Cops and Robbers

CBS Radio, a division of the Columbia Broadcasting System and its 217 affiliated stations, present the CBS Radio Workshop. Radio's distinguished series dedicated to man's imagination, the theatre of the mind. Transcribed. Cops and Robbers is a game played by children, and it's a game actors play on the radio for a living.

Tonight, the actors, as usual, will be playing Make Believe Robbers, but the cops will be real. The CBS Radio Workshop presents cops and robbers. My name is Stanley Ness. I'm a writer, mostly of crime criminals and what police do about them.

For a long time, I've wondered what rural detectives would do when confronted with a fictitious crime. And tonight, the CBS Radio Workshop is giving me a chance to find out. First, so you, the actors and I, can start off knowing what the detectives will try to find out.

I've written a short dramatic sketch which we recorded while our detectives, all retired members of the police departments city of New York are across the street having coffee. The scene, a one room flat on the upper east side of New York.

Who is that? It's me, Duncan. Well come on in, it's open. Not open. Honest. Goodness. Hi baby. Thank you. I think an alphabet. Oh. Well, where is it? Well, where's what? The Chameen. You're going to stop at the Chinese restaurant and bring back Chameen.

Where you been? Oh, oh, yeah, I was. I forgot. I forgot. How could you forget what you went out for? Ellie, baby, listen. You got to stand by me. I'm in a jam. You went out to get Chameen?

How could you get in a jam? I did. That's all there is to it. What kind of a jam? I can't tell you right now. You expect me to stand by and you can't tell me?