Get this and get it straight
Crime is a sucker's road those who travel it wind up in the gut of the prison of the grave
This time a twisted mind a hole cut in a wire fence and a corpse in a saw room
All added up to freedom, but only for the one who had it coming
From the pen of Raymond Tramper outstanding author of crime fiction comes his most famous character in
The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
Now with Gerald Moore starred as Philip Marlowe we bring you tonight's exciting story the bid for freedom
Never fails when you worry over your bank statement then hug your office phone from nine to five anxious for business
Nothing happens at the minute you decide you'll get rich another day
Chuck the puny balance sheet into a bottom drawer and make plans you want it
And that was exactly the way it played when it's three o'clock on the kind of slate gray afternoon
That makes the Beckoning Santa Fe railroad vacation billboards look a little more so I
Left a note on my office door and headed outside and across the street for some real Hungarian goulash
The second after a waiter disappeared into the kitchen with my order
She was standing at my elbow not quite young not quite pretty
Not quite blonde and when she spoke not quite sure of what she was going to say next you
You're mr. Philip Marlowe aren't you I mean a private detective with officers across the street
Yeah, that's right
I
My name is Helen Asher. I have to find someone
You do that kind of work. Don't you finding people I mean that all depends recession who's the person you have to find?
Leon Rodale a friend
I just got into town. I had his address in my handbag, but I lost it
The handbag that is and I don't exactly know which way to turn it a minute miss Asher
Let's take it a step at a time. Uh, and I sit down
No, thank you. I'm in a hurry. Mr. Marlowe
Leon Rodale is listed in the phone book. I've tried that and I don't know the name of this firm his business name
He he deals in ceramics that all you can tell me. Oh, no, I have something else
It's a name and an address here in Los Angeles
Fortunately that wasn't in my handbag, but here in my coat
Know what miss Asher
On the street what's on the street? Nothing. Nothing at all. Hey, miss Asher. Wait a minute
I
Had been a sort of sad look about Helen Asher that made me want to help her
So I turned even sad a look at the plate of goulash that was coming toward me from the kitchen. I followed her the street
When I reached the sidewalk she was across the street in a cab in a way
It might have been the end of it
Something small and ugly that had been standing just outside the restaurant hadn't turned and moved into the alley alongside the building
On a hunch that he'd had something to do with the sudden exit of miss Asher
I followed him and found him standing next to a line of empty ash cans
calmly lighting a cigarette
Always run into alleys to light your cigarettes. You always concerned. What do you know about Helen Asher?
Helen Asher I
Haven't any idea who you're talking about. Come on little man
I'm talking about the girl who just got into that cab to the words begin to flow. Oh, I ring him out
I get your hands off me. You're ripping my pocket. Lucky it isn't your nose. Come on talk. All right. All right
It's no secret here. It's all in this letter
Look
Told the shop pointed shoes and caught my shin where it really hurts
By the time I was out of the ash cans
Back on my feet and over damage had been more to my dignity than anything else
I knew also that the little man was gone and I had no idea where
It was halfway out on the street before I realized that I still had the little man's letter clenched in my hand
It was from an Omaha Life Insurance Company and addressed to one
Eldon hook
31 Marlborough Drive, Sunnydale, California
California and they there wasn't just around the corner, but the fear I'd seen in Helen Asher's face plus a score to settle with
Eldon the hook said the 20-mile drive into the San Fernando Valley was a minor point
Under the gray sky overhead the thickened by the minute
Sunnydale about the size of the hole in a candy lifesaver looked as warm and cheerful as crepe paper
And number 31 Marlborough Drive also gray was no improvement from me
Ponderous bleak stone buildings which said Queen Victoria should have slept there
Past the high thick wire fence that surrounded it to the wrought iron gate in front of me labeled
Hillcrest Sanitarium
keep out
Ten minutes of softly phrased questions and answers to get the boss man at dr. Chinetti to the gate
I told him who I was and what brought me to him including the description of Eldon hook. I
I don't understand
Come in. Mr. Marlow, please
Eldon hook has been with us as an attendant for more than a year now. His behavior has always been satisfactory
Nothing would surprise me anymore today
By the way, sir. What did you say? That woman's name was the one who approached you in the restaurant? Oh, Helen Asher
Is it possible that she was once a patient here doctor? No
What about Leon Rodel Leon Rodel?
How do you know that name from Helen Asher? She was looking for him. That's why she wanted to hire me
She knew he was here in Los Angeles
Mr. Marlow this woman was she young about 30 blonde
Yeah, that's right. Why why because this morning earlier about six o'clock one of our patients escaped a woman
You know us Helen Asher and we know as Charlotte Rodel Leon Rodel's wife. Oh
She's insane
Temporarily. Yes
Come over here near the fence. I'll show you how it's got away
How she managed to cut through enough of this thick wire link fence to make a hole large enough to crawl through
Beyond me here. Look behind this I
Even with a good wire snipper, it would take hours to get through all these strands
Wasn't she missed inside? Yes, but she was only gone minutes
Apparently she had been doing a little at a time during her recreation period at night whenever she could
Be careful of the birds and those bushes there. Mr. Marlow. Yeah, I see what you mean
Tell me doctor the policeman notified of course at once the law compels us to and
Frankly, mr. Marlow, I'm terribly worried
You see it was her husband Leon Rodel who had a confined here a year ago
Six months after their marriage. She began to act strangely
He felt it would be only with our help that she could ever regain her mental equilibrium
I thought that we were accomplishing that partly. No, obviously
But mr. Marlow, we must call the Los Angeles police right away and tell them that Leon Rodel now lives here not in San Francisco
He must be protected
I see your point
Yeah, she did break out
She is trying hard to find Leo and free she ran from Eldon Hook who was very close on a trail. That's right. Mr. Marlow
That's why I suggest that Leon Rodel discontinue seeing his wife as of last month. He always left Charlotte very upset
Now I better call the police. That's a good idea
Although Charlotte didn't know where her husband was staying or what the name of the ceramics business was
She
Say Doc
Doc she claimed that she lost a handbag. Have you found it by any chance?
Yes, we did. We found it in the brush near a hole in the fence. I've got it right here in my desk. Oh good
There was an address on the card in it
3840 something
Yes, here it is
3840 lookout terrace
Lookout terrace
That's right here in the valley up in the hill south of Ventura Boulevard
Mr. Marlow if possible, I'd like to avoid having the papers get hold of this
This story this is a rather exclusive nursing home
So well in a sense you're already in this case
Could you try to find Charlotte Rodel and bring her back here before the police do?
Well, Dr. Shinetti, I would be doing a great service for the woman and her husband
I'll pay you your fee
All right, Dr. Shinetti. I'll try I'll call you as soon as I have something
When I first started Marlboro Drive in Sunnydale, it had been a combination of interest in a sad-eyed girl and a
Strong desire to punch Elton Hook on the nose
How it was business
It took 20 minutes of fast driving to get over to look out terrace in the hills that separate Hollywood from the San Fernando Valley
3840 itself
The house was a squat chunk of overly stuccoed, Archaic California architecture at the top of a steep driveway
When I was out of my car and walking toward the front door
Everything was black except tiny pinpoints of light sparkling up from the floor of the valley I just left
Good evening, sir
I hope I didn't bother you, Mr. Rodel
Mr. Rodel?
Oh, I know your name
Yes, sir
And I know some other things as well
Like what?
Oh, incidental facts like, well, it's cold in there
So you haven't been home in hours
And?
And the refrigerator is empty. So you're only staying here off and on
Also the old mail inside, phone bills, etc. They don't have your name with this address
So this is probably a friend's house
Which totals to what?
Zero, many
Zero, Mr. Rodel, like you're gonna total if you don't pay the money you owe to my good friend in San Francisco
You know who I mean, don't you, Mr. Rodel?
Yeah, yeah
What I don't know is how good friend thinks I'm gonna raise that kind of dough
I made it funny?
Oh, you're kidding
What's 15,000 to you?
Shall I say an intimate friend of Ordine Blackburn?
Oh, Ordine Blackburn
Yeah, Ordine Blackburn. Come off it, boy. I'm thorough, an eager sort
I know that the lady from Bel Air has loaded and that she's nuts about you
How full of them
Now before I leave, a word of advice, Rodel
One can't run away from his obligations forever
And you won't be able to walk away after 24 hours
Unless, of course, you pay
Good night
Good night, Eager, till we meet again
There'll be some heat in here somewhere
Information
Oh, operator, I'd like the telephone number of a Miss Ordine Blackburn in Bel Air. I don't have the address
Have you tried your directory, sir?
No, I can't. The house burned down
One moment, please
We have an Ordine Blackburn at 2321 Bel Air Road
Yeah, that's it. What's the number, please?
Nevin, 3-1-1-2-1
3-1-1-2-1. Thank you
House burned down
Hello
Hello, Miss Blackburn
Yes, this is she
Miss Blackburn, my name is Philip Marlowe. I'm a private detective who at the moment is anxious to get hold of Leon Rodel
You know where he is?
Yes, I do, but I don't think...
Now, please, it's important. Leon Rodel's life is in danger. I want to help him
Leon's life? What's going on, Mr. Marlowe?
Well, there isn't time to explain. Believe me
That's what she said, but I...
Who said?
Someone who called about 20 minutes ago. A Miss Helen Asher
Oh?
She said she was supposed to meet Leon at his store room about purchasing some ceramics, but she forgot his address there
Did you give it to her?
Oh, yes, I did
Oh, great. She's the one who was after him. What's that address? Come on, quick
3909 and a half Ventura Boulevard is in the rear of a parking lot
But tell me, Mr. Marlowe, what's wrong?
Well, there's plenty wrong. For one thing, I...
Talk to you again, baby, some other time
I doubt it, Mr. Rodel
Jumped to a hasty conclusion, didn't I?
Yeah, yeah, you did, Igor. You see, I'm really only a bill collector, just like yourself, so why don't we...
Get some makeup?
Oh, well, that chance, sweetheart. I wouldn't be happy that way
I wouldn't know when you were telling the truth
And when you were lying
You know what I mean? Oh, Mr. Marlowe
Hmm. Now, as I said before, good night
In just a moment, the second act of Philip Marlowe
But first, CBS will bring you the earth-shaking premiere of a new opera tomorrow night
An opera written by Alec Templeton with Charlie McCarthy as a lovelorn singing bengal lancer
Templeton himself as a maharaja and Ursul Twing as a flying carpet salesman
You can hear it on the CBS Charlie McCarthy Edgar Bergen show tomorrow night
And don't forget Red Skelton, Amos and Andy, Eve Arden, Horace Hyde and all the other CBS Sunday Night stars
Will also be on hand on most of these same CBS stations
Jack Benny, of course, is heard in them all on Sundays
Now with our star Gerald Moore, we return to the second act of Philip Marlowe
And tonight's story, The Bid for Freedom
The gun blood I'd been slapped with felt like a log chain
Next time would be different
I waited till Ega drove away and then went out and got in my car and unwound my way down the hill again to Ventura Boulevard
I turned west and drove out to 39.09 and a half as a glass neon super grocery store closed for the night
The only light showing at Leon Rodel's ceramic outfit trickled out on the ground in a narrow wedge
To what had to be a partly open back door
And even as I watched as the wedge danced through a crazy pattern and disappeared
I ran forth and got there just in time to see Charlotte Rodel dart down the alley
Second later she vanished in the shadowy jumble of backyard buildings
I knew there was no use trying to follow her
Instead I eased the store room door open and looked into the room full of flower pots, lamp bases and dishes
Nothing moved
Charlotte, I was sure it had a reason for running so I went in and tore the table in the corner where the only light was burning
I was almost up to it before I saw the reason
Yeah, it was a good one
Elden Hook, the sanitary lieutenant, was on the floor behind the table, his body still trying to arch away from the knife in his back
When I bent over and he opened his eyes, they were already cloudy
I was close
I found the hole in the fence and I knew Ordean was...
Ordean what, Hook? Who did it? Can you tell me?
I never figured out
I left Elden Hook just as he was, went to the door that opened in the front of the ceramic shop
The desk was there with a phone on it
I got halfway through the homicide bureau number when a silhouette showed up at the curtains at the front door
I put the phone down and stepped back into the shadows and waited
Oh, that's funny, I should have left the work light on
Not necessarily, Mr. Rodel
Who are you?
Name's Marlow, I'm a private detective, you are Leon Rodel, aren't you?
Yes, what are you doing here in my shop?
You better finish taking your overcoat off, Mr. Rodel
Your wife has run away from Hillcrest Sanitarium
My...Charlotte is out?
That's right
How do you know this?
She came to me tonight under a phony name, tried to get me to locate you, she lost her address
This is a shock, Mr. Marlow, a terrible shock
Poor Charlotte, what an awful thing this is for her
Yeah
Excuse me, I need this
Sure
Oh, you?
No, thanks
You see, Marlow, I've only been here in Los Angeles a month
The last time I visited, Charlotte...
That was about three weeks ago and I hadn't planned to stay out...
Wait a minute
My wife is the only one who had my local address
If she lost that, how did you find me?
That's a long story
I got the address Charlotte lost and I've already been up to your house
But the last step was a call to a Miss Ordine Blackburn
Ordine?
Yeah, she sent me up here
Oh, then you know about Ordine and me
A little
Well, I suppose under the circumstances that's hard for you to understand, Marlow
And even harder to accept
Not exactly, under the circumstances
Oh, well the law is not as generous as you are
Has no room for understanding
Insanity isn't grounds for divorce until after three long years have passed
And maybe Miss Blackburn doesn't want to wait that long, huh?
Well, to be frank, I don't know
I'm in love with her, I think she loves me
I haven't had the courage to tell her about Charlotte yet
Maybe you won't have to
Charlotte called her up tonight before I did as a Miss Asher
She must have gotten Ordine's name and phone number from you some way on that last visit of yours
Marlow, that's impossible
Well, she got it some way
Marlow, do you know where Charlotte is?
We've got to find her, she's not responsible
She might even be dangerous
It's an understatement, Rodel, she's deadly
Deadly?
Hmm
I don't understand
Come here, over behind that table there where the light is
What?
Go ahead and look
Oh, what's over there?
When I showed up here tonight, I saw Charlotte running away, I came in and found that
Oh, my God
The attendant at the sanitarium?
Yeah
He knew she'd escaped, he found the hole in the fence where she got out
And he's been following her on his own, strangely enough
He's dead, Marlow, he's dead, Hook, he's dead
Rodel!
Yes?
Sorry
Marlow, she must be completely mad
We've got to stop her, she might go for Ordine next door
Or you, yeah
What can we do?
Well, you can go home
She doesn't know that address up there, so you'll be okay on that score
All right, but...
Rodel, listen, keep your doors locked up there, will you?
Oh, sure
You said Charlotte...
I know, I know, I'm not thinking about Charlotte now, there's something else
The guy in San Francisco that you owe all that money to
What about him?
Santa Mug down here, who intends to collect it, I've tangled with him already, he means business
So be careful, Rodel, and I'll see you as soon as I can
I watched him go out the door, limply his head down
He looked about as tough as a bowl of whipped cream
And I went back to the desk again and saw that he'd left his overcoat where he dropped it on the chair
I called the police, gave him the word on Charlotte, and when that was over I had to switch on the desk light to check the sanitarium number before I could call Dr. Cinetti
That's when I saw the letter lying on the desk, an important letter
But for one reason only, it was addressed to Leon Rodel at his house on Lookout Terrace
It was an open invitation to anybody who'd come to the shop looking for that particular piece of information
There was no doubt in my mind that Charlotte had seen it, which made it long past time for me to get up there and on the double
I turned, headed for the door, and stopped, all in one motion
A pair of headlights slashed through the windows and then blinked out
I stepped back out of the circle of light from the desk lamp and waited
A second later, the hulk of Mr. Eager filled the open back door
He was still very sure of himself
He took in the storeroom with one long glance and then sidled through the clutter as deftly as a rumba dancer toward the door where the desk and I were waiting
The instant he got within reach, I swung!
You again, you dirty lousy!
You made your pitch once, big man, why don't you sit on it?
You!
And that square is the stuff for that clip on the chops you gave me
Oh, no. No, not quite, mister
You!
Even steven now, big man
When I went down that time, he took the chair Rodel's overcoat and half the stuff on the desk with him
He was still moving, trying to free himself from the tangle, so I reached for him again but got only a fistful of the overcoat Rodel had left behind
And suddenly my hand stung like it grabbed the wrong end of a bumblebee
I looked back and looked at the pond
Something was stuck to my skin, something I couldn't understand
Until finally realization eluded through the molasses in my brain
I left and ran all the way to my car and almost sprung the frame, twisting up lookout terrace
I parked down the hill from 3840 and ran as far as the house next door where I got to the back, hopped the fence and got my gun in hand
As I expected, Leon Rodel was there and so was Charlotte in a coupe
The door open was poised at the top of the precipitous driveway like a lead car on a roller coaster
Why are you angry with me, Leon?
I'm not angry, Charlotte. Now get in the car. We haven't much time
I did everything just like you said, Leon, haven't we?
I lost my handbag with your address and I had to find you, didn't I?
I tried everything and then I learned about your shop and I went there
But you shouldn't have done that, Charlotte. Now get in the car
Leon, I thought what you'd done to that Mr. Hook from the sanitary room
You killed him with a knife
I had to, Charlotte. He's been spying on us all the time. He knew all our plans and he wants lots of money to keep quiet
It frightens me, Leon. I wish you hadn't
Stop it, Charlotte. It doesn't matter anymore
Don't kid yourself, Rodel
Miss Amaro, I found Leon by myself so I really don't need you after all
I only wish you were right, baby. Don't move, Rodel
But you don't understand, Mr. Amaro. Leon and I are going away together on a trip
I understand more than you do now, Charlotte, and I think you'd better go in the house and wait for us
No, don't you see we...
Please, please. Do as I ask
All right, but don't be long
Some trip you had in mind, Rodel
Your wife in this coop and straight down over the bank, strictly solo
She didn't even suspect
Will you keep your hands off me?
Sure, sure. I'd never get them clean again
It'll give me great satisfaction to drop you with a bullet
And I'll do just that if you take one step before the police get here
So stand still, Rodel. Real still
And that's really all that happened, Dr. Cinetti
I'm sorry you were worried and I'm awfully glad I'm back
So am I, my dear, and we'll talk more about it in the morning
What you need right now is a good night's rest in your own bed
Oh, you're right, Doctor. I'm very tired
Good night, Mr. Amaro
And thank you
Good night, Charlotte
She still doesn't realize, does she?
No, and it's a good thing
Plenty of time for that later when it can come gradually
At this point she could tear herself to pieces over a thing like this
Yeah
Her husband, a word is that a runaway and helps to do it for the sole purpose of getting her out
Where he can kill her
Not much security in that set up, huh?
No. You mentioned another woman, Mr. Amaro, Miss Audine Blackburn
Oh, Audine, yeah. A gullible rich girl without much on the ball
Rodel planned to marry her and solve all his money problems
Believe me, Doc, he had them big ones
I see. Well, she's better off this way
Yeah. Six months of marriage to Rodel and she'd have been a candidate for your sanitarium herself
He's that kind of a guy
And my late employee, Eldon Hook?
Well, he knew that Rodel had been urging his wife to run away and that he'd cut that hole in the fence
Hook found out that Rodel was interested in Audine and he tried to shake Rodel down
Signed his own death warrant on the spot
You know, it's sometimes frightening to me, Mr. Amaro, to realize how many warped and twisted minds there are
That never get help until it's far too late
But there's always some good and every bad thing, they say
What about this case?
Charlotte, I expect her to recover completely soon
Because now the main contributor to her neurosis, so to speak, is gone forever
That was Leon Rodel
Yeah, well, Doc, it's a long way back to Hollywood. I better get going
Just one thing more, if you don't mind
Charlotte would have died in a smashed car in what would have passed for an accident
Also, she'd have been blamed for Hook's murder if you hadn't found out the truth about Rodel
I'm very curious
You remember the burrs that grew along your fence outside?
The burrs? Blasted nuisance
Yeah, but as you just said, Doc, there's always some good and every bad thing
Rodel told me that he hadn't been up here for three weeks
And yet tonight his overcoat was loaded with burrs
I got one in my hand from it
That gave me a hunch
Off and there on it played. Disappointed?
To the contrary, satisfied completely
Good night, Mr. Amaro
Good night, Doc
As I left Hillcrest Sanitarium and drove back across the wide, flat San Fernando Valley
Dark and quiet in the hour just before dawn
I found myself being grateful for a lot of little orderly things
Things like the clear white line down the middle of the road
The rhythm of the motor in my car and the prospect of going home
My own secure apartment
Then I wondered about Charlotte
In the sort of nightmare jungle the world must be to a mind twisted suddenly
Out of focus, where there is no symmetry or logic
But nightmares can be banished, huh?
The ears driven away and in time with Dr. Chinetti's help she'd come out of it all right
But the others, others like Hook and Rodel
To them the jungle is home
No nightmare there, they live in it by choice
Until one way or another they're destroyed
Choked to death by the very tangle they hide in
Well, that's fair enough
The Adventures of Philip Marlowe bringing you Raymond Chandler's most famous character
Star Gerald Moore are produced and directed by Norman MacDonald
And are written for radio by Robert Mitchell and Gene Leffert
Featured in the cast were Gene Bates, Larry Dobkin, Yvonne Patey, Harold Deer and Fourth
Jack Edwards and John T. Smith
The special music is composed and conducted by Richard Aron
Be sure and be with us again next week when Philip Marlowe says
This time a fireball too handy with a target pistol led me down a rocky road
Past a sleazy money grubber to a curly headed corpse
And it might have gotten worse if I hadn't slowed down at the hairpin turn
Battered but unbowed by his bout with Fred Allen last Sunday night
Jack Benny will be back at the same old stand tomorrow night jaunty as ever and why not
Jack has just been elected the King of Hearts by the American Heart Association
Listen for Jack Benny tomorrow on CBS
This is Roy Rose
Now stay tuned for Gangbusters which follows immediately over most of these same CBS stations
This is CBS where Philip Marlowe takes the case every Saturday night
The Columbia Broadcasting System