 The signal oil program The Whistler That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program The Whistler 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 Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends, it's time for the signal oil program the Whistler Rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history and Signal gasoline is tops to tops in quality It takes extra quality, you know to give you extra mileage and signal is the famous go farther gasoline So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies friendly dealer owned signal stations From Canada to Mexico and now the Whistler strange story Nightmare in the bouncing glare of the headlight the narrow shoreline road twisted and turned dangerously Signposts clumps of pine trees Driveways to darken the state world past Phillip Adams as he raced through the night and behind him the sirens grew louder and louder As Phillip Adams ran from the car into the brush He patted his coat puff the bulging manila envelope was still there Branches tore at his clothing. He stumbled on the rocky path Quickly he staggered to his feet and plunged on into the thick undergrowth and then he heard voices Max you and Charlie cover the creek there. Hey. Oh Eddie All right the rest of you come on Hey down there any luck. I'll be around here somewhere. Are you sure this is the guy? We're looking for lieutenant. Yeah, yeah, we checked the license number. That was all right. Oh, you might still have the doll on him Yeah, it's hard to see. You know, he's no Parker. There's Adams 200,000 bucks. Yeah, well, it was easy for him. He worked for the bank knew his way around He hadn't got so anxious and burled out the faster and to get away. I will tell it I wonder if he had time to make it inside one of these estates along here Hmm, maybe you'd have a tough time getting into this one. Oh here throw your light up there along the wall, will you? Yeah Don't say a thing. All right. Come on. Let's take a look over this way and keep your eyes open As the officers move away to continue their search you breathe a little easier, don't you? Painfully you crawl from the underbrush and carefully hobble across the street The entrance gate to the estate is locked But you've got to get over that wall a Last desperate agonizing leak gives you one more chance at freedom But it isn't much of a chance is it Philip as you lie there in a cold sweat on top of the wall Clutching the rough stone with bleeding hand you feel the sharp pain spread slowly up your leg You know, you've hurt your ankle badly Luck has been against you from the start The officer was right wasn't he if only you'd taken your time if you hadn't been so anxious to get away with the money This wouldn't have happened the perfect crime isn't so perfect now Is it Philip? Moments later as the moon creeps from behind a cloud you see the house a short distance away It's windows are dark carefully you drop to the ground Move across the lawn You're twisted ankle making each step an eternity of pain The windows on the ground floor are locked Then as you cross the porch you kick the door map and hear the clink of metal Gee It's a door. Gee. I wonder if you open the door cautiously Smell the musty odor of a closed house see the furniture covers the rolled-up rug Even a sigh of relief close the door I'll go across the living room In the kitchen you turn on the water pot. Let the cold water run over your bleeding hand and then Hello, I thought when you came the noise of the car would wake me the car Oh, you mean I didn't really know if you'd take the train Taxi driver what? That's why I sent you the wire about the key. Oh, oh you're the key Oh, yes, I found it. All right Your hand I'm sorry. I didn't notice No, no No, that's nothing Oh, we better take care of it. I uh, I Tripped walking up the drive great. I twisted my ankle. Oh, I better call a doctor. Oh, no, no, please That won't be necessary. I'll be all right in a few days But he lives just down the road. No, I don't need a doctor now really then I'll get some bandages After all that's what I'm here for you. Take care of you. Oh, oh I miss Wyatt Hilda why oh Why? Yes, of course How do you do miss Wyatt in a few moments? She's back with bandages and iodine for your bleeding hand And you watch her as she runs steaming hot water into a basin and wonder who young attractive miss Wyatt is You wonder to who you're supposed to be It's fantastic isn't it to sneak into a strange house and be greeted so cordially by a woman You've never seen before if you'll put your foot in the water No, I Get used to it. It should take the swelling down I'm certainly glad you're here. Yeah, this is such a big house. I Guess I was a little frightened I've been here alone the past two days you've been alone Oh, well the employment agency didn't want to send any of the other servants down until they heard from Evans Evans The new butler, you know, you know, oh, oh, yes, of course. I spoke to him on the phone last night Sounds rather nice. I think you like him. Oh, yes. Sure. I will Where is Evans now he was in San Francisco. He said he'd be done in a day or so You see he was under the impression. You wouldn't be here for several days Something you said in one of your wires from Chicago. Oh, yes. Well, I changed my mind. Well, he's likely to arrive anytime Anyway, everything's practically ready for you. I made up your room myself And if you don't mind my cooking for breakfast, of course not You're very thoughtful miss Wyatt. Oh, that's just professional instinct And now that you're here in your new home, I hope you like it and your new secretary, too I I hope so too miss Wyatt Who told you I was just moving in the employment agency They told me quite a bit about you and the gardener next door is very talkative Says he even knows what you paid for the house. Oh, oh easy with that hand miss Wyatt Sorry, not much of a brownie. I'm afraid but I am a good secretary. Yes, I'm sure you are I Appreciate your hiring you know Something wrong Mr. Crane. Oh wrong. No No, everything's fine miss Wyatt Yes, just fine With the prologue of nightmare the signal oil company brings you another strange tale by the whistler But now news about Eiffel gasoline Signal Eiffel is already back at many signal service stations and will soon be available at all signal stations So tonight on behalf of all the independent signal dealers throughout the west I want to take this opportunity to thank you loyal signal customers for your patience during the period When unavoidable conditions made it impossible to supply this extra quality gasoline Naturally signal oil company is doing everything in its power to get signal Eiffel into all signal stations as soon as possible Although it will take a little longer to supply stations located farthest from refineries For your convenience each signal dealer will post a sign at his station the moment his supply of signal Eiffel arrives That sign will be your signal that you can again enjoy the faster starting more flashing pickup and smoother knock-free power of signal Eiffel gasoline So for the very tops in performance from your car Watch for the sign at your signal station that says We have Eiffel And now back to the whistler You're bewildered by the curious turn of events aren't you Philip? Fleeing the police in the middle of the night entering a strange house Being greeted as though you belong greeted by the perfect secretary Miss Hilda Wyatt who somehow thinks you're the owner of the estate a man named Crane And now as you stretch out on the long leather couch in the study you can't sleep can you? This strange refuge from the police is almost as nerve-wracking as last night's chase Your swollen twisted ankle makes walking almost impossible And you know you're going to have to stay here in this house Until your ankle gets better But you think of what could happen? Perhaps the servants will arrive from San Francisco and expose you maybe the real mr. Crane will show up Something you'll say will arouse miss Wyatt's suspicion. She'll call the police As the first rays of the morning sun creep through the window you try to ignore the pain in your ankle As you slip through the hall to the front door All you want is escape escape to Mexico with the $200,000 you stole from the local bank, and then as you open the door Just about to ring your bell here. Well What is it you want? My name is Haskell lieutenant Norville police and you're oh my name My name's Crane. I see you. You own this place. That's right. I I bought it a little while back Willard Crane he owned the oil club near Reno. So I had good morning. Oh, you shouldn't be on that ankle, you know I oh This is miss Wyatt my secretary officer. How do you do miss white? Oh, so you're the Hudson Crane that owns the Oreo club, huh? I see. Oh, you said you were looking for someone lieutenant. Oh, yeah My name to Adams he ran off at a couple of hundred thousand in the local bank He was in the neighborhood last night thought he might have climbed over the wall got into the estate here You uh, he didn't see or hear anything during the night. Oh, no, no nothing at all Well, thanks mr. Crane, sorry about it. Yeah, thank you miss quite all right. Good. Bye Well miss Wyatt you seem to know quite a bit about me. No not really Actually, I only know what they told me the employment agency They said you were you were young rather good-looking a successful macro operator, but I'll learn more in time Yeah for a new secretary miss Wyatt seems to know quite a bit about her employer mr. Hudson will it crane doesn't she fill But it's lucky for you that the employment agency told her as much as they did You couldn't have told the officers anything could you not even crane's first name and you have to convince Everyone that you are mr. Crane for a day or so Yes, miss Wyatt was a lucky break for you She's efficient too in many ways as you find out the next morning More coffee mr. Crane. Oh, no, thank you. It's fine. I thought after you finished breakfast We might get right to work. That is if you feel up to it There's some checks you should sign for the real estate check. Oh, well, yeah I'll attend to that later and the mail your correspondence is piling up. Well later miss Wyatt Well, all right, sir. Oh Oh, I suppose you'll want to talk to Evans the butler Evans. He's here. He arrived a short while ago He came on the bus. Oh, I'll send him in. No, no wait not just yet But he'll be anxious to know how you want things done mr. Crane After all some of your friends may be dropping in or miss Wyatt, please. I'll take care of everything later Very well, you notice the strange puzzled look on miss Wyatt's face as she turns and walks away And you wonder if she's beginning to think that something is wrong You realize that your only chance to evade the police is to stay in the house for another 24 hours At least until your ankle's better. Yes, that's all you need isn't it? 24 hours and The police will have left the neighborhood by then and you'll be able to slip away on notice But in the meantime You've got to somehow keep one jump ahead of the efficient miss Wyatt and to do that You've got to know more about this man Crane. You hurry to the study. I'm looking for something miss Wyatt Well, I I was just sorting things out. I thought I made it perfectly clear that you were not to bother with business But these are the files you sent from Chicago. I was just going to straighten them out. I'll take care of the miss Wyatt Mr. Crane, I don't want you to think I was deliberately prying into your personal affairs. I I'll get it. Yes Oh, yes, I'll take the car this minute miss Wyatt. Let me have the phone Hello, hello this mr. Crane one moment, please Wyatt, this is personal. Do you mind? Thank you Yes, mr. Crane. Hey, what's going on there? Oh, let me apologize for the confusion sir We were just opening the house and I'm who is this the new butler. Yes. I'm the new butler. I'm Evan, sir All right now get this. I'm leaving Chicago in a few minutes flying out to San Francisco Do you wish me to meet you sir? Never mind. I'll pick up a car at the airport garage and drive in myself Oh very good, sir my plane land sometime tomorrow. Pardon sir. Would you mind telephoning from San Francisco when you arrive? Why? Well, I want to have the house ready for you, sir. Oh, of course You'll be bringing guests, sir. No, no. Yes, sir. One more thing if anybody asked you anybody You don't know when I'm coming back understand. Oh, yes, of course I don't want to see anybody when I get there just get away from everything and everybody I quite understand sir Is that all sir your hand trembles as you replace the receiver you haven't much time now. Have you Phillip and yet? Somehow you sense in all this a real chance for escape a few minutes later you put things in motion in a conversation with Evans the new butler and You're no longer afraid because you know now that he's never met Crane face-to-face Evans I hate to have you just arrive and then send you off again, but Something urgent come up. Very good sir. Whatever you wish. I'm going to have to make a quick trip to Canada I want you to run into San Francisco and make the arrangements for me. Oh, here's some money by anything you think I'll need Well, this might all take some time sir. Oh, it's all right Well, I'd like to leave day after tomorrow and you stay on in the city until everything's taken care of Very good, sir. I'll handle everything Yes, Phillip Evans will handle everything. He's very efficient too bad You have no intention of actually using his service But it will look good to the police won't it when Crane finally arrived and they piece it all together Discover that you planned a clever escape to Canada. It will throw them off While you're actually continuing on your way to Mexico It's later that night with Evans gone that you decide to speak to miss Wyatt Plant some things in her mind that will add to your plan in evading the police You go downstairs and wonder why it's so quiet in the house suddenly you feel panic miss Wyatt Miss Wyatt miss Wyatt You wonder if she's gone Phillip if she learned the truth and slipped away from the house And then you see a crack of light beneath the study door miss Wyatt What are you doing? Isn't it fairly obvious? I'm going through your Chicago files again Now your attitude is pretty hard to understand miss Wyatt. I think it's time. We talked this over Sit down. No, I'd prefer that we stand for this. Oh God where you are I wasn't sure about you until just now Crane when I went through your files If I had been out of kill you the first night you were here Do you think it was fun fixing your ankle cooking your meal wait a minute you've heard of imposters Haven't you Crane all right? I'm an imposter, but look I can make things easy for you I thought you can't give me back Joe Baldwin Crane Joe Baldwin. My name isn't Wyatt Crane. It's Baldwin Edna Baldwin. I wasn't only Joe Baldwin's girl Crane. I was his wife Joe Baldwin Now tell me the name means nothing to you. Tell me that Crane You don't remember how you framed him. Do you a minute? This is all a mistake. It's no mistake Crane I found out everything five minutes ago. I've never heard of Baldwin. You got to listen to me. You're all wrong I'm not the man you are Hudson Willard Crane and you framed Joe Baldwin into the electric chair You wait a minute cross Joe and me too out of enough money to buy into gambling places in Chicago Now listen to me. Now you live like a king Well, that's all over for you now Crane The law couldn't get you, but I will you don't understand. I'm not Crane at all. My name Come on. Give me that guy. I'm not Crane. Don't you see you must believe me But you can't get away with it with me You watch as she falls to the floor a small girl now small and white You don't have to feel her pulse to know that she's dead Numbly you sink down in the chair sure that this is the end a murdered girl in the house You wanted by the police already an ankle that won't allow you to walk two blocks It's all over now. Isn't it Philip the grand plans for escape into Mexico? Everything's done You'll be caught and it'll be the gas chamber as the phone's insistent ringing brings you back to your surroundings You'll reach over and touch the cradle hoping to stop the irritation of the sound Then slowly it comes to you a half familiar voice on the other end of the hair Hello, hello Mr. Crane oh You're in San Francisco. Of course you ask me the phone all right. I'm here. Yes, sir Well, everything's fine sir. No, I didn't sir. Oh Begging your pardon sir, but could you hurry? It's something I can't discuss on the telephone not right now, sir, but your new secretary miss Wyatt I caught her looking through your personal files. I'll pick up my car and be there in two hours very good, sir, and Drive carefully sir Yeah, you must get Crane to hurry Philip because the car is driving up from San Francisco is your way out It all came to you when you heard his voice on the telephone and there'll be no murder charge against you It'll be against Crane the one man who had reason to kill this girl Methodically you hobble about the room setting the murder trap the first thing white the gun free of your print straighten the rug Turn a single lamp on in the study her body's behind the death. It'll take him a while to see it But while he's inside You'll be in his car driving southward and you'll stop just once to make an anonymous phone call to the police You smile to yourself as you step outside in the gathering dust can take your station well hidden behind the porch waiting for Crane The two hours seem like years But at last a black limousine pulls up in the driveway and a tall broad-shouldered man gets out You watch him go up on the porch and Push open the door and your hearts in your mouth as you see him stoop and pick up the gun that you left lying in the hall Quietly you creep toward the car and then a thought strikes you maybe he didn't leave the keys You've got to have those keys You're shaking as you come to the car and look through the open window and run your hand quickly along the dashboard and then luck the key to here The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Meantime a tip for you drivers Since cooler weather is here to stay a kind of oil that you use in your motor is more important than ever The reason on short trips around town your motor seldom gets warm enough to drive off the moisture that condenses in the crankcase As a result harmful gums may form which can damage costly motor parts That's why signal brought out signal premium compounded motor oil an improved type lubricant which contains special scientific compounds Inside your motor these compounds go to work to do jobs which a regular oil alone cannot do One compound for instance stands ready to dissolve any harmful gums that might form another compound washes out carbon and Still other compounds help in other ways to keep performance up and wear down That's why signal premium compounded motor oil is your guarantee of a sweeter running motor So next time you change oil make it a change for the better at your nearest signal service station It'll take your signal dealer only a few moments to drain out tired old oil and Refill with the improved type signal oil that does so much more than just lubricate signal premium compounded motor oil and Now back to the whistler It's been a nightmare hasn't it Phillip your flight the moments of panic before you escape over the wall to the protection of cranes darkened house The worry and constant fear of discovery of not being able to flee because of your swollen ankle But it's all behind you now crane did exactly what you planned He picked up the murder gun where you left it in the hallway the gun you use to kill hill the wire He's certain to be excused and you'll see to it that with your phone call to the police and the confusion of a murder Will give you still more time to cross the border into Mexico with your $200,000 you smile to yourself as you open the door and start to slip behind the wheel Following this car Mr. Crane Where did you come from? I've been sitting in this backseat all the time Look it's mistake. I'm not crane. Oh, that's all I saw you sneaking out of the house. I just came by to see mr. Crane on business, and he wasn't home, huh? That's right You looking for mr. Crane grand larceny embezzlement and dozen other things Just had a wire from the Chicago police to pick him up police. Yeah, oh, I'm Reynolds San Francisco headquarters little tenant Jeffries the head man You know, he might want to talk to you look. I don't want to get mixed up in anything Oh, if you're on the level you won't get mixed up. I'm in an awful hurry I can't wait for your lieutenant Jeffries to show up don't have to he's inside now He's sure sure that was Jeffries that went in the house just a minute ago That wasn't Crane. I thought you said you knew Crane. Oh, well, you know, I think we'll both go inside Lieutenant Jeffries might want to ask you some questions Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each Sunday night at the same time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure drive its sensible speed be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life possibly your own Featured in tonight's story were Joseph Kearns and Eve McVeigh The whistler was produced by George W. Allen and directed tonight by Sterling Tracy With story by Robert Eisenbach and Jackson Gillis and music by Wilbur hatch and was transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service Remember at the same time next Sunday another strange tale by the whistler Marvin Miller speaking This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system