The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Love Letter Caper 03/27/1949

Summary

The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Love Letter Caper
Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Release Date: January 11, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

In this thrilling episode of The Adventures of Sam Spade, our iconic private detective, Sam Spade, finds himself entangled in a mysterious affair involving a love letter that sets off a chain of deceptive events. The narrative begins with Sam receiving an unexpected package that contains a glamorous photograph and a heartfelt letter purportedly from a woman named Ella Comstock.

Sam Spade (02:47): "Love letters. What else?"

The Love Letter and Initial Meeting

Sam meticulously examines the letter, suspecting it could either be a prank or, intriguingly, a plea for help. His investigation leads him to Atherton, where he adheres to Ella's instructions to meet her under the cover of darkness by a fountain. Upon arrival, Sam witnesses Ella's anxious demeanor, believing she seeks his assistance against some hidden threat.

Ella Comstock (03:35): "If he looks in that room. I love you."

Their interaction is abruptly interrupted by Jim Riley, a loyal butler, who alerts them to the presence of Hugo Comstock—the formidable uncle of Ella—who suspects foul play.

Conflict with Uncle Hugo

The plot thickens as Hugo Comstock confronts Sam, accusing him of a fabricated affair with Ella and presenting a packet of what appear to be genuine love letters addressed to Sam. Hugo's accusation positions Sam under a cloud of blackmail, threatening his reputation and freedom.

Jim Riley (10:11): "The name of the offender is Samuel Spade, a private detective."

Sam, undeterred, challenges Hugo's claims, asserting his innocence and unraveling the truth behind the letters. The tension escalates when Hugo involves law enforcement, falsely implicating Sam in a blackmail scheme.

Sam Spade (10:37): "...I hadn't made a penny on this caper so far, and it doesn't look like I will."

Uncovering the Comstock Family Secret

Determined to clear his name, Sam collaborates with Ella to delve deeper into the Comstock family's dark secrets. They discover a strongbox containing sentimental items and a bundle of letters from Elmo Pinckney—a name linked to a tormented past involving Ella's grandmother and a tumultuous love affair during the Civil War era.

Sam Spade (20:03): "Grandma Comstock fell in love with a handsome rascal named Pinckney, a deserter from the Confederate army..."

As the layers of deception peel away, it becomes evident that Uncle Hugo's true motive is to control the vast Comstock fortune, which is contingent upon Ella's marital status. Sam ingeniously deciphers that Hugo is not a legitimate Comstock but an imposter, thereby nullifying his claim to the inheritance.

Sam Spade (23:33): "Because Grandma's love letters, plus the documents on that teapot prove that Hugo was not a Comstock. But a Pinckney."

Resolution and Conclusion

In a climactic showdown, Sam confronts Hugo and his accomplice, Jim Riley, effectively dismantling their scheme. The revelation of Hugo's true identity and his manipulative tactics lead to his downfall. Sam's clever maneuvers ensure his exoneration, and the blackmail charges are dropped. The episode concludes with Ella expressing gratitude and a hint of romance between her and Sam, leaving listeners anticipating future adventures.

Ella Comstock (15:18): "You're the only one who can stop it... won't you please be my husband?"

Sam Spade (23:29): "If she never married, she'd never find out."

Notable Quotes

• Ella Comstock (01:02): "Well, Sand, I must say, this is the shortest honeymoon in my experience."

• Jim Riley (05:15): "A couple fowlers, Mr. Comstock. They had a ladder up to the second story, the hall window. But I scared him off."

• Sergeant Joseph Walsh Funko (11:25): "He's threatening violence."

• Hugo Comstock (17:35): "Containing family mementos handed down to you from your grandmother."

• Sam Spade (23:46): "But if she never married, she'd never find out."

Insights and Themes

This episode masterfully blends classic detective elements with intricate family drama, showcasing Sam Spade's unparalleled deductive skills and resilience. Themes of deception, inheritance, and true love are interwoven, highlighting the complexities of human relationships and the lengths individuals will go to protect their interests.

Conclusion

The Adventures of Sam Spade: The Love Letter Caper is a quintessential Old Time Radio mystery that captivates listeners with its engaging storyline, dynamic characters, and suspenseful twists. Choice Classic Radio delivers a nostalgic yet fresh take on Sam Spade's detective prowess, ensuring that both longtime fans and newcomers are thoroughly entertained.

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Produced and Directed by William Spear
Starring Howard Duff as Sam Spade and Lorraine Tuttle as Effie

Transcript

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[Jim Riley]

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[Narrator]

Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we.

[Sam Spade]

Bring to you the greatest old time radio shows.

[Narrator]

Like us on Facebook.

[Sam Spade]

Subscribe to us on YouTube and thank you for [e-mail] the Adventures of Sam Spade Detective since the world began, woman was meant for man.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, Sand, I must say, this is the shortest honeymoon in my experience.

[Sam Spade]

F Have you been keeping something from me?

[Ella Comstock]

Well, I wouldn't blame myself if I did. It didn't exactly telegraph this punch.

[Sam Spade]

Come on in, angel, and I'll tell you as much about it as I think you should know.

[Ella Comstock]

And what, may I ask, is a large parcel with a pink ribbon around it?

[Sam Spade]

Love letters. What else?

[Ella Comstock]

Well, I must say, for a whirlpool. Romance.

[Sam Spade]

Whirlpool.

[Ella Comstock]

I mean, writing all those letters. When did she find time to get acquainted?

[Sam Spade]

Stop pulling at that blouse. What's the matter? Does it itch?

[Ella Comstock]

Damn. Now that your marital status is no longer quo, well, damn these little routine informalities. Don't you think we should be a little more stilted with each other hereafter?

[Sam Spade]

In the hereafter then, perhaps, and not a minute before, to sergeant Joseph Walsh Funko and fugitive detail, San Francisco police, from you know who. License number 137596. Subject the easy subject, the love letter caper or how to be happily married though single. The start of it was last Wednesday morning. I had just arisen, shaved, bathed, weighed myself on the bathroom scales and decided on a breakfast of black coffee and rye crisp. Noisy stuff. Oh.

[Jim Riley]

Special delivery. Sign here.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, now, hold this, will you, sonny?

[Jim Riley]

Yeah. What do you call this, some kind of Italian soda cracker?

[Sam Spade]

Rye crisp, low in calories. Take a bite. You could lose a pound or two yourself. There you are. Eat the change.

[Jim Riley]

Thanks. I'll smoke it after dinner.

[Sam Spade]

The first thing that fell out of the envelope was a photograph. Glamour type. It was inscribed. To Sam, body and soul. Ella. The letter was in the same tone of voice.

[Ella Comstock]

Sam. Oh, Sam, my darling. Last night was so beautiful. But now my arms are empty and I'm filled with strange fears for the future. Unless I see you soon, I don't know how I can go on living. Come to me tonight. My darling, wait until the house is dark, then flip in through the west gate and I'll meet you beside the fountain. If you fail me, I don't know what I'll do, But I know you won't. All, all, all my love forever, Ella.

[Sam Spade]

I read it over again, looked longingly at her picture and shook my memory down. I couldn't even remember ever meeting a girl named Ella. But I did remember that last night was definitely not beautiful. In fact, I had dropped 35 bucks in a blackjack game. Not deductible. After I had tested the letter for invisible ink, codes and ciphers, etc with negative results, I decided it was either A, a crank letter or B, bait or C, a camouflage call for help from a damsel in distress. I took another look at said damsel's photograph and decided I would investigate her distress. I then phoned my secretary and told her to look up the night bus schedule to Atherton. The return address on the envelope containing said love letter. It was around 11 in the PM and the moon was just clearing the treetops behind the Comstock mansion when I slipped in at the west gate for the instructions in Ella's love letter and took a plant beside the aforementioned fountain. The house was in darkness and I didn't see the ladder until the moon cleared the chimney pot. There was a girl climbing down the ladder from the second story and she had a suitcase in her hand. When she reached the ground, she looked around anxiously, spotted me and flew into my arm.

[Ella Comstock]

Sam. Oh, Sam, my darling. You didn't fail me. Oh, my precious. Hold me. Never let me go. I love you.

[Sam Spade]

I love you, too. But now, look.

[Ella Comstock]

I'll explain it all later. We'll have to hurry. I think he suspected something.

[Sam Spade]

Who suspected what?

[Ella Comstock]

He said, there isn't time. The watchman. We'll have to go out the back way. Come on.

[Jim Riley]

Hey there.

[Hugo Comstock]

Come back here.

[Ella Comstock]

Hey, you.

[Sam Spade]

Hey, hold it. Get down.

[Narrator]

No.

[Ella Comstock]

Let me go. We got to get out of here.

[Sam Spade]

I said get down. Shut up. Riley, what's going on down there?

[Jim Riley]

Oh, a couple fowlers, Mr. Comstock. They had a ladder up to the second story, the hall window. But I scared him off.

[Sam Spade]

No, not all.

[Jim Riley]

Let us have no more shooting.

[Sam Spade]

I'm tired of.

[Ella Comstock]

Come on. It's our last chance. If he looks in that room. I love you.

[Sam Spade]

I love you. What room?

[Ella Comstock]

Wait. Well, my room, of course.

[Sam Spade]

Where are you planning on going?

[Ella Comstock]

Anywhere. Just so I get away from him. I love you.

[Sam Spade]

I love you. Who's him?

[Ella Comstock]

My uncle. He's been holding me prisoner in that house?

[Sam Spade]

Oh, come.

[Ella Comstock]

I tell you, he's insane. He'll tell us both if we're caught. So please, come on.

[Sam Spade]

I went because, A, I don't like being shot at, and B, there was a wild possibility that she was indeed a fairy princess on the lamb from a dragon. I discounted half a B. When we reached our getaway car was parked in the alley with a motor running. When she insisted that I drive, I hesitated whether to head directly to police headquarters or nail her the stupid way. I was weak from being on a diet. So it was Hobson's Choice, more familiarly known as Spade's Folly.

[Ella Comstock]

What is this place?

[Sam Spade]

It's where I live.

[Ella Comstock]

You wouldn't lie to him?

[Sam Spade]

Not about that. Look at the address. Your love letter arrived here. Come on. Here, let me carry your bag.

[Ella Comstock]

No, no, it's all right, I'll carry.

[Sam Spade]

Come on, come on. It's okay. No cops, no booby traps. Now, let's have a look at that suitcase.

[Ella Comstock]

No, you must. Come on.

[Sam Spade]

Come on, give it to me.

[Ella Comstock]

No, you can't.

[Sam Spade]

Why not?

[Ella Comstock]

Because you get the wrong idea. Oh.

[Sam Spade]

Well, well, well. What have we here?

[Ella Comstock]

I knew you'd get the wrong idea.

[Sam Spade]

The only thing you seem to have missed is the Hope Diamond.

[Ella Comstock]

That jewelry is mine, every piece of it. It's all I have in the world.

[Sam Spade]

Poor kid. Let's see now. Diamond bracelet, not more than ten grand. Emerald necklace, second hand, of course. All told. I don't imagine this stuff will net you a penny more than a hundred thousand bucks.

[Ella Comstock]

I know, but I'll just have to get along as best I can. I don't have any money of my own.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah. Why did you write me that crazy love letter?

[Ella Comstock]

Because my uncle reads all my mail. I didn't want him to know I was hiring a detective.

[Sam Spade]

Why did you?

[Ella Comstock]

I couldn't very well walk around with all these jewels without some protection, could I? Oh, my uncle, he's followed me here.

[Sam Spade]

Suppose it's the cop.

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, no, it's he. I know it. Where can I hide in here? Don't you have a bedroom?

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, but it has a window and a fire escape in here. Go on, go on, go on. Spade.

[Narrator]

Yeah, I. I suppose she's told you about me.

[Sam Spade]

You her uncle?

[Narrator]

Oh, good heavens, no. I'm Stuart Mason. I'm her fiance. Or was, till she ran away with you.

[Sam Spade]

Maybe you better step inside, Mr. Mason.

[Narrator]

Thank you.

[Sam Spade]

Sit down. I'd like to.

[Ella Comstock]

No, no, no.

[Narrator]

I just brought a few things I'd like to leave for Ella. Here this bundle of letters. Her love letters to me. I suppose she'll want to destroy them.

[Sam Spade]

Now, wait a minute, Mr. Mason. Don't jump to any rash conclusions.

[Narrator]

I saw her come down the ladder. I saw her throw herself into your arms. I can't blame her. I've been a coward. I told myself it was for her own sake that I discouraged her from escaping with me. But now I know that. Well, it was at least partly fear for myself. But I might die as the others did.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, but what others?

[Narrator]

The men she's known. They've all died under mysterious circumstances. And didn't she warn you?

[Sam Spade]

Well, all she told me was that her uncle was insane and wouldn't let her out.

[Narrator]

Crazy like a fox. As long as she remains unmarried, he controls her money. $3 million of it.

[Sam Spade]

Uh huh.

[Narrator]

Well, only the brave deserve the fair.

[Sam Spade]

Alas.

[Narrator]

If you'll just give her these letters and tell her that I.

[Sam Spade]

You tell her yourself. Come on out.

[Jim Riley]

Ellen Stewart.

[Ella Comstock]

Why did you come here?

[Narrator]

Your letters, my dear. And I. I wish you every happiness, Stuart. You too, old man. Good night.

[Sam Spade]

Stuart. Stuart.

[Ella Comstock]

Darling, I can explain everything.

[Sam Spade]

Don't try.

[Narrator]

My.

[Jim Riley]

Stuart.

[Sam Spade]

Stuart, come back. Hey, Ella. Hey, Ella. Your jewelry. Your love letters. Hey.

[Jim Riley]

We'll take care of those letters.

[Sam Spade]

Spade.

[Jim Riley]

Keep the gun on him. Riley. Inside. You over there, sweetheart.

[Sam Spade]

What do you want, Mr. Spade?

[Jim Riley]

I've been aware for some time that you've been carrying on a surreptitious love affair with my niece.

[Sam Spade]

Look, Mr. Cox.

[Jim Riley]

Jim Riley. Don't worry, Mr. Cow. I advise you against trying to jump him, Spade.

[Sam Spade]

Why should I? You're both nuts. But not crazy enough to take a shot at me.

[Jim Riley]

Here, try me and see.

[Sam Spade]

I wouldn't waste the energy. I haven't made a penny on this caper so far, and it doesn't look like I will.

[Jim Riley]

Not a penny, he says. The king's ransom and jewels extorted from a foolish, lovesick girl.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, how did I manage that?

[Jim Riley]

Don't you play the innocent with me. This packet of love letters will satisfy the police. Blackmail?

[Sam Spade]

You're crazy. Those letters weren't written to me.

[Jim Riley]

You deny that Ella has ever written your letter?

[Sam Spade]

One too many, in fact. One?

[Jim Riley]

Well, how do you explain these? Darling. Sam. Sam, my dearest one.

[Sam Spade]

What?

[Jim Riley]

Sam, my great big, beautiful detective. Dated last October.

[Sam Spade]

Hey, let me see those things.

[Jim Riley]

I told you not to move.

[Sam Spade]

Yeah, yeah, so you did. Well, what now? Farewell.

[Narrator]

Give me the.

[Jim Riley]

Give me the police department. Yes, it is. Hello, this is Hugo Comstock. I want to make a complaint. Blackmail. Oh, hello. I want to. Yes? Yes, Sergeant. The name is Hugo Comstock, and I'm making this complaint on the behalf of my niece, Ms. Ella Comstock. The name of the offender is Samuel Spade, a private detective. Of course I'm sure. Yes, I'm holding him at his apartment now. The address is. Oh, you have it. Well, I'm not surprised. You better hurry over here right away. He's threatening violence.

[Sam Spade]

You really think you can make that stick, Mr. Spade?

[Jim Riley]

I'm sure I can.

[Sam Spade]

Dirty words and foul imprecations were forming on my trembling lips. But he had letters from his niece to one Sam, a great big, beautiful detective. And I had the jewels. And before the night was over, Sergeant Walsh, you had me booked, bothered and bewildered. What bewildered me was how to raise the $2,500 bail. Sam Spade, innocent dope. I mean, Duke. The United States Armed Forces Radio Service is presenting the weekly adventure of Dashiell Hammett's famous private detective. Sam sp? Up the times to my breakfast of rude prison fare. They didn't serve any rye crisp, but what they did serve was even less fattening. I thrust my emaciated arms to the bars of my cell and clawed at the lapels of a passing bondsman and begged him for sucker, he says. I didn't need any because I was it. I hurled him aside and sat down to think about. Then you, Sergeant Walsh, hold through in front of myself.

[Jim Riley]

Okay, Sam, get moving. You're free.

[Sam Spade]

Gee, thanks. Who stood my bail?

[Jim Riley]

Great kidder, aren't you?

[Sam Spade]

Sergeant, am I to understand that the charges have been dropped?

[Jim Riley]

Get out of here.

[Sam Spade]

All right. I know when I'm not wanted. Mine, not the reason why.

[Jim Riley]

And don't come back.

[Sam Spade]

Your inhospitable words cut me to the quick, Sergeant. But I bit my lips, swallowed my pride, very low calorie, and strode bravely out into the sunlight, a free man. I fought until I bought a newspaper. Right there on page one, it said, heiress Reveals Secret Marriage to Private Detectives. Blackmail Charges against Sam Spade dropped. All a mistake, says Uncle. Next to the item was a picture of Ella leaning over a hot stove in my kitchen. It was captioned, surprise Bride Prepares Breakfast for Incarcerated Mate. We'll keep things hot for him, says Mrs. Spade.

[Ella Comstock]

Sam, darling, your breakfast.

[Sam Spade]

I'm gonna die it. Take off that apron and sit down.

[Ella Comstock]

I did it for your sake, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Don't it have been simpler just to have dropped the charges?

[Ella Comstock]

It wasn't difficult. The nicest man forged the license and the certificate for only $10.

[Sam Spade]

I know a guy who would have done it for five and thrown in some fingerprints for free. But that's not the point, darling.

[Ella Comstock]

Don't you see? If you've just gone free without being married to me, Uncle Hugo might have done something worse to you. Like kill you.

[Sam Spade]

Nuts. Who are these ex admirers of yours who are supposed to been knocked off by your uncle? Name three.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, there was Ralph Bettinson. He died of vapor lock.

[Sam Spade]

Of what?

[Ella Comstock]

It happened in the mountains. Something went wrong with his car, but they couldn't prove it because it blew up and burned after it went over the cliff. And then there was poor Freddie Push. They called him the piggy bank suicide.

[Sam Spade]

Why?

[Ella Comstock]

They found $5 worth of pennies in his stomach. And then there was poor Nikki Nado. He was a ballet dancer.

[Sam Spade]

That's enough. Now, about those letters. Why was your friend Mason returning love letters you'd written to some detective named Sam?

[Ella Comstock]

Well, that was just coincidence. He always went by his initials. You know, like GBS for George Bernard Shaw. Sam is for Stuart Andrew Mason. Stuart Andrew is his pen name. He writes detective stories.

[Sam Spade]

And the rest of the coincidence was that that love letter you inadvertently mailed a Sam spay detective, thereby sending your uncle out gunning for Sam instead of Sam.

[Ella Comstock]

What could I do after he read my diary and my confessions to myself about Sam and the references to his brilliant mind on criminal subjects? You were a natural stand in for Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Pronounced SAP.

[Ella Comstock]

But I wasn't going through with it, Sam. Not after I met you.

[Sam Spade]

Why not?

[Ella Comstock]

Because the moment I saw you, I. I knew that all those things I'd said in that love letter were really true.

[Sam Spade]

Really? Last night was so beautiful.

[Ella Comstock]

I think I. I think I must have dreamed of you. Oh, Sam, darling, I'm so lost in. You don't know what my life has been.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, I can imagine boyfriends dropping dead right and left.

[Ella Comstock]

You're the only one who can stop it. If Uncle Hugo thinks we're really married and he can't use my money anymore, then he'll stop having accidents happen to people. Won't you please be my husband? Is that so much to ask after what I did?

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[Jim Riley]

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[Sam Spade]

Yeah, go on. You spring me out of that blackmail frame so I can help you compound a felony.

[Ella Comstock]

But, Sam, what am I gonna do?

[Sam Spade]

You forged a marriage. Go forge a divorce.

[Ella Comstock]

Where are you going?

[Sam Spade]

Back to jail. I'll see you there. Oh, dear me.

[Hugo Comstock]

Hit your foot, did it? Cast iron? Don't make them like that nowadays.

[Sam Spade]

My foot. Your foot?

[Hugo Comstock]

I meant the strong box.

[Sam Spade]

Oh.

[Hugo Comstock]

Coming in or going out?

[Sam Spade]

I think I. Sit down for a minute.

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, Sam, you poor, dear boy. Here, let me take off your shoes so it can swell if it wants.

[Sam Spade]

Get away from me.

[Ella Comstock]

I only wanted to help. I love you.

[Sam Spade]

Well, I don't love you anymore. Oh.

[Hugo Comstock]

First little spat, is it?

[Sam Spade]

Who is this guy?

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, Sam, I'm sorry. This is Curtains.

[Sam Spade]

You can say that again.

[Hugo Comstock]

Curtains. Harwood L. Curtains L. For Lacey, attorney at law. I represent the estate of the late Gertrude Comstock, ella's mother. You, Mr. Spade, have married into, shall we say, money?

[Sam Spade]

Look, Curtains. It's time to raise the blinds on a couple of things. In the first place.

[Jim Riley]

Please.

[Hugo Comstock]

As you know, Ella, your grandfather, the late Commodore Ezra Comstock, left his fortune to be divided equally between his legitimate heirs, that is, your mother and your Uncle Hugo. Upon your mother's death, the residue of her part of the estate was left to be administered by your Uncle Jugo as he saw fit until your marriage, at which time it should go to you.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, where is it?

[Sam Spade]

Yes, all in good legal time.

[Jim Riley]

First, here is this old strong box.

[Hugo Comstock]

Containing family mementos handed down to you from your grandmother. It was your mother's wish that this be delivered into your hands upon this auspicious occasion.

[Jim Riley]

Here is the key.

[Hugo Comstock]

In addition to which I leave with you both my best wishes for your future happiness. Good day, Mr. Spade. I shall forward along to you the statement of my fees for services in this case.

[Sam Spade]

Wait a minute. Who's paying my fee?

[Hugo Comstock]

No more questions.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, I guess we might as well open them.

[Sam Spade]

I'm sleeping.

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, no. Let's see what's in here.

[Sam Spade]

All right, let's. It didn't take long to go through Grandma Comstock's mementos, and I got more and more wide awake as we went along. The strong box contained four items. A teapot, a bundle of letters, a photograph album and a family skeleton. The letters were love letters from one Elmo Pinkney. There was a tin type of said think in the album. He was a dead ringer for Uncle Hugo. Which might have been a coincidence, but wasn't I Started scanning through the love letter.

[Ella Comstock]

Did you find any money yet?

[Sam Spade]

Well, There's a Confederate 10 spot. I'll let you know if I hit any pay dirt.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, at least she left me a pot to make tea.

[Sam Spade]

What?

[Ella Comstock]

But if there wasn't any money, why wouldn't Uncle Hugo let me get married?

[Sam Spade]

Now, look, why don't you go and wash out that pot and make some tea, huh?

[Ella Comstock]

Probably leak. Oh, something in it. No money. His grandmother's marriage certificate. And mother's and Uncle Hugo's birth certificate.

[Sam Spade]

Let's see those.

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, cracked. I might have known. I wonder who that is.

[Sam Spade]

That will be your Uncle Hugo.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, that doesn't need to worry us anymore, does it?

[Sam Spade]

Yeah. Put these things back in the teapot and put the teapot on the mantelpiece.

[Ella Comstock]

But it's cracked.

[Sam Spade]

So am I. So do it anyway. Come right in, Uncle Hugo. You too, Cousin Riley. You fool.

[Jim Riley]

Very funny. Now, now, don't be silly, Riley. Accept your poor old uncle's blessing on this happy occasion.

[Ella Comstock]

I don't want your blessing, Uncle Hugo. You're a mean old man. And you killed all my fiance.

[Jim Riley]

Well, it appears that Mr. Curtains has already brought you a legacy. I believe I recognize your grandmother. Strongbox mementos have a strange, romantic chapter in the history of a great family. Mr. Spade, you who have joined that family so unexpectedly will have a privilege that even I was never granted.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, how come?

[Jim Riley]

My mother was a strange woman.

[Sam Spade]

In some ways, I'm sure she was.

[Jim Riley]

I suppose we shall never know what prompted her to leave these personal oddments to Ella's mother. Nor why my late sister chose to keep their contents a secret from me. I don't suppose I might be allowed just a peek into that Pandora's box.

[Sam Spade]

Go ahead. Help yourself.

[Jim Riley]

Really? Well, there's nothing but a photograph album and a bundle of letters.

[Sam Spade]

Love letters, Uncle Hugo. They seem to run in your family. Would you like to read them?

[Jim Riley]

You have no objection, Ella?

[Ella Comstock]

Me?

[Sam Spade]

Why should she have? I can give the whole story to you in a nutshell, Uncle Hugo. It seems that Grandma Comstock fell in love with a handsome rascal named Pinckney, a deserter from the Confederate army, and eloped with him to New Orleans. Her family pursued her there, had Pinckney arrested, got an annulment, and whisked her back home in time for her scheduled wedding to Ezra Comstock. These letters were written to her by Pinckney while he languished in prison awaiting court martial. Here's the last one, ready for the assault.

[Jim Riley]

Lydia, my darling, in a Few hours, I face a firing squad. Please, no tears, no regrets. I'm glad that you are married to a man who is worthy of you. Comstock will be a better father for our child than I would ever have been. Farewell, my love. So that was her secret. Nothing so extraordinary about that.

[Ella Comstock]

I think it's very tragic. Think of her married to a man she didn't love. About had the child and her lover facing a firing squire.

[Jim Riley]

Nonsense. Sentimental nonsense.

[Ella Comstock]

What do you know about such things?

[Jim Riley]

I should know a little. After all, I was that child. I'm sorry, Uncle Hugo, I. Oh, wow. Fine old piece of sp.

[Sam Spade]

What?

[Jim Riley]

This teapot. I don't remember seeing this here before.

[Sam Spade]

Just something I picked up in a junk shop.

[Jim Riley]

This is a very rare piece. Do you mind if I look at the mark?

[Sam Spade]

Go ahead.

[Jim Riley]

Yes, indeed. Genuine example. Piteous crack. Now, that was clumsy. Well, there's no good saving the pieces. I'll just toss them in the fire.

[Sam Spade]

Wait a minute, Comstock. I'll take care of it.

[Jim Riley]

Oh, so much. Well, what's this?

[Sam Spade]

It's your birth certificate. Give me that. Oh, no.

[Jim Riley]

What are you gonna do with it?

[Sam Spade]

Put it back where it came from.

[Jim Riley]

Roddy. Yeah, Mr. Comstock. Spade, I'm going out of here and I'm taking that strongbox with me. And don't think I won't kill you to get it.

[Ella Comstock]

He won't, as he did the others.

[Jim Riley]

And you too, if you don't shut your trap. Hand it over, Spade.

[Sam Spade]

Sure. Come and get it.

[Jim Riley]

Okay, let's chap.

[Sam Spade]

There you are, Riley.

[Jim Riley]

What's wrong with you?

[Ella Comstock]

My foot is broken.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, sit down and rest it. Hold it, Comstock. I've got the gun now.

[Jim Riley]

Well, Spade, seems you've won the day. How does it feel to be a rich man?

[Sam Spade]

You'll have to tell me, Comstock. The reports of my marriage to your niece are slightly exaggerated. And that's about it. Sergeant, I'm sorry I can't furnish you with the forged papers Ellie used to back up that phony story of her marriage to me. A fire broke out in the wastebasket and I accidentally dropped him into it. As for Comstock and his guns, O'Reilly, I will gladly press charges against them on the blackmail frame until Homicide decides whether there's a case against him on the mysterious deaths of Ella's previous fiance. Period, end of report.

[Ella Comstock]

But, Sam, why?

[Sam Spade]

Why? What if?

[Ella Comstock]

Did he want that old crack teapot?

[Sam Spade]

Well, because Grandmother's love letters, plus the documents on that teapot prove that Hugo was not a Comstock. But a pinkney. And hence not entitled to one red penny of the Comstock Po fortune, which was left, if you recall, to Grandpa's legitimate heir.

[Ella Comstock]

Who was entitled?

[Sam Spade]

I mean, Ella. But if she never married, she'd never find out.

[Ella Comstock]

She doesn't deserve it after making a pigeon out of you the way she did.

[Sam Spade]

I agree, sweetheart, but how else could she afford to pay my fee?

[Ella Comstock]

Well, I certainly hope you soak her.

[Sam Spade]

I fully intend to. Go type that up while I falsify an expense account.

[Ella Comstock]

Oh, well, here it is, Sam. Did you finish yours?

[Sam Spade]

No. Still a couple of fingers in there. Break out another glass.

[Ella Comstock]

No, I meant the extensor car.

[Sam Spade]

Oh, that. Well, it was nothing much. Just bus fare, free breakfast and the pokey. Ah, no, that would be the sign.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, I took the liberty, Sam, of drawing up a statement. Will you look it over?

[Sam Spade]

Yeah. New letterhead.

[Ella Comstock]

Well, it's only a sample. I have, dummy extending your approval. Do you?

[Sam Spade]

Well, yes, yes, Very classy. I like the coat of arms, but I'm not quite sure about the motto.

[Ella Comstock]

But then you are the greatest private detective of them all.

[Sam Spade]

Well, you know best, Effie.

[Ella Comstock]

And then for an extra $100, we could have it printed in rady ink. In what luminous ink. Sam shines in the dark even as you and I. Oh, Sam, I'm glad you're still a bachelor.

[Sam Spade]

Go home all the same.

[Ella Comstock]

Good night, Sam.

[Sam Spade]

Good night, sweetheart. The Adventures of Sam Spade Dashiell Hammett's famous private detective are produced and directed by William Spear. Sam Spade is played by Howard Duff. Lorraine Tuttle is Effie. The Adventures of Sam Spade Private Detective is a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education.

[Jim Riley]

SA.