May 10, 2025 • 36 mins
Original Release Date: January 4, 2022
A man wants International to prove his insomniac wife didn't commit suicide but was murdered.
Original Air Date: May 3, 1950
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A man wants International to prove his insomniac wife didn't commit suicide but was murdered.
Original Air Date: May 3, 1950
Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net
Support the show on a one-time basis at https://support.greatdetectives.net
Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715
Give us a call at 208-991-4783
Take the listener survey at https://survey.greatdetectives.net
Check out our social media at https://www.greatdetectives.net
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:28):
Welcome to the Great Detectives of OldTime Radio from Boise Anahol. This is
your host, Adam Brand. Ifyou have a comment, email it to
me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dotnet. Follow us on Twitter at Radio
Detectives, and check us out onInstagram, Instagram, dot com, slash
(00:52):
Great Detectives. I do want toencourage you to check out our other podcast
and I want to highlight the war. It's our World War two podcasts at
the War dot Great Detectives dot net, and it's an effort I undertook back
in two thirteen and two thousand andfourteen in honor of the seventieth anniversary of
D Day, and we essentially gothrough World War Two from the pre war
(01:18):
era through the war to the postwar era, through the ears of radio,
and we use a lot of differentradio programs. There are news broadcast,
but there's also dramas, comedies.If you're interested in World War Two,
it really gives you an interesting perspectiveon what life was like, what
(01:41):
people were thinking, and what theywere taking in as the war was going
on. Check it out the Wardot Great Detectives dot net and you can
sample all the other podcast we dooutside of the Great Detectives of Old Time
Radio right at Great Detectives do Nah. But now it is Tom for this
(02:01):
week's episode of Jeff Reagan as wereturn to Paul Dubov's Tom as Reagan,
and this is his fourth episode.The original air date May the third,
nineteen fifty and the title is TheCure for Insomnia. My name's Reagan.
(02:30):
I worked for Anthony jay Lyon DetectiveBureau. They call me the Lion's Eye.
Jeff Regan, Investigator, starring PaulDubov as Regan, with Frank Nelson
as Anthony jay Lyon. Standby forMystery and Suspense and adventure In tonight's story,
(02:51):
title A Cure for Insomnia and addingthe papers. That's what started this
one off. There were three deadand one to go by the time we
got to the last half of thelast inning of it, and it looked
(03:13):
like the picture that was tossing thestrikeouts were shooting for my boss, Anthony
jay Lyon. It got rolling thekind of day you don't see much around
La storm breaking about ten in themorning when I got down to the Lion
Detective Bureau office. Every my boy, be careful where you share. What's
the matter, lion? Drop andollar? Don't be funny, you'll feed
(03:34):
them money and we can't avoid ahead. The carpet cleaned. Not the way
business is going these day. Yeah, well, okay, lion, mind
if I sit down my overcoats werethen take it off first he regain our
books, don't balance for the monthof April. Wait a minute, leave
your coat on and don't sit out. So we got a new client,
Yes, very I was sitting hereat my desk twenty minutes ago trying to
(03:55):
balance our books and the phone rangand it was a new client, exactly,
Jeffrey, a man named Paulson.He lives in Hollywood, in the
hills above Hollywood and Vine on ChapmanBoulevard seven seven h seven and a half.
And you better get out there rightaway. Somebody's life in danger.
Maybe life in danger. Oh no, no, all the victims already dead.
(04:16):
Missus Polson. Polson's way he murdered. Paulson says he wants us to
prove it. Paulson wants us toprove his wife was murdered. Yeah,
you see, Missus Polson died sevenor eight days ago. The police says
he committed suicide. But mister Paulsonwould be so much happier if it would
turn out that she would murdered.Jeffrey, nice fellow, He isn't me,
(04:36):
my boy. He wants to payus one hundred dollars. Not what
I meant, Look, lion,if missus Parson died seven or eight days
ago, what's so urgent about mygetting out there this morning? Either one
hundred dollars, Jeffrey, I getit, that is, I explained to
you, my boy. Try asI might, scheme as I would,
all April books refuse to balance.Now if I've been thinking that perhaps one
(04:59):
literal pee carried backwards from the firstweek of May. Okay, fat,
so set your calendar back to standardtime. I'll go out and talk to
Paulson. I went through bus allrain, eating off hillside frontage, sluicing
California down, blooded drains that couldn'tkeep up. I turned right at sunset
(05:21):
and Niagara went up two blocks.Forted Hollywood Boulevard. Chapman Boulevard was half
a dozen blocks of twisted hill lipbleary tiled root stucco houses. Seventy seven
h seven and a half where Paulsonlived was the rear third of a triplex.
I parked, my car turned up, my overcoat collar went bad.
(05:46):
That's right coming and I'm Paulson coming. Oh and I'll just sit down,
mister Regan, now tell you everythingall about us. Hole at half sure,
sure, just let me get outof my overcoll I'll help you.
Thanks, Thanks, I got it. You seem pretty upset, Paulson.
Yes, yes. The thing is, I can't endure doubting any longer.
(06:06):
I can't stand the doubt, thefear that my wife wasn't murdered. Er,
Paulson. Doesn't it strike you asa little queer that a guide wanted
to spend a hundred bucks with privatedicks to prove his wife was murdered.
Oh no, no, no,not at all. You'd better give me
the rundown Paulson. Yes, yes, that would be best. Well,
(06:26):
my wife's name was Linda, LindaPaulson. We'd been married seven years,
and we were very much in lovewith each other. Seven nights ago,
quietly in her twin bed, theother bed where she slept in our bedroom,
that room there, and mister Regan, go on, Linda died in
the night. Sometime in the night. You woke up in the morning and
(06:47):
found it dead. Yes, andmister Regan, it was ascertained that Linda
had died of poison. What thecops have to say about it? Well,
of course they investigated, but theirverdict was suicide. Capsules containing the
same poison that killed Linda were foundin her purse, and there were other
things. I don't know quite what, but the police were convinced that Linda
(07:11):
had definitely taken that poison herself.Well, then that about settles it,
doesn't it pause, except except forLinda's motive. Motive that's the term used
in these matters, isn't it.Well, Linda had no reason to want
to die, no motive for killingherself. You seem sure that why I
was. I was sure of it, But now I've begun to doubt,
(07:35):
and that's why I want help.Don't you see? If Linda wasn't murdered,
if it was suicide, as thepolice seemed so sure, then that
means that my wife wanted to die. That means that our life together,
when I thought we were very happy, wasn't what it seemed to be at
(07:57):
all. I see what you mean, and that's why you want me to
prove it was murder. Yes,mister eg it makes sense. All right,
Paolson, head up some coffee.Huh, we'll get to work.
Paulson brewed coffee like I'd hoped.It steadied him down. He gave me
(08:20):
what he could. It wasn't much. He and his wife were ordinary middle
bracket people. No love triangles,Paulson said. Missus Polson hadn't had any
money of her own. Her lifehadn't been insured. Paulson said she'd been
perfectly normal, no depression, nothingqueer right up to her death. I
took down the names and addresses ifsome of the friends and relatives told Paulson
I want to check her round.Then I went down tom A homicide dropped
(08:43):
in on Lieutenant Sanducci. It's abouta woman named Linda Paulson Sanducci, who
sho the woman they killed herself.A week or so he grew look Sanducci.
The husbands retained me to prove shedidn't kill herself. Do you think
she was murdered? Thanks, Regan. Listen, have you seen the house
where it happened? Came from therejust now and narrow bottleneck passage back to
(09:09):
it between two front houses. Yeah, the night it happened. It was
hot. Neighbors had their chairs outat the head of the passage. Nobody
could get in or out without beingseen. Maybe Paulson killed her himself.
Thought of that. We're not amateurshere at the department, Regan. Paulson
was out at a meeting. Paulsenwent to bed at ten thirty. Neighbor
saw the lights go out in thehouse. Neighbor see Paulson come home at
(09:31):
twenty five, Ter eleven went tobed in the darkest wife with the poor
sleeper. He didn't want to disturbher. We haven't told in this,
Regan, but she was dead.Then you got the time of the death
from the reaction of the poison,plus the state of the cadaver. Thinking
the two together. She took thepoison when she went to bed at ten
(09:52):
thirty, died ten minutes later.And there's a clincher, Regan. Go
on the pillbox, missus Paulson keptin a verse kind of unusual. It
had a key that she kept ona chain around her neck. That's where
it was when you saw the body. Yes, and the pillbox in the
purse was locked. That's right,Regan. No tampering with a lot missus
Paulson's fingerprints in the box and nobodyanswers. And we know she was alone
(10:16):
in the house when she took thepoison. Now, look, Reagan,
you talked to her husband. Hetold you she had no motive to kill
herself, same as she told es. That's right. Well did he give
you the full rundown, Reagan abouthow they had no enemies if the woman
had no money, no insurance,Nice decent, ordinary people, Reagan,
not the kind of be mixed upin crime or rackets. He gave me
(10:37):
that, Reagan. Maybe it suggestedsomething to you. Sure, Sanduci,
Sure it did. If Paulson's storychecks, there won't be any motive for
Missus Paulson's having killed herself, andthere won't be motive for anybody else having
killed her either. That's right,Regan, and Regan, Paulson's story shakes.
(11:05):
It checked. I cruised through therain, visited people who knew the
Paulsons. Everybody said the same thing, no reason, no motive for murder
or suicide. Only there had tobe a reason. I'd start with that.
At the newspaper more downtown, Igot the beginning of something. Sure,
Regan, I remember the pulsing thing. You know my reputation, Reagan
(11:26):
Morgan, the guy who never forgetsthe thing? Sure, sure, I
know Morgan's wife come to you.Yeah, well I could give it to
you. Vadim. Don't have tolook it up in the files. You
know. It's like they say,Morgan never forgets. But let's see Linda
Paulson. He said a suicide,but a maiden name was Linda Kale.
Say wait a minute, that's something. Maybe just let me check him in
ere the Oregon papers. We keepthem too, We keep papers from every
(11:48):
place. Yeah, Portland Oregonian.Yeah it was Portland, all right,
the Oregonian March yeah, March eighteenth, and the sixth page, and I
think it was the fifth column.A no, no, no, no,
Here it is six page, fourthGallowa. I slipped up Regan anyway.
Here it is Scales. Let's seethat. Yeah sure, look ye
(12:09):
Kales brother Regan. Yeah, hedied suddenly in bed March seventeenth, survived
by three sisters, all residing inLos Angeles, California. And here it
is Reagan thing. I remembered oneof those sisters. Yeah, yeah,
Linda Kale's posla. I phoned theLion told him to get through to san
(12:30):
Ducci in homicide. Try to getsan Duci to have the Portland police exhume
the body of the dead brother performan autopsy for possible evidence of poison.
Me I got on the track ofthe surviving sisters around La. One was
married. Her home phone didn't answer, but five or six phone calls got
me a line on the other sister. She was unmarried. Her name was
(12:52):
Jane Kales. She worked at aresort up in San Gabriel Canyon, about
a two hour drive from La.I went up there. Oh, boy,
looks like you don't like cars.You are right, I don't.
(13:13):
Sometimes we get it this late inthe year. We're five thousand feet up.
We'll sit down to the counter andhave something hot, okay, coffee.
I'm a cashier, but while thecow girls, you're the cashier.
H I'm looking for you. You'reJane Kle's yah. Yeah yeah, Well
so what here's your call? Myname's Reagan. I'm a private detective.
(13:33):
Thanks, Well, what do youwant with me? I ain't done nothing.
I'm on my own business. Takeit easy. I'm edgie. I
don't get my sleep, haven't everslept good. It runs in the family.
But now that my sister Linda's goneand poisoned herself, why I'm here.
Her husband doesn't think she did poisonherself. What do you think.
(13:54):
I'll tell you what I think.I think it's a sin. I've been
lying awake, night lyon awake,asking myself. How could Linde have done
a thing like that. Maybe yoursister was murdered. Have you thought of
that, Linda. Maybe your brotherup in Oregon too. Oh, that's
impossible. There wouldn't be any reason. There wouldn't be any reason. Money
(14:15):
someplace in the family, maybe,Jane. Oh no, No, we
don't have any money, not fortwenty years. Twenty years. What dad
had money before the crash, buthe lost it, got cleaned out in
twenty nine. He died four yearslater. Okay, okay, Jane.
There's just you and your married sisterDon and La left in the family now.
Yes, Caroline, that's my othersister, Caroline Kiled Mars. She
(14:37):
married Charlie Martz eleven years ago.Yeah, mister Reagan, Caroline and Art
are the only ones left. Backdown in La about six thirty. I
was lucky I got Caroline on thephone. She and her husband were going
(14:58):
out to dinner, but she saidthey'd be back by ten. About a
quarter past ten. I went overby half past We had the brush cleared
away and went down to business.Mister Reagan, My husband and I disgusted
it disgusted. We just can't believethat Linda. Pardon me, mister Regan,
shore Marks just can't believe that Lindawould have killed herself missus Mars.
Yes, suicides usually prompted by lovetrouble or ill health. This certainly wasn't
(15:24):
any love trouble. Linda and herhusband were very happy and health well.
Of course, Linda would sometimes saythat, yes, missus Marks, well,
only that if she couldn't rest,she couldn't get more sleep, you
know, she she'd kill herself.But all of us in our families sleep
(15:45):
very poorly. And I'm sure thatevery one of us must have said that
one can come here. You excuseme? The phones hung up? Marks.
Oh, yes, yes, II didn't want Carolinde here. What's
up, mister Regan. This thingis beginning to take on a pattern,
a pattern that frightens me. Formy wife. That was San Gabriel Canyon
(16:08):
on the phone. It was thenight cashier at the resort took sick this
evening. They went to get mywife's sister, Jane to fill in.
It had snored and then stopped.There were no tracks to Jane's cabin but
her own. She was a longWait a minute, you're gonna tell me
they found her dead. Suicide,mister Regan, She'd taken poise. The
(16:40):
way this case went, it lookedlike the Kao's plant had developed quite a
taste for poison. Linda Kale's poisondied of it. Then there was a
brother dead up in Oregon. Mymoney had it they'd find he died of
poison too, if they dug himup and took a look. And then
there was a third Kale's, Jane, dead too. San Gabriel Canyon poison.
(17:03):
I told Charlie Marx to keep aclose eye on the last Kales left
alive. His wife and I hadit for San Gabriel Canyon. Snowplow was
working on the road the last mileup. Had to wait a while,
so I phoned the Lion in laat home. It was midnight, Yes,
j Lion's butler speaking, May Itake a message for mister lion E's
(17:26):
out. You don't tell me,Fats Jeoffrey, who are you calling it?
Thish Ow? Why are you outhiding from somebody? Of course?
Okay, skipper, here's what Iwant you to do. Check the airline,
train and bus offices. They're openall night. Find out if any
of the Kales family or in lawshad a reservation up to Portland, Oregon,
anytime just before the brother died upthere. Phone me if you get
(17:48):
anything, I'll be at Clemmens MountainResort, San Gabriel Canyon maybe an hour
or two. Get going in goodluck. The snowplow finished clearing the road,
and I went on up San GabrielCanyon. There was one light left
on in the resort cafe, sittingunder it. Lieutenant san Ducci, Who
(18:10):
I thought? He? Who sentyou up? San Duchy? You did?
Regan? You on the line.I check with the Portland police.
They worked first up there. Sothe brother was poisoned. He was boys
and Reagan and this girl up here, and the first sister, Linda poison
and now the third sister. Giveme that again. Caroline March down in
(18:30):
Los Angeles waiting for the phone.Now for a port under condition. I
told her husband to keep an eyeon her. He said he did.
Reagan nearly hysterical over his sister's death. Up here, one of the bathroom
crying helf sake Ellen a few minutesmarchs her to cry out. He ran
in and she was unconscious on thefloor. Called an ambulance and they rushed
(18:51):
to the receiving hospital. She'd beenpoisoned like the others, Reagan, Now
Reagan, this one up here,this Jane Cale's every bit of evidence poie
to suicide, that there was freshsnow, only her tracks led to the
cabin two or three extra poison capsulesin a medicine. Jane Cales didn't commit
suicide. No, No, that'sRegan. I talked to her this afternoon.
(19:11):
She hated suicide. Couldn't understand howanybody could do such a thing.
But if it's murder, Regan,why what more? Yeah? Sure?
And how how does the killer pullit off? It'll be the hospital reporter,
Miss Caroline March's condition. Excuse mea second? Sure hello sendc h
(19:32):
oh just a minute. No,it's be your Regan, must be the
lion. Maybe he's got something forus. I had him working on a
lead. Hello, lion, thisis Regan. No, no, this
is Morgan. You know Morgan whonever forgets the thing at the newspaper.
Mort Oh, hi Morgan. Yeah. I phoned Anthony Lyon. He told
me how to reach you. Yeah, what's on your mind? I forgot
(19:53):
something, Regan? You did,Morgan? Yeah? Something in the San
Fernando Ali Times. March haven't doneKales one. We don't file the Valley
Times, but I remember it verbadehim. You see, it's like they
say, yeah, Morgan never forgetsthe thing. What was it in the
Valley Times about Kales? Well,it was an ad orgi in the lower
left hand corner on the seventh page, two columns wide, I'd say about
(20:15):
three column inches, the three linebold face head with a wide margin,
and the last line of type didn'tprint quite clear. Okay, Morgan.
What did it say? Well,Bank of United States, North Hollywood,
California. And there was some stuffabout the bank. What did it say,
Oh, you know, capitalization whenit was founder. You want that
you can skip that part. Whatdid it say about Kales? Bertram Kales?
(20:37):
Yeah? Oh well Bertram Kales hasseventy three thousand dollars in the Bank
of United States and North Hollywood.But there's been no activity in the account
for twenty years. Yeah, ifKales is some relation, don't shop to
claim the though. Either bank isgoing to turn it over to the treasurer
of the State of California the regularlegal process, you know, the AD
is the formal notification. Thanks alot, Morgan, you've just given me
(21:00):
the motive for three murders. Thething begins to make sense now. Reagon
dollars sentse Bertram Kales would be thefather of the tribe. He was in
the bucks once got cleaned out inthe crash. Jane Kales told me that
this afternoon only he must have stashedaway one bank accounts seventy three thousand smacks.
(21:23):
He didn't tell anybody about. Hewouldn't have one of the investigators to
find it if he failed in businessabout that. Probably planned to use the
doll a few years later after thesqueeze was off. Only he died four
years after the crash. Jane Kalestold me that too. That's up,
Regan. It adds up how massmurder. All the Kales children had equal
claims to their dead father's dome.So somebody started knocking off the children systematically,
(21:48):
one by one. Object to getall the seventy three thousand. That's
the why of it, all right, I won't Your left is the howl
and the who. Maybe that bethe Lion. Now if the lead he's
working on pans out, we mayhave our who. Hello, Lion,
Is this Clement's resort, San GabrielCanyon. Yes, that's right. I'd
(22:11):
like to speak to Kenneth sand Ducciin the Los Angeles Police Department. Please,
this is Georgia Street, receiving hospitalcalling. I signaled san Ducci and
he took the booth. I wentback to the counter, watched Sanducci through
the glass. What he got overthe phone he didn't like. He came
busting out of the booth. Reagan, wait till you hear this. What's
(22:33):
up? I tell you what's up? Caroline Mouts recovered. They pumped out
his stomach or stomach contained the samepoison. They killed her, two sisters
and a brother. That figure Dorithfigures. But Caroline kills Mots got to
the hospital in time. She didn'tdie like the others. You mean you
think she took poison as a coverup. She was the least surviving kills
child. The way it is now, she gets a seventy three thousand dollars,
(22:56):
but she's got a nice out freak. And if we suggest sheep poisoned
her brother and says, yeah,yeah, she got poisoned too, Yeah,
it could be that. Well,we better get down to town and
ask Caroline some questions. That's whatI've been trying to tell you. When
she turned out to be all right, Reagando's knit which I left in charge,
and I released her, she disappeared. San Duci and I drove back
(23:22):
to La. He used the sirenon his police car and I stuck right
behind in his windstream. We gotback down to town after four am.
Nobody home at the March house.We found only one thing on Caroline Kao's
March dressing table. A black mask, the silk covered, padded black mask,
no eye holes, the kind peopleused to keep out the light when
(23:44):
they're trying to sleep. About sixin the morning, I left, San
Duci pulled into a drive in forcoffee and rain had stopped. I kept
thinking of that black mask on CarolineKale's much dressing table, sleeping mask and
(24:06):
something that had run through the wholecase like a thread of music. Caroline
had said it, Jane Kales hadsaid it. It had been said of
Linda, the first sister to die. We don't sleep well. It runs
in the family. We don't sleepwell. At seven, I phoned the
Lion. No answer, so Ibegan checking the airline, railway em bus
officers myself. The fourth time around, I got the brass Rain Halson had
(24:30):
bought transportation Oregon a week before thebrother's death in Portland. I wanted to
talk to him bad but but misterRegan afraid, I am hardly away.
Just sit and listen, Paulson,when I've got to sailor wake you up.
I think I can guess how themembers of your wife's family were poisoned.
You can, mister Regue. There'splenty of evidence they took the poison
themselves. Yes, yes, andthey weren't trying to commit suicide when they
(24:53):
did it. I hope that's truein the case of my whead is because
there's a way it makes sense.Murders sent the victims took poison thinking they
were taking something else. Your wifemade quite a career of pill taking,
didn't she. Well, yes,just her nerves of maybe overstrained by lack
of sleep, the Kaal's family insomnia. Yes, yes, that was it,
mister Regan. She had a pillboxwith a lock, kept the key
(25:15):
to it on a chain around herneck. Somebody close to her might have
been able to get hold of thatkey unlocked the pill box, substitute poison
pills for the pills already in thebox. I see, I see.
That must be how it happened.And with Jane and with Caroline and your
brother in law and Portland, Oregon. He was poisoned too, that's right,
poison You made a trip up toOregon just before he died. That's
(25:38):
right, with my wife, sortof second honeymoon, mister Regan. Poison
Maybe you can guess what I'm thinking. I mean, mister Regan. You
you don't mean you think that Ithat I were here at the time of
the poisonings. Yes, that's true. And you were there in Portland.
Oh no, No, I didn'tgo to Portland. What I didn't go?
(26:00):
Well, I meant to go.You went to Oregon, Yes,
Linda and I Greater Lake, theOregon Caves, and then we were going
to Portland. The whole family wasto meet there for my brother in law's
fiftieth birthday. Well with the Oregoncaves, I had bad news for my
business and I had to come backhere. Then, who was a Portland
Poson? Well the rest of thefamily, including Caroline and Charlie Marx.
(26:22):
Yes, yes, of course,answering Posson, Yes all right, Caroline,
Hello missus Marks. I had noidea you'd be here. Yes,
it's just as well, st Regan. Do you know the terrible thing at
(26:44):
that your husband gave you poison?Can you do in your sleeping pills?
I guess Charlie began saying he couldn'tsleep it insamnia, then asked to buy
your sleeping pills, filled the capsuleswith poison, then return them. He
knew you'd take them. We all, all of us, the whole family
suffers from insomnia. Oldakles family.We depend on sleeping, as your husband
knew. But why why did myhusband want to kill me? He didn't,
(27:11):
Caroline, he knew we'd get youto the hospital in time. He
just wanted to make things look rightso there wouldn't be a lot of questions
asked when you got seventy three thousanddollars, half of which would be your
husband's under California community property law.Well that wrapped it up all except one
(27:34):
thing. We didn't have the killer. I phoned San Duci and he got
the boys hunt it. An hourwent by, two hours, three hours,
no trace of medium sized, grayingdapper Charlie Marx. That wasn't all.
I kept phoning the office the lion'shouse. There was no trace of
the lion. About noon, Ibegan re checking the air bus and rail
terminals. Thank you for waiting,sir me. I hope you know I'm
(27:57):
checking on train reservation to the NorthOregon for the first couple of weeks of
March. I'm a private detective.Next you'll be seeing you want to know
about the reservation the Portland, Oregonobtained in March. But Charles Mark,
are you psychic? Hardly? Butthere was another private detective here this morning
asking the same question. A fatman smelled of steals. You guys,
that's what I want, That's whatI'm looking for, and heard him make
(28:18):
your special. I noticed that someonewas following the fat man. Gimme her
medium sized green dapper man, MarsMars sanducy I won't stick here in your
office any longer. I'm going outon it, Reagan, Regan, I
got twenty boys looking for Mars.The whole course is alerted. Man at
(28:38):
the airport, a man of Unionstation, man at the bus terminal.
What did you do? A longI don't know, san Duci, but
he's tailing the lion. Sandcy hoh okay, I'll be right down,
Reagan. We picked up March.They're holding him downstairs. Well, san
(29:03):
Ducci, Well, san Ducci,you gotta make him talk. Kiping on
a seal with him, Reagan.He says he never saw anybody that answers
the lions description. He's lying,Sandual He may be, but what can
I go here? You are,Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Why aren't you at
the office? Are you taking theday off? Lyon? It's you?
Well, of course it's me,Geoffrey. I've been worried about you.
(29:25):
You've been worried about me. Youhaven't been home all day and when I've
telephoned the office, no answer,Jeoffrey. Do we run a businesshood?
Do we not? Well? Youweren't at the office, fat So,
Oh No, I wasn't, Ryan, What is this? What do you
mean, what is it I shouldbe asking you all day away from the
office in my hour of need.I told your April books don't balance.
(29:45):
You told me, sure well,Jeoffrey, one of our creditors got on
my trail this morning. Oh no, not a medium sized grain dapper man.
Yes, a medium sized grain dapperman. Mister Lucius crunk kite of
crun guided bowls, pencil sharpness andaccessories. He's outside the office right now,
Jeffrey, and he wants thirteen dollars. Did you collect our fee from
(30:07):
mister Paulson? Jeffrey, sure lyonsure I collected it here yards. Jeff
Reagan Investigator is written by William Fifield, produced and directed by Sterling Tracy,
(30:29):
and stars Paul Debov as Regan,with Frank Nelson as Anthony Jay Lyons.
Original music is by Dickaran. JeffRegan Investigator has heard each week at the
same time over CBS, Bob Stevensonspeaking and inviting you to be with us
again for more suspense and mystery andadventure with Jeff Regan Investigator. Welcome back.
(32:13):
Well. One thing I found interestingabout this episode was that the actor
who played Morgan, the guy inthe Archive Room actually did a sort of
Frank Morgan impersonation for the character.Now, Frank Morgan is the guy who
played the Wizard and the Wizard ofOz, That's what most people will recognize
(32:37):
him from. But he had awhole lot of movie credits as well as
radio credits. He was a regularon things like The Maxwell House Coffee Time
and became like a regular a fillingco host for Ben Crosby during the latter
time of Crosby's period on The CraftMusic Hall actually passed away the year before
(33:01):
September nineteen forty nine, so thiswas not a case where you would think
too sued. But it's kind ofan odd character to do a Frank Morgan
voice for. I wonder if thecharacter was just named Morgan, and the
actor decided, you know what,the character's name Morgan, why don't I
(33:22):
do a Frank Morgan impersonation? Alsoa question how many pencil sharpeners does International
use that the Pencil Sharp Company sendsa collections agent after him. I mean,
it has to be a lot ofpencil sharpeners for that to be worth
(33:43):
it. Listener comments and feedback nowand we got a simple but much appreciated
comment on pod being for them someonewho just wanted to acknowledge that this was
a great show. Well, thankyou so much. And now I want
to go ahead and thank our Patreonsupporter of the day, and I want
to thank g Ggi has been oneof our Patreon supporters since February of twenty
(34:06):
twenty, currently supporting the show atthe shameless level of four dollars or more
per month. Thanks so much foryour support, Gigi. Well that will
do it for today. If youare enjoying this podcast, be sure to
rate and review it wherever you downloadyour podcast from. We'll have another episode
of Jeff Reagan next week, butjoin us back here tomorrow for some international
(34:28):
intrigue when we present the man calledX Where But that's incredible, Slade,
incredible, I'm not Chief. Twoof the boys in Washington on number one
experts on Operations zero have disappeared offthe face of the years, and we've
got to find them again before it'stoo late, before they wind up in
Moscow. Who are they said?James Everest, David McDonald McDonald, that's
(34:51):
right, he's an little friend ofyours, isn't he can't? Yes,
Chief and there's one thing I'd bitmy life on. David McDonald's no traitor.
Oh that's not what the facts says, Aston, What do they say?
McDonald and Everest left Washington and routeto London. They've got to clean
up the last unfinished details on Operationszero, the Atlantic Defense packed plans for
defending Europe in the event of I'veunprovoked aggression. Yes, so, sir,
(35:15):
they never arrived. They left theplanet. Shannon Island haven't been seen
since when was that slade? Twelvehours ago. If they're not taking the
plans to Russia, we've got nothingto worry about. But if they are,
well, we've got to find out. Yeah, but how they've got
a twelve hours start. They couldenter Rusian territory anywhere from the Baltic to
the Adriatic Sea. I think wecan narrow it down. Chief McDonald has
(35:37):
a small chalet in France at Montini. He spends his summer vacations there.
I'm afraid your friend McDonald's not ona vacation trip this time person. Nor
is Marshall Petrov. Petrov the Politburo'smilitary commander. He heard yesterday he just
arrived in Billion Remember well, what'sthat got to do with this with McDonald
(35:57):
and Everest taking the plans of operationsERO to Moscow. Suppose I know D
but Montaineer friends. I hope you'llbe with us then. In the meantime,
do you send your comments to Boxthirteen at Great Detectives dot net,
Follow us on Instagram, Instagram dotcom, slash Great Detectives, and check
us out on Twitter. At RadioDetectives from Boise, Idaho. This is
(36:20):
your host, Adam Grahamson and off
Welcome to the Great Detectives of OldTime Radio from Boise Anahol. This is
your host, Adam Brand. Ifyou have a comment, email it to
me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dotnet. Follow us on Twitter at Radio
Detectives, and check us out onInstagram, Instagram, dot com, slash
(00:52):
Great Detectives. I do want toencourage you to check out our other podcast
and I want to highlight the war. It's our World War two podcasts at
the War dot Great Detectives dot net, and it's an effort I undertook back
in two thirteen and two thousand andfourteen in honor of the seventieth anniversary of
D Day, and we essentially gothrough World War Two from the pre war
(01:18):
era through the war to the postwar era, through the ears of radio,
and we use a lot of differentradio programs. There are news broadcast,
but there's also dramas, comedies.If you're interested in World War Two,
it really gives you an interesting perspectiveon what life was like, what
(01:41):
people were thinking, and what theywere taking in as the war was going
on. Check it out the Wardot Great Detectives dot net and you can
sample all the other podcast we dooutside of the Great Detectives of Old Time
Radio right at Great Detectives do Nah. But now it is Tom for this
(02:01):
week's episode of Jeff Reagan as wereturn to Paul Dubov's Tom as Reagan,
and this is his fourth episode.The original air date May the third,
nineteen fifty and the title is TheCure for Insomnia. My name's Reagan.
(02:30):
I worked for Anthony jay Lyon DetectiveBureau. They call me the Lion's Eye.
Jeff Regan, Investigator, starring PaulDubov as Regan, with Frank Nelson
as Anthony jay Lyon. Standby forMystery and Suspense and adventure In tonight's story,
(02:51):
title A Cure for Insomnia and addingthe papers. That's what started this
one off. There were three deadand one to go by the time we
got to the last half of thelast inning of it, and it looked
(03:13):
like the picture that was tossing thestrikeouts were shooting for my boss, Anthony
jay Lyon. It got rolling thekind of day you don't see much around
La storm breaking about ten in themorning when I got down to the Lion
Detective Bureau office. Every my boy, be careful where you share. What's
the matter, lion? Drop andollar? Don't be funny, you'll feed
(03:34):
them money and we can't avoid ahead. The carpet cleaned. Not the way
business is going these day. Yeah, well, okay, lion, mind
if I sit down my overcoats werethen take it off first he regain our
books, don't balance for the monthof April. Wait a minute, leave
your coat on and don't sit out. So we got a new client,
Yes, very I was sitting hereat my desk twenty minutes ago trying to
(03:55):
balance our books and the phone rangand it was a new client, exactly,
Jeffrey, a man named Paulson.He lives in Hollywood, in the
hills above Hollywood and Vine on ChapmanBoulevard seven seven h seven and a half.
And you better get out there rightaway. Somebody's life in danger.
Maybe life in danger. Oh no, no, all the victims already dead.
(04:16):
Missus Polson. Polson's way he murdered. Paulson says he wants us to
prove it. Paulson wants us toprove his wife was murdered. Yeah,
you see, Missus Polson died sevenor eight days ago. The police says
he committed suicide. But mister Paulsonwould be so much happier if it would
turn out that she would murdered.Jeffrey, nice fellow, He isn't me,
(04:36):
my boy. He wants to payus one hundred dollars. Not what
I meant, Look, lion,if missus Parson died seven or eight days
ago, what's so urgent about mygetting out there this morning? Either one
hundred dollars, Jeffrey, I getit, that is, I explained to
you, my boy. Try asI might, scheme as I would,
all April books refuse to balance.Now if I've been thinking that perhaps one
(04:59):
literal pee carried backwards from the firstweek of May. Okay, fat,
so set your calendar back to standardtime. I'll go out and talk to
Paulson. I went through bus allrain, eating off hillside frontage, sluicing
California down, blooded drains that couldn'tkeep up. I turned right at sunset
(05:21):
and Niagara went up two blocks.Forted Hollywood Boulevard. Chapman Boulevard was half
a dozen blocks of twisted hill lipbleary tiled root stucco houses. Seventy seven
h seven and a half where Paulsonlived was the rear third of a triplex.
I parked, my car turned up, my overcoat collar went bad.
(05:46):
That's right coming and I'm Paulson coming. Oh and I'll just sit down,
mister Regan, now tell you everythingall about us. Hole at half sure,
sure, just let me get outof my overcoll I'll help you.
Thanks, Thanks, I got it. You seem pretty upset, Paulson.
Yes, yes. The thing is, I can't endure doubting any longer.
(06:06):
I can't stand the doubt, thefear that my wife wasn't murdered. Er,
Paulson. Doesn't it strike you asa little queer that a guide wanted
to spend a hundred bucks with privatedicks to prove his wife was murdered.
Oh no, no, no,not at all. You'd better give me
the rundown Paulson. Yes, yes, that would be best. Well,
(06:26):
my wife's name was Linda, LindaPaulson. We'd been married seven years,
and we were very much in lovewith each other. Seven nights ago,
quietly in her twin bed, theother bed where she slept in our bedroom,
that room there, and mister Regan, go on, Linda died in
the night. Sometime in the night. You woke up in the morning and
(06:47):
found it dead. Yes, andmister Regan, it was ascertained that Linda
had died of poison. What thecops have to say about it? Well,
of course they investigated, but theirverdict was suicide. Capsules containing the
same poison that killed Linda were foundin her purse, and there were other
things. I don't know quite what, but the police were convinced that Linda
(07:11):
had definitely taken that poison herself.Well, then that about settles it,
doesn't it pause, except except forLinda's motive. Motive that's the term used
in these matters, isn't it.Well, Linda had no reason to want
to die, no motive for killingherself. You seem sure that why I
was. I was sure of it, But now I've begun to doubt,
(07:35):
and that's why I want help.Don't you see? If Linda wasn't murdered,
if it was suicide, as thepolice seemed so sure, then that
means that my wife wanted to die. That means that our life together,
when I thought we were very happy, wasn't what it seemed to be at
(07:57):
all. I see what you mean, and that's why you want me to
prove it was murder. Yes,mister eg it makes sense. All right,
Paolson, head up some coffee.Huh, we'll get to work.
Paulson brewed coffee like I'd hoped.It steadied him down. He gave me
(08:20):
what he could. It wasn't much. He and his wife were ordinary middle
bracket people. No love triangles,Paulson said. Missus Polson hadn't had any
money of her own. Her lifehadn't been insured. Paulson said she'd been
perfectly normal, no depression, nothingqueer right up to her death. I
took down the names and addresses ifsome of the friends and relatives told Paulson
I want to check her round.Then I went down tom A homicide dropped
(08:43):
in on Lieutenant Sanducci. It's abouta woman named Linda Paulson Sanducci, who
sho the woman they killed herself.A week or so he grew look Sanducci.
The husbands retained me to prove shedidn't kill herself. Do you think
she was murdered? Thanks, Regan. Listen, have you seen the house
where it happened? Came from therejust now and narrow bottleneck passage back to
(09:09):
it between two front houses. Yeah, the night it happened. It was
hot. Neighbors had their chairs outat the head of the passage. Nobody
could get in or out without beingseen. Maybe Paulson killed her himself.
Thought of that. We're not amateurshere at the department, Regan. Paulson
was out at a meeting. Paulsenwent to bed at ten thirty. Neighbor
saw the lights go out in thehouse. Neighbor see Paulson come home at
(09:31):
twenty five, Ter eleven went tobed in the darkest wife with the poor
sleeper. He didn't want to disturbher. We haven't told in this,
Regan, but she was dead.Then you got the time of the death
from the reaction of the poison,plus the state of the cadaver. Thinking
the two together. She took thepoison when she went to bed at ten
(09:52):
thirty, died ten minutes later.And there's a clincher, Regan. Go
on the pillbox, missus Paulson keptin a verse kind of unusual. It
had a key that she kept ona chain around her neck. That's where
it was when you saw the body. Yes, and the pillbox in the
purse was locked. That's right,Regan. No tampering with a lot missus
Paulson's fingerprints in the box and nobodyanswers. And we know she was alone
(10:16):
in the house when she took thepoison. Now, look, Reagan,
you talked to her husband. Hetold you she had no motive to kill
herself, same as she told es. That's right. Well did he give
you the full rundown, Reagan abouthow they had no enemies if the woman
had no money, no insurance,Nice decent, ordinary people, Reagan,
not the kind of be mixed upin crime or rackets. He gave me
(10:37):
that, Reagan. Maybe it suggestedsomething to you. Sure, Sanduci,
Sure it did. If Paulson's storychecks, there won't be any motive for
Missus Paulson's having killed herself, andthere won't be motive for anybody else having
killed her either. That's right,Regan, and Regan, Paulson's story shakes.
(11:05):
It checked. I cruised through therain, visited people who knew the
Paulsons. Everybody said the same thing, no reason, no motive for murder
or suicide. Only there had tobe a reason. I'd start with that.
At the newspaper more downtown, Igot the beginning of something. Sure,
Regan, I remember the pulsing thing. You know my reputation, Reagan
(11:26):
Morgan, the guy who never forgetsthe thing? Sure, sure, I
know Morgan's wife come to you.Yeah, well I could give it to
you. Vadim. Don't have tolook it up in the files. You
know. It's like they say,Morgan never forgets. But let's see Linda
Paulson. He said a suicide,but a maiden name was Linda Kale.
Say wait a minute, that's something. Maybe just let me check him in
ere the Oregon papers. We keepthem too, We keep papers from every
(11:48):
place. Yeah, Portland Oregonian.Yeah it was Portland, all right,
the Oregonian March yeah, March eighteenth, and the sixth page, and I
think it was the fifth column.A no, no, no, no,
Here it is six page, fourthGallowa. I slipped up Regan anyway.
Here it is Scales. Let's seethat. Yeah sure, look ye
(12:09):
Kales brother Regan. Yeah, hedied suddenly in bed March seventeenth, survived
by three sisters, all residing inLos Angeles, California. And here it
is Reagan thing. I remembered oneof those sisters. Yeah, yeah,
Linda Kale's posla. I phoned theLion told him to get through to san
(12:30):
Ducci in homicide. Try to getsan Duci to have the Portland police exhume
the body of the dead brother performan autopsy for possible evidence of poison.
Me I got on the track ofthe surviving sisters around La. One was
married. Her home phone didn't answer, but five or six phone calls got
me a line on the other sister. She was unmarried. Her name was
(12:52):
Jane Kales. She worked at aresort up in San Gabriel Canyon, about
a two hour drive from La.I went up there. Oh, boy,
looks like you don't like cars.You are right, I don't.
(13:13):
Sometimes we get it this late inthe year. We're five thousand feet up.
We'll sit down to the counter andhave something hot, okay, coffee.
I'm a cashier, but while thecow girls, you're the cashier.
H I'm looking for you. You'reJane Kle's yah. Yeah yeah, Well
so what here's your call? Myname's Reagan. I'm a private detective.
(13:33):
Thanks, Well, what do youwant with me? I ain't done nothing.
I'm on my own business. Takeit easy. I'm edgie. I
don't get my sleep, haven't everslept good. It runs in the family.
But now that my sister Linda's goneand poisoned herself, why I'm here.
Her husband doesn't think she did poisonherself. What do you think.
(13:54):
I'll tell you what I think.I think it's a sin. I've been
lying awake, night lyon awake,asking myself. How could Linde have done
a thing like that. Maybe yoursister was murdered. Have you thought of
that, Linda. Maybe your brotherup in Oregon too. Oh, that's
impossible. There wouldn't be any reason. There wouldn't be any reason. Money
(14:15):
someplace in the family, maybe,Jane. Oh no, No, we
don't have any money, not fortwenty years. Twenty years. What dad
had money before the crash, buthe lost it, got cleaned out in
twenty nine. He died four yearslater. Okay, okay, Jane.
There's just you and your married sisterDon and La left in the family now.
Yes, Caroline, that's my othersister, Caroline Kiled Mars. She
(14:37):
married Charlie Martz eleven years ago.Yeah, mister Reagan, Caroline and Art
are the only ones left. Backdown in La about six thirty. I
was lucky I got Caroline on thephone. She and her husband were going
(14:58):
out to dinner, but she saidthey'd be back by ten. About a
quarter past ten. I went overby half past We had the brush cleared
away and went down to business.Mister Reagan, My husband and I disgusted
it disgusted. We just can't believethat Linda. Pardon me, mister Regan,
shore Marks just can't believe that Lindawould have killed herself missus Mars.
Yes, suicides usually prompted by lovetrouble or ill health. This certainly wasn't
(15:24):
any love trouble. Linda and herhusband were very happy and health well.
Of course, Linda would sometimes saythat, yes, missus Marks, well,
only that if she couldn't rest,she couldn't get more sleep, you
know, she she'd kill herself.But all of us in our families sleep
(15:45):
very poorly. And I'm sure thatevery one of us must have said that
one can come here. You excuseme? The phones hung up? Marks.
Oh, yes, yes, II didn't want Carolinde here. What's
up, mister Regan. This thingis beginning to take on a pattern,
a pattern that frightens me. Formy wife. That was San Gabriel Canyon
(16:08):
on the phone. It was thenight cashier at the resort took sick this
evening. They went to get mywife's sister, Jane to fill in.
It had snored and then stopped.There were no tracks to Jane's cabin but
her own. She was a longWait a minute, you're gonna tell me
they found her dead. Suicide,mister Regan, She'd taken poise. The
(16:40):
way this case went, it lookedlike the Kao's plant had developed quite a
taste for poison. Linda Kale's poisondied of it. Then there was a
brother dead up in Oregon. Mymoney had it they'd find he died of
poison too, if they dug himup and took a look. And then
there was a third Kale's, Jane, dead too. San Gabriel Canyon poison.
(17:03):
I told Charlie Marx to keep aclose eye on the last Kales left
alive. His wife and I hadit for San Gabriel Canyon. Snowplow was
working on the road the last mileup. Had to wait a while,
so I phoned the Lion in laat home. It was midnight, Yes,
j Lion's butler speaking, May Itake a message for mister lion E's
(17:26):
out. You don't tell me,Fats Jeoffrey, who are you calling it?
Thish Ow? Why are you outhiding from somebody? Of course?
Okay, skipper, here's what Iwant you to do. Check the airline,
train and bus offices. They're openall night. Find out if any
of the Kales family or in lawshad a reservation up to Portland, Oregon,
anytime just before the brother died upthere. Phone me if you get
(17:48):
anything, I'll be at Clemmens MountainResort, San Gabriel Canyon maybe an hour
or two. Get going in goodluck. The snowplow finished clearing the road,
and I went on up San GabrielCanyon. There was one light left
on in the resort cafe, sittingunder it. Lieutenant san Ducci, Who
(18:10):
I thought? He? Who sentyou up? San Duchy? You did?
Regan? You on the line.I check with the Portland police.
They worked first up there. Sothe brother was poisoned. He was boys
and Reagan and this girl up here, and the first sister, Linda poison
and now the third sister. Giveme that again. Caroline March down in
(18:30):
Los Angeles waiting for the phone.Now for a port under condition. I
told her husband to keep an eyeon her. He said he did.
Reagan nearly hysterical over his sister's death. Up here, one of the bathroom
crying helf sake Ellen a few minutesmarchs her to cry out. He ran
in and she was unconscious on thefloor. Called an ambulance and they rushed
(18:51):
to the receiving hospital. She'd beenpoisoned like the others, Reagan, Now
Reagan, this one up here,this Jane Cale's every bit of evidence poie
to suicide, that there was freshsnow, only her tracks led to the
cabin two or three extra poison capsulesin a medicine. Jane Cales didn't commit
suicide. No, No, that'sRegan. I talked to her this afternoon.
(19:11):
She hated suicide. Couldn't understand howanybody could do such a thing.
But if it's murder, Regan,why what more? Yeah? Sure?
And how how does the killer pullit off? It'll be the hospital reporter,
Miss Caroline March's condition. Excuse mea second? Sure hello sendc h
(19:32):
oh just a minute. No,it's be your Regan, must be the
lion. Maybe he's got something forus. I had him working on a
lead. Hello, lion, thisis Regan. No, no, this
is Morgan. You know Morgan whonever forgets the thing at the newspaper.
Mort Oh, hi Morgan. Yeah. I phoned Anthony Lyon. He told
me how to reach you. Yeah, what's on your mind? I forgot
(19:53):
something, Regan? You did,Morgan? Yeah? Something in the San
Fernando Ali Times. March haven't doneKales one. We don't file the Valley
Times, but I remember it verbadehim. You see, it's like they
say, yeah, Morgan never forgetsthe thing. What was it in the
Valley Times about Kales? Well,it was an ad orgi in the lower
left hand corner on the seventh page, two columns wide, I'd say about
(20:15):
three column inches, the three linebold face head with a wide margin,
and the last line of type didn'tprint quite clear. Okay, Morgan.
What did it say? Well,Bank of United States, North Hollywood,
California. And there was some stuffabout the bank. What did it say,
Oh, you know, capitalization whenit was founder. You want that
you can skip that part. Whatdid it say about Kales? Bertram Kales?
(20:37):
Yeah? Oh well Bertram Kales hasseventy three thousand dollars in the Bank
of United States and North Hollywood.But there's been no activity in the account
for twenty years. Yeah, ifKales is some relation, don't shop to
claim the though. Either bank isgoing to turn it over to the treasurer
of the State of California the regularlegal process, you know, the AD
is the formal notification. Thanks alot, Morgan, you've just given me
(21:00):
the motive for three murders. Thething begins to make sense now. Reagon
dollars sentse Bertram Kales would be thefather of the tribe. He was in
the bucks once got cleaned out inthe crash. Jane Kales told me that
this afternoon only he must have stashedaway one bank accounts seventy three thousand smacks.
(21:23):
He didn't tell anybody about. Hewouldn't have one of the investigators to
find it if he failed in businessabout that. Probably planned to use the
doll a few years later after thesqueeze was off. Only he died four
years after the crash. Jane Kalestold me that too. That's up,
Regan. It adds up how massmurder. All the Kales children had equal
claims to their dead father's dome.So somebody started knocking off the children systematically,
(21:48):
one by one. Object to getall the seventy three thousand. That's
the why of it, all right, I won't Your left is the howl
and the who. Maybe that bethe Lion. Now if the lead he's
working on pans out, we mayhave our who. Hello, Lion,
Is this Clement's resort, San GabrielCanyon. Yes, that's right. I'd
(22:11):
like to speak to Kenneth sand Ducciin the Los Angeles Police Department. Please,
this is Georgia Street, receiving hospitalcalling. I signaled san Ducci and
he took the booth. I wentback to the counter, watched Sanducci through
the glass. What he got overthe phone he didn't like. He came
busting out of the booth. Reagan, wait till you hear this. What's
(22:33):
up? I tell you what's up? Caroline Mouts recovered. They pumped out
his stomach or stomach contained the samepoison. They killed her, two sisters
and a brother. That figure Dorithfigures. But Caroline kills Mots got to
the hospital in time. She didn'tdie like the others. You mean you
think she took poison as a coverup. She was the least surviving kills
child. The way it is now, she gets a seventy three thousand dollars,
(22:56):
but she's got a nice out freak. And if we suggest sheep poisoned
her brother and says, yeah,yeah, she got poisoned too, Yeah,
it could be that. Well,we better get down to town and
ask Caroline some questions. That's whatI've been trying to tell you. When
she turned out to be all right, Reagando's knit which I left in charge,
and I released her, she disappeared. San Duci and I drove back
(23:22):
to La. He used the sirenon his police car and I stuck right
behind in his windstream. We gotback down to town after four am.
Nobody home at the March house.We found only one thing on Caroline Kao's
March dressing table. A black mask, the silk covered, padded black mask,
no eye holes, the kind peopleused to keep out the light when
(23:44):
they're trying to sleep. About sixin the morning, I left, San
Duci pulled into a drive in forcoffee and rain had stopped. I kept
thinking of that black mask on CarolineKale's much dressing table, sleeping mask and
(24:06):
something that had run through the wholecase like a thread of music. Caroline
had said it, Jane Kales hadsaid it. It had been said of
Linda, the first sister to die. We don't sleep well. It runs
in the family. We don't sleepwell. At seven, I phoned the
Lion. No answer, so Ibegan checking the airline, railway em bus
officers myself. The fourth time around, I got the brass Rain Halson had
(24:30):
bought transportation Oregon a week before thebrother's death in Portland. I wanted to
talk to him bad but but misterRegan afraid, I am hardly away.
Just sit and listen, Paulson,when I've got to sailor wake you up.
I think I can guess how themembers of your wife's family were poisoned.
You can, mister Regue. There'splenty of evidence they took the poison
themselves. Yes, yes, andthey weren't trying to commit suicide when they
(24:53):
did it. I hope that's truein the case of my whead is because
there's a way it makes sense.Murders sent the victims took poison thinking they
were taking something else. Your wifemade quite a career of pill taking,
didn't she. Well, yes,just her nerves of maybe overstrained by lack
of sleep, the Kaal's family insomnia. Yes, yes, that was it,
mister Regan. She had a pillboxwith a lock, kept the key
(25:15):
to it on a chain around herneck. Somebody close to her might have
been able to get hold of thatkey unlocked the pill box, substitute poison
pills for the pills already in thebox. I see, I see.
That must be how it happened.And with Jane and with Caroline and your
brother in law and Portland, Oregon. He was poisoned too, that's right,
poison You made a trip up toOregon just before he died. That's
(25:38):
right, with my wife, sortof second honeymoon, mister Regan. Poison
Maybe you can guess what I'm thinking. I mean, mister Regan. You
you don't mean you think that Ithat I were here at the time of
the poisonings. Yes, that's true. And you were there in Portland.
Oh no, No, I didn'tgo to Portland. What I didn't go?
(26:00):
Well, I meant to go.You went to Oregon, Yes,
Linda and I Greater Lake, theOregon Caves, and then we were going
to Portland. The whole family wasto meet there for my brother in law's
fiftieth birthday. Well with the Oregoncaves, I had bad news for my
business and I had to come backhere. Then, who was a Portland
Poson? Well the rest of thefamily, including Caroline and Charlie Marx.
(26:22):
Yes, yes, of course,answering Posson, Yes all right, Caroline,
Hello missus Marks. I had noidea you'd be here. Yes,
it's just as well, st Regan. Do you know the terrible thing at
(26:44):
that your husband gave you poison?Can you do in your sleeping pills?
I guess Charlie began saying he couldn'tsleep it insamnia, then asked to buy
your sleeping pills, filled the capsuleswith poison, then return them. He
knew you'd take them. We all, all of us, the whole family
suffers from insomnia. Oldakles family.We depend on sleeping, as your husband
knew. But why why did myhusband want to kill me? He didn't,
(27:11):
Caroline, he knew we'd get youto the hospital in time. He
just wanted to make things look rightso there wouldn't be a lot of questions
asked when you got seventy three thousanddollars, half of which would be your
husband's under California community property law.Well that wrapped it up all except one
(27:34):
thing. We didn't have the killer. I phoned San Duci and he got
the boys hunt it. An hourwent by, two hours, three hours,
no trace of medium sized, grayingdapper Charlie Marx. That wasn't all.
I kept phoning the office the lion'shouse. There was no trace of
the lion. About noon, Ibegan re checking the air bus and rail
terminals. Thank you for waiting,sir me. I hope you know I'm
(27:57):
checking on train reservation to the NorthOregon for the first couple of weeks of
March. I'm a private detective.Next you'll be seeing you want to know
about the reservation the Portland, Oregonobtained in March. But Charles Mark,
are you psychic? Hardly? Butthere was another private detective here this morning
asking the same question. A fatman smelled of steals. You guys,
that's what I want, That's whatI'm looking for, and heard him make
(28:18):
your special. I noticed that someonewas following the fat man. Gimme her
medium sized green dapper man, MarsMars sanducy I won't stick here in your
office any longer. I'm going outon it, Reagan, Regan, I
got twenty boys looking for Mars.The whole course is alerted. Man at
(28:38):
the airport, a man of Unionstation, man at the bus terminal.
What did you do? A longI don't know, san Duci, but
he's tailing the lion. Sandcy hoh okay, I'll be right down,
Reagan. We picked up March.They're holding him downstairs. Well, san
(29:03):
Ducci, Well, san Ducci,you gotta make him talk. Kiping on
a seal with him, Reagan.He says he never saw anybody that answers
the lions description. He's lying,Sandual He may be, but what can
I go here? You are,Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Why aren't you at
the office? Are you taking theday off? Lyon? It's you?
Well, of course it's me,Geoffrey. I've been worried about you.
(29:25):
You've been worried about me. Youhaven't been home all day and when I've
telephoned the office, no answer,Jeoffrey. Do we run a businesshood?
Do we not? Well? Youweren't at the office, fat So,
Oh No, I wasn't, Ryan, What is this? What do you
mean, what is it I shouldbe asking you all day away from the
office in my hour of need.I told your April books don't balance.
(29:45):
You told me, sure well,Jeoffrey, one of our creditors got on
my trail this morning. Oh no, not a medium sized grain dapper man.
Yes, a medium sized grain dapperman. Mister Lucius crunk kite of
crun guided bowls, pencil sharpness andaccessories. He's outside the office right now,
Jeffrey, and he wants thirteen dollars. Did you collect our fee from
(30:07):
mister Paulson? Jeffrey, sure lyonsure I collected it here yards. Jeff
Reagan Investigator is written by William Fifield, produced and directed by Sterling Tracy,
(30:29):
and stars Paul Debov as Regan,with Frank Nelson as Anthony Jay Lyons.
Original music is by Dickaran. JeffRegan Investigator has heard each week at the
same time over CBS, Bob Stevensonspeaking and inviting you to be with us
again for more suspense and mystery andadventure with Jeff Regan Investigator. Welcome back.
(32:13):
Well. One thing I found interestingabout this episode was that the actor
who played Morgan, the guy inthe Archive Room actually did a sort of
Frank Morgan impersonation for the character.Now, Frank Morgan is the guy who
played the Wizard and the Wizard ofOz, That's what most people will recognize
(32:37):
him from. But he had awhole lot of movie credits as well as
radio credits. He was a regularon things like The Maxwell House Coffee Time
and became like a regular a fillingco host for Ben Crosby during the latter
time of Crosby's period on The CraftMusic Hall actually passed away the year before
(33:01):
September nineteen forty nine, so thiswas not a case where you would think
too sued. But it's kind ofan odd character to do a Frank Morgan
voice for. I wonder if thecharacter was just named Morgan, and the
actor decided, you know what,the character's name Morgan, why don't I
(33:22):
do a Frank Morgan impersonation? Alsoa question how many pencil sharpeners does International
use that the Pencil Sharp Company sendsa collections agent after him. I mean,
it has to be a lot ofpencil sharpeners for that to be worth
(33:43):
it. Listener comments and feedback nowand we got a simple but much appreciated
comment on pod being for them someonewho just wanted to acknowledge that this was
a great show. Well, thankyou so much. And now I want
to go ahead and thank our Patreonsupporter of the day, and I want
to thank g Ggi has been oneof our Patreon supporters since February of twenty
(34:06):
twenty, currently supporting the show atthe shameless level of four dollars or more
per month. Thanks so much foryour support, Gigi. Well that will
do it for today. If youare enjoying this podcast, be sure to
rate and review it wherever you downloadyour podcast from. We'll have another episode
of Jeff Reagan next week, butjoin us back here tomorrow for some international
(34:28):
intrigue when we present the man calledX Where But that's incredible, Slade,
incredible, I'm not Chief. Twoof the boys in Washington on number one
experts on Operations zero have disappeared offthe face of the years, and we've
got to find them again before it'stoo late, before they wind up in
Moscow. Who are they said?James Everest, David McDonald McDonald, that's
(34:51):
right, he's an little friend ofyours, isn't he can't? Yes,
Chief and there's one thing I'd bitmy life on. David McDonald's no traitor.
Oh that's not what the facts says, Aston, What do they say?
McDonald and Everest left Washington and routeto London. They've got to clean
up the last unfinished details on Operationszero, the Atlantic Defense packed plans for
defending Europe in the event of I'veunprovoked aggression. Yes, so, sir,
(35:15):
they never arrived. They left theplanet. Shannon Island haven't been seen
since when was that slade? Twelvehours ago. If they're not taking the
plans to Russia, we've got nothingto worry about. But if they are,
well, we've got to find out. Yeah, but how they've got
a twelve hours start. They couldenter Rusian territory anywhere from the Baltic to
the Adriatic Sea. I think wecan narrow it down. Chief McDonald has
(35:37):
a small chalet in France at Montini. He spends his summer vacations there.
I'm afraid your friend McDonald's not ona vacation trip this time person. Nor
is Marshall Petrov. Petrov the Politburo'smilitary commander. He heard yesterday he just
arrived in Billion Remember well, what'sthat got to do with this with McDonald
(35:57):
and Everest taking the plans of operationsERO to Moscow. Suppose I know D
but Montaineer friends. I hope you'llbe with us then. In the meantime,
do you send your comments to Boxthirteen at Great Detectives dot net,
Follow us on Instagram, Instagram dotcom, slash Great Detectives, and check
us out on Twitter. At RadioDetectives from Boise, Idaho. This is
(36:20):
your host, Adam Grahamson and off
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