Originally Aired: June 7, 1949
In Philo Vance #48, "Mistletoe Murder," District Attorney Markham believes the murder maestro should investigate when millionaire Simon Joyce is struck down by a hit-and-run driver on Mistletoe Road, but Sergeant Heath stubbornly insists his homicide department can handle the case without help. The circumstances surrounding Joyce's death are suspicious enough that the FBI has already been called in by the victim's nephew, James Evans. Heath focuses his attention on three primary suspects: Joyce's niece and nephew who lived with him but inherited nothing according to his will, and his bachelor brother who stood to gain control of their lucrative business partnership. Despite Heath's confidence and bruised ego over past cases where Vance received no credit yet solved the murders, Markham remains unconvinced that the sergeant can crack this case alone. As Heath prepares to interrogate the ailing brother as his prime suspect, the stage is set for a complex investigation that may prove more challenging than the stubborn sergeant anticipates.