 And now tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspense Tonight we bring you a terrifying study of a pyromaniac. We call it the flame So now starring Tony Barrett here is tonight suspense play the flame Started on the ground floor. I guess so. I don't know. I just got here. Hey, you know, mister the first floor I wonder how it got started some joker in bed with a lit cigarette probably fellow sleep. No, no, that wasn't the way it started Wasn't huh? You mean that you take more than a little cigarette to start a fire like that a whole apartment Billy's just about gone Well, maybe the guy who owns the building started it, you know for the insurance and all well He didn't have anything to do with it Makes kind of a pretty pattern against the sky though Are you kidding? Paper Red big now and I went climbing and just they put it out Then there were big black ugly clouds of smoke But I had the picture I drawn on the fly. I just just a pencil sketch. I color it when I got home Just the way I remember Reds oranges pinks So I go home when I get there my sister Mary Lee is still up. She's in a road She should be in bed She has to get up and go to work early in the morning Why is she up at this hour? Yeah, where have you been all night? I had supper ready. You promised me you'd be home. What happened? Andy don't just stand there. I asked you what happened Nothing happened. I just went for a walk What's the matter nothing nothing just leave me alone Mary lady. You have to nag at me all the time I'm not nagging at you Andy. I'm just worried and I get nervous when I worry. That's all Well forget it. I'm home, and I'm all right. So just don't worry yourself anymore. Okay Okay Wait a second. I want to ask you for a big faith. Can't you ask me tomorrow morning Mary Lee? I'm awfully tired. You know mr. Boyaj in the dry good store man Andy. Sure. I know. He's one of my favorite people What about him? Well this morning they took his wife to the hospital To the hospital, but well she's sick very sick Andy Tonight on the way home from work mr. Boyaj and stop me and asked me if I'd talked to you about helping him Well sure I will but how well he may have to spend some time at the hospital with her He doesn't have anybody he can leave in the shop to take care of it And he thought maybe you'd help him out. Well, that'd be all right with me But I don't know anything about the dry goods business. What isn't hard Andy I told him I thought you wouldn't mind at all Besides, it'll give you a little something to do that to keep you busy. You won't have to Go ahead say it You won't have to roam the streets like a bum just like pie used to yell at me, but I like mr. Boyaj in Mary Lee I Watch his door for Mr. Boyaj in was a man who looked like Santa Claus. He had Wonderful small eyes and big red cheeks. He laughed all the time And when he laughed his small eyes got big and they twinkle just just like stars Or like like the flash or flame when you strike a match and it suddenly flares up with colors and warmth And you get a funny sensation in your stomach Yes, that was mr. Boyaj in the man who owned the dry goods store in Union Street Following morning, mr. Boyaj in wasn't laughing. There was no twinkle in his eyes He looks sad sitting behind the counter mr. Boyaj. Hmm. Oh Oh Andy is you. Oh Excuse me, Andy. My mind is not on what is happening. It is on this music I'm far away when I listen Music. Yes It is the kind of music that the mrs. And I used to dance to when we was like your age It's a folks that sadly from the old country. Oh, it's pretty. I like it Uh Mr. Boyaj in the part your wife. I'm sorry. She's sick. Oh, you're sorry Everybody's sorry Andy the whole neighborhood. Everybody tells me how sorry they are But me I am sorry most of all. Is it very serious? Yes, very Well, don't you worry. They'll take good care of at the hospital. I know they were I'm sure they were She'll have the best there is to offer. She would if I could afford it Ford it. Yes, you see this sickness did special kind doctor this special doctor cost extra money And it's kind of money that I as proprietor of this small dry good store do not have I Wish it was something I could do You're a good boy and the good heart You know, I wish I could have a son Like you thank you, Mr. Boyaj Thank you Don't make the money I used to make I can't work as hard Sometimes I think I'd be better off this place should burn down. I get the insurance money And Sure as money they are from fire insurance company. I Never thought of that. You never thought of what Andy? Oh What I mean was I I never thought of things like fire insurance Of course to do a thing like this to even wish it is against the law Fire insurance is for the protection. Oh, of course well, and the if you come to stay I Got to hospital. Yes. Yes, you go right ahead. Mr. Boyaj and I'll take care of everything. Oh You just leave everything to me Mr. Boyaj and look so sad and so tired as he walked out the door Why did they have to be terrible things like this in the world? Why couldn't everything be beautiful and good? Beautiful and good like like a nice big fire clean warm burning all the evil and hurt So simple I had to laugh I Decided I'd use the plumbers candle and the celluloid that way all the evidence would be destroyed There'd be no way of investigating the claim. I Started to get really excited about it. I bought what I needed. I went home. I got out Mary Lee's cake tin I went into my room and I started to experiment if you'd go down to you doing what? What are you doing trying to start a fire? No, nothing Mary Lee nothing at all just a little gag gag with my best cake tin I'm sorry gag for what? Well needles and I we needles Andy you've been down to that pool room again haven't so Andy. What's the matter with you? What do you mean? I mean other fellas your age They're out getting jobs doing things But you all you do is hang around that pool room down by the sound take walks at night draw pictures What's wrong with my drawing pictures does it offend you? I don't know I'm so disgusted. I don't know anything You're so right. You don't know anything. You're just like pie you look like them you act like them You don't know anything just like Get out before I kill you I Took a long walk I Thought about leaving Mary Lee going away, but I had no place to go I Found myself down by shipping piers. I Noticed a small barge loaded with crates of some kind Wooden crates. Oh, it looks so beautiful The red flames licking against blue sky and blue waters Felt better now. I started for home I began to make plans for mr. Boyajian's store. I had the equipment, but I needed his key I had to get his key without him suspecting anything. It wouldn't be good for mr. Boyajian to know what I was gonna do He might try to stop me I was sure he didn't like fires as much as I did The next afternoon in the store just before I was ready to leave I asked him about the key Key Andy. Yes, mr. Boyajian. Yes, but the key what for Andy? Well, I just thought that maybe tomorrow morning you'd like to get over to the hospital earlier I could open up the store for you. Oh Andy already you've done so much for me is nice, but no no no no trouble believe me mr. Boyajian No trouble at all. I'd be happy to do it You know to tell the truth. I I would like to get over a little earlier. Oh sure you were Andy like I said before such a good boy there. There never was a good boy with a big heart You're the only person who ever said that to me mr. Boyajian. Oh, this I know is joke you tell on me Here I give you Mrs. Boyajian's key. How's that? That's fine fine, and don't you worry about a thing I'll sell out tomorrow. I'll make you lots of money. I Joke with Mary Lee at dinner that night. It surprised her, but it put her in a good mood The nicest part about the plumber's candle was that I could measure it to burn to any time an hour would be plenty of time About 9 30 I told Mary Lee I was going down to the corner drugstore for a few minutes Down on Union. I waited until the block was almost deserted Then I let myself into the dry good store Mr. Boyajian had a crate of little girls dresses. He just received Would be perfect tinder I Line the strips of celluloid up, and I set the plumber's candle on top of the crate then I Struck a match and lit the candle. I Watched the flame burn for just a moment Then I went back to the apartment and I waited Mary Lee was darning some socks. I Sat for almost an hour coloring my pictures getting nervous and When it was time I asked her to go get some ice cream with me when we got down to the street Mary Lee look it's a fire. Come on. Andy. I hate fires Look at smoke plenty of smoke Hey, there it is Mary Lee. There it is right over there Andy Andy, it's mr. Boyajian's dry good store. Well, for heaven's sake, what do you know mr. Boyajian's dry good stuff Don't you feel sorry for him early? He's got insurance. Oh, I know How do you know? Huh? We got the talking the other day. Tell me about it Hot one. I don't see a real hot Who's that they're carrying now? Somebody says passing by on his way home. He saw the fire rushed inside trying to put it out. What was a crazy thing to do? Yeah, look at those flames lick up at the sky Just like a torch Lovely lovely torch You are listening to the flame Tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills suspense a Cardshark discovers he isn't as sharp as he thinks when the FBI and peace and war follow his trail tomorrow night Working a three-way racket in the guise of a retired army colonel with a convenient wife and son around to add to his aura of Respectability the Cardshark comes up with an electronic gimmick that sparks some strange results For a highly dramatic Demonstration of why crime doesn't pay don't miss this next exciting adventure of the FBI in peace and war It's yours for the listening over most of these same stations tomorrow night And now we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage Mr. Tony Barrett starring in tonight's production the flame a tale well-calculated to keep you in Suspense Most everybody in our neighborhood felt sorry about poor mr. Boyajin. I Wish he hadn't tried to put out the fire. I Didn't go to the hospital with Mary Lee to see his wife But I did go to mr. Boyajin's funeral a couple days later He didn't look worried anymore Instead he looked very peaceful lying in his casket. I Must admit that I did feel some remorse But the thing that bothered me the most of all was the fact that I hadn't been able to draw a picture of the fire It was the following Friday night that I dropped into the pool room down near the sound Needles was all along Hi needles. I'll play some pool Okay You're in there Go ahead and use you first a good break Hey, that was tough about old man boy. Ah, you know too bad You shouldn't try to put it out first. I thought the old guy start himself, you know over the clock the fire insurance though But I guess he didn't miss his boy. I don't get the money though. Won't you? Well, you can never tell there was some fire insurance coppers around a couple days ago, you know asking questions But I gotta investigate before they pay off your shot Huh? Oh Nice They talked a lot of people in the neighborhood Hey talk to you Andy. You were working for him. Weren't you helping him out? So I could go to the hospital They'll probably find out if it was a cooked-up thing or not What do you mean cooked-up thing? Well, you still can't toss out the idea. Maybe boy. I did himself started the fire. He didn't How do you know he got burned a knee? Hey, maybe he got caught a trap couldn't get out You shoot again, Andy. That's ridiculous He couldn't have started Well, how do you know he couldn't have he just couldn't have why why because Because yeah Because nothing nothing shoot names because you started it. Is that maybe why? Said shoot nails It would you want to do Andy help the old guy out? I said shoot I was right decent of you. You know that and a mighty fine job, too. Hey, how much we in for I wasn't in for anything Sure. Oh sure. It's just for the kicks. I listen noodles. Don't let me man Oh, put down a cue. Yeah, I was only kidding You start fires just for kicks, huh? Oh boy. That's a laugh. Oh sure. Look Andy I was only kidding Needles was the type of guy that got in all kinds of trouble. I wish he didn't get on my nerves so much Later I got home hoping the door of the apartment And I suddenly got a funny feeling I I don't know what it was But I was sure it had something to do with the man who was sitting in the living room with my sister and When she introduced him as inspector Shapiro the fire insurance company. I knew why I had this strange feeling in my stomach He's investigating about the fire in mr. Boyajin's store Andy. Oh Mr. Boyajin was one of my very best friends. I I was very sorry. I understand. I Want to the funeral? Well before we can pay Mrs. Boyajin the money she has coming I have to make sure the fire wasn't started purposely Purposely he means somebody did it just to collect the money. Oh That's right. So far we haven't been able to learn how it was started. I see Andy the night of the fire where were you? Oh, I can answer that inspector. He was right here in this room with me I see I remember I was darning some socks and Andy was drawing. Oh Mary Lee. He doesn't want to hear about that He loves to draw. Oh You want to be an artist? No No, no, I just like to draw. I see You worked for mr. Boyajin while his wife was in the hospital at least that's what your sister here told me I did it to help him out. I didn't do it for the money Well did anyone come in while you were there someone who may have talked to him Mr. Shapiro if you're trying to prove that mr. Boyajin started the fire himself. You're wrong. He wasn't that kind of man I know he didn't start the fire Well, I guess you're a blind alley force too. I kind of hope that you'd be able to oh, no No, I'm I'm sorry, but believe me inspector when I tell you that mr. Boyajin didn't start that fire For one thing would a man burn himself up in a fire that he starts it'd be a crazy thing to do, wouldn't it? Yes, Andy. That's definitely a crazy thing to do Inspect the Shapiro was not a stupid man. I could see that I was gonna have to be a little more careful for a little while anyway until the investigation was over. I Hope that nothing would go wrong that Mrs. Boyajin would get the money About two weeks later. I saw needles were standing in front of the pool room down near the sound He called me over. He said he had something very important to talk to me about So we went into the back room of the pool room because the door cigarette Andy You know, I don't smoke needles. Oh, sure. Of course not pal. Of course not Well hot shot. I was fine bugging these days Is that supposed to be a cute remark needles? What's the marriage? You can't you take a little kid not that kind The idea of striking the matches Hmm. Oh Yeah, just a nervous habit a nervous habit pretty flame high Andy say what you have to say I was thinking about poor Mrs. Boyajin Andy What if they hold up the claim, huh? Mrs. Boyajin You're not saying anything. I got a friend he owns a small warehouse couple blocks in here Andy he'll make much money with this here small warehouse and He'd like to get rid of it One night this place burns down Just like that It's very very sad But then he gets happy because he collects quite a bit of fire insurance Fire insurance. Yeah fire Insurance Now my friend would pay good money if his warehouse burned down Good money You would Yeah, you could help out poor poor Mrs. Boyajin Andy. I Don't know. I just think it a fun. You'll have a flame And you'll make it. I'll make it That's right Andy Next Friday night You'll make it Friday night seemed a long long way off A couple of times I wanted to go for walks, but then I kept thinking about the big one I was gonna make on Friday night, and I decided not to go for any walks. I got some money from needles I bought all the stuff I needed the celluloid the plumbest candles And then on Thursday I met needles friend and he took me on a tour of the warehouse It was a three-story building When I finished going through it I decided it would be best to start two fires on the third floor one on the first When I got home, I let myself in but I I didn't close the door Because I heard voices coming from my room It was Mary Lee and that that voice that gave me the funny feeling I'll have to look at this scrapbook. Miss your brother is a very dangerous man. I never suspected anything I never bothered to look at the pictures. He's drawn. You'll have to be turned over to the authorities They'll give him proper medical treatment. He's a dangerous man with a dangerous sickness. I Had to act now and act fast. I call needles told him we had to burn his friend's warehouse tonight tonight tomorrow night Wouldn't be any good because I'd have to leave Seattle now He didn't want to at first because we hadn't planned it that way But then he finally agreed He met me in front of the warehouse a little before nine I set the two fires up on the third floor and then we went down to the first and I started another one All right. All right. Come on. No, no You crazy watch it this place is gonna go up like a tinder box Will I look your course I said I wanted to watch it for a while. I'm gonna draw a picture You're nuts. Come on Andy. Let's get out of here. Oh, you go ahead needles. I'll be along in a little while Come on Andy. Come on Don't be crazy that I brought my pencil and pad I think this is gonna be a beautiful And it was It had wonderful colors the flames. They were all around me now Not an awful lot of smoke here inside the building just just flames beautiful colors just beautiful Reds deep reds and blues and greens and yellows. I had a feeling this was gonna be my best picture my very best The most beautiful flames I'd ever seen thrilling and the picture The picture now just one big flame Spence In which mr. Tony Barrett starred in tonight's presentation of the flame Next week we bring you a story of death and 11 roses. We call it the 12th rose That's next week on Suspense Spence is produced and directed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis tonight's story was written by Richard Petticini The music was composed by Lucian Morrowake and conducted by Wilbur hatch Featured in the cast were Alan Reed Joyce McCluskey Jack Prussian Joe Duvall and Herbert Ellis If a moratorium were declared suddenly an all-crime accident sickness and conflict among human beings Do you know who would be the most surprised man in the world the policeman on the beat in a big city? Because his daily routine is trouble an Extraordinary situation for anyone else is just part of the day's work for him Every Thursday night 21st precinct brings you hard-hitting drama as realistic as life itself About people in trouble about people who make trouble and about the man who helped preserve law and order Don't miss the excitement of 21st precinct on the air over most of these same stations this Thursday night Stay tuned now for five minutes of CBS news to be followed on most of these same stations by my son Jeep America listens most to the CBS radio network