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Suspense - "Will You Make a Bet with Death" (Old Time Radio, 1942) · Suspense | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: At Coney Island, Betty Andrews steps aboard the haunted mill
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: and meets Bob Penderel, a frightened young man with only
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: hours left to win a $ 25, 000 wager made with his uncle,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: John Destry. From CBS, this is Suspense, Will You Make
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: a Bet With Death? Episode Zero, originally broadcast November 1st, 1942.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Michael Fitzmaurice plays Bob Penderel, with Leslie Woods as Betty Andrews,
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Nicholas Joy as John Destry, Ted DiCorsia as a police sergeant,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: and Charles Slattery as Inspector Mullen. The story is by
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: John Dixon Carr, Marks B. Loeb directs, with William Spear producing.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: Carr later expanded the story into his 1952 novel The
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Nine Wrong Answers, Now, back to the golden age of radio.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: Suspense.
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: The thrill of the nighttime, the hushed voice and the
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: prowling step, the stir of nerves at the ticking of
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: the clock, the rescue that might be too late, the
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: crime that is almost committed, mystery and intrigue and dangerous adventures.
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: We invite you to enjoy stories that keep you in suspense.
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: Can a man stake his life against $ 25, 000? Can another
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: and cleverer man track him down like a hunter... stalking
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: his prey and kill him within five hours? Can you
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: make a bet with death and win?
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: For suspense, tonight we present... Will You Make a Bet
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: With Death?
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: Pony Island on a summer day. There's the beach, bright
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: colored with bathing suits. There's the boardwalk, all straw hats
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: and summer dresses. There's the ferris wheel and the roller coasters.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: There is all humanity, eating hot dogs and having a
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: good time. And over there, beyond that souvenir shop, is
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: the haunted mill. Get into a little boat. You float
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: through a narrow tunnel into the dark while witches scream.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: But that fools nobody, does it? There couldn't be any
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: real terror, could there? While the bands are playing and
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: the crowd goes by and.
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: Ladies and gentlemen, a unique attraction.
• 3:21
  Speaker 5: It hurts me to see you stand there and miss this.
• 3:24
  Speaker 5: Only ten cents, one dime, the tenth part of a
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: dollar to go through the old haunted mill and get
• 3:31
  Speaker 5: the thrill of your life.
• 3:32
  Speaker 6: An overstatement if you ask me. One ticket, please.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Did you say one ticket, lady?
• 3:36
  Speaker 6: That's right, one ticket. What's the thrill?
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: A big pardon, lady?
• 3:40
  Speaker 6: I said, what's the thrill?
• 3:41
  Speaker 5: Lady, the gals who come here with their boyfriends don't
• 3:44
  Speaker 5: have to ask that.
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: Ten cents, please, this.
• 3:46
  Speaker 7: Way and mind the gate.
• 3:47
  Speaker 4: Thank you. Step right up, ladies and gentlemen.
• 3:50
  Speaker 5: Get your ticket for the old haunted meal where ghosts
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: will walk.
• 3:54
  Speaker 8: And call to.
• 3:55
  Speaker 4: Give me some tickets.
• 3:56
  Speaker 7: Hurry.
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: Just a minute, young fella.
• 3:57
  Speaker 7: I know you want to get into the old haunted meal,
• 3:58
  Speaker 7: but there's plenty of time.
• 3:59
  Speaker 9: How many tickets?
• 4:00
  Speaker 4: I don't know. You'd better give me ten.
• 4:03
  Speaker 10: Ten tickets?
• 4:04
  Speaker 7: Do you hear that, ladies and gentlemen? Here's a young
• 4:07
  Speaker 7: fella who likes the old.
• 4:08
  Speaker 5: Haunted mill so much, he buys ten tickets.
• 4:11
  Speaker 10: Don't call everybody's attention. Listen, I've got a better idea.
• 4:15
  Speaker 10: Whatever boat comes after mine.
• 4:16
  Speaker 4: Yeah? I'll give you an extra dollar to send that
• 4:19
  Speaker 4: boat through empty.
• 4:19
  Speaker 7: Now, what's the matter, son?
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: The cops ain't after you, are they? No, no, no, no.
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: It's nothing like that. Will you do it? Well, money talks,
• 4:25
  Speaker 4: young fella. Okay, go ahead. Isn't there an empty boat here?
• 4:33
  Speaker 7: Well, really?
• 4:34
  Speaker 6: You've got such a great objection to riding in the
• 4:35
  Speaker 6: same boat with me?
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: Oh, I.
• 4:37
  Speaker 4: I'm sorry. I didn't mean that at all. Don't misunderstand.
• 4:40
  Speaker 6: Then you'd better get in if you want to go.
• 4:42
  Speaker 6: This boat's starting to move.
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I... I'd better sit down.
• 4:47
  Speaker 6: You certainly had.
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: Look here, I... I want to apologize.
• 4:52
  Speaker 6: That's quite unnecessary. This place is rather childish anyway, isn't it?
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Yes.
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: Isn't it?
• 4:58
  Speaker 6: But I've seen everything else, so I may as well
• 5:00
  Speaker 6: see this. Here we go in the dark.
• 5:04
  Speaker 4: What was that?
• 5:06
  Speaker 6: One of the ghosts, I imagine, from a machine.
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: It sounded like him laughing. There isn't anybody in the
• 5:12
  Speaker 4: boat behind us, is there?
• 5:14
  Speaker 6: I can't see. It's pitch dark.
• 5:16
  Speaker 4: Listen, Miss... Miss.
• 5:18
  Speaker 11: My name is Andrews, Betty Andrews, if it's customary to
• 5:22
  Speaker 11: exchange names in a place like this.
• 5:24
  Speaker 4: Mine's Penderel. Bob Penderel.
• 5:27
  Speaker 6: Did you say Penderel?
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: Yes. Do you know it?
• 5:30
  Speaker 6: Oh, no, no, not exactly.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: It's an unusual name, that's all.
• 5:35
  Speaker 10: I don't want you to think I'm out of my mind,
• 5:36
  Speaker 10: though I very nearly am.
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: But I've got five hours to go. Just five hours.
• 5:43
  Speaker 10: At the end of that time, either I'll have won $ 25, 000
• 5:46
  Speaker 10: or else.
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: Or else? Or else I'll be dead.
• 5:51
  Speaker 11: You know, I wish I'd kept you away from this boat.
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: There's nothing to get alarmed about.
• 5:58
  Speaker 5: For you.
• 5:59
  Speaker 10: I can't tell you much, but I had to tell
• 6:01
  Speaker 10: somebody that or I'd have started yelling.
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: There's just one other thing.
• 6:05
  Speaker 11: Yes, sir?
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: In these places, they've usually got little dim-lighted rooms along
• 6:09
  Speaker 4: the way. Yes. Exhibits. Yes. Well, when we come to one,
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: I'm going to get out of this boat and hide there.
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: Just don't get alarmed and don't tell anybody when you
• 6:19
  Speaker 4: go out. Why should you do that? I think I
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: see a light ahead.
• 6:22
  Speaker 6: There is a light, but.
• 6:23
  Speaker 4: Dim, too. That's all for the good. It's... Yes? Yes.
• 6:28
  Speaker 10: We're coming around the corner. Look, I'm going to have
• 6:31
  Speaker 10: company when I get off. A waxed dead man on
• 6:34
  Speaker 10: a pile of straw. I hope I can stand these noises. Goodbye,
• 6:41
  Speaker 10: Betty Andrews. I wish we'd met at a different time.
• 6:43
  Speaker 6: Mind the boat.
• 6:44
  Speaker 4: Here. What are you doing? Getting out, too. Don't be
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: an idiot. What's the idea?
• 6:49
  Speaker 6: You need looking after, Mr. Penderel. And if we must hide,
• 6:52
  Speaker 6: I suppose this is as good a place as any.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: I won't have it. Quick, quick. There'll be more boats along.
• 6:57
  Speaker 6: Over behind that dead man on the straw. He'll hide us.
• 6:59
  Speaker 7: Hurry.
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: Now, Mr.
• 7:03
  Speaker 11: Penderel, in the queerest place I ever get into, please
• 7:06
  Speaker 11: tell me what this is all about.
• 7:08
  Speaker 4: I can't tell you.
• 7:09
  Speaker 6: You said it yourself. If you don't tell somebody, you'll
• 7:11
  Speaker 6: go crazy.
• 7:12
  Speaker 4: Maybe you're right. It's against the strict terms of the bet.
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: But this is the last day. And I tell you,
• 7:19
  Speaker 4: I can't hold out any longer.
• 7:20
  Speaker 11: Lower your voice.
• 7:20
  Speaker 4: Lower your voice. The boat's coming.
• 7:26
  Speaker 5: I wonder.
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: I wonder if you ever heard of my stepfather, John Destry.
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 7:33
  Speaker 10: I imagine everybody has. He's a millionaire and I'm not.
• 7:38
  Speaker 10: I'm just a chemist, an analytical chemist. Not very successful.
• 7:44
  Speaker 10: So if I'd had time, if I'd had money, I
• 7:47
  Speaker 10: might have worked out a process that would have, well,
• 7:50
  Speaker 10: I think it would have.
• 7:51
  Speaker 4: Helped in the war.
• 7:52
  Speaker 6: But he's got money.
• 7:53
  Speaker 10: Yes, he's got money. Well, my mother died years ago.
• 7:58
  Speaker 10: This Destry's a big, white-haired, fine-looking fella. You'd think butter
• 8:02
  Speaker 10: wouldn't melt in his mouth. He's got an apartment in
• 8:04
  Speaker 10: the East 60s.
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: Secretary. I never met her. Ballot, cook, that kind of thing. Well,
• 8:11
  Speaker 4: he used to invite me there. I wouldn't go. Then
• 8:15
  Speaker 4: he got hold of a book I had to have.
• 8:17
  Speaker 4: A German work on chemicals. So I went. After dinner
• 8:22
  Speaker 4: and that study of his, over the brandy... Oh, my
• 8:43
  Speaker 4: dear Robert. You're quite welcome to the book. Don't mention it. Oh,
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: what do you think of this brandy, by the way?
• 8:50
  Speaker 4: It's excellent, thanks. Yes, yes, I thought you'd like it.
• 8:54
  Speaker 8: And now that we're all relaxed, comfortable after dinner, tell
• 8:58
  Speaker 8: me something.
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: Yes, Mr. Destry? You hate me, don't you? Frankly, I do.
• 9:05
  Speaker 4: Always have. Good, good. Then you'll be.
• 9:09
  Speaker 8: Relieved to hear I've always felt the same about you.
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: But tell me something else. Did you ever know me
• 9:15
  Speaker 4: to break my word? No, I never did. I'll give
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: you that.
• 9:20
  Speaker 8: I asked you, Robert, because I want to make a
• 9:23
  Speaker 8: little bet with you. That is, if you have the nerve,
• 9:28
  Speaker 8: which I doubt.
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: I'm afraid I can't afford to make bets. You were
• 9:32
  Speaker 4: always careless with money, Robert.
• 9:35
  Speaker 8: Well, I've been thrifty. I saw that when your mother
• 9:38
  Speaker 8: was alive. But you can afford to make this bet.
• 9:42
  Speaker 8: Look here, in my desk.
• 9:46
  Speaker 4: Well? $ 25, 000, Robert. $ 25, 000 in five $ 100 bills. And what
• 9:49
  Speaker 4: would I have to bet against that? Your life. What?
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: My life? There's the money in the drawer. Look at it.
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: What wouldn't you give for that money?
• 10:07
  Speaker 8: What wouldn't you give to have it for this precious
• 10:10
  Speaker 8: work of yours that you're so fond of and that
• 10:13
  Speaker 8: you've failed in miserably?
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: So far I've failed, yes. Oh?
• 10:18
  Speaker 8: I've had a fairly good life as lives go. My
• 10:21
  Speaker 8: heart isn't as good as it might be, but doctors
• 10:24
  Speaker 8: say I'll last a little while yet. But before I go,
• 10:28
  Speaker 8: there's one pleasure, one little exquisite thrill for me to experience.
• 10:35
  Speaker 4: I want to commit a murder. Yes, I said a murder.
• 10:42
  Speaker 8: My bet is that I can kill you within six months.
• 10:46
  Speaker 8: And that you can't stop me. And that I'll never
• 10:51
  Speaker 8: be punished for it. What do you say? Yes or no?
• 10:59
  Speaker 4: I believe you mean that. Of course I mean it.
• 11:03
  Speaker 10: And just how would you propose to kill me?
• 11:06
  Speaker 4: Ah, that would be telling.
• 11:08
  Speaker 10: You know, if I had time to think this thing over.
• 11:11
  Speaker 4: There's no thinking it over.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 11:15
  Speaker 4: Yes or no? Or no? Yes. You must need the
• 11:22
  Speaker 4: money badly, Robert. I do need it. But oddly enough, Mr. Destry,
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: that isn't why I'm doing this.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: No?
• 11:28
  Speaker 8: No.
• 11:29
  Speaker 10: I want to show you you can't play the Lord
• 11:31
  Speaker 10: Almighty and get away with it.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: Are you challenging me? Yes. You don't think I can
• 11:35
  Speaker 4: do it? I know you can't.
• 11:38
  Speaker 8: We mustn't get excited, Robert. There will be conditions to
• 11:43
  Speaker 8: the bet, you understand?
• 11:44
  Speaker 4: What conditions? First of all, you'll never mention this matter
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: to anyone. All right. That seems fair enough.
• 11:52
  Speaker 8: You'll remain within the city limits of New York for
• 11:55
  Speaker 8: six months. You'll spend at least one hour of every
• 11:59
  Speaker 8: day walking the open streets alone.
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: All right.
• 12:03
  Speaker 8: You'll spend at least one hour every evening in your
• 12:06
  Speaker 8: own room alone. I may come to see you, or
• 12:13
  Speaker 8: I may not.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: Hmm.
• 12:15
  Speaker 8: Trying to scare me already, are you? Finally, you'll write
• 12:18
  Speaker 8: out a little note and give it to me. There's
• 12:21
  Speaker 8: pen and paper on the desk in front of you.
• 12:23
  Speaker 4: Write it now. Let's hear what I have to write
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: before I do anything like that. You will write, I
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: am a failure. You can't stop harping on that, can you?
• 12:32
  Speaker 8: I am a failure. And this was the only way out.
• 12:36
  Speaker 8: I wouldn't have done it otherwise. A suicide note?
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: Yes. I intend to use it when I, uh... operate.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: And if I won't write it? Then there's no bet.
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: All right, I'll do it.
• 12:54
  Speaker 8: It's now, uh, let's see, nine o'clock on the night
• 12:58
  Speaker 8: of January the 10th. If you're alive and not in
• 13:01
  Speaker 8: a madhouse. Does that go into the bargain, too?
• 13:03
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 13:04
  Speaker 8: At nine o'clock on the night of June 10th, given
• 13:07
  Speaker 8: those conditions, you will.
• 13:09
  Speaker 4: Receive $ 25, 000. Can't you hear the dice?
• 13:11
  Speaker 10: Yes.
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: Rattle, Robert. You're playing with death now. I know it.
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: Aren't you going to finish your brandy? No, thank you.
• 13:27
  Speaker 4: Then pour it back into the decanter. You heard me.
• 13:32
  Speaker 4: Pour it back into the decanter.
• 13:35
  Speaker 8: If you were as careful as I am, you wouldn't be.
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: Where you are now. That's right. Always be thrifty.
• 13:47
  Speaker 8: I can promise you, by the way, that you'll always
• 13:50
  Speaker 8: be perfectly safe as long as you're in this apartment.
• 13:53
  Speaker 8: But that's the only concession I make. I notice your
• 13:57
  Speaker 8: hands are steady at the moment. I wonder what they'll
• 14:02
  Speaker 8: be like a month from now.
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
• 14:27
  Speaker 11: So you were fool enough to make a bet with
• 14:29
  Speaker 11: John Destry.
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: Listen, Betty.
• 14:31
  Speaker 10: I want to tell you what else happened the same night.
• 14:34
  Speaker 10: I got on a Fifth Avenue bus and started to
• 14:36
  Speaker 10: look through that book that Destry gave me. It was
• 14:39
  Speaker 10: a book that I wanted about poisons. Well, just as
• 14:42
  Speaker 10: I opened it, I felt something sharp prick my fingers.
• 14:46
  Speaker 10: I looked down, and my hands were covered with blood.
• 14:48
  Speaker 10: He had sewn.
• 14:52
  Speaker 10: Line down the inside into the cover.
• 14:54
  Speaker 4: Oh, no.
• 14:56
  Speaker 10: A little white card fell out of the book, and
• 14:58
  Speaker 10: I read it. It said, see how easy it is
• 15:02
  Speaker 10: to take you off guard? Those razor blades aren't poisoned,
• 15:06
  Speaker 10: but they might have been.
• 15:08
  Speaker 4: Take warning.
• 15:10
  Speaker 10: Betty, that was six months ago. Six months less five
• 15:15
  Speaker 10: hours of careful, refined torture.
• 15:18
  Speaker 4: And now... I've got only five hours to go.
• 15:20
  Speaker 6: What's he done in the meantime?
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: Nothing.
• 15:23
  Speaker 4: Nothing?
• 15:24
  Speaker 6: I don't understand.
• 15:25
  Speaker 4: Nothing at all. That's the cleverness of it. He's left
• 15:28
  Speaker 4: me waiting, waiting, waiting. Expecting something.
• 15:31
  Speaker 10: Expecting it every hour of the day or night. Once
• 15:35
  Speaker 10: at the laboratory where I work, I opened a box
• 15:37
  Speaker 10: that I thought was full of chemical supply house. And
• 15:41
  Speaker 10: a Mexican tarantula, one of those furry spiders about as
• 15:43
  Speaker 10: big as your fist, ran out across my hand. It
• 15:47
  Speaker 10: was a toy tarantula. He enclosed a card, asking whether
• 15:52
  Speaker 10: I didn't admire it.
• 15:53
  Speaker 6: Bob, this can't go on.
• 15:54
  Speaker 4: I used to think I didn't have a nerve in
• 15:55
  Speaker 4: my body.
• 15:56
  Speaker 10: I could hold a test tube at arm's length absolutely
• 15:59
  Speaker 10: steady for minutes at a time.
• 16:00
  Speaker 4: Now look at me. Don't, please, don't.
• 16:03
  Speaker 10: But the waiting's almost over now. Walking the streets, wondering
• 16:07
  Speaker 10: who's behind you. Sitting alone at night, listening for every
• 16:11
  Speaker 10: step on the stair. He's got very little time left now,
• 16:15
  Speaker 10: and he's got to do something.
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: What's he going to do?
• 16:20
  Speaker 6: Well, maybe he doesn't mean it. Maybe he's only doing
• 16:23
  Speaker 6: it to scare you.
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: And lose all that money? Oh, you don't know my stepfather. Listen.
• 16:33
  Speaker 4: I don't hear anything. That's just it. There's no sound
• 16:37
  Speaker 4: of running water. The boats have stopped. Then we're all
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: by ourselves in here. All with him. Yes.
• 16:46
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 16:47
  Speaker 4: Oh, Lord, how I wish I hadn't gotten you into this. Oh,
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: I'm all right.
• 16:51
  Speaker 6: Or at least I think I am.
• 16:55
  Speaker 10: I thought I saw him in the crowd outside, but
• 16:58
  Speaker 10: I couldn't be sure. I'm seeing him everywhere.
• 17:02
  Speaker 6: Now, Bob, just a minute. Just tell me one more thing.
• 17:05
  Speaker 6: Did you ever see Mr. Destry, I mean face to face,
• 17:07
  Speaker 6: after that first night?
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: Many times.
• 17:09
  Speaker 6: He came to see you?
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: He came to my laboratory once, yes, but mostly I
• 17:13
  Speaker 4: went to see him. And why... Because it was the
• 17:17
  Speaker 4: only place in the world I could feel safe.
• 17:18
  Speaker 11: He's promised that nothing should happen to you while you
• 17:20
  Speaker 11: were in his apartment.
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: Don't you see it was part of a torture? Night
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: after night he'd invite me. And I'd go. Right up
• 17:28
  Speaker 4: until last night. Last night.
• 17:32
  Speaker 10: We were in that study of his. With the devil
• 17:35
  Speaker 10: masks on the walls. And he was sitting behind the
• 17:38
  Speaker 10: big mahogany desk.
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: Oh, my dear Robert.
• 17:58
  Speaker 8: I'm pleased and even touched to have you here on
• 18:02
  Speaker 8: the last night before you.
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: Before you... Why don't you say die and get it
• 18:08
  Speaker 4: over with? Oh, well, let's not say die. No. The
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: clergy contend that we never die. We only change. Now
• 18:16
  Speaker 4: let that be a consolation for you. Must you be
• 18:19
  Speaker 4: going so early?
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: Yes.
• 18:21
  Speaker 4: There's that one-hour-at-home rule to our bet, if you remember.
• 18:25
  Speaker 4: I remember. You're keeping to the rule. Yes, and I
• 18:28
  Speaker 4: mean to beat you at this if it's the last
• 18:30
  Speaker 4: thing I ever do.
• 18:31
  Speaker 8: The last thing I ever do. That's an unfortunate choice
• 18:36
  Speaker 8: of phrase, Robert. My boy, you haven't a chance. Something's
• 18:42
  Speaker 8: going to happen to you within the next 24 hours
• 18:44
  Speaker 8: when you least expect it.
• 18:47
  Speaker 4: Will you answer me one question? If I choose. Have
• 18:53
  Speaker 4: you decided how you mean to kill me? I decided
• 18:57
  Speaker 4: that six months ago.
• 18:59
  Speaker 8: And you still think you can get away with it?
• 19:01
  Speaker 8: It's a method which has never been known to fail.
• 19:05
  Speaker 8: I give you my word of honor on that.
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: Is it... Is it... Sudden? Yes. And no. Wouldn't you
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: like to know what it is? Good night, Mr. Destry. I...
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: I think I'd better be leaving. No, no, my dear boy,
• 19:23
  Speaker 4: you mustn't go yet. Sit down.
• 19:26
  Speaker 8: Pour yourself a glass of brandy.
• 19:27
  Speaker 4: No, thanks.
• 19:29
  Speaker 8: Then perhaps you wouldn't mind pouring me a little. My
• 19:32
  Speaker 8: doctor allows brandy, though I'm forbidden spirits. I notice your
• 19:40
  Speaker 8: hands are shaking quite a good deal.
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: They weren't like that six months ago, were they? No, no.
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: You were full of confidence then. Oh, and it grieved me.
• 19:50
  Speaker 8: me to see you waste tobacco by lighting a cigarette
• 19:53
  Speaker 8: and putting it out immediately. Oh, it's no use lying
• 19:56
  Speaker 8: to you. But I'm going to beat you just the same.
• 19:59
  Speaker 4: You wouldn't like to back out now? After what I've
• 20:02
  Speaker 4: been through? You'd still have your life. I'll keep it, thanks.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: That's very unwise of you, Robert. Still, you must decide.
• 20:12
  Speaker 8: I was expecting my secretary a little later to dictate
• 20:16
  Speaker 8: some letters, but now I think I'll leave her a
• 20:21
  Speaker 8: message that I've gone to bed and turn in myself.
• 20:25
  Speaker 8: Tomorrow is likely to prove an interesting day for both
• 20:28
  Speaker 8: of us. Here's your hat, here's your briefcase, and let
• 20:33
  Speaker 8: me wish you a fond, peaceful, and happy good night.
• 20:38
  Speaker 4: Ha, ha, ha.
• 21:03
  Speaker 10: That was last night, Betty. I saw I had five
• 21:05
  Speaker 10: hours to go. It's less than four hours now.
• 21:07
  Speaker 4: If I can keep away from the old devil until
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: nine o'clock... I wish those boats would start running again. Why?
• 21:13
  Speaker 4: Because it's almost as spooky in here as a real
• 21:15
  Speaker 4: old mill. I know. Even that wax dummy on the straw.
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: Any minute now, I... You're expecting to see him move?
• 21:22
  Speaker 4: So am I. Now, don't stand up. It doesn't matter.
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: If the boats aren't running, we can hear anybody who
• 21:26
  Speaker 4: comes along. I hope so. Do you think Destry's got in?
• 21:29
  Speaker 6: Bobby can't have got in.
• 21:31
  Speaker 4: He can't even be here. Why not?
• 21:33
  Speaker 3: Because Mr.
• 21:33
  Speaker 6: Destry told me.
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: Mr. Destry told you?
• 21:37
  Speaker 6: I'm his secretary.
• 21:37
  Speaker 4: Okay. You know, Betty Andrews, I'm sorry it was you
• 21:45
  Speaker 4: who did this.
• 21:46
  Speaker 6: Did what?
• 21:47
  Speaker 4: You can't guess, can you?
• 21:48
  Speaker 11: Oh, Bob, I didn't come here to trap you or
• 21:50
  Speaker 11: spy on you.
• 21:50
  Speaker 6: If that's what you're thinking, I swear I didn't.
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: No. You only got me to tell you the whole
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: story and lose my bet.
• 21:55
  Speaker 6: I haven't heard a single word you said. Bob, please
• 21:58
  Speaker 6: believe that.
• 21:59
  Speaker 4: He didn't send you here, of course.
• 22:00
  Speaker 5: No, no.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: And of course you never saw me at his apartment
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: last night. No, I swear I didn't.
• 22:04
  Speaker 6: I got there late. He'd gone to bed.
• 22:05
  Speaker 11: I didn't even take off my hat or gloves before
• 22:08
  Speaker 11: I left again.
• 22:09
  Speaker 4: Don't you understand, Bob? I hate him, too.
• 22:10
  Speaker 6: I want to see you beat him. You've got to
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: beat him.
• 22:14
  Speaker 4: You mean that?
• 22:15
  Speaker 6: Look at me and see if I mean it.
• 22:18
  Speaker 4: Betty, I almost believe you.
• 22:23
  Speaker 6: You must believe me.
• 22:25
  Speaker 3: And.
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: Anything else?
• 22:28
  Speaker 6: We'd better hide behind that dead man, Harry. Those boats
• 22:31
  Speaker 6: have started up again.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: I wish I could tell you, Betty, what that means
• 22:34
  Speaker 4: to me. Come on, come on, hurry.
• 22:36
  Speaker 5: Wait a minute, you two.
• 22:38
  Speaker 4: Stay just where you are. Where's that voice coming from?
• 22:41
  Speaker 6: Along the tunnel, I think.
• 22:43
  Speaker 4: But it's not Destry's voice.
• 22:44
  Speaker 6: No, it's a man standing up at a boat. He's
• 22:45
  Speaker 6: coming around the corner.
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: I can see him now. Hurry.
• 22:48
  Speaker 7: The old haunted mill, eh? My golly, if this ain't
• 22:52
  Speaker 7: some place to make a pinch, I never heard of one.
• 22:54
  Speaker 4: What do you mean, make a pinch?
• 22:56
  Speaker 9: Just what I said. Your name Robert Penderel?
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: Yes. Who are you and what do you want?
• 23:02
  Speaker 7: Police headquarters. You're here to come along with me. I
• 23:06
  Speaker 7: want to see you over in New York.
• 23:07
  Speaker 6: About what?
• 23:08
  Speaker 7: I wouldn't know, lady, but it might be about the
• 23:11
  Speaker 7: murder of John Destin.
• 23:12
  Speaker 4: Oh, no! Did you say... The murder of John Destry?
• 23:17
  Speaker 7: That's right. Somebody poisoned him last night with mercury cyanide.
• 23:22
  Speaker 7: I wouldn't have got you at all, maybe, if the
• 23:24
  Speaker 7: barker outside there hadn't thought the cops were after you
• 23:26
  Speaker 7: to start with.
• 23:28
  Speaker 4: Betty. Yes, Pop? He's beaten me. He hasn't beaten you. Oh, yes,
• 23:33
  Speaker 4: he has.
• 23:34
  Speaker 10: And I know now the weapon Destry was going to
• 23:37
  Speaker 10: use in killing me.
• 23:38
  Speaker 4: What weapon? It never fails. The electric chair. Oh.
• 23:46
  Speaker 6: You mustn't talk like that.
• 23:48
  Speaker 4: Don't you see? He never once intended to kill me
• 23:50
  Speaker 4: in the way I thought.
• 23:52
  Speaker 9: Are you coming quietly, Mr.
• 23:53
  Speaker 4: Pendle? Just a minute.
• 23:54
  Speaker 10: He's poisoned himself. But he's left evidence to show I
• 23:58
  Speaker 10: did it. He's killing me the worst way possible. He's
• 24:02
  Speaker 10: won the bet. The money doesn't matter now. If I'm
• 24:06
  Speaker 10: in the death house for murder, what use have I
• 24:08
  Speaker 10: got for all the money in the world?
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 24:30
  Speaker 7: Pandrell, let me introduce myself. My name's Mullen, Inspector Mullen.
• 24:34
  Speaker 7: It's a pleasure to meet you, Inspector. It's a pleasure
• 24:37
  Speaker 7: to be safe again. I've had you brought here to
• 24:40
  Speaker 7: my office for a little quiet talk. You're in a jam, son.
• 24:43
  Speaker 7: And I want you to realize how bad it is.
• 24:46
  Speaker 7: You think I don't realize it? John Destry was poisoned
• 24:49
  Speaker 7: with mercury cyanide administered in a glass of brandy.
• 24:53
  Speaker 4: And only my fingerprints were on the glass besides his own.
• 24:56
  Speaker 4: I can guess. Mr.
• 24:57
  Speaker 7: Destry's body was found this morning lying behind the desk
• 25:00
  Speaker 7: in the study. There was an empty glass with traces
• 25:03
  Speaker 7: of brandy and cyanide. We haven't had the full autopsy report,
• 25:07
  Speaker 7: but the smell of that stuff is pretty distinctive. Tell
• 25:10
  Speaker 7: me you're a chemist, Mr.
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: Pender. That's right.
• 25:14
  Speaker 7: The boys find that eight grains of mercury cyanide are
• 25:17
  Speaker 7: missing from your laboratory.
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: Where he visited me a month ago.
• 25:20
  Speaker 7: And in your briefcase, which you took away from his
• 25:23
  Speaker 7: apartment last night.
• 25:24
  Speaker 4: He handed it to me. I remember.
• 25:25
  Speaker 7: We found over a thousand dollars in cash. Now take
• 25:29
  Speaker 7: a look at this note. You ever see it before?
• 25:32
  Speaker 4: What? Yes. I wrote it.
• 25:37
  Speaker 7: You admit that?
• 25:37
  Speaker 4: Yes, yes, yes. It says, I was a.
• 25:40
  Speaker 7: Failure and this was the only way out. I wouldn't
• 25:43
  Speaker 7: have done it otherwise.
• 25:45
  Speaker 4: Where did you find it?
• 25:46
  Speaker 7: Torn up in little bits. You started to write a
• 25:49
  Speaker 7: confession and then you couldn't face the consequences. But you
• 25:53
  Speaker 7: shouldn't have left the pieces behind. You're intimate, my boy. Unless.
• 25:58
  Speaker 4: Unless what?
• 26:00
  Speaker 7: Now, if you'd like to confess here and now, and
• 26:02
  Speaker 7: maybe we did a little deal about second-degree murder, why.
• 26:05
  Speaker 4: Oh, Inspector, why bother to string me along?
• 26:08
  Speaker 7: What do you mean, string me along?
• 26:09
  Speaker 10: There's no second-degree murder on a poison charge. It's the
• 26:12
  Speaker 10: death house or nothing. He saw to that.
• 26:14
  Speaker 7: It's too bad you had to go and kill him, son.
• 26:17
  Speaker 7: Didn't you know he had an aneurysm?
• 26:20
  Speaker 4: A what? Fatal heart disease. He said that he had
• 26:24
  Speaker 4: heart trouble, but.
• 26:25
  Speaker 7: Heart trouble. His doctor says he couldn't have lived eight
• 26:28
  Speaker 7: or ten months anyway. And you might have got something
• 26:31
  Speaker 7: in the will. So that's why he did it.
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: Did what? Killed himself.
• 26:36
  Speaker 7: You still stick to that crazy story you told the boy?
• 26:39
  Speaker 4: He's going to kill me, isn't he?
• 26:40
  Speaker 10: With 3,000 volts of electricity.
• 26:44
  Speaker 9: Inspector Mullen.
• 26:45
  Speaker 7: What are you doing here, Sergeant? Didn't I say I
• 26:47
  Speaker 7: wasn't to be disturbed? All the same, Inspector, I thought
• 26:50
  Speaker 7: I'd better do it. There's a young lady here, a
• 26:52
  Speaker 7: Miss Betty Andrews. I think you'd better see her. I'll
• 26:55
  Speaker 7: see her when I'm good and ready. And I think
• 26:57
  Speaker 7: you'd better see her, Inspector. We've just heard from Mr.
• 27:00
  Speaker 7: Destry's lawyer. Well? He said that that young fellow there, Mr. Penderel,
• 27:04
  Speaker 7: inherits 25,000 bucks in Mr. Destry's new will.
• 27:07
  Speaker 4: Did you hear that, son?
• 27:08
  Speaker 7: Do you see what you'd have gotten if you hadn't
• 27:10
  Speaker 7: gone and killed him?
• 27:11
  Speaker 4: He was keeping his promise, that's all. The fine lot
• 27:15
  Speaker 4: of good it'll do me now.
• 27:16
  Speaker 7: But look, Inspector, I've just talked to the medical examiner
• 27:19
  Speaker 7: and he says there's no poison in Mr.
• 27:21
  Speaker 9: Destry's body.
• 27:26
  Speaker 4: Say that again?
• 27:28
  Speaker 9: There's no poison in the old man's body.
• 27:31
  Speaker 7: Somebody's kidding you. An empty glass with the smell of
• 27:35
  Speaker 7: mercury cyanide and a dead man with a congested face
• 27:38
  Speaker 7: behind the mask?
• 27:39
  Speaker 4: What did kill him then?
• 27:41
  Speaker 9: Well, if you'd like to listen to Miss Andrews, Inspector,
• 27:43
  Speaker 9: she's right here now.
• 27:44
  Speaker 6: I think you'd better listen, Inspector. I've been trying to
• 27:46
  Speaker 6: tell you all afternoon.
• 27:48
  Speaker 7: Go ahead, Miss Andrews.
• 27:49
  Speaker 6: I've been over and over it. And until I got
• 27:51
  Speaker 6: the medical report, nobody would listen.
• 27:53
  Speaker 7: Can you tell us what killed John Destry?
• 27:55
  Speaker 4: Yes. Poison killed him.
• 27:57
  Speaker 7: But the sergeant's just been saying there was no poison
• 27:59
  Speaker 7: in the body.
• 27:59
  Speaker 6: Inspector, will you listen? I was at Mr. Destry's apartment
• 28:03
  Speaker 6: late last night.
• 28:04
  Speaker 4: Well, so what? You didn't kill him, did you?
• 28:07
  Speaker 6: The servant said he'd gone to bed. So I looked
• 28:09
  Speaker 6: into the study to see if there were any instructions.
• 28:11
  Speaker 7: Was Mr. Destry dead then?
• 28:13
  Speaker 9: I don't know.
• 28:14
  Speaker 11: I couldn't see his body because it was hidden behind
• 28:17
  Speaker 11: the desk. I didn't even learn he was dead until
• 28:20
  Speaker 11: late this afternoon. But I did see a full glass
• 28:24
  Speaker 11: of brandy.
• 28:25
  Speaker 4: A full glass, did you say? Yes.
• 28:28
  Speaker 11: So I picked up the glass and poured the brandy
• 28:30
  Speaker 11: back into the decanter. That's what he always made us do.
• 28:33
  Speaker 11: And I didn't leave any fingerprints because I was still
• 28:35
  Speaker 11: wearing my gloves.
• 28:37
  Speaker 10: And.
• 28:38
  Speaker 6: That was the same glass you later found empty.
• 28:39
  Speaker 7: But you still are not telling us what was the
• 28:42
  Speaker 7: poison that killed John Destry.
• 28:45
  Speaker 11: It was the poison in his own system. He worked
• 28:47
  Speaker 11: out this plot to convict Bob Penderel. Only just as
• 28:50
  Speaker 11: he stretched out his hand to drink the cyanide.
• 28:52
  Speaker 4: Inspector, I think I see it. It was his last
• 28:55
  Speaker 4: great hour. He couldn't resist such gloating as he'd never
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: known before.
• 28:59
  Speaker 11: That's it. His heart wouldn't stand it. And he fell
• 29:02
  Speaker 11: dead behind the desk. And I think if you study
• 29:05
  Speaker 11: the expression on his face... You'll find he died laughing.
• 29:22
  Speaker 3: And so ends Will You Make a Bet with Death.
• 29:27
  Speaker 3: Tonight's story of.
• 29:30
  Speaker 4: Suspense.
• 29:32
  Speaker 3: The part of Bob Penderel was played by Michael Fitzmaurice.
• 29:36
  Speaker 3: Betty was played by Leslie Woods. John Destry was played by...
• 29:39
  Speaker 3: Nicholas Joy. And in supporting roles were Ted DiCorsia and
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: Charles Slattery. Again next Tuesday at 9.30 p.m. Eastern Wartime.
• 29:50
  Speaker 3: A story dedicated to the thrill of the nighttime. The
• 29:53
  Speaker 3: hushed voice and the prowling step. Another adventure in suspense.
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: William Spear, the producer, Mark Slobe, the director, in the
• 30:04
  Speaker 3: absence of John Dietz, and John Dixon Carr, the author,
• 30:09
  Speaker 3: are collaborators on.
• 30:13
  Speaker 4: Suspense. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: This presentation of Suspense, Will You Make a Bet with Death,
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: is complete. Follow Suspense for more classic broadcasts.