Nero Wolfe: The Case of the Calculated Risk

Summary

Old Time Radio Nero Wolfe: "The Case of the Calculated Risk"

Podcast Information

• Title: Old Time Radio Nero Wolfe
• Host: Adam Graham
• Episode: "The Case of the Calculated Risk"
• Release Date: October 7, 2024
• Description: Join Adam Graham, host of the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, as he presents all existing old-time radio episodes of Nero Wolfe, including rare 1940s episodes and the 25 Sidney Greenstreet Adventures of Nero Wolfe. Follow Rex Stout's renowned detective, Nero Wolfe, and his assistant Archie Goodwin as they solve intricate crimes from the comfort of Wolfe's New York City brownstone.

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Introduction

In "The Case of the Calculated Risk," listeners are plunged into a gripping narrative where justice, revenge, and deception intertwine. This episode showcases Nero Wolfe's unparalleled deductive skills alongside Archie Goodwin's resourcefulness, unraveling a complex plot that spans decades and continents.

Plot Overview

The episode commences with Dave Caffrey, a desperate man intent on avenging his friend Mitch's murder. [03:17] Caffrey approaches Nero Wolfe with a chilling confession: "Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to kill a man with these two hands." [04:55] He elaborates on a past partnership gone awry, involving three businessmen—Carl, Mitch, and himself—that led to Mitch's untimely death. Caffrey reveals his mission to eliminate Carl, asserting, "This guy deserves to die. I plan to kill him with these two hands." [05:27]

As Caffrey disappears from Nero Wolfe's office, tragedy strikes when he is found murdered himself in a subway washroom—victim to a brutal mugging [11:44]. Wolfe and Archie are thrust into the mystery, prompted by Caffrey's cryptic instructions to safeguard justice should anything happen to him. The duo embarks on a relentless pursuit to locate Carl, uncovering a web of lies and deceit.

Key Characters

• Nero Wolfe: The brilliant, eccentric detective who rarely leaves his brownstone but possesses an uncanny ability to solve the most perplexing cases.

• Archie Goodwin: Wolfe's witty and proactive assistant, instrumental in field investigations and liaison with law enforcement.

• Dave Caffrey: A man burdened by revenge, whose quest to avenge his friend's murder sets the episode's events in motion.

• Carl McLean (a.k.a. Philip Tesreau, J.P. Tinsley): The primary antagonist, a cunning and evasive individual with a murky past and multiple aliases.

• Helen Tunis: Carson McLean's secretary, whose witness testimony becomes pivotal in unraveling the truth.

Main Discussions and Climax

The investigation reveals that the partnership between Dave, Carl, and Mitch collapsed under financial strain. A pivotal scene involves card manipulation and betrayal, where Carl marks the cards to secure his position, leading to Mitch's murder [08:05].

As Wolfe and Archie sift through possible suspects, they narrow down Carl McLean's identity, deliberating his background and alibis. The tension escalates when Helen Tunis, linked to McLean, is found strangled, deepening the mystery and implying a pattern of calculated eliminations [23:33].

The climax unfolds in Wolfe's office, where McLean confronts Wolfe and Archie, brandishing a silenced gun and attempting to flee with $90,000 and a plane ticket to Buenos Aires [24:12]. In a masterful exchange, Wolfe and Archie outmaneuver McLean, ensuring his capture without resorting to violence. Archie leverages his wit to stall McLean, culminating in the antagonist's surrender [29:35-30:02].

Themes and Insights

"The Case of the Calculated Risk" delves into themes of vengeance, justice, and the complexities of human morality. Dave Caffrey's unwavering desire for retribution contrasts with Nero Wolfe's methodical and rational approach to solving crimes, highlighting different facets of seeking justice.

The episode also explores deception and identity, as characters like Carl McLean use aliases to mask their true selves, presenting a challenge for Wolfe's keen observational skills.

Conclusion

In the resolution, Carl McLean is apprehended, bringing closure to both the immediate tragedy of Mitch's and Caffrey's deaths and the broader pattern of unaddressed killings. Wolfe's ingenuity and Archie's tenacity underscore the duo's effectiveness in maintaining order and delivering justice in a chaotic world.

Notable Quotes

• Dave Caffrey: "Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to kill a man with these two hands." [04:55]

• Archie Goodwin: "I've been told strange things across this desk, Mr. Gaffery. This is the first time a murderer has confided his intention to me in advance." [05:02]

• Carl McLean: "I'm buying time, Wolf. I've 90,000 in small bills in that bag there. Plus a plane ticket to Buenos Aires." [25:58]

• Nero Wolfe: "We are going going to find Carl, Archie. We are going to find him. If he takes him now till doomsday." [12:38]

• Archie Goodwin: "A better choice, but still a dubious one. I am fat, exceedingly fat, and for perhaps the first time in my life I am thoroughly grateful for that." [28:17]

• Carl McLean: "You actually think he can knock the two of us off?" [26:27]

Conclusion

"The Case of the Calculated Risk" stands out as a testament to Nero Wolfe's detective prowess and the dynamic partnership with Archie Goodwin. Through intricate plotting and compelling character interactions, the episode captivates listeners, delivering a satisfying blend of suspense, intellect, and timeless detective storytelling.

Listeners who revel in classic detective tales will find "The Case of the Calculated Risk" a compelling addition to the Nero Wolfe saga, showcasing the enduring appeal of Rex Stout's beloved characters.

Transcript

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How do you feel when you switch to Geico and save on your car insurance? It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says Happy Friday. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So yes, Happy Friday, random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday indeed. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, please send it to me. Box13REATDetectives.net Be sure to follow us over on Twitter adiodetectives. And if you have itunes, encourage you to rate the program in the itunes store. Well, before we get started with today's episode of Nero Wolf, I do want to let you know about Audible. I'm listening now to another Nero Wolf novel on Audible. This time it's Sun Buried Caesar, which is kind of interesting because it takes Wolf outside of the brownstone to upstate New York and involves a murder surrounding a bull. It looks to be a pretty interesting mystery. One Buried Seas Zur is just one of several Nero Wolf novels available on Audible, as well as a wide variety of other books as well. You can try Audible out free for two weeks and you can even get some Buried Caesar as a free e book. As a free audiobook, go to audiblepodcast.com old timeradio let's get into today's episode of Nero the Case of the Calculated Risk.

[Geico Advertiser]

How do you feel when you switch to Geico and save on your car insurance? It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says happy Friyay. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So yes, Happy Friday, random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday indeed. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that. Get more with Geico.

[Nero Wolf]

Ladies and gentlemen, the ringing of that phone bell means mystery adventure, Nero Wolf's office. Archie Goodwin, spe. Mr. Wolf? Yeah, he's right here. Who's this?

[Archie Goodwin]

Archie, hang up. Don't ask questions.

[Nero Wolf]

You. You have a wife?

[Archie Goodwin]

Archie, it's past your bedtime.

[Nero Wolf]

Well, I'm afraid, Mr. Wolf, it's past his bedtime.

[Archie Goodwin]

Your bedtime. It's a client, boss. That's what I was afraid of. Foolish.

[Nero Wolf]

Hello? Hello?

[Archie Goodwin]

Well, why do you look so bewildered?

[Nero Wolf]

He's coming right over. He says he's got a date with murder.

[Archie Goodwin]

Ladies and gentlemen, is the detective genius who rates the knife and fork the greatest tools ever invented by man. The founders, brilliant and unpredictable, Nero Wolf, created by Rex Stout and brought to you in a new series of adventures over this NBC network in the person of Mr. Sidney Greenstreet.

[Nero Wolf]

Tonight's story, the case of the Calculated Risk, was as strange and baffling as any Nero Wolf had to deal with. It started late one night when a big shouldered man sporting a reddish beard and billing himself as Dave Caffrey, pushed his way in, walked up to Nero Wolf's desk and rocked him with this opener.

[Dave Caffrey]

Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to kill a man.

[Archie Goodwin]

I beg your pardon, sir?

[Dave Caffrey]

I'm going to kill a man with these two hands.

[Archie Goodwin]

I've been told strange things across this desk, Mr. Gaffery. This is the first time a murderer has confided his intention to me in advance. This man used to be there.

[Dave Caffrey]

I'm not telling you his name. I'm not telling you where I'm gonna meet him. The session tomorrow is gonna be private and personal. But if anything happens to me between now and then, I want you to take over.

[Archie Goodwin]

Mr. Gaffer, do you seriously think I could assist you in a matter of private vengeance?

[Dave Caffrey]

That's not what I'm asking. This guy deserves to die. I plan to kill him with these two hands. Me, myself. But if I slip up, if he gets me first, I want you to see that justice is done.

[Archie Goodwin]

And I assure you, sir, I told.

[Dave Caffrey]

You this guy deserves to die. Let me tell you why. Years ago, down south, there were three men in business together.

[Archie Goodwin]

Partners.

[Dave Caffrey]

Me and two others.

[Archie Goodwin]

Your notebook, Archie, if Mr. Gaffer doesn't mind.

[Dave Caffrey]

You're wasting your time, Wolf. The names I'll use will be phony. I won't give you anything you can check back on.

[Archie Goodwin]

We'll take a chance, sir. Please. Proceed.

[Dave Caffrey]

Happened in a town about 40 miles from the place where we had our business. We'd gone there to collect some money. The three of us, Carl, Mitch and me, Dave Caffrey. But all we collected Was bad news. So bad that Carl hadn't even given our right names at the hotel. Said it was scared some of our creditors come hitting up on us for what we owed. Three of us had some drinks and we'd been pacing around for nearly an hour. I can still remember the way Mitch stood and looked at me, then up at Carl, when Carl suddenly pulled to a stop and came out with this idea of his.

[Carl]

Dave, you got 6,000 cash on hand? You counted it, Mitch?

[Archie Goodwin]

Well, didn't we make a 6240 car?

[Carl]

Whichever. We've got this 6000R, plus some slow accounts receivable against debts of 38,000. With three of us trying to live from the business, we haven't got a chance.

[Dave Caffrey]

Well, we ain't got much of a one car.

[Carl]

But it's hopeless, Dave. With two partners.

[Archie Goodwin]

Two partners? You reckon on pulling out, Carl?

[Carl]

I say we cut cards for it. Mitch Lowman drops out, break up the.

[Dave Caffrey]

Partnership after sticking together all these years?

[Archie Goodwin]

Oh, wait a minute, Dave. Wait a minute.

[Carl]

Maybe Carl's right.

[Archie Goodwin]

Maybe this could work.

[Carl]

Carl.

[Archie Goodwin]

You mean the low man drops out, Cleve?

[Dave Caffrey]

Right now?

[Carl]

Right now, Mitch. Other two to take over assets and debts and see if they can get this thing back in the black.

[Archie Goodwin]

Okay, Carl. Get the cards out, Dave.

[Dave Caffrey]

Well, that's what you guys want.

[Carl]

Okay, then. Here's a new deck. Shuffle them, Mitch. All shuffled. Cut them, Dave. Go ahead, Mitch. You get first pick. Spread them if you like.

[Archie Goodwin]

Here goes. Ah, six.

[Carl]

Your turn, Dave.

[Dave Caffrey]

Okay, 9:00.

[Archie Goodwin]

Lucky guy, Dave.

[Carl]

That puts you in.

[Archie Goodwin]

Whatever Carl pulls, I'll pull it fast.

[Carl]

There she is, Denise. Sorry, Mitch. That leaves you elected.

[Dave Caffrey]

Well, Mitch, I'm sorry, too. I guess we all had a fair whack at it, but.

[Archie Goodwin]

Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see that ace again, Carl.

[Carl]

Easy, Mitch. I said I was sorry.

[Archie Goodwin]

Look, Dave.

[Dave Caffrey]

What is it, Mitch?

[Archie Goodwin]

All the aces are marked, Carl. I'm gonna cram this dick right down your cooking throat. I got me.

[Dave Caffrey]

She's got a knife.

[Archie Goodwin]

Sure. Oh, Carl, you all right?

[Carl]

I've cut him for keeps. What do we do now?

[Dave Caffrey]

What do we do? Look, Carla, I didn't mark those cards. I didn't kill Mitch. And what's more.

[Archie Goodwin]

Shut up, Dave.

[Carl]

We're both in and out. Now, come on, let's get out of here.

[Dave Caffrey]

Now what, Carl?

[Carl]

Look, Dave, this is where we split up. Two men together, easy to trace. You head one way, I go the other.

[Dave Caffrey]

Yeah, but the door. I got no money here.

[Carl]

I'll Split up to 6,000 this is your hair here? Stick the envelope in your pocket. Now grab that freight, get set. I'll catch the next one going the other way. Get going, Dave.

[Dave Caffrey]

That's how it was, Mr. Wolf. It all happened so fast that I.

[Archie Goodwin]

This man you call Carl, he was. Seemed to be one of the world's.

[Dave Caffrey]

Choice creatures, Mr. G. When I thought to look in that envelope he gave me, I found $40 and a few folds of wrapping paper in it. I was mad enough to. Well, I got off the freight and intended to go back. But then I picked up a paper.

[Archie Goodwin]

And read all about the murder of your friend Mitch with the statement that Carl had accused you of the crime and that the police believed him in view of your escape.

[Dave Caffrey]

That's it.

[Archie Goodwin]

Classical, but not at all original.

[Dave Caffrey]

I was young then and stupid. I'd had those drinks to start with.

[Archie Goodwin]

And you spent the intervening years hunting down the man, Carl, am I correct?

[Dave Caffrey]

Yeah. I trapped the country from east to west, from north to south, tramped it for years searching for him. Yesterday I located him. He's a big wheel these days, up on that 37th floor of his. But tomorrow when I get.

[Archie Goodwin]

Yes, Mr. Carefree, the 37th floor of.

[Dave Caffrey]

Never mind what building.

[Nero Wolf]

Now wait a minute, Carefree. If you expect Mr. Wolfe to help you.

[Dave Caffrey]

I don't want him to help me, I'll help myself. But if I slip off, I know Wolf's reputation well enough to know that he'll never rest till this rotten chiseling murderer is sitting in the chair. That's why I've come here, just to provide a backstop in case my dear friend of long ago manages to get the best of me.

[Archie Goodwin]

How will we know?

[Dave Caffrey]

You see this envelope? Read what it says.

[Archie Goodwin]

Nero Wolf, 601 West 35th Street, New York. Delivered to him in case of my death.

[Dave Caffrey]

That's right. And this envelope was $500. Nearly all I've got in the world. Along with it, the full details on that knife, real names, dates, the proof you'll need in case I don't finish it up.

[Archie Goodwin]

Go on.

[Dave Caffrey]

Tonight, Mr. Wolf, I'm going to give this envelope to the manager of the hotel where I'm stopping. I'm calling on. Well, Carl, tomorrow at noon, right after his secretary goes to lunch. If I'm not back in my hotel at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon, the hotel manager will deliver this envelope to you. Is that clear?

[Archie Goodwin]

Perfectly. But you don't think I'm going to allow you to go through with this wire planter.

[Dave Caffrey]

You can't stop me. And don't have Goodwin follow me. I'd lose him in two blocks. Good night.

[Nero Wolf]

Shall I try to tail him, boss?

[Archie Goodwin]

It's no use, Archie. Get Inspector Kramer on the phone at once. I want the police to help us head off this murder. Wolf speaking.

[Nero Wolf]

It's Archie. I'm calling from the morgue. And they found Caffrey's body in a subway washroom. Mugged and stabbed. Wallet gone, pockets cleaned out. No envelope.

[Archie Goodwin]

Just two hours ago, he was here. No envelope, eh?

[Nero Wolf]

Gone.

[Archie Goodwin]

Witnesses?

[Nero Wolf]

None so far. Homicide's calling it straight.

[Archie Goodwin]

Mugging and robbery as it well might look, except for.

[Nero Wolf]

Except for a guy named Carl. How much do I tell Kramer?

[Archie Goodwin]

All of it. RC Inspected to start queries throughout the south on the original killing.

[Nero Wolf]

The original killing.

[Archie Goodwin]

Look, it's our best chance of getting a description of the man called Car. The original killing and the partnership, starting from, say, eight years ago and working back to the middle 20s. Tell him to concentrate on towns and railway lines putting out pictures of Caffrey and pictures and dentistry fingerprints to Washington. Kramer will know.

[Nero Wolf]

And if I come across a haystack, do I keep my eye out for needles?

[Archie Goodwin]

We are going to find Carl, Archie. We are going to find him. If he takes him now till doomsday.

[Nero Wolf]

Mr. Wolf, let's face it. We're licked.

[Archie Goodwin]

Licked, Archie.

[Nero Wolf]

Three days now. We found Caffrey's hotel here in New York. No traceable phone calls. Not a witness has turned up on that subway washroom party. And Kramer says he's getting nowhere. With those answers from the Southland, the.

[Archie Goodwin]

Original story is bound to come slowly. Archie, we are asking a check on the unsolved killings of a dozen states over 20 year period.

[Nero Wolf]

Then what?

[Archie Goodwin]

Now you start trudging, Archie. Trudging through office buildings. Through 37th floors of many office buildings. You keep trudging till we find him.

[Nero Wolf]

Oh, now, wait a minute, Mr. Wolf. This is a big city, remember? I might have to go through hundreds of buildings.

[Archie Goodwin]

This morning, Archie, the Municipal reference library informed me that There are exactly 34 buildings of 37 floors or higher in Manhattan. Now, when you rule out the United Nation Building Hotel.

[Nero Wolf]

Okay, okay. Maybe not so many 37th floors, but lots of offices per floor. Maybe 40 or 50. Call it 30 times 40. And you've still got 1200 to start with. And you don't know what kind of business. You don't know what Carl's real name is. You don't even know what he looks like. There could be 4,000 men like him.

[Archie Goodwin]

4,000 affluent men, aren't you?

[Nero Wolf]

Yeah, well, all right, Caffrey said he was in the chips, though. You know, for a guy who'd been bumming around, that could mean anything from 10 grand a year up. Hey, wait a minute.

[Archie Goodwin]

That cuts your field to a thousand thousand tall men.

[Carl]

Tall.

[Nero Wolf]

I've been over those notes. Carefree didn't say he was tall as.

[Archie Goodwin]

Plainly as you could ask. Carefree was almost your height. But he said. Mitch stood and looked at me, and then he looked up at Carl. Up, Archie, that makes Carl your height or taller.

[Nero Wolf]

Well, maybe Caffrey and Mitch were sitting down and Carl was.

[Archie Goodwin]

Caffrey told us the three were standing at the time. Check your notes. I've studied him.

[Nero Wolf]

Okay, maybe that does cut it down some. Yeah, it's still a lot of citizens that start checking for a Southern accent.

[Archie Goodwin]

Don't rely on accent, Archie. Carl has had many years to lose any accent he might have had.

[Nero Wolf]

Yeah, that's true.

[Archie Goodwin]

And so we narrow it, Archie. A man almost surely tall. A man not using the name he was born with. A man with an unexplained gap in his past.

[Nero Wolf]

I ought to be able to reach right out and tap him.

[Archie Goodwin]

You go skeptical again, Archie.

[Nero Wolf]

Well, it's still a pretty big haystack.

[Archie Goodwin]

Let's see if we can't trim it some more. On these building lists I've been going over, I've ruled out for now the members of professions requiring lengthy formal training. Medical men, lawyers, scientists of most kinds.

[Nero Wolf]

Yeah, that's chopping it down, I'll admit that.

[Archie Goodwin]

I'll have further eliminations as we get into it. And I'm putting Saul Panzer on a second list this afternoon. Some of the credit references I'll handle by phone.

[Nero Wolf]

So I start trudging, huh?

[Archie Goodwin]

You start trudging. And remember, Archie, since you'll probably be operating through secretaries, you're looking for a murderer named Carl, not for a new set of telephone numbers to brighten your winter.

[Nero Wolf]

Tall.

[Carl]

I don't know what you're peddling, Goodwin, but if my boss put his elevator shoes on and stood on a box, he'd still be down somewhere around my necktie. If he stood on his money, though, we'd need a helicopter to get up near his shoelaces.

[Nero Wolf]

Oh, Ms. Jonas, do you mind if I sit down?

[Helen Tunis]

Why, of course not, Mr. Goodwin.

[Nero Wolf]

Oh, thanks. You know, I've been in 12 offices on this floor, and you're the first girl who's seen the importance of this survey. First crack out of the box.

[Helen Tunis]

Well, I'm sort of new here, and I try to pay attention.

[Nero Wolf]

Oh, you're not Just beautiful. You've got a head on you. Is Mr. McLean in?

[Helen Tunis]

Well, he's at lunch right now.

[Nero Wolf]

Lunch? Oh, that reminds me. Know any good restaurants up this way?

[Helen Tunis]

Well, I was just going to the downstairs drugstore myself, but I wouldn't say.

[Nero Wolf]

Well, come on, put your bonnet on and let's skip the drugstore. This meal is on the executive resources survey. They are, boss. The boil down.

[Archie Goodwin]

Tinsley, McLean, Fernandes, Tesserau and Kaplan, all five of them tall. All five? A little misty in the background. You and sort of have done well, Archie, very well. But I'm crossing off Fernandez and Kaplan.

[Nero Wolf]

Why?

[Archie Goodwin]

The credit bureau report clears Fernandez and Kaplan was on a special war job. The FBI X rayed his record twice.

[Nero Wolf]

Leaving JP Tinsley, Carson McLean and Philip Tesreau. Huh.

[Archie Goodwin]

I'd like to see all three here, Archie. Get them here one way or another. And so you do admit that Tinsley isn't your real name. Mr. Wolf, are you a blackmailer or what? I'm a licensed private investigator, sir. Any disclosure you make will be kept in confidence, provided it doesn't touch on the case I'm engaged on. You haven't said what the case is. I don't intend to. If you prefer to explain this mysterious gap in your background at the district attorney's office. Well, I'm using the name Tinsley because I've got an undivor first wife out on the coast. We broke up 20 years ago, but she said she'd see to it that I never married again and she knew where I was today. Well, I don't say I'm a saint, but. But she's a vindictive woman. I see. May I have names, dates and places starting 1924?

[Carl]

I can't quite understand your interest, Mr. Wolf.

[Archie Goodwin]

It's rather complicated. To put it briefly, Mr. McLean, I'm working in the interest of a client. Our people have found this puzzling gap in your background and I'd appreciate such clarification as you may be able to supply.

[Carl]

But I told you, Mr. Goodwin, I was raised an educ in the Orient. Until 32, I was in business with my father in China.

[Archie Goodwin]

Where you say your father died?

[Carl]

Died with the depression. I returned to New York, started this importing business in a small way. Weathered through the early 30s. And I think my bankers can assure you of my standing today they've done so.

[Archie Goodwin]

Carson McLean and Company has an excellent credit rating.

[Carl]

Thank you, Mr. Wolf.

[Archie Goodwin]

To switch somewhat abruptly, Mr. McLean, would you happen to remember how you spent the evening of the 19th of this month? Of this month.

[Carl]

Well, I could hardly wait. You say the 19th. Would that have been on a Tuesday?

[Archie Goodwin]

Yes, it was Tuesday.

[Carl]

That simplifies it. I'm nearly always at the office on Tuesday nights dictating the revisions in our weekly wholesalers lists. Let me see. Yes, I was there on the 19th at a tray sent in. Ms. Tunis and I worked till just after midnight.

[Archie Goodwin]

Ms. Helen Tunis? The secretary Mr. Goodwin spoke of.

[Carl]

She's been with me for two or three months.

[Archie Goodwin]

Ms. Tunis can confirm this dictation on the night of the 19th?

[Carl]

Of course. Mr. Wolf, your manner is so persuasive that I'd scarcely realize your asking some extraordinary searching questions. May I ask why in the world?

[Archie Goodwin]

If you'll indulge me, Mr. Maclean. My prying has nearly concluded. You say you were in China until 19. 1932. Mr. Tesreau, I'll be brutally frank. We know that your name is not Tesserault. And we know that you served a prison term from 34 to 38 for arson. I'd like some straight answers.

[Carl]

I didn't say I wouldn't answer your questions.

[Archie Goodwin]

The past can remain your own, provided.

[Carl]

Now look, Mr. Wolf, I've been going straight for 12 years and this business of mine is on the level. Now, this is a shakedown.

[Archie Goodwin]

I'm asking where you were on the night of the 19th.

[Carl]

I'm telling you I stayed in town. I ate alone and I went to a movie. I caught the 11:35 for Stanford and that's all there is to it.

[Archie Goodwin]

You're denying that you were ever in business in the South?

[Carl]

I was born in the south, but I haven't been back there since I was a kid.

[Archie Goodwin]

What about the arson?

[Carl]

I put in four years squaring for that mistake.

[Archie Goodwin]

Let's start again, Mr. Tesserault. You say you were in Cincinnati in 1931.

[Nero Wolf]

Okay, Mr. Wolf. Three candidates. And we're still on the one yard line. Our one yard line. Tessero, McLean, Tinsley. No rule out McLean. He gave references enough for those years in China. And with Helen Tunis, he's got the one firm alibi we've laid onto. Caffrey was killed before midnight.

[Archie Goodwin]

With conditions as they are in the Far East, Archie, it would be weeks before cables came back on Maclean's claims. Claims?

[Nero Wolf]

You figure the whole Chinese background's a fake?

[Archie Goodwin]

I want you to see Ms. Tunis again, Archie. Taking all precautions for her safety. And this is one time I give you permission to ply her with all the attentions you can contrive.

[Nero Wolf]

Are we far Enough to pull tails on any of these three.

[Archie Goodwin]

I've got Saul Panzer on Tessera, and Saul promised to have man on Tinsley and Maclean. Pictures of the three have gone to Kramer for circulation in the South.

[Nero Wolf]

No answer yet from the coast. On Tinsley, huh?

[Archie Goodwin]

Not yet. For the moment, Archie, you'll concentrate on Helen Tunis.

[Nero Wolf]

Helen, I've got to see you tonight.

[Helen Tunis]

I'd love to, Archie.

[Nero Wolf]

Now, look, Helen, I phoned you to come out in the corridor this way because I didn't want maclain to know we're talking. Do you still say you got that new mink coat on your own money?

[Helen Tunis]

Mr. Goodwin, I don't know what right.

[Nero Wolf]

You have to get five guys to buy you stuff. It's your business.

[Helen Tunis]

Mr. McLean said his wife might be sending detectives around. You can go right back to your old Mrs. McLean and tell her that I. He was dictating to me.

[Nero Wolf]

You know, baby, the harder you lie, the prettier you look. But if this is a fake alibi, and if you keep propping it up, you're going to find yourself in trouble, bad trouble.

[Dave Caffrey]

Now, how about it?

[Nero Wolf]

Do I see you at your apartment tonight, or would you rather come down with me to Nero Wolf's right now?

[Helen Tunis]

Archie, I. All right, I can't go with you now, and I've got a dinner date with my aunt tonight that I can't break, but I'll try to be back at my apartment by 11A G. NeoWolves being.

[Nero Wolf]

This is Archie, Mr. Wolf. I'm at Helen Tunis's apartment. Well, I could cut my throat for not making it. Come with me this afternoon.

[Archie Goodwin]

Trouble?

[Nero Wolf]

Not for her anymore, poor kid. I got here three minutes ago and found her strangled. Couldn't have happened more than half an hour ago.

[Archie Goodwin]

Mac Lane McLean.

[Nero Wolf]

Didn't Saul Panzer say he was getting a tail on him?

[Archie Goodwin]

He was a new man and he lost him. I should have left you on Maclean, aren't you?

[Nero Wolf]

Yeah, we were both wrong. What do you want me to do?

[Archie Goodwin]

Phone the police immediately.

[Nero Wolf]

This is 32nd Street. I'm only three blocks in a job from the office. What if I come back and call from there?

[Archie Goodwin]

Come back? Then I'll phone Kramer myself, Mr. Wolf.

[Nero Wolf]

I'm still kicking myself for that.

[Carl]

Look out, archie.

[Dave Caffrey]

Too late, Mr. Wolfe.

[Carl]

Keep coming right in, Goodwin, with your hands up.

[Nero Wolf]

No, I wouldn't try that, McLean.

[Carl]

And keep your hand out of that desk. Draw, Wolf.

[Archie Goodwin]

This time you're too late, McLean. My hand's in the drawer and I think I'll leave it there.

[Carl]

You don't think I'd shoot.

[Archie Goodwin]

I'm sure you would. But you've got two of us to cover now. No, Archie, don't try to draw yet.

[Nero Wolf]

How'd you get in here, McLean?

[Archie Goodwin]

He surprised me after making his way in through the area way below. And of course, it had to be Fritz's night out.

[Carl]

I caught your fat friend just two seconds before he could get in his call to the police.

[Dave Caffrey]

Goodwin.

[Carl]

I overheard his talk with you from the hallway here.

[Archie Goodwin]

My apologies for not crying half sooner.

[Carl]

Archie, get your hand out of that drawer. Pull it out with ouster. Gun, Wolf. I'll let you have it now.

[Archie Goodwin]

I refuse to, McLean. Seems obvious that you mean to kill us in any case.

[Carl]

I'm afraid that's true, Wolf. When you called me here and Goodwin started making dates with Helen Tunis.

[Nero Wolf]

Poor kid. I told her not to talk to you.

[Archie Goodwin]

He didn't.

[Carl]

Good. I've been scared of you and Wolf since I followed Colby here that first night.

[Nero Wolf]

Colby?

[Carl]

You knew him as Caffrey. I caught up with him afterward in that subway washroom. No, he got hand up and watch that gun of yours, Wolf. When I found that envelope on him and read the letter to you contained in it, I knew he hadn't spilled the whole South Carolina story to you.

[Archie Goodwin]

South Carolina? Would the original knifing have been taking place anywhere near Hampton or Jasper counties?

[Carl]

Hampton County? But our business is over the line in Georgia. Doesn't matter now.

[Archie Goodwin]

Pity, Archie. We learned this afternoon that we were growing warm on South Carolina. Mr. McLean, may I ask what you hope to achieve by this insane project of disposing of Mr. Goodwin and myself?

[Carl]

I'm buying time, Wolf. I've 90,000 in small bills in that bag there. Plus a plane ticket to Buenos Aires. I've got a silencer on this gun. If you two aren't found till tomorrow morning, I'll be out of the country before they start looking for me.

[Archie Goodwin]

You don't think the police will put out an alarm view when they find the body of Helen Tunis?

[Carl]

Goodwin left it to you to report that, remember?

[Archie Goodwin]

Let's remind ourselves to be prompter on reporting death, Sachi.

[Nero Wolf]

Starting with our own Mr. Wolf.

[Carl]

Glad you can take it that way, Goodwin.

[Nero Wolf]

You actually think he can knock the two of us off?

[Carl]

I'm about to find out. Goodwin.

[Archie Goodwin]

One moment, McLean. You've never been a real gambler, you know that? With marked cards, of course. But you're not the man to face a sure loss now.

[Carl]

A sure loss?

[Archie Goodwin]

The loss of your life within seconds after you tried to pull that trigger.

[Carl]

I told you I had a silencer. You think anyone will hear the shots?

[Archie Goodwin]

There will be more shots than you count on. My hands on a pistol now in this drawer, and Mr. Goodwin has a.38 in his shoulder holster.

[Carl]

You can't shoot through the desk and Goodwin won't get a chance to draw.

[Archie Goodwin]

You're an intelligent man, McLean, vicious but intelligent. May I describe the certainty of your immediate death if you don't throw that pistol on the desk and give yourself up.

[Carl]

There are two of you. I know that.

[Archie Goodwin]

But McLean, you must be aware that in the actual fact exceedingly few men are killed instantly by a single shot, even from a pistol of heavy caliber. The one you hold is a.32 and.

[Nero Wolf]

It'S a.45 in that draw, McLean.

[Archie Goodwin]

I assure you, MacLean, that neither of us will surrender the weapons we have should you start shooting. We'll both do our best to draw and keep firing till you're dead.

[Carl]

You're stalling, Wolf. What have I got to lose by trying for you both now?

[Archie Goodwin]

Your life. I'll correct that. The loss of some six or eight weeks of your life, possibly months, whatever the time necessary to bring you to trial and to convict you and execute you for the murders you've committed.

[Carl]

Suppose I cancel you out and then take my chances with Goodwin?

[Archie Goodwin]

A better choice, but still a dubious one. I am fat, exceedingly fat, and for perhaps the first time in my life I am thoroughly grateful for that. My bulk affects the calculation. McLean.

[Nero Wolf]

McLean, you could pull off all seven shots and still not hit Mr. Wolfe where it counts. If you have to start, you better start on me.

[Archie Goodwin]

You exaggerate, Archie, and I thank you for the gallantry of it. No, it's quite likely that with two or three shots McLean might well dispose of me. But not with your first shot, McLean, and we'll not permit you many more than your first.

[Carl]

Look, if I promise to do no more than tie you two up to give me my head start, will you toss in your guns?

[Archie Goodwin]

Of course not. Do I speak first? Booth, Arji, check.

[Nero Wolf]

I say let's start it now.

[Carl]

Wolf, if I give you half of what's in that bag, would you forget these admissions I've made and help on my defense?

[Archie Goodwin]

I've told you, I refuse to bargain. I think that I should count five. If your weapon hasn't been tossed on the desk by then, I'll do my best to get my pistol into action. How are you in a court, Archie?

[Nero Wolf]

Start counting.

[Carl]

Wait a minute, Mr. Wolf.

[Archie Goodwin]

1.

[Carl]

If I trade half that bag for no shooting and one hour start. No tying up, just your promise that 2. All bag for a half hour start. 90,000.

[Archie Goodwin]

3. Are you ready, Arjun?

[Nero Wolf]

All set, sir. Except if you're the one who walks out of this, call up every number in my little red book, huh? And tell each girl I was thinking of her just before you got the five.

[Archie Goodwin]

Agreed. I resume. Four.

[Carl]

Okay, you win.

[Nero Wolf]

Holy sweet Susan, it worked. It worked.

[Archie Goodwin]

A commendable choice, McLean. For us at least. You see, I'm afraid I forgot to mention one slight factor which might have operated in your favor.

[Nero Wolf]

What's that, boss?

[Archie Goodwin]

I must confess, Archie, that my.45 is in the upstairs den where I took it to oil it last night. Holy cow.

[Nero Wolf]

You didn't have a gun.

[Carl]

Why you.

[Nero Wolf]

Take it easy, Mlan. I've really got one. Oh, by the way, Mr. Wolf signals off on those women, huh? When my heart gets back down out of my throat, I'll call them myself.

[Archie Goodwin]

I'll trouble you for a beer first, Archie. And then if you'll be good enough to phone Inspector Kramer, you can bid him pick up his triple murderer, the one time cutter of cards. Fortunately for us, who's never been a real gambler.

[Nero Wolf]

You have been listening to the new Adventures of Nero Wolf starring Sydney Green Street. Tonight's transcript story was based on the characters created by Rex Stout. This is an Edwin Fadiman program produced and directed by J. Donald Wilson. In the cast were Gerald Moore as Archie Goodwin and Lorraine Carter, Bill Johnstone, Howard McNear, Herb Butterfield and Vic Rodman. Next week at this same time, Nero Wolf and Archie will bring you the case of the phantom fingers. Don Stanley speaking. Three chimes mean good times on NBC.

[Adam Graham]

Coming up this week on the Old Time Radio Snack Wagon.

[Archie Goodwin]

Well, boy.

[Carl]

Yes, Mr. Finley.

[Archie Goodwin]

Where are you, boy?

[Carl]

What about my house?

[Nero Wolf]

Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Finley, where's your word?

[Archie Goodwin]

You said you'd be over with a down payment. What are you made of, boy? Rock, maple or pine?

[Carl]

Something has come up, Mr. Finley.

[Archie Goodwin]

I got 15 people after this house.

[Adam Graham]

You listen to the Old Time radio snack wagon, snackwagon.net or wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back. Well, I have to say that last scene in the office had to be one of the most dramatic, intense ones I've heard on this podcast. And it took a lot of guts on Wolf's part. I do have some bad news for those of us who are, shall we say, possessed of extra padding that the Mythbusters found that it's not going to do a whole lot of good against a gunshot, though they tended to use some higher caliber. A.32 might have been a little bit of a different story, but what a great ending to this episode. I did actually get a comment on my personal Twitter account, not the adiodiodetectives one I mentioned. Braden says, Man, I gotta say, I love your podcast. I just listened to Nero Wolf since I don't have time for much else, but hey, it's awesome. Well, thanks so much, Braden. We also got a nice comment on Podcast Alley, still my favorite. And I should also let you know that I've listened to and decided on another detective series, at least whether we're.

[Archie Goodwin]

Gonna do it or not.

[Adam Graham]

And the series is Deadline Mystery, and I've opted not to do it. This one starred Steve Dunn, who was the second Sam Spade, and also did Danger Dr. Danfield, which I said. Which I said no to as well. This one was not as bad as danger Dr. Danfield. I think, though, if there was one thing about the Deadline Mystery series that annoyed me or didn't work for me is that narration was used in places where sound effects ought to have been used. And so it kind of made the presentation a little clunky and the mystery is hard to follow. Plus, there wasn't. It wasn't that interesting in that regard. So Deadline Mystery is a no, but we'll continue to work our way through all the series that I'm not quite familiar enough to say whether I'll play on the show or not. Well, that'll do it for today. We'll be back tomorrow with Let George do it. In the meantime, if you have a comment, send it to me, box13REAT detectives.net follow us over on Twitter at Radio Detectives. And remember, once a month, please cast your vote for the show on Podcast Alley Podcastally greatdetectives.

[Archie Goodwin]

Net.

[Adam Graham]

But from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.