RADIO

Announcer

Theme music

Agatha Christie's Poirot

Theme music

From the thrill-packed pages of Agatha Christie's unforgettable stories of corpses, clues and crime, Mutual now brings you, complete with bowler hat and brave mustache, your favorite detective, Hercule Poirot, starring Harold Huber, in the case of The Careless Victim.,

Theme music

Before meeting Hercule Poirot in his first American adventure, it seems only fitting for the millions of faithful readers who have followed the little Belgian detective's career in book form, to meet the famous lady who created this famous character. So it is our privilege to present a message from Agatha Christie introducing Hercule Poirot from London, England. The next voice you hear will be Miss Agatha Christie's.

Go ahead, London.

Agatha Christie

I feel that this is an occasion that would have appealed to Hercule Poirot. He would have done justice to the inauguration of this radio program, and he might even have made it seem something of an international event. However, as he's heavily engaged on an investigation, about which you will hear in due course, I must, as one of his oldest friends, deputize for him. The great man has his little foibles, but really, I have the greatest affection for him. And it is a source of continuing satisfaction to me, that there has been such a generous response to his appearance on my books, and I hope that his new career on the radio will make many new friends for him among a wider public.

Announcer

Thank you, Miss Agatha Christie. And now, Mutual presents Hercule Poirot in his first American adventure, the Case of the Careless Victim.

Music.

Poirot

[Door opens. Closes.] Mademoiselle?

Clerk

Huh?

Poirot

This is the Cozy Room Apartment Renting Agency?

Clerk

When we got something to rent, yeah.

Poirot

I have the desire to rent an apartment.

Clerk

Who hasn�t?

Poirot

Please, mademoiselle, do not jest. Allons, I have with me a brief dossier of my requirements. Please to read it.

Clerk

Well, all right. Gentleman desires a bright suns ... sunshining apartment, of a reasonable quietness, near the heart of the city. Should be furnished with the utmost charm, French provincial if possible. Price is of no consequence, as long as it is very reasonable. Huh. Please communicate with me at the Hotel Windsor. Hercules P-O-I-R-O-T. Poyrot.

Poirot

No, no, no, mademoiselle, the name is Poirot. Hercule Poirot.

Clerk

Well, I wish you luck, Mr. Porroh.

Poirot

Finding an apartment, mademoiselle, is not a matter of luck. It is a matter of employing the little gray cells. If you can find an apartment for me, please do me the kindness to inform me.

Clerk

Sure, if you�ll do something for me.

Poirot

And what is that?

Clerk

If you can find an apartment for me, please do me the kindness to inform me!

Music

Elevator man

Going up. [Sound of voices conversing in a crowd] Floor please.

Poirot

Number five. [Elevator door closes]. You are new here, no?

Elevator man

Uh, yessir, only came on yesterday. You�re Mr. Porrot, aren�tcha?

Poirot

Poirot.

Elevator man

Well, Poirot. One of the boys pointed you out. Here you are sir, fifth floor. [Elevator door opens and closes]

Poirot

[Humming...bumps into a woman] Oh, a thousand apologies, madame!

Woman

[Old, reedy voice] Not a�tall, it was entirely my fault.

Poirot

Madame appears troubled. Perhaps I may be of some slight assistance?

Woman

No, I...well...if you�re sure you don�t mind.

Poirot

But of course not.

Woman

You see, it�s my door, it won�t open.

Poirot

Aha. And where is this obstinate door, eh?

Woman

It�s right down the corridor, room 515.

Poirot

If I may have the key?

Woman

But that�s just it! The door isn�t locked. I left it open only ten minutes ago.

Poirot

Indeed. Madame is very trusting, eh.

Woman

Hmm. Here it tis. [Rattling of door] You see, it�s stuck, it won�t budge.

Poirot

It is not precisely stuck, madame. It gives a trifle. This door is barricaded.

Woman

Oh my goodness.

Poirot

[grunt, as if applying shoulder to door] Ah, voila, she moves, eh.

Woman

Oh, thanks a million. Now what do you suppose...

Poirot

No, wait madame. Perhaps it is better if I look first. Ah, alas, it is as I have feared.

Woman

[Quickly] What is it?

Poirot

You do not know? Look!

Woman

Oh! It�s a man! Is he...is he...

Poirot

Oui, madame. He has been strangled. This is murder.

MUSIC

Poirot

Zut alors. I must complement you, madame. Your color, it is excellent. And you did not even commence to faint. For one who...

Woman

I don�t fall apart in a crisis, if that�s what you mean. And furthermore, I�m not madame, I�m mademoiselle. By choice. Miss Abigail Fletcher. [Over the sound of someone telephoning.] And now, if you�ll get that...uh, corpse out of here, I�d like to sit down.

Poirot

That I regret I cannot do, mam�selle. The body must not be touched before the police arrive.

Miss Fletcher

Police!

Poirot

Well yes, of course, the police. I am calling them now. �Allo, allo? Ah, inspector Stevens. It is I, Hercule Poirot. Alas, no, I have not yet found the apartment. But I have found something of perhaps more interest. A corpse. Hm, right here in my hotel. Room number...

Miss Fletcher

[from far away] 515.

Poirot

Number 5 fif-. Mamselle! What are you doing with the body?

Miss Fletcher

Nuthin. I was just trying to see his face.

Poirot

You will have that opportunity later. Pardon, inspector. We are room 515. Bien. We shall expect you immediately. [hangs up phone] Eh, bien, Miss Fletcher. Now that you have observed the face of this unfortunate one, perhaps you will be good enough to tell me who he is?

Miss Fletcher

I certainly will not! Who do you think you are?

Poirot

Ah, mamselle, permit me to present myself, I am Hercule Poirot. Formerly chief of the Belgian Surete.

Miss Fletcher

Yeah? That�s what you say. Now look, Mr. Porroh, I�ve read plenty of detective stories and none of �em had a detective that looked anythin� like you. I�ll wait for the police and let them ask the questions.

Poirot

As you desire, mamselle. I merely wish to point out one thing. It is you the police will question first.

Miss Fletcher

Me?

Poirot

But of course. You are the most likely suspect, no?

Miss Fletcher

Well, all right. What do you want to know?

Poirot

First, what are you doing here in this hotel?

Miss Fletcher

Why, I�ve lived here for ten solid years! Ever since I left Waskuskego, Maine!

Poirot

And what do you do? What is your occupation?

Miss Fletcher

Why...why I...don�t have any occupation. I�ve got a little income and...I like it here in New York and the last few years I�ve been doing...war work....Red Cross and things like that.

Poirot

You seem a trifle vague, mamselle. Now, about this man. Who is he?

Miss Fletcher

I don�t know! I never saw him before in my life!

Poirot

Mamselle, I advise you to consider your answers with care. Do not forget, a man lies dead in this room.

Miss Fletcher

I can�t help that. I don�t know who he is or how he got here. I toldja I was out of the room for ...ten minutes.

Poirot

That may be, Miss Fletcher, but it does not help you. This man has been dead for at least one hour.

Miss Fletcher

How do you know?

Poirot

If you will touch the body you will observe it is already beginning to cool. Therefore, mamselle, if you left this room only ten minutes ago, your situation is indeed grave, for this man was already dead!

Miss Fletcher

Oh! But ...I couldn�t have done it!

Poirot

So? And why not?

Miss Fletcher

Because his body was lying right across the doorway. You know perfectly well I couldn�t get out through this doorway and still leave a body wedged against it! Belgian surety indeed!

Poirot

Hm. Very good, mamselle. But, you could have murdered him in here, made your departure by way of this fire escape through the room overhead, and come down inside the building to this corridor, where you so innocently made my acquaintance. You see, there is evidence that the fire escape has but recently been used. Now, it is not so amusing, eh?

Miss Fletcher

Well, I don�t care. I had nothing to do with this. I know you detectives, you are out to get a suspect, and just because a man was murdered in my room...

Poirot

Gently, gently, mamselle. All is not lost. Fortunately, you deal with Hercule Poirot, who goes one step beyond the obvious. You see, this poor man was not murdered in your room. He was killed in the room overhead!

Miss Fletcher

But why? Why kill him upstairs and leave him on my doorstep?

Poirot

That, mamselle, we shall discover in due course.

[Door closes. Sound of key turning in lock.]

Miss Fletcher

All right, Mister Porroh. Now that you�ve got the corpse safely locked in my room and us outside, what am I supposed to do? Sleep on the fire escape?

Poirot

I do not think that will be necessary, mamselle. You are coming with me to the lobby where we shall wait for my friend, Inspector Stevens. He will see that you are comfortably sheltered for the night.

Miss Fletcher

Oh. ...Tell me, Mr. Porroh, how�d you figure out that the murder took place upstairs?

Poirot

Is it not apparent, Miss Fletcher? Please to squeeze the bell for the elevator. I look out of your window and observe the fire escapes. And what do I find? Everywhere the dust reposes peacefully.

Miss Fletcher

Well naturally! The help is too busy to polish fire escapes.

Poirot

Ah, mamselle, but on one stairway, the one leading up from your window, all is disarranged. There is a broad, clear path through the dust. And it is precisely the width of a human body. And since the path extends only to the floor above, it is obvious the body has been dragged down from room 615. Also, on the garments of the dead man, the trousers, the left elbow, and across the shoulders, there are unmistakable traces of rust. [Sound of elevator arriving.] Ah, voila, the elevator.

Elevator man

Going down.

Poirot

Messiur, would you be so good as to explain why you were so long in arriving?

Elevator man

Uh? Oh, it�s this old car. Every once in a while it goes on the fritz.

Poirot

Comma? On the fritz?

Miss Fletcher

Out of order.

Elevator man

Yeah, it got stuck on the ninth.

Poirot

You have been on the ninth floor all this time?

Elevator man

Yeah, that�s right.

Poirot

That is difficult to believe.

Elevator man

Why?

Poirot

Because the indicator has been pointing to the basement.

Elevator man

Ah, that indicator. Soon as anything goes wrong it flops.

Poirot

I am not so sure that is true of the indicator. But unquestionably, messieur, it is true of the too clever murder. As soon as anything goes wrong, it flops.

MUSIC

Poirot

[Sounds of people talking in lobby] Eh bien, Inspector Stevens, there is the situation. An unknown man strangled to death in one room, and dragged down the fire escape to another.

Stevens

Poirot, if this body is the person I think it is, the commissioner will have my head!

Poirot

Eh? Mon ami, forgive me, you seem agitated.

Stevens

And we were warned, too. I assigned my best man to guard him. The smartest cop on my force. Sam Tremble. Good lord, Poirot, there�ll be an international scandal.

Poirot

Gently, mon ami. You go to fast, even for Hercule Poirot. Who is this magnificent figure of international importance?

Stevens

Parrish! Jonathan Parrish!

Poirot

Parrish? Ahhh! Oui. The name rings a bell. He is the big currency expert, eh?

Stevens

That�s right. He�s on his way to Europe to set up the new paper currency for the liberated countries. Checked in at the Windsor today, was supposed to pick up some papers, dyes and inks and then hop a bomber tonight. [Elevator door opens]

Poirot

Fifth floor, please. An enormous undertaking. And one of great importance.

Stevens

And I was responsible for his safety. He�s supposed to be an eccentric sort of guy, no photographs, no publicity. Tremble was the only man on the force who knew him at all and Tremble failed. You see what this means, Poirot?

Poirot

I see only this, my friend. We have arrived at the first step in the solution of this distressing murder, for now we know the motive. [Elevator door opens] This way, inspector. [Elevator door closes]. This is the room. Mademoiselle Fletcher, your key.

Miss Fletcher

Here you are.

Stevens

I�ll never live this down.

Poirot

[Over the sound of key in lock] You exaggerate, mon ami. Even the best of men sometimes fail. Regard, inspector. Here is your corpse.

Stevens

Hm. They certainly did a job...thunderation!

Poirot

You are shocked, messieur?

Stevens

Poirot, do you realize what�s happened?

Poirot

But of course, Inspector. It is not Jonathan Parrish who has been murdered, but your own , faithful policeman, Sam Tremble.

Stevens

Poirot, that�s not very funny, you knew it all the time.

Poirot

Pardon, mon ami, I knew nothing of the sort.

Stevens

But you distinctly told me...

Poirot

No, inspector, you told me! To me the dead man was an unknown corpse. It could be anyone. But when you speak of two men, one a wealthy financier of international importance, the other a police officer, by employing the little grey cells, it is not difficult to conclude that a corpse with the large high, comfortable shoes and the plain suit, is the policeman.

Stevens

Oh, of course. I�m sorry...

Poirot

Messiur, there is no time now for the profuse apologies.

Stevens

You�re right. We�ve got to get to Parrish at once. The poor guy doesn�t even know his bodyguard�s gone. [Picks up receiver] Hello, hello, operator, what room is Jonathan Parrish in. Eh? 615? Hold on. Poirot, that�s the room directly over this one, where Tremble was killed.

Poirot

Precisely.

Stevens

Operator, let me talk to Mr. Parrish.

Poirot

I think you will find the gentleman does not answer.

Stevens

Why not? [Replaces phone.]

Poirot

Obviously, he would not witness a murder without reporting it. On the other hand, he too may...

Stevens

Good lord, Poirot, do you think he�s dead too? He...we know he received a warning from Hilary Kent.

Poirot

I do not follow you, mon ami.

Stevens

Huh? Oh, I don�t blame you. Hilary Kent is a criminal egomaniac.

Poirot

Ah. One who commits crime chiefly for the pleasure of baffling the police, eh?

Stevens

Exactly. Well, this Hilary Kent, or someone who calls himself Hilary Kent, is one of those guys. He pulled off a few clever jobs and got away with them. We don�t know anything about him but whoever he is, he�s got to get his thrill out of every job. So he makes it a rule to warn his victims.

Poirot

Ah, me. I know well the type. And messieur Parrish, I take it, has received such a warning.

Stevens

Right. Now you see why I assigned my best man.

Poirot

Eh bien, but now we must hasten upstairs to Mr. Parrish�s room. Already it may be too late.

Miss Fletcher

I�ll go, too. I don�t want to stay here with this body.

Stevens

You�ll stay right here, Miss Fletcher, until I give you permission..

Poirot

Inspector, if you do not mind. Myself, I am not averse to Miss Fletcher�s company. I find her very...intriguing.

[Knock on door]

Stevens

Oh, no answer.

Poirot

[Sound of key in lock]

Stevens

Remember, Miss Fletcher, you're not to touch anything.

Miss Fletcher

It's perfectly all right. I'm wearing gloves.

Poirot

The inspector is thinking of fingerprints? Moi, I do not think he will find any. Messieur Kent, or whoever the killer may be, is too clever to leave any such traces.

Stevens

Well, maybe. But I want to be sure we don't lose even the tiniest clue.

Poirot

An excellent approach, mon ami. There are many interesting things we may learn here, about Messiur Parrish.

Miss Fletcher

He certainly gets around a lot.

Poirot

Oui. The labels on his luggage are from the four corners of the earth.

Stevens

Miss Fletcher, I said you're not to touch anything!

Miss Fletcher

For goodness sake, it's only a book!

Poirot

Books may be of great significance. Ah. Oui. This one for example. It is no ordinary book. It is a stamp album of great value. Hm. [Sound of pages turning.] Some of these stamps are almost without price. Ah. Ah. Very interesting. This Guatemala Blue....

Voice

Don't move! I said don't move!

Poirot