Detective and Mystery – Retro Radio Podcast

Forgery Detail. Someone is stealing letters from the postal delivery, and checks they contain.

The rainy day is the topic as Ben and Joe compare raincoats, the latest in compact plastic rain protection. But how does it fold up to fit back in that tiny little pouch? Ben may have trouble with it on his hands. The case of mail theft is discussed. Just how profitable is swiping packages from the sidewalk drop boxes? Checks, bank statements, and a delay in reporting missing checks all work in favor for a thief.

The methods of forging, and charming the bank tellers is described, but is there a way to pin him down to a certain area of operation? As the detectives walk to the next department, the development of the case is described. With different departments hard at work, our local forgery department gets the luck of reaping the glory of picking up their man, complete with a confession. Joe sits in on the interrogation as the postal department, and others who did most of the ingestion work extract information from the young crook. The transplant from Ohio tells how he found and cashed checks. Too easy, the young man isn’t their man, and in voiceover, Joe tells how the cake ignited anew.

The complex case takes months, and a tip from the postal service leads to finding their crook, and catching him red handed.

A racketeer of a penny arcade learns his girlfriend has just won a big role in the movies. Not wanting to lose out on his blackmail over her, he tightens his grip on her. Seeking help, the starlet goes to Philo Vance. She would be in line as a suspect, if anything should happen to her blackmailer.

Her agent has already conspired to get rid of the problem, but will that only hurt the matter? Philo Bance assesses the problem to see how he might stop the matter. The racketeer ends up dead, but all that means is tracking down a killer.

Philo isn’t falling for the stories from the riff raff. He soon cuts through the clutter, and solves the mystery. Pay attention to the clues, and see if you spot the mistake the killer slipped up on. Try to figure it out along with our master detective.

Homicide Detail. A young mother is shot, and her 7 year old son is the witness to the crime.

On night watch, Joe Friday and Ben Romero report to the crime traumatized home in the quiet neighborhood, and get the initial report from the cop on the scene. A cut in a screen door is the thin indication that the shotgun killing was part of a robbery. A canvas of the neighborhood is arranged to try to find the prowler before he gets too far. Seven year old Charlie tells his story. Does he have any idea of who was in the house?

Joe describes the crime scene further, and the progress of the dragnet in the neighborhood. The likely suspect is the separated husband, the swing shift worker at the steel mill tells about his relationship with his wife, and with his new room mate, but is he missing some detail?

A lead sends the cops to a felon who is found with fire arms in his possession. The conspiracy becomes clear. Will the motive for the killing make sense, or be worth the aftermath and loss? It nevver does.

Facing pressure to commit to a big business deal with Mr Maxwell, Norman has only a few days to convince his aunt to let him leave the family business. Is aunt Hester being too unreasonable? Frank and his friends join William as he visits his aunt. She seems nice enough to the young folk, but demands that Norman leave his position on the rowing team. Is it for his own good? If she’s so demanding over a sports team, what chance does Norman have in his business opportunity?

The next morning, Norman sends Frank and Bart to the factory for a grand tour. Brother, William is heard in the office talking to Mr Maxwell. Though its a good decision to sell out to Maxwell, Frank thinks aunt Hester is being cheated.

Trapped in the factory, Frank and Bart can’t get out to stop the sale. Will anybody back at the estate realize there’s something wrong in

Frank’s absence? An unexpected helper gets Frank out, and just in time to confront William, Maxwell, and Hester before papers can be signed? Frank’s exploits in the face of danger might even coni=vince Hester to let Norman be on the team.

A racketeer and extortionist has added frustrations on his hands when his golddigging girlfriend demands mink coats. Then his main thug reports their mark for extortion going to pay a visit to Philo Vance.

What’s a self respecting, hard working gangster supposed to do to earn a living? ? How about a scheme to kidnap the great detective? You know, just for long enough to keep him out of your hair for the time it takes to bump off that pesky citizen who dared to report your extortion on him.

Philo Vance is released from his kidnapping, but it doesn’t take him long to figure out were he was, or who held him. As he explains all to the District Attorney, they lay a trap to bring down the killer of Mr White. Stand by for plot twists at every step along the way. Murder becomes a frame up, but who is framing who?

A woman who is a bride to be needs to hire Barry, but before she can get to the point, she flees. In her place a man stumbles into the office to die at Barry’s feet. The cops reveal the man is tied to the mob. How does the bride of a Swedish philanthropist figure into the mix?

A phone call from the bride finds Barry dealing with another corpse. How should Barry play the situation, hard, or smart? While he ponders that fact he ends up with a thump on the head. Facing off with the goons who have him in their custody, Barry reviews the points in the case. The mystery is becoming more clear. Fists, guns, and danger are in store for Barry.

Get ready to have the lid kicked off, and the dirty laundry brought out in the open. The entanglement of blackmail, and murder has been broken.

It’s the week before graduation, and we find Frank at the track, putting a horse that belongs to Bart’s father through its paces for the amateur raceLater, a robbery is stopped, but will there be accusations against Frank?

Clemmons is a disgruntled man who thinks these young college upstarts were grandstanding, and endangering lives. Will his editorial in the newspaper be believed?

Connections in the underworld are exposed, unbeknownst to Frank, who have had enough of this kid messing with their racket. A plan is devised to tamper with Frank’s horse race to get even with him. What could it be? Will the unsuspecting Frank be in danger?

Hamilton is the rival in the horse race, and has reason to believe that Franks horse was drugged. Help for Frank comes from an unexpected source. Nobody believes Frank is guilty, but the newspapers are raking him over the coals. When Flemming, the man Frank caught for burglary, has a hot tip, its the chance Frank needs to bring justice on a ring of gamblers.

With all the scandal, and the trap that has to be sprung, will Frank make it back to Yale in time to be capped, and accepted into Skull and Bones?

Homicide Detail. A wife has committed suicide, at least that’s the claim of her husband.

At an apartment building, a distraught man recounts how his wife shot herself with his old Army automatic, after an argument. What will the crime scene reveal about the plausibility of Mr Roberts story? His story is cross checked with neighbors. The couple is known to be argumentative, it’s surprising they ever got married.

In voiceover, Joe tells the progress of the case. Mr Roberts admits his marriage hasn’t been the best, and goes over the details in his story. The argument, the shot, phoning the police, but the cops aren’t buying it. Joe goes over flaws in the story of the former Sergeant, and weapons instructor. Fingerprints on the wrong parts of the handgun, a shell casing that ejected to the wrong side of the crime scene, but Roberts is unchanging in claiming his innocence.

All the evidence is against Mr Roberts, but in talking with the guys from the crime lab, the clues are gone over closely. The evidence of the gun, the casing, angle of the shot, and more, all take on a new light in the shooting. Will it be what it takes to exonerate Mr Roberts?

The latest case in the Black Museum of Scotland Yard begins with the killing of constable William George Greenly. He had been killed during a routine traffic stop. The crime scene is examined for clues, and the car that was involved. The inference is a crook had been on the run, and on the way to hide out in London.

Reports of stolen cars are investigated. Assuming they found the right one, what might it reveal about the crook, and his destination? Known criminals are checked out, but all have Alibis. . forensics with tire treads tell a story, and help to track the stolen car, as do ballistic technicians.

All it takes is time, and diligent searches of London to find the car. Fingerprint experts add to the evidence. In the lurch of finding the killer, the description of the funeral, with full police and military honors, is described. A lucky break sends the cops in a new direction, and right to their man.

Auto Theft Detail. One of the most puzzling cases of car theft plagues the city, and Joe Friday is on the job to figure it out.

Along with partner, Ben Romero, Joe is briefed on the late model, high end cars that are coming up stolen. In voiceover, Joe tells about the registration, and records that all cars have on them, and how it comes to play in aiding the cops to track the cars.

On the scene, Joe interviews the owner of a garage and salvage yard. Checking out paperwork, and taking a tour of the Cadillac bone yard, the cops learn a little about the business of salvaging parts from the wrecked luxury cars.

As told in voiceover, Joe checks out the other salvage yards in town. Everything seems on the up and up, but might a competitor be a little jealous of Howard’s operation? The cops continue to scrutinize the salvage yards as more late model cars are stolen, and not recovered. What might turn up as Joe and Ben check serial numbers on engines and bodies?

Uncovering a subtle web of lies, Joe points out how changes to paint and upholstery can mask a car, but tell tale signs point to the new coverings. The scheme to reshuffle engines and car parts from wrecks is masterful… just not to the discerning eye of the diligent Joe Friday. There’s a lot on the line, as testified to when gunplay breaks out.