IWCF 059 The Crossed Heart

I was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI. From the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Savetic how many of the incidents in this unusual story. Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt savedic Oover, nine fantastic years lived as a Communist for the FBI. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. You'll find that quotation in the Bible. I found the proof of it in the Communist Party. It wasn't hard to find at all, but believe me, it was brutally hard to accept. This story will illustrate what I mean. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Samatic under coverman. Now Here is. Dana Andrews as Matt Savadic undercoverman. This story from the Confidential File is marked The Crossed Heart. The strange town miles from home. You know what it's like, the streets, looking for secrets or surprises, study the crowds, the blur of bland impersonal faces, taking someone you might know, something familiar, to give you that sense of belonging. That's how it usually is with strangers. But I was an unusual stranger. My visit to this town was sponsored by the Communist Party. I wasn't permitted to take my natural instincts with me. Every instinct of reaction and reaction was planned and prescribed by my far seeing red comrades. I was to report to this address, a private residence. I was to ask for a missus Breen. Then I was to let nature, as authorized by the Commis, take its course. How do you do er good evening? I'm looking for missus Breen. I'm missus Breen. Won't you come in? You come in, young man? Come in? Are you catch your death out there? Yea, this little old lady, the shawl of white hair, the remless glasses. No, she was the type you write songs about, not the sort you're associated with. Red. I followed her through the gloomy age heavy house into a room that had been set aside as a little office. Watching her gestures too gentle, so prim and proper, I felt sure that somehow the Kamis or I had made a mistake. Here we are. It's so much more comfortable in here. Isn't it, Yes, yes it is. Now let me see. Oh, I'm forever misplacing those applications. Here we are your name please. Oh savedic Matt savedices. Or see see c V E T. I see missus Breen. I think your rage. I think there's been somewhere Well. Never mind, let's just say over thirty under forty, all right, all right now now i'd say you're oh about six feet tall? About that now, any. Preference of the types types of what oh silly girls. Of course girls? Look I now now now. Nothing to worry about. All information is strictly confidential. Our service is licensed by the state. What kind of service, same as anywhere else. Once you subscribe, I give you three names and telephone numbers, chosen according to your personal tastes and specifications. If you aren't satisfied, just call in and I'll give you three more fifteen dollars for a month's service, twenty five for three months. That's the usual rate. No, now, don't start fretting. I've been expecting you, comrade, forgive me for confusing you. So we just have to be so very careful, you know, I know. Now I've arranged a day for you for to night a date. Well, that's why you're here, isn't it? Is it? I'm not the least bit sure why i'm here, Comrade brain Er, uh. Uh, missus brain, mister sthetic. We must be careful, must must must, Okay, Well, tell me about my date. Her name is Claram Malone. A good client, a very important client, to be a club. I see she's a widow with quite a bit of money, rather pretty too. You call for her, take her to dinner, and most important, you'll collect an envelope from her. What's in it? Money? She owes the club some money? See that you bring it to me immediately. Now here's her name, her phone number, her address. Here you are, biaker biker, This is Red. I just joined the Lonely Hearts Club. What a lonely Hearts club? Some kind of calmi front. Well, I don't know yet. I'll know more after Tonight's tonight my first date. Clara Malone, a wealthy widow. I understand. I called her a while ago and got no answer. I'll keep at it, man, If we can do anything from this office, well not yet. Just be there when I need you. Do. No answer on Clara Malone's line. It was getting late now, Missus Breen's place was closed, and I could risk violating party orders. So I decided to go directly to the address missus brain had given me. Maybe by the time I got there, Clara Malone would have arrived too. She wasn't home yet. I guess I could see a light in her apartment to the crack in the door. But either she was out or she Hello. This might be Clara Malone. She didn't look like she needed a lonely hearts club to supply her with dates. But then you never know. She came straight for this apartment looking for someone. Oh oh, yes, I was looking for miss Malone. I'm Miss Malone, Clara Malone. Oh no, I'm Judy, Clara's sister. Isn't she home yet? Well, she hasn't answered the door. That's funny. Is there anything I can do? Not exactly say, Clara and I have a day for the night. Oh well, come on in. Then she should be home any minute. All right. She might have run down to the store. What's the matter? No, No, what is it? What's the name? Holy smoke? Param Malone had a good reason for not answering the door she was dead. My first instincts told me to get out of that fast. But from the looks of things, her death was a suicide, and Judith wasted no time in calling the police. The police inspector, a tired, shabby little guy named by Jack, thought it was a suicide too. He wasn't sure, and then his job he had to be sure. Sorry, we had to bring you too, all the way down here, but you know how it is said down. Miss Malone, Thank you, inspector. Are you too? What's your name again? Sethetic? That's right, you were a friend of the deceased. Sthetic. Oh, I never saw her before the night. This is my first day in tom. But you told me you had a date with Clara. Well, yes, it was a blind date, mutual friend. How about it, Miss Malone? This guy a friend of your sisters. I don't know, inspector. Don't you share that apartment with your sister? Yes? But Para dated a lot of men I knew nothing about. Too many. I suppose too many. She's been terribly unhappy since her husband died. Lonely and unhappy. Any special reason for killing yourself finances? No, she inherited a lot of money from her husband. He didn't care about money much. Bector, do you think it wasn't suicide? I mean, do you think that Clara alone? Oh, it looks like suicide, all right, Miss Malone, probably is. The Corners report isn't then yet. There are a few funny angles to this mess. But who who would want it to hurt Clara? She was a lonely widow, she had money. She did it a lot of strange guys, too many, you said, like sweedik can somehow he knew her phone number and address, but he didn't know her. That's a minute. I'm a cops swetic. My job don't give me much time to trust people. Listen, I'm a mind skipper, didn't though, both of you. Sorry for all the troublem. Miss Malone. It's all right, Inspector. I own Hecker unless it's necessary, thank you, say asthetic. You'd better stay around town a while. If the coroner comes in with any surprise decisions, we'll want you for questioning. I couldn't leave town anyway. I was under orders from the Reds, but I couldn't let the police know that I had some vital questions to put the sweet old missus Breen like, how did the Reds figure in Clara's death? If it was murder? Was I to be the patsy for the party? But she wasn't to be found. Her house was dark, locked up. I waited around a while, no use. I headed for my hotel to get some sleep. Oh, good evening, comrades, chittik, you're back, girly, How did you get in here? Oh please don't be angry with me. I told the room clerk I was your mother and I wanted to surprise you. Well you did, You're full of surprises. I just didn't want you to be burdened too long with that envelope temptation. You know what envelope? What the envelope you collected from Clara? She's dead, Missus Breen, cold Stone dead. What are you talking about? You know full well what I'm talking about. Clara Malone was dead when I got to her apartment. It looks like suicide, but it may be murder. Murder. Skip the performance, Missus Breen, and get this straight. If that phone rings, it'll be the police. They'll want been ringing all evening. Oh it will probably ring again. Well, if it does, it's because the cops have a good reason to suspect me of killing Clara Malone. I'll have to tell them about you and your Lonely Hearts club. No, comrade Steatic, you mustn't do that. No, Watch, the Party can't afford to be involved in that sort of thing. If you did that, we'd see that. You the phone, comrade Static, Well aren't you going to answer it? Look, if it's the police, I'm going to member, young men, the police operate according to bourgeois concepts of justice. The Party has its own concepts. Yeah, yeah, I know, you'd got to answer the phone. Answer it, Come ahead, right now? Hello. Now back to Dana Andrews, starring as Matt Sevek, and I was a communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. The telephone can be an instrument of torture, and right now I was its victim. The receiver was at my ear. I'd spoken at greeting into the mouthpiece. Then there was a moment's silence, bitter, excruciating silence. I glanced at Missus Breen standing at my elbow. Told me that a murder charge would be delightful compared to what the comments would do to me. If I told the truth to the police. Hello Svedk, Yes, inspect if check at police headquarters. I've been trying to get you all evening. What do you want? You better get down here for some more questioning. Now, well it's it's pretty late. I now you got the coroner's report. Yeah, you're coming down here? Or should I send a car up for you? Well, I'll be down, I was saying, Conrad, the party has its own way of treating those who violated it confidence. You mean they let me be charged with the murder I didn't commit. What can they do? Comment? After all, what's more important the life of one young man or the life of the proletariat? Revolt? Okay, come in, spetic. Sit down? No, no, over here, you look nervous. It's late, and inspect and I'm tired me too. We got the coroner's report on Clara Malone. He's satisfied that it's suicide. Well then then what do you want. I'm not satisfying. Sec why'd you come to this city? Business? What business? Just business? Business with Clara Malone? No? No, that was just a day yeah, arranged by a mutual friend, a business associate. All right, yeah, look the report from Parah Malone's bank. She inherited three hundred thousand dollars when her husband died. Look what's left. She's practically broke. Where did it go? Wherever it went? It went during the last year or so, somebody was bleeding this dame dry sphetic. She has a couple of kids away at an exclusive private school, but she has You didn't know that, no, swhenk I warn you, either you tell us what you know or don't inspect. Well, then talk to you, idiot. I'm trying to give you a break. Pharah Malone was the victim of a shakedown speedic. Whoever's responsible is just as responsible for her suicide, directly or indirectly. In spite of you. I intend to find out who and why and how. I wish I could help inspect her. Yeah, I'll bet okay, so it get out, get out of. Here secretly, and I hoped Inspector Bicheck would fulfill his threat. I left police headquarters praying silently that he'd be able to pinish suspicions on missus Breen and the Kamis. But I couldn't help him. I'm sure I might have been noble and named names, but nobility comes hard when you know the Kami technique for vengeance. The streets of the Strange City were even stranger now. They were empty, silent, wet with that pre dawned mist in here. Hurry, sorry, pal, I'm going the other way. Hey, what's a big idea? Let's go on, Kurty, I said, ah, good, thank you, George. Any trouble, No trouble, Comrade Breen, you keep mighty odd hours for a woman of your age, Missus Breen. I'm dedicated to my work. It makes a difference. That's all for now, George. Okay, are you all right, Comrade City? No, I don't like being shoved around by that that goon boy of yours. He's comrade. I'd like to know what you told the police. Nothing, Oh now, comedy. If I did tell them anything about you or this club, don't you think you'd know by now? Right? Of course? Do the police know anything about us? Just hunches. The coroner called Clara Malone's death a suicide, but the inspector thinks there's blackmail involved. Where did he learn that? Well, he's not a fool, you know. He checked Clara's bank account and learned that she went through a lot of money in a big hurry. I wonder how much that sister of hers knows. Not too much from what I could see. We've got to be sure, comrade, We've got to be sure. Well, So would you mind finding out for me? Please? What oh you've met Judith? If you've talked with her, find out what she knows about the club, the blackmail anything. If she knows more than she should, then then what we'll see, we'll see. Your job now is to find out what she knows before she tells the police. The COMMI web was being spun again. This time the victim was to be Judith Malone. I had to keep her free of that web somehow, But I had to keep myself clear that web too. Maybe there was a way, some way to turn the web against the spinner, to strangle the Commis with their own vicious weapon. It was worth a try. One good try, biker, biker, This is Red Hi, what's up? I need some bugs and lines fast? Okay, they don't know yet the local field office, do they no? All right, I'll call them from here. Is there a grocery store? Are you any grocery store? Yeah? Roger's Market down the street. There'll be a package for you there in an hour. What name do you want to use? Oh Matthews? Okay, pick up your groceries in an hour, mister Matthews. And my groceries were waiting for me in an hour. The package was camouflaged pretty well, but I knew the equipment I needed. Was there coils of wire, small microphones, earphones, the works. My next step was to call missus brain and tell some whoppers. You mean she knows the whole story. Yeah, Clara told her everything, But Judith has a pretty sensible latitude about it. Has she told the police yet? Oh, she's more sensible than that. There's one simple way to keep Judith quiet. Oh, don't be foolish. We captures violence now, It would just. Create more suspicion violence now terms, Yes, did she tell you that she hated add it pretty strongly? You had better phone her, make an appointment, make her an offer. Shall I visit her place? No cops all over the neighborhood? Well, how could I get her to come here? Tell her you realize that silence is golden. Tell her you have some important information about her sister. I should do it. I hope I checked in at missus Breen's place later and learned that she'd made an appointment with Judith Malone for eight thirty that night, about six o'clock, missus Breen decided to go out for a bite to eat. Want to join me, comrad snittik Oh. No thanks, I'll stay here. Judith may change her mind. Can't take any chances. Well, you're probably right. Incidentally, you'll be here tonight when I see her, won't you. You don't want me here too many of us might overemphasize the importance, make her boost the price even more, all right, and remember she's quite a little actress. She'll play the innocent role right up to the hilt. But don't let her fool you. Don't what a young man. I will be back soon. Take your time. I have nothing to do anyway. There was plenty to do, of course. As soon as missus Breen was gone, I unwrapped my groceries, which I'd hidden in the shrubs outside the house. As quickly as possible. I wired her office for sounds, one tiny microphone under the rug near her desk, another near the big arm chair. I ran the wires up behind the drapers out the windows and into the shrubs where the miniature recording set up would be located. Back in the little office, I was about to test the microphones. And SCHUEK, what there's missus brain? What? She she went out for something to eat? Why that Malone David is here? Now? I thought eight thirty or? She says she was nervous, couldn't wait? No, better, get Comrade Breen. Oh no, no, I'll go. I know where she's eating. Uh have you been here in the house all this time? Sure? Where'd you think i'd be? Why? Nothing? Just just curious, that's all. I went out the back door to avoid Judith. There was no chance to test the equipment. Now, no chance for anything but cold naked luck. When Missus Breen went inside to meet Judith, I ducked behind the shrubbery, switched on the recorder, dusted the earphone, and prayed, Oh, come on, come on, pick it up, pick it up, Come on, please, pick it up. Please please? About time we got straight to the point, miss Malone. I'm willing to pay any reasonable price for your silence. Silence? What have I to be silent about? Oh, let's stop playing parsome, young lady. We'll go to any length to stop you from telling the police what you know. We prefer to do business on a purely financial basis. So here are my terms, and I expect you to accept them. Did you get a decent recording of it? Matt? We have all we need to hang a blackmail charge on Missus Breen and the local comedy speaker. Good. I'll let the police know it was an FBI operation at our file on Missus Brain indicated that kind of checker. Okay, that'll clear me with the party. Be sure the local papers get the same story. And our phone Inspector Bicheck to tell him to expect the record. He has it already so soon. I had it delivered to him direct. But you'd better call and explain what it's all about. I'll do it right now. See you soon, man, Yeah, bigger soon. Later. I stood in the shadows across the street from Missus Breen's house. A police car was parked at the curb. One by one, I saw the light in the house blink out. Then the door opened and an inspected by check came out with Judith, Missus Breen, and the red goon George. When the car drove away, the street became a dark ribbon of silence stretched across the strange city. Again. Walking across town, I felt the hollow distinction that only a stranger can feel. But I'd be a stranger in any city anywhere I had to be. It was my job. I had to walk alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews friends with a reminder that most precious commodities increase in value as they become less accessible. But freedom is the one exception. The more the world sees of it, the more valuable it becomes. Let's increase the value of our freedom by sharing it with the world. In this story, as in all others, names, dates and places are fictitious to protect innocent persons. Next week, another fantastic adventure. Join us, won't you