 Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Good evening, friends of the creaking door. This is your host to welcome you again into the Inner Sanctum. Come in. Kind of dead, did you say? Well, yes, but we have our grisly little amusements. For example, our museum has the only authentic copy of the Morning Leaser. In music, we're very fond of Mendelground's overture to a Midsummer Night's Scream. As for the movies, what really rattled our bones was The Razor's Edge. As the dentist said when the drill hit bottom and the patient screamed, you've got a nerve. It begins at night outside a railroad station. It's raining. And Ann Winslow has just missed the last train that will take her to the house she lives in a couple of miles outside the city. Taxi? Taxi? Taxi? Kind of hard getting a taxi in the rain, Miss. I know, but I've got to get one. I've missed my train. Taxi! All taken. Want me to check your bag? No, Porter, I've got to get home. Hey, there's one with a splaggup. Stop with the light. If you run, maybe... Oh, yes, thank you. Light trees don't change. Don't change. Hey, lady. I guess you didn't see me waving to you from the sidewalk. I ain't taking passes. Well, you've got to. The lights changed. Yes, but listen, I... You see, I missed my train and I live some way out. Not really very far, though, on the reservoir road. The reservoir road? I know it's outside the city, but I'm willing to pay a little extra. And the flag on your meter was upside down. Okay, okay. Thank you very much. Well, I guess I can relax now. What's the matter? There's someone else in the cab. He's a friend of mine. Don't bother him and he won't bother you. If you already had a passenger, why didn't you turn your meter down? Because he ain't paying for the ride. I was frightened. The man on the back seat of the cab with me didn't say anything or do anything, but I was frightened. His overcoat collar was turned up around his neck and his hat was pulled forward over his eyes. And I was frightened. Driver. Yeah? I think you passed the reservoir road. I did. It was the road that turned off to the right just a little way back. I didn't notice it until after you passed it over. Okay, sit tight. Hey, what's eating you back there? I have to turn around, don't I? Look, the man, he... When you stopped short, he slid over. He's leaning on me now. So what? He won't bite you. He's just tired. But I don't know it. Believe me, lady, if you're dead, you wouldn't be any happier. He leaned against my shoulder without speaking, without moving. His hat was still over his eyes and the upturn collar of his coat still around his neck. My shoulder began to hurt and the weight grew heavier. And somehow from the silent body beside me there came a feeling of cold. A deadly paralyzing cold. I straightened up and pushed him away. It fell the way a dead body falls on his back across the seat of his hat fell off and the collar of his coat parted and I saw that his throat had been crushed. Yes? What are you yelling about now? Nothing. I got asleep and had a nightmare. Well, stay awake. I don't like that kind of music. All right. I'll stay awake. This it? Yes, this is where I live. Kind of isolated, ain't it? How much is it? A couple of bucks. Here. Thanks. Good night. Yeah. The key. He didn't know I knew it. He didn't know something. The door. I forgot to lock it. He wants to sit down and be nice and comfortable. I did. See, later he got kind of fond of you on the long ride together. He don't want to go back to the city with me. He wants to stay here with you. No. Yeah. He's a very headstrong fellow. I wouldn't care to argue with him. You can't leave him here. Hey, I better hurry. Looks like the rain's coming back. Take him with you. He don't want to go. Besides, you wouldn't send him into the storm, would you? In his condition, the night might be... No, no, come back! Come back! No one except for... No, the phone. The phone. Of course. I'll phone the police and they'll take him away. There's a room I'm coming to. There's a man whose throat has been cut. And he and I are alone in this house. I won't look at him. If I kill him in my head, I could see him. I won't. What happened? He's moving! He's moving out of the chair! I must have been unconscious all night. I beg your pardon? Who are you? Manson, Detective Second Grade County Police. From the police? Yes. Oh, but I couldn't reach you. Last night, the phone was dead. I tried... And the lines were out all through this area. That's why Mrs. Blaine didn't get through to us till this morning. Mrs. Blaine? The old power light woman down the road. Yeah, that's right. The phone lines were working again. She phoned us. She was worried about what she'd heard during the night. She'd read something during the night? A woman screaming this. From this house. That was me. Well, you seemed to be all right. Why did you scream? The dead man in the living room. Moved. The dead man in the living room? I see. Uh, I suppose we go take a look at him, huh? You... don't believe me, do you? Well, it's not an easy story to believe, is it? But we don't have to argue about it. All we have to do is go into the living room. All right, come in. I feel sort of shaky. You see, I fainted when... When he moved it, I'd been on the floor all night. This is the living room? Yes. I think I'll stay out here if you don't mind. I'd rather not look at him again. There's nothing to be afraid of now. The policeman's here. And it's daylight, and they'll take him away with it. Well, Miss... You saw him? I guess you must have been dreaming. Dreaming? Mm-hmm. Because, you see, there is no dead man in the living room. There's nobody there at all. Try looking under the sofa next. Why? Oh, you weren't looking around for the corpse. You were just hunting for that collar button you lost last spring. All right. Have it your own way. But if you're happy to reach in under a hunk of furniture, and your hand touches something cold and wet, that won't be a collar button for him. Well, let's get back to Ann Winslow, who was a nice girl, but who had corpses walk out on her. No dead man in the living room. But he must be there. I don't believe it. Now, look here, Miss. He was in that chair in that... Now, Miss, it was just a dream. Or maybe a shock you had of some kind. Oh, he missed my name as Ann Winslow. That's a pretty name for a pretty girl. He was there. I took a taxi in the city last night. When I missed my train and he was on the back seat, and when I pushed him, he fell over, and I thought that his throat had been cut. And when we got here, the taxi driver brought him into the living room and went away and left him here with me. Well, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between what you dream and what really happens. Stop trying to be kind to me. He was here. If he was, he'd still be here. Corpses had a habit of staying with him. No, wait. There was blood on him. There'll be some on the chair. On the back, maybe, or the seat cushion. Well? Nothing. How'd you happen to miss the train last night? I was at a party. Did you get the taxi's license number? No. The driver's name, remember? No. I was too frightened to think I'd die. Would you recognize the driver if you saw him again? I'm not sure. It was dark, and I... I might, but I... You're not giving me anything at all. Thousands of cabs, thousands of drivers, and I've got nothing to go on. I'm sorry, Mr. Manson. Well, forget it. The drive out here wasn't bad, and I... I met someone nice. Thank you. I just wish I could be of more help. Well, if anything comes up, don't be shy about yelling for me. It's my job. You... You don't think I'm crazy? Of course not. This whole business, well, it was just one of those things, huh? Well, I'd better get back to headquarters. Yes. You've been very patient. That's all right. So long. Goodbye. Just one of those things. One of what things? He... he wasn't that chair. No, it's all right now. There's nothing. Nobody in it. But I can't sit in it. Seat cushion's getting shabby. Maybe if I turn it over. On the other side, someone already had turned it over because... it wasn't a dream. It wasn't a dream because it's blood. Can I help you, Miss? I know you've been staring out here in front of the terminal for quite a while. Well, oh, no, thanks, Porter. There's nothing you can do. I just... Well, you're the young lady on Mr. Train last night, aren't you? Yes, I am. Of course. You're the porter who helped me. Plenty of taxis around now. I know, but I'm trying to find the one I had last night. You are? Yes, you see, I... I left something in the cab. I thought if I could find the taxi again... That's not easy. Well, uh... But... Taxis usually work in the same neighborhood all the time, don't they? I mean, they had their special stand... Well, that's true, Miss, but you didn't get your cab last night at a stand. It was cruising. Oh. You didn't happen to notice the license number, did you? No, Miss, I didn't. Or recognize the driver? I didn't even see him. I'm beginning to wonder if I saw him. I beg your pardon? Nothing. I guess I'd better go. I don't want to miss my train again tonight. Goodbye. And tonight, I locked the door. I left the lights on. Hello. Sue. The cab driver, what are you doing? I'm glad you were looking for me, Miss. You're listening. Yeah, yeah, I'm the cab driver who drove you out here last night. And a friend of mine. Hey, I noticed he ain't around. No. Where is he? I don't know. I was awful fond of him. I wouldn't like to think of him wandering around cold, maybe. And why were you looking for me? The police didn't believe a... Policeman, huh? Didn't believe what? That there had ever been a corpse. It's too bad. So no harm's been done. And you haven't anything to worry about because the policeman probably thinks I'm crazy. Maybe he'll change his mind. Maybe one of these days you'll spot me and call a cop. Maybe the cop will start asking questions and I ain't good at answering questions. They won't. Once you put the finger on me, they will. I won't do that. I'll forget the whole thing honestly, I will. Maybe. But will the cop you called? He thinks I'm crazy. You're a good-looking girl, Miss. Which means the cop's gonna be back and if he comes back he's gonna find out you're not crazy. Because you're not crazy. Stay away from me. There was a corpse and he had his throat cut and he was in this room and you saw him and if a cop starts believing you, you look for that corpse and he'll find it sooner or later and then he'll ask me questions. So it would be a lot better if you went away. I'll go. I'll do anything you say. Don't touch me. You'll go. But further than yet... I can't breathe. It ain't gonna take a second, so I won't have to. Maybe you better go bye bye for a while till I can get rid of the guy at the door. I'll keep you for a while. Okay, okay. Oh, you. For a minute I thought maybe it was a cop. Hey, what's the matter? I don't like the way you're looking at me. Listen, listen, maybe things were lost up a little bit last night, but I'm cleaning it up. Hey, what's that in your hand? Now get away from me. Last night... I felt the driveway. He came back for me. Get away. Stop! He's getting... Miss Winslow, what's the matter? Mr. Manson. Yes, let me help you out. You better get back to your house. No. It's cold. You have no coat. Come on. He's there. He? On the driver. I see. I hardly care him. He doesn't... doesn't need care. He's dead. Did you? Somebody... He's thrown it. Got it. Don't talk anymore. He started to strangle it. Shh. Here's the house. How did you get here? My car, south in the road. I was worried about you. I want your steps. I can't go through that door. He's lying across it. You've been very brave. Just step past him. There. Now, who shut the door? You know what? Sit down. The chair. Not the chair. It's the one... All right. The couch. Thank you. Now to get the body away from your door. Notify headquarters. Yes, of course. Where's your phone? In the hallway. Right outside the living room door. Good. Phone's dead. The lines? They're all right. But the wire on this phone must have been cut. For the driver, maybe. I gotta get word to town though. Yes. Can you drive? No. That's too bad. Otherwise, you could hop into my car. Look, I'll be gone only a little while. No, don't. A man was murdered. And his murderer must be found. We can't waste time. You're right for two. I leave. You lock the door of this room behind me, see? Nobody can get those windows. So with the door locked, you'll be perfectly safe. All right? All right. I'll lock it. And don't open it for anyone but me. Yes. Then I'll be seeing it. Lock the door. Lock it for anyone but Mr. Manson. And I'll be perfectly safe. I dropped all of it. The phone. Wait, he told me not to open it for anyone but himself. Still, this isn't anyone. This is the phone. No, I'll let it ring. I won't leave this room. Let it ring. Let it ring. He said the phone was dead. Not the line, but only my phone. Mr. Manson said the wire had been cut, but it really had been cut. It couldn't ring. And it is ringing. It's ringing. That means he was lying. And if he was lying, he wanted me locked in this room, so I wouldn't tell anyone... Stop. Stop, but I... I can call the police. I'll call... Calling somebody. Put the receiver back. I said put him back. But... That's gone. Well, that's better. Living room, please. How come you tried the phone? It rang. Too bad I didn't rip the wire out as I should have. Careless of me, but too bad for you. What do you mean? I haven't much choice, have I? The driver's buried alongside of the corpse you met last night. Back in the woods. That's where I went. No, not a police. I'm a murderer. The corpse you saw last night was an old friend of mine who had ideas about sharing my profits in a little rocket I run. I cut his throat and fixed things with that cab driver to take the body out into the country and bury him. You hopped his cab and the girl didn't have brains to get rid of you before you spotted the corpse. He got panicky and left it with you and told me about it. I rushed out here to sell you a bill of goods. You bought all right, except the cab driver got scared when he spotted you watching for him at the railroad terminal. He decided to shut you up. I trail him and realizing how easily he lost his head, I took care of him. And now I'll have to take care of you. You can't go around killing me. I've done all right so far as... What's that? The door. You did call somebody before I got back. No. The door. I forgot to lock the door. I gotta get out. Let's just stay pooper. You won't get... Anybody else? Hey, you. What did he say? Hmm. It's a doornail. He was a murderer. He was. That's why he started shooting without waiting to find out. All I wanted was to tell him to move that car of his. It was blocking the road. Glad to cut up, Mr. Manson, wasn't he? An ambitious still wanted to leave his mark on somebody's throat. He probably believed wholeheartedly in that proverb. You know the one. All work and no sleigh makes Jack a dull boy. Oh, that reminds me, I'd better hurry out and turn the motor off on that taxi. Oh yes, it'll be still going. You can rely on that because nothing's sure but death and taxis. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!