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The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe - "The Bashful Body" (1950) · Old Time Mystery Radio | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: An orchid shipment takes Nero Wolfe out of his brownstone
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: and into a New York flower shop, where Archie Goodwin
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: finds the body of orchid grower Hansen among the lilies
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: and ferns. Then, before Wolfe can examine it, the body disappears,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: leaving fresh blood on the fern fronds. From NBC, this
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: is episode 11 of The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: The Bashful Body, first heard December 29, 1950. Sidney Greenstreet
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: stars as Wolf, with Larry Dobkin as Archie Goodwin. The
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: program was produced and directed by J. Donald Wilson for
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Edwin Fadiman. Now, back to the golden age of radio.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: Stay tuned for Nero Wolf, transcribed in 30 seconds. The
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: chimes are all set to wish you a happy new
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: year this Sunday with a gala broadcast of the big show,
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: The Unpredictable Tallulah, will emcee with a host of leading
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: stars of stage, screen, and radio, including Ken Murray, Gloria Swanson,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Margaret O'Brien, Jose Ferrer, and many more. And there's a
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: carnival of fun with Theater Guild on the air also
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: this Sunday when the sparkling Lockhart family, Jean, Kathleen, and
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: daughter June, co-star with Van Heflin in Theater Guild's presentation
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: of the exciting story, State Fair. Ladies and gentlemen, the
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: ringing of that phone bell means mystery, adventure.
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: Nero Wolf's office, Archie Goodwin speaking.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: Who?
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: Oh, I see. Oh, do you think Mr. Wolf might
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: be interested in going over and... Hold on a minute.
• 1:38
  Speaker 4: Archie, I'm not interested in going anywhere. Ill-considered movement is
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: the curse of our times. Not to mention the mania
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: for fresh air. Fooey. Bottle opener, if you please.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: Here you are. But that was Zabrow's flower shop, Mr.
• 1:53
  Speaker 5: Wolfe.
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: Indeed.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: Got a new shipment of orchids from upstate.
• 1:58
  Speaker 4: In that case.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: Mr. Wolfe, remember the curse of our times? Not to
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: mention the mania... I'll be there. He'll be there.
• 2:06
  Speaker 4: After all, a man must risk his life sometimes. The End.
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, it's the bulkiest, balkiest, smartest, and most
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: unpredictable detective in the world. That chair-born genius, Nero Wolf.
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: Created by Rex Stout and brought to you in a
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: new series of adventures over this NBC network in the
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: person of Mr.
• 2:45
  Speaker 4: Sidney Greenstreet.
• 2:46
  Speaker 6: © BF-WATCH TV 2021.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: Orchids don't grow up overnight. They have to be carefully planted, tended, watered,
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: and watched. And the same thing goes for murder. Take
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: Zabro's Flower Shop minutes after we got that phone call. Zerbro!
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: Oh, Mr. Hansen, I did not notice you are here.
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: I'm here, and what's more... You like the way I
• 3:20
  Speaker 4: display your orchids, hmm?
• 3:21
  Speaker 7: I don't like the way you've been avoiding meeting your obligations.
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: Please, please, it is better not to shout. It would
• 3:27
  Speaker 4: be still better if you paid me what you owe me. Mr. Hansen,
• 3:31
  Speaker 4: business has not been so good. I will pay. You'd better.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: I intend to... My lawyers aren't going to be satisfied
• 3:38
  Speaker 4: by intention. Your lawyers?
• 3:40
  Speaker 7: I've no particular desire to own a flower shop, but
• 3:43
  Speaker 7: it looks as if I'm going to, unless you raise
• 3:45
  Speaker 7: some money.
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: Mr.
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: Hansen, I have worked years. I have given of my
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: blood to make a success of this establishment. You cannot
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: take him from me. You are a rich man.
• 3:55
  Speaker 7: I intend to stay rich, too. You've got 24 hours, Avro.
• 3:59
  Speaker 7: A man can accomplish a lot in 24 hours.
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: Yes, Mr.
• 4:04
  Speaker 5: Hunt.
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: Even maybe murder.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: Mr.
• 4:18
  Speaker 4: Zabrow? Oh, good afternoon, Miss Hanson.
• 4:22
  Speaker 5: Is Uncle here?
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: Yes, he is here. At the display, towards the back
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: of the store.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: Thanks.
• 4:27
  Speaker 5: How is he?
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: He is the way he always is.
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: Hard vindictive.
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 4:33
  Speaker 5: Zabrow.
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: I am sorry.
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: Excuse me now. Uncle? What is it, Enid? I, um.
• 4:43
  Speaker 5: Have you seen my display?
• 4:44
  Speaker 4: The lilies?
• 4:45
  Speaker 6: Uh-huh.
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: Yes, pretty. Oh, thank you.
• 4:48
  Speaker 5: Uh.
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: He's not here.
• 4:50
  Speaker 5: Well, I didn't say.
• 4:51
  Speaker 7: You didn't have to. John Arndt is not here. Why
• 4:55
  Speaker 7: he is not here, I don't know. His job was
• 4:57
  Speaker 7: to look after my display. Perhaps he doesn't need a
• 5:00
  Speaker 7: job anymore.
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: You know he does.
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: Fiddlesticks.
• 5:03
  Speaker 4: After all, if he marries my heiress.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: Uncle!
• 5:06
  Speaker 7: My dear girl, John Arndt is a fairly capable man
• 5:08
  Speaker 7: with orchids. Outside of that, I have no use for
• 5:10
  Speaker 7: him whatsoever. Especially in the role of your husband.
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: Isn't that for me to decide?
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: Of course it is.
• 5:16
  Speaker 7: Except that, pretty as you are, John Arndt is seeing
• 5:19
  Speaker 7: you through a golden haze.
• 5:20
  Speaker 4: To be precise, the money that will come to you
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: from me when I die. That's nasty.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: It's the truth.
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: Oh, you can't know that.
• 5:27
  Speaker 4: Ha, ha. I'm going to find out.
• 5:29
  Speaker 5: What?
• 5:30
  Speaker 7: I saw my lawyers this morning. Among other things, I
• 5:32
  Speaker 7: instructed them to draw up a codicil to my will.
• 5:35
  Speaker 7: A codicil to the effect that all my money goes
• 5:37
  Speaker 7: to you on one condition.
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: Oh, you couldn't.
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: I did.
• 5:40
  Speaker 7: The condition was that you refrain from marrying John Arndt,
• 5:44
  Speaker 7: either now or at any time.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: In the future.
• 5:46
  Speaker 5: Well, that's not fair.
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: It's a very good way of discouraging Mr. Arndt.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: What'll you bet his ardor cools off quickly, hmm?
• 5:53
  Speaker 5: You... You told him?
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: Yes. Probably why he hasn't appeared as yet. He's sulking.
• 5:59
  Speaker 5: You really signed that, that codicil?
• 6:01
  Speaker 4: I will, as soon as the papers are drawn up.
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: Where are you going?
• 6:04
  Speaker 5: I don't know. I've got to get away someplace and think.
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: Very well. Think about forgetting John Arndt. Best thing in
• 6:10
  Speaker 4: the world for you.
• 6:11
  Speaker 5: Uncle, do you really think you can manage other people's
• 6:15
  Speaker 5: lives for them?
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: I don't see why not. No?
• 6:17
  Speaker 5: Well, people don't like to be managed. They get desperate sometimes.
• 6:21
  Speaker 5: And sometimes they kill.
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: Mr. Wolf, what are you doing?
• 6:32
  Speaker 4: Getting up. I'm a.
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: Well, that makes you eligible for the Explorer's Club or something.
• 6:41
  Speaker 4: Ah, my coat and muffler, Archie.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: I got them here.
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 6:45
  Speaker 3: You're really going out into that weather outside?
• 6:48
  Speaker 4: Archie, must you try to be witty?
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: It amuses me no end. Haven't you seen enough of
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: those weeds yet?
• 6:55
  Speaker 4: An orchid is not a weed. Another muffler, Archie, the
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: woolen one.
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: You've already got two on.
• 7:01
  Speaker 4: Please, fresh air clogs the lungs, Archie.
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: Sure, everybody knows that, but they won't admit it.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: Of course not. A conspiracy of silence. Archie, I'm ready.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: You sure? I can see a square inch of skin showing.
• 7:13
  Speaker 4: Tom, you're driving me to Zopper's.
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: All right, careful. And take a deep breath. I'm going
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: to open the door. You ready?
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: Ready. Very well. Open it.
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: Be brave, Mr. Wolfe. We'll keep the car window shut
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: and maybe you'll make it.
• 7:33
  Speaker 4: Careful. The risks one takes.
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: In you go.
• 7:39
  Speaker 4: Well. Okay, boss.
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: Now, where is Zabros?
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: 45th Street.
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: Gee, ten blocks. Grit your teeth, Mr.
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: Wolfe.
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: We're off.
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: Oh, Mr. Wolfe, I'm glad you are here. Those orchids
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: you wrote me about had better be worth a trip.
• 8:21
  Speaker 4: A trip? But I think you live only a little
• 8:24
  Speaker 4: way from here.
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: Don't forget it had to be made in the open air, Mr.
• 8:27
  Speaker 4: Zabrow. Where are the orchids? Towards the back. They are
• 8:30
  Speaker 4: from Hansen's place. He is a fine grower. I have
• 8:33
  Speaker 4: made an exhibit. Good. Oh, excuse me. Others are here.
• 8:37
  Speaker 4: You go look for yourself, no? Very well. Archie. Hmm?
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: Oh, I was just noticing the.
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: Did a girl just enter the store?
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: A girl, a goddess. Tall, graceful. Venus de Milo with arms.
• 8:53
  Speaker 3: Arms that were made... Never mind. Let's go look at orchids.
• 8:58
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Very fine.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: The exhibit is laid out like nature, huh? Reminds me
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: of a spot in Central Park that I spent some
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: of my happiest moments in.
• 9:09
  Speaker 4: Then you do like flowers.
• 9:10
  Speaker 3: I don't go to Central Park to look at flowers.
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: I went there to forget it.
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: Gladly. Now go away and annoy someone else.
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: Venus?
• 9:22
  Speaker 4: I want to concentrate on these orchids. Goodbye.
• 9:25
  Speaker 3: Okay. I'll leave you alone with your loved ones.
• 9:28
  Speaker 4: Let's see.
• 9:29
  Speaker 3: Maybe I can arrange to be left alone with something
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: I could very easily learn to love. Hey, boss.
• 9:42
  Speaker 4: Don't bother me, Hodgie.
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: Oh, this is serious. There's a lily display just like
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: this one over at the other end of the store.
• 9:48
  Speaker 4: Nothing connected with lilies could possibly be serious.
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: Maybe not, but there's a corpse planted among these lilies.
• 9:54
  Speaker 5: Really?
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: A lot of ferns were banked up in back of
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: the display. I saw a foot sticking out, so I
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: slipped back, lifted a few ferns, and... found a body.
• 10:01
  Speaker 4: Fresh?
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: Very. The wound was still bleeding. Knife wound.
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: Sad. Very. Now run along.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: Aren't you going to do anything about it?
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: Why, should I? Anyone who would permit himself to be
• 10:12
  Speaker 4: found dead or alive among a display of lilies is
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: beneath contempt.
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: Well, maybe the poor guy didn't have a chance to
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: crawl into an orchid display before he died. However, if
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: that's the way you feel, I'll tell the police all
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: about poor Mr. Hanson and let them... Who? Hanson, the
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: orchid grower.
• 10:29
  Speaker 4: He's one of the finest in the country.
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: Not is, was. Wasn't me who pushed him under the lilies.
• 10:34
  Speaker 4: Under the lilies?
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: Bah!
• 10:36
  Speaker 4: You would have hated it. Have you told Zabro? No, no.
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: Zabro's been busy up front. Where is this display? Ah,
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: right along here.
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: There's been a number of people in the store since
• 10:48
  Speaker 4: we came. Someone else may have noticed that dead man's foot.
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: Uh-uh. I covered it.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: Satisfactory. At times, you give the illusions of intelligence. Is
• 10:58
  Speaker 4: this the display?
• 10:59
  Speaker 3: Yep. Come around to the back. There's a little space
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: between the back of the display and the wall.
• 11:04
  Speaker 4: Uh-oh.
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: Now, here, right under this pile of ferns... Of ferns?
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: Yes, Argyle?
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: Hey, that body.
• 11:14
  Speaker 4: What about it?
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: It got bashful. It's gone.
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: Indeed? The corpse was dead. Corpse is off now. Confirmed you, Archie.
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: Have you been drinking too much milk again?
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: Now look, boss, I saw him there. The blood's still
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: coming out of his back. And I tell you that.
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: Let me understand you. Are you suggesting the corpse rose
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: and walked away?
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: No, but somebody could have dragged it away. Somebody would
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: put it here in the first place.
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: Pictures, no doubt. Come along, Archie. If this is some
• 11:42
  Speaker 4: half-witted trick to distract me from the orchid.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: Oh, no, no. I never come between a man and
• 11:46
  Speaker 3: his love. Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Wolfe. Yes? Do
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: ferns bleed?
• 11:51
  Speaker 4: Let me see.
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: Indeed.
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: Indeed. Yes, there is blood. Fresh arterial blood on these ferns.
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: Bright red color. Which means there was a wounded person
• 12:07
  Speaker 4: among these lilies recently.
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: Thanks for the late vote of confidence.
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: Whoever killed Hansen apparently found a better place for him.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: Took him home to put him over the mantelpiece.
• 12:18
  Speaker 4: Unlikely. Hansen wasn't very decorative. Okay.
• 12:22
  Speaker 3: Now she'll call the police.
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: You have nothing to show them except a fern leaf
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: covered with blood? No.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: Don't tell me you smell a fee among all these flowers.
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: Hanson was a man I admired. Good heavens, Archie. The
• 12:35
  Speaker 4: number of first-rate orchid growers is small enough without one
• 12:38
  Speaker 4: of us being murdered.
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: Unsportsmanlike, huh? Okay, we won't stand for it. What next?
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: The body was removed from the building. How?
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: Well, I wouldn't swear to it, but... There's a window
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: here that leads out to an alleyway.
• 12:53
  Speaker 4: Could the alleyway be seen from the street?
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: I don't think so. There's a bend in it.
• 12:59
  Speaker 4: Wide enough for a car? Yep. Bring Zabo to me. Oh,
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: don't bother. He's coming himself.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: Well, Mr.
• 13:04
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, what do you think of the... Mr. Wolfe, I
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: do not believe this. What don't you believe? You are
• 13:11
  Speaker 4: looking at lilies. Not exactly. Whose flowers are these? Mr.
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: Hansen's niece grows lilies. I see. Sabro, did you get
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: all your orchids from Hanson?
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes, yes.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: He is an artist. Practically an old master at the moment.
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: How much money did you owe him? Who tell you
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: I owe him? You do, don't you? Well, yes. Business
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: has not been so good. But did he speak to you? No,
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: I guess you owed him money. I do not understand.
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: Was Hanson in the store today? Yes, yes, he came...
• 13:47
  Speaker 4: You hear a squirrel, eh? Where is he now? I
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: do not know. He leave, maybe. I rather think he did. Zabro,
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: who else was in the store within the last half
• 13:57
  Speaker 4: hour who might have known Hanson? Oh, Miss Hanson was
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: here and John Arndt. He is Mr. Hanson's assistant and,
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: how you say, sweet on Miss Hanson.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: Was she the tall girl came in shortly after we did, Mr.
• 14:10
  Speaker 4: Zabro?
• 14:11
  Speaker 5: Tall?
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: Yes, yes, I think so. Are either of them still here? No. No, no, no.
• 14:16
  Speaker 4: They go. Together? Miss Hanson goes first. Very well. Come along, Archie.
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: Okay, Mr.
• 14:21
  Speaker 4: Wolfe. You will not tell Mr. Hanson you know... you
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: know of my debts. No, Mr. Zabro, I won't tell him.
• 14:28
  Speaker 4: As a matter of fact, even if I wanted to,
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: I don't think he would listen.
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: THE END I love these long drives in the country.
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: Where are we going?
• 14:48
  Speaker 4: Hanson's place. Oh.
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: You think he returned to it to haunt it, huh?
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: He's returned there, I suspect. Uh-huh.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: In order to cast suspicion on himself.
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: Miss Hanson lives with him. Mr. Arndt works for him
• 15:03
  Speaker 4: on the premises.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: Therefore... Miss Hanson will be there?
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: I imagine so. Why?
• 15:08
  Speaker 3: Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Boss, can we stop at
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: the next town?
• 15:14
  Speaker 4: Why?
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: I want to buy a book on lilies.
• 15:17
  Speaker 4: This sudden... You mean Miss Hanson grows them and they are.
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh. You see, that way we'll have something in common.
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: Perhaps, but Archie, isn't interesting for us what you want
• 15:29
  Speaker 4: to have in common with her? Hmm.
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: So this is the house that Orchid's built, huh? Snazzy.
• 15:45
  Speaker 4: Very handsome country home.
• 15:47
  Speaker 3: The streamlined zombies.
• 15:49
  Speaker 5: Hello.
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: I take that back.
• 15:52
  Speaker 4: Miss Hanson?
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 15:53
  Speaker 4: I'm here to work. The person ogling you is my assistant, Mr. Goodwin. Oh.
• 15:59
  Speaker 5: Well, Uncle's spoken of you, Mr. Wolfe. Come in, please.
• 16:01
  Speaker 4: Thank you.
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: I was not ogling. I was merely tracing a resemblance.
• 16:07
  Speaker 5: Oh, between Uncle and me?
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: Between you and my heart's desire.
• 16:11
  Speaker 4: Archie, stop being poetic. It doesn't become.
• 16:15
  Speaker 5: In here, please. My uncle isn't at home yet, but... Oh, John.
• 16:19
  Speaker 5: This is Mr.
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, Mr. Goodwin.
• 16:21
  Speaker 5: John is Uncle's assistant.
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: How do you do? How do you do?
• 16:24
  Speaker 5: Mr.
• 16:24
  Speaker 3: Hanson hasn't returned from town yet, Mr. Wolfe.
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: Are you quite sure?
• 16:27
  Speaker 5: Why, yes. No, no, I didn't, John.
• 16:31
  Speaker 4: Indeed. In that case, if you don't mind, we'll wait
• 16:33
  Speaker 4: for him.
• 16:34
  Speaker 5: Well, of course. We'd be delighted.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: Sure.
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: Excuse me, won't you? I've got some work to do.
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: On orchids or lilies?
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: The orchids.
• 16:41
  Speaker 3: Well, then go right ahead.
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: See you later.
• 16:44
  Speaker 5: Oh, well, can I get you something to drink?
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: Beer will do, thank you.
• 16:48
  Speaker 3: I'd better help you bring the bottle in, Miss... Archie.
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: On the other hand, maybe you can manage alone.
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: Well, of course I can. I'm a big girl, Mr.
• 16:58
  Speaker 4: Goodwin. I noticed.
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: I noticed. I mean, why not call me Archie? It
• 17:03
  Speaker 3: takes less time.
• 17:04
  Speaker 5: I'd like to, Archie.
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: Swell. Remember what old Dr. Tidmouth said?
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: I want a bottle of beer.
• 17:09
  Speaker 3: He said, I want a bottle... Oh. No. Never mind, Enid.
• 17:14
  Speaker 3: You'd better go gather some beer for Mr. Wolfe.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 17:18
  Speaker 4: I'll be back in a minute.
• 17:22
  Speaker 7: Mmm.
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: So much of her and all so nicely.
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: Archie, are you forgetting why we're here?
• 17:29
  Speaker 3: I don't care why you're here. Me, I.
• 17:32
  Speaker 4: We're waiting for Uncle. Uh-huh.
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: Mr. Wolfe, it's unlikely that Uncle is going to walk
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: in through that front door.
• 17:39
  Speaker 4: True. That is why you're sneaking out the back door
• 17:42
  Speaker 4: to find him.
• 17:43
  Speaker 3: How do you know he'll be around here?
• 17:45
  Speaker 4: This is where he lives, isn't it, Archie?
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: Yes, but if you'll remember, Uncle gave up living earlier
• 17:50
  Speaker 3: this afternoon.
• 17:51
  Speaker 4: You mean he was persuaded to? Nevertheless, I rather think
• 17:55
  Speaker 4: he'll be around, body and all.
• 18:04
  Speaker 3: He wasn't in the house, so I tried the conservatory, hothouse,
• 18:07
  Speaker 3: what have you. It was hot in that steam-heated orchid paradise. Also,
• 18:12
  Speaker 3: it was full of orchids. Unfortunately, it wasn't full of
• 18:15
  Speaker 3: Miss Hanson. I wandered hither and yon for a moment,
• 18:18
  Speaker 3: dreaming of her, until I noticed a foot. Same foot
• 18:21
  Speaker 3: I'd seen back at Zabro's, and peculiarly enough, the same
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: corpse was attached to it. Uncle's. I was bending over
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: to take a closer look when I felt a thud.
• 18:31
  Speaker 3: Realized that thud was the sound of something hitting my head,
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: and I began to realize, too, that I'd been knocked
• 18:36
  Speaker 3: almost unconscious, which the second blow did.
• 18:49
  Speaker 5: I can't understand where my uncle is, Mr. Wolfe.
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: He's staying away so late is unusual, then.
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: Of course it is.
• 18:56
  Speaker 4: Which reminds me, Archie's been gone for several hours.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah, where did he go, Mr.
• 19:00
  Speaker 6: Wolfe?
• 19:01
  Speaker 4: Look about. Were you in the hothouse, Mr. Hart?
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: No, I was packing some plants.
• 19:06
  Speaker 4: You, Miss Hanson?
• 19:07
  Speaker 5: Well, after I brought your beer, I went upstairs and
• 19:09
  Speaker 5: rested for a while. Why?
• 19:10
  Speaker 4: Because if either of you harmed Archie, I shall personally
• 19:15
  Speaker 4: murder you.
• 19:16
  Speaker 5: Oh, Mr. Wolfe.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: Come on, we've got to find the boy.
• 19:23
  Speaker 5: Why should either of us want to harm him?
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: Because he probably found your uncle's body.
• 19:27
  Speaker 3: His body? What are you.
• 19:28
  Speaker 5: I don't understand.
• 19:30
  Speaker 4: Mr. Hanson has been murdered.
• 19:32
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 19:33
  Speaker 4: Oh, no.
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: Enid, Enid.
• 19:34
  Speaker 4: Oh, stop that, Miss Hanson. You're a perfectly healthy young woman.
• 19:37
  Speaker 4: There's no reason for you to swoon. Now, look here, you. Besides,
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: I rather suspect she lost no love for him. Am
• 19:43
  Speaker 4: I right, Miss Hanson? He... was my uncle. A little
• 19:47
  Speaker 4: weird of a fact. He opposed your marriage to Miss
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: Arndt here. That's none of your business. Which means he
• 19:53
  Speaker 4: did oppose it.
• 19:54
  Speaker 5: Mr.
• 19:55
  Speaker 4: Arndt, Mr. Hanson was a friend of mine. I intend
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: to find the murderer after I find his body. It
• 20:00
  Speaker 4: shows a lack of proper respect to transport a corpse
• 20:03
  Speaker 4: about the countryside. Come, both of you, we must find Archie.
• 20:18
  Speaker 5: This whole thing's like a nightmare.
• 20:20
  Speaker 4: If you can't wake up from it, let's go on
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: with this.
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: Oh, look, they're on the ground. Hutch. I'll see if
• 20:27
  Speaker 5: he's all right.
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: Why, this is fantastic. Mr.
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: Hanson's stabbed to death, and now Goodwin.
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: He's just been stunned, thank heavens. He's coming to.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: Oh, I died. Oh, correct me if I'm wrong, but
• 20:40
  Speaker 3: I'm dead.
• 20:41
  Speaker 5: Archie. Archie, speak to me.
• 20:43
  Speaker 3: Oh, I went to heaven.
• 20:45
  Speaker 4: Are you all right, Archie?
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: Uh-oh, the other place.
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: Ah, get up.
• 20:50
  Speaker 3: Sure, if somebody will hold my head. Are we having
• 20:55
  Speaker 3: an earthquake?
• 20:55
  Speaker 4: You poor boy.
• 20:56
  Speaker 5: Take my army.
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: I'll take both.
• 21:00
  Speaker 4: He's normal. What happened, Archie?
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: Somebody hit me when I wasn't looking.
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: Yeah?
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: Why?
• 21:05
  Speaker 3: I don't know. Oh, yes, I remember.
• 21:08
  Speaker 4: Yes?
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: I found Uncle lying right there.
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: Right there.
• 21:12
  Speaker 5: The poor boy's delirious.
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: Don't tell me he's gone again.
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid he has, aren't you? Are you sure you
• 21:18
  Speaker 4: saw him?
• 21:18
  Speaker 3: I'm positive, and then somebody slugged me. That corpse is
• 21:22
  Speaker 3: the shyest one I've ever met.
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: Blood would have dried. There would be no signs of
• 21:26
  Speaker 4: his having been placed here. Bad.
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: Why?
• 21:29
  Speaker 4: Your testimony would be valueless, especially since you were found unconscious.
• 21:35
  Speaker 4: The jury would suspect you of having hit the bottle.
• 21:50
  Speaker 3: Why didn't we stay the night? I'm a sick man.
• 21:53
  Speaker 3: Enid would have nursed me.
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: Ah, you're not sick? And I won't have you taking
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: advantage of that girl.
• 21:58
  Speaker 3: In my condition, I couldn't have. But maybe she would
• 22:01
  Speaker 3: have taken advantage of me. Is that what they call
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: it in your day?
• 22:05
  Speaker 4: There's Zabros. Stop the car. Okay. Here we go. No,
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: I can manage.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: I'm not entirely helpless.
• 22:14
  Speaker 4: Place is closed.
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: Dark.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: I was afraid it might be.
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: Don't tell me Zabro's gone traveling, too.
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: Possibility, Archie.
• 22:37
  Speaker 3: You mean he killed Hanson to cancel the debt he
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: owed him, then followed us out to the country house
• 22:42
  Speaker 3: and dumped Hanson there, hoping to pin suspicion on Eden
• 22:45
  Speaker 3: and John?
• 22:45
  Speaker 4: Perhaps.
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh. Slugged me when I found the body too soon,
• 22:50
  Speaker 3: and then... Uh-huh. Guess we'd better get into the joint.
• 22:53
  Speaker 4: George Locke?
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: Um, a guy I know got out of jail the
• 22:58
  Speaker 3: other day.
• 22:58
  Speaker 5: Yeah?
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 23:00
  Speaker 3: Uh, he's reformed, so he gave me all his skeleton keys.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: You have them with you?
• 23:03
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: And we'll find out in a minute just how good
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: a burglar he was. Mm, very good. Will you come in?
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: Shut the door.
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: Okay. Now....
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: What's that?
• 23:19
  Speaker 3: Somebody's been hurt. The lights. Nothing up front here.
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: Shh. Back of the store, by the exhibitor.
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: I'll go see. Maybe you better stay here.
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: Nonsense. Now, where.
• 23:30
  Speaker 3: Uh-oh, among the lilies again, but this time there are
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: two bodies there.
• 23:34
  Speaker 4: Sabro, we got you.
• 23:36
  Speaker 3: Mr. Sabro?
• 23:38
  Speaker 5: Mr.
• 23:38
  Speaker 3: Sabro? He's been shot, boss.
• 23:40
  Speaker 4: Bad. He's trying to say something. The lilies... Mr. Hanson.
• 23:48
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, we know about him. Who shot you?
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: From the window. Alleyway. Came in. Mr. Sabro, who? He inherited....
• 24:00
  Speaker 6: Money.
• 24:02
  Speaker 4: Inheritance. Down, Mr. Wolfe, quick.
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: Somebody's shooting from that window.
• 24:12
  Speaker 5: Archie.
• 24:12
  Speaker 3: All in one piece. Are you all right?
• 24:14
  Speaker 4: Yes, that car.
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: It's gone. Brought the body here and.
• 24:17
  Speaker 4: Zavra.
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: He couldn't duck. He's dead.
• 24:20
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 24:21
  Speaker 3: Police, boss, this time we've got more than a fern
• 24:22
  Speaker 3: leaf smeared with blood to show them.
• 24:24
  Speaker 4: Not yet, Archie. I prefer handing the murderer over to
• 24:28
  Speaker 4: them along with the victim's. I'm going home. Archie, get
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: Miss Hanson and Mr. Arndt there as soon as you can.
• 24:36
  Speaker 3: Well, suppose they don't want to come.
• 24:37
  Speaker 4: Knock them unconscious and drag them there.
• 24:40
  Speaker 3: Not Enid, boss. Enid's... Hey, what's Abro said about inheriting?
• 24:45
  Speaker 4: Don't anticipate, Archie. When you get them to my office,
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: we'll identify the murderer then.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Mr.
• 24:58
  Speaker 7: Wolfe, don't you think this is all a little high-handed,
• 25:00
  Speaker 7: dragging us here in the middle of the night?
• 25:02
  Speaker 4: Murder is even more high-handed, Mr.
• 25:05
  Speaker 5: Arndt.
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: Please, John. Miss Hanson, do you inherit? Well, I guess so.
• 25:10
  Speaker 5: I'm Uncle's only relative, so I suppose.
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: Wait a minute, Enid.
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: Mr.
• 25:13
  Speaker 4: Wolfe, are you suggesting that she had anything to do
• 25:15
  Speaker 4: with this invisible corpse? The corpse is no longer invisible, Mr. Arndt.
• 25:19
  Speaker 5: Oh, you've seen Uncle?
• 25:21
  Speaker 4: Yes, dead in Zabra's establishment. lying with a knife in
• 25:25
  Speaker 4: his back in his own orchid display. Now you're trying
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: to pin something on me. You know I set up
• 25:30
  Speaker 4: that orchid display. Me? The police will be interested in
• 25:34
  Speaker 4: that information.
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: But he wasn't found in the orchids. He was.
• 25:37
  Speaker 4: Yes, Mr. Arn. He was found. Where?
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 25:42
  Speaker 4: You were about to say the lily display, weren't you?
• 25:45
  Speaker 3: I wasn't going to say anything.
• 25:46
  Speaker 4: You're a little late. You already informed us that you
• 25:50
  Speaker 4: knew his body was not placed in the orchid display.
• 25:53
  Speaker 4: How did you know? I just guessed. The jury will
• 25:57
  Speaker 4: be very much impressed by your remarkable clairvoyance. Especially since
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: Archie asked Mr. Zabro to come in.
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: Mr. Zabro?
• 26:08
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: Don't bother, Goodwin.
• 26:10
  Speaker 5: John, that gun!
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: Shut up, you little fool. Enid's a big girl. I
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: don't know how you tumbled, Wolf. Lucky guessing, maybe.
• 26:17
  Speaker 4: Oh, come now. Neither of us has indulged in guesswork.
• 26:21
  Speaker 4: You killed Hanson, placed his body in the lily display
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: to attract suspicion towards Miss Hanson. You felt sure she
• 26:28
  Speaker 4: wouldn't be convicted, so you were safe. She would inherit,
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: you would marry her, a marriage which your uncle opposed.
• 26:36
  Speaker 4: When you saw that Archie had discovered the body too
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: early for you to establish an alibi for yourself.
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: Then he sneaked the body out of the window into
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: his car and then dumped it in the hothouse.
• 26:45
  Speaker 4: For time. Go on, Mr. Wolfe. He didn't intend it
• 26:49
  Speaker 4: to be discovered there, which was why he knocked you unconscious,
• 26:53
  Speaker 4: I think.
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: Oh, I'm so glad he had a good reason for it.
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: He had a body on his hands. He decided to
• 26:58
  Speaker 4: double back, put the body in its original place, and
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: carry through his plan. But Zabro caught him at it,
• 27:05
  Speaker 4: poor fellow.
• 27:06
  Speaker 3: I thought Zabro was in the other room.
• 27:08
  Speaker 4: Blast you, you fool. You think I, too, am addicted
• 27:12
  Speaker 4: to carrying corpses about? Zabro is dead. And you've given
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: yourself away unnecessarily. Archie?
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: Archie, quick.
• 27:20
  Speaker 3: Let go of him. I've got his arm. I'll give
• 27:23
  Speaker 3: him mine with a fist attached.
• 27:27
  Speaker 4: Very satisfactory, Archie. Now call the police. Inform them you
• 27:32
  Speaker 4: have two corpses and a murderer for them.
• 27:42
  Speaker 3: You should have heard Mr. Arndt's language, boss, when the
• 27:44
  Speaker 3: police took him away. Oh, I don't think he loves you.
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: I don't think it matters anymore.
• 27:49
  Speaker 5: It used to, to me.
• 27:51
  Speaker 7: Growing pains. You'll get over it, Miss Hanson. Uh, you
• 27:55
  Speaker 7: trapped him, Mr. Wolfe, but what made you so sure
• 27:57
  Speaker 7: he did it? At the hothouse, when you were unconscious, Archie, Mr.
• 28:01
  Speaker 7: Arndt deplored the fact that Mr. Hanson had been stabbed
• 28:04
  Speaker 7: in the back. No one had mentioned how he was killed, therefore.
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: The reason Arndt knew was because he himself had killed Mr. Hanson.
• 28:12
  Speaker 3: Murderers seldom get away with it, no matter how tightly
• 28:14
  Speaker 3: they button their lips.
• 28:17
  Speaker 4: Well, mine, however, are not buttoned up, are they?
• 28:22
  Speaker 3: Oh, the beer is on your desk.
• 28:24
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Miss Hanson, stop brooding. Try some of this beer. Mr.
• 28:31
  Speaker 5: Wolfe, my heart's broken.
• 28:33
  Speaker 4: The man who's lived a good many years, Miss Hanson,
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: permit me to assure you, that the easiest way of
• 28:38
  Speaker 4: mending a broken heart is by filling the stomach.
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: You have been listening to The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe,
• 29:01
  Speaker 2: starring Sidney Greenstreet.
• 29:04
  Speaker 6: Tonight's transcribed story was based on the characters created by
• 29:08
  Speaker 6: Rex Stout. This is an Edwin Fadiman program produced and
• 29:13
  Speaker 6: directed by J. Donald Wilson.
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: In the cast were Larry Dobkin as Archie Goodwin, and
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: Gigi Pearson, Jane Avello, Herb Butterfield, and Byron Kane. Next
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: week at this same time, Nero Wolfe and Archie will
• 29:39
  Speaker 2: bring you... The Case of the Deadly Sellout.
• 29:41
  Speaker 3: Don Stanley speaking.
• 29:44
  Speaker 6: Three chimes mean good times on NBC. Friday means another
• 29:47
  Speaker 6: visit with that entertaining eating.
• 29:50
  Speaker 4: Establishment, Duffy's Tavern.
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: That was the new adventures of Nero Wolf with the
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: bashful body. Good night, and thank you for keeping classic
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: radio company.