 Yes, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine, because Roma wines taste better. Taste better because only Roma selects from the world's greatest reserves of fine wines for your pleasure. And now, Roma Wines, R-O-M-A, Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California, bring you Suspense. Tonight, Roma Wines present Mr. Elliot Reed in Dead of Night, a suspense play produced for Schenle by William Spear. Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines, those better tasting California wines. This is the month of June, when hearts are gay and wedding bells ring, when the new bride is toasted and the brides of yesteryear are honored with traditional champagne. So remember the occasion, say it with Roma Champagne, a superb bulk process sparkling wine and discover better taste at its brilliant best. You'll find the golden goodness of sparkling Roma Champagne that crowning touch to every festive occasion, whether it be wedding reception or anniversary, formal dinner or just friendly entertaining at home. Except for all its premium quality, Roma Champagne actually costs you less. At new low prices, Roma Champagne or any Roma Wine is your best buy in better taste. And now, Roma Wines bring you Mr. Elliot Reed, in a remarkable tale of Suspense. Helen and I had never been apart since our folks died. Never before that summer, when I got a job at a mountain resort. She was supposed to go with me, wait on tables or something, and it was to be our vacation. But at the last minute, she decided to stay in town. She figured her boyfriend, Steve, might be coming home on furlough. I should have known better. My sister was such a kid, but I let her talk me into it, and I went alone. That was the beginning of the whole thing. That's when she met him, Phil Armstrong. If I hadn't gone away that summer, I guess Phil would be alive today. All during the time I was gone, Helen didn't write much. And what letters I did get didn't seem natural. So I was anxious to finish my job and get home. I expected her to be at the bus station, but she wasn't. And when I got to the apartment, I could hear someone moving inside. The door was locked, so I knocked. Helen! Who is it? It's me. Jimmy? Yeah. Open the door. Oh, Jimmy. Just a minute. Well, since when have you taken to locking the door in the daytime? What did you do to yourself? Your face? Were you in an accident? I fell, Jimmy. I fell, and I hurt myself. Your eyes swollen shut. Let me look at it. Jimmy, I have something to tell you. What are these suitcases doing here? You and I are going away, Jimmy. We've got to get out of here. I've packed everything. There's no place for you to tell me what this is all about. While you were gone, I got married. Married? You mean Steve was here on furlough? No, Jimmy. Not to Steve. Not... But you were engaged to him? I know, but I got a letter from him right after you left. He married someone he met where he was stationed. Oh, Helen. Gee. I was pretty upset, Jimmy. That's when I met Philip Armstrong. Gee, I think you might have... I don't even know the guy. No, neither did I. But I was unhappy. You just don't go off and marry someone you don't know. That's what I did, Jimmy. Now, we've got to get out of here. But why? Because there's been... There's been trouble. What kind of trouble? I'm afraid, Jimmy. He's terrible. He... He takes something. I don't know what, but sometimes he... He's just crazy. Helen. Yes? Your face. You didn't fall. No. He did that. I'll... I'll kill him. I'll kill him. Or he'll kill you. That's what I mean. That's why we've got to get away. You can get a divorce, can't you? Oh, he threatened me. If I even tried to get him... We'll put him under a peace bond. What good would a peace bond be, Jimmy, if he killed one of us? So I let her talk me into running away. I guess I shouldn't have, but I knew that if I saw him after what he'd done to her, well, anyhow, she looked so frightened. I thought it best to let her do it her way. We got to Santa Monica that night, and we stopped at a motel near the water. Well, a week slipped by, and Helen seemed to be forgetting. She didn't jump every time someone knocked at the door. I managed to get a job at one of the shooting concessions on the pier, and we both began to feel good for a while. Then one night late, as I came home from work, I heard voices coming from our apartment. I knew who it was, and I knew from what Helen had told me it would be foolish for me to go in unarmed, so I ran back to the shooting concession. I knew something was going to happen. It didn't take long, but when I got back, the lights were out, and the sound of voices was gone. I tried the door, it was very dark, and then my foot struck something soft and heavy on the floor. I snapped on the switch and the room was flooded with light, and I looked down into a dead man's face. I stood there shivering with cold and terror, looking down at that man. Although I'd never seen him in life, I knew this was Phil, her husband. There was a deep gash over his eye, and the blood still flowed from it onto the floor. I stepped over him and I ran into the bedroom. Helen! Helen! But there was no one in the bedroom or in the kitchen, and then I heard the front door open. Close the door, Helen. Helen! Close it! Do you hear me? Be quiet. Turn the lights out. Be quiet, I tell you. What have I led you in for? Stay where you are. Who is it? I don't know. Keep quiet. It's Mrs. Gordon. She's going to unlock the door. Just a minute, Mrs. Gordon, I'll get something on. Some friends of mine, Mrs. Gordon, they were having a party. They're gone now. You need Barton. You should be ashamed of yourself. Open this door. I want to talk to you. I'm not dressed. I was taking a shower. Well, just something on. I'm tired. I was just going to bed. Jimmy, I told you I wanted to talk to you. Now, will you open this door? She has a pass key, Jimmy. All right. All right, Mrs. Gordon. Just let me get some clothes on. I didn't know what to do. I knew that she was determined to come in. Mrs. Gordon has a nosy old woman. But she meant well. She'd taken it upon herself to mother Helen and me since the first minute she laid eyes on us. And we'd had a time keeping her out of the apartment with her pots of jam and her bowls of soup. What do we do, Jimmy? Helen, take him by the feet. No. Helen, take him by the feet. We started half dragging, half carrying him towards the bedroom. The rug slipping along the floor as we moved. We'd just gotten into the bedroom and then... We can't leave him here. She might come into the bedroom. Quick, the bathroom. What if she comes in here? Pull back those shower curtains. Jimmy, we can't. Don't argue. Pull them back. Jimmy, I can't get his legs in. Here, I'll double them up. There. Now pull the curtains together. Look at my rug. Has there been a fight? Just a minute, Mrs. Gordon. Jimmy. Get me a razor out of the medicine chest. What are you going to do? Never mind. Stay where you are. I'm coming, Mrs. Gordon. Well, just as I suspected. You've been fighting. You've hurt yourself. Here, let me see your hand. It isn't bad, Mrs. Gordon. No wonder you didn't want me to come in. Where's Helen? She's out. She hasn't been here all evening. Here, let's look at your hand. It isn't bad, Mrs. Gordon. You let me see that hand. There. Jimmy, this is a bad gash. Have you disinfected it? Yes, I have. Well, let me bandage it for you. No, this towel's all right. It's not all right. Wear your bandages and things in the bathroom. No, no. I don't have any. You're just saying that, Jimmy Barton, because you don't want to be bandaged. You're not fooling me. And I'm going right into the bathroom and get some. No, not the bathroom. I mean, I don't have any. Well, I'll just see for myself. No, no, Mrs. Gordon. Jimmy, you've gripped blood all over this floor. Here, let's look in this medicine closet. There. I knew it. Here's some tape and some gauze, too. Mrs. Gordon, can't we do this in the living room? No, we'll do it right here. Now, here's some alcohol. Put your hand over here. We stood there, and she bandaged me. And I kept wondering where Helen had gone. And then I saw the shower curtain move slightly. And I knew, for a moment, I thought Mrs. Gordon had seen it move, too. Jimmy, just look at that shower curtain. Yes. Goodness, you smeared that with blood, too. I'd better clean things up before Helen gets home. You'll scare the life out of me. I'll clean it up, Mrs. Gordon. You've done enough. Thanks very much for taking care of this hand. Well, all right, if you don't want me to. Now you'd better get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Jimmy. Good night, Mrs. Gordon. Jimmy. Shh, Helen. Oh, I had to hide someplace. It was terrible. Oh, no. It was the only thing you could do. Oh, yes. She's gone tomorrow, so you'll have to be out of here early. It's hard enough getting painters these days without making them wait for my tenants to get up. All right, Mrs. Gordon. I'll be out first thing in the morning. Good night. Good night. I'll have to get him out of here. Yeah. Where are we taking him? I don't know. I've got to think. Helen, you try and rest. Jimmy, let me get to the police. Let me tell them that I did it. Let me tell them what he was. They won't do anything to me. No, no. You try and rest. What time is it? About six. Well, I've got two hours before the painters get here. What are you going to do? Well, there's the car. No one will see us if we take him through the service porch into the garage. Then what? I don't know, but that'll get him out of here anyway. I think I can do it alone, Helen. Listen, Jimmy, we're in this mess because of me, and I'm going to help you. I'm going to help you. For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you Elliot Reed in Dead of Night. Roma Wines' presentation tonight in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills, Suspense. Presented by Roma, R-O-M-A. Roma Wines, those better tasting wines that come from California's finest vineyards to enrich your table, to enhance the hospitality of your home. To bring you better tasting wine, Roma selects and presses California's choicest grapes. Then Roma Vintners with ancient skill and winemaking resources, unmatched in America, guide this sun-drenched grape treasure unhurriedly to tempting taste perfection. These fine wines are placed with other Roma wines of years before. And from these reserves, the world's greatest reserves of fine wine, Roma later selects for your enjoyment. Now you can enjoy the premium quality of your favorite Roma-California wine at savings up to 20%. Tomorrow as a special after-dinner treat, try Rich Roma Port or Mellow Muscatel. Be sure to ask for Roma, America's favorite wine. And now Roma Wines bring back to our Hollywood Soundstage Elliot Reed as Jimmy Barton with Kathy Lewis as Helen in Dead of Night, a tale well-calculated to keep you in suspense. When I went into the bathroom, the shower curtains were standing open. His legs had slipped from their cramped position and they'd pushed themselves into the room. He sat there with his head twisted down in his chin digging into his chest. I took a washcloth and I... It was awful. I wiped the blood off his face. Just in case anyone saw us, they might think he was just sick. Then I tried to lift him, but I slipped and his head made a hollow sound as it thumped down on the shower floor. Helen helped me get him into the luggage compartment of the car. Where are we going, Jimmy? Helen, won't you stay in the apartment, please? No, I couldn't. I'm going with you. All right, come on. Lucky it's so foggy. What time is it? Five or seven. The fog will be clearing soon. It'll be harder getting him out of the car than... Jimmy, Jimmy, there's a Santa Monica pier. You can drive cars out to the end of it. Maybe we can... Yeah, it's worth a try anyway. We'll have to act fast and fog's clearing. You stay here. I can manage alone this time. I'll help you, Jimmy. You stay here this time. All right. Call me if you need me. I'll go around to the back. Keep your eyes open. All right. Someone's coming. Who is it? I can't see it. Jimmy, it's a policeman. What? It's a policeman! Jimmy! It's Slugger Vanda. He's patrolman on the pier. Hello, Slugger. Well, when do you get your sleep, Jimmy? While you're working? Yeah, Slugger. But I couldn't seem to remember if I'd locked up the old shooting gallery. So I came over this morning to have a look around. Oh, I see. Uh, this is my sister, Slugger. Hello, and this is Slugger Vanda. How do you do? Hello. Well, you're an early riser, too, huh? Yes. Well, the fog's clearing up. Looks like we're going to get some sun today, appreciate it. Yeah. Well, I guess I'll be getting back. I think I'll try and catch a few more hours' sleep. So long. Yeah, so long! Oh, say! Say, Jimmy! Yeah? Say, Jim, I have to take my wife over to a nursery today and pick up some plants and stuff, and I don't have a trunk on my car. Let me use your car. Why, you have to drive me over to Malibu this afternoon, Jimmy. Yeah, I'd forgotten. Well, you can drive over in my car. How's that? Well, you see... Your brother thinks I'll wreck that beautiful car? Oh, it isn't that, Slugger. Okay, then, okay. I'll be over about noon. I'll leave my car for when I get back. I won't be home at noon, Slugger. Well, then I'll mention the entrance to the pier. How's that? All right, Slugger. Okay! Why'd you say you'd meet him? Oh, if I don't, he'll go over to the apartment looking for you, I mean for us, and I don't want a policeman going over there. Oh. As we drove along the ocean, the fog cleared up rapidly. It was almost eight o'clock, and some kids were already out on the beach playing around. Then I saw a group of early picnickers. They were unloading their blankets and umbrellas and things. I guess it was from them that I got the idea. From seeing them. Listen, Helen, I'm gonna let you out of this car. You can't help me with what I have to do now. No, Jimmy, I'm staying with you. Don't argue, Helen. I'm not leaving you, Jimmy. We can't go back to the apartment with the painters there, and we can't leave him in the car. Slugger's liable to see us and pin us down to using it. There's only one place left. Where, Jimmy? Helen, get out of this car. Do you hear? Well, but Jimmy, I... I haven't time to argue with you. I... Get out. I won't do it, Jimmy. Yes, you will. If I have to push you out... Jimmy, you're hurting me. There! Now go back to the apartment. Get off that running board, Helen. I can't leave you alone, Jimmy. I want to help you. I'm not blaming you for killing him, Helen. But now you've got to do as I say. What? What did you say? I don't blame you for what you did. He deserved it. But now you've got to help me handle things. Jimmy, you've got to let me explain. Goodbye, Helen. Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy! Out of the mirror. She kept calling me. I drove on as fast as I could. I knew that what I was gonna do was one chance in a million. But I knew I had to take it. And I didn't want her to be part of it. If I could keep him on the beach that whole day, then maybe I'd be able to get rid of him one night, Phil. It wasn't until after I stopped that I realized I'd driven right back to a strip of beach not far from the apartment. I had my swimming shorts and a blanket and a towel in the car. And I got out. I looked around carefully. And then I opened the luggage compartment. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. But I started taking his clothes off. I managed to get my shorts onto him. Lucky we were pretty near the same size. Then I closed the door. And I went out onto the beach. And I spread my blanket out on the sand. And I went back for him. When there were no cars in sight, I carried him over to where I'd spread my blanket. And I placed him on it, face down, with his hands folded over his head as though we were sunbathing. Then I spread my towel out a short distance from him. And I laid down on it. And I tried to look relaxed. People didn't start to arrive until about an hour later. And gradually, little groups of Sunday there started to form. He and I, we looked no different from the others. No one paid any attention to us. And I was beginning to feel that everything was going to be easy once it was dark again. But... Hello, Mrs. Gordon. Where's Helen? Isn't she in the apartment? Well, no. And what time did you go out this morning? I couldn't sleep. They didn't Helen come in at all last night? Oh yes, yes she did. But she left early, too. Said she was going into Los Angeles. Oh, and I left her a note to tell her I was going down the beach today. I was so worried about her. Say the painters came, Jimmy. And everything's a mess. You know, I think I'll just sit here with you for a while. You're, uh, you're not with anyone, are you? No. No, I'm not. I wish I brought some oil along. Looks like it's going to be a hot day. These things, these days, it start off foggy or deceiving, you know? Yeah. Yeah, they are. This is a real treat for me, Jimmy. I never get out on the beach. I think I'll have a nice day of rest for a change. Later we can get some sandwiches. The treat's on me. Well, Mrs. Gordon, no. I hadn't planned on spending the day at the beach. Oh, did he be good for you, Jimmy? Not healthy for a boy you're raised to be working all night and sleeping all day. But Mrs. Gordon, I... Say, Jimmy, do you know that man over there? Which one? That one right there. No. I don't know him. Well, he's lying so still. His back's going to get an awful burn. Yeah. You suppose he's asleep? Say, it isn't good to sleep in the side. And will the painters be finished by this afternoon? I hope so. You know, a person can get an awful burn on a day like this. Somebody ought to speak to him. Mrs. Gordon, wouldn't you like to go for a walk? Oh, I'm not one for walking. You can go ahead if you like. Well, I... Come on, Dick, pitch it over here. Oh, those kids. You children, stop that. You're getting sand all over me. Sorry, lady. There's no need to play ball here. There's a playground over by the pier. I don't pay no attention to her. She don't own the beach. Pitch it over here. Oh! Now, see what they've done. They've hit that poor man. Now they'll get what's coming to them. Mrs. Gordon, are you sure you don't want to go up and get some sandwiches or something? I'll stay and... Not until I see those two hoodlums get what they deserve. Look at that. Ball's right in the crook of that man's arm. He's pretending he's asleep. He's not going to hand it to them. But just wait till they reach for it. He'll give them something besides their ball. What are you waiting for, Dickey? It's our ball. Just take it. Go on, take it. Here, I'll get it. Thanks, Mr. Boyle. Hey, he's cold. What did you say? He's cold, lady. His arm's like ice. I just touched it. Why don't you... Well, you probably hurt him. Our little ball like this couldn't hurt nobody. Well, nevertheless, it did. Here, let's have a look. And then she started moving toward him. I knew it was useless to try and stop her. And she reached over and put her hand on his back. And suddenly she was screaming. Just imagine it! Just imagine it! Before long, there was a crowd of people around us. And someone called the police. I wanted to run, but I knew that would be the wrong thing to do. So I stayed there, numb like watching things. And then they started questioning everyone. Mrs. Gordon was first. But he'd been there all morning. I came early and he was here already, just like that, with his face down, just like he was Sunday. Now, was there anyone else around when you arrived? Well, yes, Jimmy was here. He was here all alone with him, weren't you, Jimmy? Yes. Yes, I was. Doesn't anyone know the man? Hey, I told you kids to keep away. Do you hear? Oh, we discovered him, didn't we? If it hadn't been for us, you... Yeah! Look at his fingernail. See the child's right, Officer. Now, what's that? Now, let's see. It looks like powder or something flaky. Are you sure none of you people around here recognize him? Well, I've never seen him. Officer! That blanket he's lying on, it's from my motel. See? It's stamped right under where you moved his hand. See side motor cabins. You sure he wasn't registered? I'm positive. Is there anyone around here from your motel? Look, look, Jimmy. Here comes Helen. She's crying. Ask if there's anybody around here from your motel. Well, yes. Yes, Jimmy Barton here and that girl. She's his sister. They've been with us for several weeks. And suddenly everyone was looking at me and at Helen as she ran towards us. And like a fool, I too started to run in Helen's direction to ward her off. I didn't get far though for someone caught me by the arm. Jimmy, I've been looking all over for you. Don't say anything, Helen. Let me do the talking. Don't say anything. When you forced me out of the car this morning, you said you didn't blame me for having killed him. Helen, be still. Don't... Jimmy, I didn't kill him. I thought you had. I was helping you get rid of him because I thought you'd done it. Helen. Are you telling the truth? I swear it, Jimmy. See, Helen, I were quarreling. He'd been taking something. And Jenny was just like he was crazy. And I knew there'd be trouble when you came home from work. So I got out the back wing. I went looking for you on the pier. I couldn't find you. I went back to the apartment. I thought I'm on the floor. I thought you'd... But Helen, why didn't you say so? You didn't get me a chance, Jimmy. You just took it for granted that I... Then who did kill him, Helen? That's what I'm trying to tell you. Nobody killed him. What are you talking about? I went to the apartment a little while ago to wait for you. And while I was there, I remembered about Phil last night. How strange he'd acted, Jimmy. And how he'd almost fallen several times while we were quarreling. And then I saw the gas heater, Jimmy. There was a sharp edge on the top of it with blood on it. He must have fallen. He must have... But Helen, we've no way of proving that. There was something else, Jimmy. The wall above the heater was scratched. There might be fingerprints. There might be... Officer, that flaky stuff you found under his fingernails, that might have been plastered. I think we'd better get down to the station. Oh, Jimmy, they've got to believe us. Don't cry, Helen. As long as we know that we didn't do it, that's all that matters. Everything's gonna be all right. Don't cry anymore. Well, that's about it. Lucky for us, everything checked pretty well back at the motel, and the autopsy showed he was full of some kind of drug. They call it highly toxic. But I guess it was really Mrs. Gordon who saved our necks for us. Besides talking so loud and so long that they'd have probably acquitted us just to be rid of her, she did dig up a witness who'd heard Helen and Phil quarreling and who'd seen Helen leave alone after he threatened her. Well, everything's all right now. Helen and I are beginning to forget. But it's Mrs. Gordon who's making quite a nuisance of herself on the beach these days as she goes along poking all the sunbathers and asking if they're sure they're all right. We're here from the star of tonight's show, Mr. Elliot Rhee. Thank you very much. It was a great pleasure to appear on tonight's broadcast of Suspense. For the next three weeks, Suspense will originate from New York when you will hear Eva Legalion, Alan Baxter, and Gloria Swanson. Good night. Tonight's Suspense play was written by Mel Dinelli. Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Ms. Eva Legalion as star of Suspense, produced by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California. Among Americans whose wine sellers are superbly stocked, the choice is C-R-E-S-T-A B-L-A-N-C-A Cresta Blanca Cresta Blanca Yes, the best. Serve Cresta Blanca California wines from the finest of the vines. As the perfect prelude to dining or for distinguished entertaining, serve a Cresta Blanca sherry. They're among the great sherrys of the world, and there's one for every taste, every occasion. Your dealer features these famous sherrys, as well as other choice Cresta Blanca wines, at unusually attractive prices. Shenly's Cresta Blanca Wine Company, Livermore, California. Listen to Suspense next week, same time, same station. This is CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.