 Now, the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California, presents... Suspense! Tonight, Roma Wines bring you Mr. Lee Bowman as star of... I won't take a minute. A suspense play produced, edited and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear. Suspense, Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines. Those excellent California Wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live. To your happiness and entertaining guests. To your enjoyment of everyday meals. Yes, right now a glassful would be very pleasant. As Roma Wines bring you Mr. Lee Bowman, in a remarkable tale of... Suspense! She was very good to look at, which is why I waited till I was 25 and met her. Here's how she went. First, a lot of gold all beaten up into a froth, poured over her head and allowed to set there in crinkly little curls. Blue eyes and a mouth with real lines. And in addition, well, she had everything just about right. And believe me, I was gonna throw away the sales slip and not return the merchandise once it got to my house. That's why I nearly went nuts every evening waiting for her to come out of the building where she worked. She was always the last one out, and this particular evening she was later than usual. It got dark, the street lights came on, and the rush hour was over before she put in an appearance. Kenny? Oh gee, Kenny, I'm sorry, you've been waiting long? Oh no, no, I just nearly got run in for picketing the place, that's all. I hurried all I could, please don't be mad at me, Kenny. I'm not mad at you, it's that slave driver you work for. Why do you always have to be the last one out? Oh, it's only for another week. Come on, let's go. I gotta deliver this package on the way home for his nibs. But you're not going home, we're going to Philharmonic Thursday, remember? No, it won't take any time at all, honey. Just around the corner, 415 Martin Street. Okay. But that guy nerves me up making you play messenger girl after hours. Let's not talk about Mr. Hessen, Kenny. Talk about us. You been counting the days? All day. 13 left. And a half, don't forget the half if it's to be a new wedding. Why all the fuss about the half? I don't like 13 by itself. I'll be glad when it's tomorrow and only 12 days left. So you're cute. The more I know you, the cuter you get. I bet you won't say that a year from now. You'll be calling me your old lady then. You'll always be Steffie to me. Just Steffie. Not even Stephanie? No, too sophisticated, too foreign sounding. Steffie, that's you. Hey, what number are you supposed to deliver that package to? 415. Well, this must be it. What a dump. Your boss have many customers and dumps like this? I don't know. Hold a match for me, will you? Can't see the names. There, that better? Yeah, but I still don't see... Well, what was the name? Muller, apartment 4B. Here it is, here it is. Name cards falling out of the slit and gotten lost. No wonder I couldn't find it. Maybe they're not home. I'll ring it again. There it is. I don't like those automatic door latches. They never know who's up there. Oh, don't be silly. Wait here, honey. I won't take a minute... I never timed a cigarette. I suppose they take around five minutes. This one seemed to take longer, but then... Look who I was waiting for. I punched it out with my foot and let another. I thought, won't take a minute. Yeah, might've known it. I thought, what's she doing? Staying to tea up there? I counted my change just to give myself something to do. I took off my hat and looked at it like I'd never seen it before. Five cigarettes later, she still hadn't come back. Things happened. Nothing much. Little things that were to last so long. A stout lady in a ratty-looking fur coat came in, holding some candy in one hand and a little boy by the other. After they'd gone, more waiting started in. I commenced tracing patterns with my feet. Circles. Diagnose. Maltese crosses. Finally I got fed up. I stepped over to the bell panel, picked out 4B and nearly sent the button through to the other side of the wall. I could hear it ringing way off somewhere. Quiet house. Too quiet. I leaned on the bell till my thumb joint got all white down to my wrist. And something did happen. I heard the door of the automatic elevator open. I waited. Now she won't like filing my fingernails. I thought I'd play a little hurt when she arrived. I could see it was her all right walking toward me. She opened the door and then walked past me like she never saw me before. I let her go on. I figured she'd turn around by the time she got to the door. But no. Hey, Steffi. Hey, Steffi, wait. Steffi. Hey, Steffi, what's the big... I beg your pardon. Oh. Oh, I thought you were... I mean, you're dressed just like... I would advise you to be sure to whom you are talking before you go to grab a strange girl by the collar. No kidding. You look a lot like her, even the clothes. That little tam and the red shoes. Really? I don't find this amusing. Okay, sister. Pardon me for living. Next time, make sure it's one of the girls that live here. That was a shock. I didn't like the looks of the place from the beginning. Up to then, I was just sore. Now, I began to get scared. Maybe there's some guy up there trying to get funny with her, I thought. I better get up there fast and find out what this is. So I laid my hand flat over all the bells in the place so somebody'd open up. Open up in there. Open up or I'll bust the door down. Do you hear me? Steffi. Are you in there, honey? Baby, why don't you say something? What's this? What's this? What's this? Oh, that's what I want to know. Who are you? Building superintendent. You got a pass key to this flat? I have? What do you want here? My girl, she took a package up. I've been waiting for her downstairs. I don't know how long. She never came down again. Now they won't answer the bell. Well, no, wait a minute, young fella. She couldn't be in this flat. Well, don't try to tell me. And don't you try to tell me? I say she couldn't be. Why? I'll show you why. Hey. No, you see why? What's empty? It's empty. Well, nobody lives here. But there was someone here a while ago. She rang the bell and they let her in. Mister, this place ain't been rented for six months. Listen, she came in here. I tell you. Now, maybe you and the girl had a little quarrel. Maybe she figured to play a little joke on you. Give you the slip. We never had any quarrel. We're going to get married. Why don't you go to her place? You'll probably find her there. She didn't come out again, I tell you. I was there at the door the whole time. What about the back way? Is there a back way out? Not a back way. There's a delivery entrance, but it goes right past my quarters. Nobody went out that way. Muller. The name was Muller. If he doesn't live in 4B, where does he live? Muller. We never had anyone by that name in the whole 12 years I've been working here. For suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you a star, Mr. Lee Bowman, in I Won't Take a Minute. Roma Wines' presentation tonight in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Suspense. Between the acts of suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. In the hurried hectic shopping weeks between now and Christmas, there will be many a night where you'll be glad to relax in the warmth and comfort of your own home. And what more delightful way to enjoy a quiet, restful evening than with a glass full of Roma, California muscatel, and nuts or cake. You will thoroughly enjoy this magnificent Roma wine, so tempting with the distinctive fragrance of the world-famous muscat grape, with its rich, mellow sweetness, its glowing gold and fire. Roma muscatel is delightful with desserts too. Famed hostess Elsa Maxwell says, Roma muscatel is a sure-to-please, easy-to-serve entertainment wine when guests drop in. Like all Roma wines, Roma muscatel is a true wine, crushed from selected grapes, unhurriedly guided to taste perfection by age-old winemaking skill. And Roma's new low prices save you as much as one-fourth. Get Roma muscatel tomorrow. Insist on Roma, R-O-M-A, for uniformly fine wine quality at low cost. That's why more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Lee Bowman as Kenny in Cornell Woolrich's story of a vanishing lady, I won't take a minute. A play well calculated to keep you in suspense. The cop on the beat was a nice guy. He rang every bell and every flat of the building and questioned the occupants. No one had heard anything. No one had seen her. Finally, a single plain clothesman was dropped off at the door. Lieutenant Gilman. He kept calling me bud. He looked around the empty flat and then he looked at me. But there's nothing to show that this girl or anyone else came in here. I tell you, she rang the bell of this flat and someone released the door catch for her from up here. All right, all right. Assuming she got in here, how'd she get out? I don't know. I don't know. Maybe the fire is... Look at those windows. Look at the dust on these frames. Why a person can't move in a place like this without showing it? Listen, don't do this to me, will you? You make it sound like she didn't come here with me at all. Well, that's what it sounds like, bud. Look, I was taking her to the concert tonight. We go every Thursday. Here's our tickets. I think we better build this thing from the ground up and see what we got now. What was this girl's name? Stephanie. Stephanie Risker. Address? 120 Farragut. What's she look like? Well, she... she comes up to about here next to me. Blonde. Little curls close to her head. Blue eyes. I'm no good at descriptions. Ah, don't let her get you, bud. I'm not scared because she's gone. I'm scared because she's gone in such a crazy way. I can't get a grip on her. You say you met her at 6.15 outside the Bailey Goodwin Building with a package to be delivered here. Now, who'd she work for? A press clipping service. The Green Star, it's called. It's operated by a guy named Hesson. Big outfit? Just him and a secretary and an office boy. She was getting 22 a week. All right, bud. You've given me something definite. Now we'll do some checking. But, uh, first of all, we go back to the place she worked. What a telephone booth. She told me the place was small, but I never figured on this. Not even a window. All right, all right. Let's have a look around. A desk. A filing cabinet. Uh-huh. Yeah, clippings. Well, so far, your story checks. Except for one thing. What's that? There's no file for anyone named Muller. Oh. This must be your desk. Yeah. Hmm. Cheers, glue, clips. Hmm. Not much of a personal touch here. Not even a hairpin. Uh-huh. Find something? Uh, nothing special. Well, you found something. I saw you dropping an envelope and sticking it in your pocket. Look, bud. Who's running this investigation? You or me? Sorry. You, I guess. Okay, let's keep it that way, huh? Our next stop was one of those bungalow-type places in the outskirts. That was where Hessin lived, a guy she worked for. Good evening. You were Mr. Hessin? That's right. I'm from police headquarters. May I come in? Why, uh, certainly. Uh, won't you sit down, gentlemen? We won't take up much of your time, sir. First of all, uh, do you know anyone named Muller at 415 Martin Street? No, I don't think I know anyone but that name. I think we have a Miller, a Mrs. Elsie Miller on our list who, uh, divorces and marries quite frequently. Well, that do. She owes us $29. You didn't send a package over to Muller, apartment 4B, 415 Martin Street, at 615 this evening? No, I'm sure I didn't. Uh, but wait. It's easy enough to confirm that. Oh, uh, Stephanie. Stephanie. Did you call me, Mr. Hessin? Uh, yes, my dear. This is my assistant, gentlemen, Mr. Stephanie Riska. That isn't Stephanie. He's calling somebody else by her name. My dear young man. I don't understand. She came out of that building while I was waiting. I spoke to her. We'll discuss that later, bud. Uh, now then, miss, how long have you been working for, Mr. Hessin? Since October of last year, about eight months now. And your name is Stephanie Riska? Why, yes, of course. Have you any identification with me, please? I don't know. Maybe there is something here in my handbag. Do you mind if I look? It's all right, Stephanie. He's from the police. Oh. Oh, well, in that case. Thank you. Listen, I don't know what these two are trying to pull, but she's not Stephanie. You've got to believe me. She came out of that building dressed like Stephanie. The way Stephanie was dressed when she went in. Ah, stop that, will you? Uh, thank you, miss Riska. I'm sorry to inconvenience you. It's quite all right. I, uh, I noticed you had quite a supply of chewing gum there. That, uh, that's hard to get these days. I make a hobby of it. Have some. Oh, thanks. My mouth's kind of dry. Well, Mr. Hessin, I... No, it's quite all right. I don't know what this young man has got himself mixed up in, but, uh, if we were able to help... Oh, you did help, sir, a lot. Ah. Come on, bud, come on. I've got some more checking to do, and this time it's on you. Okay, now, bud, stop talking. Come on, spill it. What's your pitch? I told you the truth. That girl wasn't Stephanie. I never saw her before. Was the man Hessin? Well, you look just like him. This, uh, girl of yours, what kind of gum did she chew? She didn't chew gum. She hated it. You asked me what it was I picked up back in that office. Well, here's what it was. A water gum stuck under the edge of the desk. That girl back there at Hessin's place belongs in that office, bud. She had her letter addressed to herself in that handbag and her initials on the outside of it. It wasn't a new one, and it wasn't faked. Now, come on. What's your racket, bud? Are you a pushover for mental observation? Or did you do something to some little blond blue-eyed number? And now you're trying to pass a buck before we even found out about it? I don't know. Maybe I am nuts. Things like this... Well, things like this just don't happen. They can't. One minute she walks into a building... Yeah, I produced a single person all evening long that actually laid eyes on this girl of yours. Where's her folks? Where'd she come from? Wisconsin, I think. Her folks are all dead. I thought so. Well, I'll give you one more spin for your money, bud. Your stand or fall by the place you said she lived. Have you been there? Yes. Could you describe it? Okay. Sticking in the mirror of the dresser, she's got a litho of the Holy Mother. On the radiator, she's got a rag doll. I won four at Coney Island. On a little shelf against the wall, she's got a gas ring with a tube running up to the jet. From the light fixture to the jet, there's a string attached. She'll have stockings hanging there to dry. Are you listening? Yeah, go on, go on. Will you remember these things? Yeah, but we'll see. Now listen, bud, get this straight. I don't want one word out of you the whole time we're here. Do you hear? I won't say a word. So help me. Yes? You got a girl named Stephanie Risker living here. Second floor, front. She ain't home now. I'm from the police. I think you'd better let us in. Oh, well, certainly. Let's see her room, please. Follow me. She's a nice, clean rumor. I'd hate to lose her. I hope she's not in any trouble. No trouble. Now, Gilman, right over there. Hey, it's changed. They've changed it all around. That app. Has she always had it fixed this way, ma'am? Well, since the first day she's here, only one thing I got to complain about. Yes, there it is again. Chewing gum, leaves it all over. Let's see that. Ah, yeah, I thought so. Exhibit C, bud. The same as the other two. She belongs in that office and she belongs in this room. Oh, look out. You better hold your friend. Ah, let him fold. That isn't anything to the falls he's going to be taking five or ten minutes from now. What did he do? Murder her? Not her, but I got a good hunch he murdered someone and picked the wrong name out of her hat. I didn't hear any more, they said, while we were going down the stairs, there was a lot of bubbles in the place where we were doing funny things, turning red and spinning around in spirals. It was still on my feet, but not so as you'd notice it. The spinning didn't stop until we got to the foot of the stairs. The thing that stopped it was an umbrella stand beside the front door. It had a naughty walking stick jutting up out of it. I grabbed it in my free hand as he walked past it. Watch out, Lieutenant. He's going to... Hey, you! I didn't stop to investigate whether I'd kill him or only knock him out. I made for the Martin Street flat, that was instinctive. The place I last seen her calling me back. When I got there, I ganged up on the janitor's bell and waited a thousand years. Well, what is it? Didn't you find him yet? What happened to that detective fella that was with you? He sent me back to take another look. You don't have to come up, just give me the pass key. All right, son, come on in. My head was still spinning when I let myself in at the door of apartment 4B. I don't know what I was looking for. Some clue, I guess. Some magic clue that would pop up and give her back to me. I tested the walls for secret panels. What a laugh. In a 50-buck a month flat, I dug out plaster with my bare nails, cased the cracks between the floorboards. I'd been there about 10 minutes when I heard steps coming up the hall. I held my breath. Hands up when I come in there shooting. Give me a minute, please. One minute. Maybe I'll find it. Find what? Get out of there by the time I count 10. I'm coming in shooting. Do you hear me? Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I didn't stop to think. I crossed the room and threw up in the window, the one that opened the fire escape. Down looked too far, so I started climbing. I didn't yell back at him. I was sailing my breath. Come on, after him. Keep that light on him. On the roof, I took a quick look both directions. There was about a yard-high partition wall dividing it from the next roof over. But before I could get to it, I think I busted my leg. Yeah, let's see. Nah, you just barked your shin up a little. Wait till I finish with you wise guy. What are you waiting for? Go ahead. You promised me a beating. Go ahead. Don't you work? Hey, where did that come from? What? That package there beside you. Package? Package? That's it. The package you took inside with it. Hold that light steady. What's in it? What is it? Newspapers. It's a dummy. Look, those papers. They've had stuff clipped out of them. That proves they came from Hesson's clipping agency. Well, doesn't it? Someone did bring a package here tonight, bud. Oh, what a shop I've been. I've been thinking about that room. She was never in that room. I was right about that. They must have grabbed her in the hall, taken her straight up here to the roof through the skylight. But why? I don't know why. Maybe that steel-plated landlady knows where she is. All right, Grandma. Come on, spill it. You can't scare me. I've got bigger men than you on my side. What do you mean, your side? Wouldn't you like to know? All I have to do is make one telephone call. I have the number right here. I see that number. Take it and call it yourself. Who gave you this number? Ask me no questions. I'll tell you no lies. I said, who gave you this number? The FBI man who was here. Now you know who I'm working for. What did this FBI man look like, Grandma? All right, I'll tell you all you have to do is say yes and no. The guy's about my height. Bald wears pince glasses, right? Maybe. He got you to work with him so this woman he described as one of his agents could step into the identity of this Stephanie Risker, right? You seem to know all about it. I know more than that. He wasn't an FBI man and the girl who took Stephanie Risker's place was not a federal agent. Then who was he? I'm not sure, Grandma, but I've got a hunch. Get out of this place. Keep it spot until we get there. Gelman, do you think she's all right? Keep your fingers crossed, bud, and pray. I'm going to keep this house covered. Gone. Nobody here. Yeah, yeah. That's it, right. That's it. Turn back against the wall. Somebody's coming. Gelman, you in here? Calhoun, what's the big idea? I told you to keep this place spotted. Now they're gone. I tailed them. They piled into a car, locked up the house and lit. Where to? Here's 7 North River. They were shoved off in less than a quarter of an hour. I tried to reach her to head. Was the other girl with them? No, two men in a stringy blonde. They called Auger. That's all. Too late. We're too late. Well, we could pull them off at quarantine and I'll make them talk. Come on, let's get out of here and get some air. Stinks, don't it? Yeah. Smells like they had to place fumigate or something. Hey. Yeah, what's the matter? That smell. That's gasoline. Gasoline? I hear something. A cloth girl. The basement. Come on. Yeah, she's down here all right. Go back upstairs. Get up and bring her up. Now, don't wait until you get her. Yeah, she's alive. Now go on and take her out of here. I better wear that bomb. Come back here, Calhoun. You'll never make it. That bomb will blow you up. Yeah, she'll be around in a second or two. How's Calhoun? Burned pretty bad. It was an incendiary. Kenny? Baby, it's okay. Sure. Everything's okay now, Steffi. Who are you? This is Lieutenant Gilman. We owe a lot to him, Steffi. I had to be conked over the head before I got wise to what was going on. And even then, I didn't figure it right. I figured Hessen and his pals were a bunch of spies or something. Well, weren't they? Well, Hessen became an American citizen in 1929 and up to now, his record is absolutely clean. Oh, gee, I'm glad of that. I'd hate to be working for a spy. But I don't get it. Why did they want Steffi out of the way? That was Olga's doing. The girl who was impersonating you, Steffi. You see, she's Hessen's sister. She's a fugitive from a couple of war crimes and figured the least her brother could do for her was to furnish her with a nice, clean nationality. Their original plan was to bump Steffi off in that empty flat and leave her there without anything to identify her. Only they figured on it coming there alone. There was no time to work out a plan on the spot, so they scrammed over the roof, taking Steffi with them. Hey, Gilman, we're through at headquarters. You coming? Yeah, yeah, yeah, right away, right away. Well, I gotta go now. Thanks, Gilman. Thanks for everything. Ah, I'm glad to help you out. And another thing you weren't lying about, Bud, No hard feelings? I mean about me hitting you over the head? Oh, boy, I almost forgot. Something I meant to give you before we say goodnight. Oh, you've done enough. That's what you think. It was a while before I knew what hit me. It felt like a cement mixer. When my head cleared, Steffi and I had changed roles. She was the one bending over me. Annie said to tell you no hard feelings, but when anyone socks Dick Gilman with a walking stick, they get socked back even if they're the best of friends. He said that, did he? Does it still hurt? I'm still seeing stars. Oh, gee, Kenny, I'm sorry. Oh, I don't care. I'm seeing you, too. Listen. Listen, it's midnight. Yeah, only 12 days to the wedding now, baby. We licked the 13th. Roma wines have brought you Lee Bowman, a star of... I won't take a minute. Tonight's study in suspense. This is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines, the sponsor of suspense. This year, you're probably having difficulty finding the Christmas gifts you want. Why not solve your gift problems with famous Roma wines? You flatter your friends, save both time and money shopping. Roma offers you a full selection of choice, California wines. For entertaining, Roma sherry, port muscatel or toque, for added mealtime enjoyment, red robust Roma burgundy, or delicate pale gold sautern, for happy occasions that demand the best, sparkling unforgettable Roma champagne. Each of these fine Roma wines is a true wine, each a superb, unhurriedly perfected masterpiece of the Vintner's ancient art. Delight your friends this Christmas with gifts of Roma wines. Give one bottle, several, or a case. Remember, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. And Roma wines now offer you the same uniformly fine quality at the lowest prices in years. Insist on Roma, R-O-M-A. Find Roma wines for good living, good giving this Christmas. Lee Bowman appears through the courtesy of Columbia Pictures and will soon be seen co-starring with Rosalind Russell in their production, she wouldn't say yes. Next Thursday, same time, Roma wines will bring you Mr. Robert Taylor as star of Suspense Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Presented by Roma wines, R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.