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Transcript

The Whistler - "Pattern for Terror" (Old Time Radio, 1945) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: On a rain-soaked midnight drive, Ted Stratton finds a police
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: officer beside him and a body in the back seat,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: while struggling to recall how the journey began. From July 16, 1945,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: this is The Whistler, Pattern for Terror, Episode 164, heard
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: on the CBS Pacific Network under the sponsorship of Signal Oil.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: The story returns to a party at Norma's hilltop home
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: overlooking San Francisco Bay, where pianist Larry Craig and tensions
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: among the guests set the evening in motion. Elliot Lewis
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: is heard in the cast as the whistler follows Ted
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Stratton's fractured recollections through that December night. And now, the
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: original broadcast.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Signal gasoline.
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: Let every traffic signal remind you, you do go farther
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: with Signal Gasoline. Yes, you do go farther with Signal.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: The Signal Oil Company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: you another curious story by the Whistler.
• 1:18
  Speaker 4: Tonight, a pattern for terror. I am the whistler, and
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: I know many things, for I walk by night. I
• 1:44
  Speaker 4: know many strange tales hidden in the heart of men
• 1:47
  Speaker 4: and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak.
• 2:01
  Speaker 4: A kaleidoscope is a simple instrument, a toy, made of
• 2:05
  Speaker 4: a tube with a few mirrors and bits of colored glass,
• 2:07
  Speaker 4: nothing more. Yet when you revolve it slowly, an unending
• 2:11
  Speaker 4: series of complicated patterns appear. always changing, never the same.
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: On this midnight of December 10th, 1944, the mind of
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: Ted Stratton, as it struggles for consciousness, is like a kaleidoscope.
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: One of the patterns is this.
• 2:28
  Speaker 5: Hello, darling.
• 2:30
  Speaker 4: Norma's party at her house, high on the hill in
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: Marin County, looking down on San Rafael and San Francisco Bay,
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: and Larry Craig, handsome, talented Larry, playing Chopin waltzes on
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: the piano. A pleasant pattern, Ted. Bright reds and yellows, sparkling, cheerful.
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: And with Norma at your side, complete. But the design's
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: starting to change. The reds and yellows are fading. Deep
• 3:01
  Speaker 4: blues and purples are creeping in. Ted Stratton, you're being
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: entirely ridiculous.
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: Ridiculous, my foot. It isn't as if this is the
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: first time, Nora. I'm getting a little tired of it.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: What are you trying to say?
• 3:11
  Speaker 6: I'm simply suggesting that your relationship with your virtuoso friend
• 3:15
  Speaker 6: in there is slightly more.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: Intimate than pupil and teacher.
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: Ted.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: It's been going on for weeks, hasn't it? You know
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: what you're saying. Sure.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: Why don't you tell me? Why don't you come right
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: out and spill it? It was all a big mistake
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: getting engaged. That's me, strattin' the mistake. No runs, no hits,
• 3:33
  Speaker 6: one error.
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: Ted, you're drunk.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: So what? What else can I do? Can't play the
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: piano like Mr.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: Craig? Gotta do something? Do you have to shout? Yes.
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: You can make a bigger fool of yourself by walking
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: in there and telling everybody.
• 3:43
  Speaker 4: Yes, why don't you do it upright? Make a real
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: party out of it. You know that's an idea? A
• 3:53
  Speaker 4: deeper pattern, Ted. Deep blues and purples. And the green
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: tinge of jealousy mixed with the sound of party talk
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: and the taste of champagne. The kaleidoscope in your mind
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: slowly turns and the pattern gets still darker. Norma's party
• 4:08
  Speaker 4: for you. And there she is again, at Ted's side,
• 4:11
  Speaker 4: gazing at him like a crooner struck Bobby Soxer as
• 4:14
  Speaker 4: he played. Then, the pattern turns red.
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: Shut up, Craig!
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: I could kill you, Craig.
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: Do you hear me? I could kill you.
• 4:31
  Speaker 5: Nothing now.
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: Just blackness. No colors. No patterns. Oh. It's cool, quiet.
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: Except for the monotonous moan of the fog going down
• 5:00
  Speaker 4: at the point near San Quentin Prison. Cool, peaceful. The
• 5:05
  Speaker 4: fog has turned to a drizzle and it feels good
• 5:08
  Speaker 4: on your head. Clears your mind, takes away the nagging ache.
• 5:13
  Speaker 4: Open your eyes, Ted. Look around.
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: Where am I?
• 5:22
  Speaker 4: Black, swirling fog. Everything black.
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: Can't even see the moon.
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: It's almost raining. You're wet and cold. Raise your head.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: A hot knife jabs at me. Breathe in that cool
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: air and try again. There's an automobile.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: I know, but it's a bird.
• 5:52
  Speaker 4: It's a bird. That string of yellow lights over to
• 5:54
  Speaker 4: the left wavering like a clothesline in a high wind
• 5:57
  Speaker 4: finally settles into... Yes, Ted, you must have stopped here
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: on the way home from Norma's party.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Party? Yeah, party.
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: What am... What am I doing here?
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: The car, who's... Larry is.
• 6:17
  Speaker 6: I'm in Larry's car.
• 6:25
  Speaker 4: Yes, Ted. Alone in Larry's open convertible. Remember Larry? You
• 6:31
  Speaker 4: could kill him. It's just what you said, wasn't it?
• 6:34
  Speaker 4: You could kill him.
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: Where's Larry? We've got to find Larry. Go back. Go
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: back to Norma's.
• 6:45
  Speaker 4: Norma. Wait a minute. Not yet.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: Better check first.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: Telephone.
• 7:01
  Speaker 4: Down the highway, a half mile, Martinelli's Roadhouse. You can
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: call her from there. She'll probably laugh and tell you
• 7:08
  Speaker 4: Larry is pacing the floor, wondering what happened to his car.
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: What do you want to drink? Oh, I think I'll
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: have a dance. Hey, darling. Oh.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: Come on, Leona.
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: That man, he....
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: What'll you have, mister?
• 7:40
  Speaker 6: Mind if I use your telephone?
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, go right ahead. Thanks. Sorry, around the corner to
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: the right.
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: This is the house phone.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Oh, okay.
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: Okay. Hello, Norma.
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: Never mind that. Tell me, where's Larry? Why, isn't he
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: with you? What do you mean?
• 8:23
  Speaker 4: He left right after you did.
• 8:27
  Speaker 6: He left?
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: Naturally.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: What else could he do after that horrible thing?
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: He must have been out of your mind.
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: Tell me exactly what happened, Norma.
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: I don't want to discuss it.
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: You've got to.
• 8:41
  Speaker 4: You have a lot of apologizing to do, Ted Stratton.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: That's not important now. Well, maybe not to you, but.
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: Norma, will.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: You please tell me what happened? Well... I mean, he
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: did all those terrible things right in front of everybody about.
• 8:55
  Speaker 4: about wanting to kill him. He grabbed your hat and
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: walked out. He just stood around looking embarrassed and....
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: How long after I left?
• 9:05
  Speaker 4: A bit. You must have seen him down at the highway.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: I must have seen him... down by the highway?
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: Edward!
• 9:14
  Speaker 7: Where are you?
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: Hello?
• 9:17
  Speaker 4: Ted?
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: Hello?
• 9:21
  Speaker 4: Operator?
• 9:22
  Speaker 5: Operator?
• 9:24
  Speaker 4: I must have seen him.
• 9:27
  Speaker 6: Down by the highway.
• 9:29
  Speaker 5: S-I-G-N-A-L. Signal. Signal.
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: What's in a name? The name Signal. Well, for instance,
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: Signal Oil Company sponsors the Whistler. In addition, for 14 years,
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: the name Signal has stood for the finest petroleum products
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: that money can buy. But most important today, Signal Go
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: Farther Gasoline is helping Western drivers stretch their gas stamps.
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: For it's true, you still go as far as before
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: the war with Signal. And I'll tell you why. You see,
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: modern gasolines are composed of many ingredients, each of which
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: does a specific job. For instance, the very volatile highest
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: octane components, such as isopentane, give pep and anti-knock. And
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: these are the ingredients reserved for war. That's why Signal
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: Oil Company frankly admits no gasoline today can give you
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: all the brilliant performance you found in pre-war Signal gasoline.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: And which you'll enjoy again in even further improved Signal
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: post-war gasoline. But other ingredients give mileage. And these components
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: are still in the famous Signal formula. In fact, additional
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: new hydrocarbons rich in mileage have even been added... That's
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: why more and more wise drivers who keep track of
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: their mileage are finding it's as true today as before
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: the war. You do go farther with Signal Gasoline. And now,
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: back to the whistler. Dead Stratton stands in the telephone
• 11:25
  Speaker 3: booth of the roadhouse... for over a minute, receiver in hand.
• 11:28
  Speaker 4: staring dully at the phone dial, trying to think... trying
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: to remember what happened after he left Norma's party. Nothing.
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: No dice. Just the red rage at Larry before he
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: walked out... and then blackness of blank... until he opened
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: his eyes and Larry's car parked at the edge of
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: the highway... Mona says I left and Larry left right
• 11:50
  Speaker 4: after me. Just after, in front of everybody, I said
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: I wanted to kill him. It's impossible.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: I couldn't have.
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: But that's not what you told everybody, is it, Ted?
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: That's the one thing you do remember. You could kill him. No! Easy, Ted.
• 12:16
  Speaker 4: It's only your reflection in the big mirror on the wall.
• 12:19
  Speaker 4: No wonder they jumped when you walked into the bar.
• 12:21
  Speaker 4: Clothes torn to shreds, an ugly gash over your right eye.
• 12:25
  Speaker 4: Larry must have been tougher than you figured. Look at
• 12:28
  Speaker 4: your right hand, Ted. It's swollen up like a bunch
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: of bananas. Better get out of here.
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: I know. I don't know what he looks like, but...
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Call you back. Well, get your call through okay, brother?
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: Yeah, thanks.
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: Uh, just a minute. You look like you could use
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: a drink.
• 12:50
  Speaker 6: Thanks, no, I.
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: Hello. What?
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: That's Rose. Sings with the band, weekends. Maybe I... Maybe
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: I can set you both up, huh?
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: Oh, that would be a swell idea, mister. Sorry, I'm
• 13:00
  Speaker 4: in a hurry. Oh, don't be that way.
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: He's just playing hard to get. Come on, pal, I
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: feel generous. This one's on the house.
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: He doesn't do that for everyone. How about... I gotta go,
• 13:10
  Speaker 4: I tell you. Oh, just one.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: Get out of my way, let me go.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: You're trying to push me.
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: Hey, what are you doing?
• 13:18
  Speaker 4: Nothing.
• 13:20
  Speaker 5: Nothing at all.
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: Tire.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: Let the air out of the tire. Trying to stall me.
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: No time.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Fix it later.
• 13:29
  Speaker 4: I gotta go. They're onto it already. You're sure of it.
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: You can see tomorrow morning's headlines. Body found on highway.
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: Attacked by unknown assailant. Police searching Marin County for murderer.
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: That's why the bartender was wise, tried to stall you.
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: Lucky you caught part of that phone call he was making.
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: Thought that flat tire would stop you, did they? Can't
• 13:56
  Speaker 4: go much farther, though. It's in shreds already. Look, the
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: service station down at the junction. Got to take a chance.
• 14:04
  Speaker 4: You're lucky. No customers.
• 14:08
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: Yes, sir. Got a flat tire. Yes, so I see.
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: I got to change it in a hurry. Could you help?
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: Sure.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: Got the dolly right here. Have it off with a jiffy.
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: I'll help you. Here we go.
• 14:22
  Speaker 5: There.
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: Now.
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: I'll get the tire out.
• 14:28
  Speaker 4: Good.
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: Let me see. Where did it go? There it is
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: on the floor under the steering wheel. Must have been
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: using it tonight, huh?
• 14:34
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: I guess so.
• 14:37
  Speaker 4: Pick it up, Dad. The feel of it in your hands. Familiar,
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: isn't it? Part of that hazy pattern in your mind.
• 14:46
  Speaker 4: You have used it tonight, positive. You can feel it
• 14:49
  Speaker 4: in your right arm, swinging the iron bar hard through
• 14:51
  Speaker 4: the air, landing with a sickening thud on someone's head.
• 14:56
  Speaker 4: There's no doubt anymore.
• 14:57
  Speaker 7: You must have been crazy to run on a tire
• 15:01
  Speaker 7: like that.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: Couldn't, too. Plenty of tread left. Ain't fit for the
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: junk heap now, though. I was alone on the highway.
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: I didn't have a jacket. Yeah, alone? Couldn't have waited long.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: Every cop in the county's on the road tonight. Give
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: you a hand, you know. What did you say? Why, cops.
• 15:15
  Speaker 7: Must be a thousand of them tonight passing by the station.
• 15:18
  Speaker 7: Won't say nothing about what's up, but I can tell
• 15:20
  Speaker 7: they're looking for someone.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: They're looking for someone.
• 15:22
  Speaker 7: Yeah, a lot like the night they escaped over San
• 15:24
  Speaker 7: Quentin a few years back.
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: Yeah, maybe so. Can you hurry a little? Yeah, sure. Hey,
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: where you going? San Francisco. Good. I'll ride across the
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: bridge with you. Hello, officer.
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: Just fixing up the man's tire.
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: Be ready in a shake. Didn't mean to scare you, buddy. McGregor,
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: State Patrol. Left my partner around the corner in the car.
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: Got to pick up another one to San Francisco. Okay? Well,
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: I don't know... You said you were going to San Francisco,
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: didn't you? I meant that I.
• 15:49
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: I'm going to San Francisco. Nice night for ducks. Yeah,
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: kind of wet. New to bust loose with some real
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: rain any minute. Say, you ever thought of putting that
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: top up?
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: Huh?
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, the top. This is one of them fancy
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: automatic ones, isn't it? Yeah, automatic. How about putting it up? Well,
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: it doesn't work. It's broken. Oh? Pull under that tow
• 16:21
  Speaker 2: plaza for a second, will you? I want to check
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: with the boys. Yeah, sure. Hello, Mac. Wet enough for you? Yeah.
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: I was just... Who's this? Guy's giving me a ride
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: into town. Left Charlie with a patrol car. Gonna pick
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: up another one at headquarters. I see. Come into the
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: toll room a second, will you? Something I'd like you
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: to look at. Sure. I'll be right with you, buddy.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: This ought to be it, Ted. You can see them
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: in the glass-enclosed toll room looking at a paper, then
• 16:58
  Speaker 4: at you arguing about something. Maybe you can run for it.
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: No.
• 17:05
  Speaker 4: Look at that motorcycle cop up in front. He's looking
• 17:07
  Speaker 4: at you, too. There must be five of them behind you,
• 17:10
  Speaker 4: all waiting. Well, don't sit there and shake. Do something.
• 17:14
  Speaker 4: Wipe the seat off. Anything. There ought to be a
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: rag in the glove compartment.
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: There.
• 17:23
  Speaker 4: Now what? Oh, yes, you're cold. Get that blanket out
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: of the back seat. Oh! Your heart stops cold and
• 17:36
  Speaker 4: races like a trip hammer. There, under the blanket in back,
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: huddled on the floor, is a body. A foot with
• 17:44
  Speaker 4: a gray suede black leather shoe sticking out from under
• 17:47
  Speaker 4: the blanket.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: Wait a minute, Mac. All right, all right. You can
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: see for yourself.
• 17:57
  Speaker 4: Well? Huh.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: You're right, Mac.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: Sure.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: Wrong guy. Okay, see you in an hour or so.
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: Come on, buddy, let's get going.
• 18:05
  Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, okay.
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: Sorry about that last. Eddie's a new man.
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: Eddie?
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: What do you mean? The guy at the plaza. New guy.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: Got the jitters, you know.
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: Oh, yeah.
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: Seems like everybody's got the jitters tonight. You stopped at
• 18:22
  Speaker 2: Martinelli's about a half hour ago, didn't you? Yeah, I
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: had to make a phone call. Martinelli's got the jitters, too.
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: Called headquarters about you. Me?
• 18:30
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: How come? Arlie happened to know we were after a
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: big duck tonight. Thought you were it. So did Eddie.
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: Just like I've been telling the chief. You only ask
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: for trouble when you tip off the amateurs. You're... Say
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: you're after someone? Yeah. Who? I was just saying it
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: don't pay to tip off the amateurs. Pick it up
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: a little, will you? I'm getting wet. Maybe this blanket
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: in the back.
• 18:52
  Speaker 4: Wait a minute, no!
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: What was that?
• 18:55
  Speaker 5: Nothing.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: Nothing.
• 19:08
  Speaker 4: That was close. The other blanket on top of the seat, remember?
• 19:13
  Speaker 4: And he didn't look down. It can't last much longer, Ted.
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: You're ready to drive the car off the road, anything,
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: but you haven't a chance on the Golden Gate Bridge.
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: Cops at both ends and 200 feet down to the
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: water on either side.
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: That crazy idiot! Follow him! Hurry up!
• 19:29
  Speaker 4: That car!
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: He must have been doing 70! We can catch him
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: at the toll station. That's good for 30 days. He's
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: got a swap for the toll station. He's going right through.
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: Follow him.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: We might catch him at the signal.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: Maybe this is your chair.
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: Ted.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: You'll get him out of the car anyway while he's
• 19:52
  Speaker 4: writing out the ticket. Your luck's holding out. I knew it.
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: Look up there. He's tangled with a truck at the intersection.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: Slow down. I'm going to teach that guy a lesson.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: Pull up here. Okay. I better get out your side.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: Up against the pole.
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: Here.
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: Stick around. All right, everybody.
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: One side.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: Who's the driver of this car?
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: All right, all right.
• 20:23
  Speaker 4: It's your only chance, Ted. Mingle with the crowd for
• 20:27
  Speaker 4: a minute, two minutes, three. He's busy now, taking names
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: and numbers, writing out citations.
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: Now, don't argue with me. When you passed us on
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: the bridge, you were doing 70. You're plenty lucky nobody
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: was killed. Why, just as soon, Hank, 20 years for
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: a manslaughter on your neck is quite a fly. Now,
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: don't give me any more back talk. You can save
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: it for the judge.
• 20:44
  Speaker 4: He's forgotten about you, Ted. Ease back toward the car now.
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: He can't see you with people crowding around him. There
• 20:53
  Speaker 4: you are. All set now. Get everything ready. Once you
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: step on that starter, you'll have to move fast. Okay?
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: The switch. The keys.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: Where are the keys?
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: I had them.
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: I left them. Gone somewhere, buddy? No, I.
• 21:09
  Speaker 3: Shut up.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: Jerry!
• 21:11
  Speaker 4: Yeah, Max?
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: Take over, will you? I gotta get down to the station. Okay.
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: All right, get going.
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: Here's the keys.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: I don't play hunches very often, but when I do,
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: I'm usually right. Start the car. Listen, I'm late now.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: I gotta... You know, there could be a million reasons
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: why you got an egg on your noggin, black eye,
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: torn clothes. Might even be a reason why you ain't
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: got a registration on the steering wheel. Maybe it ain't
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: back from Sacramento. Maybe you just bought the car. Maybe
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: you lost it. Okay, so I pass him up. Listen, officer,
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: you're right. It isn't my car. It belongs to a
• 21:47
  Speaker 2: friend of mine. Girl in San Rafael, Norma Schaefer. I
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: bought it... Shut up. I ain't finished. And I ain't
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: saying I'm right. Listen, you can phone... I said shut up.
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 21:57
  Speaker 2: So I pass up the black eye and the torn
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: clothes and no registration, figuring you got good reasons. But
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: there just ain't a good reason for a guy riding
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: around on a rainy night with a top down. I
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: said it didn't work. Maybe it doesn't. I can be wrong.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: Give it a try. Where? I don't know. You don't
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: know how, huh? She didn't tell me. It's very simple, pal.
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: All you gotta do is this. And up she comes.
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: I was right, wasn't I? Listen, I can explain. You'll
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: have a chance to explain. Don't worry. Only it looks
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: to me like maybe you didn't want to seem too
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: strange to the car where the coppers sit next to you.
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: Maybe you barred it without bothering to tell the guy
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: who owns it, huh? You seem to know all about it.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: I'm still guessing. Like I told you, we're after a
• 22:42
  Speaker 2: big duck tonight. But I ain't above hauling in a
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: car snitcher on the side.
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: Ah! And there went your last chance, Ted. You may
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: as well give up, spill the works. You were out
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: of your head, maybe a complete insanity. You're in a
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: locked room at the station now, and the car is
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: safe in the garage downstairs. It's only a matter of
• 23:10
  Speaker 4: time until someone looks under the blanket on the floor
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: in the back. 2 a.m. Two hours since you woke
• 23:19
  Speaker 4: up with the rain in your face parked on the highway.
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: You're too tired to care now. Your head feels full
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: of broken bottles. You wish they'd call Norma and get
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: it over with. Find out from her that it's Larry's car.
• 23:33
  Speaker 4: The same Larry Craig they found on the highway.
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: Okay, Stratton. Huh? We finally reached her.
• 23:45
  Speaker 4: Norma? Yeah. Okay.
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: Tell me, Stratton, why did you give me the bum steer?
• 23:52
  Speaker 4: What?
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: Why did you tell me it was her car? She
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: told us who it belonged to.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: I thought she would.
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: What next? Just a little friendly advice. Next time, tell
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: the truth and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.
• 24:07
  Speaker 2: What do you mean, next time? Next time you pick
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: up a cop in a borrowed car. Okay, you can go.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: You mean I can leave? Sure. Unless you want to
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: spend the night here.
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: Come on.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Hey, what's the matter with you? Nothing. Down the stairway
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: here to the garage. Here's your car. Say, Mac, will
• 24:36
  Speaker 2: you hold it a minute? I didn't get this baby logged.
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: I thought you were going to be here longer. Yeah,
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: so did I. I got the motor number and description.
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: I got to check the luggage compartment. Just a sec.
• 24:48
  Speaker 4: Looks okay.
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: Seems pretty silly, but these things are important sometimes. Now
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: the back seat. There's nothing there. Just checking.
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: Blanket.
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: No, not the... What's the matter with him? He passed out.
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: What's under that blanket? Nothing.
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: The Whistler will return in just a moment with the
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: strange ending of tonight's story. Meantime, a word about a
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: way you can add actually thousands of miles to the
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: life of your aging tires through a service offered by
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: Signal Gasoline Dealers. I'm talking about scientific tire switching. You see,
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: tests prove that the right rear tire gets almost three
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: times as much wear as the left front, and the
• 25:38
  Speaker 3: left rear gets 50% more wear than the right front.
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: That's why tires should be switched at least every 4,000 miles,
• 25:46
  Speaker 3: or oftener if you drive on bad roads. Your signal
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: dealer knows the proper method of crisscrossing tires to get
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: maximum wear from each one, including the spare.
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: And while the.
• 25:55
  Speaker 3: Tires are being switched, it's an ideal time to have
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: them thoroughly examined so any small injuries can be found
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: and repaired before they spread and perhaps ruin the tire.
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: Here again, your signal dealer is completely equipped to give
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: you the finest in modern tire repair, whether it's a
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: small patch or a full recap. You see those friendly
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: dealers displaying signals, yellow and black circle signs. are much
• 26:18
  Speaker 3: more than just a place to get signal go-farther gasoline
• 26:21
  Speaker 3: and find signal lubrication. Each signal dealer has a complete
• 26:25
  Speaker 3: line of automotive services and fine accessories to help your
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: car run better, look better, and last longer. And now,
• 26:36
  Speaker 3: back to the Whistler.
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: Whistler It was too much, Ted. Too much to take
• 26:51
  Speaker 4: right from the start. You were hanging by a thread
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: from the moment you opened your eyes at midnight on
• 26:56
  Speaker 4: the highway. You welcomed the sea of blackness that engulfed
• 27:00
  Speaker 4: you when Wilbur lifted the edge of the blanket in
• 27:02
  Speaker 4: the police garage. It was rest at last and peace.
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: You finally opened your eyes in a white hospital room
• 27:10
  Speaker 4: with a white hospital smell in the air. The first
• 27:14
  Speaker 4: thing you see is a pair of shoes underneath the
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: bed next to you. The black and gray suede shoes. Remember?
• 27:21
  Speaker 4: But he will be all right, won't he?
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: Sure, sure. He just needs a good rest.
• 27:25
  Speaker 4: Norma. Norma?
• 27:27
  Speaker 2: Ted. Norma. Oh, Ted. Oh, I'm so sorry about everything.
• 27:34
  Speaker 4: It was my fault.
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: Norma, those shoes.
• 27:36
  Speaker 4: They're keeping them in the next room. There's an officer
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: with them all the time.
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: Brother, when you slug them, they stay slugged. He's got
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: a fractured skull.
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: Oh, Larry, come on in. He's awake.
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: Hello, hero. How do you feel?
• 27:49
  Speaker 7: Larry, I was just.
• 27:50
  Speaker 2: Checking our victim.
• 27:51
  Speaker 4: Our what?
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: Okay, so he's your victim. I softened him up for you.
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: You must have done the trick with that tire iron, huh?
• 27:59
  Speaker 2: I don't know what you're talking about.
• 28:00
  Speaker 4: The convict, dear. Don't you remember?
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: No, convict. Hey, he doesn't remember. Maybe that's why you
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: were playing games with me. In case you don't know it, Ted,
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: he would have killed me if it weren't for you.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: He had me on the ropes down at the car
• 28:13
  Speaker 2: when you came up from behind. The last thing I
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: remember is you shoving me into the bushes and taking
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: him on, gun and all, with that tire iron.
• 28:20
  Speaker 4: Oh.
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: And maybe you don't think you made a monkey out
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: of me, riding into San Francisco with a guy tucked
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: away in the back seat all the time. He must
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: have come to and crawled up when we stopped at
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: the accident, I guess. But Jerry nailed him before he'd
• 28:32
  Speaker 2: gone a hundred yards. But, Ted, dear, why in the
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: world did you have to try to take him in
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: by yourself?
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: Why didn't you come back to the house and tell
• 28:39
  Speaker 4: us all?
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: Wait a minute.
• 28:40
  Speaker 4: I remember.
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: I stuck him in the back seat, took off. I
• 28:45
  Speaker 2: started to pass out, pulled over on the shoulder.
• 28:47
  Speaker 4: But darling.
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: Don't ask him why, Norman.
• 28:49
  Speaker 7: You may as well get used to the fact that
• 28:50
  Speaker 7: the guy just liked to do it the hard way.
• 29:13
  Speaker 3: Next Monday at 9 o'clock, The Whistler will bring you
• 29:15
  Speaker 3: another strange tale. The Whistler is broadcast for your entertainment
• 29:19
  Speaker 3: by the marketers of Signal Gasoline and Motor Oil and
• 29:22
  Speaker 3: fine quality automotive accessories and by your neighborhood Signal dealer.
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: This program, directed by George W. Allen with tonight's story
• 29:30
  Speaker 3: by Harold Swanton, music by Wilbur Hatch, is transmitted to
• 29:34
  Speaker 3: our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. This
• 29:37
  Speaker 3: is Marvin Miller speaking and suggesting that you let everyone
• 29:40
  Speaker 3: traffic signal remind you that you do go farther with
• 29:44
  Speaker 3: Signal Gasoline.
• 29:46
  Speaker 4: Yes, you do go farther with Signal.
• 29:50
  Speaker 5: Signal Gasoline.
• 29:57
  Speaker 3: This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: The last echoes of Pattern for Terror now fade from
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: The Whistler. Follow The Whistler for more classic broadcasts.