 tonight, because one of our guests is asleep in the deep. The chap, he was a sailor by trade, an old salt named Peter. I had a corpse in every port, but I'm afraid he went overboard, crowded down there. It was written by Bob Slow, and Ed Adamsom, and Starr is very close. I'd seen death in all its crew. I turned and saw Al Hendricks coming quickly down the hill. Ken, I'm afraid you'll have to interrupt your vacation. Why? You've got to come back to town. Wouldn't ask you to come, but it wasn't important. This is a very special case. Why? What's so special about this case? I got in her house at 11 this morning. There doesn't seem to be any visible reason for it. Far we can't find one. You'll have to find it for us, Ken. When you get there, you'll understand why. What do you mean, why? Al Hendricks pulled back the sheet. First time I saw my wife, Ellen, in death. Her face was twisted into a strange smile, and her eyes seemed to stare at me through half-open lids. But somehow, the aura of the dead wasn't about her. It was as if, as if she were only asleep. Dr. Vincent and I stayed there for three hours, testing, analyzing, checking back over every bit of evidence, which might give us an inkling of the cause of death. And when we were finished, I asked Dr. Vincent to send out in. Okay. What's the verdict? There is no verdict. What? It doesn't seem possible, Al. I can't believe it. It's true. What are you talking about? Ellen's death. There's absolutely no cause, Al. There's no reason for her to be dead. Now, wait a minute, Ken. You set yourself on the way down from the lake. If somebody dies, there's got to be a reason for it. Some cause that makes them stop living. Yes, that's what I said, but this is different. Death is death. How can this be different from any other? I don't know, but it is. You mean she just stopped living? Only you can't explain it. Oh, that's not what I mean. I have a feeling that Ellen didn't stop living, but she didn't stop living at all. On the official certificate, the cause of death was listed as unknown. Two days later, Ellen was buried. That night, I sat in the half-dark living room, outside a howling wind slashed at the French windows that led to the lawn. I couldn't sleep. Couldn't get the thought out of my mind. I thought that I should never have allowed them to bury Ellen. I just sat there. The idea is searing deeper and deeper into my mind. And suddenly, one of the French windows was flung open, and the cold wind whipped into the dim-lit room. I come back here. At first, I thought it was just the echoing wind playing tricks, and I heard it again, stronger. I'm here, Ken. It was her voice, Ellen's. You're not afraid, are you, Ken? She stepped out of the shadows and stood there before me in the yellow light of the lamp. She was dressed just the way she was when they put her in the coffin. The gold bracelet I had given her glistened on her wrist. Why do you look at me that way? It's not you, Ellen. Oh, yeah. It can't be. You're dead. Am I? Really? You were buried this morning. You died two days ago. Don't you remember, Ken? You told Inspector Hendricks I heard you. Ellen didn't stop living. Oh, this is just a dream. You know why I didn't stop living, Ken? It's because... It's because you can't make a wish like that come true. What wish? Don't you remember? You said to me, Ellen, I wish you were dead. No. No, Ellen. I always loved you. You didn't. You never did. When Carl was nice to me, you hated us both for it. You thought I was going to Carl and so you made your wish. You wished that I would die. I didn't mean it, Ellen. I swear it was just something I said in anger. You wished me dead, Ken, but you can't kill by willing it. You can see now that I've lived on. Oh, this isn't real. You're only in my mind. It's just my nerves. No, Ken. Yes, it is. It is. It's nothing but a kick of my imagination. I'm as real as you are. I'm flesh and blood and bone, the same as you here. I moved back, but she kept coming closer and closer. And then I turned and ran across the road. I saw a follow-up to me. I got to the bedroom door. I turned the key in the lock. I stood there in the dark. My heart hammering a tattoo of fear that shook my whole body. Fingers around my throat to hold back the scream that cried silently for real. Evan, she got here. I got the coffee and Eva's down the road. I heard you scream. What the deuce has been going on here? She came back, Al. Huh? Ellen. I told you she wasn't dead. Oh, now look. No, I'm not crazy. You've got to believe me. She was here. She tried to get into this room. And that's why I locked myself in here. Now you listen to me. The last couple of days have been rough. No, no, wait a minute. I know what I'm talking about. Ellen's come back. I said you listen. Your wife was buried this morning. I was buried and it's all over. Had a nightmare. Put out! Just a nightmare. Things like that happened to all of us. She wasn't here. She couldn't have been. Ow! It wasn't a dream, Al. What are you talking about? On the floor. There. That bracelet. That bracelet was on Ellen when she was buried this morning. Just about removed all the dirt. I went back to your house. You were gone. I figure this is where I'd find you. You're wasting your time, Ken. She's in there and bent down and snapped open the coffin. He says he jumped down beside me. What a bear in the grave. Her eyes fixed. Roman, get some sleep. You've got to listen to me now. I can explain everything. I know what happened to Ellen. I know why she wasn't in her car. Someone's playing a trick on us. The dead don't rise from that grave. But she wasn't dead. Not really dead. She was here tonight in this room. That was a dream. No. No. She was real. She spoke to me. She was alive. And she'll be back again tonight. I know it. I can feel it. Al, she's coming back. She's going to stop talking like that. I can't face her again. I'm afraid. Don't make me stay here. Al, please. Please. You've got to help me. All right. You can come over to my place. I'll wait. I just wanted to get some of your things out of this closet. Twisted into the seams. She fell forward to the floor. This time I knew she was really dead. The knife in her back told me that Ellen would never return to me again. I have Ellen. Let that be a lesson to you the next time you make a... We found Ellen's body in that closet. I knew I had to get away from that house forever. I wanted to run out into the night. But I couldn't move. Some force held me stationary in its grip. The room began to swim crazily. I saw Al Hendricks come towards me. For the black curtain fell between us. And I was lost. Feeling better, Al? Howdy, hospital. Even here too, we won't talk about that now. I have to talk about it. Don't you see, Al? I was right. Ellen had lived on. No, she was already dead. Put that knife in her back. You only die once when I said before, still go. Somebody's playing tricks. He told me to try and get some sleep. Then he pulled down the shades and walked out of the room. A little later, the door of my room opened. The door of my room opened. In the semi-dark, I could see that it was a woman dressed in white. She stood at the foot of my bed. Good evening. Who are you? Well, I'm your nurse, sir. Here, drink this. Your name isn't Ellen. I'm just the nurse. You're Ellen. You'll come back again. Now, now, you mustn't excite yourself. Just, just, please, drink this. No, no. You'll sleep. No, don't. You'll feel much better after. You come to take me with you. I know what's in that glass. You can trust me. It won't hurt. It won't die. Take it away. Take it away. They're looking down at me. That same twisted smile on their face. Slid out of the bed. Now, you mustn't get up, sir. You're not well. She came towards me. Her hand outstretched. Just like the other time. She came closer and closer. Let me help you back. No. I won't hurt. I started to run down the car. I didn't want something. Stay in bed. Now, let me go. I gotta get out of here. They're going back to your room. No, I can't go back there. Don't make me. She's there. What? Ellen, she's coming back again. Now, look. Just your nerves. I was outside the door. Oh, her voice and her face went the same. But I knew who she was. I could tell by that smile of hers. She's posing as my nurse. That's how she got in. But that can't be, Ken. Think I can make you see that now. What do you mean? You found responsible for Ellen's death because of that fight you had with her. That's why your imagination ran wild. Oh, that bracelet, her body in the closet. Like I told you, she was dead all the time. Somebody was playing tricks. The man murdered your wife. We've got a lead on him. What are you talking about? What man? One of your neighbors gave us the tip. Two o'clock in the morning on that day, your wife was found dead. A man was seen leaving your house. He was tall and wore a black hat and coat. The murderer must have known that you were at Grandview Lake. But it couldn't have been murder. The autopsy would have shown that. We couldn't find any cause for Ellen's death. There's always a cause. We'll find Ellen's murderous somehow. Someone was playing tricks, probing. And then the idea struck. Something Ellen had said. It wouldn't allow me to leave. But I found a way of getting out of that hospital. And I went to see Dr. Carl Denson. The way you say that, Dr. Griswold, you're not well. That's what you want them to believe that I'm crazy. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm talking about Ellen. You killed her, Denson. What? You murdered my wife. You couldn't have her for yourself, so you killed her. You're mad. I read the report. Ellen died of causes unknown. You killed her. And now I know how you did it. You're a doctor. You know about things like that. There's an artery in the neck, the carotid. If you apply pressure on it the right way, the victim dies. And there's no evidence of murder. You can't bluff me, Griswold. Get out of here. Go! To kill you, then I'll kill you. To choke your life out of you. It's like you're a fool. You're crazy fool. Get out of here. Yes, Denson. I changed my mind. You're going to die in the electric chair. I told you to get out. I'm going to prove that you killed Ellen. You can't because I didn't. A man was seen leaving the house on the morning. Ellen was murdered. You were that man, Denson. You knew I was up at Grandview Lake. You waited until I was away. You forgot something, Griswold. It couldn't have been me. I'll prove it. You forget. At the same time you were up at Grandview Lake. I was there too. I went back in my mind and I remembered that Carl Denson had been at Grandview Lake while I was there. But I knew Denson was the murderer. He was the man in the black hat and coat. He had found some way to come back to town and kill Ellen. But I had to prove it. I started out to retrace his steps on the night of the murder. Off at the Grandview Lake station at four in the morning. I phoned for the village taxi and ordered the sleepy driver to take me out to the lounge. I don't like to make trips this time of the night, Mister. Don't worry, I'll take you. It can't go much faster. Trouble with you city folks always hurrying to get nowhere. Reminds me the fella I drove last week. City fella two. Get off the four-row one just like you. Says it in a hurry. Wait a minute. Yes. You said he got off that same train. Yep, that's what I said. Same train as you. What day was that? Now, let's see. Was it Tuesday? Tuesday? Yes, yes. It was Tuesday that. So what did he look like? How much do you want to know from me? Tell me, what did he look like? Well, he was a tall fella. Didn't talk much tall. Couldn't see much of his face at his coat collar up. Nothing about that. Wasn't cold either. Was he wearing a black hat? Come to think of it, yes he was. Ah, not getting cold. Where did you drive him to? Same place, your own mister. Grandview Lake Plage. That proved it. I was right. Denson had gone to town to kill Ellen. Then when he finished, he returned on the early morning. Just one more step left. When I walked into the lodge, George, the night clerk, was behind the desk. Good morning, Dr. Griswold. Hello, Griswold. George, we weren't expecting you, but we have a room. I'm not staying. Oh. George, I need your help. Yes, of course. What is it? It's important. You must remember something. I'll remember. About Dr. Denson. You know him? Yes, certainly. Well, this happened just one week ago, last Tuesday morning, at the same time. You were on duty then? Yes. And you would have seen anyone walk through the lobby here? Yes, I would. Dr. Denson returned to the lodge last Tuesday morning. He was wearing a black hat and coat. He came in here at this same time. You saw him? No. But you must have. I didn't. He came in here. I have proof. The cab driver brought him here from the station, saw him enter the lobby. I didn't see Dr. Denson that morning. You're lying. You did. No, sir. The only person who came in early last Tuesday was you. What? You came in, Dr. Griswold. You wore a black hat and coat, and you asked me for a key to your room. Me? That's right, Ken. With you all the time. How? I'll be good, Ken. Don't make me use this gun. How did you hear what he said? Yeah. That means I killed her. I was waiting for you, Ken. I knew you'd come. I'll let you find out yourself. I don't remember. You're a doctor. You know about those things, but personalities and stuff like that. You just can't see it in yourself, I guess. But her body and the closet. That was you, too. I followed you out to the cemetery. You thought you were still alive. That's why you put the knife in our bank. I'm no expert on those things, Ken, but that's the way it looks to me. Look with him not that way. I ran across the lobby. Stop, Ken! Stop without the shoot! I got to the door and... Burned in my chest. Al turned me over on my back. I'm sorry, Ken. It's all right, Al. Much longer. I know. I won't be here when Al... comes back. I won't give them any trouble with this one. Because of death, this one's easy to determine. That's the trouble with the folks you meet around here. They're dead, but they just don't know enough to... There's a good moral in tonight's nerve-shattering narrative. If you're thinking of doing away with... This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, The Voice of Information and Education.