Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome
to the sound of suspense. Welcome to the fear
you can hear. Welcome to the world of terrifying
imagination. This is a tale about justice, about
the lady who stands over the criminal courthouses
of America with a blindfold over her eyes. Of
course, the blindfold represents impartiality,
not faulty vision. But yet, there are occasions
when justice seems to be looking the other way.
And that's something which bothers attorney Ned
Murray very much indeed. He's getting away with
murder, Tony. And maybe he'll get away with another
one. Maybe there's an answer. What? I've been
waiting a long time to figure out what I could
do for you, Ned. What kind of favor might be
important to you. Now I know. Tony! You're thinking
about killing Rydell! Our mystery drama, After
the Verdict, was written especially for the Mystery
Theater by Henry Slessor and stars Tony Roberts.
It is sponsored in part by New Sugar -Free Diet
7 -Up and by the Kellogg Company, makers of Kellogg's
Special K Cereal. I'll be back shortly with Act
One. What better place to begin a story about
justice than in a courtroom? This one is packed
today, because it's the day the jury is going
to return its verdict in the case of the people
versus Louis Rydell. That's Rydell over there,
the thin man with the burning eyes. See the way
he searches the face of every juror who takes
his or her place in the jury box? It's only natural,
of course. because Lewis Rydell had been charged
with murder. Quiet now. Presiding Judge Lincoln
Arthur is about to speak. The foreman of the
jury will please rise. Has the jury reached a
verdict in this case? We have, Your Honor. Please
read your verdict to the court. We find the defendant,
Lewis Rydell. guilty. You did it! You did it,
Mr. Murray! Congratulations, Lou. I'm very happy.
You're happy? How do you think I feel? Hey, come
on. Let's get out of this place. Let's celebrate,
huh? Let's pick up my wife and have a ball. I
don't think I can. I promised my boss that I'd
get out of here. You don't care about your boss?
You want to see that daughter of his? Okay, what
am I going to force him? I can't, Lou. I'm sorry.
Come on. Come on, counselor. Melanie's got a
cab waiting outside. I thought that's a hanging
jury if ever I saw one. The only one I was worried
about was that little old lady with the blue
hair. You just can't tell about a jury from their
faces. My last case, well, I thought they all
looked friendly, but I lost. You won this one,
Mr. Murray. I bet that boss of yours is real
pleased. I mean, all this publicity that you
got. Well, you're a regular Clarence Darrow.
Look, Lou, we don't really have to talk about
the fee settlement now. Why don't you and Melanie
just go out and drink up a couple of bottles
of champagne? Oh, Lou doesn't drink, Mr. Murray.
Lou doesn't have any vices. Do you, Lou? I want
to get the money settled, counselor. Melanie
here doesn't like to hear about money. She just
likes to spend it. We'll drop her off at home.
Hey, you promised to take me someplace. Wait
for me at home, pumpkin. Daddy will be there
just as soon as he settles things with his lawyer.
Okay. What choice do I have? I'll be home in
an hour or two and we'll go out to dinner. Just
stay in the apartment and don't open the door
to anyone. And if you have to open the door,
wear some clothes, baby, huh? Yeah, there's a
nice little office you got here, Mr. Murray.
Only, uh... It strikes me as kind of small, isn't
it? It's big enough, Lou. I mean, compared to
that big office down the hall, Mr. Ostrow. Mr.
Ostrow is the senior partner of this firm, Lou.
Well, maybe when you marry his daughter. You
are going to marry that chick, aren't you? Let's
get down to business, okay? I mean, the way she
was hanging around that courtroom every day of
the trial, I figured she was pretty stuck on
you. Lou, this meeting was your idea. You said
you could manage to pay about 150 a month, and
that's perfectly fine with me. Sure, Mr. Murray,
anything you say. We could have settled this
in the taxi. I guess they just didn't want to
face Melanie for a couple of hours. They needed
an excuse. You understand? I suppose so. She's
beautiful, isn't she? Mrs. Rydell? No, yes, she's
very lovely. She can't help herself, you know.
The way men bother her all the time. They look
at her and right away they get ideas. It's not
her fault. No. She's not smart about it, though.
She doesn't know the way men think. Like the
way she answers the door sometimes in that sloppy
housecoat. She gives people ideas, like that
kid Yost. I feel sorry for that kid, you know?
I know you do. It's just too bad that he got
himself mugged the day after you threw him out
of the house. You wouldn't have gone through
all this. You wouldn't be owing me 150 bucks
a month. Yeah, I feel sorry for him. Kid delivers
the groceries every day, gets the same eyeful
every day. His tongue must have been hanging
out. Lou, I really have to get on home. I've
got a party at my boss's house tonight. But just
the same, I'd do it again. That's the way I am.
The guy touches my wife. I get a red fire in
my brain and I can't stop myself. Now, I owe
you a lot, Mr. Murray. More than money. Well,
forget it. Just learn to keep your temper. I
really killed that boy, you know? What? What
did you say? I killed him, Mr. Murray. I waited
for him in the hallway the next day, and I grabbed
him. He was a scrawny kid. He was like reigning
in the neck of a chicken. I'd do the same thing
again, Mr. Murray, to the next guy who bothers
my wife. They've got to learn. Well, you'd better
go now. Melanie's waiting for me. You lied to
me. Every stinking word you told me was a lie.
Don't be sure, Mr. Murray. I couldn't tell you
the truth, could I? I mean, you wouldn't have
taken the case, would you? Yes! I would have
taken the case and told you to plead guilty with
cause. No, that wouldn't have been any good.
I wanted you to get me off, and that's what you
did. Look, Luke! I've got to go now, Mr. Murray.
I just want to say thanks again. Oh, you think
it's that simple? You think you can just walk
out of here? Melanie's waiting for me. She likes
to eat dinner early. Girls are always hungry.
So long, Mr. Murray. Oh, my. I'm so late, Mr.
Ostrom. Who do you think this party's for, anyway?
Well, come in, come in, come in. Karen's going
out of her brain waiting for you to get here.
This one looks like quite a crowd. They're all
in your pocket tonight now, Ned. All right, everybody,
hold it, hold it. Here's the man we've all been
waiting for, Ned Murray, folks, greatest trial
lawyer since Clarence... world if you'd be in
the party started two hours ago i just lost track
of the time that's all uh... must be love if
you have a meeting alright i'll see you kids
later ned come into the kitchen for a minute
no it's full of servants come into the bedroom
now that's an offer i can't refuse well what
did you have in mind give you one guess oh darling
out of you you were so wonderful kiss was pretty
wonderful father says that you were everything
he used to be in the courtroom and there's no
higher praise you can get them that's a couple
let's forget about the trial it's over i don't
want to forget about it made i'm just so thrilled
with the way you handle the case that man rydell
seems so guilty there's too much fuss about all
this care father said that if you could win this
case you could do anything that it would mean
a lot of business to the firm. Do you know what
I think? He's not going to wait on that promise
about the junior partnership. I think he's going
to do something about it right now. Are you serious?
Don't tell him what I said, but I'm sure of it.
Ned, you'll have to stop making excuses pretty
soon, lover. You'll have to name the day. For
heaven's sake. Shake probably your father wanted
me to join the party. I. Told me you were here
Tony for the love of Mike I haven't seen you
in age yeah that's right oh hey I am sorry I
didn't know you had somebody with you it's all
right Mr I go I was just going to fix my makeup
see you later darling yes yes sure. Tony. ever
saw you at australia's before here you know me
and that i don't like to mix with all these big
shots you still talk to ordinary people big celebrity
like you uh... talk to you anytime but that i
was in court today i've been in the last four
days but you didn't even notice that how that
was nice of you busy man like you and i got a
personal interest you know that tony i was really
glad you wanted Reminded me all over again what
you did for me two years ago. Get me off that
murder rap. It was like seeing the whole thing
again. It wasn't the same, Tony. For one thing,
you didn't kill it. I mean, uh, come on, let's
go out and get a drink. Ah, not for me. Since
I seen you last, I got me an ulcer. That's the
price of success, you know, in my business, just
like yours. That's too bad. You know, something
like that, you don't look so healthy yourself.
I'm okay. You look great in that courtroom. Only
now, you don't look like a guy who won a case.
You look like a loser. I'm just tired. Let down,
you know. Yeah, yeah, sure. Hey, look, Ned, you
remember what I told you once, huh? You got any
troubles you can't handle, I want to hear about
them. You got a favor coming for me, and it bothers
me not to pay off. That was a long time ago.
You don't owe me anything. I keep good books.
Don't tell me who I owe. Hey, go on, Dad. Find
that girl of yours. Maybe she can cheer you up,
huh? Tell you the truth, Tony. I need a couple
of minutes all by myself. You know how it is.
Yeah, sure. I know how it is. Sometimes too much
is too much. Yeah. Yeah, that's right. See you
around later, kid. Okay? Yeah. Yeah, later. Sometimes
too much is too much. I really killed that boy,
you know. He killed him. He killed him and I
let him get away with it. Mrs. Rydell. Oh, well,
Lou isn't home, you know. Oh, he went to see
Mr. Fleming about going back to the company.
I knew he wasn't home. May I come in anyway?
Oh, yeah, sure. Look, do you think Lou will have
any trouble, I mean, getting his old job back?
You know, he was their best salesman before,
before the trouble happened. They won't hold
it against him, will they? I don't know. I want
to ask you a few things. Oh, oh, sure. Mrs. Rydell.
Before the trial, you told me your husband was
the jealous type. Yeah, yeah, that's right. But
you said there was never any reason for his jealousy.
Do we have to go through that again? The trial's
over, isn't it? Please, it's more important than
you think. Why? This delivery boy, Yost, I tried
to underplay Lou's anger about him in court,
but he was really pretty sore about the pass
he made at you, wasn't he? But I told you all
that! Yes, Lou was sore. Sore. He was crazy.
I didn't even want to tell him about the kid
because I was afraid he'd... Well, you know...
Mrs. Rydell, the trial is over, just as you said.
Nobody can charge Lou with the same crime again.
That's the law in this state. So you've got nothing
to lose by telling me the absolute truth. About
what? Lou did kill that boy, didn't he? Hey!
He waited for him the next day... and choked
him to death. That's a dirty lie! How could you,
of all people? Alright, alright, maybe you didn't
know the truth. Maybe you believed your husband
the way I did. You get out of here, mister! Please,
I'm not through. The reason I know this is because
Lou told me himself yesterday in my office. Lou
isn't going to change because of the trial. He's
an insanely jealous man, and he might very well
do the same thing again. You're awful! I thought
you were so nice, Mr. Murray, but you're terrible!
I had to let you know how things are with Lou.
He got away with murder and that makes me sick
to my stomach. There's not much I can do about
it, but maybe you can do something, Mrs. Rydell.
Me? You can be careful. Do you understand? No!
You've got to make sure he never has any reason
to be jealous. Listen, if you think I play around...
Even if he misunderstands your behavior, somebody
else might get Lou's hands around his throat.
It might even be easier for him the next time.
He got away with it once. Please, Mrs. Rydell,
for his sake. All right, for mine. Don't make
your husband kill again. I don't know about you,
but I think Mr. Murray's request is very reasonable.
The only problem, of course, is exactly how reasonable
Lou Rydell is. As something about the man's eyes,
the way his hands twitch personally, I don't
think it would be a very good idea to wink at
Mrs. Rydell. I'll return shortly with Act Two.
And now here's act two of After the Verdict.
It's a bright sunny morning, the kind of morning
that fills promising young men like Ned Murray
with enthusiasm for life. After all, he has everything
going for him. A fine career ahead, marriage
to a lovely young lady who also happens to be
the boss's daughter, and even if his recent triumph
has turned a bit sour, it was still a triumph,
wasn't it? But as Ned Murray goes to see Harry
Ostrow, he finds the sun isn't shining in the
big corner office. The shades are drawn. His
boss's face is a thunder cloud. You wanted to
see me, Mr. Ostrow? Yes. Come in and shut the
door. Hello, Mr. Murray. Nice to see you again.
Hello, Lou. What are you doing here? Mr. Rydell's...
He told me something I find hard to believe,
Ned. I said he must be mistaken, but he swears
it's true. Did you go to see Mrs. Rydell yesterday?
Yes. Why did you think it was necessary to do
that? I had something I wanted to tell her. It
was strictly an unofficial visit. You told her
I was guilty. You went up there deliberately,
just to frighten her. I ought to sue you for
what you did, Mr. Murray. Lawyer or no lawyer.
What kind of nonsense is this, Ned? You didn't
say any such thing, did you? Well, did you? Yes,
sir. I did. What? I didn't go there to frighten
her. Just to warn her. Right after the trial,
Mr. Rydell here obliged me with a nice little
confession. A little late, I'm afraid. Confession?
What are you talking about? That's a lie. I don't
know what you've got against me, Mr. Murray,
but I never heard of a lawyer behaving like this.
I didn't kill that boy. The jury said so. Annette,
please. This is all so ridiculous. Mr. Rydell
put it very bluntly. He said he killed Yost.
He said he'd kill again if another Yost came
along. You can't do that. It's over. The trial's
over. They can't put me through this again. They
can't. No, no, Mr. Rydell. Of course they can't.
There's nothing to get excited about. Mr. Murray
just misunderstood you. That's all. I read him
loud and clear. I knew I couldn't get him back
in a courtroom because of double jeopardy, but
I thought if I went to the DA, he'd be a lot
more careful with his hands the next time. I'll
sue you! I'll sue this whole farm for slander!
You hear that, Oskra? Now, please, Ned, apologize
to Mr. Rydell. Tell him you didn't mean it. Apologize?
Yes, I should apologize to the state for saving
his skin. Ned! Ned, you listen to me now. I don't
know what went on... between you and this man
and i don't care but he's a client understand
my client even if you handle the case and there's
such a thing as lawyer client privilege since
when does it include murder up and listen to
me anything you do reflects on me on the way
i run this firm mister i don't got a fair trial
under law better than fair yes and the jury acquitted
him that's all we have to know you don't have
any right to violate any confidences he made
to you and they teach you that law school they
taught me something else they taught me the lawyers
main concern was for justice here talk about
justice dot talk to that hudlum buddy of yours
tony i go if there was just as you think that
crookedly walking around loose tony was innocent
of that murder charge because the jury said so
and they said the same thing about mister right
now here That's that, my boy. Understand? Who
is it? Oh, for Pete's sake. Can't they let a
guy get some rest in his own home? Well, have
I caught you with a blonde? You caught me with
a bottle. And just in time, obviously. Well,
the least I can do is make sure you don't drink
alone. Not enough for the two of us. Even if
I give you this? What is it? A present. Open
it. It's that pipe you were so crazy about, the
one with the ivory carving. I was saving it for
some special occasion, but your birthday isn't
for six months. It's a beauty. If you're going
to bribe me... Really? And I thought I'd use
sex appeal. I understand that sure fire. Excuse
me, it's time for another drink. What's so funny?
The whole thing. You, father. He told me about
that scene in his office this morning. I wish
I could have been there. Clarence Darrow versus
William Jennings Bryan. It wasn't. It was stupid
versus childish, and all because of that... All
because of that silly man with the funny eyes.
Honestly, Ned, I hope you won't make any more
fuss about him. I thought it was Daddy who was
making the fuss. Believe me, I think he feels
just awful about the whole silly quarrel. Yeah,
I'll bet he does. Oh, for heaven's sake, Ned,
why would you want to spoil things now? All right,
maybe that idiotic man did kill that grocery
boy, but I'm not saying he didn't, but wouldn't
it be the first time that a guilty man is dead?
It's the first time for me. Don't you understand
that, the first time I ever got a guilty man
off? Was it really, darling? Well, that man I
go... Tony was innocent! Well, innocent of that
crime, maybe, but what about all the others?
He might have killed a dozen men before or had
them killed. He wasn't being tried for killing
a dozen men. Only one. And he was innocent of
that. I should know better than to talk to you
while you're drinking. I'm going to the district
attorney tomorrow, Karen. Even if it doesn't
do a bit of good, I'll feel better for it. Do
you know what the DA will say? He'll say you're
a fool. I don't care. You haven't got a shred
of proof. Not a shred. And all the proof in the
world wouldn't put Lou Rydell back on the stand.
You know that, don't you? If you go to the D
.A. tomorrow, you can find yourself another connection.
What? What was that? Oh, I'm sorry, Ned, but
he did say it. And I know my father. I know he
never says anything he doesn't mean. What about
you, Karen? What about the connection between
me and you? I waited long enough for you to get
serious about me, Ned. I can wait a little longer,
until you come to your senses. And that's the
real bribe, isn't it? a chance Tony what the
heck are you doing here oh hey you've really
been working at it kid huh I'm an invited guest
remember no I guess you don't by an hour ago
you called me up told me to come have a drink
with you well here I am one change of mind no
no no come on I don't you make my ginger ale
or something. I'll drink with you. No, it's a
good thing. It's a good thing, Tony. That's about
all I've got left. Just one more drink. Hey,
hey, hey, hey. What is this, kid? This celebration
going on a long time, ain't it? They're not celebrating
now, Tony. Commiserating. That's the word, isn't
it? It doesn't sound right. Commiserating. Don't
ask me. I never heard it before. It means I'm
feeling sorry for somebody. For who? For a dumb
kid, name of Yost. Dumb kid from the grocery.
You mean a kid that got killed? Yeah, that's
right. That got killed. Yeah. And you know who
killed him? How should I know? Where's that drink?
Oh, there it is. Here's the crime, Tony. Put
it down, Ned. What? You heard me. Put it down.
You want to tell me your trouble's okay, I'll
put on a pot of coffee. For both of us. Hey,
did that make you feel any better? No. Well,
give it time. Tony, were you listening to me?
Did you hear what I told you? Yeah, I heard you.
This guy Rydell is a kookaboo. He's getting away
with murder, Tony. And maybe you'll get away
with another one. Nah, next time will be different.
You'll know different from one thing. Meantime,
somebody gets killed. Well, what's that to you?
I'm sorry. Sure, I forgot the kind of guy I'm
talking to. What am I going to feel like when
it happens, Tony? Well, there must be some way
to nail this crumb no no there isn't the law
protects him Double jeopardy a man can't be tried
twice for the same crime. That's how it goes
Tony one trial to a customer Yeah, it's a shame.
All right, they hung better guys than that and
he's walking around free as air That's the law
Tony. Yeah. Yeah the law Okay, if it bothers
you so much stop him Tell me how Everybody else
has to pay the penalty, right? Why not him? It's
too late. It's too late, Tony. What a law, maybe.
Huh? Want some more coffee? No. I think I'll
get myself a cup. Yeah, maybe there's an answer.
What? I've been waiting a long time to figure
out what I could do for you, Ned, and what kind
of favor might be important to you. Now I know.
How do you mean favor? It won't be just for you.
I'd be doing everybody a favor. The whole state,
right? Only when it happens, I mean it for you,
Ned. Remember that. It's good coffee. Webb, see
you around. Tony, wait. Wait a minute. It's getting
late, kid. I have to go. What? What was that
you just said? What's in your mind? Nothing,
nothing. Come on, I did my good deed for day.
Let me out of here now, huh? I want to know what
you meant by a favor. You know what the word
means. You're thinking of killing Rydell. Oh,
you see too many movies. Tony, don't be crazy.
I don't want that kind of favor, understand?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. Just let him loose, huh?
So what if he gets away with murder, huh? Killing
him is no answer. Sure, so let some other slobs
get knocked off, huh? That's better. I didn't
mean all those things I said. Tony, you got the
wrong idea. This guy didn't kill a grocery boy.
He's killing you too, buddy, and that's what
I care about. But you got nothing to be afraid
of. Nothing's gonna rub off on you. I know my
business, just like you know yours. So long,
kid. Really, it's a very good thing to have friends.
Loyal friends who are always willing to do you
a favor. But it looks as if Tony Igoe is going
to do a good deed by committing a very bad deed.
The question is, can one murder avenge another?
We'll find out shortly when we return with Act
Three. Now, the last act of after the verdict.
Listen closely. Here's a sound we don't hear
very often. Yes. What with all these electric
clocks and digital clocks and electronic clocks,
the good old -fashioned ticking that marks off
the minutes and hours of the night is rarely
heard. But tonight, Ned Murray is hearing that
sound, hearing it from a clock which normally
purrs softly on his night table. But Ned's hearing
is highly sensitive tonight. His brain is tuned
like a high -frequency instrument, picking out
the slightest vibrations, tuning in on voices
he doesn't want to hear. A man is murdered. A
murderer has to pay. Tony is right. He's right.
Hello? How are you, darling? I'm all right. I'm
in bed. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you up? No.
No, I was just lying here. tonight you know caron
i'm just tired i i drank too much i knew you'd
do that so mixed up well what's there to be mixed
up about art the choices are pretty clear aren't
they are they not to me they aren't i don't think
things are ever that simple especially when it
comes to law just ask your father he knows all
about the law He knows how to make money at it.
That proves it. That isn't fair, Ned. No. No,
no, no. I suppose it isn't. Don't you remember
what he used to say? That if the time ever comes
when right and wrong are absolutely clear, there
won't be any need for lawyers. Your father didn't
say that, Karen. He was quoting someone. Who?
Judge Lincoln Arthur, as a matter of fact. The
judge at Rydell's trial. Arthur always made sense
to me too. Karen, do you mind if I hang up now?
Then you are angry. No, no, no, no. It's just
that I have to make a call. A very important
call. All right, Ned, but will you call me tomorrow?
Yes. If there is one. Good night, Karen. uh...
can you give me the number of uh... judge lincoln
the arthur sure you don't want to know why and
then there no judge thanks i've sworn off that
stuff for the duration of my life and that he
himself party is that when you came up with this
terrible Isn't that what you call it? No, Judge,
it's more like a riddle, a legal riddle. The
only thing is, I already know the answer. All
right, let's see if I know it. It's about a lawyer.
A criminal lawyer who defends somebody for murder
and does it successfully. He's convinced of his
client's innocence, understand? And that helps
him get the acquittal. But right after the verdict...
He makes a discovery that his client is guilty.
How does he make this discovery? Is that important?
It might be. Was it on evidence that had appeared
at the trial? Evidence he had misinterpreted
or concealed unknowingly? No. It was a confession.
How does he obtain this confession? It's given
to him. unsolicited by his clients. Why? I don't
know. Perversity, pride, ego. Anyway, he knows
the truth about his client, and he knows something
worse. That the man is more than capable of committing
a similar crime. In fact, he boasts of the possibility
almost gleefully. Any witnesses to this confession?
No. And when he's confronted with it, the client
denies ever having made it. You're not asking
a legal question, Ed. I'm sure you know where
your hypothetical lawyer stands legally. In the
middle of nowhere. Is this a moral question,
maybe? Well, you might say that. I mean, if you
were that lawyer, Judge, what would you do? If
I were that lawyer, Ned, and if I were your age,
I suppose I'd do what you're doing now. I'd get
angry with my client, with myself, maybe even
with the law. But if I were practicing now, I
think I'd feel different. How different? I wouldn't
feel anger, only pity. Pity? For a man like that?
Yes, exactly for that kind of man. A man who
feels a compulsion to confess must have felt
a similar compulsion to kill. Their symptoms
are the same disease, Ned. If there's one thing
the law has learned in this century, it's the
ability to feel compassion for the emotionally
disturbed. He's that all right, but that doesn't...
Ned, this parable of yours... You talking about
Louis Rydell? Yes. He told you that he murdered
Yost? He did, I swear it. In my office, the same
day of the verdict. Oh, for God's sake, Ned,
use your brains. Can't you see that the man's
mentally ill? Everything points to it. He killed
a boy just for putting an arm around his wife.
He confesses when there's no need to confess.
Is it worthwhile venting all this anger against
such a man? But he's dangerous. He'll do this
again, Judge, if a man just looks cross -eyed
at his wife. It'll be another excuse for murder.
If he had confessed this to you before the trial
was over... I would have demanded that he plead
guilty. He'd be waiting to serve a life sentence
right now. And Ned, you're forgetting something.
What? I was the judge at the trial. It was my
prerogative to pass sentence, not yours. It was
first -degree murder, premeditated. Ned, if the
jury had brought me a guilty verdict, I would
have recommended psychiatric examination with
a view to confinement at an institution for the
criminally insane. But you didn't know he was...
I mean, even I didn't know he was crazy. Do you
know it now? Do you feel it now? Do you recognize
that he needs cure more than punishment? Punishment.
The law only penalizes the guilty, Ned. Isn't
that what we all believe in? We don't penalize
the sick. I have to go, Judge. I have something
to do. It's getting pretty late for running errands,
Ned. Almost midnight. Yeah, but this is important,
Judge. I have to see someone. I have to tell...
Something very important. Hello? Is this Lucerne
Dispatching? My name's Ned Murray. I'm a friend
of Tony Igoe. No, no, Murray, Murray! That's
the last name, not the first. Look, it's... very
important that i reach tony as soon as possible
only this is the only number he ever gave me
to reach but he's got to have a home phone right
so help me it's important it's a matter of look
who am i speaking to lady please i'm in a phone
booth and it's pouring like hell and i'm getting
soaked no no no no no i'm sorry i'm sorry i look
i didn't mean to talk to you that way yes i realize
that but if you could make this one exception
no he isn't home for god's sakes it's after midnight
yes yes all right all all right all right he
couldn't have done it and i couldn't What the
heck have you been? I've been taking care of
business. What business? Since when do you sell
shoes in the middle of the night? I was taking
care of some competition. That's what I was doing.
What are you talking about? Oh, I pretend you
don't know. But I don't know. I don't know what
you're talking about. You know something, Melanie.
You make a rotten liar. I'm not lying. For God's
sake, Louis. Will you stop staring at me like
that? I'm looking at you the way other men look
at you. Other men. One who comes around here
every day when I'm out pounding the pavements,
peddling those lousy shoes to those stores. Oh,
Lou, nobody comes around. You're just in one
of those crazy jealous moods again. Well, I got
news for you, pumpkin. There's one boyfriend
who's not coming around anymore. Are you still
talking about that poor dumb grocery boy? Lou,
I thought that I was... No, no. I'm talking about
the old guy. The one with the white hair. this
one because he's got something wrong with him
baby he's got a carving knife in his stomach
no oh my god no no you you didn't yes i did so
you can forget about seeing your lover boy tonight
baby you can just forget it you'll have to be
satisfied with just me no just tell me it isn't
true tell me you didn't kill anyone it wasn't
the first time pumpkin Keep up the way you're
going. It won't be the last. In fact, the next
one might be you. Oh, my God. Those police cars.
They're coming here. Lieutenant, we're here.
Lieutenant, Lieutenant, care hot. Oh, hi, Ned.
What are you doing here? What's going on? What's
all the crowd about? Oh, wait a minute. You know
the victim, don't you? Is that why you're here?
You get a tip or something? Victim? Who? Tony
Igoe. Tony? Somebody used a knife on him. Oh,
God. Ironic, isn't it? Probably a dozen guys
wanted Tony Igoe knocked off. And how does he
get it? From a jealous husband. Is he dead? Yeah,
he's dead. And it was your ex -client who did
it, that guy Rydell. He caught Tony hanging around
the building watching the place. Rydell claims
he was after his wife. You know about this, Ned?
It's not true. It's not true. lieutenant. He
didn't even know the woman. Then what was he
doing here? A favor. He was doing somebody a
favor. What are you talking about? Look, where
is Rydell now? Upstairs, answering questions.
He won't get away. Not like the last time, counselor.
Yes, it won't be like the last time. Excuse me.
Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where do you think you're
going? I want to see him. He's entitled to talk
to a lawyer, isn't he? You must be nuts yourself.
Half a dozen witnesses saw him do it. Can I go
up, Lieutenant? You mean you'll defend that screwball
again? He's out of his mind, don't you know that?
Yes, I know. And that's what I'll try to prove.
Now, will you please let me see my client? And
so Ned Murray is about to try for still another
verdict. This time a verdict which will carry
a punishment more befitting to the crime And
something tells me that he'll be very successful
Not just as an attorney, but as a human being
I'll be back shortly Some time ago A man named
Thomas De Quincey said, if once a man indulges
himself in murder, very soon he comes to think
very little of robbing. And from robbing, he
comes next to drinking, and Sabbath breaking,
and from that to incivility and procrastination.
Let that be a lesson to all of you. This quotation
and this story have come to you through the courtesy
of our radio mystery theater. Our cast included
Tony Roberts, Joseph Julian, Bryna Rayburn, Barbara
Caruso, Robert Dryden, and Sam Gray. 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.