Crime Does Not Pay #41 (1945)

In the grimy streets of 1945 New York, a slick con artist named Luis Deshelly, known as "Frenchy," brazenly circulates counterfeit thousand-franc notes, confident in his charm and skill. When a mysterious figure known only as Officer Common Sense appears to warn him that crime won’t pay, Luis dismisses the eerie presence as paranoia—until the law closes in on his elaborate scheme.

Jo and Olsen, two struggling stage performers, are desperate for work when a slick man claiming to be a Warner Brothers publicity agent promises them roles in a new film called *Capitol Capers*. Posing as a high-powered Hollywood insider, he convinces a hotel clerk to let him use a suite, order champagne, and cash checks—all while pretending to be in contact with stars like Bette Davis and John Garfield.

In the quiet town of Wentzville, Missouri, newlywed Emma Hepperman begins her sinister plan by pressuring her husband Anthony to transfer his assets to her, all while subtly poisoning his daughter Ethel with arsenic-laced soup. As more family members fall ill and the truth starts to unravel, a detective arrives at the farm to investigate the suspicious deaths, uncovering a chilling web of deception and murder.

When old Ambrose Whitman hosts a pirate-themed party on his isolated island, his relatives and associates—each with their own grudges and secrets—arrive under the pretense of a treasure hunt. But when Whitman is found dead with a rare gun in his hand, suspicion falls on the guests, all of whom had motive and opportunity, as the storm cuts them off from the outside world.