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The Whistler - "Three Minus One Equals Murder" (Old Time Radio, 1951) · The Whistler | Old Time Radio

0:00
Speaker 1: A flat tire brings Sylvia Sanford into the path of
0:02
Speaker 1: Matt Blake, an airplane mechanic, and their chance meeting becomes
0:07
Speaker 1: a secret romance. From the CBS Pacific Network and Signal Oil,
0:11
Speaker 1: this is The Whistler. Three minus one equals murder. First
0:15
Speaker 1: heard November 11th, 1951. Episode 493. With Sylvia's wealthy husband away,
0:23
Speaker 1: she and Matt draw closer. Then a plan involving her.
0:27
Speaker 2: Husband's business plane places them in circumstances neither can wholly govern.
0:31
Speaker 2: The cast includes William Conrad, Doris Singleton, High Aberback, and
0:36
Speaker 2: Bob Bruce. And now we return to the original broadcast.
0:42
Speaker 3: And now stay tuned for the mystery program that is
0:45
Speaker 3: unique among all mystery programs. Because even when you know
0:48
Speaker 3: who is guilty... you always receive a startling surprise at
0:52
Speaker 3: the final curtain. In the Signal Oil program, The Whistler. Signal,
1:09
Speaker 3: the famous go-farther gasoline, invites you to sit back and
1:13
Speaker 3: enjoy another strange story by The Whistler.
1:35
Speaker 4: I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for
1:39
Speaker 4: I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden
1:43
Speaker 4: in the hearts of men and women who have stepped
1:45
Speaker 4: into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of
1:50
Speaker 4: which they dare not speak.
1:54
Speaker 3: And now for the Signal Oil Company, the Whistler's Strange Stories.
1:58
Speaker 3: Three minus one equals murder. It was on the outskirts
2:16
Speaker 3: of Los Angeles. The girl stood in the glare of
2:19
Speaker 3: the oncoming headlights, waving her arms, not knowing for certain
2:23
Speaker 3: if the young man at the wheel could see her through.
2:25
Speaker 4: The rain and the 3 a.m. darkness. She wondered if
2:28
Speaker 4: he was going to go on past. And she shouted
2:31
Speaker 4: out to him.
2:31
Speaker 5: Stop!
2:32
Speaker 6: Please stop!
2:38
Speaker 7: Hey, what's the matter? I almost ran over you.
2:39
Speaker 6: Oh, I was afraid you wouldn't stop. I got a flat.
2:42
Speaker 7: Look, if you expect me to change a tire in
2:44
Speaker 7: this rain.
2:44
Speaker 6: No, of course not. I can pick up the car tomorrow.
2:48
Speaker 6: How about a lift, huh?
2:50
Speaker 7: Okay, get in.
2:51
Speaker 6: Thanks. Well, something wrong?
2:58
Speaker 7: No. Nothing's wrong.
3:01
Speaker 6: I didn't think I'd look that bad.
3:03
Speaker 7: No, no.
3:04
Speaker 8: You, uh.
3:06
Speaker 7: You look good. Yeah, just a little wet. Uh, we
3:10
Speaker 7: better get going. I, uh, thought that was the idea.
3:13
Speaker 4: Yeah.
3:13
Speaker 6: Yeah.
3:20
Speaker 7: Well, where to?
3:21
Speaker 6: It's not far. Turn left down here and then take
3:24
Speaker 6: the road up to the hills. What's so funny?
3:27
Speaker 7: It sounds like you're taking me to Lover's Lane.
3:30
Speaker 6: I see you've been there before.
3:32
Speaker 7: Only to look at the view.
3:33
Speaker 6: And did you like it?
3:35
Speaker 7: The view?
3:36
Speaker 10: Mm-hmm.
3:37
Speaker 7: Left me breathless. Oh, here, here, take my handkerchief.
3:41
Speaker 9: Oh, thanks.
3:42
Speaker 6: Oh, you're wonderful. I'm sure glad you came along.
3:47
Speaker 7: You been to a party?
3:48
Speaker 6: No, I was just coming home from work.
3:50
Speaker 7: Work in those clothes?
3:52
Speaker 6: I'm a singer. Sylvia Starr. My real name is Sylvia Sanford.
3:57
Speaker 7: Oh, where?
3:58
Speaker 6: Marriott.
3:59
Speaker 7: That's quite a spot.
4:01
Speaker 6: Now my interview. Name?
4:03
Speaker 7: Yeah, Matt Blake.
4:04
Speaker 6: Matt Blake.
4:06
Speaker 4: Nice.
4:07
Speaker 6: Profession?
4:08
Speaker 7: Airplane mechanic at Glenview Airport.
4:10
Speaker 6: Sounds very exciting.
4:11
Speaker 7: As a matter of fact, it's pretty dull, especially the
4:13
Speaker 7: late shift. Just came off duty.
4:15
Speaker 6: Lucky for me.
4:16
Speaker 7: Hey, if we don't hurry and get you home, you
4:19
Speaker 7: won't be able to sing.
4:20
Speaker 6: Oh, Just around a couple of more curves. Who was
4:23
Speaker 6: it that said, let's get out of these wet clothes
4:27
Speaker 6: into a dry martini? Robert, actually. Oh, he knew what
4:30
Speaker 6: he was talking about. Say, wouldn't you like to come
4:34
Speaker 6: in for a drink? Maybe by that time the rain
4:36
Speaker 6: will stop.
4:37
Speaker 7: Well, that's the best idea I've heard all evening.
4:39
Speaker 6: Here, turn in this driveway. Watch it, it's pretty sharp.
4:47
Speaker 7: You mean you live here?
4:48
Speaker 9: Mm-hmm.
4:49
Speaker 6: Big, isn't it?
4:53
Speaker 7: Singers must be doing all right these days.
4:55
Speaker 6: Oh, I'm not that good. I married money.
5:00
Speaker 7: Well, you're married. Well, look, I'd better be getting out.
5:03
Speaker 6: Don't be silly. He's out of town.
5:05
Speaker 7: Oh.
5:06
Speaker 6: Well, after all, you've driven me clear up here. The
5:09
Speaker 6: least you deserve is a drink.
5:12
Speaker 7: Okay. You've twisted my arm.
5:14
Speaker 6: Oh, here's a light. Oh, it's good to be inside.
5:21
Speaker 6: Give me a coat. Make yourself at home.
5:24
Speaker 4: Home?
5:25
Speaker 7: I feel more like I was in a hotel.
5:26
Speaker 6: The den's straight down the hall here.
5:28
Speaker 4: Wow.
5:28
Speaker 7: This is very cozy. Very cozy.
5:37
Speaker 6: I'm having brandy and soda. What would you like?
5:40
Speaker 7: Oh, that's good. Hold the soda on the side. Are
5:44
Speaker 7: you sure your husband isn't here?
5:46
Speaker 6: Positive. He won't be home for two days.
5:48
Speaker 7: Well, good for him.
5:50
Speaker 6: Here you are.
5:53
Speaker 7: Ah, home sweet home.
5:57
Speaker 6: I'll open the curtain so we can look at the light.
6:00
Speaker 6: You know, when I'm alone, I like to sit here
6:03
Speaker 6: at night and look at the world down there.
6:07
Speaker 7: Are you alone often?
6:09
Speaker 4: Yes.
6:10
Speaker 6: Dutch, my husband's gone quite a lot. With him, business
6:15
Speaker 6: comes first.
6:16
Speaker 7: Well, somehow I find that hard to believe.
6:18
Speaker 6: Oh, he's not at all like me. We live in
6:20
Speaker 6: two different worlds.
6:21
Speaker 7: What does he do in his world? Rob banks for
6:23
Speaker 7: a living?
6:25
Speaker 6: No, he's got timberlands. He owns half the trees in Oregon.
6:28
Speaker 7: Lady, you are in clover.
6:31
Speaker 6: Am I?
6:32
Speaker 7: What does that mean?
6:34
Speaker 6: Lots of girls think diamonds are a girl's best friend.
6:38
Speaker 6: Until they have them. Then they find out they want
6:41
Speaker 6: something more.
6:42
Speaker 7: Yeah, you women are all alike. You've got to complicate
6:45
Speaker 7: your lives.
6:46
Speaker 6: You got something against romance?
6:47
Speaker 7: I'm beginning to think more of it every minute. But
6:50
Speaker 7: with me, it might get in the way. You see,
6:53
Speaker 7: I'm a firm believer in the old school of marrying
6:55
Speaker 7: rich widows. I can't afford to be sentimental. It's either
6:59
Speaker 7: money or love, not both.
7:01
Speaker 6: No.
7:03
Speaker 7: By the way, how's your husband's health?
7:06
Speaker 6: Better than mine.
7:07
Speaker 7: Lucky fellow. Perfect health, imported brandy, and a beautiful wife.
7:12
Speaker 6: In that order?
7:13
Speaker 7: Not if you were mine. That puts you right at
7:16
Speaker 7: the top of the list. You and your blonde hair.
7:21
Speaker 6: Here, give me a glass.
7:24
Speaker 7: I wish I could say, let me take you away
7:26
Speaker 7: from all this, but somehow it doesn't fit.
7:28
Speaker 6: No, it doesn't, does it? You'd better just finish your
7:33
Speaker 6: drink before we change our minds.
7:48
Speaker 4: Yes, Sylvia, you send him away. And you're a little
7:52
Speaker 4: sorry it has to be this way, aren't you? Matt
7:54
Speaker 4: is handsome, with the charm of frankness you like so much.
7:58
Speaker 4: But you know what you're doing. And you wait just
8:01
Speaker 4: long enough before managing a second meeting out at the airport.
8:06
Speaker 6: Hey, Matt.
8:07
Speaker 7: Yeah, Joe.
8:07
Speaker 6: Coming here to see you.
8:10
Speaker 7: See me? Who is it?
8:12
Speaker 4: Standing over there.
8:13
Speaker 7: Tell me how you do it sometimes. Sylvia.
8:18
Speaker 6: Hello, Matt. I just wanted to thank you for the
8:21
Speaker 6: lift the other night.
8:21
Speaker 7: Oh, any time, baby. I didn't expect to see you
8:24
Speaker 7: here at the airport.
8:25
Speaker 6: See that civilian plane that just took off? Dutch is
8:28
Speaker 6: in it. Another trip.
8:30
Speaker 7: How long has he gone this time?
8:31
Speaker 6: Oh, a couple of days. Look, if I'm interrupting your work.
8:34
Speaker 7: Hey, hold it, sweetheart. You can't come and go this easy.
8:37
Speaker 7: How's the brandy holding up?
8:38
Speaker 6: Oh, there's plenty left.
8:39
Speaker 7: Oh, that's more like it. How about tonight? After I'm
8:43
Speaker 7: through here.
8:44
Speaker 6: All right, why not? Tonight, Matt.
8:57
Speaker 4: Things are going fine, aren't they, Sylvia? And after that,
9:00
Speaker 4: you see Matt again and again. And finally, on one
9:04
Speaker 4: of your husband's many trips out of town, you and
9:07
Speaker 4: Matt are together in your cozy den. And you're sure
9:10
Speaker 4: now is the time to get on with your plan.
9:14
Speaker 4: Now that you're... Finally, in his arms.
9:17
Speaker 8: Oh, baby, baby.
9:18
Speaker 6: Just hold me, Nat.
9:23
Speaker 7: Sylvia, what is it with us?
9:24
Speaker 6: Oh, Nat, don't you know? We love you and me.
9:27
Speaker 8: But it's impossible.
9:28
Speaker 7: It's crazy.
9:29
Speaker 6: That's what love is.
9:30
Speaker 7: Look, darling, use your head. It won't work.
9:31
Speaker 4: It can work.
9:33
Speaker 6: We can make it work. Listen, darling. This is the
9:36
Speaker 6: chance you've been waiting for. You want a rich widow
9:40
Speaker 6: to take care of you.
9:43
Speaker 7: Rich widow?
9:44
Speaker 6: I want the job, ma'am.
9:47
Speaker 7: You're going a little too fast for me.
9:49
Speaker 6: Do I have to make it any plainer? We could.
9:54
Speaker 6: We could get rid of Dutch.
9:55
Speaker 7: Wait a minute, Sylvie. You're talking about murder.
9:57
Speaker 6: We could have his money and each other. Oh, Matt,
10:00
Speaker 6: I'm desperate. Say you'll help me, please.
10:02
Speaker 7: Wait a minute, wait a minute. You know, Sylvia, you
10:05
Speaker 7: missed your calling. You should be an actress.
10:07
Speaker 6: What do you mean?
10:07
Speaker 7: That little speech was very touching. Matt, I don't... Do
10:10
Speaker 7: I look that dumb? If you want to get rid
10:12
Speaker 7: of your husband, you'll have to get another sucker. I'm
10:14
Speaker 7: not going to be the fall guy for any dame.
10:15
Speaker 6: Doesn't my loving you make any difference?
10:17
Speaker 7: You expect me to believe that? I'm almost wondering if
10:20
Speaker 7: you didn't set this up in the beginning.
10:21
Speaker 6: Oh, you're a fool, Matt. I love you.
10:23
Speaker 7: Oh, stop it, Sylvia. When you get right down to it,
10:25
Speaker 7: you're just a woman, and every corner comes equipped with one.
10:27
Speaker 6: Not like me.
10:31
Speaker 7: No. Not like you. But an awful lot safer.
10:35
Speaker 4: Matt.
10:36
Speaker 6: Matt, don't leave me.
10:37
Speaker 7: I'm getting out of here.
10:39
Speaker 10: So long, Sylvia.
10:39
Speaker 6: All right, go on. But somehow, I think you'll be back.
10:59
Speaker 3: Go farther.
11:08
Speaker 4: Go farther.
11:10
Speaker 7: Go farther.
11:12
Speaker 3: Just mention those two words, go farther, to motorists anywhere
11:16
Speaker 3: around these Pacific Coast states, and what do they think of? Why, Signal,
11:20
Speaker 3: the famous go farther gasoline, of course. Now, it goes
11:24
Speaker 3: without saying, in order to be known as the go-farther gasoline,
11:28
Speaker 3: Signal has to give mighty good mileage. But sometimes a
11:31
Speaker 3: product becomes so celebrated for one feature, people forget it
11:35
Speaker 3: has other advantages, too. I'm referring to the satisfying performance,
11:39
Speaker 3: which naturally goes hand-in-hand with Signal's good mileage. As you
11:43
Speaker 3: heard me explain before, you get that good signal mileage
11:47
Speaker 3: because today's Signal gas helps your engine run so efficiently.
11:52
Speaker 3: And when your engine runs efficiently, naturally, you also enjoy
11:56
Speaker 3: quicker starting, peppier pickup, smoother power. That's why Signal hopes
12:01
Speaker 3: you'll remember the best yardstick of a gasoline's performance is
12:05
Speaker 3: its mileage, which also explains why more and more motorists
12:09
Speaker 3: who insist on the tops in driving pleasure are switching
12:12
Speaker 3: to Signal, the famous gasoline that helps you go farther.
12:18
Speaker 7: Go farther. Go farther.
12:43
Speaker 4: Well, Sylvia, you've finally told Matt what's been on your
12:46
Speaker 4: mind so long. The murder of your husband. And you
12:50
Speaker 4: don't give up when Matt storms angrily out, refusing to
12:53
Speaker 4: have any part of it, do you? No. Because you're
12:56
Speaker 4: certain that here in this house is the answer to
12:58
Speaker 4: all of Matt's dreams. You, Sylvia, and the easy money
13:02
Speaker 4: he'll share with you once Dutch is dead. Matt stays
13:06
Speaker 4: away from you for a whole week. And then... Matt.
13:10
Speaker 6: Oh, I knew it was you. I knew it.
13:12
Speaker 7: Why did I come back?
13:13
Speaker 6: Don't you know?
13:14
Speaker 7: I want you to tell me.
13:16
Speaker 6: Because you love me. And I love you.
13:18
Speaker 7: Say it again. And mean it, Sylvia. Close the door.
13:29
Speaker 7: That tells me everything I want to know.
13:31
Speaker 6: What now, Matt?
13:32
Speaker 7: I'll do whatever you want, Sylvia. Anything. But it's got
13:35
Speaker 7: to be quick.
13:36
Speaker 4: But carefully.
13:37
Speaker 6: It takes planning.
13:39
Speaker 7: I've seen your husband at the airport, Sylvia, and I've
13:41
Speaker 7: been noticing things. He's the kind who takes chances, likes
13:44
Speaker 7: his night flying.
13:45
Speaker 6: Everyone knows the chances Dutch take. Part of his nature.
13:48
Speaker 7: The way he drives his car. Don't you ever pick
13:51
Speaker 7: him up at the airport?
13:52
Speaker 6: No, he leaves his car there.
13:54
Speaker 7: When does he come home next, Sylvia?
13:56
Speaker 6: Friday night.
13:57
Speaker 8: Why?
13:58
Speaker 7: Well, that long stretch of road below here before it
14:01
Speaker 7: hits the hills, it's deserted late at night. Supposing he
14:04
Speaker 7: goes off the road at high speed, crashes. People would
14:08
Speaker 7: say he took one chance too many.
14:10
Speaker 6: Matt, it's awful risky. Whatever you do, be careful.
14:14
Speaker 7: I'll see that his car goes off the road.
14:17
Speaker 8: So long, baby.
14:18
Speaker 4: Goodbye, darling. Well, Sylvia, it's going to happen even sooner
14:32
Speaker 4: than you had dared hope, isn't it? The days ahead
14:35
Speaker 4: seem like years, but you check your impatience, knowing that
14:38
Speaker 4: it's all up to Matt, and whatever happens is on
14:41
Speaker 4: his shoulders. Friday night, you stay within the safety of
14:45
Speaker 4: your house in the hills, but it's not hard to
14:48
Speaker 4: imagine the scene on that lonely stretch of road when
14:51
Speaker 4: the hour comes. Your husband, driving at his usual breakneck speed.
14:57
Speaker 4: Now another car coming up behind, then alongside, crowding Dutch
15:00
Speaker 4: over relentlessly. Dutch's angry shout till his tires hit the shoulder,
15:05
Speaker 4: and then the wild crash as his car careens down
15:09
Speaker 4: the embankment. Hello?
15:21
Speaker 5: Relax, baby.
15:22
Speaker 6: Oh, Matt. Matt, are you all right?
15:24
Speaker 5: I couldn't be better, but I can't say as much
15:26
Speaker 5: for your late husband.
15:27
Speaker 4: Then it worked.
15:28
Speaker 6: You're sure?
15:29
Speaker 5: I said relax, Sylvia. It went just like I said
15:31
Speaker 5: it would. He was doing 70 when he went off
15:33
Speaker 5: the road.
15:34
Speaker 6: Matt, when will I see you?
15:36
Speaker 5: Better sit tight tonight. When I see you again, it's
15:39
Speaker 5: for keeps.
15:41
Speaker 8: Right, baby?
15:41
Speaker 4: Yes, Matt.
15:44
Speaker 6: For keeps.
15:54
Speaker 4: It looks like the house and everything Dutch has is
15:57
Speaker 4: yours now, Sylvia. And when the doorbell rings an hour later,
16:01
Speaker 4: you're sure it's the police coming to tell you of
16:03
Speaker 4: your husband's untimely death.
16:07
Speaker 6: Dutch.
16:09
Speaker 8: So surprised to see your husband, Sylvia?
16:11
Speaker 6: Oh, I know.
16:13
Speaker 8: It's almost as though you didn't expect me.
16:16
Speaker 10: Or did you?
16:17
Speaker 6: Well, of course I did. It's just that you look
16:21
Speaker 6: so strange. What happened, Dutch?
16:25
Speaker 8: I'm not quite sure.
16:27
Speaker 6: Then something did happen.
16:28
Speaker 9: The car deliberately ran me off the road.
16:30
Speaker 8: I'm wondering why.
16:32
Speaker 6: Darling, how awful. The driver must have been drunk.
16:35
Speaker 8: Maybe.
16:36
Speaker 10: Only he drove away safely enough. I'm not a bad
16:39
Speaker 10: driver myself, Sylvia, or I'd have turned over for sure.
16:42
Speaker 6: Oh, thank heavens you're all right, honey. Look, why don't
16:46
Speaker 6: I get you a drink and then you can get
16:48
Speaker 6: some rest?
16:49
Speaker 8: Not now. Come into the den, Sylvia. I want to
16:52
Speaker 8: talk with you.
16:53
Speaker 6: Tonight? Why?
16:54
Speaker 7: Why?
16:55
Speaker 10: I've been thinking about you these last few weeks, Sylvia.
16:58
Speaker 10: And what happened in the past hour.
17:01
Speaker 6: Surely you're not accusing me of.
17:03
Speaker 8: Is there any reason why I should.
17:04
Speaker 6: No, of course not.
17:06
Speaker 4: Oh, Dutch.
17:07
Speaker 6: Dutch, you're not.
17:08
Speaker 8: Sit down, Sylvia. Now listen to me.
17:13
Speaker 6: Very well.
17:14
Speaker 10: I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. You're still
17:16
Speaker 10: my wife. I've made up my mind about a lot
17:18
Speaker 10: of things. To begin with, you're giving up your crazy
17:22
Speaker 10: idea of being a singer again.
17:23
Speaker 4: I see.
17:25
Speaker 6: In spite of what you think, other people like my voice.
17:28
Speaker 6: They pay to hear me.
17:30
Speaker 10: They pay money to see you wiggle in those dresses
17:32
Speaker 10: you wear. You haven't changed, Sylvia. You're still the same
17:36
Speaker 10: girl I took out of the carnival five years ago,
17:38
Speaker 10: the snake dancer.
17:39
Speaker 9: Come one, come all, only a dime.
17:41
Speaker 6: Can't you ever forget you found me in a carnival?
17:43
Speaker 9: I can't forget, Sylvia, because you won't let me.
17:46
Speaker 6: Why did you marry me? I don't think you ever
17:48
Speaker 6: loved me.
17:49
Speaker 8: You're wrong, Sylvia.
17:50
Speaker 10: I did love you.
17:50
Speaker 7: And besides, you're beautiful.
17:55
Speaker 8: And I like beautiful things, you know that.
17:59
Speaker 10: Yes, I still take pride in having you here, Sylvia.
18:02
Speaker 10: It soothes a man's ego to have a beautiful young wife.
18:06
Speaker 6: But you never let me do anything I like. You're
18:08
Speaker 6: always criticizing, always complaining.
18:10
Speaker 10: Perhaps it's because I see something in you that should
18:12
Speaker 10: be developed, some innate sense of refinement.
18:15
Speaker 6: Oh, really? You're supposed to marry people for love, not
18:18
Speaker 6: to develop them.
18:20
Speaker 10: And touch deeply, my dear... This is the first time
18:24
Speaker 10: I knew you ever married me for love.
18:27
Speaker 6: Oh, what makes you this way? Don't you have any feelings?
18:31
Speaker 8: Stop it, Sylvia.
18:33
Speaker 10: No, I'm going to say this once more, and this
18:35
Speaker 10: time I want it to sink in. I'm not a
18:37
Speaker 10: man who can live alone with disappointment nor uncertainty about
18:41
Speaker 10: my wife. If you want to go on accepting the
18:43
Speaker 10: comforts I give you, enjoy my money, inherit it. If
18:46
Speaker 10: anything happens to me, you're going to have to live
18:47
Speaker 10: the way I want you to.
18:50
Speaker 6: It's that or else. Is that what you mean, Dutch?
18:52
Speaker 9: As of this moment, everything is changing. I intend for
18:56
Speaker 9: us to go abroad this winter.
18:58
Speaker 10: And I expect you to conduct yourself like a lady.
19:02
Speaker 8: Is that clear? Is it?
19:05
Speaker 3: Yes.
19:07
Speaker 6: It's perfectly clear.
19:09
Speaker 7: Good.
19:10
Speaker 10: And in the meantime, Sylvia, just to remind you, a
19:15
Speaker 10: lady always remains loyal to her husband.
19:21
Speaker 7: Thank you.
19:28
Speaker 4: More days go by, Sylvia, but now that Dutch has
19:31
Speaker 4: delivered his ultimatum, you're more than ever determined to do
19:34
Speaker 4: away with him once and for all. But as long
19:37
Speaker 4: as Dutch is home, you don't dare see Matt, because
19:41
Speaker 4: you're not quite sure how much Dutch might know, are you?
19:46
Speaker 4: But at last you call Matt from the beach house,
19:48
Speaker 4: and he rushes to meet you.
19:50
Speaker 6: Matt, he's been watching me like a hawk.
19:52
Speaker 7: Baby, is it safe here?
19:53
Speaker 6: Yes, he went to Bakersfield, but just for today. Besides,
19:56
Speaker 6: he hardly ever comes to the beach house. Oh, darling,
20:00
Speaker 6: I can't live with him any longer.
20:01
Speaker 7: I know, baby, it's got to be us, straight down
20:03
Speaker 7: the line.
20:04
Speaker 6: Soon, it's got to be soon. Every day I'm away
20:07
Speaker 6: from the ice.
20:08
Speaker 7: But you were right. It's got to be planned the
20:10
Speaker 7: next time. We've got to be sure.
20:11
Speaker 6: It shouldn't be so difficult, should it, Matt?
20:13
Speaker 5: No, no.
20:14
Speaker 7: It's still the getting away with it.
20:16
Speaker 6: We could still make it look like an accident. He
20:18
Speaker 6: could fall in the pool. His gun could go off
20:21
Speaker 6: while he was cleaning it.
20:22
Speaker 7: No, no, no. That's not good. At least no better
20:23
Speaker 7: than the last try. Baby, tell me some more about Dutch.
20:28
Speaker 4: What?
20:29
Speaker 6: What do you want to know?
20:30
Speaker 7: Everything. Anything you know. Just talk.
20:32
Speaker 4: Well, I.
20:33
Speaker 6: I guess Dutch is what you'd call a proud man.
20:36
Speaker 7: He.
20:36
Speaker 6: He's always telling how he started with nothing and worked
20:39
Speaker 6: his way up. How he had to fight for everything.
20:47
Speaker 4: You sit there, Sylvia, talking, as the ice in your
20:51
Speaker 4: drink melts down to water, and the sunlight filling the
20:54
Speaker 4: room gradually turns to shadows. You talk on, oblivious to
20:58
Speaker 4: everything else, waiting for the perfect plan.
21:02
Speaker 6: That's because he was kicked around. Yes, that's why he's
21:05
Speaker 6: never trusted anyone. That's why he learned to fly his
21:08
Speaker 6: own plane, so he wouldn't have to depend on anyone.
21:10
Speaker 7: Sylvia, his own plane, why didn't we think of that?
21:13
Speaker 6: Oh, Matt, would it be possible?
21:14
Speaker 7: At the Glenview Airport, where I'm a mechanic, why not?
21:17
Speaker 7: You say he'll be back tonight, Sylvia?
21:18
Speaker 6: Late, yes.
21:19
Speaker 7: All right. All right, I'd better not do anything to
21:22
Speaker 7: draw suspicion. You see, you go out to Glenview and
21:26
Speaker 7: be there at the airport waiting for him when he
21:27
Speaker 7: comes in. Find out exactly where he keeps the plane,
21:30
Speaker 7: who his mechanic is, and when he gets the plane
21:32
Speaker 7: ready for the next flight. You understand?
21:33
Speaker 4: Yes.
21:34
Speaker 6: You mean something could happen to his plane?
21:37
Speaker 7: I can fix it. Leave that to me.
21:40
Speaker 6: But what if somebody suspects? Dutch is a good flyer, Matt.
21:43
Speaker 6: He knows planes.
21:44
Speaker 7: Not like I do. I see. A crash at the
21:47
Speaker 7: airport wouldn't be so good. Let him take off. That's it.
21:50
Speaker 7: He gets in the air, things will be going fine
21:52
Speaker 7: till something snaps.
21:53
Speaker 6: You're sure it's possible?
21:55
Speaker 7: I tell you, I know a way, Sylvia. And once
21:57
Speaker 7: Dutch crashes and the plane burns, no investigation in the
22:01
Speaker 7: world will turn up anything.
22:13
Speaker 4: At 11 o'clock that night, Sylvia, you're standing inside the
22:17
Speaker 4: terminal gate waiting for Dutch. You watch the planes land
22:21
Speaker 4: and take off, almost forgetting to breathe. They're the symbol
22:24
Speaker 4: of your freedom now, and then suddenly... Sylvia!
22:27
Speaker 2: Oh, Dutch.
22:29
Speaker 10: I thought I saw you standing at the gate, but
22:30
Speaker 10: I couldn't believe my eyes.
22:33
Speaker 8: I thought you weren't interested in planes.
22:35
Speaker 6: Well, you're... You're looking at a new woman, honey. I
22:38
Speaker 6: decided that since you spend so much time in the air,
22:41
Speaker 6: I want to know everything about it.
22:43
Speaker 10: Well, come on over with me and I'll show you
22:45
Speaker 10: the plane then. Oh, I'm glad you came on, dear. Now,
22:49
Speaker 10: before long, you'll be as crazy about flying as I am.
22:51
Speaker 6: You're probably right, Dutch. When are you taking your next flight?
22:57
Speaker 9: Oh, next Wednesday.
22:58
Speaker 10: Oh.
23:00
Speaker 8: Do I detect a note of sadness?
23:01
Speaker 6: Well, I was just thinking how long away that was.
23:04
Speaker 6: I mean, how long you'll be away.
23:06
Speaker 10: Sylvia, I've been thinking ever since I got back from
23:10
Speaker 10: my last trip and we quarreled.
23:12
Speaker 7: I've been thinking.
23:13
Speaker 6: Oh, please, let's don't start in again, Dutch.
23:15
Speaker 9: No, let me finish.
23:16
Speaker 10: I've been blaming you for all our difficulties, and I've
23:19
Speaker 10: been very harsh, but it's been my fault, too. Maybe
23:21
Speaker 10: more than yours. After all, you're young, full of life,
23:24
Speaker 10: and it's not much fun being tied to a man.
23:27
Speaker 8: Who's away so much.
23:28
Speaker 6: Dutch, you don't hear me complaining?
23:30
Speaker 7: No, wait, Sylvia.
23:31
Speaker 9: I've tried to change you and mold you to my.
23:33
Speaker 8: Pattern of thinking. That was stupid.
23:35
Speaker 10: You.
23:36
Speaker 9: You were right.
23:36
Speaker 10: You can't marry people in hopes of changing them. You
23:39
Speaker 10: marry them because you love them. Well, what I'm trying
23:43
Speaker 10: to say, and I'm afraid I'm saying it very badly,
23:46
Speaker 10: is I do love.
23:48
Speaker 8: You, Sylvia. Can't we make a new start?
23:53
Speaker 6: A new start?
23:54
Speaker 10: I'm going to give up all the business trips unless
23:56
Speaker 10: we can go together like the trip abroad I've planned.
23:59
Speaker 10: I'm going to stay home with you and spend all
24:01
Speaker 10: of my time making you happy.
24:03
Speaker 8: That would make you happy, wouldn't it? I.
24:06
Speaker 6: Yes.
24:07
Speaker 10: And on this next trip, I'm going to get everything
24:09
Speaker 10: in order, wind up the loose ends, and then I
24:11
Speaker 10: promise you, dear, it'll be the last trip I'll take.
24:14
Speaker 6: Your last trip?
24:16
Speaker 7: Yes, Sylvia.
24:17
Speaker 9: And we'll make it an occasion you'll never forget.
24:28
Speaker 7: That night after.
24:29
Speaker 4: Dinner, you make an excuse to go out, phone Matt.
24:32
Speaker 4: And later, you meet him at an all-night market. Start
24:36
Speaker 4: setting the plans for next Wednesday. Lay the groundwork for murder.
24:44
Speaker 4: And then comes the hardest part of all, Sylvia. More waiting.
24:48
Speaker 4: There are five days left. Five days of staring at
24:51
Speaker 4: the clock. Five days of looking at the calendar. And
24:54
Speaker 4: Dutch never leaves you alone. He's very gay and attentive,
24:58
Speaker 4: trying hard to make you smile. You look up into
25:01
Speaker 4: his face and smile back at him when he kisses you.
25:04
Speaker 4: Every nerve in your body is twisted, but you smile
25:07
Speaker 4: back at him. Because you know you won't have to
25:10
Speaker 4: smile at him much longer. Of course, you don't go
25:13
Speaker 4: with Dutch to the airport Wednesday morning. When he leaves,
25:16
Speaker 4: you kiss him at the door and wave a fond goodbye.
25:19
Speaker 4: You know that Matt is waiting halfway down the hill,
25:21
Speaker 4: his work done. Waiting only long enough to see Dutch
25:25
Speaker 4: drive away. It's only a few minutes until Matt arrives and.
25:30
Speaker 7: You're in each other's arms.
25:31
Speaker 5: You're sure, Matt?
25:32
Speaker 6: You're sure he'll crash?
25:33
Speaker 7: I'm positive. He won't be in the air more than
25:35
Speaker 7: a few minutes before he loses control.
25:37
Speaker 6: What if he notices something wrong before he takes off?
25:39
Speaker 7: Oh, look, baby, I've taken enough planes apart and put
25:41
Speaker 7: them back together to know what I'm doing. He'll get
25:43
Speaker 7: off the ground, but not too much further. Our worries
25:46
Speaker 7: are over, Sylvia.
25:47
Speaker 6: Oh, darling.
25:49
Speaker 9: Matt, darling.
25:50
Speaker 7: Oh, I don't cry, baby. We'll have everything now. We
25:54
Speaker 7: can really start to live.
26:11
Speaker 3: You hear people say, you don't get anything for nothing
26:14
Speaker 3: these days. Well, if I may borrow a phrase from Gershwin,
26:18
Speaker 3: it ain't necessarily so. At least you certainly get a
26:21
Speaker 3: lot of extras without paying extra for them when you
26:24
Speaker 3: buy Lee tires. For instance, like most modern tire makers,
26:29
Speaker 3: Lee uses cold rubber.
26:31
Speaker 7: But Lee gives.
26:32
Speaker 3: Its cold rubber extra toughness by adding patented high abrasive
26:36
Speaker 3: fill black oil. All tires have to have some kind
26:39
Speaker 3: of carcass. But Lee gives its carcass extra reinforcement against
26:43
Speaker 3: blowouts and damage with double life rayon cord. And while
26:47
Speaker 3: numerous tires are guaranteed, Lee's super deluxe passenger tires give
26:51
Speaker 3: you extra protection with a double guarantee. Guaranteed 15 months
26:56
Speaker 3: against all road hazards. Guaranteed for life against defective materials
27:01
Speaker 3: and workmanship. Yet you pay nothing extra for all these
27:05
Speaker 3: extras in Lee tires. In fact, right now, signal stations
27:08
Speaker 3: and Lee tire dealers are even giving generous trade-in allowances
27:12
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27:15
Speaker 3: for value, for mileage, for safety, your best tire buy
27:19
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27:24
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27:30
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27:41
Speaker 4: The blast of the crashing plane was heard all over
27:44
Speaker 4: the valley, sending residents rushing from their homes to see
27:47
Speaker 4: the flames and smoke of the wreckage. Firefighters quickly blocked
27:51
Speaker 4: the area. But the newsmen got through, got the story,
27:55
Speaker 4: and called their papers. Hello, Scotty.
28:02
Speaker 7: This is Clary.
28:02
Speaker 11: Here's the story on that plane crash.
28:04
Speaker 5: That's the one.
28:08
Speaker 11: Nothing left of it. Looks like an atom bomb hit it.
28:11
Speaker 11: According to neighbors, he flew low and buzzed it a
28:13
Speaker 11: couple of times, apparently signaling goodbye to his wife. On
28:17
Speaker 11: the last dive, he couldn't pull out of it. Piled
28:19
Speaker 11: right into his own house.
28:20
Speaker 5: How did they identify Sanford?
28:23
Speaker 11: Dutch Sanford wasn't killed. The crash threw him free of
28:25
Speaker 11: the plane, and they pulled him out of some bushes.
28:27
Speaker 11: He'll be as good as new in a few weeks.
28:29
Speaker 5: Anybody in the house?
28:30
Speaker 11: They recovered two bodies. Dutch's wife, Sylvia, and some guy
28:34
Speaker 11: who was with her. We don't know who he was.
28:37
Speaker 11: Chances are we never will.
28:58
Speaker 3: Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program,
29:01
Speaker 3: The Whistler, each Sunday night at this same time. Signal
29:05
Speaker 3: Oil Company has asked me to remind you, the USO,
29:08
Speaker 3: which serves as a home away from home for our
29:11
Speaker 3: boys in uniform, is one of the many worthy services
29:14
Speaker 3: you'll be helping this year when you contribute to the
29:17
Speaker 3: current community chest campaign. Featured in tonight's story were Bill
29:27
Speaker 3: Foreman as the Whistler, Doris Singleton, Ty Averbach, Bill Conrad,
29:31
Speaker 3: and Bob Bruce. The Whistler was produced and directed by
29:35
Speaker 3: George W. Allen, with story by Jolene Hinman, music by
29:55
Speaker 3: at this same time next Sunday when the Signal Oil
29:58
Speaker 3: Company will bring you another strange story by The Whistler,
30:02
Speaker 3: entitled Love Match, in which a terrible mistrust between a
30:06
Speaker 3: pair of conspirators leads to grimly exciting mystery and murder.
30:13
Speaker 3: Marvin Miller speaking for the Signal Oil Company. Stay tuned
30:17
Speaker 3: now for our Miss Brooks starring Eve Arden, which follows
30:21
Speaker 3: immediately over most of these stations. This is the CBS
30:25
Speaker 3: Radio Network.
30:33
Speaker 1: This concludes The Whistler. Three minus one equals murder. Follow
30:37
Speaker 1: The Whistler for more classic broadcasts.