This is Case Closed Crime Stories from the Golden Age of Radio.

Welcome back to Case Closed, your weekly hour of mystery and crime from the Golden Age of Radio every Wednesday at Relicradio.com.

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Thanks for joining me this week.

We begin with Pat Novak for hire. Story titled Little Jake Siegel from June 26, 1949. After that, it's Jeff Regan investigator, and a tree grows in Encino, his story from April 5th, 1950.

Pat Novak for hire.

Sure, I'm Pat Novak. Sure, I'm Pat Novak, for hire.

Oh,

Oh! That's what the sign outside my office says, Pat Novak for hire.

Or you can set it to music or put it up in neon.

But down here on the waterfront in San Francisco,

you're too busy staying alive to worry about the next guy unless he's pointing a gun.

Most of the time, you've got as much chance to fly paper fly on his solo flight, but it works out.

Oh, I rent boats and do anything else to keep my stomach and my conscience running even.

It's like juggling hot marbles on a high wire,

but it's a living, and you haven't any more kick coming than a swimmer diving into an empty pool.

I found that out last Tuesday night. I was sitting in my office after dinner, watching the fog stream

through the gate and wrap up the bay for the night. Up on Russian Hill, the lights were

just going on in a thousand dollar a month apartments, and right away you got a picture of warm

rooms and cold martinis. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself, so I started the page through

an old address book full of bad debts and tired memories.

...