Crime and Peter Chambers.
Created by Henry Kane, transcribed and starring Dane Clark.
A well-known investigator, duly licensed and duly sworn, Peter Chambers.
You're a private eye. That's your business. Anything else? That's for laughs.
You hope you can mix a couple of laughs with this one, because the client that's
sitting opposite you, you'd like to have a couple of laughs with. She's got black
limpid eyes, black listening hair, shining white teeth and red red lips and her
figure. It's got more curves than a swindle artist can throw at you, and
they're much more interesting. Her name is Tina Diaz, an American of Castilian
extraction. You're very handsome Mr. Chambers. Much more handsome than I'd
expected. We're supposed to be talking about murder, Miss Diaz. Tina to you, Mr. Chambers.
Or may I call you Pete? Yes, you may call me Pete. No, Petey. I think I like that
best. Look, you call me whatever you want, Miss Tina, and let's get back to
business, huh? About Winnie Brown. Who was murdered last night. I saw the item in
the newspapers. Shot and killed in her apartment on Central Park West. Now, why
haven't you gone to the police with this instead of coming here? Petey, I wasn't
particularly fond of Winnie Brown. We happened to be earning our living the
same way as dance hall hostesses, both working in the Utopia Bowl. And both of
you interested in one of its patrons, Gordon Phelps, playboy, millionaire, man
about town. I was interested, but Winnie went out. To be frank, I didn't like it.
Of course, that was before I met you. Let me hear about Gordon Phelps.
First he was interested in me, and then he shifted to Winnie. But all over the
joint, all over the dance palace, the Utopia ballroom, there was a rumor that
Winnie was blackmailing him. So, don't you think the police would be interested in
that? Yes, but I'm not going to deliver that information. Why not? Because Gordon
Phelps is a right guy, that's why. Maybe I ought to call him, huh? And get it
straight from the horse's mouth. He won't be able to reach him. Why not? The Phelps
mansion is on 56 Madison. You won't find him there. How do you know? Because he's been in
touch with me, which really is why I'm here. Right now he's in a little place
that he has down the village, a little hideaway he keeps. You know the phone
number? Uh-huh. Warner 2-1-1-1-0. Want the punchline, P.D.? Honey, from you I'll take
anything. He sent me. Gordon Phelps sent me. He's waiting for your call.
Warner 2.
Maybe you are going to earn a fee after all.
Hello? Gordon Phelps? This is he? Peter Chambers. Oh, good. I'm delighted that you called me so promptly.
Hiding out, Mr. Phelps? Not exactly, no. I'm merely attempting to avoid any
unnecessary publicity, if that's possible. I know the police want to talk with me,
but I won't talk with them. Not until this hubbub dies down. Which is the reason I
asked Tina to put you in contact with me. I want to retain you on this, Mr.
Chambers. Over the telephone? No, I'd like to talk to you personally. But where? I wouldn't want you to come here. It might be awkward.
Well, how about the Utopia Ballroom? Good. Sort of home base, huh? And most appropriate. You know what I look like?
Yes, yes. I've seen your pictures. Good enough. Utopia Ballroom, nine o'clock.
Reluctantly, you kiss off the lush and luxurious Tina Diaz. You try to get through to your friend, Detective Lieutenant Louie Parker, but he's working nights.
So you march through a dull day, and then at 8.30 you're at the Utopia Ballroom. You're a little early, but that's the way you want it.
Ah, Utopia Ballroom. They're all the same all over the world. Dim, dark, and rather lightful. And the girls, young, beautiful, a little hard.
Garbed in clinging gowns, all shapely and vivacious. But that's not all you see. You clamp on to a couple of points of real interest.
Snowtime Cummings and Mousey Lawrence, a couple of top narcotics bushes at the West Coast. And you wonder what they're doing here in the East.
And then Tina Diaz approaches, and she takes your breath away. Tina Diaz sheathed in red silk.
Want to dance, handsome? No, you know I'm waiting. Here you gotta buy tickets, but for you, Petey, it's for free. I'd love to hold you close and dance.
Oh, honey, I've got a date with Gordon Phelps, you know that. Yeah, okay. See that table over there? Way over there where it's dark? That's his favorite table.
Sit there, and when he comes in, I'll send him to you.
You sit and you wait, and pretty soon he's there. A tall, middle-aged, slender guy with man of distinction written all over him.
The first thing he does is hand you an envelope. This is for you, Mr. Chambers. Tina Diaz directed me to you.
What is it? Your fee, thousand dollars. I hope that's acceptable. It's acceptable. Sit down, Mr. Phelps.
Thank you. You know your job, Mr. Chambers. I want to know who killed Winnie Brown.
And if it turns out to be you, Mr. Phelps, there's no rebate on the thousand bucks. Good enough.
Now, what's your connection with that girl, Winnie Brown? What about this blackmail talk?
It's absolute nonsense. She was taking dramatic lessons, and, well, I was helping her.
How much were you helping her, Mr. Phelps? Seventy-five dollars a week. Well, I don't misunderstand. It was purely an act of charity. The girl had time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. Now, now, look, sir, what's with this blackmail pitch that everybody's talking about?
Rumor, gossip, and nonsense. She probably boasted that I was helping her, and, well, you know, a place like this, tongues get to wagging.
Did you visit her apartment often? As a matter of fact, I've never been to her apartment.
Okay, you've never been to her apartment. Now, look, somebody did kill her, Mr. Phelps. Any ideas that you can kind of throw into the hopper?
Well, there are two people. There's Tina. Tina Diaz? Yes. Perhaps, in a sense, it was my fault, because it was Tina's belief that Winnie had won me away from her.
There was bad blood between those two, and I know for certain that Winnie was in mortal fear of Tina. Fiery type, that Tina. Bad temper.
How long have you known those girls? Oh, I met them about a year ago.
Now, you said two people, Mr. Phelps. Who's your other candidate? Johnny Hayes. Who, Dad?
The man that owns this place. His office is upstairs.
A couple of nights ago, I knew that Winnie was in his office, and I was going up there to sort of pay my respects.
The door was partly open, and before I actually realized it, I was eavesdropping. I overheard an argument.
Now, look, you big shot Johnny Hayes, I know what's going on around here, and I don't like it. You're putting a lot of nice kids in this spot, making criminals out of them, and I don't like it.
You don't like it, eh? Well, who the heck do you think you are? I'm the dame that can blow the whistle on you, that's who I am.
Sister, let me tell you something for your own good. You're moving in over your head, way over your head.
And unless you butt out of this and keep your nose clean, you figure to get your head handed to you with a few holes in it. And that's final.
And so is this final, Johnny. Unless you put a stop to this thing within a week, I'm going to the cops, and you'll get your head handed to you, and it's got holes in it already.
And that was that, Mr. Chambers. I heard the way he spoke to her, and that was a threat, a definite threat in all two ways about it.
Yeah. Well, suppose I go up and talk to this Johnny Hayes.
Suit yourself.
Can I quote you on that overheard conversation?
Certainly, why not? Well, if there's nothing more, Mr. Chambers, then I shall be going. You know where to be in touch with me. I'm sort of hiding out.
I just don't want to mix with the police or make any public statements. Not until this thing is completely finished.
Johnny Hayes' office is the usual cubbyhole overloaded with pictures of prize fighters and actors.
Okay, so you're a private cop, so what can I do for you?
He's a sharply dressed guy, tall, pale, slender, and good looking. And trying to learn anything from his face is like trying to learn something from a clock without hands.
Okay, so you're Peter Chambers, so what do you want me to do? Bring out a flag and wave it?
I want you to answer a couple of questions. I'm working on that Winnie Brown thing.
Okay, so work somewhere else.
I'm working here.
Oh, a tough boy, one of them, huh?
Tough enough if that's the way you want it. Now, how do you want it?
Well, for the time being, let's play it on the soft key, tough boy. What do you want?
That's better. A couple of nights ago, you were overheard threatening Winnie Brown.
Where?
Right here.
That's a lie.
You didn't have an argument with her?
I did not.
Suppose I tell you I got a witness to that?
Then I'll tell you, he's a liar.
Would you say that Gordon Phelps is a liar?
Gordon Phelps, huh? Yeah.
Yes, I certainly would say he's lying.
Why should he lie?
So as he can take the heat off himself. If anybody killed her, he did.
How does that figure?
Because she was playing him for a sucker, that's why.
And he couldn't get the first base. And that drove him off his nut.
He's one of them millionaire guys spoiled all the way from the cradle.
If they can't get what they want, they kill it, so as no one else can get what they can't get.
And that about does it for your conversation with Johnny Hayes.
The next stop, police headquarters, where you wait for Lieutenant Parker.
And it's about two o'clock in the morning before he finally shows up.
Detective Lieutenant Louis Parker homicide.
Stanched minion of the law, gentleman, and good friend.
Well, bless my soul if it ain't Peter Chambers in prison.
Ain't it a little past your bedtime, friend?
Louis, what have you got on that Winnie Brown murder?
Knowing you, what have you got?
Well, I might have something you want.
Oh, like perhaps a guy by the name of Gordon Phelps, huh?
Perhaps.
Hey, you're not kidding, are you, Peter?
No.
Will you be able to produce that guy for him?
I might.
When?
Within the next 24 hours.
Good enough.
All right. Now, what have you got for me, Louis?
This.
Gun to Kilda and her diary.
Did you trace the gun yet?
We're working on it.
How about the diary? Did he give you anything?
No, nothing that helps.
Makes a lot of mention of that Gordon Phelps, though.
And says she lived in that apartment for the past two years.
Did he go up to her apartment often?
As a matter of fact, Gordon had a diary.
He never went there, ever.
Well, that Jibes.
Jibes? Jibes with what?
Oh, skip it, Louis, for the time being.
Now, what did happen up there at Winnie Brown's?
All I've got is a smattering from the newspapers.
Dead, shot through the head, gun left there, no fingerprints.
Killer probably wore gloves.
Apartment had been searched, but not thoroughly searched.
It appears that she interrupted the search, and that's when she was killed.
The neighbor heard the shots, reported it.
How'd the intruder get in?
That is one of our chief problems.
How come?
Well, the windows were locked from the inside.
Door lock was not tampered with.
In fact, when we got there, it was actually locked from the outside.
We had to use master keys.
Louis, a favor?
But what else?
I'd like to look that apartment over.
Yeah? Do I get cooperation?
Have I ever failed you, Louis?
No, you never have.
There's the key, pal.
Thanks, pal.
Enjoy yourself, and let me hear from you.
It's two well-furnished rooms on Central Park West near 75th Street.
You give the joint a quick going over, and you come up with nothing.
You're just about to start a return engagement, this time more intensive,
when you hear an instrument fumbling in the door lock.
You dust the lights.
You take up a stand behind the door.
And when the door opens, you jump them.
But the hymn is soft and pliant and nice to the touch.
And when you get the lights on, the hymn ain't a hymn.
It's a her, Tina Diaz.
Oh.
You hurt me.
Help me up. Please help me up.
Hey, with a pick lock in your hand yet.
Oh, you Tina Diaz, you naughty naughty.
Help me.
All right, all right, all right.
Up, up you go.
Hang on.
You hurt me. Right here.
Sorry.
Kiss it, Feety.
Here. Right here.
Ha ha. Much better.
Okay, now we've finished playing post-off.
Let's start playing detective and suspect.
What are you doing here?
I didn't kill her. Please believe me.
I had nothing to do with it.
So what are you doing here?
I came because, because I'm afraid.
Oh, that makes a lot of sense.
You came because you're afraid. I don't get it.
I was afraid they'd mix me up in her murder.
You see, a long time ago I threatened her.
But she's dead. She can't tell the police you threatened her.
It was in writing.
I still don't get it.
Listen, I have a temper. I flare up.
When Gordon Phelps became interested in her,
I felt that, well, that she tricked me.
At that time I went away for a vacation.
I wrote her some letters, threatening letters.
Well, later when I returned,
she told me she'd saved those letters for insurance.
I'm sure the police haven't found them.
Otherwise they'd have picked you up.
Yeah, that's right. So they're still here.
Well, I don't want to be involved.
So I borrowed this pick lock and I came here tonight.
Took some time off in the dance hall.
Okay, okay, sweetie. Okay, okay.
Now let's see. Let's look together. Let's see.
I'm Winnie Brown.
I'm a girl who works in the dance hall.
I have a two-room apartment.
I have some letters that I want to hide.
Where would I hide them?
I'm a girl who's influenced by movies,
comic strips, television.
Tina.
Yeah?
Help me take that picture off the wall.
That big one.
You'll miss on the first, but the second picture does it.
You rip off the brown paper back, and there are the letters.
And there also is another item, a document.
You look at that and you pocket it.
And then you return the letters to Tina.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Oh, I don't know how to thank you.
Well, we'll discuss that later at my place, huh?
I've got a great, big, beautiful terrace overlooking the city.
Oh, I'd love that.
It's a date.
What was that other thing you found?
That legal-looking document?
At the moment, it's none of your business, sweetheart.
Look, tell me, do you know a character called Snowtime Cummings?
Another guy called Mousey Lawrence?
Yeah.
Yes, I do.
Are you mixed up in any of that?
No, I'm not.
Good enough.
Do you know what's been going on there at the Utopia Ballroom with those guys?
Yes, a lot of the girls know.
But they're afraid to talk, those that were not mixed up in it.
Well, don't you be afraid.
You tell me.
Well, those two men come from the West Coast, that Snowtime Cummings and Mousey Lawrence.
You call Parker and you call Gordon Phelps, and then you and Tina and a lot of cops and Parker and Phelps are all gathered in Johnny Hay's office.
Snowtime and Mousey have already been picked up.
And now Parker points a finger at Gordon Phelps.
You, Mr. Phelps, just in case you're remotely interested, the gun that killed Winnie Brown was your gun.
Well, that doesn't mean a thing, Lieutenant.
I gave her that gun six months ago as a gift.
You're pointing the finger at the wrong guy, Louie.
Who's the right guy?
A little bit to your left.
Correct.
Johnny Hayes.
Me? Why you dirty little...
Oh, shut up. Let him talk.
Those two West Coast hoods were passing narcotics right here in this dance hall.
They terrorized some of the girls into working for them.
They slipped the girl the packet and the girl was slipping to the customer while dancing with him, then they'd take his dough and return it.
I didn't know anything about that.
That's a lie. You even tried to talk Miss Diaz into your filthy little racket.
Yes, it's true. He did.
And for all of that, the boys paid him off, Louie.
Winnie Brown found out about it and she was a spunky one.
She told Hayes unless he cut it out, she'd go to the cops.
So he killed her.
Johnny Hayes is all washed up and he knows it.
Suddenly he pulls the gun from a drawer and he points it at you.
But it's Parker shooting the gun out of his hands.
Good old Parker.
Then everybody heads for downtown, police headquarters, and there you clean up a couple of loose ends with the lieutenant.
And then, in the faint blue of the very early morning, on your terrace overlooking the park,
you and Tina Diaz drink a quiet toast to the great sprawling sleepy city beneath you.
To New York and to you and congratulations on a really brilliant performance.
And to you honey, who helped honey.
And believe me, it took a lot of nerve.
But how were you so sure it was Johnny?
Well, first, whoever killed her had used the key to go in.
And when he left, he actually locked the door behind him.
So?
Well, there was plenty of motive for Johnny.
Phelps had heard his threat and you gave me the rest of the information that made me very sure that he was our boy.
But that document stuck behind the picture was the clincher.
What was that?
That's what he was searching for.
What might tie him into it?
It was a legal separation.
It was a legal separation between Winnie and Johnny Hayes dated six months ago.
They'd been married, husband and wife, and they'd broken up.
And back in my mind, I was looking for somebody with the key to that place.
And who else would that be but the legally wedded husband?
Real little old brilliant Sherlock Holmes.
Well, try.
I like you, Petey. I like you very much.
Oh, and I like you.
Oh.
Petey, you make a lot of money, don't you?
I do all right.
Well, I was thinking, I work pretty hard for a living and I don't earn very much.
Sure, sure, I know.
And I was thinking that if you had confidence in my ability...
Oh, I have confidence in you, honey.
Well, I know a dramatic school.
It's only $75 a week, and if you could lend it to me and...
Oh, what's so funny?
Nothing.
Except this is where I came in.
And there you've had Crime and Peter Chambers.
Dane Clark was starred as Peter Chambers.
Crime and Peter Chambers was created and written by Henry Kane.
Others in the cast were Bill Zuckert, heard as Lieutenant Parker,
Patricia Wheel as Tina, and Bill Griffiths as Gordon.
It was directed by Fred Way.
And this is Fred Collins inviting you to tune in next week, same time, same station,
transcribed for Dane Clark in Crime and Peter Chambers.
Thank you.
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