 Now, Roma Wines, present. Suspense. Tonight, drive-in, starring Nancy Kelly. Suspense is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines. Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live. To your happiness and entertaining guests. To your enjoyment of everyday meals. Yes, right now, a glassful would be very pleasant. As Roma Wines bring you... Suspense. This is the man in black here for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California. Who tonight from Hollywood bring you a star, Miss Nancy Kelly. In the suspenseful narrative of a Hollywood working girl who won rainy midnight on death sitting beside her on the ride home. And so with drive-in and with the performance of Nancy Kelly, we again hope to keep you in suspense. I wish I hadn't let Ruth talk me into serving that last car that came into the drive in that rainy night. It was late, and I was tired. I'd been on my feet all day carrying heavy trays, hopping to it when impatient people blared their headlights on and off in my eyes. When heaven knows there are a lot of impatient people in Hollywood, these car hops don't have an easy time on this. Talk about your mail carries. Well, we're the same. Raining or blowing or boiling hot, we've got to get through with that tray or know the reason why. Tired, hungry people who sit back in their car and expect a million dollars worth of service for a 10-cent tip. Why do we do it? I'm sure there are other ways of making a living in Hollywood, but not many that hold that glittering promise that maybe someday, somehow, maybe someone will say... That girl looks like Lana Turner. Yeah, at least her hair is down up that way. You know, I think I could use her in that new picture of mine. I think I'll ask her to come out of the studio. Yeah, I know. Well, here we go again. Maybe it doesn't happen often, but there's always the chance, and there's always that hope. That's what keeps us going, I guess. But there are other things that can happen in a drive-in. Things that aren't on the menu by any manner of means. Like the rainy night I was telling you about when I let Ruth talk me into serving that last car that came in. In his order, I've got three other cars and I'm waiting for French fries. Oh, look at the clock, will you? It's him midnight. I'm off duty. Oh, please, Miller, just this one more, will you? I'll do the same for you sometime. Ruth! Oh, what's the matter with him? Can he read? Please do not honk your horn. That looks clear enough to me. Well, it's a doctor's car, see? Are you waiting? All right. Gee, thanks a lot. I was waiting for me. Only the bus that had taken me to Glendale, where I lived alone in an apartment. So I buttoned up my raincoat and I took a menu over to the car. Never mind the menu. Just some black coffee, a pot of it and a ham sandwich. Please hurry it. When I took his order over to the car, the window was rolled up a little too far and it interfered with the tray, so I reached in to wind it down. When I touched the handle, it felt wet and kind of sticky too, but I didn't think anything about it and I got the tray firmly set and then I looked at my hand. It was as red as blood. I looked up quickly, Adam. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Dr. Morgan. I just had an emergency in the car. Oh, an accident? Yes, sunset and vine quite a crash. I just happened by and I took one of them to the hospital. Oh, gee, that's too bad. Yes, it was very unfortunate. I walked back trying to wipe the blood from my hand with a paper napkin. Oh, it gave me a creepy feeling to have somebody's blood on my hand. Then I went in to wash. I was keeping close track of the time and I was a little worried for fear the big driving clock wasn't right. It sometimes ran slow, so I took a coin from my pocket. I figured it was worth a nickel not to miss that last bus to Glendale. I walked over to the pay phone and I was just about to drop the nickel in one day. And I looked out and it was leaning on the horn and beckoning to me at the same time. I put the nickel back in my pocket and I hurried out to him. I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry and I haven't time for this coffee to cool off. I'll take the sandwich with me. How much do I owe you? 40 cents. 40 cents? There you are. I hope I didn't interrupt your phone call. It wasn't important, was it? No, no, no. I was just checking on the time. I didn't want to miss my bus. There was a clock right over your head. Oh, it's usually wrong. I have the time. It's about four minutes to 12. Oh, oh gee, I am going to miss my bus. What time does it leave? At midnight from Hollywood and La Brea. Well, hop in. I'll take you. I'm going right past there. Oh gee, would you? I'll take the train. I'll be right back. I might still make it. In my hurry to unhook the train from the window, I gave it a jerk. I'll crash into the ground. Ruth! Ruth, please help me pick these things up, will you? I'm going to miss my bus. All right, Mildred, okay. We'll pick the things up quickly. Ruth went off with the tray. I started to run around the other side of the car when I noticed something shining on the ground. It was one of the shakers that had fallen from the tray. I picked it up and I started running toward the driving when he spoke to me. Why don't you just put that in your pocket? I'm going to miss your bus. Well, I put the shaker into my pocket and I rushed over to the other side of the car. He opened the door for me. I was just about to get in when I hesitated. I wasn't used to doing this sort of thing. The other girls sometimes let the customers drive them home, but I never did. Still, he looked so decent and... Come on. Come on. You'll miss it. Then he reached out as if to help me in. And I thought then that he was really concerned about forcing the bus for... or he seemed to pull me into the car. And the first thing I knew, I was sitting beside him. And the door slammed. And we were driving off. I was a little uneasy, but then I thought, no, it's only a few blocks and I won't be in the car long. I suppose you're in a hurry because someone's waiting for you. Oh, no. I live alone, and I hate to walk back to Glendale and its rain. You won't have to walk. This is very nice of you. I appreciate it. Not at all. Would you mind rolling up that window on your side? There's a draft. Oh, of course. You can let me off at that corner over there. Anywhere along here will be all right. This is fine. Right over there by that stop sign. Well, you're going right through that stop signal. Am I? Yes. But I'll get over there by the other one. My bus, you're turning the wrong way. Am I? Yes. This goes up to Laurel Canyon. Does it? You thought you were pretty smart, didn't you? I don't know what you mean. Please let me out of this car. You went right to the phone. You thought I wouldn't see you. But I was calling about the time. Honest I was. The time? With that clock right over your head? Oh, but that clock's wrong sometimes. Besides, who would I call? Why should I call anyone about you? You were calling the police. Oh, no. Honest I wasn't. Let me out of this car. You were going to catch a bus. You were going straight to the police. That's where you were going. But why should I go to the police? You know why. No, no. Really, I don't. You saw it. You saw his blood. I didn't... No, no, you don't. There. You won't need to try to open that door again. Now. Now we'll be getting there. This is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. Haven't you often realized that many of life's finest enjoyments are simple and moderate rather than the opposite? I give you the words of a high and well-loved authority, Miss Elsa Maxwell, international expert on smart entertaining and gracious living. Good hospitality is always simple, genuine and moderate. That is why I often suggest enjoyment of delicious Roma sautern when you have friends into dinner or with your everyday meals. Serve this delicate golden sautern well-chilled with any food in any glasses you have. Special wine glasses are pretty but not essential to the enjoyment of Roma wine. Now what can I add to such charming good sense as that? Maybe just this. Roma sautern and all Roma wines are the best that California's magnificent sun-ripened grapes can provide. In glorious color, fragrance and flavor, protected for you by the ancient wine skill of Roma's famed wineries. That's why Roma wines and Roma quality do not vary. Never fall short but are always enjoyable. Unchanging high quality gives tremendous popularity to Roma wines and makes low cost possible. Only pennies a glass. Remember, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wines. R-O-M-A, Roma wines. And now it is with pleasure that we bring back to a sound stage Miss Nancy Kelly in Drive-In. A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. After I made that last try to get out and he broke the handle of the door, all the strength seemed to go out of my body. I just sat there as we drove on. We passed a few people and some cars in the next blocks and I thought of calling out and... And then I knew I'd asked me to roll up the window when I'd first gotten into the car. And then, and then we were at the mouth of the canyon and I could see the road dark and lonely up ahead. The car twisted and swirled. My arm ached from the strong fingers that had dug into it when I tried to jump out. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He hadn't seemed like a criminal back at the Drive-In and he didn't seem like one now. His jaw was black from needing a shave. And still his face... Well, it wasn't like a criminal's at all. It was so tired. Quit staring at me. Look, look, I didn't know anything about you. Honest, I didn't. Please let me go. You know something about me now. I won't tell anybody whatever it is. I promise you, I won't. No woman's promises. Remind me to tell you a story about a woman and a promise. Let me out. Please let me out right here. It's a long way back to Glenville. Well, that's all the better. It'll take me hours to get back and you'll be miles away by then. I'm not taking any chances with you, kid. Please. Oh, please let me out. I'm gonna get back. You said no one was waiting for you. You live alone, don't you? No one will miss you. We both hurt the sire then. He looked quickly into the rear vision mirror. Then he took a gun from his pocket and he turned to me. That's for us and we'll stop. Remember this. I've used this gun before tonight. I can use it again if I have to. If I'm taking you, we'll go first. But now listen, I'm a doctor, a newer nurse and we're headed on an emergency. If you want to live, you won't try to pull anything. I'll remember that. Remember it. Well, fast for a wet night, aren't you? I'll drop you all the way up from Hollywood. I'm Dr. Morgan and this is Nurse Johnson on an emergency call to see her identification. Well, let's see. He fumbled through his pocket with one hand, holding the gun to my ribs with the other. The motorcycle cop looked over at me. I thought for a moment that I could signal him with my eyes. But then I knew he wasn't looking at my face. He was looking down at my white starched blouse, which he could see under my raincoat. He thought it was a nurse's uniform. Here you are, officer. Okay, Doc. Sorry I stopped you. That's that. Hey! Hey! What's the matter? I just wanted to tell you, rain started to slide up there a ways. Better take it easy. Thanks. I will. Not Dr. Morgan, are you? What do you think? He came to the landslide. It wasn't a big one, but it made a terrible mess of the road. He didn't slow down and the car swirred crazily as it slipped from one side of the highway to the other. Suddenly, it fell as though the whole rear ended slipped out. I looked over at him. He was tense. His knuckles turned wide as he clutched the wheel. He shoved the car into reverse. I hoped it would never, never move. And it didn't. We were stuck. Hopelessly stuck. Oh, of all the luck. Suddenly, suddenly the car was filled with light. A car had come around the curve behind us. This might be my chance. Remember, I still have this gun. I don't try anything. We're stuck here. Could you give us a push? Thank you very much. Well, have some California hospitality. I'll have to get out. I'll have to put something under the wheel. You stay here. There were some bushes by the side of the road. If I could reach them, I could perhaps run up the side of the hill and hide. Then in the morning, I could make my way back down the canyon. I slipped under the wheel and I carefully turned the handle of the door on his side of the car. I could see him in the mirror. He was at the back of the car. I eased the door gently open. I put one foot out. I was just sliding out when I heard him. You're not going any place. Come here. Give me that raincoat. Why? I need something dry to stop under this wheel. Oh, but I... You won't be needing it. I hesitated a moment, but he practically ripped it off my back. He wound it into a ball and then he stuffed it under the wheel. The gun. It stuck out of his back pocket. If I could get it, if I could lay my hands on it. I held my breath and I reached out. It seemed so far, but I finally touched it. And then, and then I snatched it from his pockets swiftly. Give me that gun. I'm going. You can't stop me now. Can't I? No. No, you stay where you are. I won't hurt you. All I want is to get home. I'm going, but if you follow me, I'll... You're what? I'll kill you. I don't think you will. Oh, yes, I will. You think I'm afraid? Aren't you? No. No, I don't care what happens to you. You're a murderer. You killed somebody. I thought you didn't know anything about this. I didn't. I didn't, but I do now and I'm going to tell the police. Stay where you are. I'm not afraid. I'll shoot. Too bad I used up all of those tonight. You could have filled me full of holes. Give me that gun. Now get in the car. That's better. What do you think? Canyon now. The road was very steep. The rain had let up. It was just drizzling now. Even though he hadn't answered my question, I knew the answer. He was going to kill me. I wouldn't get back home tonight. Not tonight or any other night. It was funny. I sometimes used to hate that little apartment of mine where nothing ever happened. But tonight, and then for some reason, I thought about Ruth. What would she say tomorrow when I didn't show up at work? And then I wondered where they'd find my body. Here we are. Look out, mountain, the top of the world. Suddenly, we came over the crest of the hill and way down below, the city stretched out for miles. Millions of lights glittering in the rain. For a moment, I forgot everything. It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. Ever been up here before? No. It's nice, isn't it? Yes. I used to come up here with a girl once. We used to sit and talk for hours. Come on. We'll get a better view if we get out. I knew it was foolish to argue. So I followed him. But as he walked over towards the edge, I became frightened. It was such a steep drop. Well? I'm afraid to get so close to the edge. You won't fall. That's Los Angeles over there. A tight line of lights is Western Avenue. I went to school somewhere along in there. I used to get into all sorts of trouble at school. I managed. And everyone said I'd go out of it. And over that way, towards the ocean, that's Wetswood. That's where she lived. This girl I was telling you about, that was the best part of my life, I guess. That's when they said marriage and her wife would straighten me out. Marriage and her wife would straighten me out. And what's Wetswood they said? Hmm. Does your wife still live there? No. She's dead. Oh, I'm sorry. You needn't be. I killed her. Oh, why? Because she couldn't keep her promises. Did you kill her tonight? No. A long time ago. The jury said I was insane. But I think it was the sanest thing I ever did. They put me in an asylum. Do you know what it's like being locked up year after year when you know there's nothing wrong with you? No. That isn't good. You'd do anything to get out, anything, anything. I knew if I could keep them talking, maybe a car would come along. Maybe something would happen. It was my only chance. What are you thinking about? You killed someone else tonight, didn't you? Yes. Dr. Morgan? Yes. He was one of the men who thought I was insane. Why did you do it? I wanted his car to get away in. I didn't want to be locked up anymore. They'll catch you. No. No, they won't find the doctor for several days. I saw that. But how can you be so sure? I do things thoroughly. What are you going to do now? First, I'm going to... Oh. Then I guess I'll go south. I knew what he meant by that pause. I started to back away slowly. I had made a mistake by reminding you of the present. My hands were instinctively in my pocket for something to defend myself with. I knew there was a pencil there. It was sharp. Maybe I could scratch him or hurt him some way with it. But when I reached for it, I felt something else instead. Something cold and hard. I was puzzled for a moment, and then I remembered it was the shaker I'd picked up at the drive-in. You can't get away now. Then he started moving toward me. Me with only a pencil and a shaker to defend myself with. It's too bad I came into that drive-in tonight. Why did you? Because I was hungry. Because I hadn't eaten for a long time. Weren't you afraid someone would see you? No alarm had gone out. How did you know? I knew. Oh. I'm sorry. If only you hadn't rolled that window down. If you're sorry, why don't you let me go? It's true. A car was coming over the top of the hill with a sudden movement as arms were about me and a tight embrace. I started to scream, but suddenly his lips closed over mine, pushing my head back roughly. He kissed me. I could scarcely breathe, and I felt the car's headlights on us like a spotlight. Look at this view, William. You'll have to do this in a picture sometime. Can't you see we're interrupting something? Drive on, will you? Oh. All this rain. I think people would have more sense. Come on. He held me a moment longer. And when the car had gone, he released me. My pencil had fallen to the ground and I was left with only the shaker in my hand. I fingered it nervously and then I felt the top coming off. I felt the content spilling into my hand. What have you got in your hand? Nothing. Give it to me. No. Give it to me. He grabbed my wrist and he pulled me towards him. We were moving to the edge of the cliff, but my other hand was free and I threw the contents of the shaker into his face. His hands flew to his face and an effort to clear his eyes. But it was too late. The pepper had blinded him. He lunged out for me, but I stepped aside quickly and he slipped in the mud. His hands were not to steady himself. He clawed frantically at thin air and I saw him falling over backwards, over the edge. And my strength came away and I felt myself sinking down to the ground. All I must have been there, but when I came to it was raining again. I was soaked to the skin and there was mud caked in my hair and there was no one in sight. The lights of Los Angeles stretched out in a pattern peacefully below I knew that somewhere the foot of those hills was Glendale and my apartment. I rose slowly to my feet and I started back toward the road and somehow everything that had happened seemed unreal, like a dream. Everything except the way he kissed me to keep me from crying out. And so closes drive-in starring Nancy Kelly. Tonight's study in suspense. Suspense is produced, edited and directed by William Spear. We are sometimes asked why does Miss Elsa Maxwell always say it is smart to serve Roma wine? Her explanation is simple. It is smart to serve Roma wine. First of all, because Roma wines are so delicious. So good with food or any time. It is smart further because Roma wine affords simple pleasure. Enjoyment that is truly moderate. Finally, it is smart because it is such an easy and inexpensive addition to hospitality and everyday living. Yes, in every way, it is smart to serve and enjoy Roma wines. They are California's finest. Always good, unvaryingly fine in flavor and quality. And remember, the cost is only pennies a glass. More Americans enjoy Roma than any other wines. Roma, R-O-M-A. Roma wines. Nancy Kelly appeared through the courtesy of R-K-O and will soon be seen in their production Betrayal from the East. A part of the man was played by Wally Mayer. Next Thursday, same time, we will have an unusual program for you that you won't want to miss. It will bring you in his first appearance as a dramatic actor, Mr. Frank Sinatra. And appearing with Mr. Sinatra will be that incomparable actress, Miss Agnes Moorehead. Don't miss them next week on Suspense. Presented by Roma wines. R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.