 inner sanctum mysteries the creaking door this is your host to welcome you again into the inner sanctum come on here no no please don't stand on ceremony we're all informal here no ties no colors in some cases no heads that doesn't mean we're complete boors though we study our Emily ghost faithfully you wouldn't catch one of us eating his peas with a knife oh no we've been caught with knives before sewing you might say our wild throats the preliminaries are over beginning right now things are going to happen they'll sit up draw a deep breath and lend us in here we've got to get our teeth at the something listen now to the voice of Donald bucker as Danny Williams as he tells the weird story of the dead walk at night there it is again my uncle calling to me just as he used to when I was a boy my blind uncle tapping his cane and calling he's dead I wish I could join him I've tried to a thousand times but they've always prevented it goes on incessantly it never stops even when I sleep I hear it every minute every second sometimes bashing thunder stop it can't you give me one minute please why don't you stop at your blind old fool leave me alone haven't you done enough he tapped that way with his cane on the night I decided to kill him we were in his room in the big house where we lived together I've been living with him since I was 14 years old but 10 years I'd been his companion his nurse his servant his slave on the night I was going to kill him I slipped a length of strong cord into my dinner jacket he was totally blind had been for 30 years yet strangely enough he could see he could see with his uncanny highly developed sense of hearing and with that cane of his that cane it was everlastingly tapping the wind blowing up tonight it'll be getting cold soon yes and then all the servants going this is the night off you're going out again tonight yes with Martha yes with Martha hmm you brought me some brandy yes Morgan I poured out the drink in my pocket I felt the cord and as I handed the drink to him I took it out and walked behind him now this was the time I slipped the cord around his neck twisted it would be over soon he sat there holding the glass in one hand very good brandy this I raised the cord over his head all I had to do was crop it over his neck why are you standing behind me but how did you know I heard you walked there why Danny I just wanted to look out of the window one quick move it would be over but I didn't want to kill him so I suddenly I'd make a clean breast of it and give him a chance well then how long are you going to stand there Morgan there's something I want to speak to you about well what is it my boy I want to marry Martha I uh I thought that was on your mind but I need ten thousand dollars Morgan will you give it to me what are you laughing at you I was just waiting to see how much you'd asked for you lied your way in pretty deeply this time didn't you Danny what are you talking about I saw what was coming I uh while you were in town we had a very interesting little talk did you hmm she told me that her father's worried about her marrying a fortune at her seems he's a very wealthy man yes that's right and it seems that he won't give Martha any money when she marries unless her husband is a man of some means himself it also seems that you lied to her you told her you're wealthy why did you tell her the truth no you always were an incorrigible liar Morgan she got the impression that I had some money because I lived in this house and now you have to live up to that impression so you can marry her which will give me the money won't you why'd you lie to her I did it without thinking I I wanted to tell her the truth but I couldn't I was afraid that if she found out that I lied she'd hate me Morgan are you going to give me the money Danny I'm very fond of you I took you in to live with me when you were a poor panelist goddess night I educated and taught you to live like a gentleman I even named you sole beneficiary of my state but that's why I'm asking you for the money now if you're going to leave me all of it why don't you give me a little of it now because I don't want you to marry Martha why not I don't think she's the girl for you you stupid blind old fool and Martha's the finest girl I ever met I won't have you talking about her like this you won't have a penny of my money to marry her you're doing this because you want me to stay with you now what are you talking about from the very first day I came here it's been Danny do this Danny do that Danny read to me Danny pour me some brandy you've made me a servant a slave how can you talk this way after all I've done for you done for me did you ever teach me to work did you ever teach me to do anything except live in luxury when I didn't have a penny to my name you made me someone who's of no earthly good to anything or anyone except you no I'm not going to leave Morgan you are what do you mean I'm going to kill you don't be ridiculous my boy you'd probably make a bungling mess I don't think so you see I planned it very carefully Danny if you think you can frighten me into giving you that money you're quite mistaken I don't intend to frighten you I intend to murder you you you're not serious yes I am Morgan Danny you you got up I heard you yes now don't lose your head perhaps we can come to some agreements too late for that don't think you can stall me and then turn me over to the police Danny where are you you'll know in a minute Morgan when you feel something on your neck oh let go of me it'll be over in a minute let go of me you idiot let go not now Morgan all right all right Danny I'll admit it I wanted you to stay with me I'm I'm blind all alone but I'll let you go I'll give you the money you want only only don't kill me it's too late now I know you and I don't trust your promises I'll give you anything you want you hear anything no please no Morgan I could only see if I could only I'm going to be merciful more than it'll only take a few seconds and this chord will crush the life out of you Morgan Morgan I heard the front door open and close I had told Martha to come at nine o'clock I ran out of the room and looked down the long stairway hello darling mother shall I come up no no wait there I'll come right down I rushed back into the room my uncle was lying on the floor the rope twisted about his neck his face straight with purple I picked up the cane began tapping on the floor and I placed the cane near to him I went back to the door again and called good night Morgan oh he's fine I heard him tapping around up there yeah see likes to make a lot of noise with that cane of his I think he gets a kick out of it do you think it's safe to leave him alone here safe well of course look shall we go dancing somewhere that's a swell idea well friends do you think uncle Morgan will stay dead oh you do well that shows how much you know on this program the dead never stay that way so get ready for the worst because in the next few minutes you're going to find corpses that walk in the dead of the night oh yes they do all right they do don't you worry let's listen now to Donald bucker's Danny as he finishes his story it was easy to lie to the police when Martha told them that she heard my uncle tapping in his room I was cleared of all suspicion I suggested that the murder was committed by some thief who broke into the house to rob it after we had left the police agreed I received the inheritance and Martha and I planned to go to California to be married I had lied my way out and fooled everyone everyone except myself I knew what I had done I couldn't forget it I became nervous and morose and then came that last night before Martha and I were to go away I was alone in the house preparing to close it hello Dan Martha but it's so late I didn't expect you I know darling but I was afraid to leave you alone in this huge old house I decided to come over well that's very sweet of you darling but there's nothing to worry about you can't fool me I've noticed how you were behaving these last few days have you ever since your poor uncle was killed you haven't been quite yourself well I suppose I have been a little upset I'm glad you came darling look I can put you in the guest room next to my uncle's old room that's the only one beside my own that hasn't been dismantled yet come on I'll show you the way all right when we get to California and we're married you'll forget all this I hope so what was that I didn't hear anything I thought I heard a noise I was right this old house is affecting you maybe maybe you know Martha last night I thought I heard him tapping with his cane did you well it was just my imagination I guess I wonder you know darling I had a rather strange dream about you did I dreamed he came to me and told me he wasn't dead well that's a crazy idea isn't it but just suppose he wasn't dead that's impossible I saw him dead with the rope around his neck did you that's funny I went with you to the morgan I didn't see the rope the police had removed it oh yes here's a course they had but I well I saw those welts it didn't take much imagination to see the rope my poor Danny I'm afraid this has affected you more than you realize here's your room Martha Danny you you've been kind of cold and distant lately you do love me don't you darling of course Martha good night dad good night I was awakened that night from a tortured sleep by a familiar sound the sound of my uncle's cane tapping on the floor above me at first I thought I was dreaming but then I heard it again seemed to be coming closer to be taking a familiar cause yes I had heard it a thousand times when he was alive that same nervous rhythmic tapping was coming down the stairs tap tap tap down the stairs cautiously carefully it was on a landing now would he go down further or would it turn as it had done so often to my room closer closer it was coming to my room there could be no doubt about that he couldn't be alive and yet it was knocking at the door it took every bit of courage I had but I went to the door and opened it there on the floor outside my door was my uncle's cane a throb of cold icy terror shook me I ran back into the room and hath insane with panic I shouted Martha Martha darling what's the matter Martha darling I I must be going out of my mind I saw what did you see that cane that came to have in your hand put it down I found it outside your door I thought you'd misplace no no that's my uncle's cane that's the one he always used but Danny there's no need to be so frightened of it why you think it was going to hurt you the way you act Martha here you hold it no Danny you're terrified what's wrong what's happening Martha Martha don't make me tell you don't but what are you afraid of that cane put it down throw it away throw it away you don't know what you're saying Martha why do you keep pointing it at me why Danny you've got to tell me what's troubling you I won't put it down until you tell me why you're afraid Martha for heaven's sake you can trust me Danny I love you tell me what it is Martha what is it no matter what it is I'll always love you don't be afraid to tell me I killed him your uncle yes why for the inheritance I I didn't want you to know that I didn't have a scent I asked him for the money begged him for it he sat there in his chair telling me I couldn't have a scent he wanted to keep me here with him I wanted to marry you that's why I murdered him Martha because I love you do you understand yes oh Martha Martha I knew you would you'll stand by me won't you why are you smiling that way how much money did you inherit two hundred thousand dollars in this house you'll transfer that money to me in the morning when the house is sold you'll turn over that money to me too if you don't I'll tell the police what you just told me Martha I I don't understand I thought I was pretty clear oh I I see now you you you think I'm too upset to manage the estate and you want to take care of it for me until we're married there isn't going to be any marriage no marriage no now that I can get the money without marrying you there's no reason for me to tie myself down why should you want the money your father's been dead for 17 years mother you took you were lying to me yes you're lying to me so it comes out even stop cowering at this cane there's nothing clear about it I made that tapping noise tonight I thought it would make you confess and again oh this is a joke it's a monstrous joke I wouldn't think it was so funny if I were in your position you know the money isn't quite all I can use you Danny I might need certain things done sometime and if you'll remember that I can send you to the electric chair whenever I choose to you'll do them I see the slave merely changes masters where are you going back to my room oh no you're not then let's go I want to show you something Martha something about this cane you said there was nothing weird about it well there is let me show you you didn't know did you that if you press a button in the handle the outer covering slips off and you have a sword in your hand a sword yes look there see it's a sharp sword forged in Italy during the Renaissance to be used by men with less conscience than I about murder Dan what are you going to do I think you know no you can't did you think I would give you that money after I murdered a man to get it I'll let you keep some money you think I believe you I know liars I won't kill the police I swear I won't I'll do anything you say I'll marry you do you think I'd marry you after I found out that your love was a lie do you think I'd let you live when I know you have a secret that can enslave me no Dan take that sword away don't do it I love you liar Dan don't please I beg you I'll do anything you say it was then that I first began hearing it my mind that tapping tapping tapping that incessant tapping of the cave when the police came I told them everything they asked only one question when did you hear this tapping in your mind after I killed him well you'll be all right after a good doctor treats you perhaps meanwhile we'll do everything we can to find the person who killed your uncle and your sweetheart I think it's the same man he's probably some thief who thought he'd try a second time but I just told you I'm the person you want now Danny you don't think I believe that story for a minute do you you don't believe it after the way I saw you cry when your uncle died and you can't make me believe that sweet girl did the things you said I know something about human nature my boy no Danny the shock of finding your sweetheart murdered so soon after your uncle's murder was too much for you this whole confession was a lie but 20 years now I've been in this cell at the state asylum waiting to die I who told the truth because I wanted to die but 20 years I've been hearing that tapping day and night every second but 20 years I've been hearing my blind uncle call me as he used to when I was a boy all right friends you can relax now no no this isn't Danny this is your home our stories over in the port is now mopping up well I guess tonight's little story should teach you never to tell a lie lying leads to cheating and cheating leads to murder and murder leads to insanity all of which are very bad habits to get into indeed well friends it's time once again to close that creaking door until next week at the same time when we'll be back with a little hunk of horror ha ha ha you'll be sure to listen on you until next week then good night pleasant dreams inner sanctum has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the united states armed forces radio and television service