Pat Novak for Hire: Sam Tolliver 04/09/1949

Summary

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Pat Novak for Hire: "Sam Tolliver" (Aired 04/09/1949)

Overview

In this atmospheric episode of Pat Novak for Hire, trouble finds Novak when an old friend, Sam Tolliver, resurfaces with a seemingly simple request. Tapped to retrieve a mysterious package from a ship in the bay, Novak is quickly pulled deep into a complex frame job involving murder, drugs, crooked cops, and San Francisco’s rough-and-tumble waterfront politics on the eve of an election. Hard-boiled narration, wise-guy dialogue, and a moody cast of supporting characters deliver classic noir storytelling from the golden age of radio.

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Key Discussion Points & Narrative Structure

1. An Old Friend and a Dangerous Favor

• [01:42] Pat Novak introduces himself and the relentless peril of his trade on the San Francisco docks.
• [03:02] Sam Tolliver, an old friend with a checkered past, visits Novak seeking a favor: pick up a package from a ship in the bay, the China Star.
  • Notable exchange:
    • Tolliver: "You'd be doing me a real favor and you wouldn’t get hurt."
    • Novak (skeptically): "Nobody gets hurt. Honest. It’s the other way I’m worried about." ([04:33])

2. Aboard the China Star

• [06:36] Novak confronts the steely Captain Axel Arm, whose rough hospitality soon turns violent.
• [07:57] Awakening with a headache, Novak encounters Ellen Morrow, adding a femme fatale element to the intrigue. She is enigmatic, seductive, and tight-lipped about the package’s contents.
  • Memorable lines:
    • Novak (to Ellen): "From where I was, she had a figure like a shot of brandy on a winter night." ([08:53])

3. A Murder Frame

• [11:43] Novak returns to his office to discover a corpse and Sergeant Grimes from Homicide. Suspicion falls on Novak, and the mysterious package is addressed to a John Reedy at 720 Post Street.
• Grimes, later revealed to be phony cop Vic Rothery, takes Novak with him to Reedy’s apartment, where violence erupts and more bodies drop.

4. Betrayal and Deeper Conspiracies

• [16:01] Real cop Hellman confronts Novak, revealing that there is no "Sergeant Grimes" on the force—Novak’s been set up.
• Novak tries to unravel the plot by consulting his drunken confidant, Jocko Madigan. They connect the political dots: the dope-stuffed package is meant to ruin Reedy, a political candidate running for office.
  • Notable monologue:
    • Jocko: "Patsy, when you die, the artwork is going to be simple. On your grave, they'll chisel a picture of a pair of slacks, a hamburger, and a double malt." ([19:04])

5. The Trail to the Truth

• [21:19] Novak finds out the package is loaded with drugs—the intent is to plant it as evidence to discredit Reedy. Hellman views the case differently, seeing the mounting dead men—all ex-cons linked to Joliet prison.
• [22:25] Novak tracks Ellen Morrow, who reveals that Sam double-crossed him and gives up Sam’s location at the Herrick Hotel.

6. Final Showdown

• [26:16] At Vic Rothery's hotel, Hellman and Novak burst in on Sam Tolliver, armed and desperate. In a tense standoff, Sam laments the turn of events and apologizes to Novak for dragging him into it.
  • Dramatic lines:
    • Sam Tolliver: "You were a good guy to me, Novak. I'm sorry you drew the deuce." ([27:09])
    • Novak (on Sam's fate): "No, you’re a small time bum, Sam, and you’re better off dead." ([28:00])

7. Resolution & Noir Closure

• [28:52] Hellman pieces together the full scheme: Rothery’s gang intended to smear John Reedy by planting the drugs, but Sam tried to cut his own deal, triggering a lethal double-cross. Novak’s “friendship” with Sam ends in tragedy.
• The closing narration is bleak and wry, revealing Reedy lost the election regardless:
  • "It worked out for everybody except John Reedy. He lost the election anyway. Jocko forgot to mention the guy was a Republican." ([30:23])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Novak’s Opening Monologue ([01:42]):

  • "If you’re gonna make a living down here, you gotta do everything you can. Gotta be out of the henhouse by sunup. Even then, it doesn’t always work out—because you get trouble tax-free. It’s like leukemia. There’s nothing you can do about it."

• On Friendship and Betrayal

  • Novak: "There’s nothing wrong with old friends, Sam—except sometimes they wear out on you." ([05:19])
  • "That's the trouble with close friends. You give them the shirt off your back so they can see where to put in the knife." ([25:19])

• Noir Wordplay & Wit

  • Ellen Morrow: "What have I got to gain except your gratitude? I can get that any night with a couple of drinks." ([09:44])
  • Jocko, on civilization: "They love horses but they die on a stock farm. It’s the same with you and civilization." ([19:13])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment/Development | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Pat Novak’s opening reflection on trouble | 01:42 | | Sam Tolliver asks Novak for a favor | 03:02 | | Showdown with Captain Axel Arm | 06:36 | | Ellen Morrow, the femme fatale, appears | 08:50 | | Novak discovers the dead body in his office | 11:43 | | Reveal: Phony cop “Grimes” is Vic Rothery | 16:01 | | Jocko’s sardonic advice | 19:03 | | Ellen Morrow gives up Sam’s location | 22:25 | | Final confrontation: Sam, Novak, and Hellman | 26:16 | | Hellman explains the full frame | 28:52 | | Closing line: Reedy loses the election anyway | 30:23 |

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Tone and Style

The episode is thick with the hard-boiled, wisecracking narration that defined 1940s noir, interlacing cynicism with moments of vulnerability. Novak’s exchanges are quick, caustic, and laced with dark humor, while the supporting characters—Jocko’s erudite drunkenness and Ellen's sharp-tongued fatalism—add emotional texture and moral ambiguity.

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Summary

“Sam Tolliver” exemplifies Pat Novak for Hire’s blend of sharp dialogue, murky morality, and gritty atmosphere. In a city where “trouble is tax-free,” Pat Novak’s loyalty to an old friend nearly costs him everything—and in the end, justice and loyalty remain as elusive as happiness on the San Francisco waterfront.

Transcript

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[Pat Novak]

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].

[Hellman]

That Novak or higher?

[Pat Novak]

Sure. I'm pap novak for hire. That's what the sign out in front of my place says. Pat Novak for hire. It's the easy way. Because down here in the waterfront in San Francisco, you can't afford to wait your turn. If you're gonna make a living down here, you gotta do everything you can. You gotta be out of the hen house by sunup. Even then, it doesn't work out always, because you get trouble tax free. It's like leukemia. There's nothing you can do about it. There's no way to duck it. You might as well try to start a conga line in a cathedral. I found that out Monday night when I met an old friend. It was the night before elections and I was sitting in the office scratching married women out of an old date book when Sam Tolliver showed up. I hadn't seen him for years, but it was a nice, easy meeting. What other way is there when you're good friends?

[Sam Tolliver]

You look just the same. Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. It's good to see you, Sam. Sit down.

[Sam Tolliver]

Sure. Doing well, I guess, huh?

[Pat Novak]

Well, you get different stories. Where have you been?

[Sam Tolliver]

Oh, all the hard luck stops Syracuse for A while. And Joliet. That's where I come from now.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, that's where they got a big prison. Uh huh. When you came too far, Sam, you should have stopped in Oakland, huh? That's right. If you're out here to play small robbery, you better think it over. It's a tough town.

[Sam Tolliver]

Don't ride me, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

I'm not, Sam. But once you start losing them, it's hard to win again. I just thought you might want to know about San Francisco.

[Sam Tolliver]

Thanks.

[Pat Novak]

Thanks.

[Sam Tolliver]

But you don't have to worry, Patsy. I got a smart streak. I'm here mostly to ask a favor.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah?

[Sam Tolliver]

Can you spare me one? For old times sake?

[Pat Novak]

Medium sized. Go ahead.

[Sam Tolliver]

I want to borrow one of your boats.

[Pat Novak]

Did you come all the way from Joliet to borrow a boat, Sam?

[Sam Tolliver]

If it's gonna hurt that much, forget it.

[Pat Novak]

I just asked. All right. When do you need it? Tonight.

[Sam Tolliver]

It's to pick up a package in the bay about 9 o'.

[Pat Novak]

Clock. Sure, I'll run you out.

[Sam Tolliver]

No, it's. It's a little different, Betsy. I can't make the trip. You'd have to do it for me.

[Pat Novak]

The favor is getting bigger, Sam.

[Sam Tolliver]

You'd have to pick up the package and bring it back here. I'll be waiting at 10 o'. Clock. I guess you won't buy a Betty.

[Pat Novak]

I'm not impressed.

[Sam Tolliver]

It'd mean a lot to me, Patsy. It really would. And you couldn't get hurt. Honest.

[Pat Novak]

Nobody gets hurt.

[Jocko Madigan]

Honest.

[Pat Novak]

It's the other way I'm worried about.

[Sam Tolliver]

I wish I could tell you, Patsy, but I can't. You know how it is. Sometimes you can't, but. Well, it's that way now. But you'd be doing me a real favor and you wouldn't get hurt.

[Pat Novak]

That's what Henry used to tell his wives. All right, Sam, but you put out a bad story.

[Sam Tolliver]

Well, Patsy, you have to go buy the China Star. She's out in a stream. Just tell them you came for that package. They won't ask. Just tell him you want the package.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah.

[Sam Tolliver]

Talk to the captain. I'll be waiting here at your place about 10 o'.

[Pat Novak]

Clock.

[Sam Tolliver]

And Patsy, it's important. Don't let anybody else have it.

[Pat Novak]

All right. I'll see you here at 10.

[Sam Tolliver]

Thanks, Patsy. It's a big favor.

[Pat Novak]

We're old friends.

[Sam Tolliver]

Yeah, we're old friends. Nothing wrong with them, huh?

[Pat Novak]

No, there's nothing wrong with old friend, Sam. Except sometimes they wear out on you. When Sam Tolliver walked out of there, I began to Worry. I don't know why, because he was always a good guy. But if you leave good silk out in the rain, it'll shrink. Thought it was too late to change my mind now. I was gonna get that package and say goodbye to Sam Tolliver. Only things didn't work out that way. You start with trouble and it never stops. Like offering to buy aspirin for a two headed boy. About 8:30 I took a boat and I started out into the bay. Halfway out into the stream I had to give way to a tanker. After she throbbed by, I picked up the China Star tied up at Bowie. 3:27 was a broken down old barge. So old I expected to find Noah hiding out in the bilges. Well, I went aboard and they took me into the captain's cabin. It was gonna be tougher than Sam thought. The old man had some questions. And he was about as smooth as a bag of fingernails. Right away I got the idea.

[Captain Axel Arm]

What do you want?

[Pat Novak]

I came out for a package.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Who are you?

[Pat Novak]

What good'll a name do you?

[Hellman]

Who are you?

[Pat Novak]

What do you care? Mister, this isn't our dance. Just give me the package and I'll leave.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Keep shouting, tough boy. And when you're all through, tell me your name.

[Pat Novak]

Now look, I'm not out here to haunt your boat. You got the right face for it. I'm just passing.

[Captain Axel Arm]

If you're running a small boat, you got papers? Let's see it.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, you're too handy in your own cabin. Let's see.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Novak, huh? You a Polack, Novak?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, and it feels fine. How's it being a pig these days?

[Captain Axel Arm]

Don't get jumpy. I just asked who sent you here, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

Now forget you asked. Just keep the package. I'm going home.

[Captain Axel Arm]

You walk home on the bottom.

[Jocko Madigan]

Then.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Look, Novak, somebody steered you wrong. Maybe it was no questions once, but it's not that way anymore. Just want to keep the book straight. Who sent you?

[Pat Novak]

Sam Tolliver. You need a pencil? No.

[Captain Axel Arm]

That's enough questions. You see, Novak, all you had to do was answer. You can have the package now or talk some more.

[Pat Novak]

I'll take it now. Where is it?

[Captain Axel Arm]

On the desk behind you. There?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Captain Axel Arm]

You're welcome, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

The captain didn't like company. When he hit me, I dropped down to the floor like a piece of hard working lint. Last thing I remember was Sam Tolliver sending me out to this boat. I knew then I had no more business here than second trumpet in a string quartet. I could hear voices and people moving around. But it didn't help much. You can get that kind of service in a tomb. Somewhere along the line they moved me. Because when I woke up, I was lying in a cloud of platine on a couch in a different cabin. Class of people had improved. She was bending over me with a cold towel and a warm look. From where I was, she had a figure like a shot of brandy on a winter night. When she said hello, you knew that all you had to do was send up a flare and relax.

[Ellen Morrow]

Good evening. Welcome back.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah.

[Ellen Morrow]

How do you feel?

[Pat Novak]

A little used up. I need recharging.

[Ellen Morrow]

Here, Put your head on my lap.

[Pat Novak]

There, that's it. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Forget the towel. I'll struggle along this way. By the way, whose lap is it?

[Ellen Morrow]

I'm Ellen Morrow.

[Pat Novak]

Where's your friend?

[Ellen Morrow]

The captain?

[Pat Novak]

I guess so. The brave guy, Axel Arm.

[Ellen Morrow]

He's down getting your boat ready.

[Pat Novak]

What's he doing? Punching holes in the bottom.

[Ellen Morrow]

He'll be back in a minute. The package will be ready and you can leave.

[Pat Novak]

No, you keep the package. The last time I got a headache.

[Ellen Morrow]

I'm sorry about that. It was a mistake.

[Pat Novak]

That's what they told Marie Antoinette. By that time, her head was 40ft down the street. What's in that package?

[Ellen Morrow]

It wouldn't help it. Can you?

[Pat Novak]

You let me work that out.

[Ellen Morrow]

Work out the answer.

[Pat Novak]

Then how about Sam Tolliver?

[Ellen Morrow]

Slow down, Bit.

[Pat Novak]

I'm not going that fast.

[Ellen Morrow]

You're going the wrong way. I hope you lick your wounds, darling, but I'm not going to get talky.

[Pat Novak]

What do you got to lose?

[Ellen Morrow]

What have I got to gain except your gratitude. I can get that any night with a couple of drinks.

[Captain Axel Arm]

How is he, Ellen?

[Ellen Morrow]

How does he look?

[Captain Axel Arm]

Too comfortable. On your feet, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. You ought to rent that out, sweetheart. I'd sign a lease myself.

[Captain Axel Arm]

I'll finish this. We talk, Novak. You get on your way. Here's a package.

[Pat Novak]

You know, I changed my mind about the package. You keep it.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Your boat's ready. Unless you want to get tossed in like a mackerel. Take the package and beat it.

[Pat Novak]

What's in it and where does Sam Tolliver fit?

[Captain Axel Arm]

You asked once already, with your head in her lap. You want me to sit down?

[Pat Novak]

Well, you got brains after all. Yeah. Sorry. I thought they were all in your fists. Yeah, you're still smart.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Take this package. Show them the boat, Ellen.

[Pat Novak]

I'm gonna remember you, mister.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Ellen's gonna lead you by the hand through the dark. Stop beefing and settle for the simple pleasures.

[Pat Novak]

I will.

[Captain Axel Arm]

I'll Remember, you concentrate on Ellen, you'll get a better memory.

[Pat Novak]

I went out on deck with a girl, and as I got to the starboard side, I noticed her hair for the first time away. You're liable to suddenly notice a flower after a hard rain. Her hair was red, and as the orange lights of the bridge reflected against it, it seemed like a prairie fire away down in the valley, flaring up quick and then burning low again. The rest of her would have made a good prairie fire, too. It was the only good thing I could think of. On the way across the bay, the water was as quiet as a drowsy caterpillar, and I had a chance to think. Why had they changed their mind about giving me that package? And how wet were Sam Tolliver's feet? Well, must have been about 11:30 when I pulled into the pier and started on the run for my office. The lights were on and I burst right in because I had a lot to ask. Sam. But it wasn't Sam.

[Sergeant Grimes]

What's your hurry, mister?

[Pat Novak]

I came here to meet a friend.

[Sergeant Grimes]

That's the guy laying in the corner. You don't have to hurry.

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[Pat Novak]

No, this isn't my friend.

[Sergeant Grimes]

It doesn't look like one. I'm Sergeant Grimes from Homicide. If you're a Novak, you're in trouble.

[Pat Novak]

Why?

[Sergeant Grimes]

A guy lying under your desk dripping like a broken ink well, and you tried out a question like that.

[Pat Novak]

Well, it's a bum caper somewhere. I was supposed to wait for a guy named Sam Tolliver.

[Sergeant Grimes]

It might as well have been a streetcar. I'm not gonna press you, Novak. I don't care. I'm just gonna take you downtown.

[Pat Novak]

Well, this boy quit too late. I've been in the Bay the last two hours. You can check. I went out there to pick up a package.

[Sergeant Grimes]

Lauren. You got in your arm?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. It's for a guy named Sam Tolliver.

[Sam Tolliver]

Let's see.

[Pat Novak]

Okay.

[Sergeant Grimes]

It doesn't say that. Says Mr. John Reedy, 720 Post Street.

[Pat Novak]

I wonder what that means.

[Sergeant Grimes]

Let's find out.

[Sam Tolliver]

We'll take it by Reedy's place.

[Pat Novak]

I got it for Sam Tolliver.

[Sergeant Grimes]

You can buy him another go and Buy Reedy's before we go downtown.

[Pat Novak]

What's the matter with you? Do you want it on an 18 foot screen? I didn't kill a guy. Don't even know him. I don't even know this John Reedy.

[Sergeant Grimes]

Wait a minute, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

I believe you.

[Sergeant Grimes]

I believe every word you're saying. Except this is one time you'd be better off.

[Pat Novak]

L. When we left my office, I felt as if somebody had walked through my stomach on stilts. Oh, there were loose ends bobbing up everywhere and you couldn't get to any of them. Was like chasing a spider with a bowling ball. With all this new stuff, I forgot about the ship. Who's going to worry about blood poisoning if he's busy having hemorrhages? I began to wonder more about Sam. Where was he and how was I going to palm off that dead stand in? Grimes didn't seem worried. We got into his Nash and headed for 720 Post St. It was an apartment hotel and Rudy lived up on the third floor. On the way in, Grimes picked up a key at the desk and we rode up in the elevator with one of those shifty eyed little guys who'd sell his mother if he didn't have to fatten her up. When we got to Reedy's door, Grimes took over.

[Hellman]

Open up.

[Pat Novak]

Maybe he can't hear you. Grimes.

[Sergeant Grimes]

Nobody home.

[Pat Novak]

Let's go in. Why? We don't know him well enough to sneak in.

[Sergeant Grimes]

I raid. A hunch. No, back.

[Sam Tolliver]

Okay.

[Pat Novak]

The light's on your side. Leave it out.

[Sergeant Grimes]

Let's look around.

[Pat Novak]

Okay. The stray bodies belong to you. Grimes, you go look in that set of bedrooms.

[Sergeant Grimes]

I'll check over here in the library.

[Pat Novak]

Give me a yell if you see any. All right. Now back.

[Ellen Morrow]

Now back.

[Pat Novak]

Two of them.

[Sergeant Grimes]

I got one by the desk. The other started on the fire escape. I'm going down in front. Take this gun and stand by the fire escape. He may get trapped and start up.

[Pat Novak]

So keep your eyes open. I walked into the library. The window was open and the curtains were blowing over. The dead man's face was a good thing because you can't split the difference with a service. 45. I took him for the heels and dragged him away from the window. His eyes were rolled back as if he expected somebody to tap him on the shoulder and tell him it was all a mistake. His face was contorted, frightened, maybe a little embarrassed, like a deer caught in a traffic jam. Well, I stayed at the window about 10 minutes and watched the fire escape. There was no action there, and Grimes Wasn't back, so I started for the door. I had company right away.

[Hellman]

Hello, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

You move. Oh, Hellman.

[Hellman]

It's a big gun you got last.

[Pat Novak]

Junior here on the floor. He thinks it's even bigger.

[Hellman]

I'll check myself.

[Pat Novak]

Sure, and it's gonna be easy because it's right in the family. Yeah? Yeah. Belongs to one of your boys down in Homicide. Go ahead. A sergeant by the name of Grimes steamed in here and knocked down Junior. And then he beat it down to get the other guy.

[Hellman]

I don't believe it.

[Pat Novak]

Well, talk to him.

[Hellman]

That's why I don't believe it. There's nobody on the force named Grimes on this one. You're all alone, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

There's got to be a Grimes. The guy had on a uniform.

[Hellman]

I don't care if he had on a playsuit, Novak. The guy's a phony. It's not from Homicide. He's a killer.

[Pat Novak]

That's what I meant. Hellman. I knew Hellman was right. If Grimes was on the level, he'd have booked me. Instead of coming up here, he came up to read his with murder in mind. Even if they believe the story about Grimes, I was still on a spot that made me accessory to murder. And I was going to look worse when Hellman found the guy down in my office. On that one, I had star billing. Everywhere I turned, things were worse. I knew it was going to take a low budget miracle to bail me out. Was like trying to give nose drops to a herd of elephants. Hellman seemed to like the idea. Hellman rolled a guy and there was no identification. But he never works for nothing.

[Hellman]

A few bucks in the guy, I'll put it in the safe.

[Pat Novak]

The only safe you got has suspenders on it.

[Hellman]

I don't like that, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

Oh, you do anything for a buck, Hellman. If you got the right bid, you'd sell a tomb of the Unknown soldier. Thanks, Hellman. I'm getting a big list tonight.

[Hellman]

I can do all of that I want, Novak, because you're in the corner pocket. Now, I got a tip off from the Chronicle to come up here and I find you holding last rights.

[Pat Novak]

You got a bigger headache, Hellman. There's another stiff down at my place. That's right. Grimes again. He was sitting there when I walked in.

[Hellman]

Where were you?

[Pat Novak]

Out in the bay, picking up a package. It's right there on the desk.

[Hellman]

What's in it?

[Pat Novak]

I don't know. It was for a friend of mine named Sam Tolliver. He's disappeared. And Grimes brought the package up Here.

[Hellman]

I'll take it downtown.

[Pat Novak]

You better tag by the China Star. That's where I picked up the package. It's out in the bay, so you'll need a boat. Even a guy with your complex needs a boat.

[Hellman]

I'll touch all the bases, Novak. You just stay 10 cents away from headquarters. You can pay your own way into the can.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, well, that's what'll happen if I wait for you. I'll be standing out in the downpour.

[Hellman]

That's right, Novak. If there's a chance. I want to see you get first prize.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, well, I'm gonna be stuck unless I shop around myself. Because you got Lockjaw the brain Hellman. Yeah, that wouldn't hurt you so much. But if it spreads, you're gon be in trouble. That's what I'm waiting for. Well, if something didn't happen soon, I was going to be about as embarrassed as a hostess with leaky plumbing. I was counting on Hellman to shake down the skipper of the China Star. If that didn't work, I could close shop. I didn't have any leads. There wasn't anything I could do but sit on my hands was like taking your niece to a nightclub. I had to stumble around until something showed. So I looked up the only honest guy I know. An ex doctor and a boozer by the name of Jack o'. Madigan. He was alright until he found out. Sometimes you can feel as bad. The next morning, without a hangover, I toured the town and finally found him at Lupo's trying to put the vineyards out of business.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, you're just in time to start the day off right. Mama Lupo, some wine for Mr. Novak. You can only have a quart. We're running low.

[Pat Novak]

Look, it's almost midnight. Jocko, I gotta talk to you.

[Jocko Madigan]

We're not gonna turn into pumpkins. You need some wine.

[Pat Novak]

No, I don't.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, when you die, the artwork is going to be simple. On your grave, they'll chisel a picture of a pair of slacks, a hamburger and a double malt.

[Pat Novak]

All right, Jocko.

[Jocko Madigan]

The final symbols of a decayed civilization. Because that's as close as you ever got to civilization. A remote connection at best. Like a bookie. They love horses, but they die on a stock farm. It's the same with you and civilization.

[Pat Novak]

You all through, Jocko?

[Jocko Madigan]

I won't fight against your sober Babel what's the matter?

[Pat Novak]

There's a dead guy down in my office.

[Jocko Madigan]

A friend of ours.

[Pat Novak]

No.

[Jocko Madigan]

That's too bad. We'll Miss the weight.

[Pat Novak]

I'm gonna get half hung by Homicide. The other half is dead up in a Post street apartment. Hellman thinks I'm the boy.

[Jocko Madigan]

Patsy, I wish you wouldn't hang around me when you've just killed somebody. You tarnish my declining years.

[Pat Novak]

I went out to the Bay to pick up a package. When I got back to my place, instead of a friend named Sam Tolliver, there was a dead guy there and a phony cop called Grimes.

[Jocko Madigan]

How do you make the distinction?

[Pat Novak]

He grabbed the package and we took it up to Post Street. After a quick hassle in the dark. I'm standing over a dead guy in John Reedy's apartment.

[Jocko Madigan]

John Reedy?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Do you know him?

[Jocko Madigan]

Most people do. He's running for office tomorrow. Is he the dead man?

[Pat Novak]

No, I don't think so. What about ready?

[Jocko Madigan]

He's running for a board job.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Would anybody have a reason to work a plan on him?

[Jocko Madigan]

Maybe.

[Pat Novak]

What's he like?

[Jocko Madigan]

Oh, sort of liberal by marriage. A reactionary with a rich wife. Supposed to be a good man.

[Pat Novak]

How about the opposition?

[Jocko Madigan]

A lot of them are running. One is Simpson. He couldn't beat an asthmatic turtle across a tennis court.

[Pat Novak]

Well, we're getting somewhere. At least if Reedy's good, the gambling dough would frame him to lose.

[Jocko Madigan]

Yes, if politicians can ever lose. A murder in his apartment would look too phony, though.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, but maybe that package wouldn't. Jocko, you gotta help me. I want you to check on the registration of the China Star and then nose around to find out what you can about tomorrow's election. Will ya?

[Jocko Madigan]

If we lived in a monarchy, this wouldn't happen that fast.

[Pat Novak]

Double play has got something to do with this election. Now hurry up, Jocko, and when you're through, tag by my place. I'll call you there.

[Jocko Madigan]

Have you a bottle in the house?

[Pat Novak]

There's a tap in the kitchen. That'll have to do.

[Jocko Madigan]

No, thanks. Outside of a child in pain, the most pathetic sound in the world is running water. Good night, love.

[Pat Novak]

I left Jocko and ducked into a phone booth. When I called Hellman, he poured out news like a rotary press. They broke open that package down at headquarters. It was full of dope. Plain, garden variety. The kind of man uses to forget either his wife or secretary. I was sure then the package was a plant on Reedy. Hellman didn't see it that way. He said the two dead men were Gunsells. Last address before San Francisco State Prison at Joliet. I needed him. About that phony cop, Grimes. Hellman said they just got a tip off by telephone. Grimes was an ex sergeant in Homicide whose real name was Beck Rothery. I asked him who phoned in the tip often. Hellman said he didn't know the guy. His name was Sam Tolliver. I got out of the Chronicle. Morgan looked up everything I could on John Reedy. All politicians, children sit on the floor. There was a picture of Ready there with his family grouped around him on the floor. I pulled the clips on Vic Rothery. It was Grimes, all right. That gave me something to work on. So I went on the prowl for Ellen Morrow. I found her running a dice game in a little after hours joint on Eddie Street.

[Ellen Morrow]

You want chips, Novak?

[Pat Novak]

You don't want to play against yourself. Yeah. Give me some.

[Ellen Morrow]

All right. See how good you are. Eight's your point?

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. You seen Sam Tolliver make your point, Patsy. That's it. Where's Sam Tolliver?

[Ellen Morrow]

5. You're not even warm. You're not warm on Sam, either.

[Pat Novak]

He left me hanging with a murder rat.

[Ellen Morrow]

Your friend double crossed you.

[Pat Novak]

He double crossed you, too.

[Ellen Morrow]

Another five. You're in a rut, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

He turned in Grimes. That's right, baby. They know he's Vic Rothrey now. You still like Sam Tolliver? No.

[Ellen Morrow]

Keep rolling, darling.

[Pat Novak]

Is Grimes your boyfriend?

[Ellen Morrow]

He used to be. I'm sentimental.

[Pat Novak]

Where's Sam tolerant?

[Ellen Morrow]

The Herrick Hotel. When you see him, tell him I sent you.

[Pat Novak]

I will if we talk that long.

[Ellen Morrow]

There it is.

[Pat Novak]

Eight. That's right.

[Ellen Morrow]

I guess I lose, Patsy.

[Pat Novak]

I guess you do. Be seeing you, baby. She changed when I left. The first time out. She was alive and breezy like the Maine coast in July. But now she was broken up and lonely looking. And as I walked out, I thought of an old Dixie cup somebody had used up and thrown in the alley. Well, I got down to the Herrick Hotel, but Sam Tolliver wasn't there. Maybe it was better that way. I left a note for him, a short note that even a Mongolian idiot couldn't trip up on. If Sam was going to show his hand, he had to do it soon. When I got back to my apartment, Jocko was already there. He was giving a concert for the mice.

[Jocko Madigan]

Oh, she pushed a baby carriage she pushed a baby carriage in the merry, merry month of May all right, Jocko. She pushed a baby carriage. She pushed a baby carriage she pushed it for a Williams man who's far, far away.

[Pat Novak]

I'll stop it.

[Jocko Madigan]

Will ya, Patsy? I wish you'd get rid of that radio and buy a good harpsichord.

[Pat Novak]

What'd you find out, Jocko?

[Jocko Madigan]

Nothing from the China Star. She weighed anchor and went to sea at a quarter to 12.

[Pat Novak]

How about Reedy?

[Jocko Madigan]

Well, there's heavy gambling money against him and there's talk about a last minute scandal. All the newspapers had tip offs.

[Pat Novak]

Where was he tonight?

[Jocko Madigan]

At a rally in the Mission District with his whole family.

[Pat Novak]

I didn't leave time for a plant. They broke open that package. It was full of dope.

[Jocko Madigan]

That makes sense. He was once under treatment for malaria. The drugs found in his apartment would make it look bad.

[Pat Novak]

I'll get it. Hello. Novak talking?

[Hellman]

I hope so, because you got a lot to do.

[Pat Novak]

What's on your mind, Hellman?

[Hellman]

A girl named Ellen Morrow.

[Pat Novak]

Who killed her, did they?

[Hellman]

About 20 minutes ago. Vic Rothery's picture was all over the place.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah, they were chums. You better pick up Sam Tolliver. He's at the Herrick Hotel.

[Hellman]

I'd rather have Vic Rothery.

[Pat Novak]

Haven't you picked him up yet?

[Hellman]

No, we're on our way out.

[Pat Novak]

Well, you better hurry, Hellman. There won't be any voters left.

[Hellman]

I thought Sam Tolliver was a friend of yours.

[Pat Novak]

Well, that's the trouble with close friends. You give them the shirt off your back so they can see where to put in the knife. After Hellman's call, I knew we were coming up for the last hand. I met him and we rode down to Vic Rothery's hotel. It was early morning, just about the time. Dawn is too sleepy to get out of bed. In the pale light, Geary street looked like a shabby old lady with a snootful. And Rothery's hotel was worse. Hellman flashed a badge and the night clerk who reached over and handed us a key was a funny thing to notice then. But the guy's hands were short and his fingers were peeled and stained yellow as if they'd been dipped in weak acid. Well, we rode up to Rothery's room. As we got out of the elevator and turned the corner, somebody ducked into Rothri's room. That was enough for Hellman. He started down the hall.

[Hellman]

Open up in there.

[Pat Novak]

You got another customer, Hellman.

[Hellman]

Open up.

[Sam Tolliver]

Come on in. You're gonna wake everybody up.

[Pat Novak]

Hello, Sam.

[Hellman]

Come on in.

[Sam Tolliver]

Don't mind the gun. It's loaded.

[Pat Novak]

You're a handy cop, Hellman. That's it.

[Sam Tolliver]

I'll close the door. All right. Over near the window.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah.

[Sam Tolliver]

Go on.

[Pat Novak]

Sure.

[Hellman]

You got an answer for Rothery here.

[Sam Tolliver]

You too, copper.

[Narrator]

Over near the window.

[Hellman]

I ask you, you got an answer for Rothery?

[Pat Novak]

Here.

[Sam Tolliver]

You're looking at it, mister. You know, Patsy, I'm sorry you came. I could bounce a few off of this guy with no pain at all. But it's gonna hurt on you.

[Pat Novak]

Don't kid me, Sam.

[Sam Tolliver]

I don't know why you came, Patsy. You could have left me alone. I didn't mean to put you in for this. Things went wrong and you were in, that's all. But I didn't mean to do it.

[Pat Novak]

Patsy, give the man your gun.

[Sam Tolliver]

You were a good guy to me, Novak. I'm sorry you drew the deuce. I'm really sorry because, well, you were a good guy to me.

[Pat Novak]

Well, I'm not divorced. Sam, you got five feet to make up your mind.

[Hellman]

I got it made up, Patsy.

[Sam Tolliver]

Now stay back. Let me try it out on him first.

[Pat Novak]

You've had practice.

[Sam Tolliver]

Stay back. Patsy. I'm in a hole and I'll burn my way out. You know that, Patsy, I'm in a hole. I gotta get out.

[Pat Novak]

Don't kid me, Sam. I was your last friend. All you got now is the road.

[Sam Tolliver]

Stay back, Patsy. Please, Patsy. Stay back.

[Pat Novak]

Sam.

[Hellman]

I must have prayed wrong, Novak.

[Pat Novak]

Yeah. Sorry, Sam. I'm a tough loser.

[Sam Tolliver]

Yeah, you were right, Betsy. It's a bum down for a small robber.

[Pat Novak]

For a while you looked big.

[Sam Tolliver]

Not for long, though.

[Pat Novak]

No, you're a small time bum, Sam, and you're better off dead.

[Sam Tolliver]

I wouldn't argue.

[Pat Novak]

Sorry, O. I doubt it.

[Sam Tolliver]

I guess that's right.

[Pat Novak]

I. I didn't try very hard.

[Captain Axel Arm]

How's your friend Novak?

[Pat Novak]

Let's go. Our friendship's.

[Captain Axel Arm]

Well.

[Pat Novak]

Hellman finally pieced it all together. He got that skipper back and put him under the lights. The story was damp, but it fit together. They were all in on a deal to railroad John Reedy. Vic Rothery headed up a bunch to plant the dope in his apartment. But Sam Tolliver got anxious and decided to get the stuff for sale. He talked a couple of buddies into it. Sent me out to the ship to pick it up. The captain smelled a switch and knocked me out long enough to get word to Rothri on the beach. Rothery got the guy in my office and the other guy that Sam posted in Reedy's place in case anything went wrong. That left only Sam on the other team. Rothrey wore the uniform because it was an easy way to plant the stuff in Radies apartment. But the timetable went haywire and he got tripped up by that tip off call to the Chronicle. That's about the way it was. Well, Hellman asked only one question. How come Sam Tolliver headed for the girl's place and then Rothri's? I don't know. Except maybe that note I left Sam. How'd I know he'd believe a lie? It worked out for everybody except John Reedy. He lost the election anyway. Jocko forgot to mention the guy was a Republican.

[Sam Tolliver]

Foreign.

[Narrator]

For Hire was previously released by abc, the American Broadcasting Company, for listeners in the United States and rebroadcast for our men and women overseas. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education.

[Pat Novak]

Sam.

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