 No Sanctum Mysteries, brought to you by Braumor Seltzer. Good evening, friends. You'll be in a Sanctum. This is your host inviting you through the squeaking door for another half hour of gruesome gaiety. Friends, have you heard of a magician who saw his wife in two parts because she was a split personality, or the wife who slit her husband's throat and asked the court for clemency on the grounds that she was a widow? Well, that's the kind of personalities we feature on this program. Now listen closely and be sure not miss one drop of blood. Blood. Tonight's Inner Sanctum Mystery, Deathbound, is an original radio drama written by Milton Lewis and stars Richard Whitmark in the role of Rocky and is presented by the Emerson drug company of Baltimore, Maryland whose registered pharmacists confound that speedy refreshing relief for the pain of headache, Braumor Seltzer. Remember, Braumor Seltzer is the headache help which in a recent coast-to-coast representative survey among drugists was reported to be the leading seller at drugstore fountains by five times as many drugists as mentioned any other headache product. All right, friends, curdle up to the fire, turn the lights low, test out your scream, and we'll let the gore flow. You see? We're going in for poetry tonight, but don't worry. Nobody's going to be murdered in free verse. Night. And in a small, scrubby little park buried among the skyscrapers of a large city, a young man sits on a bench, sullenly sucking a cigarette. He's lost in thought and hardly notices it when someone sits down quietly next to him. Excuse me. Hmm? Have you got a match? Here. Thanks. Keep it. You're worried. Who asked you? You're worried about money. Well, who ain't, and it's none of your business, see? Sure. Okay, so shut up. You can't pay for that car or the rent. Yeah. Well, how'd you know? You've got a pretty wife. Yeah. She likes fine clothes. You can't pay for them. How do you know so much about me? Doesn't make any difference. Rocky? My name. Who told you about me? Nobody. Cut it out. Getting chilly tonight, isn't it, Rocky? Who are you? Don't try to understand it. Why not? Hey, what are you up to? Nothing. How do you know my name? What do you want with me? Don't be foolish, Rocky. Quit stalling her. I'll let you have it on that kisser. Let go of it. Stop talking. Go on. You're pretty tough. Aren't you, Rocky? I'm tough and I'm happy. I want to know your angle. Start spilling. What are you afraid of, Rocky? You're smart. You tell me. Maybe I will sometime. You see, I know what's going to happen. About what? About you. What are you talking about? The future. You know what's going to happen to me. Yes. Right to the end of your life. Oh, you're nuts. You can stop worrying about money. Thanks. It's nice of you to say so. Before tonight's over, you'll have $10,000 in cash. You're loony. It's waiting for you at home. I bet you think that'll send me running home, huh? Uh-huh. You're afraid your wife will get that money. Yeah, you got something there. Abe's too darn good looking to trust. Ah, you're kidding me. You think so? Nobody can see into the future. No one but me. Ah, you're too bad even to talk to him going. Good night, Rocky. Good night. Hello, Slim. This is Abe. I don't care. You kidding? No. Where is he? He ain't home yet. Look, Slim, who, uh, meant what you told me last time. Okay, I'm coming over. Yeah. I'm fed up with Rocky. I'm fed up with his dump. I'm through. Him and his big talk will he can listen to himself now and see how he likes it. Uh, I gotta hang up now. I think he's coming in. Goodbye, Slim. Hi, Rocky. Was there anybody to see me? No. Who'd you expect? Nobody. Anyone call? No. Any packages come, anything like that? No. What are y'all dressed up for? I'm going to my mother. Why? Well, she's sick. You look like he was going to a ball. What do you need the suitcase for? I told you, my mother's dying, maybe. I gotta stay with her, maybe. Always you're asking a million questions like you didn't trust me to walk around the corner. Do you think you're walking out on me? That's what I want to walk out on you for. You treat me like the queen of Sheba. You give me a different main coat to wear every day in the week. Can't even lift my hands because my fingers are so heavy with diamonds. Shut up! All you can do, stop me. After the wife I've been to a no good skunk like you, me that could have had any guy, I could have been rich. We're gonna be. I'm gonna get 10,000 bucks. You? 10,000 bucks? Sure. I'm gonna die in a week. Where you gonna get it? I don't know. You don't know? But a guy in a park told me a queer guy. He says he can see into the future. He told me. He told you? Yeah. You're a crazy dumb heel. You're going off. What are you looking at? That package. What package? This one right here. Huh? You said nothing came for me. You didn't know about that? No. Oh, the janitor must have brung it while I was out. He did? Yeah. He does it lots of times. It's got my name on it. Look. Who said it? You don't say. Why don't you open it? I don't know. You're scared. What are you scared about? I ain't. What are you hand checking for? All right. I'll open it. It is a warranty. It ain't fake? No. It's a real thing. Hundreds. Look. Ten of them. Each is a grand. Each worth ten yards. I've never seen a grand bill before. A piece of paper worth a grand. Keep your hands off it. I've never touched no grand before. Yeah. You was going to your mother's. Yeah, but I changed my mind. Did you? She can die without you? Oh, Rocky. Ain't no way to talk to me. You loves you. You's gone through so much with me. Yeah, forget it. I've been so broke I must have been a little nuts. But I ain't nuts now. I got ten grand. Who's this? I can't believe it. I got... Yeah. What's the matter? Guy who said I was going to get the money. I wasn't going to tell him I got it. Everybody's got their angle. He'd rob me or something, sure. Look at me. Why? Why do I look? Why? Like you're seeing something. Do I look like I was going to die? Do I? Well, answer me. No, no, no, no, Rocky, no. Who's that? I don't know. Open it. Why don't you? Because maybe he meant I was going to get chilled. Come on, you open it. Who is it? There's no one. Just a packet. Here. It's for you. Just like the other one. Yeah. Wait, wait, wait. They don't open. Oh, maybe it's some more dough. Withered like. Who sent it? I don't know. I don't get it. This is something I can't figure out so easily. What's the matter? The middle finger. The tip's gone. I'm going to get the car and I'm going to leave. I'm going with you. Why? Because I got the 10th rest. Rocky, how can you say that? Something queer's going on here tonight. You need me. Okay, let me get my gun first. Rocky, why are you doing that? Why are you digging up that grave? You better not. There's so many questions. Look, if you tell me, I could help you more. You close up like a clam. Drive out here to the cemetery. You start digging. You don't show up. I'll let you know in a minute. As soon as I can open this coffin. Turn that flashlight down here. You want to know why I come here? Take a look in there. You see his right hand? It ain't there. Listening to Inner Sanctum, brought to you by Bromo Seltzer. Now I get three full minutes on a program such as Inner Sanctum to tell you about Bromo Seltzer. But frankly, I don't need three minutes. I don't have to go into any great length to tell you what it's like to suffer from a headache. Most everybody knows all too well. And I don't need long to tell you what Bromo Seltzer can do for you either. In fact, Bromo Seltzer's action can be summed up in just five words. Relieves pain of headache fast. That's it, friends. Bromo Seltzer fights the misery of your headache speedily. And not only that, Bromo Seltzer helps relieve the jangled nerves and upset stomach, which as you know, can team up with an ordinary headache. Oh, and Mr. Weest, I think you should also mention how pleasant Bromo Seltzer is to take. You see, a lot of people are sissies like I am about taking things. And gee, Bromo Seltzer is really refreshing. There's nothing bulky to chew or dry to swallow. It's a great feeling, which only leaves me to say, folks, next time a headache strikes you. Ask at your druggist's fountain or counter for speedy, refreshing... Bromo Seltzer, Bromo Seltzer, Bromo Seltzer, Bromo Seltzer, Bromo Seltzer. The willies are waiting for you. We've got some nice spine tingles and flesh crawls for you and you. And of course, you. Well, let's go on with the second half of tonight's grisly gavotte. Where were we? Oh, yes, Rocky had just dug up a body in the graveyard, and he's just told his wife that the corpse had no hand attached to his right arm. Rocky, you mean that thing that was in the package? Yeah, it was his hand. Are you sure? The tip of the middle finger was cut off. Steven Dane. What are you doing? I'm reading that name on the tombstone. Rocky, who's Steven Dane? Why do you want to know? Because maybe I can help you. Nobody can help me. You mustn't say that. Can't you see this ain't something you can fight, babe? First, the guy tells me I'll get 10 grand, I get the 10 grand, and he tells me I'm gonna die, and that hand comes. I tell you, it's clear. There's nothing I can do about it except wait to die tonight. Only you tell me. Okay, I'll tell you. That guy, Steven Dane, we killed him. We? Me and Slim. Why? Money. Anybody know? Nobody but you. They picked us up. They didn't have nothing honest. I get it. I'm gonna die tonight, babe. Oh, you're not. This is something too big for me. I'm afraid I'm... Look. Where? Over there. Over there, it's light. It's a weird kind of a light. Yeah, I see it. It's coming here. Yeah, it's coming for me. Rocky, it's closer. You ain't gonna get me. Nobody's gonna get me. I don't care what you are. You ain't gonna kill me. If you hear me, I'll let you have it. It's gone now. Yeah, maybe I killed it. Whatever it is, maybe I killed it. What do you think, babe? What do you think? Bones ringing. Yeah, I'll take it. No, you better... Yeah, wait for me. You see, I'm doing great. Nothing's gonna happen to me. Sure, Rocky. You leave me alone, see? If you call me again, I'll go out and I'll get you. I'll find you somewhere and I'll talk you full of lead. And you're letting yourself go to pieces. If you talk me, I'm okay. Yeah. Why didn't we find nothing? Where? In the cemetery where the light was. I swear, I shot something, but there was nothing. Why did you come back here? Where can we go? With ten grand? There's a lot of places. No, you can't run away, not from something like this. I figured I'd come back, see? I'd get ready for it. When it came, I'd be all ready to fight it. That's my angle. What are you gonna fight? What? Say it, babe. Tell me again. I'm not gonna die. Tell me again and again and again. Tell me all night I'm not gonna die. Tell me. No. Oh, but you said it in the cemetery. Yeah. You believe I'm gonna get it too, huh? Yeah. Why'd you change your mind? That thing on the floor. The hand. Yeah. Get rid of it. No. I'll give you five grand. I won't touch it. Look at it. Like it wanted to grab me. Like it wanted... Maybe that's it. What? What I'm waiting for. Don't you get it, babe? Here I am waiting for something that's gonna kill me. Don't you get it. This is it. How can it kill you? How can the other things happen, but they did? I'm gonna get it out of here. No, don't touch it. I said if I touch it, I won't be scared anymore. If I get rid of it, that'll break the curse. I'm gonna get it. No. You see? I got it. It can't hurt me. I ain't scared. It's the hand of a man I killed and I ain't... Me. It's gonna get me. No. It's time to move, babe. Let's start to go. Okay. Look, you don't know what you're saying. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm going out of my head. Don't leave me, babe. No, no, I won't. Don't tackle all this alone. Don't leave me. Okay, okay. Maybe I'm so scared because we killed him. Don't leave me, babe. No, I won't. I'm sick and I'm scared and I'm gonna die. Don't leave me, huh? When we killed him, I did it only because he was a rich kid. And I wanted, though, to set you up right. Don't leave me, okay? Please, please don't leave me. Rocky, I ain't going. I ain't going. Listen. You better get hold of yourself. Go on in there, Rocky. Lie down. Just lie quiet. Go on. Yeah. Maybe I can... Slim. This is Babe. Wait. Listen, Slim. Something's come up. What? Rocky's got 10 grand in cash. Now look, you don't understand. He's blowing his top. He's going crazy. So what? So you better get over here. I want that 10 grand. I want you to get it. Get it? No. You'll do it. Because I know all about Stephen Dane. What? Rocky told me. I'm coming over. And bring your gun. I want to get rid of Rocky. I'll bring it. Goodbye. Why? So that's the angle. Rocky! I heard you, Babe. You did? Every word. Put the gun away, Rocky. No. You're making a mistake. I don't think so. Look, I had an angle. I was doing it to help you. But let me explain why I called Slim. You were doing fine. I heard you. Rocky, don't. Don't. Don't do it. You're behind the whole thing. I don't know how you worked it, Babe. But you were after that 10 grand. Rocky. Did Slim help you? Rocky. You're no good. You never was it. Rocky! Look, why do you always keep calling up? Why don't you come up yourself? Wait a minute, old pal. Let's do it. It shouldn't be so tough to figure out. I ain't sorry. No. She was cheating on you. She wanted to get you 10 grand. You ought to know. Oh, you got 10 grand. Yeah, I keep them up, Slim. You must be nuts. I wouldn't do nothing to you. Maybe. Rocky, after what we've been through together. But you remember that day in business? I didn't write on you then. Why should I write on you now? Because I got 10 grand because somebody's going to kill me. Maybe it's you. What are you talking about? I ain't taking any chances, Slim. You got reason to kill me. He said that it happened. I ain't going to let it happen. I ain't going to die. She was right. You're bad. She was right. Shut up. No. Don't read. I ain't taking any chances. You were the only man, all right? Of course, even Slim. You hear me? Slim? Because of that kid, Stephen Dane. The one we'd killed, that's what happened. I know it. Who came in? Just me, Rocky. That's right, Rocky. You're not getting away. The gun's empty. Yes, Rocky. I can't see you. It'll be over in a minute, Rocky. I just came to watch you die. Then I'll get my $10,000 bank. You? Money? Yes. I had it sent here. You? You poor stupid fool. I stood in the apartment next door. I made a little peephole. I watched your little rat mind collapse. I watched you run to the cemetery. I watched you kill your wife and then him. I knew I'd be right in my plans. Like all criminals, you're cowardly, superstitious, vicious. But mostly, I suppose if you weren't, you wouldn't be a criminal. Who are you? The name is William Dane. The brother of the man you murdered. He's couldn't get you. I did. No, you didn't. I'm still alive. For tonight's medley of murders is taken from the undecipherable handwriting of one of the wisest morons who ever made a dope of himself. The famous Egyptian, Baloney. Don't be afraid to go to sleep because so many people get murdered at night. Just remember, you can be murdered in the daytime, too. Friends, if you're sniffling and sneezing because of the cold, that can make you miserable enough. But when you have a headache at the same time, you'll feel even more miserable. Yes, when a cold and a headache team up, that's the time to reach for the familiar blue bottle of fast-acting bromo seltzer. Of course, bromo seltzer does not claim to help the cold itself. You should go to bed and follow your doctor's advice. But bromo seltzer relieves the pain of the headaches. And when you have relieved your headaches, it's a lot easier to face anything else you're up against. That's why, these blustery days, bromo seltzer is such a friend in need to so many smart folks everywhere. Yes, bromo seltzer is famous for its speedy, pleasant, three-way headache help. Bromo seltzer relieves the pain of headache plus the jangled nerves and stomach upset that may team up with it. Caution, use only as directed. If headaches persist to recur, see your doctor. And remember, when you have a cold, don't let headache pain add to your misery. For ordinary headaches, ask for economical bromo seltzer at your druggist's fountain or counter. And... It's time to close that squeaking door for another seven-day rest in the next week at the same time when bromo seltzer brings you another inner sanctum mystery directed by Hyman Brown. By the way, this month's inner sanctum mystery novel is The Halo for Nobody by Henry Cain. Next week's little horror deals with a gal who planted her uncle in the rose bushes and then was terribly surprised at what came up. It's called The Ghost in the Garden. You'll be sure to listen, won't you? Until next Monday then, good night, pleasant, TBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.