 Yes, roma wines taste better because only roma selects from the world's greatest wine reserves for your pleasure and now roma wines r.o.m.a. roma wines present suspense tonight roma wines bring you miss Anne Baxter in always room at the top a suspense play produced edited and directed for roma wines by William Spear Suspense radios outstanding theater of thrills is presented for your enjoyment by roma wines. That's r.o.m.a roma wines those better tasting California wines enjoyed by more Americans than any other wine for friendly entertaining for delightful dining Yes, right now a glassful would be very pleasant as roma wines bring you and Baxter in a remarkable tale of suspense reception Yes, she is miss Thornton Very well miss Thornton. I'll have her come in miss brand. Yes, miss Thornton. We'll see you now a large corner officer at the end of the hall Thank you Jean Thornton was a tall square-shouldered blonde with high cheekbones and a good figure and nervous as a cat More than that. I hadn't been in her office five minutes before I knew that she was afraid of something Her boss the responsibilities of her job Something I couldn't understand it. She was art director of William J. Farrell company One of the best advertising agencies in town. She had everything I wanted professionally a couple of other ways and yet she was afraid I couldn't understand it then Yes, yes, these are quite good quite good. Miss Brandt. Helen Brandt. Yes, miss Brandt quite good, but um Cigarette. Thanks. How cute silly thing. Mr. Farrell sent it to me from Mexico Where else in the world would anybody have the patience to sit down put together a musical cigarette case? But as I was saying, what was I saying? Oh, oh, yes. Oh, yes, these are really very good layouts miss brandt I like them, but I don't quite see how we can use you just now. You said that before miss Thornton. Yes, so I did well Look miss Thornton. I don't need the job. I'm not one of those desperate people. It's coming to cry on your shoulder I have a job at maxfield in Ellis, but they're stupid there I'm not getting any place in a firm like this where people have imagination. You have a chance That's all I want a chance. So do a lot of other people miss brandt. Well, I'm not a lot of other people I think I've got ability and you know it Commercial ability. I think I could be professional. Yes. Yes. Well, if there's an opening you'll get in touch with you You'll get in touch. I know what that means. I've been given the brush off by X that will be all miss bread I'm sick of being brushed off. I've got ability as much as you have and maybe more and I'll show you miss Brent Will you leave my office or shall I have you thrown out? All right, good day Of course, that would be the last time I'd ever lay eyes on Jean Thornton That's what I thought I went back to my office and work most of the night catching up on my own stuff Doing a little extra that I was peddling around town. I Was standing on the sidewalk kidding with a night elevator man while I waited for a cab And looking up at the tower against the early morning sky That dark tower 36 floors above the street three blocks up the avenue where the William J. Farrell agency had their offices And where I'd have given my right arm to be working You'll miss all your beauty sleep working this late miss brand now Charlie who says I need beauty boy you don't I Like to work at night. It's quiet. Think of all the sunrises. I see look at that sky. Yeah, it's gonna be a nice day I guess look That's all the body falling in the screen came to us at the same moment. We stood there frozen Oh lord, I wish I hadn't seen that golly that was summoned from the Farrell agents whoever it was poor devil woman Oh wait, miss brand. I wouldn't go up there, miss brand By the time I got there a patrol car to peer it out of nowhere the way they will in this town And the usual crowd of early birds and night all standing around swapping. They were trying to cover it up with a blanket All right, stand back stand back. Who is it? No, you couldn't tell anyway a woman. I wanted to look I couldn't a cop was picking up stuff that had rolled out of a handbag into the street going through it methodically opening things up and then And I didn't have to look I knew The press would you sister? You might as well tell us because we'll just sit here anyway Mr. Farrell, I'm from the news. I'd like to know I can't tell you anything now. Mr. Farrell. I'm Helen Brad. Oh my people would like to know Now please please get out of here I'm a reporter mr. Farrell. I'm Helen Brad. I'm art director of a small advertising agency, but I've got samples here Mr. Farrell, please just look at these you're going to have to have a new art director What did you say sure? You're shocked, but it can't hurt her and I've been trying to see if you're months And now you're on a spot, and if you just check those things out of my face and get out of here That's all I ask is that you and uh this one for Parker shoes I followed mr. Thornton's general ideas, but I've added Well that They're good mr. Farrell, and if you say they aren't all right. All right, they're good They're very good But if you think I'd hire a woman who hasn't any more decency than the barge in here at a time like this What's decency got to do with it? Do you need an art director or a Sunday school teacher? She must have been working all night on the new Parker layouts they have to be out by Three this afternoon Fresh air time got dizzy Look missum brad Helen brad miss Brant miss Brant I think you're one of the most despicable women I've ever had the misfortune to meet but I've got a very big job to get out this afternoon my assistant art director's home second by the time I interviewed You can arrange the details with my secretary in there and frankly the less I have to do with you myself the better I'll like it. I think you'll change your mind about that mr. Farrell. No mr. Farrell Yes, are you mr. Farrell secretary? Yes. Oh, I'm Helen Brant Marie Harris. How do you do? How do you do? I'm taking Miss Thornton's place Taking Miss Thornton's place. I see yes temporarily. Well, you're not one to let the grass grow under your feet. Are you my dear? Mr. Farrell said I could arrange the details with you to be sure I expect you'd better make out one of our regular employment forms Well, thank you temporarily you said yes Still doesn't it feel a bit odd to be filling a dead woman's shoes that are hardly cold so to speak I don't see anything so odd about it. Miss Harris somebody would have to know of course you wouldn't by previous experience Does it mean just in the advertising business any experience that might be applicable? It has occurred to you I suppose miss Brant that when someone like Miss Thornton is cut off in mid-career so to speak There's usually a reason for it. They say it was an accident. An accident do they? No, this be all right miss Harris. Yes. Yes, I will do Of course, there's always the possibility of suicide. I suppose you've thought of that. I suppose it might have been Would you show me my office, please? Certainly this way Might as well have the dead woman's that is Miss Thornton's office And of course there is another possibility Isn't there? What are their possibility the possibility of murder? Murder? Why yes Here's your office miss Brad if you need anything just call me I want to make you as comfortable as possible under the circumstances For suspense Roma wines are bringing you and Baxter in always room at the top Roma wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense Between the acts of suspense. This is Ken Niles for Roma wines Next time you buy wine remember more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine Yes, Roma wine is America's first choice because there's an important difference in Roma wine a difference in fuller bouquet Richer body better taste a difference that means more enjoyment more pleasure for you and your guests To bring you wines that are superior that tastes better Roma starts with California's Choice's grapes then Roma master Vintners with America's finest winemaking resources Guide this choice grape treasure unhurriedly to tempting taste perfection Later along with Roma wines of years before These cuvées await selection from the world's greatest reserves of fine wines for your pleasure That's what makes the difference in Roma wines. That's why Roma wines taste better every time So for your best buy in good taste insist on Roma wine Roma the greatest name in wine And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage and Baxter as Helen Brant with Kathie Lewis as Marie and Wally Mayer as Bill Thurrell in always room at the top a Tale well calculated to keep you in suspense I'd met Marie Harris's type before Jealous of her authority is the boss's secretary resentful of every newcomer and determined to make them uncomfortable So it was only natural for it to resent someone like myself a total stranger We walked into the job of art director for one of the best advertising outfits in town the William J. Farrell agency And even though mr. Farrell had said Temporary I knew that I had the job. I knew it before the first campaign was over. I was in and then One night the first of those funny little things began to happen I was just taking off my hat and coat when I saw it there on my desk a picture a big framed picture of the dead girl Jean Thornton and Written across the face of it. It said Bill darling to the swellest guy in the swellest boss any girl ever had Admiring your predecessor miss Brandt. Where did that come from? I'm sure I haven't faintest idea It wasn't there when I left last night somebody put it there possibly some well-wisher miss Brandt some Sincere well-wisher is a sort of warning a warning of what? What are you driving at miss Thornton and mr. Farrell were quite close at one time and what's that got to do with me? You know what happened miss Brandt to miss Thornton Look Marie Are you hinting that female art directors in this office have a habit of falling for the boss and then falling out the window? I'm not hinting anything miss Brandt you asked me for an explanation of how the picture got there I've given you one doubtless it is far fetched certainly it must seem so to you. It's crazy of course. Well, that'd be all miss Brandt listen Marie Let's you and I cut out the formality and let down our hair Is there anything around here that I? Well ought to know I'm sure I don't know what you mean miss Brandt all right The girl who used to have my job is dead you've been hitting around enough about it Is there anything that you know that I don't now is that plain enough quite? I can only say that I have not hinted at anything I have perhaps engaged in certain idle speculations on matters which were better left as they are that's all Okay, Marie But the way things look now I'm liable to be around here for quite a while Oh, I should think it likely and you and I ought to learn to get along you'll have no trouble getting along with me miss Brandt But you mean I may with Him I can only say miss Brandt as your sincere friend and well-wisher Yes, that you're working for a man who's subject to singularly strong Enthusiasm sometimes these enthusiasm are apt to be carried to Extremes it is essential to appreciate this in dealing with mr. Ferrell I don't suppose this picture gag would be one of mr. Ferrell's little Enthusiasm under the circumstances. I should think it most unlikely and it wouldn't be one of yours my little well-wisher No miss Brandt it would not You couldn't help a believer she was so prim and proper But I was determined to have a showdown anyway on the whole thing my job and everything I Stalked into Bill Farrell's office with a picture in my hand and without benefit of knocking Something that appears to be from your desk seems to have popped up on mine here Where did you get that I just told you on my desk Your ever tactful Marie has suggested that some well-wisher left it as a warning Poor Jean She gave me that one That explanation still seems to leave several questions on accident Look Helen you'll hear a lot of funny things in this office like any other office to take my word for it They don't mean a thing just do your job the way you've been doing it and you'll you'll be all right How right is that you like the job, don't you? I like the work. I haven't got the job Do you want it? What do you think? Well, you've certainly earned it Helen will you stop beating around the bush am I the new art director of the William J. Farrell agency or not? All right, you are you are hereby officially the new art director of the William J. Farrell agency from this stay forward until until what as Long as you want the job Helen Until death do us part is what he'd started to say I forgot it though. I forgot it almost the moment. He'd said it for the next 24 hours. I was walking on air It wasn't just the job. It was something even better. I knew Bill Farrell was falling in love with me I knew that was just a matter of time to Morning Marie. Mr. Farrell in not yet, Miss Brandt. I wish you wouldn't be so formal with me Marie Everybody calls everybody else by their first names around here except you I am used to more conventional methods in most things Miss Brandt. Okay. Okay. Let me know when he comes in though. Will you I want to see him? Yes, Miss Brandt. I Just heard her voice whose voice Miss Brandt hers jeans miss Thornton's why don't you lie down on the couch for a moment? Miss Brandt you've been working too hard lately, and I'll get you some water No, I tell you I heard it right in this room in this room. Yes. I know it was because There was that music box to that cigarette case of hers. Oh, yes. Yes, I remember So do I because the last time I heard it was down there when they were picking up the things There's no one here now, Miss Brandt. No one but you and me. I know but I heard it. Was it speaking to you this voice? No to Bill to Mr. Farrell something personal. Oh, yes, I dare say Have you ever looked in this closet by the door Miss Brandt? Well, not especially no I think there's probably a perfectly logical explanation of what you heard Miss Brandt Yes. Yes, you see. Oh The Dictograph it used to be Miss Thornton's They use dictographs for everything in this office. They say it saves them $40,000 a year in stenographic help. I see something must have turned it on Yes, there you see this box of pencils that has fallen off the shelf. It must have been that what turned it off Marie I'm sure I don't know. It's quite simple. Isn't it? Here's the switch Stop it. Stop it. Yes, Miss Brandt, and I'll get it out of here. Certainly Miss Brandt Is there any particular? I don't care what you do with it. Do anything you like throw it out the window What was that Miss Brandt? Just get it out of here and leave me alone Silly I know that It could have happened that way. It must have just as Marie said But all the time in the back of my mind was a lurking horror A nameless thing that I felt hanging over that office and over me Something about a girl who was dead A girl who had plunged to her death from that same dark tower that was now my dark tower Plung screaming to her death only a few short weeks ago The next night I had to work late again to make up I'd been out to supper alone I was conscious of the light still burning in Bill's office when I got back I wasn't particularly anxious to see him just then Be truthful. I was avoiding on I suppose I've been in my office about an hour and a half and the phone rang I thought it was strange because I was certain that I'd asked to have my nightline disconnected out of habit I picked it up to answer Helen darling, yeah, tell me Baby, baby. What is it? What's happened? I heard her again heard who dear gene gene Thornton gene. Yes on the telephone. I know it was I swear it But darling it couldn't have been oh Bill. I think I'm going there. Oh Helen darling. Listen to me picture the dictograph All right, but this Helen Helen look at me. Yes, Bill. I love you Helen. You know that, don't you? Yes, oh, yes, darling. I do I'm afraid there's nothing to be afraid of darling. No, not that I'm afraid because now I know that You're afraid. I am. Yes You are aren't you? Helen, I will please you've got to tell me now Oh look darling, I'm in a jam a bad jam an awful bad jam Yes, but it's it's nothing that you have to worry about. It's nothing that isn't going to straighten itself out It's nothing that I'm going to let affect us ever Bill if it affects you it does affect us darling darling. You've got to trust me just a little longer Bill, I do I will But it's about gene isn't it? Yes, yes, it's about gene Then it was She didn't just Fall it was a terrible thing Helen terrible about as terrible as it could be but Helen just remember this darling There's nothing to be afraid of it'll all be over soon very soon Is that all all you can tell me? It's all I can tell you now Oh darling, I know what this is like for you, but please please go home now and forget all about How can I forget about it? Well try try anyway I've got some things to finish up here, and then I'll call for you and we'll start making our plans Or you will marry me won't you Helen? Oh bill. Yes Then then everything's all right Go on now. Go on. All right Good night for now My dearest Good night I went out. I didn't go home I couldn't I walked walked for miles trying to think But nothing made any sense Except that I was in love And in an agony of fear for what might happen to spoil it And suddenly I realized that I had to know everything now tonight whatever it was So I went back to the office Bill's light was still on and I was just at the door When I stopped saying crazy Suppose somebody saw you and recognized you sent me a message I did not I gave no message to no one why do you lie to me like that? Then I heard it I threw open the door And she was standing there gene gene Thornton a woman who was dead I came to I was lying on the couch in bill's office At first it seemed perfectly natural lying there and bill's sitting beside me holding my hands Her there gene standing over by the desk talking to him Well, what are you going to do about her do what do you mean do you're going to have to do something? She knows doesn't she or she will when she snaps out of it. I'm not going to do anything I suppose you're in love with her. What if I am because it makes a difference my sweet to me bill Oh darling, darling. It's all right Is she Is she really yes? Yes, it's gene, but I saw her That morning I saw her lying what you were supposed to think then who just a girl Oh, you might as well tell her at least then she'll be in it as deep as the rest of us Gene please your boyfriend there had been dipping into the till about a quarter of a million dollars worth at the client's money My insurance and what the company had me insured what was just about enough to cover it like a fool I agreed to it you suggested it. I thought he was in love with me then But there was a girl that girl who worked in the office. No friends. No family I fired her the day before then got her to come up here that night another chance Modeling I said with my clothes the cigarette case. I dug up another one. I knew people would remember that I told you it was bad. Oh darling. I don't care. I don't care what it was as long as I think you better let me take charge of things now Mr. Ferrell Marie, please don't move. I'm quite prepared to shoot if I have to Marie. This is insane. Is it the shakedown What do you want Marie quite a lot? I'm afraid Mr. Ferrell And how do you expect to get it? It's your word against ours three of us. You forget miss Thornton that you are legally dead As for the rest Do you remember miss brandt that I said we used dictagrass for practically everything in this office? It was you that I tried my best to warn you miss brandt. I'm truly sorry for you. Listen You might as well tell her at least then she'll be in as deep as the rest of us Gene please your boyfriend there had been dipping into the till about a quarter of a million dollars worth of the client's money My insurance there is more of course, but I'm sure that will suffice Now miss Thornton, I think you and I'd better have a little talk alone What do you want us to do Marie? I'll come to you later, mr. Ferrell for the moment I must ask you to step into the conference room behind you you too miss brandt Marie please mr. Ferrell not now I shall have to lock you in, but it will not be for long. I think You know, of course that there's no other way out except down He stood there huddled together by the locked door, but we could hear nothing Until there was a sound like a window being opened and then What have you done to her miss Thornton has Shall we say taken the easy way out? You mean you foster very well if you prefer I'm sure it can make little difference now You miss brandt I take it I'm in love with mr. Ferrell in spite of my warnings Yes, and I'm sure I can count on your silence knowing the results to mr. Ferrell if you were to break it Yes, yes anything, but I'm afraid your Merit of plans will have to wait What do you mean? I think it's best this way for my own protection Of course if anything were to happen to mr. Ferrell This way everything would come to me. What would how the firm and the money You see miss brandt mr. Ferrell is going to marry me I looked at bill I knew he'd do as she said what else I turned and left the room without speaking In my own office. I found the little automatic where lately I'd always kept it And I came back bill was staring out the window and Marie was making up her face from a little compact They didn't even glance in my direction. I'm waiting for the police I've been looking over the new layouts The dulcet soak campaign is particularly good We did it together bill and I The theme was a bride and groom favorite wives This is ken niles bringing back to our suspense audience the lovely talented star of tonight's play Ann Baxter And you did a marvelous job. We're sorry. You weren't cast as a sweet young thing tonight But then most of our suspense characters are pretty rugged, you know Well, I can't be the sweet young thing all the time is tonight Well bad or good to show you how we feel about your aunt Here's a gift basket of roma wines with the compliments of your host tonight roma wine Thank you ken and roma too Let's see. Is there a roma wine in my basket that goes with baked beans. It's a saturday night favorite Oh positively and for a combination fit for a king try this delicious roma california burgundy with old-fashioned baked beans It's a tempting treat and whatever the dish robust roma burgundy adds zest to everyday meals Ken I could use you at home to help sell my cooking But on need of that and when you serve roma burgundy You'll find roma burgundy works wonders for the simplest dishes brings out the natural flavor goodness of any hearty food And remember with roma wines you enjoy an important difference an extra goodness in fuller bouquet richer body and better taste Yes, that difference in roma wines that better taste is the reason more americans enjoy roma than any other wine It certainly makes sense ken. Thank you and good night And baxter is currently being seen in the 20th century fox daryl afzanic production the razor's edge Tonight suspense play was written by ellen abeason Next thursday same time you will hear william bendix as star of suspense Produced and directed by william spear for the roma wine company of fresno california Until next week enjoy more suspense thrills as compiled in suspense magazine In the coming weeks suspense will present such stars as james steward eddie bracken Howard disilva and others make it a point to listen each thursday to suspense radio's outstanding theater thrills Stay tuned for the thrilling adventures of the fbi in peace and war following immediately over most of these stations This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system