Boston Blackie: Sam Bellows Is Dead (06-18-1945)

This episode follows Boston Blackie as he gets pulled into a murder mystery around Sam Bellows, a reclusive man Charlie Kingston needs to find for business reasons. Blackie fakes a murder confession to get Inspector Faraday to investigate, but when Faraday reaches Bellows’ house, Bellows is actually found dead, putting Blackie in the frame.Blackie and Charlie then dig through the case and uncover a chain of suspects: Bellows’ nephew Larry Addington, who expected to inherit the estate; Frank Lewis, the financial advisor; and Seth Peters, who turns out to be tied to the dog and cat hospital that was set to benefit under Bellows’ revised will. The key clue is a nervous habit involving torn matches and barely smoked cigarettes, which helps Blackie expose the real scheme.In the end, Blackie learns that Bellows had been an engineer who once disappeared with important blueprints, explaining why Charlie wanted him found in the first place. The mystery is solved with Blackie’s usual mix of wit, deception, and detective work, while Happy the oversized dog accidentally helps along the way.