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Suspense - "Golden Years" (Old Time Radio, 1962) · The 50 Greatest Old Time Radio Shows | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: After Ralph Karsten refuses his adoptive stepson, Buddy, use of
0:04
Speaker 1: the family car, the boy's girlfriend, Sue, begins to take
0:08
Speaker 1: his anger seriously. That brings us to Suspense, Golden Years,
0:14
Speaker 1: its 943rd episode, broadcast on CBS, September 16th, 1962. Peter
0:22
Speaker 1: Fernandez plays Buddy Birdwell, with Rosemary Rice as Sue and
0:27
Speaker 1: Ivor Francis as Ralph Karsten.
0:30
Speaker 2: William N.
0:30
Speaker 1: Robson wrote the script. As Buddy's resentment toward Ralph mounts,
0:36
Speaker 1: Sue fears it may turn deadly before the adults around
0:39
Speaker 1: him recognize the warning signs. This broadcast came during Suspense's
0:45
Speaker 1: final month on CBS, two weeks before the series concluded. Now,
0:51
Speaker 1: back to the golden age of radio.
0:53
Speaker 3: And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in.
0:59
Speaker 3: Suspense. In a moment, Act One of Golden Years, starring
1:05
Speaker 3: Peter Fernandez and Rosemary Rice, and written especially for suspense
1:09
Speaker 3: by William N. Robeson. This portion brought to you by
1:12
Speaker 3: the makers of Parliament Cigarettes. Listen, more and more people
1:18
Speaker 3: are smoking to this tune every day.
2:01
Speaker 4: I really didn't know Buddy well at all. We just
2:04
Speaker 4: met about a week ago at the malt shop. He
2:07
Speaker 4: was real cute. He thought I was cute, too. At
2:10
Speaker 4: least he said he did. And last night, we had
2:13
Speaker 4: this date. Only he wanted to break it, so I
2:16
Speaker 4: went over to babysit for Mrs. Foster. But before that,
2:21
Speaker 4: I guess I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway, the whole
2:24
Speaker 4: terrible thing must have started yesterday morning over at Buddy's house.
2:28
Speaker 4: I wasn't there, of course, but it must have happened
2:31
Speaker 4: something like this, I guess.
2:37
Speaker 2: Dad, could I ask you something?
2:39
Speaker 5: Sure, son. What's on your mind?
2:43
Speaker 2: I got a date tonight.
2:45
Speaker 5: That's nice.
2:46
Speaker 2: Dad, will you put down that paper and listen to me?
2:48
Speaker 6: Buddy, that's no way to speak to your father.
2:50
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Mother.
2:51
Speaker 7: Dad.
2:52
Speaker 5: Yes, yes, Buddy, I'm listening. You said you had a
2:55
Speaker 5: date tonight, didn't you? Which is scarcely news.
2:58
Speaker 2: So I was wondering.
2:59
Speaker 5: The answer is no.
3:01
Speaker 2: Why don't you wait till I finish?
3:02
Speaker 5: Because I know what you're going to say. And the
3:05
Speaker 5: answer is no. You may not have the car tonight.
3:09
Speaker 2: Why not?
3:09
Speaker 5: You know the answer to that, too.
3:11
Speaker 2: All right, so I got a ticket... But it was
3:14
Speaker 2: only a 35 and a 30.
3:15
Speaker 5: Which makes it speeding, son.
3:17
Speaker 2: All right, all right, so it was speeding. But gee, Dad,
3:20
Speaker 2: that was six weeks ago.
3:21
Speaker 5: So I grounded you for two months.
3:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, but gee. Can't a guy get time off for
3:28
Speaker 2: good behavior? I'm caught up on my homework. I'm helping
3:32
Speaker 2: Mom with the dishes. That's true. And this date I got.
3:35
Speaker 2: How am I going to explain to her that I
3:37
Speaker 2: haven't got a car?
3:38
Speaker 5: Just explain how you hot-rodded through the residential streets of
3:41
Speaker 5: this town when you did have a car.
3:43
Speaker 4: Well, Ken.
3:43
Speaker 2: I don't think you're being very fair.
3:45
Speaker 5: That's a subject on which you are not qualified to
3:47
Speaker 5: pass an opinion, son.
3:48
Speaker 2: But the other kids.
3:49
Speaker 5: And that's a discussion I will not be trapped into either.
3:53
Speaker 5: What other parents do with other kids is of no
3:55
Speaker 5: concern to me. I didn't get a speeding ticket, son.
3:57
Speaker 5: You did. And just because the traffic court lets you
4:01
Speaker 5: off with a warning is no reason why I shouldn't
4:03
Speaker 5: punish you.
4:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, punishment. That's all you can think of. I'll bet
4:08
Speaker 2: if my real father was alive.
4:09
Speaker 7: Buddy!
4:10
Speaker 2: I don't care. You're not my father and you haven't
4:12
Speaker 2: got a right to punish.
4:13
Speaker 5: Me like this. Now, you listen to me, young man.
4:15
Speaker 5: I'm your legal father and you'll do as I say. Now,
4:19
Speaker 5: I adopted you when I married your mother. In the
4:22
Speaker 5: eyes of the law, I'm every bit as much your
4:25
Speaker 5: father as if my blood ran in your veins.
4:27
Speaker 2: I'm sure glad it doesn't.
4:28
Speaker 7: From that, we see eye to eye, young man.
4:31
Speaker 5: But as long as you remain in this house, you'll
4:32
Speaker 5: do as I say.
4:33
Speaker 2: Now, is that clear? Loud and clear.
4:35
Speaker 5: I will not put up with your insults.
4:37
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks a lot, father. Thanks for nothing. Oh, Fred.
4:44
Speaker 4: It's a phase he's passing through.
4:47
Speaker 6: Sixteen's an awful age for boys. But he'll grow out
4:50
Speaker 6: of it. You'll see the day when you'll be proud
4:53
Speaker 6: he's your son.
4:54
Speaker 5: I sometimes wonder if I'll live that long.
4:57
Speaker 4: That's the way it must have happened. Something like that,
5:13
Speaker 4: I guess. Anyway, like I said, I... I had this
5:17
Speaker 4: date with Buddy last night. Only I ran into him
5:20
Speaker 4: sort of accidentally in the afternoon. You see, I dropped
5:25
Speaker 4: into the malt shop for a Coke. And I played
5:28
Speaker 4: a few records, and then guess what? Who should walk
5:32
Speaker 4: in but Buddy?
5:34
Speaker 2: Hi, Sue.
5:35
Speaker 4: Oh, hiya, Buddy.
5:37
Speaker 2: What you doing?
5:39
Speaker 6: Nothing.
5:40
Speaker 7: Me too.
5:42
Speaker 4: Funny. What? It's a coincidence, kind of.
5:46
Speaker 6: What is? Oh, this.
5:48
Speaker 4: Me dropping in for a Coke and you dropping in. Coincidence.
5:52
Speaker 2: Yeah. What's the matter, buddy? Nothing.
5:57
Speaker 6: You're awful quiet.
5:58
Speaker 2: Look, Sue, I gotta break our date tonight.
6:03
Speaker 6: Why, buddy?
6:04
Speaker 2: My old man won't let me have the car.
6:07
Speaker 6: Oh, that's all right.
6:09
Speaker 4: We don't have to go anyplace.
6:10
Speaker 2: It's not all right.
6:11
Speaker 4: Hey, look. I've got an idea. Mrs. Foster wanted me
6:16
Speaker 4: to babysit for her this evening. I could tell her yes.
6:20
Speaker 4: And then you can come over there and, well, we
6:22
Speaker 4: can listen to records or look at TV or something.
6:25
Speaker 7: She won't mind.
6:27
Speaker 2: It's nice of you to be so understanding, Sue, but
6:30
Speaker 2: don't you see it's the principle of the thing? He's
6:34
Speaker 2: got no right treating me this way like I was
6:36
Speaker 2: still in junior high school or something.
6:38
Speaker 4: I know, buddy, but parents are all alike. They just
6:40
Speaker 4: never seem to learn.
6:42
Speaker 2: He's going to learn. Tonight. Tonight. That's the real reason
6:46
Speaker 2: why I'm breaking our date.
6:48
Speaker 4: Huh? What do you mean?
6:50
Speaker 2: I'm going to kill him.
6:51
Speaker 6: Tonight.
6:53
Speaker 4: You're kidding.
6:54
Speaker 2: No, I'm not, Sue. I mean it. I've got it
6:56
Speaker 2: all figured out. He always falls asleep after supper in
6:59
Speaker 2: front of the TV waiting for the 9 o'clock news.
7:02
Speaker 2: When the news comes on, he wakes up. Like an
7:04
Speaker 2: alarm clock. He looks at the news and then he
7:07
Speaker 2: goes to bed. Only tonight. Tonight he'll never see the news.
7:12
Speaker 2: He'll never wake up at all.
7:15
Speaker 4: Funny you are that imagination of yours you're too far.
7:20
Speaker 2: Out I'm serious Sue I'm gonna do it tonight listen
7:24
Speaker 2: I think you better come over to Mrs.
7:26
Speaker 4: Foster's with me tonight we'll talk about it there's nothing to.
7:28
Speaker 2: Talk about I've made up my mind he's had this
7:32
Speaker 2: coming to him for a long time that dirty old
7:34
Speaker 2: buddy there's.
7:35
Speaker 4: No way to talk about your father well.
7:38
Speaker 2: That's just it Sue he isn't my real father he's
7:41
Speaker 2: my stepfather and I hate him I've hated him ever
7:44
Speaker 2: since I was a little boy.
7:45
Speaker 6: But that's no reason to kill him.
7:48
Speaker 2: It's reason enough for me. I've taken enough from him.
7:52
Speaker 2: I'm not going to let him push me around anymore.
8:08
Speaker 6: Crazy kid?
8:10
Speaker 4: Talking that way? Crazy! I didn't really take him seriously then.
8:15
Speaker 4: It wasn't until later when... Oh, but I'm getting ahead
8:20
Speaker 4: of myself again. He left saying maybe he'd call me
8:23
Speaker 4: at Mrs.
8:24
Speaker 2: Foster's later.
8:25
Speaker 4: He didn't tell me where he was going when he
8:27
Speaker 4: left the mall shop, but later I found out.
8:31
Speaker 7: Hello there, Boydine.
8:33
Speaker 2: Hello, Mr. Schmidt. You come one minute later, won't you?
8:37
Speaker 7: Be out of luck. I was just closing.
8:39
Speaker 2: I'm glad I made it.
8:40
Speaker 1: Well, what will it be?
8:43
Speaker 2: I need a box of ammo for my. 22. So,
8:45
Speaker 2: are you going hunting? Yeah, I'm going hunting. You have
8:49
Speaker 2: a note from your father?
8:51
Speaker 7: For what? You did not know?
8:54
Speaker 2: The last time I sold you bullets, your father came
8:57
Speaker 2: with me. Said not to sell you anymore without his permission.
9:01
Speaker 7: He did?
9:01
Speaker 2: So you didn't know anything about it? Well, he never
9:05
Speaker 2: said a word to me.
9:06
Speaker 7: Well, I'm sorry, Barty, but you'll have to get his
9:10
Speaker 7: permission first.
9:11
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, get his permission. Always get his permission. Will
9:15
Speaker 2: you give me a yes before I close up?
9:17
Speaker 4: No.
9:17
Speaker 2: No, I guess not, Mr.
9:19
Speaker 6: Schmidt.
9:19
Speaker 2: You get that note from your father, and I'll be
9:21
Speaker 2: glad to oblige. Sure, Mr.
9:22
Speaker 4: Schmidt.
9:24
Speaker 2: Hey. Hey, uh, wait a minute. Uh, this'll do the trick.
9:29
Speaker 7: What?
9:30
Speaker 2: This, uh, hunting knife. Yeah, more quiet than a bullet.
9:34
Speaker 2: What are you talking about, Barty? Uh, nothing, Mr.
9:38
Speaker 7: Schmidt.
9:39
Speaker 2: I'll, uh, I'll take this knife. Put it on my
9:42
Speaker 2: dad's bill, will you please?
9:43
Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.
9:46
Speaker 2: But I'm sorry about the bullets. No sweat, Mr. Schmidt.
9:49
Speaker 2: No sweat.
10:02
Speaker 1: Is that you, Sue?
10:06
Speaker 4: Yes, Mrs. Foster. Come on in, dear.
10:09
Speaker 6: The door's unlocked. Okay.
10:14
Speaker 4: The baby's dinner things are laid out in the kitchen.
10:17
Speaker 2: I'm so glad you were able to come over and
10:18
Speaker 2: help out tonight.
10:20
Speaker 6: Oh, darling, this zipper.
10:22
Speaker 2: Oh, dear.
10:24
Speaker 4: Here, can you get it unstuck, Sue?
10:25
Speaker 2: I'll try.
10:28
Speaker 4: There.
10:30
Speaker 6: Why, Sue, what's the matter?
10:33
Speaker 2: Your hand's shaking.
10:34
Speaker 4: Oh, it's nothing, Mrs.
10:38
Speaker 3: Foster.
10:39
Speaker 4: Nothing. But you're white as a sheet.
10:43
Speaker 6: Here, Sue, sit down. I'll get you a.
10:45
Speaker 4: Glass of water. No, no, please. I'm all right. Really,
10:48
Speaker 4: I am.
10:49
Speaker 6: Well, you don't look all right.
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Speaker 2: Now, come on, tell me, dear. What's the matter? What's
10:55
Speaker 2: upsetting you? Mrs. Foster. Yes?
11:01
Speaker 7: Mrs.
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Speaker 4: Foster, do you think a boy would kill his father
11:03
Speaker 4: just because he wouldn't let him borrow the family car?
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Speaker 6: What are you talking about?
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Speaker 4: You see, Buddy Birdwell, my boyfriend, sort of, you see,
11:16
Speaker 4: he wasn't kidding, but I thought he was when he
11:19
Speaker 4: said it, but now I'm not so sure, and I
11:22
Speaker 4: keep thinking back, and he was awful serious. Serious about what, Sue?
11:29
Speaker 2: Tell me.
11:30
Speaker 4: About murdering his father. Why? He said he was going
11:33
Speaker 4: to murder his father tonight.
11:35
Speaker 2: Oh, for heaven's sake.
11:36
Speaker 4: Why? Because he wouldn't let him have the car. Oh,
11:39
Speaker 4: but that... Well, that's plain crazy. That's what I thought, but...
11:43
Speaker 4: But now I.
11:46
Speaker 2: I don't know.
11:49
Speaker 4: I don't know.
11:59
Speaker 6: Buddy, you've hardly touched yourself.
12:01
Speaker 2: I'm not hungry, Mom.
12:04
Speaker 7: Maybe he's in love.
12:05
Speaker 2: Ha! Big joke. Oh, no.
12:07
Speaker 5: Well, didn't I hear you say you had another date tonight, son?
12:09
Speaker 2: How can you have a date without a car?
12:11
Speaker 5: Oh, well, now, you could walk.
12:14
Speaker 2: Walking went out with the horse and buggy.
12:16
Speaker 4: Oh.
12:17
Speaker 5: Along with the courtesy and politeness to your elders?
12:19
Speaker 2: Look, let's just change the subject, huh?
12:21
Speaker 6: Yes, let's do that.
12:21
Speaker 7: Don't you always.
12:23
Speaker 2: What's the big idea of telling Mr. Schmidt not to
12:25
Speaker 2: sell me any ammunition for my.
12:26
Speaker 4: 22?
12:26
Speaker 2: Oh, look, son, look.
12:27
Speaker 5: You shoot that gun the same way as you drive
12:29
Speaker 5: the car. You'll end up killing somebody with one or
12:33
Speaker 5: the other unless you stop.
12:34
Speaker 2: How right you are, Daddy-O.
12:46
Speaker 4: And that's everything I can remember he said, Mrs. Foster.
12:48
Speaker 4: Do you think he really means to do it? I
12:52
Speaker 4: don't know.
12:54
Speaker 6: But just to be on the safe side, we've got
12:55
Speaker 6: to warn his father.
12:57
Speaker 2: Where does he live?
12:58
Speaker 6: Oh, I don't know. You don't know?
13:01
Speaker 4: No, you see, well, I really don't know Buddy awfully well.
13:05
Speaker 6: I just met him only.
13:08
Speaker 4: Last week over at the malt shop.
13:09
Speaker 2: Oh, I see. He picked you up?
13:11
Speaker 4: Well, not exactly.
13:13
Speaker 6: Oh, you picked him up?
13:15
Speaker 4: Well, that's not exactly it either. You see... I understand, Sue.
13:19
Speaker 6: I used to hang around the malt shop myself not
13:21
Speaker 6: so very long ago.
13:23
Speaker 4: So, you see, I don't really know very much about him.
13:25
Speaker 6: But even so, I... You wouldn't want him to murder
13:27
Speaker 6: his father.
13:28
Speaker 4: Oh, no.
13:29
Speaker 6: Well, neither would I, and I don't know him at all. Now,
13:31
Speaker 6: let's see if we can find their telephone number.
13:33
Speaker 2: But, Mrs.
13:34
Speaker 4: Foster, you have an important meeting to go to.
13:37
Speaker 2: That's right, Sue, and you know what the meeting's about?
13:39
Speaker 4: No.
13:39
Speaker 6: Well, believe it or not, it's the meeting of the
13:41
Speaker 6: Mayor's Committee on Crime Prevention.
13:44
Speaker 4: Oh, no. So if I can prevent a crime without
13:46
Speaker 4: leaving the house, why attend a meeting on the subject? Now,
13:50
Speaker 4: what's this lethal Lothario's name? Um.
13:54
Speaker 2: Buddy?
13:54
Speaker 4: Birdwell. You don't think he was serious, do you?
13:58
Speaker 6: I don't know, Sue, but I'm surely going to find out.
14:01
Speaker 7: Birdwell?
14:02
Speaker 4: Yes, that's right. A, B.
14:06
Speaker 6: The A.
14:07
Speaker 4: Mm-hmm.
14:09
Speaker 6: The D.
14:10
Speaker 2: The I.
14:12
Speaker 6: Here we are, Birdwell.
14:13
Speaker 4: I'll tell her there aren't very many in the book,
14:16
Speaker 4: so we'll begin with Birdwell Albert.
14:21
Speaker 2: Birdwell Albert.
14:30
Speaker 6: Well, no answer on that one.
14:33
Speaker 4: That's the last Birdwell in the book. Either it's a
14:36
Speaker 4: busy signal or a disconnect, or if they do answer,
14:38
Speaker 4: they never heard of your little friend Buddy. Golly, I'm sorry, Mrs.
14:42
Speaker 2: Foster.
14:42
Speaker 4: I guess maybe I was a little hysterical about the
14:45
Speaker 4: whole thing. Why didn't I think of that in the
14:48
Speaker 4: first place?
14:49
Speaker 2: What, Mrs.
14:49
Speaker 6: Foster? The police.
14:51
Speaker 4: Of course they are the ones to handle this.
14:57
Speaker 2: They'll know what to do.
15:00
Speaker 7: Downtown police station. Sergeant Kenny speaking.
15:03
Speaker 6: Oh, Sergeant, this is Mrs.
15:04
Speaker 4: Foster of the Mayor's Committee on Crime Prevention.
15:07
Speaker 2: I want to report a murder.
15:09
Speaker 7: What? A murder.
15:10
Speaker 4: Yes, Mrs.
15:10
Speaker 7: Foster.
15:11
Speaker 4: It hasn't happened yet, but I'm afraid it's going to.
15:13
Speaker 7: Well, who's going to murder who?
15:15
Speaker 4: Well, this boy. Buddy Birdwell.
15:18
Speaker 6: Oh, yes.
15:18
Speaker 2: Buddy Birdwell.
15:20
Speaker 6: He told his girlfriend that he was.
15:22
Speaker 4: Going to murder his father tonight just before 9 o'clock.
15:25
Speaker 6: And I thought you ought to know so you could
15:27
Speaker 6: stop him.
15:27
Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
15:28
Speaker 7: Now, where does he... lived.
15:29
Speaker 4: That's the trouble. I don't know his address, and I've
15:32
Speaker 4: called all the Birdwells in the phone book.
15:35
Speaker 7: Well, now, we'll do what we can, Mrs. Foster, but
15:38
Speaker 7: we hardly ever hear about murders until after they happen.
15:51
Speaker 2: Mother?
15:52
Speaker 7: Yes, Barney?
15:53
Speaker 2: Why did you marry Dad? Because I loved him. Well,
15:58
Speaker 2: that was a long time ago when I was a
15:59
Speaker 2: little boy. Do you still love him?
16:03
Speaker 6: Of course I do.
16:05
Speaker 2: Would you care if anything happened to him?
16:09
Speaker 4: Why are you asking me such questions?
16:12
Speaker 2: I'm growing up, Mother. I've got to know a lot
16:14
Speaker 2: of answers.
16:15
Speaker 4: Stop scraping that knife on that stone.
16:17
Speaker 6: It makes me nervous.
16:18
Speaker 2: Okay, Mother. It's got a good edge now. A nice
16:24
Speaker 2: razor-sharp edge. You didn't answer my question. Would you care
16:29
Speaker 2: if anything happened to him?
16:31
Speaker 4: Well, of course I'd care.
16:32
Speaker 6: He's my husband.
16:33
Speaker 4: He's my whole life.
16:35
Speaker 2: You too.
16:36
Speaker 4: Me what?
16:37
Speaker 2: You're on his side.
16:38
Speaker 6: I don't know what you mean.
16:40
Speaker 2: Mother, why did you divorce my real father?
16:43
Speaker 6: Oh, buddy, we've been through all this.
16:45
Speaker 2: Have we? Tell me again. Tell me, why did you
16:48
Speaker 2: divorce him?
16:50
Speaker 6: I didn't love him anymore.
16:53
Speaker 2: What about me? You didn't love me either then. You
16:56
Speaker 2: sent my father away. A boy needs a father, and
16:59
Speaker 2: you sent him away.
16:59
Speaker 6: I had nothing to do with that. I divorced him,
17:02
Speaker 6: but I did not send him to Korea.
17:04
Speaker 2: Maybe you wouldn't have had to go if you hadn't
17:06
Speaker 2: divorced him. Now stop it, buddy.
17:07
Speaker 4: I won't listen another minute.
17:10
Speaker 6: What I did, I did for your good as well
17:12
Speaker 6: as my own happiness.
17:12
Speaker 2: You sent my father away.
17:14
Speaker 7: You sent my father away.
17:25
Speaker 6: You've got to remember, Sue.
17:26
Speaker 4: We haven't much time left. It's nearly nine o'clock.
17:28
Speaker 2: Now think, dear.
17:31
Speaker 6: What else do you know about this boy?
17:33
Speaker 4: I've told you everything, Mrs.
17:34
Speaker 2: Foster. I.
17:35
Speaker 7: I.
17:36
Speaker 4: I can't remember anything else. Then we'll have to go
17:39
Speaker 4: right back to the beginning again. Do you think he'll
17:42
Speaker 4: really do it, Mrs. Foster? I don't know, but we've
17:44
Speaker 4: got to be sure that he doesn't.
17:46
Speaker 2: No. Now, from the beginning, Sue.
17:48
Speaker 6: Now think. What did he say to you this afternoon?
17:52
Speaker 4: All right, uh... Well, let's see.
17:55
Speaker 2: He said.
17:57
Speaker 4: He had to break our date because his father wouldn't
17:59
Speaker 4: let him have the car. And then I said... Now,
18:02
Speaker 4: never mind what you said.
18:03
Speaker 6: Just remember what he said. But remember everything.
18:06
Speaker 4: I'll try.
18:06
Speaker 2: I'll try.
18:07
Speaker 4: Then he said he was going to kill him while
18:10
Speaker 4: he was asleep in front of the TV. He said
18:12
Speaker 4: he'd had it coming for a long time. And then
18:15
Speaker 4: he started to say things about his father. And I
18:17
Speaker 4: said he shouldn't talk that way about his father. And
18:20
Speaker 4: he said he wasn't his real father. He was his stepfather.
18:23
Speaker 4: And that's why he hated him so much. And then... Oh, well,
18:27
Speaker 4: that explains it. Why? Why none of the Birdwells in
18:30
Speaker 4: the phone book ever heard of Buddy.
18:32
Speaker 3: Why?
18:32
Speaker 4: Because Buddy's name may be Birdwell, but apparently it isn't
18:35
Speaker 4: his stepfather's name. Oh, yes, of course. All we've got
18:39
Speaker 4: to do now is find out the name of Buddy's stepfather.
18:41
Speaker 6: Only, how do we do that?
18:49
Speaker 4: Well, like where he works? No, not that I remember.
18:53
Speaker 4: Any organizations he belongs to? No.
18:57
Speaker 2: Luncheon clubs? Country clubs? Churches.
19:01
Speaker 4: Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. He did say
19:04
Speaker 4: something about church once. Oh, I was kidding him about
19:07
Speaker 4: the way his voice squeaks sometimes. And he said he
19:10
Speaker 4: was a star soprano in the... Oh, St. Luke's Choir
19:14
Speaker 4: before his voice changed. St.
19:16
Speaker 2: Luke's?
19:16
Speaker 6: Well, that's my church. Now we're getting somewhere.
19:25
Speaker 2: Dr.
19:26
Speaker 6: Devon should know.
19:27
Speaker 2: Who's he?
19:27
Speaker 6: He's the pastor's name.
19:30
Speaker 7: Good evening. Dr. Devon's here.
19:32
Speaker 6: Oh, good evening, doctor.
19:33
Speaker 2: This is Mrs. Foster. Mrs.
19:35
Speaker 4: Frank Foster.
19:36
Speaker 7: Oh, yes, Mrs. Foster. How are you this lovely evening?
19:41
Speaker 4: I'm fine, thank you.
19:42
Speaker 7: And Mr. Foster?
19:43
Speaker 6: Oh, he's well.
19:45
Speaker 7: Well, we haven't seen you at services for several weeks.
19:48
Speaker 2: Yes, I know.
19:49
Speaker 4: Mr. Foster's been.
19:50
Speaker 6: out of town, and I haven't been feeling well.
19:52
Speaker 7: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Nothing serious, I hope? No, no.
19:57
Speaker 6: Look, Dr.
19:58
Speaker 2: Devins, I need your help.
20:00
Speaker 7: Of course, Mrs. Foster. What can I do for you?
20:03
Speaker 4: Do you recall a choir boy named Buddy Birdwell?
20:08
Speaker 7: Birdwell?
20:09
Speaker 4: Yes.
20:10
Speaker 7: Buddy Bird.
20:11
Speaker 2: Soprano.
20:12
Speaker 6: He was your star soprano a couple of years ago.
20:15
Speaker 7: Oh, yes, yes, a fine boy. But I must say,
20:21
Speaker 7: he's also been lax in attendance recently.
20:24
Speaker 6: Yes, well, Doctor, what I want to know is, what
20:27
Speaker 6: is his father's name?
20:29
Speaker 7: Why, Birdwell, of course, although I can't recall the first
20:34
Speaker 7: name at the moment.
20:35
Speaker 4: No, it probably isn't Birdwell. I'm referring to Buddy's stepfather.
20:41
Speaker 7: Oh, yes, yes, of course. Yes, it comes back to
20:45
Speaker 7: me now. Buddy was very proud of his real father,
20:50
Speaker 7: and he insisted on reassuming his name when he became 40.
20:54
Speaker 4: Yes, yes, but the stepfather, what's his name? Does he know?
20:57
Speaker 7: Yes, yes. Oh, dear, it's on the tip of my tongue. Uh, Carstairs? No, no, it's... Uh, Carston. Yes,
21:06
Speaker 7: that's it. Uh, Ralph Carston. He's a fine man. Fine boy.
21:12
Speaker 7: Fine family.
21:13
Speaker 4: Uh, Ralph Carston? Oh, Dr. Devins, do you think this...
21:17
Speaker 4: this fine boy is capable of murdering his fine stepfather?
21:22
Speaker 7: Mrs. Forster... Whatever put such an idea in your head? Well,
21:27
Speaker 7: he did indirectly.
21:29
Speaker 4: Do you have Mr. Carson's phone number?
21:32
Speaker 7: Phone... Yes, it's around here somewhere. Would you just hold
21:38
Speaker 7: the line for a second? Yes, Doctor. Oh, yes, yes,
21:47
Speaker 7: here it is. West 5... 3-2-9-6.
21:56
Speaker 6: West 5-3-2-9-6.
21:57
Speaker 2: 5-3-2-9-6.
21:57
Speaker 4: Thank you very much, Doctor.
22:01
Speaker 7: Is there something wrong, Mrs.
22:03
Speaker 4: Foster?
22:03
Speaker 7: Is there anything I can do?
22:05
Speaker 6: Pray, Doctor. That's about all you can do now.
22:08
Speaker 4: Pray for that fine boy and his fine stepfather.
22:11
Speaker 2: Pray hard.
22:12
Speaker 7: But, Mrs. Foster, I.
22:15
Speaker 4: W-E-5-3-4.
22:40
Speaker 7: The phone's ringing.
22:41
Speaker 5: Why doesn't somebody answer that phone?
22:47
Speaker 2: Buddy.
22:48
Speaker 4: Huh?
22:49
Speaker 5: Buddy, why are you standing there with that knife in
22:51
Speaker 5: your hand? I... Answer the phone.
22:55
Speaker 2: Buddy, don't you hear me?
22:57
Speaker 4: Yes, Dad.
23:02
Speaker 5: Hello?
23:03
Speaker 2: Hello.
23:03
Speaker 7: Is this the Carston residence?
23:06
Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
23:07
Speaker 7: Is this Buddy Birdwell?
23:09
Speaker 2: Yes.
23:10
Speaker 4: You haven't... You're your father.
23:13
Speaker 2: Is he there? He's here.
23:15
Speaker 7: Is he all right?
23:17
Speaker 6: You didn't... He's all right. I.
23:20
Speaker 6: The phone rang and woke him.
23:21
Speaker 4: Up in time.
23:23
Speaker 5: Oh, for goodness sakes, what in the devil's going on here?
23:26
Speaker 2: I'm sorry, Dad.
23:27
Speaker 4: I'm sorry.
23:28
Speaker 5: What do you mean you're sorry? Here, here, give me
23:30
Speaker 5: that phone.
23:30
Speaker 2: Hello?
23:31
Speaker 7: Hello?
23:32
Speaker 6: Hello, Mr.
23:33
Speaker 2: Carson?
23:34
Speaker 3: Yes, who is this?
23:36
Speaker 4: This is Mrs.
23:37
Speaker 2: Foster speaking, Mr.
23:38
Speaker 7: Carson. Are you all right? All right?
23:41
Speaker 5: Well, of course I'm all right, except the phone woke
23:44
Speaker 5: me up. And the first thing I see is this
23:47
Speaker 5: son of mine standing over me with a knife.
23:50
Speaker 3: Now he's just standing here blubbering like a baby.
23:53
Speaker 2: Look, look, what's going on around here?
23:56
Speaker 4: Mr. Carson, you don't know.
23:59
Speaker 7: Me, and I don't know you, but please don't think
24:03
Speaker 7: me a busybody or a meddler when I tell you this.
24:06
Speaker 5: Tell me what?
24:07
Speaker 7: Just this. That son of yours needs you. He needs
24:13
Speaker 7: your understanding.
24:14
Speaker 4: And maybe your help. Try to give it to him,
24:19
Speaker 4: will you? For your own good.
24:32
Speaker 7: Suspense.
24:35
Speaker 3: You have been listening to Golden Years, starring Peter Fernandez
24:40
Speaker 3: and Rosemary Rice, and written especially for suspense by William N.
24:44
Speaker 2: Robeson.
24:45
Speaker 3: In a moment, a word about next week's story of suspense.
24:56
Speaker 3: Suspense is produced and directed by Fred Hendrickson. Edited by
25:00
Speaker 3: Norman Ober. Music supervision by Ethel Huber. Heard in tonight's
25:05
Speaker 3: story were Ivor Francis, Elspeth Eric, Mary Jane Higbee, Ronald Dawson,
25:10
Speaker 3: Brett Morrison, and Pat Hosley. Listen again next week when
25:15
Speaker 3: we return with Point of a Needle, written by Joseph Cochran.
25:20
Speaker 3: Another tale well calculated to keep you in.
25:22
Speaker 7: Suspense.
25:26
Speaker 1: Suspense has concluded with golden years. Thank you for keeping
25:30
Speaker 1: company with the radio voices of another era.