 The radio service invites you to hear Piper McGee and Bolly in Backseat Driver. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. It can't happen to you. You read about stuff like that in the papers. Girls murdered and mutilated. Drunks left dying in the gutter for the handful of chains they had in their pockets. Lonesome old men tortured because some hoodlum gets the idea their miser's with a pot of gold hidden under the floorboards of the shack. Sure, you know it's real, but it can't happen to you. Oh, you get your fair share of trouble. I've been a professional man here in Los Angeles for 30 years. I've met up with bums and grifters and petty sharpers. They're around in any business. But the viciousness, the real deep down dirt, that's for somebody else. You do your work and you go home to your family. And for a real bang up evening to break the monotony, you take your wife out to a movie. That's what I did that Saturday night. We'd driven all the way in from the San Fernando Valley to Beverly Hills, for a picture Ellie especially wanted to see. Wasn't that a good movie, Joe? Uh-huh. Just the kind I like. Songs and dancing and girls in pretty clothes. I get so tired of cops and robbers. What's wrong with cops and robbers? You know what I mean. Murder movies, honestly. All the policemen, stupid. And all the crooks sneering out of the corners of their mouths. Yeah, the stuff those Hollywood boys dream of. You think the streets were knee-deep in blood and you couldn't hear yourself think for machine guns. Well, here we are, honey. You get in first. Okay. All right, Ellie? Just a second. All right, Joe. Forget gas. Take us out to the valley. I'll fill up at Bill's. Remember how that song goes, Joe? What song? In the picture. You know, two on the moon. The one the boy sang to the girl. Oh, that one. Let's see. Mm-hmm. Oh, heck, I don't know. Oh, well. We'll be hearing it again on the radio. How about turning it on? The radio? Why, sure. Set it around 1100. We ought to get some news in a few minutes. I'd like to hear whether they caught that fellow. That awful mass murderer? Uh-huh. They spotted him in L.A. this afternoon, but he got away. I know. You told us it's supper. Oh, it makes you shiver. Don't you worry. He won't get away with it. We left the lights of Beverly Hills behind and turned into cold water canyon. It's as quick a way as any to get us across the Hollywood Hills to the valley. It's dark and we came in quiet, with mighty little traffic at night. I cut my lights full up and we swept up the side of the ridge. The news program came on, but I didn't pay much attention. The fellow was talking about brush fires. They'd already put out the one near my place while they were still patrolling. We were over the ridge and sliding down to the valley before the program got to the part I wanted to hear. There it is. Put it up higher, Ellie. Mattrick wiped out an entire family in Greenly, New Hampshire. Today, he was spotted 3,000 miles from the scene of his crime. At 5.30 this afternoon, a patrolman saw and definitely identified Mattrick in downtown Los Angeles. However, by darting through heavy traffic at the risk of his life, the killer was again able to make his escape. According to neighbors of the slaughtered family, Mattrick was first appeared in Greenly about a year ago. From fingerprints in the Nolan home, Louis Mattrick has been identified as Lloyd Matthews, ex-conduct. He's wanted for questioning in the robbery and murder of a New York storekeeper a year ago. A crime that netted the killer less than $20. Mattrick or Matthews is 32 years old, height, tri-feet 9 inches, weight, 155 pounds. He has blue eyes, light brown hair, nose slanted to the left. When seen this afternoon, he was wearing a blue suit and gray pork pie hat. Awful, awful. Not pretty, no. Annie's somewhere around LA this minute. Joe, you think it's right us leaving Annie and Bud all alone while you're... No, Ellen. Annie's grown up and Bud's a smart youngster, if I do say so myself. You can't wrap kids in cotton wool. I know. Oh, I'm silly, I guess. Neighbor's close all around. All they'd have to do is yell. But now what would make a young man do a dreadful thing like that? Could be a lot of things. Maybe he's got a screw loose. Maybe he went nuts over a girl. Maybe he gets a kick out of killing like some of them do. You know all the answers, don't you? Joe! Hey, what the... Keep going, keep going! I got a gun here and I'll use it. Tell him you... Yeah! Ellie? Against the back of my neck. I can feel it. Cold. Well, are you gonna move? Okay. Okay, brother, you're the boss. Yeah, you said it, I'm boss. And remember it. Otherwise I'll blow a hole through your wife's head. I've had experience in these things. Like we were skirting the rim of the Grand Canyon. With nothing between us and the bottom but a mile of country air. This was it. The thing that happens to other people. To the ones that end up on slabs and the morgue. But not to me. Not to Ellie. The first car we'd seen since we left traffic swooped down behind us. Not before the headlights caught our passenger clean in my rear view mirror. He was hunched forward, sitting on the edge of the back seat. So he could keep the gun rammed into the nape of Ellie's neck. He had light brown hair, pale eyes, a nose that slanted. His mouth twitched, jittery. As the car went by his eyes caught mine in the mirror and flickered. Keep your eyes on the road. Sure, sure. Lose your hat? Bright boy. Like I said, you know all the answers. No, I didn't lose it, I stuffed it down a drain. Still wearing the blue suit though. I figured it changed pretty quick now. Thank you, Oz will fit me. You can have the suit and the car, but just let us... Helen. But Joe, it's Mattrick. The Mrs is bright too. He crawled in here while we were in the movie. Joe, you should have that car door face. You know better. Honey, I meant to. I was going to tend to... Shut up! I'd say if you could both be bright enough to keep your trap shut. Turn left on Ventura, take a slow lane. Don't try plain old tricks. I've been in this work before. Okay, by me. That's real sweet, huh? Straight out the open country, Mac. And I'll take a Mrs up on that off with a suit and car. What happens to us? Why, you just walk home. What else? Play it safe and you ain't got a thing to worry about. That was a laugh, that was. Nothing to worry about. I'd kill you. Once we got out into the open country, we didn't have a chance of walking away from the car. All a murderer can hope for is time. He doesn't leave witnesses around to get the law in his tail one second sooner than necessary. All I could do was stall. And pray. To make what feeble gestures I could at Lady Luck. The thing that came into my mind was so risky it brought my hair up on end. But there was a chance. Provided that trigger finger didn't start jerking. In the bright lights of the boulevard, I didn't think he'd notice. But a traffic officer would. I turned into Ventura, took the far lane, obedient as a whip puff. We must have made two or three miles before I saw what I was hoping for. What's that? Huh? The red light? Oh, why an ambulance, I guess. We see a lot of them here. That ain't no ambulance. It's a motorcycle. Joe, it's young Mike Kennedy. He patrols this bridge. Look, what are you up to? What are you trying to pull? Nothing. The kid's a friend of ours. You think you can get me away easy, huh? I warned you. I ain't got a loan. You asked for it. Listen, listen, will you? The kid lives near us. Practically grew up under our feet. All he wants is to pass the time of day or maybe send a message to our Annie. Yeah? Yeah. That popping now and we'll all be dead. Keep your shirt on. I'll get rid of him. Okay. But it better be good. Mike came alongside. He sat balancing the bike between his knees and grin on his face was a mile wide. It had worked. At least we were still alive and Mike wasn't two feet away. Where did we go from here? I had to think, but my brain was wet world. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Well, what do you know if it is an Uncle Joe? Something funny, kid? After all the times you've read us the riot act about observing the letter of the law. Brother, wait till I tell Annie. Mike Kennedy, what's the matter with you? I didn't notice anything wrong. Hi, Annie. Nothing much the matter. Just Uncle Joe here proceeding sedately out the boulevard with his headlights up full. Headlights? Oh, by golly, that's right. I must have forgotten to dim them. You ought to forget these things. Maybe a big, bad cop might come along and haul you off to the sta... Hey, is that Annie back there? No, no, no, it isn't. It's our new neighbor, Mike, Mr. Anderson. Oh, is that right? Glad to meet you, sir. Hello. I didn't know there were any vacancies out our way. Oh, there weren't any until recently. Mr. Anderson has taken the Charles place. The Charles place? Are you kidding? Nope. Looks like things got too much for old man Charles at last. He's clearing out for good. Kind of sudden, wasn't it? I guess so. Oh, it's too bad. For old man Charles, I mean. Mighty nice for Mr. Anderson, though. Good places are out to find these days. All right, Uncle Joe, I'll let you off this time. Give my love to Annie. Mike, watch it. Yes, sir? Uh, nothing. Just come see us soon, boy. Always glad to have you. Thanks. I'll be around the next night off. Got a date with Annie. So long. That was that. Mike turned his bike and headed back down the boulevard. The chance had come and gone. But it felt to me like half my mind went off with the boy yelling at him. Must have been a half minute before I could pull myself together and ease back into traffic. Nobody said anything. I didn't dare to and neither did Ellie. I couldn't see her, but I could feel her holding herself stiff as a ramrod. Scared even to turn her head. When two people have lived together as long as we had, each one knows what the other one is thinking. I went back to driving and praying. That and cutting my eyes up to the mirror, just in case there might be a white motorcycle eye following us. There wasn't, of course. Back in the back, I knew he was watching, too. Those flickering eyes darting like lightning between us and the rear window. He was too busy checking to talk. Not that that helped much. Rage and fear were pouring out of him so thick you could have grabbed a hunk of the atmosphere in your hand. It was queer to drive along that crowded highway, traffic streaming both ways, lights from drug stores and cocktail joints and eating houses, blazing to the sky. Nor if I lifted a finger for help, I'd sign our death warrants. It had to be luck. All luck. There was still a chance I'd get it. The way I'd figured it, we started out with just about enough gas to get us back to Bill's station. When we hit that, the meter ought to show empty. The gas gauge was hidden from me by the rim of the steering wheel, but I was pretty sure I was right. I waited until I saw the red and green lights above Bill's pumps a block and a half away. And very slow and easy, I slumped over for a peek at the gauge. I leaned just too far. Sit up. What now? What were you looking at? I was just easing the crick out of my neck. Yes, you was. You was looking at the dash. You what? Ah, so that's it, huh? Fresh out of gas. Look, I just remembered. Don't give me that. You know it all along. Now on, you keep your hands on a wheel, Mac. But you leave me through the drive. I want to turn in that filling station, get high-test gas and fill her up. Ah, heating, sir. Hello, Bill. Bill. Up to the top? Yeah. Ethel. Ethel, that is. People know everybody in the whole valley. We've lived here 30 years. From back when this was farmland, of course, we know lots of people. I don't like it. Get the gas and get out. Hey, uh, I was up to Miranda's for supper. Is that right? Boy, her chili gets better every time. Don't see how it can, but it does. Yeah, she's saving some for you. Said you'd be around after the show. Miranda. Oh, my, I saw Miranda this afternoon and told her we'd be by for sure, Joe. Oh. We'll be 350 on the nose. Three and 50. Thanks, Bill. Same to you. What was all that about? Nothing much. Come on. Come on, I gotta ask you everything twice. Miranda runs a drive-in up the road a ways. On show nights, we usually drop in for a carton of chili to take home. I just hope she won't call home when we don't show up and get Annie all worried. Wait a minute. Drive-in, you said? Yeah. And this Miranda could start checking on you. Why didn't mean it like that? It's just that I... They could call you and Annie in between the two of them. They'd have the cops on a lookout for you before midnight. You're crazy. Yeah, like a fox. I kept ahead of the buttons all this time by taking chances. We'll just pick up that chili. You want me to go to Miranda's? Why not? Leave Annie get a beauty sleep. I can cover a lot of ground before tomorrow morning. I ain't eatin' so good lately. I could use the food. With you and the missus to front for me, what's to worry about? I went back to driving and praying. Miranda's place is one of those goldfish bowls, mostly glass, with light pouring out across the space marked for outside service and music coming from the jukebox. She saw us pulling up, grabbed a quart carton off the back shelf and hustled to the door. Yeah, Ellie, I was just saying to Betsy, better fix up that chili, Betsy. It's about time Ellie and Joe was showing up, figuring the distance from Beverly Hills. Who's out in the back seat? Don't seem to recollect your face, young man, though anybody'll tell you I never forget a face. This is Mr. Anderson Miranda. He just came out here from the east. Is that a fact? Say, Joe, you plan to go straight up then to her home? Why, sure. Don't you do it. Go the back way, even if it does take longer. Of course it'll brush far between here and your places out, but there's still 50-60 men patrolling. What's that? That ain't nothing to what's going on further out the valley. That new fire is clean out of control. Just a licking up hundreds of acres. They've been sending truckloads of firefighters past here all evening on the road blocked for miles. The road is blocked? Well, for miles, they tell me, and all them poor ranchers losing their homes. Being from the east, you wouldn't understand. But brush fires is awful things. Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks. Let's start moving. We take the back way to your house. To our house? Oh, you staying with Ellen, Joe? Yeah, until the road is... until I can get into my own place. Well, what are we waiting for? Night, Miranda. Well, bye. Be sure you come see me, Mr. Anderson. I've been looking for you. So there it was. We weren't going to the country. We weren't going to be left to rattle the foot of a cliff or very deep in brush. And while we were going home, home to the kids and taking a murderer with us, I still couldn't see Ellie, but I could feel her tensing up, tight as a pulled drawstring. Mr. Mattrick, you... you didn't mean what you said, did you? About coming home with us? You know, a better place I can hide out till the road's open. But it wouldn't be safe. We've got neighbors close all around. If somebody sees you... Nobody will see me. Nobody better. Joe, couldn't we get around the fire? Yeah, that'll be better. We could try. There are other roads through the valley. Listen, Mattrick, we'll nose round and find a way through. Cut it out! You heard the old pity, hundreds acres burning, firefighters cops? Get off the highway. We're going home. No, no, I won't have it. Joe, you stop the car right here. Shut up. You heard me, Joe. I won't have him in my house, not with Annie and Buzz. I said shut up! Oh, for Lord's sake, Ellie. It doesn't matter about us, but the kids, I won't let him touch it. One word, I'm gonna... Joe, stop! Helen, hush. Joe, say another thing. I'm sorry, honey, but Mattrick's the boss. We've got to do like he says. That's telling her. Sure, do like I say, and everything will be rosy. You got no call or worry about it. The kids, I like kids. As long as nobody gives me the brush off. We'll wake them up soon as we get home and you and this Annie can fix up a chilly stuff, of course. And we'll have us a picnic. Then soon as the fires out, we'll all take a trip to the country. Another picnic, huh? Keep going. As long as you're breathing, you keep going. Even when it looks like there's no way out, you hang on by your toenails. We've poked up and down those black valley streets to twist and turn and sometimes wind up in dead ends. Ellie stopped crying after a while. She slumped down with her head rolling on the seat back. Limp as a rag doll with the stuffing reached out. It took a long time, but it had to come to an end. I saw the bulk of the house looming up. There was lights sneaking around the edges of the blinds up in Annie's room. She wasn't asleep after all. She'd be sitting up in bed, maybe plastering red stuff on her fingers and dreaming about the date with Mike. But the room was dark. He'd be wrapped in covers like a cocoon in dreaming. Whatever boys dream, I couldn't remember. I pulled up to the concrete walk. I'd poured with my own hands before there was any Annie. Or but, he'd cut the lights. In a second or two, my eyes got used to the dark. I could make out the high hedge Ellie planted around the place and the roof rising up beyond it. Out, Mrs. Face the house. Now you, Mac. Slide out same side. Stand beside it. Walk to the door. Slow, no funny business. Right behind you. Uncle Joe and Ellie. Ellie, Ellie, honey, are you all right? All right, indeed. Smacked flat on my face on a concrete walk and you falling on me. Nothing wrong with her. That's my girl. Don't just stand there. Help me out. I've got to get in the house before the kids come busting out here. I won't have them mixed up in this thing. How's he doing, boys? Got him through the gun hand and the right shoulder. See? Lucky shot, copper. You weren't lucky at all they called me now. Maybe. Mattrick, isn't it, Uncle Joe? That's him. Miranda described him to you? The old girl doesn't miss a trick. She even knew you were taking the back way home. Left a clear trail, Uncle Joe. Slick work. I had to get him out of the car before the fireworks started. Ellie didn't stand a chance. She helped, though. Ellie catches on quick. I'll bet she does. A mean guy like Mattrick. Make him think you don't want to do something and he'll break his neck doing it. I let on. I was trying to run out of gas. That got us to builds. Then we both made it out. There was no sense going to Miranda's, so we get bullied into going to Miranda's. It was a thousand to one. She'd run off at the mouth about the brush fires and scare him into hiding out. After that, all Ellie had to do was turn on the hysterics. He was dead set on coming here. Right, boys. Right enough. You're all right, too, Mike. I was watching the rear view mirror all the time you were trailing us. But you never showed. You knew I was there, though. When one officer starts double talking another officer, he wants to know why. Officer? Double talk? He never said a thing to him, except I'd bought some place out here. The Charles place. Poor old man Charles. In a tough spot and moving out for good. What's wrong with us? Mattrick, didn't anybody ever tell you it wasn't smart to take up with strangers? I'd better introduce myself. The name's Charles. Joe Charles. Detective. Homicide. Tonight I was off duty and just taking my wife to a movie. I'll service the voice of information and education.