 Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar and this is Retro Radio, old-time radio in the dark presented by Weird Darkness. Each week I bring you a show from the golden age of radio but still in the genre of Weird Darkness. I'll have stories of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime and even some dark science fiction. If you're new here, welcome to the show and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen in with you. Spreading the word about the show helps it to grow. If you're here because you're already a fan of nostalgic audio and print, you'll want to email WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. When you do that, you'll get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp e-books and old-time radio shows for free. That's WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. Coming up, it's an episode from The Creaking Door. The Creaking Door was an old-time radio program that originated from South Africa. It relied heavily on mysticism and supernatural. It was of the same genre as classic suspense and horror mysteries like Inner Sanctum. There isn't much information on the series but I believe it ran in the mid to late 1950s and then found syndication from 1964 to 1965. The show was hosted by Peter Bloomfield and only lasted for 34 episodes. Tonight it's an episode entitled The Vagrant, where a man sits on a bench near the river. His suit is crumpled and ancient. His shoe is broken. Now and then he sips from a bottle of cheap wine that has become his only friend. But he doesn't sip with good cheer and happiness, he drinks in horror. Now bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the Weird Darkness as we listen to The Creaking Door and The Vagrant. I have sailed. I have moved about this world of ours and ever in search of the finest of its kind we bring you the tops in spine chillers. The Creaking Door. The manufacturers of state-express 3-5s filter king cigarettes take pleasure in presenting. The Creaking. Good evening friends of The Creaking Door. The Creaking Door is open so do come in. You know some ghosts are awful liars. One of our people here tells the most fantastic stories of his life on earth and then he wonders why everyone sees through him. Move in world class. Get the taste of new smooth state-express 3-5s today. We promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get. It's a blend that has been perfected after years of constant research by our master blenders and the recent development of an entirely new process which gives you an even smoother 3-5 smoke. We promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get. Move in world class. Get the taste of new smooth state-express 3-5s today. A man sits on a bench near the river. His suit is crumpled and ancient. His shoes broken. Now and then he sips from a bottle of cheap wine that has become his only friend. But he doesn't sip with good cheer and happiness. He drinks in horror. Move on there. Move on. Oh officer. I feel pretty weak. Drinking in the afternoon won't make any stronger. I've been ill. Oh sure. I've heard every sob story a whole boy ever dreamed of. You know what's wrong with you. Here's to call it lack of moral fiber back there in the war. You're just a spineless lump of your manatee not able to get the courage to jump in the river. Now get going or run you in. Very well. No hard feelings. I know you're just doing the job the city pays you for. You got the price of a meal. Oh I'm a vagrant. Arrest me if you're like it doesn't matter. Another few days in jail. What's worse that to a guy like me. If I take you to a meal. You know the answer. Booze. I know some people who help guys like you. Most of them are ex drunks and they understand. You sound like an educated man. You might be able to do something for you. And all thanks. I've got the greatest respect for people like that. It's sober me up. The one thing I couldn't stand to be to be sober. The office. Nightmares don't come to me through drink. The opposite. They come when I'm sober. Man we all have our problems not problems like mine. Obviously did you ever hear dead woman talk. Did you ever have a dead woman tell you that you loved her. After you'd murdered her. Now what's this talk about murder. You can arrest me for it. Sure I killed her Sandra out. Maybe it was Sandra's idea but you can't arrest me for killing Jeanette because Jeanette isn't dead. See I was married to Jeanette when I fell for Sandra. Sandra was beautiful. Jeanette was insipid besides. I love. Yes. How can it happen to a man like me thirty five years old married not really living in them one day. I haven't gotten to the time one of the big things of life the biggest and it happens to you and me. Why do you love me I don't know. Yes I do your hair your lips the way you walk and swing of your skirt touch of your fingers in the dark. Did you love your wife that way. Jeanette was the girl next door everybody expected us to get married. Well we did it was like most marriages. We didn't even fight just petty bickering deadly doll was never like the thing I feel for you. Wouldn't it be wonderful if if I were free I often think back. Oh it's it's wicked to think like that. After all Jeanette deserves her happiness. She isn't happy with me how could she be and she might have lost you. I'll tell you what I'll do Sammy I'll wait until we have one of our usual rows and ask you never know. That's how it started obviously there's a few words in casual. Some of the rest of it for sure but remember there's no rest you can make because she's still alive how search me but she's alive and kicking I know that see officer I don't know exactly when I decided to kill her perhaps it was when she refused to divorce me yeah yeah I think that was it. I wish you'd remember to wipe your feet when you come into the house for him dragging him out of all the carpet sorry Janet sorry nothing I have to clean up after you don't know how you have to clean up and try and take a little care and we need new drapes for the living room OK just pick them out honey you don't care do you they're tired of me and the house tired of everything who is she Sam those hoods are that do you think a wife doesn't know you must be crazy if you do I know I knew immediately some cheap little clue why should you care what does it mean to you there's no love lost between us and you know it suppose there is another girl and she can give me what you can expect you want to divorce that's the next step I don't see any point in going on like this to you did you ever see any point in it you can forget it because you may not be the husband of my dream Sam but you happen to be my husband and I'm not making a free gift of you to some you better be careful what you say you don't know her I don't want to know her thank you now that ends the entire solid conversation and I refuse to discuss it again make yourself at home Sam I'll fix the drink here take a jacket out of this is really like home and then you're wearing the gun yeah I just bought it I hate this city just isn't safe at night anymore no that's true I have never fired a gun in my life I'll have to get some practice yeah maybe we can go somewhere this weekend Sam Sam if I were you I I wouldn't wear that gun I wouldn't let anybody know you've got it leave it here until you need it until I need it yeah boy I'm with you all the way thanks Sammy well here's to us yeah here's to us shot away from the world a little hideaway that's how I want it Sammy I don't like people a lot you know I want us to be together now it's started officer I bought a gun I expect I made up my mind to kill her then but I fooled myself that I didn't have to she might see things my way and she never did oh no she never did women of funny creatures you can say that again a woman oh well some anyway like being married they like having the status if you can call it that even when they hate the man yeah crazy that's pretty crazy but not just for murder I don't think I'd have done it if you don't ever know another person do you sit across from them at meals you share the night with them and talk all the things one talks about you don't know them at all I never really knew what was in her mind never you were late home tonight yeah that's right seeing your little sweet home lay off me will you Jeanette I hope we could go to a movie that's all you hate me you show it every day why should I take you to a movie because we have to live normal life that's why does she look like me no you must know she doesn't know bet she does no she doesn't younger I expect him prettier I don't want to talk to you about it I wonder how she feels guilty I expect or is she without feelings of any kind good is all this doing it you know I want you to divorce me yet you know I want to marry Sandy so that's her name Sandy how sweet oh perhaps it's a nickname of course you could leave me and simply live with her or is she insistent on the wedding ring you'll lose a lot Sam the house the car it's in my name the alimony won't be cheap can you keep your job none of it matters can't you understand that you have got it badly my dear haven't yes I have Jeanette our marriage was a mistake and we both know it one day the right man for you will come along and you'll be happy now you're just bitter and unhappy Sam a marriage is a marriage it's for life and as far as I'm concerned that's that if we're unhappy we deserve to be I just don't believe in divorce don't be depressed don't be sad about anything if she was gone yeah if there were only an accident say or a bugler you said he was dangerous you were right you know it is people get killed you hear bad things happening every day of the year don't use Sam in world class get the taste of new smooth state express three pides today we promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get it's a blend that has been perfected after years of constant research by our master blenders and the recent development of an entirely new process which gives you an even smoother three five smoke we promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get move in world class get the taste of new smooth state express three pides today this adds up to trouble many a man has felt just as Sam feels only a few use the gun pull the trigger interesting people murderers I meet quite a few behind the creaking door what did you tell the Sunday girl was asking you to murder your wife wasn't she I was I suppose officer I wonder if she knew it then I didn't need much telling I was ready for it but the way it happened was something else again something I didn't expect you're falling asleep I'm happy cat that ate the cream it's great being here with you closed away from the world every girl has a man in her mind man she wants me it's more than anything else do I look like to net no nothing like a she's a blonde isn't she that's right it's a pretty girl nice girl just not for me that's all some other guy he'd make her happy some other guy not me Sam I still got your gun here I know I'm scared having to hear you better take it tonight okay Sandy if you want me to you know this thing has to end don't you what do you mean what I say it has to end because people can't act this way not forever I'm not your wife I'm nothing you better make up your mind to stay with her and love her no other way no please no can't live like this then you make up your mind once and for all and and here's your gun took the gun and I walked home she was there Jeanette with that martyred look on her face dinner waiting poor Jeanette none of that was her fault I've made dumplings the way you like for thanks can she cook Sandy just leave me alone Jeanette whatever you do with your own business Sam here eat your supper I don't feel hungry oh she can cook is that it take your jacket off if you like what's that a gun yes Jeanette is a gun let's see it I used to be rather a good shot be careful it's loaded oh thanks you poor Sam did you buy to shoot me Sam don't be foolish I can read you like a book Sam you bought it to kill me that you didn't have the nerve you never would have managed it you haven't the courage to shoot a sick cat I wouldn't shoot you Jeanette you've done me no harm if we hurt one another that's how things are now I have a gun you pull back the slide like this now it's cocked push the safety catch forward now it's ready to fire carefully it has a hair trigger Jeanette don't point it at me good bye husband no what do you mean tell me quickly she was gonna kill me and we fought over the gun that's all I I didn't mean to but nobody will believe me now of course not did you leave her just lying there Sam tell me everything just left her where she fell give me a dog what for I must go with the police that's me the key you fall I'm in this to you know accessory after the fact I can hang too the key come on quick I'm Sandy I'm not my mind's going quickly there what are you gonna do never mind I'll just stay here and don't leave whatever you say Sandy anything you say it was an accident sounds like something else to me I wish you life now I don't know how could I know this Sandy what did she do with the body I don't know I was scared to ask she came back that night when she'd been away for an hour terrible thing is she was looking exactly like Jeanette I was scared you go to the police and did you go around to my place yeah there's nothing to worry about what did you do don't ask just don't go there again that's all but what have you done I told you don't ask me some things that I better not talk about is there any brand you left I am almost a bottle for us to drink stiff ones need it now all right we're going to drink it all and sleep anything you say to us I'm too weak to live nothing I do I love you that's all you have to remember why are you doing your hair like Jeanette drink your drink Sam you're coming apart I drank everything she gave me and I slept it was late in the morning when I woke up the sun was high there was a woman standing looking down at me Sam you're in a bad way to that what are you doing here that connect you foolish boy I'm Sandy oh you've been having a night no no I saw her she she went into the kitchen I just come from there she isn't there Sam street outside my office even sitting in my car Sandy changed her hairstyle in her clothes she looked more like Jeanette every day and she began to nag me just like legs up Sam I can't clean the place of your sprawl ends of your I know but she's there she's everywhere I saw her just now Sandy as I came in she was standing in the hallway just looking at me hello yeah I see you but nobody knows I'm here Sandy well obviously somebody does you fool you know fine at all give you the gun you may need I kept the gun one of these days it's gonna come in hand the officer you got it was your now sure I'm always with you better on it to me then no no I've got a permit you just confessed to a murder laddie buck you're a vagrant on your own admission now I'm taking her to the police station but first I want a few details I don't want the sergeant to get all the credit your name Sam Samuel Wallace listen to me I'm sorry for us daddy won the handsome crescent but it isn't fair she isn't dead she can't be I will soon find out after we've dug up the back garden now the gun and it's over but it's my last talk foolish you haven't got the guts to shoot yourself and you know it I guess you're right here that's better come along with me son your troubles are over my troubles are with me for eternity yes here and I borrow that hair dryer of course Sandy he's done it yet he won't have the courage until he's quite mad it's worth waiting for though isn't it fifty thousand of course Sandy and the lovely thing about it is that nobody can ever find out nobody anywhere can ever find out how we did it yeah well he deserved it after all he was going to shoot you well of course he deserved it I acted my own death rather well of course but apart from that how can the man be such a cowardly fool yeah say have you thought what might happen if he went to the police yeah he won't he hasn't got that much courage to Quincy once pointed out that many a man has owed his social downfall to a little murder he thought nothing off at the time for Sam perhaps he would have been well advised shoot both of them one simply can't tell can one well class get the taste of new smooth state express three fives today we promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get it's a blend that has been perfected after years of constant research by our master blenders and the recent development of an entirely new process which gives you an even smoother three five smoke we promise you it's the smoothest cigarette you can get move in world class get the taste of new smooth state express three fives today this is your host back again just a reminder of our rendezvous next week where are we going through the creaking door of course the manufacturers of state express three fives filter king cigarettes invite you to listen next Saturday at nine o'clock when they will again present the creaking door thanks for listening to this week's retro radio old-time radio in the dark if you haven't done so yet be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes and if you like the show please share it with someone you know who also loves old-time radio and pulp audio if you want to hear even more drop an email to weirddarkness at radio archives dot com and get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audio books pulp ebooks and old-time radio shows absolutely free that's weird darkness at radio archives dot com i'm darren marlar i'll see you next 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