Jeff Regan 48-12-04 22 The Lawyer And The Lady

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Harold's Old Time Radio"

Episode: Jeff Regan 48-12-04 22 - The Lawyer And The Lady
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Host/Author: Harold's Old Time Radio
Narrator: Voiceover introducing characters and setting the scene.

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Harold's Old Time Radio, listeners are transported back to the Golden Age of Radio, immersing themselves in a classic detective story starring Jeff Regan, the hard-boiled investigator. The episode, titled "The Lawyer And The Lady," weaves a tale of mystery, betrayal, and suspense, showcasing Regan's relentless pursuit of the truth amidst deceit and danger.

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Main Characters

• Jeff Regan: The protagonist, a tenacious investigator earning $10 a day, known as the "Lion's Eye."
• Anthony J. Lyon: Regan's boss at the International Detective Bureau, a shrewd and patient manager.
• Emmy: Kramer's secretary, a young and attractive woman caught in the middle of the unfolding drama.
• Joseph W. Kramer: A prominent lawyer and the primary client, whose life becomes entangled with Regan's investigation.
• Spec Jameson (The Dove): An ex-con and antagonist with a vendetta against Kramer.
• Mrs. Kramer: Joseph Kramer's wife, whose mysterious death becomes a pivotal point in the story.

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Plot Summary

1. The Assignment

The episode opens with Jeff Regan receiving a new assignment from his boss, Anthony J. Lyon. Lyon presents Regan with a certified check from a lawyer named Joseph W. Kramer, signaling that Kramer needs Regan's services discreetly. Despite his skepticism, Regan is tasked to meet Kramer at the Park Central Building.

Notable Quote:

Anthony J. Lyon [00:18]: "Christmas is coming."

Jeff Regan [00:24]: "Somebody give you a calendar?"

2. Meeting Emmy and Discovering the Threat

Upon arriving at Abercrombie, Kramer’s law firm, Regan meets Emmy, Kramer's secretary. The conversation reveals that Kramer doesn't believe in Christmas and hints at underlying tensions within the firm.

Unexpectedly, Regan encounters Spec Jameson, an ex-convict who harbors a deep grudge against Kramer. Jameson's aggressive demeanor and admission of attacking Kramer set the stage for the ensuing conflict.

Notable Quote:

Spec Jameson [08:01]: "Spec Jameson. You know me."

3. The Mysterious Death of Mrs. Kramer

Following the confrontation with Jameson, Regan receives a call from Emmy to pick up Mrs. Kramer. During this encounter, Regan is ambushed by a suspicious Nash car tailing him. In a desperate maneuver to evade the car, Regan inadvertently causes Mrs. Kramer’s death, complicating the investigation further.

Notable Quote:

Mrs. Kramer [14:08]: "I hope this isn't inconveniencing you."

Jeff Regan [15:53]: "Come on, get out. Get out."

Narrator [16:26]: "You are listening to the story of the lawyer and the lady."

4. Unraveling the Conspiracy

Regan delves deeper, uncovering Spec Jameson’s true motives and his ties to Kramer. A critical discovery is made when Regan obtains a bullet lodged in Kramer's shoulder, leading him to suspect a larger conspiracy involving Kramer and Emmy.

Through meticulous investigation, including a visit to the LA Times for background checks, Regan pieces together Jameson's history and his connection to Kramer's legal battles. The plot thickens as Regan confronts the truth about the relationship between Kramer, Emmy, and the motives behind Mrs. Kramer’s murder.

Notable Quote:

Emmy [26:26]: "You're out in left field, Mr. E. I was working."

Jeff Regan [27:08]: "Well, this gun has a different version."

5. The Climactic Confrontation

In a tense showdown at Kramer's office, Regan confronts both Kramer and Emmy. The pieces fall into place as he exposes the plot: Kramer and Emmy orchestrated the murder to eliminate Kramer's wife, ensuring that Jameson remained discredited and unable to retaliate legally. The revelation leads to Kramer’s admission of guilt, and justice is served as he prepares to face the consequences of his actions.

Notable Quote:

Jeff Regan [25:37]: "Yeah, big fat guy, but always hungry."

Joseph W. Kramer [25:14]: "Regan, look at this."

6. Resolution and Reflection

With the case resolved, Regan reflects on the intricate web of deceit he unraveled. The episode concludes with Regan ensuring that justice is upheld, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to truth and order amidst chaos.

Notable Quote:

Jeff Regan [27:08]: "It was self-defense. I'm a witness and he'll be out of it inside a week."

Emmy [26:31]: "You're a detective, aren't you?"

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Key Discussions and Insights

• Moral Ambiguity: The episode explores the blurred lines between right and wrong, as characters like Kramer and Emmy engage in morally questionable actions for personal gain.

• The Role of Loyalty: Regan's loyalty to his boss Lyon contrasts with the deceitfulness of other characters, highlighting the importance of integrity in the investigative profession.

• Consequences of Vendettas: Spec Jameson's vendetta against Kramer serves as a catalyst for the unfolding drama, illustrating how personal grudges can escalate into tragic outcomes.

• Investigative Techniques: Regan employs classic detective methods—interviewing witnesses, tracing financial transactions, and analyzing physical evidence—to solve the case, showcasing timeless investigative principles.

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Notable Quotes with Attributions and Timestamps

• Jeff Regan [00:06]: "My name's Regan. I get 10 a day and expenses from a detective bureau run by a guy named Anthony J. Lyon. They call me the Lion's Eye."

• Anthony J. Lyon [01:32]: "Christmas is coming."

• Spec Jameson [08:01]: "Spec Jameson. You know me."

• Mrs. Kramer [14:08]: "I hope this isn't inconveniencing you."

• Jeff Regan [15:53]: "Come on, get out. Get out."

• Joseph W. Kramer [25:14]: "Regan, look at this."

• Jeff Regan [27:08]: "It was self-defense. I'm a witness and he'll be out of it inside a week."

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Conclusion

The Lawyer And The Lady masterfully encapsulates the essence of classic detective tales, blending suspense, intricate plotting, and compelling character dynamics. Jeff Regan's relentless pursuit of justice amidst a labyrinth of deceit serves as a timeless reminder of the virtues of truth and integrity. This episode stands as a testament to the enduring allure of Old Time Radio storytelling, offering listeners an engaging and immersive experience reminiscent of a bygone era.

Transcript

[Jeff Regan]

My name's Regan. I get 10 a day and expenses from a detective bureau run by a guy named Anthony J. Lyon. They call me the Lion's Eye.

[Narrator]

Jack Webb is Jeff Regan, investigator as CBS offers you hard boiled action and mystery and thrilling adventure in tonight's story of the lawyer and the lady.

[Jeff Regan]

The Cosmopolitan building is on 7th street near Olive, downtown LA. International Detective Bureau's up on the third floor, Suite 308. Right across from an elevator that hasn't been inspected since 29 when the guy who built the place took a vacation up at Folsom. I always use the stairs. Well, the plaster's bad, but the rent's cheap. And the lion says his office is just the kind of place that invites business. He's got a leather chair there about the shape of a fallen biscuit. That's for him to relax on. And right next to a desk with some blank checks and an inkwell, there's a hard, straight chair. That's for the client. The lion got mad when our last customer asked if the chair was wired well. When I walked in last Thursday night, about 6:00, he was staring at that empty chair. Wishful thinking, Regan.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Christmas is coming.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, that's news.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

It's the time of year when everybody's nice to everybody else.

[Jeff Regan]

Somebody give you a calendar?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I got better than that.

[Jeff Regan]

It's a check. From who?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

His name's Kramer. He's a big lawyer.

[Jeff Regan]

We need one again.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

He's our new client. He wants to see you.

[Jeff Regan]

What about? He'll tell you, you tell me.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I want you to be nice to him. He's a big man. His office is in the Park Central Building. Abercrombie, Kramer and Schmidt.

[Jeff Regan]

A trio.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

It's an important legal firm in this city.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, what's the job?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I told you he'd give you all of it.

[Jeff Regan]

Look, the last time I waited for a client to talk, he died.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Now look here. The kind of dough he pays, you could do janitor work for him and not ask questions.

[Jeff Regan]

You never learn.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

This is a certified check, came by special messenger. He's waiting for you now.

[Jeff Regan]

What else?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

The message said he wanted all this done confidentially. No police, you understand.

[Jeff Regan]

You'd kidnap your own mother for cash. You're out of lie. And then you'd starve to death, charging yourself ransom.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I'm gonna be patient with you, Regan.

[Jeff Regan]

This is another rotten deal.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

These big legal outfits can't afford to be dishonest.

[Jeff Regan]

You've been making a living doing it.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Kramer's in legitimate practice. I checked Them?

[Jeff Regan]

Oh, sure, you.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I pay your salary and I take things as I see them.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, you need stronger glasses. Well, I left him sitting there holding the check up to the light. He had both ar above his head. He reminded me of a two armed slot machine. I walked the four blocks over to the Park Central Building and an elevator operator with a cardboard collar took me up to the seventh floor. Abercrombie, Kramer and Schmidt had a flock of stables in the back with a fire escape. The names were hung out in silver. I figured if they were ambulance chasers, they used a motorcycle escort. I opened the door and stepped into a green carpet that needed mowing. Then I heard a noise at the deep end where the trout stream should have been. She had hair the color of smoke. The rest of her spiraled up to match, but she looked unhappy, like a termite in the granite quarry. She glanced at her typewriter and then up at me. The Remington one.

[Emmy]

We've already ordered our Christmas cards. Get them in July now.

[Jeff Regan]

Maybe I'm not selling.

[Emmy]

You should. You're the type.

[Jeff Regan]

Kramer in?

[Emmy]

He might be, but he never sends cards. Doesn't believe in Christmas.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, he sent my office a check.

[Emmy]

Did he? What office is that?

[Jeff Regan]

I'm Regan. International Detective Bureau.

[Emmy]

Stick to greeting cards.

[Jeff Regan]

Kramer sent for me.

[Emmy]

Oh, he wants protection, huh?

[Jeff Regan]

You tell me.

[Emmy]

Maybe it's something else now.

[Jeff Regan]

Let's find out in a minute.

[Emmy]

He's busy right now.

[Jeff Regan]

What's the matter with Abercrombie?

[Emmy]

He's dead. Schmidt wishes he was. Palm Springs with a hangover.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, real nice bunch. How long you worked for him?

[Emmy]

Too long. My jokes are newer.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, Benny's making a move. Maybe he'll hire you.

[Emmy]

I don't like funny men. What do you do when you're not working?

[Jeff Regan]

All depends on who I'm with.

[Emmy]

Thought maybe you were antisocial. That's Kramer's own.

[Jeff Regan]

I was ahead of her trying the door, but it was locked from the inside. She fumbled around on the desk and finally brought out a. Kramer was sitting at his desk, holding onto the front of his shoulder. His face was white and he wasn't feeling too good.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Fire escape. He got through there. Emmy, call Dr. Sorensen. This wouldn't look good in the papers. No pulley.

[Emmy]

That's a big order.

[Jeff Regan]

That's a big hole in his shoulder. Well, it was too late to start looking around the fire escape. And when Dr. Sorensen showed up, he called a private ambulance and had Kramer taken to a private hospital. The doc said he wouldn't be able to talk until morning? Well, if they wanted it quiet, there was no sense getting Homicide all excited. Emmy went to the hospital with him, and I hung around the office for a little while. Everything was locked up tight. The files, his desk and the liquor cabinet. So I figured it was time to give the lion the nod. I doused the lights and went downstairs. Outside, the street was kind of vacant except for a steamroller with whiskers washing down the gutters. It dodged around a big green car parked by the curb and then it swivel hipped around my car where a little guy in a trench coat was leaning in, looking at my registration tag. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he looked confused, like he was trying to catch a cyclone on a paper bag. You looking for something?

[The Dove]

Oh, no, no, no.

[Jeff Regan]

Just looking.

[The Dove]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jeff Regan]

Lookin. Come on, blow your nose.

[The Dove]

A little cold, that's all.

[Jeff Regan]

Tell me about it before your throat gets sore.

[The Dove]

I told you, just lookin.

[Jeff Regan]

The car belongs to the finance company, in case you got extra keys.

[The Dove]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Pilgrim. Never borrowed a buggy in my life.

[Jeff Regan]

He can't drive.

[The Dove]

How'd you guess?

[Jeff Regan]

Come on, you. Let's pour it out.

[The Dove]

Sure, sure.

[Jeff Regan]

You the guy? What guy? Guy says that freaking I might be.

[The Dove]

They want to make a mistake.

[Jeff Regan]

Deal, will you?

[The Dove]

Somebody wants to see you.

[Jeff Regan]

Who?

[The Dove]

Guy?

[Jeff Regan]

Well, I don't know him. Yeah. Guy says please reads Emily Post.

[The Dove]

That's right. Friend of mine weighs 285 pounds. He's across the street in the ice cream parlor. Last stool on the end.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, I'll tell you, somebody else is carrying my books home today.

[The Dove]

Oh, he wouldn't care. Big man. Gonna see him?

[Jeff Regan]

Can't he walk?

[The Dove]

Says if you argue, mention the name Kramer. Now you're gonna see him.

[Jeff Regan]

How can I miss? He weighs 285 pounds. Oh, it didn't figure. But sometimes you look and nothing figures. Kramer had taken one in the shoulder, and before he'd been able to talk, the lights had gone out and he wound up in a hospital. Well, somebody had an angle, and maybe it was the guy across the street. I found him sitting all alone, about 300 pounds of beard in a plaid coat. He was picking all the strawberries out of his ice cream. Hey, you set for me?

[Spec Jameson]

Mm, vegan.

[Jeff Regan]

You got it.

[Spec Jameson]

Have something great. Banana split here. Four kinds of ice cream.

[Jeff Regan]

I'm on a diet.

[Spec Jameson]

I never worry about things like that. It's a mistake. You only live once. Know me?

[Jeff Regan]

You got a name?

[Spec Jameson]

Spec Jameson. You know me.

[Jeff Regan]

Now you got a Grudge With Kramer?

[Spec Jameson]

Yeah.

[Jeff Regan]

You shot at him from the fire escape.

[Spec Jameson]

I did? When?

[Jeff Regan]

Half hour ago.

[Spec Jameson]

Anybody see me?

[Jeff Regan]

No.

[Spec Jameson]

That's good. How'd I do?

[Jeff Regan]

He got it in the shoulder.

[Spec Jameson]

He'll live up to that point. It could have been me.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, it's gonna make a good story.

[Narrator]

For the police, for anybody.

[Spec Jameson]

I'm clean as a whistle. You sure you won't have something?

[Jeff Regan]

Now, look, I got a date. Fat. So let's fan this out.

[Spec Jameson]

Sure, sure.

[Jeff Regan]

How about Kramer?

[Spec Jameson]

Oh, yeah? Where'd you say he was hospitalized? Oh, yeah, here. He hire you for protection?

[Jeff Regan]

Maybe.

[Spec Jameson]

Regan, you got a lot to learn. About life?

[Jeff Regan]

No, just about living.

[Spec Jameson]

You catch on quick.

[Jeff Regan]

To what?

[Spec Jameson]

Now, you take me, for instance.

[Jeff Regan]

Your complexion's not so good.

[Spec Jameson]

It'll improve. Besides, I don't like trouble. Regan.

[Jeff Regan]

You'll have to get used to it.

[Spec Jameson]

It's just there's some things a man can't stand, can't take lying down.

[Jeff Regan]

Name three.

[Spec Jameson]

No, I just want you to understand. Know what I'm doing, that's all. And this is what I'm doing. All right, Regan, back on your feet.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, they serve that ice cream and big dishes, don't they?

[Spec Jameson]

I'll give you a boost. Here's my hand.

[Jeff Regan]

Take off the knuckles.

[Spec Jameson]

Quiet, Regan. There's some more metal in my pocket.

[Jeff Regan]

I don't need a Geiger counter.

[Spec Jameson]

I said you were smart. Now get it. It's a clean sweep. You're staying out of it.

[Jeff Regan]

Suppose I stick around?

[Spec Jameson]

Then I'll unglue you.

[Jeff Regan]

I left him sitting there with his ice cream. Wouldn't have done any good to trade fists with him. But there was something in the way he talked about Kramer and the shooting that made it a Sunday puzzle. I found a phone booth and put in a call to the Lion.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Regan, where you been? You see Kramer? What'd he say?

[Jeff Regan]

Well, now, which one do you want first?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

What about Kramer?

[Jeff Regan]

He was all shot up.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Target practice.

[Jeff Regan]

Some guy with a grudge.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

If he plays like that, yell cop.

[Jeff Regan]

Look, they'll want to see you. No police, remember? What are you talking about? Another bum client.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Why do these things always happen to me?

[Jeff Regan]

Because your palm is faster than your brain.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Every case has it.

[Jeff Regan]

Look, this is a three ring circus and we haven't even got any peanuts.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Well, maybe I should have found out what he wanted.

[Jeff Regan]

Oh, you say that now.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Who's got the grudge?

[Jeff Regan]

A sweet tooth. Calls himself Spec Jameson Speck.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Where's he fitting?

[Jeff Regan]

He wouldn't stand still to show me his tea leaves. You talk to him we met.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

When people start asking questions, we don't want to be stuck without any answers. You get out and run down some dope on this man.

[Jeff Regan]

Spec, what are you going to do?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Don't worry, I'll take care of my end.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, most people do. Well, this job had more ups and downs than the Berlin Airlift. I turned the phone book over to some drunk with a beer breath and I walked over a couple of blocks to the morgue. I mean the one where they keep dead newspapers. I got a friend who works in the file room of the LA Times. After 15 years of it, he's got about as much adrenaline as an old magazine in the attic.

[Friend at LA Times]

Nope. No, I never heard of a Speck. Jameson. Probably a nickname, isn't it? You know, Spec, short for glasses.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, I caught the drift.

[Friend at LA Times]

Thought I was gonna say spectacles, didn't you?

[Jeff Regan]

Hey, look, let's try this for size. Yeah, big fat guy, but always hungry. Mention any friend Kramer and he wasn't a friend.

[Friend at LA Times]

Spec Adams in last Thursday's paper.

[Jeff Regan]

What'd he do?

[Friend at LA Times]

Executed the same day in Sing Sing.

[Jeff Regan]

Spec Jameson.

[Friend at LA Times]

Released from Quentin day before yesterday.

[Jeff Regan]

Let me see.

[Friend at LA Times]

That's all it Sundays. Serve full 10 year sentence, continuous on four counts.

[Jeff Regan]

Somebody threw a book at him.

[Friend at LA Times]

Yeah, maybe. Tell you in a minute.

[Jeff Regan]

Try December 38.

[Friend at LA Times]

This case would have come up in November. There we are. You take these?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah.

[Friend at LA Times]

Hey, look at the funny skirts. Short, weren't they? Hey, here's one. War Impossible says.

[Jeff Regan]

Let's stick to the subject.

[Friend at LA Times]

November 17th. Jameson appeal denied.

[Jeff Regan]

Read it.

[Friend at LA Times]

Lot of stuff he was in the rackets.

[Jeff Regan]

Go on.

[Friend at LA Times]

Judge said unusual completeness of prosecution's case made retrial impossible. Continuous sentence upheld.

[Jeff Regan]

Who was the judge?

[Friend at LA Times]

Eh, old govern. He's dead.

[Jeff Regan]

Ah.

[Friend at LA Times]

Here's what you want. Special prosecutor Joseph W. Kramer. Excuse me.

[Jeff Regan]

Uh huh. Joseph W. Kramer was brilliant, relentless work for the forces of good in Los Angeles. It's for you. Okay. Thanks. Yeah.

[Emmy]

Mr. Regan?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah?

[Emmy]

This is Emmy, Mr. Kramer's secretary. Are you always this hard to find?

[Jeff Regan]

Well, that depends on where you look.

[Emmy]

Mr. Kramer wants to see you.

[Jeff Regan]

You talking now?

[Emmy]

He's feeling much better. The doctor said it was just a flesh wound.

[Jeff Regan]

What kind?

[Emmy]

38.

[Jeff Regan]

All right. Where's the hospital?

[Emmy]

It's a little place on Hawthorne. Mrs. Kramer will show you. If you don't mind going by the Biltmore and picking her up.

[Jeff Regan]

I haven't got my car.

[Emmy]

Use Mr. Kramer's. It's in the garage there.

[Jeff Regan]

She expecting me?

[Emmy]

I phoned.

[Jeff Regan]

15 minutes.

[Emmy]

Good. He wants to thank you for what you did.

[Jeff Regan]

What did I do?

[Emmy]

Kept the police out of it.

[Jeff Regan]

It's his show, but it may close.

[Emmy]

What do you mean?

[Jeff Regan]

I ran into Spec Jameson. Oh, now you still want the police out of it?

[Emmy]

I don't know. Mr. Kramer will tell you when he sees you.

[Jeff Regan]

You sound like you're changing. So I went over to the garage and I picked up his car. And then I drove to the hotel entrance. While I was arguing with a cab driver, Mrs. Kramer walked out, 45, little tired around the eyes. She was wearing a white sheet, double bed size, under a mink coat. That must have set somebody back $10,000. She didn't look like a wife that Kramer'd have.

[Mrs. Kramer]

I hope this isn't inconveniencing you.

[Jeff Regan]

No, it's not.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Are you sure my husband's all right?

[Jeff Regan]

He's talking. According to Emmy.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Em, she's there with him.

[Jeff Regan]

She's his secretary.

[Mrs. Kramer]

It's funny, isn't it? I'm his wife, yet she spends more time with him than I do.

[Jeff Regan]

That's business.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Even now, when he's been hurt, she's there first.

[Jeff Regan]

She was there when it happened.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Of course, I guess I. Never mind. You're a detective, aren't you?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, that's right.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Mr. Kramer hired you to protect him from that Jameson.

[Jeff Regan]

I never found out.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Maybe I've been so worried about him. At the trial, Jameson said he'd kill him if it was the last thing he ever did. You know, I always thought it was taking an awful, awful.

[Jeff Regan]

Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy, lady.

[Mrs. Kramer]

How do you know the story, Emmie? She's young, pretty. I have to spend my time at bridge parties.

[Jeff Regan]

Does it help?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

No.

[Jeff Regan]

How long you been married to him?

[Mrs. Kramer]

Next month, 18 years. I don't look the same way anymore.

[Jeff Regan]

Neither does he.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Funny what life does to you, isn't it? I was his secretary once. That's how I met him.

[Jeff Regan]

Look. How far to the hospital?

[Mrs. Kramer]

It's only a few more blocks. You go straight.

[Jeff Regan]

Hang on. Who do you know that drives a big green Nash?

[Mrs. Kramer]

No one.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, he knows us. Been following us since we left the hotel.

[Mrs. Kramer]

What are you supposed.

[Jeff Regan]

Is he still with us? Yes.

[Mrs. Kramer]

I can't understand a thing like this happening. Why would anybody want to follow us?

[Jeff Regan]

Maybe it's a friend of your husband's, Jamis. He tried once tonight. Maybe it'd be better to get you.

[Mrs. Kramer]

I'm scared.

[Jeff Regan]

Come on, get out. Get out.

[Mrs. Kramer]

Mr. Regan.

[Jeff Regan]

The green Nash had been tailing me. I shook it on the last corner. There are Lots of them. But it might have been the same one that was parked by my car downtown earlier. Oh, it made no sense. But I wasn't taking any chances. Only before I could get the door open, the Nash came sliding around the other side of the block. I shoved Mrs. Kramer into the floorboards and slid under the window. A lot of glass got broken fast. By the time I could separate my teeth from the clutch pedal, the car had gone. I shook Mrs. Kramer, but she didn't shake. She was dead.

[Narrator]

You are listening to the story of the lawyer and the lady. Tonight's adventure with Jeff Regan, investigator. Listen, this is good news. Good news for you if you are between the ages of 20 and 26 and a half, married or single, a high school graduate, and want to fly for the United States Air Force. Yes, the Air Force Aviation Cadet Program is offering you the opportunity to become a pilot officer in the mightiest air force in history. You can be one of the Air Force's men of renown. And there's more offered than the pride you feel in being a member of America's flying team. For after your 52 weeks of training, you'll graduate as a second lieutenant in the Air Force with an income of more than $300 per month. Remember, the Air Force offers you what it offered. General Jimmy Doolittle, General Carl Spaatz and General Hoyt Vandenberg. Now at 42, the Air Force chief of staff. Call at your local army and Air Force recruiting station tomorrow. Apply to become an aviation cadet. And now back to the story of the lawyer and the lady and Jeff Regan, investig.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, it all made sense like a eubangy with a piccolo. It started when the lion sent me over to see a lawyer named Kramer. I got there just in time to meet Emmy, his receptionist, and find Kramer with a bullet in his shoulder. The hospital took over and I left. That's when I ran into Spec Jameson, an ex con who Kramer put away some 10 years ago. He turned out to have a lot of stomach and a big hate for the lawyer. Then I got a call from Emmy to pick up Mrs. Kramer. I did, and the shots began and she ended up a candidate for the city morgue. Well, I called Homicide and I sent out some boys to clean up. I gave them what I knew and I moved on out to see Kramer. The Angels of Mercy Hospital turned out to be a private place off Hawthorne. Two stories of cement set down in the middle of a clover field. Figured that they only held a thermometer to patients that could make a big noise With a cash register. Kramer showed in an upstairs room next to a fire escape. He was climbing into an overcoat. When he saw me, he looked unhappy, like a pointer with a broken tail.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Well, Regan, I'm glad you came to see me.

[Jeff Regan]

Tell me that later.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

What do you mean?

[Jeff Regan]

How's the shoulder?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Oh, a little annoying, but it's all right now.

[Jeff Regan]

That figures.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Why?

[Jeff Regan]

It was a neat shot. Just enough to raise a little fever.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

What are you driving at?

[Jeff Regan]

Give it a chance. It'll sink in.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Come on, let's get out of here.

[Jeff Regan]

All right.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Picked up my wife downtown.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah? Good, good.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

She worries a lot, you know. Tell you what, Regan. I'll send a check around in the morning for another hundred and.

[Jeff Regan]

All right, make it a thousand.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

What's that for?

[Jeff Regan]

Insurance against guys like you.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Never mind that.

[Jeff Regan]

Why didn't you tell the lion what you wanted in the first place?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

I didn't know.

[Jeff Regan]

I got another story.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Well, you're wrong.

[Jeff Regan]

You knew Spec Jameson was out.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

No reason I should tell you that.

[Jeff Regan]

I'm rehearsing a witness, that's all.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

What?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah. Now let's hear what you did to him.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Nothing. Not a thing. He can tell you that in.38.

[Jeff Regan]

You got the book thrown at him.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

He was a public enemy. So smog, Regan, a man in my position.

[Jeff Regan]

Maybe that's it. Maybe you're the kind of shyster that build a rap on convictions.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Grant you it helped. If that's all you want.

[Jeff Regan]

So he hated you.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

He made threats.

[Jeff Regan]

What cooled him off?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

$10,000.

[Jeff Regan]

When?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

After I discovered he meant business, I sent someone with the money.

[Jeff Regan]

Figured Jameson forget everything for cash.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Men of his stripe always will.

[Jeff Regan]

You made a mistake.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Everybody does sometimes. I guess Jameson is still using his gun, but my shoulder will mend.

[Jeff Regan]

Your wife won't.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

What do you mean?

[Jeff Regan]

She's dead.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

No.

[Jeff Regan]

Homicide will tell you different.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

I'd better go down to see them.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

That bullet was meant for me.

[Jeff Regan]

Like you said, everybody makes mistakes. Well, we climbed in the taxi and headed for headquarters. Kramer looked confused. He mumbled a few words about what a good cook his wife had been. How he'd always tried to protect her from the stuff that he'd done to make a success. He was the kind of guy that always figured it was better to make a deal and face facts. Now he had to face a backfire. Well, there were a couple of newspaper photographers in front of the place. Kramer's shoulders dropped a couple of notches. Then he headed for inside. I started in behind him, but an arm stopped me.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Regan, come here.

[Jeff Regan]

What Are you doing out of bed?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Shut up. Get back in the taxi.

[Jeff Regan]

Look out. That meter will bite you.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

I'm not paying the fare. Downtown, Driver.

[Jeff Regan]

Okay, Mac. You know, the cops are gonna love you for this.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

They can hear your side of it later.

[Jeff Regan]

Sure, and you'll stand behind me now.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Regan, and I'll tell you how I figure this. She gets killed. It was a mistake.

[Jeff Regan]

Oh, now, that takes a big brain.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

Kramer's got enemies. Said enemy didn't. The wife. Reagan.

[Jeff Regan]

To get Kramer, that's the last chapter.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

And we write the next one. Turn in said enemy and we'll pick us up a nice fat reward.

[Jeff Regan]

Homicide started with Jameson already.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

They're gonna be surprised.

[Jeff Regan]

What do you mean, he didn't do it? How do I look into things?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

That's how I know.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, all right, big shot, open it up.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

It goes this way. Fifteen minutes after I talk to you, I put a call into the cops.

[Jeff Regan]

Saying what?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

That I don't like my operator being threatened by ex cons. What happens?

[Jeff Regan]

You tell me.

[Anthony J. Lyon]

The police themselves take Jameson out of circulation? He was locked up before Mrs. Kramer got fired. He's sitting in the Hollywood station house right now with a smile on his face.

[Jeff Regan]

Talking?

[Anthony J. Lyon]

No, Eating ice cream.

[Jeff Regan]

Well, now it really made sense. Like a mermaid on a bicycle. If Jameson didn't throw the lead, I had to find out who did. The taxi dropped me off downtown across from the Park Central Building, and I started up the elevator to Kramer's office. It figured it'd be the time to get a look inside that locked desk. When I opened the door marked Abercrombie, Kramer and Schmidt, the place was dark. I moved into Kramer's office and started a little work on the desk. Took me about 10 minutes to get inside. Nothing showed in the first two drawers. But in the third, I picked up a box of Panatellas and I looked under it. That's where I found a.38 with one bullet missing. Well, Ballistics could do something about it. So I crammed it in my overcoat pocket and I started outside. That's when the door opened and the little guy with a runny nose walked in. He was wearing a suit the color of an avocado and his face looked like a fried banana.

[The Dove]

Nice rug, huh?

[Jeff Regan]

You from the cleaners?

[The Dove]

I make my own spots. Sit down, Regan. We're gonna talk.

[Jeff Regan]

I'll take it standing.

[The Dove]

We prefer you sitting.

[Jeff Regan]

It's your gun.

[The Dove]

More natural that way.

[Jeff Regan]

You got a name, buster?

[The Dove]

They call me the Dove.

[Jeff Regan]

The Bird.

[The Dove]

No cracks, just a dove.

[Jeff Regan]

Peace mission.

[The Dove]

It is. Restoning.

[Jeff Regan]

All right, what is it this time?

[The Dove]

Where's Kramer?

[Jeff Regan]

China Reagan.

[The Dove]

You're an unlucky contestant.

[Jeff Regan]

If you don't like my answers, try somebody else.

[The Dove]

That's what I'm doing, correcting mistakes.

[Jeff Regan]

Like shooting the wrong guy.

[The Dove]

Like leaving a witness. I had to get rid of my Nash on account of you.

[Jeff Regan]

You killed her, now you're waiting for her husband.

[The Dove]

Of course I killed her. But don't try to change the subject. See who I'm talking about now?

[Jeff Regan]

Well, I don't like the spotlight.

[The Dove]

They should have stuck to your nose in here, Regan. It'll bleed.

[Jeff Regan]

Let's start with yours. I dove for him and the gun went off. Only he wasn't pointed at me. Kramer was standing in the doorway, pulling a trigger like a kid at a bubble gum machine. I figured the floor was safer, so I flattened out. The Dove tried the same, only he hit the wastebasket.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Did I get him?

[Jeff Regan]

No, he looks as dead as he'll ever be.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Cheap murdering.

[Jeff Regan]

Let me hold a gun, huh? Kramer?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Yes. Oh, Regan, there's a bottle in the cabinet.

[Jeff Regan]

Here you are.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Thank you.

[Jeff Regan]

Now what are you gonna do now?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

I don't know. Call the police, I guess.

[Jeff Regan]

I thought you were with them.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

I came down in their car to.

[Jeff Regan]

Get some of my files on the old Jameson case.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Yes?

[Jeff Regan]

You want to tell me?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Oh, it's about. As you know, he was a small time grifter. I gave myself a big name by prosecuting him. Built my business and the reputation it gave me.

[Jeff Regan]

You told the police why he hates you? Oh, yes.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

I intend to stand trial for killing this man.

[Jeff Regan]

You're growing up, Kramer. Who was he anyway, The Dove?

[Joseph W. Kramer]

No driver's license. Oh, yes, here it is. Dove Duval.

[Jeff Regan]

Hmm.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Regan, look at this.

[Jeff Regan]

That's a lot of money.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

It's $10,000. Same amount of money I sent to Jameson to stay away from me. Looks like the chickens came home to roost, doesn't it?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, it does.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

Well, police are waiting. I better go and tell them about this.

[Jeff Regan]

Go on.

[Joseph W. Kramer]

You coming?

[Jeff Regan]

No, I'll meet you there. Kramer. I got a late date. I gave the boys downstairs the high sign. Then I moved out of there fast. I found Emmy's place just off Normandy. It was a brand new duplex with a gilt edged driveway and stocks and bonds for awnings. For a business girl, she really did all right. I was a couple of hours overdue. But the girl with the smoky hair knew how to wait. There was a candle burning in her window and two more in her eyes. It Took me a little time, but now you're here. Mm.

[Emmy]

Well, aren't you going to do something about it?

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah.

[Emmy]

Talk, Mr. Regan. What's the matter with you?

[Jeff Regan]

I've been working hard.

[Emmy]

Oh, is that all?

[Jeff Regan]

Now, listen, lady, this is just too pat, too neat. The ends tied together like Siamese twins.

[Emmy]

I'm alone.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah, but you don't want to be. Your boss just rubbed out a killer named Dove. What? It was self defense. I'm a witness and he'll be out of it inside a week.

[Emmy]

Well, then what are we bothering about?

[Jeff Regan]

A guy named Jameson. Nobody will believe him.

[Emmy]

Why should they?

[Jeff Regan]

Because they didn't hire the Dove.

[Emmy]

Who did? You, Mr. Regan.

[Jeff Regan]

All right, maybe it was your boss. He primed me with a story about giving Jameson 10 G's. Only one ever saw that doe was the Dove. Well, that was his price for killing Mrs. Kramer.

[Emmy]

You're out in left field, Mr. E. I was working.

[Jeff Regan]

You were keeping me outside till Kramer could throw a small bullet into his shoulder.

[Emmy]

Why would he do that?

[Jeff Regan]

To point up that Jameson was still after him.

[Emmy]

But he was.

[Jeff Regan]

I figured different. And Homicide's gonna like my way.

[Emmy]

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

[Jeff Regan]

Well, this gun has a different version.

[Emmy]

Where'd you get it?

[Jeff Regan]

Kramer's bottom drawer. And the caliber is gonna fit the hole in your boss's shoulder.

[Emmy]

Well, that's it. You've got it all now.

[Jeff Regan]

Yeah. You know, you got a real nice hair. Yeah, that San Quentin water's gonna ruin it. Well, the whole thing came apart like a paper hat in a shower bath. Seems that when Jameson got out of prison and threatened Kramer, the lawyer and his secretary figured that it was a good time to get rid of the wife. I suppose she interfered with their skiing or something. Anyway, they hired the Dove to do the job and got rid of him just so he couldn't ever come to bat for the fall guy, Jameson. They had a perfect frame fixed for him and I was picked to decorate the edges. Only it didn't work. Everybody was positive about this one. Kramer knew he was gonna win. Emmy knew she was in for a big cut. And the lion knew he was gonna collect a fat fee. They should have all figured it. This is the year for upsets.

[Narrator]

Jack Webb is featured as Jeff Regan with Herb Butterfield as Anthony J. Lyons. It's CBS at the same time next week for more Hard Boiled action and mystery with Jeff Regan, investigator, written by Jackson Gillis and D. Jack Newman, produced by Sterling Tracy. Featured in tonight's story were Carol Matthews, Marvin Miller, Lou Krugman, Herb Bygren, Mary Lansing and Larry Dodkin. Original music for this program is by Milton Charles. This is Bob Stevenson speaking. This is cbs, the Columbia Broadcasting System.