I Hate Crime: Episode 45

Today's Mystery:

Larry is hired to guard a shady character.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: 1950

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Episode Transcript

(00:28):
Welcome to the Great Detectives of OldTime Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, st Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email
it to me Box thirteen at GreatDetectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter
at Radio Detectives, and check usout on Instagram, Instagram dot com,

(00:52):
slash Great Detectives. If you're notsubscribed to the podcast, I do encourage
you to do so so you don'tmiss an appisode. You can subscribe using
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or the Amazon Music app at Amazondot com slash OTR Detectives. Also,
be sure and check out our newestT shirt, the Famous Investigator Shirt,

(01:18):
available at Famous dot Great Detectives dotnet. And we've got several great styles
available for you wide variety of differentsizes and colors. But now let's get
into this week's episode of I HateCrime. The original air date is nineteen
fifty and this will be episode fortyfive. Copyline Brunette. The copy was

(01:55):
good. The brunette Mary was pauled, shapely and easy to get along.
We were talking about in consequential things. I wonder if they'll be an audible
the guy. He stood in thedoorway, blotting out the street, looked
around, saw me, blinked,came to the table. I can't all

(02:20):
right, Mike, have a coffee. Well, it's been nice seeing you.
Now, as I was saying,huh Nick, well what about Nick?
He wants to see you, okay, trying to go along to my
office now he wants to see younow. Look, I'm having some coffee

(02:45):
later when i'm finished. Maybe,Hey, you're rumpling the sleeve of my
coat. Get on your feet,Mike. I don't like to be ordered,
okay, okay, Oh, anddown you go. You want me

(03:09):
to take you to Nick the hardway? Huh okay, I can't get
ready for it. I'm waiting hereit come. You shouldn't have put a
stamp on him, have a chapand a right. I like you,
Mike. You go down so easy? Are you were? You're getting up

(03:31):
again? Mike? Oh not thistime? Yeah? It gets monotonous,
definite, up and down, upand down. There'll be another time,
sure, Mike. It's always apleasure. Yeah, there's something you for

(03:53):
good? Ken. Oh watch thatwinning one Nick stroller can be tough.
Maybe he would decide to get toughwith you, and you tell Nick that
if he wants to see me inhis business is legitimate, all he's got
to do is come to my office. Okay, yeah, yeah, I
tell him that. Maybe he won'tlike it, go to work. And

(04:16):
mister kid, who did not hearda none of my nothing new benitude,
Well, you can show your appreciationby getting U some fresh cop in the
Oh, shure the thing, misterk I gosh, that was a quick
fun. Well, I can't takemuch credit. Mike throws his punches and
slow motions. He seemed anxious totake you to that name name me,

(04:42):
Yeah, Nick Stroller. You knowI've heard that name somewhere. Nick runs
again and ship. That's right.There was a story about him in his
yacht in one of the Sunday papers. Yeah, I wonder what he wants
to see you? Then, well, whatever it is, honey, it's
trouble next that kind of a guy. Three hours later in my office,

(05:17):
Larry Kent, Private Investigation, LarryLarry, Nick Strolley, Oh, Mike,
Larry, you should see Mike,I never saw a black guy like
it. I'm sorry about that,Nick, but I understand, Larry,
I understand you're the kind of bogwho doesn't like to be around. Yeah,

(05:40):
that's right. I should have pickeda better way of getting in touch
with Listen. Sorry, I'm introuble. Oh I want that you should
come up to my plant. Howabout that, Harry, Nick? What
kind of trouble. I'll tell youwhen you get here. I don't worry.

(06:03):
I'll make it worthy. Wow,you don't have to worry about that.
You'll come, Larry all right rightaway? Okay, Nike, that's
my boy. You know where Ilived, Build More Arms, Darling Hurt
top oh, top far is mine? When don't I see you as soon

(06:25):
as I get there? Nick?Good? Good? Good? Everyweight along
a right. Twenty minutes later,I entered the build More Arms building,
took the elevator to the top floorin front of me with an ivory door

(06:51):
with a gold plated buzzer. AsI reached for the buzzer, I mean,
thanks, Mike. Where's Nick?Hello? She had honey blom hair,
lovely angles and in between five anda half feet of beautifully developed territor.

(07:19):
This is Lydia Wilson. Hi,Lydia, you always a track a
detective. Who's going to help Nick? County? Well? I wasn't sure,
but the odds are now heavily infavor of it. Yeah, Lydia
his Nick's girlfriend. I was lookingat Lydia as Mike said it. Her

(07:41):
eyes narrowed, an expression of annoyancecrossed her face. Then she was smiling
again. Fyancing, Oh yeah,yeah, Okay. Cot Les waiting for
you in his office. Lead onthis way. We went for a hike

(08:01):
across thick carpet. The place wasfurnished expensively, but it would add very
much taste. Mike stopped in frontof an oak door. Oh, I
can't to see your mister stroller.Oh, Larry, Larry, come in,
thanks totally, Oh Mike, goodto see you again, Larry,

(08:28):
not real good. I took Nick'splump, pink hand. Nick was a
little fat boy with a hook nose, tiny eyes, fuzzy bits of brownish
fuck. But here, sit down, Larry, have a seat. Thanks.
You want something to help yourself fromthe cabinet next year? All right,
Nick, let's get to the point. How what's bothering you? Somebody

(08:48):
wants to kill me? Larry?Oh twice there ago my car and the
girls downstairs one day blew up,No kidding, just blew up with nobody
even a bomb inside. I willput the bomb in the car. Made
a mistake in the wiring, lucky. Yeah. Then the other day,
Mike and I are looking on thejoistoor window. We felt something go past

(09:11):
us play glass window and there's aperfect little bullet hole. As we looked,
another hole appeared in the window.Naturally, we just running back as
we can. Naturally, if yougo into the police, Nick, are
the police? Me go to thepolice, not silly, But you,
Larry, are different. I've gota proposition. Yeah, listen, I

(09:33):
will give you three hundred pounds aweek for three weeks to guard me right
around the car. You've got MikeWall Mike loyal, but he's a done
there shook. Look what you didhim this morning? Nick. Why do
you want protection for only three weeks? Oh? Because my gambling yard is
now being repaired. In three weeksit will be ready for watch trip time

(09:56):
during the South America. To getaway from the Anna will find kill me.
You must have some idea who thisman is. Huh, none whatsoever,
not even the slightest idea. AndI don't care who you is.
All they want to do is getaway from here alive, I tell you,
why make it an even thousand?Make it? Oh wow, like

(10:18):
one thousand pounds. So where doI stay? Why here with Mike and
me. I have a nice roomfor you, Larry. I feel so
much better with you here, Larry, Oh so much better. A week

(10:39):
past. During that week, Ibecame very interested in Lydia, though she
did her best to hide the factshe was a very unhappy girl. She
had an apartment to block away,no relican, just me. Dear Jenny,
you don't like him doing? Whyshould I? Anne? You're his

(11:01):
start? How do I know howfar I can trust you? And she'd
walk away. As for guarding Nick, it was the easiest work I'd ever
done. He hardly left the housewhen he did. Nothing happen, which
shooted me right down to the ground. It hadn't been Polydia, I'd have
been perfectly happy, but she worriedme with times. When I'd catch her

(11:24):
looking at me, she'd start tosay something, bite her lower lip,
and turn away. One afternoon,while Mike was out and Nick was in
his room having his hair cut andhis nails manicured. Yeah, I'd got
to talk to someone. Sure,talking Nick wouldn't Nick. You've really got

(11:48):
something eating away to you, haven'tyou. Yeah? Please, Honey,
when Mike gets back and NICs needto give him a couple of hours,
King m h okay, why don'tyou see something later? Come here?

(12:33):
M h m hmm. The wholething had been set up. That was
obvious, the music, the filmythings she wore, the way she looked
at me, the heavy perfumes shewas using. One thing I hadn't been
prepared for. The hunger, thereal hunger, and kisses and it's easy.

(13:03):
Burst up, blood vessel. Didn'tyou know it? You what made
you become Nick s grel Lisa's security? Are you going to break away from
Nickel with you? Make the tripwith him? He doesn't lasting even if

(13:26):
he does, I'm confused. Yousaid you wanted to talk to me talking.
Yeah, you led me to believethat you had something important to say.
You and I together, you're eithera screwboard or I think I'll go

(13:54):
back to Nick. Sorry, Imean there are things about you that I
can't figure out. And when it'sthat way, you're better off leaving a
day so long After a couple ofminutes of pressing the gold plate at buzzer.

(14:31):
I took out my scalop of kees. Ye, well there was a

(14:52):
reason for Mike not answering the door. He was lying on the couch with
a knife and his chest. Iwalked past Mike's body went to Knick's office.

(15:22):
Nick was lying on his stomach,the small automatically on the floor near
his outstretched hand. A gun hadbeen used on Nick. There at least
four slugs in him. Well,I thought, there goes my thousand pounds.
My second thought was called the coups. So I went to the living
room and was reaching for the phonewhen he Sergeant Morgan, Well yeah,

(15:48):
well hey, sage black on thecouch lock. They entered the room,
went over the Mike's body, DetectiveSergeant Morgan and Detective Slim Warner, both
of homicide. Morgan had a quicklook turned to me, what happened?
Ken? You know I just haveto ask you the same question. Well,
I'll ask the questions if you don'tmind. Well, first answer one
for me, Morgan, were yougo ahead? How come you're here?

(16:11):
We received a fern tip. Someshots were fine. When did you get
the tip? Only a couple ofminutes ago? Dame blurke. That's three
questions. I've answered you way pasta quitter. Yeah, yea. Believe
it or not, Morgan, Iwas going to phone you boys just as
you opened the door. I'll reservejudgment on that. He sade this Blake's

(16:32):
got a knife in him. Itdoesn't explain the shots. Oh, you'll
go a long way, son.That's really clever. The dutchin give out
Ken. You'll find Nick in hisoffice. Watch. A few minutes later,
Morgan was back. He had apencil in the barrel of a thirty
eight revolve to keep his prints offthe gun. This was under Nick's disk.
That's sad that he was shot inhim. Yeah. What kind of

(16:56):
a gun do you use? Why? A thirty eight? This one?
Yeah, but mine's in my holster. Get us right, Morgan. You're
not charging me with murder, areyou. I let's say I'm taking it
a headquarters for questioning. Get up, Ken, take it easy, boy,
I'm getting Yeah, it's a thirtyeight, all right? Started to

(17:18):
put it in your pocket? Allright, I'll phone for the boys.
Then we go to headquarters. Siton, Ken, Thanks, you can
leave us alone. Kenserdy for ahat to talk Ken yeah, I could
make a crack. You go aheadand forget it. What's on your mind?

(17:41):
Morgan? Two bodies to murders.So we got words for our Phis
gigs a few days ago that youwere working for Nick Stroller. Huh.
It's a bit out of your usualline, isn't it. Dough Nick in
tender skipping the country and he's yourtwo weeks from now? Yeah, I
know. For weeks nick solicitors havebeen selling his properties. Nick must have
had quite a lot of cash inthe flats. Maybe he did, but

(18:03):
we can't find it. Our expertshave gone over every square inch of that
flat. You don't think I've gotany of the money? Do you more
than then? Why this low pressurecross examination? Because Morgan homicide? Yeah?
Uh huh, thanks Emp. Thiscase has got me puzzled, really

(18:29):
puzzled. Seems to me that phonecall added to your puzzle them. Yeah,
that was from the fingerprint department thatgun I found on the Nick's disk.
It has your prints on it.You're kid noh k, Well,
this is some school boy detective trickyou're trying to pull on them. They're
your prince, you know, adn'tpull smart or tricks Kent. That's not

(18:51):
how I operate. I can't figure. Yes, I can. I haven't
been to my appart happen for aweek. I always keep a spare thirty
eighth there. Yeah, that checks. I sent a man over your fat
You didn't find a gun man yetyour license for two. Also, your

(19:11):
door showed signs of being gemmied opening. Wait a minute, let's get this
straight. Somebody stole that extra gun. I'll go along with you on that.
And if somebody did steal your extrafor one reason to frame me for
the killing? Check? Now thebig question why to divert suspicion from the
real murderer or murderous Kent? Oh, I guess you know about Lydia Wilson.

(19:34):
We're I've done. We've been checkingon Nick Strailer for a long time.
Now. You know that his cowhas burned a bits by a bomb.
He didn't report the explosion to us. But you can't hide things like
that naturally. The checks we madeon Nick brought the girls to our attention.
Have you checked on her background?Well, no, we had no
reason to till now. I senta couple of men to get at Kent.

(19:56):
He's being held in one of theofficers downstairs. Good Morgan correct me
if I'm wrong, But the impressionI've got is that you want to play
ball with me and vice versa.That's right, then maybe you'll listen to
an idea. I've got it allright ahead. First of all, I'll
need some light recording equipment, andsecondly, i'd like you to hold Lydia

(20:17):
Wilson here for another couple of hours. I think I get it, but
keep talking, I did. Itold Sergeant Morgan exactly what was on my
mind. When I was finished,he grinned it's exactly the same idea I
had Kennedy. So we got startedon it. Fifteen minutes later, I
left police headquarters in a private car. Playing clothes. Man was driving.
I had two suitcases with me.He left me off near Lydia's apartment buildings.

(20:41):
I used the side entrance, walkedup the fire steps to her floor.
Her doorlock was an easy skeleton keyjob. Inside. I hid the
recording equipment and set it up.Then I looked around. What did I
expect to find? What a dome? Maybe Nick Stroller's dove, But I

(21:03):
didn't. The only article of interestI did find was a photograph. The
photograph of a curly haired, handsomeguy scrolled across the lower right hand corner
was all my love to you,Lydia Joe nineteen fifty four. I sat
down and waited. Finally, Hi, Larry, I flicked the little button

(21:37):
that started the recording equipment movie.Lockdows don't seem to me much to you,
well, I wanted to see you. The police were questioned me.
Yeah, they talked to me too. They told me that you found the
bottoms. Yeah, you don't seembroken up over it. Yeah, but

(22:00):
he was a good name ticket.I couldn't stand touching. Is that way
you arranged to have him killed?You're not sitting nod. You had somebody
bust into my apartment and steal myextra gun, figuring my prince would be

(22:22):
on it. Then you arranged tohave me come here while your friend or
friends knocked off Mike and Nick.After my gun was used on Nick,
it was tossed under his desk andthe killer wore gloves or wrong. I
can even name the guy working withyou, Joe Joe. Yeah, he's

(22:48):
a good looking guy, Livia Groan, Yeah, here it is. But
I knew about Joe before I foundthe photo lying. Then you can't make
me say I had anything to dowith those murders because I didn't. And
I asked you to come and herethat day. I was going to tell

(23:11):
you how I felt about me.Oh, I couldn't stand the cycle that
I was going to run away,But then I couldn't know how far could
trust you? File away the stories, Honey. I'm in a position to
really hurt you, but I'll forgetabout gabbing to the cops if you kept

(23:33):
me a nice slice of Nick strollersof money. I don't know anything about
any money. Can't you get itthrough your head that I don't have the
slightest idea of who killed Nick?Well, i'll give you five minutes to
make up your mind, honey.If you don't want to play ball with
me, I don't go straight tothe cops. Tell them about Joe and
give them my opinion of what happened. I don't care what you do.

(23:57):
And as for Joe, you don'tknow what you're talking about. She sat
down, lit a cigarette, saidnothing. Neither did I. But I
was thinking, wondering what bluff Ican try mixed. The five minutes were

(24:18):
almost up when well, well,now, who can that be. I
haven't the slightest idea whoever it is, let him in and listen, honey,
I'll be holding this gun and I'llbe standing behind those drapes. I
don't try anything cute. Get in. The guy pushed Liddia into the room.

(24:52):
There was a gun in his hand. I fixed everything nicely, didn't
I? Sweet, dear Liddia,j it was you? Yeah to me?
Oh, I was clever, mysweet. I watched you and Nick
Stola, and then that Larry Kent, Yes, watched and planned. I
broke in the Kent's apartment, foundan extra gun. Then I waited my

(25:15):
chance the big fellow I night sothe think wouldn't be disturbed by shots.
And then back to Nick's office Iwent. The gun didn't seem to buy
me as much as my face.My face, look into my face,
litwn No help me, Larry,drop the gun. Joel, Oh,

(25:40):
no, I'll kill you two kid. It's like I got him on the
shoulder, spun him around. Yes, I want you to understand what happened,
Kim, I think I do.Lydia and I were engaged, and
then a year ago I was ina car accent glass in my face.
Flame did this too? Left mewithout a face. She couldn't even look

(26:06):
at me when they took the vantagesoff. She ran away squeaming, and
I had to lay there for weeks. All I could think of was revenged.
You tried to frame me for theYeah, I thought she was falling
for you, and it didn't work. So hey, this is the best
way fun story st Yeah, Joeor twisted Joe had a room in padding

(26:52):
them There the cops found the moneyhe'd taken from Nick Stroller, the first
to attempts on Nick's life. Well, we're assuming that Joe was responsible for
them, and that's about it.Sorry, but somehow I've got nothing bright
to say, so good night,welcome back. Well, Larry can't hates

(27:33):
crime, but not enough to makehim refuse to work for a criminal paycheck
as a paycheck, I guess,Although I guess that doesn't make as good
a title for a radio program.I did like the twist Slaire. Larry
can't guess wrong based on his experience. Yeah, we've had so many episodes

(27:55):
with the fam fatale being the onewho did it or was in some way
behind it, and he thought itwas another case of that, but instead
it was the act of acts whowas acting alone after having been through a
tragedy that left her at the verymost, if not feeling regret, then

(28:17):
certainly guilt about what she had done. And the realization of that, you
know, had that subtle effect ofhim not having a clever remark at the
end. So that was a nicelittle twist on the formula of this series.
So a pretty good episode overall.All right, well, now it's

(28:38):
time to go ahead and thank allour Patreon supporter of the day. Thank
you to Daniel, Patreon supporter sinceMarch of twenty twenty, currently supporting us
at the Shamus level of four dollarsor more per month. Thanks so much
for your support, Daniel, andthat will do it for today. I
do encourage you to subscribe to thepodcast to make sure you never miss an

(29:00):
episode. You can use your favoritesoftware including Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher,
or the Amazon Music hab at Amazondot com. Slash otart. Attactives also
be sure to write and review thepodcast wherever you download it from the way
back. Next Tuesday with another episodeof I Hate Crime, But join us
back here tomorrow for Dangerous assignment whenthey cannot serve you. I didn't come

(29:25):
here for food. I came forinformation. If you a puppy Bell there,
we miss you. I'd like totalk to you about one of your
waitresses, a girl named Linya.Oh, I didn't see you over there.
If you wish to talk about Lynya, you would talk to me.
Really, who are you the tenantmut of the police and you Steve Mitchell

(29:48):
nah Esqua, you are interested inthe girl Lina, you may ask,
Lieutenant and I think these credentials ofmine will answer your question. I see,
I will be happy to corporate here, mister Mitchell. Now what can
you tell me about the girl PapaBell there? Oh, very little Messur.
Yeah, she was a good waitressand a very good game where She

(30:11):
lived in a rooming house about ahalf hour's walk from this place. Here
is the address, thank you,Lieutnan. Lindya walked home every night.
Huh that's right, Mersur. Well, then it seems logical that's somewhere on
her road she passed the spot ofJackson's killing and witnessed it. I have
investigated that Lyndia could not possibly havearrived the scene of the killing at the

(30:33):
time when the killing took place,I walked off the distance myself. She
could not have been closer than threeblocks to it. Then, I don't
get it. Why did the killertake off after her? She's most puzzling,
sure is the only other answer isthat Lyndia knows something that she doesn't
realize she knows. That means I'vegot to find her before the killer does.
Ran Goon is a large city,Mitchell, Yeah, and we're not

(30:56):
even sure she's still in right.I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send yourcomments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
net, follow us on Twitter atRadio Detectives, and check us out on
Instagram, Instagram, dot com,slash Great Detectives from Boise Idahold. This
is your host, Adam Graham.Sign and off.