Johnny Madero Pier 23: Find Pete Sutro 06/19/1947

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Johnny Madero, Pier 23: Find Pete Sutro” (Original Air Date: 06/19/1947)

Overview

This episode of Choice Classic Radio Detectives features a classic tale from the Golden Age of Radio, starring Jack Webb as hard-boiled private investigator Johnny Madero. The episode, “Find Pete Sutro,” is a tangled web of lost identity, old crimes, blackmail, and a search for truth on the foggy San Francisco waterfront. Madero is hired to find a man whose very existence is in question—a job that rapidly spirals into murder, deception, and a dramatic showdown.

---

Key Discussion Points & Plot Progression

1. The Case Begins: A Mysterious Client

• Johnny Madero’s Introduction (00:26): Madero sketches his gritty, noir world on Pier 23, setting the tone with classic hardboiled narration.

• Client Appears (02:13): Nat Finley, a nervous, retired man from Nob Hill, hires Johnny for $50 a day (and a $200 bonus) to find "Pete Sutro"—a name that’s been haunting Finley’s mind as if out of nowhere.

• Finley’s Strangeness: He doesn’t know why he’s fixated on Sutro or how he encountered the name. The only clue is a recent dream with “General Delivery, San Francisco” attached to the name.

  "Lately, a name's been ringing in my ears. Just a name. Pete Sutro. Over and over again." - Nat Finley (02:47)

2. Digging for Leads

• Madero Investigates (04:08): Madero learns others are also searching for Sutro: tough guy Marty Kane and torch singer Evelyn Day.

• Meeting Marty Kane (05:20): Madero confronts Kane in a rundown motel; the conversation turns tense, layered with threats.

• Financial Motives: Kane admits he wants Sutro for a debt, and flashes a gun to get information.

  "Who's Nat Finley? … He said the name was giving him nightmares." - Johnny Madero (06:14)

3. A Bribe from the Wife

• Sheila Finley’s Entrance (07:36): Nat’s glamorous wife, Sheila, tries to bribe Johnny—offering $500 to drop the case, urging him not to feed her husband’s paranoia.

• Sheila’s Plea: She claims Pete Sutro doesn’t exist, that her husband is sick and imagining things.

  "There is no such man." – Sheila Finley (08:54)

4. Complication: Murder!

• Marty Kane is Killed (10:13): Inspector Warcheck, SFPD Homicide, confronts Madero at the bowling alley. Marty Kane was found murdered after Johnny’s visit.

• Johnny Becomes a Suspect: The motel manager’s testimony and circumstantial evidence paint Johnny into a corner, but he insists he’s innocent.

  "So far you don't have a way out. Why not plead insanity?" – Father Leahy (13:14)

5. Searching for Truth and Confessions

• Consultation with Father Leahy (12:24): Johnny talks through his troubles with a waterfront priest, getting both moral support and investigative help.

• Madero Questions Evelyn Day (15:12): Evelyn, a sultry singer and Sutro’s ex-girlfriend, reveals that Pete Sutro was mixed up in a Detroit robbery with Kane and later disappeared.

  "I used to be Pete Sutro's girl in Detroit. Then one day he skipped out and left me hanging on the vine." – Evelyn Day (16:18)

• Tensions Escalate: Evelyn still loves Sutro and, like Kane, has been searching for him.

6. The Truth Unravels

• Finley Returns, Paranoid (18:04): Nat is unraveling—convinced his wife and Sutro are plotting against him; he produces the gun that killed Kane, found in Sheila’s closet.
• Police Pressure Intensifies: Warcheck catches Johnny with the murder weapon, but Johnny explains it was planted.

7. Final Confrontation & Revelations

• Showdown at the Finleys’ (24:33): Johnny, Sheila, Nat/“Sutro”, and Evelyn converge. Evelyn claims Nat is actually Pete Sutro, unmasked by his voice and memories from Detroit.

  "So you gave him another name and another face, but you can't give him another voice. That's Pete Sutro." – Evelyn Day (26:13)

• Nat (Pete) is Confused: Suffering from amnesia after an accident, he’s been living as Nat Finley, under Sheila’s guidance.

• Sheila’s Confession & Violence: Sheila, desperate, pulls a gun; in a struggle, Evelyn is shot, but as she dies, she affirms to Pete/Finley that he remembered her.

  "You remembered me. She... she broke us up for good." – Evelyn Day (27:23)

• Tragic Resolution: Nat (Pete) briefly regains clarity, realizes everything, and the saga ends with shattered lives and the case closed.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Noir Opening:

  "The only time San Francisco really gets hot is when a tourist calls it Frisco. … About the same spot you'll find dust in a bride's parlor, you find Pier 23." – Johnny Madero (00:26)

• Cynical Wit:

  "Fifty bucks a day buys a lot of hangover, lady." – Johnny Madero (08:30)

• Blackmail & Motives:

  "Kane wanted $10,000 from Sheila to keep quiet about Sutro." – Nat Finley (18:28)

• Identity Crisis:

  "Tell him that he's Pete Sutro. Tell him that you stole him from me. Tell him you killed Marty Kane." – Evelyn Day (26:45)

• Tragic Realization:

  "I told you, Madero. Pete Sucro was gonna kill me in the end." – Nat Finley / Pete Sutro (28:18)

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:26: Johnny Madero’s gritty opening narration
• 02:13: Nat Finley hires Johnny to find Pete Sutro
• 05:20: Johnny’s confrontation with heavy Marty Kane
• 07:36: Sheila Finley bribes Johnny
• 10:13: Inspector Warcheck accuses Johnny after Kane’s murder
• 12:24: Madero seeks counsel from Father Leahy
• 15:12: Interview with torch singer Evelyn Day
• 18:04: Nat Finley’s paranoia peaks; confesses finding the murder weapon
• 24:33: Showdown at the Finley apartment; true identities revealed
• 26:13: Evelyn outs Nat as Sutro
• 27:23: Evelyn’s last words as she dies
• 28:18: Nat realizes the truth and his fate

---

Conclusion & Tone

Classic radio noir at its finest, this Johnny Madero case is dripping with sharp banter, femme fatales, amnesiac antiheroes, and cynical wit. The labyrinthine mystery ultimately reveals that everyone is chasing a ghost—until the truth (as usual) brings disaster for all. Jack Webb as Madero delivers snappy, world-weary commentary with a tough but humane edge. The episode packs the punch of Golden Age detective drama into a twisty, emotionally intense story of identity, guilt, and fatal memory.

---

For Further Listening

Choice Classic Radio Detectives continues to present the best in old-time criminal investigation—tune in daily for new mysteries from the greatest shows of radio’s yesteryear!

Transcript

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Your message amplified.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Podbean. Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Launch your podcast on podbean today.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

My school uses Podbean. My church too.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

I love it. I really do.

[Johnny Madero]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio where we bring to you the greatest old time radio shows like us on Facebook. Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail] yeah, I'm Johnny Madero. Pier 23. You know, the only time San Francisco really gets hot is when a tourist calls it Frisco. And then it gets warm enough to give a sleigh dog a southern accent. Down around the waterfront they don't care so much. And for a buck you can insult anybody but Joe DiMaggio. The piers stretch out like a big yawn from south of the Ferry Building clear to the China Docks. Be pushed over on one side so you won't notice. About the same spot you'll find dust in a bride's parlor, you find Pier 23. From there it's a short skip to Johnny Madero's Boat Shop. My place. The sign outside looks honest, but down here the only sign people pay any attention to is rigor mortis. I rent boats and do anything else you can blame on your environment. It works out all right. But pretty soon word gets around. You got a reputation that doesn't pay to argue. Because even if you're leveling, you make as much headway as a whistler with a split lip. I found that out last Wednesday afternoon. I was looking out the window watching the tide come in when somebody in back of me coughed. When I turned, Nat Friendlay was standing there in the office. He didn't say anything for a minute. And you noticed his eyes were as soft as the inside of a woman's arm. They had one of those far away looks you couldn't follow with a roadmap. Then I saw the rest of him. He wasn't flabby, but he was on the way. You got the idea he was an ex fighter who settled down with a restaurant.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I. I got the right place, haven't I?

[Johnny Madero]

If a woman screams, you haven't. What's on your mind?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

That's a good question, Madero. That's a good question. That's what I want you to find out.

[Johnny Madero]

Look, fella, maybe I don't even want to be friendly what's on your mind?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I don't know, Madeiro. I don't know.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, you convinced me. Now back out of here. We'll both be in the dark.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Wait a minute, Madeira. Listen to me. My name is Nat Finley. My wife and I live up in Knob Hill and I've been retired for a while, see?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't. But go ahead.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, you gotta help me, Madero. I'll pay you 50 bucks a day to help me.

[Johnny Madero]

At that price, it won't be help.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I want you to find someone for me. But I don't know who or why yet.

[Johnny Madero]

We're back to that again, huh?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Oh, listen to me. Lately, a name's been ringing in my ears. Just a name. Pete Sucro. Pete Sucho. Over and over again.

[Johnny Madero]

So you read it somewhere.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I don't know where I picked it up. For the last week, the name Pete Sutro has been on my mind. It's a.

[Evelyn Day]

It's a nightmare.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

You gotta do something about it, Nadal.

[Johnny Madero]

Change your diet. That might help.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I want you to find Pete Sutro. Find out who he is, where he is, why he's bothering me. If you do, I'll give you a $200 bonus.

[Johnny Madero]

Look, Finley, is this a job or a career? There must be a dozen Sutros from here to Jersey City.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Maybe. But the Pete Sutro I want lives right here in this. He's got to.

[Johnny Madero]

There's a law.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Listen to me, Manero. Last night I kept hearing the name Sucho again. Only this time there was an address too. It was care of General Delivery, San Francisco. So he's gotta be somewhere in this town.

[Johnny Madero]

Why don't you check the phone book?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I have and the city directory too. But so far I haven't been able to locate him.

[Johnny Madero]

And I will, huh?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, if you don't, you're still getting 50 bucks a day. What, are you worried about that 50 bucks a day?

[Johnny Madero]

It might turn out to be a dream too. You better throw in some advance money.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Sure. Medell. I brought a check along, just in case. Will $100 cover your doubts?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, if the bank can cover your check.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

If they can't, you don't have to do the job. That fair enough? Will you start looking right away?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

But you gotta be careful, Madero. My wife's never to know about this. Understand?

[Johnny Madero]

Why? Because.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, she. She doesn't like the idea.

[Sheila Finley]

She.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

She thinks I'm a little crazy, looking for a name like this. She hates me. I think she thinks I'm crazy.

[Johnny Madero]

Don't worry, about her, Finley. Until she starts mixing your nightcap for 50 bucks a day. I'll chase anybody's dream. Because with that kind of dough, you're rich enough to run down a couple of your own. When Finley left, I called the bank and found out his check had solid backing. So I went down to Lofty's and I put out some feelers on Pete Sutro. It didn't take long before one of the boys came up with a lead. A couple of other people were looking for Sutro, too. One was a guy named Marty Kane. The other was a torch singer named Evelyn Day. The word was that Sutro and Evelyn used to trade match notes in Detroit. While I phoned the Jade Club where Evelyn was working. But she wasn't due for an hour. So I decided to give Marty Kane first try. He was living in a motel out in the marina. So I went out. Was a sign outside that said modern cabins. But you knew Abe Lincoln did better in Illinois. The cabins were the size of an upper birth. With enough holes to start a punch board. I didn't leave much privacy. You had more chance of keeping a secret from Mata, Harry. I asked the manager where Kane's place was and he pointed to the end cabin. I went over and knocked on the door. Kane opened it and glared. His eyes were the color of Saturday night on a week old Jag. And he was so chunky he figured he'd be harder to move than an icebox through a basement window.

[Marty Kane]

Who are you?

[Johnny Madero]

My name's Madero. Johnny Madero.

[Marty Kane]

Don't rhyme with anything. What are you looking for?

[Johnny Madero]

A guy named Pete Sutro. I hear you got the same idea.

[Marty Kane]

So your gut is I'll invite you in.

[Johnny Madero]

I can't turn you down.

[Marty Kane]

Yeah, that's what everybody says about this gun. Let's sit down. You get me nervous.

[Johnny Madero]

Put away the gun and we'll both be calm, huh?

[Marty Kane]

After you tell me what you know about Sutro.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm tracking down a dream.

[Marty Kane]

Yours?

[Johnny Madero]

A client's. You sound anxious. What's your pitch?

[Marty Kane]

Oh, wild one? Just say he owes me some dough and I need it bad.

[Johnny Madero]

Now you got the muscles take in laundry.

[Marty Kane]

I'll put you through the ring.

[Johnny Madero]

Up first.

[Marty Kane]

I want to lead on Sutro.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, we both do. But I'm not going down on my knees.

[Marty Kane]

Get up, my zero. I don't want to make a liar out of you again.

[Johnny Madero]

You're tough, Kane. I'll bet you got your dandruff scared stiff.

[Marty Kane]

Yeah, and I'll start on yours. Now what sutro to you.

[Johnny Madero]

50 bucks a day. A guy named Nat Finley hired me to track him down. Does that make you happy?

[Marty Kane]

No, just ambitious. Who's Nat Finley?

[Johnny Madero]

He came in and paid me to find Sutro. He said the name was giving him nightmares.

[Marty Kane]

Sounds like a bedtime story. Madero.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, if you don't like it, jazz it up. It's the truth.

[Marty Kane]

I read the wrong papers. Give me another version.

[Johnny Madero]

All right. If you don't believe me, Kane, make up your own. Here's Finley's check. Can you read?

[Marty Kane]

If you'll help me with the big words. Give it here. That Finley?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, that Finley.

[Marty Kane]

You weren't lying. Looks like a good check. I'll take a chance. I'll cash it for you.

[Johnny Madero]

It's giving you ideas, huh?

[Marty Kane]

Yeah, and the first one's about you. Here's your D Madeira. Now get out.

[Johnny Madero]

Get out quick. Oh, you're too good to me, ke. Suppose the check bounces? It won't.

[Marty Kane]

Madeira, cuz I ain't going to cash it.

[Johnny Madero]

I couldn't figure it. Kane looked at the chicken smile like a guy who just learned all about the atom bomb. I walked out. The only thing I knew for sure was the demand for Pete Sutra was big enough to start a business. Boom. I headed back to my apartment to see how much lip I could bring down with an ice bag and a little pressure. When I got there, the door was open and the light was on. Inside, things looked even brighter. The brunette was draped over the couch like she paid the first installment on it. She was about 25, with a pair of legs that would have made a silkworm turn over and write a fan letter. She wore a tan business suit and the way it was rumpled up, you knew office hours were over. When she saw me, she began to vibrate like an alarm clock at 6 in the morning.

[Sheila Finley]

Good evening.

[Johnny Madero]

I won't argue, but you got the wrong room.

[Sheila Finley]

Will I regret it?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't know you that well.

[Sheila Finley]

You'll catch up with the crowd. My name is Sheila. I'm Nat Finley's wife.

[Johnny Madero]

You should be somebody's wife. It cuts down on the risk.

[Sheila Finley]

I want to talk to you.

[Johnny Madero]

Go ahead. I'll try not to stare.

[Sheila Finley]

Let's have a drink first, Mr. Maderon. Maybe it will cloud your vision.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, and the issue too, huh?

[Sheila Finley]

You serve strong stuff, Mr. Madero. Soda.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm all charged up now, lady. What's on your mind?

[Evelyn Day]

I have a problem.

[Sheila Finley]

Maybe you can help me.

[Johnny Madero]

Maybe it's too late. I'm listening.

[Sheila Finley]

It's about My husband, Ned, he tries, but he can't hide much from me.

[Johnny Madero]

I'll let you have the same trouble. Look, lady, you're working too hard for a scene. If you got a point, make it.

[Sheila Finley]

All right, Mr. Madero. We'll skip the intermission. My husband saw you tonight and sold you a wild story.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, but it paid off so far. I'm not complaining.

[Evelyn Day]

But I am.

[Sheila Finley]

I want you to drop the whole silly job Nat gave you.

[Johnny Madero]

You're not building a case. 50 bucks a day buys a lot of hangover, lady.

[Sheila Finley]

You don't understand, Mr. Madero. My husband is a sick man.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, I know. He can't sleep at night.

[Sheila Finley]

He has a large imagination. And it's been getting worse lately. He dreams up things. Sometimes I think. Sometimes I think he's a little crazy.

[Johnny Madero]

Maybe it's a hobby. He can afford it.

[Sheila Finley]

There are some things even he can't afford.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, like finding Pete sucho.

[Sheila Finley]

That's right, Mr. Madero. There is no such man.

[Johnny Madero]

A guy named Marty Kane will give you odds.

[Sheila Finley]

Who did you say?

[Johnny Madero]

Marty Kane. He cashed in your husband's check, you know.

[Evelyn Day]

No.

[Sheila Finley]

No, I never heard of him.

[Johnny Madero]

You don't sound so sure. Marty was talking about sucho.

[Sheila Finley]

All right, Mr. Madero. I'm talking about something else now.

[Johnny Madero]

Money so far.

[Sheila Finley]

You're whispering, shouting, Mr. Madero.

[Evelyn Day]

500 bucks worth.

[Sheila Finley]

I'll give you $500 to drop the job and forget everything.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, baby. You twisted my arm.

[Sheila Finley]

You. You won't Let me down, Mr. Matero, will you?

[Johnny Madero]

If I do, it'll be nice and easy. Finley had the kind of a wife you meet with a panther. She picked up her purse and peeled off 500 fish. She wasn't talking anymore, and when she swayed out she wondered how much night practice she'd given that rumba. Well, it was all washed up with the finlays and it felt good already. So did the dough. I felt like a guy whose name was just picked in a chain letter. My mind was free for the better things of life. So I called up a girl out on Van Ness and told her to meet me at the Regent Bowling Alley. I got there before she did, so I started warming up the alley. A few minutes later, it got a lot warmer because Inspector Warcheck of San Francisco Homicide began spoiling my game.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Hello, my dear. A nice strike.

[Johnny Madero]

You're in the wrong kind of alley, war, chick.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

What do you want, some pointers?

[Inspector Warcheck]

You got time?

[Johnny Madero]

No.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I can see how you hold a bowling ball. Now show me how you hold A gun.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, Warchick, what's on your mind? I was on Marty Kane's a guy named Pete Sutro. He owed Kane some money.

[Inspector Warcheck]

And you paid off.

[Johnny Madero]

I paid him a visit. We had something in common and you.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Must have bought him to death. Kane couldn't quite stand a couple of slugs in his forehead, so he quit.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, what do you want me to do, Warchick? Break the news to his wife?

[Inspector Warcheck]

No, just tell me about the argument you had.

[Johnny Madero]

Was a monologue. Kane wanted to know where Sutra was hiding. I only knew one answer, so he did all the talking. Oh, you should have said.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Please. It's not polite to interrupt a guy with a gun.

[Johnny Madero]

Look, War check. What makes me the blue plate special.

[Inspector Warcheck]

The motel manager. He said you go into Kane's room and then he heard a struggle and then later on he heard a shot.

[Johnny Madero]

Did he hear who won? The fourth. Listen, copper. A guy named Nat Finley hired me to find out who Pete Sutro was. The name was playing tag in his brain all week and he wanted to know why.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Does that sound like a strange story?

[Johnny Madero]

Check with Finley. He's the guy who made it up.

[Inspector Warcheck]

What if he let you down and.

[Johnny Madero]

Work on his wife? She's not bad looking and she paid me to drop Finley's account.

[Inspector Warcheck]

I'll check both your alibis, Mano. In the meantime, I want to line you up.

[Johnny Madero]

While you're making your rounds, look up a gal named Evelyn Day. She knew Sutro too.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Go ahead, run the police force. Tell me what to ask her.

[Johnny Madero]

Forget it, Warchick. You're not the type. Warchick stood there for a second, wiping his teeth with his tongue. If he'd done it on the outside, it would have been a contract job. And then one of the bowlers in a tight pair of slacks brushed up against him and went out. He looked at me once more and headed after her. Well, I didn't feel much like bowling either. So I left the note at the desk for the girlfriend and started out. I knew I was in trouble. Some days it's harder to duck trouble in a handful of pebbles. Oh, I told myself I didn't kill Kane, but that was like trying to fight a fire with an anti smoke law. The big question was Pete Sutro. Who was he? There were other questions. Like why did the Finley dame buy me off? Why did her husband want Sutro in the first place? Well, there were no answers and I felt about as safe as an alligator walking through a handbag factory. So I looked up the only good guy I know a waterfront priest named Father Leahy. I found him in his room flipping through a couple of raffle books.

[Father Leahy]

Hello, Johnny. You're just in time to buy a ticket. The Boys Club is raffling off an electric toaster.

[Johnny Madero]

I'm already a little burned, Father.

[Father Leahy]

I'm in a spot, Johnny. The boys gave me a quota to fill and I got stuck at a banker's luncheon all afternoon. You know what they're like. On risk.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Father Leahy]

I've got to sell some tickets.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, I'll buy a couple, but I need your help. I'm in trouble.

[Father Leahy]

You'd better buy five. At a time like this, both of us can afford to be generous. What kind of trouble?

[Johnny Madero]

This won't take long, Father. You always say that, but it adds up.

[Father Leahy]

You don't realize it, but I lose whole weekends that way.

[Johnny Madero]

Will you please listen? Father Warchick wants to pin me down on a murder. Got the weight? Who's dead? A guy named Marty Kane. I saw him a couple of hours ago and he was still alive when I left.

[Father Leahy]

Can you prove it?

[Johnny Madero]

Well, that's gonna be tough. The clerk at the motel saw me go into Kean's room just before he got tumbled.

[Father Leahy]

So far you don't have a way out. Why not plead insanity?

[Johnny Madero]

I would, but I'm afraid of the competition.

[Father Leahy]

What do you mean?

[Johnny Madero]

A muddled up guy named Nat Finley hired me to chase down the name Pete Sucrose. He claimed the name was haunting him.

[Father Leahy]

I know how he feels, Johnny. I don't think the Bishop likes me either.

[Johnny Madero]

My only lead was Marty Keene. He seemed to want Sutro worse than I did.

[Father Leahy]

Sutro is certainly popular for a dream. Do you think he'll ever materialize?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't know. But I don't think Marty Kane was killed over a dream.

[Father Leahy]

If he was, it must have been quite a nightmare. Did you look up your client again?

[Johnny Madero]

I didn't have the time. His wife paid me to drop the whole job. She said Finley was a harmless duck with a pail full of wild ideas.

[Father Leahy]

Does the husband feel the same way about his wife?

[Johnny Madero]

Do you want gossip, Father, or do you want to help me?

[Father Leahy]

That's an unfair question, Johnny. Either way, I'm embarrassed.

[Johnny Madero]

Please, Father, will you check up on a few people for me? Yes, yes. Look up teen's friends. And if you run out of those, try his enemies. Find out who might have had an urge to kill him, will you?

[Father Leahy]

It's a tall order, Johnny. There may be a lot of people involved.

[Johnny Madero]

I Can use them all, Father. I know.

[Father Leahy]

But can they all use an electric toaster?

[Johnny Madero]

When I left Father Leahy, I knew I still had one base to tag. It was Sutro's Ex Flame, a doll named Devil and Day. I drove down to Eddy street and I parked near the Jade Club. Well, it's not a bad place. But on a slow night, even the winos are afraid to go in. Inside, it was dark enough to hide the decimal point on a check. And over by the bar there was a piano playing music that nobody was listening to. Then Evelyn came out. And right off he started hunting for the nearest fire exit. She had red hair, about this side of 98 degrees. She wore a black evening gown that held up by one strap and a prayer. She was the kind of a girl who could wear a Mother Hubbard. And make it look like a negligee. When she sang, it came out low enough to strike oil. After she was through, I asked the bartender to give her a message. She walked over to me, and she wasn't happy one way or the other.

[Evelyn Day]

Are you the man who wanted me?

[Johnny Madero]

One of them? Your Evelyn, huh?

[Sheila Finley]

Yeah.

[Evelyn Day]

What'll it lead to?

[Johnny Madero]

A crisis, if you don't sit down.

[Evelyn Day]

All right, you've got me interested. Now, what's on your mind that we can talk about?

[Johnny Madero]

My name's Madero. Now, let's start with a friend named Pete Sutro.

[Evelyn Day]

Let's continue. What you want to know about him?

[Johnny Madero]

Where is he?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Are you a cop or.

[Evelyn Day]

You pay for the right answer.

[Johnny Madero]

I need too many of them, baby. I'm way out ahead in a murder derby. And I'll pitch homicide. Anybody I can get.

[Evelyn Day]

What do you want picture for?

[Johnny Madero]

I think he shot Marty King.

[Evelyn Day]

Someone should have. But you're betting on the wrong horse.

[Johnny Madero]

Your Prejudice Sutra was your boyfriend?

[Evelyn Day]

That's right. He was my boyfriend. But I haven't seen him lately.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, then. What was the last thing you did with him?

[Evelyn Day]

I'll read my diary to you someday.

[Johnny Madero]

Now, look, baby, you got a choice. I'm gonna rough you up or let the pros do it.

[Evelyn Day]

Let go of my arm, Madero, or I'll call a bouncer.

[Johnny Madero]

Call Sutro. Now start talking before I bruise you up good.

[Evelyn Day]

Slow down, Madero. You're out of my weight class. Yeah, I'll tell you what you want to know.

[Johnny Madero]

Should I take notes or is this going to be quick?

[Evelyn Day]

I don't know. Depends on how sentimental I get.

[Johnny Madero]

It's all right. I got a handkerchief.

[Sheila Finley]

Okay, I'll tell you.

[Evelyn Day]

I used to be Pete Sucro's girl in Detroit. Then one day he skipped out and left me hanging on the vine.

[Johnny Madero]

Don't worry, baby. You haven't with it yet.

[Evelyn Day]

I started looking for him and so did Kane.

[Johnny Madero]

Why? King.

[Evelyn Day]

He and Pete had a deal together. Pete ran out with all the dough.

[Johnny Madero]

Your boy should have run for Congress. He's got a nice record. What kind of a deal did he have with King?

[Evelyn Day]

I don't remember.

[Johnny Madero]

All of a sudden, huh?

[Evelyn Day]

I'm shy when it comes to strangers. Let's just end it by saying Pete disappears.

[Johnny Madero]

Let's say you're dummying up.

[Evelyn Day]

I love Pete and I wouldn't want anything to happen to him.

[Johnny Madero]

Do you carry a picture with that torch, baby?

[Evelyn Day]

Sure. Wanna see? Here's a snapshot of Pete in my locket. Do you know him?

[Johnny Madero]

Not this season, though.

[Evelyn Day]

I want him back. He was a good guy.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, your boy worked up a lot of people. He made number one nightmare for a guy named Nat Finley.

[Evelyn Day]

I heard. And I want to see Finley too.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

You saw me miss. But I want to talk to Madero.

[Evelyn Day]

Hello, Finley.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I gotta see you long, Adele. And I gotta see you now.

[Johnny Madero]

You lost your option. I'm freelancing again.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, you can't walk out on me.

[Johnny Madero]

This is gonna hurt, fella. Your wife paid me to drop the job.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

That's what I gotta talk to you about.

[Evelyn Day]

Madeira.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I think she wants to drop me too.

[Johnny Madero]

Finley grabbed me by the arm and you could tell he was scared. His jaw was shut tighter than a wall safe and his Adam's apple wrote up and down like a yo, yo. Evelyn wanted to compare notes with him on Sucro. But right now, Finley was as friendly as a no limit poker game. He hustled me out of the Jaden into a waiting cab. He wouldn't say anything because of the driver, so he sat in one corner, rubbing his hands and looking straight ahead. When we got to the office, Finley paid the bill and we went up the ramp. Inside, he had a little trouble getting started. Like a big family leaving on a picnic. And then he got his voice.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I'm in a bad spot, Madero.

[Johnny Madero]

I need help. Have you tried classified?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I'm trying you. I tell you, my wife's out to get me. She keeps telling me I'm crazy. She's trying to talk me into it.

[Johnny Madero]

A lot of wives feel that way, Finley. She'll get over it.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Yeah, well, I'm Adele. She's trying to send me to an asylum. She and Sucho.

[Johnny Madero]

You got enough worries to start a Peace conference. What brings Sucho back into the headlines?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I. I found a letter in Sheila's purse. Cain wanted $10,000 from Sheila to keep quiet about Sucho.

[Johnny Madero]

All right, quit prodding me with ghosts. So your wife had a past.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

And she and Sucho have a future. Unless. Unless you help. Help me? I tell you. I tell you Sucho's behind the whole thing. He and my wife must know each other and they're trying to get rid of me.

[Johnny Madero]

You're getting a complex, Finley. Slow down.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, you gotta help me.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, who's gonna help me? I got a murder rap to beat.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

But I'll clear you, Madera. I'll clear you if you help me now.

[Johnny Madero]

You couldn't clear your own throat in an empty tunnel. What makes you 8ft tall?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

This gun in my hand.

[Johnny Madero]

Stop pointing it, fella. You're too nervous to aim.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Well, you don't understand, Madera. I'm not pointing it at you. I'm giving it to you. This is the gun that killed Kane.

[Johnny Madero]

You were there when it happened? No.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

But either my wife or Sutra was.

[Johnny Madero]

When did you dream that?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Of an hour ago. I found it in my wife's closet. Two slugs are missing. I got a feeling it killed Kane.

[Johnny Madero]

Send it to homicide. They'll let you know who did it by return mail.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I can't, Medell. I can't just yet. I don't know whether Sheila or Sutra did it. I got a feeling inside. You've got to find Sutra or you'll end up killing me.

[Johnny Madero]

Yet. That's a prediction. Wait a minute.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Podbean, your message amplified.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Ready to share your message with the world? Start your podcast journey with Podbean.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Podbean, the AI powered all in one podcast platform.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Thousands of businesses and enterprises trust Podbean to launch their podcasts.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Use Podbean to record your podcast.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Use PodBean AI to optimize your podcast.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Use PodBean AI to turn your blog into a podcast.

[Podbean Announcer 2]

Use Podbean to distribute your podcast everywhere.

[Podbean Announcer 1]

Launch your podcast on Podbean today.

[Dutch Pet Care Announcer]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a visit, video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch. You'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it Comes to their vet care.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Someone's coming down the hall. Hide the gun, Madero. They're after me now. Yeah, they got the light shielders.

[Johnny Madero]

Lay low. They're aiming for something bigger.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

What are you gonna do, Manero?

[Johnny Madero]

Just waiting for something to happen.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Madero. I guess it happened.

[Johnny Madero]

Somebody turned a flashlight in my eyes and then hit a four bagger. If they hung around, they could have seen me do a couple of quick quivers a chorus girl would have been proud of. I laid there in the dark for a while. If you're gonna look messy, a blackout isn't a bad place to do it. After a while, I tried to get up, but my stomach fell. As empty as a horse. Laugh at a funeral. I sprawled out again and I tried to figure how a name like Pete Sutro could start so much pain. Then the lights went on. They should have stayed off because Warchick was breathing over me like a steam engine with a broken heart.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Hello, Madero. The light bother your eyes?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah. Warchick. Get out of it.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Get used to it. It's a lot stronger down at headquarters. Tell me about the gun on the floor.

[Johnny Madero]

I heard you were coming. I wanted to commit suicide.

[Inspector Warcheck]

He didn't try hard enough. Just got a phone tip that said you had the gun that killed Marty Kane.

[Johnny Madero]

Hand it to me. All right, copper, I'll make it easy for you. Finley left the gun here before somebody sapped me.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Who's somebody? Don't any of your friends have names?

[Johnny Madero]

Sure. Check with Finley. He was here when it happened.

[Inspector Warcheck]

It was dark, Madero. How did he see with an electric eye?

[Johnny Madero]

I don't know. Maybe he smelled his wife's perfume. Look her up too.

[Inspector Warcheck]

She's that interesting, huh?

[Johnny Madero]

Kane used to think so. What do you mean? It was blackmailing her.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Look, my Darrow, a grocery list is blackmailed to you. I'll put you on the inside.

[Johnny Madero]

Bentley found a letter in her purse. Kane wanted 10 grand to keep quiet about Sutro. Finley told you all about it, huh? He can't keep a family secret.

[Inspector Warcheck]

And the wife tumbled Kane to keep him quiet. Is that the idea?

[Johnny Madero]

Well, this is your good day, Warcheck. Find Sutro now you've licked the whole thing.

[Inspector Warcheck]

No, you find him, Madero, and we'll.

[Sheila Finley]

Give you a reward.

[Johnny Madero]

You're too generous. What's the pitch?

[Inspector Warcheck]

Sutro's wanted for a payroll robbery in Detroit. He's been out of sight for a year now.

[Johnny Madero]

He hasn't been out of mind, though. Finley thinks his wife is carrying on a sideline with him.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Look, Madero, I. Talk to your boy Finley. He's got enough dreams to start a mactor's factory. I don't believe him. I don't believe you.

[Johnny Madero]

You don't believe the world is round? Take stock, Warchick, and start learning.

[Inspector Warcheck]

Yeah, I will. I will. Let's see how much the fingerprints on.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

This gun teach me.

[Inspector Warcheck]

You've got a story.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I'll stay after school.

[Johnny Madero]

He'll still wear the dunce cap.

[Inspector Warcheck]

That's all right, Madero. There'll be a badge on it.

[Johnny Madero]

Warcheck wrapped the gun up in a handkerchief. And if it killed Marty Kane, I might as well start writing letters to the governor. The gun was a plant. But I had about as much chance of selling that to Warcheck as a pair of short pants to a reform school. Warcheck stood there and smiled. Many walked out. There were a lot of questions again, like who sapped me? And did Finley really have a story? The more I thought about it, the more snarled it got. And then the phone rang.

[Father Leahy]

Yeah, Hello, Johnny, this is Father Leahy. Are you still free?

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, but I'm breathing hard. How'd you make out?

[Father Leahy]

Fine, Johnny. I sold 10 raffle tickets.

[Johnny Madero]

What'd you find out?

[Father Leahy]

Warcheck just got a teletype. Sutro pulled a payroll robbery in Detroit. They think Monty Kane helped him.

[Johnny Madero]

Well, that figures. What else?

[Father Leahy]

Sutro and the DOE are supposed to be somewhere in town.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, even the bloodhounds are worried. How does Sheila figure?

[Father Leahy]

She and a girl named Evelyn were both in love with Sutro. But rumor has it that Sutro's favorite was Evelyn.

[Johnny Madero]

What about Finley?

[Father Leahy]

Sheila must have got tired of sharecropping, so she settled for Finley. They both came in from Detroit about a year ago.

[Johnny Madero]

But, Father, it's still fuzzy. Marty Kane was blackmailing Sheila because of Sutra. There must be a tie.

[Father Leahy]

Evelyn's asking the same question. And she thinks Sheila knows the answers. She's on her way to the Finley place for a showdown.

[Johnny Madero]

Thanks, Father. I'll tag along and grab a seat on the sideline.

[Father Leahy]

It'll be a free for all if those two girls tangle.

[Johnny Madero]

Don't worry, Father. They won't get in my hair.

[Father Leahy]

Don't be too sure. Samson had trouble with one girl.

[Johnny Madero]

When Father lay he hung up, all the pieces began to fall into place. All but one. Where was Sutro? It was around somewhere, but it was like throwing a headlock on a shadow. I grabbed the cab after the Stafford Arms. When I got there, the doorman looked at me as if I just blown Up. An orphan. I took the elevator and got off on the sixth floor. Then I leaned on the doorbell and Sheila answered. She was wearing a pair of rose colored lounging pajamas. And I've seen baked potatoes with looser jackets. You must have been surprised that she didn't blink an eyelash.

[Sheila Finley]

Are you pausing or posing, Mr. Madero?

[Johnny Madero]

I'm looking for trap doors.

[Sheila Finley]

Oh, I thought you're going to look that way. Come inside.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah.

[Sheila Finley]

Now bring that gleam in your eye over to the fireplace. We'll warm it up a little.

[Johnny Madero]

It won't look good in company.

[Sheila Finley]

Why? Who's company?

[Johnny Madero]

Evelyn's a little late. She got tied up, sharpening her claws.

[Sheila Finley]

Evelyn who?

[Johnny Madero]

Hold out, baby. She's got a better question than that.

[Sheila Finley]

Like what?

[Johnny Madero]

Like Forrest. Pete Sutron. The key. Sounds like a friend.

[Sheila Finley]

It's too early. That's probably my husband.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Nat. Oh, hello, Madero. I'm glad you're here. Somebody's been following me.

[Sheila Finley]

Oh, you're dreaming again, darling.

[Evelyn Day]

You see?

[Johnny Madero]

What did I tell you?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

It wasn't a dream. That must be hers.

[Evelyn Day]

Hello, Sheila.

[Sheila Finley]

Remember me? You must have the wrong place, lady.

[Evelyn Day]

The right idea. I want Pete Sutro back.

[Sheila Finley]

You want too much.

[Evelyn Day]

I'll grab anyway. I've come for Pete, Sheila.

[Sheila Finley]

He came too late.

[Evelyn Day]

He's dead.

[Sheila Finley]

Pete Sutro died two years ago in Detroit.

[Evelyn Day]

You hear me? He's dead. Not dead enough. You're lying, Sheila. Pete Sutro is standing right behind you.

[Sheila Finley]

What do you mean? That's my husband.

[Evelyn Day]

That's Nat. So you gave him another name and another face, but you can't give him another voice. That's Pete Sutro.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

What are you talking about? What are you saying? I'm not Pete Sucho.

[Evelyn Day]

Don't you remember me, Pete? I'm Evelyn. Oh, what did I do to your face, darling?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

My face? I was in an accident. It's hard to remember things.

[Evelyn Day]

Remember the payroll robbery, Pete? You were supposed to come back to me.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Payroll? Robbie, it was an accident. I was hurt. I can't remember anything else. It's so hard to think you were there. Sheila, what happened?

[Evelyn Day]

Go ahead, Sheila. Tell him what happened. Tell him that he's Pete Sutro. Tell him that you stole him from me. Tell him that you killed Marty Kane.

[Sheila Finley]

All right, Evelyn, I'll tell it to you. First, it was a good campaign, but I'm voting you down.

[Evelyn Day]

Put away the gun. Pete won't stand.

[Sheila Finley]

He's tenpe.

[Evelyn Day]

Now.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

What are you doing? Sheila? You'll hit him.

[Evelyn Day]

I'll try.

[Johnny Madero]

You.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

You shot him.

[Johnny Madero]

You sh.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Evelyn.

[Evelyn Day]

Eve, you remember me. She. She broke us up for good.

[Johnny Madero]

But you.

[Evelyn Day]

You remembered me.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Yeah. Yeah, I remembered Everman. I'm beginning to remember a lot of things now.

[Sheila Finley]

Then forget them, Ned. Just you and me now. We're married.

[Johnny Madero]

You are?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

You married? A guy named Nat Finley.

[Sheila Finley]

Stay away from me.

[Johnny Madero]

Nat.

[Evelyn Day]

Nat?

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Try Pete. See how it sounds. Give me the gun, baby. Let go.

[Evelyn Day]

You didn't need her.

[Johnny Madero]

Not anymore.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I got the gun now.

[Evelyn Day]

No. Please, Nat.

[Johnny Madero]

Please.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Tell me it's a dream, baby. Tell me I'm crazy.

[Sheila Finley]

You are, Nat.

[Johnny Madero]

You are.

[Evelyn Day]

Get out of my way. I'm getting out of here.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

You're not quick enough.

[Johnny Madero]

The gun's empty now.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

Yeah, so is everything. I'm tired, Madero. Tired.

[Johnny Madero]

Hold out. It's gonna be a long trip. Yeah.

[Nat Finley / Pete Sutro]

I told you, Madero. Pete Sucro was gonna kill me in the end.

[Johnny Madero]

Yeah, you talked yourself. Warcheck got the whole story the next morning. Seems that Sutro and Kane were in a big robbery in Detroit. The plan was for Sutro to carry all the dough and meet Kane and Evelyn at their hideout. But Sutro got smashed up in an auto accident and never made it. Sutro's face had to be remodeled. And when he lost his memory, Sheila made her pitch. She promoted a wedding and cut herself in on half the stolen cash. Changed his name to Nat Finley and brought him out to San Francisco. Kane and Evelyn got wind that Sutra had taken off to the coast. So they followed. They couldn't find him. And for a year, Sheila and Sutro got along without a hitch. Then Sutra began hearing his real name in his own mind. And before Sheila could do anything, I'd already shown her husband. Check the cane. He recognized Sutro's handwriting right away. And so he started to blackmail Sheila. He didn't make any yardage because Sheila stopped him with a.38. And then she tried to convince her husband that he was crazy. Evelyn won in the last round when she recognized Sutro's voice at the Jade. Turned out that Sutro had been chasing himself until he caught himself. Well, Warcheck asked only one question. How can a guy forget his own name? I don't know. A lot of hotels would like to know that too. Johnny Madero. Pier 23, starring Jack Webb as Johnny Madero has been presented by the Mutual Network. Johnny Madero is written by Herb Margolis and Lou Moreheim. Gail Gordon played Father Leahy. Bill Conrad played Inspector Warcheck of Homicide. John Garfield played Nat Pinley. Others in the cast were Gene Rogers, Joan Banks, original music was composed and conducted by Harry Zimmerman and the entire production was directed by Matt Wolf.

[Father Leahy]

Tony Lofrano this is the Mutual Broadcasting System.

[Dutch Pet Care Announcer]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.