 This is your host, getting you welcome to another little jam session behind the squeaking door. We're introducing a new kind of music. It's called Swing and Slay. And believe me, it really stands here, straight to the gallows. But, uh, oh, you have a friend who wants to join. Why, certainly. All he has to do is tear off the top of a clue and send it to the Spook of a Month Club. We'll call for him. It's a great skinner sanctum mystery. Don't Dance on My Grave was written by Emil Tepperman and star Charlotte Holland in the role of Julia with Arnold Moss as Stephen. Are you in the mood for a tale of madness and mystery? Good. The setting for our story tonight is a great old house. Sitting on the crest of a gentle slope where it overlooks the countryside, usually in the sunlight, it's quaint and beautiful. But now, in the middle of the night, it's shrouded in darkness. There's no light in any window. But in the south bedroom, there, facing the garden, a young woman sleeps unrestfully. Her sleep is disturbed by strange, terrifying dreams. Her name, Julia Martel. She's only been married a year. But the shadow of fear cares not where it falls. Am I sleeping or waking? Is this a dream or reality? How can I talk? Stephen's talking. My husband's feeding. What'd she say? She could graze and bury me? No. No, he can't. He can't. She's in the garden. It's my sister-in-law Caroline. She hates me. Must wake up, I must. Must be high in my dreams. What was it, Dr. Krauss? She used to tell me it's a sanitarium. Old hateful Dr. Krauss. I've had a dream. Terrible dream. Stephen and Carolyn and Dr. Krauss, all me could tell something dreadful. But I can't remember worst of it. What's that, Marie? Her name's in the garden. Like someone digging. I'd better wait for Stephen. Stephen. Stephen, wake up. There's someone in the garden. She's not here. She's not in the spirit. She's left me alone in the middle of the night. They're digging. Someone's still digging in the garden. I've got to see. No more, but I can see them digging in the garden. It's Stephen. Stephen and his sister Caroline. Caroline, I hate me. But what are they digging in the garden in the middle of the night? What? No. Long and shallow. A grave. My grave. She'll come for me. Come to get me. Put me in my grave. I've got to hide quickly. But it can never find me. Where can I hide? Father. No, no, they shouldn't look there. They'll put me in the bed. No, no. My head is so tight. It's so tight. No place to hide. Father, get back in your bed. Bed is usually where you sleep at night, darling. Huh? It's almost not a car. Caroline and I had our breakfast hours ago. It's a glorious morning. I suppose you'd rather have a bit of breakfast and then we'll take a long walk. What's that about? You were frightened and you were moaning and you were asleep. Another one of those nightmares? No, no. I'm all right. I'll get up. Did anything out of the way happen last night? Why do you ask? Oh, I thought. Yes. Never mind. No, what were you going to say? It wasn't anything, really. I was just looking at my shoes. I was just looking at the mud. It must have been us last night. Were you out in the garden last night, Steve? In the garden? Yeah. Shooter, just what are you driving us? I don't know. I don't know. Steve and I must have been having one of those horrible dreams. Yeah. Oh, Steve and I wanted to find where they cured. Maybe you brought me home to the sanatorium. So it was another nightmare. Now look here, darling. Don't you worry about it. I'm having Dr. Krauss out here this afternoon. Dr. Krauss? Steve, you're not going to send me back. There's nothing to worry about, darling. It's just a routine checkup. Now, suppose you get ready for breakfast. I'll be waiting downstairs. And whatever's bothering you, don't let it worry you. Just call it a bad dream. Really? Was it really just a bad dream? But I saw them digging the grave last night. And then I fainted. Maybe it was a dream. Let me see. I was standing here at the window. It all seems so clear. Where were they digging? Over there, I think. Near the oak tree. But I don't see the grave. Maybe they covered it up again. I've got to go down and look. I've got to find out. Nobody in the hall. This way back here. It seems in the cloak in the kitchen. She hates me too. Oh, it's flying. It's nothing to point to, Caroline. But if it's flying so thin, I'll be back toward Caroline. Not the glass. Now along the side to the garden. Ah! Footprints? Footprints in the soft ground. A man's and a woman's. So they were off here last night? Follow the footprint. Over here by the oak tree. Yes? This is where I saw them digging. Here. Here it is. She grunts and dug up and filled in again. That's the shape of a grave. No. It wasn't a dream then. Any of it? Okay, one thing. I just heard you come up behind me. Well, it's because you were so busy examining the ground. What? Were you looking? Oh, Georgia. The ground here. It's been dug up. The shape of a grave. Yes, it is. Who's grave was it to be? And why did you fill it in again? I think you'd better come back into the house, Georgia. No. Now please come quietly, Georgia. Caroline and I want to talk. No, let go of my arm. You're hurting me. I'm sorry, Georgia, but you've got to come in with us. No, no, I won't. Let's go with me. You're coming in quietly, Georgia. Oh, my arm. Are you coming? Go right into the darling when your breakfast is ready. I want my breakfast. You've got to eat something, darling. I'll sit here. What is it to be? The last meal of the condemned woman? Oh, Julia, darling. What makes you say that? Oh, what? I thought you loved me, Stephen. I never thought you planned to kill me in cold blood. Julia. Don't pretend, Stephen. I know that grave out there under the oak tree was supposed to be for me. But you must have changed your plans last time you filled the din. Here comes Caroline with your breakfast. We'll talk about it after a few weeks. Good morning, Julia. It's a nice, steaming hot coffee. Golden health. Just the way you like it. Get her. What are you and Susan up to? What Julia? Julia has some strange idea that we want to kill her. Oh, Lord. You know Susan, and I love you. Do you? You drink the coffee. You'll feel different after this happens. I brooded myself. What is wrong with your life? You brooded? What's the matter with Susie? Why didn't Susie make my breakfast? I heard her in the kitchen before. That wasn't Susie. You heard her in the kitchen, Julia. Yes, dear. I made the breakfast this morning. But where's Susie? Why are you both sucking at me like that? Stephen, what is it? Caroline. Don't you know where Susie is? Hmm. Nothing. I don't know. We buried her there last night. Caroline, no. In the graves under the old tree. What happened to her? A throat was cut during the night. Who did it? Don't you know? No one to have a carry. Don't try to keep calm, darling. Remember what Dr. Klaus told you. Excitement is best. How can I help it with the both of you? You, Stephen, and you, Caroline, standing there looking at me. It's as if I had touched everything's throat in the middle of the night. You know, one of your bedrooms that was in the hall I tried to see to you. It had blood on it. We will have to let Dr. Klaus take you back to the sanitarium until you're fully cured. You know, please see something we'd like to do rather than jail, do we? There's only one thing, darling. What did you do with the night? What night? The one you cut through these doors. You can't find it. I didn't. I swear I didn't. Without Julian, finish that coffee. We must have that night. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Come back, Julian. We want that night. I'm driving mad. I cut through these doors my sleep. I couldn't remember if that person was safe. But it's cold out. Something in the heart of what? Life. Even corn came down to the one you gave us the letter of... The blood on his face. I did it in the night. The night. Also, then, let's say I feel free to look at this night for the last so long. Thank heaven you're being reasonable, Julian. Dr. Klaus, do you have the night? Yes, I have the night, Caroline. Don't come any closer. My dear Julian, you must be alive if we are your friends. Stay where you are, Dr. Klaus. One of you is coming into this room. Dr. Klaus has come all the way from the city to talk to you. He thinks he can help. Help me? By taking me back to that sanitary? My dear, I would do only what is best for you. The first you must give me the night. Oh, Julia! Did the knife cut your hand, Dr. Klaus? I'm so sorry I warned you, Dr. Klaus. Did she hurt you? No, no, Caroline. It's on her scratch. Julia, you must realize that you're not acting for your own good. I'm doing it seriously. Serious mental trouble. Don't cry if you insist on fighting this trouble alone. You're all too anxious to help me, aren't you? Well, I don't want anything from anybody. Just leave me alone. You want to be left alone so you can go back to sleep. You've been sleeping all day, Dr. Klaus. Sleep will not help you, Julia. Your dreams are no longer quiet and peaceful. They're full of violence and terror. Oh, no. You cannot find safety anywhere, but with me, I can help you to cure the sickness of your life. Give me that. No. Get out! All of you, go away! Leave me alone! Julia, you've got a little... You've never opened the door to anyone. My head is too tight. I could only... I'll put the knife down on the floor. No. I can't. Lock the door again. What do we do, Dr. Klaus? We can't leave her in here with a knife. Stephen, aren't you scared? Well, just wait. I think I'll stay here overnight. There's a storm coming up anyway, and I do not like driving in the rain. Perhaps in the morning. Like I'll have to spend the night on a couch and a living room. I won't hurt you, Stephen. I don't think any of us will be able to see much tonight. Come with me. The land. See a star. The middle of the night. There's no time. A cave in the storm. With that knife. I'm here on the floor. I'll take it along. The place is set with fresh blood. You know what? That's your car. Nobody could have gotten in. And Mr. Rook in the door has gone off. I've got to find out. I'll take the knife along. Stephen said he'd be taking on the car. In the living room. Down the stairs. I didn't even know where it was. There you are. I think it's in the car. I'll cross the hall. I'll take the door carefully. This is the end. She's alive, too. I'll just turn right from the dead. Shut it again! Shut the door this time! Judith. Did you hear it? Did you do it in your sleep? There was fresh blood on the blades. My door was locked. The key was in the lock. Nobody could have gotten it. So they went back and locked the door. All in my sleep. She gave up the knife. Just a minute. Caroline. Your shoes, Caroline. They're full of mud and you're stuck in them. They're soaking wet. Oh, Beth. I heard the garage door banging in the wind. They kept me awake. My phone caught me all the way back. I see. I was almost positive I'd locked those garage doors. She thinks he's lying. What do you mean? I saw you in bed just a minute ago under the blanket. Why did you get into bed fully dressed with wet shoes and socks? Your imagination must be running wild. She thinks he's sleeping. I saw her in bed under the blanket. She was pretending to be asleep. Judith, I... I didn't know what to believe. I've been doing the same thing lately. I'm asking you to believe that it was Caroline who killed Dr. Carr's mother. How? Don't you see, Susan? She did go out of the house but not to close the garage door. She must have got the ladders in the garage and faced it against my window. Then she climbed into my room while I was asleep and took the knife. She killed Dr. Carr then climbed back and left the knife and then the storm started and she got her feet wet. It would have been all right if I hadn't been awakened by the thunder and found the bloody knife. But it's less than a chance than this. And when she heard me in the house, she slipped under the blanket and turned into a creature very pretty here, my dear Julia, except that you didn't see me in bed. I thought we could prove that very easily. What? I said we could prove very easily whether or not you were in bed by looking at your bed parallel. If Julia really did see you in bed, then the sheets in the blanket would be wet and mud-scented. Stephen! Shall we go and look? Never mind. I did it. I killed Carl. She gets your Susie too when he tries to ruin it on me. Stephen, I did it for your sake. I had to bring her to your senses somehow. You never should have married this woman. And all the things that I thought about Julia, they're all untrue. You had no right to bring her into this house. You're the one who's in pain. I was insane to think I could change Stephen's mind. That was a mistake I made, Julia. I should have killed you first. But it isn't too late. I've got the night and I'll do it now. Stop that, Caroline! Go on, my rich! Stop that! Please, Caroline! I'm going to kill her! Come back here, Julia! Light under a half-questioning nature. She's over. I'm going to miss Caroline. You know, she was a pretty keen customer that Caroline. Nothing dull about her. In fact, I'd say she was the knife of a party. The only trouble was she didn't know when to stop. Good-bye. Pleasant. Dream. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service, the voice of information and education.