Bewildered Bird-watcher (aka Penthouse Roof)

Standard of California on behalf of independent chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the West invite you to let George do it. Another adventure of George Valentine. Personal notice, danger is my stock and trade. If the trouble you're in is way off the beaten track and you need help that's strictly confidential you've got a job for me. George Valentine, right full details.

Dear sir, you employed the word confidential in your advertisement. Well I need confidential help. My enthusiasm for birds has led me into a predicament. I was watching starlings, but I saw something that was never meant to be seen and it keeps haunting me if I really saw it. Unless my eyes deceive me.

I was the witness, the only witness to an outrageous crime. There's nothing more I can say in a letter. Please contact me at once and it's signed Elliot. Worms. Oh, Wormsley, that sounds like a name on a Dickens.

Elliot Wormsley, M.S.P.H.D., Statistical Services, Baxter Building. Bird watcher, huh? What kind of canaries is this statistician interested in anyway? Oh, stop kidding, George. That's a pretty grim phrase. I was the only witness to an outrageous crime.

And he's in a predicament. That's a twist. What was it he could have seen? I don't know, Brooksea, but let's see what we can see. Let's drop in on Dr. Wormsley. These are the binoculars, Mr. Valentin.

The ones I used to watch starlings on that penthouse roof down there. But that's almost three bucks away, Dr. Worms. I know. The River House, huh? Pretty swanky. Golly George, you can see halfway around the world with these binoculars.

Alright, Angel, stop playing. A back to you, Dr. Wormsley. So you look for starlings and saw a killer hawk. Something like that, Mr. Valentin. Okay. Now, just what was this outrageous crime? What did you see that you shouldn't have seen?