- Friday and Smith are assigned to investigate the strangulation of an unidentified woman in a hotel room. With no leads and no clues, and no idea of who she is, they must start from scratch to find her killer.
- Synopsis - The Big Hands Aired 5-21-53 Season 2 Episode 28 Episode opens with Friday, Smith in the crime lab with Ray Pinker explaining no prints left of the personal belongings, including the contents of the purse. The purse, coat and shoes were expensive suggesting a trace could be realized from the coat label. Friday says the woman was strangled, neck broken, and she was petite in build. The woman's body was found in a downtown hotel room, early one morning, not identified by anyone at the hotel. No record of the identification through the coat purchased with cash when the labeled garment was checked at the selling department store. The other area merchants were checked including the hotel personnel, but nothing turned up.
Smith asks why she stayed in this cheap hotel in this certain neighborhood, though smartly dressed, it just does not jibe. At HQ, Al Morgan drops by claiming he worked with the woman murdered, in the circus, he shows a drawing of a woman, saying her name was Maude. Smith says the drawing is not valid enough to prove identification. Friday takes a call identifying the woman as Doris Frazer, she worked in an aircraft plant during the war; the government gave him the information from D.C.
The information given to police on the victim's identification provided Doris Frazer as a typist with the manufacturer during the war; she was listed as single, with no prior employer. They check on her last known address where the apartment manager said she was married, and problems from that marriage were heard in the hallway. A Frances Watson, manager of a boarding house, where the deceased lived after her apartment, gave the police details of Doris arguing with her husband while she lived there. Mrs. Watson said Doris wanted a divorce, but when she left the boarding house, she said she was going to move back with her husband. Friday and Smith exchange glances of surprise with all they heard.
Doris worked at a furniture store while she lived at the boarding house; a Mr. Collins was the personnel manger they talked to while inquiring about Doris. Doris was fired from the store months ago for being late and asking for salary advances, Collins met the husband, Stephen Arnold, as he came to the store often, and he was aware they were having marital problems. Collins gave the police an address of an apartment Doris was living with her husband. When they checked that address, Arnold not living there with Doris. Her unopened mail showed a letter from Stephen Arnold, the return address from Santa Monica.
Friday, Smith visit the Santa Monica address, where they find a dart concession along the beachfront carnival; Stephen Arnold is the proprietor. He moved there because it is closer to work, Doris did not want to live there due to her sinuses, she preferred the city. Stephen says he was getting a divorce due to the continuous arguing between them. Said it was best for both of them to split permanently. Arnold has the next door concession owner Vic vouch for his working there late. Friday, Smith check with other concession owners, which corroborate Stephen Arnold had been working there until one AM the night Doris had met her death. Friday narrates Arnold was eliminated as a possible suspect for the murder of his wife.
Checking with the neighbors where Doris lived, the police learn she ate her meals at the places around the area. A waitress named Dixie at a nearby coffee shop says Doris was quiet, ate there often, and was with a man named George for breakfast, before she would board the bus for work. Tracing leads on George, brings the officers to an aircraft plant where he works days, and has been employed for five years with a clean employment record. Friday says George has a police record, but nothing too serious. Grilling George Crane at his work finally yields a confession; he killed her, no reason given.
George Crane was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree and is now serving a life term in the State Penitentiary, San Quentin, CA.
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