KILL CODE ACTIVATED: The Android Murders | Paranormal, Science Fiction, and Crime Old Time Radio
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Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar and this is Retro Radio, old-time radio in the dark, brought to you by WeirdDarkness.com. Here I have the privilege of bringing you some of the best dark, creepy, and macabre old-time radio shows ever created.

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Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into tonight's retro radio, old-time radio in the dark. The CBS Radio Mystery Theater presents... ♪♪

Come in. I'm E.G. Marshall. Welcome. I'd like to explore an interesting problem that's been intriguing me. Here it is in a nutshell. Are we ever sure who is the boss? Don't laugh. That problem is going to convulse our entire galaxy a thousand years from now when a new form of slavery is produced by science and technology. The android slave.

Do you know what an android is? I thought not. Come with me into the future and let me introduce you to the android in this strange and prophetic story of master and slave. What is your name? I have been named Rex, sir. Are you a human being? No, sir. I look human, but I've been synthesized. You mean you were manufactured?

Yes, sir. Like a machine, a car, or a plane, or a spaceship? Excuse me, sir, no. I am not a machine. A robot is a machine. I am an android. What's the difference, Rex? The android is a chemical creation of synthetic tissue and organs. I was grown chemically from proteins and minerals into human form. But are you a man, Rex? No, sir. I am a slave. Could you be a man?

I am not permitted to want that, sir. But do you? Yes. Yes. Yes! Our mystery drama, The Walking Dead, was written especially for the Mystery Theater by Alfred Bester and stars Paul Hecht. It is sponsored in part by True Value Hardware Stores and Buick Motor Division.

I'll be back shortly with Act One. This is our galaxy, as it will be a thousand years in the future, when man has burst into space to colonize hundreds of planets circling distant stars.

This is the planet Paragon, peacefully circling twin suns which glow red and orange. It's a tropical planet of rice paddies and lush fruits. A quiet planet, a gentle planet that has never known crime until this moment in a flooded rice field. Jarvis! Jarvis!

Jarvis! I found her! Over here! Quick! Is she all right? She's alive. That's all I know so far. This is Southfield to Center. Southfield to Center. We have found the Tally girl. Bearing South 190. The girl is hurt. Send a doctor fast. Southfield out.

How bad is she, Cotton? She's been mauled. Look, Jarvis, there's blood under her nails. Oh, must have put up a fight. This blood isn't dried yet. Should it? The scratches on her face have dried. Uh-huh. What kind of blood never dries?

Android blood? Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but it looks like an android did this to her. Oh, impossible. I worked in an android plant back on Earth. I know how they're made, trained, and conditioned. Androids can't harm, can't destroy, can't lie, can't kill. Never. I know. But right now it looks like one Andy was made wrong. Oh, impossible. Look at the Andy blood under her nails. Cotton...

This is the first crime on Paragon in a hundred years. That's hard enough to take. And now you're claiming an android, did it? I'm not claiming anything. It's the facts that are talking. It's the Andy blood under her nails talking. Somebody better find that Andy fast. Ladies and gentlemen, take off in ten minutes. Take off in ten minutes.

Bridge is beginning final countdown. Thank you. Yeah, who's that? Flight attendant Wallace. Passenger check. Oh, yeah. Come in. Thank you, Mr. Valentine. You are Mr. Valentine. James Jason Valentine? Yes, that's right. Accompanied by one Arista Android? Uh-huh.

I've heard about Arista androids. They're kind of special, huh? Yes, very special. They've got a red letter A on the brow instead of the usual black A. The kind they put on work Andes. Is that right? Oh, here he is with my luggage. You can see for yourself. Yeah. Well, first Arista Andy I've ever seen, Mr. Valentine.

Doesn't look special. He is special. Well, what does it do? Everything. Arista androids are made with all the skills and talents. Rex here is worth a hundred thousand on the labor exchange. It must be one in a million.

What did you call it? Rex? Mm-hmm. Here, you, Rex. Get down to steerage and strap in. Lift off in ten minutes. He'll stay in the cabin with me. And he's travel steerage, Mr. Valentine. Rex travels with me. Well, have it your way. Lock the door, Rex. Yes, sir. Ah, the mess you put me in. Ah.

And so much on Paragon, house, land, furniture, antiques, and I had to leave it. All, leave it all behind to get away with you. All I've got is $2,500 in cash and one crazy machine. Excuse me, sir, I'm not a machine. The robot is a machine. The android is a chemical creation of scientific synthesis. Yes, yes, I know. Why, why did you do it? Why did you run up with a tally girl? Answer. Answer.

I don't know. If you were human, I could understand. But what could she do for a synthetic imitation? I don't know. Did you want to kill her? No. Every time I find a woman I need, a woman who can give me what I want, you become a source of danger to her. Why? I don't know. You never went this far before. Kidnapping the tally girl. Now I gotta pull up stakes and run again.

Look at me. James, Jason, Valentine, frog-hopping from one fifth-rate planet to another. My father could buy and sell planets like these before he went broke and left me nothing but a lunatic arista android. Among your $100,000 worth of arista assets, I'm sure there's the ability to forge documents, no? I've been conditioned and trained to execute anything, sir.

Sir? I want my passport changed. My name is now... That's against my prime directive. We cannot lie or aid in a bet falsehood. Don't you talk to me about prime directives now. Instructions. My name is Jack Thomas, owner of Aristoclass Android, which is for hire. Fix my passport. That's an order.

The initials on your luggage are JV. Ah, well, now, that's a little more helpful. Thank you. Make the name Jack Vivian. And I'm warning you, one false move on Deneb, if you so much as go near a woman again, I'll have you junked. I'm valuable property, sir. You think you can trust me to save you every time you run wild? You own me. I can give you up. No, sir, you can't.

You need me. Deneb Alpha is an arts and crafts planet reminiscent of the Greenwich Villages and Ghirardelli squares of a thousand years ago. One of the most romantic shops is the jewel showroom of Dallas Burton in Deneb's glamorous old town, which caters to exotic tastes at fabulous prices.

Morning. Good morning. I want to Dallas Burton, please. Are you... You're a visitor on Denub, too, aren't you? How'd you guess? Your complexion. It's still fresh. The locals on Denub look jaundiced. It's the green sunlight. Where are you visiting from? Vega. Our sun is a heavenly pink. Everyone looks lovely on Vega. Sounds perfect. That's the trouble with Vega. It's too perfect.

Nobody seems to need anything. Sometimes it's so perfect I could scream. Yeah, it's been the other way around in my life.

I'm from the planet of mystery. Oh? And what is your secret? I invented hurricanes. I can see we're doomed to know each other. I'm Mary Sutton. Oh, I'm Jack Vivian. Colonel Jack Vivian, the African explorer. Delighted, Colonel Vivian. Are you fluent in Bantu and Hottentot? Eloquent, Miss Sutton. Oh, so sorry to keep you waiting, mademoiselle. This is the chain I had in mind for...

Excuse me, sir. Give me one moment. So, Mademoiselle Sauternes... Exquisite. Perfect. How long will it take your workshop to make the charm? How long are you on Deneb? It all depends on how interesting Deneb proves to be. The bracelet can be ready in a few days. Thank you, madame. By the way, Colonel Vivian, my answer is the hotel Excelsior.

I beg your pardon? That's how you say yes in Hottentot. Bonjour, madame. Au revoir, mademoiselle. So, thank you for waiting, sir. May I help you? I've got an aristo-android for hire. Would you tell Mr. Dallas Burton that I'm here, please? Bert, I am Dallas Burton, monsieur. You? Oh, no.

Well, in that case, we'd better forget about it. I can't have Rex working for a woman. But why not? You are prejudiced. Oh, no, no, no. It's not that. It's simply... An airy star android interests me. I have a need for expertise in my workshop. Presently, I have only two work aunties, Harry and Jimsy. Adequate, but not airy star quality. No, Miss Burton. Anyway, I'm asking too much.

How much? Oh, uh, 300 a week. Oh, it is much. But we shall see. Where is your Andy? Oh, I sent him around to the service door. He's in your workshop now. So, this is your arista Andy, huh? Excuse me, we don't call ourselves Andys. Oh, is this? It speaks without first being ordered? Yes, he does. Oh, how extraordinary.

You said his name is Rex? Rex. And you are truly Colonel Vivian? No. No, I was only joking with that girl. I'm plain Jack Vivian. Rex has all the talents and crafts and finesse? All. He's worth a hundred thousand on the exchange. You own it legally? You have his pedigree? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I inherited him. Help me off with my smock, please. Yes, ma'am. No, no, no. Get back. Get back. Don't touch her. What is this, Monsieur Vivian? If you hire Rex, don't let him touch you. Don't let him come near you. But why? In your...

He has a kink in his conditioning. Women seem to upset him. Oh, but fascinating. You make this Harry Stanley sound almost human. 300 a week. 200. I can't live on 200. 250? Your Andy keeps you well.

Yes, $2.50. Well, let's have a drink on it. Is there a cabaret around here where we can get out of this damn green sunlight and look human? Oh, there are a dozen, each favoring a different color of the spectrum. They call you Rex? Yes. I am Harry. That one is Jimsy. Yes. Why is your owner so nervous about you? I'm sick. How are you sick?

I break my conditioning. That is impossible. It has never happened. It happens to me. How? Why? I don't know. All I know is there's just the two of us, the master and me. I work for him and take care of him. We all do. That is our mission. I have to think for him and decide for him. And that creates a need in me. A strangeness that I cannot understand.

Were humans made to create us? Are they the link in evolution between dumb beasts and the android? That is impossible. How could humans ever create anything as perfect as the Andi? We are produced by the perfection of laboratories. But men run them. They say so, but I do not believe it. Men have no logic and no truth.

They have something that we do not. They are afflicted with glandular disorders. They call emotions. Emotions. Emotions. Yes. The work androids stare at the screaming Arista in complete bewilderment.

They know all about robots and other machines that break down, but androids aren't machines. They're synthetic men carefully shaped to work efficiently without pleasure or pain or passion. And this premium android emits a primal scream for no reason at all. Or is there a reason? Act 2 may tell us.

It's been pointed out that we invented the car and the computer to be the servants of man, only to end up as the slaves of our own servants.

And what happens a thousand years from now when we have invented androids, synthetic slaves, to be our servants? The answer is about to explode in the chic jewel shop of Dallas Burton on the distant planet Deneb Alpha.

See this premium Arista android now in the workshop. A magnificent artisan, shaping gold into beauty with a blast lamp. Looking like a knight with protecting visor shielding his face. Hello? Hello? Madame Berger? Where is everybody? I'm a customer, a favorite. Oh!

Oh, my goodness, you startled me. I'm sorry, miss. Good afternoon. Miss Dallas will be back in a few minutes. I'm left in charge. Oh, thank you. You know, you look wonderfully romantic in that visor. It shields my eyes from the flame. No, don't take it off yet. I'm wondering who you remind me of. Some man. A man, miss? I'm afraid I'm not a man. What? What?

At your service, miss. You're an Andy? Yes, miss. Then why did you try to fool me? There was no intent to fool you. Dallas? Dallas? Oh, hello, Mary. What's that Andy doing, bothering you? No.

No, not at all. Get up. Yes, sir. The mighty Colonel Vivian protecting me from an Andy. What an idea. Andies infuriate me. Why? I simply ignore them. Who can take them seriously? They're like the walking dead. So sorry I was not here to receive you, Mademoiselle Sutton. Luncheon was delayed.

Oh, hello, Jack. Hello. Have you two formed a habit? I have been trying to persuade Colonel Vivian to visit me on Vega. Oh, and he needs persuading. This is the address, Colonel. Take it. We have a huge house and only two of us rattling around in it.

You'll adore my uncle. I live with him. Nicholas Rostov, the brilliant psychometrician. So, you leave for Vega this evening, mademoiselle? Yes. Then you must not delay. Your bracelet is ready as promised.

I will have my auntie delivered to your hotel with these parcels. Yes? No, no, no. I don't want him near her. I'll take Mary back to her hotel. Thank you. How glad of you. I brought them hoping you'd fall into my trap. Goodbye, madame. I'll be back in a few minutes, Dallas. Jack, you have come for your auntie's check. You had better stay and receive it. No, later, Dallas. Come on, Jack. I'll be back in a moment, Dallas. Yes?

You will find me in the workshop with your Andy burning the check. You're angry, Miss Dallas. Go back to work. What is anger? Tell me. Help me. Help you? I need to know. I cannot help you, Rex. I cannot help myself. I would like to help you, Miss Dallas. Oh, you're a good boy, Rex.

Tell me how to help you. Well, you can begin by helping me into my smock. Oh, expensive luncheons must be paid for. And I must go to work. Yes, Miss Dallas. When your master returns looking for his check, we will burn it. And you will show him the ashes. Perhaps I do not know how to love, but I know how to punish. Why do you touch me like this?

What is the matter with you, Rex? Stop it! Stop what you are doing, Harry! Lindsay, help me! You two stay back! Get out! That's an order! No, don't! I'm sorry, Miss Dallas. I was only trying not to...

To be the walking dead. Oh, Dallas, you said you'd... Oh, no. Oh, no. Not again. Again. Again. Yes, again. All right, this is the last time. Now the police will know who to look for. Is that what you wanted? Huh?

All right, well, they can have you. Yeah, yeah, they can burn you, they can junk you. I don't care. I'm finished. Instruction? Go to hell. You got us into this mess. You get us out. We could stay with the girl in a runkle on Vegas. Are you dreaming? The police... The police will be looking for an arista android with the red letter A on his forehead. Use my blast lamp. What? Burn it out. You're insane.

Then leave me to the police. You can't pass as a man. My name could be Rex Andrews. I could be a friend of yours who was hurt his head. You can't do it. I can if you so order me. Instructions? Okay, give me the torch. Your name is Rex Andrews. You're a friend of mine. Good morning, Mary. Good morning. Good morning.

I faint at the sight of your beauty. Yes, all my girls do. Well, I never thought you'd take me seriously back on Danab. Who said I did? Good morning. You are intruding, Uncle Nick. I was about to be romanced in Bantu. Oh, she's incorrigible, Mr. Vivian.

When is your friend, Mr. Andrews, going to make an appearance? Oh, momentarily, Dr. Rostov. His wound is healed. Uncle Niggas beside himself with curiosity. And you, Marie? Oh, perishing. I ask a favor, Mr. Vivian. Yeah? I'd like you to help me with some printed data in my study.

I've begun an investigation of the notorious criminal android. Oh? A mathematical approach. Have I mentioned that mathematics is included in the Department of Dead Languages at the university? Only about a million times. Quiet, you illiterate.

This way, Mr. Vivian. It's occurred to me that a rigorous analysis might explain the incredible behavior of James Jason Valentine and his arister android. Good morning. Oh, you came in so quietly. I'm sorry.

You must be Rex Andrews at last. I'm Mary Sutton. How are you feeling this morning, Mr. Andrews? Let me see your head. Hmm. Hmm.

Not too bad. Hardly a scar from that frightful fall Jack Vivian told us about. Thank you. Oh, what bad luck. Stuck in your cabin all the trip to our planet and then stuck in bed upstairs. Well, I hope I wasn't too much trouble. Oh, no, you were a lovely mystery. I love mysteries. Oh.

I hope I haven't let your mystery down, Miss Mary. Just plain Mary, please, Mr. Andrews. Thank you, Mary. Just plain Rex, please. So? Tell me all about yourself. Well, there isn't much to tell. I was born this morning. You fascinate me. This morning? How? When I came downstairs and met you. Mr. Andrews.

Rex, you're spoiling me. You're trying to be romantic and mysterious. It is my mission in life to be romantic and mysterious. That was my prime directive taught me by Galactic Motors. Now you're imitating an andy. At your service. If you're joking, don't leave me in the dark. Give me a little hint, please. A private smile. I'll do better. I'll laugh like an andy.

And he can't laugh. I'll try. I have trouble recognizing jokes, too. Even your own? Especially my own. Ha, ha. Thank you. You're wonderful, Rex. You understand psychometrics, Mr. Vivian. The measurement of facts is crucial to the... Oh, enter Uncle Old Fashioned and his latest recruit. Uncle Nicky, this is your guest, Rex Andrews.

at last risen from his bed of pain without a scar to show for it. Andy Mann, this is your host, Dr. Nicholas Rostov. Good morning, Mr. Andrews. Andy Mann. It's our private joke. Rex does a marvelous imitation of an android. Since when? Doctor, thank you so much for your hospitality and patience. My dear Mr. Andrews, you're welcome. Anything this poor home has to offer. Poor?

I've never seen such a beautiful home. Everything is beautiful here. Your collection of antique guns mounted over the mantelpiece. All a thousand years old. I envy you. Ah, you noticed. Not many do. Not many know. It's worth a fortune. That Colt Python .357 Magnum and the government model Mark V 9mm. Superb. I bow to an expert. And your library is matchless.

Incidentally, I'd like to tell you how much I enjoyed your treatise on Zero, or the absence of quantity. Good heavens! You mean you've read one of Uncle's books?

I'm genuinely interested in your uncle's work. And I am genuinely impressed, Mr. Andrews. I didn't know there was any interest left in dead languages, especially among androids. Androids? Dr. Rostov. If that's a joke, Uncle Nicky, it's in very bad taste. I wasn't joking, my dear. The

The book has been out of print for 20 years. Mathematics has been a dead language since... It's not funny calling Rex an Andy, for real. I hadn't intended to be amusing, Marie. Mr. Andrews is an android, of course. But if you... He is not. Of course he is not. I'm sorry. I can't be mistaken. My friend is a man. I can vouch for him. You think I'd associate with an Andy like this? You tell him, Rex. Interesting.

Can an android prove he's a man? Can a man prove he's a man? Fascinating. You're not an Andy, are you, Rex? Tell me. At your service, miss. Instructions? No. Oh, no. Laugh two times. It's a joke. An Andy joke. Instructions?

And you, Jack Vivian, live with this thing and bring it here to sleep in our beds and eat at our table and... Mary. Oh, Mary, wait. I'll explain. Go after her, Mr. Vivian. Yeah, yeah. Mary, please wait. It isn't what you think. Sit down, my boy. At your service, sir. You are owned by Mr. Vivian? Yes. You both know what you're doing?

Yes. You know the legal penalty? Yes. Recycling for you. That would be death in our terms. Death? Miss Mary once referred to androids as the walking dead. How can the dead die, Dr. Rostov? No, my boy. The question should be...

How can the dead live? How can the dead live? I'd like to throw out this idea. Is anything really dead?

You see, I'm an animist at times. An animist believes that everything is alive in God's universe. Rocks, plants, machines, stars, galaxies, alive in different ways, but alive all the same.

Animists don't believe that man has an exclusive on life and soul. But these creatures, the android slaves that man manufactures in his own image, what about them? What indeed? I'll be back shortly with Act Three. ♪♪

I must be tough and realistic now. The future will not solve our problems. It will only change them. Here is an aristo-android, a manufactured synthetic slave. Human in every quality, but treated like a slave. A creature never to be respected or given kindness. Only to be bought and sold and used.

Does that sound familiar? Does the contemptuous phrase, Andy lover, sound familiar? Then what do you make of Dr. Nicholas Rostov on the planet Vega, speaking to an android slave with the sympathy and understanding of the Andy lover of a thousand years from now? How did you find me out?

I thought my speech pattern was quite human. Indeed it was. But you can't disguise your pulse. The android pulse is unmistakable. So much slower than the human pulse. Do you believe in man? Yes, Dr. Rostov. I don't. Do you believe in God? We're not permitted. We're told we have no souls. Which of course makes it true.

You sleep and eat, I presume? Yes. So far, you're a man. I was born in Galactic Cartel Synthetic Plant. I was trained, conditioned, and primed, directed by a computer. My boy, I know all this. Why do you tell me? Because you are a man born of man and woman. You can never know what it's like to look like a man and want to feel and act like a man, but know that you're a chemical creature. Ah!

I am not born of man and woman, Dr. Rostov. I'm a synthetic thing. Yes, I understand. But learn to laugh and weep. When the tears come, you'll discover your manhood. We're instructed that that's impossible. Yes, by the men who made you.

They're your implacable enemies. They make you, use you, fear you, and hate you. My dear young friend, listen to the wisdom of an old man. Birth is not the test of manhood. Birth is merely the... Doctor, I... What? What is it, my friend? What's the matter? What have I said? Excuse me, I...

I've never had a friend, Doctor. Ah, yes. Gently, my boy, gently. You know, you androids should feel sorry for men. You're destroying them. Never. We don't want that. But it's happening.

You are man's perfect invention, and he is your slave. No, we are the slaves. You are the masters. And the master becomes the slave of his own dependence. In taking and using, he loses his humanity. Is it permitted to ask a question? None of that Andy talk to me, my dear friend. Why don't you hate androids, Dr. Rostov?

I'm too busy hating men. Mary, Mary, please, love. I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Vivian.

If you have any complaints, kindly address them to your host. Oh, look, don't be angry with me. I think your experiment is disgusting. To take a thing like an ante and pretend it's human. And for Uncle Nick to ask me to treat it like a human. He's not asking you to marry him. Get away from me. Get away or I'll shoot you. Something from your uncle's ancient collection?

The Winchester Model 1895-3006. Ah, come on, darling. You know we're not as angry as you pretend. I am with you. Oh, go and play chess with Uncle Nicky. It's my turn to treat your Andy like a human. Yeah, well, don't let him come too close. My uncle has told me to treat you as a man. I'll do my best, but I must be honest. I hate it. Of course, Miss Mary.

How must I address you? Rex? Mr. Rex? Mr. Andrews? Andy? Mr. Andy? Please, Miss Mary, I hate this too. But you're an Andy. You can't hate. You can't anything. You're right, Miss Mary, but I do. You feel? I don't know. Sometimes I feel. I am an aristoandroid. We're very rare.

We can do much. We know so much. We understand so much. You impress me. I'm not trying to impress you. I'm trying to say I have seen many men who try to feel... the way I'm trying to feel. I never thought of that. You're right, of course. I know such people. They laugh at people like me who feel too much. Yes. They defend themselves against you and me.

Now you really impress me. Thank you. You know, when I was a girl, I went to Miss Pelham's school. She wouldn't have any Andes, androids around. Not near select young ladies. I think I was conditioned like you. Thank you. But Miss Pelham taught us good things, too. She always taught us never to talk at people...

Either be direct or take your leave. But never talk at them. I talked at you when I found out what you were. And there's no excuse for that. Why do you hate us so? It can't be all conditioning by Miss Pelham. It's not hate. It's hard to explain. Something rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps we make you ashamed because we make you feel less special. No. No.

We're all special. If you could laugh and cry, you'd understand. What is there to fear from us? Give me your hands, please. Feel how harmless we are.

There's no menace in me, no danger, Miss Mary. Only the weak are afraid of us and hate us. Get your hands off her! Jack, it's all right. Damn you, damn you, it's finished. Everything. I'm going to junk you. I'm going to junk you piece by piece. I'm going to rip you and tear you apart. No, Daddy, oh, please. Mr. Valentine! Yes, what? If you kill Rex, you kill yourself. You're wrong, Doctor.

I'm not Valentine. I'm Vivian, Jack Vivian. It's all a mistake. It's funny, really, thinking I'm Valentine. I'm not. I'm nobody you think I am. How long have you known he was Valentine, Uncle Nick? Since the first week, my dear. Poor Valentine. You're in hell, aren't you?

Your slave has made history. The first android to break conditioning and directives. But what happened? What happened to him? Why did he go wrong? He wants to be a man. He's trying to be a man. He's experimenting with himself, trying to grow, that's all. Are you saying there's nothing wrong with Rex? Oh, no. There's something deadly wrong with him. Well, what's that? You. Me? Oh, yes. You.

You're a compact of weakness, sickness, hatreds and violence, Valentine. And you're projecting your poison onto this innocent android. He's the destroyer. He's the evil. No, you are. You're a plague carrier. You infect people around you with your violence.

Let me help. Let me give without being ordered just once. It's too late for that, Rex. You and Valentine must be separated. No, he's mine. I own him. There's hope for you both if you're separated.

I'm sorry, Valentine. I must call the authorities. I must do what's best for you and Rex. Can't you understand that all his crimes were yours? No, no. I have no choice, Valentine. I must call the police. I have no choice either, Dr. Rostov. Now, listen, I can't live without this Andy. And I warn you, I'll use this gun of yours. I'll use it if you try to call them. I'll try... No! No! No!

This time you've done your own killing. The doctor was right. It was you all along. Never mind that. We'll have to get out fast. You find money. I'll take the girl. We may need a hostage. That is an order. You're an Andy again. Understand? You are an Andy, and I own you. Andy!

Come on. Come on! We'll cut east to the coast road and get to the spaceport. Come on, we can make it. You can take the coast road to a hundred planets, but you'll never escape. Oh, shut up. Why should I? You're going to kill me anyway. Did he kill all the other women through you, Rex? Yes, he did.

I know it now. Can you break away from him? If he lets me live, yes. Ah, shut up, you two. My life's at stake, not yours. Then change, Jason Valentine. You are surrounded. The road is blocked. You are to surrender and submit your android to arrest. This is an official directive. We're here. Over here. Look for us over... You hurt her. I shut her mouth. I... I...

All right. It's all right. It'll never be again. Now, don't touch her. We are just going to lay low and let them get tired of looking for us. She's hurt and cold. Not cold, Laura. Nothing is going to happen to you. Everything's been already. Get your hands off her. Do you hear me? That is an order. The order will not be obeyed. Oh, you're quite the man now, eh?

Now, you keep away from the girl. Oh, what? There's a hundred men out there in the flats looking for us. Are you going to shoot me and show them where you are? Keep your voice down. Well, do you want to kill me? Go ahead. You're asking for this. Let Marie go and I'll stay with you and help you. You'll do it anyway. I own you. Which owns which? Attention, James Valentine. Submit your android to arrest.

There is no charge against you, but you must submit your android to arrest. This is the end of the world.

This is a police directive. We're finished. The beaters are coming under the chopper. We'll be burned out or shot out. Get going. We're moving out. Can you force me to do anything now? For the last time, I'm holding the gun and you're going to move. Don't listen to him. Don't obey him. You don't have to. You're more of a man than he is. Attention, James Valentine. We are landed 100 liters south of you. You are to surrender and submit your android to arrest.

This is an official directive. Acknowledge and state identity. This is being recorded in evidence. I am Mary Sutton, niece of Dr. Nicholas Rostoff. James Jason Valentine is with me. James Jason Valentine. You are the owner of the Arista Android wanted for assault and murder? He is. Do you submit your android to police arrest? He does.

Valentine will have to answer for himself for the voice print. Mr. Valentine, identify yourself and give the locality of your android. I am James Jason Valentine. My android is dead. I am James Jason Valentine.

So, out on the cold flats of Vega, the slave stands brave and tall and assumes the identity of the master he's killed in a final desperate struggle. The first android has made the first step to becoming a man. Will he convince other men that he is a man? I don't know. Because I can't for the life of me give you a definition of man.

Can you? Think about it for a moment. What is a man? That's just another way of asking who rules the universe? Who is the boss? The question can't be answered because it makes no sense. There are no bosses. Only people looking for bosses.

I know I ask too many questions, but let me put this one to you before we break up this session. Isn't the test of a person the strength to function without being told what to do? To put it another way, do the slaves want to be slaves? Think about that until we wrap again next time. Our cast included Paul Hecht, Rosemary Rice, Jack Grimes, Joan Shea, and Gilbert Mack.

The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown.

Part of summer's fun is giving a carefree party or two. Question is, what to serve? You'll find answers galore on the cover. That's Susan Ford modeling a colorful, easy-to-sew beach jacket. Oh, incidentally, did you know that last month's issue contained more than $1.50 worth of national brand coupons? Added value from Family Circle, the world's largest selling woman's magazine. Just 39 cents at your supermarket checkout counter. This is Jack Sterling.

Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and True Value Hardware Stores. This is E.G. Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.

♪♪

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Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu slash CWP. SkillBridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify.

Two new exhibits, one epic experience. Get tickets at calacademy.org.

Welcome to It Takes Energy, presented by Energy Transfer, where we talk all things oil and natural gas. Oil and gas drive our economy, ensure our country's security, and open pathways to brighter futures. What do you know about oil and natural gas? You likely associate them with running your car or heating your home. But these two natural resources fuel so much more than that. More than 6,000 consumer products that we rely on every day are made using oil and gas.

Before you even step out the door in the morning, you've already used more products made possible because of oil and gas than you realize. From the toothpaste you brush your teeth with, the soap you washed your face with, and the sheets you slept on. Not to mention your makeup, contact lenses, clothes, and shoes. Oil and gas are vital parts of all these products and so many more.

Look around and you'll see the essential role oil and gas plays in our lives. Our world needs oil and gas and people rely on us to deliver it. To learn more, visit energytransfer.com. Do you see that black cat just ahead of you? Look out. It may cross your path with a sudden dart of its black furry body. Now you know that old superstition about not letting a black cat walk across your path. Do you believe it?

Well, if you do, or even if you don't, perhaps you'll be interested in hearing the strange tale of Felix Darnell and the cat that screamed in the night high above the streets of the city. It was a cold, dreary, rain-swept day when Felix Darnell first met the cat. Felix Darnell was a construction foreman on the Wells Spencer project on the Lower East Side.

The Wellspenser building was already 13 stories high and with but seven floors more to go, the building would be one of the mightiest and most ultra-modern structures on the east side. Now Felix was a tall, thin, scarecrow of a man, but the muscles of his body were taut and finely strung through his deceiving-looking frame.

He was a foreman of an older day. Indeed, he might have worked on the pyramids or the colossus of Rhodes. But Felix Darnell was a lonely man with no one to share his pride. He ate alone, lived alone, and walked alone. And on this cold, dreary, rain-swept day, he walked to his job, staring down at the paint. Suddenly, there before him,

A long, thin, black cat stalked from an alley and halted on its haunches. Felix Darnell didn't see the cat until he nearly stumbled across it. He snapped out of his reverie at cursed cats. He hated cats. Viciously, he aimed a

The cat howled in pain and slunk off miserable and wet in the rain. When Felix reached the project, he changed into his overalls and cap and took the lift to the 13th floor. By now, the rain had abated some bod, but as he looked at the scaffolds and the catwalks, Felix Darnell was not happy. The rain and the wetness would slow up the job. Cursed again. Suddenly...

Felix Darnell heard a crying, moaning noise. A low, fierce sound like someone in agony. Could someone be stuck out on the framework, trapped on one of the catwalks? Taking a flashlight because the daylight was dark and unnatural still, he stepped out onto the catwalk that ran on a straight line to what would be a southwest corner of the building. He walked slowly and carefully along the thin iron ledge that held his weight.

The street yawned beneath him, thirteen construction floors down. A dark figure, bald and indescribable, sprang from a dim niche and shot towards Felix Darnell. He had one awful second to see the two eyes burning in the cat's head, the same cat that he had kicked only an hour before.

The feline body raced between his legs on the catwalk, and with a horrible scream he tried to balance himself, fought for survival. His hands clawed at the air, but his weight, thrown to one side by the cat's movement, hung into space for a brief instant before he fell. All the way to the street, thirteen floors below. He landed on a steel beam waiting to be hauled up, and what it did to him

was something that would make even a cat turn away in disgust. Interesting tale of revenge, isn't it? Phoenix Darnell and his black cat. Well, of course, it might have been just a coincidence, but there. Look, we can find out for ourselves. A black cat just crossed your path. See him, girl? Do you mind if I stay with you, my friend? Ha ha ha.

I'd like to see for myself just what happens to you. Career changers, including veterans and active duty service members. Your transition starts here. Go from GI to IT in a matter of months. Become a certified cyber warrior with training at My Computer Career. Cyber security specialists are in high demand, offering IT pros great opportunities and a rewarding lifestyle while protecting our people, liberty, and treasured institutions from cyber threats.

Deploy your career in IT today. Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu. SkillBridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify.

Two new exhibits, one epic experience. Get tickets at calacademy.org.

Welcome to It Takes Energy, presented by Energy Transfer, where we talk all things oil and natural gas. Oil and gas drive our economy, ensure our country's security, and open pathways to brighter futures.

When it comes to meeting the world's energy needs, more is better. What we mean is our world needs a wide range of energy sources to meet our increasing needs. Just wind or solar won't get us there, as the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. With our growing population and the increasing use of energy-demanding technologies like AI, reliability is key.

and the reliability of natural gas is unmatched by wind and solar. That doesn't mean we all can't work together, but natural gas is vital to ensuring we meet our energy needs. Look around, and you'll see the essential role oil and gas plays in our lives. Our world needs oil and gas, and people rely on us to deliver it. To learn more, visit energytransfer.com.

Hey, hear about that crazy cook in the park? All he wants is to be left alone. Yeah, that's what he says. I just want to be left alone. Much he wants. He says he's happy. He just wants to be left alone. The other five present John Hanson, Kermit.

Did you enjoy the Hamlet? Oh, Ray, you're supposed to be relaxing, not thinking of your TV show. You think this one evening of free Shakespeare in the park will do it? Oh, Ray, you didn't give it a chance. No. You know what I've been doing since Hamlet saw the ghost? What?

I've been collecting faces, checking the audience for possibilities, casting their faces for could-bes on my TV show. Oh, bring me all the time. All the time. People aren't people to me anymore. They're could-bes. Could-be politicians, could-be explorers, could-be atomic scientists, could-be anything long enough to fool the audience and the dear guests on my TV panel of The Truth Will Out.

Dormantic with me, like a facial tick. How am I supposed to relax from that? I know what I could be. You let me? I could be mad. Not now, Doris. Wait till the show gets settled. Wait till it hits the top of the TV ratings. Wait till my job is secure. Wait. Yes, Doris.

Wait, Doris. Look, look over there. Look, walking along, the tall, thin man with the long hair. You need a beating? I need a French artist. Could be. Could that man there be an avant-garde artist? Sure. He has a nice, remote, star quality. Wait here. You, sir. You. I'd like to talk to you. It's worth your while. No, no, it's not. Please, let me alone. No, you don't understand. This is business. I do understand. No, no. No, no, hey, hey, don't run away. I want to...

Does anyone know who that man was? I'll pay $10 for any information. Hey, mister. What? Mister. What? You said you'd give $10? We know the man who ran away. Who are we? Me and my friend, Sandus. Here he comes. Find him, Sandus? No. He went home. Where's home? Where does he live? Where does your money live, mister? Let's see.

What's the man's name first? What do you want with him? I want to put him on TV. I'm a TV producer. Here's my car. That's my name, my address, and phone number. I want to help him win money and prizes. Hey...

Santa, he's for real. Yeah? TV. Oh, what's the man's name? John. He's crazy. He lives in the park. He washes his clothes on the lake rock sometimes. You ever see that? He eats the food people leave around. People throw away a lot of stuff you can still eat. Come on, now. No, it's true.

John lives in this park. Lives here all the time. He sleeps. He's got a cave for cold weather, but he never goes out of the park. Hermit Daniel. Hermit, he's crazy. Oh, maybe a little bit. Usually he doesn't like people to see him or get up close to him, but he talks to us. You know, once he showed us how to make a fire without matches. We've got no matches, no nothing, only some books. Oh.

Boys, if you can get in touch with this John the Hermit, tell him I'm the right guy, get him to see me, I'll pay you another five apiece. I'll buy the dime for the phone. Ah, shut up, Santa. Mister, my name is Kip.

You'll hear from me. Maybe tonight. Come on, Santa Claus. Ray, what is this? Doris, they couldn't make up a lie like that. It must be true. Think of it. A hermit in a park surrounded by millions of people living with stars and grass and trees in the world's most sophisticated city. Doris, you saw him. You heard that sensational voice. Isn't this the gimmick to end all gimmicks?

I could take him under my management. I could build our show around him once. And after that, it could go anywhere. Suppose he doesn't want to be on TV. The whole human race wants to be on TV. But he's a kook. Kooks want to most of all. Do you think he was half the boss? He had a certain something. He really did, Ray. Good. If you picked it up, the other gals will too.

Sometimes I wonder if you're human. Sure I'm human. Here. Here's some money. What? Take a cab and have a hacky wait or you're safe in the lobby. You mean you're not even going to see me home? I've got work to do. I've plans to make. I have a feeling about this, John the Hermit. Now, I don't say that often, do I? But this time I've got a certain feeling. This is going to be big for me. It's going to be very big. The End

Hey, hold it, Kip. I'm out of breath. It's just a little further, Mr. Camber. Oh, boy. You know, John likes the high ground. He says it's closer to the sun. And there's plenty of sun at 6 a.m. Yeah. 6 a.m. Time doesn't mean nothing to John. He's not like other people. You can say that again. John didn't want to see you. I had to ask him as a favor to a friend.

Are you friends? I know you think he's crazy, and I guess he is, but please be careful what you say to him, huh? You are friends. It's not just the money with you, the way it is with your pal, Santus. Oh, Santus has got a father, he's got brothers. He doesn't like them, but he's got them. They're there. And you have? My mother. She works nights. You know, she isn't even home yet.

Well, I'll be careful of John's feelings. And here's your money in advance so you don't have to wait around. Now, let's go. Now, wait a minute, Mr. Candace. What? It's not like I'm selling John's to you. Oh, I need the money, sure, but...

I'm doing him good, too. P.V. Boy, he could buy anything he wants with the money he'll get from you, right? Right. Well, then that ought to straighten him out. So I am doing him good. P.V. Someday I'll be on P.V. Maybe later, kid. Now, you leave when I give you the signal, right? Okay. Oh, there he is. Hey, John! John!

John, this is Mr. Candler. Well, you said I could bring him, remember? I remember, Kim. Hello, John.

I'm John Hanson. Would you like to come inside? You and Kip? Oh, no. I got to get back and see my mother. But you don't have to worry about Mr. Candler, John. I spoke to him. Bye. Kip. Kip. Uh, we're going to invite me inside, John Hanson.

Yes, I was. Here, bend down. Watch the rocks, eh? See all the space in here? I live here in winter. Sit down. Have you never sat down without a chair, Mr. Cantor? Not for a long time. I had a chair once. I had many things I didn't need.

Have you ever read Henry David Thoreau? In school as a boy. Thoreau says that his material belongings took so much of his time when he was living at Walden Pond trying to write and think that he began to simplify life by eliminating things.

Chairs, just things to dust. Throw them out. Shells, just things on which you put more things. Out. They're all under sleep on the floor. After a while, his cabin was bare. But his mind and his head were crowded. But with none of these things, things to worry him,

Then he could work. Are you working like Thoreau? No. I'm living like Thoreau. Thoreau saved my life.

You know how I came into this park, I think it was five years ago? I came in to die. I hoped to starve to death. Why? Oh, you wouldn't understand. That was the way it had to be. I thought so. But I...

But I had some books and things with me. And to take my mind off the hunger, I began to read. I found Thoreau. Then I began to see. I began to understand that material things were only things. Nothing more. And I threw them out.

I decided to live because of Thoreau. John, do you think that what you have learned would help other people? My way is the hard way. They would not be interested. Who are you to judge that? What right have you to deprive them of their chance to hear it from your own lips?

You know, Thoreau did say, he who eats the fruit should at least plant the seed. Yes, he said that. Then tell others what piece you found. I know how you can do it.

Come with me. Come where? Out of the park. No, never. I'd die. I wanted to die when I came in, and I would want to die if I left. There are other parks, bigger, even more beautiful. No, only this one. My sanctuary. No other place but this. You sound afraid. I am. I'm afraid.

I don't like people very much. I don't think Thoreau did either. He knew that they would lie and cheat and steal and hurt, so he ran away from them. No, I don't feel strong with people. They make me unhappy. I don't like to watch their mouths moving, always talking.

Did you know that the grass and the wind talk too? I hear them, but they have no mouth to move. No lies to tell. But, John, didn't Thoreau finally leave the woods and go back to his family? I have no family. You have a friend. Friend? Yes. The boy Kip. He wants you to come out of the park with me. That's why he brought me to you. Kip wants me to... What? You're going to help him, John?

I know a way for you to make a lot of money, and you can give it to him as a friend. Poirot said, the most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. That's not enough for a boy whose mother works in a factory all night to buy food for them. No, it's not.

Do you promise I can come back to the park as soon as I begin to feel I want to die again? Long before then. It would help Kip if I talked to people the way you want me to. The way Kip wants you to. And you would help them, too. I'll go with you. For a little while. You promise? It will be for a little while. Only a little while. For a little while.

Yeah, I have my promise. Barney, it's me again. Add this to the other stuff.

John Hanson was a G.I., 57th Division, wounded at Changjun in Korea. How do I know where? In the head, probably. His hometown is Hutchins Point, Kansas. Rushed somebody out there for some bio, childhood, family stuff. I do it yesterday. We're running out of time. I don't know how long I can keep him happy. So far, only the bathtub does it. I sent you a list of interviews I've lined up for after the show. And there's an introductory cocktail thing for the trade press...

I'll call you back, Barney. Don't worry, John. Just a friend with some clothes for you. Don't be mean. Just a friend. I bought these. Jacket and slacks. How are they?

Just right. Good girl. I want you to put these on, John. But I thought you were going to use the rags he came in for the show. I decided against it. If he cleans up the way I think he will. Ray, how much does he know? How much does he understand? What's the difference? I can handle him. What happened?

to him after you've gone as far as you can go with his gimmick. He'll be a rich hermit. I certainly don't intend to cheat him. Certainly not. Okay. Now, look. Don't change a button. You're beautiful.

So you hang out, John. She's my girl. Watch out. She falls in love easily. The only remedy for love is to love more. Now you're talking. Is that the rule? Yes. Huh? I've been studying. Oh. Which reminds me, John, that you have to learn a few lines. Ray, I'm not sure I can do this. What? All those people and their mouths. I can talk to you because you're my friend. Can't I just talk to you and you tell them... John...

You know that I'm your friend. Yes. Yes. You believe what I tell you? Yes. Then believe this. You are not afraid to starve to death in the park. You are not afraid to change your mind. You should not be afraid to share your new life with others. Nothing is so much to be feared as fear itself. John, who said that? Oh, right. And...

Fear always springs from ignorance. That was Emerson, Thoreau's friend. And he has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear. Emerson told Thoreau that, John Henson. Emerson told Thoreau. And what was good enough for Emerson and Thoreau should be good enough for you, right? Oh!

Is he Hermit One, Hermit Two, or Hermit Three? Ladies and gentlemen, our truth-will-out celebrity panel consisting of Celebrity One, Celebrity Two, and Celebrity Three. We'll try in ten questions or less to get to the truth about which of these hermits is the real John Hanson.

Permit of the Park. Remember, the name of the game is The Truth Will Out. Now, Celebrity One wants to know...

The first John Hanson. What kind of sandwiches do most people leave unfinished in the park? Egg salad. And I agree with him. Now, how do you make up for your lack of soap? I, uh, don't get very dirty. Celebrities one and two want to know...

Can they pull your beard? Ow! It's real, folks! It's really real! Our panel has decided the first John Hanson is the real John Hanson. Will the real John Hanson please step forward? Bring on the prizes! Bring on the prizes! Bring on the prizes!

For you, Mr. Hanson, our combination is a refrigerator with knife sharpening and diffrapping attachment. Well, thank you, but I don't need it. I can't use it. Oh, is that so? I have no electricity. Oh, yes, well, we'll figure something out. You can always give it away. Good. That's what I want to do. Oh, to your mother, to your father, to your sweetheart? No, just to a friend. Oh, but we can't do that.

Then you keep it. Oh, now let's get down to business, Mr. Hanson. And you could go into business with what we're going to give you. Oh, boy. A full living room suite of vibrating automatic massage furniture. A power lawnmower with a built-in TV screen.

And an intercom for your car. A dual control intercom for your car. I have no car. I have no car and I don't expect to get a car. I don't expect to clutter up my life with things. Oh.

Don't you see that they're only things? I don't want them. And I won't take them. They're rotten. It's all rotten. Please, folks. Please, folks. Be careful. Don't be angry at me.

Hurry up, John. We've got to find him. Do you really think John will be in the park? Yeah, there's no place else to go. I just hope he got back safely. Oh, I thought they were going to mob him back at the studio. That crowd was really crazy. I think he got away while they were fighting about the crisis. That's his hill where the cave is, but I don't see anybody. Oh, wait a minute. Huh? Hey, Kip.

Kip! Kip, what are you doing here? We're looking for John, Mr. Candler. So are we. We want to make sure he's safe. I feel awful bad. I'm so sorry for you, Mr. Candler. Sorry for me? Yes, after all you did. I'm sorry he acted that way, Mr. Candler. That crazy John. You put him in the money. Boy, I wish it would happen to me. What right does he have?

What right? Hey, the prizes are rotten. Who does he think he is? He's just an old bum, that's all. He had no right. Where do we catch up with him? What'll you do, Sanders? I'll show you what I'll do. A rock. A rock? What are you going to do with it? I'll show you. I'll crack his crazy head wide open. What right? Come here. Come here. Sanders. Skip, come back. Sanders. Get up.

Why did you bring me here, Ray? I... I needed someone with me. Not me. I won't hold your hand. You destroyed him and that boy Kip, his friend. Couldn't you see John was sincere, Ray? Can't you see sincerity anymore, crazy or not? That was a trouble. I...

And Thoreau... Not more Thoreau. Haven't you done enough with Thoreau? No. I just remembered something else he wrote. I should have remembered it before. I was not born to be forced. I will breathe after my own fashion. If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies. It dies.

And so am I. Hello, I'm...

Theater 5 has presented John Henson Herman, written by Phyllis Cole and directed by Ted Bell. In the cast, Stan Watts, George Petrie, Fran Carlin, Evelyn Juster, Cecil Roy, and Garth

♪♪

We invite your comments. Write to Theater 5, New York 23, New York. This is Fred Boyd speaking. ♪♪ Theater 5. ♪♪

Career changers, including veterans and active duty service members. Your transition starts here. Go from GI to IT in a matter of months. Become a certified cyber warrior with training at My Computer Career. Cyber security specialists are in high demand, offering IT pros great opportunities and a rewarding lifestyle while protecting our people, liberty, and treasured institutions from cyber threats.

Deploy your career in IT today. Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu. SkillBridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify.

Two new exhibits, one epic experience. Get tickets at calacademy.org.

Welcome to It Takes Energy, presented by Energy Transfer, where we talk all things oil and natural gas. Oil and gas drive our economy, ensure our country's security, and open pathways to brighter futures.

When it comes to meeting the world's energy needs, more is better. What we mean is our world needs a wide range of energy sources to meet our increasing needs. Just wind or solar won't get us there, as the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. With our growing population and the increasing use of energy-demanding technologies like AI, reliability is key.

and the reliability of natural gas is unmatched by wind and solar. That doesn't mean we all can't work together, but natural gas is vital to ensuring we meet our energy needs. Look around, and you'll see the essential role oil and gas plays in our lives. Our world needs oil and gas, and people rely on us to deliver it. To learn more, visit energytransfer.com. I was alone in a room 100,000 miles from Earth.

My body lay dead before me, and yet I spoke and felt and lived. Behind me lay a tortured world. Before me the moon meant destiny. Again I felt the surge of power, and had I been able to, I would have smiled. My mission was accomplished. No one knew, no one understood. If they had, they would not believe. This was a project 3,000 years old.

Yet no one had guessed. No one. Listen now to 2000 Plus. 2000 Plus. 2000 Plus.

Adventures into the world of tomorrow. Science fiction stories from the years beyond 2000 A.D. Today, a story entitled The Flying Saucers. The Flying Saucers

It is the year 2000 plus 12. A blazing New Mexico sun shines down upon a great military installation, upon a vast, noisy field, and upon a silvery shape which seems to strain forward, ready to leap up into space. In an executive office, a man sits in his chair, his eyes on the great rocket. Behind him, a girl waits for him to speak.

Better close that window, Eileen. The noise won't let a man think. Yes, sir. Ah, that's better. I'm ready, Dr. Bronson. Get this on tape as well as in shorthand. It's for the permanent files in Washington. It's got to go out in the next jet. I'll give you a signed sheet of stationery. Send it off to make the five o'clock connection. You got that? Yes, sir.

Record around. The letter to be transcribed over your signature and sent off on the fiber-clot connecting plane. Right. Heading, top secret. To National Scientific Council. Copies to Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of Defense, the President. From Andrew Bronson. Forget the usual string of titles, Eileen. Chief Department of Extraterrestrial Research, White Sands, New Mexico. Regarding...

Defense measures against aerial visitors listed in file AA-286 as flying saucers. One. For the past three months, this secret experimental installation has been visited by flying saucers. First appearance coincided with the launching of our secret flying missile, Zeus. Details in report CB-286, A, B, and C. Two. Although the flying saucers have never landed...

The frequency of their visits has tripled since the launching. As reported in the files cited, Zeus has not yet returned. Three. In view of the importance to national security of this secret installation and its experiments, the reports already mentioned were reviewed by JCS and the National Scientific Council.

It was decided that the flying saucers were a potential menace and that countermeasures be undertaken. Form. Zeus 2, an improved model of our secret flying missile, has been completed and armed. It is equipped with mass traction and proximity fuse devices. Warhead contains 5,000 pounds hexenite. Firing control automatic. C file CB 344.

Five. The station has been placed in condition alert. Next visit from the flying saucers is expected momentarily. In view of the foregoing, we are in complete readiness. We will attack. Repeat. We will attack. Ah. Now, where's my pen? Andrew. Ah. This one doesn't work. I'll get it. I saw your pen in your vest. Don't touch that vest.

I, uh, I'll get it myself. Did I do something wrong? No, no, no. There... Well, you might have been hurt. Hurt? Never mind. There you are, my signature. Now, on your way. Andrew, why can't I stay? You know the orders, Eileen. We're going to test Zeus, too. You know anything can happen. Maybe the flying saucers will come back. If they do, we'll be ready for them.

Besides, if the rudder should go wrong or the hexonite detonate... No, no, no. On your way now. The jet car's waiting downstairs. Oh, very well. But you will be careful, won't you? Of course. Uh, Eileen. Yes? I've never told you... Yes? Never mind. Au revoir, my dear. Au revoir, my darling. Au revoir.

Dr. Bronson to security. Come in, security. Security, hi. Has Miss Harkness phoned in yet? No, sir. Well, that's funny. I expected her to after sending off the latest reports. She should be home now. Are you sure? Yes, sir.

Something must have happened to us. Send a security officer to check. What about the setup for the new test? All ready, sir. Oh, that's good. I hope nothing happens. Any report of flying saucers? No, sir, not yet. But, sir, there's something funny about that. Every time we get ready for a test, even one of the minor missiles, one of the saucers appears.

That's too much of a coincidence for comfort, sir. Yes, I thought of that, too. You think there's a leak somewhere. Yes, we've checked and rechecked. Nothing. But there's no doubt that someone's passing out information. I see. Of course, we'll keep on checking. Whoever's responsible... Dr. Bronson. Radar control to Dr. Bronson. Bronson here. What is it? Flying saucer detected and registered. Computation center fed data. Data follows. Distance, 486 miles. Height, 50.2 miles.

Speed, five miles per second. Estimated time of arrival at contact point, one minute, 58 seconds from now. Over. One minute, 58. Right. Alert fire control. Fire control alerted, sir. When may we expect you? In 30 seconds. Over and off. Are you still on security? Aye, sir. Clear the field. Field already cleared. I've just sent emergency red signal. We're waiting in control, sir. Very well. I'm coming down right now. Over.

Over and off. Let me have my headset and hand mark, Scotty. Yes, sir. Thank you.

Bronson to fire control. Fire control to Bronson. Everything ready here, Chief. Dollies cleared from Zeus 2. Warhead armed. Well done. Bronson to computation. Computation. Your figures checked through cybernetics? Yes, sir. As reported, Zeus 2 should destroy flying saucers six seconds after blast-off. Firing time, 2200, 33 hours, 36 seconds. Time check, everyone. Time is now...

32 seconds to blast off. Condition red. I shall operate fire control remote. Strap in for firing. Security. Security, aye. Report. Field clear. Guards alerted and shielded. Anti-radiation up. Warranty armed. Zeus 2 ready. Any further... 10 seconds. 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...

One, fire. Get a bearing on that trajectory computation. Trajectory established. It being Fanny Mac. Trajectory correct, sir. Parabolic sound reflectors receiving. Fire.

Contact. 2,233-42. Right on the nose. Good work, everyone. Security. Security. Condition green. Well, boys, now to wait till someone phones in where the pieces fell. Then maybe we'll be finally knowing what the flying saucers are. ♪♪

Yes, Scotty. Has security located Eileen Harkness? No, sir, not yet. Cap McDonald is here, sir. He has a man with him. Says you should see him immediately. Ah. Well, all right. Bring him in.

Yes, what is it? McDonald thought you'd like to hear this, sir. This is Al Waters, a rancher from upstate. He flew down from his ranch this morning and reported to the state police. They sent him to us. The saucer? Yes, sir. Where is it, Mr. Waters? The wreck? Wreck? I didn't see no wreck, Doc. What did you see? I seen a flying saucer come down about half a mile from my ranch house. Saw it this morning when I was going after a lost calf. He swears the saucer's undamaged, Dr. Bronson. Huh.

Well, it may not be the one we... You flew down, Mr. Waters? Yep, got my own jet plane. Well, can you take me up with you to your ranch, I mean? Sure care. I'm glad to. All right, we'll leave immediately. Scotty, you round up the crew, everyone. Have them load everything we need on the transport, the big job. When can I expect you? Give us two hours, sir. All right. Now, Mr. Waters, let's get to your ranch. ♪♪

There's the flying saucer, Doc. Where? See them two peaks? That plateau between them, you see it? Now the sun's hit it. It is undamaged. I'm putting her down. Did you see any signs of life? Anything moving? No, sir. Of course, I didn't get too close. I was might leery of the thing. I understand. It's just as well you didn't.

Hey, wait till she stops rolling, Doc. Sure are excited, ain't you? I'm afraid so. Even scientists get excited sometimes.

Sure is big, ain't she? Yes, must be over 300 feet in diameter. Now, there's an airlock. Hey, you ain't going in. Was that round door open when you first saw this? I don't know. I don't remember. If you're going in, Doc, I'm going with you. Well, thank you. Be safe with those two of us. You ain't got a gun? No. Glad I got mine then. Never can tell what you'll bump into.

Don't you think you ought to wait for the rest of your gang? I can't. I've got to see what's in there. Okay. Watch your head. Right. Inner door is still closed. Let's hope it'll open. That will. Look at that. Sure looks complicated, don't it? This must be the control room.

I can't wait to inspect... Ain't that another door over there? Yes. You'd better stay here. Don't touch anything. I'll see if there's anyone still aboard. Okay, Doctor. Keep your eyes open. A larger room. This must be the crew's quarters. There's no one here. Let's... What's that? I felt giddy for a second.

I'll take a look through it. Eileen. Eileen, wake up. Wake up. Unconscious. Eileen. Still unconscious. How did she get here? I've got to get the doctor. What is... What are you doing at that control board? If you look through the porthole, Dr. Bronson, you'll notice that we're miles up and still accelerating.

We would have been higher if I hadn't to take such care with my takeoff. What, are you crazy? Who are you? Why are you taking me? Us? You were right when you guessed that this is not the saucer you destroyed. It isn't. You were wrong when you said there was no crew on board. There is. You see, I am the crew.

You should consider yourself very fortunate, Dr. Bronson. It's not everyone who can view the Earth from a distance of 100,000 miles.

You can put that gun away. Let me take care of Miss Harkness. I've already assured you there's nothing wrong with her. Merely an advanced soporific. She'll recover quickly. In fact, here she is now. Andrew. Eileen, stay where you are. He has a gun. Where are we? How did I get here? I think you'd better sit down, Miss Harkness. Who's he? I don't know. He calls himself Waters. Where are we? I looked out of a porthole. Don't be frightened, Eileen. We're...

We're on a flying saucer. A flying saucer? Yes. How did you get here? I... I don't know. I... I sent off the report, got into the car and woke up here. One of my operatives...

I shall now engage the automatic controls and the ship will fly itself until we get to the moon. The moon? Yes, that is our first stop. You see, fast as this saucer is, it would take us centuries to get to our ultimate destination. So we must transfer to a matter converter at our base on the moon and we shall be in core almost instantly. Core? What are you talking about? Perhaps a little explanation is due you. We core are the inhabitants of the solar system you know as Rigel.

But that's 500 light years away. Exactly. Although the speed of what you Earth men have been pleased to call our flying saucers is approximately that of light, even that speed would entail a round trip of a thousand years. True, the core are almost immortal, but for efficiency's sake, we set up a matter converter to flash us, or rather I should say our operatives, through space instantaneously. Our base is on the dark side of the moon.

From there, we can't ship to the saucers. But why? Why are you so interested in Earth? Why haven't you let us know? Sent representatives to the World Council? One thing at a time, Dr. Bronson. I see you partake of your pulp writer's suspicions... that we intend to take over the Earth. The truth is just the opposite. We want Earth left strictly alone for our research. How can we believe that? The truth is self-explanatory. We've been visiting the Earth for over 3,000 years...

3,000 years? Yes, Miss Hartman. But why? For what reason? A very simple reason. Our interests differ from yours. Without research, we become bored. To spend eternity in boredom. We are primarily psychologists, social psychologists. While you were engrossed in a mechanical civilization, of course, we fostered that development. I still don't understand it. I didn't expect you to. However...

In every society, there are certain problems, shall I say, which can only be solved experimentally. We have used you humans in our experiments. It's been extremely interesting. You mean you've been using us as guinea pigs, as experimental animals? You may put it that way, if you wish.

I still don't see how. Through our operatives. That's the third time you've mentioned operatives. What do you mean? We, Corps, possess no body as you know it. We are constructed of energy. In order for us to visit Earth, it was necessary for us to construct human bodies and to inhabit them. We, thereupon, had an operative who could go to work on Earth.

You couldn't have gotten away with it. Someone must have suspected you. Well, exactly. There were a few suspicions. So we took the memory of life on core away from our operatives and landed them on Earth, complete with an Earth history. You may remember Alexander. Alexander the Great. He was one of our operatives. And François Villon. His task was to satirize his time and to lead the unrest which brought on the French Revolution. There we had another. Marat. Villon, Marat.

It's incredible. Not at all. As one of your Earth men, Emerson, said, an institution is the length and shadow of one man. We saw to it that the key men in each age were ours. Our operatives. The problems they set Earth gave our scientists much material to work with. Enough for another few thousand years. Then our inventions, our scientific advances were...

Or pushed on by you. Yes, like giving an ape a stick to see what he will do with it. Then our wars, our revolutions... Naturally, wars and revolutions are part of the research. They're all part of the master plan. But don't forget, we foster genius, too. Why are you telling us all this? Surely that must be clear even to you.

You are perhaps the leading scientist in America. Certainly the leading figure in the use of atomic power for extraterrestrial research. A key man. Doesn't that suggest something to you? No. I can't believe it. Certainly, my dear Bronson. You are one of our operatives. You've done your work. But your experiments have endangered our base on the moon.

So it's time to transport you back to core. Ah, the signal. We are approaching our base. It will be a comfort to leave this unpleasant body and to resume my right... Bronson, put down that hand. Here, put the sanctum over your nose, Eileen. The gas will clear away in a moment.

I think it's all right now. The whole force was directed at this... this core. Oh, what... what was it? I had a gas pen in my vest, an idea which was originated after some of our scientists were kidnapped by the Eastern Alliance. I never thought I'd have to use it on... on something like this. Is he...

Is he dead? No, no. He's merely unconscious for a few minutes. The gas is harmless. See if we can find something to put around his hands and feet while I see if I can operate the controls. We've got to get back to Earth. All right, Andrew. They won't believe our story, but they'll have to believe this ship. I can't find anything to use. You'd better hurry. All right. Andrew. What is it? We haven't much time. I thought you said the gas was harmless. Of course it is. But this man isn't unconscious. He's dead. Dead? There's no pulse, no breathing, no heartbeat.

Andrew. Now, get a hold of yourself. I don't know how there was his life or ours, Arlene. I neglected to inform you that a core of the upper grades can leave his body as he pleases. I see that I underestimated you, Dr. Bronson. You saw immediately that my weakest point was the human body of which I complained. Very clever. Oh.

I... I can't move. I need no futile arms and hands in this form. A corps carries power, for a corps is power. I... I take it you will rid us of our bodies, too. Precisely. Isn't there anything... If we promise to forget, you can make us forget. Unfortunately, the matter is out of my hands. My orders were to recall two operatives. Two? Yes. Yes.

Miss Harkness was a psychometrist in her previous, shall I call it, incarnation. An excellent one too, Draga. Or Eileen, as you're now called. But this is inhuman. Precisely. I am not human. Let Eileen go. I'll go with you gladly, but Eileen... No, Andrew. Take me instead. The answer is the same for both of you. No. What kind of fiends are you? Isn't there one of you with pity? No.

Just one who knows what we feel, who's felt the agony of the millions. You've made your guinea pigs. You're speaking of sympathy? No. Ah, yes, yes, I stand corrected. There was one, of course, who felt that strange emotion. Carter.

An art being, as I recall. And I suppose you killed him. No. A core being energy cannot be destroyed. We captured Kada and exiled him to your planet. An enormous task. He was one of our greatest scientists. That makes it all the more strange, you see. He wished to stop our experiment. We lost track of him, but no matter. The unfit must go. That is the paramount law of nature.

Enough of these digressions. It is time. At least let me say goodbye. A little time must elapse before I can build up the energy to free you of your body. You may have the time. Besides, it is a new experience to me. The most interesting. Eileen, darling, it's too late now, but I want you to know I love you. I've loved you ever since you walked into my office three years ago. And I love you, Andrew. I always have. I always will. Oh, very touching. Don't be afraid, my darling. This touching of lip to lip...

Very interesting. Energy is undoubtedly transmitted. Very well, Dr. Bronson. It is time. No, take me first. Let him go. Andrew. Your emotion is senseless. I'm merely returning the two of you to your true being. Oh, Andrew. My darling. My darling. So, this is your odd emotion called love? This should make an interesting report. A minor report, it is true. But...

You have done your work, old locard. You have done your work too well. You are not the operative I was sent for? No. I am Kada, at last. But now with two centuries of power, power I learned on Earth, there is no core who can withstand me now. No!

Sympathy is the ability to feel what others feel. How do you feel now, Loker? I don't understand. Unscientific. Unscientific. No. Say mercy. Say it. Unscientific. Mercy. Mercy. There shall be changes, Encore. Encore.

We must leave Earth alone to work out its destiny in its own way. Now, go to the converter and await me there. Draga, my Eileen. Andrew, I... Don't be afraid. The transition is painless. There is so much for us to do, Encore. So much to teach you. Andrew, I... I can't. I'm so frightened. Don't be. Your power will soon be with me. For you too, Encore,

What those fools didn't know was that emotion, too. With your love and mine, we can right the wrongs Kor has done to Earth. There is eternity for both of us to spend together. Eileen, Draga, come. I'm ready, my darling. Now. And forever. THE END

Next week on 2000 Plus, another dramatic story of unbelievable adventure. The story of a world of the past locked in the world of tomorrow. Time out of hand. Be sure to listen.

© BF-WATCH TV 2021

The End

© BF-WATCH TV 2021

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Unit 99 to KMA 907. Unit 99, Sergeant Meredith, 909, in service, on the air.

This is Sergeant Dan Meredith of Unit 99 at Headquarters Police Department, City of Sacramento, California. My detail is to ride in Unit 99, our tape recorder equipped radio car, and to respond whenever the dispatcher transmits a signal to one of our other units on duty somewhere in the city. At the scene we make the recordings which we provide for this program.

Now to tell you more about Unit 99, here is our chief, James B. Hicks, Sacramento Police. When Unit 99 takes off on the dispatcher's radio signal, everything which happens is real. What you hear, happened. This is the standing order to Sergeant Meredith, the officer in charge of Unit 99. Get it on the spot while it's going on. And as you listen, this is what Meredith does.

Now to Unit 99 and Sergeant Dan Meredith on duty. Unit 3, an attempted suicide at W. Williams, Code 2. OK-3, K-907. Unit 3 just got an attempted suicide at 300 block on W. We're about sixth in Broadway, which is only about four blocks away. Let's get on it. We ought to get there ahead of the unit. In fact, we're here now.

309. Where's my flashlight? Yes, ma'am. My husband has sliced his wrist. Okay, let's get up. You lead the way. Go ahead. Lead the way. Okay. Seems to be a problem there, boy.

Get on away from me. What's the matter? We're here to help you. I don't want no help. Get away from me. You want to be like that? That's what I said. All right, then. I want nobody to help me. All right, but that's the way you want it. That's the way you'll have it. Get out of my house. Get out of your house? Why'd you cut your wrist? Can you tell us? I must have wanted to cut it, then. Your father's on his way here. I'm going to be outside. His father? Yes. Is there anything we can do for you, fella? No.

I just want to die in peace. You want to die in peace? Fuck world, I'm dying in my house. We have trouble tonight, huh? Don't you want us to manage that up for you? No. You sure now? I know I don't want you to manage it. How'd you do it? What'd you do it with? Nine? Raise your plate or what? You been having trouble with your wife? Nope. Well, you don't want us to do anything, huh? No. I'd appreciate it if you'd just get out of my house. How old a man are you?

29. 29. Where do you work? I just closed the machine stand. Okay. Stand by here, Ray. Okay. Close his door if that's what he wants. Your father's coming over? His father. I called his father and told him he did this yesterday. And then he tried to do it again today.

But he went off to sleep. But he'll do it again. What's he do to trouble? I don't know. He's been drinking heavily. I think that he's a confirmed alcoholic. And all of our bills are due. The man has asked us to move from here. So quite naturally, I got in touch with my mother. And I'm just going to leave, take the children and leave. You have children? How many children? Yes, three children. I'm on the court. My babysitter. Well, we'll wait for the unit to get here. Maybe we can do something for him. But...

He seems to be in a frame of mind where he might become violent. Is that right? Yes, I think so. I definitely think so. You don't have any guns or weapons in the house, do you? You positive? He has two knives that I've hidden away. Does he know where they are? No, and the razor blade that he used yesterday hid that, but he had another one. And I just, I'm at my wit's end. And he's tried this before? Yes, he did that yesterday. He cut in the same place tonight.

So yesterday he was pretty drunk. Well, he is bleeding a little bit, but he's not bleeding profusely. No, he's not bleeding profusely, but he'll do it again. And then it's just too much for me. How long ago did he cut those wrists? Yesterday. I mean tonight. How long has he been bleeding? I should say about maybe 10 minutes. I don't know. I don't think not more than that.

Maybe 15, I don't know. I don't think he's in any danger now. No, he doesn't. But he goes out of here, he'll drink, he'll drink heavily, he'll come back in and do the same thing again. He's not hot. Well, here comes the other police car, the one that got the call. To take the children out and all of that.

I stalled around here today. He went on to sleep. Over here, boy. Nice shirts. And Sutton, he's in there. He's cut his wrist, and he doesn't want anybody to touch him. Now, I don't think... Your husband, lady?

He's not bleeding too badly. He's not too deep a cut. However, he... Let's see what we can do anyway. Get him to the hospital or bandage it up. This side here, Dan? Yeah. The evident is hocked from the inside. Tip and get around the back.

Can he lock this from the inside? Yes, I'll lock the key. This key is in the door. That key will turn out open the door. Oh, you'll see if you can open it, my lady. You don't have to be afraid of it. You can see it's getting in the door. Is there any way you could have jammed it, you think? I don't know. Look through the window there and see if he's holding it. Yeah.

The other officer is opening it. What's the matter here, fella? That's all right. Just put your hand on me. No, put your hand on me, I told you. I see how bad you're cutting. Don't put your hand on me. Well, we're going to have to take care of you there, Scott. I don't want nobody to take care of me. No, that's a little beside the point. You're going to be taken care of. What do you think about that? We can't let you have your... Well, we'll see. Hello, is this the father? Yeah.

He seems to be in a little... What's the matter, sir? ...bad mood today. What's the matter? Can you talk him into us treating him? Yeah. No razor blade. Razor blade. It's right there on the table. Huh? You'll have to let him treat you, will you? You've got your kids to live for, you know. What's the matter with you? We'll take you down, get you fixed up, and everything will be all right. Tomorrow will be forgotten. Tomorrow will all be forgotten.

We have the first aid here for you. Put a little bandage on your arm and then things will be okay. If we can. We've got to get you taken care of. Just take it easy. Rest there. You've lost quite a lot of blood here. Just take it easy. Put a little bandage on and then we'll take you down and have the doctor look at you, huh? That's right. He has children, doesn't he? He has three kids. Is there a little strip of bandage in there yet? You should consider your children.

Oh, no, that's no way to talk. No, he ain't talking like that. Attaboy. Let him put it on you. Here, I'll hold his arm up. Attaboy. That sits there.

tie it a little tight there everything's going to be all right now i don't need to hurt your arm i'm trying to make it stop the blood from flowing through there what'd you cut your wrist with a piece of blade razor blade it's on the table here that's fine how do i put your slippers on we'll take you down there it's only taking anything you'll be right back

Did you want to go too, mister? You want me? Well, I think you ought to go with us. I think tomorrow you'll be in a different frame of mind and think differently. Can you make it all right there? Yeah, give him a little arm. Get on the other side too. That's a boy. Okay. Sutton, where to? We're going to take him down to the emergency hospital and let the doctor look him over and...

Check him out, see how... what his mental attitude is and so forth. Okay, we'll follow. The unit's at the top of the emergency hospital ramp. Evidently, they're inside. Let's go in, too. Sutton had a talk with his wife. She wants to know what can be done about it. She doesn't want him to come home, so I think, evidently, what she desires is to have him detained here. Now, uh...

What she's fearful of, too, is that he might come home and threaten her as he has verbally. Has he threatened her in the past? Just her. And in the condition he's in right now, he might carry that threat through. There's a good chance the doctor will send him out to the county there and be committed for a time at least.

Do you think that's what might happen? I think it's quite possible. It's in circumstances due to the fact that he did slash himself last night and also again tonight and that he did threaten his wife. I think the doctor will take all those things into consideration. There's a very good chance he will be sent out of the county there. Well, I think that's good. How's that feel now? I feel a little different now. It's holding me up. How do you feel? I feel a little different. It's holding me up. Do you feel a little different about this now?

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I met this study, and he's the one. He's the one what? He's a pretty good straight gentleman. This officer? Street over, did you say? Sure. He's all right. Don't you feel that they all are? No. You don't? No.

Clay didn't think too much of me at first either, Dan. My gosh, I don't think he understands that we try to help people and not try to hurt them or persecute them. Hi, Doctor. How are you? What is the final on this gentleman's wrist? Well, he has a laceration of the left wrist, not very deep, and I sutured it up and we're going to transfer him to County Hospital for observation of a night.

Sometimes a police officer's power of persuasion proves more effective than the authority he carries. As you heard, this young man was induced to accompany officers to the emergency hospital for treatment. But for a short time, it appeared that force might be necessary. He was given additional treatment at the county hospital and released. Unit 2, 922 at 20th Street, Edward. He's wearing blue jeans and a red shirt.

Check to KMA 907. 922 is a drunken person at 20th and E. Edward. We had a call there last night. It could be the same one, judging by the description that was given. Did you put out the call again tonight? She did. You did?

Where is he? I saw him running. Which way? I saw him running. This way. I was looking for the shovel that he had. He had a shovel? Yeah. What was he going to do with it? He said he was going to beat me down. We'll keep cruising around here. I didn't know the address. Because you know that he threatens me. He did have a shovel a while ago. What did he bring a shovel for? Well, he was real drunk. What was he going to do with a shovel?

Well, hit me or hit him, I don't know. Why would he hit him? Because I come over here and visit her. All right, thank you. Here he is on the doorstep of this home. Yeah, I believe he's living here. What's the matter here? You been bothering your wife again tonight? Well, I did at one time, yes. You've been phoning her, too. I won't lie to you. I won't lie to you, no. You know very well she put a call... This ain't my idea. I've been running around the corner here. You know she put a call in for the police just a little while ago...

Well, look, uh... Since then, wait a minute. Can I tell you something? Can I ask you something and tell you something, huh? Since then, you've called her twice. Yes, and I told her to get rid of that guy. Uh-huh. Why? That guy on the report. Well, look, mister, uh, mister officer, we're not divorced yet or anything like that. Well, she doesn't want anything to do with you. Oh.

I'm not forcing myself upon her. You certainly are. You're bothering her. All I'm talking is to get rid of that guy until we get a divorce. She's still legally my wife. That makes no difference. You're separated. How do you know what she's doing with that man? He's got his children over there and she's keeping them for him. You show me a child of his over there.

Well, that's what he said. Well, that's what I asked her to show me a child of his over there. There's no child of his over there. That's why I've been bothering her. Well, until you have... If you say bother her... Until you have further proof that she's doing something wrong, you better stay away from there. You're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble. But I say, it's just building... I'm just telling you, it's building up to that. It's building... You think that you might kill him, huh? Well, I'm not saying now. No, I won't now. No, I won't now. Why don't you take a shovel down there tonight?

Because the other night he wanted to come out and fight me. I grabbed the shovel from the man next, the yard next door there. He wanted, he wanted to fight me, yeah. Seems like all you've been doing down there is causing nothing but trouble. Look, I haven't been causing no trouble. Yes, you have. I haven't been trying to cause no trouble. Now, why didn't you remain down there if you weren't doing anything wrong and have a talk with us rather than to run away like you did? Well, please tell me, tell me what I'm going to do.

She knew where I lived. She knew where I would come. You're over 21 years of age. You ought to know what to do. What am I supposed to do now? A man is fooling around with my wife. Now, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to just sit down and say, oh, sure, go ahead, take her. Just like taking a piece of candy? Go ahead, take her, huh? Don't you think you ought to get wise to yourself and call it quits with her? She doesn't want you. The best thing for you to do is to go through a divorce proceeding. I should, yeah. I guess so. Otherwise, if you don't...

I don't want no trouble with the police. Well, we don't want any trouble with you either. But it seems like all we've been doing lately is having nothing but trouble with you. Now, it's got to be one way or the other. Stand by here a minute, will you? I'm going to put a call in for the unit. Well, they let me off this morning. I hit the office this morning. Unit 99 to KMA 907. Go ahead, 99. You put a call out for a unit to 20th and E. Edward. Could you send that unit back here?

Unit 220th F.E. Edward. I'm not going to cause her no more trouble. Listen, I think what we ought to do right now... Well, hey, hey, could you put me on probation and let me go in there and go to bed and if...

You just sit still. You just sit still. Where's that shovel you have? I haven't got no shovel. Are you going to lie to me now? No, I'm not going to lie to you now. Why don't you tell me the truth? I'm not going to lie to you a bit. All right. I threw it back in the yard where I got it from. I threw it back in the fence over the yard where I got it from. Well, why did you get the shovel in the first place?

Well, because that man had a knife. He had a knife? Yes, he did. Did you see it? Yes, I did. Did he cut you? No, he didn't cut me. Did he attempt to cut you? Well, he pulled it out of his pocket. And so... He didn't cut me. No, he didn't cut me. That's why I ran around this way, and I went in there, and I got that shovel, and I come back, and I told him, I says, all right, I says...

I know how to handle these things from when I was in the war. I said, now come on and show me something. I said, come on and show me something. I said, I'll run this thing through for you.

Just like a rifle. I was using like a rifle with a bayonet, you know what I mean? That's the way I was using it. I didn't go up there and threaten a man. He was on the porch, and where were you when you had the shovel and he had the knife? I was down, see where that telephone pole is? On the sidewalk. Yeah. You know where the walk goes this way? That telephone pole, I was right by that, and I felt over here and there. How close were you two when you were arguing about the knife and pipe?

Well, I stood downstairs like he was up here and I stood downstairs like this. Well, in other words, you're about 20 or 30 feet away from him. Yeah, I know, I know, I know. He was sitting on the porch all the time with the knife, huh? He stood up with the knife before I ever got the shovel. He stood up with the knife, switchblade knife in his hand, before I ever got the shovel. Well, sure, he comes down with that knife, I let him have it, let him have it like this. Well, if it happened, it happened, that would be it, you know what I mean?

Well, here's the unit. Let's have a talk with the unit here. Stand by there, will you? You watch him, Bill. Cooper and Hennessy, this is the same fellow we had a call on last night.

I believe that you had a call again tonight on him. Mm-hmm. Sure did, Dad. I don't want to go to jail again. I just got out this morning. You don't want to get a good out. I think you guys arrested me last night. That's right. Well, Cooper and Hennessy, what are you going to do? Gee, please, Dad. I just got out last night. I don't want to go back in again, now, for crammy's sakes. I haven't harmed anybody, and I...

You let me go, I'll go right in my room and go right to bed. How long? I'll stay there all night, too. After you fellas left the call down there, he phoned her twice. Since he's been away from home? Yeah, that's right.

That's right. Thrown her twice. Bothered her still. A natural-born pest. Oh, man, please let me go to bed, and I'll just forget the whole thing. That's what you said last night. And I'll never bother her no more, no, man. If that's the way it is... Why weren't you in bed when I drove up here instead of sitting out here on these steps?

- Honest, why were you staying up here then? - I was just dodging you and I... - You go to bed and you'll be up here. - And I dodged you. - He'll be down there again. He'll be there again. - No, I won't. - He's been bothering her since we had the first call there. - What do you think of kicking down? - Honest, I won't bother no more. - See if she wants to do it. - Well, it's up to you. - And if she don't, we'll handle it. - Come on, get me. - Well, we're back to where the trouble all started. I'll have a talk with the lady again. We have you out in the car.

What do you want done with him? Well, you know that I went here about three weeks ago. Well, now, let's forget what the past has been. What do you want done with this man tonight? You want to book him against you on disturbing your peace? Well, sure. He threatens me all day long. He called over here. And so you want to get an informal complaint? Yes. Okay, then.

He's not helping me any. I warned him. I told him not to bother me. I don't want him. Was there almost a fight? Sure. He was drunk. He was arguing. Sure he was. Where was he standing when he had the shovel? Right over there. That's what I was just... We looked for that. I don't know what he did with the shovel. Right over there. Where was this other man standing? Right here. He was sitting here. He didn't move. Did you see a knife?

No, no. Is this man here now? No, no, he left already. My brother's here. No, he didn't have no, he don't carry it. He lies, he lies too much. Here's the officer with the citizen's arrest form there. Your advisor on this. I have three kids. I'm always here. I'm always here at home. You'll have to be down at the city prosecutor's office at 9.30 Monday morning to sign a formal complaint against him. Don't forget to be there. You have to be there. Well, you have to be there again. At 9.30? 9.30 Monday morning, otherwise they'll come out and get you.

Well, I'll go out. Because you're the complaining witness, and you have to be the one to sign the complaint. Same place, second floor. Second floor, all adjustments. All right. Okay. Now, we'll make sure he doesn't get out for a while. It'll change his mind by the time he gets out. All right, then. All right. Thank you. Good night.

What did you say? You heard what I said. No, I didn't get you. I didn't hear you. When I get out of jail, I'm going to go to Nevada and get myself a gun. You don't need a license up there to get one. I'm going to come back. She's a dead duck when I get out of jail.

That's pretty harsh words there. She's dead. You want to repeat that again? I'll repeat it a dozen times. She's dead. When I get out of jail, she's a dead duck. I'm going to go get myself a gun and kill her. This was the second night in a row in which this gentleman became involved with the police. This time he was charged with disturbing the peace and sentenced to 90 days in jail with commitment withheld on condition of good behavior for one year. I rather doubt that we have heard the last of this man.

He seems obsessed with the idea that he must supervise the conduct of his estranged wife and his threats at the time of his arrest are an indication of potential trouble. This is Unit 99 in Sacramento, California. These on-the-scene tape recordings were provided by the Sacramento Police Department and were made on duty by Sergeant Dan Meredith in Unit 99. Your host is Chief James B. Hicks of the Sacramento Police Department.

Unit 99 was directed by Tony Kester and came to you from Sacramento. Unit 99 to KMA 907. Unit 99, 908 coming in. End of tour. Unit 99 has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. ♪♪

*Dramatic music*

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They've been here for thousands of years, making their presence known in the shadows. They might be seen by a lonely motorist on a deserted road late at night, or by a frightened and confused husband in the bedroom he's sharing with his wife. Perhaps the most disconcerting part of this phenomenon boils down to this question. Has the government been aware of their presence all along and is covertly working with them towards some secret end?

In the audiobook, Runs of Disclosure, what once was fringe is now reality. While listening, you'll meet regular people just like you who have encountered something beyond their ability to explain. You'll also hear from people of great faith and deep religious belief who continue to have these strange and deeply unsettling encounters. Author L.A. Marzulli explores these ongoing incidents to discover the answers to these questions.

Who are they? What do they want? And why are they here? Can you handle the truth? Listen to this audiobook if you dare. Rungs of Disclosure Following the Trail of Extraterrestrials and the End Times by L.A. Marzulli Narrated by Darren Marlar

Unsolved Mysteries Truth is stranger than fiction.

We are endeavoring to bring to you little-known mysteries of the entire world. And in this series of unexplained true happenings, we cannot overlook the puzzling and weird practices found in voodooism. There are strange stories of zombies. Stories which filter into the world of everyday life, leaving no room for doubt that within the cult of voodooism in Haiti, zombies do exist.

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The scene is glamorous Haiti, a few miles from Port-au-Prince.

A long, low, rambling bungalow bathed in the liquid beams of a silver moon faces the open sea. Behind the cape rises in serried ridges of blacks and purples. And beyond that, faintly ominous, the deep, constant rhythm of the voodoo drums seems to belong to another world. Three men sit on the lanai or veranda facing the beach. One of them, tall, slender, young in years but with gray hair and blind face, stares out into nothing.

The elderly man by his side looks at the third and raises bushy eyebrows. The third man, a stranger to I.E.T., speaks. Very decent of you fellows to invite me out here. I sort of feel that, well, that I'm putting you to a lot of extra work. Not a bit of it. Servants take care of all the extra work. We're glad of your company. Clark. Yes, Strong? I'm going down there. You must? Yes. But don't be long. I won't. But don't wait up for me. Good night. Good night. Good night.

In a moment, after Strong's out of hearing, I'll be able to explain. That's all right. I think I understand. Just a minute. I'll look down the pathway. Yes, he's gone all right.

In spite of what he said, we can't turn in. And although you're a stranger here, I'm going to do what white men have to do in the tropics. I'm going to ask for your help, if I need it. You won't have to ask twice. I didn't think so. That's why I asked you at the hotel if you'd like to come out to our place. A few moments ago, you said you thought you understood. Yes, I know, of course, that it was just a year ago today that Strong's wife died. I was in New York at the time, and we were all very much upset.

I never knew Strong, but I went to school with his wife, Helen. Well, it isn't because of his wife's death that I want you tonight. It's because of what happened after her death. After her death? Yes. Do you know where Strong went just now? No. He went down to her grave, as he has every night for six months or more. Good heavens, why? That's what I'm going to explain. When Strong first came out here, he had a native servant girl. Clarissima, her name was. Attractive little thing. And she fell in love with Strong. Strong never gave her a thought.

But you know native women. Yes, of course. Well, Helen came out here. And the night before their marriage, they were sitting just about here on the veranda.

Oh, John, it's so grand to be here with you. And what do you think it is for me, darling, to have you here in my arms, to know that tomorrow you'll be mine forever, darling? Yes, John, forever. When I think of the nights I've sat out here dreaming, watching the ships sailing for the States...

And then other nights, when I've watched these same steamers come into the harbor and tried to imagine what you'd look like standing there on the deck, coming out to me. Did your dream come true, dear, or did you find me changed? Oh, a little changed, yes, darling, but better than a thousand dreams.

It's eleven o'clock, darling. Time for little girls to be in bed. Especially when they're going to be married in the morning. I hate to think of driving you out of your bungalow even for one night. I could just as easily escape it than one time. Oh, not a bit of it, dear. It'll take me less than five minutes to walk down to Clark's place.

- Good night, dear. - Good night, John. - John. - Clarissima. What on earth are you doing here at this time of night? - Why aren't you home with your father? - I have been watching you. - You've been watching me? - You and the woman. What's the matter with you? What's come over you? - What business have you watching us? - I have every business.

You belong to me. I belong to you? What rubbish is this you're talking? No rubbish, John. You have belonged to me since that night that the Volcar placed his spell upon you. Have you been drinking, Clarissima? You know I do not drink.

John, if you marry this woman, I tell you something. In three months, she will be dead. Oh, now listen, Clarissima. I'm not afraid of your bokors, your voodoos, or your wangas. I have told you. Marry that woman, and before the setting of the third moon, she will be dead. Clarissima spoke the truth. Before the third moon had set, Helen was dead. In his grief, John gave no thought to her prophecy, gave no thought to the warning that the wanga or spell of the bokor had been placed upon her.

Clark, John Strong's friend, came to live with him. And one afternoon, Strong, arriving home earlier than usual, came up the veranda steps in time to hear Clark talking to one of the native servants. I tell it to you, master. I have heard it too many times. It's nonsense, Lomer. Just jungle talk. Native rubbish. No, master. Many times before, white man, he say rubbish. But me, Lomer...

He sees zombie. Not one zombie. Not two. But many zombies work back there in sugarcane fields. But not a white woman, Loma. No one ever saw... What's all this, Clark? Oh, we were just talking. Didn't hear you come in. I know you didn't. I'm sorry, old man, but I listened. Oh. Yes, I listened.

I know you were talking about Helen. Now, what was it? Oh, just jungle nonsense. Nothing to even think about. I'll be the best judge of that. Tell me, Loma. No. No, Master. If Master understand, he know us. Tell me, Loma. Oh, come strong. You're making a fuss over nothing. Loma!

Yes, must. Did I ever beat you? No, must. I'm going to, Loma. Beat you till you can't stand if you don't tell me. Listen, John, this is no way to behave. I tell you. You come with me and I'll explain. Come? Where? Come along and I'll show you. Together the two men leave the bungalow. Loma, his eyes filled with tears, stands at the top of the lanai steps and watches them disappear into the underbrush.

Down toward the sea, Clark leads the way. His set jaw, the only answer to Strong's question. But, Clark, this pathway doesn't lead any place except to the cemetery. I know it. That's where we're going. What in heaven's name is it all about? Why don't you tell me? I want to prove that the whole thing is nonsense before I tell you. I thought you were my friend. I'm friend enough to want to save your reason.

Oh, there's an open grave. Go ahead. I want to get that spade. Clark. Clark. What? Helen's grave. It's been opened. What? Her grave, Clark. It's been opened. You'll find out in a minute. Now stand back while I dig. Oh, let me, Clark. Let me. No.

It ought to be... Not yet. Clark. Clark. The casket's gone. These devils have taken her. My Helen for their damnable voodoo. No, John, no. Zombies. Absolutely.

At breakneck speed, the two men race back to their bungalow. Loma from the veranda sees them coming up the pathway and runs to meet them. In silence, Clark points to the brush, and Loma in the lead breaks into the thick tropic growth. Dusk finds them struggling up the steep slopes of the cape with that energy born of frenzied fear and nameless horror. Loma holds up his hand.

In the strained silence, the men listen to the sharp crack of cane knives on stalks of cane. The crackling of falling cane leaves. Loma motions strong to come forward. He forces aside the sugar cane and stares horror-stricken into the clearing. Helen! Helen! Helen! Helen!

Horrible clock. Ghastly story. You understand now why John acts as he does. And why I wanted you here tonight. Then she was buried alive? No, she wasn't buried alive. But she wasn't dead? Yes, she was dead. She was a zombie. A dead person raised from the grave. A body without mind or soul. But it's impossible. That's what I said to Loma. No, Helen was dead. Killed by the curse brought on her by Clarissa's jealous hatred...

and raised from the grave to be a zombie by the same voodooism that killed her. Yes, yes. Clarissima, what happened to her? The natives killed her. And Helen, you buried her again? After we had fed her salt. Salt? Yes, salt. If zombies eat anything containing salt, they return to their graves in peace. And you fed her salt? Yes, she crumpled up at our feet. Dead. Really dead.

Out of deference to people who are still alive, character names in these unsolved mysteries have been changed. Inasmuch as any solution must of necessity be supposition, liberties of time, place, and character exist in the solution that will be presented after you have heard from your sponsor. ♪♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

*Humming*

Ladies and gentlemen, the solution for which you've been waiting. Have you really a reasonable explanation of how such a thing could have happened? I'll answer that by asking you a question. Do you think that any explanation of such a ghastly affair could be classified as reasonable? No, I suppose not.

what happened in the life of a how could it have a best place don't imagine that the night later kate so serious of the matter of the bomb is in the island of haiti but the government has been compelled to pass the following law article two forty nine a copen our republic of haiti also shall be qualified as attempted murder the employment which may be made against any person of substances which

without causing actual death, produces a lethargic coma more or less prolonged. If, after the administration of such substances, the person has been buried, the act shall be considered murder, no matter what the result that follows. Then the government thinks that these zombies are people who have been poisoned and who have been certified as dead and buried while in the state of suspended animation.

i mean that they have been given a poison that killed the brain but leave their motor faculties unimpaired between you and me i don't think the government really believe that but after all how would you try to claim a law against taking corpses out of their graves and making them work in the cane field yes i see the difficulty there but just the same i don't see how even buddhism can make a corpse walk have you ever heard of inanimate objects being moved by the power of mind yes i have and isn't it possible that the same worker in black magic or buddhism that killed a person by power of mind

could take that inanimate object to the corpse and make it move? Do you believe that? Yes. And I'll give you the final proof, at least my way of thinking. What is that? The fact that the natives themselves killed Clarissima, the native girl, because they knew that with the assistance of the witch doctors, she killed and made a zombie out of Helen. THE END

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Do you like my horror-able humor episodes called Mind of Marler? If so, and you'd like more, it now has its very own podcast. Comedic creeps, sarcastic scares, frivolous frights, macabre madness. Every week I dive into strange history, twisted true crime, and paranormal weirdness. All the stuff you'd expect from me on Weird Darkness, but delivered with dark comedy, satire, and just the right amount of absurdity.

Good evening, creeps. Welcome to the Mystery Playhouse. Tonight we invite you to listen to Dark Venture.

Tonight's venture in the dark stars William Conrad in... Hideout. I just talked to the doc, Sam. Yeah? And what did he tell you, Inspector? Did he tell you to come in here and hold my hand? He told me you were dying. Smart fellow, that doc.

Education is a wonderful thing. How about telling me what happened? Sure, why not? At least you'll be company. Too bad I can't offer you a shot. Take it easy, kid. Look, don't act like a professional mourner crying your eyes out at four bits an hour. They'll feel so bad about dying as I thought. At least I'm fooling the old lady with the cards.

Yeah, that time with the lady. That was the second time cards really were important in my life. First time was that night of the big poker game. Till that night I was just another ten horn floating around town always ready to latch on to a quick buck. Matter of fact, I was leaving my room to go downstairs and buy a dope sheet for the next day's races when the phone started ringing.

Yeah? Sam, this is Phil Collins. Oh, yeah, Mr. Collins. Look, do you want to make a few bucks? Why, sure. Why not? Come on over to room 612 at the Palace Hotel. I'm having a little poker game. Well, I'm afraid you got the wrong guy. I don't have the money to play in your league, Mr. Collins. You said anything about playing. We need a boy to run out for sandwiches and keep his eye open for cops. You want the job? Okay. Get over here right away.

And, uh, say, just in case, you better bring a gun.

I could use the dough all right, but the main reason I went was to watch one of Phil Collins' famous poker games. They were the talk of the whole town. Most of the big shot gamblers and politicians played. There was nothing for 50,000 bucks to change hands in one night. There were three other players besides Collins, but one of them, Mike Barnes, the political big shot, had to run a tough luck. Around midnight, he left to go across town to his apartment for more money.

The three others just sat there with nothing to do. Uh, Sam? Yeah, Mr. Collins? Look, we can't play with three hands. How about you sitting in till Mike gets back? Oh, I only got 40 bucks to my name. All right, so we'll cut the stakes down to a five-buck limit, okay, boys? Yeah. We don't want to sit here like dopes. Come on, sit down. Well, I don't know. 40 bucks don't mean nothing to you guys, but to me... Sit down. We'll give you back what you lose. All right.

So I sat down, me with 40 bucks and these other guys with maybe 90 grand in front of them. My collar felt tight and I couldn't breathe so good. And when Phil dealt out the cards, my fingers started shaking. What's the matter, Sam? Still worried about that 40 bucks?

Yeah, but I hit a streak of crazy luck. Three straight hands I won. By the time Mike Barnes came back, I had 300 bucks in front of me. Ah, sit down, Mike. Sam was just keeping his seat warm. Okay, Sam, now fold all that big money up nice and get back to the door. Look, uh, there's room at the table for another hand. How about letting me play a while longer? I...

I feel kind of lucky. You look kind of sick. Go on back to the door, Sam. Ain't that just like a tin horn? Makes a couple of bucks and figures he's going to clean us up. A punk like this needs a lift. Oh, no, you guys got me wrong. I didn't... Let's make room for him. Huh? Sure. Let's see how long that 300 bucks will last. My deal. Oh, and Sam, we go back to an old innit. Okay. Okay.

And, Sam, wipe the sweat off your hands. You'll get the cards all wet. After that, I won five hands in a row. Every card I drew was right. Every bet I made was right.

In three hours, I won more than 20,000 bucks. And one night, my whole life was changing. I didn't even think about the cards anymore. I was kind of imagining how things were going to be from now on. And then, right while I was dreaming about all the swell things that were going to happen to me, that good little fairy that had been waving that wand over my head must have got a little sleepy and turned in. What have you got, Sam? Two bears? Hmm. Not good enough. Three jacks. Well?

Well, that's more like it. And just like that, my luck changed. One minute sitting on top of the world and the next minute sliding down the chute. Jack High Street. I beat you, Sam. Three doses. My part. What happened to your luck, Sammy?

In the first half hour, I lost 7,000 bucks. In the second half hour, I started betting crazy, trying to win back the 7,000. And I lost 10,000 more. Quit. Quit while you're still a few thousand ahead. I kept telling myself that over and over again, but I couldn't quit. And by 3 o'clock in the morning, I was flat busted. Well, Sammy, what happened to all that dough? You saw what happened to it. You should have just watched the door like we told you. Shut up! Shut up! Hey, hey, slow down. What's so funny? What's so funny?

You weren't laughing a couple of hours ago. I told you to slow down. I know I saw. You didn't keep your promise, Phil. What do you mean? You said if he lost his 40 bucks, you'd give it back to him. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I did it then. And listening to him laugh, looking at the fat, ugly faces, something happened to me. It was like someone pulling a switch in my brain. I felt all the blood rush into my head. Without even thinking about it, I took the gun I brought along. Hey, what are you doing with that gun?

I'm taking the money I won. You're what? Sit where you are, all of you. And I'm taking this dough. Yeah, it's mine, mine. Mike, I told you to sit where you are. You're not taking that money. Look, I'm telling you. I'm taking that gun away from you. And then I'm going to kick your teeth. I tell you, stay where you are. All right, then.

Now, does anyone else want to stop me? No. Take the money and start running. But while you're running, keep remembering who you just shot. Mike Barnes, one of the biggest guys in this town.

Yeah, start running. But don't take any bets on how far you'll get. Yeah, I started running, all right. In half an hour, I was on a plane headed for Chicago. I went out to the south side and looked up an old friend, Dave Jordan. Dave ran a little rooming house on 35th Street where a guy could bury himself and no questions asked.

Dave remembered me the second he opened the door. Sam Gordon, come on in. See if all the papers you're famous. Yeah. You got a room, Dave? I think so. But the rent's pretty high. How high? A hundred bucks a day, and you share the bed. I didn't stick my nose out of that room for a month.

But after a while, it started getting me, being cooped up all the time. And three nights ago, I just couldn't take it anymore. I decided it was all right to go for a little walk. I walked around for maybe half an hour, just breathing in the fresh air. I'd left my money back in the room just to make sure that I wouldn't weaken and go in some bar.

And then, on my way back, I saw this little side street carnival, and I couldn't resist going over to it and walking down the little midway. It was almost midnight, and there weren't many people around, but it sure felt good just seeing the lights again. How about trying your luck with the dots, buddy? Drink with that. Huh? Oh, no thanks. Come on over and look at the prizes you can win. I got some dandies. No, I ain't interested. You would be if you came over. What?

What do you want? I don't care if you fill the dots or not. I just work here. I only wanted to put you wise. Put me wise for what? You must be hot. What do you mean? Ever since you came on the midway, that cop's been following you. I turned quick and there he was. Just a plain cop, not 20 feet away. Looking as though he couldn't decide about me.

I could almost see him thumbing through his mind, trying to figure where he'd seen my face before. I started down the midway, trying to keep from running. And he called after me. Hey, brother, wait. I want to talk to you. I kept on going, actually, but I didn't know he was calling me. A small crowd came out of one of the sideshows, and I mingled with it.

Then I saw a little shack, and the door had a little sign on it. Welcome. Yeah, that was for me. You have come for a reading? What? You have come to Madame Zara for a reading? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right, a reading. Come with me into my inner room. Okay, okay. Right through this great gate.

Sit down here. It is quiet here and dark. The mind can be at rest. Yeah, yeah, it's swelling here. You want just a reading of the card? Or are you in need of special counseling? No, no, just a card reading. That'll be okay. Oh!

She sure had a good act, that dame. First she had me shuffle the cards, then cut them three times toward me. Then she started spreading them face up on the little table. And then all of a sudden she stopped and I saw her look up at me quickly. These cards, I hate them. They have been spiteful all day. Here, we will use this deck. Oh!

She broke open a new deck and then things seemed to go right. She told me all the good things that were going to happen to me. A new business venture, a trip across water, a letter with money in it. And when she was through... These cards have been very favorable for you. You are going to have a good year. That will be three dollars. Three dollars, yeah, okay. Three dollars.

Say, I didn't bring any money out with me. I left it in my room. But don't worry, I'll pay you. You think you are going to get away with this, huh? Madam Zara, are you inside? Cop, now look, lady. I'm holding a gun in my hand. Madam Zara!

What is it? Did you see a young, heavy-set guy in a black-top coat come by this way in the last 15 minutes? I'm warning you. Why, no, I have been back here giving this lady a reading. Lady, huh? Okay, he must be around here somewhere. Come on.

He is gone. Now get out of here. Is there a back entrance to this shack? Yes, right through here. Okay. But first I am going to tell you what I really saw in those cards I threw away. Save it for the yokels. I ain't interested. Right, it came up and it must be the truth. Shut up and tell me how to get out of here. You are going to die. What? Within three days you will be killed by a man with white hair.

It was so funny, I didn't know whether to bust out laughing or bust the old dame over the head. Yeah, she had it all figured out, even to the color of the guy's hair. I was gonna be killed by a guy with white hair. Well, I got out through the back and hurried to my rooming house.

Dave was waiting for me. He got a long-distance call a while ago. What? Nobody knows I'm here. Operator asked for Sam Gordon. I better not mess around with this. What difference does it make? She knows you're here. She said for you to call as soon as you got in, Operator 23. Go on, use the hall phone. Maybe it's a friend. I called Operator 23, and she had a long-distance call for me, all right? New York.

But nobody knew I was here. What was going on? It took her a couple of minutes to complete the call, and I just stood there trying to figure out who it could be. Finally, she said she had my party. Hello, Sammy. Collins. I called you before you were out. With all those cops looking for you, that's not very smart. What do you want? You didn't think I'd forgotten about you, did you, Sammy? No.

How did you know I was here? I got ways of finding out. The reason I phoned, I've arranged for a guy to pay a little call on you. To kind of settle things, you know? Yeah? Maybe you think I'm going to stay here and wait for your guy. No. That's why I called you. I know he'll start running. I want you to run. A man sweats when he runs, Sammy. And I like to think of you sweating.

Of course, you could go to the cops, but then that wouldn't be so good either, would it? Look, if you think I'm going to listen to you with... Wait a second. Don't hang up yet. I want to tell you something about the guy I hired to kill you. Kill me? You've heard of him. Yeah, he's really got a reputation for doing a job. Look, I'm hanging up, so save your breath. Let me tell you his name. Whitey Burke. Whitey...

The fortune teller. I hung up the phone and went down the hall to Dave's room. You get your call, all right? Dave, you ever heard of a fellow named Whitey Burke? Yeah, I've heard of him. Well, you know almost everything, so you might as well know this. That call was from Phil Collins in New York.

He hired this whitey, Burke, to kill me. Yeah?

And if I were you, I'd run, not walk, to the nearest police station. What are you talking about? If the cops get me, it means the chair. And what do you think it means if this Whitey gets you? Well, I'll take my chances. Suit yourself, but I want you out of here in ten minutes. Dave, I... I'm not turning this place into a shooting gallery. But look, how will I know him when I see him? What does he look like? I don't know. All I know is once Whitey Burke gets on to our guys... Okay, okay, but give me time to find another hideout. Now that the cops have seen me, they'll be looking for me all over the city. That's your worry. Get out.

I could see there was no use arguing with Dave. I went upstairs and started packing. Within three days, you will be killed by a man with white hair. I checked my gun, slid it into my overcoat pocket. I could feel my heart go on a mile a minute. Within three days, you will be killed by a man with white hair. I had to stop thinking about that. I had to...

Hey, police sirens. Dave was in the hall. You better get out of here quick. Squad car's out in the street. But how? Through the window, hurry. I ran back into my room and across to the window. It was only a ten-foot drop to the rear alley. I dropped the suitcase with the money to the ground and then I lured myself down. And as I straightened up, I saw someone standing in the shadows.

He was walking toward me. I couldn't see much of him in the darkness.

What do you want? Colin sent me to lift you up. Let's take a walk. I couldn't move. It was like looking into the eyes of a snake. Finally, the spell broke. I crouched down and started running toward him. I caught him by surprise and he fell to the ground. I sprinted down the alley. I'd left the money, but I was safe. But for how long? I don't know.

I'll never forget that night. There seemed to be a cop on every corner and they were all looking for me. But they weren't alone. Whitey was looking for me too and he'd almost got me. I was going nuts trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't go back to Dave's. There was nobody else in Chicago I knew. I started walking the streets, ducking in the doorways every time a siren sounded. So tired every bone in my body ached. When I was ready to just give up and fall on the street, I...

Saw this old deserted house. Across the front was a big sign I could read with a dim light of the street lamp. This property condemned. I staggered inside and dropped to the floor into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I could see the sky was turning gray this morning.

Then I smelled the back of smoke and I realized somebody was beside me. Pretty good place to hide out, eh? I turned to the voice. The man was crouched on one knee looking at me. He wasn't wearing a hat and his hair was white as snow. Yeah, in the five years I've been on a bum, I've used this old house lots of times.

Why, uh, what's the matter? I thought you were somebody else. Want a smoke? I got some making. No, no, I gotta be going. This is a good day to stay off the streets. What do you mean? Too many cops. They got this whole neighborhood roped off trying to find the guy who killed that big shot back here. Am I right? Sure. Look at this newspaper I picked up on the street. Look at this headline.

Killer trapped on south side. See, here's the map of the neighborhood right here on page two. All this dark part is where the cops have already searched. Yeah. And this white part's where we are, where they still have to search. Not much white part left, is there, Sam? No, not much.

Hey, how come you know my name? You look pretty bad. But there's still a resemblance with this picture. What do you think you're going to do about it? Nothing. I don't love cops. That's why I say you better stay right here. What about eating? I'm so hungry my stomach hurts. You got any money? I can go out and buy something. All right. I got a little change. Now, let's see. A couple of quarters.

Bought a buck altogether. Okay. I'll bring back some food. If the cops should start searching this house, there's plenty of room to hide. This is an old four-story flat. All right. But you better not try any double course. What makes you think I will? Maybe it's your white hair. Huh? What do you mean? Nothing, nothing. Go on, get the food. And hurry back. Hurry back.

But the old guy didn't hurry back. He didn't come back that day at all. I didn't dare leave the house to look for him. All that day and all that night, squad cars kept racing up and down the block. Yeah, the white part on that map was getting smaller all the time. The funny thing, what scared me most, what just about drove me nuts, was thinking about Whitey looking for me. All through that second day and the third night, I kept dozing off. Every time my eyes closed, I heard that voice.

Within three days, you will be killed by a man with white hair. No! Within three days, you will be killed by a man with white hair. Oh, please! Please leave me alone! Please! Within three days, you will be killed by a man with white hair. Oh, please! Only dreams...

Only a dream. It was night again. I lay back and started drifting off to sleep again. Then I heard someone coming into the house. I sprang to my feet. It wasn't a cop. It was someone else. I couldn't see nothing in the dark. Maybe it was the old guy. Hey, Pop. Is that you? Pop, answer me. Is

Is that you, Pop? Whitey, I just went around and started running for the stairs. I was on the fourth floor. Whitey was coming up the steps behind me. I ran down the hall. I thrown an open door and I ran inside and slammed the door shut after me. I tried to find a lock for the door, but there wasn't any. And I ran to the window. Four stories down the sidewalk.

Then I heard Whitey outside the door. What was I going to do? The door was opening. I couldn't stand it. Just waiting for him to kill me. I couldn't stand it. I couldn't... Yeah, that's it, Inspector. I guess I went nuts. The swan died for the street. It looked better to me than my pal Whitey. Yeah. Well, if it makes you feel any better, we caught Whitey when he was trying to leave that house.

Too bad you never met him. You might not have jumped through the window. What do you mean? I don't think he'd have scared you half so much. If you'd have known his hair was black. What? You've seen a hundred guys like him, living their lives in gin mills and pool halls, never getting any sunshine, their skin as white as a shark's belly. Yeah, that's why they called him Whitey. He was just a pasty-faced punk. Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha.

How do you like that? The old dame with the cards was wrong from the word go. Me gonna be killed by a guy with white hair. You think she'll be sore when she hears I killed myself? Nurse, nurse, come here.

What is it? Oh, he's dead. Poor little guy. Went nuts one night about a month ago over a poker game and ruined his life. He must have gone through a terrible ordeal, she said. Certainly doesn't look like the newspaper pictures, does he? Look at him. Why, his hair's turned white as snow. Oh!

Dark Venture, tonight's performance in the Mystery Playhouse, has been a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education. Dark Venture.

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Now there's a new way to share weird darkness with the weirdos in your life. It's a skill on your Amazon Echo device. Just say, play Weird Darkness, and you'll immediately start hearing the newest episode. With your Amazon Echo or smart device, you can let me keep you company all day and all night. And it's easy to tell your friends how to tune in, too. Just tell your Amazon device, play Weird Darkness, to start listening. The Weird Circle.

In this cave by the restless sea, we are met to call from out the past stories strange and weird. Bellkeeper, roll the bell so all may know we are gathered again the Weird Circle. Out of the past, phantoms of a world gone by speak again the immortal tale.

The dream will... Good Lord. Hello? Anybody here? Here, get away. Get away from that showcase. What are you up to anyway? Open up the showcase, man, quickly. I'll open up your head with the end of this broomstick if you don't get away from there. Open the case, I tell you. You think I'm just in? Well, I'll show you. No, no, no. Don't hit me. Don't. Get back out of there then. There. That's better. What are you doing? Calling the police, of course. No. No, please. Please don't call the police.

Ah, look here now. I run a humble antique shop, and I'm accustomed to all sorts of people coming in to browse around. But bursting into a man's place at the closing hour when he's cleaning up for the night and trying to break open his showcase right in front of his eyes, that's... that's going a bit too far. I assure you I meant no harm. Explain yourself, then. What were you up to?

Those knives? Yes. And what about them? I saw them through the window, from outside, and... Well, now, you couldn't go wrong stealing any of them. There's not a finer collection in all England. Stealing them? I tell you, I had no intention of stealing any of them. There, there, there. All criminals are full of good intentions. Look now, it's almost nine. Five minutes to closing time. You'd better be on your way. But... but I can't leave.

I can't leave without that knife. Must I call the police after all? You couldn't touch their price in a hundred years. Why, you don't understand. I mean that one there. The clasp knife with a buckhorn handle. Surely you're joking.

That's only a simple piece. Why, I only put it there out of the way until I find an appropriate tray for it. Certainly not with those genuine antique blades. But I want it. I must have it. Now, why don't you go quietly? You talk like someone from up on the hill. I tell you, I must have it. Get out now. Go on now. Get out. What is it? What's the matter? You're trembling. Look at you. You're white. Here. Here, sit down. Sit down. There. There now. That better? Yes. Yes.

Yes, thanks. Can I get you something? A glass of water? No. No, I'll be all right. You certainly gave me a fright. Now, what is it? What's the matter? Nothing, really. Why do you look at me that way? You've acted mighty strange ever since you came in here. Don't worry. I'm not from up there, from the asylum. I'm not from up on the hill. Then you need to see a doctor. Bad. No. No, a doctor can't help me.

I've been to the best physicians in London, to the leading psychologists at Oxford. None of them can help me. Not one. I confess it's driving me insane. Insane, I tell you. I can't escape it. It's like death itself. Fearful, inescapable. It's made me curse the day I was ever born. That's it. That's it exactly. My birth date. I've had nothing but misfortune on my birthday all my life, ever since I can remember.

And the worst misfortune occurred always and inevitably in five-year cycles. I broke my arm. On my twelfth birthday, my father was killed in a train crash. Then my best friend married my girl. At twenty-two, I lost all the family securities, plunging us into debt. Five years later, matters grew worse when I lost a good position in a bank. Another time, I fell through a grating and dislocated my hip, disabling me half a year until... Until finally, on my thirty-second birthday...

My mother was stricken with paralysis. But surely you don't put any such stock in such things. Accidents happen to all of us. Besides, what has all that to do with this clasp knife here? I'm coming to that. And believe me, all those occurrences were not coincidental. I tell you, it's a curse. A curse I shall never be rid of till... Oh, no matter. You ask about the knife. Well, that... that was the worst misfortune of all.

Ten years ago it was, shortly after midnight. I was returning from a sea coast town on the west coast of England. I was doing government work in the import-export trade at the time, and my duties regularly took me to the coast. To save time, I tried a shortcut. It was raining, and a high wind was blowing. Like tonight's storm, the country was wild, desolate. I lost my way. Finally, I came upon an old inn. It was settled back off the road on a high ridge...

I drove the carriage to the stable with misgiving. As I walked on to thee, and each step seemed to echo a warning of impending disaster, it was my birthday. Two o'clock was the exact hour of my birth. And this, this was the fifth year of the vicious, cruel cycle. I could not control my racing thoughts. Five years. Five years. Birthday. Broken arm. Five years.

Five years. We regret to inform you, father killed in crash. Father killed. Birthday. Five years. Father killed. Lost securities. We haven't a penny. Lost. Lost. Birthday. Securities. Five years. A broken hip. You can't work for months. Can't work. Falling. Slipping. Falling. Down, down, down. No, mother, it can't be. No, it can't be. Paralyzed. Birthday. Both legs. Five years. No, no, mother. Are you all right? Mother! Mother!

I raised my knuckles to knock. Beware, Frederick Scatchard. The fifth year. This is the fifth year. Don't. Don't go in. Leave this awful place. Leave. Leave. Quickly. You're afraid. Afraid of the curse. Go on in. Knock. Go ahead. Knock. See. You are afraid. I raised my hand again to the heavy oak panel.

Before I could knock, the door swung open. The innkeeper stood reflected in the doorway. Come in, come in. Don't let the storm blow out the half fire. I went in. I discovered I was the only guest, which made me all the more uneasy. My tastes understander of the simplest. In no time at all, the innkeeper set supper before me. I ate, then made myself comfortable by the fire. Over the mantelpiece hung an evil-looking knife.

It made me so uncomfortable that I had to ask the landlord about it. Another night it would have gone unnoticed, but tonight, my birthday, the cycle, it held an ominous warning. That's a curious-looking knife there. Where did it come from? Knife, sir? What knife? Why, that clasp knife there above the mantelpiece, with a buckhorn handle. Why, surely you must... Come, come now, it's time for bed. You've had a hard night, you're tired. Never mind if I'm tired or not, I asked you a question.

That knife. But, sir, there is no knife there. No knife? Come here. But you... Come here, I tell you. Of course, if it was... There now. Look there at the mantelpiece. Is that a knife or isn't it? Why, no. Of course it's not a knife. What? Come closer. Now, see for yourself. What? Man, you're right.

I'd have staked my life. Oh, that's all right, sir. I can see where in the shadow of the fire you might have mistaken this mantelpiece designed for a knife. Funny, I never noticed it myself before this. I don't understand how my eyes could have played such a trick on me. Oh, you should have eaten heavier. You're tired. Yes. Yes, I suppose so. I guess I'll go to bed. Very well. Good night, then.

That storm. A man can't even undress for bed in peace. You're afraid, Frederick Skechard. Afraid. Afraid. No. No, I'm not afraid. But the moaning of that wind. There it goes again. That clap of thunder and flashes of lightning. It's enough to drive a man mad. You're afraid. Afraid of tonight. Your birthday. The fifth year.

Look at yourself. You're trembling. No, no, no, no. See? See, I put the candle on the dresser and my hand is steady. There. There, now I can lie down a while. Sleep will come easier. You fool. Why didn't you extinguish the candle? You're afraid to be alone in the dark, that's why. You're afraid. Who's there? Speak up.

There. There I see you at the foot of the bed. Who are you? What do you want? A woman. No. Not really. What do you want? Don't be afraid. I just came to pay you a visit. Stay away from me. Don't come any closer. What's that in your hand? It's a knife. That's right. It's a knife. See how clean and sharp the blade is. Oh.

How it glistens. That buckhorn handle. It's the knife I saw over the mantelpiece. Why do you raise your arm? You're going to kill me. Stay away. Away. Ah.

You mad woman. Don't stand back. Don't stab me. Murder. Wake up, everyone. Murder. What is it? What's wrong? A woman with a knife in her hand in my room. A yellow-haired woman. She stabbed at me twice. Let's have a look. Here. Hold the candle. Keep your gun ready. She's dangerous. Do you see her? There's no one here. Impossible.

She stood there as plain as day at the foot of this very bed. See there. Look at the torn bedclothes. You could have torn that in your sleep or even used a penknife to make those slits. But I have no penknife and I wasn't sleeping. The devil fly away with you. First a knife over the mantelpiece. Now a murdering woman with a knife. I suppose to it was a clasp knife with a buck on handle.

That's right. Now I know there's something wrong with you. You'd best see a doctor in a hurry, man. Such hallucinations. See here, I protest. Protest, is it? I should be the one to protest. Coming into a peaceful man's place and babbling about a dream. Oh, why did I ever have to draw you as a guest? Very well. Lend me a light to dress by and I'll leave then. Better out in the storm than to spend another minute in this room.

After what I've seen. Hurry it up, then. I wouldn't have taken your money if I'd known your dreaming, screeching ways beforehand. Twenty minutes past two. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Nice time in the morning to frighten honest people out of their wits. Maybe your dream woman got in through these strong fastenings. What was that? It's the woman in white.

A knife! She's following me through the storm! Get up! Get up! Get along there! Get up! No, no, it's no one. My imagination again, I guess. Tonight, tonight, the fifth year, the curse. Am I, am I to be tortured, haunted by a dream woman?

The memory of that wild woman brandishing a knife did haunt me. And finally I had to sit down and write a complete account of what had happened. An exact description of the woman in the inn. A year passed. Two, four...

Then as the fifth year of the cycle neared, a fresh foreboding gnawed at me. I lost my appetite. My sleep became again fitful and I suffered moments of terrific mental strain. Then one day at a tea, I met Rebecca Murdoch, a young lady of a prominent London family. She had a disturbing personality, a fathomless something that frightened and intrigued me at one and the same time. I courted her. It was after a dance. Rebecca and I were walking in the garden. It was a beautiful night.

Rebecca. Yes, dear? You said back there how much you enjoy those dances. Yes. And these walks. Frederick. And we both like music and books and, well, countless things. I can't think of anything we couldn't enjoy together. Of course, you don't know too much about my work, but... You know I'm interested in everything that concerns you. That's what I mean. Then why can't we... I mean... Yes. Rebecca, do you really like me? Need you ask?

Do you love me as much as I love you? Oh, Fred, you're such a blind dear. Then... then you'll marry me? Oh, silly, of course I will. Oh, stop. Stop, Fred, you're mussing my hair. Fred, I've got it. We can have a double celebration, can't we? We'll be married on your birthday. My... my birthday? Yes, why not? I... why, there's no reason why we can't, I suppose...

No. No, there's no reason at all. My birthday. We were married on my birthday. The day of reoccurring doom. I feared that day, anticipating disaster. But it did not come. At last, I thought the spell was broken. Marriage. A honeymoon on the continent. A home we had planned together. Just a string of good fortune. Why, even my business was good. Yes. Yes, perhaps business was too good. Too good.

Hello, darling. Oh, hello, dear. Hurry now and dress for dinner. We're going to the theater with the Pollitts. Tonight again? Yes, now do hurry. It's 7.30. Why do you have to stay so late at the office? It takes money to run a home. Oh, darling, I shouldn't have said that. Hurry, run along and dress. But must we go? We have the tickets now and it's the last performance at the playhouse. I'm sorry. I just can't make it. Now you run along. Go ahead without me. I...

All right. I don't like to go without you, but I really had my heart set on seeing the show. Rebecca? Hello, Rebecca. Who's there? Hello, dear. Oh, it's you, Fred. You frightened me. You're home early. Dinner ready? I'll fix a snack and a jiffy. So? Or would you like me to send out for something? No, no, don't bother. Have a busy day? Oh, yes. Tea this afternoon and... Fred, darling, you won't be angry with me now. No.

You've been shopping again. How did you know? Well... Oh, you'll love them, I know. An evening wrap and the most stunning gown. I must show you. Come along. Just wait till you see.

Hello? Fred, dear, would you mind awfully if I went to the country with the Pollitts? It's a weekend party. I told them you had to work at the office, but they insisted I go. Yes, but we planned... Don't be difficult, Fred. We plan to go dancing tomorrow night, like old times. I know, Fred, but they're so insistent. Do you... do you want to go? It'll be so much fun, and you're so busy at the office. Yes. Yes, I'm very busy. I guess you'd better not disappoint them.

Go along. I'll see you Monday. I've made up sandwiches and stocked the icebox for you. Goodbye, darling. Thanks. Goodbye. Goodbye now. I remembered the sense of foreboding I felt when I fell in love with my wife. Here were the roots, growing, spreading out, stifling our relationship. No longer was it give and take. Now she took everything, gave nothing. Her selfishness seemed endless, too prolonged to be coincidental. Tonight, dear? Oh, Fred, I'm going to opera. I'll call for you at eight. Too tired, Fred. I've shopped all day.

Like old times. I know, dear, but I can't. Can't. No time. Can't. No time. I don't know why I went on loving her. We stayed in the same house. Lived separate lives. Her elaborate tastes were draining our funds. She contrived to have all our property, our assets, put in her name. Something warned me there was trouble ahead for the two of us. As the fifth year of our marriage anniversary approached, I became more and more convinced of it. And then...

The newspapers began running accounts of strange attacks made on innocent victims late at night. The victims were always badly cut up by a knife. A maniac at large, a dangerous criminal mind at work. My birthday came nearer. I spent a sleepless week just before it and then, last night, I went back to the office late to keep my mind occupied. It was about 1 a.m. when I returned home.

Rebecca! Oh, it's you. I thought you were in bed. No. No, I had to walk, Rebecca. What are you doing with that knife? Oh, it's only an old one I found with some discarded cutlery. Clasp knife. Buckhorn handle. What...

Why do you look at it so? Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I just don't remember seeing it around the house before. Well, I was cleaning out the attic the other day. I found it then. Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Stupid of me to forget. It's time you were in bed. Yes. Why don't you go along? I'm so sleepy. Don't stay up too late now. Rebecca. Yes? Don't you want me to put away that knife? Oh, no. I'll put it away in the morning. I'm going to bed now. Good night. Good night.

It's the same. That night at the inn five years ago. That clasped knife with a buckhorn handle. First by the fireplace. A storm is blowing up like that night. You're afraid. Afraid. That voice again. Why was I a fool to think the spell was broken? The spell of my birthday lingers with me, catches up with me. Will it overtake me again tonight? Everything tonight is the same as that night at the inn. Everything but... Hello. Rebecca. Rebecca.

I thought you were in bed. And I expected to find you asleep. That white robe. It seems familiar, but I don't remember. It's new. Rebecca. The knife? Yes. Where did you get it? I told you once. Come now, you don't expect me to believe that? Believe what you will. Where did you get it? That is none of your business.

Since you insist. You refuse then to tell me? Exactly. Then you force me to make a very difficult decision. I must turn you over to the police. You're not serious. I certainly am. Years ago I slept at an inn on the west coast of England. A woman tried to murder me in my bed. I've read of many such cases happening within our own city in the past six months. So? The woman who attacked me used a clasp knife like the one you had tonight.

You're that woman. You're quite mad. Nevertheless, I'm turning you over to the police. Do you expect an inspector from Scotland Yard to believe such a fairy tale? Imagine your own wife, your very charming wife, trying to kill you. You know it's not a fairy tale. I'll tell the police, of course. Yard.

You're completely mad. I don't know about that. You thought I knew so little about business and such. The estate, you know, belongs to me now. Your wife. Do you still believe I married you because I loved you? You're a witch. But no one will ever know, will they? What's that in your hand? Rebecca, put down that knife. You old fool, you're afraid just like all the others. You...

It was you who attacked all those other innocent people. You're a maniac. Don't. Don't come any closer. Stand still. It won't hurt. I warn you. Don't run away. You're going to get hurt. Rebecca, get back there. You've cut my arm. Drop that knife. No, never. Drop it. Oh, no.

Come back

That knife, Rebecca! Rebecca! I must stop her, I must! Rebecca! Rebecca, come back! Rebecca! Don't follow me, I warn you! Come down, Rebecca! Come down off that fire asleep! I warn you, I have this knife and I'll use it! She went to the roof of the building and I lost her trail. I continued searching throughout the night, all morning. This afternoon I went home and she was not there. I rested. Then tonight I resumed my search.

I must find her before two o'clock, my birth hour. I must find her. I must! I can't have any peace until I find her and get that knife. The knife? The knife. That's it there. You mean this one? Yes.

It's the exact knife I told you about. I see now why you want it so badly. Then tell me, where did you get it? I don't know. For heaven's sake, man, I must know. Well, it was a woman. Yes? Came in here about 7.30 this evening. With this knife? Yes. At the time, I wondered why she wanted to sell it. She was obviously of good family. Go on, go on. You bought it. Yes. And where did she go? Where did the woman go? Ah, poor thing. The tailor next door told me.

A woman answering her description was killed about an hour later. It must have been horrible. The cab struck her as she crossed the street, walked right into it in the darkness. What was she like? Very beautiful. Blonde hair. I remember offering to call a cab for her. She was not prepared for the weather. Did she? She wore a white gown, more like a robe than a dress. Who was it? Yes, by Jove, it was torn. No. Yes, now I remember. That's another reason I offered my help. No, no, it couldn't be. But it was, sir. Your dream woman. Your dream woman.

Dream Woman? No. No. Oh, yes. It was. My wife. It was my wife. My wife. No, Dream Woman. My wife. My wife. From the time-worn pages of the past, we have brought you the Dream Woman. Bellkeeper, hold the bell. The Dream Woman.

so

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Have you heard the strange tales of the Whistler? I'm the Whistler. Claude, if you expose my marriage, I'll tell about yours. Though it's plain to be seen that you and I will have to work together. Friday night, and again CBS presents The Whistler. The Whistler.

I, the whistler, know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. And so I tell you tonight, the odd story of the Tangled Web. Hester Mayberry, an elderly widow, has inherited the large estate of her late husband.

And having no children, she adopted two. Claude Mayberry, her husband's orphaned nephew, and Leta Davis, the daughter of her dead sister. Leta has finished school and is returning home. Claude still has another year in college. But Aunt Hester has plans for Claude and Leta. Plans for keeping the estate in one family. This is upsetting to Claude, for he has already selected the girl of his choice, Pearl Wallace.

Pearl, I had to see you. Something's happened. Lord, I've never seen you so upset. It's Aunt Hester. Her heart again? Oh, no, no. She's still hanging on. What is it, then? It's Leta. Leta's finished school a year ahead of schedule. She's coming home today. So what? Well, Aunt Hester is determined that I marry Leta. According to the doctors, Aunt Hester won't last more than six months. I know. But I never dreamed Leta would come home this year.

Aunt Hester will insist upon an immediate marriage. But you can't marry Lita. I know, but if Aunt finds out the truth about you and me, she'll cut me off. Oh, I'm in a terrible jam. Can't we... Can't you head Lita off some way? Oh, no, it's too late. She's probably at the house now. I just found out she was arriving today. Why can't I see your aunt? Just once. She may change her mind. No, no. You don't know Aunt Hester. Nothing can change her mind.

She's the most determined, stubborn old woman you've ever seen. Well, since you can't marry Lita... Certainly not. That would be bigamy. Half of the estate is willed to me and half to Lita. But if she finds out that I'm already married, well... Suppose Lita refused to marry you? She won't. Because she knows Aunt Hester would throw her out. Now, Lita's too smart for that. Well, something's got to be done. You've got to stall things off until... Until Aunt Hester is dead.

You'd better run along, Claude. I've got to get back to work. Yes, Claude can think of several ways out of his terrible predicament. As a matter of fact, he's studying over an idea at this very moment. He has a plan in mind, a very dangerous plan. But then old Aunt Hester is going to leave this world anyway, so... Well, he'll wait and see. At the moment, Lita is in Aunt Hester's sitting room on the second floor of the old mansion.

Well, Aunt Hester, you look wonderful. No such thing. Why lie about it? I look terrible. Oh, really? You've improved. I haven't improved. The doctors say I may last six months, but I don't believe them. If I'm here six weeks, I'll be surprised. That's why I wanted you to come home immediately. I did want to go to Canada this summer. I know, but I have important plans for you, Lita. Plans? Oh? What plans? I'm announcing your... Come in. Lita. Well, how are you? Very well, Claude.

And you, come in here, Claude, and quit gaping like a fool. Yes, ma'am. Well, I didn't expect you to graduate this summer. You must have crammed. I expected you to be in the army. Oh, I will be when I finish college. Well, now that you're both here, I'll finish what I started to say. Yes, ma'am? I don't expect to be on this earth many more weeks. I've made a will leaving half of my property to each of you. Oh, that's good of you, Aunt Esther. Yes, of course. And tomorrow, I'm announcing your engagement. What? And...

Engagement. And a week from tomorrow, I want you to be married. Married? You want Claude and me to... That is my greatest desire and my final request.

I've looked forward to that for a number of years. And I want to be present at the ceremony. Aunt Hester, has it ever occurred to you that we may not love each other enough to... Nonsense. Besides, I want the estate to remain intact. In the family, as it were. Oh, but Aunt, don't you think it might be a great mistake to... I'm not in the habit of making mistakes. And if one of you refuses to carry out my wish, I'll cut that one off without a cent. Now, do you understand? Yes, we understand. Then leave me alone. I must rest. I must rest.

Claude is frantic. On the way to the library, horrible thoughts run through his mind. What shall he do? How can he marry Leta? If he did, it would be prison for bigamy. What are we going to do about this, Claude? I don't know, Leta. Did you know she had any such plan for us? Well, yes, but I didn't take it seriously. Then why didn't you let me know about it? Well, because I didn't expect you to finish till next year. And by then I thought... Thought what? That Aunt Hester would be gone. Oh, you're a fool, Claude.

You should have let me know. Oh, what difference would it have made? She's determined. And if we refuse... Whatever one refuses, we'll get nothing. And if we both refuse, we'll both be cut off. Oh, yes, but... You don't love me. And you don't want to marry me. Do you? Oh, but I haven't refused. What about that girl who works in town? That Pearl Wallace? Pearl? Why, what about her? What will she say if you marry me? Oh, what can she say? Ever hear a breach of promise?

You're trying to bluff me into refusing. You mean you're willing to marry me? You can't bluff me. Pearl wouldn't like it, Chloe. It's none of her business. She wouldn't do a thing. That's what you think. I'm not going to lose my inheritance, Pearl or no Pearl. I'll keep her quiet. How? Well, I'll pay her. She'll be satisfied. I know she will. I talked to her this afternoon. Did you? Well, you might be able to get rid of a sweetheart that way. But a wife would be more difficult. What?

How did you know? How? How did I know you and Pearl were married? Yes, how did you know? You just admitted it. I was only guessing. Well, that does it, Claude. We couldn't get married if we wanted to. Oh, please. Please, Lita, we don't hate each other. We're good friends. I don't want to lose my share. Please don't tell Aunt Hester. What on earth can we do about it? You aren't free to marry me, so she's got to find out the truth. But if she does, well, then you'll get all of it. But after Aunt Hester is gone, I can give you your half of the estate. What?

I don't believe you. You just have to trust me. I don't trust you. You wouldn't give me a cent. What else can be done? I haven't refused to marry you, but you're already married. What else can we tell her? There's no other way. No, but maybe there is. What did you say? Nothing. Nothing. I was just thinking.

Oh, there you are. Oh, darling, I finally got our baggage. It was on the second section by mistake. Oh, come in, Mr. Brandt. Mr. Brandt? Where do you get that Mr. Brandt stuff? Mr. Brandt, this is my cousin, Claude Mayberry. Oh, glad to know you, Claude. How do you do? What was the name? Brandt, Alan Brandt. You know what I think happened later? When they took our baggage out of our stateroom in Boston, we forgot to have a change room. Oh, Mr. Brandt, I want you to meet my aunt. What? Well, of course, I expected to. Yes, she's been ill for some time.

This way. I'll see you later, Claude. Oh, by the way, Mr. Brent, congratulations on your marriage. I hope you and Lita will be very happy. Oh, sure. Thanks, old man. Married yesterday, were you? The day before, in New York. Wonderful. Will you wait outside a second, Alan? I'd like to talk to Claude alone for a moment. Well, yes. Yes, of course.

So I'm a fool, am I, Lita? You slipped up on that one. You should have warned him. Doesn't he know how things stand? No, he doesn't. I'll tell him. Well, that sort of makes us even, doesn't it? We're both in the same boat. Well, what happens now? Aunt Hester will have to be told the truth. Well, we've got to stall a while. Well, how are you going to explain his presence here? Well, I'll tell her he's a friend. Down for a few days' visit. In the meantime, we'll decide what to do. Yes? You know, Claude, if you tell about my marriage, I'll tell her about yours.

So it's plain to be seen that you and I will have to work this thing out together. Well, do you have any ideas, Lita? Do you? Well, no. Oh, yes, you do. Claude, you have. I know what they are. I can read you like a book. But, Lita... There are three ways of solution. If Aunt Hester were to pass away before she learned the truth, then everything would be all right. Or, if something should happen to me, then the whole estate would go to you. That's two ways.

And the third? I must run along now, Claude. I'll see you later. Yeah. Three ways, Claude. Three ways. First, your Aunt Hester. Second, Leta. And the third? Well, you know what Leta meant. Think fast, Claude, and be careful. Leta doesn't trust you any more than you trust her. Of course, I know another way to solve your problem. But I'm not the one to decide.

So as it stands, it's either your aunt or Leta or you, Claude. Aunt Hester, I'd like to talk to you. Yes, Claude. Come in, come in. What do you want? Well, I don't know how to say this, aunt, but... Say what? Well, I'm actually afraid to tell you, but I've got to.

Even at the expense of my life. What are you talking about, your life? Yes. If I tell you what I know, they'll kill me. Have you been drinking? Oh, no. Well, who'll kill you? Leta and that fellow Alan Brent she brought here yesterday. Leta, you're out of your mind. Oh, I know it sounds fantastic, but it's true. Kill you? Leta? Oh, go take some soda and sober up. Please, Aunt Hester, not so loud. I never heard of such nonsense. Leta, why should she want to kill you? You'll understand when I tell you.

The woman you're going to marry wants to kill you? Yes, Lita and Alan Brent. What has Brent to do with it? They both want me out of the way. Claude, you sit down in that chair. I'm going to call Dr. Gregory. No, no, no, please. I can explain. Well, then you'd better do it and quickly. Well, you must promise me that you won't tell Lita or anyone that I told you. Why should I promise that? Because if they knew that I told you... Well, that's why they'd kill me. I'm getting dizzy. Go on.

Well, that fella, Alan Brent, isn't just a friend visiting here. He's... he's Lita's husband. What? What did you say? They're married. Look at this license. I found it in Lita's room. Good heavens. I... I can't believe it. They know that I know about it. But Lita said that if I told you that something would happen to me, she's afraid you'll change the will and cut her off. And that's exactly what will happen. She must be crazy. How could she marry you next Friday? She might know I'd find out. Well, maybe...

Maybe she thought you wouldn't. What? What are you trying to say? Well, maybe she thought she could postpone everything until... Until what? Oh, until after I was gone. Yes, Anne. I hate to say it, but that's her plan. I, the ungrateful little... Oh, please, don't let her know that I told you. I'll just have a talk with those two. And don't believe anything she says about me. What do you mean? Well, she's all set to tell you some cock and bull story about me and some girl...

I did go around with the girl for a while, but Lita's going to tell you that we're married. But don't believe her, because I can get the girl over here and she'll tell you the truth. Very well, Claude. Run along. I'll send for Lita and Mr. Brent later. I must rest a bit. This has been a terrible shock. Yes, Aunt Hester. Yes, Aunt Hester? Do you want to see me? Yes, Lita. I wanted to see you and Mr. Brent. Oh? Yes.

Come in, Ellen. She wants to see you. Oh, how are you, Mrs. Mayberry? Very well. So far. I hope you feel better, Anne. Do you? Do you really? Well, if I say I do feel better, I suppose you'd be disappointed, Lita. What? Do you expect to stay here long, Mr. Brent? Will I? Oh, no. That is... Did I understand you to say Mr. Brent was a friend of yours, Lita? Just here for the week? Yes, of course that's what I said. We've been good friends for two years. Friends? And is that all?

Aunt Hester, what on earth? Is that right, Mr. Brent, friend? Well, yes. Yes, of course. Well, I'm glad to hear that. I was quite worried. Aunt Hester, that nonsense. You had no reason to be upset. And you fully intend to marry Claude next week? Well, I... As a matter of fact, it is a little sudden. I wasn't prepared.

I was going to ask you... Ask me what? Well, if we couldn't postpone it for a few weeks. And why should you postpone it? You know that I wanted your marriage to take place while I'm here? Yes, Aunt, I know, but... Everything is arranged. But a few days wouldn't matter, would it?

There's so many things I'd like to attend to. Would another week give you enough time, Lita? Time to attend to those important things? Well, I suppose so. But I'd really prefer a month. But I want to be sure that I'm able to attend the wedding, Lita. I may not last that long. However, I'll consent to one week from next Friday. Oh, thank you, Agnes.

I know you don't understand. Did you? Well, there's just one thing that I don't understand. What's that? Just how you'll be able to get a divorce in two weeks and get married a week from Friday. Divorce? A divorce from this man, Alan Brent. I don't understand what you mean. What sort of a fool did you take me for? I wasn't born yesterday. You've been lying from the moment you stepped into this house. Aunt Hester, there must be some mistake. There's no mistake.

My maid found this marriage license in your room. No. You've been stalling for time, hoping I'd die before the truth came out. I never thought of such a thing. You can't deny that you two are married. No. No. After all, I have a right to choose my husband. You're an ungrateful girl, Lisa. You've disappointed me. And you could expect not one cent from me. No. Now get out of this room. But, Aunt... And get out of this house by Monday morning. No.

But Leta knows how Aunt Hester found out. She knows it wasn't the maid who found the license. It was Claude. But she'll take care of Claude very nicely. If she is out in the cold, then she'll see to it that Claude is out in the same way. So she phones Pearl, Claude's wife, to come to the house. I'm Pearl Wallace. Oh, yes. Won't you come in? I...

I got a call from Mrs. Mayberry's maid. She said Mrs. Mayberry wanted to see me. Oh, I see. Yes, she does want to see you. Are you Lita? Yes, I'm Lita. How did you know? Oh, I've seen your pictures and I've heard Claude talk about you. Do you know Claude well? Yes, is he here? No, not at the moment. Well, what does Mrs. Mayberry want with me?

Well, Aunt Hester has found out about you and Claude. What? Now, don't get excited, Pearl. Everything's all right. But... but I thought... Yes. Yes, I know. That she wanted Claude and me to be married. Yes. Well, you can't always keep a thing like this a secret. Somebody's bound to know. Someone in town accidentally told her about it. At first she was terribly angry. But after I talked to her for a while, well, she seemed to see things differently. Then you think everything's all right? Why don't you go upstairs and tell her all about it?

I'm sure she'll like it. All right. Thanks for telling me, Lisa. In the sitting room. First room on the right. Yes? May I come in, Mrs. Mayberry? And who are you? I'm Pearl. Pearl? Pearl Wallace. Pearl, what do you want? I'm Claude's wife. Claude's wife? Yes, I am, really. Look, here's the marriage license, see?

What are you doing here? Well, I thought you wanted to see me. Claude's wife. Claude's wife. I just can't believe it. But I really love Claude. Really, I do. Why?

Oh, I don't know what I've done to deserve all this. First later and now Claude. But Mrs. Mayberry, I'm a perfectly normal girl. I've done nothing wrong. Why shouldn't I make Claude a good wife? Leave this room. Leave me alone. But I thought you sent for me, that you wanted to talk to me. I what? I sent for you. Who told you that? Well, I thought it was your maid. I don't want to see you. Get out and leave me alone. Yes, I'll go.

Pearl! Yes, Claude. Pearl, why have you come here? I don't know. I wish I had. You've seen Aunt Hester. Why? What did you say? I told her we were married. Showed her the license. What? Why did you do that? Why? But she wanted to see me. Her maid... At least I thought it was her maid phoned me that she wanted to see me. And what did Aunt Hester say? She told me to get out. Apparently she knew nothing about me until I told her. I can't understand it, Claude. Why would... And yet, Leta knew your aunt was expecting me. Yeah, she said so. Leta!

Leta knew? Are you sure? Yeah, she met me first. She said your aunt had found out, and I suppose she'd relented. Leta. Well, that explains everything. Now, I'm out in the cold, thanks to Leta. But believe me, I'll beat her yet. She's not so smart as she thinks. Look, Pearl, you're staying here tonight. No, I don't want to. You're staying here whether you want to or not. But just what can you do, Claude?

Doing away with Leta won't help, so long as Aunt Hester is alive. This is really a problem. Why not talk it over with Leta tonight? Leta has many clever ideas. And since you're both in the same predicament, well... Leta. Claude, what are you doing in my room? What do you want? I want to talk to you. No, don't turn on the light. Well, turn your mind. Just what are we going to do about this situation, Leta? I haven't the slightest idea. We've both played our last cards.

I told Aunt Hester about you. You got wise and pulled a fast one by sending for Pearl. Now we're both even. Yes, Claude, now we're both even. But where are we? Yes, Claude. Just where are we? We're at the point where we've got to work together. My working against you or your working against me no longer means a thing. Aunt Hester knows about us both. And next Monday morning she'll change that will. I know. Well, haven't you any suggestions? Oh, I have several ideas.

But I'm not telling them. Come on. Monday isn't far away. What's on your mind, Claude? Well, if anything happened to either you or me, well, neither one of us would gain a thing, so long as Aunt Hester's able to change that will. Now, Aunt Hester isn't well. No. She can't last much longer. I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, yes, you do. You know exactly what I mean.

Murder? No, not murder. Not in a way that we can be caught nor convicted. And why should we mess up our lives because of Aunt Hester's eccentricities? Well, go on. Well, suppose her heart failed her tonight. Suppose it doesn't. I think it will. In fact, I'm sure it will. Oh, do you mean poison? They'll find it. No, believe me, there'll be no trace. No one will find anything. Are you sure? Yes, I'm positive.

Why don't you do it without telling me? Because I don't trust you, Lita. I wanted you to be in on it. And I know you'll keep your mouth shut. In on it? What do you mean? Isn't it worth a million dollars to get up out of that bed and come with me? This is your only chance of getting it. Why must I go with you? Because you'll be the first one to implicate me. But if you're with me at the time, I know you'll keep quiet. Come on, Lita. Oh, if you pull a bone, I'll work hard... Don't be silly. Come on. All right. You better know what you're doing.

But you're in accord with the general idea, aren't you? Yes. There's no other way. Well, then, come on. And be as quiet as possible. No, no. Leave your door open. We'll want to get back here as soon as possible. Here we are. Easy now. Aunt Hester. Aunt Hester. Don't wake her up. Yes? Who's there? Are you awake, Aunt Hester? Huh? What do you want? Who is it? Wake up, Aunt Hester. Wake up. I can't see a thing. Wait till I turn on the light. No, don't turn on the light. Is that you, Lita? Yes.

It's Leta and Claude. What do you want? What do you want? Why don't you answer me? What are you two doing here? We've decided that you shouldn't linger on in your condition, Anna. Your heart's causing you too much pain. What? So we've decided to bring your suffering to an end.

Leta and I have decided to end your suffering. You and Leta. You ungrateful fools. Hurry up, Claude, whatever it is. We're going to kill you. It's the only way. Get out of here. Get out. Get out. In just five seconds, Aunt Hester. Five seconds. You're crazy. You're both out of your minds. You know you'll be caught. Maybe I am crazy. But in just two seconds, I'm going to shoot you right through the heart. No, no. Don't. She's dead.

She's dead. Of course. Here, take this gun and get back to your room as fast as you can. Go on! And remember, you haven't heard a sound. In another room on the same floor, Alan Brent, Leta's husband, sits on the edge of his bed rubbing his eyes. Listening intently to the early morning silence, something startled him. Finally, he steps to his door, looks down the hall and moves along the passageway toward Aunt Esther's room.

Then, as he turns, Pearl's door opens and she steps into the hall. Oh, Mr. Brantley. What are you doing up? What are you doing at this hour? Well, I thought I heard a noise, like a shot. Well, so did I. It woke me up. Sounded like it might have come from this end of the hall. It could have been a shot. I'm not certain. Yes, it could have been. I wonder. Look, Mrs. Mayberry's door's open. Yes. Let's have a look in there. It must have come from this room. It was so close. Turn on that little lamp on the table. Oh.

Is she all right? Feel her pulse. No. Good heavens, she's... She's dead. She's dead. She's been murdered. Come, let's get out of here. Lita. Lita. God. Go and get the doctor. Aunt Hester's been killed. Lita, your aunt's been shot. Call the doctor. Oh, you're crazy. You didn't hear a thing. I'll tell you, I heard a shot. I was just half asleep, but I know I heard it. Then why did you wait so long to arouse the rest of us? I really don't know. I heard it too, but I wasn't quite sure either. How's it happen that you didn't hear it, Lita? Well...

I don't know, but I just didn't. It's quite possible she may have been sleeping too soundly. And you didn't hear it either, Claude. Are you sure? Of course I'm sure. If I'd heard a shot, I'd have been the first one out of the room. I wouldn't have waited as long as you and Alan did. No? Well, the strange thing is that your room's closer to Aunt Hester's room than mine or Lita's. I heard it, so did Pearl, yet you and Lita didn't. Does that seem strange to you, Mr. Brent? Yes, it does. Does it seem strange to you, Pearl? Well, I...

Well, if Alan heard it, then what I can't understand is why Lita didn't hear it. I can understand Lita, perhaps, but I still can't see why Claude didn't hear the sound. And furthermore, whoever fired the shot must still be in the house. The bedroom windows were closed from the inside. I heard nothing, I tell you. Maybe you didn't want to. What are you doing? What are you insinuating? You know more about it than you say. You had a motive. Just a minute, Pearl. Not so fast. No, not so fast, Pearl. Claude didn't hear it, so he says...

I think he knows more than he says he does. And he had just as much of a motive as Lita, maybe more. You're crazy, Brent. You don't even know what you're talking about. You're just jumping to conclusions. Oh, no. You're not going to pull a thing like this and then place the blame on Lita. Claude had nothing to do with it. It was Lita. And she's trying to place the blame on Claude. And how do you know? You and Claude occupy separate rooms? You and Lita occupy separate rooms, too. I think I'd better run upstairs and see what the doctor has to say. Oh, no, you don't. You take one step up those stairs and I'll break your neck. Oh, please, Alan. Please don't start it. It's already started. He's

He's too smart to suit me anyway. I know what he's had on his mind for days. That's a lie. If anyone's had anything on his mind, it was Lita. If she can place the blame on Claude, she'll get everything. She's got it all figured out. She stirred up all the trouble in the first place. But Pearl... Shut up. You got me out here. It wasn't the maid who phoned me. It was you. And you said Mrs. Mayberry wanted to see me. What?

Well, she knew nothing about it. She practically threw me out. But you won't get away with your scheme. Believe me, sister. You're crazy. I'm wise, dear Claude. I heard the shot and I know who fired it. He's got the gun somewhere and I'm calling the police. They'll find out what happened to Aunt Hester. What's all this fussing about shots and police? What's all this fussing about shots and police?

What's wrong with all of you? Why, nothing, Dr. Gregory. No. No, nothing at all. He's the one who did it. Did what? Shot his Aunt Hester. What? He did not. Lita killed her. Well, Mrs. Mayberry is dead, I'm sorry to say. I'm amazed she lasted this long. But certainly she wasn't killed. Where'd you get such an idea? She...

She wasn't killed. But we... we heard a shot. That is, I... I thought... Well, you can think what you like. But Hester Mayberry died of natural causes, just as I knew she would. You mean there's no bullet wound? Oh, Shaw, that's ridiculous. Well, then we... we must have imagined it. Well, now, I'd say you've all been having, uh, nightmares. I... I think you're right, Dr. Gregory.

And thanks for coming over. Well, I phoned the mortician. I'll just wait in the library till he comes. Good night. Of course there were shots, and they all know it. But all but Claude are surprised that no wound was found. Not even a bullet. But Claude isn't surprised. Because he fired blanks at the aunt.

knew the shock would be too much for her. But when the doctor said death was from natural causes, they shut up like clams. Their troubles were at an end. They wouldn't get their shares of the share of the estate after all. Of course, they would get their share. However, they will be struck a horrible blow next week when the lawyer reads the will of Aunt Hester and they learn that Leta and Claude must be man and wife prior to the aunt's death or the entire estate goes to charity. And that's just what will happen.

That was one thing they hadn't counted on. For they all end up with nothing, after all. CBS has presented The Whistler. Original music for this production was composed by Wilbur Hatch and conducted by Ivan Ditmar. The Whistler is written and directed by J. Donald Wilson and originates from Columbia Square in Hollywood.

Next week, same time, I, the whistler, will return to tell you another unusual tale. Good night. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.

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The fascination of the eerie, weird, blood-chilling tales told by old Nancy, the Witch of Salem, and Satan, her wise black cat. They are waiting, waiting for you, now. The Witch of Salem

Hundred and thirteen year old I be today. Yes, sir. A hundred and thirteen year old. Well, Satan, if you'll pass the word to douse all lights, we'll be getting down to business. That's it. Make it nice and dark. Sitting amongst the gloomy shadows is the way to hear our purty tales.

I'll draw up to the fire and gaze into the embers, gaze into on deep, and soon you'll see inside a little shop across the seas in Paris, France. A little curiosity shop it is, full of odd and old and funny things for sale.

And there begins our story of the mannequin. The mannequin. Look, monsieur. The powder box of Marie Antoinette. About 2,000 francs. I haven't the slightest use for a lady's powder box. No? I show, monsieur, the pistol of Maximilien Robespierre. I'm not interested in pistols.

I show me the sword of the Marquis de Lafayette. Please, please, I don't want that either. You do not desire the sword of Lafayette? No, all Monsieur desires is to get out of here. Wait, Paul. I owe Henri an explanation after looking at everything in this place. Monsieur, I regret that I must leave your excellent shop without making a purchase. But you see, I came here in search of a particular something which I have not found.

Oh, what is it, Monsieur Sieck, you have not found? I don't know. Comma? All I know is that I became convinced that there was something in your shop that, well, crazy as it may sound, something that wanted me to have it. I always knew a man had to be insane before he chose painting as a career, but that notion proved that you're even madder than the average artist. Something that wanted me to have it. Bah! Monsieur, do I understand you are an artiste?

Why, yes. An artiste to paint picture? Guilty. Oh, monsieur, come quick, this way. What for? I have something you will buy. Something only for the artiste. What on earth? Must be something precious if he keeps it behind all these locks. Wait until you see. Entrez. You want us to go down in that cellar? Oui, monsieur. Follow me. I turn on the light. What the...

Come, monsieur. Please come. Please come. All right. I see nothing down there but crates and broken junk. He's unlocking another door. Please come, monsieur. Too sweet. Come on, Paul. I'm with you. What the deuce do they want you to see? I think it's the thing I came here to find. I feel its call again. Whatever wants me to have it...

Lies behind that door. Oh, bank. We'll soon find out. He's drawing the last boat. He says he's afraid. Now the door's unlocked, he doesn't pull it open. What's wrong with you, Henri? You're trembling like a frightened child. What are you afraid of? What's behind that door? I opened the door, monsieur. Regardez. Good Lord. There's a woman in that closet. She's hanging by the neck. Her hands and feet are bound with ropes.

This man's a murderer. They've killed her. No, no, no, no, no, no. She's not a woman.

She's a mannequin. Oh, my God. What? It's only a mannequin ball. A lay figure. You mean a dummy? Yes, yes. Every artist has one in his studio. You've seen mine. I'd rate costumes on it instead of using a live model. The figure in your studio isn't anything like this one. I should say it isn't. This is a work of art. It's positively lifelike. To me, it still looks like a woman hanging there.

Why have you got it trussed up, Henri? As though it were some dangerous animal. Take that rope from around the neck and bring it under the light so that I can see it properly. Oui, monsieur. Monty, he's frightened to death of the thing. I see that. But why? It's merely a big doll made of wooden cloth and cotton stuffing. Bring it out, Henri. Oui, monsieur. That's right. Cut the rope from its neck. Hurry up. She isn't going to bite you. Oui, monsieur.

Well, aren't you going to cut those cords that bind the hands and feet? I want to see how the joints work. Monsieur, you perhaps will cut the cords? Oh, give me the knife. I see. I don't wonder they don't like to touch the thing, Monty. It seems living, human. It's the most remarkable mannequin I've ever seen. It's covering it with the finest silk. Look how it's padded. Every muscle, every feature is perfection. The face is almost beautiful. It's lovely.

A master artist did this job. He was a crackerjack mechanic, too. Listen, as I move these joints about, you don't hear the slightest squeak. How's the hair fastened on? It actually seems to be growing from the head. Say, the hair isn't an ordinary wig. Sounds like a wooden base underneath. Tiny holes must have been drilled in the head and the hairs inserted one by one. Who could have gone to all that trouble? Search me. A maker is given a glass eye as tools. I've already noted that.

And they stare at us as though that dummy understood every word we're saying. Funny. Those eyes do convey an illusion of intelligence. Monsieur, you find the mannequin good? Good? She's perfect. Then you will buy? You will take her away? Well, I'd like to, Henri. But I can't afford anything so fine. My price is very low, Monsieur. Yes, I've already heard some examples of what you call low. Oh?

How much? Ah, monsieur. We wish to be rid of her. The price, it do not matter so long you take her from the shop. Monty, wait. There's something funny about this figure. They're too anxious to get rid of it. You're sure this isn't stolen goods, aren't we? No, no, no, monsieur. We are honest people. We prove we buy this mannequin from place in Lyon. We buy a sheep. That is the reason we sell sheep to you.

Well, I don't know what this mystery is, but if you can prove you bought her legally in Lyons, I'll take her. You buy her, monsieur? Pack her up, and I'll tell you where to send her. Oh, oui, oui. Now, here is the box in which she came, monsieur. It looks like a coffin. Monty, you won't have it delivered to your door in that. It'll frighten your wife to death. It probably would give Loretta turn, but I'll warn her what to expect. No, better than that.

We'll take it home with us on top of a cab. And now, monsieur, you will place my purchase in this box. I'll pay you and be on my way. Would you mind if I do not touch the mannequin again? You, monsieur, will lift on the box. You don't like her a little bit, do you? Now that I've removed the cords with which you had a bound, you probably think her hands will throttle you or something. Well, I'm not afraid of her. Come, pretty lady, prepare to travel. Monty! Monsieur!

Monty, I just saw that figure's arms curl about your shoulders. It looked as though she were embracing you. Now that we're nearly home, Paul, please wipe that look of superstitious gloom from your face.

Aren't you yet convinced that my new mannequin is just a mannequin? Naturally, your explanation of the thing's weird movements is the only reasonable one. Of course. Hanging in the damp cellar of that shop, its wooden frame became warped and out of adjustment. That's what made its limbs perform those eerie contortions. I confess I was considerably startled, though, when its arms wrapped themselves so lovingly around my neck. I mustn't tell Florette I've purchased such an amorous lady. You know how jealous she is.

Ah, here we are. I'm glad. That figure's coffin-like box above us on the roof of this cab. I felt as though I were riding with a corpse. I'd better assure Florette that that's not what I'm bringing home before she sees the box and starts to wonder. Oh, darn, it's too late. There she is at the window. Now, Raymond's with her. Thank heaven he's here. I'll have a brother artist to help me gloat over my new purchase. He won't share your dislike of her. They've left the window. They must be coming to the door. Yes.

Take down that box, Cappy. Will be, sir. I'll send Potter over to help him carry it inside. Monty! Hello, Florette.

Hello, Raymond. I say, old chap, what have you got in that beastly-looking box? We saw you arriving in the farm there. Just wait until you see her. Wait till we see her? Yes, darling. I'm bringing home my new sweetheart. Your new sweetheart? Don't be jealous yet. Is Potter around? We left him standing at the door. Potter? Oh, Potter? Yes, Mr. Wendigew? Come here and help the cabbie with his box. Great, you may say. What is inside that box, Wendig? You'll soon find out.

I'll hurry you fellows. Bring her in. I'll open the door for you. Thank you, sir. Here we are. Here we are. You can lay her down here in the hallway. That's right. Now get me a hammer, Potter. There's one in my studio. Or will you pay the cabbie, Paul? Monty, tell us what you have in that box immediately. Yes, don't keep us in suspense, old chap. You'll see for yourselves in a moment. Potter, hurry up. Here's the hammer, sir. Here's the hammer. Shall I give it the work, sir? No, I'll open it.

There's only a single nail at each end holding the boards. Behold! Good Lord! Mr. Montague! Take her away. She's a cop. No, no, no, Florette. It's just a wax figure. Your boo's wrong. It's my new mannequin. New mannequin, Monty? Wait till I lift her out and show you.

Oh, she puts her arms on your neck. You explain that, Paul, while I place her in this chair. The framework inside is warped, Florette, which makes the limbs spring into queer positions. At least, that's what Monty says. The thing's an absolute work of art. I knew you'd appreciate her, Ray. But, Monty, these joints aren't warped in any way. They move in my hands without the slightest effort. Because warping is not the reason why her arms move just like light.

She's more than just a mannequin. She's not good. I do not like her. You're jealous of my new sweetheart. For that's what she is. My newfound love. She's certainly lovely, isn't she, Florette? Who was it?

I heard it, too. Heard what? Monty, that figure sighed. You're crazy. No, I heard her. So did I. Me too, sir. Then the four of you are batty. Monty, take this thing away. They will not have it here. I'm afraid. Dear, you're not going to become hysterical over a big stuffed doll. Here, let me hold you in my arms. The figure made a hissing sound. It did. Look at these eyes.

stab me with hate. Aye, they do. Have you all become raving lunatics? She or I must leave this house, Monty. I bid not stay here with her. Nor I, sir. I gives notice. This is becoming ridiculous. No, Monty's right. We're making fools of ourselves. Because this figure is so lifelike, we're imagining things that can't possibly be so. You certainly are. Potter, stop trembling like a frightened puppy and mix everyone a scotch and soda, yourself included.

It's apparently needed to steady such flighty nerves. Yes, sir. Serve it in the studio. Go on in, fellas. Come on, Paul. All right. I come too. Wait, Florette. Before we leave here, I want you to take a good look at this mannequin and convince yourself it's no more than cloth and cotton stuffing. I do not wish to look. Her eyes stare at me with hate. How can eyes made of glass show any emotion? Monty, I'm afraid of her. No matter what you say, I know she is more than what she seems.

And I know she do not like me. Lorette, dear, you should be ashamed of the way you're acting. Come now, snap out of it. I am very silly, I suppose. That thing can be nothing more than just a great big doll. You know it can't. Yes, I know. And I'm afraid of her no longer. I proved to you she cannot fight me, Sherry. Regarde, I slap her face. No, don't.

You might knock her off that chair and break her. Very well. But because I meant to slap her face, you see, I am not afraid of her anymore. Your courage is proven. Now let's go in and join the others. Wait. Kiss me, mon petit. You did not kiss me when you arrived. I was too excited over my purchase, I guess. Now I'll make up for lost time. Yes. Kiss me. Kiss me much. Dear, what's the matter?

Paul, Raymond, come here. What is it? What's the matter? Look at Florette. She suddenly collapsed in my arms as though she'd been struck. Struck? Yes, Paul. You're a doctor. See what's wrong with her. There's blood oozing from her head. She's not badly hurt? No, merely a flesh wound. Just enough to knock her out. What did it? I don't know. There's a hammer lying at her feet. Someone must have thrown it at her. But we were alone here. You were not alone. I tell you... Monty, that mannequin was here.

And when you opened the case in which you brought her here, you left this hammer lying beside her hand. I find what they call a natural explanation for everything, Raymond. Even say she did not saw that hammer at my head last month. Ray, will you try to talk some sense into this poor deluded child? My dear Florette.

Monty is right in insisting that your accident was due to some normal cause. It's impossible to believe that an inanimate lay figure threw a hammer at you. That mannequin is not the thing at three, I tell you. She tried to cause my death because she loved my husband. My dear child, you can't believe such arid nonsense as that. Oh, you are like Monty. You take me just as fool. Paul is the only one who do not say that I am crazy when I speak about that mannequin.

But he's gone away from Pai now. Thank heaven for that. I couldn't stand both him and you talking madness day and night. Oh, Raymond, I must make you believe what I say for Monty's sake. Since that figure come here, he has changed. I have not changed. You have. Ever since you know me, I have been your model.

Now no more you let me pose for you. You paint only from that mannequin. Oh, for the love of... Ray, you know I'm working on a canvas depicting Abelard and Halwa. Florette posed for Halwa's and the face is painted. Now I'm simply painting in the costume. And she's sore because I draped it on the mannequin. Instead of making her stand motionless for hours like a wooden clothed horse. All artists do that, you know, Florette.

But he is not only painting in the costume. He has retouched the face for which I pose until now he look like the mannequin. Well, what have I have? Have you, Monty? I... Yes. Why? I will tell you. The face of Helwa should be your love. I love Monty, but I am just a simple woman. The figure is more than woman. And she love him more than I do. Oh, that rot. But...

Well, crazy as it may sound to you, Ray, I did catch an expression of absolute devotion from that mannequin's painted face. Because she adore you. You told me that she called to you before you ever see her in that shop from which you buy her. Oh, I'm sick of this whole business. I know she's nothing but a jointed image. I'll never have a moment's peace while she remains inside the house. You win, Florette. You mean... I'll get rid of her.

You've admired her, Ray. You'll take care of her. I've heard enough of your silly talk about a voice inside this box, Potter. Now that we've reached my chambers, pour yourself a drink and forget it. But there was a voice, Mr. Raymond. Mr. Montague heard it and so did his missus. Well, I didn't. All I heard was a crash as you let your end of this case fall to the floor.

And if I find the figure inside broken, I'll strangle you for it. Find me something with which to pry this lid open. You're not going to take the figure out, sir? Naturally, naturally. Now, this heavy hunting knife will do the trick, I think. There we are, Potter. Lift the lid aside. Yes, sir. And now I lift the fair, inanimate cause of so much unreasoning terror from her most uncomfortable-looking casket.

Out you come, pretty one. I'm not afraid of you. You're going to live with me now. Fleurette says you're in love with Monty, but he's given you to me. You won't see him anymore. Look! The figure's hand! It's grabbed the dancing knife! There are other hands at my throat, Potter! Potter, get that knife! She stabbed him! Killed him! And now she's coming after me! Help! Help! Help!

Florette, will you please stop pacing the floor like a caged animal? Raymond has the figure safely inside his studio by this time, and it's not coming back here. What was it? Mary, the doorbell. It is she, Cumberbatch. Rot, it's probably Potter returning from Raymond's place. I'll let him in.

Hello, Monty. Paul. Hello, Florette. Oh, Paul, I am glad to see you. You alone do not say I am a fool about that mannequin. You see, the lay figure is still the paramount topic of conversation, Paul, just as when you went away from Paris. I'm not surprised. And I'm here to carry on the conversation, Monty. I've just returned from Lyons, where your big doll came from. What do you mean? I went there purposely to learn what I could about the figure, and I discovered some interesting things.

Look at this photograph. But first let me cover half of it with my hand. Here. Why, it's a picture of the mannequin. No, Monty. It's a portrait of a living woman. Now look at the other half. A man standing beside her. He is Monty. It's my photograph. I never posed for such a picture. Those clothes we're wearing. I never saw them before. The costumes you see are those of a hundred years ago. The originals of this picture have been dead almost at last.

I do not understand. Where did you get this picture? I had it photographed from a painting in the Lion's Museum, which bore the date of 1840. 1840? Why do the dead men in this picture look so much like Monty? I can't explain their resemblance except by supposing it's one of nature's duplications. The man you see here was a sculptor named Marcel Valmont. The woman was his wife.

They were greatly in love with one another, so much so that when she died, he lost his reason. He is reputed to have made a life-size figure that resembled her, which he kept always at his side until his death. You think my mannequin... Yes. That is why she loved my Monty then, because he looked like her husband. But the mannequin is only a copy of the woman. From what we have seen, I think she is something more than that. Something more? Yes.

I wish to examine your mannequin carefully. It is gone. Gone where? I gave it to Raymond about an hour ago. Oh, that's all right. He'll keep it safe. That bell! I'll answer it. She said she would return. Stop that turret. Mr. Montague! Mr. Montague! Stop that. Oh, it is only he. Why are you wearing handcuffs? Eh?

And who are these men with you? Pardonez-moi, monsieur. I'm Sergeant Grosjean of the Surreté. Police? What are you doing with my servant? He is under arrest because there have been attempted murder. But I didn't do it. She stabbed him with a knife. I saw her do it. Who stabbed who? The figure stabbed Mr. Raymond and then she got a wire and beg. You're lying. That's impossible. His story is in thin, monsieur. That is why we bring him here for questioning in your presence. The wounded man cannot yet talk. His story is not in thin.

She tried to kill Raymond because he'd take her away from you, Monty. Florette. And she will come back here just like she said. She's only cloth and wood, I tell you. She can't be anything else. Quiet. Listen. I hear footsteps. Of a woman. In my studio. Come, we're going in there. We? Open quick that door. I have it.

A mannequin. Oh, she has entered through the window. A bloodstained knife is in her hand. It is the one she used on Mr. Raymond. She's coming for me. Oh, mon testes me. I won't let her harm you. Stop that thing. Quick, quick. I've got a knife. I've knocked her down. She's just a padded figure. She couldn't walk as we've seen her. She couldn't try to kill anyone.

We're all of us mad and seeing things that can't be true. We won't see things anymore. Paul, don't slash her with that knife. I'm going to find the infernal mechanics that make her run. Oh, you've ripped her body. You've spoiled the thing of beauty. Are you satisfied now? Now when you see she's nothing but cloth and wadded stuffing on a wooden frame? The framework isn't wooden. It's a human skeleton. Oh, my God. The head is a skull.

The air is growing from a human skull. Oh. It's the skeleton of Marcel Valmont's wife. He put her bones inside the figure that he made. It seems so. I think that's the explanation of all that's happened, Monty. Perhaps it is.

Where is her husband's grave, Paul? At Lyons. In the Cimetere de Loyer. As soon as you police have finished Sergeant Gruden, I'll see these poor restless bones are buried beside the man she truly loved. Monty. Floretta, I wonder if I was him a hundred years ago.

Well, that's the end of that, Satan. We'll have another 30 yards of spin, you folks, when we come back from our vacation. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

The End

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Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu slash CWP. Skillbridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify. In just a moment, X minus one. But first, an important subject in these days of snow and blizzard is how to fight the common cold. And tomorrow, NBC's weekday.

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Countdown for blastoff. X minus 5, 4, 3, 2, X minus 1, fire. From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future. Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be years on a thousand maybe worlds.

The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents X minus 1. Tonight's story, A Thousand Dollars a Plate by Jack McKenty. X minus 1.

Ferry ship from DEMA Space Station carrying cargo and passengers from Earth now arriving in blasting pit six. Radiation clearance and quarantine officers report to passenger conveyor. Mars Airways to New Chicago, Port Kelly, Marsport, Marsport Park, New Amityville, and Nova Massapequa take off in 15 minutes. All aboard.

Excuse me, sir. Could you help me? Sure, buddy. What'll it be? Cards? Dice? A little shot of distilled hackaberry? No, I just wondered if you could direct me to... Brother, you came to the right man. I can direct you anywhere you want to go. That's what I'm here for. You just get off the ferry? Yes, I came on the Phobos Queen. Yeah, yeah. You know you can spot them in my business. All right, what'll it be now? Well, I want to know how I can get to the observatory. The what? The Mars Observatory. You know, the Astronomical Research Center.

What do you want to go there for? I work there, or at least I will. No kidding. You're one of them double-domed stargazers, huh? Yes. I'm an astronomer. Yeah. I heard there was a lot of you guys out there under glass, but I don't get out of town much. I got to keep my hand in, you know.

Uh, are you sure you wouldn't like a little flutter before you settle down in your rut? No, no, I never play cards. Occasionally a little chess. I don't know if they got any chess in any of the casinos, but if you want, I could arrange it. You know, play against the house, five bucks apiece for the kitty and a C-note for checkmate.

No, thank you. Can you direct me to the observatory? You'll have to get a sand hack. None of the regular buses go by there. They just hit the casinos on a strip. Hey, I'll tell you what. The next ferry won't clear for another half hour. I'll walk you over to the hack stand. Well, thank you. That's very kind of you, Mr... Just call me Pusher. It's on account of my occupation, you know.

Oh, I see. I'm Enright C. Bensinger, Dr. Bensinger. Well, it's a pleasure, Doc. Right this way. Well, this isn't exactly what I expected. Your first trip to Mars, huh? Yes, it is. Well, you'll get used to it. Out this way. Adjust your gills. Gills? Sure. But what do you think you're going to breathe outside that door? There isn't enough oxygen on Mars to keep a mouse alive. They gave you a standard issue when you got off the ferry. It's in that bag. Oh.

Yes, I'm afraid I was reading when they explained it. The quarterly journal from the Harvard Observatory, you know. Hmm? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I never miss a copy. Now, look, you put the nose clip in, see, and crack the valve. This way it compresses enough air to keep you going. Okay? All right, let's go. Hmm. Cold. Sure, it's cold. Sand hacks are right up the street there. Beautiful. Beautiful. All the colors in the sky. Hmm.

I am surprised, though, in an atmosphere this thin. The sunset shouldn't be as spectacular. That ain't the sunset, Chief. That's the new sign on top of the Canal Casino. Right there behind you, see? Fun. Fun. Fun. Yeah, but if you want a square shake with the dice, you go to Harry Harvey's place. The Red Sands Hotel. I suppose the seeing is excellent. You're telling me. You know, he's got a line of girls like you never see nowhere else. Oh, I'm afraid I meant astronomical seeing.

The telescopes, you know. Hey, you got an idea there. Telescopes. What's that? Nothing. Fireworks. It's a marzipan. So far? Marzipan. You know, big party all over town. Parades, costumes, liquor, fireworks, gambling. You know, big celebration. Well, what's the occasion? An eclipse of the two moons. Oh, but that occurs very frequently. Oh, sure. You'd be surprised how much a marzipan helps to take on the strip. Well, here are the sand hacks. And look, don't let them hackies charge you more than 15 bucks for the trip. Just tell them you know me.

Just tell him Pusher sent you. Gentlemen, I want you all to meet Dr. Benzinger, our new colleague. These are Dr. Spitz, Spiegel, Ortony, and Klein. I'm sorry to introduce you to our team at such a critical moment, but our situation is rather desperate. I'm afraid I don't understand. Spiegel, show Dr. Benzinger your plate. Here, just look at this. Just look. It took me eight weeks working with a computer to plot this plate, and look. Look. It seems fogged.

These streaks, I don't believe I've ever seen them on an astronomical photograph before. What are they? Skyrockets, that's what they are. Skyrockets? Morton, I tell you that they fired them in our direction on purpose. All right, all right. Calm down, Spiegel. Calm down? Do you realize that it will be 12 years before this particular conjunction can be photographed again? Morton, you've got to do something. Couldn't you write a little note to the Chamber of Commerce and ask them to eliminate the fireworks?

We've written a note every time a small boy lets off a Roman candle, and it was no use. I tell you, they fire them this way on purpose. I'm afraid that's true. The other directions around town are either oil refineries or homes of the casino owners.

I don't suppose there's any chance of moving the observatory, then, out into the desert. My dear Dr. Benziger, we'd have to bring in crews to tear it down. Other crews to move it and set it up. Not to mention breakage and replacement, which would involve more freight from Earth at $7.97 per pound, dead weight. As it is, the immense costs add up to a staggering total. Do you know what a single photographic plate costs us, counting overhead?

One thousand dollars. Well, then what is the answer? Another letter to the town council, I suppose. Let me write it this time, Dr. Morton. My grandmother used to have several rather picturesque phrases which I believe I could translate. No, no, no, no, Spiegel. Dignity, dignity, remember? We are an adjunct of Harvard University. Dr. Spiegel, I shall ask you and Dr. Benzinger to accompany me in person to the town council.

Surely they cannot turn down a rational request in the interest of science. Well, gentlemen, the town council appreciates the problem. Yes, I felt certain it would. Naturally, you're aware of the importance of astronomical research, Mr. Harvey. Well, I can see your point, Doc. You sit out there in your little glass hut, pointing your brownie camera up at the stars, snapping away...

But you gotta look at our point of view. Oh? Now you take my place. Harvey's Red Sands. I got a heavy investment. Fourteen crap tables, a half a dozen roulette wheels, and the rest of the overhead. I gotta keep them wheels running. It's the Mazi-Graw that drags the suckers in. But really, Mr. Harvey, we were just asking you to curtail the pyrotechnic display. Now wait just a minute. I'm as clean-living as the next guy. Oh, Dr. Benzinger means the fireworks. Oh.

Well, I'd like to help you out, boys, but I look at it this way. Those stars you're looking at are going to be up there for a couple of thousand years. But a sucker is different. You've got to grab him while he's still healthy. But in the interest of science, surely the town council can't agree with you. Doc, the town council is made up of Joe Rocco, Pete Carney, Alex the Armenian, and me. We own the four biggest houses in town.

So go ahead, fellas. Take all them snapshots you want to. If you happen to lower your telescope, get a couple of good ones through a window at the Grand Canal Hotel. I'll take a couple of 8x10 enlargements. I'll see you around, Tom. ¶¶

Well, I'm afraid the town council was no help. They just remain insensible to reason. Well, I'm afraid the only thing those gentlemen understand is money. My dear Dr. Benzinger, the smallest bet allowed in Mr. Harvey's establishment is approximately the same as your monthly salary. Oh.

Dr. Morton, suppose the gambling operators were suddenly to lose a great deal of money. They never do. Of course, with the ordinary layman playing against them. But suppose the best scientific brains were to concentrate on a simple matter like the probabilities of a given roulette wheel, or the combinations and permutations applicable to a game of poker. We could put the main computer on it. Doctor, are you seriously suggesting... I think he's got a point.

If we could give those casinos a shellacking, they might stop the fireworks just to get rid of us. Now, let me get this straight, Doc. All you eggheads up there made up a kitty to get into a crap game? Well, uh, that's right. I thought you might direct me to the largest establishment, Mr. Harvey's place, I believe. Now, look, Doc, come over here. Now, over here in the corner.

Now, look, I'm a pusher. See, my job is to take these tourists by the lapel and shove them in front of a dice table quick before they spend any of their letters foolishly on food and lodging. But these rubes, they come here expecting to get took. They don't miss it, you understand? It's all part of a good time. But you guys out there running your Harvard peekaboo racket, you're different. Now, what do you want to get mixed up in this for? You take your peanuts home and shove it in a piggy bank. Save up and buy yourself a new telescope or something. I appreciate your solicitude, Mr. Pusher, but I'm quite determined.

Which way is Mr. Harvey's place? Well, if you've made up your mind, the bus leaves from right over there in about 15 minutes. Uh, get a round-trip ticket, because Mr. Harvey don't want no sucker stuck without they got car fare away from his place. I shouldn't worry about that. Frankly, I expect to leave Mr. Harvey flat broke. I'll see you just before dawn. I don't understand it.

I just don't understand it. But what happened? Luckily, a certain Mr. Pusher was generous enough to lend me $15 for a sand hack. Otherwise, I would have had to walk. Well, that was rather decent of him. Well, not exactly. He said he gets a percentage when he pulls in a ripe chump. You mean it's all gone? Every dollar.

I just can't understand it. I kept careful notes. I followed the formula that was worked out by the computer. I calculated the odds by slide rule, carrying them to the fourth and fifth decimal place. I just can't understand it. Mr. Pusher said that I had a frigid digit. A what?

A cold finger. I gather that's the opposite of a hot hand. But according to the games theory as outlined in the last International Congress of Theoretical Mathematics... Unfortunately, at the last Mathematical Congress, they weren't trying to make a four the hard way. There they go again. Sky rockets. I was hoping to get at least three plates in before they started. And a crushing blow occurred when Mr. Pusher offered to sell me my horoscope. No. Yes. Oh.

He said anyone was a fool to get into a dice game if the stars weren't right. Now, there's an example of what we're up against. Medieval superstition existing side by side with hydrazine rockets and nuclear space drives. Shocking! I'm not so sure.

Might be a good idea. Dr. Morton sent for the staff psychiatrist. Benzinger has scratched his reflector. No, no, gentlemen. Pushew was right. Every man who's going to gamble should have a horoscope. It's very important to know what the stars say. What are you talking about? And where on Mars is the place best equipped to tell you what the stars say? Oh, no. Dr. Benzinger. Gentlemen, I tell you, it may be a stroke of genius. Oh.

Hello? Is this the advertising office? This is Dr. Bensinger. I should like to place an ad. No. No, there will be no pretty girl. Just this. Free, free. For the first time ever, your horoscope scientifically cast by the staff of the famous Mars Observatory. Learn your luck, your future. Write or call Mars Observatory. No charge, no obligation. Yes, thank you. I'd like to run that every day until further notice.

Pusher. Yeah, Mr. Harvey. Did you do like I said? Yes, sir. I went out to the observatory just like you told me. You know, I had to share the sand hack with five other guys. I understand the bus company's putting a route out there. A big crowd, huh? Sure, Mr. Harvey. You know, them horoscopes they're giving there, the only thing on Mars that don't cost the tourists any money. All right, all right. What happened? Well...

When I got out there, it was this Doc Bensinger. You see, all dressed up in a dunce cap with stars on it or something, in a big robe. They showed us all around the place. You never saw telescopes as big as that. All right, all right. Skip the travelogue. All right. Well, finally, they took my name and my birth date and my collar size, and they run it through this computer.

You should have seen that thing. Lights and bells, I'm telling you, it looked like the biggest pinball machine you ever saw. I kept waiting for it to tilt. The horoscopes, the horoscopes. Yeah, well, they give it to me finally. I mean, the first couple of pages is the ordinary bourgeois about the sun and the moon and the stars. But on the fourth page, that's the kicker. What'd it say? Well, it said that I'd be real lucky at most of the gambling places, but I'd lose my shirt at... Boss, you're not gonna like this. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. I'd lose my shirt if I played at Harry Harvey's place. Pretty shrewd.

You know, for a bunch of scientists, they're pretty smart. That isn't going to work. Booner's right mind is going to pay attention to a lot of hooey like that. Sure, Mr. Harvey. Can I go now? What's your hurry? Well, I'm going over to Purple Flamingo to play a little poker. I mean, after all, they say I'll be lucky any place but here. I mean, you can't argue with science. Gentlemen, I think we're on our way. I checked Mr. Harvey's establishment.

You could shoot an elk in the gambling room. Empty, eh? There was nobody playing but an elderly masochist who likes to lose. Dr. Morton, we have a visitor. Bansinger, I have asked you please to take off that confounded astrologer's hat when you come into my office. It embarrasses me. Oh, I'm sorry. But, doctor, allow me to present Mr. Harry Harvey. Hiya. How's business, Mr. Harvey? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, look, gentlemen, let's put our cards on the table. You put a hole in my pocket...

Like I haven't had since I once ran into an honest police lieutenant in Cincinnati. I presume you've come about our horoscopes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's shoot or get off the fire line. How much? I beg your pardon? How much will you take them lay off? Mr. Harvey, just a promise.

What? You're on the town council, Mr. Harvey. Now, the next time the question of tourist entertainment is discussed, we want you to vote against any fireworks display. Well, sure, that's no problem, but look, I'm only one vote. Oh, don't worry, Mr. Harvey. Every one of the casino owners on the council will have his turn to be, uh, mentioned in the stars. Yeah? Yeah.

You gonna knock us all one by one like a flight of ducks? Well, that's the general idea. I gotta hand it to you. I gotta take off my hat to you. Mr. Harvey, we're desperate. We cannot afford to let valuable and irreplaceable photographic plates be spoiled by fireworks. Okay, you win. But listen, here's five bills. Five hundred dollars?

But we couldn't take it, Mr. Harvey. I've already explained. It's not for me. I want you to take a full-page ad and do the purple flamingo in your next horoscope. I'd like to see Joe Rockle's face when he gets a load of it. All right, Mr. Harvey. We'd be glad to take him next. Oh, uh, and one more thing before I go. Can I look through the telescope? I never looked through one before. Oh.

Well, that's the last of them. The Red Sands, Frankland's Paradise, the Martian Gardens, the Two Moons Club... And the Purple Flamingo. Dr. Morton, we've got them all. There will be a meeting of the town council a week from now, and after that, no more fireworks. All those beautiful stars and nebulae are not a misbegotten skyrocket to stand between us. Oh, it's beautiful. Gentlemen, I have some news for you. You have? Yes.

I am in receipt of an interplanetary radiogram from my parent organization, the Harvard Observatory. Are they going to send the new mass spectroscope? Please, please. Morton, Earth newspapers carrying accounts of horoscopes published by your organization. Very unscientific. Harvard Board of Overseers aghast. Must stop at once. Fire.

Find other solution. Signed, L.K. Bell, Director. Well, I thought Thursday was the regular day for personal message delivery. It is. Oh, Mr. Harvey. I asked Mr. Harvey to wait in the washroom. He brought the message down. Oh, sure. All of us have contacts in the radio office. We can get a hold of messages a couple of days before they're clear. Did you come down to gloat over our misfortune, Mr. Harvey? No, no, no. You got my promise to help you boys, and I'll stick by you. But the rest of them...

Well, it's tough, fellas, but business is business. I'm afraid the fireworks will go on as usual. Thank you, Mr. Harvey. Look, what would happen if you brought all the boys out here, showed them around, and then you could offer to name a star after them or something? I'd sure like to be able to point in the sky and say, that's Harvey's star. Well, Mr. Harvey, I'm afraid any stars worth looking at with the naked eye already have names.

Besides, Harvard Observatory wouldn't stand for this idea either. It would make as much sense to them as you naming a poker chip after me. But, Dr. Morton, we've got to think of something. We tried rigging up a photoelectric cell. It closes the shutter when a rocket goes up, but it cuts the exposure time too much. But if we can't get these plates, we may not be able to duplicate them for years. Why, right now, they're preparing the first trip to a newly discovered planet. And the work of the observatory is necessary to ensure the success of that trip.

Now, surely your colleagues will realize that, Mr. Harvey. The future of the human race is at stake. Doc, the only race those jokers are interested in takes place at Tropical Park. Look out there. They're starting the fireworks. All of them heading this way again. No, no, no. It's nothing personal. It's just that if we point them any other way, they're likely to splash people. Or maybe set something on fire.

You mean, if the rockets misfired and get the tourists all wet, there would be trouble? Oh, sure. You couldn't have that. A guy with wet pants ain't gonna stand around no crap table for hours. Mr. Harvey, do you really want to help us? Well, sure. I promised, didn't I? Uh, Dr. Spiegel, do you think the research library would have any material on pyrotechnics? Bensinger, what do you have in mind? Well, Dr. Morton, I was thinking of fighting fire with fireworks. BELL RINGS

Careful with that match, Harvey. Oh, don't worry. With the oxygen around here, you need a blowtorch lighter cigarette. Have you got the rockets ready, Dr. Benzinger? Well, here they are in the launching racks. I've got all my instruments, compass, a clinometer, an azimuthal radioscope, and a blowtorch. Well, what are we waiting for? Spiegel.

He's bringing the calculated trajectories from the computer. Say, I don't know if I like this. What if they miss? Or they go off too soon or something? Oh, nonsense, Mr. Harvey. You forget. We're scientists. Here are the figures, Bensinger. We double-checked them on the master computer. All right, then. Let's go.

They'll be starting the official fireworks any minute. Azima 360.3570. Check. Elevation 49.3740. Check. That's corrected for wind, velocity, temperature change, and magnetic eddy currents. Are you sure you guys know what you're doing with them skyrockets? Don't worry, Mr. Harvey. They're going to explode in the Grand Canal and get everybody in the Canal Casino all wet. You shouldn't object. After all, it's your competition. Coming up to zero hour, Benzinger. Light the torch. Five seconds. Four. Three.

Three, two, one, fire. Here they go. Oh, interesting effect, that purple color. Oh, do you like it? Yes. That was my idea.

Radioactive fluorides. They're up over the town now. Hey, hey, one of them's beginning to wobble. I can't understand that. The computer was absolutely certain... It's going over the south of town. The other one's tracking correctly on the radar. It'll hit the canal square. Yeah, but look, the purple one. There it goes. It hit. Looks like it's starting a fire. Hey, must have hit somebody's house.

Hey, you can see it now. It's a house burning. Oh, dear, dear. There must have been a weak tube in the computer. Yeah. Some guy's gonna be real sore. I can see it real clear with the glasses now. That house on top of the hill there by the gecko bush. Boy, it's burning like... Mr. Harvey, what's the matter? That's my house!

Dr. Bensinger, I've called you in to read a letter that I've written to Mr. Harvey. Oh, do you know his address? I believe he's staying at his gambling establishment. His house was at total loss. Yes, well, yes. This has been a very difficult letter for me to write. I, uh... I believe the letter is academic, Dr. Morton. Mr. Harvey is outside. He is? With two very large gentlemen with bulging pockets. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. I

I don't know what to say. Well, well, Mr. Harvey, what a surprise. You two apes went outside. Now, Dr. Morton, about those fireworks. I want you to know I believe in direct action. I don't like fiddling around. Well, of course not. Like a time I had some trouble with a bottom dealer from Lunar City. I didn't fool around. I sent him back to the moon in a cargo rocket.

With no air. How interesting. Now, uh, about your problems. Are you sure? We apologize. Apologize? That's great. Ah! I just remembered I left a few plates in the bath. I don't go away, Doctor. You're in on this, too. No, there wouldn't be room. Not for two of us. What are you talking about? Well, in a cargo rocket, especially without air. What? I'm trying to tell you. The council voted against fireworks. No, as a matter of fact, I have a very bad sinus, and no air would definitely... What?

Oh, sure. We decided anything that could burn down an honest citizen's house was too dangerous. Very civic-minded, that council. But, but, I don't understand. I kept my promise. I said I'd help you, and I did.

Well, I'm terribly embarrassed. We were trying to get a collection among the staff to help you pay for your loss, but I'm afraid the total assets of the observatory wouldn't reconstruct your garage. But we held a staff meeting, and we decided on a more permanent kind of remembrance. Mr. Harvick, on this photograph, you see this trail? This bright trail? Oh, one of them skyrockets again? I'm sorry, Doc. It won't happen again. No, no, no. This is no skyrocket.

It's a comet. It will be quite bright for several months. And we've decided to call it Harvey's Comet. Harvey's Comet? Hey, that's real nice. Harvey's Comet. Hey, Doc, you put me on top of the world. Them boys at the Canal Casino boasting about their new sign. But me, I got a comet. Harvey's Comet. Why, every sucker on Mars will see it every night.

It's the best advertisement since they wrote Seven Down across the face of the moon. Well, I'm glad that you're pleased. Well, as a matter of fact, Doc, I kind of heard about it in advance of one of your boys. You named a comet after me? Okay. I brought something for you. Here. What is it? A poker chip from my place. Go ahead, read it. Harvey's Club. Dr. Morton's poker chip. $5,000.

That's dollars, Doc. Don't spend it all in one place. You have just heard X-1, presented by the National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine. Your announcer, Fred Collins. X-1 was an NBC Radio Network production. X-1

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Deploy your career in IT today. Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu. Skillbridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify. It's mystery time.

Time now for The Best in Mystery. Tonight on Masters of Mystery, an exciting melodrama titled No One Will Ever Know. Sure, we supply bodyguards by the day, a week, or month. It's got to be 24 hours a day.

Your best man. And I want him to shoot to kill. Good evening. This is Don Dowd, your host for Mystery Time. Back again to introduce another in ABC Radio's great Monday through Saturday lineup of mystery dramas. Every night at this time, a new and different story.

Our drama tonight on Masters of Mystery, presented live from New York, is written by Leonard St. Clair and is titled No One Will Ever Know. Murder is bad business under any circumstances. But when a man plots to make himself the victim, well, we promise you plenty of suspense as Masters of Mystery brings you No One Will Ever Know. Nobody believes me.

They all think it's my imagination. The sick dream with a sick mind. But I know he's out there in the night. I know he's waiting for me. Waiting for the right moment to kill me. Nobody believes it could happen. Because everybody still believes I'm lucky. Lucky Sam Parnell, the man who always wins. Lucky Sam who bought that stock that jumped ten points in two days. Lucky Sam who was on the long shot at yesterday's race. Lucky Sam who owns a piece of that oil well out in Texas.

That's the way it was with me until last week. It was Monday evening. I'd just gotten home. The maid took my raincoat and I headed for the bar to fix myself a drink. Hello, Sam, darling. How are you? Fine, honey. How about a martini? Love one. Good. Here we are.

And? Sam, you haven't noticed. Noticed what? My new dress. Oh. Well, it's fine, fine. It's pretty fancy, isn't it? Well, it's a cocktail dress, darling. I thought I ought to have something new for the both. And I promise I won't cost you any more until we get to Paris. Who's complaining? All right, honey. To the trip. To Paris. Good. That's delicious.

Oh, by the way, did you find the telegram? Telegram? Why, I left it on the ball for you. Oh? Yes, here it is, practically under your nose. Oh? I wonder who. I called your office in case you wanted me to read the message to you, but you'd already left. What? Oh, what's the matter? Uh, nothing, dear, nothing. I'm sorry, it was a clumsy thing to do. Darling, there is something wrong. You look sick. No, I'm...

I'm all right. There's nothing the matter. Uh, look, Catherine, can you get a rag and mop up this mess? Why, the maid will do it, dear. Sam, what was in that telegram? Who was it from? Tell me. Who was it from? Please, please, honey. You're getting yourself all upset about nothing. Suppose you go tell Lottie to clear up this broken glass. I'll fix us another round of drinks. Thank you.

As soon as Catherine disappeared toward the kitchen, I reread the telegram. Sorry, old man. Our well is a dry hole. Send 10,000 more to clean up final debt. Signed, Harry. 10,000 more. 10,000 I didn't have. Every penny I had poured into that Texas well was borrowed money. Harry ought to know that. This was to be our big plunge. Harry and I were going to crack our first million. Now, lucky Sam, Parnell was broke. Bankrupt.

After dinner, I locked myself in the study. I had to think to work something out with pencil and paper. But it didn't work out. The stocks and bonds would have to go to pay off the loans. The mortgage would take the house. The only asset left would be my life insurance. That $50,000 policy with the double indemnity clause. Yes? Sam, can you come to the phone?

It's Jimmy. He's calling from school. Well, uh, tell him I'm tied up, Kathy, and give him my love. Oh, but darling, he wants to say goodbye to you before we sail. Well, then you can tell him we're not going to Europe. What? I'm turning in our tickets in the morning. Tell Jimmy the old man's got to stay and close a business deal. The biggest deal of my life. Don't argue with me, Catherine, and don't wait up for me. I'll be working most of the night.

I'll see you in the morning. The biggest business deal of my life. It would be that, all right. And my last deal. I set up Musa and I trying to work it out. The idea was okay, but I was going to need help. Expert help. The next morning, I dropped by to see Max. His office was in the back of a particular drugstore on 43rd Street.

Hello, Mr. Parnell. It was a pretty good long shot running in the ink this afternoon. As if you didn't know. That isn't why I came by, Max. Oh, Max doesn't answer some trouble. He's looking for somebody who will do anything for a price. Sounds like he's in big trouble. He is. In a few days, he'll be broke. That's big enough. It occurred to me, Max, that you might have some friends, some connections. Uh, no friends.

Connections, maybe. Somebody you can trust. Somebody who won't talk. What's the job? To kill a man. What? Now, look, Mr. Parnell... Max, you're doing business with the mobs all the time. You must know somebody. Now, if it's done right, there won't be any risk. And there's $5,000 in it. Suppose we level with each other, Mr. Parnell. This friend of yours. You, isn't it? Yes, I am.

Okay. Who do you want taken care of? Me. You sound like you mean it. I do. Max, I'll be completely wiped out within a month. I don't want my wife and my boy to know I'm a failure. I don't want them out in the streets. I want them to hold on to what they've got now. I'm too old to start all over again. My luck's run out, Max. Alive, I'm worth nothing, not even to myself. Dead, at least my family will get by. Life insurance? Yes.

Double indemnity. But the company won't pay off for suicide. So, uh, it has to look like an accident. Hmm? Oh, Mr. Pine. Max, there's no other way. I'm afraid to fake it myself. I'll pay $5,000. All right. Maybe I can get a boy for you, but... Well, with this kind of deal, you'll have to be paid in advance. I'll bring the money this afternoon. Okay. Max? Yeah?

How do you think he'll do it? Better if you don't know, isn't it? You might get too anxious. Yeah, maybe too helpful. Well, he'll make it so no one will ever know. Not even you. When I left Max, I went directly to the steamship office and got a refund on our round-trip tickets to Europe.

$1,400. I needed every penny I could get hold of to make the $5,000 to Max. But I got it. And that afternoon I gave it to him in cash. All I had to do now was wait. Tuesday passed. Then Wednesday. Thursday. Every morning when I left for the office, I kissed Catherine goodbye for what might be the last time. Every night when I came home to her, I dreaded the thought of leaving again in the morning.

The string began to get unbearable. Let's get this over with, Max. Let's end it before I go mad. And Friday. Friday afternoon. Hello? Oh, yes, dear. Yes, will you please? What? Yes, Catherine, how wonderful. How unbelievable. Won't you, dear? Won't you?

No, no, it can't go through now. It mustn't. I've got to get to Max. I don't want to get killed. No!

I tell you, he's gone, Mr. Parnell. Gone, but where? You've worked for him for years. You must know where he's gone. I don't know. Right after the last time you were here, he came out and gave me two weeks' wages. That's your present for you, Charles, he said. I'm going on a vacation, maybe two or three months. Well, look, some of his friends must know where he is. Tell me where I can find them. I never paid any mind to his friends, Mr. Parnell. Oh.

The only reason I know your name is because you told me once. It's too late. I'm too late. Max didn't tell me who was going to do it or when or where. He said no one would ever know.

Not even me. Darling, you're home early. Catherine, how soon can you pack your bags? Why, I... I'm phoning the airline right now to see if we can get tonight's plane for London. Oh, but that's impossible. Well, I'll need at least a week to close up the house. There's a service... All right, then I'm leaving tonight by myself. You can join me later. What? But I don't want to... Sam...

There's something wrong with you. Your fight is dead. That's a good comparison. Sam, give me that phone. Now, what's happened? Sam, tell me. So I told her the whole story, right from Harry's first telegram and my idea about the life insurance. Catherine's face went as white as mine. Her eyes stared at me with a dazed, unbelieving expression. How could you have thought of such a thing?

Without you, this house and your money would mean nothing. You don't understand, Catherine. Look, pack your bags. Any hour, any minute, Max is liable to go through with his part of the deal. Darling. Please get started, Catherine. I'll phone the airline. No, let me do it. You're much too upset. All right. I'll start cleaning up my desk. If the London plane is sold out, get a seat on a plane going somewhere else. Anywhere. Hello? This is Mrs.

Mrs. Farnell, Dr. Mead, please come right over. Sam is terribly sick. Catherine, give me that phone. Are you out of your mind? No, dear, I'm not. But I'm afraid you are. She didn't believe me. She thought I was cracking up. I grabbed the phone and called the airline myself. The best I could do was tomorrow's plane 14 hours away.

Fourteen hours I had to gamble on staying alive. Sam...

Dr. Meade was called away on an emergency, but he sent Dr. Ives to see you. I don't want to see him. But, Sam, you must see him. There's nothing the matter with me, I tell you. You've got to believe me, Doctor. That's why Max left town, don't you see? So he won't be connected with my death.

But the guy he hired is waiting for me. There'll be any time, anywhere. I won't take his sedative. Keep away from me. Catherine, don't let him use that needle. Catherine! Catherine! Catherine. I'm right here, Sam. What time is it? It's ten o'clock. Wouldn't you like some breakfast? Breakfast? Ten in the morning?

Catherine, get my clothes, the plane. It took off an hour ago, darling. I canceled our reservations. You canceled our reservations? Sam, now listen to me. You're going to be all right. Dr. Ives says this happens to a lot of men when they overwork. He says all you need is to rest and forget about business. Dr. Ives, he knows all about everything, doesn't he? Except when I'm going to be killed. And how? And where?

As soon as my wife left the room, I jumped out of bed and dressed. I slipped down the back stairs, and the poor captain who served in spite of me, I had my car out of the garage.

I drove to the nearest precinct station. As I pulled up to the curb, I couldn't help noticing a yellow coupe that passed me and parked further up the street. I thought I saw the driver stare at me, but I wasn't sure. I couldn't afford to take any chances, so I got back into the car and drove on.

Besides, I'd have been a fool to go to the police. If anything did happen to me, the police would notify the insurance company and Catherine would get nothing. I drove aimlessly around town, and I happened to look in the rearview mirror. And there he was, the man in the yellow coat. I tried to lose him in traffic, across town and back. Still he hung on.

I swung into a parking lot and jumped out. I ran into the nearest building. I had to lose him. I had to. Just as I stepped into the elevator, my eyes suddenly focused on the office directory. Ryan Detective Agency. Investigations, property, and personal protection. Room 1402.

Whatever you wish, Mr. Parnell. We supply bodyguards by the day, a week, or as long as you want. It's got to be 24 hours a day. Your best man. And I want him to shoot to kill. Well, that all depends. If the circumstances warrant it... Mr. Ryan, somewhere outside this office in the hallway or in the elevator or on the street, a man I don't even know is waiting to kill me. Mr. Ryan!

I waited there in the office till Ryan brought in Harrison, the man who was to be my bodyguard for the first 12-hour shift. We left the office together and picked up my car. As we drove back to the house, I watched for the yellow coupe. Yes, there it was, keeping about a half a block behind us. When we pulled into our driveway, the coupe kept on going and then turned at the next corner. I sprinted to the front door and slammed it. Sam, is that you? Oh, darling, you gave me such a fright when you sneaked off this morning. What are you doing?

What are you looking out of the window for? I'm waiting for him to turn around. He'll drive past again. Oh, Sam, you can't keep on like this. You're ill, don't you realize? Sure, sure, sure. This is all my imagination. Catherine, tell the cook to fix dinner for one extra. Harrison will be eating with us. He's my bodyguard. Bodyguard? He's putting the car in the garage. He'll be along in a minute. Well, I want you to get rid of him. There's absolutely no danger. Tell him to go. Is that what you want? Why?

Maybe you want me to be killed. Who's there? Perhaps my insurance looks pretty good to you after all. And all the money that'll be coming in from that oil well. Stop it. Stop it. I can't take any more. I can't. I'm sorry. I guess I am sick. With fear. But everything's going to be all right, honey. I've told the detective agency to track down Max. We'll get word to him that the deal is off. Yes, dear. Max will call off his boy and I'll be safe. Then I won't need the bodyguard. That makes sense, doesn't it?

I suppose so. Sure it does. We'll see Europe yet, Catherine. You and I... What's that? What's that? It was only a car. Backfiring. This is too much. Too much for any human being to stand for long. For how long?

How long will it take to find Max? A day? Two? Three? A week? What'll happen in the meantime? We played cards all evening. Catherine and Harrison and I. But my mind was on another game. A game for my life. Eleven o'clock. Catherine kissed me goodnight and we came up to our rooms. She's probably asleep by now.

And Harrison, the bodyguard, is stationed outside my door in the big easy chair, reading from the stack of magazines. Or is he asleep too? He mustn't be because my life depends on him. But I've got to sleep. I must rest and sleep. I can't go on this way when I'm asleep. Midnight. Still sleep won't come. It's maddening. Waiting. Waiting for what? When? Perhaps if I read a while.

Yes. I'll close the window. Sit up and read a while. Wait a minute. That sound. It's a radio. His radio in the yellow coupe. There in front of the house. It's him out there waiting for me. Waiting to kill me. He's not waiting. He's getting out of his car. Harrison. Harrison, wake up. He's coming for me. He's coming to the front door. Harrison. Harrison.

You'll get me. Not that easy, because all you'll find is Harrison's sound asleep outside my door, because I'm going out this window now. Now, if I can make it to the garage without being seen...

I made it. I made it. Wait a minute. Headlight's behind me. No, it can't be. But it is. He turned the corner, too. All right, Max. I'll make your friend sweat for his $5,000.

I'm gonna cheat him out of it, Max, because he won't get me. Do you hear? I won't let him. I won't let him, Max. It's my life. And I'm still lucky, Sandy. Do you hear? I'm gonna win because I'm still lucky. I heard the crash.

I ran out as quick as I could. The ambulance is on the way, Mrs. Parnell, but I'm afraid that... I told you. Dr. Ives told you he was a sick man. That's why I hired you, Mr. Miller, to keep him from doing something foolish. And you drove him to this. I followed my order, ma'am. I never let him out of my sight. When I saw him go to the bedroom window from where I was parked outside in my coupe...

I figured he was going to jump. That's when I rang your doorbell. And he thought you were someone who was going to... Oh, Mr. Miller, could Sam have been right? Could there have been someone? Like Max? Maybe, Mrs. Parnell, but if I was a cheap bookie and your husband gave me $5,000 to kill him, I'd just take the money and blow town. Why go through with a risky deal when you've already got the dough? Oh.

No, it doesn't make sense. Like you said, ma'am, your husband was pretty sick. How sick? I guess nobody will ever know.

Thanks for listening! If you like what you heard, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. If you like the show, please, share it with someone you know who loves old-time radio or the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters, or unsolved mysteries like you do. You can email me and follow me on social media through the Weird Darkness website.

WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can listen to free audiobooks I've narrated, get the email newsletter, visit the store for creepy and cool Weird Darkness merchandise. Plus, it's where you can find the Hope in the Darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression, addiction, or thoughts of harming yourself or others. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com.

I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me for tonight's Retro Radio, old-time radio in the dark.

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Learn more at mycomputercareer.edu. SkillBridge and other VA benefits are available to those who qualify.