Pat Novak for Hire: Go Away Dixie 04/16/1949

Summary

Pat Novak for Hire: “Go Away Dixie” (04/16/1949)
Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Episode Date: January 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this classic radio detective tale, hard-boiled San Francisco gumshoe Pat Novak finds himself tangled in a deadly web of intrigue, mistaken identity, and murder on the city’s waterfront. Hired under mysterious circumstances to “frighten” a man named Dixie Gillian, Novak is quickly framed for murder, ensnared in a hunt for a missing microfilm, and forced to untangle the intentions of a femme fatale, corrupt cops, and ruthless gangsters—all before dawn breaks over the Bay. As always, the episode showcases the show’s signature snappy dialogue, relentless pacing, and noir atmosphere.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Hire Job and the Femme Fatale

• [00:38–04:32]
  Pat Novak is approached by Lee Underwood, a sultry, enigmatic woman who offers him $300 to scare a man, Dixie Gillian, into leaving town. She insists the job isn’t murder and gives Novak an “empty” gun for the task.
  • Notable Quote:
    Pat Novak [00:38]: “Down on the waterfront in San Francisco, you always bite off more than you can chew. It's tough on your windpipe, but you don't go hungry.”
  • Interaction Highlights:
    • Lee’s offer is suspiciously rich for a small job, suggesting danger.
    • She refuses to tell much, only that Dixie’s been bothering her sister.
    • Novak’s skepticism: “For $300, I won’t buy a tissue paper plot.”

2. The Hit Goes Wrong: Death at Folsom Street

• [04:32–07:36]
  Novak confronts Gillian at a deserted machinery office on Folsom Street. A struggle breaks out, and the man is shot and killed.
  • Quote:
    Pat Novak [06:36]: “He slid down to the floor and trembled for a minute, then flattened out like a leaf in a pool of water.”
  • Novak suspects he’s been set up—his “empty” gun somehow fired a fatal bullet.

3. Inspector Hellman Arrives: Novak Gets Framed

• [07:36–11:45]
  Police Inspector Hellman catches Novak at the scene and hauls him in for murder. During the interrogation, the police discover the bullet that killed the victim doesn’t match Novak’s gun, muddying the case.
  • The banter between Novak and Hellman is classic noir:
    • Hellman [07:46]: “He’ll like you for that, Novak. How’d it happen?”
    • Novak [07:47]: “A team play. We worked it out together.”
  • Novak is released, convinced he’s been framed, and the mysterious “empty” gun is a key clue.

4. Seeking Answers: Novak Turns to Jocko

• [11:58–15:24]
  Novak consults his eccentric, drunken friend Jocko Madigan for help. Jocko provides comic relief and investigative assistance.
  • Quote:
    Jocko [13:07]: “Patsy, I've just passed through a crisis—a few minutes ago, they set me a glass with a woman's lipstick all around the ring.”
  • Jocko is tasked with searching Lee’s apartment for any clues that connect her to the victim.

5. Showdown at the Cat’s Paw Club – Confronting Lee

• [15:24–17:42]
  Novak tracks down Lee at her nightclub (The Cat’s Paw). Lee insists she gave Novak a gun loaded with blanks and expresses shock at the murder.
  • Important revelation: Lee wanted to scare off Dixie over some microfilm, not have him killed.
  • Quote:
    Pat Novak [16:32]: “I just want to know where to break it.” (Admiring Lee’s neck—noir innuendo) Lee [16:49]: “He was after some microfilm. I thought I could scare him away.”

6. Violence Escalates: Lee’s Fate

• [18:20–19:25]
  Lee is confronted at the nightclub by a gunsel (later revealed as Dixie), who forcibly removes her. Novak follows, only to find Lee killed, and himself knocked unconscious.

7. Back to the Clues—Jocko’s Discovery

• [20:33–21:41]
  Novak finds a battered Jocko at Lee’s apartment. Jocko reveals that Lee was married to the initial victim (the man with the scar), and that clues point to an address connected to Dixie.

8. The Final Pursuit and the Truth

• [21:41–30:09]
  Novak and Jocko track Dixie to his apartment, uncovering evidence. They then chase him onto a ferry bound for Oakland, leading to a tense confrontation.
  • Twist: The “dead body” went missing from the morgue; it was removed by Dixie to retrieve the microfilm hidden in a capsule in the victim’s mouth.
  • The finale involves a struggle on the ferry, Dixie's death, and Novak piecing together the real sequence of crimes.
  • Quote:
    Pat Novak [27:37]: “I kind of wound up last, huh?” Dixie Gillian [27:42]: “Yeah, that’s the way it looks. Did you get the microfilm?”

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Memorable Moments & Notable Dialogue

• Noir Voiceovers:
  Novak’s narration is filled with hard-boiled metaphors and wry cynicism, lending a grimy poetry to the proceedings.

  • Example:
    Pat Novak [04:32]: “She walked with a nice, easy swing of a satisfied leopard. For a small leopard, she had pretty good spots too.”

• Jocko’s Wit:
  Jocko Madigan repeatedly steals scenes as Novak’s delightfully inebriated confidant.

  • Example:
    Jocko [15:08]: “Yes, that's what you thought about that gun. But the fellow got an awful jolt out of it. Good night, lover.”

• Show’s Cynical Tone:
  The script continually skewers morality and fate.

  • Example:
    Pat Novak [07:58]: “You feel flabby to anybody else, but to yourself, I suppose you feel good.”

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Important Timestamps

• [00:38] – Pat Novak introduces himself and sets the waterfront scene
• [02:11] – Lee Underwood arrives and offers the job
• [05:28] – The lethal confrontation with Dixie Gillian
• [07:36] – Inspector Hellman investigates the murder scene
• [09:35] – Interrogation at police headquarters
• [11:58] – Novak seeks help from Jocko Madigan
• [15:24] – Novak heads to the nightclub to find Lee
• [16:49] – Lee reveals the plot behind the microfilm
• [19:18] – Lee is killed by the gunsel
• [20:33] – Jocko reveals the victim’s identity and Dixie’s address
• [24:08] – The morgue mix-up: body is missing
• [26:31] – Ferry confrontation with Dixie Gillian
• [27:37] – The final struggle and revelation
• [30:09] – Episode credits roll

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Conclusion & Resolution

Pat Novak unravels that the entire assignment was a deadly setup over a piece of microfilm—presumably valuable for espionage or blackmail. Lee Underwood’s motivations were personal but she herself was caught in a dangerous game. Multiple deaths, double-crosses, and the slick, wisecracking dialog bring everything to the kind of downbeat, fatalistic conclusion typical for noir—but Novak, ever the survivor, dusts himself off with another lesson from the city’s underbelly.

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The Noir Atmosphere & Tone

The episode is drenched in shadowy atmosphere, rapid-fire banter, bleak violence, and a perpetual sense of looming betrayal. Pat Novak’s sardonic introspection (“I’ll dirty you up like a locker room towel” [04:11]) is matched by Jocko’s comic relief and Hellman’s antagonistic interrogations.

If you love atmospheric, brisk, and cleverly written audio dramas brimming with vintage noir flavor, “Go Away Dixie” is a prime example from radio’s Golden Age detective shows.

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Transcript

[Inspector Hellman]

Ladies and gentlemen, the American Broadcasting Company brings transcribe to its entire network one of radio's most unusual programs. Pat Novak for hire.

[Pat Novak]

Sure, I'm pat novak for hire. That's what the sign out in front of my office says. Pat Novak for Hire. Down on the waterfront in San Francisco, you always bite off more than you can chew. It's tough on your windpipe, but you don't go hungry. And down here, a lot of people figure it's better to be a fat guy in a graveyard than a thin guy in a stew. That way you can be sure of a tight fit. Oh, I rent boats and do anything else that makes us sound like money. That works out all right if your mother doesn't mind you coming home for Easter in a box. I found that out Wednesday night about 9 o'. Clock. I closed the shop early and I came home to read. It wasn't a bad book, if you ever wanted to start a forest fire. It was one of those historical things and the girl in it wandered around like a meat grinder in ribbons. That was moving along all right. She was just getting her second win before going after the world's record when the door to my apartment opened and the place began to get kind of crowded. From where I sat, the crowd looked good. She sauntered in, moving slowly from side to side like 118 pounds of warm smoke. Her voice was all right, too. It reminded you of a furnace full of marshmallows.

[Lee Interwood]

Good evening.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, thanks for knocking.

[Lee Interwood]

I don't think you mind my coming in without warning.

[Pat Novak]

No, I get the cabbage smell from next door the same way.

[Lee Interwood]

Does it pay to be that polite, Mr. Novak?

[Pat Novak]

Saves you the trouble of saying please. What's on your mind?

[Lee Interwood]

That bottle in front of you. Will you pour me a drink?

[Pat Novak]

No, I won't. You'll save dough if you look up a bartender.

[Lee Interwood]

All right. I came to use you instead of your whiskey anyway.

[Pat Novak]

Let's hear.

[Lee Interwood]

My name is Lee Interwood. I'll give you $300 to do something for me. It'll only take an hour.

[Pat Novak]

That's too much dough, unless it's murder. And if it is murder, it's not enough dough.

[Lee Interwood]

Are you afraid?

[Pat Novak]

I just don't like paid murder. I told you, when you get caught, the pain gets expensive.

[Lee Interwood]

If it were murder, I'd do it myself. Mr. Novak, I want you to frighten someone for me.

[Pat Novak]

Why don't you hire a friend? Are they too pretty?

[Lee Interwood]

It's a man named Dixie Gillian. You'll find him in an office down on Folsom street at this address. I promise nothing will happen to you.

[Pat Novak]

That's what they told Benedict Arnold.

[Lee Interwood]

You'll be in this office until 11 tonight. I want you to go in and see him. Tell him you're from Adrian and that he's to get out of town by tomorrow noon.

[Pat Novak]

Suppose he wants to put it off?

[Lee Interwood]

He won't. Don't let him know who hired you. Just tell him Adrian said to leave.

[Pat Novak]

Look, lady, you better go on home. For 300 bucks, I won't buy a tissue paper plot. Now, tell me more. Say goodbye.

[Lee Interwood]

There's not much more I can tell you, except there won't be any trouble. He's a rotten little beast and I want him frightened badly.

[Pat Novak]

Why?

[Lee Interwood]

He's been bothering my sister.

[Pat Novak]

Why doesn't he bother you?

[Lee Interwood]

Because I bother back too fast. You want the 300, Mr. Novak?

[Pat Novak]

It's gonna be a long summer. Put it on the table.

[Lee Interwood]

Good. And you'll need this too.

[Pat Novak]

No, you keep that. I don't want a gun.

[Lee Interwood]

It's empty. Don't worry. See? No shells. It's perfectly safe.

[Pat Novak]

Now, look, sis. I got a nasty disposition. You can rent that for 300 bucks. But if you want more, find a gunsol.

[Lee Interwood]

I don't want you to be a gunsol. That's why I want you to use this gun. I know it's empty. Use it on Dixon. He'll scare fast. It's just a way to save some breath.

[Pat Novak]

All right, it's your 300.

[Lee Interwood]

You'd better go now.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Wait till I get a coat with you. If your doorbell rings, don't play mouse. Oh, because I may look you up.

[Lee Interwood]

Am I too young to ask why?

[Pat Novak]

Because if anything goes wrong, I'll be around looking for you. From there on, it won't be nice. I'll dirty you up like a locker room towel.

[Lee Interwood]

Relax, Patsy. You'll never learn to fall in love that way.

[Pat Novak]

She handed me the gun and walked out of my apartment. Seeing her leave made you feel like Frank Buck losing an argument. She walked with a nice, easy swing of a satisfied leopard. For a small leopard, she had pretty good spots too. Well, I put the gun in my overcoat pocket and I went down to Folsom Street. The address was down near the bridge entrance and the street was deserted except for a couple of winos near the corner. Trying to buy back 1926 at a dollar a jug. I stopped in front of the place. It was a machinery company and I could see a light burning in the back. I began to Walk through. The place was so quiet you could hear a worm with whooping cough. And there were enough shadows around to keep a ghost happy for years. When I got to the office, back in the corner, through the glass, I could see a man sitting at the desk. When I opened the door and walked in, he didn't seem surprised.

[Dixie Gillian]

Come on in, mister. You're bad on noise. Yeah, that's right. You make too much for a thief and not enough for a customer. What do you want?

[Pat Novak]

About 10 words if you're a Dixie. Gillian.

[Dixie Gillian]

Go ahead.

[Pat Novak]

You better look up a timetable.

[Dixie Gillian]

What makes you that tough?

[Pat Novak]

This.

[Dixie Gillian]

Oh, well, you look tougher with a gun. Does it make you talk faster?

[Pat Novak]

Now, look, I'm gonna say it's slow, mister. Pack up your rompers and get out.

[Dixie Gillian]

Is that you talking or somebody else?

[Pat Novak]

I'm just the guy with a gun. Adrian does the talking, and he says get out. That's right. You got the whole message now.

[Dixie Gillian]

All right, you told me so. Wander out and spend your dough.

[Pat Novak]

I will.

[Dixie Gillian]

Oh, you'll need part of it, though, because I'm gonna give you an answer for Adrian. I'm gonna take that gun away from you, mister. You can pick the pieces out of your head on the way home.

[Pat Novak]

You better stand back or I'll share it with you.

[Dixie Gillian]

You've got your offer, mister. Let's see you make good.

[Pat Novak]

Oh, save your muscle, fella. Save your muscle, fella. The.

[Dixie Gillian]

Somebody fooled us, mister.

[Pat Novak]

Sometimes you can get a home run with a half swing. That's the way it was this time. He couldn't have made it with a prayer book in both hands. He slid down to the floor and trembled for a minute and then flattened out like a leaf in a pool of water. Just before he died, he grabbed his side as if he didn't like the way it hurt. And then he didn't care. I rolled him on his back and let him look at the ceiling. His eyes were open and he looked surprised, like a guy who didn't figure on a change in the weather. There was a scar that ran across his forehead and dug deep into his hairline. And he was lying there with a bunch of pink gum showing as if he was trying to pick up a few bucks with a toothpaste ad. Well, I didn't have time to tell him how sorry I was because if homicide caught me here, I'd have about as much chance as a canary in a basement full of cats. I started for the door, but right then I knew I could start ordering birdseed. It was hellman and he walked over to look at the body.

[Inspector Hellman]

Hello, Novak. The guy looks embarrassed. Yeah, I guess he is, Hellman, what's he doing dead?

[Pat Novak]

Putting in a beef somewhere, I guess. He rates it.

[Inspector Hellman]

He'll like you for that, Novak. How'd it happen?

[Pat Novak]

A team play. We worked it out together.

[Inspector Hellman]

But you've got the gun.

[Pat Novak]

That's right, I got the gun. Yeah.

[Inspector Hellman]

You feel like a bet?

[Pat Novak]

No, just keep stealing the old way.

[Inspector Hellman]

You know how I feel, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

You feel flabby to anybody else, but to yourself, I suppose you feel good. Look, I walked in here with a gun. There was some quick fight talk and I killed him. But it's still not a good rap.

[Inspector Hellman]

I can get a long price on it for you, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

I'll bet you can. Hellman, you can give me a bad deal, but part of the time it'll be from the other side of the deck.

[Inspector Hellman]

Worse than that, Novak. It'll be all the time. And I want to watch you because I think you're going to be a crybaby.

[Pat Novak]

I'm going to scream, if that's what you mean, Hellman, I'm going to scream about a gal that sent me in here with an empty gun.

[Inspector Hellman]

That's a big hole for a cat pistol, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

I got a last minute curve. It was empty once.

[Inspector Hellman]

Yeah, that's the only way they make a gun. I don't want you for an hour ago. I want you for this dead guy on the floor. All right, all right.

[Pat Novak]

I told you, I didn't come in here to kill the guy. I don't know him. He may even be a good guy. I'm sorry he's dead.

[Inspector Hellman]

All right, Novak. Just wait a few weeks. You can tell him personally.

[Pat Novak]

Hellman had me up against the rail and he knew it. When we left there, he was wearing a big toothy smile. It was big enough to sew on his ears. He called the coroner and told him to pick up the stiff and then we rode downtown. He dropped the gun into ballistics and hauled me into his office. The reporters were there. He gave them the whole story and told them how to spell Hellman. After that we wound up at the desk and he booked me on suspicion of murder. The next hour and a half was the kind of stuff they don't write about in the paper. They call it interrogation. And when you're finished, you've been through a lot of tight spots. Like an atom up at Caltech. About 11 o', clock, Hellman brought me into his office. And from there on it happened. Kind of fast.

[Inspector Hellman]

I just talked to the da. He's gonna streamline things for you.

[Pat Novak]

He's gonna look funny going to trial on a guy you can't identify.

[Inspector Hellman]

We'll find out all about the dead guy.

[Pat Novak]

You can't count his fingers without making a mistake. If you want to know who he is, talk to that girl. Her name's Lee Enderwood.

[Inspector Hellman]

We've been through all that, Novak. Now, suppose you tell me who Dixie Gillian is.

[Pat Novak]

I don't know, Hellman. The girl said his name was Dixie Gillian.

[Inspector Hellman]

I won't press you. I don't have to, Novak. I've got the only parlay. I need you, the dead guy and a big fat murder gun.

[Pat Novak]

Sure.

[Inspector Hellman]

Yeah. Hellman talking. Yeah, I know it was a.38. They're crazy down in Ballistics. I saw them standing over the dead guy. They must have made a mistake, that's all. No, no. I don't want him in here. I don't want him in here. Hey, Tony. Tony, I.

[Pat Novak]

You're getting pale. You need some more rouge, Hellman.

[Inspector Hellman]

I got some bad news, Inspector. Well, keep it or you'll take more home to your wife. I'll talk to you later.

[Pat Novak]

Talk to him now, Hellman. If that bullet doesn't match the gun, talk to him now.

[Inspector Hellman]

That's right, Inspector. A.38 bullet. But it won't match the gun you brought. It's got a match. I came in and found him standing there. He's already admitted it. It's a neat trick, then. If he fired the bullet out of that gun, he retooled it in midair.

[Pat Novak]

I'm not that fast, Hellman. Come on. Get out of that chair so you'll have room to squirm.

[Inspector Hellman]

You keep still, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

I won't bother you. I'm going home. I'm walking out of your jail, Hellman. You got a broken down.38 that won't fit anything but your thumbs. You can't hold me on that.

[Inspector Hellman]

I found you over the body. I can hold you on suspicion of.

[Pat Novak]

Murder, but it'll hurt. Tomorrow morning, Hellman, the papers will be down for a follow up and you'll have to tell them what it looks like out in left field.

[Inspector Hellman]

I'll handle them.

[Pat Novak]

You can't afford to let them start laughing at you. People get the idea. It's your face.

[Inspector Hellman]

You can save car fare if you stay right here because I'll have you back by noon tomorrow.

[Pat Novak]

You're not that good, Hellman. You couldn't hold a moth with a searchlight. The Town ought to thank you. What? Oh, it's a nice jail, Hellman. With you around, it'll last for years. When I walked out of headquarters, I had a nice mess to juggle. Was like trying to walk the baby on a floor full of marbles. If things didn't add up for Hellman, they weren't gonna do any better for me. I knew that gun I had went off. If it did, what happened to the bullet? And where did the other one come from? And why weren't there two shots? From Taco Mountain Tulum to Sushi in Tokyo.

[Inspector Hellman]

Make every bite rewarding with gold from.

[Pat Novak]

Amex Wherever you dine four times. Membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide are piling up.

[Inspector Hellman]

Learn [e-mail] Explore Gold terms and points Cap apply.

[Pat Novak]

Well, I couldn't put my finger on a thing and nothing added up. It was like trying to follow a grain of rice in a Shanghai suburb. So I looked up Lee Interwood's address and I went by her apartment. A girl downstairs told me that she worked at a nightclub out on the Bayshore Highway. Well, I had to hit a couple of places. So I looked up the only honest guy I know. An ex doctor and a boozer by the name of Jocko Madigan. A good man until he began to figure the last drink in the bottle is just as easy to get at as the first. I found him in a little leather trimmed sink on Powell Street. It was a grimy little hole where they washed the glasses once a week in stale beer. But Jocko was more at home than a vulture in Calcutta.

[Jocko Madigan]

Ah, Patsy, you're just in time to celebrate my return to health. Something mild for Mr. Novak. A double stinger, perhaps?

[Pat Novak]

No, forget it. Jocko, I gotta talk to you.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, I've just passed through a crisis. A few minutes ago, they set me a glass with a woman's lipstick all around the ring.

[Pat Novak]

All right, Jocko.

[Jocko Madigan]

I took one gulp and looked at the glass. And in this dim light I thought I was bleeding to death. It took them 10 minutes and three mirrors to calm me down.

[Pat Novak]

Jocko, I'm in trouble. You gotta help me.

[Jocko Madigan]

But they washed the glass for me in ammonia. They must have left a little ammonia in the glass because the next drink had a very odd tang about it. I've had three more just like it. A sort of ammonia collins.

[Pat Novak]

All right, all right.

[Jocko Madigan]

So far they've been using domestic ammonia. When the imported stuff, I may give up whiskey altogether.

[Pat Novak]

Calm down, will you, Jocko? I got a bum shake tonight. Yes, I either Killed a guy, or thought I did.

[Jocko Madigan]

That uses up the alternatives. What are you doing now? Taking a vote?

[Pat Novak]

I got hired to scare a guy down on Folsom Street. Ten minutes later, the guy was dead.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, you take your work too seriously. Couldn't you have just scared him into a lingering illness instead of killing him?

[Pat Novak]

One of the props was an empty gun. Only when the fight came, it grew bullets. Hellman walked in right after on a telephone tip.

[Jocko Madigan]

What are you doing out of the gas chamber?

[Pat Novak]

The whole thing backfired down at headquarters. The bullet and the phony gun wouldn't match. Oh, it doesn't add up, Jocko. That call to Hellman's a tip off. I was framed. But why wasn't I framed all the way?

[Jocko Madigan]

Who is the dead man?

[Pat Novak]

Just a guy with a falling blood count. His name was supposed to be Dixie Gillian, but there's no identification and no record on him.

[Jocko Madigan]

You shouldn't have hired out as a gun.

[Pat Novak]

I told you, I didn't hire out as a gunseller. It was somebody else's idea.

[Jocko Madigan]

You have no conscience, Patsy. It's just a sort of soap opera rule of thumb you put into practice now and then. But no real conscience. You'd let a dying woman lie in the middle of the highway unless her head was resting on a pile of savings bonds.

[Pat Novak]

All right, Jocko. I'll try with you later. I need help now.

[Jocko Madigan]

What sort of help?

[Pat Novak]

I want you to break into a girl's apartment.

[Jocko Madigan]

Yes.

[Pat Novak]

Don't worry, she won't be home.

[Jocko Madigan]

Is that supposed to be an incentive?

[Pat Novak]

It's at this address here, up on o'. Farrell. Her name is Lee Enderwood. She's the one who hired me.

[Jocko Madigan]

If the girl's not there, what am I supposed to find?

[Pat Novak]

Anything that'll connect her with a dead man. He's a big guy with a scar.

[Jocko Madigan]

That doesn't help much.

[Pat Novak]

You can't miss. Go through the desk and drawers. Pick up everything you can, will you? And leave a message at my place.

[Jocko Madigan]

As soon as I finish this drink.

[Pat Novak]

Oh, hurry up, will you, Jocko? Leave the glass alone and get going.

[Jocko Madigan]

Don't rush me.

[Pat Novak]

Hurry up, will you? The glass is empty anyway.

[Jocko Madigan]

Yes, that's what you thought about that gun. But the fellow got an awful jolt out of it. Good night, lover.

[Pat Novak]

I went by a horse parlor on o' Farrell street and borrowed a car from a guy. It was after midnight when I started down the Bayshore highway. And about a half hour later I pulled up in front of the Cat's Paw. Was a Long rambling place on the left side of the road. There was no plan. It just followed the erosion line until they ran out of material. There was enough neon in front to light a main intersection in heaven. In the lobby I saw a picture of Lee Underwood, one of those shadowy things that was supposed to make you think she'd die in a cold climate. She was sitting at a piano with a little microphone in front of her and you got the idea right away. She didn't have much of a voice, but plenty of songs that made your wife lean over and ask you to explain. I asked a 50 year old busboy and he said she was back in her dressing room getting ready for the one o' clock show. When I walked in, she was sitting in front of a mirror working on an upswept hairdo. If she swept it up anymore, it was gonna leave her head. I stood behind her looking at the pink fresh part of her neck that didn't show when the hair was down.

[Lee Interwood]

You seem fascinated, Betsy.

[Pat Novak]

No, I just want to know where to break it.

[Lee Interwood]

Oh, sit down on the footstool next to me. That's it. I like to look down on people. Let me brush that strand of hair back. Or do you like it in your eyes?

[Pat Novak]

Now brush it back so I can see your answers. Who's Dixie Gillian?

[Lee Interwood]

What difference does it make?

[Pat Novak]

None to him and some to me. He's dead.

[Lee Interwood]

No, he couldn't be dead.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, well, he'd like to believe that too. I couldn't sell him that story about an empty gun.

[Lee Interwood]

He couldn't have been killed with that gun.

[Pat Novak]

No, no.

[Lee Interwood]

I put in a blank, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

Somebody used a hard working bullet because Dixie's dead.

[Lee Interwood]

There was no reason to kill him. I don't understand.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, well, that makes you even with Homicide. But they got a bigger team now. Look, I made a diagram, Angel. Up at my place, I ran over murder with you. I don't like it. If you kill people, you don't get invited out enough. So if it's you or me on this one, I'm gonna push you all away.

[Lee Interwood]

Don't understand it, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

Who's Dixie Gillian?

[Lee Interwood]

He was after some microfilm. I thought I could scare him away.

[Pat Novak]

You better be ready to identify him, because Homicide stopped. Even that scar didn't help.

[Lee Interwood]

What scar, Patsy?

[Pat Novak]

The scar across his face. There's no record on him.

[Lee Interwood]

No, no, Patsy. Everything goes wrong. Everything you touch goes wrong. That's the wrong man, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, well, it's too late for a recount.

[Lee Interwood]

You've got to get to that body, Patsy. I don't know how, but somewhere you've got to get to him.

[Pat Novak]

You look good.

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[Pat Novak]

Make a nice picture.

[Lee Interwood]

Wait a minute, Dixie.

[Pat Novak]

You don't need your coat. Come on.

[Lee Interwood]

I don't know how it happened, Dixie. I didn't mean it that way.

[Inspector Hellman]

If you like it that way.

[Pat Novak]

All right. Bring your boyfriend too.

[Lee Interwood]

No, don't let him, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

The gun's too big. I'm going with him. It was a short trip. He led us out of the dressing room and down a thin hall to the back door. On the way past the kitchen, you could smell onions and used grease and that's about all you noticed. Except the sound of a jukebox somewhere out in front and somebody laughing in a loud, mirthless way. When we got to the door, it was raining outside. We walked about 40ft over near some trees where the dark was working overtime and the gunso made her stop. Pick your spot, Lee.

[Lee Interwood]

You can't be that crazy, Dixie.

[Pat Novak]

She's gonna get wet, Mister. You'll have a little trouble your. When I woke up, it was still raining. I was lying on top of the mud like a stubborn seed. My wallet was gone and the gunsel had ripped open my pockets. I stood up and walked over for a last look at Lee. The rain had washed the makeup off her face and she looked small and tired as she lay there like a broken doll that had been tossed out in the rain. I guess she was. Well, I got to my car and I drove back to town. I checked my place, but there was no word from Jocko. So I went up to Lee's apartment. When I opened the door, the room was dark, but I knew somebody was on the rug. Either that or they'd varnished the floor with bourbon. I flipped on the light and bent over. Jocko. Hey, hey, hey. Wake up, Jocko. All right, Jocko, come on, wake up. Come on.

[Jocko Madigan]

A little ammonia. A little ammonia, I think would bring me Around.

[Pat Novak]

What happened?

[Jocko Madigan]

I was sapped.

[Pat Novak]

I guess everybody's got the same act tonight.

[Jocko Madigan]

Help me up.

[Pat Novak]

Come on.

[Jocko Madigan]

Where have you been?

[Pat Novak]

I went down to meet the girl.

[Jocko Madigan]

Where'd you meet her? In a swimming pool.

[Pat Novak]

I've been in the rain all night. She's gonna stay longer. What'd you find out?

[Jocko Madigan]

The fellow with the scar is a husband.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah?

[Jocko Madigan]

There's a picture in the desk.

[Pat Novak]

Are there any more pictures?

[Jocko Madigan]

A few. Take a look.

[Pat Novak]

Where? In here?

[Jocko Madigan]

Yes.

[Pat Novak]

Well, well.

[Jocko Madigan]

Who's he?

[Pat Novak]

It must be Dixie. Gillian. He was down to pay off a debt tonight. She called him Dixie once.

[Jocko Madigan]

There's a note with that name and an address in the other drawer.

[Pat Novak]

He's our boy. We better get up there.

[Jocko Madigan]

Not if he's already killed two other people.

[Pat Novak]

We can't wait for Hellman. If he gets away, I'm all through. I won't have a leg to stand on.

[Jocko Madigan]

That's my point. When the other fellow gets through with us, we won't have much standing to do.

[Pat Novak]

I felt better now. Gillian was the only guy left in the picture, so I dragged Jocko up to. His place was an apartment up on Post Street. The elevator operator took us up to the eighth floor and said that Gillian had come in a few minutes before. There was no answer, so we tried the door and it was open. Jocko didn't like the idea.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, this is folly. Risking my life is one of the bravest things you do.

[Pat Novak]

Keep still. Jocko, what are we supposed to do? The door was open, wasn't it?

[Jocko Madigan]

Saw a lot of graves, but I've never been tempted.

[Pat Novak]

Hey, look at the furniture. There's been a fight in here. I'll look in here and you check in the bedroom, huh?

[Jocko Madigan]

If I'm not right back, don't expect me at all.

[Pat Novak]

All right.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, come here.

[Pat Novak]

All right.

[Jocko Madigan]

There's something on the fire escape.

[Pat Novak]

Come here. Stand back here.

[Jocko Madigan]

Oh, he's not moving. He was leaning that way when I first saw him.

[Pat Novak]

All right. I'll get on this side. You raise the window. Now go easy. Jocko. Can you see him from there?

[Jocko Madigan]

Raise it a little more.

[Pat Novak]

All right.

[Jocko Madigan]

He's still leaning there. I can reach out.

[Pat Novak]

Watch yourself. If he's kidding, you'll lose an arm. I've got it.

[Jocko Madigan]

Good. Raise the window more. Take. Patsy, he's falling. Give me a hand here.

[Pat Novak]

Let me through there.

[Jocko Madigan]

It's too late. I can't hold it.

[Pat Novak]

Hang on. Chuckle.

[Jocko Madigan]

He's falling. I'm sorry.

[Pat Novak]

He was probably dead anyway.

[Jocko Madigan]

If he wasn't that was a step in the right direction.

[Pat Novak]

It was an easy night to die. Three of them had checked out already, and there was still time to look for more. Jocko and I went downstairs to see the guy. He was lying face down in the alley. And as you look at him, you got the funny feeling he belonged there. He didn't disturb the scene. He just fitted in like a dirty, wet newspaper under a grandstand. There was a gun in his pocket, probably the same one that killed the girl. But there was no way of knowing. Jocko and I watched him for a minute. But your eyes begin to hurt when you see your only warm lead in a deep freeze. It was past two when I got down to headquarters and looked up Hellman. I briefed him on the girl and the guy in the alley. And then I asked him if any microfilm had turned up on the first guy in the morgue. That was a waste of time. Hellman couldn't find a brass ring in a dead man's nose. But we went over to the morgue for another look. So far it was working out like a crossword puzzle torn in half.

[Inspector Hellman]

It's your time, Novak. I got more after tomorrow. You haven't.

[Pat Novak]

The microfilm must be on the guy. Three people have been killed for it, and I got roughed up just for Laug.

[Inspector Hellman]

We searched the guy once. Here it is.

[Pat Novak]

All right.

[Inspector Hellman]

Help me roll it out.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Well. Well, he sure got thin under that sheet, didn't he? Wait a minute. Oh, you run a good morgue, Hellman. What'll the papers say when they hear the stiff got up and walked out?

[Inspector Hellman]

They got him in the wrong place or something. He didn't walk out.

[Pat Novak]

Well, he's gone, Hellman. You got an answer?

[Inspector Hellman]

He's been moved. I tell you. The guy was dead and I saw him put in here. Couldn't be walking around with a hole in the middle of his back.

[Pat Novak]

I don't know, Hellman. You do it with one in your head. Don't sell the guy short. When Hellman found out the body was gone, he stood there and stared at the empty slab. And then he started looking around in a nervous way, like a man trying to find the sugar bowl at a restaurant counter. A few minutes later, he turned and walked out of the morgue. And we were halfway downtown when it happened. It must have hit us at the same time, sharp and quick, like a piece of candy and a bad tooth. The guy back in the alley had come off that slab in the morgue. We got out to Dixie's Place and we began to check. There was a phone operator downstairs. And she said that Dixie had put through a call about two hours ago. Hellman checked the number, and it was the ticket office of a railroad. We got downtown and ran through the timetable. There was a train leaving the Oakland mole in about 40 minutes. Well, it was an outside chance, but tonight that was the only kind for sale. We got down in time to slide on the last ferry over to the Mole. It was still dark out when the ferry pulled away from the slip and started across the bay. But over toward the Berkeley Hills it was beginning to get light. The sky was the color of a bruise spot on a man's arm.

[Inspector Hellman]

We'll get up to the pilot house and tell him not to dock until we've gone through all the passengers.

[Pat Novak]

He doesn't have to be on this one.

[Inspector Hellman]

We'll check the train when we get there.

[Pat Novak]

Wait a minute. You don't have to check. There's your boy. Where? Up there on the rail. See? Now, you better go easy, Hellman. He's not a scale model.

[Inspector Hellman]

Yeah, Just walk quietly until we're behind him.

[Pat Novak]

All right.

[Inspector Hellman]

Turn around, mister. You'll get a better view.

[Pat Novak]

Hello, Novak. How was the wind? And the rain in your hair? Meet Inspector Hellman. You better turn in your ticket. I hope you brought your muscle. Grab him, Helmet.

[Inspector Hellman]

That's what I'm trying to do. All right, copper, watch it. I'm being pitched over on the rail.

[Pat Novak]

I'm worried, Hellman.

[Inspector Hellman]

Watch it, Novak. I'm going over. That's one pound, mister. Now for you.

[Pat Novak]

I landed on the deck and watched him disappear into the dark. Halfway down, the guy turned in. I got up and followed him down the ladder and along the main deck. He ducked into one of the engine spaces and I started in to look for him. It didn't take long because he turned out to be real helpful.

[Inspector Hellman]

You got the idea yet, Novak?

[Pat Novak]

I'll come closer. Tell me then.

[Inspector Hellman]

So it's just.

[Pat Novak]

But I'll knock you down hard when you show. Watch that platform. You're backing into trouble.

[Inspector Hellman]

Stay back there, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

Watch out for that platform, will you? You're backing into the engine.

[Dixie Gillian]

I kind of wound up last, huh?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, that's the way it looks. Did you get the microfilm?

[Lee Interwood]

Yeah.

[Pat Novak]

I got a big hurt. Does it show? A little, yeah. It's been a long night, Novak, huh? Yeah, but your worries are over. It's almost dawn. I don't know if I can use.

[Lee Interwood]

It.

[Pat Novak]

But I'll give it to you. They fished Hellman out of an oil slick a few minutes later. It's the first time his hair ever looked good. Dixie Gillian lasted long enough to piece the story together for Homicide. Lee Underwood knew her husband was carrying microfilm, and she was worried, so she hired me to scare off Gillian. Oh, it might have worked, too. But the first slip came when Lee's husband went by to make a deal with Dixie without telling her. When I jumped him, Dixie was outside and figured it was a double cross, so he killed him with a silencer. When that phony gun that Lee gave me went off, Dicksie knew that the microfilm was still on the dead man. The only way he could be sure was to get the body out of the morgue. He took it up to his apartment, and when he got the film, he planted the gun and put the body on the fire escape. It was a little safer that way. There was a 5050 chance the police had miss it the first time around and he'd have a fair lead. Almost worked out for him, except for that phone call. The microfilm was in a capsule next to the roof of the guy's mouth. So old it was new again. Well, Hellman asked only one question in that fight. Did I have anything to do with pushing him against the rail? I told him sometimes those ferry boats roll as much as 45 degr.

[Inspector Hellman]

The American Broadcasting Company has just brought you the 10th of a new series, Pat Novak for Hire, starring Jack Webb. Pat Novak is produced and directed by William P. Rousseau. Jocko Madigan is played by Tudor Owen. Inspector Hellman is played by Raymond Burr. Music was composed and conducted by Basil Adlib. Be with us again next week over most of these same ABC stations. We'll bring you Pat Novak or Hire. This program came to you transcribed from Hollywood. This is abc, the American Broadcasting Company.