21st Precinct 53-08-25 (008) The Bookkeeper

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: "21st Precinct 53-08-25 (008) The Bookkeeper"

Release Date: February 22, 2026
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Original Air Date of Drama: August 25, 1953

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Overview

In this classic episode from the Golden Age of radio, "The Bookkeeper" brings listeners into the daily realities of police work in Manhattan’s 21st Precinct. The episode centers around a payroll robbery involving a long-time bookkeeper, Beatrice Parazoni, and unravels the details of the crime, the investigative process, and the personal story behind the case. Through naturalistic dialog and behind-the-scenes police work, the show exemplifies the procedural drama that defined radio’s golden era.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Life in the 21st Precinct (00:31–02:54)

• Captain Frank Kennelly introduces the precinct, highlighting the diversity and the dedication of police officers safeguarding a vibrant city.
  • Memorable Quote (01:23):
    "21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York... People make a city." – Captain Kennelly

2. The Robbery is Reported (02:54–05:29)

• Beatrice Parazoni, a bookkeeper at an optical lens company, is robbed of the weekly payroll—$1,362.25—by a gunman in the lobby elevator of her office building.
• Kennelly interviews her about the crime, and her routine quickly becomes a focus for detectives.

3. The Initial Investigation (06:00–08:18)

• Victim Chronology:
  • Beatrice left her office around 2:00 pm, cashed the payroll at the bank, returned, and was robbed.
  • She follows this pattern every payday, a detail that may have assisted the robber.
• Police Procedure:
  • Detectives emphasize the importance of routine, possible surveillance, and the challenges of limited witness descriptions.

4. A Critical Lead from a Local Theater Manager (09:57–14:07)

• Mr. Crows, the manager at the New Era Theater, reports seeing Beatrice enter and exit the theater at around 2:10 pm—details Beatrice omitted from her police statement.
  • Memorable Quote (12:27):
    "I never forget a raincoat. In the whole city of New York there couldn't be two raincoats like that... Listen, Captain, you think there's something to it?" – Mr. Crows
• Crows also noticed a man exiting with her, raising suspicions that she wasn’t telling the full story.

5. Confronting Inconsistencies (14:07–19:56)

• Detectives debate whether Beatrice intentionally omitted part of her day or if it was an honest mistake.
• Internal police discussion also highlights the stresses and assignments within the force, adding realism to the episode.

6. The Interrogation (23:29–27:54)

• Beatrice is gently confronted about her earlier omission; she admits to visiting the theater and eventually confesses her involvement in orchestrating the robbery with a man named Jack Curly, whom she met on vacation.
  • Revealing Moment (24:48):
    • "I didn't want to do it. I really didn't... But he said it wouldn't hurt my boss or me. Only the insurance company." – Beatrice Parazoni
• She details how her relationship with Jack Curly developed and explains she acted under emotional pressure and naivete, believing no one would get hurt besides the insurance company.

7. Emotional Complexity and Resolution

• The episode closes with Beatrice expressing regret and the likelihood that she will “never see him again,” only for Captain Kennelly to assure her that the police will track him down.
  • Closing Insight (27:54):
    "You'll see him again. Maybe not tonight, but I guarantee you'll see him again." – Captain Kennelly

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Precinct’s Role (01:23):
  "My job and the job of the 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants, and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss." – Captain Kennelly

• Routine and Risk (07:11):
  "You follow this pattern pretty much every week?" – Captain Kennelly

• On Crime and Investigation (14:08): "The inconsistency of witnesses and their honest mistakes are major problems to law enforcement officers." – Captain Kennelly

• The Confession (24:48): "I didn't want to do it... But he said it wouldn't hurt my boss or me. Only the insurance company." – Beatrice Parazoni

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Important Timestamps

• 00:31–02:54: Introduction and the precinct's setup.
• 05:23–07:29: Interview with Beatrice about the robbery.
• 09:57–14:07: The theater manager’s observations and revelation.
• 23:29–27:54: Interrogation and Beatrice’s confession.

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Episode Tone & Style

• The episode is voiced in a matter-of-fact, procedural manner, blending dry police professionalism with moments of empathy and community concern.
• Character dialogue is naturalistic, and the drama unfolds through methodical questioning and understated emotional tension, typical of the era’s radio police procedurals.

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Summary of Takeaways

• Procedural Accuracy: The episode demonstrates step-by-step police work, including attention to witness statements, timelines, and psychological aspects of interrogations.
• Human Drama: At the heart is a story not just of theft, but of human frailty, loneliness, and the ways people can be manipulated or deceived.
• Classic Era Vibe: Listeners are treated to a slice of 1950s Americana, reflecting both social norms and law enforcement realities of the time.

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Whether you're a radio drama enthusiast or curious about the history and narrative techniques of early police procedurals, “The Bookkeeper” provides a masterclass in storytelling, character, and the nuanced dance between suspicion, fact, and confession.

Transcript

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[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Thanks. Sergeant Klein. What do you mean you were robbed? Held up. So where? Just happened. Where did he have a gun? There were two men. When was it? Just now. You are in the Musker room at the 21st Precinct, the nerve center. A call is coming through. You will follow the action taken pursuant to that call from this minute until the final report is written in the 124 room at the 21st Precinct. Where are you calling from? Where on what floor is that? All right. You take the elevator back downstairs. The officers will be right there. They'll be right there. You just wait. Yes, ma'.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Am.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

21st Precinct. It's just lines on a map of the city of New York. Most of the 173,000 people wedged into the 9/10 of a square mile between Fifth Avenue and the east river wouldn't know, if you asked them, that they lived or worked in the 21st. Whether they know it or not, the security of their persons, their homes and their property is my job. My job and the job of the 160 patrolmen, 11 sergeants and four lieutenants, of whom I'm the boss. My name is Kennelly. Frank Kennelly. I'm captain in Command of the 21st. What makes a city? Not buildings, not subways, not business. People make a city. From dawn to midnight. From midnight to dawn, the rich and the poor and the good and the bad pour their lives together and stir up the city as in the 21st. Sometime in a way you'd least expect. I was working my 8am to 6pm tour. It had started to rain during the night, and it was still raining at 1:15pm When I came out of the luncheon meeting of the Lenox Hill Lions Club at which I spoke on the problems of juvenile delinquency. From the lobby of the hotel, I rang in Sergeant Klein on TS told me everything was quiet. I instructed him to send a car for me. When it came, I had the operator, Patrolman Farrell, drive me to the New Era Theater, a movie house on First Avenue. I went into the Lobby and was told by the manager that Mr. Crows could be found at the back of the theater near the candy stand. I saw him in the dim light and I walked over. A cartoon was on the screen. Hello, Mr. Crows.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Huh?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Oh, Captain, how are you? Just fine. I had a report from Sergeant Collins on the night tour that you've been having some trouble over this way. Yeah, that's right, Captain. But I told the sergeant what was on my mind last night. Captain, I appreciate you stopping by anyway. Well, I'm giving instructions to the men on post and in the cars here to pay special attention to the conditions. Oh, well, thanks. Just a second. Here's that scene. I get the biggest kick out of these cartoons. I don't know why. You ever seen anything so funny? Feel clever? All right, look in there, Captain. A rainy afternoon and business is just fine. You know, I got the answer to what's wrong with the picture business. Have you? Mm. If they make a good picture, you do business. Even on a day like this. It's simple. Make all good pictures. How many kids does the Rule hang out at that Candy store at? 9, Mr. Cross? Well, you know, it varies. Now, on a nice night or a Saturday, there's a whole gang of them. They yell and they make jokes at the people coming on their way to the theater at night, and that can scare them. I don't need my patrons scared away. Condition at the box office is bad enough, and it's not healthy for the neighborhood. All right, Mr. Cross. We'll see what we can do about it. Look at that rabbit. How do you like that? You know, I see a feature picture once I'm through with it, but I can watch these cartoons four or five times a day. Yeah, well, if the condition doesn't clear up, Mr. Cross, you just get in touch with me. Oh, is this cop looking for you, Captain? Oh, yeah. Excuse me, Captain. Yes? S signal 30 just came over. Yeah, hold up. Just around the corner at 3:40. I thought you might want to take a look. Yes, I do. So long, Mr. Claus. Thanks. Captain. One man, no description put out yet. All right, let's go. I left the theater with Patrolman Farrell. It was still raining. We got into the car and he drove around the corner to 3:40, a lost building. The sector car and the sergeant's car were already there. Sergeant Burns had posted his operator at the front door of the building to keep the curious out of the lobby. He held the door open and nodded as I went in. The lobby was long and narrow, the building old and grimy. At the far end of the lobby was a single old fashioned elevator. Sergeant Burns was talking to a woman dressed in a raincoat. A woman, about 35. The sector men and the patrolman on post were questioning the elevator operator several feet away. I walked to Sergeant Burns. You know how much was in the envelope exactly? Hello, Sergeant. Captain.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

There was $1362.25 exactly? Yes.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

How did you know that?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I just came from the bank. It was a payroll.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Oh, Captain Kennelli, this is Ms. Beatrice Parazoni. How do you do? Is that how you pronounce it? Parazone.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Pleased to meet you. Yes, that's right.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

She's a bookkeeper for a firm up on the sixth floor. Captain, she's coming back from the bank with a payroll man followed her into the lobby and onto the elevator, pulled a gun, took the package. Then he forced the elevator operator to take them back down to the ground level. He got off, told him to go straight up to the top. Is that about right, mister?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, that's right, exactly.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Did you get a description, Sergeant? Yes, sir. As good as they could give me.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I didn't remember much. I honestly didn't. I could only look at that gun. That's all I could see.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

The elevator operator. Not so good with the English. I called ts, gave him the best description we could get. Good. What kind of company is it you work for?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, it's a place that makes optical lenses. You know, for eyeglasses. Yeah, it's just a small company. About 14, 15 men working in the shop and myself in the office with the boss. That's all that was. The whole payroll? $1,362.25. The whole payroll for a week.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where's your boss? Did you tell him about it?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I stopped up on the floor to call the police. He's not there. He's out selling. He's usually in the shop in the morning and he goes out seeing customers in the afternoon.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

How long have you been employed there, Ms. Parazoni?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Almost ten years. Between nine and ten.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You never had anything like this happen before, did you?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Oh, no, Nothing like this at all. Never.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, it's five minutes after three now, Ms. Parazoni, what time did you leave the office for the bank?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, it was just about 2 o' clock on payday. I usually work all morning until I get the payroll finished, and then I write out the check and the boss signs it before he leaves to call on customers. I had the check and I went out to lunch. And then I was going to the bank right before it closed to come back here and trying to make up the payroll for when the men go home.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You follow this pattern pretty much every week?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

What do you mean?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, I mean, you pay on the same day every week.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Oh, yes.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

And do you go to the bank just about the same time?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, usually right before it closes.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Oh, Sergeant, you ought to have the sector car and get back on patrol. We don't need them here anymore. Yes, sir, Captain. All right. Ryan. Thomas.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I really ought to be getting upstairs and back to work. Captain, I don't know what I'm gonna do about the payroll today. I don't know where I can reach the boss. And the bank is closed. It'll be a shame for the men to go home without their money. Can I go upstairs now? See if I can get it straightened out?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, the detectives will be here any minute, Ms. Parazoni. They'll want to talk to you. I think you ought to wait down here until they come. Hello? Ring in when you get back in service.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I don't see what I have to wait for the detectives for. I told you everything I know. I told you and that sergeant and the police in there.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, it's the detective's case. It's up to them to conduct the investigations.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Captain, I don't know. Why did he pick on me? The funny thing, he picked on me is it. I guess he didn't pick on me, just picked on the $1,300.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

The essential duty of the uniformed force is patrol. When the criminal is unknown or has fled, it is the job of the detectives to investigate.

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[Captain Frank Kennelly]

In this, as in all similar cases, the 21st Detective Squad under the command of Lieutenant Matt King was notified by the desk officer immediately on the seat of the report. Within a few minutes, detectives Ben Novak and Whitey Howard were on the job. Sergeant Burns opened his memorandum book and from notes he had taken for his UF61 and unusual occurrence report gave them the fact as he had learned them. He introduced them to the victim and to the witness, then resumed patrol. I returned to the police ink house. It was still raining, but not nearly so hard. I walked to the telephone switchboard where Sergeant Klein was on the boxes. Hello, captain. Any messages, Sergeant? No telephone messages, no, sir. But there was a communication on the teletype addressed to all precinct, division and borough commanders. I put it on your desk. Good. Tell Glass I'll read and sign whatever report he's got ready now. Yes, sir. I'll be in my office. Yes, 21st Precinct. Charging for Nelly. Hello? Hi, 24. Oh, hello, Mr. Crow. Captain, can I talk to you for a minute? What's the matter? Are those boys at the candy store giving you trouble this early in the day? No, no, I'd. I'd just like to talk to you, captain, if I could. Yeah, sure. Come into my office. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Go ahead. Have a seat, Mr. Crow. Yeah, thanks a lot. Well, what's on your mind? Well, Captain, I'm the curious type, you know, like anybody else, I like a little excitement. When that cop came in and told you there was a signal 30 around the corner, I got so interested. No secret what a signal 30 is. It's an armed felony, right? That's right. Well, anyway, I figured I'd like to see what's going on. So when you left, I got my raincoat and I walked around the corner. A cop was standing at the door of the loft building, so I couldn't get in. But I looked through the door and I saw that girl you were talking to. And from the conversation around there, I found out that she was held up for a payroll. Right. Yes, that's right. What about it? Well, look, it's. It's none of my business. Maybe I feel like an idiot. Well, you came here to tell me, didn't you? Yeah. Yeah, I did. That girl, Captain, the one that was held up, she did an awful funny thing a little while before. What do you mean? About 2 o', clock I was standing in a lobby there in the lobby of the theater. It was raining outside and I was still wondering how we were doing. All the business we were doing so early in the day with the weather. But a good picture will bring him in. That's all you need. What? About to go? Yeah. Well, I guess it was about 2 o'.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Clock.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

I remember because she had on a funny brown raincoat with a plaid pattern. You know the one she was wearing. Yes. She bought a ticket and she came in a theater. Did she? Yeah, she did. Now, I know that's not funny in itself. I wouldn't have noticed her except for that raincoat. But I stand in the lobby a few minutes, talk to ticket taker, go to the box office, talk to cashier, shake hands with a few patrons. Then it's about 2:10, maybe 2:15, and I see this raincoat walking out again. I figure, this is funny. So I stop in the lobby and I say, what's the matter, lady? Did you see the picture before? If you saw the picture before, I'd be glad to give you your money back. We don't want any dissatisfied patrons. What'd she say? She said, no, she didn't see the picture before. So I told her, look, lady, if it's not the kind of picture you think it is or you don't like it, let me give you a free pass and come back some other time. You know, we do these things for public relations. But she says, no, everything is all right. She doesn't want her money back or anything like that. Anyways, while I'm standing there talking to her, a man walks out of the theater and he walks right past without saying a word. She sort of looks at him like she was going to say something, like she knows him. But he walked out and he didn't even turn to her. Yes. Well, that's all. Is it? Yeah, except that she left. Well, I see. I shouldn't butt in anybody else's business. Sit down, Mr. Cross. You think there's something to it, Captain? I thought there was something to it. That's why I came over here. But I can't figure out what. What did the man look like? Well, that's kind of Hard to say. Now, was he tall? I couldn't say he was exactly tall, but I couldn't say short either. Medium, maybe. You sure it was the same girl? I'm positive. I never forget a. And I never forget a raincoat. In the whole city of New York. There couldn't be two raincoats like that. At least in this neighborhood. Listen, Captain, you think there's something to it? You think I hit on something? Maybe.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

For what?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

What, Mr. Crows, it's just like in your business. They're not all good pictures, some of them. We have to clear up. The inconsistency of witnesses and their honest mistakes are major problems to law enforcement officers. A whole troop is not an easy thing at which to arrive. In this case, the victim of the robbery, Ms. B. Parazone, made no mention of stopping at the movie theater en route to the bank. The theatre manager said he saw her there. This discrepancy could be either a mistake of identity, a coincidence, or of great importance. I asked Mr. Crows if he would mind telling his story again. He agreed, and I took him upstairs to the 21st Detective Squad on the second floor. In my presence, he repeated the events as they occurred. Lt. King questioned him in great detail. When you saw her in the lobby, do you remember what kind of hat she had on? Well, it wasn't a hat exactly, Lutzen. It was a bandana, like a handkerchief over her head. It was raining, you know, lots of girls wear those things in a range. And you couldn't see what color hair she had. No, but it was the same girl. Take my word for it, it was the same girl. Was she carrying anything in the theater? What do you mean? You mean a package or a pocketbook? Anything like that? Yeah. Yeah, she was carrying a pocketbook. Anything else? An umbrella. She had an umbrella. What kind of umbrella? What do you mean, what kind of umbrella? What color was it? What kind of handle did it have? Oh, I don't remember those things, Lieutenant. I didn't take that much notice of it. When you looked through the door at the building and you saw her standing there Talking to me, Mr. Crows, did she have the umbrella in her hand then? Well, I don't remember seeing it, Captain. Maybe she put it down someplace. I don't remember. She might have had it. All right, Mr. Crows. Thank you. Lunch. Look, I don't know. Maybe I'm just shooting my mouth off. I don't even know what it all means. Probably just wasting your time. And my time too. What am I doing here? I should be over there. Thinking up ways to promote that stiff I've got opening on Monday. You're not wasting our time, Mr. Crows. We've got to consider every angle. Well, that's what I figured. Oh, Thanks a lot, Mr. Crow. That's all right. We'll keep an eye on that candy store. I'd appreciate that, Captain. Novak. Ben Novak. Yeah. Well, tell us. Come in here a minute, William. Yes, sir. What do you think, man? Well, she could have had a good reason for stopping in the movie. That was her? Yes, Lieutenant. Shut the door, William. On this robbery this afternoon, Ben, how close did you question the girl? The victim? Low, Captain. Ben. Well, like I told you, she accounted for a time of the minute. Says she left the office about five minutes. At 2, she said she went down to the restaurant and had a sandwich. And then she went to the bank and started back for the office with the payroll. Did she say anything about any stops in between? No, sir. She couldn't have forgotten about making a stop someplace, could she? No, sir. I went over it with her three or four times. She was pretty hazy on the description of the guy, wasn't she? Nothing definite. She said she was pretty scared. All she could see was a gun. How about the elevator boy? Well, I couldn't get much out of him. His English is pretty slim. Hernandez will be in at 6:00'.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Clock.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

I'm gonna see if I can get him to ride up there with me. Man lives on 106th Street. Hernandez can talk to him in Spanish. And maybe we can find out something that way. That's a good idea. How'd you leave it with this girl? Well, I told her we might want her to take a look through some mugs in the Rogues gallery. See if she could pick out the man. Wouldn't you say you might do this? I said I might call her this afternoon. She said she'd be willing to ride downtown with me after she got finished works. Did you talk to her boss then? Yes, sir. What'd he say about her? He says she's been there about 10 years. She's a good bookkeeper. He says she practically runs his business when he's away. She's 36 years old. She lives with a married sister up in Washington Heights. Where? What's the deal, Lieutenant? What's this all about? She may not have told you a straight story about what happened after she left the office. No. Why'd you call her, Ben? Tell her you want her to take a look at some of the mugs. When? After she gets finished work? No. Let Me? Get it straight right now. I left the detective squad and walked downstairs through the back room where Patrolman Glass, the 124 man, was posting the latest teletype alarms. I saw Sergeant Waters come in the front door as I walked into the muster room. I called him aside and told him of an order that had come through assigning to the precinct a patrolman who had just been flopped after eight years in the 10th Detective District. The man would be inside in Water's platoon. We conferred for a few minutes regarding the proper assignments of this man, whether he should be given a fixed post or made recorder in a second car. We looked over his departmental record and discussed the mental effect that emotion might have on the performance of his duties as a patrolman. It was decided to put him on post number three. Sergeant Waters went into the locker room to change to his uniform. Other men of the night tour were coming into the station house. I walked over to TS 21st Precinct. Sergeant Klein. Yes, sir, Captain. That's all right. Go ahead, take the call. Who? Somebody's kidding you, mister. It's the 21st Precinct of the police Department. All right. Yes, Captain. Get me Division, will you, Sergeant? Yes, sir. Oh, hold it a minute.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I didn't know we were coming here.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Just a second now, Mitch. I got a call upstairs.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I thought we were going downtown, look over some things.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

We are. Yeah, but I've got to check something here first about the car. Sergeant, could you ring upstairs for me? Yeah, sure. Ben. Hello, Ms. Carazone.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Oh, hello.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, are you feeling better now?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Oh, yes, a lot.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Who do you want up there, Ben? Lieutenant King. Is Lieutenant King there? There's a Sergeant Clyde on P.S. ben Novak wants to talk to him.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Any idea yet who that hold up name was?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, the detectives are handing it down there. Oh, Lieutenant King is on his way downstairs, Ben. Oh, good. Oh, here he comes now. I just called up for you, Lieutenant. Hi, Captain. Hello, man. Lieutenant, this is Ms. Beatrice Parazoni. She was the victim in that hold up before. Oh, yes. How do you do, Ms. Parazoni? We're on our way downtown to look over some mugs to see if she can identify the man. How's the car? Is it tied up? I sent Whitey up to the 23rd to pick up a fellow that we're holding there. He'll be back in a minute. Can you wait? Have you got time, Ms. Pazzoni?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, I guess so. How long you think it'll take downtown to look at the pictures in?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, there's a lot of pictures, isn't there, Captain? Well, plenty.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Lar called my sister. She's expecting me home for dinner.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Oh, I think you'll be home for dinner, all right.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

We're kind of early.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Now, according to Detective Novak, you said you went downstairs about two or five minutes after you went to a restaurant, had a sandwich for lunch, then went to the bank, you got the payroll and started back at the office. That's what she said. She told you, Is that right, then? Yes, sir. That's what you said.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, that's what I did then.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

I just wanted to get it straight. How long has your boss been in business there, Ms. Marzoni?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

He started just before the war.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Have you been with him all that time?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, practically, Captain. I came in 1943.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You lived with your sister that went.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

That's right up Morrison Heights. She and her husband and their boy. They have a boy? Six.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

How old are you?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

36.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You ever married?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

No. No, sir.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

What do you do when you're not working, Ms. Farazzoni?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Is that solve a personal question?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, maybe I'm just a curious type.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Now. Think of him much?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You have a boyfriend?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I don't think I have to answer that, do I, Captain?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, it's up to you.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

What does he want to know all about me for? I'm beginning to resent this.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, when something like a robbery happens, he wants to know all about everything. Do you have a boyfriend?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

No, sir.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Captain, are you going to turn out the platoon? Yes, right now. They come marching right out here, Miss. Captain, can we wait in your office for a minute? Yeah, sure, go ahead. All right. By this way, Ms. Parazoni, then your. Sir, hold safe for a few minutes. Platoon, forward. You want to say anything to them, Captain? Yes.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Platoon up. Left,

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

right. Report. Second platoon. Platoon inspected, sir. No. Call a her. Yes. Pulley. Yes. Iceman. Yes.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Glass.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Yes. Sidle.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

As the role was being called, I realized what course Lt. King was taking with the holdup victim, Beatrice Parazone. He wanted her brought into the station house, but without getting her unduly alarmed. Hence the excuse about the car and the interrogation in my office instead of upstairs in the detective squad. He had timed it perfectly. I spoke to the platoon and instructed the sector men and men on post to correct the condition which existed at the candy store near the New Era Theater, and to watch for similar problems at other movie houses in the precinct. I read the alarm concerning the holdup man wanted for the robbery in the precinct that afternoon. All right, Sergeant, host the platoon. Platoon,

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Forward.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

I'll be in my office Sergeant? Yes, Matt? Oh, come in, Captain. I want to get at these reports here. That's all right. We're just talking. You're sure we're not disturbing you here, Captain? No, no. Go right ahead. Ben, do you want to check in the car? Okay. You will, Honor. Close the door, William. Yep. What else do you do in your spare time, Ms. Tarzani?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, I read and I sit with a baby when my sister and her husband go out. And I like to go to a concert once in a while. I like music.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

What else?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Nothing much else.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Movies. Do you like movies?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Sure, once in a while.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

When do you go? Nights?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yeah. Nice. I work in the daytime. Except Saturday and Sunday. The movies are usually too crowded on Saturdays and Sundays. There's other things to do.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You ever go in the daytime?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

No.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Then why did you go today?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

What do you mean, today? Who said I went to the movies today?

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Did you?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, yeah, for a little while.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Now, wait a minute. Just a second. I don't understand this. Just when did you go to the movies?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

When I left the office.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You mean at 2 o'?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Clock? Yes, that's right.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You didn't say anything about that to anybody before.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, I didn't think it was important.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Turning out to be important, isn't it?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Then why didn't you think it was important before?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I don't know. I just didn't think so, that's all.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

What was the name of the man you met there? Where? At the movies.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I didn't meet any man.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Supposing I told you you were seen with a man there.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

All right. I knew you'd find out.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

He said you wouldn't.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

But I knew you'd find out.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Sure, we'd find out everything, don't we, Captain? Most of it.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I didn't want to do it. I really didn't. I was afraid and it wasn't right and I didn't want to do it. But he said it wouldn't hurt my boss or me. Only the insurance company. Nobody would find out about it.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

He was wrong, wasn't he?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, he was wrong.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Why did you meet him in the theater?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

He wanted me to. To tell him how much was in the payroll.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

What's his name, dad?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

That curl. Oh, how you can get fooled. Sure can get fooled. He sounded so nice when I first met him.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where was that?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

On my vacation in the mountains.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where? At the hotel?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, that's right. I took my two weeks and I went away. I didn't expect to meet any man. All I wanted to do was get a little country air, a little fun time, that's all. But he was there and we talked and we went boating and home together. I didn't even go up there with any intention of meeting a man. Maybe I used to, but I got over that. It was really very nice. Very nice. And then when I came back to the city, he took my telephone number. I never expected to hear from him, really.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

But you didn't.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes. We called and we started to see each other in the city. You know, he'd come over and we'd go to a movie, take a walk, something like that.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

How long ago was it?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, I got back from my vacation three weeks ago. Then last Sunday night we took a bus ride. It was so hot, we just had to get out someplace. We went up to Fort Tryon park and we sat a bench upstairs. I could see that he had something on his mind. I thought he was gonna ask me to marry him. That's what I thought. I really thought that. And didn't finally tell me what it was.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

This?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Yes, I. I was a surprise. I couldn't say anything. I couldn't say a word. I didn't mean he was that kind of dog. He was so nice.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Well, then why did you go ahead with him?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, I wasn't going to. I told him no. And then he said all he wanted money for was supposed to get married.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Is that why you did it? So he'd marry him?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

No, I don't think I would have married him. I. I just did it because he wanted the money so bad. Oh, I wouldn't have married him ever. Believe me.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Weren't you still afraid? Be, yes. Well, then why did you go through with it?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Oh, I don't know. I guess because he was so nice to me. Leave for a month. I had a good time. I figured I owed him something, that's all.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where does he live?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I don't know. He never would tell me. Some hotel, I think.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Is Jack Curly his real name? I don't know.

[Beatrice Parazoni]

I think so.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where can we find him?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

Well, he was supposed to meeting tonight.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

Where?

[Beatrice Parazoni]

In a bar on Broadway. Way uptown. 8:30. But I got to thinking. I think that all he wanted was the money from this. I think he made the date. Just so I go through with this today. I don't think he's going to show up. I don't think I'll ever see him again.

[Captain Frank Kennelly]

You'll see him again. Maybe not tonight, but I guarantee you'll see him again. 21st Precinct. Sergeant Klein. Who's dead? Who? She was killed where is it? Where? 88 East 1. He send it. Who is this calling? What's your name? Doris Watt. All right, just stay right where you are. The officers will be there right away. Yeah, right away. Oh, don't worry about it. Around the clock through the week, every day, every year, a police precinct in the city of New York is a flesh and blood merry go round. Anyone can catch the brass ring or the brass ring can catch anyone. 21st Precinct. A factual account of the way the police work in the world's largest city is presented with the official cooperation of the Patrolman's Benevolent association, an organization of more than 20,000 members of the Police Department, City of New York. Everett Sloan in the role of Captain Canelli. Ken lynch is Lieutenant King. Featured in tonight's cast were El Pat, Mandel Kramer, Wendell Holmes, Bill Smith and Lawson Zerby. Written and directed by Stanley Nist. Produced for CBS Radio by John Ives. Art Hannah speaking.

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