 Family Theatre presents Barry Sullivan and Joan Banks. From Hollywood, the Mutual Network in cooperation with Family Theatre presents Second Chance, starring Barry Sullivan. And now here is your hostess, Joan Banks. Family Theatre's only purpose is to bring to everyone's attention a practice that must become an important part of our lives if we are to win peace for ourselves, peace for our families, and peace for the world. Family Theatre urges you, pray together as a family. And now to our transcribed drama, Second Chance, starring Barry Sullivan as Paul. Police are looking for you. Come on, I don't even get a kiss. You're gonna be a long time. Catch you, they're bound to catch you. Oh, darling, they won't. I'm gonna give myself up. But then why did you do it? Why did you break out of prison? I had something to do, and no one else could do it. Now it won't be just four more years, it'll be five or six all after we... Oh, okay, okay, but it'll be worse waiting for... What do you mean? First tell me when you checked into this motel. Last night, about seven. What's the what name? Mrs. Joseph Gilbert. How about the car? I rented one from a place back in town that that man on the phone told me about. Same fellow who gave you the message? Yes. Paul, who was he? I never met him, a friend of Cardi's, I guess. But what was he... Wait a minute, wait a minute. What's he been saying about me on the radio? Well, there have been some reports that a man answering your description was seen down the southern part of the state. Yeah? How many reports? Three or four, I think. Good, good, it's gone smooth. When my friend Cardi pulls a string, there's something on the end of it. Paul, you've changed. You bet I've changed. I've gotten a little smarter. Honey... You've never really been satisfied that I was innocent of that crime, have you? Paul. Have you? You've given me your word, you didn't steal those jewels, and I believe you. Yeah, but you weren't so sure that day after I was arrested and you and Steve came to visit me in the jail at Mexico City, were you? Got to admit, you didn't sound very convincing. I bet I didn't at that. I'd sat up half the night and myself trying to figure out what had happened. One minute I was a respectable businessman stepping off an airliner in Mexico City, the next thing I knew I was in custody. A waiting extradition back to the States. A suspicion of grand larceny. Oh, honey. Okay. Steve. I got down here as fast as I could, Paul. What's it all about? These birds won't tell me anything. I'll sit down, it's a shocker. What happened? You know the Rotterdam consignment from Kipers that came in last week? Yeah, the uncut diamonds for shipment to Montreal? Yeah, it's this stuff. It's gone. Oh, no. $200,000 worth of baker, and I opened the vault to prepare it for shipment yesterday afternoon. The package just wasn't there. I can't believe it. Paul, we tore the place apart, no dice. Well, lookie. You don't think I? Oh, come on, nobody's silly, but... Well, we had to notify the police of the theft. They wanted to know where the other partner in the firm was. Paul, look, I know there's nothing to this, but they've got some questions to ask you, so it's only sensible to have some answers. What kind of questions? First of all, I wonder why your airline tickets were just one way to Mexico City instead of roundtrip. Steve, I told you. I know. I told them the same thing. You plan to drive back if you could pick up the kind of car you wanted at the price you wanted. Look, the Mexican authorities impounded every piece of our luggage the minute we stepped off the plane yesterday. All they've got to do is search it. I haven't got those diamonds. All right. That gets you out of the woods. But you know it's going to be a black eye if we don't recover that stuff, don't you? Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, at least we're insured. Look, Paul, just to plug all the holes. Yeah. Now, don't take offense to this. I'm just trying to think like a policeman, you know? Lawyers and... Go ahead, Steve. Was the flight you took to Mexico City nonstop? What? No, no, it wasn't. We landed twice, I think. Yeah, that's right, honey. The last time at Guadalajara. Did either of you get off the plane during those stops, even for a few minutes? Well. Yes, I did. Just to stretch my legs a little. But you stayed on board, OK? Yes. Paul, look, it's just a suggestion. But if the police should ask you, I'd tell them you stayed on the plane all that time, too. Yeah. You figure they might think I used that stopover to get rid of the stuff? Oh, no is what they'll think. But let's be on the safe side, huh? Well, Steve, I guess you've got a point. Oh, you're innocent, so let's just keep you looking that way, huh? Sure, I was innocent. But who'd believe it? Two days later, they sent me back to the States in custody. Steve brought a lawyer to visit me that same afternoon. How do you do, sir? How do you do, Mr. Hallop? How are they treating him? Steve, it's a slight improvement over the last jail I was in. Paul, we've just come from the district attorney's office. What's the word? Well, getting you out isn't going to be as easy as we thought it would. Well, now what? Maybe you better explain it to Mr. Sparitan. Well, to put it bluntly, Mr. Hallop, you're in trouble. What? In searching your luggage, the authorities uncovered some evidence, which a clever courtroom lawyer could twist into something very damaging. What kind of evidence? A letter from the insurance company, which holds your lost theft and liability policy. This is funny. I haven't had any movement in them in over two months. Paul, we just saw the letter down in the district attorney's office as postmarked three weeks ago. It's addressed to you. And they found it in your top coat. It had slipped down into the lining. Well, I certainly don't remember getting such a letter. It had been opened. OK, OK, what's so important about it? It was a final reminder from the insurance company that the grace period on your theft policy would expire within 10 days if the annual premium had not been received by the. Annual premium? I signed that check six weeks ago. Paul, there's no record of it. Ask Ms. Whitlock. She made it out. That's right. We've got to stub on it, but the company never received it. They must have. Paul, look, I waited on the phone just now while Ms. Whitlock went through the canceled checks. It wasn't there. It's never been cashed. You mean our policy slaps? We aren't covered for the loss? Not one penny of it. $200,000. Steve, we couldn't raise that in 10 years. It'll bankrupt us. Don't I know it? I know I signed that check. I remember doing it. All right, they didn't get it. That's the way things stand. Mr. Halle, do you understand the inference that can be drawn from the presence of that insurance company letter? I said I never saw that letter. If I had, I'd be a lunatic not to do something about it. Yeah, a lunatic or a very calculating thief. Thief? Yes. Let me tell you how the district attorney sees this and how we can expect him to present this case in court. Some months ago, he will say that you decided to rob your company. Why would I do that? Oh, shut up. What are you so finished about? I stand to lose everything I own. That's what I'm hard about. Now we're paying this man to help you. Let him do it. Steve, I'm sorry, Steve. Just let him help you. That's the way it's here. Go ahead, Mr. Parrot. The district attorney will say that you decided to rob your company of those diamonds some months ago, assuming that it could be proved that you knew that far in advance of their impending arrival. That's right. We knew it. The insurance on the diamonds while they were in your custody is not covered by any policy held by the Kuiper people. Now, is that correct? Yeah, that's right. We're the responsible party. So that if the stones are lost or stolen, only one insurance company, namely yours, must make good on the loss. But insurance company detectives have a way of keeping after a case until they solve it, have they not? Yeah. So for you to steal those diamonds while your policy was still in force would be to invite detection by the company who would have had to indemnify the Kuiper firm. Yeah, I guess that's right. Now, whereas if you allow the policy to elapse before you stole the diamonds, no insurance company could be involved, the Kuiper people could only obtain a civil judgment against you. But that would ruin this. I don't see it. Yes, yes, it would ruin your company. Yes. But that could still be quite a bargain if you came out of it secretly possessing the diamonds. What would you say is the capital value of your firm as it stands right now? Well, it's just a rented suite of offices with a couple of typewriter's finishings, maybe not more than $10,000. Including cash in the bank? Yeah, I'd say that's about right. Wouldn't you, Steve? Yeah. Now, how about your personal property, Mr. Hallop? If you and your wife sold everything you own, would that bring another $10,000? Maybe if you threw in a car. Yes, yes, you'd be forced to throw it in. But it's still a pretty good trade. $20,000 for $200,000, wouldn't you say? Is that what the district attorney is going to try to prove I did? He thinks he can. What do you think? I think the only way we can stop him is by producing the diamonds. But look, look, when you get right down to it, Mr. Parrott, anybody in the office could have stolen an insurance check. And at least four of us know the combination to the vault. Why am I singled out? The sudden trip to Mexico with only one way ticket? The letter from the insurance company? I told you I've never seen that letter. Could have been planted there. Many things could have happened, Mr. Hallop. But the laws of evidence are concerned only with what did happen. And they did find that letter in your top coat, not to mention a serious misstatement that you made in your deposition. What misstatement? Your assertion that you never left the plane from the time it took off from here until it arrived in Mexico City. Well, I- Don't bother, Paul. A steward has signed a statement that you got off at Guadalajara for 10 minutes. That was bad advice of mine. I'm sorry. Which is just one more little inconsistency that has to be dealt with in court, Mr. Hallop. Doesn't look very good, does it? No, it doesn't. Mr. Parrott, would you rather not defend me? Take the case if you want me to, but I can't promise a thing. Thank you, sir. And if it's any help to you, I'm innocent. Well, then let's get the machinery started. I'll go down and ask the district attorney for a hearing to squash the indictment. And then we'll- Mr. Parrott, would it be all right if you went ahead without me? Well, yes, by all mean. I'd like to speak to Paul privately for a few minutes. Well, there's no reason for you to come at all if it's inconvenient. No, no, I'd just like to- I want to arrange about the fee with you. Well, as you wish. I'll be in to see you again tomorrow, Mr. Hallop. Thank you, sir. Bye. Steve. Oh, wait a minute. I want to get one thing straight between us, and I want to be sure you understand it before we get in over our heads. Steve, look, I don't know how we're going to afford a lawyer like Parrott. You let me worry about affording him. Mr. Steve. I just want you to think about one thing he said and think about it hard before you answer. All right, go ahead. He said, the only way we could stop the district attorney is by producing those diamonds. Mm-hmm. All right. Now, forget everything you've set up till now. The Parrott to the police, the K to me to everyone, tell me straight. You got any idea where those diamonds are? Steve, I don't have any idea. And I'll give you my word of honor. I didn't take them. All right, now, let me remind you of something you may think I've forgotten. You remember the safety deposit box up in Grantsville when we rented under different names in case an emergency came up? We needed a place to put some money in a hurry. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yes, I remember. But I've never used it, Steve, in my life. You better be telling the truth. If I'm going up there this afternoon to see for myself. I'm telling you straight. If there's anything in that box, I didn't put it there. And you can prove that easily enough. I'd have to sign a slip to open it. All right. All right, I believe you. Thank you. We'll go all the way on this. Get you off. We can't go far if they attach our bank account, can we? Don't worry. I've thought of that. Cipers won't know we're uninsured till the district attorney goes before the grand jury tomorrow with that letter they found in your top coat. But by then, it's going to be too late. Are you going to empty that bank account today? When I talked to Ms. Whitlock on the phone, I told her to make out a check for 5,000. Good boy. Our cash should take up to Grantsville first thing tomorrow and when we need it, we can get at it. I guess that's about all we can do, huh? Yeah. And, uh, Paul, when Kay wants any money, you just let me know and I'll get it to her. But for Pete's sake, don't tell anyone when we've got it. No, don't worry. I won't. I'll stop to death. Okay. You just sit tight and keep your chin up, huh? I'll try. If you're innocent, there's... nothing they can do to you. Nothing. Nothing at all. Just send me up for 5 to 10 if there's something I didn't do. Paul, you still haven't told me why you broke out of prison last night or who this man Cardi is who helped you. Cardi? He's one of my cellmates. I'm robbery, 10 to 20. Where is he now? Right where I left him in his cell. But I thought he... No, no, no. Cardi didn't come along. He didn't have to. His time has almost stopped. He'll be out legally in another eight months. Well, then I don't understand... Kay, darling. Look, there's something in it for him. Something big. That's why he broke me out. The whole idea was his. And it's airtight. Funny, you never think Cardi had a brain in his head to look at him, though. The first five months in that cell, I don't think I spoke two words to the man. Then, one afternoon, during one of the breaks in the yard, he came over and held out a pack of cigarettes to me. Smoke, Halop? Thanks. You're very sociable, I... Nope. Neither am I. This is business. You're gonna charge me for the cigarette? No, not this time. I hid it like the rest of us that you're in here on a bum rap. Yeah. I'm just a big, misunderstood boy. Only I hid it in your case. It's on a level. Then where would you hid that? From a friend of mine was trying to do a little business with your ex-partner. What ex-partner? Your ex-business partner, Steve Brill. Is that the fellow? Yeah. What about him? Well, he and my friend are dickering over to sell us some property. $200,000 worth. The diamonds? Keep it down. But... Steve? He got them. He got them. He showed my friend a sample and a photograph of the rest. Steve. It's the stuff you're pulling time for. Dirty. Yeah, I thought you'd be interested. I knew it had to be someone in the office, but Steve... Yeah, he's a guy. He's a guy framed you too, isn't he? Yeah. A lot of good it does me to find out now. You mean like good for clearing yourself? Yeah. Ain't wait to plug nickel. It's a sour grapes and toss your back in your cell. But there is one way it might do you some good. Yeah. My friend is sure that your partner got the stones, but he's not aware. What's the difference where your friend's trying to buy them? I'll put it on line for you. Go ahead, do that. Your partner's price is too high we can't make any reserve profit, and he won't come down. That's tough luck. Maybe not. See, your partner don't know that my friend knows me or that I know you, but he did a little bragging, my friend, about how outside himself there's only one guy in the world knows where the stones are, except he don't know he knows. And even if he guessed, yeah, he couldn't get at him. Now, seems to me that one guy sounds to me like a description of you. I don't know what he could mean it. Hey, wait a minute. Sure. Sure in a one day you didn't want me to tell Kay about where the safety deposit box was. Looks like I rang a bell with you. You sure did, Gotti. I hope you ain't thinking anything as stupid as going to the cops with this. But what if I was? I wouldn't do any good. All I prove is you knew where the diamonds was all the time. Needn't mean your partner knew a thing about them. You're telling the cops about this ain't going to tie a can to anybody, and then the diamonds get lost. But you just told me that... You must be out of your head, friend. I didn't tell you anything. Now, what would I know about anything to tell you about? Okay, Gotti. What do you want? My friend and I are connected with an organization that'll pay 75,000 small bills for those stones. It's a nice offer. I'm sorry I can't take you up on it. If I could get you out of here for 24 hours, would you take me up on it? Yeah. You mean make a break? No risk, no guns, real easy. Sure, sure. Let's spend the rest of my life running. I said 24 hours, and you come back, turn yourself in, serve out your time. Okay, okay, maybe you get six months out of here. But this time when you get out, you're going to have 75 grand waiting for you. I don't know, you're moving awful fast for me. Okay. You think it over, Halib. That could be done real easy. You're already serving time for taking the stuff. They can't wrap you twice for the same crime. But what about Steve when he learns the diamonds are gone? Who's he going to squawk to? The cops. That's right. He wouldn't dare. Yeah, like I say. Go ahead, think it over. But don't take too long. What's the rush? Your friend Steve might make a deal with somebody else. Why are you thinking? Then we'd all be out in the cold. And you got the diamonds out of the safety deposit box this afternoon? Do you want to see them? Paul, Paul, listen, this isn't right. Is it right I've been in prison for something I didn't do? Of course not. Everything I had has been taken from me. No, Paul, not everything. What are you talking about? You're innocent. They can't take that away from you. A lot of good it's done. But you won't be innocent anymore. Paul, you'll throw away the last thing you have if you sell these diamonds to that friends of Cardi's. You'll be as guilty as Steve ever was. Who know about it? I will, and you will. Kay, Kay, look, honey. This is the only chance I have to give you any security during the next few years. I don't want that kind of security. You say you're going back and turn yourself in at the prison? Yes, as soon as we collect the money and it's in your hands. Then why not turn yourself in right away? Turn those diamonds over to the police and take your chances. No, no, no, they wouldn't believe me. I have no evidence that Steve put these diamonds in the deposit. Parks that could have been me. It's worth a try. It's easy for you to talk. But if the tribe fails, I go back to prison. My life won't be worth a nickel there when Cardi spreads the word about me. I don't see how you can feel it's better to trust criminals than honest men. I've already tried trusting the honest men. They sent me to jail for something I didn't do. Even my lawyer didn't believe I was innocent. Paul, that's not true. Mr. Parrott told me just two days ago he believed you were innocent. Two days ago? Yes, sir. You told Parrott about this? I told him I had a phone call from someone telling me to meet him in Grantsville tonight. Kay, you must have been crazy. He promised not to go to the police. And you believed him? Paul, he's on your side. He wants to help you. Why would he bother? Because he says the case against you was too perfect. He says things just don't happen that way. The jury didn't have any trouble believing it? That's because some of the evidence was bound to be missing. But now you know it was Steve who took those diamonds. So there's got to be something he did wrong. Some place he made a mistake. Look, honey, I've thought about it. I've thought about it through my headaches. What good does it do to know he planted all that evidence against me when I can't prove it? What about the diamonds? He probably took them the night we left for Mexico and drove up here the next morning. Well, maybe he was seen by someone in the back here. Who could give a positive identification on a man who just walked in and out of a safety deposit all over a year ago? It's a chance. We even rented the box under an assumed name. There's nothing in the world that could possibly connect him with it. I did it myself this afternoon. You just go in, you sign a slip, and if your handwriting matches the signature they have on file, they... Paul? His handwriting. Honey, if they keep a record of the times that the deposit box was opened, it'll prove he was here that day. Do you think they might...? Yes, I've heard of it, especially when two people have rented the same box. Oh, Paul, let's take a chance on it. Honey, it's still a pretty big one. Oh, please, Paul, at least let's try. Paul, Mrs. Hallib? What did the district attorney say? Quite a lot. Some of it I think you'll find very surprising, not to say disturbing. It didn't work. They're gonna lock me up again. Oh, now settle down, Paul. As a matter of fact, it worked pretty well. Now you'll be held in custody until everything's officially cleared up, but at least they're not sending you back to prison. Oh, thank you, ever. As to Steve Brill's signature on the safety deposit files, the district attorney just spoke long distance to one of the bank officials in Grantsville, and they do keep such records. Oh, good. So the evidence of his handwriting on that slip he signed a year ago, plus the fact of the diamonds themselves, should go a long way toward clearing you. Oh, no way. I should think if you confront him with that much evidence, you'd get a confession. Yes, we might have. Might have? Yes. But you see, Steve Brill is dead. He's dead? Yes. He was murdered last night. I feel sure that you would have been murdered if your wife hadn't convinced you to give yourself up to the police when she did. Oh, Steve murdered. Now, from what you've told us and what we can piece together, seems that this Mr. Cardy planned to double-cross you in much the same way that his friends were double-crossing Steve. From the time of your escape, the police were receiving false reports of a man answering your description moving south towards the town in which Steve Brill was living. That's right. Now, Steve was to be killed in such a manner to make you look like the guilty party with revenge as the motive. And later on, you would be found dead, presumably a suicide. Brother. When you think of it, killing Steve Brill was the only way Cardy and his friends could be sure that Steve wouldn't beat you to the safety deposit box once he heard over the radio that you'd broke prison. I'm surprised that fact didn't occur to you when Cardy first made his offer to you. Mr. Barrett, considering how many stupid things I've done in the last few days, I'm not surprised at all. Just console yourself, Paul. You have a very smart wife. She's the brains in the family. I am not, but Paul, from now on, will you promise me one thing? Sure, honey. You name it. The next time you plan a surprise trip to some place out of the country... Yeah. Will you please make sure to get round-trip tickets? This is Joan Banks again. You know I'm one of those persons who's forever interested in all the new and wonderful gadgets that come out every week. Whenever someone brings out a new potato peeler or a better mousetrap, you will find me in the admiration lineup wondering what won't they invent next. Yes, this is the age of invention, all right. The gadgetry that surrounds us in our kitchens, offices, and workshops gives adequate testimony to what I mean. Running thoughts like these over in my mind the other day, I asked myself, what is man's greatest, his foremost invention? After I'd thought about it a great deal, I began putting the questions to a number of my friends. Most of them centered on new things, but an occasional person said the wheel or fire. So many said the atom bomb that I shuttered. I think I'm inclined to share the opinion of my philosophical friends, that the greatest invention man ever made is certainly one of the first and oldest, language. And pursuing the subject even farther, what is the highest form of language? Of course, it's prayer. It is through prayer that we thank God who gave man vocal cords for spoken language, hands to shape the first written language, eyes and lips for the language of love, and knees for the language of humility. May we remind you again, the family that prays together stays together. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. This series of Family Theatre broadcast is made possible by the thousands of you who feel the need for this type of program, by the mutual network which has responded to this need, and by the hundreds of stars of stage, screen and radio who give so unselfishly of their time and talent to appear on our Family Theatre stage. To them and to you, our humble thanks. This is Larry Chatterton expressing the wish of Family Theatre that the blessing of God may be upon you and your home, and inviting you to join us next week when Family Theatre will present the apt Mr. Willis starring Alan Young. Gemma Michi will be your host. Join us, won't you? Family Theatre is broadcast throughout the world and originates in the Hollywood studios of the world's largest network. This is Mutual, the radio network for all America.