Crime and Peter Chambers.
Created by Henry Kane, transcribed and starring Dane Clark.
Private investigator, duly licensed and duly sworn, Peter Chambers.
You're a private eye, that's your business.
Anything else, that's for laughs.
You're strolling along Fifth Avenue on a beautiful spring afternoon and you stop at the window
of Fitch's department store for a peek at the styles.
And then suddenly, she's there beside you.
A tall blonde with curves, an electric blonde with voltage.
She looks undecided, seems as though she wants to say something and well, maybe spring has
gotten into you.
So you start the ball rolling with a deckless piece of dialogue.
Beautiful day, isn't it?
Yes, lovely.
And the weather, the weather, it's perfect for strolling.
Yes.
May we stroll?
Yes, yes of course.
My name is Angela Wentworth.
I'm Peter Chambers.
We're going to call on my uncle, Mr. Chambers.
You'll go there directly if you don't mind.
Uncle she says.
We're going to call on my uncle.
Well, it's springtime in Manhattan and the squirrels are out.
But if that's the way she wants it, she's far too beautiful to argue with.
So you accompany her to Madison and in the elegant hotel, you ride up to the tower apartment
and she nibbles with delicate knuckles on a thickly impressive door.
My uncle isn't well.
I don't want to wake him if he's sleeping.
Do you have a key?
Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.
Well, then let's use it.
Yes, yes I shall.
And you get a back view of an old guy snoozing by an open window.
You can't see his hands there in his lap.
Angela taps you and you tiptoe behind her into another room.
She sits down and crosses her legs and you've got trouble keeping your eyes away from her
knees.
But you manage.
Well, do you have it?
I beg your pardon?
Did you bring it?
Bring what?
The earring.
Earring?
Where's my handbag?
Handbag.
Well, here it is.
Oh, thank you.
Here, read this.
A clipping which I tore from the personal column of the Times.
Please read it out loud.
All right.
Let me see now.
If the lady who lost an earring at the art student's ball Friday evening will meet me
in front of Fitch's department store Tuesday afternoon between two and two thirty, I shall
be happy to return.
Now, do you understand?
Yes, yes, I do.
And I'm terribly sorry.
Sorry?
But why?
Look, look, Miss Wentworth, I didn't insert that ad.
You didn't?
No, no, I just happened to be there.
And well, you were there.
Well, conversation sprang up.
Oh, it's funny.
Really funny.
But I do think you ought to go now.
She sort of starts you on your way, but on your way, you get another look at the old
man and suddenly you don't like it.
He hasn't moved and there's a white waxiness behind his ears.
And you go near.
What?
What is it, Mr. Chambers?
He's dead.
She passes out in the faint and you let her lie.
You go around to the front of the old man and you take a look.
He's got a gun in his hand and two bullet holes in his stomach.
You're working at your trade now and you work quickly and carefully.
The room's in perfect order, absolutely no sign of a tussle.
The old man's still warm, hasn't been dead an hour.
Then toward the middle of the room you see it.
A round red spot that sort of blends in with the rusted color of the rug.
You touch it.
It's blood.
Then you go back to the old man, you dig around in his pockets.
You come up with a beautiful triangular emerald earring.
And just then Angela Wentworth starts stirring.
Easy, easy does it Miss Wentworth.
Come on, come on, let me help you up.
There you are.
Oh my uncle.
Uncle.
He's dead.
He appears to have shot himself.
Oh no.
Now look, look, look.
Let's go back to the other room, huh?
All right.
Come on.
Now there, will you sit down?
Thank you.
I'll use the phone.
Operator.
Police headquarters, emergency.
I only left him perhaps an hour ago.
Hello?
Hello, I want to report a death.
That's right, a death.
598 Madison Avenue, a hotel, the tower apartment.
All right now Miss Wentworth, there's nothing we can do but wait for the police.
Oh it's terrible, terrible.
Look I found this, this earring in your uncle's pocket.
Thank you.
It's the mate of the one I lost.
Well what was it doing in your uncle's pocket?
That clipping.
The person said they would return the lost one if I could identify it.
So I brought the mate here to uncle, left it with him and intended to bring the finder
here with me.
Show him the mate to the earring which would be perfect identification.
Is it valuable?
Each earring is insured for twenty thousand dollars but.
Oh look Mr. Chambers may I please call somebody.
Well sure, who do you want to call?
Oliver Hartford, my brother-in-law.
He's married to my sister.
He came here with my uncle, they live way up in New Hampshire, all of them.
What about you?
I live here in the city.
May I call Oliver?
All right, where's he staying?
Right here, this hotel, one of the downstairs suites.
Let's call him.
Would you connect me with Mr. Hartford please?
There you are.
Thank you.
Hello Ollie, come up to uncle sweet, quickly please.
The guy shows, Oliver Hartford, big, young and brawny.
He sort of takes over in the comfort department for his sister-in-law.
And presently there's an onslaught of cops, medical examiner, fingerprint men in the works
and boss man of the works, your good friend, detective lieutenant Louis Parker.
Looking a little harassed today but working with his usual competence.
And then after they're all done and the medical examiner has made his report and the body
has been taken out, Parker takes you aside and you fill him in on your end of the deal.
Well, they got me working today.
I got three unfinished cases, now this thing pops up.
It never rains.
Medical examiner says suicide, the girls identified the gun as the old man's.
Emmy says time of death, two o'clock, door was locked.
Who else had keys?
Nobody but the old man.
He lent his to the girl and she was with you when the thing happened.
Check.
Suicide period.
Boy, I am busy today.
Now let me go in and talk to those two, the relatives and then I'll beat it out of here.
Sure, Louis.
Let me go talk to them.
All right then, Miss Wentworth, Mr. Hartford.
Oh, by the way, Mr. Chambers here is a private detective and one of the best.
So, just in case either of you are not satisfied with the way the police may be handling things.
Oh, we're perfectly satisfied, lieutenant, of course.
All right then, let's get some of the facts out of the way.
Name a deceased Robert Wentworth, rich man, ex-oil man, worth many millions, retired widower.
Yes, his only two living relatives is nieces.
Miss Angela Wentworth, of course, my wife, Marie Wentworth Hartford.
Where's your wife now?
Why, she's at home up in New Hampshire.
See, I came in with Uncle Robert last week.
Okay.
Medical examiner says suicide and every external item points to suicide.
Time two o'clock.
Now where were you at two o'clock, Mr. Huth?
In my room napping.
And you, Miss Wentworth?
With Mr. Chambers on Fifth Avenue near Fitch's department.
I'll corroborate that, lieutenant.
Thank you, Mr. Chambers.
You're very welcome.
Yeah, all right, all right.
Sorry, lost my head.
Now, this suicide thing, would Mr. Wentworth be disposed to suicide?
Oh, yes.
One at a time now, please, one at a time.
You, Miss Wentworth.
Well, lieutenant, my uncle was very ill.
He was here for an operation.
The doctors gave him very little chance.
Did he know that he had this very little chance?
Yes, of course he knew it.
Better than any of us.
Yeah.
Seems to be clean cut, no loose ends.
Mr. Hartford.
Yes, sir.
Would you accompany me downtown?
I need a member of the family, many little items of origin.
Why, yes, of course, lieutenant, of course.
And so you're alone again with Miss Angela Wentworth.
You take her home to a cute little apartment on East 34th and there.
Thank you, Mr. Chambers.
You've been very kind.
Not at all.
Look, Angela, ours was a, well, a chance acquaintance, but there's no reason why it should end there.
No, no reason at all.
I like you very much, Mr. Chambers.
And I like you.
Look, a lawyer was mentioned back there.
Was that the only person your uncle would want to see to arrange his affairs?
No, there was another and much more important.
Algernon Sacco, his business advisor.
Sacco?
He has an office down on Pine Street.
By now, Miss Wentworth, I'll be in touch with you.
Yes, please do.
Now, here's a brand new wrinkle.
Algernon Sacco, crooked as a country road, a big operator and a shrewd one.
You'd tangle with him a few times, but that was way back before he acquired respectability
and a few rich clients.
An old cackle voice guy, but smart as a brand new whip.
So you're down on Pine Street, old stone and steel.
No pines, no pines at all.
Yeah, who do you wish to see?
Mr. Sacco and tell him I'm in a hurry.
Nobody's in a hurry with Mr. Sacco.
I'm in a hurry.
Use that little intercom of yours and tell him Peter Chambers.
Just a minute.
Yes?
Mr. Sacco, a gentleman here to see you.
Says he's in a hurry.
A Mr. Peter Chambers.
Oh, who did you say?
A Mr. Peter Chambers.
Oh, of course.
Send him in at once.
See what I mean, baby?
I'm a real VIP.
That daughter of yours, right, Mr. Chambers?
Where, where, where is he?
Oh, he's in a hurry.
Oh, he's in a hurry.
Oh, he's in a hurry.
Oh, he's in a hurry.
Oh, he's in a hurry.
Well, well, well, good to see you again, my dear private operator.
How's it going, boy?
I shall not mince as they say words.
To the point then, Peter.
Robert Wentworth.
Oh, excellent client.
Loaded?
Twenty million dollars.
Oh, boy, are you going to be sad to hear this?
Hear what?
He's dead.
Dead?
You're kidding.
I never kid when it has to do with death.
Now, look, I want the rundown on this guy and I want it fast and I want it all.
Do you have a will?
Yes.
Well, come on, come on, let's hear.
The will left his entire estate to his two nieces, Angela and Marie.
Wow.
Ten million dollars each, huh?
And who was the executor to this will?
Me, Algernon Sacco.
Pretty piece of change involved for Algernon Sacco.
Yes, now that he's dead before he changes will, I learned that pretty piece of change.
Fee and commissions, it bounce up, it bounces down.
Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
You just said before he changes will.
Did he have any intention of changing it?
Well, what...
Come on, look, pal, there might be a motive here for murder.
What do you mean?
I...
It's got its angles, but if it gets to the cops, it gets to the newspapers and all your
background gets washed up.
Now, you can't use that algae, not the new respectable Algernon Sacco.
But what do you want to know?
Well, you know what the man says all the time, the facts, pal, the facts.
Well, he came in late last week and discussed changing his will.
He felt that his nieces were well provided for and he was making up his mind to leave
his entire estate to medical research.
Did you like that?
No, I did not.
So what did you do about it?
So I got in touch with Oliver Hartford.
After all, a change of will meant a loss to Mr. Hartford's wife of 10 million dollars.
And when your wife loses, you lose.
What did his Hartford do about it?
I don't know.
But he was going to tackle the old man and see if he couldn't talk him out of it.
OK, algae, thanks for the information.
Keep respect for the...
Peter Chambers!
You're working now.
You're beginning to smell what you suspected.
Murder.
You get up to Angela Wentworth's place and she opens the door for you and your eyes pop.
She's wearing blue silk lounging pajamas and she has a pony of brandy in her hand.
Blue silk lounging pajamas.
They were born to be worn by Angela Wentworth.
It's good to see you again, Mr. Chambers.
Likewise, Miss Wentworth.
You seemed to be rolling with the blow.
Well, I've been thinking about it.
Uncle Robert was an old man and very ill.
Perhaps it was for the best.
Look, at the ball you attended when you lost your earring...
Would you like some brandy, Mr. Chambers?
Well, I'll take a rain check on it.
Now, that ball you attended, who went with you?
I mean, who was your escort?
Oliver, my brother-in-law.
Uncle insisted.
I think I had one cocktail too many at that ball.
That earring was gone before I realized it.
Mr. Chambers?
Mr. Chambers, where are you going?
You're going to pay a social call on Oliver Hartford.
You knock on his door and he opens and you pull your way in.
What's the meaning of this?
What's the matter with you?
Nothing, nothing.
What's the matter, I suppose?
Get out of here.
I'm going, but you're coming with me.
I'm going with you?
Where?
Downtown, police headquarters.
And just what are we going to do there?
I'm going to accuse you of murder.
Oliver swings, you duck.
You swing, Oliver ducks.
But he doesn't duck good enough.
He goes down and out.
And as you finish the pivot of your swing,
there stands Lieutenant Lieutenant Louis Parker in the doorway.
Real nice form, Pete.
You're starting to get your shoulders into it.
Thanks, Louis.
Incidentally, apologies to the private eye.
From whom?
From me.
I'm not busy anymore.
So?
So the old guy was murdered.
He wasn't a suicide.
That's my Louis.
Got finished with the press of business, had time to think.
There's a spot of blood in the middle of the room.
How come we find the old guy in the rocker by the window?
Exactly.
He was shot in the middle of the room.
Then he was pulled over to the rocker, the gun was wiped and put into his hand.
Furthermore, downtown, a paraffin test shows the old guy never fired the gun and that clinches
it.
That figures.
Where have you been till now, Louis?
Backtracking after you.
Saw that Sacco guy, saw that Angela, read that newspaper clipping.
He took it to the ball, Oliver did.
Sure, and he stuffs her full of cocktails and clips the earring.
And sticks that phony ad in the paper.
So he can get her out of the way.
Then he goes in to see the old man, bumps him with his own gun, fixes it for suicide and
leaves.
Then he locks on the clicker so we get a locked room in the bargain.
Well, what's our next step, Louis?
We take this bum downtown, let's get him back to consciousness.
We take him downtown and see how he yanks under a bright white light.
Oliver Hartford at headquarters gets closeted with Detective Parker and a host of excellent
interrogators.
You wait across the street in Luke McCool's lonesome bar and grill.
You sip on a stinger and you ponder.
It figures for about two hours.
Brother, when cops know you've done it and you're an amateur, you're a blustering wise
guy for part of the way, but pretty soon you break wide open.
Unless you're very smart or very stubborn.
And you've got a feeling that Oliver may be very stubborn.
So you're off and running and you're making tracks again for Angela Wentworth's place.
Come in, come in, Mr. Chambers.
You're becoming quite a regular visitor.
And I like it.
You like it too, but you don't have the time.
I offer a brandy again, Mr. Chambers.
And again, I've got to refuse double rain check this time, Ms. Wentworth.
Now look, look, that earring, may I have it?
The earring?
Angela, look, may I call you Angela?
Oh, please do.
Well, you can trust me with it.
I had it once and I gave it back to you, remember?
Yes, but why?
Please, please, let me have it and I'll return it to you.
And when I do, I've got a hunch I'll have the time for perhaps a brandy or two.
All right, Mr. Chambers.
Here it is.
And so you're back in Luke McCool's lonesome barn grill across the street from headquarters
and you're trifling with stingers again when Parker shows up.
And he hangs a face in front of you that's longer than a lover's kiss.
Pete, boy, we've got us a tarter.
Meaning who?
Meaning that Oliver Hartford.
Tough boy.
What's tough?
The guy killed Uncle Robert so that his wife could pick up 10 million solid simoleons.
There's no one else, Louie.
No one else could possibly have done it if nobody was motive.
It's all right, boy.
Angela, she was with you.
Sacco, no question, he was in his office all day.
The other niece, Oliver's wife, we've checked it.
She's in New Hampshire.
No question, we've got the right pigeon.
We've got him right up to the breaking point, but he won't break.
Pete, all I need is a gimmick, one little thing to shove him over.
And I've got it for you, Lieutenant.
That what?
The crowbar that'll topple the rock.
Only this crowbar is green, it's shiny, and it's worth 20,000 bucks.
Here.
Look.
Hey, that's a beauty.
Where'd you get that?
Out of Oliver Hartford's suite?
No.
Yep.
So, Louie Millad, take this earring and shove it down his throat.
Gimme pal.
So you're alone once more, and you've got your fingers crossed.
Psychologically, it fits.
But if it blows up, you're gonna be in the middle of the explosion.
If it blows, it'll blow all over you.
But 20 minutes later, Parker's back and he's beaming.
He returns the earring and he claps you on the back.
And a clap on the back from Parker is like a jolt of the jaw from Marciano.
Got him, got him, got him good.
Full confession, the works.
Broke him down completely.
Oh, and now he's up the other alley pleading for leniency.
You tricked him, Louie.
I tricked him?
No, not me.
That's my pride.
I'm a straight cop.
I tricked nobody.
I know, I know.
So I had to trick you into tricking him.
What, what are you talking about?
The emerald earring.
What about it?
It's the wrong one.
It's the one out of Uncle's pocket.
The mate to the one that disappeared.
The wrong one?
Well then where's the right one?
Well it must be where psychologically it ought to be.
Now you had the guy on the brink, Louie.
There wasn't time to go looking for the right one.
So I used the wrong earring for the right purpose and it worked.
So now...
Let's go find the right one.
You accompany Parker and five of his best boys to Oliver's suite and they give it a professional
going over and they come up with the earring.
Inside a cake of soap.
Amateurs are all alike.
They think they've discovered a brand new hiding place just because they thought of it.
Parker gives them to you the pair.
Go ahead kiddo.
You return them.
You may as well get something out of this.
Glory at least.
And so the private eye in proper tradition is back where he belongs.
In the beautiful ladies apartment.
He partakes of a bit of brandy and then he presents her with a complete set of emerald
earrings.
Oh Mr. Chambers.
I don't know how to thank you.
Nothing of it ma'am.
A fee.
Would you perhaps accept a fee?
No thanks.
Nothing as mundane as a fee.
But I...
I just don't know how to thank you.
Well you think about it Angela.
Just sip your brandy and think.
Come here Mr. Chambers.
Oh I'm coming ma'am.
I think I know what you mean.
Something like this.
Oh Mr. Chambers.
And there you've had crime and Peter Chambers.
Dane Clark was starred as Peter Chambers.
Crime and Peter Chambers transcribed was created and written by Henry Kane.
Others in the cast were Bill Zuckert heard as Lieutenant Parker, Joyce Gordon as Angela,
and Bernard Grant as Oliver.
It was directed by Fred Way.
And this is Fred Collins inviting you to tune in next week same time same station for Dane
Clark in Crime and Peter Chambers.
funded by Peter Chambers.
Crime and Peter Chambers has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States
Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
The United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
The United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.