The Avenger - The Crypt of Thoth

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Harold's Old Time Radio – The Avenger: The Crypt of Thoth
Aired March 16, 2026

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Overview

This episode of "The Avenger," titled "The Crypt of Thoth," immerses listeners in a classic Golden Age radio whodunit, filled with intrigue, murder, and a mysterious ancient Egyptian crypt. Jim Brandon, the Avenger, and his assistant, Fern Collier, investigate the suspicious death of Professor Wilk, an Egyptologist who has spent years trying to unlock the crypt’s secrets. The story navigates betrayal, greed, and murder as each character’s motive is laid bare, and the true secret of the crypt is finally uncovered.

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Key Discussion Points & Plot Highlights

1. The Premise and Setting

• [02:01] Introduction of Jim Brandon, aka The Avenger, and his secret scientific tools: a telepathic indicator and a diffusion capsule for invisibility.
• Professor Wilk has recently made headlines for acquiring the mysterious "Crypt of Thoth" for his museum and trying to decipher its hieroglyphics.

2. The Secret of the Crypt

• [03:39] Jim surmises from telepathic impressions that the writing on the crypt could be hieroglyphics, connected to violent intentions.
• Connection is made between current events and potentially dangerous knowledge surrounding the crypt (the hidden jewels).

3. The Conspiracy Unfolds

• [04:48] Amara Nakila and Joe Clark, Wilk’s colleagues, suspect Wilk intends to keep the jewels for himself.
• Tension builds as Clark threatens Wilk, leading to a confrontation in the soundproof crypt room.

"You have five minutes to think it over." — Joe Clark, threatening Professor Wilk [08:07]

• [08:42] The plan takes a dark turn as Clark locks Wilk in the crypt, leading to Wilk's death under mysterious circumstances.

4. The Murder Investigation

• [11:16] Inspector White arrives to investigate; Brandon and Fern are present for questioning.
• Joe Clark claims Wilk’s death was accidental (locked in the crypt by mistake), but cracks show under questioning.
• [13:19] Testimony from Sills, the museum guard, appears to cover for Clark and his account of Wilk’s last whereabouts is suspect.
• [14:50] Amara Nakila, Wilk's secretary, is questioned. Her responses plant the seeds of suspicion about her involvement.

"She said the professor tore up his notes before he went to the museum that morning... but the notes were on top of the newspaper." — Jim Brandon (The Avenger), on the key clue [30:46–31:16]

• [17:59] The investigation stalls as critical notes from the professor are reported destroyed.

5. Piecing Together the Clues

• [18:55] Jim and Fern search Wilk’s study for clues, discovering the torn notes atop a newspaper (contradicting Amara’s timeline).
• The notes are pieced together, indicating they may hold the "case history of a murder" [19:27].

6. Further Treachery and Violence

• [20:09] Sills, the guard, blackmails Clark over his knowledge of Wilk’s death. Clark, feeling pressured, murders Sills in the crypt.
• Despite suspicions, the evidence is too circumstantial to charge Clark immediately [21:02].

7. The Final Confrontations

• [22:16] Amara and Clark’s partnership collapses; Amara admits to using Clark to eliminate Wilk and then kills Clark as they argue over sharing the jewels.

"You used me to get rid of the professor. I know that now." — Joe Clark to Amara Nakila [22:50]

• [23:38] Amara guns down Clark, seeking the treasure for herself.

8. The Mystery of the Crypt Revealed

• [25:19] Jim and Fern decipher the secret mechanism of the crypt based on the notes: the statute’s base with embedded jewels is triggered via a particular sequence involving moving stones.

"As soon as you closed the door of the crypt, that stone began to move like a seesaw." — Jim Brandon (The Avenger) [25:56]

• Jim skillfully retrieves the ancient treasure without being harmed, explaining how the crypt was lethally booby-trapped.

9. The Avenger’s Trap and Justice

• [26:49] Jim orchestrates a trap for Amara, letting her believe she has outwitted the gods and can claim the treasure. He confronts her with her crimes as she tries to take the jewels.

"Rise up, Amara. There is blood upon your hands." — Jim Brandon (The Avenger), confronting Amara like the voice of the gods [28:09]

• Amara confesses, believing Jim to be the voice of Thoth, and flees, only to be informed by the inspector that justice awaits her.

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Notable Quotes & Key Moments

• "The road to crime ends in a trap that justice sets. Crime does not pay."
  — Jim Brandon (The Avenger), at the episode’s opening [00:25]

• "There are ways to make you speak. This gun is one of them."
  — Joe Clark threatening Professor Wilk [07:25]

• "Justice awaits you, Amara."
  — The Avenger, as Amara flees [29:00]

• "So Amara must have torn up the notes herself after she read the paper. And that could only mean she knew the professor wasn’t coming back."
  — Jim Brandon, deducing Amara’s guilt [31:16]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:01] — Introduction of Jim Brandon's secret identity and tools
• [04:35–08:17] — Key confrontation that leads to Professor Wilk's death
• [11:16–15:00] — Questioning of suspects and seeds of suspicion
• [18:55] — Discovery of the torn notes and crucial clue
• [20:09–21:02] — Sills’s attempted blackmail and subsequent murder
• [22:16–23:38] — Amara and Clark's fatal argument
• [25:19–25:56] — The crypt’s deadly mechanism explained
• [26:49–29:00] — Amara caught red-handed and her confession
• [30:46–31:16] — The revealing clue: the order of the notes and the newspaper
• [31:36–End] — Resolution and aftermath

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains a classic radio mystery tone: atmospheric, suspenseful, and theatrical, with sharply drawn characters and clever plot construction. The dialogue is brisk, often melodramatic, and filled with period-appropriate flourishes.

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Summary for New Listeners:
This episode is a rich mystery imbued with the allure of ancient Egypt, where greed and double-cross lead to a series of murders around a booby-trapped crypt. The Avenger unravels the layered deception through science, observation, and shrewd deduction, bringing justice to those consumed by avarice. The storytelling style, full of suspense and period intrigue, is a perfect example of Golden Age radio drama.

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

The Avenger.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

The road to crime ends in a trap that justice sets. Crime does not pay.

[Amara Nakila]

Sam. It.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

The Avenger, sworn enemy of evil, is actually Jim Brandon, a famous biochemist. Through his numerous scientific experiments, Brandon has perfected two inventions to aid him in his crusade against crime as the Avenger. The telepathic indicator by which he is able to pick up thought flashes, and the secret diffusion capsule which cloaks him in the black light of invisibility. Brandon's assistant, the beautiful Fern Collier, is the only one who shares his secrets and knows that he is the man the underworld fears as the Avenger. And now, the Avenger and the Crypt of Thought.

[Fern Collier]

Here are the notes you dictated, Jim. I've transcribed them, but frankly, I don't understand them.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Well, you're not to blame for that, Fern. Those last impressions I picked up on the telepathic indicator were very difficult to identify. It seemed to me that they were thoughts transmitted through writing, but the writing itself was obscure.

[Fern Collier]

Yet you thought violence was indicated.

[Joe Clark]

Yes.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

You see, Fern, waves are the primary force in telepathy. And the telepathic indicator not only picks up those waves, but amplifies them just as a microscope magnifies an object. In this particular instance, strong impressions of robbery and perhaps even death accompany the impression of indecipherable writing.

[Fern Collier]

Your notes indicated that the writing may have been hieroglyphics.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

That's right, Vern. But I came to that conclusion after employing the factor of sense cooperation in an effort to clarify the thought flashes I had already received.

[Fern Collier]

What prompted you to mention Professor Wilk in your notes, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Professor Wilk has been in the news recently in connection with that museum piece he had brought over from Egypt called the Crypt of Thoth. He's been trying to decipher the hieroglyphics on that crypt for years.

[Fern Collier]

Do you think you may have picked up his thought flashes?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

There's just a chance of it, Fern. I'm going to stay close to the indicator for a while, though. This is an entirely new type of experiment, and it promises to be very interesting.

[Fern Collier]

Oh, good morning, Mr. Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Good morning, Amara.

[Fern Collier]

Come in.

[Amara Nakila]

Professor Wilk will be ready to go to the museum in just a moment.

[Fern Collier]

Sit down.

[Joe Clark]

Thank you.

[Amara Nakila]

The professor worked on his notes all night, Clark, and this morning he was in a very happy mood.

[Joe Clark]

You think he's hit upon the secret of where the Jewels are hidden in the crypt.

[Amara Nakila]

I am sure of it. But he intends to say nothing and get the jewels for himself. Just as I told you, Clark. The time has come for us to force his hand today in the museum. You know what to do?

[Joe Clark]

Yes. It's hard for me to believe the professor would do this to us, Amara, after we've worked with him for years to solve the riddle of those hieroglyphics.

[Amara Nakila]

I know him better than you do, Clarke. I told you we couldn't trust him.

[Joe Clark]

Be careful, Amara. He's coming.

[Professor Wilk]

Those letters I dictated must go out at once.

[Amara Nakila]

Yes, Professor.

[Professor Wilk]

Ah, good morning, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Good morning.

[Professor Wilk]

Come, Clark. Let's get along to the museum. We were a little late this morning, and there's a great deal of work to be done. Here is the crypt room.

[Joe Clark]

Clock.

[Professor Wilk]

Come inside and close the door.

[Joe Clark]

Yes, Professor.

[Inspector White]

Ah.

[Professor Wilk]

This crypt of Thoth is a beautiful thing, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Yes. A relic of an ancient civilization, steeped in mystery and promise. Why, that black onyx statue of Thoth, the Egyptian God of death, is well worth the price the museum paid to import the entire crypto.

[Professor Wilk]

Certainly the statue is beautiful, but how

[Joe Clark]

do you account for its being so strangely placed within the crypt? Its base reaches out above one's head like a little balcony.

[Amara Nakila]

Ah.

[Professor Wilk]

That's how I knew the crypt was authentic. Just think of it, Clark. The secret of the pharaohs lies within that crypt. A fatigueless fortune that only you and I and Amara know exists.

[Joe Clark]

Professor, have you been able to translate that last line of hieroglyphics? Have you found out where the jewels are hidden?

[Professor Wilk]

Have patience, Clark. Soon we may know the secret.

[Joe Clark]

Soon. Why, it's been 10 years since you first discovered this crypt in that obscure sacrificial temple in Egypt. My patience is worn out, Professor.

[Professor Wilk]

You are free to go wherever you wish, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

That's what you want, isn't it? But I'm not going, professor, because I know that you've already solved the secret of this crypto. You know where the jewels are and how to get them.

[Professor Wilk]

You are wrong, Clark. I intend to keep my bargain. When I succeed, you and Amada will get one tenth as you were promised.

[Joe Clark]

One tenth? Why, you're mad, Professor. We all deserve an equal share.

[Professor Wilk]

You take what you are given, Clark. One tenth or nothing.

[Joe Clark]

You're a fool. I want a third. And if I don't get it, your life is forfeit.

[Professor Wilk]

Take my life, and you have nothing.

[Joe Clark]

Clark, there are ways to make you speak. This gun is one of them.

[Professor Wilk]

Clark, I. I warn you. Help. God.

[Joe Clark]

No use to call for help, professor, this room is soundproof and you know it.

[Professor Wilk]

Clark, be sensitive.

[Joe Clark]

What is the last line of the translation, Professor? Where does it say the jewels are hidden?

[Professor Wilk]

Ask the statue of the God inside the crypt. There he is more apt to tell you than I am.

[Joe Clark]

Join him in death, then. Get inside. Inside, Professor? As you know, professor, there's just enough air inside that crypt to keep a man alive for five minutes.

[Professor Wilk]

Let me out, Clark. Let me out.

[Joe Clark]

Your secret or your life, Professor? You have five minutes to think it over.

[Professor Wilk]

I do not know the secret yet. But even if I did, no man's life is worth that price.

[Joe Clark]

We shall see. As the moments go by and you begin to suffocate, one breath of air will be worth more to you than all the jewels of the pharaohs. I can wait. Professor,

[Amara Nakila]

Look what happened. You're pale as death.

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[Joe Clark]

The professor. He's dead, Clark.

[Amara Nakila]

You killed him.

[Joe Clark]

No, no, I didn't mean to. I can't understand how it happened to Mara.

[Amara Nakila]

What are you talking about? Did you shut him up in the crypt or didn't you?

[Joe Clark]

Oh, yes. I did. Everything just as we planned it.

[Amara Nakila]

Only you forgot to let him out while he was still alive.

[Joe Clark]

No. After he'd been in the crypt for two minutes, I heard a strange sound and I opened the door immediately. The professor was lying on the floor. First, I thought he'd fainted, but he was dead.

[Amara Nakila]

You blundering idiot. I shouldn't have trusted this to you. Now the jewels are lost to us forever.

[Joe Clark]

The jewels? That's all you think of? What about me? The police will Say I killed Professor Wilk.

[Amara Nakila]

Yes. They will say it, and it is true.

[Joe Clark]

Amara, if you do not protect me, I'll tell them everything. This plan was yours as well as mine.

[Amara Nakila]

I only wanted you to frighten the old man and make him talk.

[Joe Clark]

How could I know the professor would die in two minutes when there was air enough for five? Amara, you've got to help me.

[Amara Nakila]

All right. I will protect you from the police.

[Joe Clark]

But how?

[Amara Nakila]

Listen carefully. This is your story, and if you stick to it, the police will think the death was accidental. I will back you up on every point. Now, you must do exactly as I say. And no matter how many times they question you, you must.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

This is the room where we're to meet the inspector. Fern.

[Fern Collier]

Is the crypt of D in here, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes. I wonder what could have happened here. The inspector sounded excited over the phone.

[Fern Collier]

We'll soon find out. Oh, quite a gathering.

[Inspector White]

Hello, Jim. Friend.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

What's the trouble, Inspector?

[Inspector White]

Oh, Professor Wilk, that Egyptologist, or whatever they called him, was found dead in that crypt over there half an hour ago.

[Fern Collier]

Why, Jim, we were just talking about Professor Wilk this morning.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, Inspector. Who are all these people?

[Inspector White]

I call them here for questioning, Jim. Come on, let's get started.

[Fern Collier]

Well, it looks as if we're in on the ground floor of this case.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Certainly does, Fern.

[Amara Nakila]

Quiet.

[Inspector White]

Quiet, everybody. Now, come up here as I call your names first. Joe Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Yes, sir.

[Inspector White]

Clark, you were Professor Wilkes, assistant?

[Joe Clark]

That's right.

[Inspector White]

How long did you work for him?

[Joe Clark]

Almost six years. Ever since he came back from Egypt.

[Inspector White]

Tell us exactly what happened this morning, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Well, I called for the professor at his house this morning at 11, and we walked down here to the museum.

[Inspector White]

The professor only lived a block away. So you must have arrived here about five minutes past eleven.

[Joe Clark]

Yes, I suppose so.

[Inspector White]

And you came straight to this room where the crypt is?

[Joe Clark]

That's right. The professor wanted to copy some of the hieroglyphics from the crypt.

[Inspector White]

Go ahead.

[Joe Clark]

Well, we talked for a few minutes, and then the professor went inside the crypt. He discovered he'd forgotten a book he needed and sent me back to his home for it. I couldn't have been gone more than 15 minutes. And when I came back, I found the crypt door closed and the professor inside dead.

[Inspector White]

What did you do?

[Joe Clark]

I called the guard and then telephoned the police.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

May I ask a question, Inspector?

[Inspector White]

Go ahead, Jim.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Mr. Clark, what made you think the professor was inside the crypt? Wasn't the door always left open when anyone was inside?

[Joe Clark]

Yes. At first I didn't know where the professor was. I waited around for a few minutes and then I went out and asked the guard if the professor had left. Well, the. The guard said he hadn't. So I came back here to look for him. Found him dead from suffocation on the floor of the crypt.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Thank you.

[Inspector White]

That's all right. Now, Clark. Timothy Sills.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Next. Right here, sir.

[Inspector White]

Sills, you were the guard on duty in the hall outside this room?

[Joe Clark]

Yes, sir.

[Inspector White]

Well, what's your story?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Well, it's just like Mr. Clark said, sir.

[Inspector White]

Exactly. You saw Clark leave to get the book about 10 minutes after 11.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Yes, I saw him leave.

[Inspector White]

Did you see the professor between the time Clark left and returned?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No, but I could hear the professor moving about in here.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Sils, did you hear any sound that might have been the crypto closing?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Well, I can't say for sure. I wasn't paying that much attention.

[Inspector White]

Further questions later, sils.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Yes, sir.

[Inspector White]

Ms. Amara Nakila?

[Amara Nakila]

I'm Amara Nakila.

[Inspector White]

Ms. Nakila, what was your position with Professor Wilkes?

[Amara Nakila]

Secretary. I kept the professor's notes and helped him with his translations.

[Inspector White]

You met the professor in Egypt, didn't you?

[Amara Nakila]

Yes, almost 10 years ago.

[Inspector White]

Are you Egyptian?

[Amara Nakila]

My father was.

[Inspector White]

Tell me in your own words, what happened this morning.

[Amara Nakila]

Mr. Clark told you the truth, Inspector. I was working in the professor's office when Mr. Clark came back for the book. And then? Well, we talked a few minutes and then he left.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Inspector?

[Inspector White]

Yes?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

May I ask Ms. Nikila to list her own activities this morning?

[Inspector White]

Well, that's not important, Jim. We know she wasn't at the museum, so she couldn't have had anything to do with the professor's death.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Just for the records, Inspector.

[Inspector White]

All right. Answer the question, Ms. Nikila.

[Amara Nakila]

Well, as soon as I was left alone, I went to the professor's study to type some letters.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

How many letters did you type?

[Inspector White]

Oh, Jim, for heaven's sake.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Please, Inspector.

[Inspector White]

Oh, all right, Ms. Nikila, answer.

[Amara Nakila]

Well, frankly, I didn't type any. I decided to read the morning paper before I got to work. After I'd finished reading, I began to type a letter.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Then Mr. Clark came back.

[Amara Nakila]

Yes.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Thank you. That's all, Inspector.

[Inspector White]

Ms. Nikila, what did Clark say when he called to tell you Professor Wilk was dead?

[Amara Nakila]

Why, he. He said the professor had died from suffocation in the crypt.

[Inspector White]

You're sure he said from suffocation?

[Professor Wilk]

I'm certain, Clark.

[Inspector White]

What made you so positive of that?

[Joe Clark]

Well, he couldn't have died any other way.

[Inspector White]

No? Well, it just happens, Clark, that the professor's neck was broke.

[Amara Nakila]

Ram.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And now back to the Avenger and the Crypt of Thought.

[Inspector White]

Yes, Clark, it just happens that the professor's neck was broken.

[Joe Clark]

His neck was broken? Why, that's impossible.

[Amara Nakila]

Then you do not think it was an accident, Inspector?

[Inspector White]

I'll have to be convinced of that, Ms. Nikila. Any questions here, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, Ms. Nikila? I'd like to see the professor's notes.

[Amara Nakila]

That is no longer possible. The professor tore them up this morning before he left his house.

[Joe Clark]

He tore them up? I didn't know that.

[Amara Nakila]

He didn't tell you, Mr. Clark?

[Joe Clark]

Why, no.

[Inspector White]

This isn't getting us anywhere. The professor's notes aren't on trial here. I'll question Raymond Tyler, the guard at the front entrance next.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Inspector, while you're finishing up here, do you mind if Fern and I take a look around the crypt?

[Inspector White]

No, go ahead, Jim.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Come on, Fern.

[Inspector White]

Raymond Tyler, you were on duty at the front entrance this morning when the professor.

[Fern Collier]

Gosh, Jim, this crypt is supposed to be thousands of years old, isn't it?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes. If Professor Wilk was right, this vault served as a tomb for several of the pharaohs.

[Fern Collier]

Do you think we'll find any clues here?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Jim, we're not going to look for him. Not now.

[Fern Collier]

What?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

We're going to sneak out that door and get over to the professor's house right away.

[Joe Clark]

Come on.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

The coast is clear.

[Fern Collier]

Now that we're here in the professor's study. What are we looking for, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

The professor's notes, for one thing. Fern. Now, you search that desk and I'll go through the wastebasket. We'll have to hurry. I don't want anyone to find us here.

[Fern Collier]

Okay. Gosh, I'll have to be careful here. Everything is so neat. That secretary certainly must be efficient.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Oh, never mind, Fern. Here they are, right on top of the basket. And there's a newspaper underneath them.

[Fern Collier]

I'll help you pick them out. Lucky for us they're on top of this morning paper. Oh, Jim, these notes won't be any good to us. They're torn in tiny pieces, Fern.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

We've got to fit them together. It takes a year.

[Fern Collier]

You do think they're important.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Fern, these notes are the case history of a murder.

[Joe Clark]

Listen here, Sils. That message you sent me demands an explanation. Why did you want me to meet you here in the crypt room at midnight?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

I had to talk with you private, Mr. Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Sils, I don't know what's on your mind, but this meeting is risky and stupid.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Risky, maybe, but not stupid, Mr. Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Well, get to the point. What do you want just this?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You got yourself a partner, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

What did you say?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

You heard me. Why do you think I lied to the inspector for you? I know you killed Professor Wilk. And I know why you killed him.

[Joe Clark]

What are you talking about?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

I used to open the door a little and listen to you two talking in here. I got an earful yesterday.

[Joe Clark]

All right, so you want to be cut in on the jewels.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

That's right. How soon can you get him out of that crypt, Clark?

[Joe Clark]

That depends. I'll need some help.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Where are they hidden?

[Joe Clark]

Come here, I'll show you. Now, see that little dome there on the top of the crypt?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Yeah.

[Joe Clark]

Come on. Step inside. This thing won't bite you.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Okay.

[Joe Clark]

Look closely now.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

There.

[Joe Clark]

Suffocate, you fool. So you wanted to be a partner, Sils? Well, you can be one. You and the professor have a partnership in death.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

So you set Clark free, Inspector?

[Inspector White]

I had to, Jim.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I still think Clark killed Sills, Inspector.

[Inspector White]

Our evidence wouldn't hold up, Jim. I couldn't prove any connection between Sills and Clark.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

There was a connection. Inspector Sills deliberately protected Clark at your first questioning. That crypt room was soundproof. Sills couldn't have heard the professor moving around in there as he said he did.

[Inspector White]

But, Jim, I couldn't get anyone to swear that the door to that room was closed at the time. We've got to dig up some real evidence.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Well, we're working on that now, aren't we, Fern?

[Fern Collier]

That's right. We're fitting the professor's notes together like a jigsaw puzzle.

[Inspector White]

Oh, you're wasting your time now, Inspector. Jim, you're letting me down on this case. Here I am with two sensational deaths on my hands, and you're playing around with puzzles.

[Fern Collier]

Now, there's more to that crypt of thought than meets the eye.

[Joe Clark]

Maybe so.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I promise that in a little while, you'll get the evidence you need. Evidence that will make your eyes pop. Now, you run along and let me finish up these notes. This God of death has a mighty interesting history,

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Clark.

[Amara Nakila]

The police released you?

[Joe Clark]

Yes. Amara, close the door. I've got to talk to you.

[Amara Nakila]

All right. Come into the study. You didn't tell them anything, did you, Clark?

[Joe Clark]

Of course not. Let me sit down. I'm worn out. That inspector grilled me for hours.

[Amara Nakila]

Clark, it's time for a showdown. Why did you kill that guard?

[Joe Clark]

I had to. He was trying to blackmail us.

[Amara Nakila]

Blackmail you, you mean.

[Joe Clark]

Well, he knew all about the professor's death.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I had to.

[Amara Nakila]

You've gone too far this time, Clark, I'm through. I was willing to bargain for the Jews.

[Joe Clark]

You can stop pretending, Amara. You used me to get rid of the professor. I know that now.

[Amara Nakila]

Why should I want the professor dead?

[Joe Clark]

Because you have solved the secret of the crypt. You wanted to get rid of him and me so you could have the jewels for yourself.

[Amara Nakila]

I suppose I stood inside the crypt and broke the professor's neck.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

No.

[Joe Clark]

But I'm convinced you knew that was going to happen.

[Amara Nakila]

You know too much, Clark.

[Joe Clark]

Yes, and I'll tell the police. Unless you get those jewels from the crypt immediately and share them. 50.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

50.

[Amara Nakila]

You will not find the professor's gun in that drawer, Clark. I have it here. Put your hands up.

[Joe Clark]

Amara, listen. Unless we stick together.

[Amara Nakila]

You asked me to stop pretending, so I will. Yes, I used you, Clarke. I wanted the professor dead. But now I don't need you anymore. You're in my way.

[Joe Clark]

What are you going to do, Amara?

[Amara Nakila]

I'm going to silence you. Then I'll be free to go to the museum and get the jewels.

[Joe Clark]

You won't get away with it.

[Amara Nakila]

Oh, yes, I will. I have it all planned. After I've hidden the jewels, I'll go to the police myself and report your death to him.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No.

[Amara Nakila]

I call it self defense.

[Fern Collier]

Jim. Jimmy. You all right?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees, but I don't really need it.

[Political Commentator]

Inflation is killing me, but who cares? Big retailers are making record profits. That's why we support the Durbin Marshall credit card bill.

[Narrator/Announcer]

See, banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll. This bill would cut the vital resources

[Political Commentator]

they need while increasing megastore profits. They deserve it, don't they?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Tell Congress. Stop the Durbin Marshall money grab for corporate megastores paid for by the Electronic Payments Coalition. The sun shining, birds are singing, and all feels right in the world until

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

the season changes and suddenly you lose

[Narrator/Storyteller]

your motivation to get out of bed. In fact, one in five people experience some form of depression, no matter the season or time of year.

[Narrator/Announcer]

At the American Psychiatric association foundation, our vision is to build a mentally healthy nation for all. Because we want you to live your best life and be your best you all year round.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Please visit mentallyhealthynation.org to learn more.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

You can open the door now, Fern.

[Joe Clark]

I've got the jewels.

[Fern Collier]

Oh, Jim. When I heard that noise in there, I thought something had happened to you.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

We were right in our translation of that last line, Fern, that one symbol that was transcribed backwards was meant to be translated that way.

[Fern Collier]

In other words, the symbol meaning open was meant to Be translated, closed.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

That's right. And the crypt door had to be closed for the device to work. That was the only word the professor hadn't mastered.

[Fern Collier]

But, Jim, where are the jewels? That's only a piece of onyx from the base of the statue you've got there.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, but look what's encrusted on the underside of it.

[Fern Collier]

Jim, those rubies are the size of walnuts.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

And those pearls, enough to ransom every king alive.

[Fern Collier]

Oh, the inspector's eyes will pop all right. But, Jim, how were you able to get them without being injured?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Well, I stood on the third stone from the back, just as the instructions indicated. That placed me directly underneath the statue. As soon as you closed the door of the crypt, that stone began to move like a seesaw. I balanced myself and let the stone go down five times on each side. Then I crouched low as the base of the statue swung out above me.

[Fern Collier]

Otherwise it would have caught you right on the neck, as it did the Professor.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Right.

[Fern Collier]

But, Jim, how did you prevent the base from sliding back and holding up the jewels again?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I used this crowbar as a wedge.

[Fern Collier]

Good heavens. The secret certainly was well protected.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, that moving stone operated a lever that released the space and struck down

[Fern Collier]

anyone trying to get the treasure.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

That's right, Vern.

[Fern Collier]

Now what, Jim? Do we take the jewels to headquarters?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Oh, no. We'll place them there upon that table and cover them.

[Fern Collier]

I don't understand what you're planning to do, Jim.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Fern, I'm setting the stage for the last act of this little drama.

[Amara Nakila]

Good.

[Fern Collier]

What part do I play?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Messenger, I want you to go to headquarters and bring Inspector White back here. Tell him to park out front and wait.

[Amara Nakila]

Just wait.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, Vern. A murderer will come out of this building tonight.

[Fern Collier]

But what about you, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I'll be waiting too, Vern. Right here as the avenger.

[Amara Nakila]

Here is the crypt. I must not be afraid. I have but to follow the instructions carefully and I can outwit the God of death and live to wear the jewels of the Pharaohs. What was that? Is anyone there?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

I speak for those who have died within this crypt armada.

[Amara Nakila]

A voice from the dead.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Look, Amara, there upon the table.

[Fern Collier]

The jewels.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Yes, the treasure that the God of Death has protected for centuries.

[Amara Nakila]

The jewels of the Pharaohs. Almighty Thor, you have given them to me. I kneel before you.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Rise up, Amara. There is blood upon your hands.

[Joe Clark]

Speak.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Why did you kill the professor?

[Amara Nakila]

I had discovered your secret. Almighty Thought. I had to send the professor here to die because he knew the secret too. Except for that one Word.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

And Sil, the God?

[Amara Nakila]

Clark killed him. It was the only way. He tried to blackmail us.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Clark, the conspirator. Where is he?

[Amara Nakila]

Clark is dead. I. I shot him.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Then flee from this place. Go at once. Amada, the God of Death, rules here. You must flee, Amada.

[Amara Nakila]

Flee.

[Fern Collier]

Yes.

[Amara Nakila]

Yes, I will go out there in the night. I can escape your vengeance. I must escape. Escape.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

The voice of death speaks clearly to

[Inspector White]

all who dare to kill.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Justice awaits you, Amara.

[Amara Nakila]

Sam.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

It.

[Amara Nakila]

Sam.

[Fern Collier]

Jim, I know you were almost certain from the beginning that Clark was guilty, but what made you suspect Amara?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

She made one slip in that story she told the inspector Fern.

[Fern Collier]

What was that, Jim?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

She said the professor tore up his notes before he went to the museum that morning.

[Fern Collier]

Yes, and we found the notes torn, just as she said.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Oh, not quite. When I asked Amara to list her own activities that morning, she said she read the morning paper after Clark and the professor left for the museum.

[Fern Collier]

But what did that have to do with it?

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Now, if those two statements had been true, then the notes would have been underneath the newspaper in the basket.

[Fern Collier]

That's right. I remember now. The notes were on top of the basket with the newspaper underneath them.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

So Amara must have torn up the notes herself after she read the paper. And that could only mean that she knew the professor wasn't coming back.

[Fern Collier]

And also that she had solved the secret and didn't need the notes any longer.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Exactly. Of course, we had no way of knowing that she would kill Clark rather than share the jewels. I was expecting both of them to come to the museum to collect.

[Fern Collier]

Oh, Jim, look at the time. We better go if we want to get to the museum in time for the private showing of the jewels.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

All characters, names, places and plots used in the Avenger program are fictitious. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This is a thought. A thought, A thought.

[Jim Brandon (The Avenger)]

Remember? Listen for another adventure of the Avenger.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees. But I don't really need it.

[Political Commentator]

Inflation is killing me, but who cares? Big retailers are making record profits. That's why we support the Durbin Marshall credit card bill.

[Narrator/Announcer]

See, banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll. This bill would cut the vital resources

[Political Commentator]

they need while increasing megastore profits. They deserve it, don't they?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Tell Congress. Stop the Durbin Marshall money grab for corporate megastores paid for by the Electronic Payments Coalition.