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The Whistler - "Design for Murder" (Old Time Radio, 1951) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: August 5th, 1951, brought episode 479 of The Whistler, Designed
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: for Murder, in the CBS run sponsored by Signal Oil.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Charles Gilbert sees his wife Edna off on a train
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: trip with her close friend, expecting the separation to give
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: him room for a secret romance. But the friend learns
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: enough to place Gilbert's carefully maintained double life in jeopardy.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Bill Foreman, Lois Corbett, William Johnstone, Mary Lansing, and Charles
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Seal are among the players. Now back to the golden
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: age of radio.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: And now stay tuned for the mystery program that is
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: unique among all mystery programs. Because even when you know
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: who is guilty, you always receive a startling surprise at
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: the final curtain. In the Signal Oil program, The Whistler. Signal,
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: the famous go-farther gasoline, invites you to sit back and
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: enjoy another strange story by the Whistler.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: Whistling I am the whistler, and I know many things,
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: for I walk by night. I know many strange tales
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: hidden in the hearts of men and women who have
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: of which they dare not speak.
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: And now for the Signal Oil Company, the Whistler's strange story.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Designed for murder.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: The trio in the big car weaving its way through
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: the evening traffic seemed typical of almost any group on
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: the way to a railroad station. Charles Gilbert at the
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: wheel was responding patiently to the nervous admonitions of his wife, Edna.
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: From the rear seat, his wife's close friend, Myrene Walker,
• 2:24
  Speaker 4: chatted ceaselessly.
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: Charles Gilbert, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: or patient resignation, all very typical as they pulled up
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: at the railroad station and stepped out of the car.
• 2:38
  Speaker 5: Charles, let me run on ahead for you. Check in
• 2:40
  Speaker 5: those tickets.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Would you, Myrene?
• 2:42
  Speaker 6: I'll get someone to take the suitcases.
• 2:43
  Speaker 5: Oh, it's all such a bother. I wish I was
• 2:45
  Speaker 5: staying home.
• 2:46
  Speaker 6: Well, you're not, so forget it. We'll meet you inside, Myrene,
• 2:49
  Speaker 6: the cocktail bar.
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: Right.
• 2:51
  Speaker 6: You heard how she wished she were going?
• 2:53
  Speaker 5: She likes to travel. I don't. Charles, you know that.
• 2:55
  Speaker 6: Well, never mind now. It's all arranged. You need the rest.
• 2:59
  Speaker 6: A red cap.
• 3:00
  Speaker 7: Yes, sir.
• 3:01
  Speaker 6: These three bags. Oh, yes, sir. The limited car, 79
• 3:04
  Speaker 6: Space B. Here you are. Thank you, sir. Come along, Edna.
• 3:08
  Speaker 6: We'll drop in here and have a drink while we're waiting. Now,
• 3:15
  Speaker 6: let's just relax, huh? Wait for Mark.
• 3:18
  Speaker 5: I wish you weren't so anxious to have me out
• 3:20
  Speaker 5: of town, Charles. At a time when the business needs
• 3:22
  Speaker 5: me so.
• 3:23
  Speaker 6: Oh, nonsense.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Over here, Myrene.
• 3:25
  Speaker 5: Here, darling. Everything's in order with your tickets. That's too bad.
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: How do you like that, Myrene? She doesn't want to go.
• 3:32
  Speaker 6: Thinks the jewelry business will go to pot. Thinks her
• 3:34
  Speaker 6: husband plans... A rendezvous with another woman.
• 3:37
  Speaker 5: Oh, for heaven's sake.
• 3:38
  Speaker 8: Buy her a drink, Charles. You could buy me one, too. Waiter,
• 3:42
  Speaker 8: if you don't mind, we're dying of thirst here.
• 3:44
  Speaker 6: Two scotch and sodas here. Uh, Myring?
• 3:47
  Speaker 8: Pine, anything.
• 3:48
  Speaker 7: Just bring it.
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: Yes, ma'am. Now we'll all feel better. I'd feel better
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: if I knew why you can't go along, Charles.
• 3:53
  Speaker 6: I told you I'd now be busy. Also, I want
• 3:57
  Speaker 6: you to go alone. You'll rest more. And you do
• 3:59
  Speaker 6: need it. Look at her, Myring. Not able to keep
• 4:02
  Speaker 6: her hands still.
• 4:03
  Speaker 5: Doodling on the menu.
• 4:04
  Speaker 6: She's always doodling on something.
• 4:06
  Speaker 5: Give me that pencil, Edna. Sorry. It's a design I
• 4:09
  Speaker 5: was thinking of for a piece of costume jewelry.
• 4:11
  Speaker 6: Well, stop thinking of anything like that. And since it's
• 4:15
  Speaker 6: going to bother you, I'll tell you exactly what I'm
• 4:17
  Speaker 6: going to be doing, dear. It was to be a surprise.
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: A surprise?
• 4:21
  Speaker 6: We talked about a beach house, remember? On Little Rock Point?
• 4:24
  Speaker 5: I remember talking about it.
• 4:26
  Speaker 6: And I bought one. Oh. A beautiful place. completely surrounded
• 4:31
  Speaker 6: by trees a good half mile from the main road
• 4:33
  Speaker 6: and a quarter of a mile from the nearest neighbor.
• 4:35
  Speaker 5: Hidden away like that? I don't see how you find
• 4:37
  Speaker 5: your way out there.
• 4:38
  Speaker 6: Oh, it's easy to get there. Here, I'll draw you
• 4:41
  Speaker 6: a diagram to show you exactly where it is. Once
• 4:43
  Speaker 6: you know where it is, you can find it blindfolded,
• 4:45
  Speaker 6: if you follow these directions.
• 4:48
  Speaker 5: Yes, you can, can't you?
• 4:50
  Speaker 6: I'm having it remodeled inside, just for Edna.
• 4:53
  Speaker 5: Oh, Charles, you aren't.
• 4:54
  Speaker 6: I am. Well, don't be too grateful. It's mostly your money.
• 4:58
  Speaker 5: Oh, I don't care. It's the thought. Oh, Charles, I
• 5:01
  Speaker 5: feel much better about the trip now.
• 5:02
  Speaker 6: You do? Then give me a handkerchief. Look at it, Mary.
• 5:06
  Speaker 5: Tonda shreds Edna.
• 5:09
  Speaker 6: When she's not doodling, she's tearing up a handkerchief. She's
• 5:12
  Speaker 6: got to be doing something every minute. And she wonders
• 5:15
  Speaker 6: why I want her to rest.
• 5:16
  Speaker 7: The drinks, sir.
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: Oh, good. And get working on three more, please. My dear,
• 5:21
  Speaker 6: you're going to relax. Or I'll know the reason why.
• 5:26
  Speaker 5: I'll try. Now we'd better get to the train.
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: Well, Charles, Edna's gone. And after Myrene leaves you, you
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: hurry back to the cocktail lounge. And inside, you go
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: directly to a corner booth. Slip in beside someone who's
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: been waiting for you. Not too patiently.
• 5:53
  Speaker 6: I'm sorry, Helen.
• 5:55
  Speaker 5: Darling, I am too. I'm sorry that we have to
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: practice this deception. Charles. Yes, ma'am.
• 6:10
  Speaker 6: That was nice, dear. But we ought to be more
• 6:13
  Speaker 6: careful in public. We really shouldn't be here, you know.
• 6:16
  Speaker 5: Oh, stop worrying. Here, I ordered you a drink.
• 6:20
  Speaker 6: Oh, and I can use it. Well, at least we'll
• 6:26
  Speaker 6: have some time together, uninterrupted.
• 6:29
  Speaker 5: You're sure Edna will be staying away for a while?
• 6:32
  Speaker 6: She's gone for a month.
• 6:35
  Speaker 5: It wasn't fun watching you kiss her goodbye.
• 6:37
  Speaker 6: I know. Someday. I hope it's soon, Sherlock. Look, I
• 6:42
  Speaker 6: want you to see the new place I bought at
• 6:44
  Speaker 6: Little Rock Point. I'll pick you up and drive you
• 6:46
  Speaker 6: down there tomorrow. Or maybe it would be better if
• 6:51
  Speaker 6: you came in your car and met me there.
• 6:52
  Speaker 5: Little Rock Point? That sounds wonderful.
• 6:55
  Speaker 6: Oh, it is. You'll love it. I've been using quite
• 6:58
  Speaker 6: a few of your ideas in redecorating the place. Can
• 7:00
  Speaker 6: you make it by two?
• 7:01
  Speaker 5: Yes, dear.
• 7:02
  Speaker 6: I'll tell you exactly how to get there.
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: Helen's an exciting girl, isn't she, Charles? And when you
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: reach your apartment building, you have difficulty getting around to
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: saying goodnight to her. And only the thought of seeing
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: her again the next day at the beach house at
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: Little Rock Point finally makes it possible. It's quite late
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: when you finally arrive at your own home and let
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: yourself into the house.
• 7:35
  Speaker 4: You're scarcely inside when... Come.
• 7:41
  Speaker 7: On, son.
• 7:41
  Speaker 6: Look at that thing. Myrene?
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 7:49
  Speaker 5: It was Myrene. I'd like to come in, Charles. I'd
• 7:54
  Speaker 5: like to talk to you.
• 7:55
  Speaker 6: Well, of course.
• 7:59
  Speaker 5: Well, come straight to the point.
• 8:00
  Speaker 6: About what?
• 8:01
  Speaker 8: About you and Edna. And that little number you met
• 8:05
  Speaker 8: in the cocktail lounge. It wasn't a very pretty sight, Charles.
• 8:09
  Speaker 8: Didn't you kiss her right after bidding Edna goodbye?
• 8:13
  Speaker 6: Oh, why, uh.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: Go on.
• 8:16
  Speaker 5: Take it good.
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: She.
• 8:18
  Speaker 6: That girl, Helen... An old friend. That's right.
• 8:21
  Speaker 5: Someone you knew before you ever met Edna.
• 8:24
  Speaker 6: Why, that's exactly.
• 8:25
  Speaker 8: She just won't leave you alone.
• 8:29
  Speaker 6: My, Irene, you're positive.
• 8:31
  Speaker 5: I'm not psychic.
• 8:32
  Speaker 8: You're not nearly as slick as you think you are, Charles.
• 8:35
  Speaker 8: No wonder Edna's a bundle of nerves.
• 8:37
  Speaker 6: You're not going to say anything to Edna about this.
• 8:40
  Speaker 5: Depends on you. I don't suppose you've made any dates
• 8:43
  Speaker 5: for the future with this... Helen.
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: Oh, certainly not.
• 8:47
  Speaker 9: You know, Charles, you weren't kidding when you made that
• 8:52
  Speaker 9: remark about Edna's money. You've had it pretty easy since
• 8:56
  Speaker 9: becoming her business manager and now her husband.
• 8:59
  Speaker 6: Well, it's been a pleasant arrangement, if that's what you mean. Well, naturally,
• 9:03
  Speaker 6: I love Edna.
• 9:05
  Speaker 5: I hope you mean that.
• 9:06
  Speaker 6: Oh, Myrene, this girl means nothing, I swear it. I'll
• 9:10
  Speaker 6: not see her again. Look, in a few days, you
• 9:12
  Speaker 6: and Arthur drop down to the place at Little Rock Point.
• 9:15
  Speaker 6: You'll see all that I'm doing for Edna. I'll take
• 9:17
  Speaker 6: you around to a place we can relax, go for
• 9:19
  Speaker 6: a swim.
• 9:19
  Speaker 5: I don't swim, Charles.
• 9:21
  Speaker 8: And when my best friend's husband starts two-timing her, I
• 9:24
  Speaker 8: don't feel like relaxing either.
• 9:26
  Speaker 6: Irene, I've told you.
• 9:28
  Speaker 8: I heard you and I've told you, Charles. Stay away
• 9:31
  Speaker 8: from that girl.
• 9:32
  Speaker 6: The End.
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: You know, friends, in addition to being summer, this is
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: also the time of year when more and more drivers
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: switch to Signal, the famous go-farther gasoline. Vacation-minded folks just
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: naturally go for Signal's good mileage. But mileage, mind you,
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: is only half of Signal's story. Just you talk with
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: a few Signal customers, and you'll find they're equally enthusiastic
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: about Signal's performance. After all, in order to give you
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: such good mileage, today's Signal gasoline has to help your
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: motor run more efficiently. And when your motor runs more efficiently... Naturally,
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: you also enjoy quick starting, proud pickup, and smooth purring power,
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: the things that make driving a real pleasure. So to
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: get the most out of your vacation travel dollars, make
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: the friendly signal stations you'll find throughout the Pacific Coast
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: states your headquarters for happy mileage. And even if you're
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: not planning a vacation trip, well, any time is a
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: good time to power your car with Signal, the famous
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: go-farther gasoline.
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: It's going badly, isn't it, Charles? Myrene knows about your girlfriend, Helen.
• 11:11
  Speaker 3: Knows that it was more than husbandly concern that prompted
• 11:14
  Speaker 3: you to encourage your wife, Edna, to leave town on
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: a vacation, a rest cure for her nervousness.
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: Myrene has always been Edna's best friend.
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: And she'll tell her the truth if you don't do
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: something to reassure her that you don't intend to see
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: Helen again. You wish you hadn't made the date with
• 11:32
  Speaker 3: Helen for the following afternoon at the beach house at
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: Little Rock Point. And after she arrives, you're very nervous
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: all the time that she's there with you.
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: What is it, Charles?
• 11:42
  Speaker 5: You haven't heard anything I've said.
• 11:43
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes, I have, Helen. It's just that I'm a
• 11:45
  Speaker 6: little jumpy.
• 11:47
  Speaker 5: I thought with your wife out of town.
• 11:49
  Speaker 6: Helen, we've got to talk about that. It isn't as
• 11:52
  Speaker 6: perfect as it seems.
• 11:54
  Speaker 8: Oh?
• 11:55
  Speaker 6: A friend of Edna's, a Myrene Walker. She knows about us.
• 11:59
  Speaker 5: Knows what about us?
• 12:00
  Speaker 6: Well, not everything, of course. She thinks it's a casual
• 12:04
  Speaker 6: thing that we're old friends, happen to run into one
• 12:06
  Speaker 6: another and.
• 12:07
  Speaker 5: Oh, if she continues to see us together.
• 12:10
  Speaker 6: That's right. She'll go to Edna. Helen, we've got to
• 12:15
  Speaker 6: forget about it for a while.
• 12:17
  Speaker 5: Forget about it?
• 12:18
  Speaker 6: Well, you know, I really don't mean that exactly.
• 12:20
  Speaker 5: I should hope not. You promised me you were going
• 12:23
  Speaker 5: to talk to Edna, ask for a divorce.
• 12:25
  Speaker 6: I know, and I intend to, but it can't be
• 12:27
  Speaker 6: right away, Helen. I have my reasons. Right now, it's
• 12:30
  Speaker 6: important that you leave, that we're not seen together.
• 12:33
  Speaker 10: Well.
• 12:36
  Speaker 5: All right, Charles. I won't need a second invitation.
• 12:39
  Speaker 6: Oh, now, wait a minute.
• 12:40
  Speaker 5: I've waited long enough as it is. Quite long enough. Goodbye, Charles.
• 12:44
  Speaker 4: But, Helen, I.
• 12:45
  Speaker 5: Goodbye, Charles.
• 12:46
  Speaker 7: Goodbye.
• 12:55
  Speaker 4: She's gone, isn't she, Charles?
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: And only a few moments later, you hear her car
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: start up, roar away, and you're alone. Alone in the
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: house that you were supposed to be remodeling for your wife, Edna.
• 13:06
  Speaker 4: And as the rest of the afternoon drags by, you
• 13:08
  Speaker 4: find yourself hating the place.
• 13:11
  Speaker 3: And you'll always hate it, unless somehow soon the house
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: can be yours and Helen's. Just how you're going to
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: bring that about isn't quite clear to you yet, is it?
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: How you'll get rid of your wife, Edna.
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: That evening, as you're sitting alone, wishing you'd return to town,
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: you're still thinking about it when suddenly you're aware of
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: a noise outside.
• 13:31
  Speaker 6: Maureen. Well, well, this is a surprise.
• 13:38
  Speaker 5: Hello, Charles.
• 13:40
  Speaker 6: Snooping around, were you? All right.
• 13:44
  Speaker 5: Call it that if you want.
• 13:45
  Speaker 6: You're wasting your time, really. I'm quite alone.
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: Are you?
• 13:50
  Speaker 6: Of course. Come on in, Maureen. I'd like to show
• 13:54
  Speaker 6: you around the place.
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: Like a child caught at the cookie jar, Myrene follows
• 14:01
  Speaker 3: you inside.
• 14:02
  Speaker 4: She's nervous, ill at ease.
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: Avoid your gaze as you show her about the house.
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: And then finally, the two of you end up at
• 14:09
  Speaker 3: the boat landing.
• 14:12
  Speaker 6: Well, what do you think of it?
• 14:13
  Speaker 5: It's nice, Charles.
• 14:16
  Speaker 6: The candle like it?
• 14:18
  Speaker 11: No, I don't.
• 14:19
  Speaker 8: This isn't the sort of house Edna would like at all.
• 14:24
  Speaker 5: Just doesn't suit her personality, let's say.
• 14:27
  Speaker 10: Really?
• 14:27
  Speaker 5: I'm sure there isn't a thing here that would interest her.
• 14:32
  Speaker 8: outside of that unusual painting in the living room.
• 14:34
  Speaker 6: It's rather nice, isn't it? Impressionistic, I believe they call
• 14:37
  Speaker 6: that sort of thing.
• 14:38
  Speaker 5: To me, it looks like a dragon about to devour something.
• 14:42
  Speaker 6: Well, it is a painting of a dragon... But Edna
• 14:44
  Speaker 6: likes offbeat things like dragons. I bought it especially for her.
• 14:47
  Speaker 6: A surprise.
• 14:48
  Speaker 5: Oh, really, Charles?
• 14:50
  Speaker 6: Just what does that mean?
• 14:51
  Speaker 5: May I be blunt?
• 14:52
  Speaker 6: Feel free.
• 14:53
  Speaker 5: You didn't buy this house for Edna. Where does Helen
• 14:57
  Speaker 5: move in?
• 14:58
  Speaker 6: Now, see here, Myrene.
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: You see here. It's a glamorous place, Charles. Exciting. Should
• 15:02
  Speaker 5: just match her baby blue eyes.
• 15:04
  Speaker 8: Myrene, you're... You're not fooling me for one minute.
• 15:07
  Speaker 5: And you won't fool Edna either. She's going to know
• 15:10
  Speaker 5: all about this.
• 15:11
  Speaker 6: You're not going to tell her about Helen.
• 15:12
  Speaker 5: Edna's my best friend.
• 15:13
  Speaker 6: Myrene, I think I've had just about enough of your meddling.
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: Charles, wait.
• 15:18
  Speaker 6: Just about enough.
• 15:19
  Speaker 8: Stay away from me.
• 15:21
  Speaker 6: You ought to wring your neck, you little snoop.
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: Charles!
• 15:24
  Speaker 5: Charles!
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: You reached out to grab Myrene as she tripped, but
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: you're too late.
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: And she plunged off the end of the boat landing.
• 15:33
  Speaker 3: Charles! Help me!
• 15:35
  Speaker 10: Help me!
• 15:37
  Speaker 5: I can't swim!
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: You stand there staring down at her, struggling in the water.
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: She can't swim, Charles. She'll drown if you don't help her.
• 15:49
  Speaker 3: And you don't help her, do you, Charles? You're glad
• 16:00
  Speaker 3: the house is isolated, aren't you, Charles?
• 16:03
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 16:04
  Speaker 3: You're certain no one except the late Myrene Walker knows
• 16:07
  Speaker 3: you've been here. But you decide to hurry back to
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: your home in town. Establish a reasonable alibi. Two hours later,
• 16:15
  Speaker 3: you're back in your house in town. Where you nervously
• 16:18
  Speaker 3: awake the phone call you're certain you'll receive. Hello?
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: Mr.
• 16:26
  Speaker 10: Gilbert?
• 16:26
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 16:27
  Speaker 10: This is Frank Stanley over on the east shore. One
• 16:30
  Speaker 10: of your neighbors at Little Rock Point.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: Oh, yes.
• 16:32
  Speaker 6: Yes, Mr. Stanley.
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: Hello?
• 16:34
  Speaker 10: Called you sooner, except I had a devil's own time
• 16:36
  Speaker 10: getting hold of your phone number up there in town.
• 16:38
  Speaker 6: What is it? Something wrong?
• 16:39
  Speaker 4: Well, yeah.
• 16:41
  Speaker 10: A woman drowned off the island a few hours ago.
• 16:43
  Speaker 6: What's that? Yep.
• 16:45
  Speaker 10: Thought you'd probably know her. Police found her purse on
• 16:48
  Speaker 10: your boat landing. Identified her as Myrene Walker.
• 16:52
  Speaker 6: Myrene Walker? Good Lord.
• 16:55
  Speaker 10: Oh, you do know her?
• 16:56
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes, yes. She's a very dear friend of my wife.
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: Probably wouldn't have happened if I'd been out there. I'd
• 17:04
  Speaker 6: planned to, but business kept me here in town. Myrene
• 17:08
  Speaker 6: must have come out to visit us, wandered around in
• 17:10
  Speaker 6: the dark and.
• 17:11
  Speaker 10: Yeah, yeah, that's sort of the way I figured it, too.
• 17:14
  Speaker 6: Well, thank you for calling, Mr. Stanley. I'll get in
• 17:16
  Speaker 6: touch with my wife right away.
• 17:20
  Speaker 3: You smile, don't you, Charles, as you hang up the receiver.
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: It's all over now. Myrene is dead. You could have
• 17:27
  Speaker 3: saved her, but you didn't. And you couldn't have Myrene
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: telling your wife about Helen, could you? Later that day,
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: you send a wire to Edna at the resort. Inform
• 17:36
  Speaker 3: her that you have some bad news. Ask her to
• 17:38
  Speaker 3: return immediately.
• 17:40
  Speaker 6: That evening, you.
• 17:41
  Speaker 3: Decide to go back to the house on Little Rock Point.
• 17:44
  Speaker 3: Perhaps take a walk along the beach. See if you
• 17:47
  Speaker 3: can learn news of the local reaction to Myrene's drowning.
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: As you hurry up the path, you're startled to see
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: a light burning in the living room.
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: Helen, yes. She's probably paid you a surprise visit.
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: Good evening, Charles.
• 18:03
  Speaker 6: Edna.
• 18:04
  Speaker 5: Found the key under the mat, so I came on in.
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: I've been waiting hours for you.
• 18:09
  Speaker 6: I don't understand. I sent the telegram only a few
• 18:11
  Speaker 6: hours ago.
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: Telegram?
• 18:13
  Speaker 5: Well, it must have missed me. I left Yuma this morning.
• 18:16
  Speaker 6: But why?
• 18:17
  Speaker 5: Yes. Perhaps this letter will explain it. Myrene sent it
• 18:22
  Speaker 5: to me.
• 18:23
  Speaker 6: Myrene?
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 18:25
  Speaker 5: Her letter told me all about your little friend, Helen.
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: Read it. See for yourself.
• 18:29
  Speaker 4: Oh, now, Edna, surely you don't... Irene wouldn't lie.
• 18:31
  Speaker 6: But, Edna, I.
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: You needn't bother to deny it.
• 18:34
  Speaker 6: Well, you've got to let me explain.
• 18:36
  Speaker 11: Let's stop the matter here and now. You see, Charles,
• 18:41
  Speaker 11: I've thought it over very carefully. I've decided to forgive you.
• 18:46
  Speaker 6: Forgive me?
• 18:46
  Speaker 5: Yes. I'm really much more to blame for Helen than you. I.
• 18:52
  Speaker 6: I don't understand.
• 18:52
  Speaker 11: Well, Perhaps I drove you to her. I haven't been
• 18:57
  Speaker 11: a very good wife, Charles. More than a little neglectful.
• 19:01
  Speaker 11: Thinking too much about business and not enough about us,
• 19:05
  Speaker 11: our home, our marriage.
• 19:07
  Speaker 6: Well, we haven't been as close in the past few
• 19:10
  Speaker 6: years as we used to be, Edna.
• 19:11
  Speaker 5: Yes, I know. I know it's all my fault. I'm
• 19:17
  Speaker 5: willing to forget all this, Charles, but of course you
• 19:21
  Speaker 5: must forget Helen.
• 19:22
  Speaker 6: Of course.
• 19:25
  Speaker 5: Fix me a drink, will you? I could use one.
• 19:26
  Speaker 6: All right. I could use one myself.
• 19:31
  Speaker 4: Charles.
• 19:32
  Speaker 6: Yes?
• 19:33
  Speaker 5: You said something about a telephone.
• 19:35
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes.
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 19:36
  Speaker 7: Well?
• 19:37
  Speaker 6: Bad news, I'm afraid. It's about Myrene.
• 19:40
  Speaker 5: What's happened?
• 19:41
  Speaker 6: Apparently, she came out here last night while I was
• 19:43
  Speaker 6: in town. While she was wandering around outside in the dark,
• 19:47
  Speaker 6: she fell off the boat landing.
• 19:49
  Speaker 5: She what?
• 19:50
  Speaker 6: Yes, she drowned, Edna. Police recovered her body this morning.
• 19:54
  Speaker 5: Irene drowned?
• 19:55
  Speaker 6: Oh, easy now, darling. It's a terrible shock, I know. Here,
• 19:57
  Speaker 6: this will help.
• 19:58
  Speaker 5: Charles, Charles, poor dear.
• 20:00
  Speaker 6: If I'd been here, I don't suppose it would have happened.
• 20:03
  Speaker 6: At least the lights on the boat landing would have
• 20:04
  Speaker 6: been on.
• 20:05
  Speaker 5: Wait a moment. You said you were in town.
• 20:08
  Speaker 6: Yes, at the house all evening.
• 20:09
  Speaker 7: But you weren't.
• 20:10
  Speaker 6: What?
• 20:11
  Speaker 5: You weren't at the house in town, I know, because
• 20:13
  Speaker 5: I called you from the resort half a dozen times.
• 20:15
  Speaker 5: There was no answer.
• 20:15
  Speaker 6: But I tell you what, now.
• 20:16
  Speaker 5: Where were you last night, Charles? Where were you when
• 20:20
  Speaker 5: Myrene had her accident? Answer me.
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: Listen, Ed.
• 20:23
  Speaker 5: You were here when Myrene came. She knew about Helen.
• 20:26
  Speaker 5: You were afraid she'd tell me. You didn't know she
• 20:29
  Speaker 5: already sent me this letter, did you?
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: Did you?
• 20:31
  Speaker 6: All right, all right. So I was here.
• 20:32
  Speaker 5: And Myrene's death wasn't so accidental.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: Wait a minute.
• 20:35
  Speaker 6: Where are you going?
• 20:36
  Speaker 5: To the sheriff's office.
• 20:37
  Speaker 6: Edna, now listen.
• 20:38
  Speaker 5: Let go of me.
• 20:38
  Speaker 6: I didn't have anything to do with Myrene's death. You've
• 20:40
  Speaker 6: got to believe me. It was an accident.
• 20:42
  Speaker 5: We'll let the police decide. Now you let go of me,
• 20:44
  Speaker 5: I said.
• 20:45
  Speaker 6: No, Edna. You're not going to the police.
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: Charles.
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: Don't look at me like that. What are you... Edna.
• 20:54
  Speaker 4: Edna.
• 20:59
  Speaker 3: She's fainted, hasn't she, Charles? Fainted and crumpled to the
• 21:02
  Speaker 3: floor at your feet. And you know as you stare
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: down at her that you have murder in mind in.
• 21:08
  Speaker 6: Your heart as you stared at her.
• 21:11
  Speaker 4: And it isn't over, is it?
• 21:12
  Speaker 6: No.
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: You can't let her go to the police with her story, Charles.
• 21:17
  Speaker 3: And looking down at Edna lying unconscious before you, a
• 21:20
  Speaker 3: thought suddenly occurs to you.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: It's a way out, isn't it? A way out for
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: you and Helen. Quickly, you pick up the folded sheet
• 21:27
  Speaker 4: of paper, the.
• 21:28
  Speaker 3: Letter Myrene wrote to Edna, stuff it into your pocket.
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: Then you carry Edna outside, place her in the car
• 21:34
  Speaker 3: she drove down, drive it into the garage, and close
• 21:38
  Speaker 3: the garage doors, leaving the motor running.
• 21:42
  Speaker 6: Wait.
• 21:44
  Speaker 10: An hour later, and it's all over.
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: Later, you drive Edna's body back to town in her car,
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: put the car in your garage, again leave.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: The motor running as you close the garage doors.
• 22:03
  Speaker 3: Now all you need to do is return to the
• 22:05
  Speaker 3: beach house and wait for Edna's body to be found
• 22:08
  Speaker 3: in the garage. Knowing Edna as you do, you're certain
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: she told no one of her return from Yuma, and
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: you're sure no one saw her at the house at
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: Little Rock Point. But you know, you must get back
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: there before her body is discovered. You take a bus
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: back to the beach house. Next morning, walk the half
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: mile to the home of your nearest neighbor, Mr.
• 22:29
  Speaker 6: Stanley. Oh, good morning, Mr. Gilbert. Good morning, Mr. Stanley.
• 22:39
  Speaker 6: I wonder if I might use your phone.
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: Sure, sure.
• 22:42
  Speaker 6: Ours hasn't been installed yet. Come on in, come on in.
• 22:45
  Speaker 6: Sure was too bad it was through the lady that drowned,
• 22:46
  Speaker 6: wasn't it? Yes, it's going to be a terrible shock
• 22:49
  Speaker 6: for my wife. I'm almost afraid to tell her. They
• 22:51
  Speaker 6: were very close. Oh, you mean she doesn't know yet? Well,
• 22:53
  Speaker 6: my wife is vacationing at a desert resort. I sent
• 22:56
  Speaker 6: her a wire yesterday after you called me asking her
• 22:58
  Speaker 6: to come home, but I haven't heard a word from her.
• 23:00
  Speaker 6: I'm rather worried. Sure, sure you are. There's a phone
• 23:05
  Speaker 6: over there. Help yourself. Thank you. Hello, operator. I'm calling
• 23:13
  Speaker 6: the Shadow Hills Ranch, Yuma, Arizona. Yes, that's right. Thank you.
• 23:18
  Speaker 6: I'm terribly sorry to barge in on you like this, Mr. Stanley. Oh,
• 23:21
  Speaker 6: it's all right. It's quite all right. It's just that
• 23:23
  Speaker 6: I'm so concerned about my wife, Ed, and I... I
• 23:25
  Speaker 6: can't understand why she hasn't arrived or even answered my wire.
• 23:28
  Speaker 6: It isn't like it... Hello? Yes?
• 23:32
  Speaker 3: Oh, uh.
• 23:33
  Speaker 6: My number is 929. Oh, I'm calling from Harbor. 929 operator.
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 23:42
  Speaker 6: Hello? Shadow Hills Ranch? Is Mrs. Charles Gilbert there? This
• 23:45
  Speaker 6: is Mr. Gilbert.
• 23:47
  Speaker 7: What?
• 23:49
  Speaker 10: Oh.
• 23:51
  Speaker 6: Yes, I see. Thank you. Is something wrong, Mr. Gilbert?
• 23:55
  Speaker 6: They said she left the ranch yesterday morning. She was
• 23:57
  Speaker 6: on her way back to town. I can't understand it.
• 24:00
  Speaker 6: Where is she? No, no, no, Mr. Gilbert.
• 24:02
  Speaker 10: No need to get all worried.
• 24:03
  Speaker 6: She'll turn up. Something is wrong. I know it. I'd
• 24:06
  Speaker 6: better call the police. Well, I'm sure it didn't make
• 24:09
  Speaker 6: you feel any better. Anything's happened to my wife, Mr. Stanley.
• 24:13
  Speaker 6: I don't know what I'd do. I just don't know.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: Here's some hot weather mathematics for motorists. Take the temperature
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: of the day. Add 2,800 degrees, the temperature inside the
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: cylinder head of the average motor. That adds up to
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: a lot of heat. Good reason why your motor needs
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: the protection of Signal's wonderful new heavy-duty type oil that's
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: engineered to stand up under heat. New Signal Premium Motor Oil.
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: Because it controls harmful engine deposits such as carbon, gum,
• 24:56
  Speaker 2: and varnish, New Signal Premium keeps your engine clean, keeps
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: hydraulic valve lifters from sticking, keeps oil rings free to
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: seal in power and prevent oil consumption. And in addition,
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: New Signal Premium stops acid corrosion, so you can now
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: stop worrying about all these causes of costly repair jobs.
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: Best of all, you get all this extra protection at
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: no increase in price at Signal service stations. So if
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: you want to keep maintenance costs down and your car's
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: performance up, make your next oil change a change to
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: this remarkable Signal motor oil that reduces engine wear due
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: to lubrication 50%. Change to new Signal premium motor oil.
• 25:51
  Speaker 3: You've carried it off very well, haven't you, Charles? The
• 25:54
  Speaker 3: role of the worried husband, concerned over his wife's whereabouts.
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: And your phone call to the police brings quick results.
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: An hour later, the sheriff calls on you at the
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: house on Little Rock Point. quietly informs you of your
• 26:07
  Speaker 3: wife's death, carbon monoxide, in the garage of your home
• 26:10
  Speaker 3: in town. You continue to play the part now of
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: the grief-stricken husband, and inwardly you're pleased, certain your performance
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: has more than convinced the sheriff. Then, as he's about
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: to leave you.
• 26:24
  Speaker 6: Oh, Mr.
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: Gilbert, you said you were alone here last night?
• 26:27
  Speaker 6: Yes, yes, that's right. I waited all night for my
• 26:31
  Speaker 6: wife to show up.
• 26:32
  Speaker 7: You sure she didn't?
• 26:32
  Speaker 6: Of course not. She'd never set foot in this house.
• 26:36
  Speaker 6: Bought it only a few days ago, shortly before she
• 26:40
  Speaker 6: went on a vacation. Oh, I see. Why? Why do
• 26:43
  Speaker 6: you ask?
• 26:44
  Speaker 7: I was just looking at the painting of that dragon.
• 26:47
  Speaker 7: Impressionistic stuff, isn't it?
• 26:49
  Speaker 6: Yes, yes, that's right.
• 26:51
  Speaker 7: I understand your wife was always drawing.
• 26:53
  Speaker 6: Quite a doodler. Yes, she doodled constantly. Just a nervous habit, though.
• 26:59
  Speaker 6: I was sort of wondering about that dragon picture. Looks
• 27:02
  Speaker 6: very familiar. It's an original, I... Had it sent out
• 27:05
  Speaker 6: from New York.
• 27:06
  Speaker 7: Yeah?
• 27:08
  Speaker 6: That sure is different. It was a present from my wife.
• 27:10
  Speaker 6: She never got to see it.
• 27:13
  Speaker 7: She wasn't with you when you bought it?
• 27:15
  Speaker 6: No. She didn't even know it existed. Maybe you'd better
• 27:20
  Speaker 6: look at this. Letter?
• 27:22
  Speaker 7: An empty envelope. Dressed to your wife at Yuma. From
• 27:26
  Speaker 7: Myra Ann Walker. Found it in your wife's purse. From
• 27:30
  Speaker 7: the postmark she must have gotten at the same day
• 27:32
  Speaker 7: she left Yuma.
• 27:33
  Speaker 6: Well? What about it? Turn it over. All right.
• 27:38
  Speaker 7: You say your wife didn't even know of the existence
• 27:41
  Speaker 7: of that dragon painting, Mr.
• 27:43
  Speaker 6: Gilbert.
• 27:43
  Speaker 3: Yes, I did.
• 27:44
  Speaker 7: You also said she wasn't here at Little.
• 27:45
  Speaker 6: Rock Point yesterday.
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: Yes, I did.
• 27:47
  Speaker 7: And you've got a lot of explaining to do, Mr.
• 27:50
  Speaker 6: Gilbert.
• 27:51
  Speaker 7: The doodling on this envelope your wife had is an
• 27:54
  Speaker 7: excellent copy of that dragon painting. I think we can
• 27:58
  Speaker 7: prove it's your wife's doodling, Mr.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: Gilbert.
• 28:00
  Speaker 6: What?
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program,
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: The Whistler, each Sunday night at this same time. And
• 28:30
  Speaker 2: before you start your vacation trip, be sure to ask
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: your signal dealer for a free copy of Lane's Guide.
• 28:36
  Speaker 2: a booklet prepared by an independent travel organization to help
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: you find good eating and lodging places. While no pocket-sized
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: booklet can include all the good hotels, motels, and dining places,
• 28:48
  Speaker 2: Lane's Guide covers a representative selection in hundreds of cities
• 28:51
  Speaker 2: and towns. And a copy of this handy publication is
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: yours free at Signal Stations. Featured in tonight's story were
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: Bill Foreman, Bill Johnstone, Mary Lansing, Joe Gilbert, Michael Ann Barrett,
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: Herbert Linton, and Charles Seal. Whistler was produced and directed
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: by George W. Allen with story by Joel Malone, music
• 29:26
  Speaker 2: by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted to our troops overseas
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: by the Armed Forces Radio Service. The Whistler is entirely fictional,
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: and all characters portrayed on The Whistler are also fictional.
• 29:38
  Speaker 2: Any similarity of names or... resemblance to persons living or
• 29:41
  Speaker 2: dead is purely coincidental. Remember to tune in at this
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: same time next Sunday when the Signal Oil Company will
• 29:50
  Speaker 2: bring you another strange story by The Whistler. Marvin Miller
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: speaking for the Signal Oil Company. Stay tuned now for
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: the Horace Height Show, which follows immediately over most of
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: these stations. This is the CBS Radio Network.
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: The Whistler concludes with Design for Murder, until another broadcast
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: finds its way to the microphone.
• 30:40
  Speaker 6: Good evening.