Knife In Back (Transcription)

 

Knife In Back consists of eight clips from “Philo Vance; The Case of the Strange Music.” which aired in august 9^th, 1945.

Audio Clip #01; “It makes you that way sometimes.” '”Oh...” “What's the matter? Lose something?” “One of my gloves, my good white ones too!” “What, you want me to go back?” “Not on your life! Besides I'm almost sure I dropped in the wax museum. I remember putting it in my purse in there.” “Well, will stop and inquire.” “Vance?” “Yes” “Am I crazy, or do I hear music?” “What?” Wait, listen a minute.” “Why, it's coming from the Newberry house, an organ isn't it?” “oaf, gives me the shivers. Just listen to it!” “Strange!” “Strange music, mournful.” “We will be to in a minute; still want to see about your glove?” “If you don't mind Vance. So darn hard to get these days. Isn't odd like meeting people like that would will do? Wish we had so much fun at this carnival an hour ago, now it seems so much sordid.” “I'll ask about the glove, what was it?” “White kid” “Ok kid” “Suppose it is silly to worry about people like that, I suppose? Oh I don't suppose anything! Have they found it?” “No, for fifty cents we can look in the museum look for ourselves.” “Didn't you tell them that we...” “I wouldn't argue Lain, it's easier to buy the tickets and look. Come on.” “It won't be there I'm sure. I don't even want to look at the exhibit, not now.” “Snide and Grey haven't changed any, neither has Dillinger.” “Look for my gloves silly, I've seen the exhibit.” “It's amazing how you can take wax and... Lain,” “Did you find it.” “Lain in that exhibit, that body is real.” “oh no you don't. I bit once darling but not again...” “Lain I'm serious, look, good lord!” “Vance It's?” “Right Lain, that's Burtrim Newberry's body.”

Audio Clip #02; “You came out fast enough John! You remember Lain of course. Lain mister district attorney.” “Of course I do; how are you John?” “No to happy Lain! I just bid a small slam when Vance's call came in, now where are they Vnnce, inside?” “Well I suggested they stay in the library, a soon as I found a patrolman to remain with the body down at the carnival, Lain and I came back here to the house.” “Hmm, who was here?” “All of them, France's the wife, Ed Newberry, he's a nephew and Tom Rhinelander.” “Who is to put it delicately interested in Misses Newberry.” “Ah I see, Any ideas Vance?” “Oh I'm full of them John, care to hear them?” “I would” “Down in the wax museum we have a body; the body stabbed in the back and placed in the exhibit. Fifteen minutes before it was placed in that case, that body told us to get the blazes off this porch.” “Which we did.” “Go on.” “Inside three people, a wife was quite obviously put up with the old boy.” “And who loves her neighbor .” “Tricky darling.” “Thank you.” “Number two, a disgruntled nephew who apparently had nothing to do in life, but wait for the reading of his uncle's will. Money, Burtrim's money seems to be Edward's big interest.” “And finally the boy next door.” “He's got money incidentally, I know the name.” “He's rather pleasant John, we had a little talk while you were on your way.” “Oh than you questioned him?” “And two at the house. Vance has been playing detective like mad John.” “Thanks for the playing Lain.” “Well Vance, who, what, why?” “Well Frankly John I'm not sure, not sure at all.” “What about the servants.” “Oh all accounted for. Let's go in shall we, Elain and Miss Newberry have been hitting it off so well earlier this evening, maybe there's a chance for a beautiful friendship.”

Audio Clip #03; “I'd be glad to; it has no name, it just sounds like this.” [Piano playing...] “You play well Misses Newberry. Your quite sure this is the music you played tonight?' “I told you!” “That will do thank you!” “Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to offer a musical selection.” “Vance, you?” “It's quite easy on this organ Lain. You see it for automatic play rolls. Here's one I picked up in the house this morning.” “What have you got?” “Listen Misses Newberry.” “Here we are, just snap this little switch and listen for yourself.”

Audio Clip #04; “Why that's ah uh?” “No, no it can't be!” “That's the same music.” “Are you sure Lain?” “Of course but I?” “Turn it off, please turn it off. Burtrim wrote that music, he made me play it over and over; I hate it, I hate!”

Audio Clip #05; “And you still say you played that piece after that Misses Newberry?” “I did I swear I did, Burt insisted, I played it over and over to your brim.” “Better do better then that Frances, I found a roll in your desk drawer upstairs.” “No your lying!” “No where getting somewhere, turned ankle.” “Uh Vance, will you uh? Will you?” “Gladly John! As the detective would say, I'll unravel the whole thing.” “Edward?” “Me?' “No listen here.” I told you motive every time. Go on Vance” “Quickly Edward you said you listened to a radio program, something called... What did you say again?” “The Tenner Voice Killer. He's on every week.” “Strenuous to say the least. Who dunnit Edward? Isn't tbat the phrase of tonights program 'Who Dunnit?'.”Why the butler, Stephons his name was; he, he poisoned a guy with a secret formula made out of ink.” “Yeah good boy! Now that takes care you Edward! Sit down!” “Just how does it take care him then?” “I called the studio John, the butler did it alright! Edward was listening to that program all fifteen minutes of it.” “Alright; so it's not Edward. Let's get back to these two!” “Right Lain! You weren't playing that organ Frances, matter of fact you were in your room packing.” “Mister Vance.” “Just as you Tom were at your house doing the same thing. Your grips incidentally are still in the trunk of your car outside. I looked!” “I see.” 'Packing, for what?” “Reno, I should think!” “Wasn't that why you tore your ankle Frances? You and Tom planned to leave tonight for some time! Burtrim a joke of attending the carnival almost ruined your plan.” “It's not true I tell you!” “It's no use Tom, he'll only find out; we might as well tell him the truth now at last.” “You were planning to leave your husband tonight?” “Yes I was, I did make that roll for the organ myself. I was gonna put it on while Burt was listening upstairs and leave with Tom.” “You made a roll for an organ a complicated thing like that.” “It's not hard John, if you know the keyboard, you can work out just which holes in the paper will make each note play. It takes patience but it can be done.“ “I had a great deal of patience and courage I'd say? Right Vance?” “Go on then.” “It's obvious, Burtrim found out about their plan and they killed him.” “That's good enough for me!” “But not for me John! Frances didn't kill her husband; no rather did Rhinelander. You thought she did though didn't you Tom? Otherwise you wouldn't obliged to save her. Wouldn't have pretended you'd heard her play the organ upon Burt's death.” “Oh now see here Vance, if Edward didn't do it and now say these two didn't do it.” “Yes Vance; In case you forgotten a man is dead! Who killed him?” “My Moment aye Lain? Well suppose we all walk down to that wax museum, shall we and I promise when we get there, I'll tell you who did the job.”

Audio Clip #06; “Alright Vance it is your show go ahead.” “Well thank you John! Now then here's the original exhibit as Lain and I saw it first this evening. Lippy the knifer; that's that figure in wax up against the wall there. Was standing just as he is now. His victim also a wax dummy was on the floor. Just as you see Burtrim's body now.” “Ah I can't look.” “I'm afraid you must Misses Newberry.” “Really Vance, we know all this. Someone simply took the wax victim out of the exhibit and put Burtrim's body in it's place.” “Right Lain.”

Audio Clip #07; “Look at Burtrim's body John; face down, knife in the back!” “I see that.” “Now look at Lippy here against the wall. A body made of wax but strong as steel. These dummies are steel you know with a wax coat. Oh Lain, pull on Lippy's arm will you, pull hard.” “Ah, It''s firm alright! And the dummy is tied to the wall.” “Tied with your fish line Incidentally Edward.” “What?” “All this was carefully planned Edward. Very carefully planned.” “By whom Vance?” “In a moment John, now will take the knife from Burtrim's body like this.” “Ohh.” “It's alright dearest.” “And place the knife I the dummy's hand so. Notice John, the hand that pushes firmly against the hand with the blade pointing out.” “I see that!” “Now we roll up the dummy's sleeve, pull down this rather intricate figure spring.” “What the?” “Vance what on earth is that?” “Spring Lain, see we set the knife against it, draw this nice fine piece of thread out here, like this; follow me John? “What?” “Now, oh Edward?” “Yes.” “Would you help me a moment please?” “Sure.” “I want to let Burtrim's body in a standing position.” “That's it, slowly please!” “Yes!” “Mister Vance is this necessary? I mean it?” “It's quite Misses Royton; Observe John? Burtrim is now standing directly in front of the dummy and the point of the knife is directly at his back. In the exact spot it entered his body.” “Go on then.” “Now we take the thread attached to the spring, place it in Burtrim's hand. Give it a slight pull so!” “Oh!” “And Burtrim is stabbed in the back! You can put the body down now Edward!” “Yes Sir!” “But Vance, that spring that thread all that; who did it who in the world...” “Well Vance!”

Audio Clip #08; “No one John! Burtrim Newberry killed himself. What I see is, that time Lain, we took the long way back here from the house remember. While we did, Burtrim came down here alone, got into this exhibit and committed suicide! The end of a plan he worked out along long time.” “But I diii...” “Burtrim was ill, ill mind and body I'd say. When he discovered our guessed when Frances was leaving him he planned it that way. Got the fingerprints on the knife, then used this spring mechanism and the dummy to plunge the knife into his own body. That way Frances, he'd hoped you'd die for the crime.” “Good Lord!” “I was to be the accomplice.” “Exactly Tom! But the reasons with the police would be that Frances could not carry him down here, especially with a turned ankle, you were to be accused doing that for her.” “Vance!” “Well Lain?” “What was the customers doing in this place while Burt was playing poke the circle with the dummy?” “You see that curtain, it's used when their changing the exhibits.” “Oh?” “Pull it down if you like Lain, with that cold bird in a bottle in might not be bad at all.”