The Big Bid

Originally Aired: January 26, 1954

Dragnet #232, "The Big Bid," finds Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith investigating a puzzling burglary at a men's clothing store on Vine Street in Hollywood. Store manager Leonard Dodds reports that approximately $12,000 worth of merchandise has vanished from his storeroom, including shipments of suede jackets, dress shirts, and overcoats that hadn't even been unpacked yet. The mystery deepens when Friday and Smith discover no signs of forced entry at any doors or windows, and the store's alarm system never went off. The crime lab technicians find the locks secure and no jimmy marks anywhere, leaving the detectives baffled about how thieves could have removed such a large volume of merchandise undetected.

The investigation takes a turn when Friday discovers a window opening onto an adjacent rooftop and finds the stolen merchandise hidden behind an air vent on the neighboring building. With the stolen goods recovered but no clear suspect, the detectives interview the store employees. When a routine records check reveals that assistant manager Al Baker has a prior burglary conviction and served time at San Quentin, Friday and Smith bring him in for questioning, though Dodds insists his trusted employee of five years couldn't possibly be involved.

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