 Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Dear friends of the creaking door, this is your host to welcome you back into the Inner Sanctum for another half hour out of this world. Say hello to one of our hapless heroines. Her spouse said he was going to the club one evening, but he brought it back and clouded her with it. The poor girl was almost decapitated, which shows what can happen when you lose your hair. Anyway, the whole affair was responsible for the song's success. You hit the spot. Then at the light, plaster your hair down, curdle close to the fire, and listen to Arnold Moss tell us his weird and shivery story. It was after sundown, And I was working in my garden, fixing the roses when I first saw Jane Carter. The soft spring air was full of the smell of flowers. And in the cemetery next to my house, long shadows were covering her graves with darkness. Jane Carter was standing under the darkwood tree, the tree I never touched. I picked up the garden shears and I came over to her. Oh, I didn't notice you in the shadow. Good evening. I hope you don't mind. I was just admiring your lovely garden. Oh, do you love flowers too? I adore them. Then I will give you some of the roses. My roses won the county prize last year. Oh, I am Franz Narco, the caretaker of the cemetery. You live here alone? All alone with my flowers. Here, hold out your arms. Here are some roses. Thank you. I imagine it must be lonely here. There isn't a house for miles. Not too lonely. The dead are always near. Hold the flowers close to your face. All right, but why? They make you look even lovelier than you are. So young and charming the roses next to your neck. They look like blood. Really, Mr. Narco, I must admit. Don't move. But Mr. Narco... Quiet. Those garden shears, what are you going to do? Don't be frightened. There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm just going to do this. My dear. The little birds were frightened, but when she was dead they began to sing again. That night there was a full moon and I buried Jane Carter under the dire bed. Police headquarters, Chief Dane speaking. Now Jane Carter is still missing. She was last seen yesterday afternoon. If we don't hear by tonight, we're going to send out Nate's state alarm. Yes, goodbye. Good morning, Ethan. Franz, how are you? Fine, fine, thank you, Ethan. I brought you some flowers. They're blooming early this year. Today is the 27th, you know. April 27th. Yes, Franz, I expected you. You haven't missed a visit on the 27th in 20 years. It seems incredible. On April the 27th, 20 years ago, my wife Martha disappeared. And in all this time, you haven't found any trace of her. Maybe we do know the man responsible for her disappearance. Don't mean you found her. Did you see the quarry this morning? Yes. Did you see a small item about a pretty young girl named Jane Carter who was reported missing? Well, yes, yes, I did notice a little story, but what has that got to do with my wife? I'll tell you, Franz. But this must be kept in strict confidence. Every year, since your wife disappeared, we've had reports of two, sometimes three young women who disappeared and were never heard of again. What are you trying to tell me? That somewhere in this country there's a homicidal maniac, a person who for some reason or other hates pretty young women, hates them enough to murder them and dispose of their bodies. Oh, that's shocking. You think Martha fell into the hands of this maniac? Yes. But why didn't you tell me this before? I didn't want you to lose hope. I know how you felt about Martha. Oh, she was so lovely. And only 19 when you've got to find this person, Ethan. Franz, it's bigger than I can handle. Now, look, you've had more schooling than I. I know you read a lot in that little cottage of yours next to the cemetery. Maybe you know more about why a human being would do a thing like this. Oh, yes, yes, Ethan, I do know. It's because sometimes the murderer has been hurt deeply. Maybe by a woman he loved who has been unfaithful. And when he sees other women, pretty attractive young women, they remind him of her. And then he's suddenly overcome by a strange emotion to seize them, to overpower them, to make them suffer for what they did to him, to destroy them, to murder them, to... Go on, Franz. But that's what it says in the books, I've read, Ethan. I've got to go now. Be sure to put those roses in water right away or they'll die. I won't let them die, Franz. Goodbye. Goodbye. I could have told him more, much more, how it felt to live in a nightmare of fear, how I tried to fight the wild surging of my blood, that mad, insane pounding that made me kill. Later that night, when the dogwood scent came into my room, I cried like a child. I was thinking of Martha, my beautiful Martha. Two days later, I saw Ethan again. He surprised me by knocking at my door late in the afternoon. Franz, I drove up here to ask a favor of you. Of course, Ethan, anything you want. I believe there's a tomb in the cemetery that's never been used. You mean the one old Mrs. Smith built? Yes, that's the one. Well, I always have to laugh when I think of it. Old Mrs. Smith was so fussy about that tomb, but she died at sea and she was never buried in it. Well, there's someone I'd like to have buried in it. There is? Yes. A young girl died of a heart attack. Helen Winters is her name. Judging from her clothes and those who knew her, she apparently comes from a good family, but we can't seem to locate them. Well, why don't you bury her in Potter's field? Like the others. Because I think her family will eventually want the body. Couldn't you put her in the Smith tomb? I guess so. I don't think Mrs. Smith would mind. Good. I'll have the body brought up in an hour. The body was brought in a coffin by Ethan and one of his men. I opened the tomb. There were no mourners, no one to say a few words. I cut some of my flowers and brought them to her tomb. Would you like to see her before you lock the tomb again, Fran? Oh, yes. What a pity. She's so young and so strangely beautiful. She looks as though she would get up out of the coffin at any moment. I brought some flowers, lilies from my greenhouse. That's very thoughtful of you, Fran's. You love these flowers, don't you? Well, they're all I have since Martha vanished. What are you doing there? Just looking at the petal. They're soft to the touch, like a woman's skin. Yes. Ethan. What's the matter? You tore that petal. You ripped it. It's just a flower petal. Stop it, stop it, Fran. Stop hurting the flower. Stop it, you won't stop it. I'm sorry, Ethan. I didn't mean to hit you. I lost my head. I can't see any one harm of flower like that. I couldn't sleep that night. Somewhere far in the countryside, a dog was baying at the moon. I went to my window. My garden was all silver in the moonlight. And then I noticed it. The dogwood tree, a strained glow like a fine blue fire, hung over the branch near the patch of iris. It was shining with a light that was not of this world. And then I saw the face of Helen Winters. She was staring at the glowing branch. It was the dead girl wearing the shroud she wore in the coffin. I quietly slipped downstairs on the way into the garden and I picked up the shears. You're Helen Winters. Yeah, that is one of my names. But you can't be here. You're dead. Yeah, I am dead. But this is a trick. Who are you? Look, I have something to show you. The branch of the dogwood tree. Yeah, you see how it shines in the moonlight. Yes. Look at it closely. But why? What are you... Do you see it? There's a ring. The branch grew right through it. It's Mother's ring. Is it? But how did you... Give that to me. No. But that belonged to my wife. I must have it. No. I looked at her standing there among the flowers. Oh, she was beautiful. And the moonlight made her look like a woman in a dream. And suddenly I felt the strength rising in my blood. I longed to touch her. To seize her. I tightened the grip on my shears. And came closer to her. If you do, I know a way for you to get lot free of charge. Where were we? Oh, yeah. The flowers were blooming over all the bodies of the people Franz had murdered. And he was talking to a corpse who was picking dogwood blossoms by the light of the moon. The blossoms have a lovely scent. Have they? Those shears. Yes. I know why the ring was on this branch. Do you? And I know what you intend to do. Did you kill her with the shears too? Come here. All right. I have your hand and it's flesh. You can't get away now. I don't want to get away. You're not afraid? No. I'll show you how afraid I am. What are you going to do? You will see. A face came closer. It was the first time I kissed a woman in 20 years. What was she a woman? It was warm flesh I kissed. And I knew it. I broke away from her. I swung wildly with my shears. And suddenly I felt her hand on my face. I smelled the scent of a thousand flowers overpowering me. Making me giddy. She swayed in front of me as I plunged the shears into her body. And then suddenly I felt myself sink into a sea. I opened my eyes. I was lying in the patch of iris. I saw the moon glowing blood red shining through the dogwood tree. I got up. I must have been unconscious. My shears were lying on the ground where I had fallen. Helen Winters had disappeared. I picked up the shears. Got my keys. Went to the tomb. I opened the door. Then I opened the coffin. I couldn't believe it. I raised the shears. I would find out. You'd better get away from that coffin. What made you come here, Ethan? Never mind. What's this? The dogwood and that ring. You recognize it? Yes. It belonged to Martha. I gave it to her before she married you. You murdered her, didn't you? Is it necessary to take out your gun? Ethan, I'm afraid so. You really believe I killed Martha? I believe you buried her under the dogwood tree in your garden. It's ridiculous. Franz, I want the truth. I want a full confession. What makes you think I killed her? I haven't any proof yet, but that body can be exhumed. I suppose you'd accuse me of killing all those girls who disappeared, too. Yes, Franz. I think you killed them, too. You looked closely at me. Suddenly I realized that his hand was shaking. He was frightened. He, too, was stalling for time. Why? Of course. There must be some of his men coming here. He was afraid to take me alone. What do you say, Franz? I can assure you it would be a lot easier for you if you confess. But I have nothing to confess. What made you come here tonight? It was just a hunt. You're lying. Look, look there. There are two men coming up here, policemen. I suppose they came here by accident, too. I don't see any... I have your gun, Ethan. Now get up. Get up! Franz, put that gun down. You don't know what you're doing. Oh, yes, I know. I know very well. I've been waiting for this moment for 20 years. No, Franz, please. You can't. You wanted a confession when you'd have it. Yes, yes, I killed Martha. I murdered her and she is buried under the dogwood tree. That's what you wanted to know, isn't it? Yes, but... And I'll tell you about the others now, too. I killed them. All of them. Their bodies are in my garden. And now? Now is the time for you to confess, Ethan. What do you mean? I mean you and Martha. She loved you. No, no, she didn't. I... I loved her. After she met you, she wouldn't have a thing to do with me. If that's why you killed her... Yes, Ethan, that's why I killed her. But you're as what's to blame as she was. No, neither of us was to blame. There was never anything between us and I can prove it. You're lying. I have a letter here. Let me show you. Your lies won't keep me here until your men arrive. You're going to die now. No, Franz, read the letter. Franz, don't. Read the letter. He was dead. And in his hand was a letter. I picked it up. I heard a noise. It was an abort. I went to the girl lying so still in a coffin. Was she alive? I would find... So you are alive. Get up. Get up out of that coffin. They're gone. Please, don't. Go ahead. All right. Now, please. Ethan put you here, didn't he? Yes. I'll explain everything. What happened in the garden? I had a little vial of chlorophon. I broke it when you tried to kill me. Fumes made you unconscious. Chlorophon? That was when I felt your hand on my face and I kept stabbing you, but you would not die. How did he know Martha was buried under the Dogwood tree? I told him. I dug under that tree while you were unconscious. Well, that's strange now, isn't it? You would never have known about it if the tree, as it grew, had caught up the ring and pushed it out on one of its branches. It is as though nature itself were accusing me. Here, here, here. Don't you try to get away. Stand still. Oh, you are beautiful and evil like all of them. Like Martha. I'm going to kill you. Oh, don't. That garden is empty. Here, here, come back here. You're not getting away. I still have these. The garden she is. Yes, the garden she is. Come on, please. No, no, I'm going. Come on, please. Are you out of your mind? I ran out of the tomb. I saw four men coming across the graveyard in the moonlight. I ran. The girl came out of the vault and screamed. They began firing at me. I ran across the moon in the cemetery, tumbling, crawling, running for my life. I had a piercing pain in my thigh. I struck my head against a gravestone. Here, in the hospital, they tell me I will recover from my wounds. But, of course, I'll have to be tried. I know I should be put to death. Oh, yes, the letter Ethan tried to show me it was just a few lines dated April 27th, 20 years ago. It read, Dear Ethan, please come to see France and convince him that there never was anything between us and that I am not seeing you now. It doesn't believe that I have always loved only him, Martha. You see, my killing her was all a mistake. A mistake that twisted a thread in my mind. I would like lots of flowers on my grave. Millies, roses. Yes, yes, many, many blood-red roses. Send me one dozen roses and put my heart into five of them. Good old France, he takes his popular ballot quite literally, which brings us to the moral for tonight's story. Never decapitate the woman you love. You know how angry people get when they lose their head. Ha, ha, ha, ha! And now, friends, it's time once again to close that creaking door until next week at the same time. Next week's story is about a boy and a girl who go off on their honeymoon and then discover that two's fine, but three's a crowd, especially when number three is a corpse. Now, what's the boy and girl said to that corpse and what the corpse said to them? Well, you'll just have to wait until next week to hear about it. Until then, good night. Pleasant dream. Inner Sanctum has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.