 The signal oil program the whistler is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler and the whistler and I know many things for I walk by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends it's time for the signal oil program the whistler Independent research rates it the most popular radio program on the pacific coast Remember let every traffic signal remind you with signal new signal gasoline You do go farther than ever Look for signals big yellow and black circle sign that identifies those popular signal stations in seven western states from canada to mexico And now the whistler strange story The stray dream Chris claggett was never meant to commit murder He knew it the minute he did it But of course it was too late then the minute it was over and he looked down at steve robinson lying there on the floor He knew that nothing would be the same after it That no matter how perfect it was no matter how thoroughly he outsmarted the police The big battle was going to take place inside himself in the middle of his mind He felt it even stronger two hours afterward as he paced the floor of his apartment Waiting for the telephone call that was bound to come sooner or later Trying to read and throwing the magazine aside mixing drinks and pouring them down the sink Lighting cigarettes. He was too nervous to smoke waiting Waiting Kathy was bound to call she had to discover it sooner or later Five minutes of two the night before Easter steve working late at the florist shop But she'd know he couldn't be working that late She'd go down to see what was keeping him And then she'd call Chris was ready for it an hour ago with just the right amount of surprise and shock But now at five minutes of two he didn't know The waiting was getting him In the silence, there it is Chris Kathy dear, you know better than to call me at this time Chris listen to me Something terrible has happened. What's matter the flower shop when he didn't come home. I went down and Let me call the night editor first. I'll be right over The waiting is over You carried it off pretty well, didn't you just the right amount of surprise and shock But there's a strange new feeling inside in the pit of your stomach something you've never felt before And the sight of steve lying where you left him on the floor of the back room of the flower shop Surrounded by banks of easter lilies and roses Brings the feeling to a dangerous pitch You're thankful for your training. You don't even have to think as you watch lieutenant nelson You're a police reporter your pencil moves automatically taking down everything you see and hear Well, what do you think chief? Probably struck from behind as he was working at this bench Yeah, but how did the guy get in didn't have to get in gibson could have reached in this open window Oh claggett. Yeah You'd better go and find your story. I don't think anything else will break tonight just photographs fingerprint man and that sort of thing All right lieutenant. It's tough. I know all murders are tough I think the flowers here are what make this one so horrible All this beauty and ugliness In the same little room He was a friend of yours, wasn't he? Yeah I'd better go lieutenant What'll I tell mrs. Robinson tell her I think she's had enough for one night I'll uh, see her tomorrow afternoon. Okay Pretty terrible kathy What What did lieutenant nelson say? You can go now. He'll see you tomorrow afternoon I uh, I gotta file my story That's something isn't it me filing the story about steve Please chris. I'm sorry. I just I know chris I I don't know what I'd do if If you weren't here, I'll always be here kathy Remember that will you? Sure chris. I'll remember That's the right balance chris just enough grief and just enough business as usual The outside battle is going well, isn't it tonight the reporter carrying on in spite of everything Tomorrow a little less grief a little more business as usual at the city editor's desperate Ah just a minute halloween. I tell you I'm right chief the door into the into the sales room was locked. You're sure Of course, I'm sure why I remember that's the trouble. You think you remember where's chris over there at the counter All right, we'll see now chris. Yeah, come here a minute. I'll show you what I mean halloween It's matter chief oh halloween here is doing a feature on the murder He says the door into the sales room was locked. Yeah, will you? Yeah, it's a second Uh, let me see Oh, here we are The door had a Yale lock, but it was on the latch and the bolt above it was open I see now wait a minute There was a triangular rubber door stop against it on the workroom side so it couldn't have been used as an exit That's it. See what I mean halloween. He doesn't trust his memory. He takes everything down. Oh, that didn't seem very important How do you know it's not important take it down? Anyway, I was so busy always chris doesn't matter How busy you are a first-class man makes notes without even thinking about it, right chris? Yeah I suppose so you see halloween. That's what I mean by a reporter You're an expert a precision machine Accurate to a millionth of an inch never wrong on a fact never guilty of bungling errors like the other reporters And because you used the same methods to kill steve robinson the outside battle was over before it started Three months later the case is shelled Kathy's yours chris. She's mrs. Claggett now You have what she said how to get Why don't you forget about the battle that's still going on inside? Chris yeah, Chris where the roses I put on the mantle Rosa yeah on the green base on the mantle there. Oh, yeah. Well, they they're kind of wilted I threw them out Well, Ted Oh chris. I just got them from the florist yesterday. Why must we always have flowers kathy? Well, because I like well, I don't What's the matter dear ever since we got back from I just don't like flowers kathy. Is there anything wrong with that? Well, don't jump at me I'm sorry What's wrong chris? You used to send me flowers before steve and I know it You don't have to tell me it's very simple kathy. I don't like flowers because they remind me of steve That's why I want them. Huh? They remind me of steve too chris I like to think of them once in a while. Why? Because I loved him kathy. Don't you understand? I was fond of him too. He was my best friend But we're not living in the past keeping him in front of us all the time isn't going to help Well, is that why you're objected to living here? Of course. He's here in the house with us everywhere I turn I see him knickknacks of his all over the place is picture on your dresser. I thought you understood when we were married. I guess I didn't Oh, excuse me kathy. I'm going to bed So you go to bed chris, but you don't sleep for hours You haven't really slept since the murder have you And tonight it's worse than ever Your mind's like a spinning top You aren't conscious of the exact moment it begins But suddenly you find yourself in the press section of a courtroom covering a trial It's a courtroom different from any you've ever seen Roses are everywhere. They cover the walls. They flow down over the judge's bench and up the aisles the scent of them is almost sickening There's a strange cold feeling inside you. You take in all the details the judge the jury the counsel for the defense and the prosecution Then your heart almost stops As you realize that the man on trial for murder Is you Wait a minute. Let me explain. You got me all wrong. No, no, listen. I didn't Usually I have two cups. I think I'll cut down a little. I Didn't sleep too well last night. Oh, it must have been something I ate you You were hearing tossing around No, I was dead to the world. I I had the feeling when I woke up this morning. I've been talking in my sleep You remember hearing anything? You must have something on your conscience, dear It's a good thing Kathy sleeps soundly You don't remember what you said, but no matter what it was it would have sounded bad under the circumstances You feel better that afternoon as you take Kathy downtown for a beauty appointment and get into the swing of things at the office Then that evening don't you think it might be a good idea to call off our bridge date with the bartons tonight You seem so tired. Yeah, I could use some sleep You know, I've been thinking all afternoon about last night. What do you mean? This morning when you asked me I didn't remember anything unusual, but This afternoon the strangest feeling came in. You mean you heard me heard what? Oh, well, you remember I I was telling you I had some crazy idea. I'd been talking in my sleep. No, I didn't hear anything I was just sitting here reading when I suddenly realized I had a funny dream. Oh, yeah Well, maybe it's because of the roses roses. Yes, you remember we talked about them before going You mean you dreamed about roses? Yes, all all mixed up with something about a trial and a courtroom court Kathy, are you sure? What's the matter chris? Is that all? Well, that's all I can remember Chris What's the matter? I I don't know with the prologue of tonight's story the stray dream Signal brings you another strange story by the quistler In place of the message about signal gasoline usually heard at this time on the whistler signal oil company has asked me to talk with you about something much closer to the heart About someone you may have forgotten to put on your christmas list I'm talking about a service man One who won't be able to be home with his family and friends this christmas because he's in a hospital Recovering from wounds he suffered fighting for his country and for you Can't you imagine the happiness it would bring some service man on christmas morning to receive a gift? He wasn't expecting that would tell him as nothing else could that he hasn't been forgotten Needly a large gift, but it should be something appropriate something he could use And the red cross is ready to help you by suggesting the right gift for the right man Just call the camp and hospital committee of your local red cross And tell them you'd like to send a christmas gift to a service man. They'll give you the necessary information Now on christmas morning You'll be twice as happy because you'll have brought a ray of happiness to someone who gave so much To give us the best christmas gift of all peace Remember the place to call is the camp and hospital committee of your local red cross don't put it off Call tomorrow, won't you And now Back to the whistler first time in your life. You're beginning to lose faith in yourself The shadow of a doubt is slowly making itself felt inside you You keep telling yourself it must be a coincidence How else could you and kathy have had the same dream at the same time a courtroom filled with roses? Yet she couldn't have pulled that one out of the air. It's too fantastic. It can't be coincidence Yet what else can it be? Once again, you lie awake for hours trying to find an explanation Then Just as before It's all there in front of you the same courtroom Just as you saw it last night from the press section You're sitting there just as before watching the witnesses listening to statements by the attorneys But this time instead of roses the courtroom is filled with Easter lilies The same variety you found in the florist shop Then slowly it melts away And you lapse into the restful blackness of sweet Kathy Kathy Yes christ Where are you the matter won't you get up? Four o'clock for why? I couldn't sleep You mean you had another dream. I don't know. What's the matter with me chris. It it's so So did you have another one? Tell me like chris. I'm sorry Tell me about it It was it was just like before the courtroom and the judge but But what? It it wasn't roses this time chris It was Easter lilies. See me chief. Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. What's wrong chris? What's eating you? Well, I don't know I for years I point you out to all the cubs as a shining example everything a star reporter should be And suddenly your stuff starts coming in so garbola can't use it. Nothing wrong chief I don't hand me that I know you too well Something's eating your heart out and I want to know what it is. It's none of your business It is my business When the best man on my staff turns in a story on the shake-up at the city hall full of scrambled references to Roses and Easter lilies. You can bet you're assured. It's my business What was that you heard me? I I guess I've Just been working too hard Is that all yeah Yeah chief that's all I doubt it. You've been through a lot tougher grinds than this and I've never seen you fall to pieces yet What's the matter chris? You look like a ghost. I told you that That there's nothing the matter. I just need a rest. All right, then take one a long one How long as long as you want on full salary and don't come back until you can write a straight story Oh, yeah chris. Howie, uh Didn't you do a story once on a professor over at the university something about experiments on Extrasensory perception or thought transference or something. Uh, yeah, his name was Duncan, I think Where'd he do? What was it all about? I don't remember very well I I think they'd line up a batch of students at one end of a room and have them concentrate on numbers Yeah, that was it and then another group would try and write the numbers down What's his name again? Duncan charles. Duncan I rarely don't like to appear too definite on this mr. Claggett Nothing has been proved conclusively. You mean there's no such thing as thought transference professor. Duncan. It's hard to say It's a very unscientific attitude to take Assuming that two minds are uh in tune so to speak But we have found rare cases in which there seems to be no other conclusion I see Uh Does distance seem to make any difference? Oh, yes, I would say it cuts down the possibilities considerably Thanks professor. That's the only way you can explain it. Isn't it chris? You and kathy must be one of the rare cases the professor talked about there's no other answer It's madly to have carried it off so perfectly to have won the outside battle so completely Only to lose your grip on the secret by your asleep and the bars are down And there's only one defense isn't there chris? He said the distance did make a difference Hello, darling Chris what in the world are you doing home so early? Oh, I had a talk with jones. He says I need a rest Well, he's right. So how would you like to go away for a couple of weeks? Where? Oh Tahoe maybe well, I I think that's a wonderful idea chris. Did you be ready this afternoon? Well, I don't know. It's a rush or There would be much packing we just knock around our old clothes. Well, I'll try great. Great. I knew you would what about you Well, I was about to tell you I'll have to join you later. There's some things. I got to clear up, you know Why can't I wait we could go up together now? Don't be that way darling. I want you to have it already for me when I arrive I'll get your reservations on the three o'clock train. How about Well, all right chris great. Well, gee look at the time. We got to hurry come on. I'll help you Well chris. She's out of the way for the time being You're relieved for the moment But the old tension returns that night as you lie down to sleep in steve's house among steve's things She's at lake tau chris 250 miles away You keep telling yourself that distance will make the difference just as the professor said You try not to think of it as you lie there try to make your mind a blank But the same impressions come back again and again He's there chris steve is there in the courtroom with the flowers all around him You sit in the press section. You can't take your eyes off him He's smiling at you chris As he gets slowly out of his seat and walks toward the witness stand Stepping carefully over the rows of roses and east of them You're going to talk chris you realize there's no other way out now Then you find yourself on your feet shouting your lungs out telling the court you killed him I killed him I admit it. I can't stand this any longer. I killed him because I loved his wife. I thought I'd I'd be happy, but I was wrong. I I don't care anymore. I I don't Oh good lord Speak to mrs. Claggett, please just a moment. I'll call back. Oh kathy. Hello chris. Where have you been kathy? I've been calling you since eight this morning. It's four o'clock. I know it. Why didn't you answer? You're lying. No, chris. It's impossible. You couldn't have it was you. I tell you chris. Listen to me You've got to let me explain Don't do anything. Don't see anybody. I'll be on the next train. It leaves berkeley in an hour Way out now chris. It's you. You did it once and got away with it You're wondering now whether you can do it again, but there's no alternative is there It's you or kathy That's why in five minutes past midnight you're at martins cove walking through the darkness Behind the low hotel cabin You know kathy's a number 16 and at this hour she'll be sleeping You keep well in the shadows of the trees at the edge of the cabin area 14 15 16 this is the one The window's open You can see her head on the pillow You pull out your revolver You wish there were some other way But there isn't Just a moment now Hey, where do you drop that gun? I got him. Let me go. I said drop that gun Nelson you can come along peacefully or you can come feet first at the moment. I am not particular The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending of tonight's story Meantime here's an interesting feature about the new 1946 cars One of the leading sixes advertises 25 to 30 miles per gallon And throughout the field auto manufacturers are stressing increased mileage This is being done not just as a matter of economy, but because mileage is the result of better performance A proof of greater efficiency Well, as you know signal gasoline has long been famous as the go farther gasoline But here's the important point Signal oil company always quick to give the motoring public the advantage of new trends new improvements Has actually engineered new signal gasoline to help you go farther than ever How a signal did it involves a long scientific explanation about rearranging the atoms in gasoline molecules To give amazing new power to new signal gasoline The immediate noticeable results of this new power are quicker starting faster pickup and higher anti-knock But because this increased power means you'd be shifting less and shifting is the demon that wastes gasoline Your speedometer will prove to you that it's a fact you do go farther than ever With new signal gasoline And now back to the whistler So you finally lost the inside battle didn't you chris? There in the shadows with gibson pinning your arms to your sides and lieutenant nelson standing in front of you with a gun in his hand You realize it's all over You had the feeling from the first didn't you from the moment you killed steve robinson in the rear of his flower shop You knew it was a losing battle But it was too late to change anything You should have known that it wouldn't go chris how How did you know your wife called us What's not until you confessed of course confessed yes all written out pretty as you please 10 pages up in your own handwriting Garbled up with a lot of nonsense about roses and easter lilies. What are you talking about? You didn't really think that you and your wife were dreaming the same dream did you? My error you must have or you wouldn't have tried to kill her She wasn't asleep on that first night chris. She watched you get out of bed Take one of your spare notebooks out of the dresser drawer. I was writing it was real the writing was real at least You almost had us stumped though when you set her up here We had to wait three hours until you went out for lunch to get into your house and find the notebook She couldn't answer you when you called of course until we got to her by telephone and told her what she had dreamed last night Well That's it You were too good a reporter chris a guy who can take notes without thinking should never take a crack at murder Especially if he walks in his sleep We'll bring you another strange tale The whistler is broadcast for your entertainment by the marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories And by your neighborhood signal dealer This program produced by george w allen with tonight's story by harold swanton music by wilbur hatch Is transmitted to our troops overseas by the arm forces radio service It's your signal for the signal oil program the whistler This is marvin miller speaking reminding you to look for those familiar yellow and black circle signs That identify those popular signal oil stations in seven western states from canada to mexico This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system