Charlie Chan at Treasure Island Page #6

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radio that came to Mr. Essex.

- I've been trying to see Zodiac. I can't even get an appointment.

- Please, what can I do?

You get to Zodiac and make him talk,

and my company will take care of you.

Always willing to cooperate

with insurance company.

Will keep you informed of developments.

Well, that's fine. I'll let

you know if anything turns up.

- And I'm awfully glad I came to see you.

- Thank you. Pleasure is mutual.

- Thank you very

much. - Good-bye.

- Thank you.

- Oh, not at all.

- Gee, Pop, I certainly had him pegged wrong.

- You did?

Uh, the manuscript

- He's taken it again. Hey!

- Morning practice for track team?

- Young man imitate puppy dog chasing bumblebee.

Well, where do we stand? Did you

read our mystery story? Get any leads?

- Crime never solved by books.

- I lost him. The chambermaid said he checked out this morning.

Gee, now that manuscript's gone again.

Gee, Pop, you're a magician.

What was in the briefcase?

Very comprehensive San

Francisco telephone directory.

Gee, nice goin', Pop.

- Hey, what's this all about?

- Say, I've got an idea.

Let's call up the Granville Insurance Company

and find out if Gregory's on the level.

Telephone all insurance companies yesterday.

No one ever heard of Mr. Gregory.

I knew it. I knew he was a phony.

Say, he might even be Zodiac.

One'll get you 10 we'll never see

Zodiac with his whiskers on again-

not after the way we went

through his place last night.

It is possible.

But Dr. Zodiac not ordinary criminal.

He is man of great ego...

with disease known to science

as pseudologia fantastica.

- [Whistles]

- Is it serious?

Listen:
"Pathological liars and swindlers

suffer from exaggerated fantasy...

"unleashed vanity and great ambition...

which robs them of caution

known to saner men."

Or, as Pop would put it, "Swell head

gives owner more trouble than indigestion."

Correction, please. Swell

head sometimes give police...

more cooperation than criminal mistake.

Say, I'll buy that. We might

trip Zodiac through his vanity.

Criminal egotist find

pleasure in laughing at police.

If we give him a chance to laugh at us-

That might bring him out in the open, and then

- But how are we gonna work it?

Suggest artful flattery in form of

special challenge from Rhadini...

to demonstrate powers before men of science.

That's great, Charlie, and I

know my paper will go for it.

- [Man] Say, my nose on Rhadini. Who do

you like? - [Man #2] Well, I like Zodiac-

[Crowd Continues Chattering]

- That Dr. Zodiac certainly has his nerve with him.

- [Chattering Continues]

Charlie, you were right. It's happened.

Zodiac took it hook, line and sinker. Come on.

Please, folks, step aside.

Gee, that's a funny-lookin' knife.

Balance weapon used by knife throwers.

What is it, a P. S?

This is missing last page of Paul Essex

manuscript. Note was written on back of it.

- What do you mean?

- Say, then Gregory must be Zodiac.

- Unless you drop same in Zodiac house last night.

- Gee, Pop, maybe I did.

Carelessness may prove blessing in disguise.

Hey, I betcha we'll have a

full house tonight, I'll betcha.

- What does it say, Charlie? Does it help us?

- No.

Merely that murder was not caused

by sword cane, as suspected...

but by poisoned Pigmy arrow.

Pigmy arrow? We got a Pigmy arrow.

- Where?

- Over here. I'll show ya.

The bow and arrow's gone! I

know it was here this mornin'...

- 'cause when I was sweepin' up, I went by and it stuck me.

- Some souvenir hunter took them.

[Jimmy] If Zodiac left the note,

then he probably took the arrow.

- At least we know where to find it.

- ~~[Orchestra:
Overture]

- ~~[Continues]

- Hello, Charlie. What a house.

I socked Zodiac's acceptance across the

front page, and look at that sellout.

[No Audible Dialogue]

- We've got every door in the place covered.

- Good.

Now when Zodiac gets here, seal the place up.

Don't let anyone out till after the

show is over. And be ready for trouble.

- If we don't see a show tonight, we'll never see one.

- What's your plan, Pop?

Expect to witness most

interesting performance...

if attention not distracted

by too much conversation.

Well, we're all set, Charlie.

~~[Overture Continues]

- Well, is Dr. Zodiac here yet?

- No, I don't see him.

What a fine spot I'll be

in if he doesn't show up.

- A fine spot if he does and you don't show him up.

- Aw, don't even think it.

- [Elmer] Places, everybody. All set, Mr. Rhadini?

- Yeah, okay.

All right, clear the stage,

folks. Kill your houselights.

## [Overture Ends]

## [Fanfare]

Thank you. Ladies and

gentlemen, as you all know...

the famous Dr. Zodiac has accepted

a challenge to meet me here tonight.

- Is Dr. Zodiac in the house?

- [Murmuring]

Not even the ghost of a whisper.

- Or the whisper of a ghost.

- [Crowd Chuckling]

So, while we're waiting for the renowned

doctor of the occult to materialize...

I will endeavor to entertain

you. Professor, please?

- ~~[Dramatic, Exotic] - Of course

I'm just an ordinary magician myself-

one of the old-fashioned kind

whose hand is quicker than the eye.

Now watch very closely, ladies

and gentlemen. Empty, empty.

- That's what you thought.

- [Laughter]

- Flowers for madame.

- [Applause]

~~[Continues]

Nothing in here...

- nothing in here.

- [Laughter]

Empty, empty.

What a fix for a sphinx.

Elmer, if you please, rotate.

Well, there's life in the old sphinx yet.

- ~~[Ends] - Miss Eve

Cairo, ladies and gentlemen-

a very charming and mysterious young

lady who will assist me in deceiving you.

Excuse me, please. Now, ladies and

gentlemen, for our first illusion...

I will require some

witnesses here on the stage.

Are there a couple of good

witnesses in the house-

the kind to have when you bump

into the other fella's car?

- How about you, sir?

- Oh, no, thank you.

Come on. Don't be bashful. Leave

your watch and wallet with your wife.

- Oh, she's not your wife.

- [Crowd Chuckles]

Well! Spotlight. Charlie, stand up.

- Come on, Pop. Take a bow.

- [Pete] Go ahead, Charlie.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want

you to meet Mr. Charlie Chan-

the world's foremost whodunit celebrity.

I'm going to ask Mr. Chan...

to honor my performance by acting

as a witness of my illusions.

And if I can trick him, I'm good.

- This'll give you a chance to watch

Zodiac while he works. - Hey, Pop-

And you too, Jimmy. And Jimmy

Chan, ladies and gentlemen-

- a chip off the old chopstick.

- [Crowd Laughs]

And this gentleman completes

our gold-panel jury:

Deputy Chief Kilvaine of the

San Francisco Police Department.

[Rhadini] Now stand wherever you wish.

Stubs, please.

[Gasps] Oh!

- ~~[Continues]

- [Crowd Murmuring]

Dr. Zodiac, I believe. Spotlight!

Would you care to come

up on the stage, Doctor?

I was just about to toss

off one of my best illusions.

I'll give you a chance to unmask

me, Doctor, before I... unmask you.

- That would be a pleasure, Mr. Rhadini.

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