 I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. And now the Whistler's strange story, that Cutlerville affair. The night train from Los Angeles, chattering the stillness of the countryside, had just raced over the North River Bridge, and now began to whine in serpent-like along its mountain roadbed, as David Talbot, sitting in the club car, folded the evening newspaper in his lap and looked at his watch. Then he leaned back in his chair and sighed a happy, contented sigh. Suddenly he tense and stared as a slender, attractive blonde and her male companion entered the car. Quickly he picked up the newspaper again to shield his face, but he was too late. Dave! What day is Talbot of all people? Well, Nora, this is a surprise. Imagine running into you again after all these years. How are you, Dave? Oh, just fine, Nora, fine. Still looking as handsome as ever. Oh, you've never met my husband, Frank Williams? Frankie, this is Dave Talbot, an old friend. Yeah, how are you, Dave? Nice to know you, Mr. Williams. Make that Frankie, huh? Everybody calls me Frank. Dave and I used to work for Jack Skelly years ago, darling. Skelly, huh? The private eye? That's right. Jack used to say that we were the best operatives he'd ever had. That's right. Well, what do you know? You, uh, you mind if we join you, Dave? No, please do. Oh, here you are, Nora. Oh, thank you. Oh, this is simply a wonderful day of running into you again. Simply wonderful. Why around at drinks, Frankie? You hadn't expected ever to see Nora again, had you, David. But now that you have, it's brought back a flood of memories. Unpleasant memories. Yes, your past is caught up with you, hasn't it? And you're disturbed and easy. Hardly listen to her as she goes on chatting about the, uh, good old days when the two of you worked for Skelly's detective agency. Remember the time, Dave, that Skelly put us on the Cosgrove case? Cosgrove? You know, the old gentleman looking for his daughter? Surely you remember. Oh, yeah, yeah. He was a funny little guy, Frankie. But loaded with dough. That's how? Mm-hmm. His wife had divorced him years before, taking their child out west with her. Somehow he lost track of them while he was in Mexico. What'd he do? Find a nice few-sheet goldmine? No. No, he and a partner had gone into some sort of business. Do you remember what it was, Dave? No, no, not exactly. He had his fingers in several different things. Anyway, Frankie, he came back with around 200 grand. Wanted to find his daughter so he could leave the money to her when he passed on. Ah, lucky gal. Maybe she wasn't. You see, we never did find him. Did we, Dave? No, no, we didn't. Too bad. Let me see. And Cosgrove would be about 25 or 26 by now. That was your name, wasn't it, David? Ann? Yeah, that's right, Ann. Look, you two, I'm sorry I'd have to break away, but my stop is coming up. So, Nora, Frankie, I guess I'll say goodbye. Oh, not goodbye, Dave. We'll all see one another again, won't we? Why, sure, sure. When you're out of the city, why, I'll just give us a pass. We're in the Los Angeles phone box. Do that. Dave? Yes, of course I will, Nora. Of course. The train was late. One whole minute. Well, never mind that. How've you been feeling? I'm better. Well, how'd the deal go? Oh, just fine. I sort it up. Oh, that's wonderful. Darling, I'm so proud of you. I'm sort of proud of myself the way I handle it. That property sale will met us a nice little commission. The company bought the entire 780? Uh-huh. Gotta start building as soon as possible. You know, Coupleville should be mighty proud of you, too. Well, doesn't every day a big chemical company decides to build a million-dollar plant? David, you've been doing wonderfully well in the few years you've been in the real estate business. Oh, just been lucky, I guess. No, darling, it's more than that. You've worked hard. You like what you're doing. And people like you. Well, I like Coupleville. And now, Mrs. Talbot, how about feeding your husband, huh? I'm famished. Of course, darling. Dinner's already in waiting. Honey, you sure you don't need any help? No. I'll tell you the things off the table. You go on in the den and relax. We'll have a coffee in there. Okay. Well, who could that be? Expecting anyone, darling? Mrs. Chambers to pick up some sewing I have for her. But you couldn't be that silly. See what is, David. I'll take the dishes into the kitchen. All right. Hello, Dave. Nora. Well, hiya, boy. Couldn't help noticing the town woman when you got off the train, darling. It was so friendly and warm, so after you left the train, we decided to get off, too. Who is it, darling? And what a charming little home. Cozy. Yeah, it's real cozy. It's, uh, always thought I'd like to settle down unless like this someday. White picket friends out in front, roses around the door. You know, the works. Oh, this must be the little woman, eh? Hello. Oh, darling, I'd like you to meet some old friends of mine, Nora and Frank Williams. Hello, Anne. It is Anne, isn't it? Yes, that's right, Mrs. Williams. Make that, Nora. And this is Frankie. Well, hiya. As I was telling Dave, we were just passing through. We decided to drop by and say hello. I hope we're not intruding. Oh, no, of course not. We were about to have our coffee in the den. Won't you join us? Feel fine, fine. Well, this way, Mr. Frankie. That's the ticket, Anne. Yes, sir. Well, Dave, it looks like my hunch was right. Nora, what's the idea? Well, we were a pretty good private eye, Dave. That's the way I figured it. Not only found Anne Cosgrove, the missing heiress, but you married her, too. What you feared most has happened, hasn't it, David? But some day someone would learn the truth about your coming to Cutterdale. And now Nora Williams and old acquaintance has guessed the reason. Knows why you married Anne. You're on edge and tense. Take little part in the conversation as you sit in the den with your wife, Anne, Nora, and her husband, Frank. Nora says nothing of your past association with Skelly's detective agency. All of your part in the search, launched by Anne's father in an effort to locate her. Finally, you breathe a sigh of relief as Frank gets to his feet and glances at his watch. Well, Nora, baby, if we're going to catch the train. Oh, is it that time already? Things we just got here. Must you rush off so soon? Yeah, pray so. Gotta be informed. Good-bye, morning. Oh, really, Anne, darling? We'd love to stay, but we can't. Some other time, though. We've so much to chat about. Haven't we, Davis? Yeah, that's right, Nora. Oh, Dave, you mind if I use your phone and let you call a cab? Oh, don't bother. David will drive you down to the depot. Yeah, wouldn't want to push out, babe. No trouble. You three run along. I'm expecting my sewing woman, so I'd better stay here. I've so enjoyed meeting you, Nora. Frank? Oh, thank you, darling. And we've looked forward to the pleasure of meeting you for such a long time. Haven't we, Frank? Yeah, that's right, Nora, baby. We sure have. You're being rather quiet, Dave. Am I? Well, he's probably got a lot on his mind, Nora. Puzzled, maybe. Well, I sort of puzzled myself, David. Here you are driving a three-year-old car residing in a modest little cottage. Oh, it's nice enough, but hardly what I expected. I thought we'd find you living in style and keeping with that nice fat bank account. Yeah, that's right. How come, Dave? I just don't happen to have a nice fat bank account, that's all. Oh, David, come now. And father died over a year ago. Surely you must have arranged for his lawyer to find her? No, I haven't arranged anything. Really? Tell me more. Sure, I'll tell you the whole story. I had a plan all worked out when I came to Cuttleville, and I carried it out. I met and married Anne Cosgrove in what the locals call the whirlwind courtship. Go on, David. This is interesting. And I figured I'd wait six months or so and then fix it so that Anne would learn about her father and the money. I just never got around to it. And why not? Because something went wrong with my fine plan within a few months of the marriage. Anne became ill, very ill, almost died. That's when I realized how much I really loved her. Oh, no. Did you hear that, Frankie? The man is telling us he fell in love with a girl. I don't expect you to believe me, Nora, but it's true. Anne is different from any girl I've ever met. The clinging vine, fragile, the helpless type. They can really get their hooks into a man, can't they, Frankie? Yeah, not like you can, Nora. You're my kind. Oh, thank you, darling. Go on, David. Tell us more. I'm afraid there's nothing more to tell. Here's the depot. A few people are going to catch a train. Oh, we've got a few minutes yet. Go on, David. Tell us how you began to feel like a heel about the whole thing. Marrying the little doll for her money. I felt exactly like a heel. Now you've done nothing about the inheritance. Hey, just toss it out the window. All full up, huh? My, my, my. Well, now I've heard everything. You've heard the truth. Every word of it. Would Anne believe you? I think she would. But you're not certain, are you? I wonder how she'd react to that affair in Seattle you were mixed up in a few years ago. Remember, David? The little widow, Marcia? Marcia Winston? Uh-huh. A skeleton, a lads family closet, eh? Something I don't know about. The widow and David were engaged to be married, Frankie. They met a charming couple. Dave with his looks and the widow with her money. Of course. She had to have money. All Dave's girlfriends have money. Oh, naturally. It made her so attracted to David. And she was so smitten, she even went as far as to change her will. Leaving everything to Davey here, eh? Right. Just as David planned. Now look, Nora. And then a terrible thing happened, Frankie. Before the wedding could take place, the widow accidentally took an overdose of sleeping pills. Died. Also according to plan Dave? You know I had nothing to do with that, Nora. Well, the courts decided that way, but the newspaper seemed to feel that your acquittal was a travesty on Justin. Well, got off the hook and got the cash, too, eh? Well, unfortunately, Dave didn't get a sense, Frankie. What? What's that? No. No, you see, it turned out that the widow had had a change of heart. A week before she died, she changed her will again. But Dave didn't know about that when she accidentally took the overdose of sleeping pills. Did ya, Dave? You mean that Davey here didn't collect a single suit? Not one. After all that trouble? My, my, what a staggering blow. Makes an interesting story, doesn't it, Frankie? Oh, very. Uh, that must be our train, baby. No one'll miss it. Thanks for the lift, Frankie. Yes, thanks for everything, Dave. Just forget it. I'll be seeing ya. Yes. We'll be seeing you again. Real soon. You're uneasy, jittery in the days that follow, aren't you, David? Everything you told Nora is the truth, isn't it? But you wonder how your wife, Anne, would react to the story of the Seattle affair. Especially the news stories of your trial. News stories you're sure Nora has. Stories you're certain would shatter Anne's belief in your integrity and sincerity. And shock her so severely, the strain might be too great. Fragulent sensitives. Anne's well on the road to recovery now, isn't she? And you don't want anything into fear. Then your several weeks go by and there's no word from Nora. You begin to breathe a lot easier. One afternoon as you return home from the office, Anne comes down the walk to meet you. Well, hello, darling. I thought I'd close the office up early and... Anne, is something wrong? Gave it up. I've just had a visitor. Oh? A Mr. Berwin, an attorney representing my father's estate. Your father? You remember I told you I hadn't seen him since I was a child? I didn't know where he was. Yes. Well, Mr. Berwin brought me the news, David. Father's dead. He died last year. Oh, Anne, honey, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. I knew so very little about him, David. Somehow I wish I could have seen him again. I know, darling. I'll have to go out to the city tomorrow. Mr. Berwin is anxious to settle things. It seems father left a considerable amount of money. He's willed everything to me. It's all Nora's doing, isn't it, David? Yes. She's told Mr. Berwin of Anne's identity and whereabouts because she's anxious for you to share Anne's inheritance. And you know why. Yes. Nora has plans, hasn't she? Plans to blackmail you because of what she knows. The following day, you and Anne drive up to the lawyer's office in the city. The meeting is brief. The formalities over quickly. And as the two of you leave the office. David, there's something wrong. What have you to do with the money? You're a wealthy woman, darling. The money is as much yours as it is mine. No, no, no, it isn't that. It's yours. All yours. But, David... When we get back to Cutlerville, I want you to open a separate account of the bank. Darling, that's silly. No, dear, it isn't. But I thought we could invest the money. And listen to me. If you want to invest, why don't you have a talk with Carter down at the bank? Let him handle the matter for you. I don't understand why. Because it's your money. I don't want any part of it. David. No, I... And I'm sorry. But please, do as I ask. Won't you? Well, all right. If that's the way you want it. Yes, David. That's exactly the way you want it, isn't it? It's a move on your part to block Nora and her plans to keep the money out of reach and your certain it'll work. You're certain of something else, too, aren't you? Yes. And it happens a few days later as you walk down Cutterfield Main Street. The yellow convertible pulls up at the curb. David! Well, Nora, just passing through again? Yes, I dropped by to see Anne and she informed me of her recent inheritance. I was thrilled, of course, weren't you? Did Anne tell you what she plans to do with the money? Oh, it seems that it's all tied up by some friend at the bank. He's going to see that she invested properly. That's right. And I don't have a thing to do with it. Your idea, of course. Did Anne say it was? No, but I have a hunch. How clever of you, David. Sutter. What does that mean? Well, it's like the affair in Seattle. Same thing all over again. And certain Anne's made out her will to you, leaving everything to you. The lawyer told you? No, Dave, Andy. A few minutes ago. And now that you stand to inherit her money, I hope for your sake, she doesn't take an overdose of sleeping pills. After that Seattle situation, it would look bad for you. Real bad. Nora isn't going to give up, is she, David? No, you're certain she's going to do something and you're sure she'll give the matters some very careful thought before deciding what. The weeks go by. Tenth anxious weeks of waiting and wondering what Nora has planned. Then one night as you return home, you find the house in darkness. You know that Anne had a late afternoon appointment at the doctor's office in the city. You settle down in the den with a high ball and look through the evening paper. This is Sheriff Ames. Oh, yes, what is it, Sheriff? I'm phoning from the hospital, David. There's been an accident. An accident? Yes, you better come right over. No, take it easy, David. Well, the barster said she's had a close call, but she'll be all right. How does it happen, Sheriff? Where? On the old Crown Hill Road. The car side swipers. The in-law's control ran off the banks. The youngsters out on a hayride saw the whole thing happen. They cleaned the other car, ran Anne off the road deliberately. What? She just kept right on going. It was a yellow convertible. Yellow convertible, David. Yes. Nora Williams drives the yellow convertible, doesn't she? Inside the hospital room, you stand at Ames' bedside. You look down at her lying still and quiet. They've done this to her, haven't they, David? Nora and Frank. They tried to kill Anne because they felt certain that with her death, you would inherit everything and then pay them liberally for their silence. A rushing, seething wave of cold rage and gulfshrew. And you're trembling with wild hatred as you turn and hurry out of the hospital. Back at the house, you make up your mind. You decide to make certain neither Frank nor Nora will ever hurt Anne or anyone else again. You take the 45 automatic out of your dresser drawer. Slip it into your pocket. Then you pick up the phone. Call the depot. Depot? Yes, Sloane talking. Oh, Jess, this is Dave Talbot. Oh, hello, Mr. Talbot. Now listen, Jess, I've got to get to Los Angeles right away. Isn't there a train due shortly? Yep. There's one due at 8.20. But it don't stop you unless I flag her down. At 8.40. I can just make it just flag it down, will you? Sure thing, Mr. Talbot. A moment later, you rush out of the house. The night air is cool and crisp. And as you walk the six blocks towards the depot, you're thinking things out more and more clearly now. The anger, the hatred you felt back at the hospital. Subsides a little. As your thoughts turn to Anne, you begin to realize that what you plan to do is all wrong. Even though you're sure you'll lose Anne's love, her belief in you, will change your reputation and career in Cutlerville. If the story of your previous situation in Seattle is made public. You still can't take the law in your own hands, can you, Dave? No. You've got to get Anne the best protection you can. And you're sure that she'll suffer less than the long run from learning all about you. And she would if you went to Los Angeles and took care of Nora and Frank in the manner you feel they deserve. You're only a short distance from the depot when you reach a decision. You turn into the main street and hurry into the sheriff's office. Ah, David. What are you doing here? Sheriff, I'd like a word with you. Sure. I'm a sheriff, David. Tell me what's on your mind. You've made your decision, haven't you, David? Yes, you're going to tell the sheriff everything. Why you came to Cutlerville and married Anne. And you'll explain how later you changed your mind about the money. Nora Williams forced your hand how she tried to kill Anne. Yes, David. You've got to tell the whole story even if it means losing Anne's love. It's a chance you have to take to protect her from any further harm. But before you can tell the sheriff anything, he's interrupted by a rather lengthy phone call. Yeah. Yeah, I understand. I understand. All right, Sergeant. I'll be right over. Sorry, Dave, I'm going to have to leave. Something's happened. You remember that yellow convertible I was talking about? Yes, of course. Well, he put out a bulletin on the car right after Anne's accident. That was the state trooper I was talking to. Spotted the car about 30 miles up the highway and chased it back in this direction. Oh, well go on, sir. When the convertible reached Cutlerville, here it left the main highway, turned up into the cliff road. If they were really hitting it up, the car skidded on a curve, crashed into the ravine. And it hit the road in the distance. Killed? Both been identified as Nora and Frank Williams. That's too bad. They'd probably be alive and in police custody. By this time, they hadn't been forced off the main highway. What do you mean forced off? The main highway was blocked off at the depot here by the 820 train, waiting to pick up some passengers. The 820? Well, I was the one who called. You had to have the train stopped up. I was the one. What's that, Dave? Nothing, Sheriff. Well, I'll be back shortly, Dave, if you care to wait here. No. No, I guess I won't wait, Sheriff. What I wanted to tell you about, well, it isn't important anymore. Featured in tonight's story, we're Bill Foreman as the whittler. Larry Dobkin, Michael Ann Barrett, Julie Dennis.