Philo Vance: Heavyweight Murder Case 11/16/1948

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Philo Vance: Heavyweight Murder Case (11/16/1948)
Release Date: May 30, 2026

This episode features a classic Philo Vance detective story centered around a famed heavyweight boxing match that ends in a suspicious death. Vance steps in to unravel the tangled motives involving fighters, managers, and a grieving girlfriend. The story is a vintage crime mystery balanced by snappy period dialogue, hard-boiled exchanges, and a clever solution built on the world of boxing.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Setting the Stage: Preparation for the Big Fight

• Opening Scene (00:00-03:30)
  • Trainer Sam Billings and boxer Mike Daggett wrap up final preparations before Mike’s title match.
  • “By tomorrow night, you’ll be champion of the world. Think of that, kid. Just think of it.” — Sam Billings (01:26)
• Conflict Introduced (03:30-04:55)
  • Silk Morgan, manager of reigning champ KO Connolly, tries to bribe Sam to have Mike throw the fight.
  • “Now, suppose I fix it so you and your boy make more dough by losing? You interested?” — Silk Morgan (03:55)
  • Sam refuses: “Mike fights clean. He fights honest. That's it.” (04:35)

2. Emotional Crossroads: Love and Peril

• Mike and Billie Stanley (04:59-07:03)
  • Billie, Mike’s girlfriend, pleads for him not to fight for fear of him getting hurt or worse.
  • "You take the brass ring, Mike, and it’s the only ring there’ll ever be for you and me." — Billy Stanley (05:51)
  • Billie asks Mike to lose deliberately, arguing they'll get enough money to start a life together.
  • Mike initially agrees, torn between love and loyalty to Sam (06:55): “Maybe I’d do it if it wasn’t for Sam, but... I owe him a clean fight.”

3. Suspicion and Warning: Stakes Rise

• Sam’s Warning and Mysterious Call (07:03-08:41)
  • Sam reveals Silk tried to bribe him and got violent when rebuffed.
  • An anonymous call warns District Attorney Markham (08:03) of serious criminal intent to rig the fight.
  • Markham assures police protection: “You mean I promised the young lady that this Mike Daggett would have police protection? Heath, see that he gets it.” (08:35)

4. Philo Vance Enters the Scene

• Vance Invited to the Match (09:22-11:39)
  • Typical witty banter between Vance and his secretary Ms. Woods.
  • Ms. Woods jokes about her tough neighborhood: “If you say you don’t like fights right away, you’re in one.” (11:09)

5. The Fight and Murder in the Ring

• Boxing Match (12:00-14:08)
  • Ring announcer, celebrity intros, and match buildup.
  • Mike goes down unexpectedly without being hit.
  • “Vance, he wasn’t even hit. Oh, I know he wasn’t, Markham. I got a look at him just before he fell. He may not have been hit, but I guarantee he’s dead.” — Philo Vance (14:07)

6. Investigation & Interrogations

• Police Questioning (15:15-18:08)
  • Billie Stanley and Sam Billings are at Billie’s apartment, grief-stricken.
  • Vance and Markham interrogate Billie, who admits to giving Mike knockout drops but denies poisoning him.
  • “I fed him the knockout drops. I did it because I wanted him to lose the fight so he'd give us the ring. I did that, but I didn't poison him.” — Billie Stanley (17:51)
  • Vance believes her and asks for her temporary release.

7. Closing in on the Real Killer

• Pressure on the Champ’s Camp (18:08-20:18)
  • Vance confronts the champion and Silk Morgan. Physical altercation ensues, resolved by Vance's jiu jitsu:
  • “So I own a victory over K.O. Connolly. That practically makes me the heavyweight champion of the world.” — Philo Vance (20:18)

8. The Trap and Final Reveal

• Nightclub Trap (20:27-23:46)
  • Vance works with Billie Stanley at her nightclub to bait the murderer into revealing himself.
  • Vance tells Morgan and Connolly: “Miss Stanley told me that if I'd meet her at the back exit when the club closes, she'd tell me who poisoned Mike Daggett.” (21:06)
  • At the stage door, Sam Billings attacks Billie to silence her but is shot by Sergeant Heath.
  • “Well, Billings thought Mike was going to throw the fight...Billings bet heavily on Daggett to lose. Then Mike told Billings he was going out to win...So Billings had to find some way to stop that.” — Philo Vance (24:18)

9. The Method and Motive Explained

• Breakdown of the Murder (23:46-25:33)
  • Billings used acid from Billie Stanley’s photo darkroom, hidden in the rubber mouthpiece he gave Mike before the fight.
  • “Just before the fight, Billings slipped a rubber mouthpiece into Mike’s mouth. All fighters use them to protect their teeth. And the mouthpiece had been dipped in the acid.” — Philo Vance (24:52)
  • Billings’ motive: fear of losing his bet after Mike decided to fight to win.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “By tomorrow night, you’ll be champion of the world. Think of that, kid. Just think of it.”
  — Sam Billings, optimism for his fighter (01:26)

• “You stand between me and a fortune, Sam. If I am, I ain’t moving out of the way.”
  — Sam Billings and Silk Morgan on ethics in boxing (04:25)

• “He may not have been hit, but I guarantee he’s dead.”
  — Philo Vance coolly calls the crime (14:07)

• “I fed him the knockout drops. I did it because I wanted him to lose the fight so he'd give us the ring. I did that, but I didn't poison him.”
  — Billie Stanley’s anguished confession (17:51)

• “So I own a victory over K. O. Connolly. That practically makes me the heavyweight champion of the world.”
  — Philo Vance, tongue-in-cheek after using jiu jitsu (20:18)

• “Well, Billings thought Mike was going to throw the fight... Billings bet heavily on Daggett to lose. Then Mike told Billings he was going out to win... So Billings had to find some way to stop that.”
  — Vance reveals the motive (24:18)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00-04:59: Setup at the gym; Sam is bribed and threatened
• 04:59-07:03: Mike and Billie’s emotional argument
• 07:46-08:41: Anonymous warning to the DA
• 10:13-11:39: Vance banters with Ms. Woods, accepts the fight invite
• 12:00-14:08: Championship fight & Mike’s death in the ring
• 15:15-18:08: Billie Stanley confesses to knockout drops, not poison
• 20:27-23:46: Vance sets the trap, Billings attacks Billie, is killed
• 23:46-25:33: Vance explains the murder method and Billings’ motive

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Tone, Language, and Style

The episode maintains a brisk, witty period tone, blending detective genre tropes with sharp exchanges between Vance, police, and suspects. The interplay between Philo Vance and the supporting cast keeps the tension high, while the banter with Ms. Woods and the boxing milieu delivers a slice of 1940s radio entertainment.

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Summary

"Heavyweight Murder Case" delivers a classic blend of boxing drama and murder mystery. When a promising young contender dies in the ring under mysterious circumstances, Philo Vance peels back layers of deceit, love, and greed, finally unmasking the unexpected killer—the boxer's own manager. With its colorful period dialogue and clever mystery mechanics, this episode is a quintessential example of golden age radio detective storytelling.

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]. Keep your chin in your left shoulder, Mike. Tuck that shoulder up higher. Keep your left out. Oh, further. That's it. Keep him away from that left. Keep jabbing, Mike. Keep that left hand in his kisser. Get him off balance with it. Now the right. Okay, Mike, that's enough for today. Come on over here. I want to talk to you. Let me have that glove. I'll take it off for you. That's it. There we are. Oh, it feels good to get that mouthpiece out of my jaw. And these gloves off. Sam, how'd I look in there today? You'll do. Throw this robe over your shoulders, eh? Don't want you catching cold right now. There you are. Now let's have that helmet you're wearing. I'll put it away with the rest of the stuff. Good enough, Sam. Well, what goes on now? Nothing. You take a shower and you go home. Take it easy. No more workouts till the big fight tomorrow. And then nobody'll be calling you Mike anymore. They'll be calling you champ. Think so? Sure. What's the matter? Don't you like the idea? Are you kidding? Mike Daggett, heavyweight champion of the world. You come a long way, kid. And I'm the guy who brought you up there. Yeah, I know, Sam. Thanks a lot. Oh, forget it. Look, I gotta stop and see my girl on the way home. That's okay, isn't it? Well, it ain't okay, Micah. Now, I got nothing against Billy Stanley. She's a good kid. She's for you all the way. Only fighters and females don't make so good. At least not before a big fight. Look, call her up. Well, what you say goes, Sam. Say, look, you really think I got a chance against the champ? This isn't any pep talk, you know. You're a cinch, Mike. Only thing that can stop you tomorrow is the referee counting 10 over that cheese champ. He's a pushover, Mike. A pushover. You really think that, don't you, Sam? Think it? I know it. By tomorrow night, you'll be champion of the world. Think of that, kid. Just think of it. I've been thinking of it, Sam, and right now it's the one thing in the world I'm afraid of. Yeah? Who was that? Me, Silk. Sam Billings. Come in and sit down, Sam. I want to talk to you. I sent for You. So I could make you a present of some easy cabbage. Sit down, kid. Sit down. I come over because it was near the gym and I just got finished watching Mike Daggett work out. Uh huh. Not because you sent for me so. Well, you won't be sorry, Sam. I've been managing the champ for eight years now. I know we got a couple of more of easy dough ahead of us if. If your boy don't cop the duke tomorrow night. I ain't doubting that, Silk. Only my boy's a breeze to win. I know it, he knows it, and you know it, or you wouldn't be sending it. Maybe. Maybe. But Sam, look, we. We ain't in this business for love, are we? Huh? No. No, none of us are. Now, suppose I fix it so you and your boy make more dough by losing? You interested? You want Mike to lay down? That's right. On a golden pillow with an awful lot of cash for a blanket. Hey, where you going? Out. No dice on your deal, Silk? Mike fights clean. He fights honest. That's it. Not yet, it ain't. You stand between me and a fortune, Sam. If I am, ain't moving out of the way. Okay. Wanna play rough, huh? Toss you out of here? Out in your ear. Hey, they call me you. Sure. But this is just a sample of what you get if you let your lip get loose. Ow. Chum. See, I wouldn't say anything about our conversation if I were you, Sam. Cause I wouldn't throw a fight. You throw me out of your office. That's right. Only that ain't all I'm gonna do. Your boy's gonna lay down tomorrow night, Sam, one way or another. Look, Billy, I shouldn't even be here. Sam told me to call you up. Made me promise I'd go right home so I'd be in shape to fight tomorrow night.

[B]

Oh, I'm sorry, Mike. I don't mean to quarrel on you. I can't help it. Why can't you see things my way?

[A]

I can, baby. And maybe you aren't wrong, Billy, but give me a break. Look at what I put into this fighting business. Years of boxing at small clubs for peanuts. Weeks of training, all to get a shot at the title.

[B]

Well, look what you'll take out of fighting. My cauliflower ears. Your nose all twisted. Maybe your brain too, if you take one punch too many. It's all got to happen if you win tomorrow night.

[A]

Look, nobody's been talking to you and trying to get you to make me quit tomorrow, have they?

[B]

Oh, Mike.

[A]

No, no, no, baby. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It's just that I'm all tight inside. I know how you feel. I know you haven't had any picnic while I was scrapping in those penny aunty clubs. But don't pack me in now. Not when I'm gonna grab the brass ring.

[B]

You take the brass ring, Mike. And it's the only ring they'll ever be for you and me.

[A]

But I need the dough. The title's gonna kid me. I need it so we can get married. Billy baby, that's what I've been planning on.

[B]

Well, it's no go, Mike. I don't want that, any part of it. I'll go on making my own living.

[A]

Sure, sure. Taking pictures of suckers in a nightclub. It's some job for my girl.

[B]

I'm gonna keep that job. Especially now that it looks like I'm gonna lose you.

[A]

I'm not going anywhere, baby.

[B]

Yes, you are. Right out of my life. I won't have the guy I love walking around on his heels.

[A]

There's gotta be some way out of this, Billy. There's gotta be.

[B]

All right, there is a way out. You've gotta fight tomorrow night. But you don't have to win. You did promise me you'd quit if you didn't win the title, didn't you, Mike?

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, I promised.

[B]

Then don't win. It's so simple. We'll have enough money from your end of the purse to get married and start off with. It'll last till you get a job. What about it?

[A]

I don't know, Billy. Maybe I'd do it if it wasn't for Sam, but. Well, he's had just as tough a time as we had. I owe him a clean fight.

[B]

I don't like to hurt Sam either. This is for us, Mike. For you and me.

[A]

Okay. Okay, Billy baby. You win. I'll take one tomorrow. Mike, I'm glad you're here. Tried to get you at your place, but you weren't there.

[B]

Sam, we got something to tell you first.

[A]

I've got something to tell Mike. Now, listen, kid. I just came from Silk Morgan's office threw me out. This leg of mine still hurts from where I landed on it. He threw you out? Why, that don't do nothing to Silk. Just got sore because I told him you wouldn't lay down for the champ tomorrow night. You got it all fixed for him to win. They're betting their shirts on him. When I wouldn't go along, Silk tossed me out the door. Oh, he did, Tiddly. Well, I'll get him. Not him, Mike. Get the champ. That'll fix the whole crowd. Leave him to me, Mike. Leave him to me. Tomorrow night, I knock the champ right into Silk Morgan's lap.

[B]

Mike.

[A]

Excuse me a moment. Sergeant Heath. Oh, sure. District Attorney Markham speaking.

[B]

Hello, Mr. Markham. Never mind who this is, but you've got to listen to me.

[A]

All right, if I must. What is it?

[B]

There's a big fight on tonight. Mike Daggett against Kay O' Connell is a champ.

[A]

Yes, I know.

[B]

Well, Mr. Markham, I've been up all night trying to figure out what to do. I just decided the best thing was to call your office.

[A]

Well, having decided that and having done that, suppose you tell me what this is all about.

[B]

There's a mob in back of the champ, Mr. Markham. A tough mob. And they're trying to see that Mike Daggett doesn't win the title tonight. They'll do anything to see that Connally keeps it. You've got to protect Mike. You've got to promise me you will.

[A]

Well, I'll promise you we'll try.

[B]

Oh, thanks, Mr. Markham. I'll never forget this. Goodbye.

[A]

Goodbye. Well, he thought I could hear that. Da. You're not gonna let that call bother you, are you? That business of knocking off the Challenger has been in a hundred movies and in a thousand stories. But it just doesn't happen. Not in real life. It doesn't. It hasn't yet. You mean I promised the young lady that this Mike Daggett would have police protection? Heath, see that he gets it. Sure, Da. But the club will be loaded with cops tonight anyhow. We always have him on hand at a fight. Don't worry about anything. We'll handle anything that happens. Who are you calling? Philo Vance. Why? Because some crackpot dame thinks the Challenger is going to get knocked off tonight? Hardly. I merely want to invite him to the fight, that's all.

[B]

Hello, Officer Philo vance, private investigator. Ms. Woods speaking.

[A]

Oh, Ms. Woods, this is District Attorney Markham. Is Ms. Deering still away?

[B]

Yes, she is. Her mother's still sick, so Mr. Vance keeps me on as his contemporary secretary.

[A]

You probably mean temporary, but we won't bother about that now. Is Vance there?

[B]

Is he here? He's practically on pins and needles waiting to talk to you. Just a minute.

[C]

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[B]

It's for you, Mr. Vance. Here.

[A]

Thank you. Hello, Markham. I was hoping you'd call. Thank you, Vance. That's very complimentary. But if you wanted to speak to me, why didn't you call me? Well, I might have, except that I have no murder to invite you to this time, Vance. I don't have any either. I just called to see if you'd like to be my guest at the big fight tonight. It so happens that I have two extra tickets and it promises to be a great match. Well, thank you very much, Markham. I'd like very much to go. You'll still have an extra ticket, but we'll dig up somebody. Thanks again and I'll call you back and arrange a meeting place. Oh, incidentally, that I'm not promising anything, but there just might be a little unscheduled excitement at the fight. Really, Markham? Well, that sounds wonderful. I'll see you later. Goodbye. Bye.

[B]

Mr. Vance. I don't want to sound like I'm forward or anything like that, but did I understand Mr. Markham had an extra ticket?

[A]

Why, yes, he has, Ms. Woods.

[B]

Well, gee, if it wouldn't be putting anybody out, I'd sure love to see that fight, Mr. Vance.

[A]

You like fights, Ms. Woods?

[B]

In the neighborhood where I live, if you say you don't like fights right away, you're in one.

[A]

Really? I'd never have guessed you like boxing matches, Ms. Woods?

[B]

Well, I. I never boxed any, but. Mr. Vance, should we continue on with that history of the last thing we were working on, the President murder case?

[A]

I think we'd better, Ms. Woods. What disturbs me is that that was last week. We haven't had a single killing this week to work on.

[B]

Oh, there's going to be one tonight, Mr. Vance. I could tell you that without the slightest thought that I was a prefabricator.

[A]

I don't question your telling the truth, even though I think you mean prevaricated, Ms. Woods. But you're sure there will be a

[B]

killing tonight Match at the fight. When Mike Daggett gets the champ in the ring tonight, he'll murder the bum.

[A]

And now it is my pleasure to present that star of stage Screen and radio. Your friend and mine. Sitting third row ringside, that popular comedian, Eddie Harris.

[B]

He's cute, isn't he, mister?

[A]

I can't tell. His face is in the way. Time for the big match, isn't it, Markham? Just about, Vance. They've introduced everybody from the promoter to the janitor. Yep, there they go, clearing the ring. And now for the heavyweight championship of the world. Fifteen rounds to a decision, our feature attraction at 189 and a half, wearing purple trunks, the young snugging sensation from this city. The challenger, Mike Dagger over here. At £210, wearing black trunks, holder of many records and recognized by one and all for his courage and his fistic ability, the heavyweight champion of the world, KO Connolly. This is advance and so far no trouble.

[B]

Nothing could be trouble. The fight hasn't started yet.

[A]

Mr. Markham means that there has been no evidence of the veiled hint of extracurricular activity he made to me on the phone, everybody. The title match is about to begin. May the contendor and the champion put forth their best efforts. May the superior skill and stamina of one or the other be the difference between victory and defeat. Now come out fighting, men.

[B]

Stay the goal. Wow, look at that. Right to chap that loose.

[A]

Miss Wood, please.

[B]

What's the matter, Mr. Bass? Don't you like Fine

[A]

Van's? Jagger was hardly touched and he's down. He's getting up. Probably just knocked off balance, that's all.

[B]

The chance will get him now. There he goes, measuring him. Here he comes. He missed it. He missed him. The bump, Marco.

[A]

Look at Mike Daggetty staggered. There go his knees. They started to buckle.

[B]

There he go. 5.

[A]

He wasn't even hit. And he's down, Vance. 8, 9, 10. There's the referee picking him up off the floor and he cut him to his corner. But Vance, he wasn't even hit. Oh, I know he wasn't, Mar. I got a look at him just before he fell. He may not have been hit, but I guarantee he's dead. This is just you, Attorney Markham. The heavyweight murder case began when prize fighter Mike Daggett healed over in the ring. Investigations showed that the challenger had been doped and poisoned and revealed that Billy Stanley, Daggett's girlfriend and nightclub photographer, did not want Mike to win. Nor did KO Connolly, the champion or his manager, Silk Morgan. Vance. Sergeant Heath and I have found out that Billy Stanley is at her apartment with Sam Billings, Mike's manager. And we are on our way up there. Ah, please stop, Billy. That isn't going to help things any.

[B]

I can't help it, Sam. I can't stop. He's gone. He should never have gone into that ring. He's gone, Sam.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah, I know. He was murdered.

[B]

The police say he was murdered. He was poisoned.

[A]

I'll get it, Billy. Now, try to take it easy. I beg your pardon. I'm District Attorney Markham. This is philo Vance and Sergeant Heath. We'd like to see Ms. Billy Stanley. Come on in. I'm Sam Billings. I was Mike's manager. That's Ms. Stanley. Only I can understand how she feels, Mr. Billings. Good evening, Ms. Stanley. Permit me to tell you.

[B]

What do you want with me, Mr. Vass? What do you want? Haven't I had enough questions from the police?

[A]

Apparently not. You see, Ms. Stanley, we found out that Mike Daggett was both doped and poisoned. And that you were with him when he ate last before the fight.

[B]

Yes, yes. Yes, I was. And I didn't want him to fight. Found that out too, I suppose. But did you also find out that I loved him? Did you?

[A]

We'll take your word for that, Ms. Stagger. Look, Mr. Markham, Vance ain't getting anywhere with those silk gloves of his. Please, please. I'm taking over. Look here, Ms. Stanley. Your boyfriend was fed knockout drops and he was poisoned afterwards. The Mickey Fin was so he wouldn't taste the poison. Now, you ate with him. Come on, admit you fed him the stuff.

[B]

No. No, I won't. I didn't.

[A]

You've got no right to come here and accuse Billings. You shut up or I'll go to work on you. Now, come on, Miss Stanley, tell us you did it and we'll go easy on you.

[B]

I won't tell you that it's not true.

[A]

Apparently, motorman's gloves aren't any more effective than silk ones, huh? Never mind, Heath. Mr. Vance was entitled to that. Miss Stanley, that's a professional camera on the table over there, isn't it?

[B]

Yes, it is. Speed Graflex.

[A]

You know, I'm a nightclub photographer who develops your pictures.

[B]

I do it myself. Dark room in the club.

[A]

You liked Mike Daggett, didn't you, Miss Stanley?

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

You were going to marry him.

[B]

Yes. Yes, I was.

[A]

You loved him more than any man in the world, didn't you?

[B]

Yes. Yes, of course I did.

[A]

And why did you poison him?

[B]

I didn't. I didn't.

[A]

Of course you did. Mr. Daggett was murdered by poison. By an acid used in developing pictures. It was handy for you to get. You got it.

[B]

You used it no, no, Mr. Vance, I. I tell you I didn't.

[A]

Mr. Daggett was fed knockout drops. Sergeant Heath found out that you purchased several ingredients at a drugstore. These ingredients, when combined, would do the trick very nicely. You were the last person to eat with Mr. Daggett. Why don't you admit you've had him? The drops and the poison. All right,

[B]

all right. I fed him the knockout drop. I did it because I wanted him to lose the fight so he'd give us the ring. I did that, but I didn't poison him. I didn't. Do you hear me, Mr. Vance? You must believe I didn't poison him.

[A]

I don't think I must, but I think I do believe it. That's why I'm going to ask Sergeant Heath to let you go. Let her go, Vance? Are you nuts? She admitted the knockout drops. I'll get her to admit she used a poison on Dagger too. I'd rather you didn't try, Sergeant Heath. I'd rather you let Ms. Stanley free for a while. What's the big idea, Vance? Frankly, Heath, there's a chance she didn't poison her sweetheart. But finding out who did might be quite a problem. I have an idea that in some way Ms. Stanley will simplify that problem for us. Hey, champ. This Vance guy comes to us to tell us Mike's girl admits she gave Mike a mickey. What a week here. Sure, Silk. What a week here. I wasn't certain whether you cared or not. I thought perhaps you'd like to know. And by the way, you might be interested in this. The police have released Billy Stanley. Hey, Vance, the. The paper said that Mike was poisoned by some junk used in developing pictures. Don't you know that Stanley dame takes pictures in nightclubs? Sure, she takes pictures in nightclubs. That's beside the point. What is important to both of you is that you wanted Mike out of the way. Because from what I've learned, he could have beaten you easily last night. Think so? Think so? I know so. What I think is that perhaps you wouldn't want him to try. We can't find out how Mike was poisoned. But perhaps you found some way of feeding it to him. You can't come in here and accuse us of murdering Mike. You can't come in here and say we knocked him off. And I'd teach you not to do things like that, Vance. Go ahead, champ, show him. I don't like the way he looks anyhow. His nose is too straight. Yeah, his nose is too straight. Fix that right now with a You've killed him, Vance, for that jiu jitsu trick of yours. You killed him when you threw him over your shoulder. I think not, Mr. Morgan. Not if he landed on his head. Well, so I own a victory over K. O'. Connelly. That practically makes me the heavyweight champion of the world.

[B]

Would you like your picture taken, sir?

[A]

What?

[B]

Your picture, sir. You and the lady would make an attractive picture. Have it as a souvenir of your visit to this nightclub.

[A]

No, thank you.

[B]

No? All right. Would you like your pic. Oh, it's you, Mr. Vance.

[A]

Good evening, Ms. Stanley.

[B]

Oh, Mr. Vance, I want to thank you for getting me off. But tell me, are you close to finding out who did kill Mike?

[A]

I think his killer is in this club, Miss Stanley.

[B]

You mean Kay o' Connelly or his manager, Silk Morgan? They've got a ringside table and they're looking this way.

[A]

Good. Listen, lean over and pretend to whisper something to me. Anything at all. Go ahead.

[B]

All right, what is it you want me to say?

[A]

Anything, but be emphatic.

[B]

Are you anywhere near knowing who killed Mike, Mr. Vance?

[A]

Really? Well, thank you very much. Oh, hello, Mr. Billings. Hi, Vance. Hello, Billy. What goes on here? Not a great deal. I'll see you later, Miss Stanley.

[B]

Right. I'll see you later, Stanley.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Would you like to go to the.

[A]

I'm glad you came over, Mr. Billings. If I'm not mistaken, isn't that Mr. Silk Morgan or the champion making their way over to this table? Yeah, it is. Wonder what they want. I imagine we'll find out soon enough. Hello there, Mr. Morgan. Mr. Connolly. Hi, Vance. Hi, Vance. Hey, Vance, what was it that Billy Stanley was whispering to you just now? Unless it ain't none of my business. On the contrary, I'd say it was a great deal of your business. Miss Stanley told me that if I'd meet her at the back exit when the club closes, she'd tell me who poisoned Mike Daggett. Good night, Al. Hello, Bill. Me, at my age. A stage door. Johnny Vance, why do I do things like this? Because you're a good cop, Heath. Because I asked you to. And because Markham told you to. I can see the stage door from here. All the musicians are out and most of the dames. But where's that Billy Stanley? I'm sure I don't know. Heath, how far would you say it was from here to the stage door? It's about half a block. Good. That's just right for us not to be seen. And yet near enough to help in case of trouble. Hey, Vance. Here comes that Stanley girl. She's walking this way too. There's no trouble. No back of her. That dark figure. He's going to grab her. Come on, Heath, we have no time to waste. Come on, Heath. We've got to get there in time. That guy's got a knife. I can see it.

[B]

Wait.

[A]

We can't catch him, but a bullet will.

[B]

Mr. Fance, Mr. Fanc. He was going to kill me.

[A]

Yes, I know, Ms. Stanley, but Sergeant Heath shoots very well. Yeah, I sure do. Got three marksman medals. Got this guy right in the right spot too. You won't try to use a knife on nobody again. That isn't why you shot him. Not the only reason. I mean, sergeant, he's the man who poisoned Mike Daggett. Oh, now, let's have a look at him, though. I know who he is, of course. Sam Billings.

[B]

He killed Mike, Mr. Vance. Are you sure?

[A]

Positive. So you know. That to you, Vance, so what? What good will it do you? I'm through. I know it. Sure, I killed Mike, but what are you gonna do about it now? Nothing. Anything I might have been able to do has already been done by Sergeant Heath's gun. Mr. Billings.

[B]

Hey, Mr. Vance.

[A]

Yes, Ms. Woods?

[B]

You figured out that Sam Billings, Mike Daggett's manager poisoned him with an acid he took from that Ms. Stanley's dark room. How?

[A]

How?

[B]

Yeah, how? How did you figure it? Well, and I'm telling you now. After you do tell me, I also have a why. I'm gonna ask you.

[A]

All right, Ms. Woods. You're entitled to at least one how and one why. I'll tell you how I knew it was Billings. He was the only person, not counting Ms. Stanley who ever got near enough to Mike Daggett to poison him the day of the fight.

[B]

Oh, check. Well, now comes out. Why? Why should a guy's own manager knock him off?

[A]

Well, Billings thought Mike was going to throw the fight. Either because of the threats of the champion and his manager or because his girlfriend had pleaded with him not to win. As a consequence, Billings bet heavily on Daggett to lose.

[B]

He bet against his own fighter?

[A]

That's right. Then the afternoon of the fight, Mike told Billings he didn't care what happened. He was going out to win.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So Billings had to find some way to stop that.

[B]

And he did, by stealing some acid from Billy Stanley. Hey, but how did he get Mike to take the poison? He wasn't near Daggett when he was eating.

[A]

That's true. But just before the fight, Billings slipped a rubber mouthpiece into Mike's mouth. All fighters use them to protect their teeth. And the mouthpiece had been dipped in the acid.

[B]

Oh, now I get it. And after Mike dropped, Billings removed the mouthpiece.

[A]

A very natural thing to do. Yeah, nobody suspected anything because Billings took all of Mike's equipment. Which is what any manager would do.

[B]

What do you know?

[A]

Only this manager took with him the proof that he was a murderer.

[B]

Yeah, he took the proof. But he didn't fool you, did he, boss?

[A]

I merely suspected what he had done. I had to be sure. So I made certain he thought that Billy Stanley promised to name Mike's killer after work. Because if he were the murderer, he couldn't take a chance on letting her do that. No, there was a chance that she had seen him steal the acid and was going to tell me that. You see, that brought Billings out into the open and right into the middle of our net.

[B]

It sure did. And, hey, you know something?