 And now stay tuned for the program that has rated tops and popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program in radio history. The Signal Oil Program, The Whistler. Signal Girl! Signal, the famous Go Farther gasoline. Invite you to sit back and enjoy another strange story by The Whistler. I am The Whistler. And I know many things before 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. And now for the Signal Oil Company, The Whistler's strange story. Last message. Only a few days before, Dave Leonard had told himself that there was no place quite like San Francisco. It was thrilling to be a part of it. The hills, the bay, the clanging cable cars. Only a few days before, Dave had been happy with his job, his surroundings, his home and his wife. And now suddenly that was all changed, wiped away somehow. The city was a frightening place. His job, something that was threatened, his home, his wife and things that he must give up, be put behind him as rapidly as possible as they be threatened too. And that was why Dave walked down Geary Street and across Powell for the airline's office. Inside he approached the ticket window and asked for space on the very next plane for Los Angeles. Here you are, 1346. Thank you. Is the flight on schedule? Will I be able to get away soon? The limousine for the airport will be loading in 20 minutes, Mr. Leonard. You'll be on your way by, let's see, 430. 430, good. Hello, Dave, are you going somewhere? I, uh, yes. No, I don't think that's such a good idea to you. Would you mind refunding Mr. Leonard's money, please? What? He isn't going anywhere. He's changed his mind. What? Right, Dave? Not just staying around so we can talk some more? Uh, yes. Yes, he's right. Forget the whole thing. Whatever you say, sir. You scoop up your ticket money, Dave. Hurry outside. It's even more foreboding now, the city. The walls of its tall building seem to close in around you, don't they? Because he's back again. Apparently not letting you out of his sight for the past three days since he first found you. And now he's falling into step behind you, isn't he? No chance to run away. Ah, that's better, Dave. Much better. Are you spinging a hurry? I've been right with you for the last three days. Why don't we stop in here and have a drink, huh? Chat some more. All right. You're calling it. Ah, it's a good bourbon, huh, David? Ah, you haven't touched yours. Get to it, will you, Tommy? What do you want from me? Why have you chased me all the way across the country? Who sent you? Easy, Dave. Easy. None of the old bunch even knows you're alive. Honest, I ran onto you quite by accident. I don't believe it. It's true. Except for an accident, I'd have gone on like everybody else. Believing exactly what it says on those New York police records. What the paper said at the time. Let's see, how did it go? Man leaps to death from river bridge. Stop it. You didn't do it at all, did you? Just made it look that way. The notes you left into your coat, the fake. I couldn't get any places Marvin knows, Tommy. A man with a record isn't always welcome. You saved your time? That didn't seem to make any difference. Okay, so you got away with it. Working up pretty nice here, I understand, huh? Good job, pretty wife. It's all over. Why? Because of you. No matter how you found me, Tommy. You have. That's all that's important. Ah, you don't have to change anything. I'll play ball. I'm trying to live decently, Tommy. Can't you understand? I've managed to these past six years. Almost seven, isn't it? Yeah, sure. Marvin knows we'll be legally dead soon. At least seven years since you staged the big jump. Tommy, I'm not gonna take this. I don't have to. Easy, easy. Sit down, sit down. You know, you better think it over, Dave. They gang, they can play pretty rough. Maybe they think you talk too much. I didn't, you know that. Maybe not, but you're not too much. Maybe they think you've already talked to your wife that she knows too much. If they could find Marvin knows, they might like to silence him. Maybe his wife, too. Stop it. Yeah, of course you could go to the police, Dave. Cut your throat and mine and your wife's. I'm afraid it would cost you a lot more than your job. You see what I mean? Yes, I see what you mean. Then I think we understand one another. Well, I'll keep in touch, Dave. Let you know how and when you can help me. Oh, and meanwhile, don't try to skip town anymore. You just might make me sore. And I wouldn't want to have to take care of you, Ma. Dave. Yes, Dave, it's all changed. In the surprising arrival of one man, you're all associate, Tommy Prentice, one man who can ruin your life, strike terror in your heart, cause the all familiar warmth and friendliness of the city you've come to love to turn into what shilled atmosphere of menace and despair. Back at home, you can't even bring yourself to talk about it. To the one person who's brought you more comfort and understanding than you'd ever dream possible. Sue, if you don't mind, I don't want to talk anymore. Dave, there's something bothering you. I know it. Something's on your mind. No, there isn't. I'm just tired, that's all. Today was the afternoon you left the office early, didn't you? You called the office? At three o'clock. You hadn't come back from lunch, the girl said. You shouldn't have called. Where were you, Dave? I was detained, a customer. You talked to a customer from noon until after three? Maybe. What of it? Is that all you're gonna say? Please, Sue, I was out on business. Isn't that enough? You have to cross-examine me. I'm... I'm sorry. Oh, forget it, Sue. I didn't mean to... Look, I don't know what's wrong with me. What do you say we go out tonight, huh? For a walk or to a movie? Get our minds off it. Of what, Dave? Okay, so I'll go out alone. There must be some way to stop these questions. I'll be back when you see me. Even as you hurl the words at Sue and rush from the house, you're sorry, aren't you, Dave? But your mind is spinning with confusion, question marks. The hours of walking the streets alone fail to provide an answer. Then as you start toward home again, and the dismal sound of the foghorn moans in at you from the waters near Golden Gate Bridge, a thought does occur. A dread final thought, but something that could provide an answer. Another bridge gave you an answer almost seven years ago, didn't it, Dave? And now with everything you've ever wanted and worked for being threatened, you find yourself thinking of staging another such act. Only this time it would be for Tommy Prentice. And what would appear to everyone as a simple suicide would actually be murder. You're still thinking about it as you slip the key in the latch and let yourself into the house and cross to the bedroom. Dave? Sue, I thought you were asleep. I couldn't. Not with you away. No, don't turn on the light. Sue, I'm sorry about this evening. I didn't mean any of those things I said. I know. Anyway, I'm not mixed up anymore. Everything's clear in my mind. I've been worrying unnecessarily. Everything's going to be all right again. And soon. Summertime is vacation time and long trips naturally make motorists think about gasoline mileage. That's why every year, particularly at this time, signal gains lots of new customers, drivers who've heard about the go farther gasoline and decide to try signal themselves. Naturally, they expect to get good mileage. But what sometimes comes as a pleasant surprise to them is the improved performance they enjoy with signal. And that, my friends, is the point of my story tonight. You see, the reason signal gives you such good mileage is because it helps your engine run so efficiently you save gasoline. You save gasoline with quick starting, save gasoline with smooth thrilling pickup, save gasoline with full responsive power, the kind of performance in short that makes driving more fun on vacations or anytime. So if you haven't yet acquired the signal habit, just try a tank full or two. You'll find there's more pleasure, too, when you go farther with signal. Signal, signal, signal gasoline. Your car will go far, will go for the gasoline. It changed everything, didn't it, Dave? Your plans with your wife Sue, hopes for the future. Everything was changed when Tommy Prentis walked into your life from the past and recognized you as Marvin Knowles, a man he'd known in the East, a man who once served time in prison and was trying his best to live it down with a new life in San Francisco as David Leonard. Yes, it was all changed. Tommy is a threat, but you think you found the answer the one way out. And while you hate the thought of murder, you find yourself trying to figure it out and plan a way to talk Tommy into the trap. And finally, you're rewarded with a remarkable bit of luck as Tommy admits his reasons for coming to the West Coast in the first place. I gotta tell you, Dave, there's no use hiding it. They're after me. The police? Yeah, them, too, sure, but I'm not afraid of the police. It's the old gang. They think I double-crossed them. Of course you didn't. That's beside the point. Duke Watson and Frankie Dawson are here in town. I gotta get away from them, Dave. You're gonna help me, see? Sure. I figured there'd be something I'd have to do. I haven't much money, Tommy. You have some and you have a car. I want you to drive me up north someplace, Seattle, maybe on into Canada. But I can't do that. You've got to. Or else I'll get word to Duke and Frankie that you and your wife are here. It's gotta be this way. If you don't, it's my neck. I can't just drop out of sight like you did. And if I was to travel with a man and his wife, they'd have a rougher time tracing me. Wait a minute, Tommy. What? You just said something about dropping out of sight. Tommy. Yeah? Tommy, I faded out of the picture almost seven years ago, remember? I made everybody think I jumped off a bridge, committed suicide. So you fooled everybody but me, so what? So why can't you do the same thing? I'd help you, Tommy. Tell you what to do. You could write a note, say you were tired of running from Frankie Dawson and Duke Watson who were trying to get you. Wait a minute, wait a minute. You really think that I... Did I make it, Tommy? Didn't I? Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure you did. Yeah, but you had a different reason. You wanted to go straight and couldn't get a break. What do reasons matter, Tommy? The main thing is you'll throw them off your track. You can travel alone. Go anywhere. Somebody else. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure I could. Hey, I think you've hit it, Dave. You saved my life. All I gotta do is write a suicide note, leave it on a bridge with my coat and disappear. Duke Watson and Frankie Dawson will think I kill myself on account of the gang, huh? That's right, Tommy. Yeah. That's all you have to do. Leave a suicide note. Yeah. You'll drive me north? Yeah. I'll drive you. He's fallen into your trap, hasn't he, Dave? Yes, in your relief. Yet far from pleased at the thought of what you've decided to do. You don't like to think about it, do you? What you plan to do out there in the fog. The way you'll silence Tommy Prentice. But you can't see any other way. You don't want to kill, but you decide you have to. That evening, you sit in the den pretending to read the newspaper, struggling to conceal the panic and the terror mounting within you. Dave. Yes, Sue? I've been thinking, why don't we run down to Carmel for a few days? It would do us good to get away. Yeah, I suppose so. Again, remember? When was it? Three years ago? Dave, you're not listening. What's the matter? Huh? The matter? Nothing. Something's been on your mind. Something rather serious, I'm afraid. Won't you tell me what it is? Really, Sue? It's nothing at all. You used to be able to talk over our little problems. Sort of iron things out together. Iron things out together. Yeah. Dave, I suppose I'm going to sound awfully silly, but, well, is there someone else? Someone else? A woman. Oh, no. No, Sue, nothing like that. Telling, how could you ever think that? I... I didn't really. Sue, there'll never be anyone in my life, but you never. Dave. But you're right. There is something on my mind. And it is serious. I'm in trouble, Sue. Dave, you... Look, you haven't done anything again. No, no, no, nothing like that. It's just... Well, it's the old routine again. The old gang won't leave me alone. Someone's found out the old crowd. Yes, Tommy Prentice. I ran into him on the street one day. He found out I changed my name. He found out everything. I see. What's he going to do? Well, then give it to him. Give him all we have. And it'll be finished. No, that's not as simple as that. He wouldn't stop there. But if we didn't have any more money to give... He says he just wants me to help him get away, but he'll probably force me to work on a job with him before he gets through. No, Dave, you can't do that. I haven't any choice, Sue. Yes, you have. We'll go away, Dave. Far away. They'll never find us. Tommy would find us. So might somebody else in the old gang then we'd have to run again. And for you later. That's where I was when you called the office. But it's no use. Please, Dave, we'll leave tonight. Right now. I tell you, it's no use. You know what'll happen if we don't, Dave? One job with Tommy, then there'll be another and another. Some night I'll be called down to the morgue to identify... Sue, Sue, darling. You mustn't ever go back, Dave. You can't go back. But running away is just no good. It wouldn't work. Please, darling. Going somewhere else. What else can we do? What else? Yes. How else can you be rid of this man? There is a way. I've thought it all out. A very simple way. What? No. No, Dave, you couldn't do anything like that. You couldn't. No, I guess not. I guess I couldn't kill him. Even if I could get away with it. All right, sure. We'll run again. She's right, isn't she, Dave? There is a chance, a slim chance, you can slip away from Tommy Prentiss. Start life all over again in some small town. While you finish packing, Sue hurries down to the garage and drives your car around to the alley back of your apartment house. When she returns, you're ready. You pick up the suitcases and start for the door. Oh, hiya, Sue, Dave. I was just going to knock. Come on over, we'll have a little party. Brad, hello. We were just leaving. We're driving to Carmel. We want to make it before midnight. Well, Dave, oh boy, you've got lots of time. Come on, just one drink. Brad, a rain check. It's terribly important that we leave right now. We can't explain now, Brad. We'll be back in a few days. Come on, Sue. Get in the car, Sue. I'll put the suitcase in the... Hello, Dave. Tommy. Evening, Mrs. Lennon. I'm sure you are, Mrs. Lennon. You folks going someplace? Uh, yes, we are... Running out on an old pal. Oh, no, no, you see, my boss called up and he wants me to go upstate, a business. Is that so? Yeah, yeah. It's a good trip, huh? Well, only for a few days. I'll be back in the middle of my week. You're getting in touch with me? That's right. As soon as I get back. Uh-uh. I'm going with you, pal. Well, but Tommy... I said I'm going with you. Now get in, both of you. We'll drive by my place and pick up my stuff. And we'll head north over the gate bridge, huh? That bridge, don't you thought of, was a great idea. It's no use, Dave. You'll never be able to run away from Tommy Prentice. You're certain of that now. As you drive across town, you glance over at Sue from time to time, sitting next to you, staring straight ahead, her face tense. You know she's struggling to hold back a flood of tears. The anger, the hatred within you grows. Hatred for the man on the back seat of your car. And hatred toward yourself for what you've done to Sue. Finally, you bring the car to a stop in front of Tommy's boarding house. Okay, folks. I'll get my stuff. Be right out. You, uh... you'll wait, huh? Yeah. We'll wait. Just make sure you do. Hand over the car keys. I said we'd wait. I said the keys. All right. Here. Thanks, pal. Be right back, folks. Look, Sue, why don't you go back to the apartment? I'll handle this alone. No. No, Dave. I'm not going to leave you. Sue, I don't want you to get mixed up in this. Forget it. Forget me. Go back to the apartment. I won't, Dave. I can't leave you. Come on, darling. Let's get away from here. Sue... I mean it, Dave. Right now. We can walk, talk it out, and decide what to do. Let him have the car. Please, darling. All right, Sue. Maybe a walk will help. You wander along the streets. Sue clings tightly to your arm. And somehow the two of you talk it out, don't you, Dave? Yes, you walk for hours trying to make up your mind. And finally, quite late, you begin to come to a decision. We'll go to the police, Dave. Have Tommy Prentice arrested. Let your past come out. It's the only right way out of us. There's more to it than that, dear. Even if I went to the police and they got Tommy, he'd find a way to let Duke and Frankie know who I am, where I live, but I'm here. They think I know too much, and what's more important, they figured I told you too much. You realize what that means, don't you? Yes. But I'd prefer to take a chance on anything than have you on the wrong side of the law. You'd risk being killed? Yes. I'd rather than have you risk everything we've built together. You're wonderful, Sue. Not wonderful. I just believe in you. Come on, darling, we'll go to the police. Tell them everything. All right, Sue. All right, let's find a police station. Before starting on any trip this summer, you'll want to have a new map. And naturally, you'll want one that's accurate, complete, and handy to use, which describes a signal map prepared expressly for signal by Rand McNally. It's a big map, jumbo size for quick, easy reading, and it has the latest accordion fold, so it's easy to handle. In addition to Rand McNally accuracy, signal maps include a list of interesting places to visit, plus a Western States mileage chart, plus enlarged sections of metropolitan areas, plus a traveler's radio guide showing where to tune in for your favorite programs as you travel. The highway map is yours free at any signal station. And if you need a street map, when you're in any of the larger Pacific Coast cities, signal dealers have them too free, of course. Start planning your vacation driving now with a good map. Stop in and get a free signal map at your signal service station. Better do it tomorrow. Signal, signal, signal gasoline. Your car will go far, will go for the gasoline. You've made your decision, haven't you, Dave? Yes, you can't run from the past from Tommy Prentice, and you can't kill him either. So you're going to the police. You're going to tell them everything. Tell them about your fake suicide in New York seven years ago that you're not David Leonard, but an ex-convict named Marvin Knowles. You're certain it will mean the end of everything for you and your wife Sue. But you've made up your mind there's nothing else you can do. And now after hours of walking along the city streets and talking things out, the two of you step into a police station and approach the officer at the desk. Sergeant? Hmm? Oh, what can I do for you, sir? I, uh... Well, uh, my name is David Leonard. Well, that is, since I arrived in San Francisco... Leonard? Oh, yes, David Leonard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Got the report right here. Stolen car. I hope you had that ensured, Mr. Leonard. What? That's pretty badly smashed up, I'm afraid. Well, I don't understand. Well, it happens it was quite a gun battle over in the Mission District. A couple of strong-arm boys tried to kill a man by the name of Tommy Prentice who was driving your car. Dave. I guess he must have stolen it. Anyway, he wrecked the car trying to get away from those strong-arm boys. Did they get away? No, we caught him. Block away from the shooting. A couple of hoods from back east. Frankie Dawson and Duke Watson. What about the man that stole my car? Prentice. Prentice? Died on the way to the emergency hospital. Prentice is dead? Yes, ma'am. And your husband's car is a wreck. I'm awful sorry. Oh, it's all right. We don't mind the car. Oh. Now we can always get another car. Well, the funny thing about those guys trying to kill Prentice, they didn't know he was going to commit suicide anyway. They'd have avoided a murder rap if they had. Suicide. Yeah, yeah. Had a note in his pocket. Figured on jumping off the bridge. Said he was tired of running from those hoods. Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program, the Whistler, each Sunday night at the same time. Meantime, signal oil company and the friendly independent dealers who help you go farther with signal gasoline, hope you'll remember. Regardless of what gasoline you use, you'll enjoy more miles of happy driving if you drive at sensible speeds, obey traffic regulations and avoid taking chances. You may even save a life, possibly your own. Featured in tonight's story were Bill Foreman as the Whistler, David Ellis, Virginia Gregg, Bill Conrad and Larry Dobkin. The Whistler was produced and directed by W. Allen with story by Joel Malone, music by Wilbur Hatch, and was transmitted overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. The Whistler was entirely fictional and all characters portrayed on the Whistler are also fictional. Any similarity of names or resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Remember to tune in at the same time next Sunday when the signal oil company will bring you another strange story by the Whistler. David Miller speaking for the Signal Oil Company. Stay tuned now for our Miss Brooks starring E. Varden, which follows immediately over most of the stations. This is the CBS Radio Network.