Rogues Gallery 45-11-08 018 Little Drops Of Rain

Summary

Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – Rogues Gallery 45-11-08 – "Little Drops Of Rain"

Podcast: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Episode: Rogues Gallery 45-11-08 (Episode 018: "Little Drops Of Rain")
Air Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio featuring Dick Powell as Richard Rogue

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Episode Overview

This episode transports listeners back to the golden era of radio drama, featuring an episode of Rogues Gallery titled "Little Drops of Rain." Private detective Richard Rogue gets embroiled in an old-fashioned locked-room murder mystery laced with jealousy, deception, and a race against time to save a life. The episode embodies the classic noir tone with quick wit, sharp banter, and a tightly spun whodunit—perfect for mystery lovers and fans of vintage radio drama.

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Key Plot Points & Discussion Highlights

1. Setting the Scene: A Case of Jealousy and Intrigue

• [03:02] Richard Rogue, recently confined to a hospital, reminisces about a visit from Liza, an old flame, setting up his penchant for romantic entanglements.

• [04:09] A playful exchange with Liza about jealousy establishes Rogue’s charm and the domestic backdrop before the drama.

  • Memorable quote:
    Liza: “You think she’s prettier than I am?”
    Rogue: “Well, you’re not in pictures, angel.” ([04:32])

• [06:10] Rogue receives a call from Mrs. Harvey Burgess, a wealthy socialite convinced her husband is cheating with his secretary, Helen Stark.

2. The Burgess Mansion: First Clues & Suspense

• [07:14] Rogue describes the grandeur of the Burgess estate and is immediately drawn to Mrs. Burgess’s charisma and desperation.

  • Notable quote:
    Rogue: "Oh my, what a presence... I pulled my eyes back into my head and tried not to look too interested." ([07:14])

• [08:05] Mrs. Burgess pleads for Rogue’s help, suspecting her husband has a rendezvous with Helen Stark at Clarence Roman’s home.

• [10:09] They arrive to find the place seemingly deserted, but Mrs. Burgess insists Harvey’s still inside.

3. Discovery of Murder & Rogue’s Concussion

• [11:26] Rogue detects the “unmistakable odor of chloroform”—a classic noir signal something is wrong.

  • Atmospheric quote:
    Rogue: “That smell in the air... I smell chloroform.” ([11:34])

• [12:27] While investigating, Rogue is struck from behind, and the narrator dramatizes his semi-conscious encounter with his quirky alter ego, Yugor.

4. The Unfolding Investigation

• [13:34] Awakening, Rogue finds Clarence Roman and Mrs. Burgess hovering; Mrs. Burgess screams as she discovers Harvey’s dead body upstairs—shot in the head.

  • Dramatic reveal:
    Mrs. Burgess: “I found my husband upstairs.”
    Narrator: “He’s dead. Murdered.” ([14:41])

• [17:37] Rogue conducts the preliminary investigation, finding Harvey’s personalized gun away from the body (ruling out suicide) and a blood-stained handkerchief with “H.S.” initials, implicating Helen Stark.

5. Helen Stark’s Disappearance and Attempted Suicide

• [21:14] Rogue visits Helen’s home, speaking to her elderly, deaf father, who’s unaware of her whereabouts.

  • Poignant moment:
    Mr. Stark: "Nice out after the rain, isn't it?" ([22:23])

• [22:41] Rogue notices fresh tire tracks into the garage despite the recent rain, deduces a recent arrival, and finds Helen Stark unconscious from carbon monoxide poisoning—an apparent suicide attempt.

6. Piecing Together the Real Motive

• [24:29] After saving Helen, Rogue resumes questioning Mrs. Burgess and Clarence Roman.

  • Suspenseful exchange:
    Mrs. Burgess: "I'm glad she's dead. I couldn't stand a trial." ([26:04])

• [26:49] Rogue accuses Mrs. Burgess and Roman of plotting Harvey’s murder, using Helen as a scapegoat. Evidence mounts with Roman’s fingerprints found in Helen’s car and his shoeprint outside the garage.

  • Break in the case:
    Dick Powell/Rogue: "Helen Stark isn't dead. The car ran out of gas just in time. She'll be there to appear against you when you're tried for murder." ([27:30])

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Notable Quotes & Colorful Moments

• Classic wit and banter:
  Rogue (to Yugor): “Someday I’m going to get rid of you, you little pest.”
  Yugor: “Why don’t you get back to work? You got a date with Liza.” ([13:53])

• Comic relief amid tension:
  Liza (phone): “I’ll give you ten minutes to get back here and take me to that show!” ([20:31])

• Grim reflection:
  Rogue: "I don't like murder. It upsets so many people who aren't involved in the act or the reasons for it..." ([22:41])

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:02] Rogue and Liza’s witty domestic banter
• [06:33] Mrs. Burgess pleads with Rogue for help
• [11:34] Rogue discovers the smell of chloroform
• [14:41] The body of Harvey Burgess is found
• [17:37] On-site investigation and clues found
• [22:41] Rogue discovers Helen's suicide attempt
• [26:49] Confrontation and accusation of the true murderers
• [27:30] Police evidence exonerates Helen and confirms Roman’s guilt
• [28:06] Phone call with Liza caps the episode with a humorous punchline

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Episode Tone & Style

The script blends hard-boiled detective tropes with playful banter and sharp observational humor. Rogue’s narration is classic noir: self-deprecating, filled with snappy dialogue and cynical asides, but fueled by an earnest quest for justice.

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Final Thoughts

"Little Drops Of Rain" exemplifies why radio drama from the Golden Age remains so compelling—the suspenseful plot, brisk pacing, and colorful characters make for a captivating listen. Rogue’s investigative prowess, coupled with his human flaws and wit, drive the action until the satisfying unraveling of the true culprits. The episode closes with a nod to the perils of intellect ("How come a guy as smart as I am gets hit on the head so often?") and a feeling that justice, at least for now, has been served.

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Ideal For Listeners Who Enjoy:

• Classic detective stories
• Vintage entertainment and radio nostalgia
• Snappy wit and noir storytelling

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Transcript

[Interviewer]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Snack Enthusiast]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Interviewer]

Could you be more specific?

[Snack Enthusiast]

When it's cravenient.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Okay.

[Snack Enthusiast]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. p.m.

[Interviewer]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Snack Enthusiast]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Interviewer]

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

[Snack Enthusiast]

What more could you want?

[AM PM Announcer]

Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. A.m. p.m. Too much good stuff.

[Jim Doyle]

The F.W. fitch Company presents Dick Powell as private detective Richard Rogue in Rogues Gallery.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Rogue speaking. Well, tonight you're going to meet some charming people and you're going to run into a little bit of very fancy murder. The name of the story is Little Drops of Rain. But before we get into our story, here's Jim Doyle, the man from the Fitch company.

[Jim Doyle]

Did you know that there are over 50 million men in the United States who shave? Yes, that's a lot of men. It was in the interest of these 50 million shavers that Fitch Co. Chemists and technicians went to work in their laboratories and came up with Fitch's no Brush, a shaving cream especially designed to give a solid comfort shave. You see, Fitch's no Brush Shaving Cream contains not one, but three important shaving ingredients that work together to give you a smoother, faster shave. It also contains a special skin conditioner ingredient. Men appreciate this ingredient because it has a soothing effect on the skin the instant it's applied. And it keeps the skin feeling smooth and refreshed long after the shave is finished. Men also like the just right consistency of Fitch's no Brush. It's neither too thick nor too thin. It's not greasy and won't clog the razor.

[Clarence Roman]

If you're among those who prefer a.

[Jim Doyle]

Lather cream, try Fitch's Brush Cream. It gives a rich, dense lather that wilts whiskers completely soft. For clean, fast shaves, both Fitch's Brush and Fitch's no Brush Shaving Cream come in big 25 and 50 cent sizes. Try a jar. You'll find it easier on your razor and easier on you.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Thank you, Jim. And now I'd like to tell my story.

[Jim Doyle]

Okay, here's Dick Powell as private detective Richard Rogue in another personally conducted tour through Rogues Gallery.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, I'm still confined to my little cranked up downy couch in the hospital, but not as still as I was last week, I am now allowed to get up and totter around a little. And I use the word totter advisedly. My legs act like strangers who have different political beliefs. And my knees have suddenly developed sideway hinges. But my nurses, Ah, my nurses. Yes, they're beautiful and tender and resistant. And speaking of nurses, Nurses are girls, and girls are my favorite pastime. And that brings me up to the girl who has done the most to confuse my life. Liza. The girl I was so sincerely in love with a couple of months ago. Liza was in to see me. She just left. And we were talking about the time when I showed up at her apartment for a date. It was raining out and I was sitting at the piano doodling around a little bit.

[Liza]

I don't want to go to a nightclub tonight, Richard. I'm too tired. Let's just go to a show, shall we?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Anything you say, baby. That's the kind of guy I am.

[Liza]

I want to see two girls and a sailor. It's playing at the Rialto.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

June Allison's in that, isn't she? Mm. Uh huh. That's for me.

[Liza]

Then you think so?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Definitely.

[Liza]

You think she's prettier than I am?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, you're not in pictures, angel.

[Liza]

Do you think she's prettier than I am?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, you're a different type.

[Liza]

Are you going to answer me?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, you're jealous. How can you be jealous of a girl I don't even know? Give me a kiss. No. Oh, but baby, I don't love you. I love you like anything, Jeff. All right, all right. All right, Pop. Then I don't care. June is busting out all over all over the meadow and the hill Bus are busting out of bushes and the robin river pushes every little wheel that wheels beside a mill June is busting out all over the feeling is getting so intense that the young Virginia creepers have been hugging the bejeepers out of all the morning glories on the fence because it's June. June, June, June.

[Liza]

You're insufferable, Richard Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, now quit partying. Come on over here on the bench by me.

[Liza]

Are we going to a show or not?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Sure. Get your lipstick on again and we'll see. What? Oh, I'll get it.

[Liza]

No, I'll answer. It's probably George.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, George. Well, I'll tell him that. Who? Homewrecker. Hello? Mr. Rogue there? Speaking. This is your call service, Mr. Rogue. We got a call for you. Oh. Oh, who is it? Mrs. Harvey Burgess. Says it's very important. Okay, put her on. Right.

[Liza]

Oh, put her on. Who is sh.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Hello?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Richard Rogue? Speaking.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

This is Mrs. Harvey Burgess.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yes?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I must see you at once, Mr. Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, well, anytime tomorrow, Mrs.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I'll see you tonight. Immediately. It is most important.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, can't you tell me about it over the phone?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Oh, no. Could you come to my house at once?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

What's the address?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

485 Hillcrest. You'll be well paid for your time. Please hurry.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

I'll be right out, Mrs. Burgess. Wait for me. I'll be right back, honey. Go on.

[Liza]

Go on out to see Mrs. Burgess. Don't mind me, Dick Tracy.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, what could I do? Mrs. Harvey Burgess was the wife of a tycoon with a dollar for every Democrat in Georgia. I tried to explain to Liza, but I was talking to myself and I left for the Burgess residence. I left liza burning like Mrs. O' Leary's barn. The Burgess mansion was a huge colonial affair. George Washington could have slept there every night he was at Valley Forge and never seen the same room twice. A butler who talked like he was choking to death on an olive pit conducted me into the library and into the presence of Mrs. Harvey Burgess. Oh, my, what a presence. She was sitting in front of the open fire, filling out a hostess gown that didn't straighten out any of the curves she featured. I pulled my eyes back into my head and tried not to look too interested.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Sit down, Mr. Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, thank you. I. I'm in a bit of a hurry tonight, Mrs. Burgess. As a matter of fact, I have, Mr.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Rogue. My husband is making a fool of himself. Yes, he's lost his mind completely over a secretary in his office. His secretary? A girl by the name of Helen Stark.

[Clarence Roman]

You.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You mean that.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Yes. I mean he prefers her company to mine.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, that doesn't sound reasonable, if you'll pardon me for saying so. What do you want me to do?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Somebody has to bring Harvey back to his senses, Mr. Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, I'm afraid you've called in the wrong man. I'm not very good at long, fatherly talks.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Mr. Rogue, please. I'm so alone.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Hey, hey, now, wait a minute. Good grief. You mean to tell me that Harvey is neglecting you? What you need to straighten Harvey out is a psychiatrist, not a detective. Harvey is definitely off his trolley.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Please help me, Mr. Rose.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

No, no, no, Mrs. Burgess.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

She's with her right this minute.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

How do you know?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

When he left the house tonight, I followed him. He went to the home of his best friend, Clarence Roman. I parked across the street. I was Going in and faced them. But I saw Mr. Roman leave, and I lost my nerve. That's when I called you. Oh, Mr. Rogue, I want you to go out there and talk to Harvey. Tell him I know all about him and that Stark girl, and I'm suing him for divorce.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, that's not my kind of work, Mrs. Burgess. I'm sorry. Please.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I don't want to divorce Harvey, but I do want him back. And I'm sure that if you will do as I say, he'll come back. You must do it for me, Mr. Rogue. Here. Oh, where is it? I had $500 here in an envelope.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You did? Wait a minute. Here, let me see. Oh. Oh, is this it?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Yes. That's your fee for going out there with me, Mr. Rogan, trying to bring Harvey back to his senses. You'll do it for me, won't you, Mr. Rogue?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, I.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

You'll do it for me, won't you, Mr.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Rogue?

[Mr. Stark]

Okay.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Come along. All right. Well, it seems there's nobody home.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

There's my husband's convertible out in front. Right where he left it tonight when I followed him out here.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

How did the girl arrive?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

In her car. Oh, her car isn't here. It was right behind Harvey's.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Looks like we got here too late, doesn't it?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Try the door. I know Harvey's still here, all right.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You're an old friend of Roman's, I suppose? Yes.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Why?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

I just want to know before I try to open the door. You see, there are laws against that sort of thing. Door's unlocked. Do we go in?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Yes.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Okay. After you. You know the house better than I do. Go ahead.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

All right. The living room is over here.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Nobody home. Look, Mrs. Burgess, we better get out of here.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

No. I know Harvey's in this house someplace, and I'm going to find him. I can. What are you sniffing for?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Wait a minute. That smell in the air. You get it?

[Narrator/Commentator]

What?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I don't smell anything.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You don't? I smell chloroform.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Chloroform.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Now, you take a look upstairs. I'm gonna shake down the first floor. That smell of chloroform can mean trouble, you know, Mr. Roque.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

What do you mean? You're frightening me.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Mrs. Burgess was very fetching when she was frightened, but I calmed her down a little bit. Now, this may sound fantastic, but I've got a little bell in my head that rings an alarm every time I really get around serious trouble. And it was playing a tune that sounded too much like a death march. Right that minute I had to get her out of the way. She finally went upstairs and I went to work. I took the living room first and looked behind all the couches and in all the dark corners. I was bending over, looking under a huge Italian carved table when I thought I heard a stealthy footstep behind me. Don't move.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Oh.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh. My ears were still full of that ringing scream Mrs. Burgess had let out as I caught that sock behind the ear and drifted gently through space toward cloud number eight and my alter ego, Yugor. I was hoping he wouldn't be there, but he was sitting there with that silly smirk on his face with his little short legs pulled up under his chin and his funny little arms around him and his long white beard waving the cosmic breeze.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Hello, Richard. Welcome home.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, shut up.

[Narrator/Commentator]

That's a fine attitude. You go prowling around a strange house and get quite caught at it and knocked out. Then you come up here and take it out on me. Get out of here, you ingrate.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, stop acting like a landlord. Yugor, what happened to me?

[Narrator/Commentator]

Are you kidding?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Tell me. Why did Mrs. Burgess scream? Answer me, Yogar. Do you know why she screamed? Sure. You wanted to tell me?

[Narrator/Commentator]

No. Find out for yourself. You're a detective.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, someday I'm going to get rid of you, you little pest.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Why don't you get back to work? You got a date with Liza. You know she's still waiting.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yeah, that's right. Well, here goes.

[Clarence Roman]

Come on, Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Please.

[Clarence Roman]

Come on.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

You didn't have to hit him so hard, Clarence.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, who hit me?

[Clarence Roman]

I'm Clarence Roman, Rogue. I came home. I found the front door unlocked. I walked in, I saw a strange man prowling around my parlor. A woman screamed, and I hit you with my cane.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, what do you carry for a cane? A ball bat? Why did you scream, Mrs. Burgess?

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I found my husband upstairs.

[Narrator/Commentator]

He's dead. Murdered.

[Jim Doyle]

We'll return to our story in just a moment. But now I'd like to say something to the ladies. Do you ever feel like hanging your head in shame because your hair isn't. Well, looking as nice as it should? Perhaps you get discouraged because every time you shampoo your hair, it seems dry and difficult to set. Then for your next shampoo, why not try Fitch's Saponified Coconut Oil shampoo? This clear, golden liquid shampoo is made from mild coconut and vegetable oils. These pure, natural oils keep your hair from becoming dry.

[Interviewer]

What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Snack Enthusiast]

Hmm. It's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Interviewer]

Could you be more specific?

[Snack Enthusiast]

When it's cravinient.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Okay.

[Snack Enthusiast]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. p.m.

[Interviewer]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Snack Enthusiast]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

[Interviewer]

Crave, which is anything from AM PM.

[Snack Enthusiast]

What more could you want?

[AM PM Announcer]

Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience ampm. Too much good stuff and brittle.

[Jim Doyle]

When you use Fitch's saponified shampoo. You can have a shampoo as often as you like. And after each one, your hair will be soft and lustrous, easy to set into your favorite hairstyle. You'll love the glorious quantities of fragrant lather this shampoo makes. It cleanses thoroughly and then rinses out completely without a special after rinse. You see, Fitch's saponified shampoo contains its own patented rinsing agent. All you do is rinse with plain water and the rinsing agent contained in the shampoo ensures the removal of all particles from your hair, making it sparkle with cleanliness. Ask for Fitch's Saponified coconut oil Shampoo at your drug counter, barber or beauty shop. Look for the bottle with the bright yellow lab. Now back to Rogue's gallery. Richard Rogue is telling our story.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, I had accepted a case for Mrs. Harvey Burgess, a suspicious wife. Yes, that's the Mrs. Harvey Burgess of the Burgess millions. She suspected her husband of having a rendezvous with Helen Stark, his secretary at the home of Clarence Roman Burgess best friend. And we went out there together. Nobody answered the door, so we went in. My suspicions were aroused when I smelled the unmistakable odor of chloroform. Mrs. Burgess was looking around upstairs while I searched the downstairs. Suddenly I heard Mrs. Burgess scream.

[Narrator/Commentator]

My husband upstairs. He's dead. Murdered.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, that snapped me out of it. I got to my feet and ran up the stairs. Mrs. Burgess and Roman were right behind me. And she directed me into the library, which was just off the main hall. And there he was, as dead as last summer's romance, with a neat little blue hole right below the part in his hair. He was a nice looking old guy, about 50, which made him a good 25 years older than his wife. And his widow was really taking his death big, which was natural. A woman doesn't have a husband murdered every day.

[Clarence Roman]

Poor Harvey. This is horrible.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Has anything in this room been moved or touched?

[Clarence Roman]

Well, I just arrived Home.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I looked in here and saw Harvey. I knew he was dead. I screamed.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yes, yes, I heard you. Then you ran right downstairs.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Yes. I saw Mr. Roman hit you and I ran down to tell him who you were.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

That's a little late. Okay. Just don't touch anything. Stay right there in the door, both of you.

[Clarence Roman]

Just who are you to be giving us orders?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You'll find out. Ever see this gun before? Yes. Where?

[Clarence Roman]

It was Harvey's. He kept it in his desk at the office.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Well, you recognize it mighty quickly. How?

[Clarence Roman]

It has his initials on it. I can see them from here, inset.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

In the butt of the gun. Oh, his gun, huh? Yeah. Well, it wasn't suicide. Not with a gun. Clear over here on the opposite side of the room. This is murder.

[Clarence Roman]

Hey, what's the matter?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

This ought to do it.

[Clarence Roman]

What is it?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

It's a handkerchief. A very nice linen handkerchief with initials in the corner and blood on it.

[Clarence Roman]

What initials?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

H.S.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Helen Stark. That's her handkerchief. She killed Harvey. She killed my Harvey.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Is there a phone upstairs here? Yes.

[Clarence Roman]

You'll find an extension in the hall.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Thanks. Come on out of this room. I don't want anything touched or moved.

[Clarence Roman]

Now, now, dear, please.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You two wait for me downstairs. I'll be down just a minute. Soon as I call the homicide. Urban speaking. Hello, Urban? Bridger. Rogue? Yeah. Who's dead? Harvey Burgess. Wise guy. You mean it? You mixed up in another murder, Rogie? Sure. You'd never find a body if it wasn't for me. Where are you? At the residence of Clarence Roman on Cypress Avenue. 2120. Better get the boys and get out here. Be right there. Got any leads on the killer? A couple of vague ideas. Stay there until I get there. Rogue. Hello? Oh, hello, Liza, Dolly. This is Roggy.

[Liza]

Oh, you know what time it is?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, sure, honey.

[Liza]

I'll give you 10 minutes to get back here and take me to that show.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

What? Oh, look. Roman. Roman, the cops will be here in a minute.

[Jim Doyle]

Tell Urban.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

That's Lieutenant Urban. He'll be in charge for the police that I'll be right back. Will you tell him I went out to get a murderess for him?

[Clarence Roman]

Of course. And I hope you manage to catch her.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Rogue. Yes? Good evening. Is Helen Stark at home?

[Mr. Stark]

I. I beg your pardon. I'm. I'm a bit deaf. I. I couldn't hear you.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh. I said, is Helen Stark at home?

[Mr. Stark]

Oh. Oh, Helen. No, no, she isn't home this evening.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Has she been home? I say, has she been home in the last hour?

[Mr. Stark]

No, no, she hasn't. I don't know what time to expect her either. But I imagine she'll be home soon, though.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

You know where she is?

[Mr. Stark]

Well, she didn't come home from the office tonight. She's working late.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, she called you and told you she wouldn't be home?

[Mr. Stark]

Yes, yes, she said she was going to work with Mr. Burgess. That's her boss, you know, the millionaire.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yes. Well, thank you.

[Mr. Stark]

Could I. Could I tell her who called?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

No, no, no. That won't be necessary. Thanks. Thanks very much. Mr. Stark, I. Oh, you and Helen live here all alone?

[Mr. Stark]

Yes, yes, since her mother died several years ago. Are you an old friend of Helen's?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

No, a very recent acquaintance. I'm sorry I bothered you, Mr. Stark. Good night.

[Mr. Stark]

Good evening. Nice out after the rain, isn't it?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yeah, sure is. Good night.

[Mr. Stark]

Good night.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, that nice little old guy. It was going to be tough for him to realize that his daughter was a killer. I hated the world. As I walked down the steps from that porch and started for my car, I. Oh, I don't like murder. It upsets so many people who aren't involved in the act or the reasons for it. Yeah, I guess I'm a chicken hearted patsy, but if I am, I'm glad. Anyway, I was walking down the walk when that little bell rang in my massive intellect again. I noticed something. Something peculiar. There were tire tracks running into the stock garage. It had only stopped raining about 45 minutes before. And if that car had been driven into the garage while it was still raining, there would be no tracks. They would have been washed away now. Very peculiar. I ran up the driveway and opened the overhead garage door. Then I jumped back. The garage was full of carbon monoxide. I wet my handkerchief in a puddle of rainwater, held it over my nose and ran into the garage. I wrestled the door of the small coop open and saw a young girl unconscious, slumped over the steering wheel. I pulled her out of there, she was dead weight and carried her into the house.

[Mr. Stark]

Oh, Helen.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Helen. I'm afraid it's a little late for that, Mr. Stark. Where's your telephone?

[Mr. Stark]

In the hall. Right in the hall.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Thanks. I get a pole. Motor squad out here right away. Fire department. Get a pole. Motor squad to 640 Inglewood Dr. Attempted suicide.

[Jim Doyle]

Bad shape.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Russian. Right. Raymond Ramsey. Reading Roman. Roman. Clarence, you're now. Hello. Lieutenant Urban, please. This is Richard Rogue and it's important. This is Urban speaking. Rogue, I thought I told you to stay here. Look, never mind the argument. Get out here to 640- Inglewood. Drive. I've got Helen Stark for you. You have nice work. I want to talk to that young lady. Well, you missed the boat. I think she's dead. Suicide? Carbon monoxide poisoning. Step on it. Okay, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Don't go away. I gave Helen Stark my own interpretation of artificial respiration until the pull motor squad got there. Urban arrived on the heels of the fire department and we went out and looked around in the garage. Made some fascinating discoveries, too. The car had run out of gas and stopped turning over, for one thing. And one thing led to another, to coin a phrase. Anyway, Urban and I made a little deal. I went back to the Roman residence, and while he and his boys were being scientific, I sat in the parlor and talked with Mrs. Burgess and Clarence Roman. Mrs. Burgess had recovered her poise to some extent. They were both very anxious to know all about my daring capture of the Stark girl.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I'm glad she's dead. I couldn't stand a trial. I'm glad she committed suicide.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Yes, I. I guess it seemed like the only way out. She wasn't very smart about murder, leaving clues all over the place the way she did. Even the cops would have had her in 24 hours. How well did you know the star girl, Roman?

[Clarence Roman]

Rather well. I'd see her on the office a great deal. Harvey was, well, not very discreet about the fact that he was.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

Farmer, please, Clarence. Harvey's dead. We should forget those things. He was a good husband.

[Narrator/Commentator]

I. I don't know what life is gonna be like without him.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

I just have an idea that it's going to be pretty simple, Mrs. Burgess, and possibly rather short.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

What do you mean?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

I mean that the police suspected you and Mr. Roman murdered your husband and Ms. Stark.

[Clarence Roman]

That's a serious accusation. Rogue.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Your husband was suing you for divorce, wasn't he, Mrs. Burgess? He knew you were going to be there with Mr. Orman, his best friend, tonight, so he came and surprised you with Helen Stark for a witness, didn't he? And you, Mr. Roman, you killed him. And then you had to kill Helen Stark to shut her up.

[Clarence Roman]

This is preposterous.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Ah, sit down, Roman. You were right, Rogie. We found Roman's fingerprints on the steering wheel of Helen Stark's car. One of the boys just got back with a report that Roman's shoe is a perfect fit in that shoe print outside Stark's garage.

[Mrs. Harvey Burgess]

I had nothing to do with it. Clarence killed Harvey. Any chloroform? That Stark girl in the.

[Clarence Roman]

You're in this as far as I am.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Shut up. I've got more news for you, Roman. Helen Stark isn't dead. The car ran out of gas just in time. She'll be there to appear against you when you're tried for murder.

[Narrator/Commentator]

Hello?

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Hello, Liza, honey?

[Liza]

I don't want to talk to you, Richard Rogue. I'm busy.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

Oh, now, honey, the lady says she's busy. Yeah? Who are you? The name is George. Good night, chump. Ah, little drops of rain. The stuff we're getting so much of out here in California right now saved Helen Stark's life. Cause if I hadn't noticed those tire tracks, she would have stayed in the garage until it was too late for the Pull motor squad to save her. Ah, yes, sir. Little drops of rain put the curse on what was almost a perfect double murder. With the help of my massive intellect. There's only one thing I can't understand. How come a guy as smart as I am gets hit on the head so often? Answer me that, will you? This is Dick Powell again, ladies and gentlemen. How did you like our little story tonight? Ray Buffam wrote it. Leith Stevens composed and conducted the music, and D. Engelbach produced and directed. Oh, don't forget to tune in next Thursday night. We're going to present a strange story of a house where everybody was scared. We call it the House of Fear. So make a date with us, will you? Thanks for listening and good night, Hall. Now here's Jim Doyle.

[Jim Doyle]

Don't forget to tune in again next Thursday, same time, same station, when you will again hear Dick Powell as Richard Roeg in Rogues Gallery. Remember, if dandruff is your problem, ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover. Shampoo removes dandruff the first time it is used. Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo is the only shampoo whose guarantee to remove dandruff is backed by one of the world's largest insurance companies. This statement can be made by no other shampoo. Ask for Fitch's Dandruff Remover Shampoo at your drug counter, barber or beauty shop. Fitch is spelled F, I, T, C.

[Dick Powell / Richard Rogue]

H.

[Clarence Roman]

Folks, when we see a wounded veteran, we can thank him with our eyes and with a smile. We can also thank him in more material ways, like helping make sure he gets all the benefits of the GI Bill of Rights. That takes money. The money we lend when we buy Victory Bonds. Buy Victory Bonds.