 Next, Mystery Theater. For another thrilling dramatization, listen every Friday night at 11.30 to World's Great Novels. Tonight, it's part two of the radio adaptation of Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities. Your dial is set at 6.60 for radio listening that is always a treat. And now the Mole Mystery Theater, presented by M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tough whiskers or a tender skin. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes, welcoming you to the Mole Mystery Theater, the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction. Tonight's play by William Irish is entitled Two Men in a Furnished Room. John Payne, well-known movie personality, currently starring in a hit movie, Miracle on 34th Street, will play the leading role of Red Car. What would you do if a friend of yours were accused of committing murder and circumstantial evidence makes him appear to be guilty? He swears to you that he did not commit the crime but says that unless you protect him by lying about his whereabouts, he will be unable to prove his innocence. What would you do? That is the problem posed by William Irish in Two Men in a Furnished Room. Oh, say, Mr. Barnes, mind if I pose another little problem here. It's entitled How to Get a Comfortable Shave When You Have Tough Whiskers or a Tender Skin. And the answer is simple. Just shave with Mole. Yes, sir, man. With Mole, it's smooth. So smooth. So slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tough whiskers or a tender skin. Try it. Mole. And now for tonight's Mole mystery, William Irish is Two Men in a Furnished Room starring John Payne. Well, you see, Sergeant, I never felt right about Dixon since the first time I met him. I only met him because of the housing shortage. Dixon and I came for the Furnished Room just about the same time. First, we argued about who should get it, and we ended up sharing it. We got along, I guess. We even became kind of friends in those three months, but just the same, I got a little sore when he started talking about his girl again. I don't get you, Rick. You never even met Estelle and get you down on her. I don't need to meet her. I know women, that's all. All right, some gal gave you the business. That doesn't mean... Yeah, I know, I know. It doesn't mean anything. Have it your own way. Estelle's different, but weren't for a mother. Yeah, no. My girl had a mother, too. I never met her, but... You think every gal's out for what she can get? Yeah. But I'm telling you, Estelle... Well, let's give it up. I want to read. Well, Red, that's what I want to talk to you about. What? Reading? No, exactly. You see, Estelle called me at the office today, and... Yeah, so? Well, she's got something in her mind, and she wants to come over and talk to me about it. Why don't you go to her place and talk? Oh, you know her mother objects. Yeah, that sounds familiar. So you want me to take a walk? Yeah, if you don't mind. It's raining out. I know. I hate to ask this. And I don't feel like seeing a movie. It won't happen again, Red. Sure, sure. Honestly, Red. Oh, what time is curfew? It's almost half past eight now. She ought to be here soon. Okay, I'll clear out now. Oh, now, look, you don't have to dodge meeting her. I don't take this personal, Dix, but I don't particularly want to meet her, okay? I'll just get my coat. You sure you don't mind? Hmm, what's the difference? Oh, I feel like a human. Oh, forget it. Maybe someday you can do me a favor. I'll be back around midnight. That's the way it is when you share a room with another guy. You've got to live and let live. Yeah, that's a funny thing to say. Live and let live. Especially the way things turned out. The rain was cold and nasty. I crossed the street heading toward the bar on the corner when I saw the girl. She was on the opposite side of the street, head down on the rain. When she got under a street lamp, I could see she was wearing a green raincoat and I could make out what she looked like. She turned into the house. I stood there looking at the empty doorway for a while and getting real sore. On account of her, on account of her, I had to slop around on the rain. I had a good mind to go back and... Well, what's the use? I went to the bar. Saw the wet night out. Good weather for ducks. Yeah, ducks. You look mad. Fight with your girl. No, I don't like that. You look like you'd like to kill someone. Yeah, now give me a shot of rye. All I've got to kill is three hours time. It was a long three hours sitting there and making small talk, but finally I decided I might as well go back to the room. When I got up there, I knocked on the door. The door opened just a few inches. Dixon was looking out defensively. Had you read? Who else did you think it would be? Lana Turner? Come on, open up. What you knocked for? You've got a key. What's eating you? Why shouldn't I knock? Girlfriend gone, I see. Yeah, just a few minutes before you got here. You're some guy. You let her go out alone on a night like this. I put her in a taxi. You didn't get wet. It was right at the door. Didn't even get your shoes wet. Okay, okay, I didn't get my shoes wet. What's it to you? Nothing, nothing. What are you so nervous about? Can't you sit still at all? You leave me alone, Red. Sure, sure. What happened? Have a blow up? Why should we have a blow up? I don't know. Hey, what's this on the floor? What? Looks like a fastener from a raincoat. A green raincoat. Give me that. Okay, okay, don't grab. Boy, you're really all hopped up tonight. Say, where you going? Down the corner a minute. I want a drink. Since when do you drink at this hour? Since now. Don't take your key. I'm going to bed. I'm coming right back. So long. I didn't get it. I was usually the excitable guy, and here was Dix and acting as if there were a high tension wire running through him. I undressed, washed, took a grand look at myself in the mirror, and then got in a bed. Just as I was getting set to drop off, a phone rang. Hello? I want to speak to my daughter. She promised to have a definite understanding with once and for all. But listen, lady, I... I'm telling you, lady... No, no, this is her roommate. Dixen's out. She left half hour ago. Oh, she'll probably get back any minute. I mean, a little while to get back to sleep, but after a bit of tossing around, I made it. It only didn't last very long. No, no, this is still his roommate. I want to speak... Just a second. I want to turn on the light. He isn't here. Well, isn't she back yet? My daughter... I don't know. Maybe they... That's all. I'm going to call the police. Wait a second. Wait. I hear him coming. Hello? Hello? Red, you still up? What does it look like? Shut the door. Someone was calling you. Me? Who? Your girl's mother. Miss Michaels? What does she want? Your girl never got home, Dix. She what? You heard me. She never got home. Oh, but that's impossible. She lives... Only six blocks from here, but her mother says she never made those six blocks. I'll listen, Red. She'll phone twice. She said she's going to call the cops. The cops? But why? Do you need a diagram? Do you want a taxi if she left in a taxi? Are you sure you put her in a cab? Well, to tell you the truth, Red, I didn't take her down to the door myself. You told me you took her down and put her in a cab. Yeah, yeah, I know. But, well, we... we had an argument and she walked out on me. I was ashamed to tell you, Red. Go on. I heard a whistling from the doorway downstairs. I heard a plane and I heard a cab drive up. Did you see her get into it? I didn't know just a second too late. I saw her arm pulling the door catch. That's not much of a story. Hey, who could that be? I wouldn't be surprised if that's the cops. Cops. Now, look, Red, you've got to stick by me. Why? Red, don't you see outside of me, no one saw her leave here. She ends here. If anything happened to her... Just a minute! Now, Red, you've got to tell me you saw her getting into that cab. But I didn't. Red. Red, what are you going to do? What do you expect me to do? We can open the door. As the curtain falls on Act 1 of tonight's Mole Mystery, it looks as though Dixon is in a tough spot unless his friend Red helps him out. Well, Mr. Barnes, you know, there are lots of different ways to help. For instance, when a man's in shaving trouble, we do it with music. Like this. That's right. Mole LLE. Mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tough whiskers or a tender skin. And that's a name to remember, men. Yes, Mole is the heavier cream. The cream that not only softens your whiskers, but stands them up straight while your razor cuts them off close and clean. With Mole, you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly. Try it. See, if you don't say, it's smooth. So smooth. It's slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mole, the heavier brushless shaving cream for tough whiskers or a tender skin. Now this is Jeffrey Barnes returning you to the second act of Two Men in a Furnished Room starring John Payne. Well, Sergeant, the first cop that night, who disappeared, was only a curtain-raiser. Dixon told his story about Singer getting the cab. Cop only asked me if I was there. I said no, and let it go at that for the time being. That was a curtain-raiser. Show really got started the next afternoon when I came back from my job in the bank and found a big guy with his hat on sitting in our easy chair pretending to read a newspaper. It was you, of course. Hey. Well, shut the door. Sergeant Hiller, homicide. Surprised? No. No, not surprised. And shut the door. How'd you get in? Super let me in. You car fella lives here with Dixon. Mm-hmm, that's me. A girl named Estelle Michaels came here last night, didn't she? Okay, if I sit down, I'm tired. Go ahead. Well, there was a girl here last night. I think her name was Michaels. I think so. I'm across the street about 830. What time did you get back here? Close to 12. Was the girl still here then? No, no. She just left. How do you know? Did you see her or did your friend tell you? Well, I as good as saw her leave. What do you mean by then? Well, as I came back here, I saw someone getting into a taxi and I saw Dixon at the window looking down. When I got upstairs, he told me she just left. Have you seen this girl before? No, just earlier last night. All right. That's all for now. Stick close by and make sure your friend does too. I want to see you guys again. After you left, I felt sort of weak, Sergeant. I was getting involved in this mess to protect Dixon. Why should I? How did I know he was telling the truth? How did I know they wouldn't pull me in as an accessory if his story blew up? I was building up a good deal of resentment against Dixon when he came home and I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the guy. Has anyone been here? Yeah, a cop named Hiller. What happened to you? Oh, they had me down at headquarters all afternoon. I thought they were never going to let me go. Why shouldn't they let you go? In their minds, I'm already guilty. Of what? Whatever it is, I'm guilty. I had to admit I quarreled with her and, Red, don't you see you've got to call up. Who? Her mother. It's only natural you should call her up and say you're worried about the girl. No, no, Red, I can't. What's the number? I can't, Red. What's the number? It's... it's Chelsea 3-509-9. This is Red. I can't talk... You've got to. Don't you understand? You want me to believe your story, don't you? Yeah, but... Well, then talk to her. Stop acting guilty. Mrs. Michaels, please. Mrs. Dixon wants to speak to her. Here, take it. Hello? Hello, Mrs. Michaels. This is John Dixon. I just wanted to find out... But Mrs. Michaels, I swear I... I can't talk. Here, give me the phone. Mrs. Michaels, this is Mr. Dixon's roommate. I'm getting out of here. I've got to get out. They're going to get me for this for sure. You'll run away and you're cooked. Then they'll know you did it. I didn't do it, Red. Don't you believe me? You're the kind of a guy who killed someone. What do I know? Sure, I've lived in this room with you for three months, but what do I know about you? I didn't do it, Red. Remember that raincoat fastener I found last night? It came from her raincoat. How come? I told you we had an argument. She wanted to leave and I was trying to hold her back. I was holding onto her raincoat and... Red, don't you see how this thing looks for me? Yeah, I see. Maybe you better clear out. Look, can you lend me some dough? I'm dead broke. I'll pay you back. Yeah? How? Thanks, Red. I'll get in touch with you somehow. Where are you going to be? I don't know yet. I'll let you know. Thanks again. Twenty bucks when I get thanks. Boy, what a sucker. Dixon hadn't gotten out much too soon. I hardly had time to put on some coffee and light a cigarette when... Sergeant, you came to the room. Where's Dixon? I don't know. I'll beat it, I guess. How should I go? How should I know? He doesn't tell me everything. You're covering for him. Why should I? I'll be a sucker, Red. That's funny. What's funny? Nothing. Okay, then, Carl, let's get going. Why, too? Headquarters? No, no, not yet. First, I'm going to take you to the Michael's house. Maybe when you see the girl's mother, that'll make a difference. What are you thinking? So at last, I was going to meet the girl's mother. And then what? How far could I go in this whole thing? How far could I protect Dixon? The house was one of those apartment houses that was fashionable, say, 25 years ago. The Michael's apartment was dark, almost dingy with old furniture. And the mother. She looked old and dried up. She was lying in a bed and the smell as if it'd been a sick room for years. She's an invalid. Yeah, it's too bad. Mrs. Michael's? Mrs. Dixon's roommate. I'm sorry about everything, Mrs. Michael's. Your voice, it sounds familiar. Yeah, I've spoken to you on the phone. Oh, that's right. I keep forgetting. Tell you a story, Carl. Do I have to? I think you'd better. Okay. I was coming back home that night when I saw a girl getting into a cab. You say you saw a girl? Yeah, that's right. Just a flash. Like I said, I saw Dixon at the window looking down to the street. That's all. You saw Estelle getting into the taxi. I saw a girl. I guess it was your daughter, man. Now listen, Carl. Think carefully. You were close enough to see the girl getting into the cab. Now she must have hailed it, right? Right. All right. Did you hear a shout or whistle? Well, now that you mention it, well, I did hear her whistle. You liar. What? You liar. You didn't hear her whistle. But I'm sure... She couldn't whistle. She never whistled in her life. You didn't see my daughter leave that house. When we got in the street, sergeant, you turned on me. You knew you had me then. Well, Carl, what do you say now? All right. He was lying to me. Still want to cover for him? Listen, leave me alone. Can't you? You didn't leave her alone, Carl. We found the body. It's pretty. Want to come down to the morgue? Have a look at it? No. No. He strangled that car, and then he dragged her up to the roof. He wanted the trouble to carry the body across a couple of roofs. You know, he isn't very strong. You make two of them, but he carried the girl's body across a couple of roofs and then threw it down an air shaft. Want to take a trip to the morgue, Carl? You let me go, then. I went back to the room feeling sort of sick all the way. When I got back to the room, the phone was ringing. Hello? What do you want? What number do you want? Red. Dixon? No. Where are you? How are things going? I got news for you. Where can I reach you? You better tell me on the phone. No, I've got to see you. Where are you? Well... I can't tell you over the phone. All right. I'll come along. Well, Sergeant, what I planned to do wasn't very pleasant, but it was the only way I could save my skin. Just because he'd room with me for three months, that didn't mean I had to have any sense of loyalty to the guy or something like that. I was in this deep. Now I had to get out. Do you want to follow? I made sure. Good. One second. Well, it's good to see you're ready. What's been happening? They found the girl. They found? Yes, they found her. The girl was killed by an air-shaft. Dead? Dead. Oh, what did you think? Red, I... I was in love with her. What did she say to you? What did she do that made you go off your nut? I didn't kill her, Red. I couldn't kill anyone. I couldn't kill her. They didn't even have me in the army. And why were you so careful about opening the door last night? I don't know. I just had so much on my mind. You told me you'd put her in a taxi. You told me you heard her whistling for a cab. You let me lie to the cops about it. She did whistle for a cab. Her mother says she couldn't whistle. What? You heard me. She couldn't whistle. I didn't know that. I swear I didn't know that. Isn't that too bad? But I tell you, I heard someone whistle. That was a bird. And I saw someone getting in a cab. Sure, sure, I know. Okay, Dix, let's drop the act. I'm gonna call the cops. No, Red, you can't. I won't let you. Put down that phone, Red. Hey, where'd you get the gun? Pawn shop. On my dough. Why, you... You're not gonna call the cops, Red. Not even if I have to kill you. I'm not gonna let them get me for something I didn't do. Stand still, Red. Don't move. Give me that gun. No. No. Give me that gun, Red! Give me a... Hello, operator? Give me the police. Police? My name is Wesley Carr. I'm at 619 East 10th Street, 3rd floor. I just had to shoot someone. The guy who killed that girl last night. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll bring you at three of two men in a furnished room starring John Payne. Now a word from George Putnam. Every day, more and more people are discovering that to get real relief from the most common kind of dandruff, they must destroy the germ called Pityros Poromo Valley, which many outstanding authorities say is its cause. You see, merely washing or brushing away loose dandruff has no effect whatsoever on this germ. But one thing that does work is double dandering. For double dandering actually kills this germ on contact. Even in severe cases, results with double dandering have been amazing. And the reason for double dandering's astonishing effectiveness is a special ingredient, an active antiseptic so remarkably efficient, many hospitals use it. In double dandering, we call it Alzan. So stop trying to combat this dandruff with ineffective methods that actually are no better than plain water. They can't compare with double dandering, for double dandering destroys the cause. If you're not completely satisfied, you'll get your money back. Get double dandering tomorrow. Well, that's the whole story, Sarge. With him and me and I, I didn't want to shoot him. I know, Carm. We just got a report from the hospital. Nixon died in the ambulance on the way over. Oh. Oh, maybe it's better that way. Think so? I don't know, maybe it is. I'm sorry for him. You know I tried to cover for him. I thought maybe he was innocent until that business about the whistling. Yeah, I should have. I won't get into any trouble about that, will I? About that. Now we're wanting to forget then. Thanks, thanks. Can I go now? Just a moment, Carm. Stevens! Yes, sir? Bring in the girl. The girl? But she's dead. I know. There she is, sir. Sit down, miss. I don't get this. That's not a still. Do you ever see this girl before, Carm? I know. I don't know her. Do you ever see him, miss? No, never. Where were you at midnight last night? But I told you. Tell me again. I want him to hear. I was in front of the house where that girl was killed. Yeah, and what did you do? I whistled for a cab. And it came and you got into it? That's right. All right, that's all. Stevens, take her outside. You mean Dixon was telling the truth? That's right, Carm. Then the girl, Estelle, Dixon thought he saw Estelle get into that cab, but it wasn't her. Someone was waiting for her on the stairs. There was a guy she'd met while she was a canteen hostess. A guy she got tired of when he was overseas. A guy who hated her to throw him over. Oh? Well, how did you find out all that? Oh, just like work, Reggie. Just like work. Well, uh... Yeah. Who was the guy? Well, there was a guy I recognized early that night. He was killed. Who was it? He was big, strong, strong enough to strangle him, carry across a couple of roofs. Who was it? And throw it down an air shaft. Who was it? Drop it, Red. You know as well as I do. It was you. This is Jeffrey Barnes bringing down the final curtain on tonight's Mystery Theatre performance of Two Men in a Furnished Room. Be with us next week to hear a story by Baph Blau entitled The World of Edmund Craig. The original music for the Mystery Theatre is composed and conducted by Alexander Semmler. Tonight's play was adapted for radio by Paul Monash. John Payne was starred. Bill Cuddle's Quinn and Ralph Bell featured. Any resemblance between the names and characters used on this show, and any actual person's living or dead is purely coincidental. Sometimes when you're overtired, you can talk yourself out of it for just so long and then it gets you down. You wonder whether you're losing your grip on things. But if you're that tired and pale besides, your doctor may find you have a borderline anemia resulting from a ferronutritional blood deficiency. Then take ironized yeast tablets. They help increase your strength, regain your color by building up your red blood cells. So take ironized yeast tablets to get more energy, more vigor, more enthusiasm. Ironized yeast tablets. And now this is Dan Seymour saying good night for the Mystery Theatre. And inviting you to be with us next week at the same time when we present The World of Edmund Craig.