 And now another tale well-calculated to keep you in... Suspense. A daring and ingenious scheme for a payoff. As in just one minute, we bring you Perfect Plan, written by Peter Fernandez. There you are, Jason. There's the house. Yeah. Don't pull in here so that milkman can spot us. Yeah. Good. He didn't even notice it. We're right on schedule. Put that gun away. Just be in prepared. But we've got time. Relax. We have exactly 14 minutes before he leaves the house and walks down to that bus stop. And now they'll just be having their breakfast. Morning, Princess. Henry, you did it again. Ah, there was no point in waking you, Liz. Morning, honey. I'm perfectly capable of making my own breakfast. But I wanted to have it ready for you. Today, of all days. It's just that in the mornings lately... I know, I know, Mother. Here, sit down. I'll pour you some coffee. Thanks, Henry. It doesn't seem possible, does it? Only three more months and the baby will be born. That's all, only three months. And your baby is going to be beautiful, Liz. And yours. I hope it doesn't look like me. Here you are. Well, Henry, the decision is due this morning. Uh-huh. If that board doesn't make you manager... I'll just continue to be assistant manager. But with another mouth defeat soon. Oh, down it, Liz. I've worked hard for that promotion. And you'll get it. You're the best assistant manager that bank has. There's absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting that promotion, Henry. I hope not. Well, I'll call you any of the way. There'll be only one way. Goodbye, dear. What's keeping him? The bus doesn't leave for five minutes. He's still got time. Now, you listen to me, Jason. This whole job, we move carefully and slowly remember that. Sure, sure. We didn't spend weeks tailing him. Working this out just to have you get edgy now. Hey, look, he's coming out of the house. Oh, yeah, I see him. Now, remember, think, Jason, think. Sure. I'll go and join him at the bus stop. And you keep away from his house for at least five minutes. Okay. Good luck. The way this job is planned, Jason, we don't even need luck. Good morning. Oh, morning. Is this seat taken? No, don't forgive me. Let me move my briefcase. Thanks. There you are. Thank you. Aren't you Henry Travers? Well, I, yes. Yes, have we met before? Oh, we've merely ridden this bus together a few times. I'm Shirley Brisbane. Well, how do you do? I'm trying to do a little work in the office if you'll excuse me. Of course. Are those loan applications, Mr. Travers? Oh, you're familiar with this kind of work? Well, I've been making a study of your procedures. I expect to get a loan from you this morning. You do? Sure. Let me see, you said Shirley Brisbane. I don't recall your application. In exactly one hour and 15 minutes, I'll expect you to grant me a loan of $50,000. Yes, ma'am, just like that. Just like that. Well, all jokes aside, Miss Brisbane, I do have this work to finish. Well, go right ahead, Mr. Travers. There's still plenty of time. Yes? Miss Travers, I'm from Commercial Trust. Oh, my goodness. I didn't expect anyone so early. I'm not even dressed in the house. But come in, won't you? Thank you. Henry warned me that the bank might send someone around in connection with his promotion, but I didn't expect anyone so early. Sit down, won't you? I just finished coffee. Would you like some? It's still hot. Oh, no thanks. Would you mind very much, Mr... Mr... Collins, Jason Collins. Would you excuse me for just a few moments, Mr. Collins, while I change my clothes? No. What? It won't take me long. Well, neither will this. There's just a few preliminary questions. Please, uh, sit down, Mrs. Travers. Well, I... Sit down. Well, all right, Mr. Collins. Excuse me, Mr. Travers, but according to my watch, you should be at your desk in 12 minutes. What? How did you know? We just have time for you to consider my loan application. I don't consider that a very funny joke. No joke, I assure you. At a quarter after nine, I expect $50,000. Oh, you do. Otherwise... Otherwise, you'll never see your wife alive again. What? What... What are you talking about? There's someone with her now who won't hesitate to kill her. What? Don't attract attention, does, Mr. Travers. What's this all about? When you get to the bank, call your home. You can talk to my friend, Jason. Satisfy yourself that Elizabeth's life depends on what you do. Then what? Make out all the necessary papers for a loan. I don't care how you do it, as long as they look authentic. As long as no one stops me, because at 9.15, I'll be in to pick up that money. I still don't know if this isn't some kind of cruel joke. When we get to the bank, call your home. Then you can be sure this is no joke. Come in, Mr. Travers. Oh, yes, O'Malley. Well, today's the day, sir. I said good luck, sir. I hope you get the promotion. Just a moment now, and I'll have this gate open. Oh, by the way, Mr. Cromwell came in a few minutes ago, sir. I showed him into your office. I haven't time for him. But it's Cromwell himself. I don't care. There you are, sir. Oh, Mr. Travers, my dear, dear, head. I'm sorry, Mr. Cromwell, but could you wait outside? I've got to make a private phone call. I beg your pardon. Please, it's urgent. I can't explain it just now. Oh, hmm. Well, with poor Basil and retiring, I've decided to approve you for manager at this morning's board meeting. And I came here early to have a chat with you first. I haven't time. Please, Mr. Cromwell, if you can wait for just a little while. Oh, very well, Travers. Very well. Oh. Who is this? Is that you, Travers? Yes, yes. Are you... I've been waiting for your call. You're late. Elizabeth, is she all right? She doesn't yet. Let me talk to her. Listen, I'll do my best. I'll try to get the money, but what you're asking is almost impossible. Never mind. But I will... Hello. Hello. Well, one of the other tellers informed me that you were here. Kind of early for you, isn't it, sir? Well, now, don't tell me that you too have some objections to me being here? Oh, indeed. No, sir. Well, good. Then you won't mind if I stand here by your counter? Oh, not at all, sir. I want to keep an eye on Mr. Travers' office. Oh. I want to know what he's up to. Now, tell me, have you noticed anything peculiar about him lately? Peculiar? No, sir. What do you mean? Well, this morning, for instance, the man seems absolutely frantic. We haven't even opened the business yet. There. There he is now, rushing out of his office and going into Frisbees. Now, what do you suppose he could be up to? Ah, good morning, Henry. You heard anything about the promotion yet? Oh, this is Sloane Jim. You forgot to add your endorsement. Oh, hmm. You're nervous this morning, Henry, but you needn't be. I think the promotion is yours. Jim, here, I need your signature. Go be in for this money in a few minutes. All right, Henry. Now, let's see what this all about. Hmm. Don't recall this application. Well, it came up at the last meeting. You were at the dentist that afternoon. Oh, yes, yes, the 14th, of course. Well, do we have the collateral? Yes, yes, Jim. The stocks and bonds were analyzed more than sufficient. Equity products corporation. Never heard of it. What do they do, Henry? The transcript of the meeting is available. I haven't time to go into this with you. And I haven't had a chance to read the transcript yet. Well, but you signed this. You must feel that it's worthwhile. I do. Now, let me see. It's just nine o'clock. It is? And I won't have time to read the transcript now. So, I'll sign this on your say, sir. Right here. Use my pen. Oh, okay. There you are. Hey. And thanks. Thanks, Frisbee. Henry, the promotion's in the bag. Relax, Henry. In just a moment, we will return for the concluding act of suspense. 17 minutes past nine, Mr. Travers. Aren't you finished yet? Almost. You wanted cash, didn't you? That's right. I've got more forms to fill out. I need more time. Jason expected the phone call two minutes ago. If he's done anything to hurt Liz... You're in no position to bargain, Mr. Travers. Just do what you have to do. All right. There. That's finished. Now I have to go to the ball to show these to the guard. Get in and get the money. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Well, you'd better be. Henry, do you think we'll be able to have our little chat soon? Now the meeting is not far off, and I'm not not now. Henry, what is going on? Now will you tell me? I can't. I can't. And please don't ask me. Well, I just don't understand. Here. Oh, Mally. Oh, thanks, Mr. Travers. We'll go right in, sir. And a seat that I'm not disturbed. I have a large amount of cash to assemble here. Oh, yes, sir. All right, Mr. Travers. Are you ill, Mr. Collins? Can I get you something? It's 20 after nine. I know. That meeting about Henry's promotion will be taking place in only five minutes. That don't matter. Who cares about a meeting? Well, I certainly do. Why doesn't that phone ring? I really don't understand why it's so urgent. Two more minutes. That's all I'm going to wait. Two more minutes. Now, Mr. Travers. Yes, yes, so, Mally. Oh, Mr. Cromwell is waiting for you just outside. He insists on a word with you, sir. Oh, no. Henry, just a moment. Mr. Cromwell, I'll explain later. I want the explanation now. Don't go, my arm. Don't be a fool. Try to stop me, please. This cash form I got from Mally just now and the copy of the loan application seem... Well, they seem fraudulent. They're not. Frisbee endorsed that application, so did I. It says here that it was approved as per the meeting of Tuesday the 14th. Now, I sat in on that entire meeting. This loan was not approved. It wasn't even discussed. Oh, Mally. Yes, sir. Now, call the 19th... No, listen to me. Go ahead, Mally. Now, what is it, Henry? I'm listening. He's getting in my office. Unless she gets this money now and calls him, he'll kill my wife. Oh, Henry, I wish you'd told me this sooner, but we'll go in there, give her the money, and when the police get here, we'll keep them out of this until your wife is safe. Thank you, Mr. Cromwell. Good luck. Okay, I've got it. Where? Oh, my... What are you doing? She must have slipped out when we were talking. I'm about to catch her. Now you're lying. No, stop! Stop! Stop! Please, you've got to let me go. Will you let him? That's it. Hold it. Now, killer, let me go. Will you... Now, Henry, you haven't a chance. Listen to me. But I've already... Listen, Henry, and I think we'd better wait in your office until the police get here. No, Mr. Cromwell. I'm sorry, Henry. Bring him along, Mally. Oh, please. Now, go ahead, Henry, and call your home, and tell whoever you think is there that the woman's already left with the money that she didn't want to take the time to call. He won't believe me. He'll think she was caught. He might have killed Liz already. If you're telling the truth, this is the only thing you can do right now. But it's obvious what the truth is. All right, all right. She was supposed to talk to him herself. He'll know I'm lying. You've got to persuade him that the plan is working, if there is any such plan. Elizabeth, are you all right? What? Oh, Liz, never mind. Put him on. Goodness. Just a minute, drivers. Give me that phone. Hello? This is Waller Cromwell. Well, I'm fine. About that man... Mr. Collins? Did he threaten you? I see, I see. Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Travers. Goodbye for now. Well, Henry. Ah, the police. Good morning, Lieutenant. Hello, Mr. Cromwell. Oh, what's happened? Well, we've been very fortunate, Lieutenant. We just prevented this man, one of our most respected officers from absconding with a large amount of the bank's funds. I was going to steal money. I would have been much more clever than this. I was threatened to kill my wife unless I gave them $50,000. Who threatened? I just spoke to your wife. She doesn't know anything about it. We're going down to the precinct, and we'll get a full statement. If it adds up to the way it sounds, we'll book this man. Well, that'll suit me just fine, Lieutenant. Here's your wife, Mr. Travers. We've just finished. Question. Poor darling. Henry, I had no idea what was going on this morning. I almost wish you had, and they might believe me. Has my lawyer arrived yet? He's on his way, dear. If I'm to be booked, I want to be. Mr. Travers, when your wife gave us a statement, we checked the entire board of directors at your bank. That man who was at your house this morning, he wasn't on any official business as your wife had been led to believe. He could have been a burglar posing as an investigator in order to case the house. That's ridiculous. Or he could be the man we're looking for. He has no record, so we have no mug shots of him, but the woman... Yes? Maybe you can spot her in one of these pictures of various women. All of them from our fires in here. Yes. Take a good look, Mr. Travers. Let me see, no. No. No. Not this one either. No. No, she's not here, Lieutenant. Is that a fact? Well, I'm afraid we'll have to hold you. No, no, wait, wait. Let me see that one again. Which one? This? No, no, that one. Yes. Yes, this could be her. Now that I take a second look at her, it could be. But you're not certain. How can I be? The woman I saw had blonde hair. This one has black, but the face seems to be the same. Then let me tell you, Mr. Travers, the woman in that picture is dead. I don't see how I have a chance, Russell. Just look at that jury. Look at their faces. Every single one of them believes I'm guilty. I strongly advise you to plead guilty and escape this trial, Henry. You might have been given a light sentence a year or two, but now without any concrete proof with nothing to back up your defense, if they do bring in a guilty verdict, well, it could mean 10 years. 10 years. Counsel. Counsel for the defense, are you ready to begin your summation? I am, Your Honor. Very well, then please begin. Good luck. Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we concede that the evidence offered in defense of this poor man has been purely circumstantial. However, let me point out that even some sample evidence were there of guilt or illicit. Mr. Prosecutor, if you wish to hold a conference with one of your witnesses, kindly do so outside of his courtroom. This defendant is entitled. I'm sorry, Your Honor, but the police lieutenant here has just brought me some information which has a direct bearing on this whole trial. Very well. Please give the court that information. The police lieutenant has just informed me, Your Honor, that a similar robbery was attempted this morning at the National Exchange Bank and that the woman has been caught. She is the sister of the woman identified by the accused. She has confessed to the crime for which this man has been on trial. He wishes to make a motion for the dismissal of the indictment. That motion is granted. Case dismissed. Henry. Oh, good morning, Mr. Cromwell. I trust the new manager feels at home. Henry, by the way. Yes, sir? Well, after all, you can't blame me. I saw the young lady this morning and this isn't the first time that a bank official tried to run off to Mexico with such a man. I'm sorry, Your Honor, but you've tried to run off to Mexico with such a tasty young dish. Suspense. You've been listening to Perfect Plan, written for suspense by Peter Fernandez. In a moment, the names of our players and a word about next week's story of suspense. Burden Tonight's story were George Petrie as Henry, Elizabeth Lawrence as Shirley, Paul Plotter as Cromwell, and Patsy Bruder as Elizabeth. Listen again next week when we return with Two Came Back by Ronald Dawson and Joseph Cochran. From a story by Jules Archer. Another tale well calculated to keep you in. Suspense. News analysis next, followed by latest CBS News and Have Gun Will Travel on CBS Radio.