Boston Blackie: The Frances Fielding Murder 04/30/1946

0:00Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Music Operator? Operator, get me the police.

1:01When? When? When? On a second, please, sir, to Mavani speaking. Sergeant Mavani? This is Dr. Lester Allen. Yes, sir, what can I do for you? Well, I'm in a house at 11-10-day-alabin, you know. There's been a murder here. A murder? Well, don't touch anything. No more than anything. We'll be right over. All right, Sergeant. Who's the victim, Dr.? The victim was a patient of mine. As Francis Fielding, I'm a psychiatrist, sir. You know how she was killed or who killed her? He was shot. It looks like murder, because when I found her just now, the gun was much too far from my body for this to be suicide. Margis said, Todd, Doc, we'll be right over. Uh, Sergeant, I wonder... Yeah, Doc? Oh, nothing. I suppose it's much to a regular. I think I know what you're getting at, Doc. You know a couple of news paper men will come along with this. You don't want the publicity. No. Frankly, I don't.

2:01Well, I tell you what, Dr. Allen. I know we are, all right. Go back to your office and stay there. We'll be up to talk to you later. I might have to ask you a few questions. Of course, Sergeant. I'm sure I can answer them to your complete satisfaction. And now meet Dick Colmer as Boston Blackie. Enemy to those who make him an enemy. Friend to those who have no friend. Is your apartment, Mary? Hold on to me, the driver. Young lady's getting out here, but I'm going on. Okay. Blackie, look across the street. Hey, it looks like a sighting of some kind, Mary. What do you want it is? It is not for us. I know, not... Hey, please call over there. They're one in front. That's in spite of Faraday. Oh, no, I know what kind of excitement it is. And that is for us. Come on.

3:01Kid driver, keep the change. Action. Come on, Mary. Oh, Golly, do we have two blackies? Is this what I have to run downhill? That was a foolish answer. That's what a foolish question deserves. They tell me. Okay, darling. There's Inspector Faraday coming out to his car. Good. Now we won't have to waste time finding him. Hello, Faraday. Hey. Who's that? Who would you expect to turn up about this time? Blackie, I went alone with you. Hello, Inspector Faraday. What are you doing in my neighborhood? Hello, Miss Wesley. What's murder doing in your neighborhood? Murder? Yeah. In that house there. A girl by the name of Francis Fielding. Now, don't look at me, Faraday. Mary and I were at the Mercedes restaurant tonight, and I have a dozen witnesses to prove it. The girl was killed about eight o'clock. I suppose you're at the Mercedes then. Yes, we were. See anybody around here before you went to eat? I didn't. I didn't, I didn't. Oh, wait. I met Dr. Allen here, in fact, he went right into this house. He was going into, see a patient, he said. Remember, Mary? Hey, that's right. Dr. Allen, huh? Dr. Lester Allen, the psychiatrist.

4:01I think I'll go over and have a talk with him. Faraday, you don't think so. I do think, Blackie. That's something you don't give me credit for. That's something that's going to get you in trouble someday. Someday? Someday. I'll see you later, Blackie. Much later, I hope. But Faraday, you weren't going to pin this on Dr. Allen, are you? Not unless he did it. Well, he didn't. I've known him for years. Well, and maybe that's why he did it. Knowing you was made of tired of going straight. I like that. Do you, Inspector? Well, Dr. Allen's a nice guy. If you're going to see him, I'm going with you. And you like that. Dr. Allen, I'd like to ask you a few questions. Of course, Inspector Faraday. Give him routine answers, Dr. He will know the difference. Bye, Blackie. Dr. Allen, when was the last time you saw Francis feeling alive? This afternoon, here in my office. Is that the last time you saw him? Alive, yes. I talked to her on the phone later. She called me. She told me she was terribly upset. About what? Well, she came to see me this afternoon for treatment.

5:02I was going to tell you that I was going to be a doctor. I was going to tell you that I was going to be a doctor. I was going to tell you that I was going to be a doctor. Afternoon for treatment. She was suffering from a neurosis. She was afraid she was going to kill us. Never mind about that neurosis stuff. After Ms. Feeling called this evening, what did you do? I did a she asked. I went to see her. So you admit you were there, do you? Well, of course I do. In fact, Blackie saw me going in to see her. That's why you're being questioned, Dr.. I had to open my big mouth. Well, shut it, Blackie. Dr. Allen, you mean to tell me you went to the feeling home? Faraday's feeling dead? And left without calling the police? No, no, no. Look here, Inspector. I did call the police. You called the police? No, please, Dr. Archimeda. What I did, I talked to a sergeant, Mourveni. Mourveni, there's no sergeant in headquarters. And no call ever came into headquarters. I checked that. I don't understand. This is absolutely fantastic. Where is it? If you talk to the police, why won't you at the scene of the murder when the police arrived? Why? Because the sergeant Mourveni said he knew me. And it would be all right if I waited for the police right here in my office.

6:02You don't tell very good lies, Dr. Allen. And you don't tell him well either. Come on, come on, why did you kill her? I didn't kill her. I never saw her before this afternoon. Can you prove that, Dr? Well, I don't know. I might. My secretary, Ms. Glantz, you might. I get her in here, Lange. Sure. You never saw Francis feeling before this afternoon, have you? No. My appointment, but we're approved. All right, Dr.. It isn't going to matter much. But I hope you're telling the truth for a change. There she is. Thanks, Lange. Ms. Glant, when did Francis feeling first have an appointment with Dr. Allen? About eight months ago, Inspector. It must. Ms. Glant. Eight months, huh? Not true, Inspector. Ms. Glant, what's the matter with you? You know I never saw that girl, and she walked into my office this afternoon. Oh, I'm awfully sorry, Dr. Allen. Did I say something wrong? You said something right, Ms. Glant. Okay, Inspector. This whole thing is absolutely... Why my appointment book shows she was here for the first time today. It shows you so for the first time eight months ago. Why, Ms. Glant, wouldn't say so. I'm afraid it does, Doctor. Here's my book, see for yourself. I'll take that book. You will see a phone, Doctor.

7:03Thank you. Hello. Dr. Lester Allen? Yes. Can you talk? No, I can't talk to anyone now. Call me back in a few minutes. Okay, I'll call back in a very few minutes. Now listen, Inspector. You'll listen, Doctor. You're not in a position to do much talking. You look like a murder suspect, I mean. Faraday, you're all wrong. You fly it, Blanky. I'm all right. The doctor's lying about the phone call to the police, and about when he first met the dead girl. And I think that makes it look like maybe he killed her. Motive, Faraday. Motive. What was his motive? I'll find one, don't worry. Don't leave town, Doctor Allen. I may want you to come down and see me sometime. Come on, Blanky. Let's go. Wait, Blanky. I want to talk to you. All right. See you later, Faraday. I'm warning you, Blanky. You stay out of this. Tell that to someone who hasn't solved most of your cases for you. Yes, Ms. Glant. Show Inspector Faraday the way out, will you? Of course. Right this way, Inspector. Doctor, I'm awfully sorry. In a way, I got you into this. I'm not blaming you, Blanky. I understand all you did was say you saw me at Miss Beardings' house.

8:05What, I don't? Oh, excuse me. Hello? Hello, Doctor Allen. Can you talk now? Yes. This is Roger Fielding. Francis Fielding's brother. Oh! Yes. Just a minute. What's the matter, Doctor? I think this is Francis Fielding's brother. Should I talk to him? Yes. But let me listen to. Is there an extension I can use? Yes, right down the table. Oh, yeah. Don't even talk to him now. Yes, Mr. Fielding. What is it? You know what it is, Doc. The board would you did to my sister? What? I did to her. That's right. She's dead. Don't try to tell me you didn't kill her. What makes you think I did? Her little diary told me, sir. Just let me read you what it says here on one of the pages. It's kept for a year. You're on every page. This is seven months ago. It says, I love Leicester so, and he says he loves me. But I know one of these days he'll leave me to go back to his wife. I envy Mrs. Allen so, but I won't let him go.

9:07I just won't let him go. Look here. I didn't even know your sister's every month ago. The best, Doc. This is even better. Here's what it says on a page of her diary about a month ago. She wrote, Leicester's throwing the over. I just know a year. And if he does, I'll go to Mrs. Allen with the truth. I'll tell her everything. Listen, Doc. What? I don't know why you killed my sister, but I got a rough idea. She's sort of asked for it, didn't she? Now look. You look, Doc. Maybe sister's God will was coming to her. But the cops got this diary coming to them, unless you want. And bad. This is blackmail. Is that what it is? I think I'm doing your favor. Meet me at Dobbs Hill at 10 tomorrow night. And I kind of like to do favors. Hello. Hello. I'll use Dr. Yehung up. Blackie, what do you think? Well, I already broke down your story about calling the police. Not meeting the dead girl until this afternoon. Said all he needed to arrest you was a motive.

10:09What I just heard on the phone would pass as a motive, all right? Blackie, you know I had nothing to do with this. No. Well, Dr. Allen, either this is first class frame up, or you're a third degree liar. Golly, Blackie. The feeling home is booked when I'm upstairs. Do we have to stay down here in the basement much longer? Oh, means we find telephone wires that look as if they've been tampered with. What will that prove, Blackie? Well, Dr. When you made your call to the police, you got through the operator law, right, didn't you? Yes. But before you got the police, it was a long pause, eh? Yes, quite long. Then it's after Malveini answered. But there's no such person on the force. You didn't talk to the police, but maybe to someone here in the basement. Blackie, you want wires that look as if they've been cut? Or wires with tape on the Mary to cover a place where they've been scraped?

11:10Here are two of them. Two is what we want. Come on, Dr. Aren't you glad you brought me? These are the wires we want to orient. Can you tell if they've been tampered? Easily. Just look at them. The wires have been separated. The insulation scraped off, and the bear wires taped together again. Does this really prove the doctor's story about talking to a sergeant Malveini? Yes, Mary. And his wife. Whoever tricked the doctor into thinking he was talking to the police was down here and when the doctor dialed the operator. I didn't get the operator. That was legitimate. Oh, yes. But after you got the operator, it was a long pause, you said. Yes, I was. Blackie, Dr. Alan was cut off during that pause. That's right, Mary. It was the man down here who took over his call to the police, probably asked us some foolish questions. Then a nop on him. Then the man switched the doctor back in and talked to him. Exactly. And you, Dr. Alan, thought you were talking to the police all the time. You were talking to the man down here. Who was that man, though? Francis, feelings killer, probably. I think I feel better already. You believe me now, don't you?

12:11I think so. But we'll never convince Faraday here in a sense if he sees the dead girl's diary. I've got to keep that meeting with a brother tonight. Yes, but in the meantime, we'd better work on another angle. Blackie, what's the reason for the girl's death? What would be a good reason? Well, money. It's enough. But enough for not. If we could find she carried insurance payable to someone who had a chance to kill her, that would be enough for me. Now back to Boston, Blackie. Psychiatrist Lester Allen receives a phone call from his new patient, Francis Fielding, to come to her home at once. He goes there, finds her murdered, and calls police. He is told to go back to his office.

13:12Inspector Faraday finds no record of Allen's call and believes him guilty. As we return to our story, Boston, Blackie, who is with Mary and Dr. Allen, calls Faraday in search of a motive for the girl's murder. Maybe this will work. This is worth a try. Faraday speaking. Hello, Faraday. This is Blackie. Now what do you want? The usual Faraday to give you a little help. I'd rather have the meals. Next week, Faraday, this week, I want to give you an angle on the fielding murder. I think it's insurance. Blackie, I don't know how I'd get along without you. I do, not very well. You know what's amazing that you'd think of insurance at a time like this? What's amazing about it, Faraday. If you were any kind of a cop, you'd have thought about it long ago. I thought of it last night. Is that long enough a gopheum? Well, Faraday, you're improving. What did you find out? Many of business. What are you doing, Faraday?

14:12Faraday, faking? I'll bet you don't know a thing about the fielding girls and insurance. But you never even thought of it. Oh, I didn't think of it, huh? Well, the copy of the policy is right here on my desk. I don't believe it. You know, huh? Well, I'd listen to this. I'm listening. She had an accident policy with $5,000 for accidental death. Mm-hmm. She took it out two years ago and collected on it five months ago for a broken arm. And now all the money from the policy goes to where grandmother in Mexico City. Oh, her grandmother, huh? Yes. And if you think her grandmother killed her, think again. Because she's a 97-year-old invalid and hasn't been out of Mexico City in 30 years. Well, wise guy, don't bother me with your bright ideas. Faraday. Faraday. Faraday. Be hang up on your blackie. You sure did, Mary? Was she killed for insurance? No. Oh, geez. So now what? Now, Mary, you're going home to see a bed about some sleep and Dr. Alan and I are going to Darv's Hill to see a man about a diary.

15:23There's this car parked on the other side of the road. Now you stay down there in the back of your car. You sure it's safe for you to go over and talk to him? You sure this fella's never seen you? No. At least I don't think so. Well, I better go on over and talk to him before I get suspicious. I'll try and sound as much like you as I can. Sit tight. Here I go. All right. Good luck. Roger, a feeling? Yeah. Dr. Alan? Yes. How are you, Doc? I don't know. Let me see that diary. Sure. Hey, uh. This is the original. Thanks. Don't bother trying to run off with it. I've got photos of the copies. Get me? I got you.

16:23Why don't you notice something, Doc? She wrote in a diary every day. Every single day. Yes, I see. And every day, every single day, she wrote about Doc Alan. Nice diary, huh? It's impriminating. Pretty valuable to me. It's her handwriting, and she kept it about a year. Hold it. I want to compare writing with no cheese, and be asking. On appointment, yeah. All right? Yeah. She wrote the diary, all right? Sure she did. Now I'm not asking much, Doc. Only a little. Now. And later? A little more. After that? Whenever I get a little pushed for cash, then either you come across with the money like a nice guy, or I take this diary to the cops. What for? What for? It gives you a pretty good reason for killing it. Yes, it does feel me.

17:24There's only one thing wrong with it. What's that? It's a phony. A phony, huh? Let me tell you something. What? It's a Doc Euro phony, too. The next time, tell Doc Alan, he'd better show in person. Mr. Boston Blackie. I'm still sorry I couldn't fool that guy back here. It was a nice drive, Blackie. Let's go into my office. Maybe we can think of something else. We've got to, or Inspector Faraday will come running after you with a... I'm running, Blackie. I'm waiting. Hello, Faraday. Good evening, Inspector. I'm sure glad to see you, Doc. I was afraid you'd skip town. No. All I did was drive out for a little air Faraday after that conversation with you last night. He needed it. Faraday, Blackie. Dr. Alan, I'm taking you to headquarters. What for? Questioning. Faraday, you can't do that. The doctor knows less about that girl's death than you do if that's possible.

18:25I suppose you know all about it, huh? I know you need a motive before you can really pin this on the doctor. Give me time. I'll find one. I'll save you time. I've already found it. A diary written by Francis Fielding and containing plenty of motive for murder. Where? Blackie. Don't get excited, I don't care. The diary is a phony. A phony? How do you know? Blackie. You know the diaries account of it? How? How very simple, Doc? Faraday, do you remember the accident policy of the Fielding Girl, Han? Sure. She collected it on a two for a broken right arm. About, uh... Well, it was exactly five months ago. Well, guess what was in Miss Fielding's diary five months ago? Black pages! Faraday was broken. The pages weren't Black, Faraday. How mind-wise. About that broken right arm. The day-to-day account continued six months ago, just as if her arm was perfectly alright. That does prove the diary was a counterfeit. It was probably written just recently, perhaps in the last few weeks. That's exactly it, Doc. You were so anxious to phony up a long time love affair in a diary.

19:25She forgot she couldn't write six months ago. Alright, Blackie. So that diary was phony. So the diary was a frame. I suppose you think everything else about this case is a frame against the Doctor, too. Yes. Who framed him? I think the girl did it. And killed herself to do it? That's a good one. That's too good, Faraday. I can't figure out that one at all. But she was part of a frame against the Doctor. That much I do know. Look, when you quit trying to do my thinking for me... Somebody has to, you don't. I don't, huh? Well, Dr. Allen here says he met the fielding girl for the first time yesterday. But his own appointment book shows he's been seeing her for eight months. I explain that. I can't understand. I can. You were lying. Just as you were lying, when you said you called the police. He thought he did call them, Faraday. What do you mean, thought he did? Whoever killed Miss Fielding tapped the phone in her house and pretended to be the police. Yeah. How do you know? I did a very strange thing for me, Faraday. I investigated. And look, have you ever heard of Roger Fielding? Roger Fielding.

20:25Roger Fielding sounds familiar. How familiar? I think he was arrested once. He served time too. What for? I don't know, but I can find out. Well, you find out why Roger Fielding was arrested. And if it's for what I hope it is, maybe I'll find out why you can arrest him again. Who are you looking up in the phone book, Lucky? Catherine Glenn, Mary, the Doctor Secretary. Why? Well, Faraday found out that Roger Fielding used to work for the telephone company. Went to jail for steaming payphone collections. I knew he was responsible for this frame up as soon as he flashed the phone he'd die of. But I wanted to make sure. Oh, I see. And when you found out he'd work for the phone company at one time, you figured he... You had to tap the phone in his sister's house. Right. Let me see. The only thing I have to prove now is that Catherine Glenn was working with Fielding.

21:25And of course she phoned me up Doctor Rowan's appointment book. Ah, here's the number. Darling, where's Doctor Rowan now? I have headquartered his poor guy. Faraday wouldn't wait. Oh. What are you going to say to him, a friend? I'm going to pretend I'm Roger Fielding. See what you say. Oh, again. Happy pretending. Thank you. Hello? Hey, this is Roger. Roger, who? You don't know. I think I do, but... Look, I have to see you. What about? Just a check on a few things. That's it. You want to know? I don't know who you are, but I don't. You don't? No, unless you couldn't be Boston's lucky by any chance. Oh, I see. No, unless you couldn't be Boston's lucky by any chance. What happened? Nothing. She knew who I was. I'm not very good at fooling people tonight, Patrick. Darling, you never were very good at fooling me. I was never trying to pin a murder on you. I have never given you the chance, though.

22:25Well, Fielding and Miss Glenn, huh? And I'm going to take it, too. There's just one more thing I can do. Hello? Roger. Yes? This is K Glenn. What's the idea, Colin? Look, I'm scared. About what? I don't want to tell you over the phone. I better wait until I see you. What's the matter? I'll tell you later. All right. Can you come right away? Yes. Well, hurry before it's too late. Oh, come in, Roger. What's up, K. What's the trouble? I'm waiting at the door. I'm going to jump, you kid. What's the matter? Nothing I just want to talk to you. What about? About how things are going? You know the answer to that. That's too much. I'm talking to the kid. Your kid must be the one. I'm going to jump. That's too much. I'm going to jump. You can jump. I want to jump. I'm going to jump. I'm going to jump. You can jump. I can jump. You know the answer to that is yourself, great.

23:26But I'm upset. Why? Because of Francis. Why be upset about her? Because Roger, why didn't you tell me you were going to kill her? That's what I'm really upset about. Glad. Oh, I didn't see any point in telling you about that. Or Francis either, of course. In fact, it was sort of a spur of the moment thing. I double crossed Francis. He never even dreamed. She'd be murdered when she first came along with that plan. I thought it would make a better frame against the doctor. A better one? What was wrong with your first idea? Nothing. I suppose we could have shaken him down for plenty with Francis' diary and the appointment book you fixed up. Then why did you have to kill Francis? Two reasons. It put the doctor in a worse spot. And we only have to split two ways instead of three. So I killed it. Well, I want nothing to do with murder. I'm going to the police. Oh, no, you're not. I killed Francis to make the frame against the doctor. Good one, and I could kill you and make a perfect police. How?

24:26You won't. I could speak to you. Call on a cop. You say you don't cop. Do it. Do it. You call the wrong man, can you? I got hit first. It looks like he was going to choke me. Come on, now, Faraday. It's dangerous over. Very funny. I had to slip up behind feeling and slugging my righty chokes the squandering. Yeah, I know. I heard plenty before you clipped him. I guess you did it that far, Faraday. You know, I just couldn't get along without you. What would I do for life? You'd look at a murderer. Well, I got to revive this guy now. Get him down ahead for us. Hey. I suppose I'm going to head quarters, too. Yes, Miss Glend. But I don't think you'll get what feeling it's going to get. I did a good job working with me at Francis was killed. It was your cooperation that helped us break this case. Well, I did my best, Blackie. I had to. When I first got into this, there was no talk about killing Francis' fieldings.

25:28I... I'm glad Dr. Allen's name is clear. Really, I am. I think the police will believe you, Miss Glend. Yeah, well, for his frame up against Lester Allen, MD, go for JD, Miss Glend, pinclinickshore, andALARTER if you'll invite Lisa Id Dragolet to join the election ticket nation's union Dealers, who will go into the Democratic economy. Also, Lisa candidates for the Democratic minutos selection all have a vote for approval in be Bandai's tone. In total, it was a time when let the Triple Colossum vote of Li WH X 11 led himself to be the calidad of the deal.