Originally Aired: October 11, 1949
Philo Vance #66, "Tea Cup Murder Case," begins when steward Algie Cochrane arrives in port with something valuable—the stolen 40-carat Elton Diamond from a London jewel robbery. Three dangerous men are eager to obtain the prize: Johnny Peters, Reginald Sands, and Burke, each warning Algie that he'd better be the one to get it. When Algie is found shot to death in his room with a vintage Webley revolver, District Attorney Markham calls in Philo Vance. The only clues are a tea kettle and two teacups—one wiped clean of fingerprints.
The investigation leads Vance through a labyrinth of betrayal and violence. A diamond cutter dies while splitting the stone, and a desperate phone call from Edna Burke claims her husband Joe has committed murder. When Vance and Markham arrive at the Burke apartment, they find Joe dead and Edna claiming self-defense. As Vance examines the evidence—different guns, the missing diamond, and the curious detail about tea—he must untangle a deadly scheme where greed has left multiple bodies in its wake.