Boston Blackie - The Bus To Valley Junction

Howdy, sir.

Morning, Harry.

How's your bus, you're still all in one piece, huh?

Well, as far as you can tell, in one lift, it's all in one piece.

But I wouldn't want half-fair dollar for every nut and bolt

that's dropped from Valley Junction to the main highway.

Where are you all to get the company to buy your new bus, Harry?

The drivers in the city get new buses.

Folks on my route wouldn't know me if I were to turn up

with a new bus.

How's business, Harry?

Oh, good.

Always good this time of year.

Have a store full of people nearly every day from sun up to sunset.

Yeah, so the glad it's a little slow now.

Yeah.

You was out taking a little ride near my place yesterday, wasn't you, sir?

Hey, come to think of it, I was.

Yeah.

You don't recollect who you saw out in the orchard with me, do you?

No.

Don't think I do.

Well, now that's being mighty smart of you, sir.

Don't exactly get what you mean, Harry.

I mean exactly what I said.

You'll be in mighty smart, not recollecting who you saw out at my place yesterday.

You don't remember seeing anyone?

Yeah, well, now that's just the thing to remember if anybody asked you.

Because if you remember, you did see somebody.

And if you know who he was, why, there's no telling what will happen to you.

You know what I mean?

So long, sir.

The telephone, that's what I'll do.

Operator, this is Sir Gordon at the General's Store in Valley Junction.

He'll get me the city, will you?

I want to talk to a fellow named Boston Blackie.

And now meet Dick Calmer as Boston Blackie.

Enemy to those who make him an enemy.

Friend to those who have no friends.

How many more miles to Sir Gordon's store, driver?

Well, I tell you, Blackie, my run from the main highway through Cross Creek in Indian

Halle and Valley Junction, that's where I store his.

It's 18 miles and three quarries.

Yeah.

That's per bus.

But as the crow flies, it's on the six.

On the six, huh?

Yeah.

Well, next time I think I'll come by Crow.

Per bus or Crow, Blackie, what's taking you to Valley Junction?

Into enough excitement for you in the city?

Or is it too much?

Well, I had a phone call from Saigon yesterday afternoon.

Said it was in some kind of trouble.

I would have used my car to come out here, but it's in the garage.

Well, it's just where you didn't use it, Blackie.

After this bumpy road, it likes not to be in the junkyard.

Well, there's bus to mine, ought to be.

Saigon and Trouble is.

Well, where's Saigon and Trouble is?

There is mighty peculiar.

Well, I've known Saigon for 18 years coming up.

He'd never been in any trouble I heard of.

But then, for size, this ought to follow that keeps his trouble to himself, right?

Pardon me, sir.

You're speaking to me?

Yes.

Did I hear the driver refer to you as Blackie?

Uh-huh.

That's Boston Blackie, of course.

Yes?

Well, allow me to introduce myself.

I'm John Jeffrey Wells, president of the Farmers Finance Corporation.

Stanley, I'm business, of course.

How do you do?

I didn't expect to meet anyone so famous on the bus to buy a junction.

But, of course, when you travel, you never know who you're going to meet.

No, you never know who.

What you're going to meet, either.

That's one of the interesting things about travel.

Well, the reasons I like to travel, of course.

Is this the Boston Valley Junction?

Yes, sure.

It's going in this direction.

It's going to Valley Junction.

Okay.

Come on.

Oh, you pay when you get off.

Next up in Ninholab.

Okay, my side, myself, next to you, is this?

Choose or any plan yourself.

Just don't grow on me.

Well, I can tell you aren't some sick.

The hangar trip in the breast target me in the live business.

Well, my bandanas are the cleanest.

Yes, you have an answer for everything, don't you?

So don't say to give me an answer because it isn't a question.

Getting off the bus right around the stand in the road, Boston Blackie.

Really?

Who says so?

I don't know if the two of us need this gun, both of us need business.

Come on, Blackie, we're getting off the bus now.

Hey, drivers.

Yes.

Stop the bus.

We're getting off.

Hey, now wait a minute.

I don't think.

Don't be stubborn.

I'm reasonable, but my son is restless.

Well, what have you got to say?

Driver.

Stop the bus.

Okay.

You don't want to get out in the middle of nowhere,

showing not my affair.

And you get on and off where they want.

They're still in the franchise.

So long as well.

Well, look here, Blackie.

If there's something I can do, I'll be glad to help you, of course.

I know, thanks, as well.

But just for example, what we were saying about travel.

You never know what's going to happen next.

Well, what do we owe you, driver?

Well, $20 for you, nothing for the girl, I guess.

Okay.

There you are.

If you see Si Gardner and Valley Junction,

tell him that I'll be there, I'll write it a little late.

Yeah, I'll tell him.

Well, now what?

No, thanks, like me.

Thanks so much for getting off the bus.

Sounds like me, thank you again.

I'm sorry I had to do that, but I just didn't have to make sure you got off with me.

All right.

I'll put the gun away.

How's that?

It's better, but still not so good.

What do you want?

Come on, let's walk up and get my car.

It's talking to me here, and I'll tell you on the way.

I didn't mind to be clear on this.

Nice name, but it means nothing to me.

It looked like it.

I wanted to listen to how I got myself in again.

Unlooking?

Well, hey, you've got to help me, Blakey.

The reason I got on that bus is because I knew you were honest.

How'd you know that?

I was inside Gardner's store when he phone to tell you what bus to take and when to take it.

So that's the background for us on the bus, huh?

Yeah.

All right, let's have it.

Here, listen, Florence.

Yeah.

Oh, police cars, now they roll them.

We better start hopping.

They're not going out for anything.

Let's just push it.

What am I talking about?

Now, that's only to what those police cars would have done to them and you.

It doesn't even say it.

My best nylon suit.

And my best friend is the reason you're on them.

What?

Like the Saturday of the Metropolitan Police was in the first squad car.

Those were city police?

Yes, Vincent, the homicide bureau.

I think they're going to valid junction or just late for a picnic.

Well, I'll find out pretty soon.

Let's have your story now, Martin.

Um, I don't think I'll bother you with it, Blackie.

Why not?

Oh, I don't know.

I just came to mind.

Okay, get moving, Blackie.

Oh, no, not a gun again.

You wouldn't want me to prove it was a gun.

Oh, pick your worst word.

What happens now?

Now I'm getting in the car.

But you are going to start walking.

That's me.

I'm allergic to footstep.

I think you'll be more allergic to lead.

Start walking, Blackie.

It's been around the village in Secretary.

Yeah.

No one in Valley junction heard the shot that killed Gardner.

Thanks, Guggen.

No one heard the shot, huh?

Well, that could be.

The sheriff's think his garden was killed about four hours ago.

Everybody in town was taking a noontime nap time.

Yeah, I guess so.

Have we found anything in the store to hit why Gardner was killed?

Well, it's a simple case of murder in the act of robbery, Guggen.

Gardner's safe.

It's been open, and his cash register's empty.

I guess, really.

Yes, hello, sorry.

Blackie.

You.

Yes, sorry, me.

For what's left of me, I have to walk in practically all the way

from cross Creek to Valley junction.

Walk it.

You'll look as if you've been crawling through a dust bowl too.

Never mind about me.

What are you here for?

You decided to go back to the farm where you belong?

I'm here on business for the sheriff.

What's the matter?

The sheriff want to be re-elected.

There's been a murder here.

And the sheriff asked me to have it for him because this county's never had a killing before.

Don't tell me Friday.

I know who the victim is.

It's like Gardner.

That's right, but how did you know?

Because Gardner called me out yesterday, and he told me he was in trouble.

I'm going to be killed.

About four hours ago.

Why doesn't make sense?

I was on the Valley junction bus until a girl named Marjorie Cleveland invited me to get off.

I had the idea that she got me off that bus to the store, but that was only two hours ago.

Look, I talked to everybody on that bus when it got here.

And if you pay less attention to pretty girls, and that more attention to what you start out at the zoo.

I get to like your Saturday.

I still think that girl is connected with Gardner's murder in some way or other.

Gardner was killed by someone who robbed him.

It's that simple.

Come on, I'll drive you back to town.

Hey, Guggen.

Yes, Inspector.

Like this place up good and tight, so nothing gets touched before I send a special investigator out here.

Right, Inspector.

Come on, Blacky. I'll drive you back to town.

I know, thanks, Friday. I think I'll stick around.

I'm going to find that Marjorie Cleveland again.

Like when you quit wasting my time. Come on.

Tell you what you can do, Friday.

What?

I saw a woman's parents sign about five miles down the road.

You can find me that far.

Why do you want to stay? Do you like it here?

No, but I would like to find out who didn't like Saigon.

Oh, driver.

Oh, hi, Miss Will.

When we make our next stop.

Well, we'll see.

We left the early junction hour ago.

Next stop, Northfield.

See the end of our minutes, sir.

Hey.

By the way, I noticed the police questioning you back at the early junction.

Yeah, they sure did.

For Saigon, eh?

They're questioning you, too, didn't they, Mr. Will?

Yeah, they're questioning everybody out there.

They're questioning you, too, didn't they, Mr. Will?

Yeah, they're questioning everybody out there as much.

So why they're questioning us? I don't know.

We were going toward the early junction, all the way from it.

The murder we'll be doing.

Yeah, I guess that's all.

Poor Saigon.

Saigon?

Oh, the bed.

Well, I'm glad the police didn't hold us up too long.

Yeah.

Right, keep this bus on schedule.

Yeah, of course.

Who did it, Harry?

Full fuel, godness.

I don't know, baby.

But I didn't get that much to think of.

Are you sure?

Sure, I'm sure.

I was thinking you did it.

Well, all out for Northseer.

Passing just for Northseer.

All out.

There's a room for rest time. Stop here, sorry.

All right, Joe.

We'll let Blacky off here.

Right inspector.

Thanks for the rest, Friday.

I'll throw the motor for you sometimes.

Yeah, we'll wait for you, Blacky.

There might not be a room.

Then you'll have to walk all the way to the main house.

Don't bother. I understand it's fun,

sleeping in the head of a house anyway.

I might be.

The mic's not a complaint.

Yeah, now.

You have room to try and touch you.

I'm particularly who I went to.

Boston, Blacky.

Well, I have room to rent, but not to you.

Well.

What's the matter, Blacky?

Did you like your references?

Go ahead and laugh, Friday.

How did I end up laughing when she slammed that door on your face?

Come on, get in.

No, I'm saying, Friday.

I mean, this time, I have a quest.

I have a quest.

What are you talking about?

The three words on this little simple paper right here

is the woman just gave me.

Maybe she slammed the door in my face

to look what she wrote on this piece of paper.

Let me think.

Now, I'm sure you can read it Friday.

It's just three simple words.

It says, don't throw away.

And now, back to Boston, Blacky.

Blacky receives a phone call from Saegartner,

a storykeeper in the rural town of Valley Junction.

But on route there by bus,

he is met by Marjorie Cleveland,

who promises him a ride in her car,

but changes her mind, pulls out a gun,

and forces him to walk.

Blacky arrives in Valley Junction

to learn that Gartner has been murdered.

He feels the girl had something to do with the killing,

tries to rent a room in a farmhouse,

and is refused.

But the woman owner passes him a note,

telling him to stay.

As we return to our story,

Marjorie Cleveland is in the farmhouse,

talking to the owner.

You were smart cooking, Mrs. Davis,

setting Blacky away just like I told you.

Somebody helped you up pretty good, didn't they?

He was that gun you were holding

that made me say what I did to Blacky.

That's what I meant.

You were smart.

Hey, this isn't a bad joint you got here.

This is the kitchen, isn't it?

Yeah.

Is the kitchen so difficult to recognize?

The gas like me don't ever have to know

what a kitchen looks like.

Where's your telephone?

We don't have any.

What?

You're just going to sound a side gardener story,

Valley Junction.

But the police have that sore padlock since I got knocked off.

No, what do I do?

I'm sure there's no concern to mine, young lady,

but I have my chores to do, and I'm going to do them.

Oh?

This side got a scene.

Hey, what was that?

Help us black.

No, it's at the back door.

It sounded like somebody fooling with the lock.

I didn't hear a thing.

I'll be getting nervous.

Well, go on, Mrs. Davis.

Go ahead with those chores.

Hello.

Nobody has the door, huh?

That's you, Blacky.

That's gun.

Get her, Blacky.

Get her.

Get her.

Get her.

Get her.

There we are.

How did you know to come back here

after the same time you were way Blacky.

She held her gun and back on me, Blacky.

That's why I had to tell you to go away

when you're not at the door.

I figured that from the note.

Well, Marjorie, what goes on with the score?

You're supposed to be smart to figure it out.

Okay.

Let me see.

You grabbed me off the bus

so that you could keep me from getting to garden and store.

Then, while I was talking to you,

the police cars came by,

heading in the direction of Alley Junction.

How am I doing?

The mouth is moving and the words are coming out,

but they don't mean a thing.

I think they do.

Yeah, I'm beginning to like this now.

When the police car came by,

you knew they'd get to Alley Junction in a hurry,

so there was no reason to keep me away.

You didn't want anybody there, did you?

Why don't you turn around?

I don't want to yawn in your face.

I'd like to set you a slap,

or it would do the most good, Blacky.

No, no, please.

I want to get on with this.

I think you wanted the bus to reach Alley Junction

before anybody got there.

And the reason could be that you,

and whoever moved inside garden,

are working together.

What are you talking about?

Yeah, yeah, this is making sense.

The murderer dropped something at the scene of the crime,

and realized that later, when he was away,

and then had to get back to Alley Junction

before the murder was discovered,

and had to make sure nobody got there.

Chris, but Faraday didn't find whatever he left.

So I'm going back there right now.

You?

Hmm?

Where would he see a car?

There they are.

Yes.

Thanks.

I think very cooperative.

Hmm?

It's being smart.

Try driving the car and see what happens, Blacky.

There isn't a spark plug in the end,

and I took them all out and hid them.

Thought maybe you'd try something, fancy.

Cute, kid.

Why don't you try forcing me to tell you where I hid them?

The idea sounds like fun,

but I've got work to do, right?

Mrs. Davis.

And Mrs. Davis.

Where's your phone?

Oh, I don't have any Blackies.

The nearest one is at the gardener's store.

Oh, fine, fine.

How do I get there?

I have that bus you're on.

Come back this way in about an hour.

That isn't too bad.

I'll wait.

I tried walking there once, and I didn't like it.

But the bus driver will be going in the opposite direction, Blacky.

That's what he thinks.

And if the driver doesn't want to turn around,

we'll find out how he likes walking.

Hey there.

All right.

You with a bike.

Grab with you.

Grab.

Yeah.

What is it, Blacky?

Stand the bus around.

We're going where you just came from.

Oh, sorry.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

This bus runs on the schedule.

The subject has changed without notice.

I'm getting in.

Yeah.

Close the door and swing the bus together.

I guess maybe you're looking for trouble, Blacky.

Well, I'm glad to continue to that way.

I'm going to knock you up.

Wait.

Are you kidding?

Yes.

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Well, people are getting hurt and cold these days.

Well, I guess I can drive this name to Valley Junction.

Only I shouldn't have hit this guy so hard.

No, I've got nobody to talk to.

Yes?

Is the bus in Blacky?

Yes.

Did you get the call through to the city?

Yes, sir.

We're ready now.

It's 6,000.

It could be 10,000.

Well, you're ready, and I'm ready.

So what are we waiting for?

Just a minute.

Go ahead and check if I have any.

Uh-huh.

It's Friday.

This is Blacky.

I'm up here at Garden of Storm Valley Junction.

Good.

Fair enough.

Now, don't get cute.

I've been trying to reach you for an hour.

Where have you been?

I've been treating the pigeons in the pond.

But I saw a couple of squirrels last year.

The good thing they didn't get too close to you

or you'd never have come back.

Saturday, listen to me, will you?

I've found something here at Garden of Storm.

Found a padlock on the door, and the windows boarded up.

How did you get in and why did you?

Because I thought there was some kind of a tie

up between this place and the bus trip, I took.

I was looking for something here in the store, and I found it.

What was it?

Part of a coupling.

It's right here on the counter, right beside the telephone.

And, uh, guess what else there is here?

Why should I care?

You want to know.

Three bags of what you're going to.

Seed.

What, what you're going to?

But, uh, skip that.

Farley, I want you to do something.

Look in your files, and see if you can find someone

who looks like that John Jeffrey Wells character.

That coupling belongs to him.

Now, hurry.

Hurry, sir.

I let you go like he had me all the rest of my life.

Good, then it wouldn't last so long.

I don't know why I do these things.

Maybe like you one of these days.

I would have stopped doing what you had.

I'll give it to you right here.

Hello, Wells.

You can do it in a second.

Want me to hang up the phone, huh?

I don't think I made it.

Did you have a nice chat on Inspector Farley?

Oh, nice as usual.

I didn't mean to.

He's got blacky, but I was standing in the doorway

and I will hurt everything you said, of course.

Does everybody in this neighborhood carry a gun?

Put the amount of well.

Don't you want me to know when Inspector Farley

is going to find out about you?

I can tell you everything Farley can tell you.

But with you.

Why not?

Tell him about the blacky.

I'll tell you what Farley is going to find out.

There's not going to do you any good.

Just knowing you killed God, you know, won't make me happy.

I'm such a curious fellow.

I always want to know why.

I'll tell you why.

Because he recognized me.

Any crime in that?

I went to prison for a crime once.

I didn't like the place.

So I left it about benefit of parole 15 years ago.

Well, you've been hiding a long time, haven't you?

I've been hiding.

It's important in legitimate businessmen for 15 years.

When I came to visit my brother the other day.

I got in the saw me and recognized me.

I had to kill him to keep us in talking.

And I robbed the store as a cover-up.

You came here to visit your brother?

Yeah, me, blacky.

Oh, fool.

So Mr. Wells, you and the bus driver are brothers.

Don't tell me Marjorie is your sister.

No.

Marjorie's a girl from the city.

I hired for the occasion.

One occasion?

The occasion of your arrival in Valley Johnson.

You knew I was coming?

Oh, yeah.

And on what bus, too?

I was listening to the window and Harry get off the side

about recognizing it.

Oh, I see.

Or do I?

You didn't try to keep me away before the murder.

Was after the murder?

Was that because you knew you dropped this coffin?

Uh-huh.

And I wanted to get here before you.

I get it now.

When Marjorie saw the police car nearby,

she realized there was no use in sawing me.

The family of the police locked up the store

after they left her.

You could still have picked up the evidence by time.

Well, and sit on taking you up.

But already, Harry?

Yeah, it's really big.

All biggie?

Is it?

Yeah.

Or do I still call you Mr. Wells?

You won't call me anything.

A little while.

Harry would take a special packing here for special trips

to the main highway.

Yeah.

A special delivery.

Oh, thanks.

Thanks a lot.

It's both of you.

Nice of you to give me a lift.

I hope you like it, Blackie,

because it's the last thing you're going to get

from anybody.

Harry, can we make better time at two hours

since we left Valley Junction?

No, why don't we just get off the road

and pile up in a ditch, biggie?

The rain made it for our separate week molasses.

Thank you for having me, Harry.

I have no hurry.

No, I'll get you in, Blackie.

But I've got news for you.

Another mile, and we're at the highway.

One more mile.

Your last one, Blackie.

Of course.

But why are you bothering to take me all the way

out of the highway to kill me well?

I could have died just as dead in Valley Junction.

I'm so peaceful in the country.

We'll close the hall back there, Blackie.

We're going to not two hours.

Put you on.

I'm hiring, Harry.

Are you hiring?

Yeah, sure.

Gentlemen, for busy talking,

you would have heard them before.

Look at what's coming around the turn up there ahead.

A police car.

They were going down.

They had no reason.

Get slow down.

They was gonna buy.

That's what I was gonna do, Biggie.

Really?

Well, here's what I'm gonna do.

I'm yanking the bus into the city.

Hey, take this on, Harry.

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Take him.

Take him.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh.

My bus was pulled into the station.

It's a trapeze, I look at it.

It's gonna be my turn now.

Here.

He's in here with a gun.

And a bump on his head, right?

Hey, we're life.

Thank you.

All right?

Yes, as long as you think.

Don't take my drive.

This license is away from me for this.

I dumped this crate into the bitch.

No, it's going.

Have it look.

It's a lucky thing for you.

There was something wrong with that form of garbage store.

There wasn't anything wrong with it.

There wasn't.

How could I hear everything?

You and Biggie said, after he made you hang up.

How?

You remember those bags of seed I told you on the counter?

Next to the telephone?

Yeah.

So instead of hanging up to the saver,

I just leaned it against one of the bags.

So you said, hey, what was going on?

Biggie thought I hung it up when he told me to.

Well, I'll be...

Well, I checked our files and found Wells was Biggie.

Now we've got him and his brother.

But where's the girl?

Probably still at Mrs. Davis's room he has.

Oh, she'll be a cinch to pick up.

Look, Faraday.

You better open the door and get inside this butt.

Get inside.

Why for?

You don't know what for?

No.

You're soaking wet.

Well, at last you've proved it, Faraday.

Prove what?

You don't even know enough to come in out of the rain.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.