RADIO

Stevens	Mister, you can't get away with this. Put your gun down and talk fast. Who the devil are you?
Poirot	But obviously, Inspector, this is the man we seek. Messieur Jonathan Parrish.
Parrish	That's just who I am! All right, speak up! Which one of you is Hilary Kent?
Stevens	Hilary Kent!
Parrish	Yes!
Stevens	Now wait a minute, Mr. Parrish. You've got this all wrong. I'm Inspector Stevens, homicide squad, and this is Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective.
Parrish	So you say! You don't look like policemen to me, particularly that little squirt with the silly mustache.
Poirot	Eh?
Parrish	You stay right where you are til I check on you!
	MUSIC
Poirot	Eh bien, Messieur Parrish, now that you are satisfied as to our identity...
Parrish	Well, I've heard of you, of course. You're supposed to be the greatest French detective in the world.
Poirot	Oh...always people say that about me, Messieur, but it is not entirely true. I am not French, I am Belgian.
Parrish	Hrmph. Well, I wish you 'd all get out of here and leave me alone. I'm expecting my daughter and I don't want her running in to a roomful of policemen.
Poirot	But, messieur. You are in great danger. You must be protected every moment.
Parrish	You offering me police protection? Hrmph. Not worth a hoot.
Stevens	I beg your...
Parrish	That's what I said! Not worth a hoot. I have protection. Some detective they assigned to me. Where is he?
Poirot	He is dead.
Parrish	What?
Stevens	He was murdered in this very room while protecting you.
Poirot	Therefore, if you do not object too violently, I shall undertake to protect you until you step aboard your airplane.
Parrish	All right, all right, stay. I don't know how long it will be, I'm just waiting for one little parcel to be delivered. Then I'm off.
Poirot	Messieur is taking with him much equipment?
Parrish	Yes, quite a load. I've already sent most of it off to the airport.
Poirot	Ah, bon. That is good.
Parrish	Miss! Don't eat that chocolate! It may be poisoned.
Miss Fletcher	Oh, nonsense. This candy isn't poisoned.
Parrish	I wouldn't be too sure. That box of candy supposedly came from my daughter Laura. It was delivered a little while ago.
Poirot	But you suspect she did not send it?
Parrish	Well, she's supposed to come here in person. Should be here now, in fact. So, why should she send it?
Poirot	You are very shrewd, mon ami.
Man's voice	[Door opens] Hi...Oh, excuse me.
Stevens	Waitaminute, Johnny, come back here. Waddya want?
Johnny	Nuthin. I...I just wanted to see if Mr. Parrish got his extra laundry box okay.
Parrish	Yes, yes, I received it.
Johnny (elevator man)	Okay. Excuse me.
Parrish	I, uh, picked up a few more things to take along, special dyes and inks, they'll just about fill up that laundry box. Excuse me, I've got to go into the bedroom and finish packing. [Door opens and closes]
Stevens	Crusty old bird, isn't he?
Miss Fletcher	How would you be if you knew someone was out to kill ya? No wonder he's jittery.
Poirot	Ah, he's irritable and nervous. That perhaps explains it.
Stevens	Explains what?
Poirot	Why he wears upon his feet that unique pair of socks. One of which is green and the other brown.
Stevens	All right, if the man wants to be eccentric let him be. I've still got a murderer to catch. You want to come along?
Poirot	No, Inspector. I have attached myself to messieur Parrish, and I propose to see that... [knock on door]
Stevens	Come in.
Brady	[door opens] Inspector. (Parrish with an Irish accent!) One of the men found this on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Thought you might want to take a look at it before turning it in to the lost and found.
Stevens	Okay, Brady, thanks [door closes]. A lady's purse. Usual assortment of stuff. Cosmetics. Perfume. Change. Keys. Do you make anything of it, Poirot?
Poirot	Hm...hm....ah, sacre bleu!
Miss Fletcher	What is it?
Poirot	These initials. LP. Messieur Parrish. [door opens]
Parrish	Yeah?
Poirot	What did you say was the name of your charming daughter?
Parrish	Laura.
Miss Fletcher	Good lord! LP. Laura Parrish!
Stevens	Poirot, where are you going?
Poirot	I have a little idea. Uh, mamselle Fletcher, please to accompany me.
Stevens	How about Mr. Parrish? You were so attached to him.
Poirot	I have become momentarily de-tached. I leave him in your care, Inspector. Protect him with the apple of your eye!
	MUSIC
Poirot	[footsteps] Come, come. It will not be the first time you have left the elevator unattended, Messieur Johnny. Come along.
Johnny	Mr. Porroh, you�re wasting your time in this basement, believe me.
Poirot	Nevertheless it interests me. Please to light the way.
Johnny	There�s nothing here. Just a lot of ash cans.
Poirot	One moment. What is behind this door?
Johnny	Well..that�s the laundry bin. They keep the soiled linen in there. You won�t find anything in there.
Poirot	We shall take one brief glance, eh? [Door squeaks open]
Johnny	There, you see? Nothing but a pile of dirty sheets and pillow cases.
Miss Fletcher	Good gracious! What a laundry bill they must have.
Poirot	Eh, bien. Let us proceed to..[snaps fingers] One moment!
Miss Fletcher	What is it?
Poirot	Sacre bleu! Protruding from under these sheets..
Johhny	Holy cow!
Poirot	A foot! A small foot. This is what I feared.
Miss Fletcher	Look!
Poirot	Ah, it moves! Then we are not too late! Quickly, messiuer, help me to uncover her!
	MUSIC
Laura	That�s all I know, Mr. Poirot. I was walking along the street toward the hotel. Just as I passed the alley I was pulled in. I tried to scream but something was pressed against my mouth...
Poirot	Chloroform, Miss Parrish. Had you seen your assailant, you would have seen Hilary Kent. Alors, Miss Parrish, you are most fortunate. Another few minutes under those linens and who knows...Voila, here is the room of your father. [Knocks on door. Door opens] Inspector Stevens, here is Miss Parrish.
Stevens	Oh, well, that�s a relief. Come in. I was afraid, Poirot, you�d turn up with a body. How�d you manage to find her?
Poirot	That is not important now. We have found her. But we seem to have lost the father.
Stevens	Oh, yes. Miss Parrish, I�m sorry. Your father�s terribly upset about you but his material was delivered and he had to rush off to the airport.
Laura	Oh, no! Don�t tell me I missed him after all this!
Poirot	Ah, ma pauvre petite, we have neglected you...eh? Miss Fletcher. Your room is now free of corpses. Please take mamselle Parrish down and extend to her the first aid.
Miss Fletcher	Come along, Laura.
Laura	Thank you. [Door opens and closes]
Poirot	Inspector. I hope you do not later have cause to regret that you permitted Parrish to go off to the airport unprotected.
Stevens	He�ll be all right. Besides, I�ve got a job to do here, although, frankly, I�m in a complete fog. I can�t make head or tail of the whole business!
Poirot	No, Stevens. The head and the tail we have.
Stevens	What?
Poirot	Yes! It is merely a fragment of the middle that we still lack.
Stevens	Well, who is it? Hey, Poirot, where are you going?
Poirot	To see how Miss Parrish is, and to telephone the airport to see that Mr. Parrish receives the proper attention. Au revoir.
	MUSIC Sound of cars. Honking horns, etc.
Miss Fletcher	Mr. Poirot, where are you taking me now? I�d like to have some...
Johnny	Mr. Perroht. Mr. Perroht.
Poirot	Allo? Someone calls?
Miss Fletcher	It�s Johnny in that parked car.
Johnny	Mr. Perroht, I got a message for you from Inspector Stevens, he rushed off a minute ago.
Poirot	From Stevens? What is it? What is the message?
Johnny	He says he just got word that Mr. Parrish has been seriously hurt in an automobile accident on North Salem road.
Poirot	Mon dieux, this is too much!
Johnny	You�re to get there as fast as you can. Here�s the address.
Poirot	52 North Salem Road. Messieur, your duties for the day are over?
Johnny	Yeah.
Poirot	And this is your vehicle?
Johnny	Yeah. Why?
Poirot	[opens car door] There is no time to seek a taxi so I will impose on your kindness. Miss Fletcher, quickly please.
Johnny	[starts car engine] Okay. [car door closes] North Salem road, right?
Poirot	No. To the airport.
Johnny	What?
Miss Fletcher	But Mr. Parrish isn�t at the airport. He�s injured on North Salem Road!
Poirot	No, mademoiselle. That is what I was intended to believe. Do you not think so, Johhny? He is not there, I assure you.
Miss Fletcher	How do you know?
Poirot	Well, North Salem Road is not on the way to the airport. It is in the opposite direction. This is merely a trick to keep us from the flying field. We must hurry there before it is too late.
	Car engine accelerates. MUSIC Engine running. Running feet.
Miss Fletcher	Well, the airplane is still there but I don�t see anything amiss.
Poirot	Hola. Over there.
Miss Fletcher	Parrish! As large as life.
Johnny	Yep. That�s him all right.
Poirot	Come along please. Uh uh. Both of you. [calling] Messieur Parrish!
Parrish	Messiuer. Poirot. My daughter...is she...
Poirot	She is at the hotel, messieur, resting. She has had a small misadventure but she is entirely safe.
Parrish	Thank heavens.
Poirot	You are relieved, eh?
Parrish	Am I. I...I don�t think I�d have gotten on that plane if you hadn�t found her. Fortunately I didn�t have to, they�ve been delayed a little.
Stevens	[calling] Poirot!
Poirot	Inspector Stevens. I knew you would not walk into the trap.
Stevens	Yeah, but as usual you beat me to it. I was halfway out to North Salem Road before I realized what was cooking.
Poirot	Eh, bien. Here is Mr. Parrish safe and sound, eh. I suggest the bomber be expected with great care. There may be sabotage.
Stevens	Good idea.
Poirot	Also, have all the doors of this building guarded.
Johhny	Eh, Mr. Porroht, do I have to hang around here?
Poirot	But of course, Johhny. We may require you for our return trip. Oh, Messieur Parrish, here is your pilot to report.
Pilot	We�re ready now, Mr. Parrish.
Parrish	Thank you. Oh, captain, here comes my luggage. Will you see that it gets aboard?
Pilot	Right, sir.
Parrish	And be especially careful of that wooden crate. Well, goodbye, Inspector. I must admit you�ve been extremely helpful, and I�m much obliged.
Stevens	Not at all. Goodbye, and happy landings.
Parrish	Miss Fletcher.
Miss Fletcher	Goodbye, sir.
Parrish	Messieur Poirot, it�s been a privilege to know you. I�m only sorry I couldn�t remain to see you break the case.
Poirot	But you have, Messieur.
Parrish	I beg your pardon?
Poirot	The case, it is broken. Inspector, meet Hilary Kent, the gentleman to whom you have just wished bon voyage.
Stevens	Hilary Kent?
Parrish	You�re mad, Poirot!
Miss Fletcher	Good gracious, I thought he was Parrish!
Poirot	And that wooden crate, which I have waited so long to see, it is not to be moved, Inspector.
Stevens	Why not?
Poirot	Because, mon ami, it contains the body of Jonathan Parrish!
	MUSIC Sound of tea things and conversation
Poirot	A charming restaurant this, n�est pas? The planes circling about give one the feeling of flying, eh?
Miss Fletcher	The feeling I�ve got ..if that�s what flying gives ya, keep me from it.
Poirot	Ah, that is natural. I too do not like murder, Miss Fletcher. Ah, Inspector Stevens, everything is taken care of?
Stevens	Yes. They�re taking Kent away now.
Poirot	Then perhaps you will join us in a little supper.
Stevens	No thanks, Poirot, I�ve got to get back. I uh...just dropped over to ask a few questions.
Poirot	For example?
Stevens	Well, when did you first suspect that Kent was impersonating Parrish?
Poirot	Almost from the start. When we entered the room of Messieur Parrish, what do we find? Eh? An amazing paradox. On the one hand, we have a man who is an ardent stamp collector, whose album is in perfect order. Each stamp, each shade of stamp, precisely in its proper place, eh? Except the most valuable one of all. A Guatemala blue, reposing among American three cent stamps. Later, when I look at his socks, one green and one brown, I am certain. The man in the room is color blind.
Stevens	And therefore not Parrish, the stamp collector.
Poirot	More important than that, he can not be Parrish, the currency expert, who is to select the colors and shades of the new paper money. Eh? Therefore, if the man in the room is not Parrish, who is he?
Stevens	Obviously, Hilary Kent.
Miss Fletcher	Then why didn�t you arrest him right away?
Poirot	Because without a body one cannot prove a murder. And I felt sure Messieur Kent would lead me to the body.
Miss Fletcher	Then you weren�t guarding him, you were watching him.
Poirot	Precisely.
Miss Fletcher	Well, you weren�t so smart. When you let him out of your sight he might have gotten away in the plane.
Poirot	Not at all. When I called the airport, it was to make sure that the plane would not leave until I gave the word.
Miss Fletcher	You know everything, don�t you?
Poirot	Some things are obvious, mamselle. We can suppose Hilary Kent discovers the nature of the mission Messieur Parrish is engaged in. Ah, what a magnificent opportunity for a swindler, eh? Perhaps the greatest in history. To remove Jonathan Parrish, fly to Europe as Parrish, deliver the papers, the formulas, the dyes, to the proper authorities and then, at the moment juste, counterfeit the new currency and reap a huge fortune.
Miss Fletcher	Jumping codfish. The man must be mad.
Poirot	Perhaps, mamselle. But he is also a genius, eh? He learns that Parrish is at the hotel Windsor in room 615. He knocks on the door. Parrish admits him and is at once strangled to death. Eh? But the body . Ah. That must be disposed of. Where no one will find it. There is but one thing to do. Take the body to Europe in the very packing case which stands in the room.
Stevens	Then you just guessed where the body was.
Poirot	No, no, Inspector. There was proof in the room. You remember the second laundry box which Hilary Kent asked for? 'This is for some special ink', he says to us. 'Which I have only now purchased.' Obviously this is a lie. On such a mission one does not purchase supplies at the last minute. Eh? Hence I know these inks and dyes have been removed from some other box or crate, to make room for the body.
Miss Fletcher	Gracious! It's as plain as the nose on my face. Uh, what about Laura Parrish?
Stevens	Oh, I got that figured out. She calls up and says to Kent, 'Pop, I'm coming over.' Course he can't allow that or the jig's up. So he gets down to the alley and eliminates her. Right, Poirot?
Poirot	Exactly. As for poor Tremble, he has been with Parrish, he knows him. When he knocks on the door and Kent appears, he demands to see Parrish. Kent kills him, and since the packing case is already occupied, drags him down to Miss Fletcher's room.
Miss Fletcher	That was his big mistake. He should never have started up with me.
Stevens	Heh heh heh. Ahem. 'Scuse me for a minute, I think that's the ward wagon pulling in.
Poirot	Mamselle, may I ask you a question of a personal nature?
Miss Fletcher	Fire away.
Poirot	Uh, mamselle, you are not now engaged in a business enterprise?
Miss Fletcher	No.
Poirot	Are you fluent with the shorthand, and the typewriter?
Miss Fletcher	Why, yes.
Poirot	Bon. Mamselle, I find you both intelligent and amusing. A rare combination in a woman. Moreover, I am in great need of a secretary with your superb qualifications.
Miss Fletcher	Why, Mr. Poirot!
Poirot	Oh, you do not yet employ the little gray cells to the best advantage. Nevertheless, if you are interested...
Miss Fletcher	Oh, Mr. Poirot! For ten years I've been devouring detective stories. And you ask me if I'm interested. Chief, you've got a secretary!
Stevens	Well, Poirot, they've taken Kent away now. I guess that winds up the case.
Poirot	Not quite, Inspector. Tell me, where does messieur Kent reside?
Stevens	We found a lease on him for an apartment in Gramercy Park.
Poirot	That is a good neighborhood?
Stevens	Oh, swell. It's right in the heart of the city. But why do you ask?
Poirot	I do not think messiuer Kent will need an apartment for some time. But I do. You see, my friends, it is as I have said. To find an apartment in New York City is the essence of simplicity. One has only to solve...two murders.
	MUSIC
Announcer	Be sure to listen next week when Agatha Christie, American's favorite mystery writer, brings you her favorite detective, Hercule Poirot, starring Harold Huber in the case of Murder By The Sea. MUSIC Agatha Christie's Poirot is directed by Carl Eastman. MUSIC

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