 Another tale well-calculated to keep you in Suspense We bring you bitter grapes a story written for suspense by Milton Geiger It's a very big drugstore, and it has everything. I Wanted to be big Because I want to be small and unnoticed. I Want to be invisible in my wretchedness. I Want to crawl into silence and oblivion Want to finish my last days in peace Today when I saw dr. Quillen again, I was sure I'm going to die He tried to be casual, but I know I Took the prescription to the huge drugstore Not that I wanted to live I Just wanted to live long enough to make sure that I had killed Warren This will take about ten minutes mr. Blake now will you wait for it? Tell me what's that medicine supposed to be for? That's really for your doctor to say never mind. I know what it's for You used to have one of those little booths here where where people could make records of their voice You're right behind the magazine is mrs. Blake. Oh, oh, yes You drop a half dollar in the slot and record a three-minute message and drop the record in the lockbox Yes, yes. Thank you so much now Drop half dollar in slot Pull lever Speak clearly and evenly into microphone Yes, my dearest Warren You have the note I left for you about the food I left for you in the refrigerator Don't look for me You see Warren, I've known all along about that woman. You've been seen Coming home so very late to our little ranch home. We once loved Giving me your weak absurd excuses. Oh Why Warren when we were so happy together? It's all gone our vines have bitter grapes now Remember darling Remember how you used to read to me from the song of songs, which is Solomon's? Let me see thy countenance my beloved Let me hear thy voice The sweetest I voice and thy countenance is coming Remember you've read my note by now Telling you to take the food I left for you in the refrigerator and As you listen to this record You're a dying man The food was poisoned Only I can tell the doctors what the poison was in time to save him. I'm dying and I want you to die. I'm so sorry Warren darling All the little foxes that spoil our vineyard Bye my darling. I Had to do it You are this is Blake and notice the directions on the label carefully one tablet morning and night for 30 days Then one tablet only after breakfast. How much is that please that's two dollars and seventy five cents for 100 tablets You can get the prescription refilled five times without another prescription from your doctor 100 tablets. Yes, ma'am Refilled five times. Mm-hmm, but that's That's that's almost a year's medication, but that's give me some change. I've got to use your telephone right away I must ask you a blunt question. I I told you in your office an hour ago that I've been feeling worse lately Our sense of impending death. Then I was right. I am going to die Admit it. Tell me I'm going to die But that's impossible All set mrs. Blake. I put your medicine in this envelope. It's quite a small pile about that record I just made in your booth. Oh, it'll be picked up and stamped downtown. This is Blake I know but what I just spoke to somebody on the phone and and now the message on my record sounds just too ridiculous I'd like to get it back, please. I'm afraid I can't help you there, mrs. Blake. It's my record, isn't it? Yes, I want it back. Well, it isn't our machine the man who collects the records has the key All right, when are the records collected then? The man isn't you until around noon tomorrow. I can't wait until then. I couldn't bear it I mean I I've made plans to go east and they can't be changed. I'm sorry Sorry, I wander among the shelves of pot scourers and light bulbs and whatnot and Find a heavy screwdriver. I Go into the record booth again Close the door right at the box that holds the records Then the cover shape morning mrs. Blake I thought you'd be on your way east this morning. I had to cancel So I thought I might as well come back and pick up that record. You said the service man will be here at noon Oh, he's already been here in here But you told me he wouldn't be here until noon I know but somebody tried to Jimmy the record box yesterday shortly after you left and the man had to come out early This morning fix it somebody Jimmy Are you all right, this is play Can I stop my record before they put it in the mail? Can I telephone them to and stop them? It's important. You might try the magazine standard as the number Mr. Debit, I'm calling from the Gold Coast pharmacy. I'm a customer. Mr. Debit I made a record on your machine here yesterday, and I have to have it back Important. I'm taking a taxi right away. I'm looking for a mr. Debit You got him. I phoned you an hour ago about my record. Yeah, the records are going out lady But I told you I couldn't hold a money longer lady. All right. Where did you mail them? Not me? Leonard who is Leonard look lady now? Don't take it out on me What happened to come under your head to put on a record? Where did Leonard mail the records? Hey, you got me. But don't you know with a million boxes around ask Leonard Well, we're easy. Well, this is his day at the races. He's gone for the day I don't know what to do What shall I do? Well, I I don't know what's in this here record you send the party you send it to and I sent it to my husband Wouldn't the postman give me the record if I wait for him at the collection box? Not a chance How far does the record go? I mean on miles About 60 miles. It's okay. You just be waiting for the mailman when he delivers your mail. That's all that's simple I didn't send it to our home I wanted to make very sure that nobody but my husband could hear it. I Said it to his box number in that case lady. You are but dead. Don't say that of course there Might be one chance Tell me we put the records in a big cardboard box and park them on top of the mailbox That way we don't hog the whole mailbox to ourselves, but you don't know which box That's the heck of it. Ain't there Well, are you gonna do lady check them all all right driver Now try cruising up and down the north-south streets and and slow down at the corners Are you sure you know what you're doing ma'am the meter says $11.40 and we ain't one mile from where you started now Are you sure wait wait driver? I see it stop here $11.40 I'll pay you later. Wait for me, please. Oh, no, no, no I'll hold the flag, but I got to get paid now for what you owe me I can't find my money purse right now I've got to get to that mailbox before that mail truck on the next corner gets to it absolutely not ma'am now I'm sorry, please. I know I've got the money someplace Take my wristwatch, please. It'll be too late. No lady. No driver. I promise you I give you my word Let me off here and drive around the block and pick me up again. We'll take it from there, please All right once around the block and you'll be there at the next mailbox. I promise. Okay, lady Thank you The mail truck is inching toward me through traffic hurry. I Riffle through the envelopes in the cardboard box on top of the mailbox Blake Warren Blake I'm just a secretary who was mis-addressed an envelope and is casually recovering it Casually my heart is hammering And then suddenly Blake Warren Blake I have it I have it And I met the curb and there goes my taxi around the corner for me You see driver, I didn't run away did I You see my money purse slipped into the cuff of one of my gloves. You see here. All right fine Where to now? Oh well first first I want to stop at some music store where I can render a portable record player I know just the place for a portable record player and then I want to go to my hotel. I want to listen to something I've got to make sure Turn table speed for 33 and a third revolutions per minute so Start my dearest Warren my dearest wife What I hope you're back home by now in our little old ranch house listening to this record of my voice Horan how I I don't know how to begin Let's see. It's the wrong Warren how I ought to be happiest you see our Our money problems are all over suddenly Well those were the only problems we ever had together weren't they no Warren they weren't But you see I I never wanted to tell you what I was up to being out late at night coming home at all hours Perfume clinging to your coat, but I had a secret Lorna. Yes, I couldn't talk to you about it I knew you trusted me and believed in me, so I I just told you I was working late period So I poisoned you period. I just avoided your questions as well as I could But isn't until I could be sure sure of what the other woman this morning I got home late out all night again, of course Why I found your note with your instructions about taking the food in the refrigerator and I warmed up the stuff and reduce it Nothing but bones and crumbs and a greasy spot on the plate. Thanks, honey I am worried though I Didn't like the tone of your letter When you didn't show up I decided to call dr. Cullen in the city. He said you've just been there. Yes, dear He said you telephone to with some ridiculous premonition that you were going to die Honey, that's silly because now we're all set. You've got it made at last Indeed You know my boss's daughter is married to that aircraft executive, don't you? Well, well Barbara Barbara Well, that is Mrs. Aircraft Executive. I took a liking to my work Asked me to take a crack at designing a house for her and Mr. Aircraft Executive Is that all she took a liking to Warren? Well, ma'am She liked the plan so well she showed them to her husband and he liked them so well He's just commissioned me to design a new jet engine laboratory for the company So that's where your wandering boy has been these long nights Now it can be told. I've been working with Barbara Aircraft Executive So I'd get just what her husband likes in a home and a plant and hit the jackpot Warren I didn't want to raise your hopes until I was sure I came home full of the big news Then I found that note of yours Started to get real worried Give me I decided to drive into the city and well then I trace you to that big drug store Where you get your prescriptions filled. Oh, give me druggist said you've been there. All right Said you've used the record-making machine. They've got there. Oh, I thought it'd be a nice idea to use it myself How am I coming over honey? This is the Columbia broadcasting system Darling No fooling though, Lorna Are you okay? Oh, forgive me. I keep phoning you with the ranch, but no answer I'll keep on trying to reach you, but I want to get this into the record. Have you got a pencil and paper handy in my purse? Wait, yes, you ready ready darling. I take this down Reading two three one one Got it. Are you two three one one reading two three one one That's the telephone number of the hospital. I'm going to be in in town hospital Feeling queasy since I ate that stuff you left for me no criticism intended Oh Warren probably just the excitement and strain. I've been under sweating out this big thing Anyway, the doctors at suburban general are going to start tests as soon as I check in. Yes, ma'am That's that's about all tests will take too long. I don't have enough record left to say Anything more than I love you darling. Oh, I love you. I Love you. Oh my dove that are in the clefts of the rock in the cover to the cliff Let me see that Let me hear that voice Remember. Oh, forgive me. Oh, there goes the red light times up. Oh, no. I'll be seeing you, baby Now remember the number reading two three one one. I love you Warren Warren you'll die. I Didn't know I didn't understand I Was ill and desperate and I loved you so Forgive me Poisoned the food Forgive me Save him. Tell his doctors what I gave him ready reading to Off the line this is an emergency No, there isn't time It this is this is Warren Blake I must talk to mr. Blake at once Let me see my captain Let me hear my voice Warren Let me hear my book. Let me love darling. I'm fine Don't talk darling Let me talk to your doctor darling right away You've been listening to better grapes written for suspense by Milton Herd in tonight's story were Rita Lloyd as Lorna and Phil Meder as Warren Others in the cast included Arthur Cole Edwin Wolf Terry Keen John Seymour and Edgar Staley