Becker House Detective - Friend From Chicago

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Becker House Detective – Friend From Chicago

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: March 14, 2026
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Featured Program: House Detective – “Friend From Chicago”

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Episode Overview

This episode transports listeners to the Golden Age of Radio, featuring a suspense-filled story from the "House Detective" series. Set within the grand "Queen of the Rockies" hotel, house detective Becker is drawn into a web of mystery and murder when a young woman's body is found in a bathtub. As the investigation unfolds, secrets concerning hidden identities, a clarinet player with a shady past, and a "friend from Chicago" intertwine, culminating in a classic hardboiled detective narrative rich with period atmosphere.

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Key Discussion & Story Points

1. Introduction to Becker and the Crime (00:46–03:12)

• Becker introduces his role as the hotel’s house detective, emphasizing the job’s mundanity and occasional darkness:

  “Truth is, it's mostly a matter of wearing down my shoe leather on miles of stone floor… Except that every once in a while it turns ugly. Very ugly.”
  (Becker, 00:46)

• A young woman's body is discovered in Room 514’s bathtub, sparking an investigation led by Becker and Sergeant Drake.

2. Initial Investigation: Timelines and Suspects (03:12–06:47)

• Jenny Pine, the chambermaid, discovered the body. She provides a timeline that raises suspicion, and her nervous reaction hints she may be hiding something.
• Ms. Angela Oxenham, the room’s registered guest, is questioned and establishes her strict alibi.
• The only clue left at the scene: two hairpins, which don’t seem to belong to any of the women involved.

3. Unfolding Motives and Intrigue (06:47–13:30)

• Ms. Oxenham complains about strong tobacco smoke from Room 512—supposedly empty. She recalls seeing a mysterious balding man (5'10", 170 lbs) leaving the area.

  “He was quite close, and it was impossible to avoid the smell.”
  (Ms. Oxenham, 07:07)

• Becker discusses with Mr. Hickey, the manager, confirming 512 has been vacant, adding a new layer of mystery regarding the man and the tobacco smell.

4. A Jazz Band and the “Friend from Chicago” (09:38–17:25)

• A subplot emerges: Red Le Mond, the hotel’s bandleader, asks Becker to watch over clarinetist Rudy Rang, who received a mysterious message from a "friend from Chicago"—which spooked him.

  "I just want you to watch out for him a little."
  (Red Le Mond, 11:34)

• Becker checks guest records for visitors from Chicago, finding only JM Doyle (Room 342), who reacts suspiciously during Becker’s unauthorized visit. Doyle is later revealed as a retired Chicago Police Captain searching for his missing niece, Marie O’Banion—the dead girl.

5. The Murder Unravels: Clues and Confrontations (17:25–26:15)

• Becker presses chambermaid Jenny Pine, learning she secretly spent extra time cleaning 514, possibly to meet someone.
• The puzzle pieces fit: Rudy Rang is confronted. Becker accuses him of killing Marie, who was pregnant and searching for him. Rudy’s distinctive tobacco smell, hairpins likely used for a toupee, and his relationship with Jenny all implicate him.
• Dramatic climax: Captain Doyle shoots Rudy as police close in.

  “He deserved it, laddie. Besides, I didn't have any other choice, believe me.”
  (Captain Doyle, 26:20)

6. Aftermath and Closing Reflections (26:34–28:48)

• Jenny Pine confesses her part—she had been cleaning and meeting Rudy in 5:14 but was unaware of Marie’s presence.
• Doyle, devastated, returns to Chicago; authorities view his action as "an understandable excess of zeal."
• The hotel band finds a replacement; yet, Becker remains haunted by the dead girl’s “furious eyes.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Dark Side of Detective Work:

  “Maybe I just don't want to know that people do this kind of thing.” (Becker, 02:19)

• Ms. Oxenham’s Precision:

  “I can assure you she was not there when I left this morning. Which was 6:55 precisely.” (Ms. Oxenham, 06:22)

• Description of the Mystery Man:

  “About 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighed 170 pounds, balding…reeking of tobacco.” (Ms. Oxenham, 07:34)

• Red Le Mond’s Band Standard:

  “You gotta set some standards.” (Red Le Mond, on why all band members have red hair, 11:47)

• Climactic Accusation:

  “She was three months pregnant, you bastard. She came here looking for you.” (Becker to Rudy, 22:50)

• The Fatal End:

  “He deserved it, laddie. Besides, I didn't have any other choice, believe me.” (Captain Doyle, 26:20)

• Becker’s Final Thought:

  “It’ll be a long time before I forget Marie O’Banion’s furious eyes.” (Becker, 28:46)

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Content | |:--------------|:---------------------------------------------| | 00:46 | Becker’s introduction and crime discovery | | 03:12–06:47 | Jenny Pine’s testimony, timeline dissected | | 06:47–08:34 | Interview with Ms. Oxenham; scent clue | | 09:38–11:47 | Red Le Mond’s request about Rudy Rang | | 13:01–13:49 | 512 is confirmed empty—deepening the mystery| | 15:16–16:15 | Becker’s tense confrontation with Doyle | | 17:25–18:24 | Spotlight on Jenny Pine’s hidden behavior | | 20:12–21:10 | Captain Doyle’s revelation and motives | | 22:03–25:36 | Becker confronts Rudy — the confession | | 26:09–26:34 | Final showdown: Doyle shoots Rudy | | 26:34–28:48 | Epilogue: confessions and aftermath |

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Tone & Style

• Dialogues are crisp, with a hardboiled, noir undertone typical of Golden Age detective radio.
• Becker is wry but compassionate, tinged with the fatigue of a man who’s seen too much (“They say things start to make sense if you sleep on them. Well, the next morning, nothing was any clearer. But then I hadn't slept much.” 11:56).
• Supporting characters—from tight-lipped sergeants to quirky bandleaders—flesh out the hotel’s bustling microcosm.

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Takeaways

This “House Detective” story evokes classic mysteries, delivering a tangled plot involving crime of passion, secret relationships, and the inescapable weight of guilt. Becker’s world is one of gray areas and regrets, but also of dogged pursuit of the truth, even when the answers give little comfort in the end.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Becker's the name. Just Becker. House detective here at the Queen of the Rockies. House detective. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? Truth is, it's mostly a matter of wearing down my shoe leather on miles of stone floor, closing down the late night parties and making sure the guests don't sneak off the next morning without paying their bills. Not too romantic, but a pretty good life. I like it. Except that every once in a while it turns ugly. Very ugly.

[C]

Where are we going?

[B]

5 14. Down at the end of the corridor and through that door. There's two rooms off to the right. 514 and 512.

[C]

Private.

[B]

You'd need privacy for this, Sergeant.

[C]

Who found her?

[B]

The chambermaid. She's waiting for you downstairs. In here. Looks all right. Clean as a pin. She's through that door in the tub.

[C]

How long she been there?

[B]

I don't know, Neil. Not long.

[C]

Strangled?

[B]

Looks like it.

[C]

She can't be more than 18. You got any idea who she is?

[B]

No. Well, whose room is this? It's registered to a Ms. Angela Oxenum.

[C]

You know anything about her?

[B]

Not much. She's about 35. She comes every summer for the hiking. And that's not her.

[C]

So where is she now?

[B]

She took off early this morning.

[C]

What happens if she doesn't come back?

[B]

I don't know. At least you'll have a fair idea who you're looking for.

[C]

What's the matter, Becker?

[B]

Maybe I just don't want to know that people do this kind of thing.

[C]

Well, they do. And it's our job to catch them.

[B]

I think I'll stick to floor walking.

[C]

You know, Jim, you can't keep tabs on 400 people a night.

[B]

But that's what I'm paid to do, Sergeant.

[C]

Oh, hell.

[B]

Let's give the room the once over. Maybe we'll get lucky. Nothing? Not quite. What do you make of these?

[C]

Hairpins. Don't all women have hairpins?

[B]

Most women have more than two, and they don't keep them on the floor.

[C]

Couldn't they belong to her in the bathroom? She's wearing it loose anything else?

[B]

No, but then the room's been cleaned.

[C]

Cleaned?

[B]

The chambermaid before she found the body.

[C]

I guess it's about time we talked to her. What's her name?

[B]

Jenny Pine.

[D]

I did. Just like I did every day. I made up the bed, did the dusting. Then I went into the bathroom and there she was. Can you believe that I was in there all that time with a dead person.

[C]

And what time was that, Jenny?

[D]

That I found her?

[C]

About what time?

[D]

I don't know. It's my last room.

[B]

You do the whole floor, Jenny?

[D]

Only the even numbers. 500 to 510. Then there's 512 and 514 in the alcove.

[B]

And you start at 8 o'?

[C]

Clock?

[D]

Yes.

[B]

And it takes you about half an

[D]

hour for each room.

[B]

So you would do 500 at 8:00 o', clock, 5:02 at 8:30?

[D]

That's right.

[B]

So you'd be in room 5:12 at 11:00 clock and room 5:14 by 11:30?

[D]

I guess so.

[B]

So you must have discovered the body between 11:30 and 12?

[D]

I guess.

[B]

But you didn't report it until 12:20.

[C]

Is that true?

[B]

She called the housekeeper.

[C]

What do you say about that, Jenny?

[D]

Sometimes I get behind. Sometimes I miss my lunch. Maybe I blanked out. You know, in the bathroom.

[C]

Do you wear hairpins, Jenny?

[D]

Hairpins?

[C]

When you work we have caps. Yes, right.

[B]

And you wouldn't take them off?

[D]

Not while I'm working. It's against the rules.

[C]

And you wouldn't break the rules?

[D]

No, never. I haven't done anything honest. Honest?

[B]

Murder makes everyone feel guilty. If Jenny was anything like me, all she wanted to do was crawl under a rock and pretend it never happened. But it did. Later that afternoon, Sergeant Drake sent over a photograph that made it perfectly clear that it did. One of those studies Dr. Todd. Turns out in the morgue, he closed her eyes. She should have looked peaceful. If you could ignore the shadows spreading out from the bruises on her neck, she probably did.

[E]

Quite a vivid picture, isn't it? She hardly seems dead at all, dear.

[B]

Recognize her?

[E]

I'm afraid not.

[B]

I thought you recognized everybody.

[E]

Well, the husbands, yes. They register. But the wives are more reticent. It often takes a couple of days to coax them out of the shadows.

[B]

So you assume this girl was married?

[E]

Well, no single women registered in the past week.

[B]

So where's her husband? Why hasn't he reported her missing?

[E]

Yes. Oh, yes. Ask her to wait. Thank you. Ms. Oxenham's asking for her key.

[B]

Good. Maybe we'll get Some answers.

[E]

You'd better use this office. Particularly if you intend to show her that picture.

[F]

Oh, my God. Is she. Why are you showing me this? Who is she?

[B]

The maid found her this morning in your bathtub. And you think I. I was hoping you'd be able to identify her.

[F]

Do I look like I'd know someone who'd be found dead in a hotel bathtub?

[B]

Do you have any idea how she might have gotten into your room?

[F]

I have not. But I can assure you she was not there when I left this morning. Which was 6:55 precisely. The dining room will confirm my presence at breakfast.

[B]

Do you use hairpins, Miss Oxenham?

[F]

What kind of question is that, Mr. Becker? Oh, I suppose you found hairpins at the scene of the crime. Well, as you can see, I wear my hair extremely short. Better for hiking. Now, is that all?

[B]

The police may want to talk with you.

[F]

Perhaps you could investigate something for me. For days now, I've been bothered by the smell of smoke.

[B]

Smoke?

[F]

Tobacco smoke. It must be emanating from the room next to mine.

[B]

5:12.

[F]

Sometimes when I return, it's so pungent that I can hardly sleep. I have complained about it.

[B]

And you're sure it's coming from 5:12?

[F]

The day before yesterday I happened to forget my field glasses, so I returned to my room early. As I turned the corner of the corridor, I was almost run down by a man. He was quite close and it was impossible to avoid the smell.

[B]

And you saw this man coming out of 5:12?

[F]

There are only two rooms after the turn. Becker, 512 and mine, which, as you know, is 5:14. He certainly wasn't coming from 5:14.

[B]

Could you describe him?

[F]

Not well. He kept his head turned away. But I'd say he was about 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighed 170 pounds, balding, 4, reeking of tobacco. Isn't there anything you can do?

[B]

I'm sure if you wanted to change your room.

[F]

I'm more than happy with my room, Mr. Becker. Just see if you can cut down on the smell.

[B]

I meant that under the present circumstances.

[F]

Circumstances? Oh, I see. You're referring to the young lady in the tub. I assume she has been removed.

[B]

Yes.

[F]

Excellent. Then I'll be just fine. Good evening, Mr. Becker.

[B]

Oh, one thing more, Miss Oxenham. Did you get your field glasses?

[F]

What?

[D]

Of course.

[B]

And the maid, Was she there?

[F]

Yes, she was making the bed.

[B]

Do you remember what time that was?

[F]

It was 12:15, Mr. Becker. Exactly 12:15. She's a bit slow, that girl.

[B]

Yes, my thoughts exactly.

[C]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

There you are, Becca. Comparison special with a twist. Thanks, Keith. A real talent, that Red Le Man. Imagine playing a violin like that. Yeah, it's something. If only he wasn't stuck on this red headed nonsense. Red headed nonsense? He insists the whole trio have red hair. You don't like it, but it's all right for him.

[E]

His hair's red. But look at Rudy Rang.

[C]

Who?

[B]

The clarinet.

[E]

He's a real artist, Becca Has a smoky blue tone. How do you want to waste his time? Time with hair dye?

[F]

It's.

[E]

It's humiliating.

[B]

Still sounds okay to me, Keith. That's good. Because he's coming across the floor. Who? Red Le Mond.

[C]

Duty calls.

[E]

Becca.

[G]

Excuse me.

[C]

Becca.

[B]

Red.

[G]

Got a couple of minutes?

[B]

Sure. What's on your mind?

[G]

Probably nothing.

[E]

But see, Becker, I'm a kind of anxious guy. I hate surprises.

[B]

That doesn't sound like jazz to me.

[E]

It's kept me alive.

[G]

The truth is, I need a little help.

[B]

I'm listening.

[E]

It's like this morning. I go down to the front desk like I do every morning. Pick up the mail.

[G]

Messages, that sort of thing.

[E]

I noticed there was a message for

[B]

Rudy, the clarinet player.

[E]

That's him. There's a message from a friend from Chicago. I didn't think a lot of it until I gave it to Rudy. Well, that boy went white.

[F]

White.

[E]

So naturally I begin to think, what's this about? And I think back to the last place he played.

[B]

Which was?

[E]

The Pink Cat. A speakeasy in Chicago. He hung with some real yanks.

[G]

Hard cases.

[E]

You catch him adrift.

[B]

I'm not sure.

[G]

It occurs to me that Rudy may

[E]

have run afoul one of those lads. Not a hard thing. To do when your dealings involved a long green money, Becker, he could be

[G]

in a lot of danger.

[B]

You want me to talk to Rudy?

[G]

No.

[B]

No, sir.

[F]

No.

[G]

He's a very private boy.

[E]

Don't appreciate that at all.

[G]

Might leave the band.

[E]

Clarinet players are not that plentiful in the Rockies.

[B]

Particularly clarinet players with red hair.

[E]

You catch my drift?

[G]

I just want you to watch out

[D]

for him a little.

[B]

I'll look around.

[E]

You're a prince, Becker.

[B]

One thing, though.

[C]

Red. Yeah.

[B]

Why's the whole band have red hair?

[G]

It's the Red Lamont Band.

[B]

You really mean.

[G]

You gotta set some standards.

[B]

They say things start to make sense if you sleep on them. Well, the next morning, nothing was any clearer. But then I hadn't slept much. I kept dreaming of that girl. Tossed like a rag into a hotel bathtub. Her eyes were open and her stare was furious. Somehow I knew she was going to be with me for. For a long time to come. Luckily, between the mysterious man in 514 and Rudy rang's friend from Chicago, there were a couple of things to be getting on with. To close those eyes for a while.

[E]

She certainly did complain. And believe me, Miss Oxenham has her own unique and forceful style of complaint.

[B]

I can imagine.

[E]

Look, frankly, Becca, I have some sympathy for her. We'll all be happier when the tobacco weed is stamped out for good.

[B]

I'm sure we will, Mr. Hickey. But right now I'm more concerned with the man in 512.

[E]

512? Well, there's no one in 512.

[B]

512 is empty.

[E]

There was no one in 512 when Miss Oxenham complained. And there has been no one since. As long as we didn't need the room, I thought I'd avoid any more encounters with the lady.

[B]

You're sure about this?

[E]

Am I not making myself sufficiently clear, Becker?

[B]

Sorry. Do we clean empty rooms once a week?

[E]

They're aired out and dusted.

[B]

And there'd be no instance in which we'd clean every day?

[C]

No.

[E]

None. Now, if you've no more questions, Becca, I'll get on with my work.

[B]

Just one more. Do we have any guests at the moment? From Chicago?

[E]

I assume you have a good reason to request this information.

[C]

Yes, sir.

[E]

JM Doyle. 342. Is that who you're looking for?

[B]

Anyone else?

[C]

No.

[B]

That's it, then.

[E]

Please, Becca, don't harass the guests. And, Becca, if you find anything in 512, you will let me know.

[B]

Oh, if I do, you'll hear about it, believe me. Unfortunately, there was nothing in 512 but dust and stale air. Jenny Pine hadn't been there for some time. She'd been picking up an extra half hour a day. I didn't want to know that. I closed the door on 5 14, wondering why I ever opened it. But you do what has to be done. Five minutes later I was knocking on 3:42. Mr. J.M. doyle. No response. So I took a chance and let myself in. 342 felt as undisturbed by life as 512. Mr. Doyle's effects were still in his suitcase, immaculately packed, except for one thing. A photograph of a young woman had been tucked into the molding beside the door, as if he wanted it to be the last thing he saw before leaving the room. She was smiling in his picture and her face was happy. Her eyes looked bravely into the distance behind me. Too bad she was only a picture. She might have warned me that.

[G]

Stay there. Don't get up. Don't move.

[B]

Don't worry.

[G]

Now, who might you be, laddie?

[B]

Hotel Detective Becker.

[G]

Prove it.

[B]

I'd rather you didn't. But if it'll convince you to put that gun down, you can call the manager and.

[G]

What are you doing in my room? Mr. Becker, don't let this upset you

[B]

too much, but we've had complaints. Wild parties, whoopee, women, that sort of thing.

[G]

In this room? Yeah.

[B]

Frankly, I was looking around to see if we could get the goods on you. Ask you to leave me? That's what I was told, but. Well, it's obvious somebody got something wrong.

[G]

And I think it's you, laddie. You can call the manager, I can call the police. Ah, get up and be off with you. And next time, knock a little harder.

[B]

Yeah, I'll do that, Mr. Doyle. Doyle. Well, there you are. I. I was supposed to be rousting a Mr. McFarlane.

[G]

Get out of here. Oh, Becker. Do you know her?

[B]

Who?

[F]

Who?

[G]

That young woman whose picture you were eyeballing when I struck you down.

[B]

Oh, should I?

[G]

Don't fool with me, laddie.

[B]

No, I don't know her. I don't know who she is. I hadn't really lied to Doyle. I didn't know who the girl in his picture was, but I did know where she was. And I guessed that he wasn't going to be too happy about that. Particularly after I got on the front to Sergeant Drake.

[C]

You're serious, aren't you? You've done it again.

[B]

I don't know, Neil, but I do know this guy. Doyle knew our girl in the bath. He's got her picture on his door. She was a very pretty girl.

[C]

Don't get sentimental, Becker. How'd you do it?

[B]

Pure dumb luck. I was working on something else and I just walked into it.

[C]

I'm coming right over.

[B]

Wait for me in the lobby. I'm gonna take one more crack at Jenny Pineapple. There's something going on that she's not telling us. Who knows? Maybe I can wrap this whole thing up before you get here.

[F]

I'll be finished in a minute.

[B]

Don't rush.

[D]

Mr. Becker, what are you doing here?

[B]

Just a few more questions.

[D]

I told you everything I know.

[B]

You didn't tell me that room 512 was empty.

[D]

You didn't ask me that.

[B]

Which means you were picking up a half an hour every day.

[G]

So?

[B]

So you were regularly in 5:14 for an hour. Over an hour if you count the fact that you never seem to finish till well after 12.

[F]

So?

[B]

So what were you doing?

[D]

Nothing. I just spread out my time a bit more.

[B]

No visitors?

[D]

Visitors?

[B]

5 foot 10 inches tall, 170 pounds, balding.

[D]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[B]

Were you entertaining in 5:14?

[F]

Jenny, what are you saying?

[D]

I'm going to get married.

[B]

You mind telling me who?

[F]

It's a secret.

[D]

Leave me alone.

[B]

What about a Mr. J.M. doyle, Jenny? Do you know him?

[F]

Who?

[B]

Doyle. He's a big man in his 60s.

[D]

I've never heard of him. What do you think I am, Jenny? I've got work to do, Mr. Becker.

[B]

Okay, but you'll have to talk to the sergeant next time, Jenny. And by then it may be a whole lot worse.

[D]

I'll just have to take my chances then, won't I? Sergeant Drake's waiting for you, Mr. Becker. He's in Mr. Hickey's office.

[B]

Thanks, Ms. Watts. By the way, do you happen to remember a message for Rudy rang that came in yesterday? It was from a friend in Chicago.

[D]

No. Yes, I think I do.

[B]

Could you remember the person who left it?

[D]

No. It was around 11. Checkout time. Quite a crowd. It might have been a young woman, but I'm afraid I. I just found it on the desk. If I'd found it a couple of minutes earlier, I could have given it to him.

[B]

Rudy.

[D]

He goes through here just before 11 every morning. Regular as clockwork.

[B]

Thanks,

[C]

Becker. Glad you could make it. Let me introduce.

[B]

I've already been introduced to Mr. Doyle.

[C]

Yes, you told me, but I don't think you've been introduced to Captain Doyle of the Chicago Police Department, Retired.

[G]

Pleased to Meet you, Becker.

[C]

You decided to tangle with a veteran of the toughest police force in America?

[B]

Not my week.

[C]

Captain Doyle's visiting us on a missing persons case.

[B]

You're sure?

[G]

I'm afraid so. Her name was Marie O', Banion, Mr. Becker. She's 17. A runaway. That's about it.

[C]

And according to Dr. Todd, she was three months pregnant.

[B]

I'm sorry. She must be damned important to send a police captain all the way to Canada.

[G]

Her uncle is a very prominent citizen of Chicago.

[B]

Prominent for what?

[G]

Mr. O' Banion is in the entertainment business.

[B]

You mean booze?

[G]

You got something against alcohol, Becker?

[B]

It's okay for some.

[G]

Exactly. Live and let live.

[B]

If only. Do you know a man named Rudy Rang, Captain Doyle?

[G]

No, I don't believe I do.

[B]

Used to work at the Pink Cat. It's a speakeasy in Chicago.

[G]

I know the Pink Cat.

[C]

Who's Rudy Ranger?

[B]

Something else I'm working on. I don't suppose the Pink Cat would have anything to do with Mr. O'. Banion.

[G]

It might.

[B]

But you don't know Rudy Rang. You wouldn't describe yourself as his friend from Chicago.

[G]

Never met the man.

[C]

You got something, Becker?

[B]

Yeah, I think I do. I think we should have a talk with Mr. Rang.

[C]

Let's go. Are you coming, Doyle?

[D]

No, sir.

[G]

I'm afraid I have a less enjoyable duty to perform.

[C]

Of course, if you want to join us later, we'll be. Where are we going, Becker?

[B]

Cabin 12A. Up behind the hotel. It's just up here. Why do you think Marie o' Banion never registered at the hotel?

[C]

Because she just arrived. Right.

[B]

But Doyle checked in yesterday morning. He must have been on the same train. You think he was looking for her? Or following her?

[C]

You think there's something wrong with Doyle?

[B]

No, but I think he was following her, and I'd like to know why.

[F]

Yeah?

[D]

Who's there?

[B]

Becker, Hotel detective.

[C]

Yeah, okay. What can I do for you?

[B]

Becker, this is Sergeant Drake. You mind if we come in?

[C]

Suit yourself.

[B]

Sorry about the mess.

[C]

Sit down wherever you can. Thanks. You mind?

[B]

French cigarettes?

[C]

Whenever I can get them.

[B]

The secret of the smoky blue tone.

[C]

I don't.

[B]

Keith Sharples is a great admirer of your smoky blue tone.

[C]

Ah, that's great.

[B]

He's not so impressed with the hair color.

[C]

He's not the only one. What's this about, anyway?

[B]

A friend from Chicago.

[C]

What?

[B]

Red tells me you got a message yesterday from a friend from Chicago.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

He tells me you worked for some tough guys in Chicago. The Pink Cat, wasn't it?

[C]

That's right.

[B]

And he's concerned for your health, Red.

[C]

Scared of his own shadow. It was a fan letter. What's the big deal?

[B]

The big deal, Rudy, is that the only guest we have from Chicago is not a fan. In fact, he says he doesn't even know you. That only leaves one other possibility. A young girl named Marie o', Banion, also from Chicago, who was found dead in a bathtub.

[C]

What's that got to do with me?

[B]

Her uncle's quite prominent in Chicago.

[C]

Chicago's a big place.

[B]

He's connected with the Pink Cat.

[C]

So if I had a dime for every little girl with an uncle who drifted through the Pink Cat.

[B]

She was three months pregnant, you bastard. She came here looking for you.

[C]

Hold it, Becker. You calm down.

[B]

And you strangled her.

[D]

Calm down?

[C]

You don't know what you're talking about.

[B]

Oh yes, I do, Rudy. I do know what I'm talking about. At 11 o' clock yesterday morning, Marie O' Banion was in the hotel lobby leaving a message for her friend from Chicago. I've got a witness. While she was writing, you passed through the lobby as you do every morning at that time. I've got a witness to that as well. Marie left the message on the desk and nobody saw her again until she turned up dead in the bathtub in 5:14.

[C]

You have a witness to that too?

[B]

She followed you, Rudy.

[C]

Yeah. If she was my friend, why didn't she stop me? Did you think about that? Why did she follow me?

[B]

I don't know. Perhaps she did. But I don't think so. I think she was frightened. She was pregnant and she might have had some idea that you'd run out on her. She may not have recognized you.

[C]

What?

[B]

Did you have red hair when you worked at the Pink Cat, Rudy? Or was it pink then?

[C]

Very funny.

[B]

I'm not laughing. What about Jenny Pine? You do know her? Who?

[C]

Jenny Pine, the chambermaid.

[B]

You're engaged to Jenny Pine, Rudy. You promised to marry her. You've been meeting her in 5:14 for at least a week. She was with you when Marie arrived.

[C]

It's a classic situation.

[B]

What happened, Rudy? Did Marie threaten to tell her uncle she was pregnant?

[C]

You tell me. You got all the answers.

[B]

Oh, they're so obvious, don't you think? You strangled Marie o' Banion and you dumped her in the bathtub and then you left. Jenny cleaned up the room and then she discovered the.

[C]

The body. You got any proof of any of this? There's enough to take you in, Rudy.

[F]

What?

[C]

I got a fan letter. I worked in A speakeasy owned by this girl's uncle. I dye my hair red so as

[B]

to make a living. There's more, Rudy.

[C]

Like what?

[B]

Like the smell of tobacco, which you leave in the room every day.

[C]

Lots of people smoke.

[B]

Like two hairpins. What? Hairpins, Rudy. Hairpins that don't belong to Jenny or Miss Oxenham or Marie. They've got to belong to someone.

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

Process of elimination, Rudy. They've got to be yours. Which means you've got to have a use for them. Now, we all know Red Lamont hires only redheads. Of course, he doesn't necessarily notice if they're dyed. I told you. What if they don't have the hair to die? What if they're bald? Or balding, Rudy. Like the man Miss Oxenham saw outside her room last week. The man who reeked of tobacco. The man she assumed came out of an empty suite. You think he might wear a rug, Rudy? Attached with small hairpins. You think that rug might get knocked off, pins and all, in the attempt to strangle a young girl. You think, Rudy? If we search this room.

[C]

I don't know. I've got to say one thing, Rudy. It's a very good job, the rug. You almost get away with it. Yeah, well, I should. I paid enough. I need a cigarette. Be my guest.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Get out of my way. Look out, Rudy.

[G]

Hold it, Rudy.

[C]

You'll never get away, Rudy.

[F]

All right.

[C]

What? What? Rudy.

[F]

Rudy.

[B]

What the hell are you up to, Doyle? He's dead.

[G]

I'm not as accurate as I used to be.

[B]

You killed him.

[C]

Damn it, Doyle. We don't do things like that here.

[B]

You're supposed to be a policeman.

[G]

He deserved it, laddie. Besides, I didn't have any other choice, believe me.

[B]

Sergeant Drake picked up Jenny Pine. An hour later. When she found out Rudy was dead, she broke down and the whole story came out more or less the way I thought. Three weeks later, Captain Doyle was shipped back to Chicago. The law seemed to think shooting Rudy Rang represented an understandable excess of zeal. Truth was, he told Drake it just put off the inevitable. He was hired to find Rang, not lose Marie. The minute she turned up dead in the bathtub was the minute he died. Of course, he hadn't fallen over yet. But they'd be waiting back in Chicago to give him a final push. He just wanted to take the man responsible with him before he went red. Lamont found a new clarinet player, apparently a real redhead this time. And within weeks, everybody had forgotten about Rudy Rang and his smoky blue tone. It'll be a long time before I forget Marie o' Banion's furious eyes.

[A]

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[D]

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[A]

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