 The signal oil program the whistler Whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The whistler. I am 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 I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends, it's time for the signal oil program the whistler Rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history and Signal gasoline is tops to tops in quality It takes extra quality, you know to give you extra mileage and signal is the famous go farther gasoline So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies friendly dealer owned signal stations From Canada to Mexico And now the whistler strange story Quiet suicide It was in a drab room in a commercial hotel in Chicago that Frank Reynolds finally made up his mind And in a curious way it was quite appropriate that the decision should come to him there partway between Los Angeles and New York Partway between two lives He'd known from the first of course that a showdown was inevitable sooner or later But his time went on he began to recognize the desperate form the showdown would take He came to realize that the only way out was Murder the train tickets were in his pocket. His bags were packed ready to go when he picked up the phone This is mr. Reynolds in room 617. I'd like to call New York. Mrs. Frank Reynolds Long Island 89038 Right yes, that's right. I have a call for you from Los Angeles. Los Angeles. I look. I'm calling you. You're just a moment operator I took Millicent, how did you I had to call you? I knew you'd be staying there. Oh, I'm sorry Millie I can't talk now. My train leaves in a few minutes Oh darling, I told you I had to rush off about that that business deal in New York, but it's more than that What do you mean Millie tell me Frank? You've got to be fair with me if it's another woman another woman on my mind all the time I can't listen Millicent. I told you a hundred times. There's no other woman dear. No one but you please believe that. I With New York, mr. Reynolds shall I put them on? No, no, can't you tell I'm still on this call get off the line Millie Millie believe me for once will you you're imagining things. I love you, baby There's no one else. I just be a good girl till I get back After all I am your wife. Yeah. Yeah, sure. Goodbye Angel You can go ahead with New York now. Oh, yes, sir. I'm sorry about the interruption sir I knew you wanted to talk to your wife in New York But when I found out your wife was still in Los Angeles have a mind that have you got my New York number Yes, and listen honey. I haven't much time. You're expecting me day after tomorrow off the train at Penn Station You mean you aren't coming. Oh sure sure, but listen, I'll be in New York tomorrow morning tomorrow Yeah, I'm flying the rest of the way being early. It'll give us at least a day together alone You can meet me at LaGuardia flight aid American Airlines Don't tell them anything that's the idea Explain to your uncle George that you're going into town early to shop for a day or two Oh, we'll skip the whole Long Island tribe and just be together for a day sound good You think so? It's wonderful Frank Yes, you're so clever darling I'm a lucky girl to have such a smart husband Yes Frank the operator has reason to be confused Because there are two mrs. Reynolds one in New York one in Los Angeles, and you're trembling as you hang up the receiver in Chicago It becomes even more clear to you now with the two lives You've been so careful to keep apart almost meeting accidentally by telephone How ruinous it would be if Diane and Millison should ever get together And the only way out is the desperate way, isn't it? It's too bad to Diane is so young so pretty so very trusting at least she always seemed to believe you But at the airport you wonder from the moment she meets you if something's wrong Excited to see me To drive out Well, how about a taxi? Where to folks the Harding Arms apartment. It's on the east side on 52nd Harding arms. I found it last night after you called. I think you'll like it Frank. Anyone know I'm here not a soul Uncle George thinks I'm shopping He's meeting me in the morning at Penn station to be there when your train comes in That's perfect, and you've You've really arranged to be on it. Why not just setting early alarm I'll run out to New York and get back aboard the train coming from Chicago You've planned it all pretty carefully. Haven't you darling of course Wanted to have you all to myself for a change So you went to all this trouble picket the telephone calls everything Just to be alone with me for a while. What's wrong with that? Still you Haven't even kissed me yet. Oh I'm sorry, Diana. No, please Frank not now. Well, Diane I try not to believe it Frank. I try not to listen to uncle George Oh, what are they saying now the same thing that you married me for my money But that now that uncle George has made it impossible for you to get a hold of it You'll leave. Well, then what am I doing here right now? That's what I don't know Frank They don't waste any time do they they get right to you the minute I'm out of town Diana you sure they don't know I'm here. I told you once Frank. All right Come here at that This way every time They tell me all those that make me listen to them and then then what? You kiss me like that and I forget all about good Keep it that way now. I'll try Frank. I promise at a girl It's very important to me Diane this day together. I Wanted all to be perfect With the prologue of quiet suicide the signal oil company is bringing you another strange story By the whistler at the beginning of this program. You heard me say in gasoline it takes extra quality to go farther and Signal is the famous go farther gasoline But just what does signal mean by that word quality? Well translated into driving language gasoline quality means quicker starts faster pickup smoother knock-free power Now in order for signal to give you that kind of performance the thrill of alert surging power that puts extra pleasure into driving Today's signal gasoline has to help your motor run more efficiently and When your motor runs more efficiently naturally you get extra mileage Which explains why more and more folks who insist on performance as well as those who appreciate mileage Are both switching to signal They've discovered that to be sure of the tops in gasoline quality. There are just two things to remember one it takes extra quality to go farther and Two signal is the famous go farther gasoline And now back to the whistler so it's going to be murder Frank The only way out of your marriage to Diane that will leave your other marriage in Los Angeles intact Divorce is out of the question naturally any notoriety any publicity on the national press wires and Millicent might get strange ideas about your business trips to New York. There'd be investigations bigamy charges To divorces instead of one and of course the prospect of working for a living when you got out of prison So it's murder now a fairly simple kind of murder The ingredients are all there Diane Dispondent disillusioned in marriage a nice quiet suicide It will rate perhaps two inches of copy in the New York paper no more You like the apartment Frank. It's wonderful three rooms fireplace. No nosy maids are janitors. Is it everything you want? Everything even at back entrance. Now you couldn't have done better darling. We're all set Yes, Frank all set with a murder plan for tonight With your alibi still solid on that eastbound train to tomorrow morning at Penn station You were careful back in Chicago, weren't you? Arranging things so it would be almost impossible to check either the plane or train ticket So no one will be able to say you left the train there and arrived in New York ahead of it On the way to dinner with Diane the plan begins to operate You stop the cab at a drugstore Explain that you want to order a prescription sent up to the apartment and go inside Yes, sir. Oh, I'd like this filled 25 tablets lumino barbatine. Yeah, it's my wife Made out to Mrs. Frank Reynolds isn't that right? Yes, but I wish she'd come in herself But to sign for it. We have to be careful filling prescriptions for sleeping medicine Particularly anything as potent as this I understand. Well, look, I'd rather not wait anyway Why not send it up to her Harding arms apartments? She'll be there to sign it for herself Matta Diane, don't you like the restaurant? Oh, oh, yes, it's perfectly fine. I don't know where we'd get a better dinner That's not just that I'm sorry that it has to end. Oh, you mean Uncle George, huh? Yes. Yes, Uncle George You'll be with us tomorrow. Yeah like William the Conqueror. You'll probably know all about this. How you set the alarm, didn't you? Yes, but okay, I'll get up breeze out to New York You can greet me with open arms when I step off the track at Penn Station. You just don't know Uncle George Look over there. Huh? What do you mean that man who just came in by the hat-check stand? What about him? I Didn't tell you Frank, but Uncle George's got his mind set on my divorcing you. He wants to prove to me. So what? That man over there is one of Uncle George's Detected. How long has this been going on since you were here before? Uncle's funny Even has them follow me sometimes you what for I don't know Does it really matter Frank? It matters with me? Did he see us Diane? I don't think so not yet. Let's get out of here Frank. It's no use Let me finish my drink. I said let's get out of here. I have I'll make sure to drink at home Not a soul. It seems silly you're using the back entrance me coming in the front. Hmm. What took you so long? this oh My prescription the desk clerk gave it to me. I had to sign for it. Uh, is it right? Yeah Yeah, it's right I'll uh, I'll fix you that drink. I promised you It's a medic They softly strong. Did you forget the soda? Yeah, you're going soft on me darling down the hatch Skull skull. This has been a funny evening Funny visit. There you go again. What's the matter visit? That's an interesting word. Is it look darling. My husband's visiting me for a few days Nice to see you dear Nice to look across the room and find you there. You're in a strange mood tonight. No Not strange really Just devoted and Maybe a little disappointed Love does a lot of funny things, you know Topps up your eyes and your ears Keeps you believing in someone no matter what people tell you. You're just tired Diane Yes I guess I am Tired of secret meetings with my own husband Tired of lying to uncle George trying to defend you when I when you what? There is another woman isn't there Frank in Los Angeles. Don't be silly It's like a movie Sometimes when I close my eyes and try to sleep I See you getting off a train Meeting a smart-looking blonde in a red convertible. You better get those ideas out of your hand Reminded if I stretch out of you not at all. I Really don't think you're so terrible darling. I I just love you sure Then think women don't know They think they don't even But they do They do They do Yes, Frank that sleeping medicine works fast you watch the clock 730 8 9 and then finally reach for a wrist and feel her pulse There's nothing there now Nothing it takes a few minutes more to check the room tidy it up Get rid of the cigarette butts that aren't stained with lipstick wipe off fingerprints Scrape the druggist label off the bottle of sleeping pills and then quietly you let yourself off the door and Hurry toward the back service stairs and then 20 feet around the corner near the rear stairway Are you sure she's here? Yes. She came in an hour or so ago alone. Yes, sir alone. Shall I wait? I'll stand by a minute. I'll see you should talk to me for a while. I'll wait It's the detective Frank coming from the elevator you're trapped with a choice of meeting him a running back down to the lobby It's then that you feel the key in your hand the apartment. Yeah There's no time to think Frank you hold your breath Press back against the wall behind the door and then there's only one way out of the building at this time of night Yeah, open it up. That's it. This is Reynolds You take the only chance you have Frank as they go in you slide around the door in the darkness and then out into the hall You aren't conscious of time now Frank. Maybe it's an hour Maybe two since that awful moment in the apartment But things are beginning to settle down now as you sit in the dim railroad station in Newark Waiting for that train of yours to pull in You settle back against the bench Vaguely aware of the smell of the oil wood floors And then the board creaks likely as someone moves towards you in the dark mind if I keep these No, go ahead Yeah, yeah It's a funny thing guys sitting in this drab station waiting for the train from Chicago at this hour Listen, I a sir odd thing You know you could grab a taxi outside and get to New York in an hour Still you're waiting here Why look you can figure that out for yourself. I don't know Mr. Reynolds How did you? My name it was printed on that match holder you handed me. What do you want? I want you to help me decide whether your wife's death was suicide or murder. She She's dead. Yeah After talking to her uncle I decided to drop over here and see if you really were on the train Oh, well listen, I can explain about that. I you can save all that for later I'm Pearson. Mr. Reynolds New York homicide Why don't we skip the train start back to New York right now? They're waiting for us back at your apartment So now you're faced with it Frank your big alibi the keystone in your whole plan has gone Once or twice on the way back to the apartment you almost decide to get it over with To tell Pearson the whole truth and avoid the dread questioning you know is sure to come But somehow you're not quite ready to give up and when you finally walk into the apartment to face Diane's uncle George You get an idea of a way to bluff it through I'll tell you this man's a murderer Pearson. Just I told you I told you I can explain everything. All right, you'll have a chance to but let me start out, huh? Now it seems you're on your way to New York on the train you switch to a plane somewhere without telling anyone But your wife figure you can intercept the same trainer day or so later give yourself a solid alibi There's no use denying it Frank. Who's denying it what? You mean you admit it most of it Just one word. I don't like alibi It's true about the train. I set it up by telephone from Chicago. You had a good reason a very good reason What are you talking about you uncle George? You've never given us a minute's peace sticking your nose into our business trying to poison Diane's mind against me That's why I did it Pearson. I wanted that day together just Diane and I my wife the two of us by ourselves Oh, that's ridiculous. I was forced into it lieutenant Ask him about the private detective Yeah We go out for a quiet little dinner at seven o'clock last night one of his bloodhounds follows us into the shamrock clock We know all about that So what happened after you got home? I told her she had to forgets Uncle George or I was through She broke down. She she got hysterical Well, I walked out. I got past the streets for a while and then I went over to New York. You didn't come back here. No I see Mr. Kittridge step in here, please Kittridge. Yes a druggist mr. Reynolds. I want you to meet him. Yes, lieutenant Oh This is mr. Reynolds. Mr. Kittridge. Do you yes, sir? That's the man who ordered the prescription Of course if you thought hard enough mr. Kittridge, you remember I told you that prescription was for my wife Then why did you order it because she asked me to on the way to dinner? And she gave you a prescription made out by a doctor in Los Angeles. Los Angeles why I can't yes You don't know how a Los Angeles doctor could prescribe pills for your wife when she's never been there And neither do I There's something else mr. Reynolds. I've been in the homicide division for eight years now I guess I've investigated a hundred suicides and a lot of women You know something mr. Reynolds. I have yet to find one particularly a woman who didn't want to have the last word I don't know what you mean a suicide note Your uncle's detective comes in here finds the girl in the bed a bottle of sleeping pills next to it Now does it seem logical? She'd set up a thing like that without doing the one thing they all do I told you she was despondent. She wasn't thinking straight when I left. That's what you say I say she went to bed with every intention of getting out All right, come on Reynolds you can get in touch with your lawyer in the way to now wait a minute wait a minute I didn't do anything lieutenant. You've got to believe me. I skip it. I've got no time Just a minute I Just can't take this on myself What I feel personally and what is just are two different things. I guess Diane was in Los Angeles a month ago What you mean she was that's interesting. I I should have told you before I suppose, but oh nothing of it And I suppose you have the suicide note tucked up your sleeve. Well, I I do have one as a matter of fact an old one you see Diane did try to kill herself just last month And that's why I've been having her fault Well Reynolds I Guess I was wrong We all make mistakes once in a while I'm sorry The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime a question How long has it been since you had your fan belt and radiator hose checked for looseness or wear? Well, if you're like most drivers the chances are you never even give these items of thought But independent signal dealers being practical automobile men have not only thought of them, but they're doing something about it Right now they're offering a free checkup of both your fan belt and radiator hose They'll probably find everything's okay in which case you'll feel better to know it But if they should discover that either your fan belt or radiator hose needs replacing And in most cases they can do that while you wait and you'll be glad you had attended to before more serious trouble developed This free checkup of your fan belt and radiator hose incidentally is typical of the more thorough more Conscientious attention cars get at signal service station The reason each signal dealer owns his own business and naturally has a more personal interest in keeping your good will And now back to the whistler Oh It's over now Frank a few more questions and you'll be released free of suspicion that you murdered Diane wife number one Free to go back to Los Angeles and someone they know nothing about Millicent wife number two And it's ironic that Diane's uncle George came through with a one statement that could save you Yes You were as a surprise as Lieutenant Pearson to hear that Diane had actually gone to Los Angeles And you realize now that she knew the truth about That if you'd left her alone, she might have tried suicide a second time successfully You're going to be careful now Frank. No missteps. No false moves taking the cue from the lieutenant Yeah, this is a tough business. I'm in Reynolds. You got to play hunches, you know Yeah, I came into the room tonight and I took a look around. I see there isn't a note say to myself This lady went to bed figuring she'd be up and go on the next day in tent, you know Yeah, it's pretty important stuff. I understand lieutenant. Yeah, I was trained to look for intent above everything else Well, sometimes you go wrong though just like now Well What do you know about that intense, you know That's what they're gonna ask me Reynolds. What was in the little lady's mind the clock? I Don't understand it. I don't blame you Now, why do you suppose she set that alarm clock? I'll tell you why She expected it to wake her up. She expected to be alive right now You know, I guess we'll just have to start the questions all over again That clock's a little noisy for a nice Quiet suicide your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each Wednesday night at the same time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure drive at sensible speeds be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life Possibly your own word Gerald Moore and Lorette Philbrand The whistler was produced by George W. Allen with story by Robert Eisenbach and Jackson Gillis and music by Wilbur hatch It was transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces radio service Next Wednesday for a full hour of mystery over most of these stations tune in half hour earlier Enjoy the same as well as the whistler This is Marvin Miller speaking CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System