 Welcome, Weirdos, I'm Darren Marlar and this is Retro Radio Sunday on Weird Darkness. Each week I bring you a show from the golden age of radio, but still in the genre of Weird Darkness. I'll have stories of the macabre and horror, mysteries and crime, even some dark science fiction. If you're new here, welcome to the show and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you're already a member of this Weirdo family, please take a moment and invite someone else to listen in with you. Spreading the word about the show helps it to grow. And if you're here because you're already a fan of nostalgic audio and print, you'll want to email WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. When you do that, you'll get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp e-books and old-time radio shows for free. That email address again is WeirdDarkness at RadioArchives.com. Coming up, it's an episode from Mollay Mystery Theater. From the day it debuted on NBC in 1943, Mollay Mystery Theater intended to bring listeners the best produced mystery programs possible. Until the show moved to CBS in 1948, it succeeded in doing just that, combining quality adaptations of mysteries by both classic and modern authors with the top radio talent at the time and high-end production values. Mollay Mystery Theater produced suspenseful thrillers that today still put listeners on the edge of their seats. Mollay Mystery Theater was sponsored by Sterling Drugs, the makers of Mollay Shaving Cream. Although the name would change in later incarnations of the show, the best-remembered episodes were aired under that title from 1943 to 1948. Tapping some of the best talent available, Mollay Mystery Theater featured Richard Widmark, Frank Lovejoy, Anna Seymour and others. Whether it was a classic mystery tale or one penned by an author of the time, each episode was a tangle of twists and turns, usually wrapping up suddenly with a shocking ending. Every indication is that the creators of this program intended to not only make the best possible mystery anthology on the air, but also to make it unique. And to this end, Mollay Mystery Theater didn't simply have a host or narrator like most shows of its kind. Jeffrey Barnes, played to low-key perfection by Bernard Lenro, was the program's annotator. While narrators simply helped move the story along, Barnes' purpose as an annotator was to assist the listener in working through the mystery of each episode in understanding the finer points of whatever foul deed and investigation took place. Tonight we present Mollay Mystery Theater's broadcast, entitled Last Night, originally aired February 22, 1946. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the Weird Darkness. And now the Mollay Mystery Theater, presented by M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream for heavy beards. Good evening. This is Jeffrey Barnes, welcoming you to the program that presents the best in mystery and detective fiction. Tonight's story is entitled Last Night and was written by the very popular William Irish. I particularly liked this story because of the people in it. They are very ordinary, real-life people, not gangsters or tough detectives nor mad homicidal scientists, but average people like you or me or your next-door neighbor. In short, they are the kind of people you never expect to find involved in a murder. Before you begin your story, Mr. Barnes, here's another true-to-life story for men. If you have wiry, hard-to-cut whiskers or a tender skin and you find that shaving is really tough, then shave with Mollay, the heavier brushless shaving cream. Yes, sir, man, it's smooth. So smooth. It's slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mollay, the heavier brushless cream for tender skins. That's right, Mollay is a heavier cream, the kind of cream you need for wiry, hard-to-cut whiskers or a tender skin. Because Mollay is heavier, it softens your whiskers, stands them up straighter and makes them easy to cut. So you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly with Mollay, the heavier brushless cream for tender skins. Mollay. An alpha-the-mollay mystery theater presentation of Last Night. It's funny. The way I used to think things just couldn't get any worse. I'd wake up and say to myself, it's morning again, and I'm awake again, and Gil and I are still broke. We owe $2,500 and we'll probably lose the summer resort if something doesn't happen soon. Then one morning it did. All the worries I took to bed with me the night before dissolved into nothing. And that bigger thought began beating against my brain. Gil's a murderer. My husband's killed a man. When I woke up I could tell the sun was somewhere overhead. The weekend was over and Gil hadn't wangled the money out of Mr. Burroughs. I remember yawning, a long, comfortable cat yawn, and thinking, there must be something better we can do besides operating a health resort at a loss, buttering up rich old crabs to borrow money to keep it going. Good morning, Dike. You're up early. Not very. I didn't get to bed at all. Oh. And that means never mind, honey. Never mind what? So Burroughs wouldn't lend us the $2,500. We'll get it somehow. Maybe there's another way besides borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. What are you talking about? I got it out of him. $2,500? Well, you certainly don't act very happy about it. I could have sworn you didn't get it. Let's get down to breakfast. I'm hungry. But Gil, not the whole $2,500. That's what I said. In cash? In cash. You mean that he carries that much rock? He was going to deposit it Monday morning. Now look, why the questions? We've got the dough now. Forget it. Is he still here? No, he left. On the eight o'clock train, had you driving down? Jackie, for Pete's sake, no. Not the eight. He took the milk train. What? How do you know? I left him at the station. Oh, with the secretary? With Mars? No, no, by himself. Gil. Gil, what aren't you telling me? Did you have words over that loan? What put that on your head? Well, if there wasn't any friction, why did he pick up and leave at that ungodly hour alone? Oh, who knows? Anyway, it's over. Forget it. I'm going downstairs. I got dressed quickly, but I had trouble because my hands seemed to be all thundering. They were shaking. I was afraid, and I didn't know why. I had a vague, uneasy feeling that something was wrong. Maybe it was the looking at Gil's eyes. I finished and hurried downstairs. What do you mean, do I want the money? Do you think I got nothing else to do but drive out here? He was here again. The man we owed the 2,500 to. Earlier that morning, I'd have felt a little sick hearing his voice, but now I was glad. Gil could give him the money and we'd be rid of him. How long does this keep up? You've given me the run around. I don't like it. I don't like it either, but I tell you, I haven't got it this minute. What do you want me to do? Take it out of my blood. You're going to get it. I've been mighty patient with you, and this is the last time I'm coming out here like this on a fool's errand. I'm not kidding either. Next time you'll see, I mean business. Gil, Gil, why don't you... What are you doing there, spying on me? Gil, look at me. Why didn't you give him the money? You have it. I need a drink. You afraid to let anyone know you have? All right, I'm afraid. Gil, you've got to tell me. Look, I've got to know. Did you do anything to Mr. Burrow's last night? Did you do anything to... Jackie, Jackie, now put yourself together. You're the only thing they've given me. You're the one thing that I want to keep. Did you do anything to him last night? Yes, I did do something. Gil! Not what you think. It's bad enough, though I'm worried. Now stick with me, Jackie. What was it? I'll get it. Hello? Yes. Oh, Mrs. Burrow. Yes, your husband did leave this morning. His train should have arrived at Grand Central about 8.30. Well, maybe he went directly to his office. Oh. Oh, I see. Well, I'm sure you'll hear from him. Let us know, will you? Thank you. Yes. Goodbye, Gil. Burrow's never got home. Gil, do you hear me? Yes, yes, I hear you. How do you know, as old ladies tell him the truth? Now, come on, let's go on into breakfast. Gil! My neck and shoulders seem bound as if in a plastic cast. I felt rigid and my head was splitting. But I followed him into the dining room. I had one other paying guest, our regular, as Leona made called her. Irene Robles was a tall and swaying red-headed horsey. She and old Burrows have been distinctly former with each other, but there was an undercurrent of fright, even in her flippancy every time they were together. I had the feeling that they'd known each other before. Good morning, good morning, good morning. I was beginning to think everybody had died in their sleep. Where is everybody? Your mummy today, out getting new bandages? He's gone. Oh, well, can't say I'll miss him. Somebody ought to murder that guy. Too bad he didn't leave that divine-looking secretary of his, though. I've always made it a point to dislike male secretaries, but Mr. Marsh's case, I'd make an exception. Thanks, Mrs. Robles. Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning. Come now, Mr. Marsh, do you call that nice being a peeping Tom? Just the same, I'm so glad you didn't leave, too. What's this about leaving? Hasn't... didn't he tell you he was going? Who? Burroughs. Mr. Burroughs didn't tell you that he was leaving. You're joking. No, I'm not. Yeah? Why, he couldn't have left, he didn't say anything to me. He took the milk train, about five. Well, did he leave any word for me? I suppose you're to follow. My, how mysterious. He stopped in his room on the way down, thinking he was already up. Mrs. Blaine, doesn't it seem odd to you that he didn't take his clothes? Not take his... And I still have both his tickets. I can't imagine... He must have forgotten him in his hurry. Maybe he received bad news of some sort. Maybe his wife is ill. If you'll excuse me, I'll put in a call there. Don't do that. I beg your pardon, Mr. Blaine. I said, don't call his home. No, why not? He's been around here a little while ago. He hasn't arrived home yet. Hasn't arrived home yet? Who drove him to the station? I did, why? No, then he did get the train. Or did he? What do you mean, or did he? What are you insinuating if you've got something to say, say it? Gil, Gil, please. My goodness. Take it easy, Blaine. All I meant was that you see him get on the train. Nothing to get hot under the collar or something. Get on the... Sure, sure I did. I saw him get on myself. I saw him leave. Something's wrong with the room. It started to spin around and around. All because I remembered Gil telling me that he had left boroughs at the station. Left him. Gil was lying. Why? The sick fear in my heart told me that something had happened to the old man. And my husband knew what that something was. As the curtain falls on Act 1 of tonight's story, Gil's strange behavior has convinced his wife that he's in more trouble than he'll admit. Of course, Gil may have good reason for his silence. There are times when a man would rather do anything than face his wife's questions. Yes, Mr. Barnes, that's true. There are some things even the bravest men hate to face. Many a man would rather twist a tiger's tail than face the torture of a morning shave. Well, almost. That's because they have wiry, hard-to-cut whiskers or a tender skin, and shaving is really painful. And yet it needn't be. Not if they shave with Mole. The heavier brushless shaving cream for tender skins. That's right, man. Mole is a heavier cream. The cream that softens your whiskers holds them up better and lets your razor breeze right through them. With Mole, you shave faster, closer, easier, and you shave painlessly. Try it and see if you don't say, It's smooth. So smooth. It's slick. So slick. It's a smooth, smooth, slick, slick shave you get with M-O-L-L-E. Mole. The heavier brushless cream for tender skins. Mole. And now back to act two of the last night. From the minute he drove up to the house, I knew he was a detective. He had that sharp-eyed look about him. Then Leona mistook him for just another bill collector. The novelty of those had worn off a long time ago. Uh, sit down, Mr. Ward. My husband's gone to the village. Yes, I know that. Now, let's not waste precious time, Mrs. Blaine. Mr. Homer Burroughs was a guest here from Friday until sometime late Sunday night or early this morning. That's right. When did you see him last? My husband drove him to the station. That isn't what I asked you, Mrs. Blaine. About one o'clock this morning, and then later my husband... And 1 a.m. was the last time you saw him alive. Mr. Ward, I don't like the way you say that. Now, you've got no grounds in coming here and... Surely you'll admit to the strangeness of the situation. Isn't it unusual for a man of 64 to leave alone in the dead of night like that and never to have arrived? Well, we're not accountable for his eccentricities. Now, he left here, I assure you. Well, look under the carpet if you're not sure. Well, I don't doubt he left the house. Well, then what more have we got to do with it? Instead of snooping around up here, why don't you just check at the other end? He never reached the city. How do you know? Just because nobody's seen him? He could have been run over by a taxi or overcome by a leisure. But to get to the city, he would have had to take the train. Well, he did take the train. My husband... Mr. Blaine, no one at all boarded the 420 train last night at your particular station. The rest of the day was a nightmare. He questioned everyone in the house, all five of us, time and again. When I dragged myself to bed early that evening, about 8, I put the covers up over my head. And I wondered how it would feel to go to sleep and not wake up. My eyes flew open. I was suddenly awake in the dark. I had no idea how late it was when I had fallen asleep. And the sound, no emotion awoke me. Just a gathering tension in the air. As that boat upright fumbled with the light. Don't touch that light. Leave it alone. Kill. Kill what is it? Kill. Get back. Get away from this window. I don't want to be seen here. Kill who is it? Who's tried to open those garage doors? Why are they... It's that smart cop ward, I think. If he gets them open and he goes... Kill. Thank God. Don't kill. Get back until he get out of the way. If he works those doors open, I'm going to shoot to kill. What does he want with our car? I don't understand. I think he's worked the lock. If he opens those doors, I'll kill him. Kill him? Why? No. No, I'm not going to let you kill. I won't let you murder him. I don't care what it is. Get your hands off my arm, Jackie. Leave me alone. I know what I'm doing. I know what you're trying to do and I'm going to stop you. I'm warning you, Gil. I'm going to put him alive. Shh. Shh. Just another few seconds. I'm warning you, Gil. Hey, you little fool. You're frightening him away. Who was... Was it war? I don't know. I'm not sure. Did he come now? I guess so. He disappeared around back. Kill what's the matter with you? You're the color of gray paste and I don't understand it. I don't understand it at all. What did he want in the garage and why do you want to keep him? He'll make another stab at it tomorrow night and the night after. I can't stand it anymore. I'm getting out of here now. Why, Gil? Don't you see that you'll be convicting yourself? I've got to run. I have no choice. Haven't you? You think I killed him, don't you? I... Don't deny it. You know, I had a row with him about the money. You know, I drove him alone to the station in the dead of night. I let him out there. He's never been seen alive since. You told Marsh that you saw him get on the train. All right, all right. So I was lying. It's not a circumstantial case without a chink in it. It's hanging by a thread over me. But you're snapping even that thread by running away? Yes, yes. Here's another piece of circumstantial evidence. You know, that $25 check borrows asked me to cash. Yes? Well, I added two zeros and then the word hundred of the face of the check. It was easy. The bank was open this morning. And we were in $2,500. Oh, that's why you couldn't pay the collector the money. Yes, yes. It was hot. It was plenty hot because borrows was missing and I was scared. All right. All right, darling. One more thing and don't lie to me this time. Gil, I want the truth. I'm your wife and I've got to know. Is that all you've done? That's all. I didn't kill him. I swear I didn't, but I can't prove it. Gil! Gil, if you weren't guilty, I'd go away with you. I'd run away with you. But you've done nothing. Now I'm not going and I'm not going to let you go. I didn't ask you to come with me, did I? Gil, if you leave here, you leave me too. For good. I love you, Jackie. But I like my neck too. Gil, don't go. It's been a long time together, baby. Are you going to kiss me goodbye? Gil! All right. No, huh? Okay then. I'll have to do without it. Thanks for the memory. I don't know what I put on. All I know is the tears in my eyes make the colors swim in front of me. I had to catch Gil and make him come back. Gil! Good evening, Mrs. Blaine. What? I thought you went to bed. No, no, no, Mr. Ward, I couldn't sleep. Did I frighten you? It's all right. I thought it was... It was... You thought it was who? Nothing. Never mind. It's all right, Mrs. Blaine. I know your husband went out. He left a few minutes ago. Gil? It looked like he was heading for the tavern. I think maybe I'll join him. Good night, Mrs. Blaine. My heart was beating wildly. If I hadn't turned out that bedroom life a little while ago, that detective might have been dead now. Why? What was it about the garage or about the car that was so important to all this? The car. Gil drove boroughs to the station in it. I wrecked my brain to think of something unusual about the car. It was freshly painted two weeks ago. The brakes had been relined. The key to the rumble seat had been lost. The rumble seat! Oh, seat! Now I knew where the body of Mr. Boroughs must be. No wonder he had disappeared so completely. Someone had found the key. Someone had murdered Mr. Boroughs at the station and put his body in the key. Perhaps the murderer still had the key. Find the key and find the murderer. The house was empty now. Even Leone had left to do her weekend shopping. I must go back and search every room. Find that key. Prayed I wouldn't find it in Gil's room. I was no detective and I had to work fast. No telling when someone might return. There's time more on and still no key. I became one more feverish. This was the last room. Only one more. Oh, what if Gil hadn't lost the key? What if he was lying again? I had to find it here in this last room. Only a few minutes opening doors, empty vases. From the bathroom I heard the cascading of water. Someone was there taking a shower. I had to work even more quickly now. In mere seconds, the torrent of water muffled any sound I could make. There were pocket articles on the bureau. A wallet, cigarettes, matches, handkerchief. And then a key lay there in full view. A deep hiding place, there out in the open. The key ran out of the room and down the hall and into my own... I leaned against the door instead at the shining silver in my hand. This little key met Gil's illness. A murderer was in the next room. And I knew that if I used it to open the rumble, I'd find there the body of Mr. Burroughs. Oh, I pray to... I pray to get... If you'd have lucked with our Mrs. Blaine, you all weren't you expecting me. Mr. Marsha, I... Put the phone down, Mrs. Blaine. I said put the phone down, Mrs. Blaine. This is a gun. This is Jeffrey Barnes again. In just a moment, we'll return you to the final act of last night. If you've been having trouble trying to combat dandruff, bear in mind that most ordinary hair preparations merely remove loose dandruff. Now, plain water does that. So if you want to fight a common type of dandruff effectively, the thing to do is use double dandereen. Double dandereen is a scientific product that goes to work on your scalp and actually combats this dandruff by killing the germs that many outstanding authorities contend are a cause, and it kills them on contact. Now, the reason why double dandereen is so amazingly effective is that it contains an active antiseptic called alzam. This is a special ingredient used by many hospitals because of its remarkable efficiency. And no other hair preparation contains alzam. You get it only in double dandereen. So try double dandereen and see why most ordinary hair preparations can't compare with its dandruff combating effectiveness. If you're not completely satisfied, return the empty bottle and get your money back by double dandereen at your drugists. Mr. Marsh, what are you going to do? First, we'll lock the door. Now, suppose you give me that key back. It doesn't belong to you. It does now. It has since last night when I murdered Burroughs. I didn't know what to do with the body. Then your husband made it very convenient. Gil? Yes, Gil. I left the car across the street from the station when he went to the tavern for a drink. But he was nice enough to leave the key for me. It was easy. I shoved the old guy in the rumble and locked it and left with the key. Now, hand it over. But how did Gil... I said, hand it over! Thanks. How did he know where Burroughs was? The same way you did. The key was missing and the body was missing. He added them up like numbers. Got the same answer you did. No! Please, Miss Blaine, I don't like hysterical women. What are you going to do? Don't raise your voice, someone might hear you. This is going to look like an accident. Why did you do it? Now that Burroughs is dead, his widow will inherit everything. And I can wrap her around my little finger. There's a second marriage in the cards for her. I played a long shot and it can still come through. You're not going to spoil it now. What are you going to do? You wouldn't know too much, Miss Blaine. You hadn't been so curious in the first place that you had no need for all this. What are you going to do? I'll show you. Get in there. Get into the bathroom. Just make things harder. Please, I won't do anything you can take. Please, I won't tell anyone. I'll just be in your love. Darling, are you there? Listen to me, you. I've got a gun sticking into your ribs. Don't make me nervous. Be careful what you say. Jackie, you don't like me. I've got to talk to you. Come on, I'm slaying about before. I'll go ahead and watch you down or you'll never talk. Oh, please, baby, I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to choke at you like I did. Go away. I said go away. Talk about. Come on, come on. Get rid of him. Oh, car, I'm somebody else's shoulder from now on. Who's being sensible? Now, into the bathroom. Don't touch me. You keep away from me. Now, closing us away from the rest of the house. No, no. I'll just turn on the shower. If you scream, I'll think maybe you're singing. That's it. Sing pretty. It's your swan song. Please, I promise I won't tell anybody. Just like an accident, you were taking a bath and you slipped and you hit your head and it knocked you out. No. But unfortunately, the water was still on and it got higher. Keep away from me. And higher. And you drowned, just like that. It happens to people every day. You don't run away, Mrs. Blaine. It'll find you in your own bath. Dead. You'll take care of that blow in the head. Now, you're through for good. Jackie, darling, you all right? I'll kill him. I'll kill him. That's it. Hold your hands up high. Take his gun, Gil. He was going to drown. He was. Well, drop your hands, Marsh. Let's see what else you can do with him. You think you're pretty smart, Blaine. Not as smart as you thought you were. You got two strikes against you, Mr. Marsh. First, you tried to pin a murder rep on me. We found Burrow's body in the rumble. I'm sensitive about that. She's the only one I've got. Nice job. Thank you. By the way, Gil, if you hand over that 2,500, I'll take care of it. No one will be the wiser. Thanks. You're pretty regular. There's one more thing. How did you know Jackie was in trouble? Oh, that was easy. She told me to go back to my blonde and Hartford. There never was a blonde. She knew that. That's right. It was a brunette. Brunette. But it can't be. This is Dan Seymour saying good night until next week when the Mystery Theater presents Code Number 2. The National Broadcasting. Thanks for listening to this week's Retro Radio Sunday episode of Weird Darkness. If you've not done so yet, be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast so you don't miss future episodes. And if you like the show, please share it you know who also loves old-time radio and pulp audio. If you want to hear even more, drop an email to WeirdDarknessatRadioArchives.com and get an instant reply with links to download full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp e-books and old-time radio shows absolutely free. That email address again is WeirdDarknessatRadioArchives.com Weird Darkness is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright Weird Darkness 2023. I'm Darren Marlar and I'll see you next week for Weird Darkness' Retro Radio Sunday.