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Box 13, with the star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd as Dan Holliday.
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Dear Dan, I know all about your Box 13 ad in the Star Times, but I'm writing to you as a friend to come and see me.
As you know, I'm teaching at Riddell College, not too far from where you are.
Frankly, I've got a problem. I don't know whether it's anything you get excited about.
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Excited about it or not. Matter of fact, it's sort of personal.
But well, will you come to see me? Bob Lanham?
Yeah, it was a personal problem, all right, at first.
Then the whole thing got tangled around, up to my neck.
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And now, back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure, The Professor and the Puzzle.
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Maybe it'll be a kind of a vacation for you, Mr. Holliday.
Could be, Suzy, but somehow I have a habit of running into trouble, or it runs into me.
Well, why don't you be careful, then?
Oh, now, who has fun that way?
Remember that old saying, never trouble trouble until it... Oh no, that's wrong. It's... it's never trouble trouble until... no, it's...
Tell you what, Suzy, you keep working on it. I'll be back in, say, say a week.
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Goodell College in the northern part of the state was one of those little places where classes are more important than football,
and education is still the prime reason for the buildings being there.
I drove to the campus, found the teacher's club where Bob stayed. He was a bachelor. And later at dinner...
I don't know, Dan. Maybe all this is silly, but I thought perhaps you could help.
Well, I can't unless I know what's troubling you.
Well, I... I was engaged to be married.
Was? Who changed whose mind?
Evelyn. I mean, she changed hers.
Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, Bob. What happened?
Well, I don't know, Dan. Everything was fine for a while, and then... poof, it's all off.
And you don't know why?
No.
Well, did you say something? Do anything?
Not that I know of, but...
But what, Bob?
Listen, let's forget it. I almost sent you a wire telling you to forget my letter.
But you didn't. Which means you've got something else on your mind. Want to spill it?
All right. But don't let Evelyn know I told you.
Well, of course not.
Well, everything was fine, as I said, until... until her uncle committed suicide.
Suicide? Oh, I'm sorry, Bob.
Now she's going to marry Ed Macklin.
Oh, now wait a minute. Her uncle killed himself, and that makes a breaker engagement with you and tie up with this Macklin.
Doesn't make much sense, does it?
Not enough to do much good. That all you know?
Yes. Just a day or so before... before he died, Evelyn sent back my ring.
Just like that, huh?
Oh, there was a note, but it wasn't an explanation. Just that she thought it wouldn't work.
No hint of that before Uncle's death?
None, Dan. Absolutely none. That's what's got me stumped.
But I could understand it if it wasn't Ed Macklin. He's lots older than she is. Why, it was a kind of a joke between us that he...
Who is... who is Ed Macklin?
Well, he was her uncle's assistant.
Assistant?
I'm making this as clear as a mud puddle. But Evelyn's uncle, Professor Gardner, was professor of mineralogy.
Macklin was his laboratory assistant.
Oh, oh, oh.
And that's all I know.
You sure?
Of course.
All right, now the $64 question. Why did Professor Gardner kill himself?
Dan, believe me when I tell you he didn't have a reason in the world. Not a single reason.
Well, that made as much sense as double talk from Alice in Wonderland. Bob stuck to it, too.
The Professor Gardner didn't have a reason to kill himself. Evelyn, it seemed, had been raised by him.
He was like a father to her. He was respected, well liked, famous in a small way for his pamphlets and articles.
And I got an explanation of his specialty later from Bob in his rooms.
He was a crystallographer, Dan. That means he studied the crystallization of minerals.
You see, each mineral has its own particular crystalline formation.
Salt, for example, is common table salt, crystallizes in a particular way.
Galena, we used to call it the crystal in the old radio sets, you remember, that has another form of crystallization.
Professor Gardner was an expert.
Was he working too hard?
I don't think so. It was never work for him.
Oh, I see. Well, what do I do now?
I don't know. I thought maybe you could... Well, I guess it's hopeless.
Look, Bob, is it certain that Professor Gardner killed himself?
What do you mean?
Well, you said there was no reason for suicide.
There wasn't.
Would anyone have wanted to kill him?
No.
You're sure, Bob?
I said no. Everybody liked him.
Maybe somebody didn't.
I didn't know of anyone.
And suddenly Evelyn breaks off her engagement with you just after I...
Oh, look, Dan, I'm sorry I got you up here. I guess I was stupid to write to you. Go back and forget the whole thing.
You're afraid Evelyn's involved.
I'm not.
That's what's on the back of your mind, but you're afraid to say so.
I said I'm not.
Okay, okay, okay, Bob. Still want me to go back?
Well?
No. Now you'll find out what you can, Dan, without getting anyone in trouble.
Trouble has a bad habit of popping up.
I don't want it to.
But you still want me to stay?
I guess so.
All right. But get this straight, Bob. I am not a detective.
What do you mean by that?
If I find anything fishy about this, I'll have to call the police.
They've already been in.
All right. I'll start from here.
For the rest of the evening, we sat and talked.
Bob was nervous. He wanted me to help because...
Well, because he was in love with Evelyn.
But he didn't want me to help because he was afraid of what might turn up.
Well, what could turn up?
I found out.
It was the next morning that I put in a call to Lieutenant Kling.
Waited a half hour.
Then ambled down to the local police department of Riddell.
Oh, yes, Mr. Halliday. Lieutenant Kling called here.
Told me about you.
I asked him to.
Name's Carson. I'm chief police here.
Yes, I know.
What can I do for you, son?
Well, if I'm butting in or I don't belong, just say so, will you?
Can't tell that till you spit out what's on your mind.
Chief Carson leaned back, lighted a corn-cob pipe, and waited for me to start talking.
I liked him.
Behind that pink face was a good shrewd mind.
I told him I'd come to Riddell when I'd finished.
You ain't a detective.
No, not even a private one.
Used to helping a friend, eh?
That's all.
Well, can't say as I can tell you any more than Bob Lanham did.
You sure?
Yep.
Found Professor Gardner in his laboratory.
Oh, at the college?
No, he had a little workshop back of his house.
He was sitting at his table there, his own gun in his hand.
Shot himself through the heart.
Oh?
Something sound odd to you, son?
Yes, a man doesn't usually kill himself that way.
That's right. Usually in the head.
But that's the way it was, eh?
Mm-hmm.
Tell me, are you satisfied with the case, Chief Carson?
Gotta be, son.
Which means you're not.
Look here, son, I'm only a small town policeman,
but I do my work the best I can.
Yes, I know.
And the thing that's puzzling you is,
why should Professor Gardner have killed himself?
Mm-hmm.
Or if he didn't, who else would have?
And there's no one else.
Nobody stood to gain nothing.
Wasn't a rich man.
His niece?
No, I'm sure she didn't.
What about Ed Macklin?
Nothing to gain.
Got it marked down as suicide, son.
Just as dead-end as a blind rabbit burrow.
And so it was. A dead-end.
I didn't press Chief Carson any further.
He was shrewd enough to look for clues,
and there just weren't any.
I went back to Bob's rooms and stopped outside the door.
It sounded as though a square dance were going on with hot music.
I opened the door fast.
All right, break it up. Come on. Come on, break it up.
Bob, stop it. Bob, get back now.
Try it again. Let him, and I'll turn.
Dan, get out of the way.
Now, cut it out.
Oh, let him come on.
Get out of here, Macklin.
For now, sure.
But try to see Evelyn once more,
and I'll beat your head in, that's all.
He's a little bigger than you are, Bob. All around.
I'll kill him.
Now, now, now, take it easy. What happened?
Well, I tried to see Evelyn this afternoon.
She wouldn't talk to me.
Macklin came in a couple of minutes ago,
and, well, you saw what was happening.
Yeah, yeah, I did.
It's a nice eye you've got there.
Shut up.
Oh, now look, remember me?
I'm sorry, Dan.
Okay. So that's Macklin.
Uh-huh.
Sit down, Bob.
I don't want to sit down.
Sit down.
All right.
Now, that's better.
Now, how far do you think you're going to get
by running into his fist?
Now, listen, Dan, I've got to see Evelyn.
I've got to find out what's going on.
All right, maybe we will.
Why is Macklin afraid to let you talk to Evelyn?
I don't know, Dan.
I take it he's, well, to use an old-fashioned word, a rival.
I never thought so.
But then...
But then, just before her uncle's suicide,
she suddenly switches to Macklin.
But why? Why should she?
If we find the answer to that, Bob will find out a lot of things.
Now, let's get a side of beef and fix up that eye.
You're going to look pretty silly teaching class tomorrow with a shiner.
But he didn't look silly in class.
You see, he never got there.
The next morning, I was pulled out of a nice, deep sleep by...
Nobody home.
Oh.
Hello.
Dan?
Yeah, sure. Bob?
Yeah. Dan, I'm in trouble.
Great.
How could you get in trouble at six in the morning?
It's too early.
It's not a joke, Dan. I'm in jail.
Huh? For what?
For killing Ed Macklin.
Of course I didn't kill him.
I believe you, but look, haven't you got any alibi at all for last night?
No.
When you left me, I went for a walk to think things over.
Oh, fine, fine.
Everybody goes for walks when somebody gets killed.
What time was Macklin killed?
Just about the time I was out for that walk.
Morning, holiday. Nice day.
Oh, hello, Chief.
You want some breakfast, son?
No, no, nothing.
You gotta eat, son. Got some ham and egg.
Nothing, I said.
Bring it, Chief. He'll eat it.
You want anything?
Meaning me?
Yeah.
Okay, thanks.
Oh, not at all.
Looks bad, don't it?
Yeah. Why did you arrest Bob?
You ought to know, son.
Saw the fight they was having.
One of the teachers living next door to Bob here heard it.
Oh.
Yeah.
Well, looks like you've got a motive, Chief.
Uh-huh. Macklin takes his girl.
They get in a fight.
I didn't kill him.
Now, I want to believe that, but...
Chief, I'd like to talk to Bob, if I can.
Huh? Oh.
All right, I'll get the ham and egg.
Be back in maybe 10 minutes.
Don't you believe me, Dan?
Oh, of course I do, Bob.
Look, how was Macklin killed?
Knife. His own.
Uh-huh.
Now, listen, I've got to see Evelyn.
What for?
Because I believe everything goes back to her uncle and his death.
How?
I don't know. I'd like to find out.
Nothing makes sense.
Nobody had a motive for killing Professor Gardner.
And everyone says he couldn't have killed himself because he didn't have a reason.
So what have you got?
What have I got?
Bob, I... I haven't the faintest idea... yet.
And now back to the Professor and the Puzzle, another Box 13 adventure with Alan Land as Dan Holliday.
I didn't have a thing. Not a thing to go on.
Bob was in a spot, but a good one.
He had no idea what he was doing.
He was just a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
He was a little kid.
Yeah, but he was on a good spot, but a good one.
He had motive, opportunity.
Yet I didn't think he'd kill.
I believed he couldn't.
And I kept thinking that Professor Gardner's suicide had something to do with Macklin's murder.
But how?
a brass ring on this merry-go-round.
Well, it was about time to see Miss Evelyn Gardner.
I found the address, drove there, and...
No one answered the door, but I heard someone in the back.
So I walked around the side of the house
and putting some papers into an incinerator
was a girl of maybe 24, 25.
She seemed to be in a hurry, anxious to get it over with.
Then she turned when she heard my steps.
Oh, who are you?
Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Dan Holliday.
Oh, yes, I've heard Bob speak of you.
Oh, go ahead. Finish what you were doing.
Oh, well, I haven't got a match.
I wanted to burn this rubbish.
Oh, here's a match.
I'll light it for you.
Oh, no. No, I can do it.
Oh, it's no trouble.
I said I'd do it.
Well, all right.
Here, here's the match.
Thank you.
Whatever she was burning,
she was anxious to get it over with.
But she was a little nervous, and the match went out.
Oh, please, have you another match?
No, no, I'm sorry.
I'm afraid that was the last one I had.
Well, I'll have to get some.
Will you come into the house?
Oh, thank you.
Did Bob come with you, Mr. Holliday?
Bob?
Haven't you heard?
Heard? Heard what?
No, no one's told you?
Told me what?
What are you talking about?
Bob's been arrested for the murder of Ed Macklin.
Oh, no. No, he didn't.
How do you know?
Oh, we've got to see him.
That might help, but how can you be sure Bob didn't do it?
Oh, he couldn't have.
Then who did?
I don't know.
I don't know, but it wasn't Bob.
It has something to do with your uncle's death, doesn't it?
No, no, nothing.
How could there be a connection?
I'm asking you.
I'm going to Bob. I've got to see him.
How would you know he is known?
Bob and I have nothing to do with it.
You're going to go to Bob, alive.
It seems that Bob knew exactly what happened.
And I quote.
You have a question for him, Bob.
eyeliner,
plate,
How did you know that a Little達 made me
I won't know for sure.
No, all right.
I looked a little longer and found something else.
A carbon copy of a letter.
It was partially torn and all I could read of it was,
and this is the last job.
Because it's the biggest, I want more than my usual fee.
If I don't get it, you'll never get the finished products.
And it was signed with the initials, MAG.
Martin A. Gardner.
Okay, so I had a lead, but where would it get me?
I found out.
I didn't go back to the jail because I wanted to look a little longer at those papers I'd found.
There was also a bank book and the deposits totaled over $12,000.
But it was in the name of Samuel Stoner.
The bank was in the city, not in Riddell.
Back in my hotel, I was trying to figure this out when...
Hello.
You know, that thing's liable to go off.
Yeah, it could. Mind if I sit down?
I wasn't expecting company.
I'll sit down anyway.
Okay. Now that you're rested, goodbye.
In a hurry?
That's right.
Not so fast, sweetheart. Stay sitting.
That's better.
What do you want?
What you've got right there.
These?
That's right. Push them across the table.
Keep your hands on top.
Scared?
Not at all.
Now, light a fire in that grate.
It's awfully warm, don't you think?
It could get hotter.
Go ahead. Light a fire in that grate and step on it.
Oh. We're going to toast marshmallows, are we?
Could be.
Now, put some paper on it.
Oh, pardon me. You don't have a log with you, do you?
I'll bring one the next time.
Now, throw that stuff on the fire. All of it.
But I haven't looked it over yet.
Throw it on.
Well, what could I do? I threw all the stuff on the fire,
watched it burn away. My company did, too.
Watched it burn, I mean.
It was a cool cookie. Then...
Pretty, isn't it?
I used to sit in front of a fireplace and read when I was a kid.
But you didn't get to be president.
No, that's true.
Hook it up a little.
See that it's all burned.
It is?
Good. Now I'm going.
Oh, I was hoping you'd stay for dinner.
We could put up a spit and roast a chicken.
Oh, I almost forgot.
You're to stop nosing around.
Well, well.
Well, I guess I have to, with that stuff burned.
That was the idea.
Yes, I suppose you'd have killed me as you killed Macklin.
A shot in the dark, but it hit.
His face, not so bad before, got twisted up.
His fingers tightened on the trigger of his gun, but then...
He smiled.
You'll have to prove it.
And something tells me you'll never see me again.
So long.
Okay.
Maybe the things were burned, but I remember one thing.
An address.
The address on the registered mail receipts,
where Gardner had sent the packages.
And there was the name Samuel Stoner.
Something told me Stoner and Gardner were the same
and that that bank account was his.
But why?
Why was he paid that much money?
What was he doing?
There was only one way to find out.
Go into the city and go to the address written on those receipts.
I drove into the city.
The address was an office building.
And there were 50 firms doing business in that building.
I looked at the directory in the lobby.
No good.
How could I visit 50 places and get right answers?
Then I saw him.
The man who made me burn the papers, he went into the building.
He didn't see me.
I tailed him.
Watched him get into an elevator.
I got close enough to hear him say...
Seven, please.
Seventh floor.
There were other people in the elevator.
Chances are it'd make a lot of stops before it got to seven.
Okay, the steps for holiday.
I wondered if I'd made it then.
He went into an office that had no name on the door.
I waited and then...
There was an outer office with no one in it.
Then I heard voices.
Are we clear?
Macklin's dead.
You killed him, I suppose.
Uh-huh.
But it looks like someone else did.
It was a perfect setup for a frame.
Oh, the niece business, huh?
Yeah.
Oh, and there was another guy nosing around.
He picked up some stuff the girl was going to burn.
Who was he?
Why didn't you...
Look, two bump-offs are enough.
I only signed for the gardener job.
All right.
Here's your money.
Uh-uh.
Now that I know what the gimmick was, I want more.
Oh?
Yeah.
Uh-uh.
Don't reach for anything.
All right, I'll cut you in on this.
That's better.
Wait a minute.
This other fella.
Don't worry.
I made him burn the stuff he took from the incinerator.
You idiot, you shut up.
I told you killing Macklin wasn't in on the deal.
But he had this.
I had to kill him to get it.
You sure you're clean on the gardener thing?
I know I am.
I killed him with his own gun while the machines in that shop were running.
Nobody heard the shot.
Suicide.
All right, now get out of here.
You know, I'm taking this with me.
Put that down.
Don't worry.
We'll split on it.
I just want to make sure there's no double-cross.
Now, see you later.
I stepped back, waited.
Then as he came through the door, I knocked the gun out of his hand and grabbed it.
Stay where you are.
What the hell?
Well, so you were following me?
Shut up.
I'll take what you brought back.
No.
Hand it over, Cookie.
Come on.
Well, well, well.
Okay, let's all take a trip to headquarters.
Well, with those two sweethearts safely tucked away, I began to put the pieces together.
I did some reading, then I went back to Riddell.
Went back to see Bob.
Dan, where you been?
Playing tag with a man, Bob.
I had a phone call all day from the city.
You're letting me out?
I think they are.
Yep.
No more free meals on the town, Bob.
Come on.
But, but Dan, what happened?
We've got to go see Evelyn right away and straighten out a few things.
Now, sit down.
Both of you.
Evelyn?
Yes?
I think I know the whole thing.
Yes, I guess you do.
What's everyone talking about?
Why was I let out of jail?
Because you didn't kill Macklin.
And Professor Gardner didn't commit suicide.
He didn't?
How do you know?
He was killed.
Look, Evelyn, Bob would have been convicted of Macklin's murder if I hadn't...
Well, Bob, Professor Gardner was doing illicit diamond cutting.
What?
Yes, yes, he had a perfect set up for it.
The shop where he worked cutting and polishing his mineral specimens.
The stolen diamonds were sent to him.
He re-cut and polished them so they could be offered for sale.
Isn't that right, Evelyn?
Yes.
But, but Macklin?
I think you'd better tell him, Evelyn.
Ed Macklin found out.
Then my uncle was killed.
And Macklin knew why.
You mean he threatened to expose your uncle if you didn't marry him?
Yes.
He wasn't sure until after, after Uncle Martin was killed.
Killed by a hired killer.
Hired by the man who was sending the diamonds to be re-cut.
Professor Gardner was going to quit, but he received one last diamond.
The biggest.
He wanted more than his usual fee or he would keep the diamond.
But Evelyn, how does she come into it?
Well, naturally Evelyn wanted to protect her uncle's name.
But Macklin's death prevented it.
You see, Macklin found the big stone.
And he was killed because he did.
Welcome back, Mr. Holiday.
Did you have a nice vacation?
Susie, it was just as if I'd never been away.
Huh?
You mean you didn't take a vacation at all?
Not exactly, Susie.
Oh.
You mean it was like a typical holiday.
I...what?
I made a joke.
Get it?
Oh.
Good night, Susie.
Next week, same time, through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures,
Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday in Box 13.
Box 13 is directed by Richard Sandville with an original story by Russell Hughes.
Original music is composed and conducted by Rudy Schrager.
The part of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker.
Production is supervised by Vern Carstensen.
This is a Mayfair production from Hollywood.
Watch for Alan Ladd and his latest Paramount Picture.