Broadway Is My Beat 49-07-07 (001) The Jimmy Dorn Murder Case

Summary

Broadway Is My Beat – The Jimmy Dorn Murder Case

Overview

"Broadway Is My Beat 49-07-07 (001) The Jimmy Dorn Murder Case" is a captivating episode from Harold's Old Time Radio, released on March 27, 2025. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Broadway, New York, the episode plunges listeners into a classic detective narrative, blending suspense, intrigue, and rich character development reminiscent of radio's Golden Age. Hosted by Larry Thor, who assumes the role of Detective Danny Clover, the story unravels the mysterious death of Jimmy Dorn, a seemingly fortunate man whose life takes a dark turn.

Plot Summary

Introduction to the Mystery

The episode kicks off with Detective Danny Clover reflecting on the perplexing case of Jimmy Dorn. Dorn, a shy man who recently won $17,000 in the Irish Sweepstakes, was found dead beneath the wheels of an 8th Avenue subway train—a death initially ruled as suicide. However, Clover's investigative instincts hint at foul play, urging him to delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding Dorn's demise.

Encounter with Capek

At [02:16], Capek, a freelance photographer with a penchant for capturing "perfection," enters the narrative. He presents Clover with a photograph of Dorn captured at his moment of greatest joy—alive and elated after his sweepstakes win. Capek's statement, "This is the face of a man whom death was about to touch with murder. Not what? Suicide," ([17:11]) casts doubt on the official ruling of Dorn's death, suggesting a conspiracy.

Interview with Mrs. Dorn

Detective Clover seeks out Mrs. Dorn, expressing his condolences and probing into her husband's life post-win. At [06:02], Mrs. Dorn cryptically remarks, "Jimmy was a frightened little man who won a sweepstakes," indicating underlying tensions and fears that may have plagued Dorn after his sudden fortune. Her mention of a circus poster, "Patsy Mack presents the Three Whirling Tornadoes," ([07:04]) introduces a new layer of mystery, hinting at connections between Dorn and a trio associated with circus performances.

Discovery of the Three Whirling Tornadoes

Clover's investigation leads him to Patsy Mack, a promoter linked to the Three Whirling Tornadoes—a group comprising Joe Daniloff, Brody, and Jimmy Dorn himself. During their interaction at [09:57], Patsy initially downplays his involvement but later admits his past association with the trio. He reveals that all members except Brody have met untimely deaths, raising suspicions about the nature of their relationships and the true cause behind these deaths.

Confrontation at Coney Island

The tension culminates at Coney Island's roller coaster, where Clover confronts Capek. As they ride together, Capek attempts to manipulate the situation, but Clover, anticipating betrayal, turns the tables. In a dramatic showdown, Capek's true intentions are unveiled, leading to his demise beneath the roller coaster's machinery. Clover's revelation, "How long can a roller coaster ride last? Long enough to piece together the jagged edges of some frightened lives," ([26:08]) underscores the intricate connections between the characters and the overarching mystery.

Key Characters

• Detective Danny Clover (Larry Thor): The determined and intuitive detective at the heart of the investigation, Clover is relentless in uncovering the truth behind Jimmy Dorn's death.

• Capek (Freelance Photographer): A seemingly artistic individual whose obsession with capturing "perfection" masks his deeper involvement in the murders linked to the Three Whirling Tornadoes.

• Mrs. Dorn: The widow of Jimmy Dorn, her guarded demeanor and vague references to her husband's fears hint at deeper secrets and possible motives.

• Patsy Mack: A promoter associated with the Three Whirling Tornadoes, Patsy's revelations are pivotal in understanding the group's dynamics and the string of mysterious deaths.

• Brody: The sole surviving member of the Tornadoes, his interactions with other characters shed light on the past actions of the group and their impact on the present mystery.

Notable Quotes

• Capek: "The quality of Don. Danny. Who can hold it, who can imprison it. It is the eternal enigma for a photographer." ([02:09])

• Mrs. Dorn: "Jimmy was a frightened little man who won a sweepstakes. They bought him an obituary." ([06:37])

• Detective Danny Clover: "You can go now, Mrs. Dorn. Suddenly I'm from the police. Mrs. Dorn." ([07:04])

• Capek: "I feel the caption should not read suicide. It should read murder." ([17:11])

• Detective Danny Clover: "There is a magic to it. I didn't have time to enjoy it. I had a job to do and a chance to take. And the chance paid off." ([22:56])

Insights and Themes

The episode delves into themes of obsession, the illusion of perfection, and the corrupting influence of sudden wealth. Through Detective Clover's relentless pursuit, listeners explore how appearances can be deceiving and how beneath the surface lies a web of deceit and hidden motives. The recurring motif of photography serves as a metaphor for perception versus reality, emphasizing that a single moment captured can reveal deeper truths or conceal darker secrets.

Conclusion

"Broadway Is My Beat – The Jimmy Dorn Murder Case" stands as a testament to the enduring allure of classic radio dramas. With its intricate plotting, well-developed characters, and atmospheric setting, the episode successfully transports listeners to a bygone era of suspense and mystery. Detective Danny Clover's journey not only uncovers the truth behind James Dorn's death but also sheds light on the shadows lurking within Broadway's glittering façade. As the case concludes with Capek's downfall, the episode leaves room for future mysteries, promising more thrilling investigations in upcoming installments.

Transcript

[Nicole Byer]

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[Larry Thor]

Wayfair. Every style, every home. Broadway's my beat From Times Square to Columbus Circle. The gaudiest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway's my beat With Larry Thor as Detective Manicure. Broadway, where a pale and hungry girl Walks like a queen Because Broadway's a dream street Where a fat man stands with begging eyes because he knows his dreams will never come true It's a cry or a laugh but nothing in between either way, it's my beast. On special detail. There are no special hours. Don was at the window of my office at police headquarters when I scribbled my last report. Now, the town school teacher was trying to beat the heat by using Columbus Circle for a burlesque Runway. I buried that one behind a convenient fan, bid the boys a fond bonjour, and started home at the side entrance. I didn't make it. All I saw of sunrise was in an alley. The alley reserved for police ambulances coming home to the morgue. A voice stopped me and invited me in.

[Capek]

Danny. Danny, come here.

[Larry Thor]

The man who stood silhouetted in the slice of light was a man who called himself Capek, the freelance photographer who hung around headquarters. You never knew he was there, but he always was.

[Capek]

The quality of Don. Danny. Who can hold it, who can imprison it. It is the eternal enigma for a photographer.

[Larry Thor]

Why don't you go home then, Capek? What keeps you here?

[Capek]

That ambulance, perhaps? You see, creative men like me have a devotion. It is always the same. Perfection. Everything neat and perfection.

[Larry Thor]

Oh, so that's what it is. I watch that stretcher, Joe. Yeah, okay.

[Capek]

Hiya, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

Hi. What do you got, boys?

[Capek]

Suicide.

[Larry Thor]

Guy jumped in front of an 8th Avenue subway. I didn't know anything about it. Well, not your department, Danny.

[Capek]

See you later. See what I mean, Daddy? Need and perfection. The man they're bringing in, for instance.

[Larry Thor]

What's neat about him?

[Capek]

That was Jimmy Dorn, a Cinderella man who only the other day won $17,000 on the Irish Sweepstakes.

[Larry Thor]

What?

[Capek]

You must have read about him. How no newspaper, no newsreel could get A picture of him?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, I remember. He was shy. I liked him for that.

[Capek]

But I have a picture of him.

[Larry Thor]

Oh? Dead or alive?

[Capek]

Alive. Of course, dead is for any hack with a brownie.

[Larry Thor]

Got it with you? Mind if I see it?

[Capek]

No harm. I've already sold it to the news. Here, here. Look at it, Danny. Not the delicate play of light and shadow, the exquisite looks.

[Larry Thor]

Happy? I never seen anybody look that happy.

[Capek]

Because Capek took it at the moment of Jimmy Dorn's greatest joy, the supreme.

[Larry Thor]

Ecstasy of winning $17,000 to each his own. How did you get it when no one else could?

[Capek]

This famous Capex pact. It cost me $50 to arrange it, but the news paid me twice that.

[Larry Thor]

That much, huh?

[Capek]

When Mr. Dawn committed suicide, it raised the price, you see in the newspaper. Game one.

[Larry Thor]

Excuse me. K back. Danny Clover give me the dope on a suicide, name of Jimmy Dawn. Yeah, I know it's not my department. I'm nosy. Yeah, yeah. Lily Dawn, Third Avenue. Okay, that's enough.

[Capek]

You have to look. Danny. You smell something? Maybe.

[Larry Thor]

Maybe. Be with you in a second. Keeper. Hello? Benny? Danny Clover. That Jimmy dawn suicide. Tell the chief I'm going to look into it. Yeah, Benny, I know, but it bothers me. Sure, I'll grab some sleep on the subway.

[Capek]

I asked you, Danny. You smell something? Maybe.

[Larry Thor]

Why should a guy let a subway train make his wife a widow of 17,000 orphan dollars? Why should all that sudden dough make him want to commit suicide?

[Capek]

Is it such a secret why men destroy themselves?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah. To me it's not neat, Capex. It just ain't neat. Third Avenue is a tenement five stories high and miles long. At 9 o'clock in the morning, it was going full blast. The elevated. Housewives hunched in open windows, kids flipping pennies against the wall. Every seven minutes it screams. Somewhere between Sam Chu's Hand Laundry, special attention paid to fleeted dress shirts and the Blue Star Delicatessen, cream soda and hot pastrami, Two bits. Somewhere between, there was a doorbell. I pushed it.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Yeah, what do you want?

[Larry Thor]

My name's Danny Clover. I want to see Mrs. Dorn.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Suddenly everybody wants to see Mrs. Dorn. Suddenly I'm a popular lady.

[Larry Thor]

Suddenly I'm from the police. Mrs. Dorn.

[Mrs. Dorn]

You guys don't quit, do you? All right, come on in. You want to know how it is to win $17,000? Is that what you want to know?

[Larry Thor]

Look, Mrs. Dorn, I'm sorry about your husband.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Oh, sure. You can feel any way you like.

[Larry Thor]

Tell me about your husband.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Jimmy? Yeah, I'll tell you about him. Jimmy didn't like people. He got afraid of him once and he never got over it.

[Larry Thor]

Why?

[Mrs. Dorn]

You know, I don't know. He was always running and I ran with him. I was his wife, Mr. Clover. I didn't need to know any more than that.

[Larry Thor]

But maybe you understood why he refused to see any reporters when he won all that money.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Listen, my husband was a frightened little man who won a sweepstakes. They bought him an obituary.

[Larry Thor]

That doesn't tell me much. This room tells me more.

[Mrs. Dorn]

This rat hole. This room says that, doesn't it? Rat hole?

[Larry Thor]

I didn't say that, Mrs. Dorn. I'm talking about that circus poster on the wall. Patsy Mack presents the Three Whirling Tornadoes. Was your husband a whirling tornado?

[Capek]

You can go now, policeman. You said your questions, now go.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Rhodey, please. Why didn't you stay in that room? They can't do anything with us now.

[Larry Thor]

Come right on in, mister. Who are you? I'm a clever boy.

[Capek]

I don't win sweepstakes, but I stay alive.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, real clever. Now, what about this circus poster?

[Capek]

It covers the cracks in the plaster.

[Larry Thor]

Three whirling tornadoes. Three men riding motorcycles in a barrel. This is Dorn. For a frightened man, your husband made a dangerous dollar.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Look, I told you all I know. Maybe you ought to get out of here.

[Larry Thor]

Why should a poster come between us, Mrs. Dorn? We were getting along fine.

[Capek]

You heard the lady copper. She's saying she's finished talking.

[Larry Thor]

That's right, Mrs. Dor. Yes? What did you say?

[Mrs. Dorn]

I said that's right.

[Larry Thor]

Maybe I should have let it alone, got some sleep. But it kept eating at me. When I found out Jimmy D. Rode a motorcycle in a barrel, everybody got unhappy. I don't like it when it gets gets unhappy. So I took a walk and found myself on Broadway in front of a tired building that has a lot of names. You take your choice, you walk up four flights and you get four offers. You're perfect for a fairy tale ballet that's opening in Europe. You make a stunning cover on a muscle magazine. Can you play first trumpet with a bob Hawaiian outfit? If you got a song that's trying to be published, well, with a slight fear. And on the fifth floor, you find what you were looking for. The office of Patsy Mack. Promoter, entrepreneur and a dollar a guy.

[Capek]

That isn't Danny Clover.

[Larry Thor]

Hi, Patsy.

[Capek]

You still pound the stem? Danny, aren't you ever going to be promoted?

[Larry Thor]

Promotion means a desk job away from Broadway. Who wants that?

[Capek]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Can I give you something?

[Larry Thor]

Great juice to be keen.

[Capek]

I've got three fingers left of a bottle given me by a bearded lady who was enamored of my social standard. It'll bring a smile to your lips.

[Larry Thor]

You drink it, Patsy, and thank her for me. Patsy, send her a dozen blue roses. Or is it red roses for a bearded lady?

[Capek]

I'll do that. She'll appreciate it. She loves delicacy.

[Larry Thor]

Don't they all? Patsy, tell me a story.

[Capek]

Okay. And on the machine. Oh, have you heard the one about.

[Larry Thor]

Tell me the one about the three whirling tornadoes?

[Capek]

The three tornadoes? What fine corner of your memory clutched onto them?

[Larry Thor]

Tell me about them.

[Capek]

Well, I don't remember much about them, Danny. They've been out of the business long time. The three tornadoes, huh? Well, there were three of them.

[Larry Thor]

Thanks. There was no one else connected to them?

[Capek]

Oh, no, no. The Tornadoes ran their own carnage, toured the villages and the metropolises.

[Larry Thor]

Patsy, you got a reputation for remembering every act that ever played a circus at carnival. What were their names?

[Capek]

Oh, you put me on my metal, boy. Now, let me see, there was a. Let me see. Jimmy Dorn. Yeah. Thank. Could he be the one who ended up under a subway this morning?

[Larry Thor]

I'll look into it. Who were the others, Patsy?

[Capek]

Well, there was a fell named. Let's see now, a Russian kind of a name. Danilo. Yeah, yeah, that's it. Joe Dano.

[Larry Thor]

Joe Dano. And the third?

[Capek]

Oh, now you're pressing me, boy. The third was a man named. Let me see. Brady. No, no, no, no, no.

[Larry Thor]

Could it have been Brody?

[Capek]

Brody. Brody, that's it. How'd you know?

[Larry Thor]

Danny Brady. Brody. It's a short jump. Now try real hard. You're sure there was no one else connected with the actor?

[Capek]

Well, now, come to think of it, there was another guy. He backed the show. I think his name doesn't register.

[Larry Thor]

Danny, this guy whose name doesn't register. Was it you took.

[Capek]

Are you kidding? I had nothing to do with the Tornado.

[Larry Thor]

Well, thanksy. Thanks a lot, dear. You're a gentleman and a scholar, Patsy. And a liar. I left Patsy there waving his job. Nothing. Which is about what I had. Nothing. An ex Carnival performer wins $17,000 and dies under the wheels of a subway train. They say he jumped. Why should he do a fatal thing like that? Why should Patsy lie to me? A one sheet poster said, Patsy Mack presents the three whirling Tornadoes. Patsy had just told me he had nothing to do with the tornadoes. Well, there's another guy I know in another place. I Know his name's Pop and he takes care of the file room of a magazine. Magazine? That tells a lot about people. Especially if the people are show people. The file room was deserted except for Pop.

[Capek]

What you doing down here, Danny? Wrangling Popping.

[Larry Thor]

Oh, you don't have to hide that comic book from me.

[Capek]

My wife packs it with my lunch can. Now you take this one.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah.

[Capek]

Sandra the Jungle Queen. Ain't she a honey Makes a man with me?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, she's keen. What are you holding on? A guy named Joe Daniloff. Huh?

[Capek]

Take a second to find out.

[Larry Thor]

How was that name again? Daniloff, Pop. D for doll, A for Avenue, N for Avenahan. Yeah. Have any end, Pop? I got it.

[Capek]

Only you didn't spell it right.

[Larry Thor]

Jenny, you didn't let me finish. Didn't need to.

[Capek]

Here's the file on Joe Daniloff. All right. Only it's deed for dead.

[Larry Thor]

Let me see that. Joe Danilov, ex carnival performer, a member of the three Tornadoes, was found dead today at the bottom of an elevator shaft. Danilov left no survivors, his wife having died a year ago. Hey, hey, how about this? How about what? Listen, a week before his death, Danilov came out of obscurity to win a cross country motorcycle race with a purse of $1,000.

[Capek]

So he made funeral expenses. That's hot news, huh?

[Larry Thor]

Last night, another man, a man named Jimmy Dorn, came out of obscurity to win a lot of money. He died too. Two whirling tornadoes. All played out one after another.

[Capek]

You know something, Danny?

[Larry Thor]

What?

[Capek]

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

[Larry Thor]

I'm sorry, Pop. I was playing with a jigsaw puzzle.

[Capek]

Well, you said right down there and do just that. I'm going upstairs for some coffee. Want some H? Coffee, Daddy? Want some?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, your coffee. Be nice, Pa.

[Capek]

I'll just be a few minutes.

[Larry Thor]

Don't let anybody kidnap Sandra.

[Capek]

This young girl.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, yeah. Two whirling tornadoes. The third one named Brody. Maybe you'll blow away too. Brody and the bitter widow. Dawn and Patsy Mack, the sweet guy who told lies. That's you, Pop. I never knew what it was that slugged me on the back of my head. It wasn't a comic book. And whoever did it wasn't Pop. Just before I hit the floor, I had a flash. It wasn't Sandra the Jungle Queen either. You are listening to Broadway's My Beats with Larry Thor as Detective Danny Clover. Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need.

[Nicole Byer]

Like 24 7. Claims I'm on cloud nine.

[Geico Voice]

Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human.

[Larry Thor]

What's happening?

[Geico Voice]

Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and searched, you'd find no cloud numbered nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese. Geese who'd encourage you to leave your 247 GEICO motorcycle claims insurance behind as they would take you in and even share their dinner of crickets and clovers with you. GEICO assumes no liability for any indigestion that may occur from a clover cricket dinner. GEICO expertise for your motorcycle.

[Larry Thor]

All you.

[Geico Voice]

Homeowners have unique needs. Some feel the need to leave up holiday decorations year round. Others have the need to use their garage as practice space for their new metal band. And because each homeowner has unique needs, GEICO helps you get the right coverage for your home and what's in it. That way you get exactly what's right for you, even if your needs are unique. Get more with geico.

[Larry Thor]

A number of paying guests mysteriously disappear. Two elderly spinsters who entertain them have a suspiciously rising bank account. And it's a Murder Farm story for Casey Crime Photographer to explore on CBS Tonight. Also on CBS tonight, you'll hear the network's famous series Escape in place of Suspense. While Suspense is on summer leave of absence, tonight's opener on Escape will be John Russell's famous story the Fourth Man, a tale of a Pacific Islander adrift on a raft with three murderous companions. Be sure to hear Murder Farm on Crime Photographer and the Fourth man on Escape Tonight. They come to you on most of these same CBS stations. And now back to Broadway's My Beat. You win a lot of money or die violently. Or do both, and Broadway will know all about you. You get your name and your picture in the morning editions. Then Broadway won't care anymore. But I care. Maybe it's because I've got a cop's curious mind, but it bothered me why Jimmy dawn died. So I made it my personal business. And so far, business was rotten. I was on my back when Pop brought me, too. It took a little longer to find out that the press clippings I was looking at weren't around. That's a new one. Grill for some old press cookings. This needed thinking. To think. A cop's gotta eat to eat. There's a classy sidewalk cafe on the corner of Broadway and 47th where you stand up to a hot dog and a cup of coffee that dares you. I threw a lump of sugar at it when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

[Capek]

Hello, Danny.

[Larry Thor]

Mind if I join you, kpick? Not at all. Grab a napkin, Danny.

[Capek]

Somehow you look gone symmetrical today. What happened to your head?

[Larry Thor]

I had it done over.

[Capek]

Your detectives always intruding yourselves into violence and danger. Who did it, Dan?

[Larry Thor]

Person or person's unknown.

[Capek]

Well, you should go home and get some rest.

[Larry Thor]

What about you, Keeper? Don't you get any sleep either?

[Capek]

I am a vain man, Danny. I've been waiting for the noon edition of the news to come out. It has the picture I took of Jimmy Dawn. Look at it, Danny. Is it not a magnificent reproduction?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, it's quite a picture. How'd you catch the expression?

[Capek]

For an artist like me, it is a matter of precise timing. But somehow I feel the caption beneath this picture is not right.

[Larry Thor]

What do you mean?

[Capek]

I feel the caption should not read suicide. It should read murder.

[Larry Thor]

Oh, makes you say that?

[Capek]

I have captured death in my pictures for a long time, Danny. This is the face of a man whom death was about to touch with murder. Not what? Suicide.

[Larry Thor]

You talk prettier, but you think like a cop.

[Capek]

The elements for murder three, Danny. A widow with $17,000, perhaps a boyfriend and. Wait a minute, Danny, where are you going? You haven't touched yourself.

[Larry Thor]

I gotta make a call.

[Capek]

So you can't eat first.

[Larry Thor]

Who calls on a rich widow with onions in his breast? Hey, you up there.

[Capek]

You.

[Larry Thor]

You at the window.

[Capek]

Who, me?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, you.

[Capek]

Oh, hello.

[Larry Thor]

Hello, Mrs. Dorn. Isn't she home?

[Capek]

You want somebody, mister?

[Larry Thor]

Mrs. Dorn, I've been ringing your bell. Where is she? Oh, you know where Mrs. Dorn went. There's no light downstairs.

[Capek]

Her? Yeah, her. I'll show her. She had a date for across the street. What for across the street, mister?

[Larry Thor]

The Eagle Tavern. I saw her go in there with a guy. The Eagle tavern took up 40 front feet of sidewalk. And its insides were designed to take up thousands of man hours of loneliness. Right now, There were only three lonely people. The bartender, Mrs. Dorn and Brody. Mrs. Dawn and Brody were standing at the end of the bar trying real hard. I hated to do it, but I decided to ruin their evening photograph.

[Capek]

You don't know when to quit, do you, Clover? Why do you keep coming around?

[Larry Thor]

I was saying, Mrs. Dawn. What are you drinking, Max? Nothing. Nothing at all.

[Capek]

Yeah, you can nurse that a long time, Mr. Clover.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Look, please, we don't want any trouble. We got all.

[Larry Thor]

It's this way, Mrs. Dawn. A long time ago, a man named Joe Danilo fell down an elevator shaft and Was killed. Seems like he was nobody until he won a motorcycle race. Then he got his name in the papers. Then he died. What does that do to you?

[Capek]

What should it do to us?

[Larry Thor]

I'll try a refresher. Joe Danilo was a whirling tomato. He belonged in your husband's act, Mrs. Dorn. Try to react on that.

[Mrs. Dorn]

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

[Capek]

You got your reaction. Cobra. Now blow.

[Larry Thor]

Mrs. Dawn. You know, your husband just might have been murdered.

[Capek]

No.

[Larry Thor]

Try it, Mrs. Dawn. Consider it.

[Capek]

You've got no manners at all. You've got is a loose mouth.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Wait a minute, Brody. The man said somebody might have killed Jimmy. Do you think so, Brody?

[Capek]

Ah, this guy's trying to put poison in your brain. Lily, don't listen to him.

[Mrs. Dorn]

You think I shouldn't, huh?

[Larry Thor]

Why should you? Listen to you, Brody?

[Capek]

Go read a book, Copper. Go read a book and find out why I should hang around a woman who's married to my best friend, Jimmy Dawn.

[Larry Thor]

Maybe you're waiting for him to die.

[Capek]

He did, didn't he?

[Mrs. Dorn]

Yeah. I never thought of it before. Jimmy's dead. And that makes you number one boy to a lady who just inherited $17,000.

[Capek]

That'll teach you not to talk like that.

[Larry Thor]

Talking a woman's easy, Brody. This will be a little.

[Capek]

Stop it, Lily. I'm sorry. Don't, Tyler.

[Larry Thor]

Please.

[Mrs. Dorn]

Don't talk to him, Brody. Tell him what he wants to know. Tell him what you never told me. What happened back there 10 years ago. Why were you and Jimmy always hiding?

[Capek]

Tell him, Brody. Oh, take off, copper. You've done your bit. Take off. And feel filthy about the whole thing?

[Larry Thor]

Sure. Only you fascinate me, Brody. If you didn't shove Jimmy Doyle in front of a subway train, what keeps you alive? First Joe, Danila, then Jimmy. There's hardly a breeze left of the three whirling tornadoes. What's keeping you alive, Brody? Now, there was a guy I just saw. Had to see kpex. There was a chance he had taken more than one picture of Dorne. Maybe in the background I'd see a familiar face. Out in Sea beach, near Coney Island. I found the door with Capex name on it.

[Capek]

Oh, it's you, Danny. Come in, come in.

[Larry Thor]

But I wondered if you took any more pictures of Doran besides the one that ran in the news.

[Capek]

I am not like other photographers, Danny. Take dozens of pictures to get one good one. I take only one, and it is always perfection.

[Larry Thor]

For the one in the nearest is the only one.

[Capek]

Yes. Is Important that there should be other ones.

[Larry Thor]

It might have been quite a gallery you have on the wall.

[Capek]

Yes, yes. Come look, Danny, come look. This one, Danny. This. This girl who looks like a tired angel on a lonesome street.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, nice.

[Capek]

And look. And. And this one. A derelict. The sl leap in the gutter. It has the texture in the lighting of a Rembrandt.

[Larry Thor]

A man of your talent could live in a penthouse. A dancing. Why do you live here?

[Capek]

I get some of my best results here.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, everybody gets them. You must have got their fast for this picture.

[Capek]

Oh, that one. Yes. Well, you know my deal with the police. The minute anything violent happens, I go out with you. I get a picture, you get a body. Was it that is a man who was once Joe Danilov.

[Larry Thor]

Danilov?

[Capek]

Yes. I. I took this picture just after he fell down the elevator shaft. The mood of finality was magnificent.

[Larry Thor]

Very dramatic effect. Danilov was one of the three whirling tornadoes. Did you know that so well?

[Capek]

To me, Dan, love was simply a man who fell down into space and died. The picture captures the sensation, don't you think? The down sweeping lines, the shadows like a dark caress. The broken form like some me.

[Larry Thor]

I don't think K even saw me open the door and leave. It's a long subway ride and a transfer factor problem coming up from an underground of naked concrete into the Blair of 49th Street. Well, there's. There's a magic to it. I didn't have time to enjoy it. I had a job to do and a chance to take. And the chance paid off. Patsy Mack was in his office working.

[Capek]

Okay, Danny, so I lied to you about my connection with the tornadoes. And why not? First Joe Daniloff, then Jimmy dawn. Next, maybe me. Why should I take a chance?

[Larry Thor]

They were accidents, the people said.

[Capek]

Oh, not Joe. Accidents, Danny. Not that kind.

[Larry Thor]

Tommy. Patsy, why do you think you'll be next?

[Capek]

I don't know. Just looks like everybody connected with the tornadoes has written down the little black book.

[Larry Thor]

Tell me more, Patsy.

[Capek]

This time I'm leveling, Danny. Once I managed the tornadoes, but I dropped them like they were a basket of snakes.

[Larry Thor]

Why? What'd they do?

[Capek]

Remember I told you there was another guy? Their backer?

[Larry Thor]

Yeah.

[Capek]

When he got sick, he went to a sanitarium. While he was there, the tornadoes robbed him of everything he ever had.

[Larry Thor]

All three of them did that? Yes.

[Capek]

Danilo Brody and Jimmy Dorn.

[Larry Thor]

Danilov and Dorn are gone. That leaves only Brody plus The widow Dorman. 17,000 bucks. Were you ever in a sanitarium? Patsy?

[Capek]

No. But they might put me away for slugging a copy. Oh, what do you want me to do, Danny? Cross my heart and hope to die?

[Larry Thor]

Nothing easier than that. Use your phone for me.

[Capek]

Anything for a friend, Danny. Put your arm. My friend. Aren't you, Danny?

[Larry Thor]

Call billboard for me. What? Personal ad, Patsy. A personal ad on the front page where a guy in the show business will be sure to see us. You phrase it.

[Capek]

Phrase what?

[Larry Thor]

Just this. Anyone connected with the act, the Whirling Tornadoes, meet at the entrance to Crescent Midway on Coney island Tomorrow night at 11. Have information to wind up affairs of the tornadoes. Phone that in, Patsy.

[Capek]

Because you say so, friend.

[Larry Thor]

Because the police say so, Patsy.

[Capek]

Yeah.

[Larry Thor]

Sign your name to it. So I had it all set up. This case had murder in it. And I was pretty sure I knew who the murderer was. It was a matter of supplying a pistol Pigeon. That was me. The next day, two things happened. The ad was on the front page of Billboard and rain came when I hit Coney Island. 10:30 that night. It was a wet desert. Neon reflections and stragglers and empty rides. The place was shadows on field paint and shadows on shadows. I had a spot to kill her before he spotted me. So I picked one of the darkest places under the framework of the roller coaster and walked into it. I really want you to, Danny.

[Capek]

There's such a night you picked to enjoy Coney island on a night like this. It is Abysmal Alley.

[Larry Thor]

I'm in a dismal mood, Capek. And that gun you're holding doesn't make it any brighter.

[Capek]

It gives me the bravery to give orders to a policeman.

[Larry Thor]

You shoot me, you'll be out of character, Capek. How are you gonna make it look like an accident?

[Capek]

I have other ideas. First, I put my gun, my hand in my pocket. Now I say to you. Let's go. Walk, Danny. Walk.

[Larry Thor]

You know, Capek, I think you loused up the job a long time ago. You told me everything was neat and perfection. You forgot to tell me you put up the door for the Whirling Tornadoes before you went to the sanitarium.

[Capek]

So?

[Larry Thor]

So you killed Danilovendorn. But Brody gets away, huh, Brody?

[Capek]

In time, policeman. But first you and I take a rag on a roller coaster.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah, I was wondering how you'd manage it.

[Capek]

Neat and perfection, Danny. Now get on. I'll pay for the tickets when the ride is over. In your D. You get in this first car. I'll sit in the car behind you.

[Larry Thor]

How you going to work this, kp? You going to slug me and heat me over. Like I said, you can't shoot me. Then it wouldn't look like an accident.

[Capek]

In a few seconds, when we get to the top, you will see. And I'll keep your hands to your side, Danny. That's better.

[Larry Thor]

Going to get a picture of this one too, kpek.

[Capek]

When we get to the top, you will see.

[Larry Thor]

The top was two seconds away.

[Capek]

Now, Danny, stand up. Stand up.

[Larry Thor]

I stood up. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him rise too. Take the gun out of his pocket. It's barrel in his fist. His arm came up in a wide arc. And that was the break I was waiting for. His body arched forward to strike. I twisted, grabbed his hand and elbow and I know me, Danny. How long can a roller coaster ride last? Long enough. Long enough to piece together the jagged edges of some frightened lives. Danov and Doran. Murdered. Murdered because they crossed a twisted man named K. Brody and Passing Knight. Hugging the shadows because they were afraid of K's revenge. And Lily dawn with a handful of dust and dollars.

[Capek]

You pay for the ride here, mister. Hey, you didn't take that ride all by yourself.

[Larry Thor]

Yeah. A little while later, an ambulance came and picked up the dead, broken body of Chapex. They took a picture of him, too. I caught a ride back to Broadway in a prowl car. It stretches out in front of you, this street called Broadway. Like a midway to some cool and fantastic circus. And you're the performer. You can walk the high wire or play it safe in a cage. Me, I guess my dodge is the wire. The giest, the most violent, the lonesomest mile in the world. Broadway, My beat. Broadway's My Beat. With Larry Thor as detective Danny Clover. Is produced and directed by Gordon T. Hughes. With script by Morton Fine and David Friedkin. Musical direction is by Lud Bluffton. Be sure to join us again next week, same time, same station for Broadway's My Beat. In just a few minutes on most of these same CBS stations. You'll be hearing the familiar strains of Someday I'll Find you. And the action, as you know, starts with Mr. Keane, the famed tracer of lost person. A top rating detective throughout radio's fall, winter and spring season. Mr. Keen will be on hand all summer. So don't miss one of his great cases. These Thursday nights on cbs. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Check engine light on. Take the guesswork out of your Check engine light with O'Reilly. Variscan. It's free. Ask for O'Reilly Veriscan today. Auto parts.