 This kind of glass tube was pointing at Matt's body. When the switch went in, there was a whining noise. And then a white light shot out of it. I know you won't believe this. When it hit the body, it went all soft. It was just like the foams had gone out of it. It just went all soft and kind of poured off the chair and out of the floor. Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest, our fears the strongest, and our strength at its lowest end. Midnight, when the graves gape open and death strikes. How? You'll learn the answer in just a minute in The Heavy Death. Here at midnight, tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the macabre. Our story written by Robert Newman is a weird and fantastic nightmare called The Heavy Death. A road just outside the small town of Medford, running up at his face white and terror-stricken in the moonlight is a small, slight man. He pauses every once in a while, his breath whistling in his nostrils whistling, then runs on again. Finally, he's seeing the two green lights of the state police barracks in moans of relief. Runs in. Oh, thank god there's somebody here. I was afraid. Look, officer, you've got to get me away from here fast. Yeah, just a minute, Mac. Take it easy. Easy. You'll be here any minute. Come on after me. I've got to get away. I'll tell you. And I'm telling you to take it easy. Just wait till I get through talking to Dr. Carden here. Dr. Carden? Are you the Dr. Carden who lives in a big white house in the river? Oh, yeah. Well, then you can tell him it's true. Otherwise, he won't believe me. Nobody will. It was you who swiped a big glass thing from your laboratory. My tiger cultor. You stole it? Well, he made me do it. Oh, now, whoa. He's getting interesting. That's why Dr. Carden's here. You know anything about his assistant? Young chap named Mattson? Yeah. He's dead. He killed him. Mattson? Mattson dead? And maybe you better start from the beginning. Tell us the whole story. Yeah, but it did him the right time. He'd be coming after me. Oh, OK. Like I said, you won't believe it. My name's Sullivan. They called me Shale because I've come on with Brian's giant carnival. Weight guessing is my racket. But I turned my hand at almost anything you know, Shale, game three card, Monty. Well, we hit town about 10 days ago for a three-day stand. The first two nights was pretty quiet. The third one was when it happened. It was a pretty fair crowd around, and I was warming him up for some weight guessing. But maybe some side bets when he came up. OK, step up, step up, hurry up. And let's hope this, Sullivan, this shall wait. A cute little elephant, three pounds off, eat away. Now, what do you say, lady? Your weight's not like your age, you know. It always shows. What about you, sir? Guess you wait? Do you really think you can? Do I, Fig? Listen to him, folks. You bet your sweet life, brother. Oh, I have already. The question is, will you bet your sweet life? What? What do you mean? Look, do you want me to guess your weight or not, huh? On the terms, I outline why yes. I'll be glad to have you cry. Try, try, Sissy. OK, folks, here we go. Now let's see. A big man, a solid man. Every pair of arms, Ellum. I say, eh, 195 pounds. 195. And three pounds off, eat away, and you get a Cupid owl. Now, just sit right down here on the scale. There you are. Hey, what goes on here? You broke my scale? Yes. It only goes up to 350 pounds. 350? What have you got in your pockets? Would you like to look? No. No, I don't know how you did it, but more power to you, brother. When I lose that pain with a smile. Well, here's your Cupid. Thank you, no. That's not what we bet. What? What do you mean? I think you know what I mean. The carnival closes in about an hour. I'll be waiting. He went walking off slow and heavy. The crowd stood around for a couple of minutes, gaping at the broken scale and talking. Then they all decided it was some kind of a gag and went on and forgot about it. For me, I couldn't forget about it. Somehow, I didn't think it was a gag. There was something about him, the way he moved away, the way he talked, it scared the pants off me. I hung around for a while, getting my stuff together, and then I looked up Rube Thomas. Rube's a big guy. He used to be a wrestler, and he was just closing up his wheel of fortune. Hi, Rube. How are they going? Not bad for one horse town. How's it you? Not too bad. But some wise guy busted my scale. Busted your scale? Yeah. Well, Rube, that's why I come over. It was a queer duck. Just couldn't figure his pitch, but he said something about waiting for me when he closed up, so I thought he could. So you're tough. Maybe you should have some protection walking down to the station. That's a hot one. What is? Yeah, on your side, bitch. Well, don't worry about it. Ain't no one going to lay a finger on you when you're with Rube Thomas. Rube take down the wheel. Even then, we were about to last to leave the fairgrounds. We went out through the main gate. It was pretty dark, but I wasn't worried anymore. I'd never yet seen anybody Rube couldn't handle. Then I heard footsteps, slow and heavy ones, and then... There you are. And I've been waiting for you. Yeah? No kidding? Just a guy? Yeah. OK, Bob. What's the pitch? What's your racket? Racket? There's no racket. Your friend and I had a bet. I've come to collect. Yeah? Well, I'll tell you a funny thing about carnivals. When we pull up stakes and you're ready to go, all bets are off. I'm afraid this one can't be called off. You see, I need him. You need him? Yes. You bet your life. Remember? And you lost. You mean you... You're nuts. People who have thoughts so, but I'm not. Shall we go? No. No, I ain't got a rule. Take it easy, shall I? I told you all bets was off, mister. Now you're going to blow them. I'm going to have to get rough with you. I wouldn't if I were you. No. Well, and here's one just for luck. Oh, no, my hand. I warn you. I want you to break your bloody neck. I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. You won't believe this. Like you probably won't believe what happened afterwards. He didn't swing or anything. He just kind of dropped his fist on Rube's head. And he smashed on his skull like it hit him with a lead pipe. Well, Lord, you killed him. Yes. Shall we go? No, no, I... Look at me. Into my eyes. That's right. Now remember this. You're mine. Mine to do it exactly as I wish. And you do exactly what I wish. Do you want to stand? Yes. Yes. Yes. Good. Then let's go. Something happened. Happened to me at any minute. Something I ain't over yet. It wasn't just that I was scared. More scared than I've ever been in my life. It was something else. When I looked into his eyes, it was like I just plain didn't count that no one or nothing did. Then I just had to do whatever he wanted, whatever he said. We got in his car and drove to his fuel place, darkened. We stopped in front of it, and he pointed at a kind of low building behind it. That is Dr. Cardin's laboratory. He has something there I need, a Geiger counter. You're going in and get it for me. You mean swipe it? Yes. It would take too much time to make one of my own. And as I said, I need it. Now it's a long glass tube about this size with filaments inside it. Yeah, but suppose somebody sees me. Suppose somebody comes. Cardin's away in Washington with that childish atomic energy condition of theirs. There's only maps on his assistant, and he must be sleeping. If he should try and stop you, well, you'll have to take care of him. But remember, I want that Geiger counter. Like I said, it was like I was numb. Didn't have a mind of my own. I did it. Found an open window. Went in and got what he wanted. Brought it out to him. Didn't say a word. He just put it in the back of the car and we drove away. It was about a quarter of 12 we got to his place. Big ramblin' house at the foot of a mountain. Took me around to back to it kind of iron door. Well, it was like out of Buck Rogers, 25th century. Big grass tubes, dynamos, wires. He must have noticed me staring because he said. Go ahead, look around. There's equipment here that doesn't exist any place else in the world. Yeah, but what's it all for? If I told you, you'd be even more frightened than you are now. By the way, what's your name? Sullivan. Sure, Sullivan. I'm Dr. Vance, Dr. Brian Vance. Doctor? Of nuclear physics. Without doubt, the greatest scientist in the world today. Do you know anyone else who has been able to convert most of the elements of the human body into the heavy isotopes? Look, I don't know what you mean, but is that? Yes. That is why not only my weight, but the entire atomic mass of my body is- What's that? It sounds like a car. Yes, but coupes. Oh, Vance. Must have heard you in the laboratory, followed us. Cool, I was as quiet as I could be honest. There's nothing to be worried or excited about. Hello, Vance. Vance, I should have known it was you. You should have done what with me. A Stolar Geiger. You did an awful lot of strange things in your career, Vance, but this time you've gone just a little too far. This time I've got you dead to right. I'm afraid it's just the other way around, Matson. What do you mean? What? Vance. You don't really think I'd let you or anyone interfere with what I'm doing, do you? Yes. You killed him, you- Of course. Drag him over there out of the way. There's a certain experiment I'm just about ready to try, and his body will come in very handy. When staring at him in abject horror, Dr. Vance turns away from the body on the floor, lumbers over to one of his instruments and begins examining it. And far away, in the town's church steeple, the clock strikes 12 for murder at midnight. And now back to murder at midnight and the heavy death. It's just a moment later. Sergeant Rowe and Dr. Cardin are staring incredulously at Sullivan as he pauses for a moment in his terrifying story. And the trooper says, we did find Thomas' body out by the fairground, but it was an accident. Hit by a truck or something. You mean this Vance killed Matson just like that? Shot him without turning a hair. Sure sounds to me like. Dr. Cardin, what do you think? I don't know, Sergeant. I do know Vance. I knew that he had a laboratory somewhere near here, in the city of Hydrogen. Well, it's true that he probably knows as much about nuclear physics as anyone in the world. We tried several times to get him to work with us during the war, but he laughed at us, said that what we were doing was childish. But this other business is changing himself, making himself heavy. Yeah, even his voice was heavy like. Is that possible, Doctor? Theoretically, yes, I suppose it is. After all, Professor Urie did it with hydrogen, made heavy water. And we've done it with uranium. Yes, but why would he want to do it? Why? There, I can only guess. All his genius, I've always felt Vance was a little mad. It's possible he believes that by changing the atomic weight of his body, he can make it immune to disease. Yeah, that's right. It's true. He said he was going to live forever. Go on, Sullivan. What happened after that? He made me help him do things around the laboratory, wiring, stuff like that. Seems he got tired pretty easy, and his hands was too heavy to do work with his delicate light. Maybe that's why he needed someone else around him. Finally, I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore, and I fell asleep in a cot in the corner. I don't know if he ever slept or not. If he did, I never seen him. When I woke up, it was around noon, and he had Matt's body propped up in a chair against a kind of a silver screen. So you finally got up, eh, Sullivan? I was just going to wake you. Yes, sir, I'm kind of hungry, sir. Yes, food. Well, you're going to help me with a little experiment first, and then we can eat. Yes, sir. What kind of experiment? What do you mean? So I guess, then experiment on our friend Matt's body. He won't mind just a little calcium-clenched mutation. First, we switch on our alpha generator here. Then we make a few frequency adjustments. What? What are you going to do? You'll see. Over there, stand by that mass to switch on the converter. When I give the word, they let it climb just a little higher, a little higher. Now! Move it, Lauren! No, no! It's a kind of glass tube pointing at Matt's body. When I threw the switch, a white light shot out of it. I know you won't believe this. When it hit the body, it went all soft. It was like the bones had gone out of it. Just went all soft and kind of poured off the chair out of the floor. I must have faded or something when I come to advance with standing over me, smiling. Anything to matter, Sullivan? Don't you feel well? Yes, I'm all right. Just that was the most awful, the most terrible thing. Sullivan, if you were a soldier and you saw that happen to the man next to you, would you feel much like fighting after that? What? You mean you're going to do that? I'd advise you not to ask too many questions. Dispose of the rest of the body later, but now, let's eat. Like I said, it was just about a week ago. I can't really tell you what happened after that, because I was in the days most of the time. We worked, him showing me what to do, wire and soldering stuff. We ate. Sometimes he let me sleep. Then this morning it happened. I woke up at about 10. He was standing looking at this thing we've been making. Well, Sullivan, it's finished. Well, Sullivan, it's finished. Just a few adjustments and we'll be ready to go. Yes, sir. I'm profoundly grateful to you for your help. I will show you how grateful and a very concrete passion. Heal me. You can let me go. You can let me go. Go? Really, Sullivan? That's a little foolish, isn't it? Well, I don't know. I just thought. Yeah, I guess it is. Well, where are you going? Inside to fix some breakfast. No, Sullivan, no food. No food? No. Because tonight you're going to enjoy a tremendous experience when I experienced myself several months ago. And the process is much simpler when the stomach is empty. Process? You mean you're going to make me like you? Heavy? Yes, Sullivan. I told you I was grateful to you. Oh, no, doc. No, please, will you? You're being rather childish. I'm not going to bother detailing what it will mean to you physiologically. The immunities it will give you. I will merely tell you that we'll do it tonight. They changed to become like he was. Heavy as lead. Well, it did something to me. It was like I've been doped, hypnotized, all that time afraid to do anything to make him mad. Now, now I was even more scared to stay. I made out like everything was fine, and I waited. I waited and watched. Then about an hour ago, I got my chance. He went into the house to get something. He didn't lock the door. I was out like a shot, perhaps his car had started down the driveway. They went past the house. I heard a window open. Gentlemen, come back! Come back! You'll regret this! You'll regret this! It's a story. I was so jittery, I went to a ditch just outside of town and had to run the west of the way. I don't care whether you believe me or not, whether you think I'm nuts. What you do to me, I just want one thing. Get me away from here. Get me far away fast, because he's going to be coming after me. I know it. I'm not saying what I think, not yet. What about you, Dr. Carden? I wouldn't like to say either. Knowing Vance, I believe he's capable of everything Sullivan told us. And theoretically, everything he described is part of the world. I told you, I don't care whether you believe me or not. Just get me away from here. I can't for an hour or so. I have to call Bridget and have them send down some men. And we can really go into this. In the meantime, I'll put you in one of the detention cells. You'll be OK there. Are they strong? Really strong? Planet is strong enough to keep you in and anyone else out. Come on. Hey, can't you hear me? Sergeant, Dr. Carden. Oh, oh gee, Sergeant. I was starting to get a little worried. I was a. You are Sullivan. You didn't really think you were going to get away, did you? What are you going to do? You can't do anything. The cell door is locked. And if it, let's see. Hey, you see, you can't break it down. You can't. It's steel. Yes, Sullivan. But steel can be smashed if it has to be. No. I told you you'd regret running away, didn't I? No, no, no. I'll look. I'll come back. I'll do anything you want. I'm afraid it's too late, Sullivan. Too late for anything, but. Dr. Carden, did you hear a tool? I'm not sure. It did sound like. This way quick. Good lord. Look at that cell door. I'm Sullivan. This, this girl. Smashed like an egg shell. Well, Sergeant. I guess I must be nuts, too. Well, look, Doc. We must have just left here. If we wait for the men from Bidson, give them time enough to get back to his place of those blasted, gray things of his. There's no telling what he'll do, how many lives he'll cost. But if we leave right now, the two of us, maybe we can get there before him. Cut him off. What do you say? You game? I'm game, Sergeant. Let's go. Right ahead. The laboratory's probably running back. Well, Sergeant, the lights are on. Yeah. Maybe he left him on when he came into town and got Sullivan. Or me. No. No lessy. He's back. We're too late. What in heaven's name is that? An electrostatic generator or a cyclotron. He's a good lord. Up the mountain there. Look, it's cut. Looks like a hole or something. But it's moving. A neutron beam disintegrating. Heading his way into the mountain. He must have found some way of harnessing. Sutter garden. Swinging his way. Must have seen us. Come on, run. No good, Sergeant. Seems to have a range of almost half a mile. But eating through solid rock that way. If it hits us, we'll come to see just what Vance was doing. Hey, God, no. Well, take a good look. But that's what you'll ever take it anyway. Well, you shall be the first come. And did you think that you were going to get away with advance? Who's that? Take a look at the guy. Come on. Too much. Cut that down. And what will happen when you release the load? I've got to cut it down. Besides your son, it's a lot of it. Yeah. That's because I'm too cute alone. Too heavy. I've got to slow. It's time to be hired. Put more to it. I've got to cut that down too. Hockey garden. Hockey garden. Over. Over here, Sergeant. Are you all right? A little shaken up. But yes, I'm all right. A laboratory. A whole house. Look. Yes. What happened? Something. Something got out of control. Too much centrifugal force. Or the load released too suddenly. And the whole thing exploded. Now there are things that we'll never know. Except something when you're already. That science can either be man's servant or his master and his doom. And as I stand there, gazing at the smoking ruin that were once Vance's laboratory, through the blessed silence comes the distant clang of the clock in the town's church depot. For the second time, striking 12 for. Murder. Midnight. Remember to be with us again when death hovers like a dark cloud. And the clocks strike 12 for. Murder. The part of Shill Sullivan was played by Frank Reddick. With music by Charles Paul, Murder at Midnight was directed by Anton M. Lieder.