Come in. Welcome. I am E .G. Marshall, and I
have a ghost story to tell you. but her most
unusual ghost story since it violates all the
established rules. You know the rules for a ghost
story. It must be set on some desolate windswept
moor or perhaps in a ruined isolated mansion
or a lonely deserted castle. However, this spine
-tingling tale actually takes place in a modern
luxury high -rise apartment building and in broad
daylight. I don't want to die, George, please.
I don't want to die. Margaret, darling, listen
to me. No! No! Margaret, it would be better.
Better for who? For you, dear, for you. I have
very little left, George. Please, just let me
live a little longer. Margaret, life means nothing
to you now. I know, but just let me live a little
bit longer. I can't, Margaret. I can't. Our mystery
drama, The Man Who Heard Voices, was written
especially for the Mystery Theatre by Sam Dann
and stars Larry Haynes. I'll be back shortly
with Act One. At 42, George Wesley Sanderson
is handsome, intelligent, and wealthy. He is
married to a most beautiful woman. He is a partner
in a prestigious law firm. He has a host of friends
because he is gracious, considerate, sensitive,
and obliging. And so you look at him sipping
his morning coffee in his luxurious apartment
in New York City and you say to yourself, here
indeed is one of fortune's favorites. How wonderful
life must be for George Wesley Sanderson. But
we have invaded his privacy. We have caught him
alone and off guard. And so we see a look of
terror in his eyes. And no wonder, because George
Wesley Sanderson hears a voice. A woman's voice.
It's time for my pills, George. The voice is
clear and distinct. May I have my pills, George?
But George is alone in the room. My pills! Not
only is George Wesley Sanderson alone in the
room, but the voice belongs to a woman ten years
dead Margaret Margaret Yes, I'm here, Sally.
We all decided that you should be down here.
Well, I... Well, you what? Are you all right,
George? Yes, I'm fine. Good. Get on the plane.
Well, darling, somebody has to work. Oh, come
on. That silly place runs itself. Goodbye, dear.
Georgie, are you sure you're all right? Yes,
yes, I'm fine. And really, I have to get to the
office. I notice you'd rather get to the office
than fly to... Darling, it's not what I'd rather
do. It's what I have to do. My next husband will
be a man with absolutely no ethics at all. Goodbye.
My name, as you know, is George Wesley Sanderson.
And I must talk to somebody, unburden myself,
but there is nobody. Oh, my wife loves me. My
father -in -law is most understanding. I have
good friends. I could confess to a priest. Is
it a psychiatrist? But you see each in his own
way would fail me because no one would accept
the basic point of my problem and no one would
ever believe that that I'm a man who hears voices
There are times when I can hear what people think
what they're going to think and there are times
when I can hear people who are miles away or
or even dead It started oh 15 years ago I Was
married to my first wife then her name was Margaret
She was 23 years old vivacious active loved sports.
She could even beat me in tennis, but She did
it with such charm. I didn't mind it a bit That's
all that looked into me. Okay If you want the
point you can have the point you should have
a handicap anyhow. Okay, just look out for this
ace Inase, how'd you like that, huh? I say, how'd
you like that? Margaret? Margaret, is something
wrong? No. I'm fine. Well, you had a funny look
on your face. Did I? It's just... Just what?
Nothing, nothing. I... I just had a funny little
twinge in my back. It was the voice of our doctor.
You both should know the truth. We don't know
what's wrong with Margaret. She won't be able
to walk. She'll have to stay in bed for a while
anyway. These pills will keep her alive. Exactly
one year later, the doctor spoke those very words
to us in the hospital. for me Mr Cartwright yes
George sit down thank you sir George I read your
brief on the Hollingsworth case brilliant is
that what you'd like to specialize in criminal
law yes sir good this firm could use a crackerjack
trial lawyer and let's have dinner one night
this week and start making some plans for you
sir I really can't go out much at night you know
no you see My wife is bedridden. Oh I'm sorry
to hear that we we don't even know what it is
one of those mysterious ailments Anyhow, she
has to have constant attention. I have a woman
who stays with her during the day, but at night
I can't leave her alone Hmm. Well, that's too
bad We'll arrange for lunch perhaps And I heard
his voice his silent voice but to me It was crystal
clear. Too bad. We may have to forget about George,
and it's a tragedy. But, if he wants to be an
eight hour day man, he'll remain in an eight
hour day job. That's all for now, George. I just
wanted to let you know how pleased I am with
your work. And the other partners are too. Well,
thank you, sir. Hi, Dad. Your secretary said
you were busy, but I'll only be a minute. Well,
hello. Who is this? This is one of our new young
attorneys. George Wesley Sanderson. My daughter
Sally. How do you do? George Wesley Sanderson.
Even sounds like a great lawyer. Now, dear...
Save that ravishing smile for where it'll do
you some good George Sanderson is a married man
And once again, I heard a voice Sally's voice
Thank you, dear. But I don't want any more. It's
time for my pill. Oh, yes, it is. I'll get it
for you. Those pills, they're like a lifeline.
Well, let's be thankful they work. Poor George.
You've become a full -time nurse. And in addition,
you've got a full -time job. You really don't
get much sleep, darling. You have to set an alarm
every two hours to give me my pill. Darling,
we... Stood up together and we took a vow for
richer for poorer for better for worse and sickness
and health till death do us part Let's change
the subject, huh? Okay Well, how'd it go at work
today Oh there everybody flipped for the way
I handled the Hollingsworth case. Oh, will it
mean in promotion? Well, maybe but more important
is the additional money Oh George know what?
If you become important, we'll be expected to
entertain and... No, no, nothing of the sort.
I'm gonna run my business the way I want. I intend
to do my work during the day, in the office.
I don't have to socialize with people. Merit.
Ability. That's what should count. And for the
third time that day, I heard a voice. This time,
Margaret's. We have a clear precedent here. When
Theodore Roosevelt was police commissioner of
the city of New York, the question of injury
incurred while making a citizen's arrest... Do
you always talk to yourself? Oh, I happen to
be dictating him to this recorder. How did you
get in here? Being the boss's daughter ought
to give a girl certain privileges. I came by
hoping you might have pity on me. Pity? I'm famished.
You might take me to lunch. Well, uh... Well,
what? It wouldn't hurt you with the chief. Might
even pave the way to a promotion. Well, on the
other hand, it might backfire. How? Well, how
does your father regard married male employees
who take his daughter to lunch? I don't know.
It's never happened before. As you legal types
might say, there are no precedents. Come on.
Take a chance. Live dangerously. I'll give my
hat. Darling, I'm sorry. I need my pill. No,
it's okay. It's okay, darling. Here you are,
dear. Thank you. There. Now, just let me set
the alarm again. You must be exhausted. No, no,
no. Not really. Are you feeling any better? Yes.
A little. I was so tired when you came home,
though, we couldn't even talk. And I look forward
to our talk so much. Anything interesting happen
today? Uh, no, no, just a lot of routine. What
did you have for lunch? Lunch, uh, lunch, let's
see, uh, I just had a sandwich at the desk. Oh,
George, you should go out. No, no, dear, no,
I shouldn't. But I did. She would drop by two,
three times a week. And it just became, well,
a thing we did. We were friends, that's all.
I knew she was in love with me, but I was discovering
something else. Something very unsettling, very
disturbing. I was falling in love with her, too.
I tried to fight it. Now that we've scared away
every fish between here and Europe. I wouldn't
know what to do with a fish if I caught one.
Well, let's just drift for a bit, huh? You didn't
have to say that. Say what? Drift. Haven't we
been doing just that since the day we met? Yes,
yes, I suppose we have. What are we going to
do, George? I don't know. I'm willing to settle.
Settle? For half a loaf. Oh, no, no, no. That
wouldn't work. After a while, you'd get to hate
me. No, George, I wouldn't. Well, I'd hate myself.
Do you still love her? No. No, it's a terrible
thing, but I don't love her anymore. You know,
that happens to people. Just as they can fall
in love, they can also fall out of love. It's
just that the timing and the circumstances are
bad for Margaret and for me. But if you no longer
love her... Well, how could I ever divorce her?
Hey! Hey, where are we going? I don't know. But
the one thing I can't do is just to stand still.
and no one in this world ever really stands still.
Wheels are always turning, gears are shifting,
minds are changing, perhaps slowly, imperceptibly,
subtly. Even a marriage vow contains the seeds
of its own dissolution, for it says, until death
do us part. We'll be back shortly with Act Two.
George Wesley Sanderson is in a motorboat just
off Long Island on a beautiful day with a beautiful
woman who loves him. And to make it perfect,
he also loves her. However, there's a complication.
George Wesley Sanderson is married and he takes
his vow seriously. We'll do something, Sally.
You'll have to do something, George. People don't
stand still. Yes, I know. You can't freeze a
relationship. It grows better every day or it
becomes worse. You fall in love because another
person has something you need, and sometimes
it's the terrible truth. When that person loses
what attracted you in the first place, love also
goes with it. I know, I know. So many people
can't face up to it. They're unable to end a
thing that really no longer exists. I love you,
Sally. I love you, George, but I'm human. If
I can't have you sooner or later, I'll face it,
and then I'll make other arrangements for my
life. Sally, wait for me. Oh, I'll wait, George.
But I can't promise to wait forever. Just then
I heard another voice It was a voice. I'd never
heard before but there was no no mistaking who
it could be and what the meaning was Oh Sally
darling, don't ask me how or when or why look
out you'll upset the bar Who cares, Sally, it's
gonna happen. What's going to happen? You and
me, we're gonna happen. We're gonna be married.
But... No buts. Just believe me. I believe you,
George. I believe you. Mmm, that was good. I
was so hungry. Oh, Margaret, that's a good sign.
Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I just wish... What?
What do you wish? Oh, nothing, nothing. I don't
want to talk about it. Well, now, you must have
had an interesting morning. Oh, just so so. Well,
what was it? What did you have to do at the office?
You never did tell me. No, no, I didn't. Well,
we had to take a deposition. Oh? And we just
spent the morning... listening to witnesses and
Margaret Margaret What oh Dear what is it George
don't close your eyes yet? It's time for your
pill Here take it down with some juice You know,
that's all we'd have to do just forget one pill
old George darling Maybe we'd Both be better
off Hey, good morning, George is it sit down.
Thank you now George I I want you to go to Washington.
I know you have personal problems. Yes, sir.
I want you to argue the Stillwell case before
the Court of Appeals. Well, sir... You can win
this case for us. You're a natural. Lawyers like
you come along once in a generation. Yes, but
Mr. Cartwright... The trial date is in six weeks.
Now I'm sure you can find a way to resolve your
problem. You can buy nursing care while you're
gone. Sir, it's more than that. I'm sure it is.
Now, I don't want to intrude in your personal
affairs. Although I understand I'm indirectly
affected. My daughter, evidently, is quite taken
with you. Well, that's between the two of you.
I assure you. Of what? The two of you are in
love. It's a very difficult situation. But it's
your situation. For my part, I need you for the
Stillwell trial in Washington. Now, don't give
me your answer right now. And then, I heard a
voice. And this voice I knew very well because
it was my own voice. And I could hear myself
say... What what what well that's what I want
to ask you what happened you turned pale is everything
all right? Yeah, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Everything's
fine. Just fine. I uh, I mean, I believe that
I will be able to plead the still love case after
all Has she been taking these pills regularly?
Oh, religiously, Doctor. The woman we have here
in the daytime is absolutely trustworthy, and
of course I'm here all night. And he's a tyrant
about it, Doctor. Well, he should be. Doctor,
what about Margaret? Well, for the first time
since... since this thing struck, I have good
news. Good news? I say good. These words, good
and bad, are... Relative. Yes, but what do you
mean by good? Well, for the first time, I can
detect no further signs of deterioration. I see.
Unless some other complication occurs. Margaret
can live on indefinitely, provided she takes
her pills on a regular basis. Oh, well, we'll
see to that, Doctor. We'll see to that. Well,
keep in touch if anything unusual happens, and
I'll be here again next week. Yes, I'll see you
to the door, Doctor. Goodbye, Margaret. Goodbye,
Doctor. Oh, a lovely day, isn't it, George? Uh,
yes, yes. Oh, about those pills, George. Make
sure you never run out. And she must have one
every two hours. That's what his speaking voice
was saying to me. The little amenities, the weather,
don't forget her pills and so on. But there was
another voice. His inner voice and I could hear
it so clearly so plainly Thank you for everything.
George? George? Oh, yes dear. I like a pillow.
Yes dear, I'm coming. Here we are. Now. Does
that feel more comfortable? I think so. Margaret,
look at me. I'm looking at you, darling. voice,
not her speaking voice, but her thinking voice,
her feeling voice, the way I'd heard it once
before. But this ability, this gift, this talent,
call it what you will, doesn't work at my command.
It comes and goes of its own accord. I wanted
to know how she felt, what she really wished
for. But try as I might, I simply couldn't hear
her inner voice. And I knew that the decision,
one way or another. Would have to be mine all
mine mine alone I'm looking at you darling Margaret.
Are you in pain? Doesn't matter really The pill
takes care of it. It's such a miraculous pill.
It takes care of everything. Oh I think I'd better
sleep for a while George. I I Just want to sleep
Margaret. What do you mean? Please tell me what
he what do you mean by by sleep? Margaret Hello
George, oh, yes, mr. Cartwright a week from Friday
Well, sir, I hadn't expected Well, yes, sir,
but that was because I thought I had six more
weeks I understand. I'll have Miss Gordon book
your flight. Well, a week from Friday, that's
about 10 days, isn't it? Well, we'll have all
the papers for you at the office tomorrow. And
I'm taking you off everything else. Just remember,
we want this case. Yes, sir. Goodbye, George.
Goodbye, sir. George? Oh, darling, I thought
you were asleep. The ringing of the phone woke
me. Thought it was the alarm for my pill. Oh,
no. No, we still have another hour for that Now
what's supposed to happen a week from Friday?
Hmm. Oh, oh Just a lunch date with mr. Cartwright
and a client. He must like you a lot doesn't
he? Well, I'm not really a bad lawyer. Oh George
I Wish I could be of help to you. I Wish there
was something I could do Here I am, George. Oh,
hi. I'm sorry I'm late. Dad tells me how busy
you are. I ordered you your extra dry gimlet.
Thanks, I could use it. Dad also tells me you're
going to Washington. Yes. That is, I think so.
You think so? I understand the plans are all
set. Well, the fact is I know I'll be going,
but... But what? Oh, nothing. Once the trial
begins, there's no telling how long it may run.
These government things can go on for months.
Yes, I know. How about about Margaret? Yes, Margaret.
Let's not talk about Margaret, but George please
I Said I'd be satisfied with half alone right
now. I don't want to talk about it, but George
I'm in there are things I must decide I want
to help no no no But when people are in love,
there should be no barriers Nothing held back
Sally Sally you have a lot to learn about love
George, I won't be spoken to like that. Please,
Sally, don't press me, don't push me, huh? I
don't care who you are, how deeply you love,
there are certain things I must decide on my
own. George Wesley Sanderson is faced with a
decision. And it's a decision a man doesn't make
lightly, nor does he make it every day. Because
what George must decide is whether or not to
kill his wife. We shall return shortly with Act
3. It is one minute before two in the morning
in the apartment of George Wesley Sanderson.
An alarm clock is set to go off exactly on the
hour. It must awaken George so that he can give
his wife Margaret a pill. A pill she takes every
two hours. Without her regular pill, Margaret
will die. George? George, wake up. George? Oh,
wait a minute. Wait a minute. I was afraid for
a minute that the clock wouldn't wake you. Yes,
I'm sorry. I was sleeping pretty soundly. Poor
George, you never get any rest. No, it's all
right. It's all right. Here, darling. Take your
pill. Thank you, darling. Thank you. And now
go back to sleep. Well, I had to reset the alarm.
You're so good to me, George. There. There it
is. I've set it for four. Her eyes were closed.
She was only 28. But her face was lined. Her
skin was drawn and flushed, and she looked old.
Old. Where was the per - vivacious Marguerite
who only a few months before had been bursting
with life? Wasn't she as good or as bad as dead
already? Wasn't it a mercy to end her suffering?
Wasn't her... Living merely a sham and a pretense
Suppose I would somehow forget To give her the
next pale What would I be ending? And then once
again, I heard the voices but these were voices
from the past the recent past George, it's time
for my pill. George, wake up. You must wake up.
George? I heard the alarm, Margaret. I heard
it. George, you must wake up. Please, Margaret.
I'm doing it for you. George. George, I must
have my pills. George, let me live. Just a little
longer, please. I'm so tired, Margaret. So tired.
George, George, please. So mixed up. George,
don't pretend to be asleep. George, sit down.
Now, you didn't have to come into the office
today. Yes, I know, sir, but she's been dead
a week, and, well, things go on. I'm due to leave
for Washington tomorrow. Yes, we, well, we wondered
whether under the circumstances to ask for a
delay. There's no point to that, sir. What I
need now is lots of work. Well, we have lots
of work around here. George. I've been trying
to reach you to tell you how sorry it's all right
now. There is a possibility that you people have
something to discuss Excuse me for a moment Well
Sally Here we are Yes How did it happen George?
Well, it's something that could have happened
at any time she just Fell asleep and and she
didn't wake up And now what George and now We
can be married That is if you'll still have me.
I have to go to Washington. I'll go with you
and You know, of course what dad's been talking
about. Well, actually I don't know We're fairly
direct people all of us dad was saying that since
you and I would be married There'd be a partnership
in the firm as well Well, as long as we're fairly
direct people I may as well tell you that I deserve
it Darling do you know that this is the first
time I've ever seen you smile I smile all the
time you listen to me George Wesley Sanderson
You're going to live you're going to travel you're
going to mingle with all the people worth knowing
in government politics the theater Wait, wait,
wait now. When do I work? So you can work as
hard as you like. As long as you remember, you
have to play hard, too. When do we start? Right
now. That was, what, 15 years ago? I was 30,
she was 25. And the years haven't changed either
of us. Well, not very much, anyhow. Life has
been full of excitement, zest, and, of course,
satisfaction. Because I've won some very well
publicized cases in this talk of a judgeship,
but That's all for the future. The important
thing is that for almost 15 years Since she died.
I haven't heard voices You know those voices
until Until last week and it happened when I
was alone in the morning at breakfast kept hearing
them. I don't know what to make of it because
after all, she did say she's forgiven me. Why
should I hear her now? Why? I don't understand
it. Why now? In the case of delay versus international
power, the precedent is clearly stated. Sally.
Sally, what are you doing here? I'm here to tell
you about a precedent which is going to be established
right now. Well, I thought you were in London.
I was. And then I decided to come back here for
some litigation. Litigation? With whom? With
you. Oh. What kind of litigation? I want to review
the basis for our marriage. It is rooted in the
factors of common interests. We're both alive.
We like to do things. Go places. Do you agree?
Sure. So why aren't we going and doing? Well,
we... Well, we what? Do you realize that for
the past year you've been working day and night?
Well, darling, it so happens we have some crucial
cases. You want our relationship to change permanently.
You want us to drift apart. Do you know you're
a nut? Darling, a long time ago we talked about
this. Nothing. No one ever stands still. People
change. And if they do, so does the basis of
their relationship. All right. We'll go ski.
Turn your work over to the bright young eager
beavers and let's you and I start having fun
again. And we did. We traveled, we played, we
danced, we enjoyed ourselves. And I even managed
to get some good work done too. We were never
so happy. There was, of course, one small dark
cloud for me. I could hear Margaret's voice.
I need my pills, George. Aren't you going to
give me my pills? Please? Penny for your thoughts,
George. Well, you couldn't buy my high -priced
thoughts for a penny. You seemed to be in a state
of reverie. I was. As if you were listening to
something. Must be your imagination. As if you
were listening to voices. Voices? Are you sure
you're all right? Positively spooky. Spooky?
Here in our apartment in the bright sunlight?
Oh, no, you've got to look for your spooks in
the dead of night. Well, I know what we both
need. All right, tell me. A good, hard hour of
tennis. Well, now, darling, I have to be at the
office. You don't have to be anywhere except
with me. Okay. You're on. For one hour. That's
out. This set has one more game. Your luck won't
hold forever. No, I don't need luck. I happen
to be good. That was definitely out. I think
I'm going to break your service. Well? George,
what's the matter? It's nothing, dear. Well,
I'm waiting, sir. What is it, George? Is something
wrong? No, no, no, I'm fine. You have a funny
look on your face. Have I? Are you sure you're
all right, dear? Yes, I'm sure. It's just...
Just what? Oh, it's nothing. I, uh... I just
had this little twinge in my back. But it's gone
now. But it wasn't gone. It wasn't much, but
it didn't go away. And so that afternoon, instead
of going to the office, I went to the doctor.
I can't see anything. Could be a muscle strain.
Try a little heat at home. If it persists, we'll
give you some physiotherapy. Doctor, it's nothing
serious, would you say? Well, right now it doesn't
look serious. I tried to listen for another voice,
his inner voice. Perhaps a voice he didn't even
know he had. The voice I'd heard 15 years before
with Margaret, when he predicted. But no, there
was nothing. I sighed with relief. Pour me a
cup of that coffee. Sure thing. How's the back
this morning fine, just fine. How about some
tennis if you'd like show your backs? Okay. I
said so honey. I Found out you'd seen the doctor
the other day. Oh, well, it was just a checkup
and the back well the twinge now and then Everybody
gets a twinge now and then dinner tonight at
the Caswell's I better call her then we'll try
a few set Do you love me? I think so I think
I love you, too. She left the room. I was all
alone. For a week now, I've been hearing Margaret's
voice. But now there wasn't a sound. I listened,
but as mysteriously as it had begun, perhaps
it was coming to an end. Maybe I was losing this
ear I had for voices. And then I heard it. A
voice. It was very indistinct at first, but I
recognized it. It was my own voice. But I couldn't
believe what it was saying. I didn't want to
believe what it was saying. Sally. Oh. Please,
Sally. Sally, give me my pills. Please. Sally,
I must have my pills. Sally, aren't you gonna...
Sally, don't kill me. I don't want to die. Sally,
my pills. George. George, what's wrong? Sally.
Sally, it's my back. I'll call the doctor. Yes,
Sally, quickly. The pain is terrible. Sally,
please. You won't kill me, will you? What are
you talking about? When the time comes, you won't
kill me. You won't. You won't, Sally. Or will
you? Will you? George and Margaret, that's one
story. George and Sally, that's another. Yes,
we often think, many of us, how wonderful if
we could only hear voices from the future. Voices
that could predict our fate. But maybe it's not
such a good idea after all. Maybe it's better
never to know. I'll be back in a moment. Voices.
What are the voices we think we hear in the night?
Are they merely dreams, fantasies, or our own
wishes? Or are they real? And why shouldn't they
be real? After all, reality is what we think
it is. Our cast included Larry Haines, Augusta
Dabney, Leon Jani, and Suzanne Grossman. The
entire production was under the direction of
Hyman Brown. This is E .G. Marshall inviting
you to return to our mystery theater for another
adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant
dreams.