Original subtitles

I am the Whistler,

and I know many things, for I walk by night.

I know many strange tales

hidden in the hearts of men and women

who have stepped into the shadows.

Yes, I know the nameless terrors

of which they dare not speak.

It is Edward Stillwell who walks alone.

He is a kindly, unimportant little man,

the type you pass on the street without noticing.

Tonight, however, something will happen to him

that changes everything.

Something to make his life important

and exciting and dangerous.

- Mr Stillwell? - Yes, ma'am.

I have an appointment to see Mr Gale.

Yes, I know.

- Mr Stillwell's here. - Send him in.

- Go right in. - Thank you.

Mr Stillwell?

- Yes, sir. - Come in, sir.

Come in.

I want to thank you

for staying in so late to see me.

- Don't mention it. Sit down. - Thank you.

Well, what can I do for you?

I want to know how much it would cost

to have a young lady traced?

Well, that I can't say, offhand.

When did she disappear? Who is she?

Her name is Elora Lund.

It's seven years now since I saw her.

That was when her mother died.

Elora was fourteen then.

Seven years is a long time.

It might cost a lot of money to find her.

Are you a professional or a businessman, Mr Stillwell?

I have a store at 2319 McCall Street.

- Mmm. - A music store.

Phonographs, new and second-hand, radios...

- Uh-huh. Where do you live? - I beg your pardon?

- I said, "Where do you live?" - Er, 2319 McCall Street.

Same address as the store?

Yes. I have an apartment in the back.

Elora and her mother lived somewhere in the neighbourhood, too.

I know that, because I'd see Elora playing along the block

and see her mother coming home from work.

The husband had been dead a good many years.

He was a violinist.

You can't even give me an address to start from?

Just the neighbourhood.

Uh-huh.

What was the girl like at fourteen?

Oh, she was just a little girl.

I would see lots of them playing along the block,

and Elora Lund was no different than the others,

except she was thin

and had long blonde curls

and big blue eyes.

Was she tall or short for fourteen, or just average?

She was going to be tall, I think.

What happened to her after her mother died?

Relatives take her, was she put into an institution, or what?

I don't know.

Well, if she's alive, she can be found.

But it'll take money.

I got a hundred dollars.

A hundred dollars?

Can't you dig deeper?

Isn't there any way you can raise money?

Maybe you're not very interested in locating her.

I can mortgage my business for a few hundred.

Oh, I wouldn't do that to you.

Why, a hundred bucks would go like that...

And we'd be no nearer to her.

Would it make any difference if I tell you,

if you find Elora Lund,

she would pay you any sum?

Thousands.

Yes, tens of thousands,

for bringing us together.

What makes you think so?

Nothing I am at liberty to discuss.

Let me tell you one thing. The success of this office

depends upon the mutual trust between my clients and myself.

Oh, I'm sorry...

I may not be the greatest detective in the world...

but I am the most unusual.

Now, if you want to put your confidence in me,

I'll find Elora.

All I can tell you is this.

If you find Elora Lund,

it's possible she will make you a wealthy man.

Well, I suppose I'll see what I can do with this.

In the meantime, have you tried to locate her?

Oh, yes. I put an ad in the newspapers.

- In the personal column. - Uh-huh.

If anyone tries to answer that ad,

I want you to get in touch with me night or day. Will you?

- Oh, yes, sure. - And I'll let you know

when I have anything to report.

Thank you.

And good evening.

- You want me to save this? - Why, certainly.

Open a file for Mr Stillwell.

Are you really gonna look for that girl?

Of course I am. What's more, I'm gonna find her.

Three days have passed,

and Stillwell has had no word

from the private detective he engaged.

He has almost given up hope

that he will ever find Elora Lund.

But tonight, his long search is coming to an end.

Mr Stillwell?

Mr Stillwell?

Mr Stillwell.

Daddy Stillwell.

- Hmm? - How are you?

What can I do for you?

Oh, it's a miracle that I ever knew

you were looking for me. I've been away.

But a girl I went to school with sent me a clipping.

Elora?

Elora Lund?

My, how you've grown!

But you're just like I pictured you.

And you're just like I remembered you.

You haven't changed a bit.

Oh, seven years don't make much difference at my age.

Oh, but come, Elora. Here, sit down.

There.

Now, come, tell me.

What have you been doing?

And why didn't you come to see me?

I was afraid they'd put me in an orphanage.

So I took what little money there was in the house

and ran away.

I suppose you are wondering

why I advertised for you.

Well, of course I am.

But, even if you only wanted to talk to me,

I'm glad you did.

I guess was too young to appreciate everything, but...

I'll never forget what a friend you were

to Mother and me.

Do you remember those odds and ends

your mother used to bring to me to sell for her?

I brought some myself, when she was ill.

Well, I never sold them.

I thought, perhaps if your mother got well,

she would like to buy them back.

They were heirlooms. Things she brought from Sweden.

Would you like me to buy them back now?

Is that why you wanted to find me?

Oh, no, no, no.

My dear, I wanted to tell you,

you are a rich young woman.

Among those odds and ends,

I found a treasure that's worth a fortune.

- What is it? - All in good time, Elora.

All in good time.

But I must go out for a minute or two,

but you can wait right here.

I engaged a detective to try and find you, my dear.

And I told him I'd let him know

the minute you answered my advertisement.

I'll be back in a minute or two.

Er, Mr Gale?

Yes, this is Mr Stillwell.

Oh, hello, Mr Stillwell.

Oh, she is?

And I'm sure she's Elora Lund.

Elora?

Elora!

Oh, Mr Stillwell, I was frightened.

I thought I heard somebody in the store.

Oh, nobody would come at this hour.

I've got something to show you

while we're waiting for Mr Gale.

See, it's a newspaper clipping.

I thought of you the minute I read it.

Oh, here it is.

Read it, Elora, and you will understand

why I said you're a rich young woman.

Yes? What can I do for you?

- What happened, Mr Gale? - Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

The owner of this store, Edward Stillwell, was murdered.

- Who discovered the body? - I did.

What, again?

Now, Mr Stillwell has been running ads in the newspapers

- trying to locate a Miss Elora Lund. - Yeah?

Tonight, he phoned me and said she was in the store.

When I got here, he was dead and she had gone.

- No! - Give us a break, will ya?

The most significant feature of the whole thing

is that this girl is not Elora Lund.

- Well, who is she? - She's an impostor.

You can print that if you want, or put it on the air.

- Where's the nearest phone? - Right up at the head of the stairs

- Up the stairs. First landing. - Thanks, Mr Gale!

Now, wait a minute, will ya?

Just a minute.

- Oh, Dr Gale for Miss Hanson. - Oh.

You dirty rat!

You've got your nerve to come here!

Why, what have I done?

You said it would be easy. There was no danger.

You put me on a swell spot.

I got you off that spot, too, didn't I?

Oh, you did? How?

Open the door, Freda. Let me in.

Now, Freda...

Look, Freda, I knew that someone was holding you

because they thought you were Elora Lund.

I told the reporters that you weren't, and they broadcast it.

- Who killed the old man? - I was tied up and gagged,

and I thought I was gonna get the knife like Stillwell.

You were going to protect me, remember?

Well, how was I to know that he was gonna be murdered?

Did you kill him, Freda?

Well, unless you got a pretty good story,

the police will believe that you killed him.

You'll have to keep me clear of the police.

- You got me into this. - Yeah, I know I did, my dear,

but I wasn't present when he was murdered, and you were.

I paid you a hundred bucks to try and find out

why he was so anxious to locate Elora Lund.

Now, Stillwell was alive for some time after you got there.

- What did he talk about? - About the girl's mother.

She sold him a lot of junk she brought from the old country.

And, among that junk, there was something very valuable.

Mm-hmm.

What was it?

- He wouldn't say. - Oh, come on now, Freda.

I coached you well for the part of Elora.

He was absolutely convinced that you were on the level.

Maybe. But he wouldn't tell me anything until you got there.

What'd you do when he went to phone me?

- Nothing. - What'd you talk about when he came back?

I was telling him I thought I'd heard somebody in the store,

when, all of a sudden, a door behind him opened

and a guy walked into the room.

- Had you ever seen that guy before? - No.

Was he carrying anything?

No...

I'll answer it.

Oh, good evening, Mr Summers.

I've had complaints about noise in this apartment.

Mr Gale, this is Mr Summers, the manager.

You'll have to leave immediately.

We can't have loud talking at this time of night.

- People have to sleep. - I can explain, Mr Summers.

I'm sorry. You'll have to leave.

Good night.

- You'd better go, Don. - Now, just a minute.

Just a minute. Are you sure that tough guy

- didn't take anything with him? - Yes, he took me.

Then it was Elora Lund that he wanted.

He let you go when the broadcasts announced

that the girl in the store was a phoney.

- Where'd he take you? - I don't know. I was blindfolded.

When he stopped the car, he untied me

and walked me into a building.

Anybody else there?

I didn't hear anybody. But I heard a radio.

Sometime in the night, I heard a news broadcast.

Get yourself fixed up. We're going places.

- Where are we going? - We'll find this tough guy,

- and toss him to the police. - And we're just going to drive

round and round until we run into him?

No, you're gonna show me where he took you.

All right. Go down and wait for me in your car.

This is the maddest thing I ever heard of, even coming from you.

I haven't the faintest idea where he took me.

I know your eyes were covered, but you still had other senses.

You could smell and hear and feel.

Did you hear anything in that building besides the radio?

- I heard a railroad engine. - Well, that's something.

Did you smell any industrial fumes around there?

When we got out of the car, I smelled chocolate.

Well, the Milton Candy Company's at the foot of Dow Street.

What was the street like, smooth or bumpy?

It was bumpy, like cobbles.

Well, that could put us on Macy Street,

behind the Milton Candy Company.

And what happened after that?

Well, we drove a little way along an unpaved road...

Don, I'm frightened. Let's get out of here.

When you got out of that car, did you step on cement or grass?

It felt like gravel...

then it went on... onto a boardwalk.

And, finally, three steps up into the house.

Don, look!

This must be the place.

Let's get out of here.

You go back and wait.

Don't do it, Don. There's a killer in there.

I don't see any car around.

I don't think anybody's in there.

I'm gonna find out.

- You crazy fool! - You go back and wait.

Open up, Pontos!

Open up, Pontos!

Come on, Pontos, open the door!

Get out of there! Open it up, Pontos!

Open up, Pontos!

There's one of 'em!

There he goes! Stop!

- Who were they? - I think it was the police,

but I didn't stop to look at their shields.

Well, I guess Stillwell's murderer is dead.

- Do you want to drive? - Well, you're doing all right.

- Did you lose a shoe? - Afraid so.

What if they find it?

Maybe we'd better go back and look for it.

Just keep on goin'.

- Yeah? - It's Taggart and Burns.

- We wanna see you. - Oh, come on up.

- Oh... - Hello, Gale.

Hiya.

Oh, forgive us for keeping you up.

That's all right.

How you getting on with the Stillwell case?

We got his murderer. It was Harry Pontos.

- He was killed resisting arrest. - Well, that's fast work.

Did you understand?

I said the murderer was Harry Pontos.

Well, am I supposed to know him?

Every dick in the country knows him.

He's pulled murders, stick-ups and burglaries.

A very mean man with a knife.

He grew up here, but he never pulled any jobs in town.

Why, he probably didn't want to embarrass his folks.

We found a trick knife in his bedroom.

He hadn't even bothered to wash the blood off.

The medical examiner says it just fits the wound in Stillwell's back.

Lots of fingerprints on it, too.

Well, you fellas can write "finished" to that one.

Yeah, but it'd look better in the record if we had a motive.

Maybe we'd get a motive from the woman in Stillwell's store.

Or from the fellow that jumped out of Pontos' window.

There's a funny thing about that.

I saw him when he was goin' over the fence.

He looked just like you.

Same size, same build.

Even his feet looked about that same size as yours.

How'd you happen to suspect Pontos?

We got a phone tip.

- Any idea who gave it to us? - A woman.

A woman with a cultured voice

who refused to reveal her identity.

Yes, it usually is. But, this time, it was a man.

You don't have any ideas about that guy

who went through the window, do ya?

Certainly not.

Don't bother to hide that.

Here's the mate to it.

Thanks.

Er...

Thanks for bringing it back.

Er...

All right.

I got the same tip you did.

And I thought I'd follow it through before bothering you.

I found that trick knife in Pontos' pocket.

Before I could do anything about it,

you fellas started hammering on the doors.

- What else do you find in his pockets? - Only the stuff you found there.

What did you do with the diamonds that Pontos took out of the music box?

- Diamonds? - Yes, diamonds, emeralds,

whatever Pontos found in the music box.

I don't know anything about a music box.

For your private information, there was one in Pontos' bedroom closet.

He was taking it apart, apparently looking for something

- that was hidden there. - How big was it?

Oh, about six inches in height, seven or eight inches in diameter.

Not big enough to hold much cash,

but a lot of uncut stones could've been hidden in it.

- I doubt it. - You mean Pontos made a mistake?

Something like that.

Case doesn't wash up that easy.

You trip over loose ends wherever you turn.

For instance, who was the girl in Stillwell's store

- and where is she? - Ah, that is confusing, isn't it?

Well, you were quick enough to tell the reporters it wasn't the real Elora Lund.

- How'd you know that? - I told you.

I talked to Stillwell over the phone about her.

Who is Elora Lund and why did Stillwell want her?

If I only knew the answer to that one!

We're gonna know it before we leave here.

Are you implying that I know more than I'm telling you?

We're also implying you'll go over for housebreaking.

- Oh, you can't be serious. - You think not?

Maybe you did and maybe you didn't know about the music box,

but you broke into Pontos' house.

That's enough to send you over.

Now, who is Elora Lund?

- Who is Elora Lund?! - Now, Taggart, take it easy.

Even a murderer's got his rights.

Remember, we knocked before we came in here.

I've told you all I know.

If you insist on making yourselves ridiculous

by accusing me of housebreaking, then I'm your prisoner.

Name the woman who was with Stillwell,

and we'll forget the housebreaking for the time being.

Hello?

Yes, this is Don Gale.

Well, come right over here. It's important.

Hello? Hello!

- Who is she? - Well, you took the call.

- Who was that woman? - I don't know.

You've been teetering on the edge of the law for years.

Get dressed!

Unaware of the search that is being made for her,

the real Elora Lund is recovering from the effects of an accident

in the quiet of a sanitarium.

Elora.

Elora!

Oh, yes?

Do you know a man named Stillwell?

Why, yes, I knew him when I was a child. What about him?

He was murdered last night,

and somebody using your name was in his store at the time.

Nurse! Nurse.

She came to us a month ago to recuperate

from injuries incurred in an auto accident.

- Is she able to walk? - Yes.

She plans to leave in a day or two.

Then she was physically able to go to town last night?

But she didn't. I saw her in the dining room between seven and eight.

Later, we ran a movie in the auditorium.

She was there until ten o'clock.

- Oh, hello, Miss Lund. - Hello.

Come in. Er, this is Detective Taggart and Detective Burns.

- How do you do? - Er, sit down, Miss Lund.

Why was Stillwell advertising for you?

- Well, I don't know. - Guy must have had some reason

for wanting you to get in touch with him.

Do you think he wanted to make you his heir?

As I remember him, he was just a kindly old man.

He wasn't the type to accumulate a lot of money.

Do you think the young woman who impersonated you last night

could have been one of those children you used to play with?

No, he would've recognised her.

Perhaps some adventuress came across the ad

and thought she saw an opportunity.

No, that kind of a person wouldn't have fooled Stillwell for a moment.

She'd have had to resemble Miss Lund

and answer the questions that Stillwell would naturally ask.

That impostor is the key to the whole case.

It must be someone who knows a lot about you.

Well, I don't know who it could be.

I'd only be too glad to help, if I could.

If you really want to co-operate with us, Miss Lund, you can.

You probably read in the newspapers

that we're holding the private detective that Stillwell engaged.

Yes, I did.

Well, we think he sent that impostor to Stillwell.

Stillwell would've described you to Gale as well as he could.

He'd also have given him a lot of information about you.

We haven't got any proof that Gale sent the girl to Stillwell.

We don't want to be unfair to him. He may be absolutely honest.

That's what you can find out for us, if you will.

But I don't know what I can do.

We'd like you to come back to town with us and see Gale.

Well, is it all right for me to leave, Dr Connell?

- Why, yes, if you wish. - Good.

We'll have Gale released. Then, we want you to call at his office.

Take some identification, and tell him you want to know

why Stillwell was advertising for you.

I'll be ready in a minute.

Well, now you know what the inside of a jail looks like.

We're gonna be nice to you.

We're gonna let you play around in the free, fresh air.

But only for a few hours. Then we're gonna bring you back in

and put the formal charge against you.

- Unless you bring in the girl. - What girl?

The one you sent up to Stillwell.

If I'd sent one up, wouldn't I be a sucker to tell ya?

Maybe that's where you made your slip.

So long, Gale. We'll be seeing you.

- I thought you were... - In jail?

I was, but they let me out to get you.

You're kidding, Don. You didn't tell them about me.

And why not? You tried to murder me last night.

You're crazy. I warned you not to go in that house.

I told you he was dangerous.

You did everything but tell me he was Pontos.

And then, to make doubly sure that I'd be burned down,

you phoned the police.

I waited for you outside in the car.

I was there when you ran out, wasn't I?

And I drove you away.

You didn't wait outside Pontos' house.

You drove four-tenths of a mile to a phone

- and four-tenths of a mile back. - Don, you've...

I looked at the speedometer.

Poor Freda. You never thought you'd have to face me

after pulling that one.

Did the police say a woman phoned?

No, it was a man.

Your boyfriend.

You phoned him, and he phoned the police.

You're right, Don.

But I only did it to help you.

I knew he was a killer.

Y...

You... You must believe me.

I was scared you'd get killed in there.

- That's why I phoned. - Oh, no, Freda.

Your boyfriend phoned the police that Pontos was in there

so they'd go in shooting and burn down anyone they saw.

It was a neat little plot to get rid of me.

You don't believe anything I say,

so go ahead and tell the police about me.

They won't do much to me,

and it will cost you your licence.

It's not as simple as that. You and I have a lot to settle first.

You're right. We have something to settle.

You lied to me, pitched me into a murder!

- Now, talk! - You're hurting me, Don.

You thought there was money waiting for Elora Lund

and you thought you could put yourself over

as Elora long enough to get that money.

But you had to find some way to get me out of the picture.

No.

You're all wrong.

You're only guessing. Why would I double-cross you?

There'd be no point in having Stillwell killed

unless you knew what it was all about.

So we can start from there.

And remember, you're talking for your life.

All right.

There is money in it.

Two hundred thousand dollars.

Think of it.

A hundred thousand dollars each.

Ah, so now we're partners?

Why didn't you offer to cut me in last night?

I figured I was entitled to anything I could get

- for what I went through last night. - What you went through?

All right, I'm greedy.

Pontos was working with me. But what about you?

You're only sore because you wanted to grab it all for yourself.

What was it Stillwell had that was worth

two hundred thousand dollars, and where is it?

The police. They followed you here.

Answer it.

Freda?

Freda.

- She's here. - Freda?

No. Elora Lund. The real one.

I put her in your office because this place

has been like a squad room at headquarters.

Good girl.

Now, if anyone comes in here even smelling of the police station,

- give me a couple of buzzes. - Don...

Hey, what's the matter with you?

You afraid you're not working for a respectable firm

- just because I spent the night in jail? - That's happened before.

- Well, then, what is it? - It's Elora Lund.

She's a sweet kid and she's been sick

and I'm not gonna stand by and see her robbed.

When have I ever robbed a client?

Whenever you've had an opportunity.

Good afternoon, Miss Lund.

I'm Mr Gale.

Oh, please don't stand up.

I suppose you read in the newspapers

that Mr Stillwell engaged me to try and locate you?

Well, I've been in a sanitarium recovering from an accident.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Well, now that you're here,

it should be comparatively simple to...

get whatever it was Mr Stillwell wanted you to have.

I don't think I understand.

We go to the police and prove your identity,

make a formal claim for your property.

Oh, but I haven't any idea

why Mr Stillwell was advertising for me.

- You haven't? - No.

Was your family related in any way to Jenny Lind?

No, not that I ever heard of.

I want you to think very carefully before you answer this.

Did your mother ever sell Mr Stillwell

any old wax records?

- Yes! - What were they?

"Vorvisa" and "En Sommarafton". Jenny Lind sang them.

What condition were they in the last time you saw them?

Well, I don't know. I never saw them,

but Mother told me about them.

They were in a little square trunk with some old music boxes.

Jenny Lind died in 1887.

How did they come in your mother's possession?

Jenny Lind made them for my great-grandfather,

but he never went into commercial production.

Stillwell wanted you to have them.

He told me as much.

And I feel confident that the records are somewhere in that store.

Well, then the police can find them.

Well, you and I know the records are rightfully yours.

We can't prove it.

And no matter how much the police might want to help you,

they can't turn over to you anything that they find in the store.

The records do really belong to me, don't they?

Why, of course they do.

And I'm gonna get them for you.

And, what's more, I'm gonna turn Stillwell's murderer over to justice.

Is what you're going to do legal?

Well, turning a murderer over to justice is certainly legal.

- Won't it be dangerous? - Well, not for you it won't.

Of course, I expect to be paid for any risks that I take.

Er...

Shall we say that I am to receive

one-fourth of whatever the records bring?

- Really, Miss Lund, I... - That's only fair.

Fine.

- Where are you stopping? - At the Gordon Hotel.

I don't want the police to see you until this is all over.

I'm going to take you to the home of a woman I know,

a very nice woman,

and, er, you'll be out of sight there.

Now, er...

Er...

Some of my clients like to leave this way, unnoticed.

If you don't mind, I prefer to go out the way I came in.

We're... We're playing for big stakes.

We can't afford to be squeamish, can we?

Look, if you don't have any confidence in me,

maybe we better turn the whole thing over to the police.

Oh, it isn't exactly that.

It's just that the confidence seems to be all on one side.

For instance, you haven't yet told me

about the girl you sent to Mr Stillwell to impersonate me.

Oh, that!

Well, Stillwell wanted me to undertake the job

of locating you without pay.

I had to find out what it was all about, didn't I?

I see. What was her name?

Oh, just a girl that works for me occasionally.

I'll tell you all about it later. Come on.

Wait.

Miss Denning, I'd like to have you meet Miss Lund.

I'm always pleased to meet any friend of Don's.

Miss Lund is a client of mine.

She'd like to keep out of sight for the rest of the day.

Come along.

Just make yourself perfectly at home.

No-one will bother you here, dearie.

Rose...

I don't want her to use the phone,

and I don't want her to leave.

You expect me to use force if she tries to get away?

I expect you to use your head.

Don...

If I'm not back by two a.m.,

let her do whatever she wants to.

Get me police...

Operator?

Hello? Operator!

So sorry, dearie. The phone's out of order.

They're supposed to fix it today.

It sounded all right when I dialled, and then it went dead.

Sit down, dearie, sit down. Take your weight off your feet.

I don't know anything about telephones.

I never was one for anything mechanical.

I don't like the nasty things.

They get on my nerves, ringing all night.

Er... Do you have any other lodgers?

Not for the moment.

It's easier and more profitable

to have only occasional guests, like yourself.

Then, er, the others only stay

a couple of hours, like I'm doing?

Oh, my, no!

They stay for days, even weeks sometimes.

- Have a little drink? - No, thank you.

Hmm.

Don't like to waste it, you know.

Now, don't you get thinking there's anything wrong.

I have connections with private detectives and lawyers.

Sometimes it's witnesses they have to keep undercover.

Sometimes it's clients who want to avoid process servers.

Sometimes it's a gentleman who's behind in his alimony.

They're all perfectly nice people.

Good afternoon, sir.

- Mr Brown? - Yes.

I'm Don Gale. Mr Stillwell's friend?

- You knew him well, didn't you? - Indeed, yes.

I was perhaps his closest friend.

Well, that's what he led me to believe,

and he told me that, if anything should ever happen to him,

before I was able to locate Elora,

that I was to get in touch with you, that you'd help me

- in any way that you can. - Naturally.

You see, I knew Elora too.

Well, then you want to see Elora get what's rightfully hers

and you want to see his murderers brought to justice.

Of course.

You see, the police seem to be absolutely at a loss.

In fact, I don't think anything'll ever be done if it's left to them.

I know who the murderers are...

Er... Could we talk privately in your office?

Oh, certainly, Mr Gale. Right this way.

- Hello, Charlie. - Her name is Freda Hanson.

She didn't leave her apartment all day,

and the manager came up to see if she was all right.

He found her body in a closet.

She was strangled with a piece of strong cord.

- Who put the body on the couch? - Oh, the manager.

When he found her in the closet,

he untied this rope from around her throat

and carried her in here to revive her.

I figured he was about six hours too late.

The medical examiner will tell us when she died.

- Where's the manager now? - Well, downstairs.

Go get him.

Pardon me, dearie.

Say, can't we get out of here for a while?

Mr Gale doesn't want you to leave the house.

- You mean, I'm a prisoner? - Don't be absurd.

You wanted to come here, didn't you?

Aren't you going to answer the door?

Nope.

- We're not receiving tonight. - But it might be Mr Gale.

Oh, no. He won't be here until after midnight.

Well, I don't know when he'll be here,

but if you don't answer the door, I will.

Very well. But I know it's not Mr Gale.

"Elora Lund, born August 18th, 1924.

"General Hospital. Parents, Mr and Mrs..."

Get the idea? That's the kind of information you'd pass out

to anyone going out to do little a job of impersonation.

- Here's the manager now. - Send him in.

I'm James Summers, gentlemen.

I hope I didn't do wrong in moving the body.

Miss Gordon from next door was with me.

We thought Miss Hanson might be still alive.

That was the natural thing to do.

Where was Freda Hanson employed?

Oh, I don't know.

She was a photographic model, I've heard.

I guess Miss Gordon would know more about her than anybody.

Will you ask Miss Gordon to see us in the lobby in a few minutes?

I'll be glad to.

- Henry. - Yes, sir?

Go to my office and get a photograph of Don Gale.

- You'll find a couple on my desk. - Yes, sir.

I want to see Mr Taggart or Mr Burns.

I'm Elora Lund.

- Did you just leave Don Gale, Miss Lund? - No, I didn't.

- Henry. - Yes, sir?

This is Miss Lund. This officer will take you to them.

They'll wanna see you right away.

- Thank you. - This way, miss.

Did you see the man I just described come in here?

Yes, he walked right on past the desk without announcing himself.

Mr Summers saw him, too.

How long before he came down again?

Well, about twenty minutes.

Miss Lund came to headquarters looking for you.

- Mr Taggart, I... - One moment, Miss Lund.

Yes, that's him.

Now, look carefully and take your time.

Your identification will hang that man.

So what? He killed Freda, didn't he?

And so Gale is charged

with the cowardly murder of a woman.

The police have a strong motive.

They have proof of his opportunity.

They have incontrovertible evidence

that he was in Freda's apartment

at the time she was killed.

In fact, they have everything...

except Don Gale.

Jimmy, pour Joan a drink.

- Right away. - I don't want anything, Jimmy.

Are you out of your mind or just drunk?

I've been looking everywhere for you.

I hardly expected to find you in a bar.

Why not?

They found Freda's body.

I said, they found Freda's body.

What are you talking about?

The police know that you were in her place,

and they're looking for you.

I came to warn you. That's all I can do for you.

It's more than I should.

Before you go, tell me,

am I supposed to have murdered Freda?

Please, Don, don't touch me.

Don't even talk to me.

People are watching us.

Well, you can set your little mind at rest.

I disliked Freda, but not enough to kill her.

They have proof that you were in her apartment

at the time she was murdered.

- If you didn't kill her, who did? - I don't know.

Someone came to the door, but I didn't see who it was.

- Good night, Jimmy. - Come back soon.

Don. Don!

Are you gonna give yourself up?

Not right away.

You won't last five minutes on the street.

Every police car in town is looking for you.

And I'll be looking for every police car in town.

That'll make us even.

Why don't you go to them and tell them everything you know?

That's what any innocent man would do.

Well, I'm not any innocent man.

Have a look around outside.

Don, what are you gonna do?

I'm going to Stillwell's,

and I'm gonna get a couple of Jenny Lind records

that are worth two hundred thousand dollars.

The man who killed Freda knows about 'em, too.

I hope to meet him there.

And then you're gonna give Elora Lund the records and...

and hand the murderer to the police, is that it?

- That's the plot. - I don't believe it.

If that were true, you'd go to the police right now.

Well, have it your way.

I'm gonna get those records and head for the border.

If I thought you really meant that,

I'd go straight to headquarters and tell Taggart and Burns.

Do what you like.

- Are you all right? - Yeah.

- Can you make it up those stairs? - Yep.

That's Gale's secretary.

She's going back to tell him the coast is clear.

Look out.

Brown has been murdered.

And if the police catch you here,

they'll pin this one on you, too.

I'm for calling it quits.

Perhaps you're right.

I've had all I want of this.

The cops are liable to be here any minute.

Maybe it's all a pipe dream. We've looked everyplace.

Well...

haven't we?

They're worth a hundred thousand apiece.

Lookit.

I can't read the rest of it,

but I can read "Jenny Lind".

And I said it was all a pipe dream.

We better get out of here. Come on!

Will you kindly put those records on the floor, Mr Summers?

I guess it's time for us all to be reasonable.

We'll declare you in, Mr Gale.

I'm not interested.

Pontos was one of your partners,

and Freda the other.

Freda can thank you for what she got.

You were going to turn her over to the police.

Now I'm gonna turn you over,

your friend here, and the records.

You're kidding.

You wouldn't throw a fortune like this away.

Oh, but I would.

Somebody's gonna hang for Freda and Stillwell.

If it isn't you, I'm very much afraid

it might be me.

Stop!

Police headquarters.

This is Don Gale.

Get in touch with Taggart and Burns,

and tell 'em I'm at Brown's Brass Shop.

I've got Freda Hanson's murderer

and the Jenny Lind records that caused all the trouble.

Too bad.

One of the bullets went right through the box

before it hit him.

And so, after long years

of balancing precariously on the borderline of the law,

Don Gale was trying at the end to do the right thing.

But he made one fatal mistake.

Thinking that one of the killers

had come back to attack him,

he fired blindly.

Taggart and Burns will never know

that Gale's shots were not meant for them.