WEBVTT 00:00:18.460 --> 00:00:26.660 Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome 00:00:26.660 --> 00:00:30.920 to The Sound of Suspense. Welcome to the fear 00:00:30.920 --> 00:00:35.560 you can hear. But mostly, welcome to the world 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:40.060 of terrifying imagination. In this story, you're 00:00:40.060 --> 00:00:42.619 going to meet what some people call a shutter 00:00:42.619 --> 00:00:46.539 bug. You know what a shutter bug is. The kind 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:49.320 of person who never goes anywhere without a camera 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:52.219 swinging from a strap around his neck. Who is 00:00:52.219 --> 00:00:54.840 never content unless they're aiming a lens in 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.240 your direction, whether you want to be photographed 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:01.439 or not. But unfortunately, this particular bug 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:05.140 is the kind that many people want to crush under 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:07.840 their feet. We all want to get rid of Kellerman. 00:01:08.459 --> 00:01:11.599 We want to kill him. And so do you. That's a 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.959 lie. You hate his guts as much as we do, Mr. 00:01:15.180 --> 00:01:17.200 Bailey. Why don't you admit it? Of course I hate 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:20.640 him. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to commit... 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:25.780 murder. Well, we're ready, Mr. Bailey. And you'd 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:38.569 better be, too. Our mystery drama, Our Choice 00:01:38.569 --> 00:01:41.590 of Witnesses, was written especially for the 00:01:41.590 --> 00:01:45.129 Mystery Theatre by Henry Slesser and stars Paul 00:01:45.129 --> 00:02:00.989 Hecht. It begins on a warm day in early spring. 00:02:01.689 --> 00:02:04.829 The kind of day which tempts office workers to 00:02:04.829 --> 00:02:08.000 leave their desks and stroll through the nearest 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:12.159 park on the noon hour. Among the strollers is 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:15.479 an amiable young man named Gordon Bailey who 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:18.699 is enjoying the sunshine so much that he's taken 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:23.159 a sandwich lunch to a park bench. He knows it's 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:26.400 not going to be a very good sandwich. His wife 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.099 Pam prepared it with her own loving hands. And 00:02:30.099 --> 00:02:34.039 even after two years of marriage, Pam seems unable 00:02:34.039 --> 00:02:39.009 to cope. with even a hard -boiled egg. Oh, excuse 00:02:39.009 --> 00:02:41.889 me, mister. Okay if I sit down here? Oh, yeah, 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:48.050 sure. Plenty of room. Thanks. Nice day, isn't 00:02:48.050 --> 00:02:51.009 it? Yeah. It's about time we had some good weather. 00:02:51.530 --> 00:02:54.530 That's a good idea. I mean, bringing your lunches 00:02:54.530 --> 00:02:57.030 apart. Oh, that's my wife's idea. We're on an 00:02:57.030 --> 00:03:00.169 economy drive. Yeah, money's tight these days. 00:03:00.250 --> 00:03:04.389 Very tight. What line of work did you say you 00:03:04.389 --> 00:03:07.449 were in? Oh, I think I said I was in the insurance 00:03:07.449 --> 00:03:11.310 business. No kidding Well now that's what I call 00:03:11.310 --> 00:03:17.509 a good business. Oh, excuse me Hey, that ought 00:03:17.509 --> 00:03:19.349 to be a cute picture, huh that little squirrel 00:03:19.349 --> 00:03:21.550 up there cute as a bug, huh? Do you like to take 00:03:21.550 --> 00:03:24.030 pictures of squirrels? Well me I like to take 00:03:24.030 --> 00:03:26.949 pictures of everything In fact, I do this for 00:03:26.949 --> 00:03:29.009 a living. Oh, you're a professional photographer 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:32.979 kind of I make a buck out of it sometimes. I 00:03:32.979 --> 00:03:34.620 suppose you sell pictures to the newspapers. 00:03:35.659 --> 00:03:38.199 Oh, no, no, I never sold no pictures of papers. 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:42.680 I sell them to people. Well, I guess I'll be 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:45.539 heading back for work. Wait just a minute, Mr. 00:03:45.780 --> 00:03:48.259 Bailey. I don't remember telling you my name. 00:03:49.139 --> 00:03:51.580 I guess I know your name on a kind of the badge. 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:55.039 What are you talking about? The badge you wore 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:58.259 at the convention at the hotel in Atlantic City. 00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.590 Oh, wait a minute. You were at the Insurance 00:04:01.590 --> 00:04:04.129 Convention last month? Yeah, I was there. I get 00:04:04.129 --> 00:04:06.650 a lot of good pictures at conventions. Some of 00:04:06.650 --> 00:04:11.009 my best. I see. Or, uh, maybe I don't. Well, 00:04:11.030 --> 00:04:13.330 you know how it is. Bunch of guys get away from 00:04:13.330 --> 00:04:15.830 home, away from their wife. They do a lot of 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:19.370 crazy things. Oh, uh, would you like to see the 00:04:19.370 --> 00:04:21.649 picture? Of the Insurance Convention? I'll tell 00:04:21.649 --> 00:04:24.110 you the truth, Mr., uh... My name is Kellerman. 00:04:24.660 --> 00:04:26.519 Frankly, I just don't understand why you'd be 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:28.279 carrying around pictures of a bunch of drunken 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:32.439 insurance, man Yeah, you were gassed all right. 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:34.699 I never seen anybody more gassed than you or 00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:36.860 mr. Bailey You don't mean you have pictures of 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:40.000 me. Yeah, that's how I was trying to tell you 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.920 you like to see them. They're real beauts I Don't 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.079 think I ever took better mr. Bailey All right. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:50.459 Let me see them. Oh, yeah sure Here they are 00:04:50.459 --> 00:04:55.840 another pocket here. Yeah Look at this one Oh, 00:04:55.840 --> 00:04:58.740 no. She was really stacked, huh? How did you 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:01.439 get this? Well, I told you with my trusty little 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:04.439 camera. But how? Hey, come on. What do you think? 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:06.500 I'm not giving away no professional secrets. 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.079 You were in that hotel room. She let you into 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:11.180 that room, didn't she? You must have been hiding 00:05:11.180 --> 00:05:13.100 someplace. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Don't do that. 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:14.680 Don't care that much. What do you think I'm gonna 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:18.079 do with them? Aw, come on, Mr. Bailey. You know 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.019 I got negatives. I can print up 2 ,000 of them 00:05:21.019 --> 00:05:23.819 if I want. What is this? Blackmail or something? 00:05:24.709 --> 00:05:27.350 No, no, no, it's like a business deal. That's 00:05:27.350 --> 00:05:30.670 all I Figured I got some pictures that you want 00:05:30.670 --> 00:05:33.750 to buy And I got him to sell how much did you 00:05:33.750 --> 00:05:36.209 pay her for the privilege of being in that room? 00:05:36.569 --> 00:05:39.730 The question is how much are you willing to pay? 00:05:40.569 --> 00:05:43.509 I? Mean so your wife don't get a complete set 00:05:43.509 --> 00:05:49.129 Look Are you willing to sell me the negatives 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:53.490 I didn't say that I Got a different kind of deal 00:05:53.490 --> 00:05:55.339 of mine You know what would happen if I told 00:05:55.339 --> 00:05:58.800 the police about this? Well, a guy did that to 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.100 me once. It was a meatpackers convention. He 00:06:02.100 --> 00:06:05.000 called the cops, they hauled me in. I said I 00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:06.740 was just a photographer working at the convention, 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:08.959 that's all. I was selling pictures of the guys 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:12.019 there. He couldn't prove nothing against me on 00:06:12.019 --> 00:06:16.699 a vacante, you know why? It was true. I am a 00:06:16.699 --> 00:06:20.519 photographer, I do wait conventions. I saw regular 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.779 type pictures, too. But they're not as profitable 00:06:22.779 --> 00:06:25.660 as these, are they? You know, that guy became 00:06:25.660 --> 00:06:28.860 one of my steadiest customers. Only then his 00:06:28.860 --> 00:06:31.939 wife divorced him anyway. Wouldn't make no more 00:06:31.939 --> 00:06:34.920 payments. Payments? Are you saying this is a 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.139 regular thing? How much you iron at that insurance 00:06:38.139 --> 00:06:40.300 company? I figure a young guy like you, they 00:06:40.300 --> 00:06:44.180 pay about 15, 18 ,000 a year, am I right? Listen 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:46.779 to me, Kellerman. The woman at that convention, 00:06:46.899 --> 00:06:50.040 I... I didn't want to get mixed up with her. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:52.959 I was just so tied. I didn't know what I was 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:55.699 doing. Oh, hey, you don't have to tell me about 00:06:55.699 --> 00:06:57.839 stuff like that, Mr. Bailey. I've been around 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.259 plenty. I know how guys are. No, no, no, no. 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:03.740 You don't understand. Look, I'm only married 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:06.959 two years. I love my wife very much. And the 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:09.639 only reason I got into that stupid mess was because 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:12.860 of my boss. I didn't want to insult him. He was 00:07:12.860 --> 00:07:15.540 drunker than I was. Oh, come on, Mr. Bailey. 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:18.600 You don't have to explain nothing to me. I know 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.540 you don't want that nice little wife of yours 00:07:20.540 --> 00:07:23.439 to see these dainty pictures. And I don't want 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:25.060 to show them to her. Believe me. She'd never 00:07:25.060 --> 00:07:29.540 understand. Pam would never... Listen. Listen, 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.459 I'll tell you what. I'll give you a flat price 00:07:32.459 --> 00:07:34.680 for the negatives, and that'll be it. Understand? 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:39.019 I got a nice bonus recently. I'll give you 300 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:41.800 cash tomorrow afternoon. How does that sound? 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:46.079 Now listen to me, Mr. Bailey. People are real 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:48.959 funny about this kind of business. They never 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:52.980 believe a guy like me can, well, like be honest, 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:55.759 you know? Honest? That's some word. Well, what 00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:58.000 I mean is they always think that if they pay 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.980 me a flat fee, I'll be coming back at them again. 00:08:01.699 --> 00:08:04.879 You see what I mean? Even if I did give you the 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:07.360 negatives, you'd figure if I had copies someplace 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:09.899 that I could hit you again any time, right? Look, 00:08:09.939 --> 00:08:12.959 I'm willing to take your word for it. Nah, Mr. 00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:15.720 Bailey, nah. You just spend the rest of your 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:18.199 life worrying about me coming back, am I right? 00:08:19.220 --> 00:08:21.720 But this way, you just make one small payment 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.420 to me every month, like you pay the electric 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:28.079 bill at a red. You know? How much? How much do 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:33.399 I have to pay? I figure if about 40 bucks a month. 00:08:34.519 --> 00:08:36.960 Now that's not so terrible, is it? Just 40 bucks 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:40.139 a month? How do you collect the money? Oh, in 00:08:40.139 --> 00:08:42.539 person, Mr. Bailey, I just go around to all my 00:08:42.539 --> 00:08:45.120 customers once a month, and I collect in person. 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:49.320 It's better that way, believe me. $40. It's $4 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:51.940 .80 a year. You never miss it. And everything 00:08:51.940 --> 00:08:54.580 will just be fine between you and the missus. 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:05.649 That you, honey? Yeah, it's me. Hey, shut up, 00:09:05.789 --> 00:09:09.409 you mutt. Hi, darling. Don't be quiet, Lockjaw. 00:09:09.490 --> 00:09:12.509 It's your lord master. I'm sorry I'm late. I 00:09:12.509 --> 00:09:14.350 decided to do a little Christmas shopping after 00:09:14.350 --> 00:09:16.289 work. I forgot how long it takes to fight those 00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:20.250 crowds. Oh, what a gorgeous package. Is that 00:09:20.250 --> 00:09:23.710 something for me? Never mind. Well, just in case 00:09:23.710 --> 00:09:28.870 it is, here's a big kiss in advance. Hey, you 00:09:28.870 --> 00:09:31.529 smell good. Is that a new perfume? It's the same 00:09:31.529 --> 00:09:35.240 old stuff. The one I'm practically out of. Hint, 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.419 hint, hint. Oh, cut out that hinting. I've already 00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:39.740 spent more money than I should. Oh, speaking 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:43.440 of money, that man was here. What man? You know, 00:09:43.460 --> 00:09:46.340 the one that comes around every month. That Mr. 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:48.659 Kellerman. Kellerman? What the heck was he doing 00:09:48.659 --> 00:09:50.779 here? It's only the 19th. Well, I don't know, 00:09:50.820 --> 00:09:52.840 Gordon, but he was here just the same, looking 00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:55.940 for you. What did he say? Nothing. Just that 00:09:55.940 --> 00:10:00.049 he'd be back later. Later today? Mm -hmm. You 00:10:00.049 --> 00:10:02.610 know Gordon, I just can't bear that awful little 00:10:02.610 --> 00:10:06.409 man Did you ever get a look at his eyes and that 00:10:06.409 --> 00:10:10.610 camera he wears around his neck? Listen, is he 00:10:10.610 --> 00:10:12.610 going to be coming around every single month? 00:10:12.610 --> 00:10:14.789 I told you honey. He's collecting payments on 00:10:14.789 --> 00:10:17.409 the car Well, why can't you make the payments 00:10:17.409 --> 00:10:20.009 by man because that's the way he likes it. Maybe 00:10:20.009 --> 00:10:24.769 he moves around a lot Well, he gives me the creeps 00:10:38.109 --> 00:10:41.330 Oh, it's you. Evening, Mr. Bailey. I heard you 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:43.470 came earlier today. Yeah, but you aren't home 00:10:43.470 --> 00:10:45.649 yet. Hope I didn't disturb your wife too much. 00:10:45.809 --> 00:10:48.129 Look, we'll talk in the hallway. Oh, yeah, of 00:10:48.129 --> 00:10:54.330 course. All right. What's this early visit all 00:10:54.330 --> 00:10:57.700 about? You're going away for the holidays? Oh, 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:00.039 no, I never go anywhere this time of year. It's 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:01.720 one of my busiest times of year, you know? Yeah, 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:03.799 I can imagine. I get some of my best pictures 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.379 around now. You'd be surprised. You know how 00:11:06.379 --> 00:11:08.179 it is. People get all filled up with a Christmas 00:11:08.179 --> 00:11:10.000 spirit. All right, all right. Get to the point. 00:11:10.580 --> 00:11:13.259 You want your payment now? Well, I wouldn't mind, 00:11:13.299 --> 00:11:15.879 of course, but that's not the reason I came around, 00:11:15.940 --> 00:11:19.200 Mr. Bailey. You see, I want to tell you that 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:24.080 the payments are gonna go up. What? I really 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:27.139 hate to do it, but it's the inflation, you know? 00:11:27.899 --> 00:11:30.840 Everything costs more, food, clothing, film, 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:33.799 gasoline. I'm just going to have an increase, 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:36.360 Mr. Bailey. I'm sorry. How much of an increase? 00:11:36.899 --> 00:11:41.740 Well, just another $15 a month. Fifteen? Terrific. 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:44.659 Now it's $55. What's it going to be a couple 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:56.440 of months from now? Shut up, Lockjaw. Excuse 00:11:56.440 --> 00:12:01.419 me, Mr. Bailey? Yeah. What can I do for you? 00:12:01.620 --> 00:12:05.620 May I talk to you for a moment? Do I know you? 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:09.399 No, I don't think you do. My name is Bliss, Dave 00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:14.059 Bliss. Look, can we sit down and talk a minute? 00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:16.779 It's kind of chilly. Why don't we talk standing 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:19.840 up? I'm trying to walk my dog and so far he's 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:21.860 been a non -performer. Well, I want to talk to 00:12:21.860 --> 00:12:26.600 you about... Ed Kellerman. I don't know any Ed 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:30.460 Kellerman. I know you do, Mr. Bailey. I made 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:34.039 it my business to find out. Now, I'm not asking 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:36.919 what he's got on you, Mr. Bailey. I'm sorry. 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:39.620 You're making a mistake. It doesn't matter. I 00:12:39.620 --> 00:12:42.059 won't ask you why Kellerman is blackmailing you. 00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:45.860 I expect you'd do as much for me. Only would 00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:49.960 you mind telling me how much you pay him? He 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:54.830 hits me for 60 a month. Used to be 40 price went 00:12:54.830 --> 00:13:00.210 up last month 55 you mind paying it of course 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:04.470 I mind so do I I'd mind if it was ten bucks a 00:13:04.470 --> 00:13:08.490 month and not just because of the money I Hate 00:13:08.490 --> 00:13:11.070 that slimy man, and I'm sure you hate him as 00:13:11.070 --> 00:13:15.409 much as I do That's why I wanted to talk to you 00:13:15.409 --> 00:13:20.269 about putting a stop to him a permanent stop 00:13:20.570 --> 00:13:24.590 You mean going to the police? No. That's not 00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:34.850 good enough. I'm talking about killing him. Every 00:13:34.850 --> 00:13:38.889 problem has a solution, they say. And Mr. Dave 00:13:38.889 --> 00:13:43.149 Bliss seems to have arrived at his. The obvious 00:13:43.149 --> 00:13:47.429 question here is, do two wrongs make a right? 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:51.000 We'll find out what Mr. Gordon Bailey thinks 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.279 about that dilemma when we return shortly with 00:13:54.279 --> 00:14:10.480 Act 2. Blackmail is an interesting, if dishonorable, 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:14.360 crime. It has the unusual facility of making 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:18.379 the criminal feel virtuous himself. After all, 00:14:18.580 --> 00:14:21.360 he's only punishing wrongdoers by making them 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.240 pay for their sins. But the profession has some 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:29.399 serious drawbacks. For one thing, it inspires 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:34.240 one's victims to think in drastic terms. And 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:37.340 when there are more than one victim, and they 00:14:37.340 --> 00:14:42.679 meet, well... Mr. Bliss, I know how you must 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:44.679 feel about Kellerman, and you're right. He is 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:46.919 one of the slimmiest characters who ever crawled 00:14:46.919 --> 00:14:50.340 out from under a rock. Those eyes. Ever get a 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:52.919 look at his eyes, Mr. Bailey? My wife can't stand 00:14:52.919 --> 00:14:55.919 the sight of him. Well, I'm not married. It's 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.379 my job he's threatening. Is it your marriage 00:14:59.379 --> 00:15:02.059 he's after? Ah, never mind. I don't want to know 00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:05.659 any details. None of us know each other's problems. 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:09.580 None of us? You mean you know others beside me? 00:15:10.079 --> 00:15:14.000 Well, I know others. How come? Well, I made it 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.120 my business to find others. One day when I got 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:20.539 fed to the teeth with Mr. Kellerman and his payments 00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.720 and his wet eyes, I decided to find out more 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.220 about our friend. So when he left one day, I 00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:29.879 followed him. Followed him on his rounds. And 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:31.919 that's how you found me. Yeah, that's right. 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:34.700 You're in the root book, Mr. Bailey, just like 00:15:34.700 --> 00:15:37.740 all the rest of us. How many are there? There's 00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:41.019 no way of telling for sure. All I managed to 00:15:41.019 --> 00:15:44.700 find was a dozen, an even dozen. The man really 00:15:44.700 --> 00:15:48.720 gets around. He keeps raising his price. Do you 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:51.620 know that? He's only had me in his bag for about 00:15:51.620 --> 00:15:54.340 six months. This is my fifth. But others I've 00:15:54.340 --> 00:15:56.659 spoken to, they say he raises the ante every 00:15:56.659 --> 00:15:59.679 few months. Three of the people I've talked to 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:01.840 are paying well over a hundred. Mr. Kellerman 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:05.080 does very well. That's obvious. Yeah, too well. 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:10.570 You know something? It's funny, but... Well, 00:16:10.570 --> 00:16:13.529 it's kind of a relief to know that I'm not alone. 00:16:13.850 --> 00:16:17.429 Yes. That's what I felt at first Misery loves 00:16:17.429 --> 00:16:21.889 company But the satisfaction doesn't last mr. 00:16:22.110 --> 00:16:25.470 Bailey You still live every day of your life 00:16:25.470 --> 00:16:27.830 with that sword over your head. No, I know but 00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:30.830 it's still not a reason for using words like 00:16:30.830 --> 00:16:35.059 like killing Don't you know that's the only possible 00:16:35.059 --> 00:16:37.779 way to deal with a blackmailer? I wouldn't know 00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:41.120 Kellerman's my first well think about it No, 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:43.019 no, you must have thought about it already. You 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:44.659 wouldn't be human if you hadn't thought about 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:48.720 it crossed my mind Not that I should kill Kellerman 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.840 just the wish that he were dead that someone 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:55.220 else would kill him. Yeah Guess I wouldn't shed 00:16:55.220 --> 00:16:57.720 too many tears. You just didn't want to dirty 00:16:57.720 --> 00:16:59.919 your own hands I didn't want to take care of 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:02.639 one problem and have another one even worse and 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:05.420 don't tell me that doesn't make sense The only 00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:08.319 thing that makes sense is making Kellerman a 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:10.819 corpse. I'm sorry I'm just not interested in 00:17:10.819 --> 00:17:13.319 anything like that. The others weren't either 00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:20.279 not at first but now Now they all are oh Look, 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:23.710 what are you talking about? We all want to get 00:17:23.710 --> 00:17:27.670 rid of Kellerman. We want to kill him. And so 00:17:27.670 --> 00:17:30.309 do you. That's a lie. You hate his guts as much 00:17:30.309 --> 00:17:32.309 as we do, Mr. Bailey. Why don't you admit it? 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:34.750 Of course I hate him, but that doesn't mean I'm... 00:17:34.750 --> 00:17:36.910 It doesn't mean I'm ready to commit murder. Well, 00:17:37.430 --> 00:17:40.710 we're ready, Mr. Bailey. And you better be too. 00:17:40.809 --> 00:17:44.609 Ready for what? To commit murder. If you don't 00:17:44.609 --> 00:17:48.190 mind my saying it. Perfect murder. Perfect. Foolproof. 00:17:48.549 --> 00:17:50.170 I'm sorry. Look, that's a stupid dream and you 00:17:50.170 --> 00:17:52.630 know it. You won't say that after you've heard 00:17:52.630 --> 00:17:55.150 the idea. Everybody who sets out to commit a 00:17:55.150 --> 00:17:57.049 crime thinks it's foolproof. They wouldn't commit 00:17:57.049 --> 00:18:00.029 it otherwise. Right now, all I want to know is 00:18:00.029 --> 00:18:03.190 if you'll cooperate. That's easy. No. Why not? 00:18:03.269 --> 00:18:05.369 Because murder is worse than blackmail. That's 00:18:05.369 --> 00:18:09.450 why. Well, this isn't murder. We're going to 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:12.349 erase a human mistake. Forget it. Look, I'll 00:18:12.349 --> 00:18:14.490 make believe I never heard you say it. Come on. 00:18:14.509 --> 00:18:17.380 Come on, Lockjaw. Come on, girl. Let's get our 00:18:17.380 --> 00:18:20.259 business over with. There wasn't one person on 00:18:20.259 --> 00:18:22.819 the list I didn't have to convince. But when 00:18:22.819 --> 00:18:24.759 I told them that there was no chance of any of 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:28.099 us being caught, that's when they dropped their 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:34.279 objections. All right. What foolproof scheme 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:38.160 for murder do you have? It's foolproof because 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:41.839 it won't be murder. It'll be an accident. If 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:44.799 anyone gets into trouble, it'll be me, just me. 00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:49.539 I'm going to kill Kellerman with my car when 00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:52.039 he's making the rounds one night. I have the 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.299 time and place all figured out just before midnight 00:18:55.299 --> 00:19:00.759 on Carroll Street. An accident? Right. So now 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:03.400 you know the favor I'm doing you. I'm taking 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:06.079 the risk all by myself. You think the police 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:09.440 are that stupid? Murderers get caught even when 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:11.380 they frame accidents. Oh, this is different. 00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:17.130 Why? Because of the witnesses. What? I'm going 00:19:17.130 --> 00:19:21.190 to have witnesses. A lot of them. All disinterested 00:19:21.190 --> 00:19:23.809 parties. Nothing to connect them with each other. 00:19:24.289 --> 00:19:26.890 And they'll all tell exactly the same story. 00:19:27.349 --> 00:19:30.210 What they saw. How it was all Kellerman's fault 00:19:30.210 --> 00:19:32.029 getting hit by my car. All right, all right, 00:19:32.029 --> 00:19:33.829 all right. Stop. Don't tell me anymore. You've 00:19:33.829 --> 00:19:35.650 already told me too much. No, you've got to hear 00:19:35.650 --> 00:19:38.410 the rest of it. You're a part of this like everyone 00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:42.390 else. Don't you see the beauty of it? Safety 00:19:42.390 --> 00:19:44.869 in numbers? If you ask me, you'll all get caught. 00:19:45.170 --> 00:19:48.029 No, no. Don't you understand? When a group of 00:19:48.029 --> 00:19:50.890 citizens all testify exactly the same way, I 00:19:50.890 --> 00:19:54.029 mean, reliable citizens from every walk of life, 00:19:54.710 --> 00:19:57.430 you ought to meet some of Kellerman's victims. 00:19:58.009 --> 00:20:00.269 One is a college professor, two are doctors, 00:20:00.609 --> 00:20:03.309 there are four housewives, a bartender who owns 00:20:03.309 --> 00:20:06.089 his own joint, one working stiff, one person 00:20:06.089 --> 00:20:09.009 in city government. You might as well know, that's 00:20:09.009 --> 00:20:12.140 me. Bless. Wait a minute. I've seen your name 00:20:12.140 --> 00:20:14.220 something about the transportation authority 00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:18.339 one of them is in the insurance business They're 00:20:18.339 --> 00:20:21.660 all with me. Mr. Bailey every one of them has 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:24.460 agreed so many witnesses to one accident Well, 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:27.140 we won't need everyone some of them won't be 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:28.980 asked any questions by the police, but they'll 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:33.079 all be there just the same We'd like you there, 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:35.740 too. You're nuts. Do you know that you and the 00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:38.420 rest? I won't have any part of this Don't you 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:40.960 see? It can't miss. It doesn't matter. I don't 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:44.539 want to have any part in killing a man. How come, 00:20:44.599 --> 00:20:47.339 Mr. Bailey? Have you got religious scruples or 00:20:47.339 --> 00:20:51.660 something? Maybe. You've got scruples, but you 00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:54.460 did something rotten enough to make you a blackmailer's 00:20:54.460 --> 00:20:58.640 victim. I didn't commit murder. Look, you got 00:20:58.640 --> 00:21:00.559 a good idea about getting everyone together. 00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:03.980 Maybe if we all went to the police. Oh, no way! 00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:07.039 Whatever it is you don't want known about yourself, 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:09.400 my friend. It'll come out the minute Kellerman 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:14.000 gets arrested. Now, now my way is better. I can't 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.140 buy it. Look, I'm sorry. My dog is getting tired 00:21:17.140 --> 00:21:19.220 and so am I. Come on. Come on, Loncho. Now, wait 00:21:19.220 --> 00:21:22.700 a minute now. You want my advice, Bliss? Don't 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:25.740 go through with this. Find some other way. There 00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:31.460 has to be one. Goodbye. Bailey. Yeah? What if 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.660 we do it? You'll be sorry. That's what. Sorry, 00:21:34.859 --> 00:21:39.160 why? Because you'll tell the police the truth. 00:21:39.339 --> 00:21:50.980 I didn't say that. Goodbye, Mr. Bliss. Hello. 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:54.400 Evening, Mr. Bailey. How are you? I'm all right, 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.359 Bliss. What do you want? You going to be busy 00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:12.160 tomorrow night? What do you mean, busy? You can't 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:14.920 go through with this. We're all in it together, 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:18.500 remember? You might not have to do a thing. Just 00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:21.640 stand there and see it happen. That ought to 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:24.440 be satisfying all by itself. I won't be there. 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:27.279 Well, we'd sure like to have you, Bailey. You 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:36.039 won't get away with this. Nobody ever does. Oh, 00:22:36.140 --> 00:22:38.799 shut up, Lockjaw. What's the matter with you 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.950 tonight? Gordon? Yeah? Do you think Lockjaw's 00:22:42.950 --> 00:22:46.069 all right? She keeps staring at the door and 00:22:46.069 --> 00:22:48.529 growling. I don't know. Must hear the neighbors 00:22:48.529 --> 00:22:50.990 or something. Maybe she's waiting to bark at 00:22:50.990 --> 00:22:54.150 that man, the collector, you know? Kellerman? 00:22:54.789 --> 00:22:58.529 Uh -huh. Isn't he coming tonight? He usually 00:22:58.529 --> 00:23:00.430 comes on the last Sunday of the month, doesn't 00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:03.710 he? Yeah, yeah, usually. Well, I doubt if he'll 00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:07.990 be here tonight. It's almost 11 now. Oh. I didn't 00:23:07.990 --> 00:23:10.839 realize it was that late. You haven't done much 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:13.880 this evening. Don't you feel all right? Yeah, 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:17.160 sure. Sure, I'm all right. Well, you just seem 00:23:17.160 --> 00:23:21.519 to be, well, waiting. Was it for that man? Because 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:24.519 if it was, well, I'm sure he's not coming, honey. 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:27.119 I think we ought to go to bed and listen to the 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:29.200 news or something. Oh, the news. Yeah, I guess 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:32.079 it's on right now, isn't it? Just about. You 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.920 want me to turn it on here? Yeah, sure, would 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:39.730 you? Okay. The conference... now postponed until 00:23:39.730 --> 00:23:42.650 February, will include top officials from both 00:23:42.650 --> 00:23:46.930 nations. On the local front. A man who has been 00:23:46.930 --> 00:23:49.369 identified as Edward Kellerman of 1811... Kellerman? 00:23:50.170 --> 00:23:53.390 Gordon, do you suppose he's the same man? On 00:23:53.390 --> 00:23:55.609 the corner of Carroll Street and 9th Avenue. 00:23:56.789 --> 00:23:59.390 The driver of the car, city administration official 00:23:59.390 --> 00:24:02.150 David Bliss, was released after questioning. 00:24:02.829 --> 00:24:05.730 Five witnesses on the scene of the accident testified 00:24:05.730 --> 00:24:09.160 that Kellerman had stepped... Into the automobiles 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:13.099 path. For heaven's sake. In sports, the golden 00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:16.940 warrior... Shut it off, Pat. Gordon, do you suppose 00:24:16.940 --> 00:24:20.700 it's that man, the collector? You think that's 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:22.839 the reason he didn't come around tonight? It 00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:26.160 would be a good enough reason, wouldn't it? He 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.539 was dead. Lying in the middle of the street. 00:24:30.140 --> 00:24:36.950 Dead. You look so strange. Gordon. Did you like 00:24:36.950 --> 00:24:40.809 that man if you want to know the truth Pam I 00:24:40.809 --> 00:24:45.549 hated him you did why just on general principles 00:24:45.549 --> 00:24:50.490 I Really don't understand you sometimes Gordon 00:24:50.490 --> 00:24:56.130 Hand me the hand me the phone book. Okay here 00:24:56.130 --> 00:25:01.829 You gonna call somebody Honey, why don't you 00:25:01.829 --> 00:25:04.250 go to bed? I'll be in in a few minutes. But who 00:25:04.250 --> 00:25:07.069 are you calling? Just someone I know. Someone 00:25:07.069 --> 00:25:10.849 who knew Kellerman. Oh, I see. To find out if 00:25:10.849 --> 00:25:12.230 they know about what happened to him, right? 00:25:12.269 --> 00:25:14.529 Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. Okay, honey. 00:25:15.009 --> 00:25:17.369 I'll go in then. I'm feeling a little tired. 00:25:17.509 --> 00:25:19.450 Yes, so am I. I'll be right in. Good night, sweetheart. 00:25:19.769 --> 00:25:36.250 Good night. David Bliss? Yes, who's this? Gordon 00:25:36.250 --> 00:25:40.269 Bailey. What do you want? I heard the news tonight 00:25:40.269 --> 00:25:43.869 about Kellerman. Well, you don't have to thank 00:25:43.869 --> 00:25:46.869 me. I did it for myself. And you did go through 00:25:46.869 --> 00:25:49.490 with it, huh? You can relax now, friend. You've 00:25:49.490 --> 00:25:52.089 just saved yourself 55 bucks a month, maybe a 00:25:52.089 --> 00:25:55.890 lot more. Your remittance man won't be coming 00:25:55.890 --> 00:25:58.569 around again. You ought to go out and celebrate. 00:25:58.609 --> 00:26:01.890 I know what I ought to do. What's that? So long, 00:26:02.089 --> 00:26:05.859 Bliss. I just wanted to make sure. Hey, Bailey! 00:26:11.180 --> 00:26:13.700 Obviously, there's one thing you can say for 00:26:13.700 --> 00:26:18.160 David Bliss. He's a man of his word. And because 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:22.119 Mr. Bliss kept his word, two indifferent interns 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:25.200 are now lifting the mortal remains of Mr. Edward 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:28.299 Kellerman and depositing them in the efficient 00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:32.440 cold filing cabinet of the city morgue. awaiting 00:26:32.440 --> 00:26:37.220 for someone to claim the body. But who cares 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:41.880 about a dead blackmailer? Possibly Mr. Gordon 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:45.859 Bailey. We'll find out shortly when I return 00:26:45.859 --> 00:27:00.200 with Act 3. As David Bliss and company managed 00:27:00.200 --> 00:27:05.299 to commit the perfect crime So it seems Since 00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:07.799 the death certificate for Edward Kellerman simply 00:27:07.799 --> 00:27:11.500 states the cause of death as accidental at least 00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:14.859 a dozen people know otherwise But they remain 00:27:14.859 --> 00:27:20.160 silent feeling not grief, but relief The only 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:23.059 one who finds it difficult to maintain that silence 00:27:23.059 --> 00:27:26.180 is the one victim of Ed Kellerman who was not 00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:29.079 on the corner of Carroll Street and 9th Avenue 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:32.160 that fateful night. Honey, do you know it's almost 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:34.640 two o 'clock in the morning? Oh, is it? Really? 00:27:35.460 --> 00:27:37.720 You know, I honestly think you are coming down 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:40.200 with something. The virus made that. Pam, will 00:27:40.200 --> 00:27:42.299 you please stop fussing? You're beginning to 00:27:42.299 --> 00:27:44.859 sound like my mother. Well, I certainly wouldn't 00:27:44.859 --> 00:27:47.500 want to do that. I'm just trying to get you to 00:27:47.500 --> 00:27:50.539 go to sleep. You've got a job to go to tomorrow. 00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:53.720 You know, it's funny about my mother. When I 00:27:53.720 --> 00:27:55.859 was growing up, she made me feel that there was 00:27:55.859 --> 00:27:59.160 something... I don't know, something so profound 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:01.799 about religion. Well, if you ask me, she just 00:28:01.799 --> 00:28:03.960 likes the bingo games. My father was that way, 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.759 too. But neither one of them really seemed to 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:09.940 live their religion. You know what I mean? They 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:12.319 talked about loving their neighbors and so forth, 00:28:12.359 --> 00:28:14.160 but they didn't love them at all. They were always 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:16.630 saying the nastiest things about them. Well, 00:28:16.730 --> 00:28:18.829 that's how people are. When I was in my teens, 00:28:18.849 --> 00:28:23.089 I used to call them hypocrites. Now, I just wonder 00:28:23.089 --> 00:28:27.990 if I'm any different than they were. I really 00:28:27.990 --> 00:28:31.630 don't think I am. Different how? Well, about 00:28:31.630 --> 00:28:34.170 things like the Ten Commandments, for instance. 00:28:35.930 --> 00:28:38.990 I wonder if there's one I haven't broken. I hope 00:28:38.990 --> 00:28:42.170 you haven't coveted your neighbor's wife. That's 00:28:42.170 --> 00:28:44.509 about the only one I can remember. I remember 00:28:44.509 --> 00:28:47.460 them all. You do? Yeah, I won a prize in Bible 00:28:47.460 --> 00:28:49.680 class when I was only eight for reciting all 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:53.380 of them. Thou shalt not this. Thou shalt not 00:28:53.380 --> 00:28:56.160 that. There are only eight shalt nots. Thou shalt 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:59.160 have no other gods beside me. Thou shalt not 00:28:59.160 --> 00:29:02.720 worship any graven image. Thou shalt not take 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:07.200 the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Thou shalt 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:19.079 not kill. Yeah, sure. I'll have that file completed 00:29:19.079 --> 00:29:22.579 in time for the meeting. Right -o, Phil. Bye. 00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:28.099 Oh, Sylvia, did you reach that number yet? No. 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:32.740 Okay, well, buzz me if you do. All right. Now, 00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:37.859 let's see about that actuarial table. Hello. 00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:41.640 All right, Bailey. What is it now? Hello, Mr. 00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:44.220 Bliss. I've been having a lot of trouble reaching 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:47.690 you this morning. I was wondering if you might 00:29:47.690 --> 00:29:50.710 be free for lunch. Sorry. I'd really like a chance 00:29:50.710 --> 00:29:54.329 to talk to you About what about some mutual friends 00:29:54.329 --> 00:29:57.190 of ours if we're talking about the same thing 00:29:57.190 --> 00:30:00.250 barely they're not mutual friends They're all 00:30:00.250 --> 00:30:03.250 strangers complete strangers just like you and 00:30:03.250 --> 00:30:06.130 me. Well, that's something I'd like to rectify 00:30:06.130 --> 00:30:11.690 Would you have lunch with me? All right Suppose 00:30:11.690 --> 00:30:14.450 we meet somewhere halfway I know you're in the 00:30:14.450 --> 00:30:17.609 City Hall area. I'm on Wall Street. How about 00:30:17.609 --> 00:30:20.470 Mercury's? Do you know it? I'll see you there 00:30:20.470 --> 00:30:29.490 at 12 .30. That's fine. All right, Bailey, let's 00:30:29.490 --> 00:30:32.829 have it. You don't want a social lunch. You have 00:30:32.829 --> 00:30:35.609 something on your mind. You're right. Something 00:30:35.609 --> 00:30:39.250 I can't get off my mind. About our old friend 00:30:39.250 --> 00:30:41.970 Kellerman, I suppose. You remember what you said 00:30:41.970 --> 00:30:45.720 about him? He was a sword hanging over your head 00:30:45.720 --> 00:30:50.799 so He's still that for me. Mr. Bliss He is exactly 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:55.420 that Kellerman is dead He won't be ringing your 00:30:55.420 --> 00:30:58.640 doorbell anymore How come you're not grateful 00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:01.519 for that if Kellerman had really been hit by 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:06.720 a car if he had a heart attack or something I 00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:08.500 admit I would be glad about it. I would have 00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:11.859 gone out and celebrated. I would have slept very 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:15.980 well at night. But the way things are, I'm not 00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:20.180 sleeping at all. Try pills. I'm just sorry you 00:31:20.180 --> 00:31:23.640 ever came up to me in that park. If I didn't... 00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:26.119 If I didn't know it was going to happen the way 00:31:26.119 --> 00:31:28.299 it happened, it never would have bothered me. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:33.660 But I do know. And it bothers me too much. So? 00:31:34.140 --> 00:31:37.680 The thing is... I don't know if I can live with 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:42.400 it. You want to be more specific? I don't know 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:46.099 if I can spend the rest of my life with this... 00:31:46.099 --> 00:31:51.640 thing on my conscience. Your conscience? Look, 00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:54.920 you have nothing to do with Kellerman's death. 00:31:55.420 --> 00:31:57.420 I don't know what you think Kellerman had on 00:31:57.420 --> 00:32:00.539 me, Bliss, but it wasn't anything illegal. Just 00:32:00.539 --> 00:32:03.640 immoral, right? It was something stupid I did. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:07.000 Well... there was nothing stupid about what we 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:11.119 did wasn't it are you really so sure you've committed 00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:15.240 the perfect murder shut up don't you ever use 00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:17.140 that word in front of me you're still afraid 00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:20.500 aren't you afraid of being found out it can't 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:24.720 happen not as long as we all stick together safety 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:27.680 in numbers right when the police came they only 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:31.079 questioned four of them every single one told 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:34.759 the same story There was no reason to doubt their 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:37.160 word. Why should there be because there was no 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:39.779 connection between them, right? They were all 00:32:39.779 --> 00:32:43.539 strangers nothing to tie them to each other except 00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:46.460 Kellerman What about the records? He might have 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:48.740 kept his his little black notebook for instance. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:52.059 We thought of that too First thing we did when 00:32:52.059 --> 00:32:54.000 we went to his body was lift that book right 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:56.180 out of his pocket What about the apartment? What 00:32:56.180 --> 00:32:58.319 about all the stuff he had there? The second 00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:00.900 thing we lifted was the key to his apartment 00:33:01.289 --> 00:33:04.769 One of our guys a Joe the bartender went straight 00:33:04.769 --> 00:33:08.029 there He cleaned out every scrap of paper in 00:33:08.029 --> 00:33:11.329 the place every single one of his rotten photographs. 00:33:11.329 --> 00:33:13.869 You know, we're very thorough, weren't you? Yeah, 00:33:14.329 --> 00:33:17.490 we were thorough Bailey and you ought to be grateful 00:33:17.490 --> 00:33:22.750 Not worried and I am worrying I'm worrying about 00:33:22.750 --> 00:33:28.190 whether or not I should Go on whether or not 00:33:28.190 --> 00:33:34.339 you should what? Bailey, are you thinking about 00:33:34.339 --> 00:33:38.440 going to the police? It occurred to me. You mean 00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:40.839 you'd turn me in? I don't know, I just don't 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:44.220 know. Did it ever occur to you to turn Kellerman 00:33:44.220 --> 00:33:49.279 in? Yes, often. But did you? No. Why not? Wasn't 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:52.759 he committing a crime? Wasn't he disturbing your 00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:55.799 precious sleep, too? Yes, yes, he was. But you 00:33:55.799 --> 00:33:58.559 didn't turn him in because you were afraid for 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:03.619 yourself. Isn't that the truth? I suppose so 00:34:03.619 --> 00:34:07.180 so all this morality of yours this conscience 00:34:07.180 --> 00:34:11.059 you talk about You didn't discover you had any 00:34:11.059 --> 00:34:13.800 until Kellerman was gone until he was no longer 00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:17.360 a threat to you Isn't that true? I still say 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:22.260 blackmail isn't murder barely I've got news for 00:34:22.260 --> 00:34:25.900 you. I Wasn't going to tell you this unless it 00:34:25.900 --> 00:34:30.050 was absolutely necessary. Tell me what? Kellerman 00:34:30.050 --> 00:34:34.469 may be gone, but his photographs are still around. 00:34:35.309 --> 00:34:39.469 What? You heard me. We have all of Kellerman's 00:34:39.469 --> 00:34:42.630 negatives, all the dirty pictures he ever took. 00:34:43.710 --> 00:34:46.010 Most of them have been returned to his victims. 00:34:47.329 --> 00:34:52.530 Everyone who cooperated with us. I see. That 00:34:52.530 --> 00:34:56.369 means we have your pictures too, my friend. You 00:34:56.369 --> 00:34:59.500 understand? And if I don't... cooperate, I get 00:34:59.500 --> 00:35:02.519 a new blackmailer. Is that it? No, no, that isn't 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:06.039 the way it is at all. Kellerman bled you, Bailey. 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:08.300 Every month he came whistling up to your front 00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:11.239 door asking for money. More and more money all 00:35:11.239 --> 00:35:15.820 the time. But that's over now. Done and finished. 00:35:15.860 --> 00:35:18.360 So what you're saying is, if I go to the police, 00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:22.460 the photographs go where I don't want them to 00:35:22.460 --> 00:35:26.639 go. I'm sorry to use Kellerman's own tactics, 00:35:26.659 --> 00:35:32.190 but... You're forcing my hand. Bailey, please 00:35:32.190 --> 00:35:35.289 use your head. You've got nothing to gain and 00:35:35.289 --> 00:35:39.130 everything to lose. Somebody's done you a favor. 00:35:39.730 --> 00:35:42.230 The only way to show your gratitude is to forget 00:35:42.230 --> 00:35:47.289 it. What do you say? Well, I'll think about it. 00:35:48.230 --> 00:35:56.750 That's all I can tell you. Want any more coffee, 00:35:56.889 --> 00:36:00.809 honey? No, thanks. You look so... so tense, Gordon. 00:36:00.989 --> 00:36:03.050 Yeah, I guess I have been acting pretty jumpy 00:36:03.050 --> 00:36:05.329 tonight. Well, you've hardly said two words to 00:36:05.329 --> 00:36:09.110 me since you came home. The thing is... I've 00:36:09.110 --> 00:36:13.630 been thinking a lot, Pam. About what? About... 00:36:13.630 --> 00:36:15.130 whether I had the nerve to tell you something. 00:36:16.110 --> 00:36:18.769 Something that happened about, well, seven months 00:36:18.769 --> 00:36:23.590 ago. What do you mean? Pam, you remember that 00:36:23.590 --> 00:36:26.199 insurance convention I went to? back in July 00:36:26.199 --> 00:36:30.500 in Atlantic City. Of course I remember. I couldn't 00:36:30.500 --> 00:36:32.539 go with you because of mother being in the hospital. 00:36:32.679 --> 00:36:34.940 I wish you had been with me. Then nothing would 00:36:34.940 --> 00:36:39.320 have happened. What did happen? Did you get into 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:42.320 some kind of trouble? Yeah. Yeah, I got myself 00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:45.460 into trouble by being stupid, by drinking too 00:36:45.460 --> 00:36:48.159 much and letting Hal Emmons drink too much. Emmons? 00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:50.880 You mean your supervisor? I was still new on 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:52.719 the job, you remember, Pam? I wanted to make 00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:55.320 good. Yeah? I was afraid of Emmons taking a dislike 00:36:55.320 --> 00:36:58.719 to me, afraid of crossing him. When we both got 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:01.780 drunk that second night, Emmons insisted that 00:37:01.780 --> 00:37:05.219 we pick up these girls at the bar. Gordon! Honey, 00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:07.380 I swear, I didn't want anything to do with it. 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:10.059 I wasn't the least bit interested, but, you know, 00:37:10.179 --> 00:37:12.380 Emmons is the kind of guy who uses conventions 00:37:12.380 --> 00:37:15.900 to swing a little, you know, I... Told him I 00:37:15.900 --> 00:37:18.000 was crazy about my wife at home cooking was good 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:21.139 enough for me, but he just pressured me Pam Pam 00:37:21.139 --> 00:37:27.019 can I make you understand? Go on What happened? 00:37:27.079 --> 00:37:30.099 We brought the girls upstairs. They had adjoining 00:37:30.099 --> 00:37:43.320 rooms. They were professionals. Oh Sure, I could 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:46.880 have kept my mouth shut I guess I needed to tell 00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:49.119 you. I guess I wanted you to know so that you 00:37:49.119 --> 00:37:52.019 could forgive me. Of course. I've been torched 00:37:52.019 --> 00:37:54.039 about it for months, honey. You have no idea 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:56.659 what torture it's been for me. But that's the 00:37:56.659 --> 00:38:00.639 dumbest thing of all. Don't you think I would 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:06.219 have forgiven you a long time ago? I can't. Oh, 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:10.599 please. Oh, my God. Please. Honey, please. It'll 00:38:10.599 --> 00:38:16.730 never happen again, honey. I swear. Oh, darn 00:38:16.730 --> 00:38:21.690 it. I was just getting cozy. Okay, I'll get it. 00:38:23.369 --> 00:38:27.010 Hello. Mr. Bailey? Dave Bliss here. What do you 00:38:27.010 --> 00:38:30.429 want? I have something for you. A present. What 00:38:30.429 --> 00:38:50.389 is it? Put them in my mail, to my office. And 00:38:50.389 --> 00:38:53.150 have some secretary open them by mistake? No, 00:38:53.150 --> 00:38:54.829 I don't think you'd care for that. You could 00:38:54.829 --> 00:38:58.369 mark it personal. Supposing I hand them over 00:38:58.369 --> 00:39:02.409 in person tonight? Whereabouts? Well, right now 00:39:02.409 --> 00:39:05.230 I'm in a bar called Adam and Eve's on 12th and 00:39:05.230 --> 00:39:07.929 Walnut. I'll be here for another hour if you 00:39:07.929 --> 00:39:11.889 can make it. Otherwise, well, it'll have to be 00:39:11.889 --> 00:39:14.590 some other time, that's all. Oh, well, all right. 00:39:14.650 --> 00:39:18.309 All right, I'll be there in half an hour. Gordon, 00:39:19.050 --> 00:39:20.750 you're not going out. Just for a little while, 00:39:20.809 --> 00:39:23.889 honey. I got some client business. Besides, I 00:39:23.889 --> 00:39:26.590 can use a little fresh air. You're not still 00:39:26.590 --> 00:39:29.650 feeling bad, are you? No, no. I feel just fine. 00:39:30.010 --> 00:39:40.389 I never felt better. Maybe I'm crazy to do this, 00:39:40.650 --> 00:39:43.789 Bailey. Maybe I'm putting my neck into a noose, 00:39:44.010 --> 00:39:46.010 giving you back these photographs. Then why are 00:39:46.010 --> 00:39:48.989 you doing it? Because of what you said to me. 00:39:49.550 --> 00:39:51.989 You said I was just becoming another blackmailer, 00:39:52.050 --> 00:39:55.110 another Kellerman. And I guess you were right. 00:39:55.809 --> 00:39:58.210 If I held on to these, I'd have become the very 00:39:58.210 --> 00:40:01.369 thing I despised. Well, I give you credit for 00:40:01.369 --> 00:40:04.409 honesty, Bliss. I hope that having these will 00:40:04.409 --> 00:40:08.690 change your mind about going to the police. I 00:40:08.690 --> 00:40:10.849 hope you'll realize that I did the right thing, 00:40:10.889 --> 00:40:13.510 that we all did the right thing. I can't answer 00:40:13.510 --> 00:40:17.510 that. Then... You're still thinking about it? 00:40:17.789 --> 00:40:21.110 You want to know something? I told my wife tonight 00:40:21.110 --> 00:40:25.250 about these. What? I told her all about the girl 00:40:25.250 --> 00:40:27.809 in Atlantic City. She knows exactly what happened. 00:40:28.250 --> 00:40:30.130 That doesn't mean to say she wouldn't be horrified 00:40:30.130 --> 00:40:32.650 to see it in black and white. That's why I'm 00:40:32.650 --> 00:40:36.090 glad I have these pictures. What else can I say 00:40:36.090 --> 00:40:40.190 but thanks. You could say that you won't go to 00:40:40.190 --> 00:40:45.570 the police ever. Sorry. I can't make any promises. 00:40:46.570 --> 00:40:49.989 Uh -huh. Yeah. I was afraid you felt that way. 00:40:51.349 --> 00:40:54.829 Well, let's have another drink, okay? No, no, 00:40:54.829 --> 00:40:58.010 not for me. Just one more. Hey, Joey. Coming. 00:40:58.530 --> 00:41:00.809 Really, I have to be going. My wife's waiting 00:41:00.809 --> 00:41:04.949 at home for me. What'll it be, Mr. Bliss? It's 00:41:04.949 --> 00:41:08.550 trouble, Joey. All the trouble we can handle. 00:41:09.630 --> 00:41:15.250 Yeah. I figured it had to be. Hey. Hey, what 00:41:15.250 --> 00:41:17.909 is this? Sit right there mister. Put that gun 00:41:17.909 --> 00:41:21.170 away. Oh my god bless. What are you doing? Go 00:41:21.170 --> 00:41:33.110 on Joey. Alright, alright, alright. Let's get 00:41:33.110 --> 00:41:35.150 the story straight now. What happened here Joey? 00:41:35.629 --> 00:41:38.010 Look, Sergeant, you know me. You know I don't 00:41:38.010 --> 00:41:39.769 like trouble with my joint. Well, what did the 00:41:39.769 --> 00:41:41.610 guy do? Tried to hold you up? That's right. He 00:41:41.610 --> 00:41:43.530 come in, he sat down at the bar, he pulled out 00:41:43.530 --> 00:41:46.429 a .45 and stuck it in my gut. Well, that's a 00:41:46.429 --> 00:41:48.289 strange one, all right. I mean, the guy was some 00:41:48.289 --> 00:41:50.110 kind of insurance executive. That's all right 00:41:50.110 --> 00:41:51.349 here on his business card. Well, he must have 00:41:51.349 --> 00:41:53.409 gone off his nuts, Sergeant. Look, you can ask 00:41:53.409 --> 00:41:55.530 anybody. All of my customers. This gentleman 00:41:55.530 --> 00:41:58.809 right here was at the bar. Yes, Officer. My name 00:41:58.809 --> 00:42:02.340 is David Bliss. I'm with the city, officer, and 00:42:02.340 --> 00:42:04.960 the bartender's right. The guy just sat down 00:42:04.960 --> 00:42:07.800 and pulled out the gun. Yeah, that's true. And 00:42:07.800 --> 00:42:09.639 when the bartender tried to grab it away from 00:42:09.639 --> 00:42:12.380 him, it went off. What's your name, lady? Mrs. 00:42:12.659 --> 00:42:15.539 Edith Chester. It was a pure case of self -defense, 00:42:15.860 --> 00:42:17.679 Sergeant. I'm just glad nobody else got hurt, 00:42:17.780 --> 00:42:21.840 you know. Yeah, yeah, you were lucky, Joey. You 00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:25.000 were all lucky. Okay, I'll need some statements 00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:33.769 now from some of you other witnesses. And so 00:42:33.769 --> 00:42:36.730 for poor Gordon Bailey there was no safety in 00:42:36.730 --> 00:42:41.289 numbers, only extinction. We admit that this 00:42:41.289 --> 00:42:44.150 is a grim demonstration of the old saying that 00:42:44.150 --> 00:42:48.110 in union there is strength, but we sincerely 00:42:48.110 --> 00:42:52.429 trust that justice finally prevailed. I'll be 00:42:52.429 --> 00:43:06.889 back shortly. If there's a moral to this story, 00:43:07.750 --> 00:43:11.269 it might be that eyewitnesses can't always be 00:43:11.269 --> 00:43:15.769 trusted, even when they're being honest. Of course, 00:43:16.150 --> 00:43:19.429 we don't worry about your eyes on this program. 00:43:20.250 --> 00:43:24.150 We're interested in your ears, and we have good 00:43:24.150 --> 00:43:28.190 news for you. Many thousands of ears are now 00:43:28.190 --> 00:43:31.369 listening to these exercises in imagination. 00:43:31.980 --> 00:43:37.119 We hope you'll continue to be an ear witness. 00:43:38.420 --> 00:43:41.800 Our cast included Paul Hecht, Evie Chuster, Ralph 00:43:41.800 --> 00:43:45.260 Bell, and Robert Dryden. The entire production 00:43:45.260 --> 00:43:48.480 was under the direction of Hyman Brown. This 00:43:48.480 --> 00:43:51.199 is E .G. Marshall inviting you to return to our 00:43:51.199 --> 00:43:54.380 mystery theater for another adventure in the 00:43:54.380 --> 00:44:00.760 macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.