- When an heiress is found dead from an apparent suicide, Ellery Queen suspects she was murdered, but the investigation is hindered by interference from radio detective Simon Brimmer.
- Stephanie Kendrick, a wealthy fountain pen heiress, is found dead on the front lawn of her mansion. Prior to her death she was reading Ellery's book "The Adventure of the Lover's Leap" and it seems that she acted out a passage in the book which leads to her to jump from her bedroom balcony. Inspector Queen thinks her death is suicide, but Ellery seems to have other thoughts when a technical print man finds a small shard of glass on the balcony. Later, during the questioning of suspects, Simon Brimmer arrives at the Kendrick mansion and, in his typical pompous fashion, offers his help to Inspector Queen solve what he concludes to be a murder. Ultimately, Brimmer brings the cast together at the conclusion to disclose the guilty party, but Ellery finds the exact time to speak up and reveal the killer's identity.—H Pylypiw
- At the Kendrick manor, fountain pen heiress Stephanie Talbott-Kendrick is in her second-story bedroom and has dozed off over the Ellery Queen novel, "The Adventure of the Lover's Leap". She wakes up and starts reading again, about a woman alone and hearing the howling of a dog. Stephanie hears the howling of a dog. The novel describes a car pulling up to the manor, and it happens in real life. The woman goes out on the balcony, but doesn't see a car.
Going back into her bedroom, Stephanie continues reading. The next passage says that there was no car in the driveway, and Stephanie calls her nurse Evelyn Chandler on the intercom. Evelyn is her room in the manor listening to Abbott & Costello on the radio and finally picks up, Stephanie asks Evelyn if she heard the sound of the car, and the nurse says that she didn't. When Stephanie mentions the howling dog, Evelyn says that she didn't hear it, either.
Stephanie hears the dog howl again, picks up her phone, and calls her step-daughter Cathy Kendrick. Cathy says that she hasn't seen her father Jonathan in a week. Stephanie thinks that Cathy is lying, and tells her that Cathy has to come over and she'll explain later. When Cathy objects, Stephanie says that the servants aren't there and she doesn't trust Evelyn, and Cathy has to come right over. Cathy says that she can't and has a date, but finally agrees to come over.
At 9:10, someone moves through the house.
Later, Cathy drives up to the manor. Evelyn comes out and tells Cathy that Stephanie wasn't in her room, and the older woman jumped off the balcony. Stephanie is crumpled on the lawn beneath the balcony,
Ellery and Richard at a wrestling match, and Richard dismisses the whole thing as an act. Velie joins them and tells Richard that he has something important, and Stephanie was found dead. Ellery isn't interested in tagging along until Velie mentions that Stephanie was reading one of Ellery's books right before she died.
Radio host Simon Brimmer is at his studio doing his show "The Casebook of Simon Brimmer". The show ends on a cliffhanger, and after the show ends Simon complains about the poor sound effects. Simon's assistant comes in and tells Simon about Stephanie's death, and Simon figures that she was murdered.
The police are securing the crime scene, and Velie tells Richard and Ellery that Stephanie apparently jumped and then crawled a few feet before dying. Evelyn found the body, and the father and son go up to the bedroom. Ellery finds the novel, and Harry the fingerprint man confirms that any prints on the balcony are smudged. Richard figures that Ellery suspects murder, and Ellery points out that people that want to commit suicide jump from a higher point. Also Stephanie crawled away from the house instead of toward it, and Richard says that he's going to talk to Cathy.
Harry tells Richard that he found a sliver of glass on the balcony. Ellery notices it and wonders what it is, but Richard doesn't see any significance to it. He talks to Cathy, as Ellery and Velie look on. Cathy says that she didn't believe Stephanie had suicidal tendencies, but didn't know her very well. Cathy's mother died when she was young, and six months ago Jonathan announced that he was marrying Stephanie, but Cathy had never met Stephanie. Cathy lived at the manor for a while, but she and her stepmother never really talked.
Evelyn comes in to give a statement, and Evelyn describes what happened. She confirms that Stephanie called her and asked her if she heard a howling dog and a car pulling up. Ellery realizes that what Stephanie heard was the same as in his novel, and Evelyn says that she went to Stephanie's room to see if she wanted anything, an hour after Stephanie called her. Evelyn saw the open balcony door, checked it out, and saw Stephanie's body. That was when Cathy pulled up in her car.
Ellery asks Evelyn why Stephanie needed a nurse, and Evelyn says that Stephanie didn't but thought she did. He confirms that Jonathan is a fan of Ellery's mysteries, and asks Cathy if Stephanie ever read them. Ellery asks Evelyn if she noticed anything unusual on the balcony, but she didn't.
Simon comes in and says that the guard on the door recognized him and let him in. He says that he has some information for Richard, and Richard dismisses Evelyn and Cathy. Simon says that Jonathan has been an unhappy man since his marriage: loved Stephanie's money but hated her. The radio host explains that Jonathan was a would-be actor, and he's gained his information from other actors he called when he learned of Stephanie's death. Simon auditioned Jonathan once, years ago, and offers him a small part which he turned down. The host says that he doesn't have anything else, but will "dig in" the next day. Richard isn't surprised.
The next day, the news of Stephanie's death is in all the papers, and that Jonathan is being sought.
The next night, a policeman is on his rounds and finds a drunken Jonathan in an alleyway. Jonathan insists that he hasn't been drinking, and the policeman recognizes Jonathan from the front page articles. He takes Jonathan in, and Jonathan tells Richard that he was playing poker with some friends and drinking alone. Jonathan doesn't remember when he left the game, but admits that he was "under the influence". He also doesn't remember the names of the poker players.
Ellery, looking on, gets Jonathan some coffee for his hangover. Jonathan only remembers the address of the poker game, and comes up with the name of the card dealer who can alibi him. Richard tells Jonathan that he can go but should keep himself available. When Richard offers Jonathan their sympathy on his wife's death, Jonathan vaguely notes it and thanks the inspector for his concern.
Once Jonathan leaves, Richard points out that Jonathan doesn't seem too concerned about his wife's suicide. Ellery isn't convinced that it was a suicide. Simon comes into Richard's office and Richard makes it clear that he doesn't want to compare notes. The host says that he's read the coroner's report, since the coroner is a fan of Simon's show and let him read it first. Richard sends Velie to talk to the coroner, and Simon notes that Stephanie died instantaneously after her fall and someone must have moved it after she died.
Later on his show, Simon declares the fictional murderer and the sound man misses his cue. Ellery comes in response to Simon's call, and Simon calls for a break. The host explains that he talked to the crime lab head, a fan, and he told Simon about the shard of glass. Simon asks about Ellery, appealing to him as a fellow "sportsman", and says that he has a new lead to offer in return.
Ellery says that the crime lab has determined that it might have come from an eyeglass lens. Simon says that Stephanie's attorney, J.T. Latimer, has had financial reverses recently and will receive a large fee from probating Stephanie's estate.
Later, Ellery visits Latimer and asks him of how much Latimer will get for probating. Latimer dodges the question, and Evelyn comes in to take Latimer out for lunch. The attorney says that he and Evelyn are old friends, and he recommended Evelyn to Stephanie. Ellery wants to call Stephanie's doctor, Norman Marsh, and Evelyn tells Ellery that Marsh is playing golf.
Ellery finds Marsh on a green, introduces himself, and says that he has some questions about Stephanie. Simon is playing with Marsh, and Marsh ignores Ellery to focus on his game. The caddy doesn't show up, and Ellery carries the men's bag to stay with him. Marsh refuses to divulge privileged information he learned from Stephanie about her marriage, and refuses to respond to Simon's question that Stephanie suspected Jonathan of being unfaithful.
When Ellery asks about Evelyn, Marsh says Stephanie hired Evelyn and he thought she was psychosomatic and didn't need one. Ellery asks him if Stephanie heard imaginary noises, and Marsh says that he had Stephanie under hypnosis and she said nothing about it. The last time he saw Stephanie was the afternoon of the day she died, and says that Stephanie might have been in a light trance. Simon is listening rather than focusing on his game, and react when Marsh says that Stephanie might have responded to his recording designed to put her into a trance.
The men go to the house, and Marsh shows Ellery and Simon the record he gave to Stephanie designed to put her into a light trance to help her sleep. They listen to the record, and Marsh says that he makes the recordings at a studio. Simon excuse himself, saying that he has an appointment.
Ellery meets with his father, who has confirmed that Stephanie's butler didn't kill her. Richard's son already knows the butler was away, from Marsh who Stephanie told. Carol storms in and asks Richard if Jonathan is under surveillance. Richard says that he isn't, but says that his detectives have authority to act on their best judgment without telling him. He suggests that Jonathan is imagining that he's being followed because he's under great stress, and he's imagine that Carol is being overly protective of her father.
Velie comes in and shows Richard a note. Meanwhile, Ellery confirms that Carol doesn't know Latimer or Marsh. After seeing Velie's note, Richard tells Carol that Jonathan's alibi checks out and confirms that he's innocent. Carol leaves, and Latimer calls Richard and tells him that Stephanie had bequeathed $1 million to Marsh in her will.
That night, Richard visits his son in his apartment and shows him a newspaper headline saying that the police have declared Stephanie's death a murder. Richard point out that they had five suspects but now Jonathan is cleared. Ellery points out that Jonathan could have planned it and hired a hitman, but Richard doesn't believe it and figures Marsh is responsible. The $1 million goes to a research project, not Marsh, but Marsh oversees the project and could skim the money. Ellery notes that Latimer gets $200,000 in fees and might have used his "friend" Evelyn, but Richard wants facts, not supposition. The body had already been moved when Cathy arrives, before Evelyn got to Stephanie's body. Neither Queen knows why the body was moved, and Richard has confirmed Cathy's story that Stephanie called her and left when she said she did.
Velie arrives from following Simon, and reports that Simon went to a recording studio. Simon spotted Velie and told him to tell Richard that he knows who murdered Stephanie and will have conclusive evidence to give Richard. The host will give Richard credit, as long as Richard goes to the manor that night with the five suspects.
Later, Ellery and Richard drive to the manor. Ellery tries to puzzle out the significance of the glass shard. Richard points out that the dashboard clock is broken and they're late, and Ellery realizes who murdered Stephanie. He challenges the viewer, saying the body was moved to make room for something and time is of the essence.
Inside, Simon is having his radio crew set up their equipment so he can broadcast his denouement live on the air. Ellery comes in and introduces Marsh to Richard. Simon is on the balcony, and Richard goes out and demands an explanation. Simon avoids the request, saying that otherwise he'll go to the paper.
The two men go in and the recording of show begins. Marsh, Jonathan, and Latimer object, and Richard tells them to let Simon continue because they can always destroy the recording later. Simon describes Marsh's recording and explains that it was murder by remote control. Ellery asks who moved the body off the driveway onto the lawn, and Simon has him talk into the mike.
Ellery repeats his question, and Simon says that Stephanie crawled a few feet before dying. Richard points out that the coroner said death was instantaneous, and Simon dismisses the coroner as having made a mistake. Simon has his people play Marsh's record, and says that Stephanie went into a trance and then another record dropped down on the automatic changer, with another post-hypnotic suggestion.
Marsh insists that Stephanie only had one record, and Simon says that she had two but didn't know about the second. He calls in Roy Miller, who owns a recording studio. Miller identifies Marsh and Latimer, but admits that he's seen all of their pictures in the paper. Ellery tells Richard to let Simon continue, and Miller says that his customers are always alone in their booth when they make their recordings, but Miller hears them later on a wire recorder.
Miller admits that he has a contact in the music business that he lets listen to the recordings. Simon dismisses Miller, and plays one recording from a week ago. It's someone impersonating Marsh's voice: Jonathan, who used to be a professional actor. Jonathan denies it, but Simon says everyone can tell it's Jonathan and continue playing the recording. The post-hypnotic suggestion tells Stephanie to read the book, and that she'll believe everything happening to the character is happening to her, and she'll do what the victim in the novel does.
Simon reads the novel saying that the victim jumped in the book, so Stephanie did it. Jonathan admits that he made the recording and set up his alibi, then apologizes to Cathy saying he couldn't take living to Stephanie any longer but she'd never let him go.
Richard tells Velie to arrest Jonathan, but Ellery interrupts and congratulates Simon on his deduction but says that he's wrong. Ellery says that Jonathan thinks that he killed Stephanie, but the glass shard is the key. He notes that Cathy isn't wearing a watch, and she asks how long Ellery has known. Cathy confesses that she killed Stephanie and won't let Jonathan take the punishment.
Both Jonathan and Simon insist that Cathy is trying to protect Jonathan. Cathy explains that she arrived earlier, and found Stephanie on the balcony, confused and wanting to kill herself but she couldn't. Stephanie started screaming at Cathy, saying that she hated Jonathan and Cathy, and started hitting Cathy. They struggled and Cathy pushes Stephanie in the fight.
Cathy noticed that her watch had been smashed, and she picked up the pieces. She then dragged Stephanie Cathy off of the driveway so she wouldn't back over her or leave tracks on the lawn. Cathy drove off, turned around, and came back because her maid knew she was driving over. Velie takes Cathy away, Evelyn goes with Latimer, and Richard realizes the glass was from Cathy's wristwatch. Ellery remembers that when he asked Cathy for the time the night of the murder, she looked at the desk clock.
Listening in Simon says that he would have known it as well if he'd been there. Ellery explains that he didn't tell Richard because his father keeps saying he wants facts, not suppositions. The recording director tells Simon that he got the entire thing on recording and shows the host the record, and Simon tells him to break the record and storms out.
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