Johnny Madero, Pier 23: Fatal Auction 06/26/1948

Summary

Podcast Summary: Johnny Madero, Pier 23 — "Fatal Auction" (06/26/1948)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Johnny Madero, Pier 23: Fatal Auction
Air Date: October 28, 2025 (podcast); June 26, 1948 (original)
Host: Choice Classic Radio

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Overview

This episode of "Johnny Madero, Pier 23" transports listeners to the fog-drenched streets and shadowy docks of San Francisco in the late 1940s. Private eye Johnny Madero gets tangled in a deadly web of intrigue when a mysterious woman hires him to outbid the competition for a black leather suitcase at an auction. The suitcase's contents—a saxophone and some seemingly ordinary reeds—pull Madero into a high-stakes game involving murder, dope smuggling, betrayal, and desperate last stands.

With sharp dialogue, quick banter, and noir atmosphere, this episode captures the dangers lurking beneath the surface of postwar San Francisco’s jazz clubs and night waterfronts. The stakes keep rising as Madero matches wits (and bullets) with corrupt cops, scheming dames, and desperate musicians.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Setup at the Auction House (00:21–04:41)

• Johnny Madero describes the city and how he makes a living: "Anything else that means long odds and short hours. It's a way to make a living." (00:31)
• At a crowded auction, Madero meets Claire Underwood, a stunning brunette wearing dark glasses. She approaches him with a tense request: bid on a black leather suitcase for her without attracting attention.
  • "I'll pay you $50 to bid for me." – Claire Underwood (02:19)
• During a heated auction, Madero’s bids are driven up rapidly by another unknown party, ultimately winning the suitcase for $1,000 (03:37).
• Claire pays him and instructs: "Pick it up and come back. I'll be waiting. And don't let them open it—whatever you do." (03:56)

2. The Suitcase’s Secret & The First Confrontations (04:41–07:24)

• The suitcase contains only a saxophone and some reeds—a costly mystery.
• Larry Dunlap, a tough character with bushy eyebrows, confronts Madero at his office, demanding the saxophone, saying it belongs to him. He offers more money than Claire and, when rebuffed, knocks out Madero and takes the sax (06:42).
  • "You better have a license. A sax isn’t that important." – Johnny Madero (06:13)
  • "It is to me. Maybe I want to start a hot shop." – Larry Dunlap (06:20)
• Madero regains consciousness to find Inspector Warcheck of Homicide investigating a blood pool in his office and accusing him of murder—the first sign something is much more sinister (07:26).

3. The Murder Investigation Deepens (07:24–12:25)

• Warcheck ties the sax and the dead musician Charlie Reiser together, suspecting Madero’s involvement.
• Madero turns to Father Leahy, a priest with underworld connections, for help, recounting how bids, knockouts, and missing money led to him being embroiled in a murder case.
• Leahy agrees to investigate Reiser and Dunlap’s backgrounds, especially their ties to the jazz community (11:55).

4. The Sax Switch & Club Downbeat (12:25–15:26)

• Madero visits the auctioneer (J.C. Cole), realizes there’s been a switch: the original sax was sold to Bud Overbeck, a musician at the Downbeat Club.
• Cole confesses: “I switched saxophones. I took out the original sax with the reeds and put in an older one... I sold it to Bud Overbeck for $200.” (14:00–14:15)
• Madero heads to the nightclub, finds Overbeck playing the telltale black sax.

5. Femme Fatale Moves & Escalating Stakes (15:26–18:17)

• Backstage at the Downbeat, Madero confronts Claire. She tries to buy him off, dangles seduction, and feigns innocence.
  • "I'm sentimental. Say, Charlie Reiser was my boyfriend and I wanted to keep his sax as a memory." – Claire Underwood (15:38)
• A staged scene leads Overbeck and the club staff to eject Madero, allowing Claire to get close to Overbeck and his sax.
• Madero tracks Claire to her hotel, finds her gone, and is confronted at gunpoint by Dunlap, who wants the reeds.

6. Final Confrontations & Deadly Consequences (18:17–22:36)

• Bud Overbeck, lured to Claire’s hotel room, collapses and dies—apparent poisoning, later traced to one of the sax reeds (20:16).
• Inspector Warcheck finds Johnny at another crime scene, again suspecting him.
• Madero pieces together the tangled web: Claire, Dunlap, and Reiser were all involved in a dope smuggling ring, using drug-soaked sax reeds as the delivery method.

7. Resolution at the Airfield (24:20–27:38)

• Tipped off by Father Leahy, Madero races to the airport. Claire is trying to escape under Madero’s name, racing for a Southbound flight with the deadly saxophone.
• Dunlap intercepts Claire, demanding they team up again. Claire refuses—shots are fired. Madero intervenes as the police move in.
  • "You're too small for it [my name]." – Johnny to Claire (24:54)
  • "We all make mistakes. You got the short end." – Claire to Dunlap (25:20)
• Dunlap confesses at police headquarters: the trio had been running dope in from Mexico, switching allegiance and plotting murder to get sole control.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On San Francisco’s charm:
  “You know, it doesn’t pay to buy a fast car in San Francisco...The town is laid out like the profile of a chorus line... Pier 23 is over toward the left field sign. Not far from there you’ll find Johnny Madero’s boat shop. My place.” – Johnny (00:21)
• On Claire Underwood’s entrance:
  “Her hair was the color of half past midnight and her dress was made of the kind of goods you buy from spiders.” – Johnny (00:41)
• Deadpan Noir Banter:
  “Some days you’re not gonna make out any better than an ice cube at a cocktail party.” – Johnny (06:52)
• On the allure of the sax:
  “For a thousand bucks you can buy a whole brass section.” – Johnny (04:41)
• Final twist revealed:
  “Overbeck's heart couldn't stand all that dope. Coroner found a used saxophone reed in Overbeck's pocket. It was soaked in hop.” – Father Leahy (23:11)

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Key Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 00:21: Johnny describes San Francisco and the auction setup.
• 01:57: Claire Underwood approaches Johnny.
• 03:37: The suitcase is won for $1,000.
• 04:41: The suitcase reveals only a sax and reeds.
• 06:07: Dunlap confronts Johnny, and Madero is knocked out.
• 07:24: Inspector Warcheck accuses Johnny at the bloodied office.
• 10:03: Johnny seeks counsel from Father Leahy.
• 12:25: Madero interviews the auctioneer and learns of the instrument switch.
• 14:15: The original saxophone is tracked to Bud Overbeck.
• 15:26: Confrontation with Claire and the set up for club drama.
• 20:16: Overbeck dies (poisoned by a dope-soaked reed).
• 23:06: Father Leahy explains the dope-smuggling angle.
• 24:52: Showdown at the airport — Claire tries to escape under Johnny’s name.
• 27:38: Dunlap’s full confession; the scheme is unraveled.

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Tone, Style, and Atmosphere

The episode radiates hard-boiled noir, replete with sharp-tongued narration, femme fatales, crooked jazzmen, and double-crosses lurking behind every corner. Johnny’s sardonic humor and streetwise observations infuse classic postwar grit and a sense of weary resignation.

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For Listeners New and Old

“Fatal Auction” provides everything you love from classic radio detective fare: tough talk, rapid twists, and the atmospheric sounds of the 1940s urban underworld. The show’s blend of verbal wit and suspenseful plotting serves as an eloquent reminder of the golden age of radio drama—right down to its last sardonic punchline.

Transcript

[Johnny Madero]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio where we bring to you the greatest old time.

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To us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail] yeah.

I'm Johnny Madero. Pier 23. You know, it doesn't pay to buy a fast car in San Francisco because most of the time you got to be in low gear. The town is laid out like the profile of A Chorus Line. And the only time it flattens out is where it runs into the bay. The waterfront goes from south of the Ferry Building up past the China Docks and on a clear day you can see them batting baseballs over on Alcatraz. Pier 23 is over toward the left field sign. Not far from there you'll find Johnny Madero's Boat Shop. My place. Oh, I rent boats and I do. Anything else that means long odds and short hours. It's a way to make a living. And if you never save enough to get married, at least you got enough to leave town. Maybe I should have left town. Monday afternoon I bought a paper and I read about a buildup on a heavyweight fight in la. I stopped in at Lofty's and the boy said neither one of those fighters could beat an egg with a power drill. About three o' clock I started down Post street when I spotted a new auction house was small with enough dough changing hands to buy back Manhattan Island. Inside it was packed and up on a wooden stand a bald headed guy was selling everything but his suspenders. So I sat down and back and I noticed a girl standing up against the wall. She was wearing dark green sunglasses but the rest of her was just about as secret as a plow on the bathroom floor. Her hair was the color of half past midnight and her dress was made of the kind of goods you buy from spiders. After a while she walked over to me. Right away she started getting nervous. When you look like her, you got a right to be.

[Claire Underwood]

Mind if I sit down?

[Johnny Madero]

Your legs, lady. If you want to rest them, rest them.

[Claire Underwood]

Thanks. You seem to like the view.

[Johnny Madero]

Just temporary. I'm leaving.

[Claire Underwood]

Will you get excited if I ask you to stay?

[Johnny Madero]

Are you going to be proud if I do?

[Claire Underwood]

Please, I want you to do me a favor. It won't take long. It'll be a small one.

[Johnny Madero]

How small?

[Claire Underwood]

They're going to auction off a black leather suitcase in a few minutes. It belongs to me. I must have it back.

[Johnny Madero]

You speak the language. Do your own bidding.

[Claire Underwood]

I. I don't want someone to know I'm here. It's important. I'll pay you $50 to bid for me.

[Johnny Madero]

He just hired me.

[Claire Underwood]

Just start bidding and keep on bidding till you get that suitcase. I want it at any price.

[Auctioneer]

Now, ladies and gentlemen, here's a special item of interest. A black leather suitcase arrived yesterday, contents unknown. It's handsome. It's beautiful. It's never been opened. Now ho's got spoiling blood. The leather alone is worth at least 25 bucks. And it's heavy. It's heavy. It could be full of bricks, and it could be full of gold. That's what makes it interesting. Now, who's going to start the bidding? Who's going to start it off with a big one?

[Johnny Madero]

Two bucks.

[Auctioneer]

Come on, come on. That's an insult. Two dollars. Who gives 15? 10 bucks. 10. Who'll give 30? 10. Who give 30?

[Claire Underwood]

Start pitching for our team, mister.

[Johnny Madero]

25 bucks. 50. 50.

[Claire Underwood]

Double it.

[Johnny Madero]

100.

[Auctioneer]

100. The man in the gallery bids a hundred. You heard him, folks. 100. We'll give two. 200. 200.

[Johnny Madero]

You got competition, lady.

[Claire Underwood]

I got you. Keep like a three.

[Johnny Madero]

400.

[Auctioneer]

400. That man in the gallery's got second vision. He knows what the suitcase is worth. The bid's 400. Who give 800? Four. Who'll give eight?

[Johnny Madero]

800.

[Auctioneer]

The man in front here says eight. Who'll give a thousand? The B800. Hook of a thousand.

[Claire Underwood]

Go ahead, surprise the man.

[Johnny Madero]

The OPA won't like this.

[Claire Underwood]

You're working for me now. Make it a thousand.

[Johnny Madero]

A thousand?

[Auctioneer]

A thousand.

[Johnny Madero]

Dollars.

[Auctioneer]

He'll get 1500. A thousand. Who'll get 1500? All right, a thousand once. Thousand twice. A thousand for the third and last time. Ultra benign. Show it to the men of the galley. Please come up and claim this price.

[Claire Underwood]

Now, here's the money. Pick it up and come back. I'll be waiting. And don't let him open it. Whatever you do, don't let him open it.

[Johnny Madero]

It's your party, lady. I won't even let him peek.

[Auctioneer]

Ah, there's the lucky man coming down the aisle now. Give him room. Give him room. Ah, here he is. And here's your suitcase, mister. Want to open it and tell the folks what's inside?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah.

[Auctioneer]

What's in it, Matt?

[Johnny Madero]

Just one of my relatives. Here's a dough.

[Auctioneer]

Yeah, sure, sure, sure.

[Bud Overbeck]

All right.

[Auctioneer]

Now we have another right up here.

[Johnny Madero]

Sorry, son. I was just going for the empty seat.

Yeah, we'll wait for your blockers next time, Pop. Where's the girl? The brunette with the dark glasses?

It's a jail Term, son. I don't follow him home anymore.

Well, she was here a minute ago. You must have seen her leave.

No.

Think about it. She must have walked right past you. Think about it.

No, son. When you get to be my age.

You don't even do that. I felt kind of silly. The same way you do when you find a hole in your sock at the shoe store. But it wasn't my door that bought that case, so I couldn't beef much. When I got back to the office, I started working on the lock with the key. The case was made of plain black leather and it was kicked around more than Minnie's gong. Then I opened it. Shiny looking saxophone was laid out in three parts. For a thousand bucks you can buy a whole brass section. So I went through each piece looking for a reason. Was a paper box inside the case. It had a grocer reads in it. Same kind you find on the mouthpiece of any saxophone. I couldn't do much more, so I wrapped up the case and put it up in my closet. Then the door opened. And if trouble had a face, this was the way it looked in the morning. He stood there in the middle of the room and his eyes held me like a fly at the end of two needles. He noticed his eyebrows. They were bushy and thick. And if they got any worse, he'd have to hire a native guide.

Hello. You Madero?

That's my story. You got a better one?

It's sadder than yours. I'm the guy you left behind at the auction.

Who were you bidding for? Who are you asking for?

Myself.

I suppose we get real friendly. What's your name?

Dunlap. Larry Dunlap. Now introduce me to the girl who was coaching you.

All right. She was a souped up brunette with a disappearing act. Now what does that prove?

Unless you find in a cemetery, never trust a woman. Especially Claire Underwood. Yeah.

What do you want from me?

I'll take that black leather suitcase you won at the auction.

Look, I saved you some dough. Don't make a pig of yourself. Try to be nice.

I will.

I won't kick you when you're dead. Where's that suitcase?

You're making me nervous.

So if you got a niche, see a doctor. What makes you so big?

Vitamins. I know all about the sax made Arrow. It belongs to me. Give it to me or I start looking.

You better have a license. A sax isn't that important.

It is to me. Maybe I want to start a hot shop.

I'll hold out for your girlfriend. She owes me 50 bucks and I need the dough.

I'll double anything she gives you.

Your main money. Give me a hint.

Well, 100 bucks do. Yeah.

Sax us in the closet on top. Come on, give me a hand. Give me a hand.

Sure.

You'Ve got a hand, Madero.

Now play it out.

Some days you're not gonna make out any better than an ice cube at a cocktail party. When Dunlap hit me, I folded up and my head got the size of a social worker's heart. Well, I started tossing around on the rug. It took me longer to stop than it took Haig to quit Jersey. I knew that Sachs was gone, so there was no point in getting up. I started dreaming about that day. A Cleveland bellhop gave me a key to the wrong room. It was going all right too, until somebody began shaking me in that small room. I didn't have to look up to know who it was because Inspector Warcheck of San Francisco Homicide is the kind of guy you stand next to in a hurricane and wonder what happened to the ventilation.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Making a wish, Madero?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah.

Yes. If it didn't come true, what are you collecting?

[Inspector Warcheck]

Alibis. What's yours for? Last night at 12 o' clock I was in bed. You got a witness?

[Johnny Madero]

No. You can't win them all.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Yeah, that's the way a guy named Charlie Riser felt.

[Johnny Madero]

So maybe it's an epidemic.

[Inspector Warcheck]

So maybe you started it. Someone shot him dead. The guy was a musician.

[Johnny Madero]

Try some of the neighbors.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I'll try you first.

[Johnny Madero]

You're reaching, Warchick. I never even heard of the guy.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Oh, that's a handicap, Madeira. Maybe you just heard of his instrument, huh?

[Johnny Madero]

All right, let me guess. It was a sack.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Hey, you're very bright. An auctioneer helped me trace it down to you. Now, what's the pitch?

[Johnny Madero]

A wild one wore check. A dame forced me to do her a favor.

Uh huh.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I bet you force easy.

[Johnny Madero]

She paid me to bid for the sacks and then took a potter after I won it.

[Inspector Warcheck]

You got an active memory? Does it include a name?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, Claire Underwood. Run it down and see what it gets you.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Oh, now stop threatening me, Madero. I think that sax is tied in with the murder. Now, where is it?

[Johnny Madero]

You're a little late. A torpedo named Larry Dunlap just walked in and sapped me for it.

Yeah?

[Inspector Warcheck]

How hard did he sapie Maduro? There's a pool of blood behind your desk and it doesn't look like yours.

[Johnny Madero]

How'd it get there?

I don't know, Warchick. Maybe somebody got Lost and figured it was a blood bank. How do I know?

[Inspector Warcheck]

Yeah, maybe they thought it was a morgue too. Left a body, now look around.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, do that. Look under the rug too. Maybe the guy was thin.

[Inspector Warcheck]

All right, Madero, So far you're in the clear. But if there's blood, there must be a body close by.

[Johnny Madero]

It'll show.

[Inspector Warcheck]

When it does, we'll turn it in for yours.

[Johnny Madero]

I'll remember like you remember that thousand.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Bucks the auction house, Madero? The thousand bucks she gave the joint, got homesick and left.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm broke, Warchick.

Yeah.

You'll have to stand on your head to pin this on me.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Maybe I will.

[Johnny Madero]

Maybe you're right. I forgot about your head. Once Warcheck sticks to you, you might as well try to pull a mustard plaster off a throw rug. He stood there for a minute, blinking at the light and you could see big pebbles of sweat standing out on his forehead. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket. When it came down, it was wet enough to wash all the windows in lower Manhattan. After a while, he walked out. I watched him out of the window. I tried to figure. How I got into this was like trying to trace back a conversation to see what word started it. There were lots of questions and not too much time. Why was a saxophone and a grocer reeds worth all that dough? And who left his blood on my rug as a deposit? The girl must have known what was in the case. But why did she leave it with me? I couldn't make it add up. So I looked up the only good guy I know, a waterfront priest named Father Leahy. He knows most of the bad boys around the piers and he's heard enough sins to start an art colony around Lofty's. They got his name above the line, and that's a tough trick because along the waterfront an archangel couldn't get a cup of coffee without hucking a wing. I found him over at the Parrish house having dinner.

[Father Leahy]

Hello, Johnny. You want some wine?

[Johnny Madero]

No, thanks, Father.

[Father Leahy]

That's one of the good things about this job, you get wine with your meals.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, I know.

[Father Leahy]

Except you gotta watch out.

[Johnny Madero]

I knew a guy in the seminary.

[Father Leahy]

Liked to eat between meals.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah?

[Father Leahy]

Yeah, but the bishop fixed him. He sent him to a rich parish and the guy had to throw away half his sermons.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm in trouble, Father. Did you buy elevator shoes, or is.

[Father Leahy]

That a bump on your head?

[Johnny Madero]

Somebody knocked me down when I wasn't looking.

[Father Leahy]

Did you get the license number?

[Johnny Madero]

It just felt like a truck. I got Hit with a club. That's why I want you to help me, Father.

[Father Leahy]

Johnny, you misinterpret my mission in life. You need a policeman. I'm only a priest. Besides, I'm eating.

[Johnny Madero]

Look, Father, Homicide wants to tack a.

[Father Leahy]

Murder on me, there goes my appetite.

[Johnny Madero]

Who's dead?

[Father Leahy]

Anybody I could have helped?

[Johnny Madero]

His name was Charlie Reiser. He was a musician.

[Father Leahy]

If he's going in the right direction, he may get some work. How did you meet him?

[Johnny Madero]

I didn't. I never heard of the guy. It was all a surprise to me.

[Father Leahy]

Sounds more like a shock.

[Johnny Madero]

I got a bum shake from the start, Father. A gal with a big purse promised to pay me something if I bid for a black suitcase at an auction.

[Father Leahy]

What was the matter with her?

[Johnny Madero]

Laryngitis. She was trying to keep somebody from noticing her. But she must have weakened in the final stretch.

[Father Leahy]

What do you mean?

[Johnny Madero]

I won the bid with a thousand bucks. But when I came back, the gal was gone.

[Father Leahy]

And you were left holding the bag. What was in it?

[Johnny Madero]

A saxophone and a grocer reeds. You could buy the whole outfit with a five dollar down payment.

[Father Leahy]

What makes it worth a thousand?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't know, Father. The sacks belong to Charlie Reiser. A guy named Dunlap offered me 200 bucks for it.

[Father Leahy]

All that money for a saxophone and they wouldn't allow me 40 bucks on that old organ.

[Johnny Madero]

Dunlap slugged me when my back was turned and piled up a lead.

[Father Leahy]

Did the sacks go for free?

[Johnny Madero]

Somebody paid for it. When I woke up, there was a lot of blood on the floor. Yours? It was unclaimed, but I have an idea. Body's gonna turn up.

[Father Leahy]

Without it, you have nothing but murder on your mind. Johnny, why don't you settle down with a good book?

[Johnny Madero]

If war check tags me, I'll have to borrow yours. Father, Right now I need you to check on a few people for me.

[Father Leahy]

Sure, but I'll need a couple of names for them first.

[Johnny Madero]

You know a lot of the combo boys, Father. Check up on Charlie Reiser's friends, especially his women. And find out where Larry Dunlap fits in. Will you do it, Father?

Yes, Johnny, I'll do it.

[Father Leahy]

But if I find out you're calling them wrong, I'll drop over to Warcheck side.

[Johnny Madero]

Thanks, Father. If you help me out of this. You're a good guy. You're an angel.

[Father Leahy]

But stop pushing me. I'm not that anxious yet.

[Johnny Madero]

When I left Father Leahy, I ran over my leads. You could have counted him on one finger and you'd still have to cheat. The only guy worth looking up was the auctioneer on Eddie Street. Maybe that was all revenge. Why did he tell War Check that I took that thousand bucks back? I figured I'd find out, so I grabbed a cab back to his store. When I got there, the joint was locked up, but a big neon sign blinked. The name J.C. cole was another night coming from the back. So I followed it down. Inside, Cole was working over his cash register tape. I didn't knock, and right away he started making funny noises in his throat. I noticed he was wearing a vest without a tie and his sleeves were rolled up with big rubber bands. His elbows stuck out and they were red and knotted up like a baby's face with cramps. And then he made his opening bid.

It's a little late. What can I sell you, mister?

A straight story, huh? The one you told headquarters had too many frills.

Hey, wait a minute. You're the same fellow who bought that suitcase.

You got a good head, friend. How good is it on robbery?

[Father Leahy]

It was dark.

[Johnny Madero]

I thought it was you, so I called the cops.

You started fast, but you're fading in a stretch.

A thousand bucks was gone. I figured you took your money back.

An early mistake. It wasn't my dough.

You sound like you're mad. Is that a gun in your pocket?

If it makes you talk about that suitcase, I'll say yes.

I don't know what you mean. I said you were taking your chances. A ton of bricks, a ton of gold, remember? I gotta make a living, you know.

You don't have to crowd them in. What gives a sacks a thousand dollar price tag?

I don't know, I tell you. I don't know what thing.

Yeah, well, we'll go into politics later. I think you're lying.

It was just another suitcase. An old leather suitcase with a sax inside. I just tell you I don't know what things.

Yeah, Keep it up, fella. You'll tell me everything that way. Now, how did you know there was a sax in that case if you never opened it?

Well, I. Now, listen, mister. Let's be friends. I got a little money. Let's be friends.

Go on.

I was just trying to get a little ahead. I got a wife and a kid. A big kid. So I switched saxophones. I took out the original sax with the region, put in an older one.

What'd you do with the original?

It was a pretty nice one.

[Father Leahy]

Brand new.

[Johnny Madero]

So I sold it to someone. Regent roll for 200.

Slowing down. Who's someone?

A relative He's a friend named Bud. Bud Overbeck. He plays tenor sax at the Downbeat Club. That original was something special.

Yeah, you should have held out for a th000 bucks on both ends.

Now listen, Fell Bu A friend, a good friend on my wife's side. You won't run, will you?

I'll send you a pint if he believes.

Yeah, sure, sure, I'll say that. Anything else?

[Claire Underwood]

Huh?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah. Stop stuttering. You'll give that kid of yours a complex. When I opened the door, you could tell he wanted to shake me worse than a summer cold. I didn't like him any better, but he'd given me something solid to work on. So I got over to the Club Downbeat. It's a jazz cellar that warms over King Oliver at six bits a throw. Five piece combo was writing a chorus slow and easy, and you knew the only notes they ever read were on IOUs. There were a dozen or so jazz fans huddled around the bandstand, and if you looked real close at their faces, you saw something that looked like pain. I asked the bartender who Overbeck was and he pointed out the blond kid with a face made of warm putty playing a black saxophone. I walked backstage to a small dressing room where the boys grabbed their second wind with a short one. When I opened the door, Clara Underwood stood there holding her breath.

[Claire Underwood]

Hello, Johnny. You look angry. Put away those daggers.

[Johnny Madero]

I will, baby. I'll guess that you killed Reiser for.

[Claire Underwood]

A saxophone Guess again. Why should I kill anyone for a sax?

[Johnny Madero]

Tell me why. It's worth a grand and I'll answer that one, too.

[Claire Underwood]

All right, Johnny. I'm sentimental. Say, Charlie Reiser was my boyfriend and I wanted to keep his sax as a memory.

[Johnny Madero]

Must have been quite a memory.

[Claire Underwood]

Baby, you didn't meet Charlie.

[Johnny Madero]

But I did meet Larry Dunlap. He wanted the sax, too. Why?

[Claire Underwood]

How would I know, Johnny? Maybe he was taking lessons.

[Johnny Madero]

They weren't that kind. He has too good a lip.

[Claire Underwood]

So have I, only I use it differently.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, stop puckering, sweetheart. I want some sense.

[Claire Underwood]

Now, please, Johnny. If you leave now, I'll give you double what I owe you from the auction.

[Johnny Madero]

That's not enough. Look, baby, count up your bills and tell me what a murder rap is worth.

[Claire Underwood]

We'll haggle over it later, Johnny. Just meet me at the Ajax Hotel and I promise you, you'll get a better figure.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah? You gonna add some interest?

[Claire Underwood]

Come here and I'll show you what I mean.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm not running a service. I need some answers. Come On. Come on. I want some action. Come on.

[Claire Underwood]

Use your arms, Johnny.

[Johnny Madero]

You got too big a mouth, baby. Somebody's gonna close it on you.

[Claire Underwood]

Show me, Johnny.

[Johnny Madero]

All right.

[Claire Underwood]

The music stop, Johnny.

[Johnny Madero]

Why do you care? We're not dancing.

[Claire Underwood]

Johnny, please, you're. You're squeezing me too tight.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, it's a bad habit. Now, tell me about that sax.

[Claire Underwood]

Listen to me, Johnny. I told you, I gotta see Overbeck first. I'll tell you everything later.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, after you talk Overbeck out of his sacks, huh?

[Claire Underwood]

Yes.

[Johnny Madero]

Is it a deal you're too anxious to sign? I'll talk to Overbeck myself.

[Claire Underwood]

All right, Johnny. I'll help you get him here quicker.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, what are you gonna do?

[Claire Underwood]

Scream, Johnny. Scream. Listen. Help. Help. Somebody help me.

[Johnny Madero]

Louder, baby. You'll really need it in a minute. Help.

Help.

[Claire Underwood]

Help.

[Johnny Madero]

Hey, what's the matter? What was she screaming about, mister? She couldn't catch me.

[Claire Underwood]

This man's drunk. He was trying to snatch my purse.

[Johnny Madero]

Is that true, mister? Call a cop and find out.

[Bud Overbeck]

Yeah, I will.

[Claire Underwood]

No, no, please, don't bother. Just get him out. Just throw him out. Mr. Overbeck.

[Bud Overbeck]

You heard the lady, mister. Do I get rough?

[Johnny Madero]

Save your strength, Overbeck. You'll need it later. Claire had a nice activity. If you didn't mind playing straight man to a vulture. She draped herself on Overbeck's arm and she looked as cool as a vacation in Maine. As I walked out, Overbeck was still showing his teeth. But it didn't matter because you got the idea he wasn't strong enough to fight off a sneeze. Now there wasn't much I could do except wait for Claire to show. But it started to drizzle, so I figured my best bet was her hotel. In the lobby, a rose colored carpet with a touch of yellow jaundice led to the desk. McClerc told me she hadn't come in yet, but for five bucks he could tell I was a friend. He gave me your key. I went upstairs. When I opened Claire's door, I knew something was wrong. A lot of towels were thrown all over the floor. And everything was gone from the closet but the moth balls. Claire had skipped. And before I could walk out, Dunlap walked in. One hand was in his pocket and the other had enough tape to wrap up a mummy.

Can I come in, my girl?

You're old enough, Dunlap. Make up your own mind.

I have. Where's Claire?

You're early. I think she's still busy getting a magazine.

I'll wait.

It'll be a long one. I'm not hanging around.

Oh, the fun's just beginning. Sit down.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Sit down.

[Johnny Madero]

I guess I am tired.

Yeah, this gun makes everybody drowsy. Now, what's your time with Claire?

Nothing that's deep rooted. Are you writing a column?

Yeah, the obituary. And you're going to make the morning deadline.

You're too cocky, Dunlap. Don't turn your back.

I won't. Claire blew her chance. The best she could do was this arm.

Yeah, you ruined my carpet.

When they pass your cover around, I'll be generous. In the meantime, you're going to stick around until Claire brings that black saxophone.

I hope she's got some food in the ice box. What do you mean? Well, if you're waiting for that sax, we're going to starve to death. Claire's not going to show.

What makes you a prophet?

A guy named Bud Overbeck. He had the sacks last and Claire was working him over for it.

I'll work you over for less. What are the rest of her plans?

She was warm. Maybe she left a smoke signal.

All right, you're getting too stubborn.

Put away the gun, Dunlap. You can only use one arm.

I'll clean the bases with this index finger. Pick a spot for four.

Hey, don't clutter up the floor now, Dunlap. We got company.

[Claire Underwood]

What's this?

[Bud Overbeck]

The wrong room. Claire said we'd be alone.

[Johnny Madero]

We are. Just the three of us. Who's he?

Madero.

[Bud Overbeck]

What are you talking about? Claire told me to come here. She told me to wait for her.

[Johnny Madero]

Look, fella, save your lip for another chorus. Just tell me where she left you.

[Bud Overbeck]

I don't feel so good. She was at the downbeat club. She was helping me put my sacks away. I. I just came up here to wait. We were gonna be alone.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, fella, I'm cutting down the crowd.

You're with Madero now. I'm leaving.

[Bud Overbeck]

Yeah, I'm going home, too. I feel sick. I'm going home.

[Johnny Madero]

You'll never make it on your knees. What's the matter?

[Bud Overbeck]

I don't know. I guess I gave the new horn too big a ride tonight. I got a weak heart.

[Johnny Madero]

Your eyes aren't too strong either. You're walking right into that closet.

[Bud Overbeck]

They told me not to play so hard. Maybe I played too hard.

[Johnny Madero]

Help me follow.

[Bud Overbeck]

You look familiar? I seen you somewhere, huh?

[Father Leahy]

It.

[Bud Overbeck]

You look fuzzy. Yeah, I don't know. I. I feel sick. Someone must have slipped me something. I. I never felt like.

[Johnny Madero]

Like this before. I'm sick.

[Claire Underwood]

Real sick.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm you'll never get any sicker, fella. Overbeck was dead even before he had a chance to see if Gabriel paid his boy scale. He hit the floor and turned over in his back. And he figured he'd cross the River Jordan with a backstroke. I got a good look at him now. His face was all twisted up like bed sheets after a nightmare. And up near his hairline, a long, thin scar ran into his scalp. And I didn't know it killed Overbeck, but whatever it was, he didn't get two weeks notice. I figured if homicide caught me here, I'd get my walking papers to write down to the last 20ft. I started for the door, but War Chick opened it for me. He looked at the body and then over to me.

[Inspector Warcheck]

You on a spree, Madero?

[Johnny Madero]

If you're footing the bill, Orchek, the.

[Inspector Warcheck]

State will from now on. Now, tell me about the guy on the floor.

[Johnny Madero]

He's dead.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Must have had parents. What's his name?

[Johnny Madero]

Bud Overbeck. He was a musician at the downbeat club.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Tell me some more.

[Johnny Madero]

Roll him, Warcheck. Maybe he's got a diary. All right.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Here'S his wallet. All right, Maduro, how long you been here?

[Johnny Madero]

Why?

[Inspector Warcheck]

The wallet's empty.

[Johnny Madero]

That's too bad. Your girlfriend's gonna have to get along with last week's presents.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I trail a guy named Dunlap up to this apartment and I find you and a dead body. Now there's a tie. Any way you look at it, that is what happened?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't know, Warcheck. I didn't see the picture. I just tagged by for the end.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Must have been a sad one. I think he's poisoned. I like the look in his eyes.

[Johnny Madero]

Get the girl who put it there.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Just give me a hint.

[Johnny Madero]

Oberbeck was playing caveman with Claire Underwood before he came up here.

[Inspector Warcheck]

What does that give him? Besides hair?

[Johnny Madero]

Maybe a mickey. When I left, she was warming up an argument for his saxophone.

[Inspector Warcheck]

She get it?

[Johnny Madero]

She didn't. Dunlap's losing man hours. He just walked out of here. And I think she's on his list.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I'm beginning to get an idea now myself.

[Johnny Madero]

Does it hurt?

[Inspector Warcheck]

You and the Underwood girl are running some kind of a racket for that saxophone. She left you behind a front for her.

[Johnny Madero]

You haven't seen her war check. She doesn't need that kind of help.

[Inspector Warcheck]

But you will. When I get through checking. Still got a few calls to make me. Want the lab to work over the body. By then I'll have enough to come back and hold you Madeira.

[Johnny Madero]

You couldn't hold a lap dog with a suction pump.

[Inspector Warcheck]

All right, big shot. I'll go a long way to get you for this. A long way.

[Johnny Madero]

You got the drag, were you?

Yeah.

[Inspector Warcheck]

It's gonna slow you down a little.

[Johnny Madero]

Warcheck wanted to mother the body until the corner came. And when I left, he was squeezing himself into a chair. He fit tighter than a whale in a crib. You could word it any way you like. But the big riddle was that saxophone. Claire had it and Dunlap wanted it. And a couple of guys died for it. My only alibi was Dunlap, but you might as well ask Khan to hold still for Lewis. I buzzed back to the office, but there was no message from Father Leahy. So I stared out the window for a while, wondering how to bake a cake with a dynamite charge, when the phone rang. Yeah?

[Father Leahy]

Hello, Johnny, this is Father Lee.

[Johnny Madero]

What'd you find out, Father?

[Father Leahy]

It's not pleasant, Johnny. I'm down at the morgue. A lab report on Bud Oberbeck just came in.

[Johnny Madero]

He died of poisoning, huh, Father?

[Father Leahy]

The bitter kind. Oberbeck's heart couldn't stand all that dope. Coroner found a used saxophone read in Oberbeck's pocket. It was soaked in hot.

[Johnny Madero]

So that's what made that saxophone so big, the grocer reads.

[Father Leahy]

That's right, Johnny. Overbeck was absorbing the stuff while he played. He probably never knew what hit him.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, what about Reiser? How does he figure?

[Father Leahy]

Reiser was making his pin money peddling dope to nightclubs. He was getting his shipments from Mexico.

[Johnny Madero]

How did Claire and Dunlap figure?

[Father Leahy]

There were a couple of partners who wanted to ease out riser and go into business for themselves.

[Johnny Madero]

The idea must have gone to Claire's head. She's doing a solo now and Dunlap thinks she has the sex.

[Father Leahy]

Wojczyk feels the same way about you, Johnny. He's out to tag you for everything.

[Johnny Madero]

He's smarter than that.

[Father Leahy]

I don't know him that well, but it adds up in his book because he thinks you're leaving town. Someone's booked a passage on the 2am plane from Mexico this morning in the name of Jay Madero.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm being jockeyed, Father. It's either Clara Dunlap. They're both as black as sin.

[Father Leahy]

Maybe so, but Warcheck still thinks you're the dark horse.

[Johnny Madero]

Up until now, it was like trying to sell a two pain to a ball headed eagle. But when the turn comes, everything happens in a Hurry. And you began breaking more records than a disc jockey with a hangover. If Father Leahy was right, Clara Dunlap had enough dreams in that saxophone to start a waltz contest. And I knew if they both got out of town or check, it'd be around to tag me for the last dance. So I got out to Mills Field, and out on the far end of the strip, a twin engine plane was warming up. Claire was standing with her back toward me, and even from here, you could see what a stiff tailwind could do to a landing gear. When she saw me, she raised her eyebrows and figured her temperature was even higher.

[Claire Underwood]

Sorry I had to borrow your name, Johnny.

[Johnny Madero]

You're too small for it.

[Claire Underwood]

Baby, I got a big ego.

[Johnny Madero]

And that gun bolsters it, huh?

[Claire Underwood]

That's my story.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, tell it to Homicide. They'll take a nibble on either you or Dunlap.

[Claire Underwood]

Better throw them, Dunlap. I got a date in Mexico City.

[Johnny Madero]

It's a blind one, baby.

You're going in the wrong direction.

[Claire Underwood]

Larry, what are you doing here? I thought you.

[Johnny Madero]

I want those reads, baby.

[Claire Underwood]

You'll be peddling pencils when I'm through with you.

[Johnny Madero]

I'll leave the sides, too, Baby.

I'll be lonely.

[Claire Underwood]

You won't need that kind of music where you're going, Larry.

[Johnny Madero]

You're the ones that talk, baby. I trusted you. We were going to do this together. I trusted you.

[Claire Underwood]

We all make mistakes. You got the short end.

[Johnny Madero]

I'll stretch it a little.

You got another chance.

Let's team up again.

[Claire Underwood]

Sorry, Larry, I'm crowding you out.

[Johnny Madero]

You only think so.

[Claire Underwood]

Now get out of my way. I got to make the plane.

[Johnny Madero]

Make a grave first. I want that stuff.

[Claire Underwood]

I won't miss again. Stay away, Larry.

[Johnny Madero]

Put up a sign.

[Claire Underwood]

Yeah.

[Johnny Madero]

You missed again.

[Auctioneer]

Give me the gun.

[Claire Underwood]

No, I'm selfish. I'll hold on. Pull him off me, Madeira. Pull him off.

[Johnny Madero]

There's a lot.

All right, baby, you. You run out of chances? It's my turn now.

[Claire Underwood]

No, please, Larry, put the gun away. You win. I'll split it with you. Now you win. Honest, Larry, you win.

[Johnny Madero]

Just to show you I agree.

You're through, guy. Drop the gun.

Yeah. What are the odds of my getting away in that place?

70, 30 maybe.

Things are too tough at 50. 50? Come on, I'll ride downtown with you.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Well?

[Johnny Madero]

Dunlap told the whole story down at headquarters. It seems that Riser, Claire and he were buying dope from Mexico and peddling it here in the form of soaked up reeds. Riser was contact man in Mexico. But the only way they knew him down there was by his black saxophone. Claire and Dunlap decided to narrow the profits down to two by shooting Riser and taking over. Claire used the gun and well, that started thinking that she could do even better with a single act. She needed that black sacks, though. Riser got wind of it and hid the sacks with the reeds in the basement. His landlady found it after he was tumbled and sold it to that auction house. Claire had me buy it and followed me back to the office where she tried to peg down Dunlap. The sack she took turned out to be a phony because the auctioneer had already sold the black one to Bud Overbeck. The track was switched to him, but not soon enough. Overbeck didn't know the reeds were loaded and after an all night jam section, he folded up with a heart attack. Well, Warcheck asked only one question. Wasn't it tough luck for an innocent guy like overbaked? I don't know. At least there was one time he played right out of this world.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Johnny Madero appear 23, starring Jack Webb as Johnny Madero, has been presented by the Mutual Network. Johnny Madero is written by Herb Margulis and Lou Moreheim. Gail Gordon played Father Leahy and Bill Conrad played Inspector Warcheck of Homicide. Others in the cast were Helene Burke, Bob Holton, Herb Butterfield, Irvin Lee and Herb Rawlinson. Original music was composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and the entire production was directed by Nat Wolf. We invite you to listen again next week over most of these stations when Mutual presents another adventure in the life of Johnny Madero. Pier 23. Tony Lefrano speaking. This program came to you from Hollywood.

[Johnny Madero]

This is the Mutual Broadcasting System.