 Hello, creeps. This is PFCX inviting you to listen to another mystery playhouse presentation. Tonight, we take you to the Inner Sanctum, where we'll hear an original radio play by Robert Neumann. The title, The Dark Chamber. It's one of the best stories to come our way in some time. So at this point, we'll turn you over to your Inner Sanctum host. We're at his door, so let's open it like this. Good evening, friends of the Inner Sanctum. This is your host to welcome you through the squeaking door. Draw up a tombstone to sit down. Our story tonight is about death, violent death, and also about something which is even more terrifying, the unknown. You don't believe that anything can be more frightening than death. Then you've never experienced the ultimate in fear, but you will within the next few minutes. If you'll put out the lights, pull your chair up close and listen to The Dark Chamber. Hello, police. Listen, you've got to help me. You've got to. I don't know how you can, but my name is Watson. Joe Watson. I'm a driver for the Acme Sanitary Hand Laundry. Andrews? Where I am, I don't know. That's part of the trouble. Oh, look. Hey, wait, listen, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. Check the laundry. Check the veterans. I'm an XGI. I'll tell you, I'm straight. Well, I'm in a room someplace. I don't know where it is or how I got here or what I'm here for. I don't even know how long I've been here. It's a big room, but it's funny. No doors, no windows that I can see. Just a couple of chairs and a table with this phone on it. I'm scared. What did you expect us to do? Find me. Find out what this is all about and get me out of here. And I don't know. Listen, this isn't a gag, can't you tell? You don't know what it's like just sitting here waiting, not knowing where or why or what's going to happen. Can't you trace this call or something? There's a shot. Oh, thank heaven. I was afraid you. Listen, I hear something. Someone's coming. I better hang up. I'll call you back later if I can. How do you do? Who are you? My name's Helming. Dr. John Helming. And your name? I don't have to tell you anything. That's very true, although I didn't think you were aware of it. I think I already know everything about you that I'm interested in knowing. Like what? Name, Joseph Watson, age 26, occupation, employee of the Acme Laundry, honorably discharged from the Army six months ago with the Brown Star and the Purple Heart. What the? So you cased me, went through my pockets, huh? Well, if you know that much, you know I haven't got any dough. Money? I'm not interested in money. What do you want then? But where is this place? The last thing I remember is making a delivery on Spruce Street. Noticing that the lights were out in the hall and hearing a noise behind me. You or somebody slugged me. That's right. Well, will you stop grinning like that and tell me what this is all about? Of course. I brought you here because I need your help in an experiment. An experiment whose details I've already worked out with mice and rabbits and cats and other animals. What kind of an experiment? An experiment in fear. Fear? Yes. You fought in war. You were wounded. That means you've probably known fear. And still you won the bronze star, which means you overcame it now. The question is, can you overcome your present fears? What are you talking about? You're afraid. Nothing has happened to you yet. Absolutely nothing. And yet you are afraid, aren't you? You're afraid because you're face to face with the unknown. Because you don't know what I want and what I'm planning to do. Which is, it should be. And that's the way we'll leave it for the moment. Hey, wait a minute. Come back here. Come back, you can't. Hello, police. This is Joe Watson again. Listen, I got a little more dope. I don't know if it'll help, but there was a guy in here just now. Said his name was Helming, John Helming. That's probably a phony. He's about 50 tall over six-foot, white hair and gray eyes. No, I still don't know what it's all about or what he's after. But have you been able to trace this number yet? How long will it take? OK, I'll hang on. The lights just went out. The room's pitch dark and somebody's coming in again. I better stop. But for Pete's sake, hurry. Who's that? Who just came in? A girl. Keep away from me. Keep away, dude, here. Keep away. What's the angle now? Angle? Why did you bring me here? Wait a minute. You mean he put the snatch on you, too? When I was on my way home, Clara for him or something. And the next thing I knew, why are you pretending? You're in on it, too. You must be at the trap. It's a trap, all right, but I'm not in on it. I'm in it, along with you. My name is Watson, Joe Watson. I'm Betty Graham. You swear? I swear. What would I lie about it for? I wonder why he put you in here. Put us together. Who is he? What's he going to do? I don't know. He said something about an experiment, an experiment in fear. But hey, listen, we've got to get out of here somehow, some way. He might be listening. Very astute, my dear. Of course I'm listening. What the? Where are you? Right here in the dark. I've been here all the time. Why you? No, Joe. Don't. He must want you to go for him. He's probably got a gun. Right again, my dear. Not that I'll need it. This is stage two of the experiment. A new stimulus to action has been introduced. Man against the unknown has become man and woman against the unknown. Look, let's get down to breast. Thank you, Joe. That's why I won't need my gun. This new stimulus has been negated by an increased sense of responsibility. Responsibility towards the girl, and therefore by increased fear. Blast you, gunner. No gun if I get my hands on you. Where are you? Where are you? Outside now, so you can relax. That was the final stimulus in this stage. In your pride. The discovery that I could read your innermost thoughts knew exactly what you were going to do. But you mustn't let that bother you. I already know everything you're going to do from now on. Till the end. Listen, you. Helmings. Helmings. He's gone. Hold on, baby. Don't let it catch you. There must be a way someway. I suppose he's still listening. Hard to say. But I'm going to take a chance. There's one thing he didn't figure on. A telephone. Here? Yes. I can find it again in the dark. It's over. Here it is. I put through two calls already to the police. Told them what was happening, and asked them to get me out of here. I had to hang up both times before they could trace the call and get this number. But this time... Hello. Hello, operator. What? No, this isn't the operator. You're on a busy wire. It doesn't matter. Thank heaven I got somebody. I've been trying for about ten minutes now. Look, get off the line. Will you? I've got to get through to the police. It's terribly important. What you've got to help me? You've got to. Some place I don't know where. You what? I don't... It's Helmings. What? What are you laughing at? Joe, what is this? What is this? I haven't got headquarters. I've got a guy in it. I'm sorry, Ben. It's no use. What do you mean? We're in the same boat. You are. The girl named Betty Grant myself. Helmings got us locked up too. You too? Yeah. He said he knew everything we were thinking, everything we were going to do. I did get through to the police before, but I guess he caught wise. We're talking to each other over an inside line. Ben? Yeah. We're through. No. Joe, don't say that. Don't even think it. Look, ask him exactly where he is. Just where are you, Ben? Do you know? It's hard to say. I was out called when he brought me here. He made flaws like that. That's what I thought here too. But there must be one or how would he have gotten you in there? Listen, start looking. See if you can find it. That's true. It opens into where you are. That's right. Three of us together. We'll surely be able to figure something out then. Hold on. I'll start pounding on the walls. You'll see if you hear anything. Go ahead. What's he doing? He's going to knock on the walls to see if he's anywhere near us. And if he is, if he can find a door, we can get together. Hear anything? I'm not sure. Maybe. I'm not sure either. Sounds awful far away, is it? There. Listen, that wall right there. Hello. Hello, Ben. Yes? We heard you. You're right next to us. Now, Ben, you listen and Betty will knock back. Go ahead, Betty. That way, Ben, you'll be able to tell just which wall it is. Okay. He's going to see if there's a door. There must be one. There must be. Ben. Ben. Ben. Hello. What is it? I don't know. I thought it hurts. A moan. Joe. Look. There is a door. It's opening. It's open. Dr. Helming. Why, yes. Were you expecting someone? Now that you mentioned it, doctor, there was someone we'd been expecting and waiting for since we first heard about that cozy little place of yours. I think he's finally arrived. He's a tall, rather striking gentleman with a skull for a face, and his name is death. Well, let's see what's happening in the dark chamber. It's just a moment later now. Standing in the darkness of a strange room, Joe and Betty stare at the tall figure of Dr. Helming, silhouetted against the dim light from outside. I asked you whether you were expecting someone. Then it was just a trick. It was you on the phone all the time. Now, don't you think I'd know his voice? Where is he? Our friend, Mr. Lazare, right outside. What did you do to him? Answer me. What did you do to him? Don't you know? Sure, I know. You killed him. You... did you kill him? Quite a state you've gotten yourself into. Why? Is it because you finally tried to do something about your predicament and failed? Or is it because you weren't sure whether I would kill or not and because you still don't know? You're mad. Really mad. You'll be interested to know. You have not done. Nor will you do. One thing that I did not foresee. Every move you made, every emotion you felt, was charted, outlined... What's that? That, I think, is probably the police. The police? Yes. I know that you're very anxious to talk to them and I'll see that you get a chance to. Soon. Good evening, officer. I'm looking for a guy named Helming. Dr. Helming. I'm Dr. Helming. Come in, won't you? Yes. Thanks. This is kind of a funny business. It's about a phone call we got a while ago. Finally traced here. The guy who said he was a prisoner or something. That must have been Watson. Yeah, yeah. That's his name. Joe Watson. Do you know him? Of course. I can't tell you how sorry I am. It was really very careless of me and I'll see that it doesn't happen again. What do you mean? If you didn't investigate him, which I'm sure you did, then you know that I, well, I don't run a sanitarium exactly, but I do take a few patients. Mental cases for treatment. Ah, so that's it. I'm not saying... I wish you wouldn't say that. Watson's case is particularly interesting. A 4F who wasn't able to enlist, and he developed a persecution mania. Thinks that everyone is down in the main. Not everyone, exactly. His present fantasy is that he's an ex-GI and that I'm keeping him prisoner. Oh, so it's plenty tough. Well, I guess I'll run along. I'm sorry I bothered you. Don't you want to see them first, officer? Talk to them. Ah, there's no need to that, doctor. We get caught in some cranks every day. We always investigate the cards. But I insist. After all, you only have my word for it. Uh, there's, um... Well, there's just one thing I'd like to caution you about. Sure, sure, I know. I'll play along. Kill them. Splendid. Right in here. Hmm. Quite a room. Joe, look. It's a cop, and that means that you did get my message. Sure, sure, Joe. It took a little time to trace the card, but everything's okay. Oh, thank heaven. It was such a screwy story, I was afraid that... Wait a minute. Then why is he standing there like that? Why haven't you got the bracelets on him? Have to tell me? No need for any rough stuff. He said he'd come along quietly. You're lying. I don't know why, but there's something wrong here. Something... I know. You think we made the whole thing up. But we're crazy. I know, I know, I know. It's true. He told you we were, and you believed him. Of course not. Look, I'm... Stop it. Will you stop saying that? Well, if I could only prove it somehow. Show it. I know. Wasary. Joe. Murder. That'll open your eyes. Somewhere on that wall is a door. Make him open it. Show you what's behind it. I think maybe it better be going down. But there is a door there, officer. Just a second, I'll open it for you. Here we are. Joe. The body. It's gone. These doctors are always hiding the bodies. It turns up again later. Give us another ring, eh? I shouldn't have said that. Can I go out this way down? This is the end of the corridor, then to your right. I'm sorry I gave you all this trouble. Perfectly all right. Thank you for being so understanding. Quite all right. Goodbye. Goodbye, Doug. Well, children? Don't look that way, Joe. Don't. I know what you're thinking, and it's not true. We're not crazy. There was a body there. Of course. You hid it when you went out to let the cop in. On the telephone. You left that here purposely. Wanted me to use it. Get the police here. Obviously. I told you that this was to be an experiment and fear. What I didn't tell you was that, in a sense, I was one of the subjects, too. It was important for me to learn how I would function under pressure. And speaking objectively, I think I did rather well. Don't you? All right. Why are you doing all this? What are you after? There's no reason why I shouldn't tell you. If anyone truly understands the nature of fear, is able accurately to forecast the actions and reactions of an individual, then he can use fear as a weapon. Society will react as the individual reacts, you see. Society doesn't want to believe that anything can minus it. Doesn't want to take action to protect itself any more than the individual does. This was something that Hitler and Mussolini understood intuitively. I understand it. Scientifically. They failed. But I shall succeed. You... You mean that you... I'm afraid that's all I have time for. As far as you two are concerned, the experiment is finished. Completely finished. I have a few arrangements to take care of. And then, uh... Well, make the best of these last few minutes. Uh, for they will be your last. Joe. Do you hear anything? Is he coming back? Not yet. He's gonna kill us, isn't he? Just the way he... killed Lazare. He's gonna try to. Why are you sitting there like that, looking at me? I guess because it's the first chance I've had to look at you. How do you mean? Well, when he first put you in here, it was all dark. So many things happened after that. It's funny. What is? The things that you can tell about a person even in the dark. I kind of thought you were little, and I knew you were awful nice and had a lot of nerve, but... I didn't think you'd be so pretty. I'm not so pretty, Joe. I'm not very brave either. I'm scared. I'm awful scared. And I don't want to die. Don't worry about it, baby. Don't think about it. Sitting here like this, waiting, and there's nothing we can do. Every time we did try to do something, it was something he knew about. He was expecting us to. Please, baby. Joe, something happened to you. You were scared before too, but now... It was not knowing that was scary. Not knowing what was going to happen or why or what you could do about it. But once you do know, once you make up your mind, then you've got to forget about it. Forget about everything. Make up your mind about what? This is going to sound kind of funny, especially now, but... Well... Do you have anyone special? A fellow I mean? Why... Oh, no. That's good. I mean... Gee, it's a shame we never met before. If we had, we wouldn't be here now. I mean, we probably would have been out together someplace. What time do you get through work usually? About six. The store closes at 5.30. Me too, I could have picked you up at about six. Joe, I hear something. He's coming. Yeah. Okay, get up over in the corner of the room so that he'll see you as soon as he opens the door. What about you? I'll be waiting over here, behind the door. Joe, you're not going to... Yeah, I know I haven't got much of a chance, but, well, wish me luck. It'll be quick anyway. Oh, no, Joe, please. All right, my young friend, time. All my arrangements have been completed, and I'm... Where's Watson? Joe, look out! It's okay, baby. It didn't get me. I got the barrel of the gun. Good Lord. And the chest. But you couldn't have done that. You couldn't have. Outside, Betty. See if you can find another phone. Call the police again. And this time, tell them to bring an ambulance. But you couldn't have done it. It was all plotted, graphed, and worked out in detail. I knew just what you were going to do. How you would react. By this time, you were to be in a state of complete frustration, resigned, ready to die. Why did you do it? Why? I don't know. I'll just take it easy, baby. But I've got to know. You've got to tell me. Was it because of the girl out of... desperation? Because you... knew you were going to die anyway? I tell you, I don't know. I just know that... well, a guy will take just so much pushing around. Pushing around, eh? Well, it sounds to me as if one of our characters is going to get a lot of pushing around. At the end of a pitchfork and in a very warm climate, it's good old Helmings finished. He's got to be if we're to have at least two corpses, the inner sanctum minimum. Oh, you think that's a little arbitrary. Not at all. We've got to have at least two corpses to play our theme song when a body meets a body. Well, Creeps, now you know what we meant when we said that Robert Newman's story was one of the best plays Mystery Playhouse has had the pleasure of presenting in some time. Hope you liked it. A title of the story, in case you've forgotten, was The Dark Chamber. But now it's time to close the doors of the Mystery Playhouse, so... until next time, this is PFCX reminding you to sleep tight. Good night.