 In just a moment, Autolite presents Suspense with John Garfield. Hello, Mr. Wilcox. Well, hello, Mary. Where's Hap tonight? Anaheim, Azusa, or Kukamaga? Oh, no, Mr. Wilcox. He's giving a speech at his club tonight. And he was scared to death, too. Didn't know what to talk about. Well, why doesn't he talk about those bang-up, bonus-built Autolite-stay-full batteries? Why, by Cornelius, he could talk a whole evening about them. Poor Autolite-stay-full batteries have got something that practically eliminates a major cause of battery failure. You know what it is? Why, sure, they have... No, no, no, no. Please, don't steal my thunder, Mary. Autolite-stay-full batteries have an extra-large liquid reserve, which means, in plain old Wilcox language, that Autolite-stay-full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use. Why, by Cornelius, everybody ought to get an Autolite-stay-full battery. They'd be enthralled, enthused, enthrilled. Enthrilled? Oh, no, Mr. Wilcox, but shh, here comes suspense. Suspense. Autolite and its 60,000 dealers and service stations bring you Radio's outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Starting tonight, Mr. John Garfield in Anton Leader's production of Death Sentence. A tale well-calculated to keep you in. Suspense. It's hard to tell where it first started. It was six months ago that I nabbed a killer, Maxie Dunn, and cashed in 15,000 in reward money. Sure, I knew that Maxie worked for Lou Cromwell, but the killing was a private affair, so I didn't think Lou would be upset. Right after I got the killer, I took a small job that meant going to Brazil. But the trouble started before then. By the time Maxie Dunn was arrested, the chips were down and the wheel was already spinning. Anyway, that's how Lou Cromwell would put it. Lou would know because he knows his gambling. He runs the gambling in this town, along with a lot of other things. I hadn't been back in town ten minutes when I ran into Brad Cummings, local columnist in front of a region hotel. Well, well, well, you're back in town. How are you, Tommy? Hello, bro. How's the column? Oh, great, great. Don't even have to write it anymore. I'm reusing last year's stuff. Say, Tommy, I'm just going to a cocktail party in the hotel. Come along. Whose party? He'll be surprised to see me. Oh, you'll love it, Tommy. Come on. OK, let's go to your party. Well, it doesn't look like Lou's shown up yet. Well, what's he celebrate? Well, he hasn't said yet. Say, why'd you come back, Tommy? Oh, I should not. It's a nice town. Sure, except when Lou Cromwell doesn't want it to be. Meaning? Oh, nothing much. I'm only a columnist, Tommy. And like I said, I'm using last year's news, so I'm still interested in Maxie Dunn. Oh, it's a dull story, bruh. The cops couldn't find Maxie, so the widow of the guy he killed hired me. I dug up a tip on Maxie's hideout and brought him in. There happened to be a 15 grand reward, so I had myself a custom billed vacation. I guess I was just born lucky. Lou may think you ought to die the same way. I can take care of myself. Besides, why should Lou worry about it one way or the other? Well, you have done some work for him. Well, sure, sure. I'm a private investigator. I work for anybody who'll pay me as long as the job's on the level. And those I did for Lou were, too. You don't have to argue with me, Tommy. But I told you a year ago not to get mixed up with Lou. A man has to pick one side of the fence and stay there. He can't play on both sides. I don't know, Brad. I've done pretty well at it. Until now. But Maxie was Lou's right hand, so I don't think he liked it. So he didn't like it. In the meantime, I'll... Tommy! Oh, hello there, Maxie. Tommy. Lou wants to see you. Well, how did he not... Okay, never mind. Where is he? Not here. He wants to see you across the street. In his office. Well, let's go. Back in a few minutes, Brad. Have a drink for me. Sure, Tommy. Sure. I'll, uh, drink to your health. Well, Tommy, nice to have you back with us. Nice to be back, Lou. Seems to me you heard pretty fast about me being in town. You know how it is, Tommy. People drop in here and gossip and I hear things. Sit down. Thanks. Cigarette? Sure. Have a nice vacation? Good enough. I guess you're just naturally lucky, Tommy. Long vacation and 15 grand to spend. Now me? I didn't get a vacation. I had to work pretty hard and it cost plenty trying to save Maxie Dunn. Now it's very inconvenient finding someone to take his place. Well, if you're offering me the job, I'm not interested. I'm glad to see you haven't changed. But seriously, Tommy, you shouldn't have turned Maxie in. Well, I'm sorry I inconvenienced you. No, it's not only that. You know how it is in this racket? Either you keep rolling sevens and stay on top or you're on the bottom. It, uh, don't look so good for me to let one of my boys take a ramp. He had it coming. Possibly. Maxie was dumb to pull that personal job. But if I let you come in and grab off my boys, somebody will start thinking that Lou Cromwell is slipping. Oh, I never thought of that, Lou. Uh, what's the pitch? And let's see. Maxie goes to the gas chamber in seven days. That's just how long you have to live, Tommy. What? Lou, you're punchy. Maybe. But you and Maxie are going out together. Now look. You've got seven days, Tommy. No more. You can take care of the job yourself then or we'll handle it for you when the time's up. Play it your own way. I could get the DA in my corner. I don't think so, Tommy. You and I have just had a friendly talk. Nobody's made any threats. Besides, you won't win playing that way. Maybe. And maybe there are other ways to play. Not this time. You know, I like you, Tommy. Ordinarily, I'd even like to see you win. But once in a while, the house has to rake in a few chips to stay in business. Yeah, but you better tell the house man to keep his foot off the break. I'm playing to win, Lou. I knew you wouldn't. That makes it more interesting. I get tired of playing with plain suckers. Well, I got a party across the street. Care to come along? I've already been there. It's not much of a party. It'll get better. I'll see you around, Tommy. Don't start brooding about the seven days. Make the most of them. Oh, you need any money? No, thanks. I'll make out all right. Good. Go out and have some fun. It's a great life, Tommy. As long as it lasts. For suspense, Auto Light is bringing you Mr. John Garfield in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills, Suspense. Say, Mary, let me tell you about a most wonderful experience I had this afternoon. Why, sure, Mr. Wilcox. Well, I drove my car into a nearby service station and the attendant, new man, you see, he said, uh, check your battery, mister? Well, by Cornelius, this is the chance I've been waiting for ever since my grandfather traded his horse for a Stanley steamer. Young man, I says. That gorgeous hunk of battery you're looking at is an Auto Light Stayful. Why, that Auto Light Stayful battery hasn't needed a drop of water for months. And I'll bet you a $40 fedora. It doesn't need water now any more than a goldfish needs a raincoat. Did he take your bet, Mr. Wilcox? I should say not. Bub, he says to me, you can't trick me. I'm an Auto Light dealer. Well, I'd rather bet a barrel of bucks on a three-legged horse than bet an Auto Light Stayful battery needs water. What's more, says he, that Auto Light Battery is built to last longer than batteries without Stayful features. It's got oversized electrical capacity, plus fiberglass insulation, and it's one of over 400, automotive, aviation, and marine parts made by the Auto Light people in their 26 nationwide plants. Chew on that a while, mister. He says to me, imagine the nerve of this guy, Mary, stealing my sales talk, me, Harlow A. for Auto Light Wilcox. Well, you just go feel sorry for yourself, Mr. Wilcox, while I listen to suspense. And now Auto Light brings back to a Hollywood soundstage Mr. John Garfield has Tommy Cochran in death sentence, a tale well-calculated to keep you in. Suspend. Seven more days to live. I wouldn't admit it to Lou, maybe not even to myself, but it was almost that simple. Sure I could go to the police, but I didn't have any proof that Lou was out to kill me. And I knew that sooner or later, no matter where I went, one of Lou's boys would catch up with me. As I rode down in the elevator, I kept remembering one of Lou's gang who turned state's evidence once and got off with three years. Ten days after the guy checked into the big house, he was knifed to death in the prison yard, and they never found out who did it. That's the way Lou operated. Patient, deadly. Well, there wasn't any point of making plans with a guy like that. I'd pretend to follow his advice about having a good time. All I could do was keep on my toes and watch for an opening. Main floor, sir. This is as far as we go. Oh, thanks. It's about as far as I go, too. I didn't know just where I was going for the first stop, but sometimes it's better if you just play it off the cuff. I guess I was still thinking of the next spin of the wheel as I walked out of the building. I didn't even notice the taxi standing at the curb of the... Hey, why don't you look where you're going? Oh, I'm sorry. I hope I didn't hurt your traveling case. No, but I thought you were going to stumble right off the curb. I guess I was thinking... Say... What? Yeah, beautiful. Well... I hope you'll live forever. Thanks. I'll try to. Yeah. If you find out how... let me know, will you? Where you going? Well, now, really. No, I mean the traveling case there. The Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara, huh? Well, that's not a bad idea. Tell me something. If you had just one week, where would you go? Well, I do have about a week, and I'm still going to Santa Barbara. All right, honey. Thanks for the idea. Maybe I'll run into you again. You must... Hey, that guy bothering you? Oh, hello, Muxie. Look, will you be a darling and help me bring these bags up to Lou's office? I threw a few things into a bag and headed for Santa Barbara. Seemed like a good place to wait for that opening. Lou would never think of me going to a pleasure resort so near. Anyway, three hours after I left Lou's office, I was on a plane bound for Frisco. That's right, San Francisco. When I got there, I rode around for an hour and a half in three different taxis, then caught another plane out for Salt Lake. From there, I swung back to Santa Barbara, checked in at the Swank Ocean Club Hotel. I was pretty sure I'd shaken anybody who may have been watching me. I could count on maybe two days before Lou's boys caught up with me, and by that time, I might have a plan. I wandered around on the beach a while, keeping my eyes open for the other reason I had picked Santa Barbara, and then when I went inside, I saw her, sitting there at the bar. It was the same girl, and she was alone. Well, I beg your pardon. Hello there. Oh, it's you. So you did come to Santa Barbara. You told me, remember? I only suggested that... Yeah, I know I'm kidding. Mind if I join you? Please do. I'm Tommy Cochran. Tommy... Oh, hello Tommy. My name's Helen Ludlow. Helen, huh? Maybe it's silly, but I was feeling like a kid in the wrong school house until I saw you sitting there. I know that sounds like the usual one. No, I know what you mean. In fact, I felt the same way. Good. So now we're both happy. I guess we are. Are you here on vacation? Not exactly. I retired yesterday. What about you? I guess I retired too, in a way. I've seen you somewhere, Helen, but I just can't remember. Probably in his show. I'm a dancer. Sure, that's it. In the top of the roof. Last four of the... Uh-uh, bad guess. That was my kid's sister. She had a second lead in it. I'm strictly chorus. Strictly chorus? Well, you need a new manager. How about having dinner with me tonight and we'll talk about your career? Well, I don't know if I... All right. Good, it's a date. Look, Tommy, we met each other entirely by accident, but suddenly we're friends. I mean, really friends. At least I feel that way. Yeah, I know what you mean. Go on, Helen. But we don't know anything about each other, and that's the way it's got to be. I won't ask any questions, Tommy, and I can't answer any. If we keep it like that, then maybe everything will be all right. Okay, it's a deal. I don't even know why I feel this way. Tell me if you find out. After all, I'm not a kid 16 years old. It just doesn't make sense. Yeah, I've known a couple of girls myself. What are you doing this afternoon, Tommy? Would you like to go horseback riding? Horse... Sure, why not? I've never been on a horse, though, but you can always pick me up. Then it's a date. Sure, how would you like a drink first? That's a wonderful idea. A drink to the present. No past, no future. So Helen and I rode horseback in the afternoon, had dinner together, and then danced until early morning. It was great, except that it's hard to be with a girl like that and not talk about the future. I wanted her in my future, only I didn't have any. Maybe she sensed it. I hadn't seen any of Luz boys. I kept looking around, trying to spot them, thinking maybe the guy next to me might even be the one. I kept trying to forget them, and it wasn't too hard with Helen around. She was someone I'd been looking for all my life, and now maybe I'd found her too late. Every minute had to come, and I was still waiting for an opening. I got up early the next morning, Helen and I were going riding before breakfast, and for once I wasn't thinking about Luz and his boys, until I walked across the lobby of the hotel. Hello, Tommy. Huh? How are you? Ah! Hello, Luz. Keeping awfully late hours, Tommy. Or else you're up early. Maybe a little of both. What are you doing here, Luz? Checking in. I just got off the plane. But don't let it bother you, Tommy. You still have four days left. By the way, what room are you in? 425. Now that's coincidence. They gave me 427. You can knock on the wall whenever you get lonesome. I won't get that lonesome, Luz. Well, you never know. Anyway, let's not talk shop. Why not enjoy ourselves while we can? All right, why not? They tell me it's fatal to worry. I didn't see him again that day. Helen and I took that ride, went swimming in the afternoon, and then drove down the beach for dinner. The next day was about the same, except we ended up at the hotel for dinner and dancing, of course. Funny, I'd never cared much about dancing before. You know, you're very good at it, Tommy. Even terrific. Dancing? Uh-huh. Oh, I used to be a jiggler. Tommy, did you really? Yeah, no. I'm kidding, Helen. I've been a lot of things, Val. Yes, so have I. Anything besides wonderful? Everything but that. Things have been rough sometimes. Is that kind of a world? Well, it may not look it in a place like this, soft lights and white tablecloths, nice, clean people eating nice, clean food, but down underneath it's still rough. You can forget it, though, while the music keeps on playing. Yeah. How long are you planning to stay in Santa Barbara, Helen? Uh, about a week. You? A week? Why'd you come? I can't tell you. And please don't ask me any questions, remember? Let's enjoy it while we can. Yeah, well, let's eat. I wish it would last forever. I mean this week. Maybe this is forever, honey. Here we are. Oh, thanks, Tommy. What's this? You didn't order champagne, did you? No, I... They must have made it. Oh. I sent it over, Tommy. I thought you might like it. Nice of you, Lou. Thanks. Well, do I get to meet the lady or are you starting to hold out on your old friends? Helen, uh... This is, uh, Lou Cromwell, Miss Ludlow. I... How do you do? You two make a lovely couple. You both seem to be having a lot of fun out there in the dance floor. That's right, we were. I'm glad to hear it. Have all the fun you can while you're here. Hmm. Life's too short to waste any of it. Don't you think so, Tommy? Well, three more days went by. I was still on my toes, but nothing had opened. I was like a fighter whose opponent wouldn't come out of his corner. I spent every minute with Helen. We weren't kidding ourselves any longer. We knew this was the biggest thing that ever happened to us. We'd both been kicked around a lot, made mistakes, and played the game on a bluff, trying to get things we thought we wanted. And now we knew we had what we wanted. Only I knew how long it would keep. And there were times when I thought, Helen guessed it. Maybe it was because she didn't ask any questions, as though she already knew the answers. Finally, it was nearly noon of my sixth day. I had a date for an early lunch with Helen, so I walked down the hall to her suite. I guess I was about 10 feet away when her door opened. All right, honey. And we'll leave it that way. Just see that you deliver in two days. Thanks, though. I'll try it. Tommy. You haven't changed rooms. Have you, Lou? Tommy, it's all right. I knew Lou before I came here. That's right, Tommy. Helen and I are old friends. Oh, I thought I introduced you. That was just a little idea of mine. I've got to run along now, Helen, unless Tommy has something he'd like to talk over. No, Lou. Just run along real fast. Take it easy, Tommy. It may not make you live longer, but you'll be happier. See you around. Would you like to come in, Tommy? Thanks. All right, let's have it. How do you happen to know Lou Cromwell? Oh, Tommy doesn't everybody know Lou or know of him? Yes, but you know him. How come? Well, I was the dancer. I met him somewhere. You know how it is? Yeah, I know how it is. Why didn't you tell me the other night when he sent us a wine? He obviously didn't want me to, and I don't see how it mattered. What did he mean before about you delivering in two days? Tommy, Tommy, I can't tell. Why don't you leave it that way? I can't answer questions. You've got to, Helen. You know how I feel about it, Jenna. I thought you felt the same way. Oh, Tommy. It's too late now for that. No question stuff. I don't have the time. You've got to answer. Please try to understand, Tommy. I came here in the first place because of Lou because he forced me to. What do you mean he forced you? Because of my sister. What are you talking about? It's true, Tommy. She's just a crazy kid, and she got mixed up in something. Lou could make it tough for her if he wanted to. I mean really tough. Okay, so he forced you to come here. Why? To do something I didn't want to do, but that I had to. What? I can't tell you, Tommy. I didn't want to believe me. I have to, and that's all. All right. I believe you. Oh, Tommy. I guess we're the kind of people who never win, no matter what. Helen, I've done some pretty foolish things, been around a lot. I know what you mean. It's never been like this. I've never been in love with anybody before, like this. Well, that goes for me, too. Will you do something for me? Something important? What, darling? Marry me tonight. Tommy. Please, honey. I don't know. What do you say? I never wanted anything so much. And I ought to have just one thing I want. We both ought to. All right, Tommy, tonight. We were married at 8 o'clock, with a hotel musician playing Old Promise Me on a pint-sized organ. And then Helen went to a suite to change for dinner. At least, that's what she thought. But I had a different plan. I was going to make my own opening and take her along. Oh, I ordered the dinner all right and made a big noise about it in the dining room, and then I went straight to my room. A charter plane was already warmed up and waiting at the airfield. And I had a taxi at the rear door of the hotel. This was going to be a fast break. And I wasn't even taking any luggage. Nothing. Except Helen and me. And at 38 automatic, strapped on under my coat. It was about a half hour later, when I finally went down to Helen's suite to pick her up. She didn't answer. So I tried again. The door was unlocked. Helen. It's Tommy, Helen. She wasn't in the sitting room or the bedroom. So I finally opened the door to the bathroom. I looked around. But she wasn't in sight. And just as I started to leave, she fell. She'd been propped up in the tub behind the shower curtain. But she fell out hitting with a horrible limp sound. She was dead. Strangled. I stepped out and pulled the bathroom door shut using my handkerchief to wipe off the knob without even thinking. I didn't feel anything. Except maybe a numbness that still hit. Lou had seen how I felt about her. So he'd done this. Or had it done. I tried to burst the fog out of my eyes and think not about her lying in there. Or what might have been. No, I wasn't even thinking about my seven days. I had something else on my mind. Finally I stepped out into the hall and started for Lou Cromwell's room. But I had only gone a few steps when I heard two guys coming and they sounded like cops. I stepped into the hall in the closet and pulled the door shut. Something calls up and says this thing was just been killed. And we find a killer still there. I don't know. I got it then. Lou had not only killed Helen, he called the police and said I did it. It didn't take long to reach his room. Oh, it's you, Tommy. I thought it was one of the boys. It's me, Lou. I'm a little surprised at this visit, Tommy. Where's your new bride? Why'd you do it, Lou? You've already been there then. I thought you'd stick around longer after you found things. So the cops would get there? Well, something like that maybe. You didn't have to do it that way, Lou. Not to her. Why'd you do it? You mean you don't know? You should have gone back to that party with me last week. Why? I made the announcement that I was going to marry Helen Ludlow at the end of the week. So that's what you were forcing her to do. Oh, let's just say that I proposed and conditions were such that she accepted. When I got here she wanted a couple of more days and I gave it to her. But today she double-crossed me and married you. Two double-crosses. You can see the position that put me in, Tommy. It's bad for business. Don't you know about me? You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, she knew. I guess she thought the two of you could break the bank. Sure, Lou, you had to do it. But you made some mistakes. You made one... What's the gun for? Oh, I just feel more comfortable holding it this way, Tommy. Don't let it bother you, though. Go on. What were my mistakes? One of them was not thinking I'd come here to your room and find you alone. But the big one, the big one was when you killed Helen. You shouldn't have done that. Well, now, Tommy, don't let it get you down. Maybe I can fix it. It's too late now. We've all had our last chance. The way you'd put it, the bets are all down and the wheel's starting to slow up. Well, well... Maybe you can tell me what number it's stopping on, Tommy. Sure, Lou. The house takes everything. What? Double zero. Hello? Desk... Desklick? I'm a stranger in town. How do I find the chief of police? Thank you, John Garfield, for a splendid performance. Mr. Garfield will return in just a moment. You look all out of breath. Did suspense get you? Me? Out of breath? Why, I only need three breaths a year in normal Wilcox use. What? I mean, auto lights, stay full batteries need water only three times a year in normal car use. My, I'm glad you got that straightened out. Well, friends, here's something I'm really straightened out about. If you mean to make the most of your next battery buy, if you want to practically banish one cause of battery failure, then hide yourself down to your nearest auto light dealer brightened early tomorrow morning and get your car a brand new auto light, stay full battery. While your friendly auto light dealer will be downright delighted to put a wonderful, dependable auto light, stay full battery in your car. Don't delay. Get your ding dong daisy of an auto light, stay full battery right away. And friends, remember. Auto light means batteries. Stay full batteries. Auto light means spark plugs. Ignition engineered spark plugs. Auto light means ignition systems. The lifeline of your car. Now here again is Mr. John Garfield. It's been a great pleasure to appear here tonight with this great cast of suspense actors. And I'm expecting almost as much pleasure next Thursday when radio's outstanding theatre of thrills brings you Anne Blythe and Edmund O'Brien and Muddy Track. Another gripping study in... Suspense. John Garfield will soon be seen starred in the Roberts Production Force of Evil presented by Enterprise Studios and released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Tonight's suspense play was written by Lou Lusty and Les Crutchfield with music composed by Lucian Morawek and conducted by Lud Bluskin. The entire production was under the direction of Anton M. Lieder. In the coming weeks, suspense will present stars as Rosalind Russell, Agnes Moorhead and Ronald Coleman. Make it a point to listen each Thursday to... Suspense. Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills. And next Thursday, same time here Edmund O'Brien and Anne Blythe in Muddy Track. Suspense show. Drive as if your life depends on it. It does. Good night. Switch to auto light. This is CBS where 99 million people gather every week. The Columbia Broadcasting System.