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The Shadow - "Death in a Minor Key" (Old Time Radio) · The Shadow | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: At Dr.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: Norton's private sanitarium, a series of deaths brings Lamont Cranston
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: into an inquiry that soon requires Margot Lane to enter
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: the institution as a patient. This is The Shadow, Death
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: in a Minor Key, episode 374, first heard on the
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Mutual Broadcasting System on June 2nd, 1946. Brett Morrison is
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: Lamont Cranston and the Shadow, with Leslie Woods as Margot Lane.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Tom Wilson wrote the script. The investigation also draws Cranston
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: to Terry Mason, who claims that his uncle and Dr.
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Norton have confined him to control his inheritance.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: And now, the original broadcast.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: ¶ ¶.
• 1:06
  Speaker 4: What evil lurks in the hearts of men, the Shadow knows.
• 1:20
  Speaker 5: In just a moment, the Shadow starts his first adventure
• 1:22
  Speaker 5: of the season. But first, a word about this master
• 1:26
  Speaker 5: of men's minds. The Shadow, mysterious character who aids the
• 1:30
  Speaker 5: forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston,
• 1:33
  Speaker 5: wealthy young man about talent. As the Shadow, he is
• 1:37
  Speaker 5: the sworn enemy of criminals, lawbreakers, and sharpsters. An invaluable
• 1:41
  Speaker 5: help for the Shadow is his hypnotic ability to cloud
• 1:44
  Speaker 5: men's minds so that they cannot see him. This he
• 1:48
  Speaker 5: accomplishes by means of mystic occult powers acquired during the
• 1:51
  Speaker 5: years he spent in the Orient. Cranston's friend and companion,
• 1:55
  Speaker 5: the lovely Margo Lane, is the only person who knows
• 1:58
  Speaker 5: to whom the voice of the Shadow belongs. Today's story,
• 2:03
  Speaker 5: Death in a Minor Keep.
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: Thank God, you know, that's funny. Death in a minor key.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: You know, to me, that expression brings back the memory
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: of a series of weird, eerie musical notes in a
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: minor key that, well, it had a tragic bearing on
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: my life. You know, it's funny, isn't it, how all
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: of us recall a certain sound that we associate in
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: our minds with a strange, indeterminate feeling of uneasiness or fear. Like, uh, yeah, yeah,
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: like the cry of a coyote as it's silhouetted against
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: the night sky. Or the wild shriek of a siren
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: as an ambulance catapults through the city's darkened streets. And
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: then there's even the sound of a distant train whistle.
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: Punctuating the evening stillness. Bringing with it that lost, empty
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: sensation of being all alone in a strange, lonesome world
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: around you. You know, that's odd. I just happen to
• 3:13
  Speaker 3: think that all those sounds that I described to you
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: are night sounds. Yeah, I guess that does have significance, too.
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: Because a night is... Well, night is a time for fear.
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: And it was at night, too, that those notes in
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: a minor key were heard.
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: Faintly at first.
• 3:37
  Speaker 6: Ever so faintly. Played on a strange instrument. Then as
• 3:44
  Speaker 6: they came closer, you heard uneven, heavy-footed steps. The sounds
• 3:52
  Speaker 6: are louder now.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Footsteps.
• 3:56
  Speaker 7: Nearing.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: Mirror, mirror, mirror. I seem to be getting ahead of
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: my story. It's one that I think will interest you,
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: so if you'd like me to pass it on, suppose
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: I start at the beginning. My name's Terry Mason.
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: My mother and father died in.
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: An accident when I was 12, and I was brought
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: up by an only uncle. But my story really begins
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: down in Santa Domingo, where I spent two years supervising
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: one of the family plantations. Well, Santa Domingo was all right,
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: but believe you me, I was a very happy guy
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: when the day finally arrived for me to board a
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: ship to return to the States. The main reason for
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: that happiness was that, well, because.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: I was in love.
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: Yeah, not only in love, but on my way to
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: get married.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: The girl was Barbara Norton.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: Boy, so you can just imagine how anxious I was
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: for that boat to get to New York and get
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: there fast. Well, I got to New York, all right.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: And the following day in a little church downtown.
• 5:14
  Speaker 5: Do you, Barbara Norton, take this man to be your
• 5:18
  Speaker 5: lawful wedded husband?
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: I do.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: I do.
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: I do. Yeah, it was a beautiful ceremony, I guess.
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: But I wasn't the man who married Barbara Norton. What happened?
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: Oh, I don't know.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: There were probably a dozen reasons. Well, let's just say
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: that two years was too long for her to wait. Now,
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: a thing like that's pretty tough to take. All my
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: hopes and dreams of a future were wrapped up in Barbara,
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: and then all of a sudden, boom.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: There's nothing.
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: Well, after she was gone, there was only one thing
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: to do. To try to forget. To lose myself in
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: bright lights, music, and the gay whirl of the city's
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: night spot. When one place had closed, I'd dig up another.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: My favorite hangout was Skyro. Oh, of course, I know
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: I shouldn't have gone there because everybody knew me, but...
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: I just liked the idea of kicking it around 40
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: stories above the ground. I never took a table. Just
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: sat at the bar.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Listened hazily to the music.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: And jumbled conversation.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: You care to dance, Margo?
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: Oh, not yet, thanks, Lamar.
• 6:32
  Speaker 5: I'm having too much fun just watching.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Look at that couple over there. I was noticing them.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: What is that they're doing?
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: Dancing.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: Dancing? It looks like a Hopi Indian ritual.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: Well, I think that they think that they're doing the conga.
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: Oh, I see.
• 6:47
  Speaker 5: And if I'm right, then Madame Lazonga cheated them out
• 6:50
  Speaker 5: of their last five lessons. Is it customary to conga
• 6:54
  Speaker 5: to waltz music?
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: Well, I don't think it would make any difference to them. Hey, Lamont,
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: do you see that young man sitting at the bar?
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: He's been staring at you for the past ten minutes.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: Wait. I believe I know him. Why, of course. That's
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: young Terry Mason. I haven't seen him in years. Well,
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: if he's a friend, ask him over. Do you mind?
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: No, not at all. Oh, Terry. Terry. Yeah?
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Oh, Lamont. Come on over.
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: If he can make it. Oh, I almost landed on
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: that table.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Hello, Terry. Glad to see you.
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: How are you, Lamar?
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Fine, fine. Now, this is Miss Lane, Terry.
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: Oh, how do you do?
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: How do you do? Sit down, won't you?
• 7:29
  Speaker 7: Thank you.
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: Well, tell me. Where have you been all these years?
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: Huh?
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: Oh, San Domingo.
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: Plantation stuff.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: Two years.
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: Oh?
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: Finally get fed up and come back?
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: Are you kidding?
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: Well, what do you mean? Oh.
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: You know, I came back.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: No, really, I don't, Terry.
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: You see, Miss Lane, that's Cranston for you. He's always
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: the gentleman.
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: Well, I'll tell you, my friend.
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: I came back to get married. Yeah, man's fulfillment, marital bliss.
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: Do you know what happened? Huh?
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Well, it's very melodramatic.
• 8:10
  Speaker 5: I was jilted.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Oh, it's a shame.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: Now, yeah, there was I, waiting at the church. Oh,
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: come on, let's have a drink. Who was the girl?
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: Barbara Norton. Oh, yes, I know her.
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: Oh, sure, sure, nice kid.
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, good to her parents.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: Woman of her word, too.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, woman of her word. Sorry, Terry. Sure, that's
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: what they all say.
• 8:36
  Speaker 5: Sorry, Terry.
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: I worked, Lamont. I worked like a dog for two
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: years in the filthy tropics to prove myself to her,
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: and because of that work, I lost her.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: And just what happened, Terry? I was away too long.
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: Well, that's the story they give me anyway, away too long.
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: But that isn't the real story, not by a long shot.
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: What do you mean?
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: They're all working together on this thing.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: They're working against me.
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: Who?
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: Who's working together?
• 8:58
  Speaker 3: My uncle and Barbara and her father, Dr.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: Norton. I don't understand, Terry.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: Well, my uncle controls my inheritance.
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: Today I learned that he and Dr.
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: Norton were planning to confine me in the doctor's private sanitarium.
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: What do you think of that?
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: Well, perhaps they're doing it for your own good.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: Just like Barbara married somebody else for my own good.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: Oh, no. Now, they're all working together.
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: They want that inheritance. And if they get me to
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: that sanitarium, they know they'll have it.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Where is this place? It's up the Hudson.
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: It used to be our family home.
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: Terry, I think you're putting too much stress on this
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: whole thing. Lamont, you've got to believe me.
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: If they can find me in that place, I'll never
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: come out alive. Well, in spite of all I could do,
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: they put me in that sanitarium the next day. It's
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: for your own good, Terry, they kept telling me. Oh, yeah.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: What they really.
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: Meant was that it was for their own good. Well,
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: I kept my eyes and ears open, waiting. Waiting for
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: something to happen. And then that very first night in
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: the hall of the sanitarium, a sound was heard.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: Faintly at first.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: Ever so faintly. Then footsteps.
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: Nearer.
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: Nearer. Nearer.
• 10:23
  Speaker 8: Nearer.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: I rushed to the phone quickly. I knew that I
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: had to call Lamont Cranston at once. He was the
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: only one that I could turn to.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: The only one. Oh, don't answer it, Lamont.
• 10:34
  Speaker 5: I know it'll be someone who'll give you an excuse
• 10:36
  Speaker 5: for not taking me.
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: To the lecture.
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: That, Margo, would be the trick of the week. No
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: such luck. I'd better answer it. Hello?
• 10:45
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Oh, yes, Terry. Where are you? The sanitarium? What? Murder? Well,
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: are you sure? I see. Yes, I know where the
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: place is. All right, I'll be right up.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: What's the trouble?
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: That was Terry Mason. Someone's been murdered at the sanitarium.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: Come along, Margo. We must go there at once.
• 11:15
  Speaker 7: You know, Mr. Cranston, when you was first telling me
• 11:17
  Speaker 7: that I'm taking you and my cab up to this
• 11:18
  Speaker 7: house in Hudson, I'm thinking of only one house which
• 11:21
  Speaker 7: is up in Hudson, and this house is not a
• 11:22
  Speaker 7: house of which I am very fond of, on account
• 11:24
  Speaker 7: of the bars which are out in the window.
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: Yes, I know, Shrevie. Turn left into this driveway.
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: Yes. Is that the sanitarium up there on the hill, Lamont?
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: Yes, Margo.
• 11:32
  Speaker 8: It's a grim-looking place, isn't it?
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: Old stone walls and high turrets. It almost looks like
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: a prison.
• 11:39
  Speaker 7: Yeah, the house of which I'm referring to is a
• 11:41
  Speaker 7: prison also, although it ain't the same house.
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: You'd better stop here, Shrevie.
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Aren't you going right up the door?
• 11:47
  Speaker 7: No.
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: Terry will meet us at the cellar door. He doesn't
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: want anyone to know we're coming.
• 11:53
  Speaker 5: Lamont, do you really think that a murder's been committed here?
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: I don't know, Margo. This whole thing may be a
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: wild goose chase. Young Terry's in a highly nervous condition.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: But I do think it's worth an investigation. You wait here, Shrevie.
• 12:06
  Speaker 5: Mm-hmm.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm keeping beside me my jack handle, just in case.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: Come on, Margo.
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: Look, the whole place is shrouded in darkness.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Well, it's quite late, you know.
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: Yes, but you'd think that they'd... Come on.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: Yes? What's that?
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: What?
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: What are you talking about?
• 12:24
  Speaker 5: Look.
• 12:25
  Speaker 3: That cloaked figure disappearing in the shadow of the building.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: Yes. Yes, I see him. Margot.
• 12:32
  Speaker 5: That.
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: That looks very much like Terry's uncle. Oh, you know him?
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: Both he and Dr. Norton are old friends of mine. Oh, God. Well...
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: I wonder what he's doing here. Oh, this must be
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: the cellar door that Terry mentioned. He should be right inside.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: Is that you, Martin?
• 12:54
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: I have Miss Lane with me.
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: Come in, both of you. Watch your step.
• 13:03
  Speaker 5: Now, follow me.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: Terry, what is all this?
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: You must be quiet, please.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: Oh, sorry.
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: The murderer is still in the house. Perhaps even at
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: this very moment, he's listening to our conversation.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: What murderer? Who are you talking about?
• 13:16
  Speaker 3: We'll stop here. Now, do you see that door? Yes.
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: That leads to the operating room. In that room is
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: the body of the woman who's been murdered. How do
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: you know? They took her there a few minutes ago.
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: Oh, who are they?
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: My uncle and Dr.
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: Norton.
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: That was Terry's uncle that we saw.
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: Yes. Look, Terry, how do you know that a murder
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: has been committed? Well, I just know, that's all. Did
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: you actually see it done?
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: No, no, I didn't.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Well, then.
• 13:46
  Speaker 3: But I did hear something. Weird music in a minor key,
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: accompanied by the uneven thump of a cripple walking. When
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: the music reached a crescendo, the woman screamed, and then
• 13:59
  Speaker 3: she was found dead.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: Who is the woman?
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: An elderly patient here at the sanitarium.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: But you have no actual proof, Terry.
• 14:06
  Speaker 7: Lamont, you've got to believe what I'm telling you.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: It was murder. Well, who would kill her?
• 14:10
  Speaker 3: What was the motive? I have a theory about that, too.
• 14:12
  Speaker 3: In fact, it's more than a theory. That old lady
• 14:14
  Speaker 3: who just died was a very wealthy woman. My uncle
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: handles all of her investments. In fact, everyone in the
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: sanitarium is a person of wealth, and all of them
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: are friends of my uncle and Dr.
• 14:23
  Speaker 7: Norton.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: You're not accusing them of murder, Terry.
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: Why not?
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: Why, they got me here.
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: To get me out of the way.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: That's why I'm just.
• 14:30
  Speaker 7: One of the hand-picked victims.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: But they're not getting me, do you hear?
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: That's why I called you to help me. Terry, Terry,
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: take it easy.
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: Margot, take Terry upstairs to his room. See that he
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: takes something to make him sleep.
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: No, no, I want to know. I want to know
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: what that music was that I heard. That music of death.
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: Please, Terry. If you want me to help you, you
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: must go along with Margot. I want to investigate a
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: few things here by myself. All right. All right.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: This way, Miss Lane. Up this way. Lamont, what are
• 15:00
  Speaker 3: you going to do?
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: I'm going to pay a visit to that operating room, Margot.
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: As the shadow.
• 15:15
  Speaker 5: Have you examined the body completely, Doctor?
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 15:19
  Speaker 8: And believe me, when the coroner arrives, you'll find nothing wrong.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: You're sure of that? Yes.
• 15:25
  Speaker 5: Yes, I am.
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: Now, Doctor, what can we do about Teddy?
• 15:30
  Speaker 8: Frankly, I don't know.
• 15:31
  Speaker 5: The boy must be taken care of.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: He must be. What was that? You'll pardon my including
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: on your private conversation, gentlemen. Well, who are you? Where
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: are you? I am called the Shadow, gentlemen.
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: The Shadow?
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: You've heard of me, perhaps?
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: Oh, yes, of course.
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Then you must know that although I stand here beside you,
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: you cannot see me. By my hypnotic power, I've clouded
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: your mind.
• 15:56
  Speaker 8: Why are you here?
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: I'm seeking information, gentlemen. Information about the death of that
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: woman whose body lies on the table before you. Why,
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: there is no information to give you.
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: No?
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: How did she die?
• 16:08
  Speaker 8: We can't tell that until the coroner arrives.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: It couldn't have been murder, doctor? Murder? I don't know
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: what you mean. Just before her death, did you by
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: any chance hear music? Weird music? Or the thud of
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: a crippled foot?
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: No, no.
• 16:24
  Speaker 5: No, no, we heard nothing.
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: Why are you so anxious to get rid of young
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: Terry Mason? Get... get rid of him?
• 16:29
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: Didn't I hear you say that the boy must be
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: taken care of? Well, I... I didn't mean it that way.
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: Those were your words, gentlemen.
• 16:37
  Speaker 8: Look here, Shadow.
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: What is this all about? You both know too well
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: what this is all about. But just let me warn you.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: I am very interested in the welfare of young Terry Mason.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: And because of that, I shall keep a close watch
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: on both of you. And if anything should happen to him,
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: anything at all, gentlemen, I warn you, you'll answer to
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: the Shadow. We're ready to leave. Hop in, Margo. All right, thanks.
• 17:22
  Speaker 3: Mr.
• 17:22
  Speaker 7: Cranston, I ask that you should ignore paying any attention
• 17:25
  Speaker 7: to that taxi meeting. The jackhandle I'm holding for my
• 17:27
  Speaker 7: protection slip, it fell against it and it ups 20 bucks.
• 17:31
  Speaker 1: Don't worry, I'll ignore it, all right.
• 17:32
  Speaker 7: I am referring to it on my account slip as
• 17:34
  Speaker 7: paper profits.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: Okay, sweetie.
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: Isn't he wonderful?
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: Lamont, what did you learn down here?
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: Well, I went into that operating room as the shadow.
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: Terry's uncle and Dr. Norton were examining the corpse of
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: the old woman who died there.
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: Do you think that she was murdered?
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: Well, I saw no evidence of violence. Both men swore
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: that she'd met a natural death.
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: Well, then you think it was just Terry's imagination after all.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: No, no, I don't. It's hard to say at this
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: point just what I think. You still think that Terry
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: might be right? Yes. Yes, I do. What do you
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: propose to do? I think I'm going to call on
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: you for help, Margot.
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: Me? Help?
• 18:14
  Speaker 4: How?
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: Tomorrow, I want you to go to Dr. Norton's office.
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: Pretend that you're verging on a nervous breakdown and gain
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: admittance to the sanitarium as a patient.
• 18:22
  Speaker 3: How does one acquire a nervous breakdown?
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: Well, uh, just watch Shweeby take these turns.
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: Not a bad suggestion.
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: But seriously, Montel, I'd do this myself. Only Dr. Norton
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: and Terry's uncle both know me. What do you say?
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: Wait, sure, sure, I'll do it.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: Good girl. You must see the doctor first thing tomorrow.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: Gain admittance to the sanitarium no later than tomorrow night.
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: Are you quite comfortable, Miss Lang?
• 18:52
  Speaker 5: Yes.
• 18:53
  Speaker 3: Yes, thank you, Miss.
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: Well, there's a cord above your bed if you wish
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: to ring for me. Yes, I know you told me that.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: I'll just open.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Your window and put out your light.
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: There.
• 19:04
  Speaker 3: Now, too, try and get a good night's sleep. I'll try.
• 19:07
  Speaker 3: Good night. Good night. Good night. Try to get a
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: good night's sleep. That's funny. Well, I can try anyway,
• 19:19
  Speaker 3: I guess.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: What's that?
• 19:27
  Speaker 3: Where's that light?
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: There.
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: Oh, it doesn't work.
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: The lights have been cut off.
• 19:33
  Speaker 3: Somebody's coming in the door.
• 19:38
  Speaker 8: Who's there?
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: Why don't you answer me? Don't come any closer.
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: Don't come any closer!
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: Quiet, Miss. It's not Terry Mason. Oh, you frightened me.
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: Sorry, but you must come with me to the cellar
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: at once. The killer is loose again.
• 19:56
  Speaker 5: Margo, are you all right?
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: Lamont, what are you doing here?
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: I was outside keeping watch when I heard the screamer. First,
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: I thought it might have been you.
• 20:04
  Speaker 3: No, I'm all right, thanks to Terry here. I think
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: the murderer has struck again. Yes, and just the way
• 20:09
  Speaker 3: that Terry described.
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: The weird music, footsteps, and then the scream. Who was
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: it this time?
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: I don't know. But there was one unusual thing that
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: Miss Lane didn't mention. The footsteps seemed to be coming
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: down a staircase, and yet there are no stairs in
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: that wing of the house. Yes, I noticed that, too.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: Anything else?
• 20:25
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, there is. About 25 minutes ago, I heard
• 20:28
  Speaker 3: the house phone ring. I listened in on the extension
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: in my room, and I heard my uncle tell Dr.
• 20:32
  Speaker 3: Norton that he'd be over here shortly.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: Yes, I saw his car drive in. Well, there's no
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: doubt that there's someone next door in the operating room.
• 20:41
  Speaker 3: Yeah, sounds like Uncle and Dr.
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: Norton. Perhaps they have the latest victim's body in there.
• 20:45
  Speaker 3: Oh, Lamont.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: You and Terry go back upstairs at once. Let's get
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: back to your rooms before you're missed.
• 20:49
  Speaker 3: Yes, that's right.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Come on. I'll be right with you, Terry.
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: Lamont, what are you going to do now?
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: The Shadow is going to pay another call in the
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: operating room and try to unravel this mystery. Now, see here.
• 21:05
  Speaker 8: I think this thing has gone too far.
• 21:07
  Speaker 5: But, Doctor, you promised me that we'd see this through together.
• 21:10
  Speaker 5: I know, I know, but this second death is too much.
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: I should say that's an understatement, Dr. Norton.
• 21:17
  Speaker 5: The shadow again.
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: Yes, gentlemen. This time I shan't be as lenient with you.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: The body on that table shall be examined by me,
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: not you, Doctor. Why... You fooled the police with your
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: first murder. You'll do the same with the second one.
• 21:29
  Speaker 5: Are you.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Are you accusing us of killing?
• 21:31
  Speaker 3: I am.
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: Hello. What's this? So, step over here, gentlemen. That's it.
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: Now examine that mark behind the patient's left ear. Look, doctor.
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: He's right.
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: The shadow's right. That tricornate puncture was the cause of
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: this woman's death? And it was murder. So you agree
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: with me at last.
• 21:57
  Speaker 5: But you don't think that we killed him?
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure yet. I want you both to go
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: to Dr. Norton's study. And don't leave there until the
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: shadow calls.
• 22:06
  Speaker 3: Hello?
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: Are you alone, Margo?
• 22:15
  Speaker 8: Yes, yes, Lamar.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: I'm coming right up to your room. The murderer is
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: about to strike again.
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: Oh, Lord.
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: Yes, Margo. And I have reason to believe that you
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: have been selected as his next victim. Who is it? Lamont,
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: open up, Muggle.
• 22:36
  Speaker 5: Oh, Lamont, I'm so glad you're here.
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: Put out your light, Muggle, quickly. Yes, Julie. We must
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: have darkness. Why? You'll see. I purposely called on you
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: on the house phone... because I knew that the murderer
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: would be listening in. Then, through his fear of my
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: knowing his identity... he'll pick this time to try to
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: kill us both.
• 22:56
  Speaker 3: That's a pleasant little thought. Who is this murderer... If.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken, it'll be a long, black, highly poisonous
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: snake that leaves a tricornate mark on its victim.
• 23:08
  Speaker 3: A snake? Oh, gosh, Lamont, they scare me to death.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: Quiet, please, Margot. The snake may be in the room now,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: ready to strike. We've got to listen for it.
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: Oh, well, it's probably my imagination, but I can make
• 23:22
  Speaker 3: myself believe it's crawling on my leg now.
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: Shh, listen.
• 23:27
  Speaker 5: Look out, Margot!
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: I got him.
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: Oh, Lamont.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: I saw him coming through that window. I guess I
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: closed it on him just in time. He's got his
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: body in two.
• 23:35
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: Well, that takes care of that.
• 23:39
  Speaker 3: So that's our murderer.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: No, Margot. Only the instrument of death. Our murderer should
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: be paying us a call in a moment to add
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: the final macabre touch to what he expects has been
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: a double killing this time. Listen. You hear that?
• 23:57
  Speaker 3: Yes, that same sound.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: We'll stand over here by the wall.
• 24:01
  Speaker 3: Sounds again as if he were descending a flight of stairs.
• 24:05
  Speaker 7: Yet there are no stairs.
• 24:07
  Speaker 3: I know.
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: Don't speak. Just watch that panel on the wall. See?
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: It's slowly opening. See there, Margot?
• 24:16
  Speaker 8: All right, I've got you now.
• 24:19
  Speaker 5: Oh, you've got him, Lamont.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: You've got him. Yes, he'll play a different tune this time.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: Put on the light, Margo.
• 24:24
  Speaker 3: All right.
• 24:25
  Speaker 5: There.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: There's our murderer. He's unconscious. Yes. That's waste, Lamont.
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: Those long fangs and popping eyes.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: He doesn't look human. It isn't human, Margo. That's a
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: mask that was worn to hide his true identity. See?
• 24:38
  Speaker 3: Now take it off.
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: There.
• 24:43
  Speaker 3: Why, Lamont, it's... Well, that just about ends my story, folks.
• 24:55
  Speaker 3: But gosh, you can see what a mess I almost
• 24:57
  Speaker 3: got Lamont and Miss Lane in. Fortunately for them, they
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: found out the murderer in time. This killer's motive was
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: a familiar one.
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: Revenge.
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: Trying to implicate those who he thought had wronged him.
• 25:11
  Speaker 8: As you probably.
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: Have already deduced, the club foot was a disguise. And
• 25:15
  Speaker 3: the weird music came from a strange oboe-like instrument that
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: he used to hypnotize the snake. Yes, he thought he
• 25:24
  Speaker 3: was being very smart. But, well, right on down the line,
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: it's been pretty well proven that the smart guy in
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: the long run gets just what he gives up.
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: Time to go, Terry.
• 25:36
  Speaker 5: So, when I.
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: Terry Mason.
• 25:39
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, yeah. I didn't realize that for long. I
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: was just telling these people a story. And not a
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: bad one, either, if I do say so myself.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: You'd better come along, Mason.
• 25:50
  Speaker 8: Okay, okay.
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: Good night, folks.
• 25:54
  Speaker 8: Goodbye.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: Oh, Heavenly Father, have most infinite mercy upon this.
• 25:58
  Speaker 3: Lost soul and receive him unto thee, Dominio.
• 26:09
  Speaker 8: Having been sentenced to die for committing the crime of murder,
• 26:12
  Speaker 8: I hereby pronounce Terry Mason legally dead.
• 26:26
  Speaker 5: Friends, you won't want to miss next Sunday's exciting story
• 26:29
  Speaker 5: of the shadows. When Lamont and Margo find themselves in
• 26:33
  Speaker 5: an abandoned old western mining town.
• 26:35
  Speaker 3: Look here, God.
• 26:36
  Speaker 5: Just why is it that you're so afraid to have
• 26:39
  Speaker 5: Lamont and me ride through that old town down there?
• 26:41
  Speaker 8: Lady, when I told you Bad Creek was a ghost town,
• 26:45
  Speaker 8: I didn't.
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: Just mean it was a deserted village.
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: It's really a town of ghosts.
• 26:55
  Speaker 5: Today's program is based on a story copyrighted by the
• 26:58
  Speaker 5: Shadow Magazine. The characters, names, places, and plot are fictitious.
• 27:02
  Speaker 5: Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: The Shadow knows.
• 27:24
  Speaker 2: Our presentation of The Shadow, Death in a Minor Key,
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: now comes to a close. Follow The Shadow for more
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: classic broadcasts.