Mr. and Mrs. North: Russian Restaurant Murder 02/03/1943

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. You don't. Jerry and Pamela Nord, those laughable, laughable solvers of mystery. For years you read about them in books and magazines, you've seen them on the stage, on the screen.

1:01Now here they are in person in the adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Nord. Joseph is a little Russian restaurant, tucked away in one of the side streets of Midtown Manhattan. And here we find Jerry and Pamela Nord just finishing dinner. There's a popular belief among Epicurus that music has power to aid digestion, but Jerry has some doubt about this. Oh boy, listen to that fiddle. No wonder there's hardly anybody in the place. Jerry, I want to hear. What? Pamela, please, it's dreadful. Jerry, that poor fella is playing with his heart.

2:02Oh, that's it. I was blaming it all on the violin. I suppose the swing bands were going full blast. You think it was Danny. Well, at least I could keep time while I chew. Oh, come on. Are you finished? Let's get out of here. All right, here. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Here, let me help you with the coat, dear. Gentlemen, ladies, it was also your satisfaction. Oh, yes, thank you. My wife even likes the music. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Dimitri, you know, go back to the kitchen. Oh, does he cut to him? Dimitri? Oh, no. He washes the dishes. My wife, she cook. Oh, are you the proprietor? No, lady. I own the restaurant. Oh, I am Joseph. Dimitri is my brother. Vastia is my wife. I see. A family affair. I suppose the girl in the check room is your sister. No, that is not possible. What the door, man, he is my uncle. Vastia.

3:03Oh, how nice. Isn't that nice, Jerry? Oh, dear. You give me a coat check. My compact, near overcoat pocket. Yeah, well, let's see. Oh, here it is. I'll fix my face while you're paying the check. See you in the lobby, Jerry. Now, gentlemen, let me see. Have you the bill? Oh, yes. Even now, I subtract it. And you know, two. Ah, so. $240. What? Let me see. Perhaps it is wrong? No, no, no. Not very. It's $2.40. What? That's Pam. Jerry? I'm coming, Pam. I'm coming. You're terrible. Well, in heaven's name, what happened? Look, there in the check room. Where? Over the table. Good, Lord. Jerry, I think she's dead. She certainly is. That's a stiletto in her back. We'll rejoin, Mr. and Mrs. Nalt, in just a moment.

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6:09Did you get Bill Bagan, Jerry? Yes, he'll be right over the homicide squad. Oh, good. Joseph, who is this girl? This girl I do not know. Oh, my name? It is Betty. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man. It is Betty. Is that all you know about her? Oh. But you hired at a wedding party, didn't you? No, I did not hire her. She was sent here by the man who has the concession for her San Cote. You mean someone actually paid for the checkroom concession in this place? Well, it can possibly pay the girl salary. He did not pay for the concession. He come one day, say, I must let him run her San Cote. I say, no. He say, yes, or he will have my license taken away. Oh, a racket. Why that shameful? He's big man. Lots of politics, who is he?

7:09Charles Moran. Chuck Moran, huh? Jerry. Isn't he the man who runs the club away? Yes, and a lot of concessions and hotels and clubs around town. Now I see why he's got him an uply. I wonder if... Jerry, look. There's a person hanging on the hook. Couldn't we go through it? Yes, I guess we can. Wait a minute. Oh, Jerry, be careful. Don't touch her. Don't worry. Look how she fell forward the crux of the little table. I'm afraid Wagon won't find many clues. Why not, Jerry? Whoever did it must have slipped in quickly. Clunch that stiletto into her and gone out just as fast. You don't leave any traces when you work like that. Jerry, I wish you wouldn't say you. Or let's see the bear. And here we'll put everything on this other table. Wagon will want to see all this stuff. Well, it's not much. Lipstick compact. There's a key. Oh wait. It's a piece of paper. Milk fill. Made out to Mrs. Charles Moran,

8:09596 East 54th Street. Apartment 9A. Mrs. Charles Moran. Use the full sheet. Chuck Moran's wife. She's wife. Can it be possible? I better go over and find out. Jerry, you're staying right here. Now, Pam, we don't want to make any mistakes. If this is Chuck's wife, he should know about it. If she's not well, it might be wise to find out what he does know. Well, why don't you phone? Phone. He has no phone. I can never get him. I guess he has a phone, alright. But only the people he wants have the number. Now, Pam, when Wagon gets here, give him all the details. But Jerry, I don't... Remember, Pam, you're the one who found the body. The body? He and in my restaurant. It's not far from here. I'll be back in 10 minutes. Take it easy, I'm coming. Well. Excuse me, is this where Chuck Moran lives? Right. Is he in?

9:09Who wants to know? My name is North. Gerald North. Oh, your friend of Chuck? Well, I've seen him around town. I'm a publisher. Oh, you published those detective stories, don't you? That's right. Oh, say, I was just reading that one. The kiss of death, it's well. It has been rather successful. Well, say, come on in. Chuck ain't here right now, but he ought to be along any minute. Thanks. Are you Mrs. Moran? Do I look it? Well, I... No, I'm a Francine Laporte. I sing at the club Rue. I thought you looked familiar. I've enjoyed your singing. Oh, thanks. So, sit down, Miss Sofa ain't busy. Have a drink? Uh, not now, thank you. Well, you better. Chuck may not show for a while. Well, then I really can't wait. Well, come on, sit down. Oh, scat, Pinky. That cat is all over everything. You know, Mr. North, another one of your books I liked was Murder in the Mint.

10:14Gee, I didn't know who'd done it until the last page. Yes, Herman is a good writer. But, uh, what I came to see about was Mrs. Moran. Oh, Betty? Yes, do you know her? One of my best friends. And let me tell you, she's got brains. She can figure out those detective stories where I can't. Her only trouble is money. Money? Yeah, you see, Chuck's the front and the concession business, but Betty runs it. She keeps all the check girls in line, you know, hires them and fires them. Well, she squeezes the nickels till the buffalo's yelled. I see. Yeah, right now she's doing a little trick herself and a little Russian joint, because, well, it don't pay to keep a regular girl there. Oh, she and Chuck get along, all right, don't they? Why the... They why all the interest in Betty? Oh, nothing just inquiring. Well, I don't know what you're after, so I ain't gonna talk out of term. You'll have to wait for Chuck. Well, I really must be going, Mr. North. Oh, stick around. I'm leaving in a minute for my act at the club, but we could dispel.

11:16We could spend a little time talking about murder stories. You got any new ones coming up? Several. I'm afraid I'll have to go now. Oh, sorry. Somebody's gonna step on that cap next someday and that'll finish him. And Chuck, I call with you. Sure, I'll tell them handsome. And drop round the club sometime, huh? I'd be delighted, Mr. Board. Oh, call me, Francie. Everybody does. All right, Francie. I'll be seeing you. Okay, big boy. And that's all I can tell you, Bill. That's the way Jerry and I found her. All right, Fran, thanks. Medical examiner's busy in the checkroom. Maybe he'll tell you something. Hey, Mullins. Hey, Luke. Bringing that big Russian. You mean the door man with the forehead? That's right. Mm-hmm. Okay, Luke. Jerry didn't seem to think that you'd find many clues there. I'm not sure if you'd find any clues. I'm not sure if you'd find any clues. I'm not sure if you'd find any clues. I'm not sure if you'd find any clues. I'm not sure if you'd find any clues. He said that the way the murderer worked, he wouldn't have time to...

12:18Oh, no. Here's something you might find interesting. What's that, Jack? When I moved the girl's body, I found this menu on the table under it. She was trying to write a message when she died. Yeah. Oh, see, Bill? Mm. Let's go off one end of the card to the other. W-O-M-E-N. Women killed me. Women, guys. At least the girl didn't know who her assailants were. She had to have tried to write out their names before she died. You can move the body anytime you want, why, I can be... ...the little bit of trick, all right? I'm going down the power of my report. Okay, Dr. Nant. Bill, I can't believe a woman could be so cold-blooded. Take him always, Pam. This girl didn't know who they were, so that rule's out of friends. See. Hey, this week's cross-ex... I told you, Luke, tell him what to do. Put your guard down. For the artist. Hello. What's your name? Vassal, Flut. Are you on the door outside all evening, Vassal? I was for three. Do you see any women coming to the restaurant? Women, yes.

13:18Women. Men too, also. I mean, just a party of women, two or three. They must have come in and left immediately. Women, yes. Men, yes. Not very deaf, right? Yes. Thank you for identifying these women if you saw them. Perhaps, yes, perhaps not. Women, calm, go. Yes, many. Well, I guess it was one of them. All right, Vassal. So, the whole of Mr. Wittnesslut? Yes, taking that quarter, Smollens. All right. Come on, Cossack. You don't want to lose you. Now, Vill, here's what I think you ought to do. Find out if any of the girls working in these concessions had a dance today. Please, fam, guess the minute, eh? I've got to think this thing out. Hello, anybody? Oh, Jerry. What's the success? Did you find Chuck Moran? Hello, Jerry. How are you, Vill? Jerry, I'm asking you a question. Did you find Mr. Chuck? No, there. He wasn't home. But I did find out that dead girl is his wife. Chuck's wife, are you sure? Yes, Vill. Name's Betty Moran. Mr. Chuck, the girl in his apartment said he was you there in a little while. The girl? Okay. I'll give orders to help him pick up. I'll be back in a minute. Jerry, who is the girl?

14:18A fancy. I mean, fancy in the port. She sings at the club Rue. Francy. Francy. And is she a red-haired deer? Oh, hey, here is. How'd you know? They're red hairs all over your coat. Here? Jerry, what were you doing up there? Oh, they came from that cabin, the apartment. A cabin? Yes, the cabin named Betty. Jerry, you haven't answered my question. What? Were you doing up there? Nothing. We talked about Moran and his wife and about detective stories. Detective story. In the old days, it used to be action. Now, Pam, for goodness sake. Oh, you didn't get so flustered, Jerry. Who's flustered? You are, darling. Issue. Good looking. In a way. Mercy. Do you think she killed Betty? She? Well, Pam, whatever gave you that idea. Bill Wagon had a menu with a message that the murdered girl wrote on how she was dying. It said women killed me. Women?

15:18Yes, and this, this, this, Francy may be one of them. That doesn't seem possible. Jerry, you're a very poor judge of women. You never can tell them they're lying to you. Now, Pam. Come on, Jerry. We're going over to that apartment. I want to talk to Miss Francy, the port. You can't. She's at the club Rue by this time. All right, and we'll go to the club Rue. Come on, Jerry. Oh, well, this is a good table, huh? Uh-huh. You can see everything, Jerry. I'm afraid we should have told Bill Wagon where we were going. Bill Wagon is no better judge of women than you are here. All I want to do is talk to her for a few minutes. I'll be able to tell whether she had anything to do with that murder. I hope this doesn't lead to trouble. Miss Miss Miss. Ladies and gentlemen, it is our great pleasure to introduce at this time that delightful finger of French song Miss Francy, the port. Tell her I'm more low.

16:19He's saying. From Brooklyn, France. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. The. The. The. Very attractive. What? Oh, yes, yes, is it? Jerry, you don't always stare that way when you listen to music. Well, it's a bit different from the meetrianna's fiddle. Well, she's not singing from a hawk. Jerry sees you. Yes, she does. As soon as she's singing, I'm going back to her dressing room. We'll both go. Oh, I'm. You're going to stay right here. Be able to judge her better. Well, all right, there.

17:19But be careful what you say. I'm. Oh, I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I got to be to play a dance. Okay, Francie. Sixty three from the car, for. Are you ready? One. Two. Hey, Chuck. What's the matter, Francie? You finished all right? Listen, that guy north, it was up in the apartment. Yeah. He's out front with the dame. I wonder what that log's up to. Well, he's poking around for something, Chuck.

18:19If he'd just come to see me, wouldn't have brought no dame. Yeah, I wonder what. Swat. Yeah, get behind the screen quick. Whoever it is, get rid of him. Okay, keep your shirt on. Miss Laporte. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. Miss Laporte, may I see you, Francie? I, um, I got a change for my next number. Oh, before I take a minute. When you get out, I haven't got no time. I'm Mrs. North. You met my husband, Miss Danor. I've been Chuck Moran's apartment. Yeah. What do you want? I just want to ask you one question. What did you and my husband talk about tonight? Detective stories. Why? Oh. Didn't you talk about who killed Betty Moran? K-Kill Betty. Oh, didn't you know she was dancing? What are you talking about? Betty Moran was murdered tonight. Hey, what's this all about? Miss Stamford's Betty was bumped off. I heard. Where'd you get this from, sister? Oh, well, the police found her. Are you Chuck Moran? Yeah. Who got Betty? The police are looking for you. Yeah, well, I'm going out looking for the police. That you hadn't called, Francie.

19:19Oh, you can wait right here. The police will come for you. Out of the way, lady. Hop to it, Francie. I'm ready, Chuck. You'd better not leave, Miss Moran. Get away from that door. Oh, Chuck, let me go. Go on, Chuck. Where you? Just a minute. I'm ready, Chuck. Get away from that door. Oh, Chuck, let me go. Chuck, where you? Just a minute. Jerry, stop them. That's Chuck Moran. Out of the way, Chuck. Get back, Moran. Yeah? Chuck, where you? Finish him, Chuck. Get away. I had to go. Here you. Get away from that phone. Try and stop me. Why are you little... Oh! Oh! Hello. Give me that phone. Oh, right here. Give me that phone. Please. Help! Murder! Please! Let's go. Jerry, are you sure you're all right? Yes, dear. Good. I want to look out the back. Oh, god.

20:19Jerry, you know this is the first ride I've ever had in a pro-wagon. I hope it's not your last shut up, Moran. You're going to let him get away with that, Chuck. I'll kick his teeth in. Jerry, the house. I'll handle him. Oh, you're going to let him get away with that. Hey, hey, my son. Jerry, where you at? Where you at? Where you at? Where you at? Where you at? Where you at? You're not planning a time for a shot when we get to the cooler. As soon as we get there, officer, I want to see Lieutenant's wagon. All right, lady, but quiet down. I can't hardly hear the gun. Come on, Doc. Oh, Lieutenant wagon. Down the morgue here to take a look at them. Well, they are in the trunk. Hmm. On the package. How are they killed, Doc? Bullets through the head. Close range. Crammed in the trunk after death. All right. One corpse out in blood. They might be on the way to California by now. The expressmen noticed the blood coming out of the corner of the trunk. Yeah. That's the standard way of getting rid of bodies.

21:20Drop them off at the express office and ship them off across the country. Oh, I can. Now you've got two cases on your hands. Any identification on the bodies? No, not a clue on them. Hey, hey, look. You got them, Alan? Yeah. Come on, Cossack. In here. Come on. Close up. Lieutenant, this is not since the days of the charge. Just a minute. Just a minute. I'm sorry. We have to hold you with the witness, boss. But it can't be helped. I want you to take a look at these bodies. Say, yeah, loot. This moment. Mr. and Mrs. North, they were just brought in in the wagon. Pamanjerry? Mm-hmm. To disturb the peace. Mr. North got into a fight with Moran. They got Moran. Good. Fettled the charges and bring Pamanjerry down here at the morgue. I don't know. I'm sorry. Pamanjerry down here at the morgue. I don't know. They have come in as soon as you can see me. I'm sorry, Pamanjerry. You see a Pamanjerry down here at the morgue. I don't know. I already did. I've come in as soon as you can see me. I do. Lieutenant, why can't you? Oh! There you are, Bill. Come in, Jerry. You see a Pamanjerry. Come on. Oh, Bill.

22:20We just had the most exciting! Oh! I'm sorry, Pamanjerry. It's not a very pretty sight. Good Lord. Who are these men? We don't know yet. How about it, boss? You recognize those bodies? These men, I know. I see them only two hours ago. I've once of never forget. They're the ones that turn its loose. But that note, Bill, the one she wrote, it said, women killed me. Yes, it doesn't fit. I wonder, Bill, have you that menu with you? I've got an idea. Oh, what's your... Oh, yes, here it is. That could be it, all right? Sure. What's your name? Well, look at this menu. See, the girl started the word women right at the edge and wrote it across the page. Things must have been going black for her. But Jerry, don't talk so much. Just tell her. What's your idea, Jerry? She started her writing off the edge of the menu. There's a letter missing, a T. A T? Yes. And what do you get when you put a T in front of the word women? Women. Two women. Oh, Jerry, that doesn't make sense.

23:20I see what you mean, Jerry. Sure. Spell it out, Pam. T-W-O-M-E-N. Two men. Oh, I see. I can't kill them. Of course. Why, how clever of you, Jerry. Well, we've got the two muddlers. Yeah, in its trunk. But who got them? Wait a minute. I think I have a... What the... Yes, sir, those bodies. That's it. Why, Jerry? It's right in front of you and you can't see it. Pam, will you make sense? Bill, have Mr. Moran and that girl brought down here right away. Pam, you'd better tell us what you're going to do. No, no. This takes very delicate handling. I have to do it my way, Bill. But Pam. I will say another word until they're here. All right, Mullens, bring them down. Come on, come on, you dear bossy. Hey, watch this all about. Are you going to find out right now, Moran? Sit down. And you take that chair, Miss...

24:21That's Mr. Leport, Bill. Those are the darn Mullens. How then? Mrs. North is going to ask a few questions. I want them answered. Say, who does she think she is? Better ask. See what it gets her. Yeah, well, when she's finished, I got a few things to ask. I'll be through my lawyer. All right, that's enough. Go ahead, Pam. Well, Miss Moran, your wife Betty was murdered tonight. You said that at the club. I don't know nothing about it. Didn't you sneak into the Russian restaurant tonight and corny your wife in the checkroom and... ...and stab her to death? You're crazy. I wasn't near the joint. This man I don't see by the restaurant tonight. You see? Quietly. Boss of tells it through. All right, boss of. Well, he ought to know. I wasn't there. Then where were you? Say, what is she? A woman dick. Answer the questions, Moran. Where were you? Home. In my apartment. Jerry, did you see Mr. Moran when you were at his apartment? No. Only the girl. That's because you didn't look fathead. I was out in the kitchen all the time. You was there. That's fancy. That's right. He was there all the time.

25:22All right, Mr. Moran. You admit you were in your apartment all evening. Sure. Sure. I got an alibi. I can tell you everything that guy said. All right, Bill. Arrest Mr. Moran to the murder of those two men. What? Say, what is she trying to hang on me? He didn't kill nobody. Can you prove this, Pam? Look at the body, Bill. Their coats are covered with hair. Cat hair. Just like Jerry's was. Those men were killed in Moran's apartment. That's a lie. I was there. Mullins, take care of some of these clothes and get samples from the apartment. All right. The hair is match. Going to send Moran and this girl straight to the electric. No. No, not me. You can't. Stop, Frank. You can't do this to me. Hey, Shotsom. I didn't have anything to do with it. You're crazy, Ake. Oh, I love it. Oh. He did it. He hired those guys to bump her off. Then when they came around to get paidy, Shotsom. Why did he want to get rid of his wife? She knew too much. The police are looking for three girls that disappeared. Girls that used to work for Moran. I don't know what happened to them that Betty did. She was going to tell the police because Moran was playing around with me. She was jealous. Well, you're lying. That's how crossing...

26:23Take him away, Molly. I'm all right, move. I can't protect you. I'm all right, I'm all right. Well, Pam, that was a smart piece of detective work. A highell say. How did you know about the cat's hair? Gary had them on his coat. Thank heaven. Thank heaven is right. It's all the case. Oh, I don't mean that, Jerry. I mean, thank heaven they were from the cat. Not that red-headed Francis. The cat. The cat. The cat. The cat. The cat. The cat. The cat. Girls, here's what lovely Paulette got it said about you, your beauty, and that man of yours in the war. She said... He's fighting for you. It's up to you to look the past. I'm not sure how my free-minute care with Woodbury Colourcream will help keep your skin smooth and enduring. I call it WDNC. That's shortfall. Woodbury Beauty Nightcap. Try it. And lovely Veronica Lake says the same.

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