 And now, stay tuned for the program that has rated tops and popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history. The Signal Oil program, The Whistler. The famous Go Farther gasoline invites you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by The Whistler. I am The Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yeah, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. And now, for The Signal Oil Company, The Whistler's strange story, The Return. Dr. Sheridan's car screeches to a stop before the heavy stone steps of the wide porch, and the doctor rushed up to the door of the Denton Townhouse, clutching his medical clip. There was confusion inside, the servants rushing this way and that, and relatives barking orders. All of them clearing a path to the stairs to permit the doctor to dash hurriedly up towards the big master bedroom, where Ellen Denton lay breathing heavily. And then outside the room, there was the awesome state of suspense, worry, fear for Ellen's life. Until it last, Dr. Sheridan stepped out into the hall, nodded reassuringly to Ellen's brother-in-law. You mean she's all right, doctor? I found her in time. Yes. Yes, you did, but just in time. Oh, thank heaven. I can't tell you how grateful we are that you got here so clocked quickly, Dr. Sheridan. You see, Dr. Grainger, our family doctor, is away and... I'm glad I could make it. What I can't understand is why a relatively young woman like Mrs. Denton would try to kill herself. Why, is she took enough sleeping pills? She's still in love with her husband, doctor. You see, Mrs. Denton lost her husband about eight months ago, doctor. That's too bad. Was it sudden? Well, Jeffrey just disappeared, ran away, I guess. Child! Ran away? That seems odd under the circumstances. What do you mean by circumstances, doctor? Well, you say Mrs. Denton was deeply in love with her husband, and I understand she's quite wealthy. Well, it was quite strange. One day last winter, Ellen of Mrs. Denton, that is, drove down from the country with a maid to open up the townhouse here. Jeffrey stayed up at the Denton's estate in Ferrisville. He was supposed to drive down the next day, but no one's heard from him since. I see. Ellen's done everything she could to find him. Told the police all about him, hired private detectives. But so far, she's drawn a blank. It's been terribly hard on Ellen. We've all worried about her and tried to do everything we could for her. Well, now this overdose of sleeping pills... Well, you'd better watch Mrs. Denton quite closely for a while. Don't you worry about that, Dr. Sheridan. We'll watch Ellen every minute. You say you're Mrs. Denton's brother-in-law? Yes, that's right. Ellen and my brother Jeffrey were married nearly 15 years ago. Valerie here's my wife. I see. Well, if you need me before Dr. Granger returns, we'll call on you, Dr. I assure you. Thanks again for coming over so quickly. Now, Valerie, we'd better go inside. Yes, dear. And be careful what you say to Ellen, won't you, Valerie? Keep her a marine doctor. Of course. You lean back on your pillows, don't you, Ellen? And listen as the doctor leaves. And a moment later, Charles and Valerie slip into your room softly, whispering so as not to disturb you. You know the correct thing would be to thank Charles for saving your life. But it doesn't seem the time for correct things, does it? You know, don't you, Charles? I'll be a long time forgiving you for this. I'd never have forgiven myself if I hadn't found you on time, Ellen. Just like him? Like Jeffrey? Kind. Considerate. You're a fortunate girl, Ralph. I think so. Oh, but you must get your rest, Ellen. And what? Forget? Is that what you were going to say? Why, I... Never mind. Valerie, I'll meet you downstairs. Here, Ellen, let me sit you down. Please, Charles, leave me alone. You stopped me. You prevented me from doing the one thing I could do that would make forgetting popular. Where Ellen will... Leave me alone! That seems to be the way the world wants me. All alone. There are hurt looks on their faces as they leave, Ellen. You've never been exactly gentle with them, have you? Perhaps because Charles does remind you so much of Jeffrey. But a week later in the garden, you do your best to appear civil. You're almost in good spirits until you have a visitor. There's someone to see you, Ellen, dear. I hope it's all right. Over here, Mr. Nathan. Brad Nathan. Where? It's been long enough. Yeah, sorry, Mrs. Nathan. Three months, to be exact. Three months since you assured me that if my husband were alive, you, the finest private investigator in the business, could find him. Well? Well, I haven't, Mrs. Nathan, no, but I sort of got sidetracked. A case in Sacramento. It was quite by accident, you see, that I stumbled under some rather exciting information. Oh? While I was working on the Sacramento job, I ran into somebody. Who manages a boarding house. She said that a man answering the description of Jeffrey Denton, your husband, showed up there short one ago. What? Yeah, she was pretty definite about it. Said he, well, acted strange sort of like maybe an amnesia victim. Right. I can't believe it. Can we see this man? Can we talk to him? He left the boarding house about a week ago. But I brought something along. Something he left behind. Let me unwrap it here. Yeah, there we are. What? It's a sport coat. The same kind Jeffrey was wearing the last time we saw him. Yeah, I figured that in interest, Mrs. Denton. Interest? Me? Well, it's Nathan. I don't know what... Hey, Ellen. Here, here, no, don't do that. Hey, give me a hand here. Yes, of course. Mrs. Denton's fainted. That's all right, Ellen. You're in your room. Mr. Nathan and Valerie, they carried you up. But I... You fainted. It was the jacket Jeffrey's sport coat. When Mr. Nathan showed it to us. Oh, yes, I remember now. Valerie, where is Mr. Nathan? I'd like to talk to him. Now, you've had quite enough for one day. You'll almost have to send for the doctor again. You can see Nathan another time. You'll be back. Yes. Yes, I suppose he will. But isn't it wonderful, Ellen? At least you know now that Jeffrey's alive. Yes. Oh, I know. Well, I need this lie back at rest. We'll see you at dinner. Come along, Valerie. It's a shock, isn't it? Jeffrey alive. That's what Fred Nathan said. But you don't believe him, do you? Because you're certain your husband Jeffrey was wearing that same sport coat. The night you killed him. Everything had been going so well, hadn't it, Ellen? Yeah. You've been playing the role of the grief-stricken wife to perfection. The apparent suicide attempt carefully planned and carried out was a convincing performance, wasn't it? Just the right touch. But now your private investigator, Fred Nathan, is back. And it's entirely possible he'll ruin everything. You wonder about Fred Nathan and what he's up to. You decide to do a bit of investigating on your own. And the very next day you drop into the tailor's shop for you used to go so often with Jeffrey when he selected his suit material. Well, yes, Mrs. Denton. And now that you mention it, there was a gentleman in asking for that patent. Come to think of it, he even mentioned your late husband's name. It's how we found the material. And you made up a sport coat for him? Well, yes. I'm terribly sorry if you object. We never allow duplications, of course. But in this case, with your husband... Never mind. And this man, what was his name? Nathan. Yes, that's the name he gave. Fred Nathan. Master Consoles. The turn at fingertip touch to most convenient viewing angle. Two of the finest gas ranges made by O'Keefe and Merritt with vanishing shelf and grill-o-vator broiler. Ten Westinghouse vacuum cleaners. Plus 50 Westinghouse pop-up toasters. Also, ten solid gold case wristwatches by Hellbros. Yes, there are lots and lots of chances to win in the big, exciting signal contest. And here's how easy it is to enter. You know those signal cartoon billboards you see wherever you drive? The one that's up now pictures an angry bride waiting at the church door for the groom who is just arriving late because he ran out of gas. Well, all you need to do is to write in 25 words or fewer what you think the bride is shouting at the groom. That's all there is to it. No purchases required, no box tops to send in. No tickets to save. Hey, you just can't afford to pass up an opportunity like this to win really valuable awards. So ask any signal dealer for free entry blank for signal's big $10,000 contest. It's a terrible feeling, isn't it, Ellen? And you wonder what Fred Mason is up to, this private investigator you hired yourself to make it look as if you were interested in finding your dead husband, Jeffrey. You thought it was a safe move, didn't you, Ellen? Perfectly safe. But Jeffrey buried in the dally of beds of your country estate nearly eight months ago. For this Fred Mason, he's up to something. And you can't understand his approach at all. You wonder if he's trying to crack you, realize that you must be on your guard as you wait for his next move. And then finally, on a day when you and Valerie are paying a visit to a fashionable dress salon, you receive another shot. Now here, ladies, we see the new off-shoulder drape for summer wear, a smart, new design by Bouvet. Oh, yes. It's just one of the men. Darling, how perfect you are. I'll ask our model, Miss Arnold, to pass closer so that you may observe the fine texture of the material. Oh, it is. The superior workmanship. Oh, I see. We love pretty material. Arnold? Should he be Arnold? What'd you say, Ellen? Oh, nothing. Oh, I like the dress, don't you? I have a mind. Oh, Valerie, I'm getting a headache. I didn't want to miss it. But, well, could we go? Well, of course, Ellen, that's one. The headache is an excuse, isn't it, Ellen? A lie to get you outside out of sight of that model, Miss Arnold. Kitty Arnold. She was the girl in the case, wasn't she, the other woman. The reason that you, Ellen Denton, killed your husband in a jealous rage as you and Valerie drive on to the house, the memory of that night eight months ago in Gaucho. That night when you sneaked back to the estate, saw Kitty leave with the side door, the quarrel, and then finally Jeffrey lying dead at your feet. And now Kitty Arnold, who was supposed to be in New York, she's here. And you wonder if it has anything to do with the private detective, Fred Nathan. You're still thinking about it when you arrive at the house. There, Charles has some news for you. Fred Nathan was here, Ellen. He left just a moment ago. Oh? I wanted to see you. I told him I didn't know when you'd be back. Was it about Jeffrey? Yes. Said he'd run across another lead. Tell me to tell you that he's taken the eight o'clock plane to Los Angeles. He seemed to be quite excited about the whole thing. I wonder what Jeff is doing in Los Angeles. Well, Valerie, we aren't certain, is there? But Mr. Nathan seems to think so. Oh, yes. Why, Charles? Well, I don't know. Nathan didn't go into that, Ellen. That's entirely possible, you know. Jeff was in business there years ago. Knows the city, has friends. Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Oh, Ellen, I just know Jeff will turn up soon. You'll see. Of course he will. Well, come along, dear. We'd better freshen up before dinner. Charles, be a darling and see the cocktails with you. Already taking care of that, huh? Well, I hope you remember I told the cook we're having an early dinner. Oh, of course. She's been sulking around the house ever since. You know how she hates to have a routine to stir it. Early dinner? What is all this, Valerie? Well, have you forgotten, dear? We're going up to Ferrisville for the weekend. Charles is going there tonight to get things in order. Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Well, I suppose we could all go tonight for that matter and help, Charles. No need of that. Why, uh, I couldn't go not tonight. Oh, no, you see, well, as I said, it completely slipped my mind. I made several appointments here in town for tomorrow morning. Oh, you couldn't cancel them, I suppose. They're not very well. You run along with Charles. I'll drive up sometime tomorrow afternoon. Nonsense. I'll stay here with you, dear. You can manage cancer, Charles. I said I could, though. Well, of course you can. Well, it's all settled then. You lied to them, didn't you, Ellen? There are no appointments. But you do have a good reason for staying in town overnight. And that reason is Fred Nathan. You've made up your mind to have a talk with him before he goes to Los Angeles and find out if you can what he's up to. Dinner over, you hurry up to your room and change your clothes. Before leaving, you decide to call him to make certain he's in. Then, as you pick up the phone... Look, Nathan, I can't talk with you now. Ellen's have to be down in a minute or so. I just wanted to see how she took the sport coat and the L.A. info, that's all. You're doing the trick. It's just what I wanted. Good. Want me to dig up a few more leads? No, not right away. You've got to move cautiously. She might get onto us, you know. Okay. I get it, Mr. Nathan. Well, figure... Oh, and by the way, Nathan, don't forget, I'd rather my wife Valerie didn't know about this. It's just between the two of us. Right. Bye. You can't believe what you've heard, can you, Ellen? But as you replace the receiver, the whole picture becomes clear to you. Charles, he's in on it with Fred Nathan. You realize he suspected you all along, and now he's trying to trap you. Expose you at his brother's killer. Downstairs again, you'll find him getting ready to leave for your estate at Ferrisville. Charles, your dear devoted brother-in-law, always felt concerned for your welfare, so anxious to help you during the dark days of your grief. And now you're sure that all the time he's been planning to trick you, reveal you as a murderer. And then suddenly a thought strikes you. Charles never did get along with his brother, and you wonder if perhaps there's something else on his mind besides trying to trap you with his brother's killer. Blackmail, Ellen. That could be, it couldn't. Charles doesn't really have much money of his own. It would be a perfect opportunity for him to get his hands on your fortune. A little at a time. Penny, for your thoughts, Ellen. Oh. I'm about ready to shove all of it. Station wagon out front, Val. Well, I think everyone's already waiting for you. Good. Charles, you will drive carefully, won't you? Sure. See you, ladies, tomorrow, hmm? Some time in the afternoon. Bye, dear. You're mine. Oh, uh, and Ellen. Yes? Don't worry, hmm? Now that we have Nathan on the job, I'm sure everything's going to turn out all right. We'll find Jeffrey soon. Very soon. I have a feeling. He's clever, isn't he, Ellen? And as you watch the station wagon drive away, you wonder how close Charles is to the truth, don't you, Ellen? What he really meant when he said Jeffrey would be found soon. Long after he's gone, you pace the floor of the library. Valerie has gone upstairs to bed, and you're glad she's out of the way so you can flip over to see Nathan. A half hour later, you park your car in front of a small apartment house uptown and hurry upstairs to apartment 304. Why, Mrs. Denton? May I come in, Mr. Nathan? Well, sure. Sure. Thank you. This is an unexpected pleasure, Mrs. Denton. I heard you were at the house this afternoon. Yeah, that's right. May I sit down? Sure. Sit down, Mr. Denton. Thank you. Charles, my brother-in-law tells me that you have a new lead. Yeah, that's right. A new lead. Fix your drink, Mrs. Denton. Thank you, no. What makes you think my husband is in Los Angeles? Well, I've had a friend of mine checking a few things for me, Mrs. Denton. A fellow up on that Sacramento lead. I see. Send him your husband's photograph. He's been showing it around in L.A. Nurse in one of the emergency hospitals down there but she recognized... Yes, only some man tapped by an auto. As it turned out, he wasn't seriously hurt. He was released the day after the accident. Can you know where he is now? Er, no. Now, you see, the address he left turned out to be a phony. Yeah, phony. Oh, auntie. That's why I thought I'd better run down there myself. Take over. There's a cause and you'll spare no expense. I'm a wealthy woman, Mrs. Nathan. I can afford to pay your price. Whatever it is. I... I know, Mrs. Denton. We'll find your husband. Don't worry about that. Of course it might take a little longer than we expect. I'm prepared for that. I'll make it well worth your while. Sure, sure. But we haven't discussed your fee yet. Have we? No, hurry. I'm a pretty reasonable guy when it comes to finances. Can we talk it over now? Well, sure, but I really don't have much time. You know, I've got to catch that eight o'clock plane to LA. Oh. Oh, he's a corp. I'd forgotten. Now leave it to me, Mrs. Denton. Just leave it to Fred Nathan. He's lying about going to Los Angeles, isn't he, Ellen? That you're almost certain. Yet you're a little puzzled as you leave his apartment. Not quite sure what he's up to. He acted strangely, didn't he, when you mentioned money, his fee. Your willingness to pay his price. It was an opening for him, but he didn't take it. Perhaps he wants more time to think it over. But there was something, he said, Ellen, that gave you a good idea of what was on his mind. We'll find your husband. Don't worry about that. Of course, it might take a little longer than we expect. Yes. You're certain now it's blackmail. But it's not going to be called that, not at the beginning. No. The investigation will drag on and on. There will be more faked leads, more trips. And for each, there will be a fee, special expenses. He and Charles could make a good thing of it for years and years, couldn't they? But it isn't going to happen, is it, Ellen? You've made up your mind of that. You hurry out into the streets, slip in behind the wheel of your car, and sit there to think things out. Your thoughts are interrupted as you see a cab pull up in front of Nathan's apartment. A moment later, he hurries out of the building, steps inside the cab. As it moves away, you decide to follow. That train just pulling out, is that the one to Los Angeles? No, ma'am, that's the northbound. Green Point, Valley Town, Ferrisville. Ferrisville, I see. Thank you. Now you know, Fred Nathan lied about going to Los Angeles, don't you, Ellen? He's taking the train to Ferrisville. You're a state there, and you wonder why. And then suddenly you remember, Charles, he'll be there. Yes, probably Charles' idea, wasn't it, to drive up to the estate tonight and meet Nathan there. They're up to something, aren't they, Ellen? As you drive away from the station and swing onto the highway and race into the night toward Ferrisville, you wonder if they know where Jeffrey is buried. It's almost midnight when you reach the deserted railroad station at Ferrisville, reach it less than a minute before the train from the city pulls in. A single passenger gets off, Fred Nathan. As the train starts to roll again, you see Nathan walk across the platform, and then into the waiting room. You move along the platform, keeping well in the shadows, and then stop near an open window. You can hear him inside, talking on the phone. Yeah, I think we better make sure where we stand before we make another move. No, no, tell you about it later. Yeah, okay, I'll wait for you. They're going to make sure, aren't they, Ellen? You know what that means, don't you? You step back into the shadows as Nathan comes out of the waiting room, walks past you. You watch him as he stops at the edge of the platform, lights a cigarette. He glances up the track, approaching Southbound Express. You stare at the headlight of the approaching train, coming closer and closer. Then it's Nathan on the platform standing near the tracks, his back toward you. You know just what you have to do. All right, Mr. Nathan, it's your turn. For the lucky lady who wins the three-piece Apex automatic laundry in Signals Big $10,000 Contest, Monday isn't going to be blue Monday anymore. The complete laundry center includes Apex automatic washer, dryer, and ironer. Or maybe what you'd like is the Frigidaire refrigerator or electric range or home freezer. Or one of the ten-packered Bell radios. Or Halliburton makeup cases filled with Anatole Robbins cosmetics. All of these prizes, remember, will be won by merely writing in 25 words or less. What's the bride on the signal gasoline billboard is shouting at the groom? For instance, she might be saying, No, I won't help push the car. Maybe the next time you'll know enough to use signal, go farther gasoline. Winners will be selected on the basis of originality and humor, aptness, and suitability in advertising signal products. Your chances of winning are good because only entries mailed on official entry blanks from the signal states, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and Arizona are eligible to win. So don't miss this chance at a free Buick or other valuable prizes. Stop by your nearest signal station tonight or tomorrow, sure, for your free entry blank. The railroad station at Ferrisville was no longer deserted. Curious passengers from the Southbound Express milled about the platform, talked excitedly about the tragedy which had just occurred. A few of the more curious had wandered inside the waiting room, where police Lieutenant Anzley listened to a witness tell his story. I telling a lieutenant, I could swear she was trying to push me right into the path of that train. Uh, what do you think of that, Mr. Denton? It's utterly ridiculous, Nathan, and you know it. Okay, okay. All I know is I'm standing there when I hear somebody come up behind me. I turn and she goes right past, falls off the platform, right in front of that train. It couldn't have been anything but an accident, I tell you. Why in the world would Ellen want to push you in front of that train? Why would she want to kill you, Nathan? I don't know. She acted kind of funny at my apartment tonight. That's why I came down to see you. I got the idea she knew what we were up to. I figured we'd better make sure before we made another move. And, uh, just what were you up to, Mr. Nathan? Perhaps I'd better explain, Lieutenant. You see, my brother Jeffrey, her husband, disappeared about eight months ago. Poor Ellen took it very hard on all the pieces. He even tried suicide. That's all. My wife and I had the devil's own time after that, and we were afraid she'd try it again unless... Well, that's when I got the idea to hire Mr. Nathan. To do what? I hired Mr. Nathan to pretend to dig up some information on Jeffrey, his whereabouts, things like that. The faked, of course. I see. We did it for Ellen's sake, Lieutenant, to give her something to live for. Some hope that Jeffrey was alive. Yeah, poor girl. She was so certain that her husband was dead. Well, maybe she was right. If she was, they're together again now. It's free. No purchase required. Remember at this same time next Sunday another strange tale by The Whistler. This is Marvin Miller speaking for the Signal Oil Company. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.