Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome
to the sound of suspense. To the fear you can
hear. A psychiatrist once said that the human
brain is like a spider's web. Together all the
strands are strong. But taken one by one, each
can easily be broken and the web destroyed. There
are countless cases of human brains broken and
smashed in just this way, step by step, strand
by strand. And I can't help wondering, is this
what happened to young Jennifer Brady? Please,
officer. I'm not out of my mind. I didn't say
you were. No, but everybody else does, and I'm
not. I'm not. I don't mean you're off crazy because
you had a bad dream. It was no dream. It happened.
I tell you, it happened. No, ma 'am, it didn't.
You see, it couldn't have. A thing like that
to happen. Impossible. Our mystery drama, Honeymoon
with Death, was written especially for the Radio
Mystery Theatre by George Lother and stars Lois
Nettleton. I'll be back shortly with Act One.
What makes Jennifer Brady think she's going out
of her mind? What strange thing happened that
couldn't have happened? Perhaps we can find out
together. It was a wonderful honeymoon, Howard.
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Adored
it. But you know something, Howard? You know
something? What, Jennifer? What? It's wonderful
to be back home. These last ten days driving
back from San Francisco, I kept thinking... When,
oh, when will I be back in my own bedroom, in
my own bed, in my own little old New York brownstone
house? Oh, I shouldn't have said that, should
I? What? Said what, Jennifer? Am I bothering
you with all my chatter, Howard? Bothering me?
How could you possibly bother me, sweetheart?
I'm just trying to catch up with all that nail
Margaret left on the living room table. Oh, hey,
I haven't seen that negligee before. I saved
it for a homecoming night. Like? I can see a
whole month of honeymooning hasn't changed you
a bit. When I've got a bride as beautiful and
sexy as you, our whole life is gonna be a honeymoon.
Now, tell me, what was it you shouldn't have
said? What? Oh, I've forgotten. Something about
your own little old New York brownstone house.
Oh, well, what I meant... It's not just mine
anymore. It's yours now, too And your sister
Maggie's you both inherited this old brownstone
from your father, though I must say I think that
you I mean we Have the better of the bargain.
What do you mean? I much prefer this top floor
apartment. Don't you? Oh, yes Luckily Maggie
always preferred the downstairs part. No climbing
stairs stairs won't bother me I'll take them
two three at a time knowing that you were waiting
at the top of them Well, you were better finish
brushing your hair. I'll finish that mail in
the living room Howard yes about the car. What
about it? You think it's safe parked out in the
street one night won't hurt. I'd feel awful if
anything happened to it You know Sometimes on
our honeymoon trip. I couldn't help wondering
which you loved more your new car or me. Oh Well,
I guess one night in the street is safe enough
you can find a garage tomorrow Howard you lock
the car you have the keys haven't you Howard
Howard can't you hear me I asked you What are
you doing? Come back into the house out in the
street like you did in your nightgown. Scream!
Maggie, it's Howard! Jennifer, come back into
the house! You're going to have your attacks.
No! No, Howard! He's dead! He's up there sitting
in a chair with a knife in his chest! Jennifer,
please, now stop it. Stop it! Come back in now.
Come on. Come on. I'll phone... I'll phone Dr.
Sullivan. I don't need Dr. Sullivan. I tell you
how... The neighbors haven't heard or seen anything.
Now look, Jen, you sit here on the couch and
try to hold on. I'll phone Dr. Sullivan. Maggie!
Howard is dead. He's up there in our apartment.
Dead! Jennifer, please now try to control yourself.
There's no one named Howard here. What? What
do you mean? No one named Howard? Lansing my
husband the man I've been on a honeymoon with
for a whole month and home just a few hours ago
and Stop looking at me like that. All right All
right Now look Jennifer, I'll tell you what I'm
going to do I'll go upstairs and I'll see if
anybody's there Howard's there. All right. All
right, if this Howard is there and if he's dead,
then I'll phone the police All right But if he
isn't, then I'm going to phone Dr. Sullivan,
have him come right over. Is that agreed? What's
that? It's just the front door bell, Jennifer.
Oh, yes, officer? Officer Helmets, ma 'am. Ed
Helmets. Anything wrong? No, no. you mean no
my husband's been murdered he's upstairs dead
a knife in his chest Jennifer please officer
there is no one upstairs dead or alive well then
what was all the screaming about I'm walking
the beach just up at the corner and I hear all
this screaming nothing believe me it's nothing
officer officer will you do me a favor sure if
I can would you would you go upstairs please
and see for yourself officer my sister is is
A highly emotional woman. Please? Would you please?
Sure. Make you feel any better? Sure. Oh, Jen.
Jen, what am I going to do with you? You know
what Dr. Sullivan said. Dr. Sullivan? He said
if you had another one of these attacks, you
were going to have to be... I am not having an
attack. I am as sane as you are. Don't look at
me like that, Maggie. I am. Well... Well, officer?
Well, there's nobody up there, ma 'am. Nobody?
But there is somebody. My husband, Howard. He's
sitting in a chair with a knife in his chest,
blood all over. No, no, no, ma 'am. But that's
impossible. Impossible, I tell you. It's impossible.
I couldn't... Maybe you want to see for yourself.
I'll go up with you sir. Thank you very much,
but there's no I do want to see for myself will
you? Sure I'll come with you No one second thought
what's the use I mean I'm I'm really very tired
of this sort of thing what sort of thing never
mind officer just You go ahead Now is this the
room where you thought that Huh, I Can't believe
it It's impossible you can see for yourself five
minutes ago five minutes ago, I tell you in this
chair He was sitting back in this chair and there
was a knife sticking out of his chest The mail.
The mail was scattered all over the floor. Mail?
We'd just come back from our honeymoon. We'd
only been in the house a few hours. And Maggie
had left all the mail that had collected for
a month on the table, on this table. Well, you
can see, ma 'am, no mail. And blood. There was
blood on the carpet, some on the mail. Well,
no mail, no blood. You don't mind me saying so.
I think you... Well, maybe you had a dream, a
nightmare, huh? Please. I'm not out of my mind.
I didn't say you were. No, but everybody else
does and I'm not. I'm not. It don't mean you're
out of your mind because you had a bad dream.
It was no dream. It happened. I tell you it happened.
Howard was here in the living room reading the
mail. I was talking to him from the bedroom.
I had just taken a bath and I was brushing my
hair. Wait. I know. I know. I hadn't emptied
the tub. The water's still there. It must be.
I'll show you. I don't understand it. Tub's bone
dry, ma 'am. Hasn't been used. Now, not tonight,
anyway. His clothes. Howard's clothes. He'd empty
his suitcases and put his clothes in the closet.
Here's his suitcases, too. Just ladies clothes.
Yours, ma 'am? Yes Now hey now hey look don't
cry I am Hey, look look this dream. Yeah, it
was no dream. Okay. Okay, so maybe you imagine
I didn't imagine anything Do you imagine a husband?
You imagine a month -long honeymoon You imagine
a man in a chair with a knife in his chest I
gotta admit, you'd have to have a darn strong
imagination. But they tell me that's what artists
got. Artists? You are an artist, aren't you?
That painting there on the easel? Oh, that's
just a hobby. I haven't touched that since I
left on my honeymoon. No? What do you mean? How
long does it take... paint to dry. Oh, a day,
thereabouts. Well, this paint's still wet. Plenty
wet. Look at my finger. Oh, now don't stop crying
again. A woman crying, it makes me feel awful.
I'm sorry. Look, when you dreamed it or imagined
it. I didn't. I didn't. Oh, yeah, well. I know,
I know I've had spells. spells What what kind
of spells oh? I've always been High -strung nervous
you know I don't know if I know I mean me well.
I'm the other way I haven't got a nerve my whole
body. I envy you You've never been to a psychiatrist
a Shrink no no me no me you ask me anybody goes
to a shrink ought to have his head examined That's
a that's a joke you get it. Yes. Well, and then
then laugh a little bit. Come on. Do you good?
I can't No, of course you can't I'm sorry. I'm
sorry. I should have known better than to even
try and make a joke. I'm You you go to a psychiatrist,
huh? Yes not regularly Sometimes what times?
Oh When I sort of get all keyed up and start
having crying spells and feeling so sad So sad
I could die Well, what's to feel sad about chick
like I mean, excuse me a pretty girl like you
with everything in life to live for What's to
be sad? I? Don't know Some people feel sad for
no reason at all They just suffer from depressions
Excuse me. Oh Yes, ma 'am, Jennifer. Dr. Sullivan
is on his way over. I just phoned him All right,
and officer. Thank you very much for trying to
help. Oh, not at all ma 'am Not at all glad to
do what I could I'll show you out. Well, that's
okay. No, no, sorry. I'll come with you I'll
be just a minute Jen Officer I am I wanted to
ask you. You don't have to say anything about
this, do you? I mean, put it in your report or
anything. Oh, no, no, no. There's been no damage
or anything like that. Does she get this way
often, your sister? Well, often enough. She hallucinates,
you see. Huh? Come again? Hallucinates? It means...
Well, just what you saw. She was totally convinced
there was a murdered man up there. Her husband,
no less. Well, you saw for yourself. Husband.
Jennifer's never even had a boyfriend. A cute
doll? I mean, a pretty girl like that? Well,
it's all part of her condition. She's afraid
of people. Men, especially. I wish she could
become less afraid, more outgoing. If these spells
of hers get any worse, she may lose her mind
altogether. Oh, say, I hope not. A sweet kid
like that, I sure hope not. I know, so do I.
Well... Looks like we've had a little shower.
Street's wet. It was drizzling a little when
I came in. Well, good night, ma 'am, and if you
need... Wait! Wait! The car! The car! The car?
What car? Howard's. The little red sports car
he was so fond of. It... It isn't there. But
it was. I know it was. Officer, thanks again,
and good night. Good night, ladies. Jen, dear.
Until Dr. Sullivan gets here, I think you should
lie down and rest. I don't want to lie down.
Well, then just stretch out on the couch and
I'll make some tea for us. Well, that's probably
Dr. Sullivan now. Oh. Yes? Excuse me, ma 'am.
I just wanted to get something straight. Yes.
Your sister, did she say... Oh, ma 'am. Yes,
officer. Did you say that car was a little sports
car? Yes. Why? Well, nothing, only there was
one parked out there in the street. What do you
mean? Well, we've had a shower, see, and I happened
to notice the street's dry in one spot. There
must have been a car standing there while it
was raining. A small car. Officer, please don't
make things worse for me or for my sister. I
mean, there's nothing unusual about a car being
parked in the street. No. Good night, officer.
Funny, though. Funny. What exactly is it that
strikes Officer Helmut as funny? Perhaps we'll
know when I return shortly with Act Two. Has
a horrible murder been done? Or is Jennifer Brady
losing her mind? Did she find the body of her
husband Howard Lansing seated in the living room
with a knife in his chest? Or did she imagine
the frightful scene? Is she married? Was there
a honeymoon? Here's young patrolman Ed Helmer
at the front door of the brownstone house where
Jennifer and her sister Maggie live and it's
the following morning Oh It's you yeah Well,
won't you come in? Thanks. Thank you for what
you did last night. Just doing my job, Mrs. I
don't know what to call you. I don't know what
to call myself. I don't know if I'm Mrs. Howard
Lansing or Miss Jennifer Brady. Not after last
night. Well, I suppose I just call you Jennifer.
You can call me Ed. Ed Helmut. What are you doing
here? Well, I'm off duty, see. I'm on the four
to midnight beat, and I just thought I'd drop
around and see how you were doing. Oh, well,
I'm all right. You mind if I ask you a couple
of questions, Jennifer? No. It's your job, isn't
it? Well, yes and no, yes and no. In fact, being
off duty now, I'm kind of asking these questions
on my own. You know what I mean? I don't. Not
really. Well, I tell you, that car of your husband's...
If I didn't just imagine a husband. Yeah, well,
if you didn't, that car of his, that little red
sports car you mentioned, well... There was a
car parked out front last night, and it was a
little sports car. If it wasn't there when you
left. Well, the space it left. It rained, remember,
while the car was standing at the curb? Oh, yes.
So at least you were right about there being
a car. I mean, you didn't dream that up. It could
have been anyone's car, as Maggie said. Oh, that's
for sure. Still though, it could have been a
car belonging to a guy named Howard Lansing,
couldn't it? Couldn't it? Why are you doing this?
Come again? Well, you know that I'm not well,
that all my life I've had nervous problems, that...
Oh, I can't believe it, but I must have dreamed
it all up. Howard Lansing marrying him going
on a honeymoon across country and back coming
home last night finding a murdered I Must have
imagined it all Maggie says I did dr. Sullivan
says I did so why are you? Why are you you know
something? I I don't know maybe it's because
Well, well what I am I kind of like you and Well
me I didn't get much sleep either last night
thinking about this whole thing thinking about
you and Well, I'm kind of wishing I could straighten
things out for you, that's Very sweet of you
officer But call me Ed Ed It's sweet of you But
you you're wasting your time I'm mentally mentally
come on now come on now don't cry you had a bad
dream that's all a nightmare it was more than
that much more than that when you dream something
you wake up and you know it was a dream I'm still
living it I remember the ceremony the hotels
we stayed at the things we did even Howard fussing
constantly fussing with his new car there's there's
that car again What do you mean, fussing with
it? Oh, just that he was always polishing it,
checking this and that. Fussing, that's all.
And you remember all about the ceremony and the
hotels and like that? It's all as vivid as if
it had actually happened. Tell me about the wedding.
Who married you? Nobody married me, Ed. I imagined...
Okay, okay. So where did you imagine you got
married? A little town in Jersey. By a Justice
of the Peace. What little town? What J .P.? I
don't know. It was night and we just pulled off
the Garden State Parkway. Howard had said he
knew a place, a Justice of the Peace. Okay, okay.
What about hotels? Well... I remember we stayed
at the Ambassador in Chicago and the Statler
in St. Louis, the Beverly in Los Angeles, and...
Oh. That you, Maggie? Yes, Jen. Well, any calls?
Well, I... Oh. Uh, hello, Miss Brady. Aren't
you the policeman who was here last night? Yeah,
that's right. Uh, you're wondering what I'm doing
here now, huh? Well, yes, I am. I just, uh, dropped
in to see how Jen was doing, that's all. Jen?
I mean, excuse me, Miss Brady. I was never much
for being formal. Yes, obviously. Have you been
here long? No, ten minutes or so. Well, I don't
mean to hurry you, officer, but Jennifer and
I have an appointment in one hour with her psychiatrist,
Dr. Sullivan. Say, would that be Dr. Martin Sullivan
on Park Avenue? No, Dr. Arnold Sullivan on East
82nd. Oh. You seem terribly interested in Jennifer's
psychiatrist. Me? Oh, no, no. I just ask a lot
of questions. I trained myself. You trained yourself?
You're going to laugh. I know you're going to
laugh, but would you believe I want to be a detective
someday? Of course I'd believe it. Why shouldn't
I? Ask my sergeant. He thinks I'm something else
wanting to be a detective. He laughs himself
silly. Well, I certainly wouldn't laugh. I think
it's commendable. You think I could make it,
detective? Of course you could. Well, say, that's
a real shot in the arm. I mean, someone like
you thinking that someone like me, I mean, just
a cop and new on the force at that. As I said,
officer, I don't like to hurry you, but... I'm
going. Going, Miss Brady. Going right now. Nice
seeing you again, Jen. I'll show you out. No,
that's okay. Some detective I'd make if I couldn't
find the front door. Jennifer, would you answer
that, please? Of course. Oh, my God. Jennifer,
what is it? Help me! Oh, my God, Maggie! Ed,
help me! What? He's there! At the front door,
he's there! Howard! I'm sorry, is something...
What was all the trouble? You were dead! Murdered!
What? Last night after we got home from our honeymoon,
I found you in your chair stabbed to death. Last
night, honey? Stab? Maggie, what is this? Jen's
having another one of her spells, Howard. That's
all. Oh, I see. What do you mean, you see? You
see what? We're just... Excuse me. Who are you?
My name is Ed Helmut. Officer Ed Helmut. I'm
a cop. A cop? Howard, I'll explain later what
went on here last night. I don't understand this.
I don't understand it. You're talking to Howard
as if nothing had happened. Jennifer, nothing
did. He exists. He's standing right here. He
exists. And last night you acted as if you'd
never heard of him. As if there was no such person
as Howard Lansing. I don't remember. You did.
You did. Stop it! Now stop it! Control yourself!
Officer, you are leaving. Well, there's some
questions I better get the answers to. Officer,
this is a private matter. It's a family affair.
Well, now that depends on how you look at it.
Are you Howard Lansing? Of course I'm Howard
Lansing. Why do you ask such a question? Howard,
Jen had one of her mental lapses last night.
She imagined that you and she... We're married
and that you just come back from your honeymoon.
Oh good lord. And then during this hallucination
she thought she had found you with a knife in
your chest, dead. Oh no, poor little Jenny. She
ran screaming into the street. Luckily I got
her back into the house before she caused a disturbance,
although this officer did hear the screams and
came to investigate. What did you call Dr. Sullivan?
Of course, of course I did. He came over but
there wasn't much he could do except order some
new sleeping pills. We're seeing him in his office
at 11 this morning. Just one more question, Mr.
Lansing. Yes? Just where do you fit in here?
I mean, who are you? To the family, I mean. I'm
Miss Brady's fiancee. Margaret, not Jennifer.
Oh. I see. No. No, I'm afraid you don't see.
Not all of it. Look, since we've gone this far,
you might as well know the rest of it. Jennifer
has always had a... Well a thing for Howard.
She's not jealous that he's going to marry me
and not her don't think that but the whole situation
has been a Severe strain on her a very severe
strike almost certainly That's why her hallucination
last night took the form that it did thinking
she'd been married to me and all the rest of
it Yeah, that makes sense Well I'll be on my
way Hey, hey, hey now you you take it easy And
me, if it's okay with you, I'm gonna be in touch.
I'll see my way out. Hey. Hey, Mr. Lansing. You
have got a little red sports car. Well, yes,
that's it. Parked at the curb. Why? Well, Jen,
Miss Brady, she seemed to make a big thing out
of it. On the honeymoon that didn't happen, I
mean. Big thing? Well, what I mean, she said
you were always fussing with it, polishing it
and like that. Sure looks as if you do. Well,
I do. I'm a sports car buff if you want to know.
Wish I could own a car like that. Put on a cop's
salary. You had it long? Two or three months.
How many miles you put on it? You ask a lot of
questions. Just interested, that's all. Close
to 10 ,000, I think. Well, that's a lot of miles
in three months. I do a lot of driving. Your
business, huh? No, I don't work. Don't have to.
Just like to drive. Short trips, but they add
up. If I had a car like that, I'd go for long
trips, like cross -country. Well, maybe someday
I will, but so far I haven't had the interest.
Yeah. Well, see you. Bye. Where is she? Upstairs,
changing for appointment with Sullivan. I don't
like this, Maggie. You don't like it. You don't
like it! All the stupid things walking in here
when that cop was here. How did I know he was
here? To come to that, why did you let her run
screaming into the street last night? Howard,
come to your senses. Was there any other way?
No, I guess there wasn't. I'm afraid we're going
to have to move faster than we planned. Why?
That young cop's pretty nosy. Come over here
to the window. What? Look down there. What the
hell is he doing? He's measuring the size of
your car from front to back wheels. What's he
doing that for? I don't know. He's doing it.
I don't like it. No, Howard, we won't commit
Jennifer now. Well, if we don't commit her, what
will we do with her? Kill her. Clearly Maggie
and Howard faked his murder. But how could they
have managed it? And how will they kill Jennifer?
We'll return shortly with Act 3. Were you as
shocked as I to discover that Howard Lansing
is very much alive? I can't fathom it, can you?
No more than, well, ten minutes could have passed
between the time Jennifer saw him slumped in
that chair with a knife in his chest, blood all
over everything, and the time Officer Helmut
entered the room to find no body, no blood, nothing
to indicate that a murder had taken place. It
would have been impossible for Howard Lansing
and Margaret Brady to restore perfect order to
that room in so short a time. Even to Howard's
clothes and luggage no longer in the closet a
bone -dry bathtub and the rest of it Got me puzzled
Well, we'll soon have the answer as we rejoin
Maggie and Howard killer. There's nothing else
we can do We can do what we planned originally
commit it won't work. Not now. Why not? Your
answer is right out there in the street. The
cop was just finished measuring your car No,
what's he doing? Quite obviously getting into
your car. I think I'd better get out there and
see what he's up to. I was just about to suggest
it, Howard. Officer, what are you doing in my
car? Oh, say, Mr. Lansing. Say, I hope you don't
mind. Like I told you, I want to own a little
sports car like this myself someday. Well, I
just couldn't help sitting behind the wheel.
Say, I hope you don't mind. As a matter of fact,
I do mind. Oh, well, say, please excuse me. I
just kind of flip over a car like this, that's
all. Is that why you were measuring the wheelbase?
Measuring? Oh, that! Yes, that. I saw you from
the window. Yeah, well, now I tell you, I want
to get to be a detective someday, see? And I'm
studying, like fingerprints and stains and like
that, and measuring. Now, measuring things is
important, very important. You'd be surprised
how important measuring things is. So, I take
every opportunity to measure things. Ah, yes.
Well... Like last night. Were you here last night?
No, I was not here last night. Funny. What's
funny? Well, last night, Jennifer, Miss Brady,
she set a car. In fact, your car was parked outside
here. Only it wasn't. I mean, when we looked,
no car. Well, I just told you that... Yeah, but
there had been a car. You see it had rained and
the car was standing out here during the rain
and left a dry space in the street And I measured
that too couldn't help myself become a habit,
you know Well, I fail to see what this has to
do with any tentacle same wheelbase that car,
and this one. Look, there are probably thousands
of sports cars in New York. I'm not saying it
was the same car. Oh, no, nothing like that.
I'm only saying the wheelbase was the same. That's
very interesting, I'm sure, but if you don't
mind now... Just leaving when you came out. I
apologize if I have set you getting in behind
the wheel without permission. That's all right.
Yeah. Well, goodbye. Oh, by the way... Now what?
You got 11 ,200... 43 and nine -tenths miles
on the speedometer. A thousand or so more than
you said you had. I just thought you'd like to
know. Thank you. I'm deeply grateful for that
information. He is up to something, Maggie. What
else is new? He checked the mileage on the car.
What of it? Over 11 ,000 miles. I could easily
have driven from here to LA and back, which I
did. The mileage shows only how far a car went,
not where. I'm not worried about your car. I'm
worried about him nosing around. The quicker
we kill Jennifer, the better. Look, I didn't
bargain for anything like murder. Neither did
I, but that's the way it is. How will you do
it? How will we do it? Sleeping pills. An overdose,
that's the simplest. When? Well, tonight. Why
wait? Oh, Jennifer. Ready for our appointment
with Dr. Sullivan, I see. Yes, I'll just get
my coat. Howard? Yes, Jennifer? I'm sorry if
I... If I've caused you any trouble. Oh, no.
I'm losing my mind, Howard. I must be. Marrying
you, our honeymoon trip across country, returning
last night, finding you dead. It was all so real.
So real. And yet it wasn't. It never happened.
Oh, Howard, I just can't go on like this much
longer. You won't, Jennifer. Believe me, you
won't. Uh, you sure of that? Did you check all
marriage license applications for... And there's
no Howard Lansing and Jennifer Brady, huh? All
for you at Beverly Hotel Los Angeles. Uh, right
there. Okay, sorry I troubled you. Thanks. Uh,
hello. Yeah. Yeah, how far back did you check
your guest register? And there's no Mr. And Mrs.
Howard Lansing. Hey, Ed, another one. The ambassador
of Chicago. You going on a trip or something,
man? Thanks. Officer Ed Helmut. Yeah, I think
I can tell you what you're gonna tell me before
you tell me. Uh, no record of a Mr. And Mrs.
Howard Lansing. Yeah. Well, thanks. Hmm. There's
gotta be a clue. There's gotta be. She's asleep.
How many pills did you give her? Enough. What's
the matter, Howard? Why that look on your face?
I'm a murderer. I'm just beginning to realize
it. I am a murderer. Not yet, Howard. She won't
be dead for a while. How can you be so calm?
You frightened me, Maggie. I've never seen this
side of you before. You've got to be kidding.
All the time we spent planning this. To commit
her, not murder her. What's the difference? We're
not doing all this for peanuts, you know. We
inherited a million and a half dollars from my
father, Jennifer, and I. You and I will have
all of it once she... Who could that be? I'll
see. Wait. No, I guess we can't pretend no one's
at home. The lights are all on. And my car's
parked out front. Oh, it's you. Okay, if I come
in, Mr. Lansing? Oh, well, now I... Thanks. Rotten
night out there. Just plain rotten. It's, uh...
It's Officer Helmut, Maggie. Yes, so I see. Getting
to be a regular visitor, aren't you? To be honest
with you, Miss Brady, it's a real nasty night,
and walking a beat. I didn't think you'd mind
if I came in for a few minutes. Also, I wanted
to see how Jen's getting along. Jen is getting
along very well, if it's any concern of yours,
which it is not. Oh, well, I only... Officer
Helmut, circumstances beyond my control brought
you into this house last night, but I do control
whether you'll keep coming here like this. Please
leave oh well now wait a minute miss Brady I
I like your sister, and I have reason to think
she likes me Now now now wait in a wait a second
just wait a second I also think she needs somebody
like me somebody to lean on to protect it And
further than that I'm here on official business
official business. I'm placing you both under
arrest on a charge of Where is Jen? That's no
business of yours. What's all this about? Where
is she? She is upstairs asleep, if you must know.
Asleep? At eight o 'clock at night? She took
a couple of sleeping pills. Where are you going?
How dare you go up there? Maggie, Maggie, my
God. Don't lose it now. But he'll know. He'll
know she took an overdose. That's all he will
know. He will know that we gave it to her. He's
arresting us. For what? On what charge? Whatever
it is, he'll never make it stick. We've covered
our tracks too well for the law to... He's carrying
her down. It's all right, baby. It's gonna be
all right. Operator, this is Officer Ed Helmet.
I want an ambulance sent to 127 Brockhurst, and
fast. An ambulance? Why an ambulance? An overdose
of sleeping pills. She took a... She didn't take
them, buster. They were given to her. Shove down
her throat, you ask me. I'm changing the charge
against you two. I'm booking you for attempted
murder. You must be out of your mind. You're
as crazy as my sister. Who isn't crazy at all.
That was a real far -out scene you two tried
to pull. I gotta hand it to you two. You planned
it so careful, so good. There wasn't a loophole
in it. Except one. I don't know what you're talking
about. You don't, huh? Then let me explain. You
set the whole thing up, the two of you. The marriage,
the honeymoon trip across country and back, the
fake murder and the whole bit. Oh, and you played
it smart. Very smart. Not a clue. I checked the
marriage license bureau. No license. Easy enough.
You could have bribed a clerk to destroy it.
Now look, you... I checked a few hotels. The
big ones like the Ambassador, the Beverly in
Los Angeles. No Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lansing listed.
A piece of cake. When you registered, you gave
a different name. You're making yourself look
like a fool. What you're saying is you could
find no evidence. Oh, but I did. One little clue
that neither of you thought about. The car, Mr.
Lansing. Your pretty little red sports car. I
don't follow. You will. I told you I found that
dry space out on the street last night because
a car, a little sports car like yours, had been
standing there during the rain. Or it could have
been anyone's car. Sure. Same size as yours?
Same wheelbase? But I agree, it could have been
anyone's. Only it wasn't. It was yours. You want
to know how I know? We'd be enthralled. I know,
because last night, that car wasn't parked outside
this house, but the one next door. I got to wondering
about that. I kept saying to myself, if it was
his car, why did he park outside the house next
door? I came up with the answer today when I
entered that house. Nobody there. And found fake
blood all over the upstairs room. A gag knife.
The kind you attach so it looks like you're stabbed.
Even your clothes. And your luggage in the closet.
Mr. Lansing. Oh, God. So you see, if it hadn't
been for your car, I'd never have realized that
brownstone houses in a row like these are identical.
You bought this place or leased it while Jen
and him were on their honeymoon didn't you miss
Brady I? Last night when Jen went screaming into
the street you deliberately let her run into
the street So you could bring her back to the
house next door this house and her state wound
up tight like she was she never realized what
you were doing as You knew she wouldn't you'll
have to prove these accusations. I will I can't
With the one little clue that nails it all down
at all four corners The little red sports car
again. What about it? Well, you told me you'd
never driven across country I never have if you're
thinking of a mileage on the car that proves
nothing. Well not the mileage mr. Lansing the
servicing servicing you had it serviced at the
Beverly Hotel in Los Angeles a lube job oil change
new filter the works and Like they do at all
service stations. They slapped a little sticker
on the door jam That little sticker that carries
the name and address of the service station.
That little sticker that practically nobody ever
notices. Anyhow, you didn't. And it says, Beverly
Hotel Service Station. Los Angeles, California.
Date and all. Easy, Chan. Easy. You're gonna
be okay. From here on in you're gonna be just
fine Must have been a costly business buying
or leasing that identical brownstone house and
furnishing exactly like the one next door But
then Maggie had all the money in the world What
thought she did? I'll return shortly Yes, like
a spider's web, so strong and yet so weak, the
human brain can be broken. But happily, again,
like the spider's web, it can be repaired, as
good as new. Our cast included Lois Nettleton,
Tony Roberts, Terry Keen, and Norman Rose. The
entire production was under the direction of
Hyman Brown. This is E .G. Marshall inviting
you to return to our Mystery Theatre. for another
adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant
dreams.