The Shanghai Cobra

Evening, Mr. Black. I fixed up a nice beef stew today.

Thought it would be good with it raining outside like it is.

- Just a cup of coffee. - It's got Grade A beef.

I selected it myself and nice brown gravy.

I want a cup of coffee.

Okay, Mr. Black. Wants a cup of coffee...

get him cup of coffee, that's all.

Say, I made a beautiful beef stew today. The best in town. Grade A beef.

- Just a cup of coffee. - Rich brown gravy?

- I said, "Just a cup of coffee." - Yeah, that's what I thought you said.

Mr. Black wants a cup of coffee. He wants his black.

I suppose you want cream in your coffee.

I suppose you want a cup of coffee, too...

instead of the delicious beef stew I fixed up on account of it's a rainy day?

Yeah. A cup of coffee.

I should've known better than to ask. A cup of coffee, he says?

Joe's Coffee Shop, so everybody orders coffee.

This one's on me, honey.

Look, I'm fed up with you following me around, understand?

Number, please.

Number ten, The Blue Danube.

- Is that him? - Yes.

Now stop bothering me and stop following me.

That's a wrong number. I asked for number 10, The Blue Danube.

I'm sorry, sir. We don't have that number.

Just push the return button and your money will be refunded.

Please, Mr. Black, you must trust me.

Stay out of my hair, I'm telling you for the last time.

- Please, I got to talk to you... - Now, look.

I think you dropped this, miss.

- Well now, when did you arrive? - Me? About five minutes ago.

- And didn't even speak to me. I like that. - You do?

Start making your excuses, and they'd better be good. Now, give.

This friendship's sudden, but I'm interested if you are, too.

- The name's Ned Stewart, but... - That's great.

Wait a second. We haven't finished the introductions yet.

You two also haven't finished paying for your coffees.

Please pay him. I'll wait outside.

That will be 20 cents, please.

Yeah, you got a nickel change coming.

You wouldn't want to match for it?

I was afraid to talk to you in Joe's.

We've been followed for days. What I've been trying to tell you is this...

Mr. Black?

- What happened? - I don't know.

He started to say something to me and then he fell down.

Try to revive him, please. I'll call a doctor.

All right. Let's break it up. What's happened here?

- Where's the girl? - I thought you'd be back for your nickel.

Where is she? Where did she go?

You been stood up, pal. She went out the back, fast.

- Where'd he go? - You mean the guy who give me the nickel...

Don't give me that. He just killed a man outside and ran in.

You been stood up, too, pal. He just breezed through the back, fast.

What a day. People run in, nobody eats my beef stew...

people run out, nobody pays for their coffee.

Hello, babe. Give me a nickel's worth of anything soothing.

My head's killing me.

Joe, who got killed?

I don't know, but from the sounds in the alley, a cop's killing my customers.

"Third Cobra killing."

- Yes? - Mr. Gray.

Send him right in.

Chief, here's the latest dope on them Cobra killings.

Washington just got it from Scotland Yard.

There was a man murdered the same way in Shanghai in 1937...

and a man by the name of Van Horn was arrested but he escaped.

Did they send his description?

No, they lost all of his records in the Shanghai bombing eight years ago.

There's only one man in the entire country who can identify this Van Horn...

and I'm afraid we can't get him.

- Who is he? - Charlie Chan.

Who says I can't get him?

George. Please come into my office and take a telegram.

Yes, sir?

Will be out of town for several days. Must postpone all business.

Most interesting case.

In four months, three persons are murdered by bite of cobra fangs.

Man named Rafferty, and a girl called Dunham, and then a man named Black.

Most curious.

All three victims work for Sixth National Bank.

Yes, but there's no connection between them, Charlie.

The men were bank guards and the girl worked in the posting department.

Eight years ago in Shanghai, China...

I arrest a man named Jan Van Horn...

for bank robbery and murder by cobra bite.

It was first day Japanese bombers fly over city of Shanghai.

Our prisoner, Jan Van Horn had been injured in bombing...

and the inspector was driving me to his office.

Van Horn badly burned in bombing?

He's pretty badly disfigured on his face and hands.

I'm afraid he may be permanently so, unless he gets immediate plastic surgery.

Inspector Mainwaring and myself continue on to the...

British International Settlement Police Headquarters.

There I meet Jan Van Horn for the second time.

- Good morning, Mr. Chan. - Mr. Corning.

- Sorry we had to call upon you. - Most happy to be of assistance.

If you'll sign right here, please. Mr. Hume?

May we have your signature on this receipt for the prisoner?

We'll turn Van Horn over to your custody.

Let's go.

Mr. Chan, I don't care what evidence you've got.

I'm being framed, I tell you.

Singapore authorities will determine your guilt or innocence.

I'm telling you, I'm being railroaded. They'll never let me get to trial.

Still a matter for courts to decide.

- Come along, Van Horn. - You're just like all the rest.

But I tell you, I'll even this score with you one day.

Special Agent Hume took Van Horn to wharf at Shanghai...

where they place him aboard ship's launch.

He was starting journey to Singapore, where he was to stand trial.

The launch left the wharf.

When launch reach midstream, one of ship's officers went to bow of boat.

Van Horn ask remaining officer for a light for a cigarette...

and when officer reach for a match...

Van Horn struck him malicious blow on chin and disappear over side of boat.

And that was last I hear of Jan Van Horn until now.

Could you identify him today?

His face badly burned, perhaps greatly changed.

But his hair most unusual.

- Very black with strange streak of white. - I see.

At any rate, Charlie, I want you to know how glad I am...

the government has let you off to help me.

And I want you to feel that you're in full charge.

Thank you, but I am still government agent.

Vaults of Sixth National Bank contain something...

very valuable to American government.

- What is it? - Stores of radium.

That is valuable. Is there much of it?

Several million dollars' worth, perhaps.

You see, bank is distributing center...

for hospitals, laboratories and factories in this vicinity.

I must be off to bank and afterwards, will visit coffee shop.

Want to use a police car?

No, thank you.

With your permission, I will telephone assistants...

at hotel to meet me with car at the bank.

Sure, Charlie. Help yourself.

- Doesn't the bank smell nice? - And that green stuff don't look bad, either.

You know what?

I bet it'd be an easy job to knock off this bank.

Wouldn't it? You know what we'd have to do?

Is drive our car out front and leave the motor running.

Leave the door open, come in and take all this money out without firing a shot.

That's probably why Pop wanted us to meet him here today.

Now, like the last... What you doing? Wait a minute.

Now, if I had a million dollars here...

Hello, Pop.

- Glad to met you, Mr. Chan. - One moment.

- What is trouble? - Nothing, Pop.

- We waited for you, like you told us to. - Nothing.

- Friend of yours? - Oh, yes, sir.

They were acting suspicious. I heard them say...

I am Charlie Chan, officer. These are my two assistants.

They sometimes talk foolish. They mean no harm.

All right, Mr. Chan.

Friend of yours, huh?

You two wait in car or I make serious trouble.

- Yes, Pop. Right away. - Yeah, Mr. Chan.

You can stop writing, Lorraine, here's the check.

Thank you, Mr. Jarvis.

Hi, Jarvis.

What's the matter with Jarvis?

Expect him to put his arms around you?

- But, Morgan, I only said hello to him... - Shut up, Taylor. Get going.

You wish to see Mr. Fletcher, the President? I'm Bradford Harris, the Vice President.

My business with President.

Mr. Chan, the detective. Come right in, sir.

Mr. Charlie Chan to see you, Walter, on government business.

Very well. I'll see him.

Sit down, please.

Startling white plume, huh?

Most unusual.

Mr. Fletcher, were you ever in Shanghai, China?

Yes. In 1936 and 1937, for the International Bank Company.

Now, your business, sir?

I'm investigating deaths of three people. Rafferty, Dunham, and Black.

The police have wasted hours of my time about those people.

Merely wish to examine personnel records of same.

Yes, Mr. Fletcher?

Miss Webb, bring me the personnel cards on Black, Dunham, and Rafferty.

But they're dead. I mean right away, Mr. Fletcher.

That all, Mr. Chan?

No. Would like to look into safety deposit box number 210.

Impossible.

That's a special vault rented by the United States Government.

I work for United States Government. I have key to vault here.

This is my secretary, Miss Paula Webb, Mr. Chan.

Charlie Chan?

If you want me, Paula, I'll be in the safety deposit vault.

- Great pleasure, Miss Webb. - This way, Mr. Chan.

Deposit vault, please.

Hello, who is this?

Listen. Mr. Fletcher is coming down with Charlie Chan.

Yes, that's right.

This way, Mr. Chan.

Okay so far.

Surely you didn't expect to find anything wrong?

In my business always expect to find something wrong...

- but here everything seem normal. - Naturally.