Death With A Punch

Mystery house. That strange publishing firm owned by Dan and Barbara Glenn, where each new novel is acted out by the Mystery House staff before it has accepted for publication.

Mystery house. The story we're trying out for Mystery House novel tonight, Barbie, murder with a punch. What's the big punch? It's not that kind of a punch, Dan. The story deals with a punch and duty show.

Or even those little wooden dummies that they perform or works with his hands from under the stage. That's right, hand puppet. I think they're fascinating. A good-printing duty operator can make them almost human. I disagree, Mrs. Glenn.

The punch and duty voices are always too unnatural. If you're going to say anything, why not say it in a natural voice? Like this. Listen. Okay, places everybody. Set the scene for the night story.

Will you, Tom? Death. With the punch. The story opens in a dressing room at the Mirador nightclub. Jeff Rockland, owner of the club, hands a little envelope to one of the performers. Yes, you know this, Gigi. Saturday night.

But look, Mr. Rockland. You brought me into the Mirador in the contract for six weeks. So I made a mistake. We all make mistakes once in a while, don't we? You're acting no good, Gigi.

No good. The granddino punch and duty show no good. The finest hand-capped puppets in the world. My father and grandfather spent at their lives building this act. I've got testimonial letters from loyalty from President from the- You've got an act that as far as night clubs are concerned is strictly from hunger, Gigi.

No, that is not so. The Berlin Winter Garden, the Vietnam Empire, the London Palladium, the New York Palace, all holdovers, top bearing, an international success. They find his hand puppet show in all the world and you at cheap nightclub operator and next gang gang.