Detective and Mystery – Retro Radio Podcast

Traffic Division. Death and tragedy is predicted, and its up to Joe Friday to stop it. It’s July 3, and a car accident with its fatality set the stage for the problem before Joe Friday and Frank Smith. The cops describe the accident in detail and the senseless loss of life and property. Mr Wheeler barges in, frantic to learn about his boy, but doesn’t want to believe his son is a sloppy driver who fled from police. the account of near misses with pedestrians in a high speed chase, and side swiping cars left in his wake can’t convince the irate dad. Firm words from the emergency room doctor point the finger of blame not at the son, but at Mr Wheeler for not instilling responsibility into his son. To top off the string of damage, word hits that the Wheeler boy has died. Responding to the scene, Joe and Frank interview yet another injured man. In this case, it’s clear the man is faking symptoms. Calls to respond to more accidents fill the shift. The latest includes a smashed police motorcycle, and a severely fatally cop. The motorist blames the cop for plowing into her, while waiting to make a left turn. The middle aged woman who has a requirement to wear eyeglasses while driving is also caught in a lie about her left turn signal. The cops now have the unpleasant business of breaking the news about Mike, the fallen cop, to his wife.

Homicide Detail. An unknown man is found dead, and it’s up to Joe Friday to solve the murder. On an overcast day, Joe Friday works the night watch in Los Angeles. Interviewing a witness, a bartender tells about the commotion outside. Two men attack a third one, but the encounter went down too fast for bystanders to get involved. In voiceover, Joe recounts the investigation progress with his partner Frank Smith, and the clues found in the get away car. The owner of the car is notified. Mrs Gorman tells what she knows about her husband’s business dealings, and drinking habits. When was the last time she heard from him? Should she call him at work to see if he’s OK? Fred Bernard is tracked down in his shop to be interviewed about the unidentified man. how well does he know the Gorman’s? Its back to the station house, then a coffee shop where more news about the car comes to the ears of the detectives. New clues turn up criminal records on suspects. Mike is already in custody on other charges. Will he come clean, or shed more light on the crime? The car thief has an explanation for being in the car, and having cash on his person, but does it clear him in the eyes of the cops? Exposing lies prove to Joe that Mike and Tom are their men, but it takes playing their guilt off each other to dredge up the hard evidence they need to wrap up the case.

A wealthy family finds trouble when their young son is kidnapped. All Nick Carter has to go on, is the handwritten ransom note. Clues soon lead to a hotel, and the handwriting is linked to a forger who Nick sent to the big house a few years ago. How did a forger get wrapped up in kidnapping? Convenient clues are dropped so Nick’s sidekick can overhear, and as the listener is whisked to another scene, we learn why. An entire team of disgruntled criminals are at work to get revenge on our master detective. Will Nick be walking into their trap? After being slipped a Mickey, the only thing keeping Nick alive is that none of the crooks want to be left out of the picture when they do him in. Finding himself tied up, Nick does his best to escape. Is there any hope to fight his way to safety? What about the kidnapped boy? Henry has been a pawn so far to lure Nick into a trap, but will the crooks settle for the ransom? Nick seems to take a Hands off approach, but the kidnappers don’t think about being tracked from a plane in the sky.

Audio resolution is low. Bunko Detail. A couple of swindlers hit town, disguised as men taking donations for charity. On the day watch, Joe Friday heads out with his partner Bill Lockwood. An informant points out their man in a coffee shop, but the encounter ends in a foot race, gun shots, and a car crash. The cops lay their cards on the table with the evidence against Ray. How long will he continue to resist, and claim innocence? In the interrogation, the number of cases is presented, and the similarities in how they go down,. Not wanting to go down alone, Ray spills the beans on the others in the ring. Though his part in the operation is small, he provides plenty to go on to take down the swindlers. The trail leads to the mother of a disabled boy. Her legitimate charity is on the short end, and she tells about some of her usual donors who were taken advantage of by the scheme. Working with potential donors, Joe and Bill interview Mr Stage about a suspicious caller. Scammers refuse to leave a call back number, or address, but when they let their victim know they will call again, the cops are waiting on the line. When the check is requested to be made out to a personal account, rather than a corporation, and taken directly to a bank, the cops spring into action.

On a diplomatic trip to a little known island in the English Channel, Sherlock is to receive a pound of butter in the name of the Queen. The royal family on the island of Garth is independent, of Britain, and the island holds importance due to its strategic location, and the underground caverns discovered there. Important in the modern times where submarines might dry dock without detection. As Holmes and Watson arrive, they are met by the queen’s son and a matriarchal figure named, Reevie. We learn the queen has died in her sleep, but the butter ceremony will go on as planned. Holmes smells a rat,. When Reevie clearly runs the show, and controls the young heir who reveals a little too much about the death of his mother. Is the old biddy up to something more Is there something more at stake than just a butter ceremony? A battle of wits begins when Holmes tries to find out what really caused the sudden death, and Reevie takes him not only a wild goose chase, but tries to drug the famous detective to ensure he never learns the secret. How will Holmes get the upper hand, and get out of the maze of caverns?

Mystery Playhouse was a production of AFRS and hosted by Peter Lorrie. Jerry is upset that a man keeps calling for Pam but hangs up on him. Once Pam gets home she tells about a strange little man who has been following her. Even the phone caller hangs up on her when she answers the phone. Before the North’s can leave, hoping to hide out somewhere else, a man knocks on their door but drops dead when they open the door. Who are the gangsters who are out to get them? Hanging out in a bar, the North’s go unnoticed… mostly. It doesn’t take long before they are followed again. Can Pam and Jerry turn it around and do some following of their own? Their trail leads to Douglas Grant. Who is he, and why does he want to kill Pam? Jerry manages to distract the guard dogs and do some snooping to find freshly poured cement. Jerry also has reason to fish for evidence in the deepest parts of Long Island Sound. Taking some deep dives, Jerry isn’t just hunting for oysters. Will it matter though, if Douglas catches the North’s red-handed in the moonlight? Playing the henchman, Pete, Jerry gets him to turn on his boss. There’s no honor among thieves and the North’s escape. On the ride home the details of the case are unraveled, and the matter of the stranger who followed Pam is solved. Peter Lorrie returns to add a few comments in epilog, and we get a sneak preview of the show for next week.

Homicide Detail. A woman is found dying in a vacant lot, and Joe Friday has to identify her before he can find her killer. In the hospital, Joe interviews the doctor and medical staff about the woman they treated. Frank Smith joins him to try to figure out who she was. Could it be a suicide case? There’s no sign of violence, or robbery, only the odor of chloroform. Newspapers pick up the story on the unidentified woman, and headlines blaze. James Mitchel is an unemployed man who shows up to take the credit for the killing. Why doesn’t he come forth with details or the woman’s name? Nothing in his story matches the crime, so why is he claiming to be a killer? In voiceover, Joe tells how the story of false claims to murder is nothing new, and Mitchel is turned over to the care of a mental institution. Identification comes in when a 16-year-old boy claims the woman is his mother. Arnold tells how she rushed off to meet someone, but he isn’t sure who. All he knows is she was to meet a man named Leo. Clues fall quickly into place, and the cops search for their killer based on a missing necklace.

Or, Gordon Gilroy. Note: (440301 is an Incorrect date). Going to visit a friend, the North’s meet Gordon Gilroy. The grumpy old gent is the uncle of an author they were to meet. A scuffle breaks out between Gordon and Jerry when a gun is produced. It goes off, and Jerry is left standing. Cops are on the scene with the crime lab, and it looks like Jerry will be arrested, accident or not. A knife is found in Gordon, and being the cause of death it lets the North’s off the hook. The question now is, who else was in the house? They had to have known a lot about the house. Who else knew that Gordon was there? Suspects include Mrs. Gilroy, a blackmailer named Crosby, and the niece. Maybe the household servants know something? With a little snooping Pam finds the body of Crosby. What are the cops learning about Mrs. Gilroy? the former showgirl doesn’t think highly of her dead husband. A racketeer named Red Barton is caught fleeing the scene, but is he just a red herring? He is found to be having a fling with Mrs. Gilroy. With all the suspects coming out of the woodwork in the complicated case, the niece, Martha, spills more family secrets. The plot thickens when the body count continues to rise. Pam gets the idea to connect the twisted plot to Martha’s recent murder mystery she wrote. All the convoluted details are brought to light in a confrontation.

Juvenile Detail. An 8-month-old baby is taken from its mother, and Joe Friday is out to find it. Reporting into the chief in the squad room, Joe Friday and Frank Smith give the details of the latest missing baby incident. It’s a carbon copy of the other two cases. A working-class family, no family or friends who would want to see harm done, and no real leads. The cops discuss setting up a decoy to lure in the kidnapper when a caller phones, frantic to clear her name. Mrs. Bolger is a neighborhood lady who babysits. Has someone been accusing her? Is the lonely just being paranoid? Joe describes the development of the investigation in his usual voiceover, but it doesn’t stop yet another kidnapping. A baby is taken, then returned in a 24 hour period, with the only sign of harm being a little exposure, and an item is missing from the baby’s belongings. A report from a cleaning woman tells of used baby clothes being stored in her employer’s home. What’s unusual about that? Plenty of women hang on to old baby clothes. The items match things missing from the returned babies. Mr. Roth is interviewed, but all he knows is that his wife works with children shelters. The cops learn about the childless couple, and catch up with Doris explains her uncontrollable urge.

Pam and Jerry North visit a kennel club to admire the variety of dogs there. In a moment of joking, Jerry’s playful remarks that his wife is a countess finds Pam being abducted. Can the North’s convince the thugs that they have the wrong countess? Should the kidnappers get rid of Jerry? They don’t have enough ration stamps to feed both of them. The thugs, Duke and Sam, give the countess… er… Pam the royal treatment., the plan is to have the countess sign her own ransom check, so they can cash it. Will Pam go for forging a check? Will the thugs finally realize they have the wrong person once they try to cash their $50K check? Morning arrives, and a new development arises when the count joins the kidnappers. Identities are set straight, but it doesn’t mean the North’s will be out of danger. Can it be so simple a matter of letting bygone be bygones? Pam and Jerry begin to suspect there’s something wrong in the way the count showed up for them. Has the countess already been murdered? Jerry turns over the details in the mystery to expose fraud and an unhappy marriage. Was it the count who killed his wife? Despite his resentment of her, others seem to have done the deed. Now it’s up to the North’s to stage their own trap to lure out the killer.

Wiltshire Division, Vice Detail. Joe Friday and Frank Smith are on the trail of bad cops who take bribes to extort money. After being picked up for bookmaking, Lawrence claims to be no “stoolie”, but has come to grips with Joe and Frank as he talks circles around the matter, he recounts his life as a bookie, and how he got picked up by a cop on the make. In voiceover, Joe describes looking through photo line ups of cops and employees. Mrs. Lawrence knows her husband is no good but resents the constant pestering the cops give her as well as her husband. It’s soon clear that Williams is no cop. Mrs. Williams joins the photo lineup which is expanded to other known extortionists. Other victims are approached, but will they be willing to help? Joe explains the age-old scam, posing as a cop to commit crime as he continues to share the mundane progress of the case. Victims slowly emerge to say how they were caught gambling, then were extorted, and thought there was no use or hope in reporting the crimes. The embarrassment of the blackmail keeps mouths shut even for people who are broke, not just the rich. Assurances to the victims finally pay off. Joe Friday and Frank Smith are on the move to catch the phony cop redhanded.

On the way to see a movie, Pam remembers to tell Jerry about an important phone call. Why didn’t she write the message down? Do matchbooks or napkins count? As the North’s race home, we drop in on a conversation in a bar and a gan aster who is also interested in that missing matchbook with the phone number written on it. Extortion is in store, not to mention some revenge on Jerry North. Later, Mr Lawrence finally visits the North’s face to face, but there’s confusion over an earlier phone message. When the extortionist shows up, sure he has the goods on a murder cover up, He doesn’t know why Jerry gets a laugh over the idea. Will there be trouble once the cops get hold of the scandal? The misunderstanding over the plot of an upcoming fiction novel turns real when Dutch Garber, the North’s extortionist, is found with a knife in him. , Pam and Jerry hit the streets to confront Axle, and find out who else knew that Dutch thought he had something to leverage. Misunderstandings prevail when Axle and the others think the Norths are doing some cover up of their own in Dutch’s death. It’s a matter of the thugs fearing that the Norths may bump each of them off, while the pressure is on to squeeze out the real killer.

Robbery Detail. Sacks of mail have been stolen, and Joe Friday is on the job to get it back. Frank Smith joins Joe Friday and together they interview the shaken truck driver. Was there anything suspicious, or out of the ordinary along his route? The route and procedure are always the same. A big sedan pulled the driver over in the most secluded part of the route, and the men with covered faces forced him to drive to a remote warehouse. The getaway car is found, of course, its stolen, covered with fingerprints, but none show up in police files. Soon a lead comes in about a man trying to pass a bill with a marked serial number. How does he fit with the crime? Cecil claims he got the bill from a guy who owed him an old debt. Going to visit Carter at his place of employment, Joe wonders if his partners in crime might also work there. They lure the mechanic down the street to have a look at their malfunctioning car. Of course, the cop car is fine, but John Carter’s alibi wears down after hours in the interrogation room. More stolen cash is turned up, and a confession reveals his partners. The crime comes full circle when it returns to a mail truck driver with family problems.

Pam and Jerry North are sure their friend couldn’t have committed murder, but all the evidence stacks up against him. In flashback to the court room, Mr Baker tells his side of the story. A letter could make all the difference in exonerating him, but it’s lost. None of the other witnesses testify to the existence of the mysterious letter, and Baker’s fate is sealed. What can the North’s do to help? A man crosses their path who claims to know something about the letter, and will let them have it… for a price. Instructions involve gangsters, a clandestine meeting, and warnings to not bring the cops in on it. Will the North’s be wise, and keep their mouths shut, or will they end up in the morgue? The bidding war on the letter reaches $50k, and now Jerry has until noon tomorrow to raise it, if he can. . Death threats come his way in the form of a drive by shooting and car chases, forcing the North’s to go into hiding. A Sherlock Holmes story inspires an answer for Pam. Will it work to buy time? Will the letter remain out of reach, and in the hands of thugs? Can the North’s swing a better deal with the blackmailer? Their friend’s life hangs in the balance. Twists, dangers, and pay back for a black mailer is in store as poetic justice is done.

Vice Detail. A professional gambling ring is on the move, and Joe Friday is out to put a stop to it. Bill Lockwood returns as Joe’s partner and the cops interview an informant over a cup of coffee. Dave makes a living as a pinsetter, a job being quickly made obsolete by those new automatic machines. A couple of new faces in the bowling alley let on about the new big game in town. The cops make it worth the information with a ten spot. In voiceover, Joe tells about the dangers of illegal gambling. Even if somebody wins, he could find himself beaten and robbed. Following leads, Joe and Bill stakeout locations, and a raid goes down. Gunshots. Gamblers bail out the windows. “What’s the beef! All these guys want is to play a little cards. Nobody ever got hurt!” Mike seems to be the ringleader, but will he come clean downtown? The cops try to play one partner against the other. The stakes in the gambling biz just got raised when the report comes in that the cop who was shot in the raid just died. The tough act drops, and Mike tells all about his contact. the man who is really behind the moving card games. Delano freely admits his racket as a gambler, And he owns the murder weapon. Will the cops buy his story? Does his choice of employees absolve him from guilt? What will the rest of the thugs have to say once they’re picked up?