the same time for another adventure by Peter Chambers in Crime
25:26
and Peter Chambers. This is the United States ar Enforces Radio and Television Service.
26:48
Welcome back. I have to say this has probably been my favorite episode
26:56
that we played a crime in Peter Chambers so far. The characters were good
27:02
here, a bit over the top, but I think in a very good
27:06
way. Particularly you know, the guy who's about to inherit the three hundred
27:10
thousand dollars and doesn't care about anything, you know, that was just so
27:15
wonderfully done there. And I also love Peter getting all hard boiled with the
27:22
dancer. That was a great scene and really one of his best. And
27:30
there was a great humor rapport that went throughout there with the doll and I
27:36
thought it was a pretty clever clue. And it was nice too for radio
27:41
to work in an audio clue, because so many of these programs rely on
27:45
visual clues, and in many cases visual clues that we don't actually see,
27:52
and so I appreciated the use of an audio clue really did add something to
27:57
the overall store. Well, now we turn now to some listener comments and
28:04
feedback, and we're going for a couple of reviews of the Amazon app.
28:11
Mjr. Says simply absolutely great, and Marcia in North Carolina says, I
28:17
love listening to these old radio detective stories. I listen before bed and it
28:22
is a relaxing escape. These shows were aired before I was born, but
28:26
I love old detective TV shows and movies. I am certainly getting my money's
28:30
worth. Well. I'm glad you think so, Marsha, and I appreciate
28:36
you and Mjr. Taking time to leave reviews on Amazon. It's truly appreciated,
28:42
and that will actually do it for today. We will be back tomorrow
28:48
with the Adventures of Philip Marlow, and then next Tuesday, be sure and
28:52
join us for another episode of Crime and Peter Chambers. In the meantime,
28:57
send your comments to Balk's thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on
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Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook,
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dot com Slash Radio Detectives. But from Boise, Idaho, this is
29:12
your host, Adam Grahamson and off