Pat Novak for Hire: The Only Way to Make Friends is to Die 06/18/1949

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Pat Novak for Hire – The Only Way to Make Friends is to Die

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Title: Pat Novak for Hire: The Only Way to Make Friends is to Die (06/18/1949)
Release Date: February 21, 2026

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Episode Overview

This classic noir detective episode thrusts hard-boiled private eye Pat Novak into a lethal mix of betrayal, double-crosses, and waterfront bloodshed. Set against the foggy San Francisco docks, Novak finds himself pulled into a deadly scramble over a mysterious safety deposit box, surrounded by desperate criminals, crooked cops, and dangerous women. This story is rich with snappy dialogue, fatalistic humor, and the moral fog of 1940s radio noir.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Pat Novak’s Life on the San Francisco Waterfront

*Theme set with Novak’s world-weary view of life among crooks and outcasts.
[00:41] “If you're trying to make a living down on the waterfront in San Francisco you gotta run things like a smorgasbord. You take a little of everything you can get your hands on. Even then it’s a bumpy ride because down here, everybody tries to pad his part. … The only way you can make friends down on the waterfront is to die.”

Memorable Note:

• Novak introduces the tone: loneliness, danger, and existential weariness.

2. Thrust into Trouble: Novak Mistakenly Targeted

*Novak leaves the wrestling matches and is strong-armed by two tough guys looking for “Joe Deneen.”
[01:53] The goons lead Novak out at gunpoint, suspecting he knows Deneen.

Notable Exchange:

• B (Thug): “You got company on both sides.”
• A (Novak): “Did your friend get his face at a fire sale, too?”

3. Blood, Bullets, and a Boat

*Novak is forced to his own dock, where his boat is found riddled with bullets and stained with blood; Deneen missing.
[04:05–05:12]
Novak vehemently denies knowing Deneen; the situation escalates, resulting in a dockside scuffle and a corpse.

4. Murder at Novak’s Apartment & Hellman Arrives

*Novak returns home to find Inspector Hellman (brutish, cynical cop) already waiting—and a fresh corpse: Joe Deneen.
[07:02–09:00]
Novak and Hellman verbally spar, with Novak quickly cast as a murder suspect due to the gun found at the scene.

Memorable Quotes:

• Hellman: “You're a small time waterfront punk. … I'm gonna get you if it's the last thing I ever do. I’m gonna get you, Hellman.” [10:22]

5. A Lead Emerges: Mysterious Safety Deposit Box

*Deneen, dying, mentions a “safety deposit box.”
[09:46–10:08] Hellman: “He was talking about a safety deposit box when I got here.”
Novak begins to investigate the box’s significance.

6. Novak Turns to Jocko Madigan

*Seeking answers, Novak visits his eccentric, alcoholic friend Jocko for background on Deneen and the safety deposit box.
[11:35–13:43] Jocko’s colorful philosophy and quips lighten the moment.

Notable Quote:

• Jocko: “...sometimes the difference between your best friend and your worst enemy is only a matter of opportunity.” [22:47]

7. Chasing Clues: The Ambrose Hotel & Femme Fatale Freddie Sims

*Phone records lead Novak to Room 204, Ambrose Hotel—where he meets the sultry Freddie Sims and her companion, Mike Trevor.
[16:52–19:00] The encounter is laced with flirtation, banter, and Novak seeking the truth about Deneen’s connection.

Memorable Moments:

• Novak: “She was a tall number and she screamed final edition all over. … When she said hello, you wanted to hand her your arm and say twist.” [16:52]
• Sparks fly as Freddie tries to seduce information out of Novak. She and Mike posture innocence but reveal knowledge of the safety deposit key.
  [17:53–20:38]

8. More Trouble & Betrayal

*Novak is knocked out by Freddie after resisting her advances.
[21:02] He awakens, realizing his apartment has been ransacked for the key.

9. Jocko’s Discoveries: The Real Tangle

• Jocko uncovers a web:
  • Deneen had enemies, especially Jake Fidello—a convict on Alcatraz with a past brawl with Deneen.
  • Freddie Sims was Fidello’s girlfriend, but married to Mike Trevor, Fidello’s best friend.
  • Fidello has a safety deposit box and plenty of money at stake. [21:40–22:42]

10. Police Action: Freddie Confesses, Trevor on the Run

*Freddie turns on Mike Trevor, pinning everything on him.
[23:00–23:13] Hellman brings Novak along to arrest Trevor, who tries to escape.

11. The Final Confrontation & Greed Exposed

• Mike Trevor is killed in a police confrontation; all trails lead to the safety deposit box.
• Freddie tries to reach the box first, but Novak and Hellman arrive at the bank.
  [26:04] Freddie opens the box—discovering only retribution.

Standout Exchange:

• Novak: “You got everything, Angel.”
• Freddie: “Can I loan either of you boys a pickaxe?” [18:30, callback at 26:33]

12. Noir-Style Twist Ending

*The cruel web is revealed:

• Jake Fidello arranged for all three to double-cross and destroy each other, using Deneen to kill Freddie, Freddie to doom Mike, and Mike to accidentally finish Deneen.
• The safety deposit box is booby-trapped; there’s no money payoff, only downfall.

Final Reflection:

[27:29–29:06]
Pat Novak closes with a cynical denouement about trust, gratitude, and the futility of waterfront friendships.

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:41 | Novak sets the grim, poetic tone of the waterfront. | | 01:53 | Novak kidnapped by thugs; Deneen's name introduced. | | 04:05–05:12| Blood-soaked boat confrontation; dockside violence. | | 07:02–09:00| Hellman and Novak find Deneen’s body; verbal jousting. | | 11:35–13:43| Jocko Madigan’s bar-side wisdom and story progression. | | 16:52–20:38| Novak meets femme fatale Freddie Sims at the Ambrose Hotel.| | 21:40–22:42| Jocko reveals the messy love triangle and backstory. | | 23:00–23:13| Freddie pins murder on Mike; Trevor evades police. | | 23:50–25:20| Trevor’s final stand and death. | | 26:04–26:30| Freddie opens the safety deposit box; truth comes out. | | 27:29–29:06| Noir twist and moral, story wraps up. |

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Notable Quotes

• “The only way you can make friends down on the waterfront is to die.” (Novak, 00:41)
• “You're a small time waterfront punk. … I'm gonna get you if it's the last thing I ever do.” (Hellman, 10:22)
• “You belong in the Everglades.” (Novak to Freddie, 19:41)
• “Sometimes the difference between your best friend and your worst enemy is only a matter of opportunity.” (Jocko, 22:47)
• “You got everything, Angel.” (Novak to Freddie, 26:33)

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Tone & Style

• Snappy, wisecracking noir narration and dialogue—fast, dry, world-weary, with a razor edge.
• Cynical and fatalistic worldview; trust and love rarely end well.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This is a classic tale of betrayal and deception, perfect for fans of hardboiled detective fiction, wrapped in fast dialogue and sharp wit. The story unfolds at a relentless pace, filled with twists, double-crosses, and a grimly poetic view of human nature along the foggy waterfront.

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Transcript

[A]

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]

[B]

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

[A]

Sure, I'm pat novak for hire. That's what the sign out in front of my office says, Pat Novak for Hire. If you're trying to make a living down on the waterfront in San Francisco you gotta run things like a smorgasbord. You take a little of everything you can get your hands on. Even then it's a bumpy ride because down here, everybody tries to pad his part. Oh, I rent boats and do anything else good men pay bad men to do. You don't get many gold stars that way. But you pay the bar bill and it's about as safe as a closet full of tigers. The only way you can make friends down on the waterfront is to die. I found that out Tuesday night. I went to the wrestling matches and watched Gorgeous George throw some guy around like a poker chip in Tijuana. I was in the middle of the crowd on my way out of the place when this guy stepped up behind me and started talking.

[B]

You got company, Novak.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

I said you got company on both sides.

[A]

Did your friend get his face at a fire sale, too?

[B]

Can't all be pretty. Keep walking, Novak.

[A]

That gun in my back supposed to help?

[B]

That's up to you. Straight ahead and out the side door.

[A]

You got the right growl, but the wrong guy. Mister.

[B]

You keep working your mouth, but nothing comes out. All right, this way.

[A]

What are your plans? Shall we take the kids the car?

[B]

Right down here.

[A]

Now look, big shot in a drugstore, I get all the mystery I want for two bits.

[B]

You want things explained?

[A]

Yeah. Besides Shovelhead here. I don't understand a thing.

[B]

We just want Joe Deneen.

[A]

I never heard of him, either.

[B]

We just want Joe Deneen.

[A]

All right, you can have him. You're welcome. See his wife, see anybody you like. I don't even know the guy.

[B]

You're full of talk. As soon as you want to make it the right kind, you can go home. Here we are. Into the back seat. You drive, Eddie.

[A]

You boys run on. I'll grab a cab.

[C]

Get in.

[B]

We're not going to take a vote. That's it. Just be a good mouse.

[A]

You got a lot of time to waste it this way, mister.

[B]

You're too gabby, Novak.

[A]

And you're too tough. Junior.

[B]

And this noise is beginning to give me a headache. Let's go. Eddie Novak's gonna sulk a while.

[A]

He could have taken three bases on that wallop. I spread out on the back seat like a bowl of cake batter and tried to think of a guy named Joe Dineen. There was nobody on my list by that name. But the way these two gunsels acted, he was supposed to be a blood relative. I could hear him talking dimly and I tried to follow the conversation but it was like trying to put a smoke ring in your pocket. I don't know how long the tour lasted. It must have been about 30 or 40 minutes when the car pulled up and the big gun started to yank me.

[B]

Wake up.

[C]

Wake up, sweet boy.

[B]

Come on, it's time for your 10 o' clock feeding.

[A]

Yeah. Wait till I borrow some legs, huh?

[B]

Come on. You never look better. All right, down the dock here.

[A]

Are we playing a new game or hunting a guy named Deneen?

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Good. Now I know the rules.

[B]

Is that your boat, Novak?

[A]

It's got my name on it.

[B]

Is that your boat, Novak?

[A]

Well, what's it look like? The Normandy. Of course it's my boat. Who threw the blood all over it? One of your friends, maybe.

[D]

Deneen.

[A]

Now, look, you better back up and start a recap. I never heard of Deneen. And from the size of his friends, I'm just about as happy.

[B]

Mean, he didn't rent a boat off you.

[A]

If he used that boat, he stole it. Mister, I closed up tonight at seven.

[B]

You make it sound good.

[A]

It is good. I've been off the waterfront four hours. In the meantime, somebody takes my boat and gets it shot full of holes and sends you around a weep. Who is Deneen?

[B]

A friend.

[A]

I don't blame either of you for hanging onto one.

[B]

We were supposed to meet him at your landing at 10. He was going to rent one of your boats and we were going to meet him at 10.

[A]

There's the boat. You want to pay the damages?

[B]

We came early and found the boat piled up. Blood all over and no Deneen. You got any ideas?

[A]

Maybe he cut himself shaving, dragged the bay. Mister, I don't know your guy, but somebody did. They met him out there in the bay and cut him down.

[B]

You sound happy.

[A]

Now. Look, I don't care one way or another except to use my boat. If he wanted to die, he should have hired a Davenport. That's all I know. I never heard of Joe Deneen.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

You and your friend here better go SAP somebody else.

[C]

Sure, Novak.

[D]

We'll look around.

[B]

But hang on to your cards because you still got a hand in this game.

[A]

Thanks, Mother. I'll remember that.

[C]

Watch out, Eddie. Watch out, man.

[B]

You all right, Eddie?

[C]

Nice curve, Novak.

[A]

You're wrong, mister. My friends ride the cable car.

[C]

You made a bum pitch, Novak. Can I trust?

[A]

All right, let go. You can't afford a fight now.

[C]

I want you for Eddie Novak.

[A]

Sorry, fellow, the water's gonna be cold.

[C]

Hey, what's the trouble? Trouble going on?

[A]

No. Whatever gave you that idea?

[C]

I'm a night watchman over here. That fellow lying on the dock there dead.

[A]

Well, if he's not, he's gonna catch cold.

[C]

What about the other fellow? Maybe he can't swim.

[A]

What do you care? He doesn't.

[E]

Oh.

[C]

Hey, come here.

[A]

Looking for something? Yeah.

[C]

Guess they didn't find it, huh?

[A]

Somebody satisfied? They were trying to find the guy that came out of that boat down there.

[C]

Oh, you mean the funny looking guy, huh? A guy got out of that boat a few hours ago all banged up. I think he was in a fight.

[A]

Yeah, sure.

[C]

Somebody shot him. I think he was in a fight.

[A]

Where'd he go?

[C]

Down the dock, toward the street. He asked about a fellow and went down the dock. Oh, he asked about a fellow named Novak. Do you know him?

[A]

Yeah, but I'll do my best to forget. It wasn't gonna be easy to forget. I knew there was a guy wandering around San Francisco waiting to jog my memory. And before long, somebody was gonna find out those two dead guys weren't doing light housekeeping down on the dock. Once homicides smell that red meat, they'd turn Inspector Hellman loose. That's like pouring a bottle of cyanide in a wedding cake. Oh, he's a smart cop with a heart the size of a full grown pea. I got off the dock in a hurry and I went home. When I left, the watchman was still standing there waiting to check in the next murder and smiling like a vulture with a first option on a massacre. Well, I had to get home and look sweet in case Hellman showed up. When I opened the door to my place, Hellman was on the couch with a pencil in one hand and a movie magazine in the other.

[C]

Hello, Mac. You busy?

[A]

No, I'll just stand here and watch you. A little more of that pencil and movie magazine routine and you'll break out in a cold sweat. Where have you been staying, out of other people's apartments?

[C]

I got an answer for that.

[A]

You haven't got an answer for anything, Hellman. You can't fill in a return address envelope. What's on your mind?

[C]

Can I make a call?

[A]

No. Not to play cat and mouse. If you want to know about that bloodbath down on the dock, say so.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

They're close. Strangers. I never saw either of them before.

[C]

You're getting loose around the mouth, Novak, huh? That's right. If some of your playmates stub their toes, it's news to me. You better tell me, though. It'll save time.

[A]

What's the use? If a fact walked up and sat in your lap, you'd lose it.

[C]

Suit yourself. Have a drink.

[A]

Yeah, I will. Where's the bottle opener?

[D]

Huh?

[A]

The bottle opener. You got teeth for it? I need a bottle opener. Help me.

[F]

No, no.

[C]

Try the kitchen.

[A]

All right.

[C]

Try the light.

[A]

Well,

[C]

about this guy on the floor, Novak. Don't tell him to move, because I don'.

[A]

When I looked down at the guy on the floor, I felt like a burlap sack from the neck down. He was a big guy lying on his back. And you got the idea he took it hard. He didn't like the way the vote came in because he wasn't relaxed the way most people are when they're on the prowl for a harp. He was about as rigid as a coil of wet line on a steamer deck. His face was pock, marked in the color of an old piece of abalone. Hellman was standing over him, and the shadow cut across the lower part of his face. It almost blocked out the gun, a big.38 lying about four feet away. The rest of the kitchen was a mess, Was torn up worse than a Japanese lantern in a high wind. Hellman was leaning against the cabinet and smiling like the banker in a crooked blackjack game.

[C]

Does he belong to you, Novak?

[A]

No. He's not pretty enough. Roll him over. We'll find out who he is.

[C]

Already been through his stuff.

[A]

Wipe your hands. The green still shows his name is Joe Deneen. You sure were popular, Joe. Why a scavenger hunt? Every Ghana from town's been looking for him.

[C]

I figured you for the prize.

[A]

Two of them picked me up and lugged me down to the waterfront. Yeah, I told you about them. They ran into bad weather.

[C]

Why'd they take you?

[A]

Because I look like a bird dog, maybe.

[C]

I don't know.

[A]

Why Hellman, they just took me. In the meantime, Sunshine here took my boat out and got shot up.

[C]

And he came up here to borrow your adhesive tape.

[A]

That's all I know. Hellman. He must have figured me for a part.

[C]

I got the same trouble, Novak. That gun on the floor helps too.

[A]

That gun. Second lead at best. I never saw it before.

[C]

It's the murder gun. How'd it get here?

[D]

I don't know.

[C]

Maybe the skull Remade left it. Come on, Novak, you're on the spot. You better start digging.

[A]

If I do any digging, the dirt's gonna go in your face, Hellman.

[C]

You've got a nice face too, Novak.

[A]

You better buy a big shield, Hellman. You got a lot to hide behind.

[C]

Stop beefing. You're the host. What about the safety deposit box?

[A]

You're ahead of me on that one. You ought to have your picture taken.

[C]

He was talking about a safety deposit box when I got here.

[A]

He was alive when you got here?

[C]

That's right. Show more joy. The neighbors heard the shooting and phoned in.

[A]

Well, who did it? What did he say?

[C]

He said, tough luck, copper. That's all he said? Something about a safety deposit box and tough luck, copper.

[A]

Oh, that's real fine. You let him die. Clammed up. You're smart, Hellman. You let him off with a third rate tagline.

[C]

You're lucky, Novak. This way. It's gonna take me 12 hours to wrap you up. I'm gonna run that gun through and check a couple of things. Then I'll be on your tail.

[A]

I want to see you follow something of Hellman. With that big nose of yours, you couldn't find a moose in the bathtub.

[C]

Look, Novak, you're a small time waterfront punk. You've been lucky so far, but you're still a punk. I don't like you and I'm gonna hang you by your heels. I'm gonna get you if it's the last thing I ever do. I'm gonna get you, Hellman.

[A]

If I thought you were on the level about that, I'd give myself up. When Hellman left, things were about as dim as a glow worm at high noon. All the leads were tucked away in the morgue. Those two stiffs on the dock checked out with nothing but a grunt. And the guy up in my place left a.38 and some mild regrets. I had the funny feeling there was a lead up there in that apartment. But I couldn't get a hold of it. Something waiting to be understood the way a thing gets balanced on the edge of your brain Half in, half out like the melody but not the words of an old song well, I didn't know where to turn I was hunting for the shoreline on a dark night so I looked up the only honest guy I know An Ex doctor and a boozer by the name of Jocko Madigan. Oh, he's all right. But he's got the idea that all liquid that isn't a hundred proof lacks character. I finally found him in a little bar down near Union Square. He was talking to a blonde girl and a sailor when I walked in.

[F]

Ah, Pepsi. You find me in the late October of my life trying to recapture a few April moments. Yeah.

[A]

Jocko, I gotta talk to you.

[F]

That's what I like about good whiskey. It makes you too sentimental to be mad at yourself for growing old.

[A]

Look, I'm in a jam. Lay off that stuff long enough to listen.

[F]

Patsy, you underrate the grape. It's a terrible mistake. It's thrown off the whole perspective of history.

[A]

All right, Jocko.

[F]

Like that story about young Washington and the cherry tree. They blame him for that, but actually it was his first hint of future greatness.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[F]

They talk about vandalism, whereas the truth of the matter is he was just preparing a few Manhattans for the family. The whole perspective of history has been altered. Patsy, stop it.

[A]

Willie, I'm in trouble. Will you help me out?

[F]

Yes, if you'll allow me to get a word in edgewise. What kind of trouble?

[A]

There's a dead guy up at my place.

[F]

I don't know why you're in trouble. Think of his bleak outlook on things.

[A]

Hellman's nosing around and he thinks I did it.

[F]

Did you?

[A]

No. He got shot in relays, but he picked my place to quit. And there are two other dead guys down on the dock.

[F]

What were their practices?

[A]

They strong armed me about 10 o' clock and took me down to the waterfront. We were supposed to find a guy named Joe Deneen, but they look too ripe to somebody.

[F]

How about Deneen?

[A]

He's that guy up at my place. When Hellman got there, he was muttering about a safety deposit box and staring at a big.38. Oh, come on. You gotta help me. Jocko.

[F]

Yes, where would you like me to spread the ashes?

[A]

I want you to get down and find out everything you can about Joe Deneen, will you?

[F]

He's your house guest.

[A]

Why don't you go hit the Chronicle and the examiner Morgues and try to find out if he has a safety deposit box in any of the banks.

[F]

Huh? Where are you going? Before prison, I mean.

[A]

I'm going down on Lion, Helm and Shadow until something turns up. I need every minute, Jocko, so hurry.

[F]

Well, I'll. I'll need a quick one for the road first.

[A]

You'll get Going right now, Jocko.

[F]

Patsy, you have a defiant attitude for a man on the doorstep to the next world. Try to be sweeter until you discover your normal disposition. Will do. You can start by paying my bar bill.

[A]

All right. Will you hurry? How much do you owe?

[F]

About $11.

[A]

What have you been doing all night? Are you crazy?

[F]

I may owe $11, Patsy, but so far I've had a better night than you have. Good night, lover.

[A]

I had to get started on some answers because once Hellman checked on those two guys at the dock, he'd go to work on me. He'd keep hacking away and finally cut me down like a piece of flint and a cigarette lighter. Well, after I left, Jocko, I started down to headquarters. It was a little after midnight and the streets were wet and silent. Except that now and then you could hear a woman's laughter coming out of the dark as you passed along. That's the only sound the night keeps whole. I was cutting down Leavenworth street when it came to me. I knew what my lead was up in that apartment. It didn't hit me suddenly. It kept shoving in like a piece of old seaweed on the water. Moving in and out and finally brushing up against you. If that guy was alive when Hellman got there, that meant that maybe he could have phoned somebody. And if he did, then they'd have a record of it down at the desk. Well, I got back to my place and asked the operator. It feels good when you got the right sweepstakes ticket. She said a call had been put in from my place at 10:15 to the Ambrose Hotel, room 204. Well, at last things were beginning to make sense. They must have made sense for about five seconds because Hellman called. The girl handed me the phone and he started in.

[C]

I got news for you, Novak. We checked the prints on that murder gun. They don't add.

[A]

Take your troubles to the chaplain, Hellman. I got my quota.

[C]

Yeah, you got fancy friends too, Novak. The prints belonged to Jake Fidello.

[A]

Yeah, how do you spell that?

[C]

F I D. You're cute, aren't you, Novak?

[A]

To Jake Fidello, I'm nothing. Who is he?

[C]

Cheap punk like you, Novak. He's working out a 20 year stretch in Alcatraz, huh? Yeah, Alcatraz. So there's no tie between the murder gun and the murder.

[A]

Maybe Fidello bought himself a two day furlough.

[C]

We already checked. Guard saw him in his cell at 11 o' clock tonight reading the book.

[A]

Guards pay the rent too, Hellman. My boat was out in that bay tonight and it came back full of bullets and blood. Now you're trying to tell me there's no connection. You better find out if a guy can skip Alcatraz for a few hours.

[C]

I'll wait, Novak. Maybe you can tell me how it's done before long.

[A]

Well, nothing matched now. It was like the chorus girl's legs in a cheap nightclub. If Jake Fidello was smart enough to beat Alcatraz for a couple of hours, then he wasn't dumb enough to leave that murder gun behind. And what was the connection between Deneen and Jake Fidello? And who lived at the Ambrose Hotel? Well, I went up there to find out. It was a small place up near the top of Telegraph Hill. And when I rode by, I could see Alcatraz sitting out in the bay. A lonely island full of birthdays. The Ambrose turned out to be a high toned little joint. The sort of place where the welcome mat's printed in Old English. I went up to 204. The card in the door said Frederica Sims. I knocked, and when the door opened, it was like shaking hands with a flamethrower. She was a tall number and she screamed final edition all over. She stood in the doorway for a minute and swayed in a nice contented way like a snake on the right diet. When she said hello, you wanted to hand her your arm and say twist.

[E]

Good evening.

[A]

Yeah, my name's Novak.

[E]

I'll remember. Won't you come in?

[A]

It'll save an argument.

[E]

Good. I hope you don't mind crowds, Mr. Novak.

[D]

She means me, Mr. Novak. I'm Mike Trevor.

[E]

And I'm Freddie Sims.

[A]

Well, that brings us up to date.

[E]

A drink would do so much more. You need a drink, Mr. Novak. You look a little dusty.

[D]

Don't mind her, Novak. She addresses all people as peasants.

[A]

All right. Now, suppose you two landowners tell me who killed Joe Dineen.

[E]

You know Mike. I don't think he wants the drink.

[A]

We'll all celebrate when you get around to Dineen.

[D]

I don't think we know a man by the name of Dineen. Particularly if he's dead.

[E]

Yes, I'm sure we wouldn't like him.

[A]

Come on, let's drop the smart talk. Come on. Back in the saloon, a guy by the name of Joe Deneen died all over my kitchen tonight.

[D]

Don't get tough, Novak. If you missed your dinner, all right. But don't come up here screaming about your dead friend.

[A]

Now, Look, I'm about 10ft behind a phone call. Deneen put in a call for this number just before he died.

[D]

Then it was Whimsy Novak, or anything else you'd like to call it. We don't know the man. You can mull it over on your way downstairs.

[A]

Yeah, and you can use the time to think over that safety deposit box.

[E]

What safety deposit box?

[A]

Oh, you're jumping your cue, lady. Make it more casual, huh?

[D]

Do you know what you're talking about, Novak?

[A]

You think so?

[D]

I'll tell you what I'll do, Novak. I'll buy that key from you.

[A]

You got a deal. Unless you want to pay it off with money.

[D]

You mean Joe Denis?

[A]

That's right. I'm running front on a murder rap. You want that key. If you want it bad enough, come on down to headquarters and we'll make a trade.

[D]

No, thanks, Novak. You didn't look bright, but I thought you might be hiding your brain somewhere. This way, you lose money, you lose even more.

[A]

Trevor, I was gonna ease you into that murder rap, but the offer's out. You'll have to struggle in, and you'll be too tired to get out.

[E]

Can I loan either of you boys a pickaxe?

[D]

No, thanks. Well, I'm gonna run along. Can I drop you anyplace, Novak?

[A]

I'll stay.

[D]

You know, I didn't think I could drop you anyplace, Novak. You ought to sell that gleam in your eyes. Some airport could use it. Good night, Freddy. Be careful.

[E]

Good night, Mike. I can take care of myself.

[D]

Yes, if you try. That's all I was worried about.

[A]

Your friend reads the wrong books.

[E]

I'll bet you never wasted your time that way. Why don't you sit down on the couch here and have a drink, Patsy? Now that the argument's over.

[A]

Is it?

[E]

At least we need a drink.

[A]

Yeah, sure. That'll make the talk come easy about that key.

[E]

You think I want the key?

[A]

Like nothing else in the world.

[E]

That's a little rash, Patsy. But I do want it. I want it very badly.

[A]

Those are famous last words, lady. You heard the round with Mike. The prices haven't changed.

[E]

Got too expensive. Darling, here's your drink. What are you looking at, Patsy?

[A]

You. The way you slide around on that couch.

[E]

Yes.

[A]

Yeah. You belong in the Everglades.

[E]

If I were there, Patsy, I think you're the kind of a guy who'd be right around the next bend.

[A]

You sound pretty sure that's a good way to lose your shirt.

[E]

I am sure, Patsy. I know that about us. We belong in a swamp. Yeah, we belong together because we're the same kind. We're neither good nor Bad. We just are, and that has to do.

[A]

You make it sound corny, baby.

[E]

Try to hide, darling, but I can see you peeking through your fingers. I can see you awfully good from here. Patsy, watch out.

[A]

You're backing into a corner, angel.

[E]

But I've got you with me.

[A]

Make some more noise, huh? I like it.

[E]

It's true. I've got you with me, haven't I, Patsy?

[A]

I can still struggle.

[E]

I'll bet you don't struggle good. I'll bet you don't struggle good at all.

[A]

Patsy, I still got that key, baby.

[E]

You're a sissy.

[A]

It stays at my place.

[E]

I could eat you, Patsy, you're wonderful.

[A]

Yeah.

[E]

You never hand me my drink and the soda at the end of the table.

[A]

Sure.

[E]

That's it, darling.

[A]

It doesn't pay much to fall in love. I spent enough time on her rug to work my way into the design. And when I finally came to, it was morning. There was nobody around the place, so I started for home. On the way, I tried to fill in the blind spots, but it was like trying to match pearls in the dark. Somebody had killed Deneen for the key to that safety deposit box. But where was the key? If the girl or Mike Trevor did it, then why were they still on the trail? Well, when I got to my apartment, the place was torn apart. Looked something like a mop closet after a New Year's Eve party. Jocko was sitting in the middle of the room listening to the water fizz.

[F]

Good morning. Where'd you get the bump on the head?

[A]

Romance. What'd you find out, Jocko?

[F]

Deneen had lots of friends and enemies.

[A]

Yeah, One of them's Jake Fidello.

[F]

He's number one on the list. Deneen had a brawl with Fidello 2 years ago. Jake promised to square the beef.

[A]

He's in a bad spot for it now.

[F]

Maybe Deneen has no safety deposit box.

[A]

That was my out.

[F]

Perhaps you can take up folk dancing in prison. I'll send you diagrams of new steps from time to time. Fidello has a safety deposit box, though.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

He's got a lot of money floating around somewhere.

[A]

Well, well.

[F]

And a lot of women doing the same thing.

[A]

We're getting a better shuffle now. Is the girl's name Freddie Simms?

[F]

That's right. Fidello loves her like the last 15 minutes of life. That's why he won't like it.

[A]

Get to the point, huh?

[F]

She's supposed to be waiting for him, but she's got married in Mexico to a guy named Mike Trevor. Fidello's best friend. Does it make sense?

[A]

No, it doesn't. Suppose Jake's found out about his sweetheart and best friend. Why would he kill Denine?

[F]

I don't know. Except you'll find out, Patsy, that sometimes the difference between your best friend and your worst enemy is only a matter of opportunity.

[A]

Yeah. No back talking.

[C]

How's the dent in your forehead?

[A]

Oh, you get around. Hellman.

[C]

Yeah, we picked her up at your apartment.

[A]

She tell you about that key?

[C]

A little. She made a confession too.

[A]

She's generous.

[C]

Not the Mike Trevor. She pinned the whole thing on him and signed the statement. We're going out to pick him up now. I'll see you in 10 minutes.

[A]

Why?

[C]

In case he wants to shoot somebody? I'm offering you.

[A]

Things were moving fast now. I sent Jocko down to start repair work on the boat and Hellman picked me up five minutes later. We drove out Geary and turned on Van Ness. Oh, Hellman was real subtle. He stopped right in front of the rooming house where Mike Trevor was living. The girl had mapped it out for him. Trevor was in a first floor room. It was a quiet neighborhood. But as we opened the front door and started in, I got the idea was gonna be a tough place to get any sleep for the next few minutes.

[C]

It's down on the right side here. Stay ahead of me, Novak.

[A]

You're one copper who will die in bed.

[C]

Hellman down the hall and be quiet.

[A]

This is it. On this lap, you go first.

[C]

Stand back while I throw it open.

[A]

Kind of empty. Hellman.

[C]

Girl said he was here. What's that?

[A]

Your boy's up at the top of the stairs.

[C]

You see him?

[A]

Well, he's not wearing neon pants. Go up and get him.

[C]

Come on down, Trevor. Your girl talked. Come on down and sign a confession. I've got a better idea, copper.

[D]

You come up and hand me the pen.

[C]

All right, Novak.

[A]

Move over. Hellman. He's gonna argue.

[C]

He's heading for the roof. Let's go.

[A]

Hold it, Hellman. If that door up there is locked, we'll run right through the barrel.

[C]

You get one more chance, Trevor. Come on down.

[A]

That roof door is locked.

[C]

All right, Popper, I'm coming down.

[D]

Make a hole. Now.

[C]

You got your hole, Trevor.

[D]

Yeah, Novak.

[A]

You better get to that safety deposit box. Get there in a hurry before the girl. The city owns him now, Hellman, let's get to that safety deposit box.

[C]

Let her have the key. What do you care, Novak? She's Fidela's girl.

[A]

No, no. There's a queer twist here somewhere. How do you know what's in that box?

[C]

So Fidela's in love with a girl. He's grateful. What do you care?

[A]

That's what makes it good. That's the way it is with love and gratitude. The love goes on, Hellman, but the gratitude changes. The way things stood. There was only one place that key could be. I got to a phone and called Jocko. I told him to check out on the boat for a key somewhere on the floorboards. Jocko seemed happy when he said that some girl had come by 15 minutes ago and nosed around the boat for a while. Well, Hellman and I rushed down to the bank. When we got downstairs, Freddy was just starting into the vault.

[E]

Hello, Patsy. You look rested.

[A]

If you're on your way to that deposit box, you better think it over.

[E]

Can he stop me, copper?

[C]

No, but we can hold the dough until we check with Fidello.

[E]

Go ahead.

[A]

I don't think he's gonna like it.

[E]

Oh, we'll have to see. I'll be back in a moment.

[C]

Let's go, Novak. We can hold the dough upstairs.

[A]

No, let's hang around. I just want to see 18 karat greed. When she opens that box, there's the gratitude helmet.

[E]

Well, Pepsi, I got the key, huh?

[A]

Yeah, you got everything, Angel.

[E]

How about Mike? What happened to him?

[A]

He beat you over the line by 20 minutes.

[E]

Oh, that's a nice way to let me know.

[A]

Anyway, I'll try again. Because you don't rate a nice way. You're not worth anything Fidello ever had.

[E]

Why start an argument I couldn't finish it.

[A]

I was wrong about one thing, Angel. When I said Fidela wouldn't like this. I think he will.

[E]

Yeah, he was a cutie.

[A]

Fidello was a thorough guy. The way he told Hellman. Everything worked out but the right inning. Fidello found out about the girl and Mike Trevor, so he pulled a switch. He hired his enemy, Joe Deneen, to do the job. Deneen planted the bomb in the safety deposit box. And just to prove it was a square pitch, Fidello gave Deneen a gun with his prints on it. Deneen was supposed to kill the girl and leave the key for Mike to blow his head off. Just to make it clean, Fidello got in touch with Mike on the side and told him to look up Dineen if anything happened to the girl. That way. He figured to wrap up all three of them. But Mike jumped the gun. He started tailing Deneen and shot him up out on the bay. He followed him to my place and killed him with the fingerprinted gun Dineen was carrying. Deneen didn't get onto the double cross, but he called the girl and told her there was a lot of money in that safety deposit box. It began to look awfully big. So the girl finally double crossed Mike Trevor and turned him in. Trevor killed those two guys in the pier. He'd have lost Deneen in the fog. And when he drove up, a couple of gunsels around got scared. Well, Hellman asked only one question. What could that girl have said to Jocko to make him let her walk in and breeze out with that key? I mentioned that to Jocko, but he just smiled.

[B]

The American Broadcasting Company has just brought you Pat Novak for Hire, starring Jack Webb. Pat Novak is directed and produced 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 Adlam. In our cast were Yvonne Fatty Tal, Avery, Harley Bear and Herb Ellis. This program is being released to our servicemen and women overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is George Feniman inviting you to be with us again next week when over most of these same ABC stations we'll bring you Pat Novak or Hire. This program came to you from Hollywood. This is abc, the American Broadcasting Company.