Seeds of Doubt an episode of Cloak and Dagger radio show

Please enjoy Seeds of Doubt a great episode of the legendaryCloak and Dagger radio show - A Classic Old Time radio Show - OTR

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind the enemy lines, knowing you
may never return alive. What youhave just heard is the question asked during
the war to agents of the OSS. Ordinary citizens to this question answered yes,

(00:25):
this is cloak and dagger, blackwarfare, espionage, international intrigue.

(00:47):
These are the weapons of the OSS. Tonight's story seeds of doubt concerning an
OSS agent who track down Nazis inAmerican uniforms, is suggested by actual incidents
recorded in the Washington files of theOffice of Strategic Services, a story that
can now be told. I'm gladI wasn't there when Celestia got my lesson.

(01:14):
If I had been, I mighthave called the whole deal up,
found some other way to carry outmy mission. What I did was pretty
brutal. I know just how itmust have been. I gave the note
to the baker's livery boy, Henry. He must have driven the dilapidated old
truck through those majestic iron gates ofthe Chateau Baton, twelve miles south of

(01:36):
Paris, circled the huge house andcome to a stop at the servants and
Prince. And perhaps it was Marielleherself. It's a less personal maid who
answered the door. Poo, Mademoisellemonsieur mel And then Marielle began that long

(01:57):
climb up to celestial three flights ofmarble stairs, and then down the carpeted
corridor to the fourth door on theright hand side Manselles. Celeste was probably
reading. She always was in thosedays. There was a way of passing

(02:19):
time while she waited for some wordfor my friend Paul Blanchaw in message Manselle
from messish from Marie I do notknow. It was also mysterious. It
take us truck with at the doorand give it to me who write in
it. It is not not fromthe mandh mon dieu. But then society

(02:47):
is boil my parli. He iswritten for me in the cafe and mompannaise
a dieu. I was afraid hewas dead, That's how it must have

(03:08):
been. And all the while Isat in the dingy little room in the
back of the cafe Autois Sharp,drinking conna, feeling like a dog waiting.
I waited about an hour and thenpause, Mademoiselle Breton, Oh you're

(03:30):
not born. No, Mademoiselle.I was a friend of Paul, mademoiselle,
very well, Paul is dead.Like I say, it was bruited.

(03:51):
But is there any way of sayingthat it doesn't proven? She tottered
toward the table and then swumping withchip. Her face was deathly white,
and yet it was still the loveliestface I've ever seen. But this note,

(04:12):
this flows and writing well a forgery, mademoiselle. The OSS is well
equipped to forge any man's handwriting.The OSS. Oh, I begin to
understand. You are a Lieutenant MartinIngalls Morale Office OSS, and you deliberately

(04:33):
that's right. I had to seeyou, but I couldn't come to the
chateau, and I know you wouldn'tignore a note like that. I see.
I relate you for this, Lieutenant, as long as it'll be rather
awkward considering our future relationship. Weshall have no future relationship, you are
not, I think we will.I've come to Paris to take Paul's place.

(04:59):
Take it plain, Yes, asyour fiancee at first, that is,
and then later as your husband.She sat down again, slowly and
listened in stony's silence as I toldher how I'd met her fiancee in North
Africa. I told her how hedescribed me, and then how he described

(05:21):
their Swiss frenzied courtship in Geneva,just before Paul joined the Free French forces.
Then I told her how he died. Paul loved France, yes,
and he told me once that youloved her too, and that's why I'm

(05:42):
sure you won't refuse to make yourown sacrifice for her. And that is
what Missie allowing me to pose asPaul, letting everyone think I'm the man
you met in Switzerland. How doyou know you could pose as poor?
That's someone who might not recognize you, ooss is me. I made sure
that will be perfectly safe. Yousee, Paul's father was a government official

(06:03):
in Madagascar for twenty years before thewar. Paul visited France only once and
that was the age of eight,and from that age until he met you
in Switzerland, he hadn't set footin your health. So you see,
no one would know the difference.I would know it. Of course,
that would be your sacrifice, andI would throws benefit a nice defer.

(06:30):
I couldn't blame her for putting itlike that, but I wasn't exactly flattery.
I tried to explain my Mission dDay was six months behind this.
Most of France had been liberated,but now there was bestone, the Battle
of the Bulls von Runts. That'sbig offensive and black warfare is a game.
Too complained morale or the lack ofit, can help decide the war.

(06:55):
The oss knew that, and sodid the Nazis, and that's why
they're German agents floating around Paris doingtheir best to plant seeds of doubt and
to destroy a lied morale. Nazishere in Paris, But how is it
there that curve, Well, that'smy job. It's not going to be
easy, because most of them arein GI uniforms. Why we send agents

(07:18):
behind German lines, they send thembehind ours. Black warfare was Hitler's first
great weapon. Why do you thinkPoland the low countries? Yes, even
France collapsed fast in nineteen forty becausethe Nazis had agents behind the lines fifth
columnists doing the same thing then thatthey're doing now. Is that in nineteen

(07:39):
THI The war isn't over yet,Mademoiselle, far from it. And the
longer these Nazi agents operate in Paris, the longer the war is going to
last. Now, that's why it'simportant that the os has smoked them out
and fast. I do not seewhy why it should be necessary for you
to do become your husband well,because then I'd be the master of Chateau

(08:03):
Breton. And what could be morenatural for a wealthy Frenchman and his wife,
out of at a gratitude to theAmericans than to throw open their home
the lonely gis in Paris, partiesmademoiselle, cocktail parties, dinners, dances,
whatever might attract the GI's and theGerman Asians. Niss right. It's

(08:24):
at affairs like that they do theirwork. They spread rumors and lies,
stir up discension, and it wouldn'ttake me long to spot them. It
is a very clever scheme, lutenal. There is only one thing wrong with
it. I do not care tobe your wife. It would be a
strictly impersonal arrangement, and just assoon as my job is done, it

(08:52):
is out of the Christian Very well, Mamsell, I'm sorry Paul was wrong,
wrong about you. That was anotherdirty trick, playing on a memory
of Paul her love for him.But it worked. In a half hour

(09:15):
we were engaged. Do you Celestetontake this man to be your lawful wedded
husband. I do, and doyou, Paul Blanchard take this woman to
be at One of the Paris bluebloods who crowded into the church suspected that
the headquarters colonel wasn't really a minister, and I guess I was the only

(09:41):
one who wished he were. Afterthe ceremony, Celeste and I drove out
to the chateau and settled down tohousekeeping. Yeah, your husband, Yes,
what these that you want? Lieutenant? Well, I just got back

(10:03):
from the USO. I announced ourfirst open house for Safferty. Looks like
we're gonna have quite a mob.We should be lady for them. You
don't mind my stepping in. Wecan talk about it. But we just
did talk about it. No,yeah, yes, I guess we did.

(10:26):
Then good night, Lieutenant, Andthat was married life at the Chateau
Batal. It's a good thing ourseries of parties didn't start. Then took
my mind off other things. Itlooked like every joe in the European theater

(10:48):
attended those parties. The Champagne flowed, the Canapees vanished. Each plan bank
was a bigger success than the onebefore, except I didn't spot any natty
agents. Yes, there were plentyof rumors. Sure, that's one thing
an army always has, plenty ofI can tell you. I hear we're
getting our brains fet out at best. Don't this man's boring over yet,

(11:09):
pal. The guy was telling methe other day how the brass not put
things at Cambray, like a guywas saying the other day. If hit
they want to negotiate, the let'snegotiat and get it over with because we
can go home. The hitler's gota secret weapon, that geological stuff.
He's just waiting for the right timeto use it. If I'd arrested every

(11:37):
guy I heard repeating a rumor,I'd have had half the Gis and Paris
in the clink. The guy Iwas looking for with a guy who did
all the talking the other day,I knew he was one of the guys
lounging in the living room or sprawledon the patio or loafing in the gardens.
Yes, but which one. Forseveral days I didn't get anywhere,

(12:00):
And then I noticed Corporal Alan Chester. I might never have paid any attention
to him if he hadn't paid somuch attention to Celeste. Every time I
looked up, they had their headstogether and Celeste was smiling. And the
time I found them sitting on abench in the garden, she was actually
laughing. Oh well, if itwas a good story, you're going to

(12:26):
have to tell it again, Corporal, It is a very good story.
You have met my husband, haven'tyou? Alla? This is good for
and shifted Paul. We've met howmany times it's getting embarrassing. I've already
apologized to your wife, Monsieur,for wearing out my welcome. No apologies
necessary, I only excuse this.I can't stay away. Your chapeau is

(12:46):
the first place I felt at easesince I left home, where his own
cooker a laugh yette Indiana laughy yetwell, an American town with a great
French name. Right, Maybe that'swhy I feel like I found a second
home right here, twenty kilometers fromParis. There wasn't much to go on,
just the word that didn't ring quitetrue. I took se Lester aside

(13:09):
and asked her about it. AdamSchuster, do you think he might be?
You are a fool, Lieutenant,maybe, but I still want to
know why you said kilometers and inVienna. They say Miles. If I
told you he was a Harvard graduate, they say, Miles at Harvard too,

(13:31):
only European psy kilometers. And becauseof that you suspect him of being
a Naziers young absurd. She isthe most shaming of all the men who
have come here. I noticed youthought, so, did you, Lieutenant.
Then maybe that is the ISA,and you're suspecting. I admitted she

(13:58):
might have something there. I admittedit to myself that not select. An
hour later, at jeep with fourt eyes and it rode through the gates
of the chateau, and one ofthe GI's was Corporal Alan Chester. And
thirty seconds later I was behind thewheel of Celeste little Jaguar following the jeep.

(14:18):
Dust was falling, and the roadto Paris was lined with traffic,
and it wasn't too hard to keepa few cars behind the jeep scene without
being seen in town. The jeeppulled up in front of a cafe on
the Boulevard sand Germain, and CorporalChester climbed out and waved goodbye to the
other three. Luckily it was agloomy joint. He walked straight across the

(14:52):
dance floor. I hugged the wallsand moved in the same direction. He
didn't out at the bar, hedidn't sit down at the table. He
headed straight for a back door.He opened it and he went out.
I gave him ten seconds. ThenI went out the back door too.

(15:16):
It was an alley and as darkas only a paras sally can be.
So dark, I thought there wasonly one guy leaning against the building,
Adamsieur, just cause a cigarette.I dug into my pocket for a cigarette.
That's when I knew that there weretwo guys. I whirled around the
second one was standing behind me,and there was something in his hand that

(15:37):
looked like a black jack. Myfist shot out quick connected me, but
Number one was on me. Then, with a hold hurt, I bruck
away and let him have it.And that's when I found out what it
was. The other man held thatlooked like a black jack. It was
a black jack. I hit thefor a moment. I saw Number two

(16:03):
standing over me and heard a girlssinging far away, and I didn't see
or hear anything more for a longtime. It was dawn when I climbed
up to the third floor of theChateau It Celeste sleeping, she woke up

(16:29):
plenty fast, and if she hadto get into that shimmery house coach,
she wore, she must have doneit in record time doing that. But
you you look telling. I didn'ttell her that she looked wonderful. I
didn't ask her if I could comein either. I had just walked past
her and I sat down on thebank. I told her what had happened

(16:52):
in the alley off the boulevard sandGermain. But all the time I talked,
I was thinking of something else.But we were alone. She was
very beautiful. And so now,of course you are quite certain that Kirtbery's
shister is a zumin Asian. Wellthat's how it adds up, doesn't it.
But I say, I'm not sogood at figures. These many have

(17:15):
been thieves that took your money inhis path. Well that doesn't prove anything.
Well that could have been a coverup. But why with Kirtlery's shister.
I wanted you beaten her up,but it stopped me from tailing him.
That cafe may be a regular hangout, and his boys may hang around
outside to take care of any shadowswho show up. Oh, then you

(17:37):
think he did not know you werefollowing him to matter? Well? His
boys may have reported that they slutthe guy in the alley, but they
can't be sure who I was believenthat I was tailing him? See why
was that funny? No? Iam just thinking what I fool? You
are, Lieutenant Strange. I wasthinking the same thing myself. What do

(18:04):
you mean a man who has awife as lovely as you doesn't even kissing?
He is a fool, isn't he? He would be even more of
a fool if he tried. Haveyou forgotten that bargain a strictly in personal
relationship? You said, I saidit when you said you would be loyal

(18:27):
to Paul Blanchard's memory. Then amI not being loyal? I don't know.
The way you smiled at alan Chesterwouldn't suggest you are. Oh you
do not like to be a spanitymah, I don't like it at all.
Then naturally you would not wish meto accept this invitation? What invitation?

(18:49):
That is why I call you afool? Lieutenant You think Ellen Aile's men
to keep anyone from finding out wherehe is staying? Right? Then is
he still careless with me? Whydoes he invite me to his room.
Why is that? Oh? Ofcourse, if I went, I could
tell you where he esteemed. Veryaps, I could tell you a great

(19:11):
deal more. If he's a Naziagent, I will surely find it out.
But you do not want me togo. You're to go, whether
I want it or not. Ohno, but you are, Lieutenant.

(19:33):
So she kept her date with corporateAllen Chester, and I paced the rooms
of the chateau and waited for hersuffering. It was done when she got
back. Well, let's have areport, the personal one, Lieutenant,
or the impersonal one. The impersonalone is the only one that concerns me.
Maybe ll I found out nothing,And I am more certain than ever

(19:59):
that there is nothing to find out. Okay, thank you, Or maybe
you'll try again some other night tomaronight. It is all arranged, I
see, and I will give youthe personal report to lieutenant, even though
it does not concern you. Ihad a lovely time. It was the

(20:23):
next night when I began to suspecther. I suppose I started even before
she came home. I tried tolook at things straight, and I asked
myself if I were being taken fora ride. She walked in an hour
later. You are wasting precious time, Lieutenants. I still think Ellen is
just what he says. He isan American soldier on detached service in TERI

(20:48):
I have genie orders. Orders canbe fatal, Sister Hea. Then if
you are still suspicious, I willkeep another date with him tomorrow night.
I decided to better be three ofus on that date. She told me
the name of his hotel, anold and honorable one, and the rude
of gold that you are. Islipped into its musty larber you early the

(21:12):
next morning. An old man withbushy brows and a faintly familiar face eyed
me as I approached the desk.I told him I was Paul Blanchard,
the master Chateau Breton. If yousay you are Paul Blanchard, monsieur,
then you are Paul Blancheur. Anyreason I suppose I'm not man almost you?

(21:34):
No, not to all, justas there was no reason doing the
East to suppose that you are.Oh it's it's Adrian, I remembered him.
Then he had been in the Marquis, you know, I had worked
with on a mission before D Day. It was Pierre Salon, a patriot.

(21:56):
It was a break, and Iknew that I was safe, safe
to tell them as much as necessary, it shall be done. Let they
know the scalpel Chester is in theroom six thirteen. Room six twelve will
be vacant or evening. Here's thekey to which you can the dough between
the two rooms will be unlocked.Unfortunately, there was a paper thing.

(22:23):
Five minutes after celested left that night, I was on the road to Paris.
At the hotel, I went straightthe room six twelve let myself in.
Was empty, pitch black tea.There was no sound from six thirteen.
Celestin. Corporal Chester had probably goneto a cafe first. It might

(22:44):
be a long wave. It wasa long way and a hot one.
The windows were closed, the roomwas stuffy. I stood there in the
blackness, and the sweat poured downmy face. In the minutes tick five,
then at last the door to sixthirteen ye old point. I pressed

(23:07):
my ear against the wall. Herewas right about that wall. It was
paper third. But we'd never getup here, Darling. I could kiss
you. I've been wanting to kissyou all evening. The sweat was rolling
down my face harder than ever.I don't see how I'm ever going to
be able to leave you, Celeste. You leaving Paris tomorrow morning is really
hard to see. All yeah,if I were not nearly, if Pearl

(23:33):
were not really my usban, whatis the use of saying? And he
is your husband? But what ifI you? What if I consisted and
knockery? I wasn't sweating anymore?No, it was so cold that ship.
I don't understand, celest You meanhe's only pretending to be your husband,
But why in order to trap you? And you as you think you

(23:59):
have the butt of my revolver wascold too. My hands squeezed tight around
it. Is this true, Celeste? He actually thinks I'm a German?
Yea, and I think so too. I know you are. It's Celeste,
I don't I would not have toldyou I love you? How long

(24:22):
would you go on loving me?I were an enemy of Frances much you
any comfort to anything? I wouldlove you no matter what you are?
All right, Celestie, You're right. I'm a member of the intelligence service
of the Third Right. I twistedthe knob, jerked open the door,
and stepped in the room six thirteen. Thank you for selling me out,
Mademoiselle if you want a traitor,I might never have been sure about Corporal

(24:45):
Chest with a lamp on the table, the only light in the room,
and had stood behind him as Ispoke. A swift movement of his arms
and it crashed into the floor.Now there was darkness again, enveloping all
three of us. We all moved, We changed our possession swiftly, silently.
None of us could speak without tippingoff where we were. Either Chester

(25:07):
nor I could fire for fear ofmissing. So we circled the room,
and we waited for our eyes togo accustomed to the dark. And then
he must have thought he saw me. He missed me. The bullet struck
something near the door, but theflash of his gun was all I needed.
I fired, and then on thethird shot. It wasn't until Old

(25:37):
Pierre Salon opened the door and lightfrom the hall flooded the room. But
I saw what the light Corporal Chester'sbullet had it hit it mistaken Celeste for
me. She lay dead where shehad dropped. Uh sidamas lett at all

(26:00):
see them in this war? Eventhe innocent was the innocent? She was
a trader. Pierre, No,no, no. Just as much as
that rattle over there. But ifthat is so, then I should not
have told her Liton, and Iam sorry I told her what if she

(26:21):
passed by the disk, I thoughtshe was working with you? You did
that? Yes, yes, butwhat did you say the way I said?
Or as well, Madamiselle, whatlieutenant as I? He is in
whom six twelve? Good lord?And she knew all the time. And
the only possible reason why she wouldhave told him who I was was was

(26:44):
to persuade him to confess who hewas. She would have been crazy to
say what she did otherwise, knowingthat I was listening. Then she did
not betray you. No, Pierre, No, she didn't betray me.
Perhaps it was you she loved them, Lieutenant, No, Pierre, it

(27:08):
was France. You loved it.The rest was easy. Corporal Chester's room,
he found a list of names andcokes. We broke the code before
dawn the next morning. By thatnight we had every Nazy agent and GI

(27:30):
uniform corraled, and once again thereport of another OSS agent closes with the
words mission accomplished. Listen again nextweek to another true adventure from the files
of the OSS on Cloak and Daggonsheard him Tonight's Cloak and Dive Adventurers Lieutenant

(28:00):
Ingalls was Chuck Webster, Celeste AliceFrost, Corporal Alanchester, Joseph Julian.
Others were Carl Weber, Evelyn Juster, Jerry Jarrett, Louis Sren, Horace
Bram and Anna Karen. The scriptwas written by ken Field and music was
under the direction of John Gart,sound effects by Manny Segel and John Powers,
Engineering by Don Abbott. Tonight's OssAdventure was based on the book Cloaken

(28:23):
Dagger by Cory Ford and Alistair McBain. This program was produced by Lewis G.
Collen and Alfred Hollander under the directionand supervision of Sherman Marx. Three
Chimes Mean Good Times on MVC andsupervision of Sherman Marx. Three Chimes Mean

(28:44):
Good Times on MVC.