The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Dick Foley Caper 09/26/1948

Summary

Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode Summary: The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Dick Foley Caper
Release Date: December 7, 2024

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Introduction

In this thrilling episode of Choice Classic Radio Detectives, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio with "The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Dick Foley Caper." This installment showcases the quintessential hard-boiled detective, Sam Spade, as he navigates a complex web of deceit, betrayal, and murder in San Francisco. The story intricately weaves personal relationships with professional duties, culminating in a gripping resolution that highlights Spade's unyielding pursuit of truth.

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Setting the Scene

[03:40]
Sam Spade is introduced in his detective agency, grappling with a call from Lieutenant Dundee of homicide. The lieutenant requests Spade’s formal statement regarding a case involving an old friend, hinting at complications beyond a standard investigation.

Sam Spade: "Only one, Sam. Lieutenant Dundee of homicide. He wants you to drop around so they can get your formal statement."
[03:36]

This early interaction sets a tone of impending conflict and personal stakes, drawing Spade into a deeper mystery.

---

Reunion with Dick Foley

Spade meets with Dick Foley, his old associate, who introduces his wife, Maxine Foley. This reunion is tinged with underlying tension as past events resurface.

Dick Foley: "I wanted to meet you for years, but Dick wouldn't introduce me."
[05:17]

Maxine’s sudden appearance and her request to meet with Spade without Dick's knowledge hint at hidden layers in Foley's life, suggesting that Dick's professional facade may conceal personal turmoil.

---

Unveiling the Past

Dick Foley shares a critical past event that resurfaces as the central mystery. Spade recalls a jewelry store heist from 1943 involving Dick’s partner, Mickey Linehan, and a man named Claude Spicer.

Dick Foley: "Claude Spicer, that grifter I sent over for that Jewelry store hike back in '43."
[05:55]

Foley reveals that Spicer was in prison but was recently released, only to threaten him, implying a vendetta that ties back to unresolved issues from the past heist.

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Maxine's Confession

Maxine Foley approaches Sam Spade, revealing suspicions about Dick's activities and Spade's potential involvement. Her plea for truth and her observations about Dick’s behavior add complexity to the investigation.

Maxine Foley: "If he's in really bad trouble, I think I have a right to know."
[08:30]

Spade’s internal conflict is evident as he grapples with his feelings and the unfolding mystery, particularly when he recognizes Maxine as an actress related to the case.

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The Caper Unfolds

Spade recounts the events surrounding the jewelry store heist, detailing the meticulous planning and the interaction between Spicer and Maxine. The narrative paints a vivid picture of deception and strategic moves leading to the heist's execution.

Narrator: "Their act may have been fooling the clerk, but it was as plain as the nose on Spicer's face. It was that they were sizing up the joint for a pushover."
[10:16]

This section emphasizes Spade’s analytical skills as he reconstructs the heist, identifying inconsistencies and motives that point to deeper conspiracies.

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Confrontation and Revelation

The climax builds as Spade confronts Dick Foley, leading to a violent altercation. Spade uncovers vital evidence—Foley’s confession to Mickey Linehan’s murder—that unravels the tangled web of lies.

Spade: "I found something here in the files that Dick left, just in case Spicer got to him first."
[23:48]

Maxine’s coerced confession and Spade’s relentless pursuit culminate in Foley’s downfall. The detailed analysis of the gunshot and Foley’s flawed alibi underscore Spade’s deductive prowess.

Spade: "All three on the right side angling up, you see? No."
[26:00]

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Resolution

In the aftermath, Foley is arrested based on the evidence Spade has meticulously gathered. Maxine’s role and Morrison's manipulation of events are exposed, highlighting themes of loyalty, betrayal, and justice.

Maxine Foley: "I love Dick. Yeah, I loved him. That's something you can't understand, but it happens that way."
[23:26]

Spade ensures that truth prevails, despite personal costs, reaffirming his commitment to justice over personal ties.

---

Conclusion

"The Dick Foley Caper" is a masterful blend of suspense, character development, and intricate plotting. Sam Spade’s journey through deception and betrayal not only entertains but also encapsulates the essence of classic detective fiction. This episode stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of the hard-boiled detective archetype and the timeless allure of old-time radio mysteries.

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Notable Quotes

• Sam Spade: "You don't make any friends in this business, have you? You can write that in your book now and I'll give you the rest of it when I get there."
  [01:49]

• Dick Foley: "I'm very happily married. Now, please pay attention."
  [05:57]

• Narrator (Spade): "I came out to find my girl married to the joker that sent me up."
  [11:35]

• Sam Spade: "If I were going to drop a man fast, at close range, face to face like that, I would not put the gun in my left hand..."
  [26:00]

• Maxine Foley: "What are you going to do with it?"
  [23:48]

---

Key Themes and Insights

1. Loyalty vs. Justice: Spade’s unwavering sense of justice often puts him at odds with personal relationships, highlighting the classic theme of duty over personal ties.

2. The Complexity of Human Relationships: The intertwined relationships between Spade, Dick Foley, and Maxine add depth to the narrative, showcasing how personal motives can complicate professional investigations.

3. Deception and Truth: The intricate web of lies spun by Dick Foley and others underscores the detective’s role in uncovering hidden truths, a staple in detective fiction.

4. Professional Integrity: Spade’s dedication to solving the case, despite personal costs, exemplifies the integrity and resilience expected of a true detective.

---

Conclusion

"The Dick Foley Caper" delivers a compelling narrative filled with suspense, emotional complexity, and sharp detective work. Through Sam Spade’s journey, listeners experience the tension and thrills characteristic of old-time radio dramas, making this episode a standout installment in the Choice Classic Radio Detectives series.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

Bring to you the greatest old time radio shows like us on Facebook. Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail] the Adventures of Sam.

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[Sam Spade]

Sam Spade Detective Agency.

[Narrator]

Sam, sweetheart, any calls?

[Sam Spade]

Only one, Sam. Lieutenant Dundee of homicide. He wants you to drop around so they can get your formal statement.

[Narrator]

No hurry, not now.

[Sam Spade]

He told me what happened, Sam. I'm sorry.

[Narrator]

Yeah, so am I. I guess he.

[Sam Spade]

Was one of your oldest friends, wasn't he?

[Narrator]

You don't make any friends in this business, have you? You can write that in your book now and I'll give you the rest of it when I get there.

[Sam Spade]

You sound tired, Sam. Wouldn't you rather just.

[Narrator]

What, baby?

[Sam Spade]

Well, go home and, you know, just put it off until tomorrow.

[Narrator]

Yeah, maybe I'll get it off my chest tonight. Stay there, Effie. I'll come on down and dictate my report on the Dick Foley caper.

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Dashiell Hammett, America's leading detective fiction writer and creator of Sam Spade, the Hard Boiled Private Eye, and William Spear, radio's outstanding producer, director of mystery and crime drama. Join their talents to make your hair stand on end with the Adventures of Sam Spade presented by the makers of Wild Root Cream Oil for the hair. No two ways about it, folks. Hair that's well groomed can make all the difference in the world to a person's overall appearance. That's why so many men, women, boys and girls are turning to the famous non alcoholic hair tonic with lanolin, Wild Root Cream Oil. Wild Root Cream Oil grooms your hair neatly and naturally relieves dryness, removes loose dandruff. If you haven't tried it before, you'll want to get Wild Root Cream Oil in a new 25 cent get acquainted size. Yes, get Wild Root Cream Oil again and again. The choice of men and women and children, too. And now, with Howard Duff starring at Spade, Wild Root brings to the air the greatest private detective of them all in the Adventures of Sam Spade.

[Narrator]

Nuts.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, here, Sam, let me.

[Narrator]

Am I that shaky?

[Sam Spade]

Say when.

[Narrator]

Just to the top of the glass.

[Sam Spade]

Now, that's enough. You must fill it.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Sam Spade]

Sam, what you said over the phone about not making any friends in this business, you didn't really mean that, did you?

[Narrator]

Forget it. You can label this. Oh. File on Dick Foley. Date. Fill it in.

[Sam Spade]

Yes, sir.

[Narrator]

To Dundee at Homicide, I guess from Samuel Spade. License number 137596. The facts are all here. If you can dig a formal statement out of it, you're welcome. I'd known Dick Foley ever since I took out my license. We'd worked several big capers together back in my days as a Continental op, he and Mickey Linehan and I. Then he and Mickey opened their own office. Foley and Linehan Private Investigations. Five years back, Mickey stopped the slug, and since then, the sign on the door read Dick Foley Detective Agency. I'd seen Dick maybe four or five times in the last half a dozen years just to have a drink and chew the fat about the good old days. He never talked about his private life. I assumed he didn't have any. So when I went to his office day before yesterday in response to his call, I was surprised to find him in a clinch with one of the most beautiful nails I've ever seen.

[Sam Spade]

Oh.

[Narrator]

Oh.

[Dick Foley]

Oh, Sam.

[Narrator]

Well, shall I come back after lunch?

[Dick Foley]

Oh, Sam, this is Maxine, my wife.

[Narrator]

Well, you don't deserve it, but I'm happy for you.

[Maxine Foley]

I'll return the compliment. Sam, I wanted to meet you for years, but Dick wouldn't introduce me.

[Dick Foley]

Now you know why. Well, you run along, honey. Sam's here on business.

[Maxine Foley]

All right, Dick. You can bring Sam home to dinner if you like.

[Dick Foley]

There's plenty if he's not too busy. But don't count on that.

[Maxine Foley]

Well, try anyway, won't you, Sam?

[Narrator]

I will indeed.

[Sam Spade]

Bye now.

[Dick Foley]

Draw up a chair, Sam.

[Narrator]

Hmm?

[Dick Foley]

Sit down.

[Narrator]

Oh, yeah. What's on your mind, Dick?

[Dick Foley]

You remember Claude Spicer, that grifter I sent over for that Jewelry store hike back in 43.

[Narrator]

You never told me you were married, Dick.

[Dick Foley]

I'm very happily married. Now, please pay attention.

[Narrator]

Claude Spicer. Yeah, yeah, I remember the caper. Wasn't there a dame involved?

[Dick Foley]

Well, Spicer had a girlfriend, but the cops gave her a good bill of health. Spicer went up for a five year stretch. They sprung him last month.

[Narrator]

Whatever happened to that dame?

[Dick Foley]

Now, look about Spicer.

[Narrator]

He gunning for you, you hit it. How scared of him are you?

[Dick Foley]

Well enough to ask you for help, Sam.

[Narrator]

What's eating him? Just revenge.

[Dick Foley]

Sam, I wouldn't tell this to anybody but you, but all the facts of that caper didn't come out at that time. I saw it.

[Narrator]

How come?

[Dick Foley]

Well, I couldn't have stayed in business in San Francisco if it had been generally known that my partner was the inside man on a jewelry store heist.

[Narrator]

Mickey?

[Dick Foley]

Yeah, Mickey Linehan. Ah, you and I are both great at choosing partners, Sam. They both deserved what they got.

[Narrator]

Only one difference. I sent up the killer that plugged my partner. Some people thought the way you gave evidence at Spice's murder trial wasn't so hot.

[Dick Foley]

Well, he was alibied, Sam. In fact, the robbery was his alibi for the murder. I don't know how he managed it. I've been trying for five years to figure it out. Spicer's afraid I might succeed someday. That's why he's out to get me.

[Narrator]

What's he waiting for?

[Dick Foley]

Oh, I don't know. He won't do it simple. He'll have a fancy plan like the other time. He's tricky.

[Narrator]

Where's he staying?

[Dick Foley]

At the Belvedere. Here's his mug. I kept a plant in the building for a couple of days, but he stayed holed up in his room. I think he spotted me.

[Narrator]

Okay, Dick, I'll give it a buzz.

[Dick Foley]

Now, wait a minute, Sam.

[Narrator]

Yeah?

[Dick Foley]

I'm not asking you to do this for love. Standard fee, 25 and whiskey money.

[Narrator]

Okay, forget it. This one's on me. In the elevator on my way out, I studied a picture of Claude Spicer on the old police circular Dick had given me. But a picture in the back of my mind kept getting in the way. It was Dick Foley's wife, Maxine. When I hit the street, I still saw her face before me. And it was no picture, only pretty.

[Maxine Foley]

As Sam, I waited for you. I've got to talk to you.

[Narrator]

My pleasure. Shall we confer in an adjacent cafe?

[Maxine Foley]

Whatever you say. Only I don't want Dick to know.

[Narrator]

Then you shouldn't have married the detective.

[Maxine Foley]

Please. Sam.

[Narrator]

How's this? Black watch?

[Dick Foley]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Looks dark enough.

[Maxine Foley]

Oh, that booth in the corner. It's secluded.

[Narrator]

Why not slide in? Oh, no. Over here, stupid. Not facing the street.

[Maxine Foley]

Sorry. I'm not much good at this sort of thing. Sam, I'm not asking you to tell me what it is, but if he's in really bad trouble, I think I have a right to know.

[Narrator]

What makes you think he's in trouble?

[Maxine Foley]

Well, I'm not blind. You can't live with a man and not sense it when something goes wrong.

[Narrator]

I never thought Dick was the type to show it.

[Maxine Foley]

Oh, he's. He's tried to hide it from me and I haven't said anything. I thought if he wanted me to know, he'd tell me.

[Narrator]

It was a wise thought. Hold on to it.

[Maxine Foley]

Well, I meant to, but then a terrible possibility crossed my mind. Sam, it isn't me, is it?

[Narrator]

In what way?

[Maxine Foley]

Well, you know what I mean. He's been away from home nights so much lately and he questions me so closely about where I go and who I see and so on, and I. Well, I may as well ask you right out. Did he hire you to check up on me? Then that is it.

[Narrator]

No.

[Maxine Foley]

You're not lying to me, Sam?

[Narrator]

Why should I?

[Maxine Foley]

Dick says you're almost his oldest friend. He talks so much about you.

[Narrator]

Then he must have told you I don't do that type of work.

[Maxine Foley]

Why do you keep looking at me?

[Narrator]

Sorry. Trying to place you, Maxine. I keep thinking I've seen you someplace before.

[Maxine Foley]

Oh, it must have been my picture. I was an actress.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Picture. Yeah. Maybe that was it.

[Maxine Foley]

Why do you say it like that?

[Narrator]

Like what?

[Maxine Foley]

As if you were angry with me.

[Narrator]

Because I just got the caption on the picture.

[Maxine Foley]

Sam, wait. Come back.

[Narrator]

Yes, I had. And the caption was from a newspaper circa 1943. And it read, actress, lovely, cleared in Linehan sling. I flashed my tin star at the room. Clerk at the Belvedere learned that Claude Spicer was in and stuck around to make sure the clerk didn't buzz the room to tip him off. Around 4 in the PM Spicer went out, very dressed up, umbrella, gloves and all. He walked down Geary to Grant and turned north. A cold San Francisco drizzle started blowing up in the bay. I wished I'd brought my overcoat. A half a block up from California, he entered Grayson's Jewelry Store. I peeked through the Rains Creek show window after him inside, pawing eagerly through a tray full of diamond clips while a long Suffering clerk eyed her hopelessly from his side of the counter. Was the actress lovely? Maxine shot Spicer a quick glance of recognition as he entered, but they didn't speak. He took up a pose of gentlemanly patience, shrugged his eyebrows sympathetically at the clerk and leaned elegantly on his umbrella while Maxine found fault with every piece of jewelry that was shoved in front of it. The broad expression left his face only once. That was when the clerk opened the vault and brought out some unset stones. Their act may have been fooling the clerk, but it was as plain as the nose on Spice's face. A very plain nose. It was that they were sizing up the joint for a pushover. Maxine left first. He stayed long enough to buy a cigarette lighter and then followed her out. As I took out after him, I stopped to read the sticker on the inside of the glass door. It said, these premises protected by Dick Foley Detective Agency. Maxine was waiting for him at the corner. I grabbed up a Chinese newspaper and used it to listen behind. But I needn't have bothered. They didn't seem to care.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Well, are you happy?

[Narrator]

Ought to be about a million bucks.

[Maxine Foley]

Why are you so disagreeable? You ought to be feeling good.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Feeling good?

[Narrator]

Five years stretch, I come out to find my girl married to the joker that sent me up.

[Maxine Foley]

You didn't think it was such a bad idea at the time.

[Narrator]

Well, I do now. Well, after tonight, we'll go east. You and me together, baby.

[Maxine Foley]

He'll catch up with us wherever we go.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Oh, he should live so long.

[Maxine Foley]

How do you mean that?

[Narrator]

Just like it sounds, baby. Bye.

[Maxine Foley]

Oh, don't leave.

[Narrator]

I'm gonna get some sleep. I'll need a clear head.

[Maxine Foley]

Claude, I don't want to be alone.

[Narrator]

Oh, not even tonight?

[Maxine Foley]

I don't want to be alone.

[Narrator]

See you later, honey.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Bye.

[Narrator]

Bye. He went straight back to the Belvedere. No stops. Picked up his key at the desk, no messages. Took the elevator to the eighth floor, let himself into room 809, hung out the Do Not Disturb sign, closed, and locked the door behind him. I kept a plan on it till around midnight. Then I lifted the Do Not Disturb card from the doorknob and wedged it into the crack of the door. It was a crafty move, and I had just finished doing it craftily when the door opened again in my face. Huh?

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Who are you?

[Narrator]

What are you doing here? Nothing, sir. I'm making a survey. What? I'm from the Trotter Pole. Trotter Pole? It's like the Gallup pole, but we're not in so much of a hurry. Yeah, just kindly answer this question as a Democrat. Do you believe Dewey? Huh? I picked up the do not disturb card and wedged it back into the crack of his door as any house dick knows. Except, of course, Tiny Stover, the night.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Paper at the Belvedere.

[Narrator]

If anybody opens the door like that, the card will fall out and somebody will always hang it on the knob. Another thing Tiny doesn't know is never to draw to an inside straight. We played nine different kinds of poker until 5am when I thought I'd go up and have another look. All was quiet on the eighth floor. From the elevator bank, I could see room 809. The morning paper was shoved under his door, and my Do Not Disturb sign was apparently where I had planted it. I tiptoed up to make sure huh?

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Who are you?

[Narrator]

What do you want? Me, Paper boy? Sir, your morning paper.

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[Narrator]

Well, well, Good news in the paper, sir. Interesting. Interesting Jewelry store heist up on Grant Avenue. Oh, yes, sir. Our paper only comes what? I grabbed the paper from under 805. It was the headline I could have expected if Spicer had left his room without my knowing it. Grayson's Jewelry Store, the shop he and Maxine had cased that afternoon, had been taken for an estimated million bucks in uncut gems. But Spice's door hadn't been opened and there was no other exit. I sat down and thought, and what I thought of was that that sticker on the front door of Grayson's said these premises protected by Dick Foley, Detective agenc when the 6:00am Oakland Ferry boat fell his way blindly out of a slip, Claude Spicer was aboard. And so was I. Should have been getting lighter, but it wasn't. The fog was thickening over the harbor, and most of the passengers were inside drinking coffee. Spicer didn't go in. He climbed up to the boat deck and stood at the rail under the pilot's house. I planted between two wet paint signs and waited. Not for long. I couldn't make out any Features on the man who came up and joined them. They stood face to face, not more than a foot apart, and talked in voices couldn't get to me through the racket of the foghorns in the harbor. What spoke loud enough for me to hear was a gun. They seemed to fall into each other's arms, then collapsed in a heap on the deck. But when I got to the spot, only the dead one was there. It was Spicer. The other man had disappeared around the corner of the deck house. A ray of light from the pilot's window swept over him and I saw gunmetal shine in his hand and then spin out over the rail as he threw it. What?

[Dick Foley]

Oh, it's you, Sam. I was afraid you'd lost him.

[Narrator]

What did you do it for, Dick?

[Dick Foley]

I had my reason, Sam. Now trust me. I'll keep you in the clear.

[Narrator]

How long? As long as I go on playing soccer for you.

[Dick Foley]

What do you think I hired you for?

[Narrator]

Maybe I was supposed to say you killed him in self defense. Maybe I was supposed to see him making passes at your wife. If you need advice.

[Dick Foley]

But Sam, you've got.

[Narrator]

I've worked for killers before. I've even worked for thieves. But not for a detective that knocks over a place he's supposed to be protecting. Sam, it's not a civil for that cop stick. I'm turning you in when we get to Oakland.

[Dick Foley]

No, you're not, Sam. Then come back here. Let go me. I'm going over the side. If you try to stop me, you're going with me.

[Narrator]

He fought away from me, got one foot over the rail and kicked out at me with the other. It caught me on the point of the chin. I stumbled forward and grabbed out blind. Must have caught him by the belt just as he jumped. I remember something pulling me halfway over the rail and trying to get free of it. I did, but not soon enough. I was in mid air and the black water came rushing up to meet me.

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[Narrator]

I found myself mechanically keeping afloat somehow and trying to get out of my coat. I felt heavy and logged, as if I'd swallowed gallons of water. The murk hung low and thick. There was nothing else to be seen anywhere. I swallowed what felt like several more gallons before I got rid of the coke. From out of the misty fog blanket from every direction in a dozen different keys, from near and far, foghorn sounded. I stopped swimming and floated on my back, trying to determine my whereabouts. After a while I picked out the moaning. Evenly spaced blasts of the Alcatraz siren. But they came out of the fog without direction, seemed to beat down on me from straight above. I was somewhere in San Francisco Bay and that was all I knew. I suspected the current was sweeping me out toward the Golden Gate. And a light came up ahead of me suddenly, a boat passing a few yards away. I lifted my head and screamed, but the boat siren crying its warning drowned out my shouts, went on past and the fog closed in behind it. Then I heard a new sound. Seagull. I swam towards it and it seemed to get lighter. Part of it was the dawn light beginning to cut through the fog blanket. But there was also a strange looking man standing on the water and waving a green lantern back and forth. I yelled at him to wait for me and a seagull got off his hat and flew away. When I got closer, I saw that it was not a man, but only a buoy, a channel type. I used all the strength I had left to drag myself up on the base of it and let it rock me to sea.

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[Narrator]

Hey. Hey, mate.

[Dick Foley]

Pour some more of the brandy into.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Here, get some of this done. Where are we? Hey, it Ain't heaven. You can tell that by the smell. Oh, Fisherman's War. Yeah.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Take it easy.

[Narrator]

We got ambulance coming. You going to the hospital? No, no, I'll be okay. Give me a hand. Yeah, okay. Hey, you, do us a favor, will you? Don't fall down till you get out of sight this time. We're tired of picking you up. I thanked the two kindly old fisher folk for their interest in my welfare. Tottered up the pier, fell into a taxi and went home. Well, I soaked out some of my aches and pains and chills. I did some stewing about the caper so far and stewed up enough anger to carry me through to the finish. I checked the Coast Guard for news of Dick Foley. They told me his body hadn't been recovered yet. I got dressed and went over to his office. The cops hadn't been there. I went through the file cabinet and what I found under Foley Private had me so interested that I didn't hear Maxine come in until she closed the door.

[Maxine Foley]

What are you looking for?

[Narrator]

You, baby. I'm for you.

[Maxine Foley]

Sam.

[Narrator]

Come here.

[Dick Foley]

Oh, Sam.

[Narrator]

Nice.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, you dirty.

[Narrator]

Now, don't be mad, Maxie. The gun makes a woman bulge in the wrong place.

[Maxine Foley]

It's not my gun.

[Narrator]

We'll see.

[Maxine Foley]

Sam.

[Narrator]

Shut up. Now, starting with a rap, Spicer went up for the same pattern. The way you work this one tells me how you worked it the first time you get something on a private detective. The first time? Five years ago, it was Dick's partner, Mickey Linehan. I don't know what spice I had on him, but I do know he forced Dick to knock over Grayson's jewelry store last night.

[Maxine Foley]

I won't listen to you.

[Narrator]

Okay, I'll talk to myself. I'm not saying you killed Mickey Linehan, but Dick did frame an alibi for you, didn't he? Didn't he?

[Maxine Foley]

Oh, you're hurting me.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

Good.

[Narrator]

Try spending a night swimming around in circles in the middle of the harbor sometime. See how you like that.

[Maxine Foley]

All right, it's true. Dick did help me out of that old jam. I'm not ashamed of it. I'm proud. Our love was that important to him.

[Narrator]

No, Spicer. That same old double cross. Only this time I'm standing where Dick did five years ago. Dick was set up as a patsy the same way Mickey Lanahan was. But he got smart and pulled the trigger first.

[Maxine Foley]

Stop it.

[Narrator]

Stop it. Where did that hurt, you fool?

[Maxine Foley]

I love Dick. Yeah, I loved him. That's something you can't understand, but it happens that way. No matter what people are.

[Narrator]

You sound as if you really mean that. But you're a little late, aren't you?

[Maxine Foley]

He's not dead. I'm sure he is.

[Narrator]

If he's not, he's really in trouble.

[Maxine Foley]

What do you mean by that?

[Narrator]

I found something here in the files that Dick left, just in case Spicer got to him first.

[Maxine Foley]

What is it?

[Narrator]

A confession to Mickey Linehan's murder.

[Maxine Foley]

That's impossible.

[Narrator]

Were you there?

[Maxine Foley]

What are you going to do with it?

[Narrator]

Turn it over to the police. But if he's still alive, it still counts. Unless he shows and revokes it. But I don't think he will.

[Maxine Foley]

Why?

[Narrator]

Because I won't back up a self defense plea on the spice of shooting.

[Maxine Foley]

But you were Dick's friend. You were his friend.

[Narrator]

I wouldn't ask him to do it for me.

[Maxine Foley]

Then what can I do for him? I'll do anything. Anything? Anything at all.

[Narrator]

Well, if he stays away, he's as good as dead. If he comes back, you'll get a jury trial. And if there are more men than women in the panel, he'd probably be acquitted on your testimony alone.

[Maxine Foley]

Do you really think he might have a chance?

[Narrator]

With a jury, there's always a chance.

[Maxine Foley]

But where is he? How can I get word to him?

[Narrator]

Well, if he's not fish food by now, there's one sure way of smoking him up.

[Maxine Foley]

Something I can do, nobody else. Please tell me. Anything.

[Narrator]

Sign a confession of your own.

[Maxine Foley]

Confession?

[Narrator]

Not Mickey Linehan's murder or anything they might nail you for. Swear that you shot Spicer.

[Maxine Foley]

What?

[Narrator]

Now you can always reneg. Make both of you look good sacrificing for each other. How about it?

[Maxine Foley]

All right. Tell me what to write.

[Narrator]

I did. She signed it. I had Effie dispatch it to all the papers and news services. And then I brought it down to the hall. Naturally, you didn't believe a word of her confession, Dundee. But when I took you aside and explained my stratagem, you endorsed it. Hardly. And had her book. She pressed my hand and thanked me. The look of resignation on her face was so real, it was hard to believe she was faking. When she turned her back to follow the matron down the corridor, I saw why. On the back of her coat there was smear of white paint. I remembered the wet the wet paint signs on the Oakland ferry boat. Dick Foley gave himself up an hour after her confession. Hit the street, screamed and yelled at everybody in Homicide, trying to convince them that Maxine was innocent and he should take the full rap. But I'M afraid I queered that when we confronted him with the autopsy surgeon's report. He tried to bluff even then when.

[Dick Foley]

He read pellet A ended right side between third and fourth ribs, penetrated left lung, pellet B, pleural membrane, side wound puncture. Well, so what, Sam?

[Narrator]

All three on the right side angling up, you see? No.

[Dick Foley]

I don't know why you even saw me on that boat. You saw me throw the gun over.

[Narrator]

Oh, cut it out, Dick. What I saw was in the dark, that you two men were facing each other directly. If I were going to drop a man fast, at close range, face to face like that, I would not put the gun in my left hand, twist it around, straining my wrist in the process and pull the trigger with my thumb unless I were left handed, double jointed and a trickier shot than you are. I'd blast them straight through the middle.

[Dick Foley]

All right, all right. Yes, it was Maxine.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Well, that's good. Maybe you can get cured now. Why don't you open up some more? Let me put it down like it was business.

[Dick Foley]

All right, Sten.

[Narrator]

Number one, Maxine killed your partner, Mickey Linehan, five years ago. Probable motive to eliminate him and send Spicer up.

[Dick Foley]

Yeah, yeah, she. She didn't figure in spites of being smart enough to confess to the robbery and that alibi him for the murder.

[Narrator]

Two, you purged yourself to clear Maxine of the murder. Motive to prevent the truth about your partner from coming out. And Maxine was motive enough for anything.

[Dick Foley]

Cut it out, will you?

[Narrator]

Sorry. Three, Spicer forced you to team up with him in the jewelry heist. How?

[Dick Foley]

Well, he threatened to make a full confession as accessory to Mickey's killing. That would have put the whole works on Maxine and leave him in the clear.

[Narrator]

Yeah. Can't be tried twice for the same crime. Four, you decided to rub out Spicer whether you could beat the rap or not and clear the books once and for all. So you pretended to play along with him, told Maxine to do the same and called me in a zumpire.

[Dick Foley]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm. Sam, I'm sorry, I. Why couldn't you lay off Maxine? Why did you have to? Oh, I thought you were my friend.

[Narrator]

And that's about it, Period. End the friendship.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, you mean the confession that you tricked her into making turned out to that said Effie. Oh, what'll happen to him?

[Narrator]

Hmm?

[Sam Spade]

What about Dick Foley?

[Narrator]

Dick? Well, they got him on a number of things, I suppose. May take some time out of him, but I think he'll Be an okay.

[Sam Spade]

Guy again with her out of the way.

[Narrator]

With her out of the way. Sam, go and type it up, will you? It's late. I want to get out of here.

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[Sam Spade]

But here it is. Sam, I know how you must feel, so I won't.

[Narrator]

What's your hurry?

[Sam Spade]

Well, I thought. Well, you know, how you all feel.

[Narrator]

Look, sweetheart, Dick Foley was a private dick. So what?

[Sam Spade]

You mean you can bring yourself to talk about it?

[Narrator]

Sure, go ahead. Try me.

[Sam Spade]

Well, Assam. It seems terribly complicated, I suppose because Mr. Foley was in the profession and thinks like you do.

[Narrator]

Up to a point. Effie, what's bothering you?

[Sam Spade]

Well, why did he call you in you another private detective and he knew how smart you are and all and.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I don't know, maybe he thought, well, if I turned up anything, I'd look the other way.

[Sam Spade]

Do you think that could ever happen to you, sir? That's a clever phrase you dictated. He called me in as umpire. That's baseball. But if he was so clever, why didn't he win?

[Narrator]

Sam? His mistake, Effie, was trying a quadruple play which has never been heard of in the history of baseball or crime. All he wanted was to bat Maxine home safe. It usually figures when three men are out the side retires.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, well, I don't understand baseball, Sam.

[Narrator]

Well, that's all right. Football will be here soon anyway.

[Sam Spade]

But I don't know.

[Narrator]

Good night, Libby.

[Sam Spade]

Goodnight, Sam.

[Narrator]

Good night, sweetheart.

[Wild Root Cream Oil Advertiser]

The adventures of Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's famous private detective are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam Spade is played by Howard Dove. Laureen Tuttle is Effie. The adventures of Sam Spade are written for radio by Bob Tallman and Gil Dowd. Musical direction by Lud Gluskin with score composed by Renee Garrigan. Join us again next Sunday when author Dashiell Hammett and producer William Spear join forces for another adventure with Sam Spade, brought to you by Wild Root Cream Oil. Again and again, the choice of men who put good grooming first. This is Dick Joy reminding you to get Wild Root Cream Oil. Charlie, he keeps your hair in trim. You see it non alcoholic, Charlie. It's made with soothing lanolin. You better get wild root cream oil, Charlie. Start using it today. You'll find that you will have a tough time, Charlie, keeping all our gals away. Hiya, baldy. Get wild root right away. This is cbs, the Columbia broadcasting System.