 I said put that gun away Joe. Stop him Freddy. He can't hear you Smalley. He's busy singing. I've been playing you to sleep. Hey Baker. Baker. He can't hear you neither. We rocked him off long ago. Joe listen, don't do it please. I'll cut the take again anyway you say. But don't push the switch on me. Don't. Midnight. The witching hour when the night is darkest. Our fears the strongest. Our strength at its lowest end. Midnight. When the graves gape open and deaths. How? You'll learn the answer in just a minute then. Red wheels. And now murder at midnight. Tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the macabre. Our story by Jack Gordon is red wheels. Flap and empty under a heavy night sky. Speeding along its only road is a large bus. Lulled by the hum of the tires. Smooth motion. The passengers sleep. All of them. Except one. Joe you wake up. What? I said wake up. What? Let me alone will you let me sleep will you. Hey Joe you don't think nothing went wrong you don't do you. All right I'm up. You know kid you gotta face the talks too much. I want to make sure everything's all right that's all Joe I want to make sure. This makes three times tonight you gotta make sure. Starting to get me see. All right now I'll tell you once more. There ain't nobody following us. Okay. But there was there was you said so yourself there was it first. That was a couple of days ago. It was the newspaper said so not me. Now will you put that imagination of yours in more balls. Nobody's following us. Nobody knows we killed them. That they did they'd probably be erecting a monument for us back in Denver this minute. So you just turn your nose against the window and watch the desert. Yeah but it's pretty sand in the desert. But Joe you turn your nose like I say. Yeah Joe you picked your lucky seat. You're in seat seven ain't you. You should turn around. Watch the sand in the desert. That's right and you found a penny. That's the sign you're always blabbing about sitting in seat seven and found a penny. Lucky guy that's you. Yeah that's me. Yeah so let me sleep with you. That's me lucky guy. Only I can't rest since that night we gave it to smally out of the window Freddie. Okay what time is it. It's almost 12. Smally coming yet. I thought he was going to be here at midnight. No but the car. What about him. Well he keeps coming back like he's fishing for something here. He's just making a rounds. Don't you worry about him. I don't like it Joe there's a smell about it. It stinks to me too. Those two guys playing us for suckers. Baker and smally a pair of shovel foot dopes. Doing a little insurance on their own and they won't cut us in on a take. Okay. Maybe we just ought to go away Joe set up our own system somewhere. Let them get away with a double cross you kidding. It's arranged perfect in it. Baker out like a light in the other room from that Mickey. We use his gun and we're a thousand miles away when he fries for killing his best friend. But Joe don't forget me I'm a jinx I tell you it'll backfire everything happens to me. Let's let it alone. Just stroke that lucky rabbit's foot you bought today and I'll do the work. What's that. Smally. Yeah yeah all right now just just get to that piano and play him a little lullaby. Hey Joe the cops go and get to the piano I said yeah. Maybe my luck switch because of the rabbit's foot. Hello smally we've been waiting for you. Is it. It's not so good we ain't happy. No no the whole thing grizzles me. That's too bad. Where's Baker. Do you think we'd sit around like a couple of stumps and let you collect all that protection without a fee. I think you're getting too tall Joe. Only five foot eight that's four inches and forty pounds weaker than you smally. Just the same Freddie and me we want our share. You got what's coming to you but you ain't got what's coming to you smally. You see this cuts you down to size. Put that away Joe. Now you're forty pounds four inches they'll make no difference. I said put that gun away Joe stop and Freddie. He can't hear you smally. He's busy singing. I mean playing you to sleep. He can't hear you neither. We rocked him off long ago. Joe listen I don't do it I'll cut the take again anyway you say but don't push the switch I mean don't. Keep playing Freddie like nothing's happened. I said keep playing Freddie nothing's happened. I can't all right then just keep stroking your rabbit's foot. It'll be OK. Let's see now. Let's get out of here. It's only half done kid. Let's plant the gun on Baker before we go. OK. There he's beginning to stir in there. Let's get out of here. The cop downstairs. Easy get easy that's perfect. Not he'll catch Baker just as he's getting up. So through the window and let the cops take over from here on out. So now we got a grandstand seat to watch the go with Baker right in the middle. No no Joe let's be the way we can. What do we want to look the trouble for come on. This I got to see. Here he comes the lunk staggering out of the bedroom. Is he dopey from that stuff we give him. Jerk. You don't even know he's got that gun we planted on him. Please Joe I'm dancing around like crazy inside. Let's get out of here before they decide to look this way. This ain't smart Joe. OK. I've had my fun. Let's blow. There's a lot of money out there. Easy picking. Don't be a dope. What do they want us for. They got Baker and they look for us as witnesses. Yeah. They know they're well rid of smally. All they want is a goat and we left him in a stable back there with the paper. Never mind the paper set. Sure they'd say they want us around. But if we ain't there pick it up kid. It's good luck Joe. You see. Now we got nothing to worry about. What time does your next bus leave for LA ma'am. One's leaving in about five minutes. OK two for LA. Twenty one five of twenty five. Here you are. Thank you. Come on kid. Hey Joe. Yeah. You got a penny. What for. I want to weigh myself. I'll get a fortune ticket. What about that penny you picked up. Oh no Joe. That's a good luck penny. I mustn't spend that. Oh gee. Thanks. What's the good news kid. It says. It says. OK so go on. What does it say. What it says. You're going to take a long unexpected trip. That's pretty good. That's right. Maybe. Maybe it don't mean that. Maybe it means the cops will get us. Finish rating that. OK. It says. You are too easily taken in and influenced by those around you. What are you looking at me for. Nothing. Nothing Joe. Come on kid. There's a bus pulling in. Let's get out. Let's wait for the next one Joe. Are you nuts a three hour wait. What for. That's got red wheels. Red means danger. Let's take the next bus. You're dope. Stroke your rabbits. But Joe I got a feeling. Good. So am I. And it says let's get to LA. Double quick and pick up some of that gold dust. Hey driver. Yeah. When do we pull into LA. Day after tomorrow. Not this time. Thanks. Come on Freddie. The red wheels is on the outside. All right. All right. OK. Seven and eight. That's a skimmier bag. Joe. Hey Joe. Now what. Hey let me. Let me step by the window. You can't see the wheels anyway. Oh I get it. It's the number. You want the lucky seven. Sure kid. Sit and see seven if it'll make you happy. Red wheels. Red wheels. Red wheels. Red wheels. Are you still up. I wish I could sleep. Oh look out the window. The night in the sand. You're not off. Yeah. Yeah. OK Joe. Out the window. The night in the sand. Night in the sand. Night in the sand. Oak screen. Piedness from the rest of the world. No eyes. Watchers. We're way away. Red wheels don't mean beans. That's nothing. I'm no pin cushion for that lady luck. She's on my side. I had it all up. Rabbit's foot that's one. Finding the penny that's to win and seat seven three. That's three against red wheels Three against red wheels Can't be Hey Joe he said not to wake him. He said he wanted to sleep But the bus bus Look, look, it's still moving Joe speeding over the great clouds of sand and The driver's seat is empty Can a bus be going without a driver? Where would you expect to go out there red wheels? Back to the bus speeding through the desert without a driver. How could a bus move without a driver? It's crazy Just close your eyes Freddy You dream it Now when you open your eyes again, you'll see straight ahead and see There is a I'm imagining things because I'm scared Joe. Hey, what's eating you now? Look Joe look coppers. No, no, no worse. It's this bus. It's moving. What would you expect now? Look pretty part. Yeah. Yeah, that's just the point. Look straight ahead there. Look at the devil The devil's riding with us. He's holding the wheel. That's why we can't see him. It's it is no driver Smokes up. I don't get it. What's making it more something we can't see Joe Shut up. The bus is red wheels Joe remember red burns like fire can take it only one place That's where we're going Maybe some of these dope sleep and can dream away out. Hey, everybody wake up I'll tell you the big idea look look straight front and see for yourself Wasn't anybody awake I'll tell you who's driving this bus. It's the devil and that means you know where we're going Hey, you're creating a talk. That's just what we need This bus is riding the saw where we got to do a lot of fast talking dead people got to tell why they should be led Into heaven or to that other place We talk about them all the time the devil. That's the guy we're gonna have to see I know I know there's no other place for me It must be the same for all of you and the bus has got red wheels And if you look outside you can't see a thing but clouds of sand nothing nothing just a bus moving And if you add up what you did during your lifetime, I'll bet you'll find there was plenty wrong Hey you fat boy, how'd you do it with an axe maybe? Lady small little damn with a great hair what's the devil got against you and you what's lands are heavy on your chest It's you won't let me talk. I'll keep jabber nothing to get excited When someone gives you the green light to yap that means to shut up. We put on a good show Joe and me We did it with music. I say button up. No. I'm now Joe. I can sing in any key. What's the difference now? He is a copper. We're all going to the same place. I shut up. I played Somalia lullaby Joe rocked him to sleep with a bullet ready with a plane every day gone. No fancy trim. It's too first Am I Joe am I maybe I was once but no more I'm not gonna take what's around waiting for us you dopes can stick here like pigs in the slaughter pen of your wife But me I'm finding a way up. I'm free I'm alone Mr. Yeah, mr. Desert Brad They've been here 22 And been wandering around Well, how like Why don't you get out of here because once you jump off Hey, hey, mr. Rad yes ready. What are you going? Wanderer the desert sand and nothing else for 22 years Maybe another bus will pick me up Maybe I shouldn't have jumped Maybe it might have been better the way it was before I changed. No No, there is something else a tavern. Come on Freddy pick him up and lay him down. Let's get to those people Nice town Got a road One two three Not five buildings Hey Hey, anybody there must be There and it's saloon there. Oh brother could I use a drink? Dear no stop that not that song. That's what I was playing when Stop it. Do you hear what I do this door? Maybe another bus without a driver a piano without anybody playing it Just the keys moving by themselves. They're pretty good to a couple of days ago. What kind of a drink a Mickey? Like you and Joe gave Baker before you knocked me off You shouldn't have done it Freddy. I didn't have nothing to do with it. So I honest it was Joe have a drink Freddy You must be awful No, I know I'm thirsty with that slug in my guts. I'll keep away from you smoke So why not let's have one together a nice double Mickey. I said keep clearing me. He's scared for you, aren't you? You're afraid of the dark and the desert and being here alone with me in a ghost town Joe Joe when Joe isn't around you get scared kid. Don't you too bad Joe isn't here to give you a little gumption Fight me Freddy Get me Freddy or I'll get you on a small ass. I ain't got them against you. We got it. We got to stick together heads. It's dark Keep away from me. I tell you I'll let you have it small ass. Well, I will I want you I didn't want to do it slowly not again honest Got him before he got me that's all so mixed up. I don't know how he got here I'm alive Luck's coming my way again This time for good. I got a feeling Lucky rabbit's foot lucky penny everything lucky lady luck. She's on my side now. I see a car a car outside I hear it When I head like straight up. Yeah, just hop a ride to LA. I'll be okay Up and down up to check it in Tom. Okay Johnny. I'll take it Excitement excitement. Yeah, I guess so what do you mean you guess so now a couple of murderers on your bus Then there wasn't no excitement in it for me. What you see I wasn't there They were all asleep when the bus broke down. There was no one to talk to so after the tow car hooked on to the bus I went up front in the tow car to chew the wreck. Yeah. Yeah, so so nothing when this guy wakes up He went nuts started yapping about a murder and jumped off the bus We had to chase him all through the desert and he was so far gone He didn't even see the tow car when we found him again. So what happened to him? He was nuts. I tell you off his rocker. Yeah Yeah We turned him and his buddy over to the cops in the next town at just about 12 o'clock midnight a bus without a driver And it goes down in the desert Perhaps our two friends will make that same trip again and very soon when they make their final payment for their Murder this again when death takes the wheel on a lonely journey and the clocks strike 12 for Murder Freddy was played by John Sylvester With music by Charles Paul murder at midnight was directed by Anton M. Leader