WEBVTT 00:00:18.369 --> 00:00:26.010 Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. Welcome 00:00:26.010 --> 00:00:30.390 again through the creaking door. The sound which 00:00:30.390 --> 00:00:33.250 always signifies the beginning of another tale 00:00:33.250 --> 00:00:37.649 of danger and suspense. Being in the mystery 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:41.509 business, our fables often deal with crime and 00:00:41.509 --> 00:00:46.539 criminals. This time, it's a thief. But a thief 00:00:46.539 --> 00:00:50.359 with a very definite difference For Ruth Moody 00:00:50.359 --> 00:00:53.159 is a young lady who walks into department stores 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.619 and simply helps herself Simply because she can't 00:00:57.619 --> 00:01:01.799 help herself Yes You've heard of her peculiar 00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:05.859 ailment. It's called kleptomania the neurotic 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:09.840 impulse to steal But kleptomania isn't the only 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.840 trouble in store for Ruth. I had a proposition 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:16.200 for you. Mrs. Moody How would you like to make 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:21.599 a thousand bucks? A thousand dollars? How? Well, 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:23.680 you do like I said, you're gonna get a thousand 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:28.079 bucks in the mail. But if you don't, well, your 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.599 husband may not be able to make a living anymore. 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:35.599 Do I get what I mean? No. I don't know what you're 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:38.819 talking about. I'm talking about stealing stuff, 00:01:38.939 --> 00:01:43.730 Mrs. Moody. About that bad habit of yours. Now 00:01:43.730 --> 00:01:47.590 we got a use for that habit. And you better listen 00:01:47.590 --> 00:02:04.930 to what we have in mind. Our mystery drama, The 00:02:04.930 --> 00:02:08.090 Trouble with Ruth, was written especially for 00:02:08.090 --> 00:02:11.370 the Mystery Theater by Henry Slesser and stars 00:02:11.370 --> 00:02:16.159 Marion Sodas. I'll be back shortly with Act One. 00:02:25.879 --> 00:02:28.639 We're in Barnett's department store in the downtown 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:31.500 shopping district. And if it looks and sounds 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:34.780 like a battlefield this morning, it's no different 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:38.409 from any other Saturday. Well, maybe a little 00:02:38.409 --> 00:02:41.849 more so since Barnett is running its semi -annual 00:02:41.849 --> 00:02:45.449 clearance sale Just as it does every other month 00:02:45.449 --> 00:02:49.189 It's the ideal place and time for bargain hunters 00:02:49.189 --> 00:02:54.789 and unfortunately for shoplifters Pardon me miss 00:02:54.789 --> 00:02:58.389 Yes, would you mind coming with me just for a 00:02:58.389 --> 00:03:01.810 moment, please? What for? Our assistant manager 00:03:01.810 --> 00:03:05.520 Mr. Hutchins would like a word with you I don't 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.840 know, Mr. Hutchins. Why should you want to talk 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.479 to me? No, please don't make any trouble. I could 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:13.080 call the guard and have you escorted upstairs. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.759 You wouldn't want me to do that now, would you, 00:03:15.900 --> 00:03:19.479 God? Why? What have I done? I think you know 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:22.080 exactly what you've done now. Would you, uh, 00:03:22.180 --> 00:03:30.990 please come with me quietly? Right in here, please. 00:03:31.310 --> 00:03:33.530 It's a mistake. I did take the scarf, but I was 00:03:33.530 --> 00:03:35.509 gonna pay for it. Here's the lady, Mr. Hutchins. 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:38.229 All right, Bill, thanks. You, uh, want me to 00:03:38.229 --> 00:03:40.009 stick around? No, no, no, no, it's all right. 00:03:40.189 --> 00:03:42.569 Okay, then I'll get back on the floor. It's murder 00:03:42.569 --> 00:03:45.289 down there. More larceny than murder, I'd say. 00:03:45.409 --> 00:03:50.289 All right. Please, uh, sit down. Mr. Hutchins, 00:03:50.389 --> 00:03:53.050 I -I know it looks like I took the scarf deliberately, 00:03:53.090 --> 00:03:54.669 but really, I didn't... You were going to pay 00:03:54.669 --> 00:03:57.409 for it at another counter. That the idea? No, 00:03:57.409 --> 00:04:00.789 I... I wanted to match the color with the purses, 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:02.849 and that's why I put the scarf in my bag. I wanted 00:04:02.849 --> 00:04:04.870 to go over to the handbag store. Would you mind 00:04:04.870 --> 00:04:07.469 telling me your name? I'm not a shoplifter, so 00:04:07.469 --> 00:04:11.050 help me, I'm nothing. My name is Ruth Martin. 00:04:11.569 --> 00:04:14.710 Is it Mrs. Martin? Look at me. Can't you tell 00:04:14.710 --> 00:04:17.910 I'm not a thief? I don't even know why I took 00:04:17.910 --> 00:04:19.649 this scarf. It's just a cheap little thing. It's 00:04:19.649 --> 00:04:23.250 not at all like the clothes I wear. Look at me. 00:04:23.670 --> 00:04:25.829 Can't you tell? Would you wait just one moment, 00:04:25.910 --> 00:04:29.149 Mrs. Martin? What's that you've got? Oh, it's 00:04:29.149 --> 00:04:31.610 just a little handbook we keep, sort of a private 00:04:31.610 --> 00:04:35.790 record book. You see, most of the retailers in 00:04:35.790 --> 00:04:38.110 this city cooperate in these matters, supplying 00:04:38.110 --> 00:04:41.509 each other with the names of known kleptomaniacs. 00:04:42.449 --> 00:04:45.050 I'm sure you've heard that word before. I am 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:47.829 not a thief. Well, that's what I'm trying to 00:04:47.829 --> 00:04:51.310 determine, Mrs. Martin, since there is a significant 00:04:51.310 --> 00:04:54.759 difference between shoplifters and kleptos. The 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.639 difference, of course, being our ability to prosecute 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:03.019 since one steals for gain and one because, well, 00:05:03.100 --> 00:05:07.399 because she can't help it. No, I'm afraid I don't 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:13.259 see any Ruth Martin in the book. All right. It's 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:17.339 Moody. Pardon? My real name is Mrs. Ruth Moody. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.839 I didn't want to give you my real name. I didn't 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:28.410 want my husband to know about this. Here it is. 00:05:29.550 --> 00:05:33.990 Ferraros. Three spools of thread. Pearl buttons 00:05:33.990 --> 00:05:36.550 from Wilkinson Smith. Oh, the last time it was 00:05:36.550 --> 00:05:40.230 a handbag. Awful, ugly, beaded thing. It wasn't 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:43.490 even worth more than five or six dollars. Are 00:05:43.490 --> 00:05:45.730 you going to call my husband? Is that what happens 00:05:45.730 --> 00:05:48.889 at these other places? Yes. Oh, it was awful. 00:05:48.970 --> 00:05:51.569 Please. I have the money to pay for the scarf. 00:05:51.709 --> 00:05:53.769 I'll gladly pay you twice what it was worth. 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.779 Please don't let him know it happened again. 00:05:56.860 --> 00:05:59.800 Don't you think it's best we know? Maybe he'll 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:02.339 try to help you out of trouble. Don't make me 00:06:02.339 --> 00:06:05.600 beg you. My husband has a job in the city government, 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:08.319 a very important job. Mrs. Moody, I'm not interested 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.000 in causing you any trouble, believe me. Look, 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:16.720 here, take this scarf back. Well, what's this? 00:06:17.300 --> 00:06:19.959 Uh, nothing. Some costume jewelry that I saw 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:23.269 in another... Oh, Mrs. Moody. You didn't buy 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:27.470 this any more than you bought the scarf. It still 00:06:27.470 --> 00:06:37.209 has the price tag on it. A dollar ninety -five. 00:06:37.769 --> 00:06:39.810 That's what makes it so unbelievable, Ruth. A 00:06:39.810 --> 00:06:42.290 dollar ninety -five rhinestone pin. I don't know 00:06:42.290 --> 00:06:45.269 why I took it, Ralph. Any more than I know what 00:06:45.269 --> 00:06:47.990 drove me to pick up that awful scarf and just 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:51.649 drop it in my bag. Just like those other times. 00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:54.350 Yes, but you swore to me that those other times 00:06:54.350 --> 00:06:56.730 would never be repeated. Well, I thought it was 00:06:56.730 --> 00:06:58.910 over. I really did. I don't understand what goes 00:06:58.910 --> 00:07:00.930 on in your mind when you do these crazy things. 00:07:01.050 --> 00:07:04.110 I don't know. It was just an impulse. It seems 00:07:04.110 --> 00:07:06.670 so terribly easy that things are just sitting 00:07:06.670 --> 00:07:09.230 out in the open the way they are and I... I never 00:07:09.230 --> 00:07:12.370 even stop to think if I like it. Just if I can 00:07:12.370 --> 00:07:14.990 get away with it. But you never do. You get caught. 00:07:17.209 --> 00:07:20.500 Maybe... Maybe that's part of the sickness, too. 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:25.019 Stop saying I'm sick. I'm not. I'm not. So what 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:27.920 would you call it? Look, honey, you've got to 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:29.500 see a doctor. I've told you that a thousand times. 00:07:29.500 --> 00:07:31.740 I will not go to a doctor. I can't stand the 00:07:31.740 --> 00:07:33.899 idea of it, Ralph. Just talk to one. Give them 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:37.639 a chance. Maybe it's something simple. Maybe 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:40.699 you're just trying to get punished because of 00:07:40.699 --> 00:07:42.980 guilt feelings that you can't resolve. You're 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:45.879 wrong about wanting to get caught. I don't. I 00:07:45.879 --> 00:07:49.000 swear I don't. I've gotten away with a dozen 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:54.600 things. What? What was that? Nothing. I don't 00:07:54.600 --> 00:07:56.879 want to talk about it anymore. And it isn't just 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.500 three, four times that this has been going on. 00:07:59.879 --> 00:08:01.860 You're probably out there shoplifting every single 00:08:01.860 --> 00:08:05.019 day. It's not true. I almost never go into the 00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:07.220 stores for exactly that reason. All right, Ruth. 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:12.019 That settles it. You are going to talk to a doctor. 00:08:17.209 --> 00:08:21.129 Then you do remember the first time you stole 00:08:21.129 --> 00:08:27.149 mrs. Moody. Yes, I remember very well, but But 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:29.949 it was something I really wanted then dr. Berger. 00:08:29.949 --> 00:08:34.409 That was the big difference hmm How old were 00:08:34.409 --> 00:08:39.389 you I? Was about eight or nine I was in school 00:08:39.389 --> 00:08:43.539 There was a girl named Fanny Ritter Her family 00:08:43.539 --> 00:08:46.200 was very wealthy. She was always the best dressed 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:52.059 girl in the class. She had this pencil box. It 00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:56.019 was absolutely beautiful. With a blue binding 00:08:56.019 --> 00:09:00.340 and all sorts of secret compartments. I wanted 00:09:00.340 --> 00:09:05.039 that pencil box so much. And one day I walked 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:08.860 into an empty classroom and there it was. Lying 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:15.480 on the seat. Were you caught? No. I was never 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:19.059 caught. That was the biggest thrill of all. Not 00:09:19.059 --> 00:09:25.039 being caught. But then I... I also realized I 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:28.519 couldn't use the pencil box. At least not at 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:32.580 school. Yes, I see. All kids steal sometimes. 00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:36.279 There's nothing abnormal about it. But you're 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:41.070 not a child now, are you? And yet... You still 00:09:41.070 --> 00:09:45.450 crave this secret feeling, this secret gratification. 00:09:45.809 --> 00:09:49.070 No! You're wrong. I don't get any pleasure out 00:09:49.070 --> 00:09:52.289 of taking things. I feel terrible afterwards 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:55.909 every single time. Well, but that may be exactly 00:09:55.909 --> 00:09:58.330 the gratification you require. I don't want to 00:09:58.330 --> 00:10:01.029 hear anymore. You sound just like my husband. 00:10:01.470 --> 00:10:04.090 Believe me, Mrs. Moody. Neither your husband 00:10:04.090 --> 00:10:07.820 nor I want to find fault with you. We both want 00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:10.840 to help you. Well, it's his job my husband is 00:10:10.840 --> 00:10:15.159 worried about, not me. Why do you say that? Because 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.019 he works for the city government in the controller's 00:10:18.019 --> 00:10:20.899 office. He's afraid if they ever found out about 00:10:20.899 --> 00:10:25.500 me that he... Why am I talking about Ralph that 00:10:25.500 --> 00:10:30.580 way? I know he loves me. I know he wants to help 00:10:30.580 --> 00:10:34.820 me. Yes. So why don't you let him try? Let both 00:10:34.820 --> 00:10:39.049 of us try. No, I don't need a doctor. All I need 00:10:39.049 --> 00:10:51.029 is to stay out of department stores. Who is it? 00:10:53.370 --> 00:11:01.009 All right, all right. Mrs. Moody? Yes? Hi, Mrs. 00:11:01.149 --> 00:11:03.470 Moody. You don't know me, but my name is Tom 00:11:03.470 --> 00:11:05.629 Andrea. There's something I have to talk to you 00:11:05.629 --> 00:11:08.990 about. I know exactly what it is. Encyclopedias. 00:11:09.970 --> 00:11:13.830 Or is it magazine subscriptions? No, ma 'am. 00:11:14.070 --> 00:11:16.649 It's nothing like that. Well, whatever it is, 00:11:16.649 --> 00:11:19.970 I'm not interested. It's about department stores. 00:11:20.750 --> 00:11:23.870 What? You know, stores where people buy things 00:11:23.870 --> 00:11:29.289 and take things, too, sometimes. Are you from 00:11:29.289 --> 00:11:32.580 Barnett? No, Mrs. Moody, I don't work for Barnett's 00:11:32.580 --> 00:11:34.639 or for Wilkins and Smith or any of those places 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:39.960 that you like to, uh, shop in. Look, it's pretty 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:42.519 drafty out here. Can I come in for a minute? 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:49.559 All right. Thank you. Ah, your husband's not 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:51.860 home, I suppose. I mean, it's a working day, 00:11:51.860 --> 00:11:54.179 so he's at work, right? Oh, that's clever thinking. 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:58.720 Can we talk in here? Only if you get right to 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.070 the point. Well, now look, this ain't the kind 00:12:01.070 --> 00:12:03.629 of thing you like to just blur it out. I mean, 00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:06.110 I mean, it's kind of sensitive, you know what 00:12:06.110 --> 00:12:10.750 I mean? No, I don't. I mean, it's about you and 00:12:10.750 --> 00:12:14.350 your husband and so forth. If you think about 00:12:14.350 --> 00:12:17.950 it for a while, you'll get my meaning. Am I right? 00:12:18.610 --> 00:12:22.210 You'll have to be more specific. Well, you just 00:12:22.210 --> 00:12:26.669 won't come out with it yourself, huh? Okay, I'll 00:12:26.669 --> 00:12:30.559 say it for you. I'm talking about you being a 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:33.240 shoplifter. That's a lie. Whoever told you that 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.440 is a liar. No, no, no, no, no. It's true. Wait 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.659 a minute. If you think you can blackmail me by 00:12:38.659 --> 00:12:41.139 telling my husband... No, no, Mrs. Moody. We 00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:43.179 know that your husband knows all about it. He's 00:12:43.179 --> 00:12:46.740 been getting you out of jams for years. And what 00:12:46.740 --> 00:12:50.679 do you want here? Well, believe it or not, I 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.679 want to give you money. I don't want to take 00:12:53.679 --> 00:13:00.879 any from you. What for? Services rendered. What? 00:13:02.259 --> 00:13:04.899 I got a little proposition for you, Mrs. Moody. 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:08.460 How would you like to make a thousand bucks? 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:14.639 Thousand dollars? How? Well, you do like I tell 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:16.600 you, you'll get a thousand bucks in the mail. 00:13:17.419 --> 00:13:20.519 But if you don't, well, your husband may not 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.500 be able to make a living anymore. You get what 00:13:24.500 --> 00:13:28.059 I mean? No! I don't know what you're talking 00:13:28.059 --> 00:13:31.080 about. I'm talking about stealing stuff, Mrs. 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:34.460 Moody, about that bad habit of yours. Now, we 00:13:34.460 --> 00:13:37.679 got a use for that habit. And you'd better listen 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:40.840 to what we have in mind. How did you know about 00:13:40.840 --> 00:13:44.940 me? Who told you about me? Well, let's just say 00:13:44.940 --> 00:13:48.000 I got sources. I swear to you, I'm not a thief. 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:51.779 Yeah, yeah, sure, I know that. We know it. We? 00:13:51.940 --> 00:13:55.019 Well, me and my friend. We know you're just a 00:13:55.019 --> 00:13:57.960 sick lady that you can't help what you do. It's 00:13:57.960 --> 00:13:59.899 Well, it's just like you had pneumonia a fever. 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:03.600 It's not your fault. Am I right? That's right 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:06.299 You know, it's fine. Only your husband still 00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:08.139 don't want the people around city hall to know 00:14:08.139 --> 00:14:13.600 he's got a club dough for a wife Does he? Then 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:17.840 this is blackmail a man in his line of work. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:20.059 He can't afford to have people know his wife 00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:23.629 steals Now, some people would understand how 00:14:23.629 --> 00:14:28.830 it's only a sickness. But others... ...wad, you 00:14:28.830 --> 00:14:32.789 know how people are. Tell me how much money you 00:14:32.789 --> 00:14:36.529 want. I don't want a dime from you, Mrs. Moody. 00:14:36.570 --> 00:14:40.309 Honest, all I want is your cooperation. You see, 00:14:40.429 --> 00:14:43.309 my friend and me, we, uh, we have a little plan. 00:14:43.769 --> 00:14:47.090 A really, really sweet little idea. Everybody 00:14:47.090 --> 00:14:50.679 makes money and nobody takes any chances. What 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:53.720 could be sweeter than that? A plan to do what, 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:55.879 for heaven's sake? Well, my friend will give 00:14:55.879 --> 00:14:59.139 you all the details. All you gotta do now is 00:14:59.139 --> 00:15:01.779 put on your coat and come with me. My friend 00:15:01.779 --> 00:15:03.620 will give you the whole deal. I'm not coming 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:07.120 with you. We're not desperate for your help. 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:10.440 Don't get this wrong. But we thought we'd give 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:16.340 you a break. That's too bad. If you'd just tell 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:20.320 me what you have in mind. Why shoplifting, Mrs. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:25.320 Moody? A little nice and easy shoplifting. Only 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:29.279 this time not for no $5 piece of junk. This time 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:46.100 for something worth more like $50 ,000. Troubles 00:15:46.100 --> 00:15:49.360 have a way of multiplying themselves, don't they? 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:54.200 And as you've just heard, the trouble with Bruce 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:57.360 has suddenly developed serious complications. 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:02.860 Will Mrs. Moody's unwilling petty larceny turn 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:07.360 into a larceny of the grand variety? We'll find 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:28.600 out when we return shortly with Act Two. Mrs. 00:16:28.700 --> 00:16:32.200 Ruth Moody, faced with the prospect of harming 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:36.059 her husband's career, has accepted the invitation 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:40.899 of the man who calls himself Tom Andrea. Although 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:44.600 her instincts tell her that Tom Andrea isn't 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:48.840 his name at all. As they drive towards their 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:53.820 unknown destination, she steals side -long glances 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:58.320 at him. Noting the copper sheen of his skin. 00:16:59.059 --> 00:17:01.860 The look of a man who has spent far too many 00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:06.720 hours under a sun lamp. But he also has the look 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:11.880 of a man who won't take no for an answer. Can't 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:14.900 you tell me where we're going? Relax Mrs. Moody, 00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:18.720 it won't be long now. Who is this friend of yours 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:22.539 anyway? You'll meet him. He works for a department 00:17:22.539 --> 00:17:25.940 store, doesn't he? I know they keep records of 00:17:25.940 --> 00:17:29.980 people like... well, of kleptomania victims. 00:17:31.180 --> 00:17:32.700 That's the only way you could have found out 00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:35.619 about me. I just lean back and enjoy the ride, 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:37.799 huh? Aren't you afraid I might recognize him 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:40.700 if he's one of the people that I've met? Here 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:44.019 we are, Mrs. Moody. Told you it wasn't very far. 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:50.160 The Hotel Hamilton. Looks like a fire trap. Well, 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:53.359 it's not very fancy, but it's private. We can 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:57.099 all have a nice, quiet talk. Just the three of 00:17:57.099 --> 00:18:12.839 us. One moment. That you, Tom? Yeah, it's me. 00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:17.059 The lady with you? Yep, she's here. Just a second, 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:24.680 then. Don't don't be scared mrs. Moody my friend 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:26.539 doesn't really look like that. He's just got 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:32.539 a stocking over his face come in I Hope you'll 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:34.920 forgive the mask mrs. Moody. I know it looks 00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:39.400 grotesque, but it's necessary For your own protection 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:43.079 for me. It's important that you don't recognize 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:47.720 me after our business is concluded it would be 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:50.980 embarrassing if we were to run into each other 00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:56.980 in different circumstances. In a department store, 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:59.599 for instance? What my friend means, Mrs. Moody, 00:18:59.759 --> 00:19:01.539 is that if you started hollering for the cops 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:05.059 when you saw him again, we would have to do something 00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:12.200 about you. Understand? Yes, I understand. But 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:15.599 please don't be alarmed. Nothing like that's 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:19.119 going to happen. I can assure you that I am not 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:23.619 a professional criminal. No more than you are. 00:19:24.119 --> 00:19:26.579 Then what kind of criminal are you? Why don't 00:19:26.579 --> 00:19:29.619 you sit down? The sofa is the only comfortable 00:19:29.619 --> 00:19:32.700 seat in the room. Here, let me take these papers 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:37.380 away. I was just drawing up a few diagrams to 00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:40.220 help you understand exactly what you have to 00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:43.630 do. Diagrams? Would you like some coffee? You 00:19:43.630 --> 00:19:45.730 have a small kitchen. This pot already made. 00:19:45.750 --> 00:19:47.930 No, no, I don't want any coffee. Tom, why don't 00:19:47.930 --> 00:19:51.150 you do the honors? Do you drink yours black, 00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:53.369 Mrs. Moody? I'm afraid I don't have any cream. 00:19:54.230 --> 00:19:57.750 Oh, right. Black coffee. I see, Mrs. Moody. I 00:19:57.750 --> 00:20:01.089 told you it was going to be very friendly. Well, 00:20:01.210 --> 00:20:05.789 now, how much has Tom told you about our little 00:20:05.789 --> 00:20:09.869 enterprise? He just said that if I... didn't 00:20:09.869 --> 00:20:12.609 help you, you'd tell my husband's employers about 00:20:12.609 --> 00:20:16.349 me. Well, I really hate for that to be the inducement, 00:20:16.349 --> 00:20:20.750 Mrs. Moody. I was hoping that you'd cooperate 00:20:20.750 --> 00:20:24.230 more willingly. Why should I? Didn't Tom mention 00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:27.130 the thousand dollars? He also mentioned something 00:20:27.130 --> 00:20:30.470 about fifty thousand dollars about shoplifting 00:20:30.470 --> 00:20:33.170 something worth a fortune. Don't tell me you 00:20:33.170 --> 00:20:36.289 have qualms about it. A lady with your history? 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:41.039 You just don't understand about me. I don't take 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:42.920 things because they're valuable, or even because 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:47.539 I want them. I'm not a thief, not in the ordinary 00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:50.539 sense of the word. Yes, yes, we know that. And 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:53.500 that's exactly why we're taking you into our 00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:57.819 little circle, Mrs. Moody, because you're a kleptomaniac, 00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:02.619 not an ordinary thief. And that's why you can 00:21:02.619 --> 00:21:05.619 help us commit an extraordinary crime. I don't 00:21:05.619 --> 00:21:07.859 want to commit a crime, and I don't want your 00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:10.339 thousand dollars. Here's your coffee, Mrs. Moody. 00:21:11.500 --> 00:21:14.799 Let me tell you what makes it so different, Mrs. 00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:19.140 Moody. An ordinary crime entails a certain amount 00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:23.920 of risk. But this particular crime is guaranteed 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:27.009 to be risk -free. That's what people always think. 00:21:27.049 --> 00:21:30.609 No, Mrs. Moody, even professional criminals recognize 00:21:30.609 --> 00:21:33.369 a certain degree of chance when they plan their 00:21:33.369 --> 00:21:36.269 enterprises. Personally, I would never get involved 00:21:36.269 --> 00:21:39.309 in anything like that. I loathe the idea of being 00:21:39.309 --> 00:21:42.390 arrested. Well, so do I. And I know exactly what 00:21:42.390 --> 00:21:45.430 it feels like. Ah, but you've never been arrested, 00:21:45.569 --> 00:21:50.970 have you? You've been detained, questioned, reprimanded, 00:21:51.430 --> 00:21:55.500 warned. But you've never been arrested once, 00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:58.559 isn't that true? Well, why should I be? I told 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:01.579 you, I'm not a criminal! No, you're not legally 00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:05.099 liable for your little thefts, Mrs. Moody. You 00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:08.019 steal because you have to steal, and if you're 00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:11.079 caught, you merely give back what you've stolen, 00:22:11.759 --> 00:22:14.660 and that's that. No arrest, no prosecution, no 00:22:14.660 --> 00:22:17.460 risk. You beginning to see the point, Mrs. Moody? 00:22:17.930 --> 00:22:21.329 You want me to steal something for you. That's 00:22:21.329 --> 00:22:23.750 right. Mrs. Moody and something a great deal 00:22:23.750 --> 00:22:28.750 more valuable than Shall we say? School of thread. 00:22:28.809 --> 00:22:32.410 Oh dear lord Let me explain our plan in detail 00:22:32.410 --> 00:22:37.150 at 12 15 tomorrow afternoon tomorrow at 12 15 00:22:37.150 --> 00:22:40.990 You'll enter a shop called travel's on 47th Street 00:22:40.990 --> 00:22:43.529 just off 5th Avenue. You may not know the place 00:22:43.529 --> 00:22:47.670 It's a rather expensive jewelers. You will approach 00:22:47.710 --> 00:22:51.470 a certain counter. The diagram will make it clear 00:22:51.470 --> 00:22:53.930 which one I... Wait a minute. You're talking 00:22:53.930 --> 00:22:55.990 as if I've already agreed to do this thing. Please 00:22:55.990 --> 00:23:00.009 look at the diagram, Mrs. Moody. You will approach 00:23:00.009 --> 00:23:03.329 this counter and engage the attention of the 00:23:03.329 --> 00:23:06.269 salesman. You will ask to see a certain tray, 00:23:07.069 --> 00:23:09.490 the one I've marked with the arrow. A moment 00:23:09.490 --> 00:23:11.829 or two after you begin to examine that tray, 00:23:11.849 --> 00:23:14.430 there will be a disturbance in the store. Right. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:17.259 A disturbance. A disturbance will take place 00:23:17.259 --> 00:23:20.440 on the other side of the counter. It is almost 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:22.980 inevitable that your salesman will have his attention 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:26.420 drawn away from you when it occurs. In all likelihood, 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:29.900 he'll leave you and go to see what has happened. 00:23:30.740 --> 00:23:33.980 That's when you will act. You'll pick up the 00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:36.799 diamond pin on the upper right -hand corner of 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:41.680 the tray and drop it into your purse. And then, 00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:46.140 you'll simply walk. The door. You're really mad. 00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:48.140 As you can see from the drawing, the distance 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:51.539 between the counter and the door is a very short 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:54.900 one. You can reach it within three or four seconds. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:57.480 You can be sure that your salesman will be much 00:23:57.480 --> 00:24:00.740 too occupied to notice that you have left. I 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:03.019 won't do any such thing. That's plain and simple 00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:05.480 robbery. When you reach the outside, you'll see 00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:08.140 a man with a yellow canister collecting funds 00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:11.730 for children's welfare. The man will approach 00:24:11.730 --> 00:24:14.789 you immediately. You will drop the diamond pin 00:24:14.789 --> 00:24:17.890 into the opening of the canister and walk to 00:24:17.890 --> 00:24:21.130 the corner. There will be a taxi there in all 00:24:21.130 --> 00:24:24.130 probability. It's a hack stand. If there isn't 00:24:24.130 --> 00:24:27.529 a taxi waiting, hail one or walk to the bus stop. 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:31.079 Believe me. You will have ample time to make 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:33.180 your getaway. There isn't going to be any getaway. 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:35.779 I am not going to do anything so insane. As I 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.680 said before, you'll be perfectly safe. You'll 00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:42.819 have absolutely nothing to lose. If you're stopped 00:24:42.819 --> 00:24:45.259 before you reach the exit, simply give yourself 00:24:45.259 --> 00:24:49.839 up. When Travelles learns of your little, uh, 00:24:49.900 --> 00:24:53.720 idiosyncrasy, no harm will come to you. It'll 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:56.940 be just another neurotic incident, nothing more. 00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:58.859 You're wasting your breath. You'll tell them 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:01.400 about your problem. They'll check with other 00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:03.920 stores and find your case history on file. No, 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:06.160 there's no way I'll do such a thing. Hey, what's 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:07.880 the matter with you, lady? Didn't you hear the 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:12.660 man? You can't get into trouble doing this. But 00:25:12.660 --> 00:25:15.460 your husband will, if you don't. Let me out of 00:25:15.460 --> 00:25:18.539 here, please. Pick someone else out of those 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:25.480 files. All right, Tom. If that's how Mrs. Moody 00:25:25.480 --> 00:25:31.109 wants it. Then I can go. My door was always open, 00:25:31.650 --> 00:25:35.849 lady. See? But if you change your mind, Mrs. 00:25:36.130 --> 00:25:38.910 Moody, just call me here at the Hotel Hamilton. 00:25:39.849 --> 00:25:46.210 Just ask for room 408. But if I don't hear from 00:25:46.210 --> 00:26:02.549 you tonight, well, you know what to do. You've 00:26:02.549 --> 00:26:09.549 sure been quiet tonight, Ruth. Have I? You, uh... 00:26:09.549 --> 00:26:13.589 You didn't go out today, did you? No. I told 00:26:13.589 --> 00:26:15.710 you I wasn't going anywhere. I was just wondering. 00:26:16.950 --> 00:26:18.789 I mean, you said something about dinner tonight, 00:26:18.829 --> 00:26:22.130 about cooking something special, and... Here 00:26:22.130 --> 00:26:24.349 we are with last night's meatloaf. But you said 00:26:24.349 --> 00:26:26.069 you didn't mind. Of course I don't mind. You 00:26:26.069 --> 00:26:30.130 know I'm not fussy about food. I know. You just... 00:26:30.509 --> 00:26:32.849 Too nice for your own good sometimes, Ralph. 00:26:34.190 --> 00:26:37.049 And, uh, you just weren't feeling up to cooking 00:26:37.049 --> 00:26:39.730 today, is that it? Oh, I know what you're thinking. 00:26:40.630 --> 00:26:43.450 You think I went on another shopping spree, or 00:26:43.450 --> 00:26:45.910 should I say shoplifting? No, Ruth. I didn't 00:26:45.910 --> 00:26:48.309 think anything of the kind. Oh, I didn't. I swear 00:26:48.309 --> 00:26:53.849 I didn't. Okay, okay. Ralph, can I ask you something? 00:26:54.630 --> 00:27:00.299 Sure. What? What would happen if... If people 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:05.259 knew about me. What people? The people you worked 00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:09.480 for. In the controller's office. Or, uh, the 00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:13.240 mayor himself. What if they knew about my, uh, 00:27:13.400 --> 00:27:19.160 illness? They'd know, that's all. Would it hurt 00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:22.240 you? Arnie, this is silly. Nobody knows about 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:24.900 your problem. But you and me in a few department 00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:28.380 stores... And Dr. Berger, of course, the doctor 00:27:28.380 --> 00:27:30.339 you won't see anymore. But if they were to find 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:33.099 out, would it hurt you? Look, haven't we got 00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:35.220 enough to worry about without thinking the worst? 00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:38.519 Then it would be bad for you. Someone in your 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:41.339 position where honesty is so important. Ruth, 00:27:41.460 --> 00:27:44.079 you're not dishonest. You're sick. There's a 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:46.619 tremendous difference. That's why I'm so sorry 00:27:46.619 --> 00:27:48.880 you won't see that doctor. But would everyone 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:51.259 understand the difference? I mean, when they 00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:54.480 learned about my stealing things... Would they 00:27:54.480 --> 00:28:02.099 think twice about you? You want the truth? Yes. 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:06.160 Yes, they would. They're only human. No, no, 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:07.980 they're worse than human. They're politicians. 00:28:08.619 --> 00:28:11.299 They have to be elected to office, and that's 00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:13.819 exactly the kind of scandal they don't like. 00:28:14.420 --> 00:28:18.940 Yes. I guess I've always known that was true. 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.960 Um, honey, I think I could use some more gravy. 00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:26.799 Yes. Oh, I have some in the kitchen. I'll be 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:44.680 right back. Is this the Hotel Hamilton? Room 00:28:44.680 --> 00:29:00.359 408 please. Mrs. Ruth Moody has taken the first 00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:04.900 fatal step. And tomorrow at noon, she'll take 00:29:04.900 --> 00:29:08.799 several more steps to the doors of Travell's 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:12.940 jewelry. And for the first time in her life, 00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:18.099 Ruth will steal and know the reason why she's 00:29:18.099 --> 00:29:24.200 stealing. Will it really make a difference? I'll 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:45.599 be back shortly with Act 3. the next morning, 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:49.140 Mrs. Ruth Moody left her apartment and took a 00:29:49.140 --> 00:29:53.079 Fifth Avenue bus to 47th Street. None of the 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:55.960 other passengers saw anything unusual in her 00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:59.940 expression. They couldn't read the turmoil of 00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:03.200 her thoughts or the fear that haunted her eyes 00:30:03.200 --> 00:30:05.619 behind the sunglasses she wore to hide them. 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:08.859 She kept telling herself that what the man in 00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:12.730 the stocking mask said was only too true. that 00:30:12.730 --> 00:30:16.210 no matter what happened, she couldn't be blamed 00:30:16.210 --> 00:30:19.990 for what she was about to do. She was still telling 00:30:19.990 --> 00:30:22.849 herself that when she pushed open the heavy glass 00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:26.210 door of Travell's. May I help you, Maddie? Oh, 00:30:26.309 --> 00:30:30.910 yes, please. I'm looking for a diamond pen. It's 00:30:30.910 --> 00:30:34.690 a present for my mother. I see. Do you have any 00:30:34.690 --> 00:30:37.670 particular kind of pen in mind? Do we have everything 00:30:37.670 --> 00:30:40.970 from abstract designs to... the representational 00:30:40.970 --> 00:30:43.549 pins, you know, animalists and flowers and so 00:30:43.549 --> 00:30:48.170 forth. Maybe if I just browsed a little? Certainly. 00:30:48.690 --> 00:30:51.329 Sees them of our selection right here, but we 00:30:51.329 --> 00:30:56.150 do have others. Oh, yes. There's so many, aren't 00:30:56.150 --> 00:31:00.049 there? Of course, it would help if you knew the 00:31:00.049 --> 00:31:05.309 price range. Oh, well, the price isn't... It's 00:31:05.309 --> 00:31:11.250 just that the pen be right. Yes, I see This tray 00:31:11.250 --> 00:31:14.329 right here on the first shelf. Yes, that seems 00:31:14.329 --> 00:31:17.609 to have quite a few nice pens. So bring it out 00:31:17.609 --> 00:31:22.829 for you Actually These are some of the best stones 00:31:22.829 --> 00:31:26.930 in our collection. You have good taste They really 00:31:26.930 --> 00:31:31.009 do sparkle don't they? This is what I made by 00:31:31.009 --> 00:31:33.990 a representational as you can see it's in the 00:31:33.990 --> 00:31:37.950 shape of a Oh, well, no, no. My mother hates 00:31:37.950 --> 00:31:44.509 cats. I think maybe just something simple. Well, 00:31:44.730 --> 00:31:48.630 you just take your time. All right. Thank you. 00:31:49.910 --> 00:31:53.230 What was that? Someone smashed one of my cases. 00:31:53.549 --> 00:31:59.619 Excuse me. It's all my fault. I was holding my 00:31:59.619 --> 00:32:01.599 umbrella under my arm and it just slipped out 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:05.700 and hit the glass. Ow! I've got to do it! Ow! 00:32:06.099 --> 00:32:08.039 I really don't know how to do this. All right! 00:32:08.140 --> 00:32:10.000 All right! I've got it! Just get back, please. 00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:13.700 Bob, would you lend a hand over here? There's 00:32:13.700 --> 00:32:16.039 glass all over the merchandise. I feel dreadful 00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:18.720 about this. It's all right, sir. No harm done 00:32:18.720 --> 00:32:24.059 to all, I assure you. I've done it. I've really 00:32:24.059 --> 00:32:29.900 done it. Outside. Help the needy children. Help 00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:33.940 the needy children, lady. What? Please, help 00:32:33.940 --> 00:32:37.480 the Children's Welfare Society, lady. Oh, yes, 00:32:37.579 --> 00:32:43.259 yes. Of course. Here. That's all I have. Thanks 00:32:43.259 --> 00:32:47.599 very, very much, lady. Thanks a lot. Help the 00:32:47.599 --> 00:33:03.200 needy children. Yes, I'm home. How are you, honey? 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:09.759 I'm all right. You sure? You don't look so good. 00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:13.480 No, no, I'm fine, really. Would you like a drink? 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:21.400 Yeah, I wouldn't mind, thanks. What did you do 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:25.299 today? I went out for a little while. Where to? 00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:28.569 Oh, no, in particular, I took a walk. Weather 00:33:28.569 --> 00:33:33.250 was nice. Uh -huh. Took some things to the cleaners. 00:33:33.450 --> 00:33:36.829 Did a little marketing. Here's your drink. Oh, 00:33:36.869 --> 00:33:42.549 thanks. For heaven's sake, stop looking at me 00:33:42.549 --> 00:33:45.589 like that. I can't bear the way you look at me 00:33:45.589 --> 00:33:47.890 sometimes, Ralph. I'm sorry, Ruth. It's nothing 00:33:47.890 --> 00:33:49.890 deliberate. Well, of course it's deliberate. 00:33:50.549 --> 00:33:54.329 It happens all the time now. You keep staring 00:33:54.329 --> 00:33:58.440 at me as if you're trying to read my mind. Because 00:33:58.440 --> 00:34:00.500 if you wanted me to confess something... Now 00:34:00.500 --> 00:34:03.539 Ruth, that isn't true. You've got to stop thinking 00:34:03.539 --> 00:34:06.099 such things every time I look at you. What's 00:34:06.099 --> 00:34:10.219 going to happen to us, Ralph? What kind of marriage 00:34:10.219 --> 00:34:12.360 are we going to have from now on? Hey Ruth, we've 00:34:12.360 --> 00:34:15.380 been married six years now. I think we know how 00:34:15.380 --> 00:34:17.619 to live with each other. But you can't live with 00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:21.780 this disease of mine. You can never stop suspecting 00:34:21.780 --> 00:34:24.849 me of having stolen something again. Isn't that 00:34:24.849 --> 00:34:27.130 what you're thinking right now? All I'm thinking 00:34:27.130 --> 00:34:31.190 about is that you don't look well. And how disappointed 00:34:31.190 --> 00:34:37.150 I am that you won't see Dr. Berger. I... I called 00:34:37.150 --> 00:34:41.110 him today, by the way. What for? Well, I just 00:34:41.110 --> 00:34:44.409 wanted to talk to him, find out if there was 00:34:44.409 --> 00:34:47.230 anything more I could do to help you. And what 00:34:47.230 --> 00:34:51.860 did he say? He said there might be. What do you 00:34:51.860 --> 00:34:54.559 mean by that? I told Berger about our talk last 00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:57.159 night about how worried you are that the people 00:34:57.159 --> 00:35:01.179 at City Hall might find out about your illness. 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:05.699 He told me that was an important part of your 00:35:05.699 --> 00:35:08.320 guilt syndrome, whatever that means. Oh, I hate 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:10.980 that psychiatric double talk. Just the same, 00:35:11.219 --> 00:35:13.900 he thought you'd be a lot better off if you weren't 00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:16.739 concerned about such things, if you were able 00:35:16.739 --> 00:35:20.719 to admit that you were ill. I do admit it. That 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:22.519 doesn't mean that other people have to know about 00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:33.320 it. Ruth. I told them. What? I told McGuire, 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:37.360 the controller. I took him out to lunch. I told 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:39.900 them all about your kleptomania. Oh, no, Ralph. 00:35:41.260 --> 00:35:44.420 Oh, no. Look, I didn't realize that I was hiding 00:35:44.420 --> 00:35:46.780 it too. That I wasn't treating it like an illness 00:35:46.780 --> 00:35:51.139 either. That I was acting as if it were... Something 00:35:51.139 --> 00:35:55.039 shameful. What did you do it for? For us, Ruth. 00:35:55.059 --> 00:35:57.340 But now you'll lose your job. No, I'm not going 00:35:57.340 --> 00:35:59.559 to lose my job. It's going to be all right. But 00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:01.760 you said... No, I know all the dumb things I 00:36:01.760 --> 00:36:04.199 said last night about how this sort of thing 00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:08.780 can hurt a politician. Well, I was wrong. McGuire 00:36:08.780 --> 00:36:13.219 is more of a human being than a politician. You 00:36:13.219 --> 00:36:16.480 mean he's not going to tell anyone else? He won't 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:20.900 give me away? No, that's not what I meant. McGuire 00:36:20.900 --> 00:36:24.699 suggested that we both go and talk to the mayor 00:36:24.699 --> 00:36:28.920 himself about this. Oh, Ralph, you can't! I already 00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:33.780 have, Ruth. What? I've seen the mayor. Do you 00:36:33.780 --> 00:36:37.280 know what he said? He said that it wouldn't make 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:39.320 any difference to him this year or next year 00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:41.820 when he recommends me for the number one job 00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:44.780 in the controller's office. The number one? That's 00:36:44.780 --> 00:36:47.179 right. McGuire is moving up. I'm next in line 00:36:47.179 --> 00:36:49.699 for his job. And the mayor is behind me now, 00:36:49.800 --> 00:36:55.000 Ruth. Do you think he'd be behind me if he really 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:58.820 thought my wife was a thief? Oh, dear Lord! Ruth. 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:03.420 What have I done? What have I done? Honey, honey, 00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:06.559 what is it? Oh, why did I go through this? What's 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:08.659 the matter, Ruth? I just told you everything's 00:37:08.659 --> 00:37:11.800 okay. No, no, no. I've ruined everything now, 00:37:12.199 --> 00:37:15.610 Ralph. If you knew what I... horrible thing I 00:37:15.610 --> 00:37:21.909 did today. What are you talking about? I am a 00:37:21.909 --> 00:37:27.090 thief now. God help me Ralph. I really am a thief. 00:37:36.610 --> 00:37:41.309 Try and stay calm, will you? Did you get a look 00:37:41.309 --> 00:37:43.530 at the man who broke the glass with his umbrella? 00:37:44.519 --> 00:37:47.719 Do you think that he was the same man you met 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:50.159 yesterday at the Hotel Hamilton? I'm sure he 00:37:50.159 --> 00:37:53.039 was, but I told you he was wearing a stocking 00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:57.420 mask over his face. And this other man, the one 00:37:57.420 --> 00:38:00.079 who called himself Tom Andrea, he was the same 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:01.980 man who was collecting for children's welfare 00:38:01.980 --> 00:38:07.019 outside the store. Yes. Ruth, you know there's 00:38:07.019 --> 00:38:10.420 only one thing to do now, don't you? What do 00:38:10.420 --> 00:38:14.679 you mean? We've got to tell the police. Oh Ralph, 00:38:14.900 --> 00:38:16.840 no, that would be awesome. Travelles will have 00:38:16.840 --> 00:38:19.980 discovered the theft by now. They must have your 00:38:19.980 --> 00:38:22.199 description from the clerk sooner or later. You 00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:23.900 might be identified. But they can't do anything 00:38:23.900 --> 00:38:26.800 to me, Ralph. I'm not responsible. I am sick. 00:38:26.840 --> 00:38:29.820 No, Ruth. In this case, you are responsible. 00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:43.929 That's why we have to call the police. Mrs. Moody, 00:38:44.849 --> 00:38:48.309 here's the typed statement you gave us. Can I 00:38:48.309 --> 00:38:50.989 go home after I sign it? Yes, yes, of course. 00:38:51.369 --> 00:38:55.909 But, uh, better read it over first. What happens 00:38:55.909 --> 00:39:00.289 after that, Lieutenant Ames? That depends. On 00:39:00.289 --> 00:39:04.190 what? Well, mostly on whether or not your wife 00:39:04.190 --> 00:39:07.469 has told us everything. But I swear I have. I'm 00:39:07.469 --> 00:39:11.019 not saying your story is phony, Mrs. Moody. My 00:39:11.019 --> 00:39:13.460 own viewpoint is that it's too cock -eyed to 00:39:13.460 --> 00:39:17.059 be phony, but that may be a subtle way of looking 00:39:17.059 --> 00:39:19.340 at it. Why should she lie about this lieutenant? 00:39:19.619 --> 00:39:23.360 What would my wife have to gain? Well, she could 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:26.619 stand to gain a diamond pin worth almost 50 ,000 00:39:26.619 --> 00:39:28.340 baht. She doesn't have the diamond. She gave 00:39:28.340 --> 00:39:33.320 it to them. Yes, that's a story. But let's say 00:39:33.320 --> 00:39:36.039 for example that... Those two men never existed. 00:39:36.300 --> 00:39:38.940 Oh, that's a horrible thing to say. I'm telling 00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:42.360 you how other people might see this thing. If 00:39:42.360 --> 00:39:45.380 you were a crook, and you realized that you'd 00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:48.659 been spotted in Travell's, well, this story of 00:39:48.659 --> 00:39:50.539 yours would put you in the clear, wouldn't it? 00:39:50.639 --> 00:39:54.920 But it's true. Every word of it. But you see 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:57.900 the problem, don't you? You've been identified 00:39:57.900 --> 00:40:01.099 as the robber. You've confessed to stealing the 00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:04.099 pin. The fact that you're a known kleptomaniac 00:40:04.099 --> 00:40:07.239 doesn't help. Some people might even be nasty 00:40:07.239 --> 00:40:10.260 enough to say that you got yourself that reputation 00:40:10.260 --> 00:40:12.780 deliberately. This is incredible. You're accusing 00:40:12.780 --> 00:40:15.460 my wife of being a thief. Oh, what can I say 00:40:15.460 --> 00:40:18.500 to convince you? If you could only give me a 00:40:18.500 --> 00:40:21.039 better description of those two men. Well, I've 00:40:21.039 --> 00:40:24.920 done the best I could. The first man, he was 00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:29.119 of average height, dark hair, very sunburned. 00:40:29.199 --> 00:40:31.840 Yeah, yeah, yeah. You keep telling me about that 00:40:31.840 --> 00:40:35.179 sunburn. But that's not going to last very long, 00:40:35.300 --> 00:40:39.820 is it? Lieutenant, you think that sunburn was 00:40:39.820 --> 00:40:42.659 a kind of disguise? I'm sure it was, Mr. Moody. 00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:47.260 And the other man? He wore a stocking mask. There's 00:40:47.260 --> 00:40:50.239 no way I can describe him. What about the hotel, 00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:53.320 Lieutenant? No good. It's a kind of a dump which 00:40:53.320 --> 00:40:55.840 doesn't even bother to keep a register, even 00:40:55.840 --> 00:40:58.780 though it's a city ordinance. But the clerk might 00:40:58.780 --> 00:41:01.039 be able to identify the man who took the room. 00:41:01.400 --> 00:41:05.400 Maybe. If we could produce him. Only, uh, how 00:41:05.400 --> 00:41:08.679 do we do that? Uh, what about the thousand dollars 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:11.260 they promised to send her? Oh, I wouldn't count 00:41:11.260 --> 00:41:14.139 on that. If she's telling the truth, you'll never 00:41:14.139 --> 00:41:19.280 hear from him again. Okay, so maybe it's a new 00:41:19.280 --> 00:41:21.920 gimmick. Maybe one of them works in a department 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:24.900 store, has access to the names of recognized 00:41:24.900 --> 00:41:28.260 kleptos. I'm sure he did work in a department 00:41:28.260 --> 00:41:30.840 store. Yeah, and so do thousands of people, Miss 00:41:30.840 --> 00:41:34.639 Moody. All you've got to do is name the one. 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:38.579 And if she can't, what happens then? I think 00:41:38.579 --> 00:41:43.420 you know the answer to that. Will I be arrested? 00:41:43.679 --> 00:41:46.690 But you can't arrest her. She's sick. She was 00:41:46.690 --> 00:41:48.610 seeing a doctor. But I'm gonna see him again. 00:41:48.769 --> 00:41:50.969 Oh, oh, so help me, Ralph. Do you really mean 00:41:50.969 --> 00:41:54.469 that, Ruth? I'm... I'm not gonna stop seeing 00:41:54.469 --> 00:41:58.349 Dr. Berger until I'm cured. Unless they send 00:41:58.349 --> 00:42:02.309 me to prison first. Well, have you read the statement, 00:42:02.489 --> 00:42:05.989 Ms. Woody? Yes. Yes, it's all right. I'm ready 00:42:05.989 --> 00:42:10.070 to sign it. Fine. Now, let's see, uh... Thought 00:42:10.070 --> 00:42:14.170 I had a pen on this desk. Oh, well, I think there's 00:42:14.170 --> 00:42:18.989 one in my purse. I'll get it. Hey, it's funny 00:42:18.989 --> 00:42:24.809 what is This isn't your pen Ruth. I don't recognize 00:42:24.809 --> 00:42:30.070 it. Do you let me see? No, no that isn't my pen. 00:42:30.070 --> 00:42:34.510 Oh Ruthie. No not again. You mean you stole it 00:42:34.510 --> 00:42:43.840 mrs. Mooney I'm afraid I did I remember now When 00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:46.219 the man was drawing the diagrams of the jewelry 00:42:46.219 --> 00:42:52.039 store, he left his pen on the coffee table. I 00:42:52.039 --> 00:42:55.420 just couldn't stop myself. Wait a minute. You 00:42:55.420 --> 00:42:58.039 stole his pen, the man in the stocking mask? 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:02.000 Yes. Will you arrest me for that, too? Let me 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:06.780 see it. Miss Moody, do you realize there's a 00:43:06.780 --> 00:43:10.039 name on this pen? It's from Barnett's department 00:43:10.039 --> 00:43:12.320 store, and it's engraved with the name of the 00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:16.329 owner. What? Barnets Department Store, J .M. 00:43:16.570 --> 00:43:20.369 Hutchins. Hutchins? He's the assistant manager. 00:43:20.909 --> 00:43:23.989 He is the one. Lieutenant, you found your man. 00:43:24.710 --> 00:43:28.389 Well, what do you know? This is the first time 00:43:28.389 --> 00:43:30.690 I've ever seen the proof of that old chestnut. 00:43:31.070 --> 00:43:34.769 Old chestnut? That it takes a thief to catch 00:43:34.769 --> 00:43:49.159 a thief. of this story might be, never steal 00:43:49.159 --> 00:43:53.699 anything small, particularly if it's a diamond 00:43:53.699 --> 00:43:58.420 pin worth $50 ,000. Will you be happy to know 00:43:58.420 --> 00:44:01.179 that the police investigation proved the guilt 00:44:01.179 --> 00:44:06.079 of Mr. J .M. Hutchins and the innocence of Mrs. 00:44:06.280 --> 00:44:10.420 Ruth Moody? And the last we heard, the only trouble 00:44:10.420 --> 00:44:15.400 with Ruth was going to be a little one. I'll 00:44:15.400 --> 00:44:32.559 be back shortly. We hope you've enjoyed our story, 00:44:32.940 --> 00:44:35.880 and we hope your reception has been as good as 00:44:35.880 --> 00:44:38.559 the reception we've been getting at the Radio 00:44:38.559 --> 00:44:42.760 Mystery Theater. In case you haven't heard, We're 00:44:42.760 --> 00:44:45.320 attracting millions of listeners all over the 00:44:45.320 --> 00:44:49.360 country. Yes, television has its rabbit ears, 00:44:49.800 --> 00:44:54.500 but we have human ears. Thank you for lending 00:44:54.500 --> 00:44:58.739 them to us. Our cast included Marion Seldas, 00:44:59.059 --> 00:45:02.780 George Petrie, Jack Grimes, Jackson Beck, and 00:45:02.780 --> 00:45:06.000 Gil Mack. The entire production was under the 00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:09.510 direction of Hyman Brown. Radio Mystery Theatre 00:45:09.510 --> 00:45:14.349 was sponsored in part by Sinov, the Sinus Medicines, 00:45:14.730 --> 00:45:18.269 Buick Motor Division, and Anheuser -Busch Incorporated, 00:45:18.550 --> 00:45:21.469 brewers of Budweiser. This is E .G. Marshall 00:45:21.469 --> 00:45:24.070 inviting you to return to our Mystery Theatre 00:45:24.070 --> 00:45:29.250 for another adventure in the macabre. Until next 00:45:29.250 --> 00:45:32.809 time, pleasant dreams.