 In just a moment suspense with Ida Lapino What a night. Yeah, it's a scorcher dad. You're lucky. We thought of coming to the firehouse We had to sit around at that hen party your mother's giving a hello Mike Hello have say you fellas want to put out a fire tonight All you've got to do is turn the hoses on and squirt them anywhere. Yeah, it's hotter than 80s We're all sitting here listening to the radio dad. I wonder if they're listening to the auto light show What are you hearing Mike? We're just switching to auto light besides we like their batteries spark plugs And ignition systems around here. Everyone does and everyone likes their show suspense. Oh, here's the show Suspends Auto light and its 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's outstanding theater of thrills Starring tonight miss Ida Lapino in a tale well calculated to keep you in Suspends Today everybody is switching to auto light and tonight auto light takes pleasure in presenting and ton leaders production of Ray Bradbury's remarkable story Summer night starring miss Ida Lapino is the line still busy. I just don't see how it's still It isn't the line miss Macaulay. It's the circuit I've been simply swamped all our station for over an hour and the mayor's office has been yes I know I'm sorry to trouble you but it's terribly important. Well if you want to hang on miss Macaulay I'll try again in a minute. Oh, all right. It's been this way ever since the news got out about finding pull of India You heard about it. I suppose. Yes. Oh Just a minute miss Macaulay. I got another call. Yes. This is the operator. No, I'm sorry that line is still I'll call you just as soon as I can give you a connection. Oh I'm sorry miss Macaulay, but you see what I mean. Oh Miss Welsh by the way Yes, I meant to ask you miss Welsh Are they sure that LaVinia? I mean that it was the same thing as the web girl last week. Why I just knew she'd been found Crazy cross and a forehead, you know, maybe that's why they're calling him. You know the lipstick killer. Oh, yes As I thought it must be that but I wasn't sure I I didn't know. Oh, yes They're looking all over the state for him by now But of course, they don't have much to go on and the chances are that he's right here in this town anyway Oh, I'll try to get your call for you now, miss Macaulay. Thank you. It's Macaulay that circuit is still busy I can't well, why don't I call you back when I get through? It shouldn't be very long. All right, but please try to hurry it It's it's really important terribly important While I was waiting for the call Went to the front door to start locking up It was coming on evening a warm summer evening And ordinarily up and down the street the windows would be open all but mine and You'd hear the sound of a piano or a radio Drifting out onto the still summer air and people would be sitting in swings and hammocks on their front porches Enjoying the coolness at the end of the day But not on this day Not this evening. I Locked my door too. I Went around the big gloomy old house checking all the windows just like the others Not that I needed to really They've been locked ever since father died And he went away All in that one terrible week nearly four years ago Yes, they've been locked and I hadn't left the house more than a half a dozen times and nobody Nobody had come here Why should they I didn't want to see them nor they me I Was the town's queer one But all that was going to be different now From now on everything was going to be very very different Yes, hello party now miss Macaulay go ahead, please Hello. Oh, Helen. Is that you? Yes? Who's this? It's Anna Anna Macaulay How have you been Helen? Oh? I'm well, you know, I've been living rather quietly these last few years. Yes, I It's been a long time hasn't it Helen why yes, I haven't heard your voice for well How long has it been nearly four years has it three years and 11 months this week to be exact? That long has it well, it doesn't seem possible, and we were such good friends Helen Helen I hope you don't think I mean those last few times you called and I didn't answer Of course not. I knew how you must be suffering your father passing on so suddenly that way And you'd always been so close. I I wouldn't have even bothered you at such a time only that we'd been such good friends And I thought maybe I could help and then of course I heard later anyway that well that is. I yes Yes, I suppose you must have heard some rather strange things about me Helen. Oh Not strange dear no, but we all knew you wanted to be alone in your grief, and we respected that feeling naturally I know but sometimes I've been afraid people didn't quite understand though of course they did Well darling now that you're back in the world again, so to speak you must come over and see me I'm staying with my mother now, but you know that anyway. Yes Helen Yes dear Helen it wasn't just an accident my calling you this way well I should hope I want to ask you a favor a tremendous favor Why I I want you to come over here to the house. I should say I would I'll try to know I don't mean just some time Helen I mean now right now right this minute now. Yes Helen Helen you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't serious Please please say you'll come No, don't just try Helen come you've got to come Maybe I'm being silly, but I think it's more than serious Helen. I Think it may be a matter of life and death For suspense auto light is bringing you miss idle a Pino in summer night auto lights presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense You know dad boy mom would sure get a kick out of this not of what Billy? We leave home because she's got the house full of women and so far There aren't anything but women in tonight's auto light show well if she's listening We'll certainly hear about it when we get home from the firehouse. Oh say Mike What's over on that workbench, but over there? Oh them's old batteries We're replacing them with new auto light staples when you spark plugs that stut stut stutters when your battery put put putters Switching to auto light. Am I no, no, we've been using auto light for over 10 years now You know when you got to get out of here in seven seconds after the alarm sounds you got to have the shortest safest batteries There are when we got to go we go yes The new auto light stay full battery is a great battery needs water only three times a year in normal car use This greater liquid reserve practically eliminates one of the major causes of battery failure Car owners tell us it's the greatest battery ever built the greatest battery ever built Money cannot buy a better battery for your car. Yeah, that's real battery know-how Once water goes into an auto light stay full It's like going into a camel the drinks are few and far between yeah And even a night's as hot as this you don't find the auto light stay full at an old-looking bucket So friends see your friendly neighborhood auto light battery dealer and order the new auto light stay full battery for your car It needs water only three times a year in normal car use remember folks Auto light means batteries stay full batteries Auto light means spark plug ignition engineered spark plugs Auto light means ignition system the lifeline of your car Auto light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage Miss Ida Lupino as honor in summer night a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense The matter of life and death I told her I knew Helen would come to see me after that Would be strange seeing her again Not that we'd ever quarreled She never even suspected of course But after that day when he went away with her I'd simply put her out of my life and never thought of her again Would it be strictly truthful? I thought of her a great deal But in a rather different way than I had before when she'd been my best friend And now she was coming to my house again after all these years It should be interesting quite like a surprise party for both of us Helen Helen come in oh it's so nice to see it's good to see you again Helen while you haven't changed a bit You don't look a day older now tell me all about it I can't stay but a few minutes Ted Barton drove me over you remember tail Oh, yeah, and he's got to be back before seven but never mind that now darling. What is the matter? Helen I'm frightened frightened of what I'm afraid. I'm going to be killed going to be killed Yes tonight, but you see I used to know pull a vineyard I used to know her quite well and the other girl Well, I didn't know her but it happened to a right near here in the little woods just beyond the tracks and please dear What on earth makes you think anything like that could happen to you? You're perfectly safe if you don't go out lock the door. No, no, I'm not I'm all alone here Helen and there's been someone prowling at night a man last night He tried to get in are you sure I heard him trying the doors the windows. Well, did you call the police? I was afraid to oh Helen, I didn't know who to turn to with you Everyone thinks I'm crazy anyway. Oh Anna dear. That's ridiculous. Well, we'll call them right now. No, it'll be all right after the night I know it will please I just want you to stay with me tonight stay with you Please Helen just this one night. I can't ask anyone else. I don't have any friends anymore But darling, I don't even have any night clothes. Oh, I'd already thought of that Helen I have everything you need for tonight. Well, I don't have anything for the morning. No face cream. Not even a why worry about that now Maybe neither of us will even be here by morning So she said she'd stayed went out and told Ted Barton Ted Barton Was typical of Helen Only two weeks back from Cleveland and already she had the county's most eligible bachelor squiring her around in his car But that was going to be different too I fixed a little supper for both of us and then we tried all the doors and windows And then there was nothing to do but sit and talk to her until it was time to go to bed No, no more. Thank you. I'm afraid it will keep you awake Helen. I'm afraid I won't need coffee to keep me awake Anna, is it true? I mean what they say about these murders is what true? Well, I mean you've been out in the world Helen more than I have lately You should know more than I well all I meant was Well, you seem so frightened. I thought you might have heard something something special. No, is it true about the lipstick? Why not? Oh, it sounds so crazy. I thought it might be just something the newspaper's made up It was a cross on their foreheads in lipstick Orange lipstick Anna you do know something. Don't be ridiculous Helen. How could I but lipstick Anna? Do you suppose perhaps it isn't a man at all? It's a woman. Oh, oh, I'm sorry. Did I do that? No? They'll come along Helen. It's time to go to bed. Oh, yes, I suppose we might as well You don't mind sleeping in the same room with me. Do you why of course not dear? Oh Shouldn't you leave on a light downstairs? No didn't do any good last night. Oh I must say I don't blame you for being a little frightened staying here all alone Rather a gloomy old place, isn't it? Oh, I don't think so. It's always been like this. It's the way father liked it What about your mother? I? Hated my mother. Oh, well, it's true. Why not say it? What's your own mother? What does that matter? Everyone has to have someone to hate Helen Enough to kill them sometimes. Oh, and I don't think that's true. How can you say that every well? This is our room. Why It's it's what? It's charming. It's so I mean it's so different from the rest of the house. Yes This was to be my bridal room. I'd ever married darling. I didn't know I Didn't know you'd ever thought it was a long time ago. What's the news of Charles Charles? Well, they just isn't any You knew we were separated didn't you? Yes Up is the trouble Helen. Oh, I don't know after the first year. He simply became impossible. That's all You remember even as a child. He was sometimes wild and strange. Oh, yes Yes, he and I were always the queer ones. Why whatever do you mean strange different? little apart from all of you somehow Not quite right. I think they say about me now. Oh Anna. You're imagining that no one ever said such a thing No, of course not What about Charles? Nothing, he just left that's all I haven't even heard from him in six months. Are you sure it was all his fault Helen? Perhaps if he married someone else, oh, you know, there was never anyone else for Charles That's the funny part of it. Of course. He liked other girls. He liked you. Yes Well, you're certainly lucky. He didn't marry you. I don't know what happened towards the end Just went from bad to worse It's not so I hated the very sight of him. I told you everyone had to have someone to hate. Oh I didn't really mean are you sure Helen? Haven't you ever hated anyone? Oh, perhaps there's a little girl. I thought I did you hated me Didn't you why darling? I never there were some times when I hated you too. Oh, I don't believe it children can't really And an ugly little girl like me sees a pretty little girl like you getting everything she wants all to her life Well, not exactly everything you could always twist the teachers around your finger later. It was the same with the boys Finally Charles Just because you were pretty. Oh, maybe I was a little prettier than you dear, but you were always the clever one. Yes Yes, I was the clever one. Well, I suppose we really should go to bed Why Anna Look at this. I didn't know you use I don't it's just one a young cousin of mine left here several months ago. Oh That's funny. Do you know what color it is Anna? What color is it Helen? It's orange No Helen wasn't very clever It amused me to watch her trying to think Putting two and two together and not being able to because she was afraid of her own conclusions Because she was essentially a hypocrite like everyone else If she hadn't been It might have saved her life It was some time in the middle of the night. I don't know exactly what time because it didn't matter Helen was sleeping as soundly as a silly child when I went over to the side of her bed and began to shake Helen Helen wake up Don't make a sound Anna. What's the matter? He's in the house downstairs. Oh, I don't know whoever it was last night He's gotten in somehow. Are you sure I heard him listening for the last ten minutes Anna? What are we gonna do? We've got to get out of the house before he starts upstairs But how can we heal heroes will be called we'll go down the back stairs and out through the kitchen We can go through the back lot over the tracks to judge Brown's house. It's not far, but we've got to hurry Oh, and I'm frightened. What if he won't if we're careful and if we hurry the door between the kitchen and the front of the house is locked Are you sure he isn't in the kitchen in the front? I tell you I heard him We've got to go right all right. Hold my hand. Yes Well, I'm not the door the back stairs adjust to the right after we get out in the hall. Oh, Anna Come along Hold on to my hand and try not to make any noise. Here are the stairs. Just follow me watch out. That's the last step Yes, I've got it. We're in the kitchen now Can you see anything? No, it's too dark. Stand right there right where you are and don't move. Where are you going? There's something I want to get before we leave What are you doing? I've got it now a knife here. Take my hand again. All right a knife this way I don't think I can for a minute. Come along Helen in a little while it'll all be over As we hunted down the path. I kept thinking about there behind me so frightened now I Had to keep myself from laughing out loud. It was really funny She'd always been so confident before at school and later at the parties we used to go to She'd been the confident one and I'd been frightened While she slowly poisoned my life While she quietly and deliberately stole everything I'd ever wanted Even Charles different now that must be the two o'clock local the other side of town Yes, which way now straight ahead for the grove of trees Anna isn't here somewhere that they found that girl Yes Hi. Oh Anna. I can't I can't go through there Helen come along. Don't be silly. Do we have to of course we do What was that what didn't you hear it? No? I was positive. I heard something now who's imagining things No going to stop here But why can't you guess even now Helen? Oh Anna Don't She didn't make a sound. I Think she'd fainted even before I struck She died without ever realizing why I did it. I Made the cross on the forehead with the orange lipstick. It seems such a silly thing as I was doing But of course I had And then I I dragged the body off the path and started home At the railroad tracks I turned south a few yards to where they crossed the river and tossed the knife and the lipstick over the bridge And watch them disappear into the muddy stream below not that it was really necessary No one would ever think of questioning me. They would all of course assume that the lipstick killer had struck again And then suddenly my heart was in my mouth From the path ahead of me Cutting sharply across the moonlight was a shadow the shadow of a man Can I help you? I Didn't mean to frighten you. I just thought you must be in some kind of trouble to be out of Anna, oh, it's Anna McCauley Charles. Oh Charles you did frighten me hell if you insist on running around town at 2 a.m. In your night Charles Charles, this is really too much of a coincidence. Why I didn't know you were anywhere near Boone Center Theoretically, I'm not just passing through business trip. Mr. 2 a.m. Local So I thought it'd kill the time waiting for the milk train for looking the old Berg over again What's your alibi my what oh? Well, that's what I meant about a coincidence. I was looking for Helen The Helen one to your surprise Charles, but it's really very simple First there were these well what the newspapers have been calling the lipstick murders. I suppose you've heard about it I've read something about it. Well, I I suppose I was silly, but I got terribly nervous Living alone in that big house. I asked Helen to stay with me And then in the middle of the night she got frightened and said she couldn't stay another minute and rushed out to Judge Brown's house how typical of Helen. Yeah, well then I I've tried thought about it I got worried about her and went to look for But I guess she must have gotten there. All right. I didn't find her anywhere You're not alone in that big house now. Are you Anna? Yes, I thought you knew Charles my father died. Oh, I'd forgotten Well Silly to be standing here, isn't it? You've got to wait for a train. Why don't you come back to the house with me? I'll fix you some coffee or something Wouldn't that be nicer? Yes, that would be nice That would be very nice. I could hardly believe my good luck Charles of all people It was as though he'd come back to me Almost as though he'd known and come back to me just at the right moment So there we were making coffee in the kitchen talking over old times. Oh Dear where is that opener for the evaporated milk? I never can find it. Oh here. I'll open it with my knife Just make a couple of holes in it. Why isn't that a rather dangerous weapon to carry around just to make holes in tin cans. Oh It has other uses There we are that tastes good Charles I was terribly sorry to hear about you and Helen me and Helen that you separated I mean Is that what she called it? Well, she said that you'd left her Helen always had a way of putting things didn't you You don't still love her do you love her? Didn't she tell you where I'd been I know not exactly I've been in a home Rest home as they call it was Helen who put me there Put you there. I'm afraid Committed is the word See Helen thought I was crazy. Oh Charles I only got out a couple of weeks ago. I Imagine they're still looking for you. You escaped. I had to Charles how dreadful for you a matter of fact. I've been looking for Helen. It was something I wanted to give her but Couldn't you find her? No, I thought I had a couple of times But it wasn't Helen after all What was it you wanted to give her Charles this? lipstick yes Frightful color isn't it orange? Are you sure you're not Helen I Heard the doctors talking a little while ago They say I won't live through the night But I don't care. Oh It's been such a glorious day Happiest since I can remember People have been calling on me whom I haven't seen for years They say I saved the town Must have screamed up. I don't remember So they caught poor Charles And for the first time in my life I'm a really important person. I wonder when they'll find Helen Thank You Ida Lapino for a splendid performance on suspense In just a moment we will again hear from this Ida Lapino Gee what a show I was sweating and it wasn't from the heat either Hey, that's a she got a fire out of the way son. Where's the fire like? They were out of here in seven seconds almost before they stepped on the starter I sure wasn't fooling about those auto light stay full batteries. Was he dead? No, sir Talk about pistol pack and action switch to auto light stay fools and boy. You've got it when you spark plugs That's that stutter now. Don't you try to putt-putt butter Switch to auto light When starters just the grinder why it's a battery reminder switch to auto light Keep your auto right just switch to auto light Hey, you T. O. L. I. T. Switch to auto light for spark plug life and action for a battery Whose attraction is ignition satisfaction switch to auto light And now here again is Miss Ida Lapino It's always a great pleasure to appear on suspense and as a listener I'm looking forward to some outstanding programs on this new suspense series with stars like Charles Lawton Agnes Moorhead Van Johnson Madeline Carroll and then southern and next week I'll be tuned in to hear Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in a gripping suspense story entitled deep into darkness I know you'll want to hear it too on Suspense Ida Lupino may soon be seen in Darrell f. Zanuck's 20th century Fox production Roadhouse Tonight suspense play was written by Robert L. Richards from an original story by Ray Bradbury The music was composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Bluskin The entire production was under the direction of Anton M leader Next Thursday same time you will hear Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. in Deep into darkness. 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