The Penny Ante Murder Case partial

Originally Aired: September 20, 1949Philo Vance #63, "The Penny Ante Murder Case partial,"When private detective Dan Smith is murdered, Philo Vance infiltrates a supposedly penny ante poker game to investigate the suspects. He quickly discovers that everyone at the table is cheating: Jacqueline Rice uses special cards and dark glasses, while Bill Baxter and his associate Ricky run a mail-order racket through their Rainbow Distributing Company front. The situation escalates dramatically when a customer named Joseph Peters arrives demanding the package he paid for, and Ricky reports that Baxter has killed the man. However, when Vance and District Attorney Markham break into Baxter's office, they find Peters alive, revealing Ricky's story was a lie and that Baxter has somehow turned the situation to his advantage.With their case seemingly stalled, Vance examines Smith's phone records from the day of his murder, noting the sequence and timing of calls to the various suspects. This detail catches his attention, and after planning to call an out-of-town newspaper Smith had contacted, Vance prepares to confront Baxter again, this time in disguise to catch him off guard.