 And now, tonight's presentation of Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills. Suspense. Tonight, we bring you a transcribed story of a man who thought the best way to commit murder was to plan it first. We call it variations on a theme. So now, starring Parley Baer, here is tonight's suspense play, variations on a theme. Her head, here, she isn't here. Well, this is Mr. Milford. Oh, Mrs. Wadwood, how are you? Oh, fine, just fine. No, she left this morning. I'm taking the train this afternoon. No, the kids aren't going until Thursday. I imagine so. All right, I'll tell you a call. Oh, I'm sure she'll write. Goodbye. Joe, can you hear me? That was Mrs. Wadwood. I told her you left this morning. Oh, she's going to miss you. But I won't. Come to think of it, not many people are going to care one way or the other. You're just a habit, Joe. A bad habit. There. Did I hurt your ears, Joe? Well, that's what I've had it with from you, yapping at me for the past 20 years, just banging on my ears. I hope you're comfortable in there, dear. You've got a long trip to take. It had taken me five years to work it out and a couple of minutes to do the thing. It was the morning we were to go up to the cabin for a month. Beautiful Tuesday morning, July, warm, sunny. I had the trunk all ready for her. She was finishing packing in the bedroom and there's usual nagging, griping. Who packed your hairbrush? Yes, dear. Oh, I don't know why you want to take all that fishing tackle. You never catch any fish anyway. What time are they coming for the luggage? One o'clock. I told you. Oh, I don't feel right taking off and leaving the children to follow. If anything... Herman, for heaven's sake, what are you doing with that trunk? We don't need a trunk. Now you get that thing put away. Oh, so dusty. Look at my nice clean room. What are you doing with that trunk, Herman? I need it to pack, dear. Have you gone out of your mind? We are packed. No, not quite, Joe. I forgot something. Now you're not taking another thing. Oh, yes I am. I wanted to do that for a long time. She wasn't dead. I didn't hit her hard enough for that. Just out like a light. I taped her hands behind her back, folded her up nicely, and taped her ankles. Particularly the... Oh, particularly. I enjoyed putting two yards of electrical tape over her mouth. She came too, just as I got her in the trunk. You should have seen her eyes. Just before I put the lid down, I told her what was going to happen. You've never looked better, dear. Now, don't you worry about a thing, because I have taken care of everything. You're going on the train with the rest of the baggage. And when we get to Piney Crest, Old Man Butterfield will haul you out to the cabin. And then, tonight, when it's nice and dark, I'm going fishing, dear, and I'm going to put you in the boat, take you out of the middle of the lake, and drop you down. Is it metal trunk? It'll sink. If you'd ever listened long enough to hear what anybody else was saying, you might remember that they have never found the bottom in that lake. Oh, you're thinking that Mr. Butterfield will wonder where you are or why you haven't showed up. That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Well, I'm going to be worried, see. I put you on the train this morning and had some work cleaned up in the office, so I had to take the next one. But I'll figure you stopped off to see your mother in Greenwood. You said that you might. Remember, you talked to her the other night and said you might. There were two witnesses. That sick name, Mrs. Doleman, and your dear girlhood friend, Louise. Their husbands had any sense they'd murder them, too. And besides, even if anybody does suspect anything, corpus delectae, you know, is to find the body of your mother in Greenwood. It's worth taking the chance, dear. Have a nice trip. Oh, uh, incidentally, in case you're wondering why I didn't kill you just now, I want you to have time to think for the next three hours. Go through a little what you've put me through for the last 20 years and keep your big mouth shut. I made some coffee and waited for the expressmen and every once in a while I'd creep up quiet as a mouse, go over to the trunk and give it a kick right where her ear was. And every time I did it, I felt a year younger. At one o'clock, right on the nose, Mr. Milford? That's right. You've come for the luggage. Yes, sir. Well, it's all there. Suitcases, trunk, fishing tackle. I sure am. The trunk's pretty heavy. Oh, would you like me to give you a hand? Oh, no, no, that's all right. I've got the dolly right outside. That thing really weighs. Well, it's all right. There's nothing breakable in there. It is a good solid trunk. They don't make them like that anymore. I guess not. I'll put the rest of the stuff on top of the trunk. All right. Don't you be careful of my tackle. That's all. What do you mean? Okay, is that it? Yep, that's it. One trunk, three suitcases, fishing tackle. Will you sign here, please? Sure. There you are. Thank you. What time will they be at the station? Oh, about 20 minutes. Oh, fine. I'm catching at 2 o'clock. Oh, they'll be there. That's fine. Thanks a lot. Oh, don't mention it. That's that. I went in the kitchen, had another cup of coffee, and didn't wash the cup and saucer or the coffee pot. I didn't have to. When there wasn't anybody to tell me I was messing up the kitchen. It was about 10 after 1 when the doorbell rang again. Mr. Milford, can I use your phone? Well, what's the matter? I can't get the pickup started. It's that distribute again. I told him at the garage. See here, I've got a train to catch. You've got to get the luggage to the station. Oh, I'll have them send out another pickup. It shouldn't take more than 15 minutes. I'm awful sorry. Well, couldn't you fix it? Try again. I just can't miss that train. I've tried, Mr. Milford, believe me. All right. I suppose you'll have to. But please, tell them to hurry, will you? Sure. I told them. I told them. I hate to put you out, Mr. Milford. Let me have the routing desk. Okay, I'll wait. Mr. Milford, it never fails. When you're in a hurry, it never fails. Do you think it's safe leaving the things out there? Oh, no, it's all right. As soon as I'm through, I'll go out and sit in the pickup. Look, it's almost 1.15. Don't you worry. We'll get your stuff there on time. Come on. Hello. What's happening, honey? Well, I got a customer. He's got to catch a train. My truck's broken down. In 45 minutes. Well, he says in 45 minutes. Okay, okay. Oh, boy, it's some service. I work for them, Mr. and it's a good job, but I tell you, sometimes bored. Oh, for heaven's sake. So, Herman, Joe's still here? No, no, she's gone, Louis. She caught the 11 o'clock train. Oh, that's funny. She said she was going to stop by for a minute. She was late. Listen, I can't talk. No, the Expressman's here. My, is that all your luggage on the truck? Yes, yes, it is. Oh, I think that's very sensible, taking the trunk. I told Joe she ought to. Things don't crease so much. Nothing annoys me more than having all my nice summer things all creased when I take him out of the suitcase. You're going to have to excuse me, Louise. I'm trying to get this express... You're going to be so nervous, Herman. Goodness, you make the body nervous, being so nervous. You men, you and Jack. I'll bet Joe did all the packing, and all you have to do is see it gets to the station. You men, honestly, talk about nervous. When are Julian and William going out? Day after tomorrow, Louise. Oh, yeah, that's right. They're spending a couple of days at the beach with the Buford kids, huh? Yeah. Honestly, I don't know how you let them go there alone. I've heard. Well, there's been talk of pretty wild parties. Of course, it's none of my business, but thanks for stopping by, Louise. Goodbye. Well, I think you're being very rude, Herman. I think you're being very rude. Uh, what did they say? Well, it's nothing to worry about, Mr. Milford. The other pickup will be on its way in a couple of minutes. Oh, my, look, it's twenty past one. Now, you just take it easy. I'll go out and see if I can't get that pile of junk started. Now, you just take it easy. You'll make it all right. Now, remember, take it easy. I could have killed her. No, let Jack kill her. No problem. I tell you, those women, she wouldn't notice the trunk. Oh, well, that wouldn't mean too much. I had the other one, a duplicate, already up at the cabin to bring back. Nobody would see me take it there. I was safe on that. I was a little nervous waiting for that truck to come. Of course, there was some consolation. The sun was nice and hot, shining right on the trunk outside. Joe must have been roasting nicely. Joe must have been roasting nicely. Just like that lamb she was always cooking. Just like that lamb she was always cooking. Every Saturday for twenty years, roast lamb. She knew I hated it. That's why she made it. No more roast lamb ever. Oh, the truck. Hi, Dad. Hi, Papa. Julie, William. What are you doing home? Oh, Mac, Buford got sick. Appendix or something, real square. We all got thrown out. No beach party, nothing. So we decided to go up to the cabin with you. Yeah, we put our suitcases on the truck outside and we're all set. Let's go, Pop. You are listening to variations on a theme. Tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills. Suspense. You can't expect the rest of the world to know how strongly you favor our democratic way of life unless you tell them. And you can tell them the surrounding truths about freedom by lending your support to the crusade for freedom. Yes, one dollar sent to crusade for freedom will pay for a minute of truth on Radio Free Europe. Send your truth dollars to crusade for freedom care of your local postmaster. That's crusade for freedom, care of your local postmaster. This has been a public service message from CBS Radio. And now we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Parley Bear, starring in tonight's production, Variations on a Theme. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. I knew they'd be better off with hot air, but what could I say? Kids, I got your mother outside in the trunk. I'm going to drop her in the lake when we get up to the cabin. They like me. Maybe they like me better than her, but she was their mother. They might be sympathetic because she nagged them almost as much as she did me. Still, murder. I didn't think they'd go for that, so, of course, I didn't tell them. But I wasn't a mess. How was I going to get rid of her with the kids around? Well, they were all excited to get going and call the taxi into the time it got to the house. The other express truck had arrived and taken off at the trunk in the cases. We made it to the station with five minutes to spare. I guess I'm a fatalist. What's done's done. What's to be is to be. I figured I'd get rid of the kids long enough when we got to the cabin to take care of Joe. As we walked along the platform past the baggage car, I saw them loading the trunk. I must admit, I got a kick out of the way they banged it around. It's funny how you get a kick out of something like that. You want the sports section, Pop? Hmm? Oh, no, thanks. I read it. You look tired. I do. You need a good rest. Right. You and me will do some fishing. Maybe this evening, huh, Pop? Well, I don't know, maybe. You know Mother. She'll have a million things for us to do when we get there. I can hear her now. Let her stew. It's vacation time. How was she this morning, Dad? Oh, all right. Her usual self. Your Mother's a rather nervous woman, you know. Pop, you know, this year I've been studying some psychology. And, well, Pop, she's your wife and our mother. But boy, if I've ever seen a psychotic, that's it. You really shouldn't talk about your mother that way. Oh, Dad, sometimes I wonder how you put up with this. I'll bet right now she's complaining all to herself. It's either too hot or too cold. I imagine it's the heat and the cold right now. You know, I hope I find a man like you to marry. The patience of a saint. He'd need to be if he married you. Oh, Heidi Ha Ha. Oh, no, no, no. Don't quarrel, children. Hey, Julie, you remember last year that fella? What was his name? He was at the same age. Something was bothering me. I mean, aside from the fact that my wife was doubled up in a trunk a few cars away from where we were sitting, in my house, and suddenly I knew what it was. The heat. The heat. You know what happens to tape when it gets warm and wet, particularly if it's in contact with flesh? Well, I can tell you, it gets loose. And I had a horrible vision of that electrical tape over Joe's mouth slipping. Oh, I got almost here. Dad. I felt pretty warm myself. Dad, are you all right? Oh, yeah. I was daydreaming. Very Freudian, Pop. Very Freudian, yes. Look, I feel a little restless. I'm going to walk up to the smoker. Hey, swell, we'll all go. Well, I'd kind of like to go alone. Go ahead, Dad. I won't be long. We had about 10 minutes before the train pulled in to Piney Crest. I thought that if she had made a sound and when she made it, she made a lot of it. Somebody would have hurt her by now. There was some kind of a commotion at the baggage car. When I got to the connecting door to the baggage car, there wasn't a soul. Still, I wanted to be sure if I was going to be caught, I might as well be caught right then. It really wouldn't make any difference. So I pounded on the door. Yes, sir? Oh, I was a little worried about my fishing tackle. I wanted to be sure it was on the car. I'm sorry, no no admittance. Oh. I suppose it's there. Where are you getting off? Piney Crest. Well, there's a metal trunk, some suitcases and a tackle to be put off there. Yes, that's mine. Thank you very much. Okay. Just before he closed the door, I caught a glimpse of the trunk. It was standing on end. Her head down, I hope. I felt better. 20 minutes later, we were loading suitcases and I was anxious and mighty worried about Joe not having arrived yet. I explained about her visit to her mother. Well, sir, I'm glad to see you folks anyway. My stars, Mr. William, you've grown a lot. We'd better get the trunk on. William, you take this corner and I'll get on the other side and you push in the middle, Mr. Butterfield. Okay, Bob. Now, all together. One, two, three, mighty heavy trunk, Mr. Milford. Oh, we're going to be up here for a month. Oh, yeah. Well, folks, fishing has been a might slow, it's been a might, but it should be picking up any day now. Fellas have been getting some nice strikes with bug-eyed poppers. Mighty nice strikes. Oh, that's fine. How's your wife, Mr. Milford? Just fine, just fine. Oh, proud piece of woman that, Mr. Milford. Proud piece. Miss Julie, you favor it. Thank you, Mr. Butterfield. You say she'll be up around seven, hey? Uh, it depends on how long she stays where she is. It was a pretty narrow washboard road from the station to our cabin, about eight miles. I could hear the luggage bouncing around in the back. The kids talked about everything the kids talked about in the start of vacation and it made me feel good listening to them. Well, we got to the cabin and loaded. Mr. Butterfield took off and there we were, the four of us, including Joe in the trunk. My, it was a beautiful afternoon. The old place hasn't changed. Pop, let you and me go down to the lake. What do you say? That's a good idea. I'll get things undone. No, no, you kids go on down. I'd feel better putting everything away myself. It'll make your mother happier. Oh, Pop. We'll all do it together. Might as well start with a trunk. Your mother's clothes in that dead? Well, you kids take your suitcases up your rooms. I'll take care of the trunk. Okay. We'll still have time to fish before dark, Dad. I went upstairs. I had to be very fast now. I dragged the trunk into the storage room, left it there in a corner, draped an old sheet over it and brought out the empty duplicate trunk, which I'd driven up to the cabin six months earlier. I was afraid they'd hear me, but they were too busy chattering each other as they unpacked. Oh, Joe would have been proud of me if she'd seen how quickly I got the clothes out of the suitcases and put away. When the kids came back downstairs, the trunk stood open and empty in the middle of the floor. Hey, that was quick work. Here, I'll help you put the trunk in the storage room. All right. Pop. Can I use your spinning outfit? I'd like to feel a bass on it. Of course, I'm not saying it'd be as much fun as the old fly rod, but can I try? Oh, thanks. Gee, this is going to be a swell vacation, Pop. I hope so. What time do you think Mother will be here? Well, she must have stopped off at Greenwood to see Grandma, so I imagine it ought to be around 7. She said it'd be about then. All right. Why don't you two do some fishing for an hour, and I'll start dinner. Fine, dear, fine. This is a wonderful steak, Julie. Thank you, Dad. Great. Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm getting worried about Mother. It's almost half past 7. Oh, I wouldn't worry, dear. She's probably... What was that? What was what? I heard it. Like a knocking. Woodpecker, probably. Hey. That's no woodpecker. What is it? I don't know. Oh, dear. A rat, maybe. I think it's coming from the storeroom. Sounds like a woman. It is in the storeroom. I'm scared. You stay here. Come on, Pop. Be careful. From over there, under the sheet. It's... It's your mother, William. The tape slipped. I was afraid it would. Pop? Come on. Mother's in there? William, don't just stand there. What's she doing in there? That's a pretty stupid question. She'll answer. Oh, stop saying Pop. All right. I'll get the tape off. This won't work again. You don't know why you want to take all that fishing tackle. You never catch any fish anyway. What time are they coming for the luggage? 1 o'clock, I told you. Oh, I don't feel right taking off and leaving the children to follow. If anything... For heaven's sake, what are you doing with that trunk? We don't need a trunk. You get that thing put away. It's all dusty. Look at my nice, clean room. What are you doing with that trunk, Herman? Nothing, dear. I decided not to. Not to? Not to what? What's the matter with you, Herman? Nothing. Just a little idea I had. I'll think of something else. Suspense. In which Parley Baer starred in tonight's presentation of variations on a theme. Next week, the true story of a daring escape through the iron curtain of Czechoslovakia. We call it Listen, Young Lovers. That's next week on Suspense. Suspense is transcribed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis, who also wrote tonight's script. The music was composed by Rene Garagant and conducted by Wilbur Hatch. Featured in the cast were Paula Winslow, Helen Kweeb, Sam Edwards, Barbara Fuller, George Walsh, and Peter Leeds. Joan Loring, young Broadway star and winner of both the Donaldson and the Critics Circle Awards, will be adding to her prestige as a dramatic actress tomorrow night when she stars in The Payoff Girl tomorrow night on The FBI in Peace and War. Stay tuned for 5 minutes of CBS News to be followed on most of these stations by The Jack Carson Show. The Radio Workshop presents the new and unusual Friday nights on the CBS Radio Network.