 Suspense. Tonight is the Dane Clark as star of Spoils for Victor. A suspense play produced, edited and directed by William Spear. Suspense. I wouldn't advise it, but... Maybe what you ought to ask is, will he talk? Oh, I thought you were asleep. Hi, Harry. Remember me, didn't you? You had me down to DA's office enough time, so I ought to... I didn't talk those times either, remember? You know how to save your strength as much as you can, Mr. Reddick. Doc here thinks I'm going to die. Are you? I don't think so. I don't think I want to talk either. There's some questions we've got to have the answers to. If we don't get them from you, Vic, we're going to have to get them from somebody else. What kind of questions? About those two slugs you've got in your ribs, among other things. They're not in there anymore, at least that's what the doc tells me. All right, Vic. I'm sorry. Wait. Wait a minute, Harry. Yeah? Listen. I don't know how she feels about this. But if I talk, you've got to leave her out. All together out, complete. See? That could be, Vic. You've always been a pretty right guy, Harry. Is that on a level? On a level, Vic. All right. Maybe you can sell out the pictures. Alan Land. You could call it the gangster and the lady. You know the mob. Bonnie Bernard, Pinky Roberts and the rest. As far as they're concerned, it doesn't matter much now, what I tell you, I guess. We were never big operators, nothing really big time, but we always had plenty of money in our pocket most of the time. But this time I'm talking about the dive had been pretty long. My pants were getting shiny in the seat. My shoes were getting whole, some walking instead of riding. Even Bonnie was getting a little rusty looking. Hey, he's sitting around the office with Pinky when I come in and his chin is down around his belt buckle someplace. Hi, Vic. Hi, cutie. Hi there, what's new? Hey, here's a new place you know I don't want to think about it. I forget it, there's no money in it. Hey, they cut the phone off yet? He thinks he's kidding. Oh, you want a phone, a home relief? A dame, betcha three to one. That one what? What do you care? You ain't got it. Dames, dames, dames. Boy, I ain't never seen nothing like this guy with dames. They buzz around him like he was John D. Rockefeller. There you go, always looking at the same side. Some dames like it for what you are and not what you got. Sure, I know that kind. Your mother and your grandmother. Hello? Hello, is Madeline there? Yeah, yeah, I guess so. Victor Rudiger. Who's calling some guy said she's probably married. So what, she'd give you the phone number, didn't she? Hello, Madeline? Yeah, remember? Ha, ha, ha. Say, who's the guy who answered the phone? Oh, so you got a sense of humor too, huh? The butler, she said. I just called up to say hello. I don't like to let these things get cold, you know. That's right. What do you do with yourself? Well, now, for instance. I see. Hey, sure, sure I would. What do you live? Wait, wait, wait, wait till I write it down. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay, I'll do that. Goodbye now. Hey, uh, where's the place called Woodford Way? Woodford Way? Yeah, you ever hear of it? Yeah, it's in Bel Air, Vic. Bel Air? Yeah. Hey, that's pretty big stuff, ain't it? Yeah, plenty. Say, you don't suppose she does have a butler, do you? Yeah, there's a butler all right. And she's the maid. What's she like, Vic? How'd you lead her? Well, I'm just walking along Vine Street, rubbing my last two nickels together. She comes out of a joint with her arms full of bundles. She bangs into me. She goes one way, the bundles go the other. I pick her up, so one thing leads to another. I buy her a cup of coffee, and I got a phone number before she decides to have another one. I scram that's all. Not in a special, but she looks like she wouldn't try to promote you for much more than a ticket for the movies, and that's the best off I had all week, so I gave her a ring. Come up and see me, she said. So I figure what can I lose, right? Right, right. What's her name? Madeline what? Well, she didn't tell me what the guy on the phone wherever he was. He said it was, uh, Rawlins, Raleigh, something like that. So why? You don't read the papers much, do you, Vic? I guess I know where the horses are running as well as the next guy. Why? Is that her? Yeah. Yeah! You see what it says? Madeline Rawlins opened up the Lair home. Wealthy Sugar Aris, whose personal fortune makes her one of the world's richest girls. Holy smokes! You want to keep up on those things, right? That's her, all right. That's her? Of all the dumb luck boy, you got it. Yeah. Hey, I might be able to shake a little that sugar out of there at that, huh? That's the trouble with you, Vic. You think too small. Sure. What you want to do is marry the day. Well, what's so funny about that? Maybe I've been under arrest to making your talents, Vic. All right, funny, man. What? Funny your things have happened, Vic. Are you kidding? No. Ah, Barney, be yourself. So maybe the day does go for me for a couple of weeks. All right, a couple of months, because I'm different from the guy she's been going around with. But take a guy like me, serious? And nut, maybe we could do something about that so you wouldn't be so different. So what? So what if I even, even if I did marry the day? Do you think I could stick up with a setup like that? I'd be out of my ear in six months. A lot could happen in six months, Vic. Nothing that I couldn't make happen in six weeks and without any marriage. Oh, yes it could, Vic. What? Something could happen to her. Like what? Like an accident. Accidents happen all the time. And they got community property laws in this state. See? Nothing doing. Okay, okay. You're going out to see her though, aren't you? I guess so. Yeah. You might need it. Thanks, bro. Fifty. What's that for? I just want you to make a good impression on the girl. That's all. Thanks. And think about it, Vic. I did all right. I guess that's all I did think about the whole of that first afternoon I was out there to see her. I didn't see her again for a long time. I didn't see her again for over two weeks. Because that night, we decided. Barney put up nearly all the cash he had left. He bought me a car, a suite of rooms at the embassy, or clothes. That's one of our very nicest numbers, Mr. Ruttigan. It looks just stunning on you. $185. Well, leave us see something that ain't quite so worth it. Well, shut up. We'll take it. Splendid. How about shirts? Hi. I went around places. We hired a publicity agent. I was supposed to be a wealthy young oil man. We even hired a guy to try to teach me to talk better. All right, Mr. Ruttigan. Repeat after me, please. Uh, the house of Moifee features turtle soup and oyster stew. No, no, no, Mr. Ruttigan. You have it just backwards. Turtle soup and oyster stew. Um, turtle soup and oyster stew. Again, please. The house of Moifee features... No, no, no, no. After two weeks, I looked a little better. Enough to get by in small doses anyway. And I began to go out and see her again. And after two months, I wouldn't have known myself because I was standing in a striped pants in a cutaway coat in church. And she was standing there beside me. And the minister was standing in front of both of us. Do you, Victor, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife? To have and to hold. To love and to cherish. From this day forth. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness, in health. Until death do you part. I do. Do you, Madeleine, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband? And all the time, all I could think of was that it was funny. And kind of tough, too, when you stopped to figure that woman is supposed to feel at a time like this. That when she spoke those two little words she'd be signing her own death warrant. I do. In six months, Bonnie and Pinky and me were going to be rich. And she was going to be dead. I didn't have any feelings about her at first inside of me. I was feeling like an old stray dog that just found a swell home. I was tired. I hadn't known how terribly sick and tired the years of snarling and snapping for every bone it made me. And so at first I just stretched my paws out to the fire. I lay around in the sun and enjoyed myself. I didn't even mind Madeleine. Then after I got over feeling tired, something else began inside. Something began eating me. Just a little thing at first, but it got bigger. I didn't know what it was except I knew it wasn't my conscience. I hadn't had one of those since I was ten years old. And for a while I thought maybe I was just missing the old gang, the old ways. But that didn't fit either. And then one day, we'd been married about four months then and we were going out for dinner. I was upstairs getting ready and I passed by her dressing room and she was in there with a maid fixing her hair. So there you are. You'd better hurry if you expect to take me out anywhere. Yeah, I will. Say, that's a new hairdo, isn't it? It will be. You like it? Yeah, it looks kind of cute. Hand me the dryer now, will you, Marie? Yes, madam. What's that? It's a hair dryer. You've seen me use it before. I don't remember. Don't bother, Marie. I'll plug it in. You can go now. Yes, madam. Hey, wait a minute. You ought to be careful handing those electric gimmicks when your hands are wet. That way you can get... Oh, silly. I've been doing this. Madeline! Madeline! Get a doctor, Marie! Get a doctor! Then I was down on the floor beside her remembering from somewhere that with people who had an electric shot she gave artificial respiration. I pressed my hands against the ribs and I was talking to her without hardly knowing myself what I was saying. Madeline! Madeline, baby! Come on, baby. Come on. Snap out of it. You're going to be all right. Baby, you've got to be. Oh, please, baby. Please. Hello, baby. Please, please. Madeline. I remember. Are you all right? We're sick. You're crying. Me? You're crazy. Oh, baby, baby. So there it was. So now I knew because if I just stood there I could die. But I couldn't stand there. Not for all the money in the treasury could I have stood there because I was in love with her. I tried. I tried to keep my mind on all that money and what I could do with it. I tried to tell myself that no game was worth that much to me or to any other guy. And all the time I was going nuts. I wasn't fit to be living with wild animals to say nothing of a girl like Madeline. Vic, have you decided about going up to Arrowhead this next weekend? What? Vic, please put down the paper and listen to me. Where are you going? Uh, uh, business. I got a little deal. Oh, it must be quite a deal, Vic, to make you feel the way you have been lately. It is, Madeline. Quite a deal. Hiya, boy. How're they coming? Hi, Bonnie. Hi, Pinky. Hi, kid. Hey, you're looking great. Not that you had not to be. Yeah, we missed you, Vic. But we've been reading all about you in the society columns. Yeah, you've been living up there in a fad of the land for quite a while. Yeah, but near six months, Vic. That's right. So, we've been sort of expecting you. That's why I figured that's why I come. And I hope you're ready to talk business, Vic, because we are. That's why I'm here. Okay, okay, so let's we start talking. Listen, Bonnie, look, wait a minute. Suppose, suppose I figured out a better way. A better way to what? A better way to get dough out of the setup. How much dough? Maybe a million dollars. A million dollars. Are you kidding? It's a matter with a million dollars. Nothing. Only my way, we get about ten times that much and that's what we're in this for and that's what we're going to get, see? I might even be able to get more than a million in time. You're not trying to tell me you're getting soft, are you, Vic? I don't like murder, that's all. And you wouldn't try to tell me you've fallen for the game, would you? Well, what if I did? Because I wouldn't believe you. I've known you for a long time, Vic, and I know you ain't that kind of a guy. No, I wouldn't figure it that way, Vic. No, no. I'd figured that maybe you were getting away with it up there a lot better than you expected and you didn't see no reason for not hanging on to the rest of the dough. I'll be your son. Oh, no, no. I don't like murder, Bonnie. Maybe you don't. I can see how maybe you wouldn't. But I put my dough under this. I put my brains into it. It's the biggest thing that anybody's ever pulled. Ten million bucks. And I ain't taken any less, it's my way. Or else. Well, what about it? Okay. All right, it's better. You got all figured out for the accident? Sure, a burglary. Pinky here breaks in. You and her hear the noise, you go down and find Pinky at the wall safe. You got one, haven't you? Yeah, in the library. So you catch Pinky on your shoot. Only you hit her. I do. Why not Pinky? No, no, no. If it's an outside job, they'll keep looking for the guy and that might find him. And if you do it, it's an accident. Open and shut. No more trouble. You like it? Sure, it's great. You got a gun, haven't you? Registered to you? Yeah, but the house, use that. Want to set a time? Sooner or the better. Friday night? Friday night. Okay, Pinky? Sure, any time. Check with me Thursday, okay? Okay. And Vic? Yeah. When you shoot, don't miss. Hello, Helen. Yeah? This is Vic. Vic Derudiga. So I never thought I'd ever hear from you again. Look, Helen, I want you to help me. Why, sure, what is it? I wouldn't ask you, Helen, but I'm on a spot. Yeah, I was on a spot once, too, remember? What do you want? You're a good kid, Helen. Now, listen, I can't tell you over the phone and don't talk to anybody, not to anybody until I tell you. But what are you doing Friday night? Whatever you say. Okay, I'll be in touch with you. Remember, Friday night. Hello, Madeline? Well, Vic. Look, hon, look, I think Arrowhead this weekend would be a great idea. What do you say? Vic, that's wonderful. Well, I'll start getting things ready right away. When do you think you're leaving? What about first thing Friday morning? Well, Vic, fine. Well, that's wonderful, darling, Friday morning. It's about 90 miles to Arrowhead, and I usually make it in two hours easier the way I drive. This time, I guess my mind was on almost everything except my driving. You made up your mind pretty suddenly, didn't you, darling? About what? About coming up here. Oh, I, well, I don't know, I... Vic! Vic, please, not so fast on these turns. Fast, it was too slow a while back. Well, a while back it was too slow. You were crawling. Why'd you tell the servants to go away for the weekend? Away, I didn't tell them to go away. Well, the way you said it, it meant that. Well, we were going to be away. I figured they might like a little vacation, too. Oh, I see. Vic, what is it? What's what? What's the matter? Nothing the matter, Madeline. It's just a business, business, that's all. Victor, I don't believe you. What do you mean? I mean, I don't believe it's business. I believe it's something else. Well, what else could it be? I believe it's something about you and me. Oh, it isn't. It isn't, Madeline, it isn't. It's a deal, that's all. And the law will be over by a few days. Will it? Of course it will. Vic, I love you. I could never fool myself about that. I do something... I do something awful if anything ever came between you and me. Anything or anyone? I know Madeline. You don't want to talk about it, do you? I can't, Madeline. All right, all right. Remember, anything or anyone. We got up to the cabin around noon and I helped her unpack and we changed and I moped around a couple of hours stalling. And then I knew I couldn't stall much longer. I had to come out with it. Go riding after we have... Oh, Madeline. What? Madeline, I just thought of something terrible. What, what is it? An appointment to see a guy tonight in town. Oh. Oh, I don't see I could have forgotten it, but it's terribly important. I'll just have to go. Yes, I suppose you will. But I'll be back first thing in the morning. I'll have to take the car, but they'll own you a station wagon at the hotel if you're going to be going anywhere. Yes, yes. Will you be staying at the house? Yeah, yeah, sure. I... Oh, Madeline, don't look at me that way. Please, you understand how it is, don't you? Yes, Vic, I think I do. I drove on down, feeling like the world's worst healer and scared and excited too. I called Helen and told her how to get out there and where to leave her car and how to get in without anyone seeing her in case they were already watching a joint. It was good and dark about eight o'clock when I let her in. Am I on time? Sure, swell. Oh, what a dump. Yeah, yeah, it's quite a place, isn't it? It's awful empty, though. I had an idea it was kind of a party or something. It is, kind of. The people I'm expecting will be along later now. Come on up this way. Gee, I knew you'd married into the greedy, Vic, but I didn't know it was anything like this. You coming here? What's this? Uh, bedroom, dressing room. So this is what rich people call a bedroom. Look at the mirrors. Yeah, yeah, look, Helen. Helen, can you put your hair up over your head, you know, that sort of crown business on top? Well, like this? Sure. Yeah. That part of the ax? Yeah, that's it. And while you're at it, put on this nightgown. Will you? And the dressing gown, too. And there ought to be some slippers in there that will fit you. Now, wait a minute. Oh, now, wait a minute, Helen. It's nothing like that. I'll wait outside. Vic, it is one of those divorce things, is it? No, like I said, it's a sort of a gag. Okay. You're the doctor. And what's that? Phone. Aren't you going to answer it? Probably isn't important. What are you supposed to be? I don't know. I don't know. Vic, it might be your wife. Yeah, yeah, it might be. Well, for heaven's sakes, why don't you answer it? I can't answer it. Oh, all right, all right, all right. Oh, gee, these things of your wife are darling. How do I look? You look just about right. I hated the part about Helen, but I know I didn't stand a chance in the world of getting Barney inside unless he thought he was seeing Madeleine. He'd never seen him, except from a distance. That lousy newspaper picture. And what would the hair do in all, Helen looked pretty good. And after a while, I went around the house. I put up all the lights. And after that, we had her sit in the dark. I didn't even dare talk to Helen anymore. Pretty soon, she just went to sleep. And I waited. I heard a clock in the downstairs hall strike four. And then right on the dot, I heard what I've been waiting for. Helen, Helen, wake up. What time is it? Come on, the people are here. Yeah, all right. Aren't you going to put on the lights? Well, we'll get to the library. Now, you stay right behind me, and as quiet as you can, I'll shine a flashlight so you can see. I can? And when I go in, you come in right behind me, close the door, and just stand right there, right against the door. All right. All right, here we are. All right, Pinky, drop that gun. What's the idea, Vic? Just not taking any chances. Drop it! Now kick it across the floor, over to me. Barney outside? Yeah. Alone? Yeah. I want you to go to that side door where you came in and whistled to him. When he shows, tell him we need him in here. And that's all. Anything more, and I shoot. Understand? This ain't right, Vic. When this happens, I want Barney in here. Just in case you wouldn't want you and me to be the only suckers, would you? That's right, too. All right. Barney, we need you. Vic. Take it easy, baby. All right, all right. Put up your hands and keep them up. What's the idea? You better go outside, baby. Yeah, all right, Vic. That ain't your wife. Close the door after you. What is this? The old double cross? Yeah. The old double cross. Go away! I said I would kill them. They broke into my house. They were burgers. But that's Barney Bernard. They broke into my house. Vic, I don't want to be mixed up in anything. You're not going to be mixed up in anything. Nobody saw you come. Nobody will see you go. Is that why... I mean, your wife's nightgown is... I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you more. I can't tell you now either, but you better get your things and scram. I've got to call the cops. All right, Vic. What's that? Madeleine. I told you what I'd do, Vic. Madeleine. Put down that gun. Listen, will you? I can't do anything or anyone. Madeleine! Here's Harry. But remember, you said the DA's office would lay off her. That's right. You better lie down there. Look, Harry, do you think... Do you think the way it was, it might make a difference? How? To her? Yeah, Vic. Yeah. I don't get the might.