Broadway Is My Beat : The Collector

0:00 The Adventures of Harry Nile.

0:08 Nick, the guy is dangerous. He's grabbing kids off the street. I've talked to him, and he's absolutely convinced that what he's doing is right. But I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before somebody winds up getting killed.

0:20 Well?

0:21 Well, come on, Nick, say something.

0:23 You want me to say something? Okay, how about this?

0:26 When I got up and put my pants on this morning... The last thing I expected to be doing today is helping Harry Nile arrest an exorcist.

0:34 Been a long day in a long week, and Harry is only just beginning to make any progress in the case of missing 14-year-old Ethan Geiger. The story begins, as it usually does, with a frantic client calling at the familiar office on the second floor at Main and Occidental, next to the all-night Turkish bath. But the puzzle doesn't take shape until a few days later, when a weary private detective in a rumpled brown suit and gray felt hat pays a visit to an establishment at 3rd and James that likes to call itself a hotel. That's when Harry finds out that whatever ideas he thinks he may have had about the case, he couldn't be more wrong.

1:18 Okay, this is the room.

1:21 And nobody's rented it since the last... guessed?

1:25 I don't have what you'd call a reliable clientele.

1:29 And it hasn't been cleaned since?

1:31 Cleaned?

1:32 Oh, so that's what that word sounds like. Only ever saw it written down.

1:38 Uh-huh.

1:39 You, uh, you want to open the door for me, Mrs.

1:41 Guzman?

1:42 You got a warrant?

1:44 You know I'm not a cop.

1:46 You got another 20?

1:47 I gave you my last 20 for a peek at your register. How about letting me in out of the Goodness of your heart.

1:55 You gotta be kidding me.

1:57 Okay. I'll owe you.

1:59 Yeah.

2:01 Everybody owes me. And look where it's got me. Just buried alive in success.

2:08 Thanks, Mrs.

2:09 Guzman.

2:12 Go on in.

2:14 Oh, man.

2:16 Looks like war broke out in here. You sure there were only two people in here?

2:21 Old man and a kid.

2:24 Any more came in after that, what do I care? Room rate's the same.

2:28 Old man and a kid.

2:30 How young?

2:31 Who knows?

2:32 I'm not good with ages.

2:34 Right.

2:35 And nobody heard anything?

2:37 Folks who stay here mind their own beeswax. They don't want any trouble, and neither do I.

2:44 Yeah, well, trouble is my beeswax.

2:48 And speaking of beeswax....

2:51 Candles?

2:52 You see those circles of wax? Those were big candles, like you find in a church. This one of your Bibles?

3:01 Ha, you're a funny guy. If I put Bibles in the rooms, folks would just tear out the pages and use them to smoke a reefer.

3:10 You know some nice people.

3:12 I wish.

3:13 Who would bring large candles and a Bible to a place like this?

3:17 The old guy.

3:18 The old guy?

3:20 Yeah, he was a priest, didn't I say?

3:23 I must have slipped your mind.

3:36 Harry.

3:37 Running a little late, Murph. It was a long night.

3:40 Harry, Mr.

3:40 Geiger is... Yeah, yeah.

3:41 Well, if Geiger calls, tell him I'm out. I'm not ready to talk to him just yet.

3:45 That's too bad, Mr.

3:47 Nile.

3:48 Hello, Mr.

3:49 Geiger.

3:49 Mr.

3:49 Geiger?

3:50 That's what I was trying to tell.

3:52 You, Harry.

3:53 Why are you ducking me, Niall? You giving up looking for my boy? Maybe you haven't even started yet.

3:57 As a matter of fact, I have found something out. But I wanted to wait until I had some more information.

4:02 What?

4:02 What do you know?

4:03 I've been checking out all the hotels in Seattle. I thought maybe Ethan might be staying in one of them.

4:09 Where the heck's he supposed to get money for a hotel?

4:11 You were the one who was worried your son might be involved in something illegal, Mr.

4:15 Geiger.

4:16 Yeah.

4:17 Yeah, I guess.

4:19 So what did you find out?

4:21 Two nights ago, Ethan spent the night at a hotel on 3rd and James. It's a pretty nasty place. Not much better than a flophouse. Only, he wasn't alone there.

4:31 I knew it.

4:33 I knew it! It's some girl. He's 14 years old. 14! I told him you don't want to throw your future away on some piece of skirt.

4:40 Ethan wasn't at a hotel with a girl. He was with a much older man.

4:47 What?

4:49 I don't have a name.

4:51 Not the kind of place where you ask.

4:53 Damn it!

4:57 His mom could never control him, you know? That's why she ran out on us. Ethan was wild right from the start. I always figured if he got into trouble, it'd be.

5:08 Trouble he started. I never had to worry about him looking after himself.

5:11 Never.

5:13 But then he gets snatched off the street by some guy in a green pickup. For the first time, I'm scared for him. Where's my boy, Mr.

5:21 Nile? Where's my boy?

5:29 It isn't fun watching a strong man go to pieces. But a half an hour later, Rudy Geiger goes from sorrow to rage. He marches out of my office with murder in his eyes. Probably trying to convince himself he didn't just cry like a baby in front of two strangers. I'd noticed that temper in Geiger when we first met.

5:47 I'm afraid of what it might do. and that's why I'm not completely honest with him. I did get a name from Mrs. Guzman's register. Timothy Foxley. Of course, it's probably a phony. Got to be crazy to use his real name. But maybe he is crazy because I find him in the phone book. He's even got his own business with an office in the Columbia City part of town. T.

6:10 Foxley.

6:11 Removals.

6:13 As I dial the number, I keep telling myself it's just a coincidence. Can't be the same guy. Just can't be.

6:26 Foxley's Removals.

6:27 Oh, hello.

6:31 Is this Mr. Foxley speaking?

6:33 Father Tim doesn't usually take calls. My name is Lester.

6:37 Father Tim?

6:38 That's right.

6:39 What's this about, please?

6:41 My name is Niall. I'd like to speak to Father Tim about.

6:47 Very nice.

6:49 Father Tim heard you were looking for him. This is about Ethan Geiger?

6:53 That's right.

6:54 In that case, he'll be very glad to see you. Could you be here in an hour?

6:58 What exactly is going on, Lester? Where's Ethan?

7:02 Father Tim will explain everything. See you in an hour, Mr.

7:05 Nile.

7:19 No, I'm sorry. We can't help you move. Well, because it's just not what we do.

7:26 My name is Harry Nile. I'm expect... Ooh, ooh, I didn't know you were on the phone.

7:30 I'll be with you in a minute, Mr.

7:31 Nile.

7:32 I'm sorry, Mrs.

7:33 Barlow.

7:34 What did you say? Well, if you have to ask what kind of removals, we can't help you. Good luck with the move. Ballard's a nice area.

7:45 So I guess it would be a waste of time for me to ask what kind of removals you do.

7:50 I'm sure Father Tim will be happy to help you. Just let me lean in and see if he's busy.

7:57 Father?

7:59 Mr.

7:59 Nile is here.

8:00 Excellent.

8:01 Excellent.

8:02 Show him straight in, Lester.

8:04 Go right in, Mr.

8:05 Nile.

8:06 Thanks.

8:07 Come in. Come in. I'm delighted to see you, Mr.

8:12 Nile.

8:14 May I call you Harry?

8:16 Mr.

8:16 Nile will do for now. You're not exactly what I expected, Father Tim.

8:21 I only wear the dog collar when I'm on official business.

8:26 What kind of business is that? I'm guessing you don't say mass at Guzman's Hotel.

8:31 You'd be surprised.

8:33 But not pleasantly, I bet. Your pal Lester said you'd tell me all about it.

8:37 And I shall.

8:39 Can I expect the truth?

8:40 You're not a police officer, are you, Mr.

8:43 Nile?

8:44 No, not anymore.

8:45 I'm still a deputy of a place called Ventura, so far as I know, but that doesn't carry too much weight in Seattle.

8:52 But you couldn't actually place me under arrest.

8:55 No, but I have friends who could. Friends who might.

9:00 So, Mr.

9:01 Nile, what is it you imagine is going on?

9:05 A teenage boy and a priest in some flophouse? What exactly do you expect me to think?

9:11 As a private detective, probably the worst of everyone at all times. But I promise you, what I have done, I did for the best reasons.

9:21 Just what have you done, Father?

9:23 Do you believe in evil, Harry?

9:27 That's not an answer. That's a question.

9:29 I have another question. Do you by any chance have the Bible I dropped at Guzman's? I have others, of course, but that was my particular favorite.

9:39 They fear... The.

9:41 Words, you know?

9:43 Who does?

9:44 Their name is Legion, for they are many.

9:50 Oh, man.

9:52 You've got to be kidding me. Are you saying you performed an exorcism on Ethan Geiger?

9:58 And on so many. others like him. Young men and women who have been similarly cursed. Like poor Ethan. The greatest trick the devil ever performed, Harry, was in convincing the world he didn't exist. Unless honorable men are prepared to take action, I fear what the coming century will bring.

10:20 Do honorable men snatch kids off the street?

10:24 The demon living within Ethan was thousands of years old. And as for snatching the boy, I did no such thing.

10:33 No, the description doesn't match you. But it does match Lester out there. That green pickup parked in the lot across the street, does that belong to him?

10:42 That's right. Lester is a splendid young man.

10:47 He's a lot more than just your secretary.

10:49 Just a member of the community who gives up his time to help the cause.

10:54 Does he know about the exorcisms? Of course.

10:56 He even assists me from time to time.

10:59 But not with Ethan Geiger.

11:01 No.

11:02 We had a difference of opinion about Ethan's case. He believed he was ready to perform the rite on his own, whereas I don't believe he will ever be ready. He spent the evening at a bar, I believe, working off his frustrations on the dartboard. An exorcism can be a nerve-wracking experience, to say the least. As a man of the cloth, I have been trained to deal with such things.

11:30 But you're not a man of the cloth anymore, right?

11:34 My methods came up against a certain resistance within the church. I came to realize I could do more good in an unofficial capacity. My work comes to me from concerned members of the parish.

11:48 And they know what it means when they hear you're in the removal business. You get a lot of work?

11:53 Oh, yes. He's everywhere, Harry. Everywhere. But I don't have to tell you that.

12:01 Father Tim, where's Ethan?

12:04 Ethan is in the best place.

12:07 You mean he's dead?

12:08 Certainly not. He's where he should be.

12:12 And where's that?

12:13 Back with his mother, of course.

12:15 His mother?

12:16 Catherine was the one who consulted me over this matter. She loves the boy very much, but she could no longer cope with his sinful behavior. It wrecked her marriage and threatened to consume her son utterly. Thankfully, that has now been averted. If you want to see her, she lives somewhere in Magnolia. Lester will have the address.

12:38 No!

12:41 Ethan, there's someone who'd like to see you.

12:44 Hi, Ethan.

12:45 My name's Harry.

12:47 Ethan?

12:50 Ethan?

12:51 Father Tim says it's perfectly natural. Apparently the demon that possessed Ethan was an unusually powerful one. Oh, but it's so wonderful. You know, when he was small, he never finished making these models. Just used to smash them up in a rage. But now it's all he does. This is his third today. Father Tim says it's a very healthy hobby for a young boy.

13:17 Have you taken Ethan to see a doctor, Mrs.

13:19 Geiger?

13:20 What for?

13:21 He's cured. Father Tim cured him.

13:24 Yeah, well, I've seen a lot of people in shock, and they acted just like Ethan does.

13:30 No.

13:31 Father Tim says.

13:32 Father Tim says a lot of things.

13:34 Father Tim is a saint. A true saint.

13:38 You have to be dead to be a saint, Mrs.

13:40 Geiger.

13:41 Well, I don't know about that, but I do know you have to be able to perform miracles. And Father Tim did that when he gave me my son back.

13:52 Which brings me back to where we began, with me paying a call on Lieutenant Nick Bellano.

13:56 You want me to say something? Okay, how about this?

14:00 When I got up and put my pants on this morning, the last thing I expected I'd be doing today is helping Harry Nile arrest an exorcist.

14:08 This doesn't exactly come under robbery-homicide jurisdiction.

14:11 It might.

14:12 Look, I have a responsibility to my client. He's waiting for my report, and when he gets it, Father Tim's life won't be worth it.

14:19 Well, you get the idea.

14:20 I get it.

14:22 And if your client kills him, then it becomes my responsibility.

14:25 Oh, come on, Nick. I know you better than that.

14:27 You also know the law as well as I do. Unless someone swears out a complaint against this Foxley character, anything I do could be misconstrued as harassment.

14:36 That's your problem, Harry. You only ever see one side of the story.

14:40 What I saw was a kid in a state of shock over whatever was done to him during that exorcism.

14:46 Nick, will you at least talk to Father Tim? You can come to his office with me. I won't even introduce you as a cop.

14:53 All right. But ask yourself how happy you'll be to talk to someone called Nick.

15:07 I was just about to call you. Father Tim says he'd like to see you this afternoon at three o'clock.

15:13 What does he want to see me about?

15:15 He didn't say. He doesn't confide in me much anymore, but I think it's important.

15:20 I'll be there. Oh, say, Lester, would Father Tim mind if I bring a friend?

15:24 I don't see why not.

15:26 Then I'll be there at three.

15:31 Bolano said he'd be there at three, but he still hasn't shown up when I get there. Matter of fact, I'm starting to think I've beaten everybody here. There's no sign of Lester at the desk outside Father Tim's office. I'm thinking about going straight in when I hear a voice behind me.

15:47 Mr.

15:47 Nile, you're a little early.

15:48 The traffic was light.

15:50 Sorry I nearly missed you. Just had to step out and use the bathroom.

15:54 Is he in?

15:55 He's in, but I don't know whether he'll be up to seeing you.

15:58 I thought I had an appointment.

15:59 You did, but... Well, we had a little disturbance about 20 minutes ago.

16:04 What kind of disturbance?

16:05 Ethan Geiger's father.

16:07 Rudy was here?

16:08 He just barged past me, slammed the door behind him. There was a lot of yelling, a lot of other noise.

16:15 How did he know where to find Father Tim?

16:17 I assumed you told him.

16:19 I haven't talked to him.

16:20 Then I don't know. His wife, maybe?

16:22 Did you call the cops?

16:23 Father Tim wouldn't want that kind of publicity.

16:27 I just went to the men's room until I thought it might be over.

16:30 I'm not exactly what you'd call brave.

16:33 You snatch kids off the street, Lester.

16:35 So you're right.

16:37 You're not what I'd call brave.

16:40 Why don't you take a seat, Mr.

16:42 Nile?

16:43 I'll just check and see if he wants to talk to you.

16:45 Sure.

16:48 Father Tim, Mr. Nile is here again.

16:52 Oh, my God.

16:53 What's happened? Father Tim. Father Tim, can you hear me?

16:59 Is he still alive?

17:00 Just.

17:01 What should I do? Should I take the knife out of his chest?

17:04 Let go of it!

17:04 Sorry!

17:06 Father Tim, who did this to you?

17:08 Father Tim?

17:11 Father Tim.

17:15 If you gentlemen didn't start without me.

17:17 Nick!

17:19 What the hell happened here?

17:23 Harry Nile will be right back. Now, back to Harry Nile.

17:38 Congratulations, Harry. You successfully got my attention.

17:41 Well, this wasn't exactly how I was hoping to get it, Nick. I'd prefer it if everybody was still alive.

17:46 Well, now your father Tim's dead, it's a homicide case. How about telling me all about it?

17:52 I got here a couple of minutes before three. Lester Nock looked in and.

17:55 And then I saw he was dead.

17:58 I mean, dying.

18:00 With that little knife in his chest.

18:02 You didn't enter the room without Mr.

18:03 Nile?

18:04 No, I didn't. He just leaned around the door.

18:07 And did Father Tim have any other callers today?

18:12 He did.

18:13 Your client?

18:14 Mm-hmm.

18:19 So, am I under arrest?

18:22 Looks that way, Mr.

18:23 Geiger.

18:24 Okay.

18:26 Well, it's not the first time.

18:27 I bet it's the first time for murder.

18:29 Murder?

18:31 What the hell are.

18:31 You talking about? Lieutenant Bellano's a homicide detective, Rudy. Father Tim was stabbed this afternoon. Wait.

18:37 Wait a second. Wait a second. Not by me.

18:40 Don't say anything more.

18:42 I got nothing to hide. Ask me anything.

18:44 Great.

18:44 Did your wife tell you where to find Father Tim?

18:46 No. Catherine knew what I'd do to the guy. Why, you should have heard my.

18:50 Wait a second.

18:50 Wait a second.

18:51 How'd you even know about him?

18:53 I didn't tell you.

18:54 I got a call. Some guy. Didn't give me a name. Told me Ethan was over at Catherine's place.

19:00 Said what had happened to my boy was the fault of some loon calling himself Father Tim. And I could find him at this place in Columbia City around 2.40.

19:08 I guess you were pretty mad when you went over there.

19:11 Mad?

19:12 That fruitcake turned my boy into a zombie. A zombie!

19:15 Any parent would understand why you stabbed him, Mr.

19:18 Geiger.

19:19 I didn't stab anyone. If I'd wanted him dead, I would have broken his scrawny neck.

19:24 I smacked him around a little, sure.

19:26 Told him to stay away from my family. But he was alive when I walked out of there.

19:31 It's not the most compelling argument I've ever heard.

19:34 If you don't believe me, talk to Catherine.

19:36 Catherine?

19:36 Sure. She was coming into the place just as I was going out.

19:41 When Rudy left, after seeing Ethan, I was just sick with worry, Lieutenant.

19:46 Just sick.

19:47 Worried about your husband, Mrs. Geiger?

19:49 About Rudy?

19:51 Why would I be worried about Rudy?

19:53 So you went to the office because of Father Tim?

19:56 Of course. You've never seen Rudy when he gets really mad. He could kill someone.

20:02 But he didn't kill anybody.

20:03 No prompting, Harry.

20:05 Of course not. By the time I got there, Father Tim was quite badly shaken up. I stayed with him a few minutes to make sure he was all right. He thanked me, but he didn't say he didn't want anyone seeing him like that. He was such a gentleman, an unsung hero. I just can't believe. I just have to check on Ethan.

20:33 No reason for her to alibi her ex-husband.

20:35 No reason at all. I guess this lets my client off the hook.

20:39 I can still book him for assault. The problem is, Mrs. Geiger worshipped Father Tim. The husband had motive, but didn't do it. And the wife had no motive. So who did it? Evil spirits?

20:52 Maybe Nick.

21:06 Wow.

21:06 Beautiful.

21:09 Thank you. Thank you.

21:11 That's quite a throwing arm, Lester. Mr.

21:13 Nile.

21:14 Father Tim told me you enjoyed darts, but he never said your aim was so good.

21:18 Wow.

21:20 Beautiful.

21:22 Thank you. Thank you.

21:23 That's quite a throwing arm, Lester.

21:25 Mr.

21:25 Nile.

21:26 Father Tim told me you enjoyed darts, but he never said your aim was so good.

21:31 He never saw me throw.

21:32 Just once, I bet.

21:34 Lieutenants. Have you arrested Mr. Geiger?

21:37 Not for murder, Lester.

21:40 Why not?

21:40 Because something happened you didn't count on.

21:44 Something I didn't count on? What are you talking about?

21:47 When I called you this morning, you said you were about to call me, that Father Tim wanted to talk to me, but you didn't know what about.

21:53 But you see, I don't think he wanted to talk.

21:55 To me at all.

21:57 Of course he did. He told me.

21:59 No.

22:00 No, you just wanted me there in the outer office when you discovered Father Tim's body. You were the one who telephoned Rudy Geiger. You wanted to pin the murder on him. That's why you told him to get to the office 20 minutes before me, right?

22:14 Wrong.

22:15 I didn't call anybody.

22:16 Looks pretty good on paper. Geiger's the one with the motive, and he's supposed to be the last one to see Father Tim before you or Niall here discovered him murdered.

22:25 But you didn't realize that Catherine Geiger called just after you went to the bathroom.

22:29 Last-minute nerves.

22:33 If I.

22:35 If I killed him... How did I do it?

22:36 Huh?

22:39 Harry, you told the lieutenant I didn't even go into the office. We went in together. And Father Tim had that knife in his chest, right? Right?

22:47 It was a pretty small knife, Lester. That's why Father Tim didn't die right away. It was big enough to hide up your sleeve in your pocket.

22:56 And when you leaned around the door.

22:58 We've seen you play darts, Lester. You never miss.

23:03 You're crazy.

23:04 You practically murdered him right in front of me, Lester. That's why you touched the knife after I told you not to. Because your prince would be on it anyway.

23:12 That's means and opportunity, Lester.

23:15 If you give me the motive, it might help you when you're sentenced.

23:18 I think I know the reason, Nick.

23:20 You had a big disagreement with Father Tim, didn't you, Lester? You wanted to perform Ethan Geiger's exorcism, but he told you no. Told you you'd never be ready.

23:30 Isn't that it, Lester?

23:33 I never.

23:36 Before that night, I never would have thought about killing him. But later, the idea just got into my head.

23:48 I couldn't control myself.

23:49 You're not going to tell me you were possessed.

23:52 Father Tim, he spent so much time releasing those demons from people's bodies. But I don't think he ever took the time to ask what happens to them.

24:02 Once they're out.

24:04 You've been listening to The Adventures of Harry Nile, starring Larry Albert. Tonight's case, Trouble is My Beeswax, was written by M.J. Elliott and directed by Pat French. Also in the cast were.

24:19 John Patrick Lowry as Lieutenant Bellano.

24:22 Terry Edward Moore as Father Tim.

24:24 Dennis Bateman as Rudy Geiger in Lester.

24:27 Pat French as Murphy.

24:29 Rachel Glass as Catherine Geiger.

24:33 Other characters were played by members of the cast. Sound effects were created by Frank Rosin and Curtis Takahachi. Our engineer was Jason Chavey. The program was produced by Jim French and was recorded before a live audience at the Kirkland Performance Center in Kirkland, Washington. To order CDs and downloads of tonight's show, visit HarryNile.com. This is Jay Green speaking.

24:59 The Adventures of Harry Nile.

25:07 Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in the sight of God and these witnesses for the joining together of two lives in the sacrament of marriage. Inasmuch as Anthony and Rosalyn have chosen each other to be partners in life's journey and have desired to share the joy of this momentous occasion with their families and friends, If there is anyone present who knows why Anthony Donovan Fanning and Rosalind Gale Webster should not be united in holy wedlock, let him come forward now or forever hold his peace.

25:45 I know a reason.

25:49 Step forward, please.

25:52 Are you serious?

25:53 Yes, I am.

25:55 Oh, my beautiful wedding.

25:58 And just who are you?

25:59 I'm a private investigator, Harry Nile.

26:02 Will you come forward, please? What is your reason for stopping the wedding of these two people, sir?

26:09 Because one of them is already.

26:11 The year is 1943. America has been fighting the Second World War for over a year and a half. Harry Nile is turned down.

26:19 By the U.S.

26:20 Military for medical reasons and lands a job at a defense plant. But that's only his day job, after dark. He still applies his trade as a private detective in wartime Los Angeles, and on rare occasion, even makes a little money. This is one of those occasions.

26:38 Sixty, seventy, eighty, and twenty is a hundred.

26:44 Right.

26:45 I'll mail you a receipt.

26:46 And how soon can you start?

26:48 Right now.

26:49 I'll dig into this Anthony Fanning guy and see what he's made of, and I'll keep you posted.

26:53 I'm counting on you to be discreet.

26:56 That's my middle name.

26:58 Good night, Mrs. Tyndall. I'll be in touch right away.

27:22 How long you figure you were out?

27:24 Oh, not very long. Say, two or three minutes.

27:27 What are you hitting with?

27:28 A brick, I think. There was a brick lying on the lawn beside me when I came to.

27:33 I don't think we've ever had a robbery assault case in the Hermosa Hills neighborhood.

27:37 I suppose I should feel honored, but all I feel is this lump on my head and those stitches the doc put in.

27:43 Well, you were lucky the guy just took your wallet.

27:46 Lucky? I'd just gotten paid a hundred bucks, and now it's gone. My driver's license and my P.I.

27:52 License are gone. My draft card is gone.

27:54 Hold it a minute. Robbery, homicide, Sergeant Dutcher.

28:01 Where?

28:03 When was that? How can you tell he's a Nazi, ma'am?

28:12 I see.

28:13 Was he involved in a robbery or a homicide?

28:15 Okay.

28:18 Now, Mrs.

28:18 Cassina, next time you call to report a suspicious person, you should ask for the complaint desk. Yes, ma'am. I know you're just doing your part. All right. Thanks for calling. Last week it was Hirohito selling bananas at the farmer's market.

28:36 Okay.

28:37 Now, did you get a look at the guy who slugged you?

28:39 No.

28:40 Do you think he knew you had all that money on you?

28:43 How would he know?

28:43 Of course, there's a lot of wealth in that area. I came out of a fancy apartment building, and I was wearing this nice suit Manny made me, which is now covered in blood and grass stains.

28:54 So you think his motive was money and nothing else?

28:56 Well, what else could it be?

28:58 Now, if you don't have any more questions, I'd like to go home and go to bed before it's time to get up and go to work.

29:04 You're going to work? If I were you, I'd call in sick.

29:07 Stay home.

29:08 Take care of yourself.

29:08 I'm not hurt that bad.

29:10 Incidentally, what were you doing over in the high-rent district anyway?

29:14 I got a new client there.

29:16 Oh? What's his name?

29:17 You know I don't have to tell you that.

29:20 Is there some reason you don't want to tell me?

29:24 Okay, it's a lady, probably around 70. And her daughter's about to marry a guy she thinks may be after her money, so she hired me to check him out.

29:34 So all you have to do is some paperwork? Geez, I don't know how you can stand the excitement.

29:41 My day job in Alhambra as security officer for A1 Fabricator keeps me from doing much private investigating, but at least I can use some of my detective experience to help the war effort. And when the quitting whistle blows, I can pocket my security badge and become a PI.

29:57 Again for a few hours.

29:59 At the factory the next day, I go on with the stuff I have to do until my boss comes by. He takes one look at my head and tells me to go home. But instead, I go back to Mrs.

30:08 Tyndall's place.

30:12 Why, Mr.

30:12 Nile, good heavens, what happened to you?

30:16 I had a little accident last night after I left here.

30:19 Well, come in.

30:21 What happened?

30:24 I got in the way of a brick.

30:26 A brick?

30:27 What do you mean?

30:28 Somebody clobbered me and took my wallet. Anyway, I just need to ask you a couple of things I missed yesterday. I'd like to know how old your daughter is.

30:36 37, though I don't think she'd like that to be widely known.

30:40 And her name is Rosalind Webster?

30:42 Yes, that's right.

30:44 So she was married before?

30:45 Yes.

30:46 Is that important?

30:48 I don't know.

30:49 I just need to know all I can about what we're dealing with here.

30:52 Well, she's been married twice, actually. Her first was a man named Simon Gale. They knew each other at Stanford and were married for about three years.

31:03 What happened?

31:04 He left her.

31:06 That was during the Depression, of course. And when he lost his job and found out that Rosalind wasn't going to just open her checkbook to him, he walked out on her. He went to live in Mexico, we think, because somebody sent Rosalind a flipping translated from a Tijuana paper that reported the death of an American there named Simon Gale. For quite a few years, she had nothing to do with men, until she met Paul Webster, who was a dashing young Navy lieutenant, and they were married in 1939. They were quite happy, as far as I know, but then he died in 1941.

31:45 Okay, let me get this down.

31:49 Simon Gale, Paul.

31:53 Webster.

31:54 Wouldn't you like to sit at the table to write your notes?

31:57 I could move my typewriter.

31:58 No, I'm fine.

32:00 What happened to Webster in 41?

32:02 Well, that was terribly tragic. The marriage looked like it was going to last a lifetime, but then one day they were swimming over at San Clemente Island and he drowned.

32:14 Sorry, but you know, I really need.

32:17 To talk to her.

32:18 No, No, no, please.

32:20 I told you when I hired you, I want to protect Rosalind from any more unhappiness.

32:25 Well, what makes you think he's after her money?

32:27 Oh, Mother just knows, Mr. Nile.

32:30 Ah, um, I'm sorry, but that's not enough.

32:35 What's he doing?

32:36 Is he asking for money?

32:38 Well, not in so many words, but, you know, Navy officers don't make that much money, and He obviously has very expensive tastes. He owns a big Packard car and a big house in Pasadena. How would he manage all of that and keep a wife on a retired naval officer's pay?

32:58 So you want me to dig up enough dirt on Fanning to make Rosalind call off the wedding herself, like it was her idea, not yours?

33:06 Well, you make it sound like some kind of plot. I'm just a concerned mother who doesn't want her daughter to make another mistake she may regret. At her age, she may not have many more chances.

33:18 If she's 37, she ought to be able to handle that herself, don't you think?

33:22 But I am still her mother. And I still look out for her best interests, as any mother would. You don't approve.

33:29 Hey, it's not up to me to approve what you do with your daughter.

33:33 Do you have children, Mr.

33:34 Nile?

33:35 Nope.

33:36 Then you can't know how it feels to watch your only child Walk into a situation that could end in heartbreak. A situation that you might have been able to prevent.

33:46 Well, like they say, love is blind. Oh, by the way, you had any prowlers around this place recently?

33:54 No.

33:55 Why?

33:56 I got mugged right outside your apartment.

33:58 You did?

34:00 I was cutting across the lawn to get to my car. I think the guy must have been hiding in the shrubbery.

34:05 Oh, good grief.

34:06 Well, I should report that to the police.

34:08 I took care of that last night. You might get a call from a Sergeant Dutcher. I gave him your number.

34:12 I hope you don't mind.

34:17 From there, I drive over to Pasadena and try and meet Anthony Fanning for the first time. But a guy who answers the door says the commander is golfing at the Arroyo Seco course. So I drive down there, and the guy in the pro shop knows Fanning and points him out to me. He's on a terrace where a bunch of duffers are drinking their pre-lunch punch. There's a woman sitting next to him at the table. Excuse me, I'm looking for Anthony Fanning.

34:47 Yes?

34:48 I'm Anthony Fanning.

34:50 I was told you might be here. I'm Harry Knott.

34:54 Have we met before?

34:55 No, I'm with Golf Review.

34:58 Oh, Golf Review. I read it every month. I've been a subscriber for years. Well, how can I help you?

35:07 Mr.

35:07 Miles, was it? No, Niles. Like the river. I just need to get a little background on you for our next issue, but I don't want to interrupt anything.

35:16 Oh, you're not interrupting. We're just having a little ninth-hole drink. This is my fiancée, Rosalind Webster.

35:24 Well, pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Webster.

35:27 Thanks.

35:29 Why don't you sit down, Mr.

35:30 Niles?

35:31 Do you mind, dear?

35:33 No, of course not.

35:36 Well, let me buy you a drink.

35:38 Thanks, but I quit a while back.

35:40 Oh, well, how about some orange juice then? They grow the world's biggest oranges here in California.

35:48 What did you do to your head?

35:50 I think I got hit by a hailstone.

35:53 They grow big in California, too.

35:55 Well, just what is it you'd like to know about me, Mr.

35:58 Niles?

35:59 Well, a little background on your career.

36:02 Which career are you interested in?

36:04 The The one you're best known for.

36:10 Well, I'm probably best known for my career in the Navy. I was given my first command in 1910. Served in the Atlantic Fleet during the First World War. And then after the war, I went into the reserves and reactivated right after Pearl Harbor.

36:27 And now he's a full commander, retired.

36:30 Yes, I retired just a year ago. And this may surprise you. Most people wouldn't guess it, but I... I'm actually 66.

36:39 No, I would have thought you were probably around the same age as Miss Webster.

36:44 That's because she keeps me young.

36:48 How did you two meet?

36:50 Isn't that getting a little personal, Mr. Nile?

36:52 Well, you know how fans are. They love to read about famous people and their romances.

36:57 I think we can tell them that we met on an island in the Pacific.

37:02 Yes, that's true. A romantic Pacific island.

37:05 Uh-huh.

37:06 Which one? Hawaii?

37:07 No, no. A little closer to home.

37:09 Closer to home?

37:11 Catalina Island?

37:12 Ah, you're close.

37:14 It was San Clemente Island, actually.

37:17 Where is that?

37:18 Well, it's the southernmost of the Channel Islands, just off the coast a few miles, just south of Catalina.

37:26 So you went there on your first date?

37:28 Well, you wouldn't call it a date.

37:31 That's where we met. We didn't know each other before that.

37:34 No, we were.

37:36 We were strangers when fate threw us together, as they say.

37:41 So, why don't you tell us about yourself, Mr.

37:43 Nile?

37:45 How long have you been writing for Golf Digest?

37:48 I think he said golf review, sweetheart.

37:50 That's right.

37:52 Well, I haven't been doing it very long.

37:54 My mother's a writer.

37:56 Oh, is that so?

37:57 Yes.

37:58 You really should meet her sometime. You might have a lot in common.

38:02 Yeah, maybe we would.

38:04 Well, when's the big day?

38:06 You mean our wedding day? Now that is a military secret.

38:14 Funny, the guy I'm supposed to investigate was friendlier to me than Rosalind was. If she hadn't shut me down, I think Fanning would have told me his life story. But all the time we were talking, I got the impression that she knew what I was really up to. I drove into L.A. and had a taco on Olvera Street and went up to my loft above Manny's, gulped down a couple more aspirins, lay down on my sofa to ease the throbbing in my head. But in seconds, I was asleep. I don't know how long I was out, but the next thing I know.

38:49 Uh, Harry Nile.

38:50 Mr.

38:51 Nile?

38:52 This is Jolene Tindall. Rosalind was just here very upset. Do you feel well enough to talk?

38:59 Yeah, sure, Miss Tindall. What's on your mind?

39:01 I asked you to stay away from her.

39:03 I know you did.

39:05 I went to see Fanning, and she was with him.

39:07 What could I do?

39:08 Well, she saw right through you when you said you were a reporter for some golfing magazine. And when she asked me if I knew anything about you, well, I couldn't lie to her. I told her I'd hired you to find out everything you could about Anthony Fanning for her own good.

39:24 Oh?

39:24 And how'd she take that?

39:25 She was livid.

39:26 Hey, maybe she wants to stand on her own two feet. Of course she's going to resent having me investigate her fiancée, but I didn't tell her what I was doing.

39:35 Well, now she knows everything. And of course, so does Fanning.

39:39 Well, my impression is he's a pretty straight-up guy.

39:42 Then you're rather easily deceived for a detective.

39:45 Why?

39:46 You know something about him I don't know?

39:50 Job of investigation.

39:52 Okay, look, Mrs.

39:53 Tindall, why don't you tell Rosalind you've kicked me off the case and maybe you can salvage your relationship with her. And I'm sorry, I can't return the retainer you paid me. The mugger took it and was all I have to eat on until next week.

40:06 I'm not asking you to return the money. Just bring me the proof that Anthony Fanning is out to fleece her.

40:12 To fleece her?

40:13 Or you?

40:14 If you're her only means of support, wouldn't it be your money he's after? It's You want me to stay on the case?

40:21 Yes, but please, no more mistakes.

40:26 I've got a friend over at the Times, and now and then he lets me into their morgue so I can look up files on anybody whose name ever got in the paper. But I can't find anything on Fanning. Across the room where the wire service files are kept, I have better luck. His name comes up on an old INS story on the U.S. Navy's activity on San Clemente Island, dated 1941. Turns out the Navy owns the island, and Fanning was in command at the time he retired.

40:54 But what the heck was Roslyn doing there? For that matter, how was Webster allowed to swim there? I try another paper, the San Diego Union, and they put me on to a reporter, Mike Riley.

41:06 Webster was a Navy officer stationed on San Clemente Island. I'm looking at a story around his death dated June 12, 1941.

41:16 Does it mention his wife?

41:20 Mrs. Paul Webster. I'll read it to you. It's short. It says, Navy officer dies on San Clemente Island. Lieutenant Senior Grade Paul G. Webster of Arcadia, California, was found dead near Pyramid Cove at the southern end of the island on Sunday. His wife, Mrs. Paul Webster of Los Angeles, told Navy authorities that she had been visiting her husband, who was stationed on the island, and that they had been climbing together on Pyramid Head. That's the end of the article. The island's owned by the Navy, you know.

41:49 And they do quite a lot of testing there, but you can't get much dope on anything specific.

41:54 Well, this has been a big help. Thanks a million.

41:58 So husband number two and soon-to-be husband number three were both stationed on San Clemente Island. I filed that away in the back of my mind. Now I want to find out what became of husband number one, Simon Gale. I run a notice in the personals in three papers.

42:14 The LA Times, the San Diego Union, and.

42:17 A newspaper printed in Tijuana. It begins, Simon Gale, old Stanford friend needs to find you, matter of life and death. It's a long shot I don't really expect to pay off, and nothing's lost if it doesn't. But a week later, I not only get a result, I get it in person. It's a Sunday afternoon, and I'm back at an outdoor table on Olvera Street, where the ad said I'd be every Saturday and Sunday, when a guy with a cane shows up and looks around the little patio. The cane's in one hand, and there's a slip of newspaper clipping in his other. So I get up and walk over to him. Excuse me. You look like you might be looking for someone.

42:55 I am. Are you the person who ran this ad in the Times Personals?

42:59 Are you Simon Gale?

43:01 Yes.

43:02 I'm Harry Nile.

43:02 Can I buy you a drink?

43:04 That depends on what you want with me.

43:06 Come on, let's sit down and I'll fill you in.

43:11 That's odd. I can't remember knowing you at Stanford.

43:14 I apologize. I was never at Stanford.

43:17 Oh, I see. So, what's this all about?

43:19 Okay, well, first of all, you're not in any trouble.

43:23 That's good to know.

43:24 And I'm not going to try to sell you anything.

43:26 Well, that's good, too. I'm still waiting for my ship to come in.

43:30 So am I. But here's the long and the short of it. I'm a private detective, and I've got a client you used to know pretty well.

43:37 Rosalind Tindall.

43:40 You sounded like you expected to hear from her.

43:42 Only every day for the past 17 years.

43:45 No lie? Well, She's not my client. Her mother is.

43:49 Oh, the estimable Dorcas Blaine.

43:52 Who?

43:53 Well, it's hard for me to separate the author from her pseudonym. Don't tell me that you, a detective, didn't know that Julian Tindall writes crime novels under the name of Dorcas Blaine.

44:05 Crime novels?

44:06 And fairly good ones, too.

44:07 Oh, man, you've got the drop on me.

44:10 Really? What is it you say you do for a living?

44:13 I deserve that.

44:15 Now, can we get down to this matter of life and death you mentioned?

44:19 Sure.

44:20 Mrs. Tyndall is trying to keep Rosalind from getting married again. She's worried that her fiancé will be marrying her for her money.

44:27 Mrs.

44:28 Tyndall's money, I guess you could say.

44:30 Yes, let's say that.

44:31 And she tells me you walked out on Rosalind when she wouldn't support you after you lost your job during the Depression.

44:37 It was a bit more complicated than that.

44:39 And she also said she'd read somewhere that you'd died down in Mexico.

44:44 But apparently you didn't believe her. Score one for you.

44:47 What did happen?

44:49 I almost died. The passerby who pulled me out of the wreckage of my car left me to the tarantulas, assuming I was dead. However, a very skillful and compassionate doctor pulled me through, but not before an eager newspaper man had written a report of my death.

45:05 So that's why the cane, the car wreck.

45:08 That, and the vain hope to appear more distinguished. Now, perhaps you'll tell me about this life and death matter.

45:14 Okay.

45:17 I'm trying to find out if there was some connection between her first husband's death and her second husband's death.

45:23 But you see, Harry, her first husband is miraculously alive and sitting before you, thirsting for a tequila.

45:30 Right.

45:32 But she thought you were dead.

45:34 Well, I'm flattered that she thought of me at all.

45:36 And her second husband died in an accident on San Clemente Island.

45:41 He did? Do you know what year that would have been? In 1941.

45:45 1941.

45:46 Hmm.

45:48 Harry, I'm going to tell you something. My car wreck down in Mexico was caused by a woman at the wheel of a speeding car that had been following me for most of the afternoon. And then, on a curving mountain road, she drew up alongside me and swerved her car into mine, knocking my car over a cliff.

46:05 You don't mean.

46:06 Let me finish. I was knocked unconscious. When I regained consciousness... I found I had been hauled partway out of the car. What woke me up was a huge hairy spider crawling over my face. But there was no one around. Then I lapsed into blessed oblivion again and awoke the next day in a hospital with a collection of broken bones and not much memory of what had happened. But there was one thing I remembered, however. The smell of perfume.

46:37 It was a very distinctive scent called evening in Paris. I smelled it as I lay there in the sun, having been dragged out of my car.

46:47 And you're going to tell me that that was the perfume that Rosalind used to wear.

46:51 Exactly.

46:52 Rosalind was the woman driving the car that forced you off the road, right? Then she tried to rescue you, but she gave up.

46:58 Apparently. And I think she was the one who found the doctor who saved my life. Now you know why I've thought of her through all these years. I wonder if she still wears Evening in Paris.

47:15 Well, the few minutes I spend hearing Simon Gill's story changes the whole direction of my investigation. I buy him a tequila and he fills me in on a bunch of other details. He promises to keep in touch and I take down the address of his house out in Venice where he's living. And that's when I decide to do something that's not recommended in the.

47:35 Private Eye Handbook.

47:40 Oh, hello, Harry.

47:42 Hi.

47:43 Do you mind if I come in, or are you busy?

47:45 No, come in.

47:46 I was just.

47:48 Writing.

47:49 Well, yes, as a matter of fact.

47:52 I was able to get a little.

47:54 Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. How did you ever find him?

47:57 You'll get the bill for the personal ads I ran.

48:00 And you spoke with him?

48:01 Quite a lot.

48:02 And I learned a thing or two. For one thing, I learned what you do for a living. How come you never told me your dork is Blaine?

48:10 Well, that's... Didn't seem pertinent.

48:11 You're a famous author.

48:13 I've been very fortunate.

48:16 After Simon told me your dork is plain, I got some of your books from the library, and I've been reading them.

48:20 I see.

48:21 And what do you think?

48:23 Does Rosalind read them?

48:25 Why, I suppose she does. Why?

48:27 What does she think of them?

48:29 Well, she's very complimentary. But then she's my daughter.

48:34 Are your novels based on real cases?

48:36 Are some real crimes inspired by your books? Ridiculous.

48:41 I don't know.

48:42 In Wanted for Murder, you've got a man who was killed by being run off a mountain road in his car. And in Death in Deep Blue, a guy was pushed off a cliff into the ocean. That could have been the way Rosalind's second husband died. And in both cases, they happened before your novels were published.

48:56 I don't like what you're suggesting.

48:59 Well, I don't like it either. I don't think you hired me to protect Rosalind from Anthony Fanning. I think you hired me to keep Commander Fanning from marrying Rosalind and becoming her third victim.

49:09 You have lost your senses.

49:11 How long have you known that Rosalind is a pathological killer?

49:14 I won't stand here and listen for this another minute.

49:16 But being a loving mother, instead of having your daughter go into trouble... you're trying to keep her from marrying somebody that she may eventually decide to kill.

49:25 That is the most fantastic accusation I have ever heard. For your information, Rosalind and Tony have set the date for their wedding. And I forbid you to ever approach either one of them again. And I don't want to see you ever again. Now get out of my apartment.

49:42 If there is anyone present who knows why Anthony Donovan Fanning and Rosalind Gale Webster should not be united in holy wedlock, let him come forward now or forever.

49:54 Hold his peace.

49:55 I know a reason.

49:59 Step forward, please.

50:02 Are you serious?

50:03 Yes, I am.

50:05 Oh, my beautiful wedding!

50:08 And just who are you?

50:09 I'm a private investigator, Harry Nye.

50:12 Will you come forward, please?

50:15 What is your reason for stopping the wedding of these two people, sir?

50:19 Because one of them is already married.

50:22 Just a minute, Reverend. This man is an out-and-out liar. Neither Rosalind or I are married to anyone.

50:30 Not true, Commander.

50:32 No!

50:32 No, no! No, you're dead! He's dead, Tony. I saw him under his car and he was dead.

50:41 Who are you?

50:42 Husband number one, Simon Gale.

50:45 No, I'm telling you he's dead. I saw him. This can't be, Simon. You're not Simon.

50:51 I went down the hill and tried to drag you away from the car, but I couldn't do it and.

50:55 You were dead.

50:56 I'm afraid not, Rosalind. You almost killed me, but I survived. And I was crazy enough to hope someday you'd get better and we could pick up our marriage where we left off.

51:07 Well, then, you're still married to this wolf?

51:10 Yes.

51:11 Well, if this is true... It can easily be taken care of. It's just a legal formality.

51:19 Mr.

51:19 Knight, I hold you responsible for causing this outrageous interruption. If you have a license to meddle in the lives of innocent people, I'll see that it is revoked.

51:31 Come on, my dear.

51:32 Come on.

51:33 Let's get out of here.

51:35 Rosalind.

51:35 Oh, Simon.

51:37 Rosalind, what's past is past.

51:40 Now, come with me.

51:41 Simon, I'm sorry.

51:44 But you, Harry Nile, I should have finished you when I had the chance.

51:49 You almost did, Rosalind. You're pretty good with a brick.

51:53 Rosalind, you're coming with me right now.

51:55 Now that's an order.

52:02 You have heard The Adventures of Harry Nile, starring Larry Albert. This episode, Chapter 7 of War Comes to Harry Nile, is titled Twisting the Past and was written, produced, and directed by Jim French. Featured on our cast.

52:18 Were Rosemary Rice, Ami Cook, Beverly.

52:21 Washburn, Richard Zahn. Why did we stop on the bridge, Leo?

52:41 You ever watched a train go by from up here?

52:43 No.

52:44 Why would I want to do that?

52:45 I don't know. Something to do.

52:49 Here.

52:49 This is good. See the tracks down below?

52:53 I think we ought to get back in the car. I'm getting cold.

52:55 How far down do you think those tracks are? Forty feet? Fifty feet? I'd say about fifty feet. What do you say, beanbag?

53:03 I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore.

53:06 I'm sorry, Leno. I forgot. Hey, look up the track. See the headlight? I think there's a train coming.

53:12 Leo.

53:12 See, I've got an idea. Why don't you get up and sit on the railing so you can see it better when it goes under us?

53:19 I can see okay from here.

53:21 Oh, no.

53:22 You'll see it a lot better if you're up on the railing.

53:25 I can't get up there. Besides, I don't like high places.

53:28 Well, don't worry about it. You won't be up there that long. Here, I'll help you.

53:34 No!

53:34 I know what you're going to do. You'll push me off.

53:37 Are you kidding? I wouldn't do a thing like that. You're so fatted to derail a train and hurt somebody.

53:43 Then let's go back to the car. I don't like it up here.

53:46 Yeah, well, I'll tell you what I don't like, Leno. I don't like guys who double-cross their partners.

53:53 Huh?

53:53 You've been talking to the cops, haven't you?

53:55 No!

53:56 Yes, you have.

53:57 No, no, I haven't.

53:59 You had lunch with one yesterday in Seattle.

54:01 That wasn't a cop. He's a P.I.

54:03 Same difference. Now you've got your wallet on you, don't you?

54:07 Yeah.

54:07 Give it here. Oh, Leo. Just hand it over. I told you, you never carry anything that identifies you.

54:14 But what if I get stopped by a cop and he wants to see my license?

54:17 What's going to happen? Now give it to me.

54:19 Oh, well, I don't care.

54:23 All right, now climb up on the rail.

54:25 I can't, Leo.

54:26 It's too high.

54:27 High, you big baby. All right, I'll boost you up.

54:31 Come on.

54:32 All we're going to do is sit here and talk. There you go.

54:36 Hey, hey, hey.

54:37 Now, that wasn't bad, was it?

54:39 I don't like high places, Leo.

54:41 This is all part of your training, Lena. You got to learn not to be scared. Besides, I'm sitting beside you. Nothing can happen to me. No, Leo. A lot can happen to guys who rat on their friends. I didn't rat on you, Leo. What'd you say? I can't hear you.

54:59 I said I didn't rat on you.

55:02 Leo, don't do it.

55:04 Please.

55:09 The Adventures of Harry Nile.

55:16 Why do you think I can tell you anything about a dead guy, Lou?

55:19 Because he was carrying an old newspaper clip about the Rickman murder case in his wallet. Your name was in it, circled in red.

55:27 What can I say?

55:28 I have to live with fame.

55:30 Very funny. Look, I happen to know that this guy is in the Portland mob. We got a bulletin on him. His name's Leonard Bean.

55:38 You know him?

55:38 Maybe.

55:40 I talked with a Leonard Bean yesterday. He drove up here from Portland to buy my lunch and get some advice.

55:45 Oh, now you're working for Hoodlums?

55:48 Wasn't like that. He wanted me to help him get him out of that life.

55:51 Well, he got his wish.

55:53 Looks like.

55:54 Look, I need you to meet me at the morgue and tell me what you know about him.

55:58 Who knows?

55:59 Might even get your name in the papers again.

56:03 Mr.

56:03 Bean is dead?

56:04 Yeah.

56:04 Yeah.

56:05 And Butterfield thinks there's a link between us because Bean was carrying a newspaper clipping about the Rickman case that mentioned my name.

56:11 The Rickman murder case?

56:13 Uh-huh.

56:14 The one that you solved and he didn't?

56:16 Yeah.

56:16 It's been six years and he's still sensitive about that.

56:20 You know, Detective Butterfield must be a very insecure person.

56:31 Here he is, what's left of him. We took a whale of a beating.

56:37 Wait a minute.

56:39 Who'd you say this is?

56:40 Leonard W. Bean, according to his driver's license.

56:44 Not the Leonard Bean I had lunch with yesterday.

56:46 What are you talking about?

56:47 This isn't the Leonard Bean I met with yesterday. That guy must have been six and a half feet tall, 300 pounds, and he had a comb-over.

56:55 This fellow looks like a welterweight, and he's got plenty of hair. Where'd you find him?

56:59 On a flat car in the train yards. Railroad Dick reported it. The ME thinks time of death was somewhere around midnight, which means he was probably killed in Portland, but his body wasn't discovered until the train got here.

57:12 Well, whoever this poor guy is, he was beaten like a rug. Is his neck broken?

57:19 No, you haven't seen the half of it. See all that bruising on his torso? Looks like he was hit by a truck. He was no hobo. He was wearing a business suit and a raincoat and expensive-looking shoes.

57:34 Was there any money in the wallet?

57:35 That's another thing. There was $ 53 in it, so he wasn't robbed.

57:40 But what was he doing with Bean's wallet? And if he isn't Leonard Bean, who is he?

57:45 We're running this prince through R & I, so we may find out.

57:50 The day before, I'd met with Bean at Andy's Diner on 4th Sound. I picked that spot because when he phoned me to ask for a meeting, he said he wanted a big steak at a place that's easy to find for a stranger driving up Highway 99. Besides, they know me there, and I can usually get a table away from the crowd if I want privacy.

58:10 Which, in this case, I did. Is this table going to be all right?

58:16 This will be good. What are you going to have?

58:19 Well, I always order the prime steak, medium rare, with hash browns.

58:22 Sounds good. I'll try it.

58:25 Now, how about telling me why you drove all the way up here to talk to me? There must be plenty of PIs in Oregon.

58:32 Sure there are.

58:33 But I don't want anybody to know what I'm going to do.

58:36 Okay.

58:38 How can I help you? You didn't tell me much on the phone.

58:40 I couldn't. You never know who might be listening.

58:44 Oh.

58:45 It's like that, is it?

58:46 Yeah.

58:48 What's the deal?

58:49 Well, I'm in the rackets down there. I want to get out.

58:57 How long have you been in that line of work?

58:59 Not too long.

59:00 Back in 1950, I was drafted when the Korean War started. I didn't like being a soldier, and I messed up enough to get a dishonorable discharge When I got back home, I couldn't get a job because everyone thought I'd screw up again.

59:15 How'd you mess.

59:17 Up in the Army?

59:18 I couldn't shoot anybody. They called me a commie lover and a coward. So they held a court-martial, and I did 14 months in the stockade and Then they shipped me home and gave me a dishonorable discharge.

59:31 That's why nobody wanted to hire me.

59:33 I see.

59:34 But then I heard about the organization. They said there was big money in it. I knew a guy who was really in the chips, and he got me in. They taught me a lot, and I began making money.

59:47 And nobody got hurt. Until last week. Last week, one of our guys got out of line and got whacked.

59:54 Do you know who did it?

59:56 Nobody said, but I know it was the boss. And when that happened, I.

1:00:01 Knew I had to get out. But you can't just walk away from the organization. It's like the army. If you disobey an order, you get punished. And if you try to get away, you get dead.

1:00:15 What kind of things do they have you doing?

1:00:18 Collections, mostly. If somebody don't want to pay, I show up and they pay.

1:00:23 Yeah.

1:00:25 Guy, your signs ought to be good at that.

1:00:27 Only, I don't usually have to lay my hands on them. I just make them think I'm going to hurt them.

1:00:32 Okay.

1:00:35 If you want to get out, why not just move away? Change your name. Lose some weight.

1:00:40 They'd find me. The boss said when he took me in, it'd be for a lifetime. He said the only way out would be when I die.

1:00:47 You must be running it like the mafia.

1:00:50 How big is this outfit?

1:00:51 I don't really know. They don't hold meetings.

1:00:55 And who's the boss?

1:00:57 His name's Leo Rocca. I'm going to be meeting with him tonight, so I've got to get.

1:01:01 On the road.

1:01:02 What's the meeting about?

1:01:03 He wouldn't tell me. He just wants to meet with me. But listen, Mr.

1:01:08 Nile, here's a C-note. And if you can get me out, I'll give you $ 1, 000 more.

1:01:14 If I'm still alive.

1:01:20 Burglary, homicide, Butterfield.

1:01:22 Terry, you get the results back on the dead guy's prints?

1:01:25 Yeah, R and I just called a minute ago. They belong to a Leo Rocca, age 43, last address Portland, and he has a record.

1:01:34 Leo Rocca?

1:01:35 Do you know who he is?

1:01:36 Yeah, a dead guy.

1:01:38 Leo Rocca runs a Portland racquet called the Organization.

1:01:41 He runs it?

1:01:42 According to Leonard Bean.

1:01:44 How do I find Leonard Bean?

1:01:45 I don't know. And why did Rocca have Bean's wallet?

1:01:49 Rocca could have taken it off Bean's body.

1:01:52 Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.

1:01:53 And someone came along, killed Rocca.

1:01:55 Why did they take his wallet?

1:01:58 Well, anyway, it's not my problem. Rocca was killed in Portland, and his body took a train ride to Seattle. End of story.

1:02:07 But for me, it isn't that simple. Leonard Bean paid me $ 100 to help get him out of the rackets without Rocca hunting him down. Now, with Rocca on a slab in the morgue, do I have any right to keep the money? And I've got no way to send it back to him, because I don't have his address or phone number. I don't even know if he's still alive.

1:02:25 All I can do is wait and see if Bean turns up.

1:02:29 Harry, this could be dangerous. I've read all about the way organized crime works, and I don't think you should get them mad at you.

1:02:37 If the guy in the morgue is Raka, I doubt he'll be coming after me.

1:02:41 Maybe he won't, but don't you think someone's going to take over this organization? Harry Nile Investigations. Murphy speaking. May I tell him who's calling?

1:02:58 Oh.

1:03:00 Just a moment, please.

1:03:02 He said, tell him I'm the collector. Do we have a bill that's been turned over to a collection agency?

1:03:09 Not recently. Give me the phone.

1:03:12 This is Harry Nile.

1:03:13 Who's this?

1:03:14 I gotta see you right away.

1:03:16 I said, who is this? The only Porton I know is the gal on the Fred Allen show, and you don't sound like her.

1:03:25 Sheesh.

1:03:26 I'm the guy from Portland. We had lunch together yesterday.

1:03:31 In Seattle.

1:03:32 We did?

1:03:33 What'd we have?

1:03:34 Oh, come on, Mr.

1:03:35 Nile.

1:03:36 It's me. We both had the same thing.

1:03:39 Steak.

1:03:40 At a diner made out of old train cars.

1:03:43 Okay, Bean.

1:03:43 Where are you?

1:03:45 I'm in a motel in Kelso. The Shady Rest.

1:03:48 Appropriate name.

1:03:49 How do I find it?

1:03:51 It's just off Highway 99 on the west side as you come into Kelso from the north. Look for a black Oldsmobile sedan parked beside cabin number two.

1:04:01 And Mr.

1:04:01 Nile.

1:04:02 Yeah?

1:04:03 When you get here, it'll be night. So I want you to knock a certain way. Do you ever listen to Dragnet? You know their theme song? Dump, da-dump, dump.

1:04:14 You want me to knock like that?

1:04:16 So I'll know who it is. Dump, da-dump, dump.

1:04:20 You expecting somebody else to visit you tonight?

1:04:22 I hope not.

1:04:24 Technically, there's no reason to drive all the way down to Kelso to meet with Bean. He can say what he wants to say on a payphone from anywhere. And I figure I've already earned the $ 100 retainer he paid me. Plus, if Bean really wants out of the rackets and his boss is dead, I don't see why he can't just walk away. He doesn't need any help from me. So, why am I taking a.

1:04:46 280-mile round trip?

1:04:46 The promise of a $ 1, 000 fee? Sure, I'll drive a long way for that kind of dough. And just because I don't know what I'm getting into, I.

1:04:56 Take along my 38. Well, there's a black rolls. And there's cabin number two. Hmm, no lights on it.

1:05:20 Who is it? Harry Nile.

1:05:25 You made good time, Mr.

1:05:26 Nile.

1:05:27 Yeah.

1:05:32 Come on.

1:05:32 Let's sit down and talk.

1:05:35 All right.

1:05:36 Fill me in.

1:05:37 Well, things have changed since yesterday.

1:05:39 I would say so.

1:05:41 I better start from when I got back from having lunch in Seattle. I met with Leo Rocca like he wanted. We drove to a part of town I'd never been in... He parked on a bridge over a lot of railroad tracks and we got out. And that's when he sort of let his jacket open and I could see the gun in his shoulder holster.

1:05:59 Well, that didn't surprise you, did it?

1:06:02 It sort of scared me. Like I said, Leo killed one of our guys a few days ago. So anyway, he made me get up on the railing of the bridge. I didn't want to, but he had that gun. And then he said he knew that I talked to you. He thought I ratted him out. And all this time, down below, there's a train coming. And he made me give him my wallet.

1:06:26 And then you knew what he was going to do.

1:06:28 That's right.

1:06:29 And the train's coming, and he starts pushing me over. And I grab onto him and hold on. And then just as the train passed under the bridge, he fell. I'm a lot bigger than him and stronger. But I never meant to push him over.

1:06:43 I mean, he was just.

1:06:45 Off balance up there on the railing. And the first thing I know, he tips over backward and falls.

1:06:51 If you can convince the police that Rocca fell while trying to push you over the bridge, you might come out of this in pretty good shape.

1:06:58 I've got nothing doing. No police.

1:07:00 All right.

1:07:01 All right.

1:07:02 What did you do right after it happened?

1:07:04 I went back to his car and drove to my place.

1:07:06 He left the keys in the car?

1:07:07 No.

1:07:08 I hot-wired it.

1:07:09 Oh, beautiful.

1:07:11 Grand Theft Auto is a felony.

1:07:13 But I couldn't leave his car sitting there on the bridge.

1:07:16 That's exactly what you should have done. Look, Leonard, you don't need me. You need a lawyer. I can't help you.

1:07:22 Yes, you can. Help me get rid of the car.

1:07:25 What?

1:07:26 I mean, find some place to hide it.

1:07:29 I'm not getting mixed up in this.

1:07:31 You hired me to get you out of the organization, and now you're in it up to your neck.

1:07:35 I know.

1:07:36 That's why I need you to help me. And then I'll pay you the thousand, and we're done.

1:07:40 My advice to you is to go to the Portland police, tell them exactly what happened up there on the bridge.

1:07:45 Are you kidding?

1:07:46 It's your only move now.

1:07:48 No, I can't. There's a warrant out for my arrest.

1:07:52 On what charge?

1:07:54 Well, one of my collections went bad.

1:07:57 Meaning what?

1:07:59 Well, this guy owed us, so I pushed him around a little.

1:08:05 What are you telling me? You killed him? No!

1:08:09 I mean, he died, but I didn't hit him that hard.

1:08:13 I don't want to hear anymore. You just keep your thousand dollars.

1:08:16 I'm out of here.

1:08:17 No, no, you're not. You stay right where you are.

1:08:20 I thought you hated guns.

1:08:21 You've got to.

1:08:22 Understand, as long as I've got Rocca's car, I'm a dead pigeon. If the cops don't get me, somebody from the organization will. So we've got to stash the car somewhere here in Washington State. And I know how we can do it. We switch license plates, and then we drive to someplace where I can ditch Rocca's car. Then you drive me on up to Seattle in your car, and I disappear.

1:08:46 It's simple.

1:08:46 It's stupid.

1:08:47 But we're going to do it. And I've got a grand in cash right here in my pocket. I'm a man of my word.

1:08:53 I don't know what to expect from this guy.

1:08:58 I only know he's got a gun and he holds it on me while I put his Oregon plates on my car and my plates on the old. And before we drive away, he warns me that if I pull anything funny, I won't make it back to Seattle. With Bean behind me in the old, I pass by Castle Rock, then Vader, then Toledo. It's a pitch black night and I'm looking for a place for him to stash the car.

1:09:21 So I slow down whenever I approach a likely spot. While I'm focused on that, a new pair of headlights swings into my lane behind me and stays there for a couple of miles. It's a state patrolman. He pulls us both over onto the shoulder. I roll my window down, but he doesn't come up to me right away. He's motioning to Bean to turn off the olds and stay put.

1:09:52 While he's doing that, I get out of my car to show him my ID.

1:09:54 But as I step out of the car, the cop shouts at me to stand still and put up my hands.

1:09:59 He's standing behind his open door and holding his gun on me with both hands. And just as I do like he says, the trooper falls to the ground beside his car, shot in the back. And a second later, Bean pulls up beside me in the olds.

1:10:12 Come on, get in.

1:10:14 We gotta get out of here.

1:10:15 I'm not leaving my car here.

1:10:16 Yeah, you are.

1:10:19 You shot my tires?

1:10:21 And if you don't get in here, the next one's for you.

1:10:26 Are you crazy?

1:10:28 You shot a cop. What were you thinking? I had to shoot him so he could get away.

1:10:32 But before he pulled us over, he probably radioed for backup.

1:10:36 And he radioed the tag numbers on both cars, and they didn't match the records.

1:10:40 So now the police in two states.

1:10:41 Are looking for him. Shut up.

1:10:43 You don't know he did that. Then why did he hold his gun on me? Troopers don't do that for traffic violations. He had us all figured out when he hit his lights and siren. Look, you're not going to get away with this. The thing for you to do is to pull off the highway into a well-lighted parking lot and get out of the car.

1:10:58 And let him shoot me down?

1:11:00 No way!

1:11:00 Then just pull over and let me out.

1:11:02 No!

1:11:03 I'm not letting you out of the car. You think I wouldn't shoot you? What more have I got to lose? Now, we gotta get off 99. You know the roads around here?

1:11:12 I don't even know where here is.

1:11:14 Well, they're gonna be looking for us on the highway. Probably put a roadblock somewhere up ahead.

1:11:19 Hey!

1:11:20 Did we just pass a police car parked beside the road?

1:11:23 I didn't see it.

1:11:24 You're going too fast.

1:11:25 It is.

1:11:26 It's a cop, and he's coming after us.

1:11:29 You're trying to drive with one hand. Give me the gun.

1:11:31 No.

1:11:32 You're going to need both hands on the wheel.

1:11:33 Give it to me.

1:11:34 He's getting closer.

1:11:35 Man, what's he got in that car?

1:11:37 Give me the gun, Bean, and I'll try to hold him off.

1:11:39 Give you my gun? Yeah, sure.

1:11:41 He's going to be on top of us if you don't.

1:11:43 You think you could hit him?

1:11:44 Well, it's worth a try.

1:11:45 You drive.

1:11:46 I'll shoot.

1:11:46 Well.

1:11:48 Okay, take it.

1:11:49 Thanks.

1:12:03 Hey, you awake? You know, we gotta stop meeting like this.

1:12:10 Butterfield?

1:12:11 Mm-hmm.

1:12:13 We did this all before at Harborview when you got shot on Aurora Avenue and I gave you your first Seattle case. 1950, I think it was. Hey, you awake? You know, we gotta stop meeting like this.

1:12:30 Butterfield? Mm-hmm.

1:12:32 We did this all before at Harborview when you got shot on Aurora Avenue and I gave you your first Seattle case. 1950, I think it was.

1:12:41 Where the heck am I?

1:12:43 At a hospital in Longview.

1:12:45 Where's Longview?

1:12:47 It's halfway between Centralia and Portland. You know, you ought to buy a map.

1:12:52 What are you doing here?

1:12:54 Helping the state patrol pick up the pieces. You remember anything about last night?

1:13:01 Riding with that crazy meatball.

1:13:04 Yeah, well, the meatball is cooked. They found him in the wreckage.

1:13:08 Dead?

1:13:09 Very dead. They had to pull an Oldsmobile off his head.

1:13:13 It's coming back to me now.

1:13:17 He shot a state patrolman.

1:13:18 Yeah, he's in a hospital in Vancouver. Last I heard, they think he's going to survive. But you, my friend, are going to have some explaining to do to the Portland Police Bureau.

1:13:29 I hope I can lose this headache before they use the rubber hose on me.

1:13:33 Just for kicks, why not tell me what you were doing in this guy's car?

1:13:38 He was the real Leonard Bean.

1:13:41 He pushed Leo Rocca off the bridge. He wanted me to help him hide from the organization. He made me switch license plates.

1:13:50 Oh, there's a brilliant idea. And you went along with it.

1:13:53 He was holding a gun on me.

1:13:56 His plan was to lose Rocca's Oldsmobile somewhere and ride up to Seattle with me and then disappear.

1:14:02 And this all made sense to you?

1:14:04 No. None of it made any sense to me. But Leonard Bean was a psychopath. He killed some guy who owed him money. He shot a cop, and he threatened to shoot me. Well, by that time, I figured he was just nuts enough to do it. So when that other cop started following us, I figured I had one chance. I conned him out of the gun, and.

1:14:30 And?

1:14:30 I shot him in the leg.

1:14:34 You did what?

1:14:36 I shot him in the leg.

1:14:37 You shot the driver of a car going at high speed?

1:14:40 I was hoping I could grab the wheel or something.

1:14:44 If I were you, old buddy, I'd ask them to put you in the funny farm.

1:14:48 You know what, Lou?

1:14:50 You have a lousy bedside manner.

1:14:58 You've been listening to The Adventures of Harry Nile, starring Larry Albert with Pat French as Murphy. Pat French, also directed. Also heard were.

1:15:08 Stephen Waite.

1:15:09 Jeffrey Hitchin.

1:15:11 And yours truly, Jay Green. This episode, The Collector, was written and produced by Jim French. Thank you. so so.

1:18:08 Thank you.

1:18:41 Thank you.

1:19:38 Thank you.

1:21:07 Thank you.

1:22:36 Thank you.

1:23:05 Thank you.

1:23:40 Thank you.

1:24:44 Thank you.

1:25:14 Thank you. Thank you.

1:26:17 Thank you.

1:26:51 Thank you.

1:27:54 Thank you.

1:28:24 Thank you.

1:28:57 Thank you.

1:30:10 Well, whoever this poor guy is, he was beaten like a rug. Is his neck broken?

1:30:16 No, you haven't seen the half of it. See all that bruising on his torso? Looks like he was hit by a truck. He was no hobo. He was wearing a business suit and a raincoat and expensive-looking shoes.

1:30:32 Was there any money in the wallet?

1:30:33 That's another thing. There was $ 53 in it, so he wasn't robbed.

1:30:38 But what was he doing with Bean's wallet? And if he isn't Leonard Bean, who is he?

1:30:43 We're running this prince through R & I, so we may find out.

1:30:48 The day before, I'd met with Bean at Andy's Diner on 4th Sound. I picked that spot because when he phoned me to ask for a meeting, he said he wanted a big stake at a place that's easy to find for a stranger driving up Highway 99.

1:31:02 Besides, they know me.