← 1001 Radio Crime Solvers
1001 Radio Crime Solvers
THE LADY WITH THE GOLDEN HAIR and THE MAN WHO LIKED MOUNTAINS
00:58:54
Jeff Regan, Investigator, was one of countless private detective series that proliferated in the years following WWII. The series initially featured Jack Webb in the title role, who was coming off his work in Pat Novak for Hire, followed by Johnny...
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
Jeff Regan
Alright, quick break. Knock knock. Who's there? Amazon Music Amazon Music who? Amazon Music where Prime members can listen to top comedy podcasts. Ad free. No awkward interruptions, just non stop laughs from your favorite shows. It's free, it's funny and hey, it's better than my knock knock jokes. Download the Amazon music app and let the good times roll. Or go to Amazon.com adfreecomedy that's Amazon.com adfreecomediDy to catch up on the latest episodes or without the ads. Everyone's loving family freedom from T Mobile we'll pay off four phones up to $3200 and give you four free phones all on America's largest 5G network. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com FamilyFreedom up to $800 per line via virtual prepaid card. Typically takes 15 days. Free phones via 24 monthly bill credits with finance agreement eg Apple iPhone 16128 gigabyte $829.99 Eligible trade in eg iPhone 11 Pro for well qualified credits end and balance due. If you pay off earlier, cancel contact T Mobile. When Anthony J. Lyon in on somebody's trouble, it means money for him. For me it means work. I'm Jeff Regan, the lion's private eye. Here's the kind of program you've been waiting to hear. Hardboiled action and mystery as told by Jeff Regan, investigator. So stand by for trouble, stand by for suspense, stand by for adventure in tonight's story, the lady with the Golden Hair. And now here's Jack Webb as Jeff Regan. Well, this is the way it started. I was sitting in the lion's den waiting for him to get off the phone so I could ask him about my expense sheet on that New Orleans thing. He playing the usual games with his lawyer. Just about the time he hung up and turned his chair my way, the office door opened. All right, what do you want? Aha. A little curly headed man about 40, dressed in a black suit was standing there, was holding a stack of fifty dollar bills, a gold headed cane and a red card in one hand. In his other he had a black derby with a hole through the top of it, a pair of suede gloves and a white carnation. He stood there, looked at both of us. The lion looked at the $50 bills. I looked at the little man. Aha. You are Mr. Lionel. I, Max Vladne, have come to see you unappointed. Where you are? My name's Regan, this is Mr. Lyon. Aha. You will do it. Won't you sit down, Mr. Max? Vladne. Vladne Max. 1642 Mulholland Drive, Hollywood 28 An Imperial Studio payroll time. I do not have. I will not sit. Aha. I demonstrate. See you that flower. I do not need this. A ticket because I too long park. I also do not need cane. I place here a gift from my grandfather. I keep that also gloves. Now what have I left, gentlemen? Quite a bundle of cabbage. Cash, Mr. Vladimir? Yeah, from bank. I just arrived. Also. This I do not need for you. All for you. Well, well, well, Mr. Vladimir. Aha. Now what I have you, I answer myself. Bullet hole in hat. See you. Oh, is not finished. 1, 2, 3. Those look like.38 slugs. Where'd you get them? Out of doorway. I dig them. Where I'm shot last night in my home. Who's shooting at you, Mr. Bladney? This if I know I shoot back. I have no enemies. Everyone is madly in love with Max Vladnir. I must buy new hat. Cannot buy new hat. Kindly. You will guard my body from dying. Of course, of course. Now, you've certainly come to the right place, Mr. Bladney. If your life has been threatened, you can depend on International Detective Bureau to see that no harm comes to it. Therefore, it is so we see. I understand perfectly well. If somebody shot at you last night, why didn't you call the police? Mr. Regan meant to ask who recommended you to International? Aha. I explained In Imperial Motion Picture Studio, where master of makeup Max Vladne, who is great is imported to create beautiful faces from skinny skulls and fat necks. Is much newspaper free sometimes for agents to press. Hollywood police might think because I work on Great gone epic Tie my rope tight. Is free trick for agents to press. But is not joke to you. I come to take no chance. Yeah. In I am Mr. Eager. Of course you're in, Mr. Vladny. And Mr. Egan here will stick right by your side until we can get to the bottom. Now, wait a minute. If I have to, I'll use every man in my staff to protect your life, Mr. Vladany. All the resources of International Detective Bureau are behind you, Regan. I'm entrusting you with Mr. Vladney's life. Already better I feel Vista. And call me Riggan. Call me. I know. Call you if I run into trouble. Come on, Max. Well, you can see how it was, Max. Vladny's car was parked in a red zone in front of the building. And there was another ticket on it. He tore that one up too, on the way out to his house. I tried to get a little more information, but it didn't come to much. He couldn't figure out why somebody was shooting at him or who was doing. Was about six o' clock when we pulled up in front of his house on Mulholland Drive. One of those little places with a big sun porch in front of it and an egg shaped swimming pool in front of that. He was pulling things out of his pockets looking for the keys of the front door when it happened. See? See what I tell you all the time. Shooting at Maxi somewhere. Get on. Get on what I tell you? My heart is full again of hope. Right. Shut up you. Aren't it? He's frightening. Well, unless he's got a machine gun he can't fire anything more. Wait. Where go you? You leave Max to be killed. I'm going after him. Stay right here. You'll be all right. I started for the heavy brush outside the clearing of the house where white gun smoke still hung around the trees. And then I saw him. He was a gray haired man, stocky bill glasses, about 100ft away, running down the hill, waving a gun. I went after him, but I couldn't get a clear shot. He was quite an acrobat. He dived over a wooden road brazier and went skidding down the embankment. By the time I got there, he was climbing into an old Chevy convertible and he took off in a cloud of dust. I couldn't see the license plate on the car. Oh, my darling. This is absolutely terrible. Terrible, darling. Something like this happening to you. Oh, Max. Max. Why would anyone want to do such a thing as beyond me? I got back to the house 10 minutes later and there was a black convertible in the driveway and a very blonde girl in the doorway. She was digging the new slugs out of the woodwork with a pen knife. Max was lying on one of the beach chairs. When the blonde girl saw me. She pulled off her sunglasses and held out her hand. How do you do? You're Mr. Regan. Did you kill him? I got away. Oh. And I am again to be shot at. You say he got away. Then you saw who it was part of him. Who are you? Oh, you beg my pardon. This is Hilda Graham. You have seen her in pictures. The hair. I have seen her differently. She's my wife almost. Did you see anybody? Well, I heard the shots as I drove up and found poor Max by the door. He's got to stop this business, Mr. Regan. He's got to stop. Next time maybe. He certainly does have to stop, Mr. Regan. Max. Why he's the finest makeup artist in the world. Feel great. Lost everyone in Hollywood. If anything ever happened to him. You see? See? Am I valuable. Did I not tell you? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tell me, where's your phone? Oh, in there in my private workshop study, where I have to live. Uzi, please call Mr. Lyon and stop the shooting lion. This is me. I'm calling from Max's. Somebody just threw six bullets all over the place. What? Is Max all right? Didn't even come close. Oh, good, good. The Treasury Department tells me he paid 20,000 last year in income tax and he can afford little protection. Well, whoever it is got away. I think we ought to turn this over to the cops. The cops? And let them do for free what we're getting paid to do. Not on your life, Regan. What about his life? Well, we'll worry about that too. Now, listen, I'm sending Joe Cant out there to give you a hand. Now, this lady's a first class gold mine as far as I'm concerned. And that means as far as you're concerned, I don't care what you tell and do anything you want, so long as you stick by Maxi and don't call the cops. I. Pretty. Beautiful. That's a fair label. Phoning, Mr. Regan? Yeah. You want one? No, thanks. I have something much better than that at my house. I'll bet you have. I live all alone in Toluca Lake, end of the canyon. I'll remember that when I get thirsty. Who do you suppose is shooting at Max? You tell me, lady. I just met him. I thought you said you saw whoever it was. I did. Well, aren't you going to look for him or send out an alarm or whatever you do? Yeah, whatever we do. I see. Don't you think you ought to be in there holding hands with Max? He's had a hard day. Max? Oh, he's resting now. Do you think he's the kind I'd really have something in common with? I wouldn't know, lady. Well, as a matter of fact, I was just leaving. I have to be at the studio early tomorrow. If there's anything I can do at all, I'd be only too happy to cooperate. Yeah. Why don't you start by giving me those slugs you were digging out of the doorway? Oh, I completely forgot about those. Here, I meant to give them to you. Thanks. I'll need these. Really? Whatever on it? For a comparison test. The ejector marks, the firing pin dents. You can tell if they were fired from the same gun. If you want to look into it. And of course, being a detective, you want to look into it. That's right. I want to look into it. Well, Mr. Regan, it's been nice meeting you. I know you'll take good care of Max. If there's anything I can do. Yeah, I'll give you a ring. Fine. Until we meet again. I followed her out the door and watched her pat Max on the head, kiss him on the cheek, and then she slid under the wheel of that convertible like she'd been built right along with it. That famous golden hair was blowing behind her by the time she got onto the main road. Be careful. Careful. How Lovely she is, Mr. Egan. Huh? Yeah, Maxie, she's just fine. For her, too. You must keep me alive. She needs me. Yeah. What now? We wait for another guy. Aha. Reinforcers. I like you, Mr. Egan. Already better, I feel. Only me. Reagan. Take it easy. Oh, Shadow. Come on in. What took you so long? I stopped by police ballistics on the way out. I had them. 38 slugs that Max brought in. Check. Well, I got some more for you. Well, I found a winner. Gun belongs to a feller named Pete Berger. Ain't no permit on it. He done 6 to 18 in San Quentin once for a robbery sprung a couple of years ago. Address? Yeah, place on Figueroa, right off of Sunset. Here. Thanks. Holly was around again this afternoon, shooting things all over the place. I wonder what the connection is. I'm gonna find out before Maxie does. You take over, Joe. Okay. Where's our clay pigeon, eh? Roosting in there. Now, keep your eyes open, Canto. I'll get back as soon as I can. Oh, take your time, son. Joey, the Canto is on the job. Yeah, I feel better already. Hey, hey, do you know how to play Carolina in the morning? I'm not Carolina in the evening. Well, well, if there isn't a stranger in our midst. Boy, get a look at that. What are you, white straightener? Off, girl. Here maybe. He sure shines. He's got big feet. Yeah, awful big feet. Well, at me, Mr. Mum. Champagne or beer? Neither one, lady. Well, we ain't got either. One for you, copper. You picked wrong tonight. Flossie never picks them wrong. I can tell by your feet you're paid by the city or you're a private peeper and somebody else pays you. Makes no difference to me. All spelled, copper. What do you want? No fuss with you, Flossie. I'm looking for Pete Burger. Who? Pete Berger. This is his last address. Ain't Never heard of no Pete Berger, and neither has anybody else. And he ain't never lived here. And you got a wrong steer. That door lead to rooms upstairs? Yeah, that door leads to rooms upstairs. Mind if I take a look? I mind a lot of things, Seamus, and taking a look is one of them. All right. This Pete Burger you don't know never heard of was throwing a lot of lead around yesterday and today. And I'm gonna take a look anyway. Wait. Hey. Hey. You can't go up there. I was only halfway up when a man in a gray sweatshirt backed over the top of the stairs. There were three red holes just about the center of the sweatshirt. Turned around and tried to say something. I saw what was going to happen and I hugged the side of the bath feed, honey. She ran over and was kneeling beside him, holding his head in her arms, rocking back and forth. Yeah, you guessed it. It was the same man I chased all afternoon, and he didn't live five second. We'll return to Jeff Regan, investigator, in just a moment, but first, here's an important message from the Adjutant General's office. At no time in our nation's history has it been more important to develop an outstanding army medical department. Without an adequate nurse corps, this cannot be accomplished. And nurses are still needed to fill the estimated requirements for 1948. If you're a graduate registered nurse over 21 and under 45, you are invited to apply for a commission in the Army Nurse Corps Reserve. If you are selected, you may choose either active duty or inactive status applied to the adjutant general. Washington 25 D.C. and now back to the story of the lady with the golden hair and Jeff Regan, investigator. Well, after he came falling down the stairs at me and Flossie had a good cry over him, there wasn't anything to do but to call Central Homicide. They got there a few minutes later and went over the whole place taking pictures and prints. Finally, a wagon pulled up, took what was left of Pete Berger down to the morgue. Detective Lieutenant Salvatore Windetti up to Homicide asked everybody a lot of questions and shipped a couple of people downtown for a couple of different things and finally got around to me. Regan. Regan. Regan, I think you ought to get yourself a new job. Every time the lion growls, you wind up with a corpse someplace and somebody has to ask you questions. That wasn't my idea, Sally. I might have to book you on technical charge. Oh, stop it, will ya? You know I didn't have anything to do with him getting shot. My next car named Pete Berkey gets topped off just before a private dick gets around asking him a few questions. I got asked the private dick some questions myself. Or else the chief is going to ask me some questions. Make sense? All I know is that somebody's been shooting at a client of mine. And that's somebody's Pete Berger. How do you know? Bullets came from a gun owned by Pete Berger. So I came down to see him. Only he walks out all loaded, down with.45 slugs and dies before you can say hello. Isn't that the bump? Who's your client, Regan? Do I have to tell you? No, but you will. Company policy. Company policy. Confidence in a client, Regan. Can you arrest me for anything? Depends. Material witness, maybe. While it's depending, I'll get a hold of the lion, he'll get a hold of Harry Presidio, and then I'll bet you 10 bucks I'll be a writ of habeas corpus at the station by the time you get me there. All right. All right. All right, you're clear. This is a murder case, Regan. That's a serious crime in anybody's town. I don't know any more than I just told you. So you know the name of your client? Okay, okay. Why was Pete shooting at him? That's what I was gonna ask Pete. Oh. Now, just exactly where does that put us? My client's safe and sound in his home and Joe Canto's keeping an eye on him. When Canto was pounding a beat for the department, some guys got away from him. A lot of guys get away from a lot of cops, but not when the cop's watching. Canto's good at that. You know him? Oh, sure, sure, sure. It's a thought. Well, it's no good. Before Pete Berger went to San Quentin, he was never very handy with a gun. Because his eyes were so bad he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He didn't hit anything yesterday or today, but he was sure trying. Flossy told me Pete's been playing stump man in pictures. Making a buck at it. It seems he learned all his tricks while he was in the clink. They have a nice gym up there. I never tell what they'll do next. Still can't understand why he'd all of a sudden go around shooting at somebody. You figure it's Sally, it was something personal and Pete had to do it. And whoever Pete was shooting, I got kind of sore. Turn around. Plug Pete tonight, huh? My client's home safe. This shoe. Shoe Cattle's. Almost forgot. Pete Burger. Was a perfect setup for a wise guy. An ex con who done 15 years. Who learns his lesson, wants to make a straight dime, gets mad when anybody bothers. Blackmail? It's been done before. Pete had a good, healthy bank balance. I guess he was saving up for his old age. But some wise guy finds out Pete's a con, says, I'll tell your boss unless you kick in. Then maybe Pete starts shooting to scare him into shutting up. Makes sense. Sounds like an old fairy tale, son. But screwy enough to be the answer. Only this wise guy, Pete shooting, that thinks Pete might be meaning business. So he just comes over here tonight and plugs Pete. And who's the wise guy? Your client, John. Gonna tell me his name? I can't involve a client in a murder. Oh, yeah. Company policy. I almost forgot, Regan. I'll find out in the morning. We got some lawyers, too. I know. Couldn't tell me now? I'll phone you in an hour, Sally, okay? Okay, Regan. You can talk to him first, but phone me. Good night. Night, Regan. See you around. My watch said four o'. Clock. By the time I got to the hills back of Laurel Canyon and started up Mulholland Drive. The usual fog was in the usual places. Doing the usual things to trees and houses. When I pulled up in front of Max's house, one light was burning in the window. The rest of the house looked dark. Everything was quiet. The first thing I noticed was cordite. It smells black and it means that guns have been fired. The whole room was full of it. Max Bladney was lying half on the floor and half on the table he used for a workshop. A bottle of spirit gum was spilled on the floor, along with some false blond hair and a cracked wig block. He had one free arm around a white plaster cast of a head, just like it was a doll. There were two blue holes in the middle of his forehead. I just stood there looking at him when I heard a noise in back of me. It was Canto. And he was on the floor at the foot of the bed. Oh, no. Don't try to move me, Regan. I've been laying here waiting for you. It's in my lungs somewhere. I don't think I got any blood to spare. Joy Boy let you down. It happened an hour after you left. I don't know who done it. There's a lot of noise in Max's room and I come in. The next thing I know, I'm taking a slug myself. Hey, hey, call me a doc, will you, Regan? I got a date tomorrow night. She's been trying to get rid of me. This would give her a good excuse. Guess Lionel think mad, huh? Call me a doc. Rigging right quick. Well, I made a lot of phone calls before it was all over. Hollywood Receiving Hospital, Windetti, Central Homicide. And I got the lion out of bed and told him what had happened. He said he'd meet me at the hospital. I hung around a while and talked to Windetti. He didn't have much to say. When he got through poking around, he gave me a lift as far as the hospital. A lion was standing around the hall when I got there. The first time I'd ever seen him look tired. Hello, Reagan. I just talked to the doctor. This is gonna cost plenty. How bad is it? 25 bucks a day for a room, plus surgery. No, I mean Canto. Oh. Bullet penetrated upper lobe of his right lung. Here, they pulled this out.45 slug. Who shoots 45s that good? Lots of people. Same kind of people who go around killing Pete Berger and Max Vladning. Yeah. Candle getting himself shot's gonna eat up every penny we might have made on this thing. Is money all you ever think of? What else is there to think about? If you got it, you're fine. If you haven't got it, you're nothing but a bum. One of your own men is lying in there wondering if he's ever gonna live or die. And he took that slug because you sent him on the job. Everybody dies. I'll give him a citation. You big pile of blubber. I ought to push you out a window. Now, talk like that isn't gonna help anything. No, but I know what it is. Now, wait a minute, Regan. This is a police job. Oh, now it's a police job. Yeah, like I told you. And you can't go running around, sticking your snoot into a couple of killings and giving International a lot of bad publicity. Now, get this spatula. I'm going out and find a guy who plugged Kanto. Now, you listen to me. I want it down in the books and the papers and anyplace else than an International operator brought in a guy who killed one of their clients and shot one of their men. Well, I won't be responsible for anything that happens. Okay. If you don't like the way I do things, you can pull my license right off the wall and get yourself another boy. Hey. Hey, where you going? Come back. Well, Mr. Regan, when I saw you at Max's yesterday afternoon, I didn't think you would come by for that drink at 6 o' clock in the morning. Well, come in, come in. I was just having coffee. I have to be at the studio for an early makeup job. You look all right to me the way you are. You can be nice. Will you have some coffee? No, thanks. Oh, I just stopped by for a minute. Afraid I have some tough news for you, Max. Nothing happened to Max. He's dead. Oh, no. Not Max. Somebody shot him three hours ago. Why would anyone want to kill Max? That's what I'm gonna find out. Max expected him to marry him here, so no plan. What can I do to help, Mr. Regan? What can I do? All right, now, look. A smart cop named Windetti is gonna be knocking on your door pretty soon. He's gonna ask you a lot of questions about Max. Give me the answers first. Would you mind terribly if we sat down? Max was all I had. I want to be near someone. Sure. I know I'm acting silly about this. What is it? I can tell you, Mr. Regan. Max ever mention a man named Pete Burger? No, never heard that name before. He worked at the same studio. He was the one that shot at Max yesterday afternoon. And he killed Max? No, he's dead too. He was shot to death an hour earlier. I was there. I'm not very good at this kind of thing. What are you trying to tell me, Mr. Regan? Both of these killings were done by an amateur and not very good jobs. But there had to be some reason. I. I don't know. I've been in the business a long time, lady. Too long. People killed for money or love or just for the crazy feel of blasting a gun at somebody. This has been a lot for you. You know, if you find a reason, you find a killer. What kind of work would a makeup man be doing at home? I don't know. Max always tried to improve his work. Suppose that's why I made the money he did. He might have made a plaster cast of a head so he could study a face. I suppose so. Yes. Your face. Yes, I suppose so. Why, it's a nice face. I've seen it in pictures. Most press agents think my hair nicer. Yeah, it is. Long, golden hair doesn't feel soft the way you hoped it would feel. Yeah, it does. And my lips. I don't feel bad doing this. I never did love Max. I was indebted to him. I was terribly ill several years ago. He helped me. I can see why he felt the way he did about you. Can you? I like the way you did that. I know what Max had been working on. It was Something for you. Really. He was holding a plaster cast of your head in his arms when I found him. Of course, there was no hair on it and it looked kind of funny. Don't say that. Don't ever say anything like that. Yep, Now I got it. What are you talking about? Murder, lady. Lots of it. You killed a poor ex con because he bungled a job you black me him into doing. You shot him last night because I was going to talk you crazy. Why would I do a thing like that? Then you went over and you killed Max. And while you're at it, you pumped the slugger to into Joe can, you said. There's got to be a reason. Every newspaper in the country is going to carry this story, lady. Oh, yeah. Hilda Graham, the one with all the long golden hair, is really as bald as a fresh air. Shut up. Don't you ever say anything like that in front of me. Why are you. Go ahead, lady. Pick up that paperweight and I'll break you in too. Now, come on, let's go. No. Oh, no, you can't. Come on. They'll find out about my air. Please. Please don't tell him about my air. I couldn't stand that. Oh, please. You know how nice I can be. Lady, you're a bum. Well, Max had been trying to get her to marry him and she didn't want to marry anybody, so she killed him. The police stenographer scratched his head on that one until I explained it was her hair. Long golden hair. Only it wasn't hers. It was a wig that Max had fixed up for her. She'd lost all hers when she was sick and couldn't stand the thought of anybody going around knowing it wasn't her own. Well, I guess you run into all kinds. A couple of days later I saw Canto at the hospital. He'd had some transfusions and a lot of other things. He was coming along fine. Was reading a paper when I walked in. All right, but what is what, huh? Hi, Joe. I've been reading about that Hilda Graham's. Too bad they don't take her picture without all that pretty hair. Serve a ride? Yeah. How you feeling? Peachy. Regan. How long we been working for the line? Too long. How many people been killed and messed up in that time that me and you know about personally? Too many. There's one thing I can't get through Maneuver. Why don't we get some other kind of a job? Real estate or movie experts or something? Why do we do it? Why do we do it? Jeff? I Don't know, Joe. I don't know. Jack Webb is featured as Jeff Regan with Wilms Herbert as Anthony J. Lyon. It's cbs, same time next week for Trouble, suspense and thrilling adventure with Jeff Regan, investigator. The role of Max Vladney was played by Hans Conrey. With Barton Yarborough as Joe Canto. Betty Lou Gerson was Hilda Graham. Jack Crucian was Winetti. Marlo Dwyer was Flossie. Jeff Regan, Investigator is written by E. Jack Newman. Produced and directed by Gordon T. Hughes with special music by Del Castillo. This program came to you from Hollywood. Bob Lamond speaking for cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System. My name's Jeff Regan. I get 10 a day in expenses from a detective bureau run by a guy named Lyon, Anthony J. Lyon. They call me the Lion's Eye. With Jack Webb starred as Jeff Regan, investigators stand by for trouble, suspense and adventure in tonight's story of the man who liked the mountains. Well, this is the way it started. It was about six o' clock last Monday night. I was home cooling myself off when the phone began jumping around on top of the desk. Jeff? Mm? This is melody, Mr. Lyon calling. I'm out. You can't find me. That's no attitude. Here he is. Hey. Hey, Melody Reagan. I got a job for you to do. You can tell me all about it tomorrow morning. So long. Now, wait a minute. It's got to be taken care of now, tonight. Look, I worked hard all day. I'm tired. Get somebody else. 15 minutes. Now. Take this down. Officer Tap Billing right by your place. He's an attorney, name of Collins, Knight. Collins Knight. What rock did you look under for him? Don't be smart just because the guy serves little time and gets himself disbarred and re entered and tied up with every piece of gambling from here to Reno. I'm not interested in who they are, what they've done, as long as they can pay the bill. And Colin Snyder's just the baby who can do it. So hop over there and find out what's what and call me if you run into any trouble. Collins Knight, attorney at law, Taft Building. Turned out to be a medium sized man about 50, in a loud tan sport coat and black and white polka dot tie. The good tailoring on his shoulders didn't cover up that 45 year old's stomach, but it didn't seem to bother him. He smiled when I walked in his office. Pulled out a bottle of bonded stuff and a couple of tall glasses. Sit down. Rigging. Make yourself comfortable. Say when. When. I'm a Four Finger man, too. Yeah. Here's to you. Cigars. I don't use them. You don't mind if I do. Now then, I asked you to come here because I want you to find Big Ed Kittens for me. Been missing three days, according to his wife. From pictures I've seen a big head, he'd be a hard man to miss. I figured the same way, Regan, but he's been gone for three days and I think someone's either cooled him off or he's lammed. Why do you think somebody cooled him? Man like Big Ed's bound to have a lot of enemies. For one reason or another. Why do you think he lambed? For one reason or another. Friend or enemy? Diesel. I just know the guy. One of my people. I handle a couple things for him. His wife is worried about him. I didn't know people like Big Ed headwives. Well, they do. At least Ed does. And a darn cute little girl she is. Hi, Ned. Ned. Very pretty little girl. Tell me about him. He's gone. What about his wife? Where'd he meet her? When did he marry her? I gotta have something. I don't know. Well, I'll have to see her. Okay, see her. You don't much care whether I find bigot or not, do you? No. Thanks for the drink. You don't like me, do you, Regan? No. Most people don't. So long, Shammas. Keep in touch. The name on the door said Mr. And Mrs. Edward Kittredge. With a clean door in a clean hall with a nice new carpet on the third floor of an apartment house over on Franklin. I figured a hundred bucks and up for a bachelor. She was pretty. Red hair, the mahogany kind. Green eyes, 24 maybe. But she could look 16. Just coming off the beach and wearing those gold sandals. Yes, Ms. Kittredge? Hi. My name is Kittredge. My name's Regan. I'm a private detective. Collins. Knight hired me. Said your husband's missing. Come in, Mr. Regan. I told him I'd want to talk to you. Okay if I sit down? I'm sorry, Mr. Regan. Can you tell me anything about him? His friends, business? You ever heard of Big Ed Kittrick? Oh, yeah. He's been around. Makes the papers now and then. You know what kind of friends he might have? What about his business? I love Mr. Regan. I was hopping cars in Glendale three years ago. The movie contract they brought me out from Iowa to keep. Wasn't anything more than a lot of talk. I had to eat. One day a big man come in. I waited on him? Big head? Yeah. After that, he kept coming in. I began going out with him. When he asked me to marry him, I married him. I didn't ask him what he did for a living or how he spent his time. He was good to me. He's always been good to me. Now he's gone. Mm. He'd never been gone more than five hours since we were married. He gave me everything, done everything for me. Then you don't ask questions? I don't ask questions. But there's one thing. Yeah? Yeah. A partner here's a man named Axman. Was here two nights ago. That was the night Ed left. He never come back. Maxman? Yeah. They was in the kitchen. I was in the bedroom. Thought I heard him quarreling. When he came out, Axman had his hat in his hand. He was leaving. Ed went with him. Mm. That it? Whoa. Yeah, that's it. I ain't seen him since then. Think anything's happened to him? You think he's all right? I think you ought to tell me the truth. What? All the pictures I seen in the paper of Big Ed. Kittens of a big man with a pipe in his face. I don't see any pipe racks around here, but I see where they might have been. Why you? And if I went to that closet, I bet I wouldn't find any Ed's clothes around here either. Now, come on. Tell me about that argument. All right. You win. People the same thing we've been arguing about for three years. He drinks too much, he plays the horses too much. And besides, he socked me. I finally got set up, told him to get out. Only now you want him back. Why? Just long enough to save him some divorce papers and get a property settlement. I thought it'd be something like that. Oh, no. Wait a minute. Ring. Wait a minute. But X Men. I wasn't lying. He hates it, even if they are partners. Comes from the old days. Axman walked in when Edme was having a knockdown. He saw it all. He wanted to bump it. He could do it somehow. He'd fix it so it looked like I done it. He's a kind. You think he'd make a good witness? Axman's a smart guy now. Yet if the doorman and the clerk downstairs, they heard Ed me arguing, we get kind of loud. I might have said something about killing Ed. Sure make me look sick if Ed turned up dead somewhere. Yeah, it would. You gonna help me? I'm already hired. Lady. Thanks be for things. Sorry I put on that ad you were Pretty good. Wrong, Professor. I'd try that studio again if I were you. Yeah, a bunch of slobs that would give no gallup break. Maybe you're right. You ain't bad for a peeper. When this is all over, let's you and me have a drink somewhere. Something, huh? Yeah, something. I'd like to meet a nice guy. A real nice guy. Just once. Just once. Two minutes later, in front of the apartment house, I was lighting a cigarette and thinking over what Inez Kittens had just told me, when a soft hand belonging to the soft arm, body and face of a little thug I knew named Louis Pacheco settled on my arm. All right, punk, what is it? I've been waiting for you, Reagan. Been with Big Ed's wife, huh? Nice dish, huh? I seen it. Yeah. I got some business with you, Regan. Yeah? Yeah. You're looking for Big Ed Kitteridge, ain't you? Maybe. Yeah. Then I could tell you something that'll help. All right, go on, tell me. Ah, now, without you. Gimme something from the trouble. How much can you tell me maybe where big it is? Okay, five. I'll tell somebody else. Suit yourself, punk. Wait a minute. Wait a minute, Reagan. Well, he. He shagged up the mountain town. Yeah. Has a place up there called Hideaway. And not many people know about it, not even his wife. He went up with a guy named axman three days ago. Eds got some slot machines and stuff like that up around there. That all? Yeah. That's enough for you, gumshoe. Okay. Here. Cheapest. I don't need your lousy sawbuck. Keep it your chisel. Cheapskate. Cheapskate. I don't care what kind of people are involved. I told you that before and I'm telling you again. If they play rough, let them do it, just so we get paid. All right, fatso, then get yourself somebody else to take over. I quit. No, no, no. Just a minute, Regan. Just a minute. Let's not fly off the handle about this thing. Now, be hasty. They're a bunch of bums, and you know it. Well, now, perhaps I was a bit indiscreet accepting a client like Collins. Knight with his reputation and all that. It isn't only him. It's the man I'm supposed to find and his friend Axman, and anybody else who knows him. Now, Jeff, Jeffrey, I'm sure that a man of your talents could locate Ed Kittredge without any trouble. After all, Jeffrey, you've dealt with people like this before and always handled it admirably. Very admirably. I don't like it. Knight hires me to find Big Ed Kittridge, only doesn't care whether I find him or not. Big Ed's wife only wants to find him so she can slap a court order on him. And both of them tell me that Big Ed might be dead. Well, now, let's not jump at their conclusions, Jeffrey. I have to admit, the whole thing looks fishy. Jeffrey, I want you to find Big Ed Kitteridge as soon as you can. Look, I just told you that. I know, but the fact of the matter is I have an agreement with Knight in writing. You have what? And you know what kind of a man he is. He's very tricky. He could close international if we don't stay on this case. If you don't stay on the case. Okay, you win. Thank you, Jeffrey. Thank you. Expenses, of course. Of course. After drive up to Mountain Town, I might find Big Ed up there. Of course. Be careful, Jeffrey. Be careful. And, oh, don't give me that phony line about calling you now, Reagan. Yeah, call me if you run into any trouble. How far to Mountaintown? You're here, pilgrim. Hmm. This is it. That black place over there's the lake. And that black place over there's the town. Cabins round the lake. No one around the town. Fill her up. Yeah, fill her up. Where can I get some coffee? I've been driving half the night. 30ft to your right and inside the dock. Janie will fix you up. We're open all night. Thanks. No trouble. No trouble at all. You better look at that oil. Glad to. Tires and water. Glad to. Can move it if you want to. I'll be in getting coffee. Don't worry. Don't get enough business at one in the morning to stay open. I'm gonna talk to the boss about it someday. Hey, hey, I hear you. I'm coming. I'm coming. Why do you want to hit the counter like that for? I'm. Wow. I thought you was Eth. I didn't know it was a customer. Who's Eth? Him. Heath Holton, that runs the station. What's yours? What's my what? Name. Well, as long as we're being formal, it's Regan. Jeff Regan. Oh, you're Janie. Well, thang. How'd you know that? He. He told you. Well, thank. How about some coffee, Janie? Oh, sure, sure. Um. You been traveling far, Mr. Eden? In Los Angeles. Going far? Right here. This dump. Hey, don't tell me you're gonna be here this summer, little While. Well, thanks. I'm off in an hour. I got a little cabin on the other side of the lake. Well, that's nice. Do much fishing? Fishing? Thank you. Yes, I am. No, thanks. I'll take it black. What you gonna do here? Look for a man. Yeah. Say, what man? You might be able to help me, Janie. Cottage called Hideaway. Man named Kittredge. Big Ed Kittridge. You a friend of his? Cos already cars already, pilgrim. Thanks. Janie, don't you think you ought to go see how the fire's doing? What fire? Make one. All right, Eve. All right. Do you think as a girl takes a job slinging hashtags? Listen to a lot of bones. Janie's too friendly. I like friendly people. Keep the car here, will you? I'm looking for a hideaway cottage and I don't see any road going around the lake there. I guess I'll have to hoof it. Hideaway? Mm. East shore of the lake. About half a mile from here. You're right. There's no road. You'll have to walk. Thanks. Don't mention it, pilgrim. Don't mention it. Well, the cottage turned out to be an all white phony log cabin affair. I pounded on the door. Nobody answered. There was a sick kind of oil lamp burning inside. So I pounded on the door some more and some more people didn't answer. When I put my hand on the latch, the door opened, people or no people. So I went in. Well, you can believe this or not, but somebody was there right in front of the fireplace. Only was dead and one whole side of his head was dark and shiny. It was still warm. Nope, you're wrong. It wasn't Big Ed Kittredge. This was a man I'd never seen before in my life. We'll return to Jeff Regan, investigator, in just a moment. An easy way to save for future security is by a payroll deduction of savings bonds. If you are not paid on a salary basis, you can purchase savings bonds at your nearest post office, bank or Savings and Loan association office. Now is the time to ask your employer to start deducting for savings bonds or to buy a bond on your own. If no other plan is feasible, your bank will deduct enough each month from your savings or checking account to buy a savings bond for money in the future. Buy United States Savings Bond. You'll be glad you did. And now back to the story of the man who liked the mountain and Jeff Regan, investigator. Well, I stood there and looked at what was left of whoever he wasn't anything in his pockets. Labels cut off his suit. No laundry marks. Then I began looking around for a poker or a hammer or something. What I found was a heavy piece of kindling wood. One end of it was stained. Then I heard somebody come in the door. I saw striped overalls, flashlight and.45 Colt revolver held by Eth Holden. Uh huh. Mm. He looked at the dead man, Looked at me. Looked at the piece of wood in my hand. Uh huh. Dead? Yeah. Friend of yours? Never saw him before in my life. I did. Yeah. Name's Axman. Tom Axman. Friend of Big Ed Kitteridge? Friend. Why'd you kill him? I'll just take your gun. Mm. Safer this way. You always wrap a gun in a handkerchief? Only when I want to keep fingerprints on him. Evidence. So it's that way. Uh huh. It's that way. You kill him? Uh. You did. There was a big fight. You conked him with that piece of wood, then shot him in the head. I saw it. My gun, my bullets. That's pretty neat. But he was still killed with this. Who's gonna be able to tell? A good coroner. We got a lousy coroner up here. He don't know from nothing. That makes me the fall guy. You're it, pilgrim. Lets go find ourselves a cop. He waved his gun at me and I started ahead of him for the door. Oh, he was good at doing frame ups and he was good at running things. But he was only an amateur when it came to pushing a man with a gun. I waited to feel it in my back. By the time I got to the door, it was there. And that was his mistake. I shoved him up against the wall, but he didn't drop the gun. Before he could do anything, I was running for the black place that he told me was the lake. Come back here, Regan. Come back there. I ran till I was out of breath. What? Who is it? Who's there? Take it easy, Janie. It's me. Uh huh. Oh, Mr. Riggin, it's you. Hey, listen. He's looking everywhere for you. I know, I know. He says you killed a man. Tom Xman. Over in Kittridge's cabin. I know. But you didn't kill him. I know that. Yeah. Come on. We can't talk here. Someone will see us. This is my place, boy. I got some things to tell you, Mr. Regan. I don't like this place. And I don't like. Keep holding it. I don't like anything that's been going on. You gotta get out of here. Get out fast. Come on in. Look, I quit my job tonight. I didn't want to get mixed up in any of this. Any of what? This killing and gee, I don't know what all. Oh, I better pull the curtain. Someone might see you in here. This is a scary place. You say you know I didn't kill Axman Howe. Well, I've been working in Mountain Town a couple of weeks now and I've seen a lot of screwy things. Like what? Like Eve Holton. He works for Big Ed Kittrich, and Big Ed ain't no saint. Have you seen Big Ed? He drove up a couple of nights with that Palmex I think. Ed killed? Yeah. They've been drinking a lot and they both talked kind of loud to Eve. Then Big Ad and Axel went over to the cabin. I didn't think anything of it till they didn't show up for something to eat the next morning. Ain't nothing to eat that catlin. That helps, Janie. Go on. Well, Eve's been going up around that mountain taking a look every day for no reason at all. Yeah, sure he has. Only isn't looking at the mountain scared. Look, Mr. Moduloppy's out and back from the filling station. Take me with you. I'll tell everything I heard and seen it and we can let some cops figure out all that. Hey, what's that? What was I handling firing a gun at her? It figured to be my gun. I hit the oil lamp and went down to the floor. Then I heard somebody outside on the porch. I crawled in the dark till I found a wall and a window. It wouldn't open, so I took half of it with me. Hey, hey, hey. What is this? Come here, you. I look, punk. I just drove 85 miles in 100 minutes. 7:00 clock in the morning and I haven't been to bed all night. I saw one dead man and one woman made dead easy on that stuff ringing. And some of your up at Mountain Town trying to make sure that I get hooked with it. Now wait a minute. Start talking, punk. Wait a minute. What do you want me to say? I don't know nothing about no stiffs and no Mountain Town. All right. When somebody like you comes sidling up to me and tells me where to find my man and doesn't take five bucks for it, that means he's already got dough. That's Regan I. And they only give you dough for work? Gee whiz, Regan, you know I wouldn't mix up and no killing. I can't stand that kind of thing. Punk. Who paid you to tell me to go to Mountain Town? Who paid you to send me up there and make a patsy out of me? Let go. Let go. I'll tell you, Regan. I'll tell you. It was Night. The lawyer. Yeah, yeah, Colin's Night. He slipped me 50 to pay you and give you the dope. Nice. I might have known. Go on. It's all honest. That's all there is to it. I tail you over to Big Ed's apartment. You talk to his wife and you know the rest. Can I tell you why? You know, I never asked any question. I just do what I get paid for. Nobody ever let me in on something big. I didn't know it was no fray. Okay, Punk. Listen, if Night ever finds out I told you. Shut up. What are you gonna do? Hi, Regan. Hard night, huh? He made me tell him. He made me tell him, Mr. Knight. Sure, Eve. Don't worry about it. I got up early, Regan. Kind of figured you'd be looking up for Punk here. He phoned from Mountain Town. Said you lammed out on him twice. You're a pretty tough boy, aren't you? Here, Punk. Buy yourself something and forget you ever saw Reagan. Okay? Oh, sure, sure, sure, Mr. Knight. Sure. Okay, Regan, let's get going. Got a long drive ahead of us. I'll be able to drive it blindfolded someday. Someday. I'm still your patsy. Mm. I take you back there and we call a cop. Come on. He felt getting anxious. Well, you can't say I didn't find my man. Even if I did find him sitting in that same cabin with a couple of corpses on the floor. Big Ed Kittredge. He needed a shave. He was sitting there looking at Ackman's body. And Janie, I guess Eve had brought her over from her place. He was there too, holding my gun against Big Ed's back. We're still wrapped in that handkerchief, Knight. I thought you'd never get here. Come on, let's get this over with. Now, don't be nervous, Eve. Ed, I want you to meet Jeff Regan. He killed you. Hi, Embo. You're the fall guy, huh? Tough luck. Where'd you find him? Where I said I'd find him. At the punks. Still using my gun to kill people. Not quite finished, Pilgrimage. Two down, one to go. Very easy to figure I'm next, huh? Yeah. Sorry, Ed. It has to be business. Me and EEF will take over where you and Ax will leave off. Hey, Bo. We gonna let him rub me out and pin all this on you. We're gonna do something about it. Take it easy, Ed. I think we ought to do something about it. Watch him eat me, too. Big Ed was good. He stopped the first two slugs from Eep's gun and the first two out of night. By that time, I got a hold of a poker and I brought it into Knight's face. He looked kind of sick and went down without a sound. When I looked around, Big Ed was twisting the gun from Eve's hand, blood pouring from four holes in his chest. We ain't see easy at that, Hunt. Guess the frame won't work now. Why is there a phone around here? I'll get you a doc. That sawbone gonna help me? Save yourself trouble. I never knew they burned like this. What's your name? Regan. I'm a private detective with International. Oh, Lions still run that dump? Yeah, he does. Old bum, ain't he? Night hire you to find me? Yeah, he's real tricky. Well, he ain't making a patsy out of you anyhow. Look, Reagan, I done you a favor. Fix. Fix a deal for me, will you? Sure, Ed. Sure. I got a wife named. Met her pretty, huh? Look, tell her. Tell her I wasn't sore. I didn't really leave. I just came up here to let her cool off. Kind of like the mountain. That's why I had a place. Sure, I'll tell her. This is a bunk, ain't it? Regan. I'm here, Ed. You found me. Yeah, I found you. Yeah. Lions. Two bucks says Lions. Won't give you no bonus for it, right? I guess you're right. Well, I called the sheriff, who had a face like a boiled beet. He listened to the whole thing and we kind of pieced it out together. You see, the day I got there, Big Ed killed Axman. I guess they got into some kind of an argument, and Ed picked up a piece of kindling wood. About that time, Eve Holt showed up and saw what had happened, and he figured he had something, so he pulled a gun on Ed and stuck him in a cellar somewhere. Then he phoned Knight down in Los Angeles. It was a good chance for Knight and Heath to take over, so they figured to kill Ed and get a fall guy for both murders. That was me. Didn't come out quite that way. Neith had to kill Jeannie, too. All with my gun. You know the rest. Oh, a Lion. Cash night's check. He was happy. Hey, that sheriff up there's going to call you for the coroner's inquest this afternoon. Yeah, I know Technical charge of manslaughter. They'll clear you in a couple of hours. Yep. So Big Head liked the mountain, did he? Imagine that. Big crooked. Hey, where you going? Remember, you gotta be up in Mountaintown this afternoon. I'll be there. I gotta go over and see Big Ed's wife first. He asked me to tell her something. Big Ed's wife? That's right. Forget it, Regan. She's glad he's dead, same as everybody else. I'm going over to see Big Ed's wife. Why do you want to go sticking your nose back into it? Because Ed was dying and he asked me to do it. Lots of guys ask for lots of screwy things when they're dying. They wouldn't bring him up unless they were sure they didn't have to stick around and see what had happened. Make sense? Makes sense. Where you going? Over to see Big Ed's wife. At no time in our nation's history has it been more important to develop an outstanding army medical department. Without an adequate nurse corps, this can't be accomplished. And nurses are still needed to fill the estimated requirements for 1948. If you are a graduate registered nurse over 21 and under 45, you are invited to apply for a commission in the Army Nurse Corps Reserve. If you are selected, you may choose either active duty or inactive status. Apply to The Adjutant General, Washington 25 D.C. jack Webb is starred as Jeff Regan with Williams Herbert as Anthony J. Lyon. It's CBS same time next week for Hard Boiled Action and Mystery with Jeff Regan Investigator. Also heard on tonight's program was Jeff Chandler, Betty Lou Gerson, Edgar Barrier, William Conrad, Sidney Miller and Laurette Philbrand. Jeff Regan Investigator is written by E. Jack Newman, produced and directed by Sterling Tracy with original music by Dick Arupp. If you like mystery here, find that clue with mystery master Ken Crossing, quizzing the top mystery writers of Hollywood and a special guest this Monday night over most of these same CBS stations. Here, find that Clue Monday night, 8:30 over most of these stations with Terhan Bay. This is cbs. The Columbia Broadcasting marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host, you seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsynads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.