Dragnet - The Big Poison

It was Saturday, September 30th. Detective Sergeants Joe Friday and Ben Romero are working the day shift out of homicide. It was 3:45 PM when Joe arrived to Room 67A, Missing Persons. Ben, already present, says "Hi Joe". Friday says "Hi Ben. Where is Al?" Ben says "He's next door, but will be back in a minute". A short while later, Al comes into the room and says "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just getting this report straightened out. Here you go". Ben says "Mr. and Mrs. Walter Apperson. How long have they been missing?" Al says "Well, today's the fourth day. They are an elderly couple. One of their next door neighbors got a little worried when he didn't see him around the house. He came in yesterday and filed a 316 on them". Ben says "Let's see. Clarence Stokely. Is that the neighbor?" Al says "Yeah. It says here he lived next to the Apperson's for 28 years. He's never known him to take off like this. He checked the Apperson's cottage out there. Dirty dishes were left on the kitchen table. He said that was not the way the old couple left their house normally". Joe asks " How about friends and relatives?" Al says "Stokely said he called them. None of them have seen or heard from the Apperson's for a week. I checked out two of their three living relatives, a cousin and a niece. They don't  know a thing". Joe says "Can I can see that report, Ben?" Ben says "Oh, yeah. Well, how about the third relative? Nephew, is that it, Joe?" He says "Yeah. Frank Apperson. The report says here he goes to a private college out near Monrovia". Al says "Yeah, I haven't been able to contact the kid. He's away on a vacation". Ben asks "Is it possible the old couple might be with him?" Al says "Not according to Stokely. He says the Apperson's seldom spend any time away from their home". Joe says "That's all we've got to go on, huh? Just the neighbor's story?" Al says "Yeah. Oh, he says he checked the garage, too. The Apperson's car is gone". Ben asks "How does that tie in?" Al says "Stokely said that Mr. Apperson hasn't driven the car for the last year and a half".