 But for Alex rest was more like a nightmare Upstairs in her room. She told us that there was no basis. No basis. Whatever for a state of mind Still the turmoil Doubt the odd unaccountable sense of bread Resisted and grew grew until soft She opened a door Get that up on the upstairs hallway Quite clearly she knew what you must do knew she must find some testimony to her husband's past Something to reassure something to kill that agonizing dread mounting within her Strangely, she remembered that single lock drawer in Gerald's bureau She took her to the door at the head of the stairs opened it Dented our husband's room Only she could find the key to that lock drawer There was no insight She moved to the clothes closet went through his coat pockets But her feet fell on the floor. She saw it Swift as she stepped to the bureau sort of the key Save a roll of ancient faded newspaper clippings Alex sighed with relief is she glanced at the top clipping It was from an American paper and it featured the trial one Charles LeMage Notorious swindler and bigamist the skeleton had been found beneath the floor of his house Most of the women he'd married had never been heard of again Another of the clippings described LeMage's Behavior in court is occasional collapses from a weak heart The sensational escape from prison Another Displaced picture a long bearded scholarly looking fellow that reminded her of someone But who? She couldn't tell She glanced at the caption beneath the picture Modern blue bears modern That's what she read Her eyes went back to the picture then the flash they saw the resemblance She ran through the other clippings dates have been found in the man's pocket diary dates It was convented when he'd done away with his victims He was an amateur photographer. He was from Sydney from Canada He was he was Yeah World around her dick had tried to warn her dick had been near her that morning. She turned him away. She It was then that she noticed the sound She turned toward the bright new pipe in the corner running up through the room From below near its base Something was striking that pipe is though someone will That was it Digging Though someone were digging Limitra was preparing the dark room for the latest one of his victims six o'clock That was the date six o'clock Less than an hour from now Suddenly all the jigsaw pieces shot into place the money paid for the house her money her money only the bond She'd address it to his keeping them and suddenly She heard no sound The digging it stopped She must escape from that house once before he came up the clippings back in the drawer Don't lock it. Don't bother. Just get away. She rushed to the door I'm under the hall stopped frozen Gerald yes, my dear You startled me. I Just trying to find your nail file. Where are you my dear? Well, there's nothing to look so guilty about now is it? You better come down Getting late, you know Gerald. I just have time to make the coffee and sandwiches before we do the pictures That is I'll be right down darling as soon but we really mustn't delay must be Coming Alex Very well Now that's better Here, let me give you a hand. Never mind Gerald. It's Alex how cold you are cold Yes, I I am rather well that will soon pass away. I'm sure hurry along hurry along. Yes into the kitchen Alex I'll be all right Kitchen Yes, I'll fix us something in a second. You just sit here in the living room and no No, the porch that'll be more comfortable. Won't it? I'll be right with you splendid Alex. I'll just Oh, I know of course not hot Gerald How rotten of me not to have suggested it since you're feeling a bit under par you could probably do with some help I'll come with you Do then that some way somehow She must get word to Dick Wendiford the fact that he might be gone by now the memory of him telling her so She resolutely put out of her mind. There must be no more panic She must be an utter control of herself Alex carrying the coffee out to the porch glanced at the clock on the mantle ten minutes till six Her very life hung by those next ten minutes by her ability to think coolly and swiftly because Standing beside her was a man as determined as he was insane I'm pretty as so abstracted my dear what? Why do you say that? Because you're missing the loveliest sight you're ever likely to see again Look out beyond the garden first soft shades of twilight Twilight over filimal cottage. Oh I say Alex you are below par what you mean first time you've ever slipped on the coffee You must have tossed in the entire canister. Oh, I'll be more careful after this. Oh Yeah, that reminds me Alex where you going nothing to get excited about Gerald I forgot to order meat for tomorrow. I'm just going to form the butcher butcher this time of evening He generally stays late on Wednesdays. I'll be right back darling. Don't shut the door Alex. It keeps the insects out of the living room You're not afraid. I'm going to make love to the butcher. Are you? Operator operator getting travelers arms, please hurry Hello Mr. Winifred, please will you? What you don't know if he's still there. I will see you won't you it's most important that Gerald Don't let me disturb you. Well darling you do why I hate anyone listening when I telephone But I do Gerald really You're quite sure you're really calling the butcher As a matter of fact, I'm not sure what what I mean is I'm afraid I got the wrong person Perfect stranger. I don't understand someone. I know nothing about someone you know nothing about and why don't you hang up? Here who's at the end of that while it? Hello Hello Dead all right my girl might as well get started. We're late now late For the picture. It's precisely three minutes past six. Hi Gerald Won't be six o'clock for eight minutes. Look at the clock. They're in the nantel. I don't go by that relic I go by my own wrist watch Gerald listen stop pacing and listen to me. I I don't feel up to it tonight. I'm upset and tired Alex I promise you you won't be a bit tired after it's over Now I'm not going to wait one minute longer. I won't do it. I'm not coming with him along Alex or I'll carry you there Oh, no, you willed your hair. You will You know, I've got something to tell you something confess to confess. Yes confess Something I ought to have told you before I've I've had my secret past to former lover. I suppose in a way Yes, but something else you'd call it Yes, I expect you'd call it a crime Crime you I don't believe it There I told you I'd never been married before That was not entirely true There was a marriage when I was 22 He was an elderly man with a little property. I induced him to ensure his life and my favor At one time I was a nurse, you know With access to a number of poisons There's one poison a white powder it You know something about poisons perhaps Gerald. No, I know very little about them Well, this one is very much like hyacinth absolutely untraceable any doctor would give a certificate of heart failure and that No No, I can't tell you another time Gerald. I can't go on with this now. I want to hear Very well, I Always need his coffee for him One evening I put a pinch of this alkaloid in his cup. I Remember that evening How very much like this it was how peaceful Gasp Tried to move from his chair He couldn't Presently Died how much would be insurance money about 2,000 pounds. I Speculated and lost it. It was over two years before I married again He was a much younger man quite well off There was a will in my favor He liked me to make his coffee to just as my first husband had done. I Make very good coffee It was the same along about twilight. I remember it perfectly No, it's an upset. I'd been all day wondering for to turn out all right, but it did it was the same as the other He just sat there in his chair died a Village doctor pronounced it heart failure My husband did have a weak heart. You see in that helped a great deal That netted me over 4,000 pounds. I didn't speculate Why do you sit that way you devil you poison me you poison me I'll kill you Yes, I poisoned you and already the poison is working. You see Can't move from your chair. You're lying. I'll kill you. I'll kill you can't move you're helpless. I Have killed you What have they done to you? Go see what's been happening in that room. Oh, you came dick you heard me When you went to the trouble to call me up and talk about someone you knew nothing about I Certainly knew enough to come What did you find possible? Man sitting in a chair Hot trouble it looks like Well, sir He's dead your husband might say a Perfect stranger He was just sitting in his chair Presently Died And fill them all cottage Agatha Christie story of love from a stranger and tonight's story of Suspense suspense is produced and directed by William Spears Tonight's radio drama was written by Harold Medford and scored by Bernard Herman Alice Frost one of radio's most accomplished heroines was Alex Martin and Eric Dressler was her ominous husband Very Kroger was narrator and others in the cast were Alfred Shirley and Dick Whitmark Next week at this time Columbia will bring you another selected story from the world's great literature of thrills another study in Suspense this is the Columbia broadcasting system