 Yes friends that whistle is your signal for the signal oil program the Whistler The mystery program that is unique among all mystery programs Because even when you know who's guilty and you see his every move or know his complete plans You always receive a startling surprise at the final curtain in the signal oil program The Whistler and the Whistler and I know many things for I walked by night I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadow Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak Yes friends, it's the Whistler for tops and entertainment and for tops in gasoline quality It's signal it takes extra quality, you know to give you extra mileage and signal is the famous go farther gasoline So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies friendly independent signal stations from Canada to Mexico And now the Whistler strange story Man on the roof Eddie Welch was a young man who enjoyed his work Yes, he loved every moment of it as he sat before the microphone in the booth high on the roof of Crandall's department store His voice booming out over the public address system Directing the attendance the movement of the automobiles in the parking area below Yes, it pleased Eddie to run the lot from his lofty perch on the roof of the department store Pleased him to see the movement of the traffic below respond instantly to the sound of his voice But though he liked it here on the roof Eddie had made up his mind a long time ago He'd leave this job when the right opportunity came along something worthy of his talent He wasn't quite certain just what it would be break lucky chance But it would come sooner or later So Eddie Welch Waker and that break finally came late one afternoon I'll one two four six and eight full two spaces in aisle three one in aisle five Four in aisle seven one against the wall plenty of room in the overflow Well, well, sure sure come in I haven't seen you around the store before I'm new The latest addition to the glassware department I ought to get around more You'll stop luring at me for just a moment. I am I Have a message from Garsha at Peggy Garsha that is Peggy. Oh Yeah, it's about a date tonight Something came up said to tell you she can't make it can I like didn't really think she would anyway So I'm a free man tonight. And that is unless you Hold it Gee you get ideas fast anything wrong am I asking you for a date? I might be booked for the evening Okay Suppose I stopped by a glassware say closing time and check with you. Oh, what about Peggy won't she do? She has no strings on little Eddie not strings at all Besides baby. She's engaged Didn't you know? Oh I see Check with you later Check with me later You watch her as she walks away and disappears down the stairway Then your eyes swing back over the parking area. You notice the empty spaces in each aisle Then as you reach for the mic switch again something you see stops your hand in midair Against the far wall you see two men struggling between the park cars You reach for the binoculars and train them on the scene in time to see one of the men fall back His head hits the car bumper and he doesn't get up Quickly the other man jumps into a car a light green convertible and drives away An instant after you've jotted down the license number you pick up the phone and call downstairs Now this is Eddie Welch on the roof look get one of the store cops out to the parking lot right away There's a man stretched out on the ground near the back wall. I think he needs help Hey gorgeous, I Understand the big wheel wants to see me. Well if it isn't the Romeo of the rooftop Yes, mr. Crandall wants to see you Eddie. Hey, uh, how about doing the town Saturday night? Huh, sweetheart? Sorry, I'll be at the wrestling matches junior. You think you win. I wanted you dropped dead, huh? See you lady. Oh come in Eddie. I'm in Eddie this is lieutenant Davis police department. Hi lieutenant. Hello Eddie The lieutenant has been questioning the boys and a lot about that unfortunate Accident this afternoon. Oh, yes, say how did the fellow make out? Are you okay? He's dead dead That's so bad. Oh He was one of our boys City cop. That's right. I Understand you were the one who first reported the accident. Yeah, I was on the roof I'd say you were in a good position to see what happened, huh? Mm-hmm only Only I didn't see anything I just happened to notice the guy on the ground as to what happened before that I wouldn't know Lieutenant, I wouldn't know It hits you suddenly didn't it Eddie and then you decided to lie to the police lieutenant You were about to reach into your pocket pull out the slip of paper with a license number of the car on it And place it on mr. Crandall's death He would have been proud of such efficiency and certainly you would have been rewarded Mr. Crandall was always eager to help bright alert employees along Yes That could have been your opportunity Eddie the break you've been waiting for But suddenly another opportunity presented itself a golden opportunity And that bit of paper bearing the license number of the killer's car stayed in your pocket You didn't see anything that right Eddie no not a thing Funny funny from the room fights a parking area takes in a lot of territory lieutenant. I Only have two eyes sure Okay, Eddie, that's all You're excited aren't you Eddie as you leave mr. Crandall's office anxious to make plans You tell yourself you've got to move cautiously Think it all over very carefully Your first problem is to contact the driver of that new expensive-looking green convertible You think about it for a long time and it's still on your mind the following day during your lunch hour As you walk across the parking lot with Joan the girl you met on the roof Eddie Over there seem to be taken down the license number. Oh, that's right. You're new here And they work for this store check the license numbers with the motor vehicle bureau find out who the car owners are Survey is some kind find out where the customers come from help select the districts their advertising seems to pull the heaviest Nothing nothing Look John, why don't you run on ahead? I want to talk to one of the boys Okay, see you later. Thanks for the lunch Hi guys. Oh, hello Eddie. How's the boy fine fine? Hey look do me a favor, huh? Yeah, get a license number. I'd like to slip into that list check it for me. Oh that's a Well as a as a baby comes in here regularly Yeah, you have to talk until a couple of times only friendly type and very cute Oh, I get it. She's kind of quite cool won't give you her name a phone number But she does have a car and cars have license plate. I got it. Yeah Sure, we're glad they help you out Eddie. Let you know in a day or so. It's well With the right sort of break does this deal show much promise Who knows guys? It might be what I've been waiting for all my life With the prologue of man on the roof the signal oil company brings you another strange story by the whistler Since last week's whistler, you know your car has aged a whole year Yes, even though shiny 1948 to now technically last year's models But after all the important thing is not the year your car was made but rather the care it receives That's why if you want your car's performance to stay young It's so important for it to receive the more thorough more conscientious service that cars get at independently operated signal service stations For example, when a signal dealer lubricates your car He checks against the official factory chart that shows exactly which of signals nine specialized lubricants Each part should have for long trouble-free service Then just to make double sure not a single part has been missed your signal dealer checks the whole job again Which explains why we call it signal double-check lubrication? This is typical of the many little extras you enjoy at signal service stations Because signal dealers being in business for themselves Have more reason to want to keep your business and Now back to the whistler You're not sorry. Are you ready? Not sorry about the sudden decision you made in mr. Crandall's office when you told the police lieutenant You knew nothing about the Unfortunate accident that occurred on the parking lot today. The city detective was killed You didn't tell him that you saw the struggle of the two men between the park cars Saw the killer ride away in a green convertible That you were jotted down the license number of the car No You have other plans. Haven't you Eddie big plan? Then two nights later as you leave Crandall's department store you run into your friend Gus Hi, Eddie, I say I check that deems license number for you. Well, did you swell? Yeah, the car's registered to a guy named Merrick Alton Merrick Me very boyfriend, huh? So bad Eddie. I could be your old man Gus. Oh, sure sure Who knows? Anyway, that's who the car belongs to Alton Merrick. It's a hundred weather be placed. Hmm. Yeah, it's a nice neighborhood Thanks, thanks Gus. You've been grand boy. Just grand I Mr. Merrick Alton Merrick The name isn't important and just the guy who happened to be around Crandall's department store the day that city cop was killed Still on the line, mr. Merrick. Yes. Yes. I Thought maybe I could do you a big favor like keeping my trap shot You follow me Don't know what you're talking about Okay, suppose you come around to the blue hat bar tomorrow night eight o'clock. I'll be waiting Why should I come be there pal? The blue hat eight o'clock and wear that same checked coat you had on the other day, huh? The piano player Correct. Oh, yeah. Yeah I like this place Eddie the blue hat bar, you know something, baby And the day you walked into my life things started to break right for little Eddie. Yeah What is it Eddie? Nothing see someone, you know, no nobody Seat ticket. No, no, it isn't here. I'll take my hat. Thanks. Oh Come on, let's go baby leaving already. Yeah, I've seen all I wanted with this place. Come on. Let's breathe Eddie Did you see the coat he was wearing what the man who sat down next to you wearing that check code? Oh, yeah loud, wasn't it hope it as you make your way out of the bar the panic that swept over you a minute ago Has left now hasn't it Eddie? For a moment you were frightened when you saw him walking towards you Merrick the man and the checkered coat For an instant your heart seemed to stop beating as he spoke to you Then you realized he couldn't possibly know you were the voice on the telephone That now you knew what he looked like and that's all you wanted to find out for the present As you take Joan back to her home his face flashes before your mind a cold hard brooding face Square jaw dark heavy eyebrows a cruel face isn't it Eddie and you realize you're going to have to be extremely careful dealing with this man Merrick Late the following afternoon. You're on the roof again directing the flow of traffic in the parking lot below No one seemed to notice the break in your voice Eddie at that moment when you saw him again The man in the check code the man you're going to blackmail Standing down there in the lot staring up at you Now as your voice groans out over the lot a thousand frantic thoughts race through your mind and you wonder if he knows Then shortly before closing time you see Merrick again You're talking to Joan on the main floor when suddenly you're no longer aware of what she's saying I thought we were talking yeah, I said I thought we were talking. Oh, yeah, sorry. I get sidetracked You're still that way Why the sudden interest in our store to pick it's a guy with him that interests me the guy in a check coat Oh, he's gone now as I was I said later. Will you have baby? I want to ask Ben something Okay, okay. See I was business man. Oh, I know Eddie business Oh, it's picking up with me picking up especially around this time of the year. Yeah, they needed somebody to watch you Hey, yeah, who was your pal there a few minutes ago, huh? Him no part of mine. That's not that guy. Well, you seem to know it. I met him in Philly ten or twelve years ago He aims Griffin Griffin Yeah, we worked the same store then he branched out after that I lost track of them. What do you mean branched out? Opened his own office. Oh, he turned out to be a private eye our detective jobs were higher You heard of the type sure on the radio. Not quite. This is a bad boy Eddie real bad anything for a dollar Sounds familiar. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I sport this guy like that Ben smiles as you walk away from him doesn't he Eddie he doesn't have any idea what's going on in your mind Just talk he thinks But it isn't that way at all No, Eddie You're thinking how smart Merrick is to use this man Griffin for his blackmail negotiations He almost threw you off didn't he? Making you think that Griffin the man in the check coat was Merrick Another thought occurs to you and sends a little quiver of nervousness along your spine Merrick must know for certain that you are his blackmailer Eddie Yes, and the knowledge could be disturbing enough to make him want to push you off the roof someday You're anxious now to find out what Merrick himself looks like before you plan your next move And so that night you call Merrick's home again What's on your mind this minute? Yeah, yeah, I guess you do Well, we better get together talk Good enough be there tonight so you turn o'clock. Oh, yeah Don't you forget that you're trembling as you leave the phone, but your nerve gradually returns doesn't Yes, Eddie the long walk through the night air is good for you. It clears your mind And soon you feel that you're clicking again able to handle the situation You reach Merrick's apartment building a good hour before the appointed time Wait in the dark entrance of a building across the street It isn't too long before you see Griffin the private eye come out still wearing the check coat Then he turns opens the door of a car for another man You're certain that he's Merrick aren't you Eddie now you can be sure you're dealing with the right man You don't have to keep the appointment. You know what he looks like now, and you won't forget That's right. Oh, no tonight. Yeah I almost forgot there was a fellow hanging around the store. He wanted to be sure when you got off Oh, I told him everybody was working overtime tonight. What did he look like? heavy set for the rough-looking bushy eyebrows I Nobody important now thanks You expect to be followed Eddie and you are and as you also expected it is Griffin Merrick's detective for hire the man Ben thinks would do anything for money And you know he's working for a man who'd do anything too. You quicken your step hurry down the darkened street Then as you move past an abandoned building under construction Hey Run into the convenient protective darkness of the building scrambled wildly up a set of improvised stairs Wait listening you start forward again frantically take another flight of stairs and leaping strides to the fifth floor At the top you freeze Almost paralyzed with fright the wall at the outer edge of the landing hasn't been put up yet And you almost stepped off into space To a five-story fall to the street He's still coming You press back into the shadow wait quietly grim, but he's slowing up Eddie moving cautiously You want to make him come at you fast? Here I am Griffin come and get me Mr. Merrick, Mr. Merrick open up. It's annoying Eddie that Merrick doesn't answer Because you're sure he's inside waiting for Griffin to come back and tell him that you're out of the way Then from a sound down the hall. You're aware of an elevator stopping at Merrick's floor You duck back out of sight Wait nervously until you see who it is that stepped out of the elevator you recognize him. Don't you wait? It's the same man. You saw with Griffin last night Merrick at the pleasure it isn't gonna be any pleasure mr. Merrick I mean pretty slick up to now you and Griffin but not slick enough I'm Eddie Welch See sure you know you see plenty like lots of dough changing hands, huh? That's what I want Merrick and I mean lots of it You're a tough boy aren't you? Well, we better talk it over. There's nothing left to talk over Griffin's dead what an accident Too bad, isn't it? Don't you think it's a good idea to invite me in? All right Eddie, you know you've got me stymied come on in The whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story Recognize that noise that was someone breaking a perfectly good New Year's resolution and here it is only January 2nd There's one resolution however that I hope you won't break the resolution We made on last week's whistler to cry just cry signal gasoline in your car Because seriously friends there are real advantages for the driver who powers his car with signal the famous go farther gasoline Mileage of course is one of them but only one For in order to give you such good mileage today signal gasoline has to help your motor run more efficiently and When your motor runs more efficiently naturally you enjoy more exciting performance in the way of pep power and smoothness That's why you'll find folks with big cars as well as folks with small budgets patronizing signal service stations They've both discovered that in gasoline it takes extra quality to go farther and Signal is the famous go farther gasoline And now back to the whistler You knew it all the time didn't you Eddie knew that someday that golden opportunity would present itself the break You were waiting for and you'd be sitting on top of the world Then it came suddenly Remember Eddie that day at the parking lot of Crandall's department store when you saw the struggle of the two men between the parked car Saw the killer race away in the green convertible It was a smart move wasn't it taking down the license number of the car and the smarter move on your part Not to tell the police about it and now the killer a man named Alton Merrick is at your mercy And as you sit in his apartment facing the tall cold-eyed man, you're waiting to discuss the financial arrangement That was kind of cute of you sending Griffin around to keep your appointments with me. We're in that check code of yours But the same build to At the start I really thought he was you Merrick didn't know what you looked like until last night when I saw the two Of you leave the building You know sending him around and knock me off wasn't such a good idea Not for your pal Griffin. He wasn't very smart. It took care of him Let's say he'd still be here if he hadn't chased me into an empty building You're a pretty smart boy aren't you smart enough to tell the police I saw a gent named Alton Merrick kill that city cop at a fight in the parking lot Unless mr. Merrick makes it worth my while to forget it Get it all figured out. Mm-hmm You're wrong about one thing Eddie. I didn't send Griffin around to see you You see I've been trying to get Griffin myself for a long time That's why I came here last night. You saw me with him We had a lot of things to talk about Like what? You see Eddie my name isn't Merrick. That was Griffin's real name If then Merrick were one and the same guy same guy But you my name's Kincaid Lieutenant Kincaid Los Angeles police And I'm very glad to meet you Eddie Very glad Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program the whistler each Sunday night at this same time Brought to you by the signal oil company marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure drive at sensible speeds be courteous and obey traffic regulations It may save a life possibly your own Featured in tonight's story were Tom Holland Lorette Phil Brent and William Conrad The whistler was produced by George W. Allen and directed by Gordon T. Hughes with story by Steve Hampton and music by Wilbur hatch And was transmitted to our troops overseas by the armed forces radio service Remember at the same time next Sunday another strange tale by the whistler Marvin Miller speaking This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting system