Detective and Mystery – Retro Radio Podcast

Having a hard time sleeping, the noises in the night don’t help the matter for Sam. Traffic, sirens, cats, domestic violence, and a knock at the door, and a visit from the red head across the way. She’s afraid that her merchant sailor boyfriend will hurt her. Sam doesn’t want to get involved, but he knows how to defend himself from a jealous boyfriend.

When the sailor finds a rival seaman dead on his ship, he needs Sam to clear his name. Is he being set up by a jealous lover? Can Sam help him defend himself with the cops?

Bodies pile up, and its not looking good for Sam’s client. How inconvenient for Sam, since all the interuptions on his life all infringe upon his sleep time. A clue shows up in the form of belt buckles, and models of ships. What does it mean? A ring of drug smugglers is uncovered as Sam exposes the truth.

On a hot day in the city, an immigrant man who runs a produce stand may soon need help from Philip Marlowe. Though Marlowe would rather just pick up the items he needs from the merchants, he ends up with a lot of gossip.

Trying to mind his own business, Marlowe soon has a brush with trouble. Dom is the son of one of the vendors, and has fallen into bad company. After a fender bender, Philip decides to have a beer while he waits. A thump on the head awaits when Dom, and his gang buddy don’t like Marlowe snooping around.

Before he can go home, and just rest his head, Marlowe has another encounter with Dom, but the message he gives the young thug sends him running home. Who is Helena, and why did she have such an affect over Dom? Can Marlowe help with the family problem that he has uncovered?

On a case where he has to rub elbows with high society, Sam gets the details about a man who married Elanor, a woman twice his age. Her death caused scandal, and a rift in the family. More scandal looms when Mr Cavanaugh wants to prevent another scandalous marriage. Can Beronni be bought off from marrying his step daughter, Eunice?

Fred Blair, step son of Cavanaugh has some dirt to complicate matters in the revenge seeking, high class family. Beroni has his own secret, he and Eunice have already been married for weeks. The sdandals keep coming when Eunice is found dead.

The fingers come out to ;lay blame on the others, but which of the characters have the most motive? Which one had the most to gain in the death of Eunice? Cover ups, frame ups, begin to fall apart… then the guns start blazing. Sam knows who the killer is, but he needs to get solid proof.

Philip gives the picturesque description of placid suburbia. Nice little houses, birds chirping and fruit trees pepper the landscape. He is on the case of a missing person. What would make the young bride of the old and gray Enos Harper split the scene?

Marlowe checks in with some of the locals. Nobody seems to know anything about the couple who seemed so happy together. Will there be any gossip among the women in town? The squeaky clean little town still holds a little darkness, when Marlowe gets a thump on the head to warn him away.

The mild mannered Enos is ready to give up the search, but Philip won’t let it rest so easily. Does Marlowe have a line on a kidnapper? All he has to do is figure out which of at least three men are who have been calling on her. If Amy went anywhere, she didn’t go far, or take many clothes. Is Marlowe right in suspecting a murder?

Sam is feeling in the dumops when he has to report on a long time friend. Dick Foley is a fellow detective who keeps to himself.

Opening up to Sam, he learns that Dick is married, and a case from a few years back has come back to haunt him. Claude Spicer is a killer, but there’s a burning secret that Sam should know about Dick’s wife, Maxine.

What will Sam learn when he tails Claude? A jeweler is being cased, and connections are made between Dick, Maxine, and Claude. With a close eye on his man, the store is robbed anyhow. has Dick been playing Sam for a patsy? Was he supposed to witness a murder of revenge? Will he find himself taking a swim out to sea, in the San Fransisco Bay? Has he been chasing after the one who has really been pulling the strings in this case?

Frank Lauring is a man who has disappeared, and Johnny has reason to believe that he is on a ship to the Panama Canal as Michael Walsh. Taking a flight to head him off at the pass, Johnny sets out to intercept Frank. First a thump on the head awaits when Johnny confronts Mrs Lauring, and name drops Michael Walsh’s name.

In Panama, Walsh has kept a step ahead of Johnny, and out of his grasp. Turning the tables on traps laid in his path, Johnny closes in to deal with shady, underworld types.

In seedy parts of the world, loyalties run as deep as the deepest pocket. Greasing the skids with a few dollars, Johnny soon has his man, but there’s no guarantee that Walsh wants to return to his life in America. Life is hard when you live it at the business end of a gun barrel.

Note: In the background in the seedy bars of Panama, swing music can be heard playing. You would think something more of a South of the Border sound might be heard, but Panama has held close ties to America in its history as an independent nation. Current pop music is commonly heard in bars, hangouts, and radio stations, then and now. The other dominate sound is a style of music called ‘Salsa’ and is popular with many countries through the Gulf of Mexico areas. Just a little touch of social studies for those who care to know.

It’s a hot, humid day in the city, and aMarlowe is frustrated by a xylophone playing neighbor. He also takes a phone call from a terse neighbor. How did his phone number ring in at the other room? In the hall, Marlowe finds a wealth of information in the form of Mrs Garrity. The gossipy woman, who doesn’t know anybody, or anything about them is tough to get away from. Has Marlowe missed another call? What’s the story with Art, the neighbor, and Rena, a dame who comes to see him?

Phone mix ups, xylophones, and unhappy neighbors. What next… gunplay? Soon Marlowe uncovers all sorts of drama right at his doorstep. Mishandled investments, and murder. Marlowe manages to resolve the problems quietly… except for that xylophone player.

Note: The mid show commercial is a spot to help flood victims in Missouri, Illinois, and other states. Donate to the Red Cross to do your part. As this is being posted, flood waters have been at it again. Somethings never change.

After an insurance pay out to a New York company, the robber has been caught, but with no sign of the loot. Johnny Dollar hits the scene to see if he can recover the cash for his client. What did Lester James do with it? Squander it, gamble it away, play the market, or might it still be recovered? Lester isn’t saying, or admitting to anything. Johnny investigates to learn more about the character of Lester. He is said to be a quiet, and likeable man, but does he have a record of stealing?

When Johnny learns that Lester has made bail, he tails his man. Its a good thing, since Johnny was on hand to prevent a suicide. As Lester’s life hangs in the balance, Johnny returns to the streets to learn what he can about this curious man.

The slim trail leads to a dame, and expensive gifts. Only a fraction of the stolen money can be accounted for, so Johnny still has work ahead of him. Can this caper be as simple as the matter of a lonely, lovesick man? If love got him into this mess, can love bail Lester out of it?

In a bar, Philip meets a dame that he can fall for. Monti Karr feels the same about him, even a long evening of sharing drinks together. Philip sets out to take Monti home, when suddenly she feels uneasy about letting him too close. Who are all the people at her house? Home alone, Philip learns from an early morning phone call from Lt Matthews that his date of the night before has been murdered.

Arriving at the scene Phil discovers the woman is Ann Harkness, some different. What’s her background? Is there any sign of Monti, or her involvement?

Finding a few clues the cops overlooked, Philip sets out for the real address where Monti may be. The cops are only a step behind, but Matthews still manages to have some information to fill in some gaps. Danger begins to creep into the picture, but will it be waiting for Phil, or will he be the one dishing it out? What secrets will he discover about his new found gal?

Fast action is needed in Chicago to investigate the rich old corpse who died of… starvation. The corpse also has a long list of troublesome illnesses that never showed up on the insurance physical. Johnny traces the paper trail of the deceased Christopher Lane. Doctors confirm the identity, and ailments. Johnny doubts the physician’s competency, or long term knowledge of his patient. Will people closely associated with Mr Lane in his daily life give a positive identification on the corpse? Verification of Mr Lane’s decline seem to be documented. If this is fraud, when did it start, and how could so many people be fooled?

Is the sister involved in the elaborate deception somehow? Johnny is skeptical, and playing his cards close to the vest in the matter. Is there any doubt to the integrity of the salesman who sold the policy? Johnny leaves no stone, or clue unturned.

Was Lane the healthy man who passed the physical, only to have the sickly man pretend to be him to collect? Or Was Lane the sick man, and had a healthy man stand in long enough to buy the policy? Who knew about the scam, and would benefit the most? Get all the details as Johnny gathers his clues, and see if you can untangle how it was done, and for what motive?

Note: Following on the heels of Edmund O’Brian, John Lund is Johnny Dollar.