 And now, transcribed for tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of frills... Suspense. Tonight, the story of a man who learns far too late, that in horse racing or life, there is always an equation of chance and mischance. So now, starring high ever back, here is tonight's suspense play, The Sure Thing. You know, Lefty? Go on in, Marty's here. Yeah, I know. Hello, Marty, how are you? Not bad. Lefty? Yeah? Go on over to Adkins place. He's ready to pay off. Doe will be in cash, five grand. Right. And close the door when you go out. Gotcha. Now Phil, sit down. I haven't got too much time, Marty. I just came from my dough. What's with you, anyway? Don't you have any fun? I'll have my fun when it's time. Right now I got money on my mind. Yeah, you sure have. You know, you clipped this for eight grand yesterday. Eight thousand forty-two dollars is the exact amount. Like always, you're here right on the dot to collect. How much time do you give your clients? About as much time as you give us. There it is. Left up nice and neat. Want to count it? This isn't your money, it's a syndicate. They don't show a change. You got a lot of respect for the syndicate, huh? It's a good operation. Drink? Uh, no. Phil, if you're interested, I got a deal for you. Yeah? The syndicate wants to take you in. They figure a bookie who's smart enough to keep making money from them should be on their side. Well, they could be right. And you go for it? No. Why not? Look, Marty, I've been making bookie independently for a long time. I've got a good clientele, and I make a few bucks. I know. Okay, so I'm not just another independent bookie. I also know horses. Sure, I go by morning line, and I get the word on closed work out now and then, but basically, I know the horses. You admit that? Sure. Why not? So the syndicate is hurting him because I know when to lay off a few bucks on him. But you do it every day. Yeah, yeah, it's just it. I got him in a good position. I'm not gonna let him buy me off by letting me into the organization like they did you. They won't like it. Marty, when I get ready, I'm gonna own a piece of the syndicate. When I get ready, I'm gonna buy my way in. And it's gonna be with their loot. Then, uh, that's what you want me to tell them? Just that. Okay. If you change your mind, let me know. I won't change it. See you tomorrow, same time. What for? I want to cover myself, so I'm gonna lay off some more dough today. Have my payoff in cash as usual. Be senior. You shouldn't have taken it, Phil. Told you why I didn't. But honey, with a syndicate, you'd have steady money. Enough maybe to get a divorce. I lean divorces for people who can afford it. I can't. You've been saying that ever since we got started. Just how much money do you want? Enough to buy my way out clean. No alimony, a big hunk of cash, and it's over. How do you know Barbara will go for that? Barbara's no fool. If there's enough money in it, she'll go for it. And until then? Until then, we go on like we're doing. Suppose I don't want to. I can't force you to wait. I'll wait, but I won't like it. Maybe it won't be as long as you think. How do you figure? Look, baby, the syndicate won't quit with one offer. They want me in and they'll keep on until they get me. When is that? When I can write my own ticket. Don't take chances. Honey, people are more predictable than horses. I know horses. I'm sure not gonna miss on people. When's he due back? He said he'd be back in time to pay you off. I'll wait a while. Hey, Phil, do me a favor. What? Watch the phone for me while I go for a sandwich, will ya? Well, Marty might not like it. Oh, he don't care. You're his buddy. Go on, you get to sit in his office. Okay. Oh, if you get thirsty, it's in that cabin over there. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. If you get in the action while I'm gone, just mark him down. Yeah, I'll do that. Well, you take it, Phil. I'm leaving. Well, no, wait a minute. I might be Marty. I'll take it anyway. Okay. Hello? Hold the line a minute. Go on, left here. It isn't anything important. Okay, see ya. Yeah. What were you saying? Yeah, where are you calling from? Not. Okay, look, there's a flight of stairs to the left of the phone booths. One flight up, turn right, first door. Be there in 15 seconds? Right. What's in your mind? I think I said on the phone there's a fix going in the 8th. What track? Right here in town. Where'd you hear about it? I'm a stable boy. That don't mean a thing. You overhear of a jock named Ferris? Yeah. He ain't doing so good since his fall at higher live. So? So the jocks in the 8th are going to see to it that Ferris wins today. You heard this, huh? With my own ears. I was sleeping one of the empty stalls last night, and I hear these two jocks making up the deal. Yeah, well, what are the jocks getting out of it? Nothing. Nothing. They're doing it just to make Ferris a couple of bucks. They ain't even betting on the race themselves. Who's Ferris on today? Happy Wanda. And he's in at 106, and at 8 to 1 on the morning line. Well, how come you came to see me about this? I figure if I give a guy like you a tip, he'll maybe slip me a couple of C-notes, you know, and then bet them for me on the race. Yeah. Well, why didn't you just bet it and keep quiet? Because I wanted some real dough on the race. So I ask around for the number of a good, honest bookie, and I get you. Oh, yeah, yeah. This is a legitimate fix. If it wasn't, I wouldn't take my pay-and-win tickets. I don't know. Marty, I got a clincher for you. What's that? I know that the favorite's going to be scratched an hour before the race. You do? Yeah. Connors is going to be too sick to ride them, and they won't let anybody else ride them, so it'll be scratched. I'll tell you what. If they scratch the favorite, I'll buy the rest of your story. How will I know you're buying? Five minutes before post-time, I'll hand you $200 worth of wind tickets. Okay. Okay, sir. Deal, Marty. I'll see you at the track in front of the paddock. I'll be there. Don't worry. Chuck, did you find out about... He is, huh? How sick? Oh, aren't they going to get another rider? Oh, uh-huh. Uh-huh. Are you sure now? Definitely scratched. Right. Thanks, buddy. Curly, Phil Brannon. 25G on Happy Wanderer in the eighth. Yeah, to win. Thanks. Long distance, I want to place a call to Chicago. The number is Michigan 52694. Yeah. Yeah, I'll wait. Stopped to talk with that character. We might have at least seen the seventh race. I had to give him some wind tickets. $200 worth. $200? What for? Some information I needed. Who was it? Stable boy named Les. Big deal. So the only race we see is the last one. Yeah, well, come on, Eileen. This race I got to see. I let it go. We'll never get through in time. Well, at least I got to see the finish. Come on. Excuse me, please. I'm sorry. Hang on my hand, Eileen. You have to. I've got to see the end of this race. Why is the eighth race so important? What? Because I have a quarter of a million going on a sure thing. That's why. Excuse me. Excuse me. Come on, Eileen. A quarter of a million? Phil, would you get that kind of money? Never mind. This is a sure thing. Now the syndicate has to pay off and make me a partner. Hold on. Kid, we're almost there. Sorry, Mr. Eileen, come on. Who won? Hey, Mr. Who won the race? I've got two bucks right on the nose. Hey, Louie. I lost, Eileen. I lost. What are you going to do, sir? I don't know. I don't know. Take a cab home. I'm going to the office. I've got some calls to make. Can't you drop me off? I've got to think. I don't want to be bothered right now. Go on, Eileen. Beat it. Hello, Charlie. Phil Brannon. I've got to talk to you. I'm in a jam. I need some dough and I need it fast. Over 200,000. You'll get it back? What did he say? Word gets around fast, doesn't it? Well, look, Charlie, I just got to have the dough. Yeah, by tomorrow morning, please, Charlie. Okay. Okay. It'll be my turn someday when it is out. Charlie. Charlie. Come in. Yeah. Come on in. My name is Turnbull. Yeah? I represent some big people who are interested in it. Well, they tell me you're placed with a syndicate that's in excess of 200,000. You're lost. Are you here to collect it? Oh, I didn't expect you to have it now. My instructions are that the money must be paid by nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Well, now, look, I... And if it's not paid, you might end up awful dead. You are listening to The Sure Thing, tonight's presentation in Radio's outstanding Theater of Thrill's suspense. Today in America, we worship where we please, when we please, and how we please. Let us all thank God for this freedom of religion, each in his own way, each at his own temple of worship. Let us exercise freely, regularly, the freedom for which men fought and died, taking our families to church or synagogue every week. And now we bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, my everback, starring in tonight's production of The Sure Thing, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. What about? I'm in trouble. I know. Look, honey, I want to stay in your place for about a week. They'll never look for me here. I've got to stay somewhere until I find some money. No, Phil. No? No, not here. What are you talking about? I said there's no room for you here. What are you talking about? The syndicate says you're on the list. I lived a long time without you. I can live a lot longer. You can't stay. But last night just... That was last night. Last night you had something to offer. Now you've got nothing. Nothing. Last night you were Phil Brannan. Tomorrow morning you're just another dead man. I've got no use for dead men. I've got to talk to you, Marty. Pretty busy party, you know. Please, please, Marty, just a few minutes, huh? Okay, come on in. I'm talking, Phil. Marty, I'm in a jam. I know. But I couldn't help it. It was a wild chance. No, it wasn't wild. It was a shoe and I couldn't lose. But you did. Yes. Now, look, you've got to talk to the guys in the syndicate. Give me time. I need a little time. I'll pay them off. I'll be right back where I was if they just give me a little time, huh? They know that. They do? Sure, kid. But they don't want you back where you were. What? They want you out of their hair. Marty, what are you talking about? So they worked out the stable boy bit. Bit? The stable boy bit? Who do you think sent Lester up to my office with a story about the hungry jockey? You? The syndicate. Now you won't bother them anymore. You're going to be dead. Though it wasn't my idea. I only followed orders. If the syndicate did all that, why do they have to kill me? Isn't it enough that they broke me? It's a little more complex than that. You see, the syndicate isn't going to pay off certain well-chosen bets using you as an excuse for being short of money. And those certain parties that aren't being paid off are going to take it out on you. You see, Phil, the syndicate wants you out of the way. Now somebody else can do the dirty work for them. You got to help me, Marty. Help me get out of town. I can't. You're being tailed right now, and you will be until nine o'clock in the morning. They know you haven't got the dough. The syndicate will make plenty of trouble for whoever gives it to you. You better go now. One thing. Yeah? Is Lester really a stable boy? No. Matter of fact, he's a tout. If you happen to be looking for him, you could find him at the morning workouts. Name's Lester Callum. Goodbye, Phil. It's me, Phil. What time is it? Two. What are you doing home? I'm in trouble, Barbara. I know. What do you know? All about how Big Shot Phil Brandon fell on his face trying to pull a fast one. How'd you find out? I've already had my visit from the boys who are going to make you dead tomorrow morning. They told me to do right. They'd make it a double ceremony. What's right? That you say goodbye now, walk out the door. I'm making a hit all around today. What do you expect? I'm still your husband. What do you want me to do? Save your life so you can live it with Eileen? You'd give more help to a stranger than you're offering me. I wish you were a stranger. Stranger couldn't hurt me the way you have. I wouldn't hate a stranger the way I hate you. That all you're going to say? Just about. Now get out. Lefty. Who's that? It's me, Phil Brandon. Try to move it up. Break your arm. Where do you keep your gun? You do. Now look, I haven't got time to fool around. Where is it? Left hand drawer. The dresser. Okay, let's go. Taking a big chance, Phil. The guys are tailing you. No, not right now. I lost him. Here. This is it here. You're through, Phil. They're going to get you. I know, but I'm going to get somebody before they get me. Lester? Yeah, that's right. I hear he hangs out at the track, right? Yeah. It'll be another hour before it's light. I'm going to stay here till then. Here? I'm going to tie you up when I leave, Lefty. I can't take any chances on your tipping, Lester. Oh, me? I hate that guy. I don't like what he did to you. Look, Phil, you always been good to me. I'm on your side only. Only what? Phil, look. Marty might not like you hiding out here. The syndicate guys might do something to me. Why don't you leave, huh? You got the gun? Come on, Phil. Don't get me in a jam. I'm your buddy, huh? Oh, sure. Well, I'm going to treat you like a buddy. I don't want to see you getting bad with the syndicate, either. Thanks, Phil. No. No, Phil, no. No, no, no. Now, stay here if you want. I don't care. Only don't. Don't. Please, Phil. Lester? Yeah, what is it? Don't turn around, or I'll blow a hole in your back big enough to put my fist into. Brandon? Yeah. Now walk over toward the paddock. Why? Because I want to talk to you. I got nothing to say. I didn't think you would. I don't want to talk to you, Brandon. That's too bad because you're going to. OK. Then let's go over to the paddock. Hey! OK. If you want to die in the infield, I can take care of that, too. A tree. I may too. How about that? Yeah. Uh, some coffee? Yeah, sure. See, uh, you hear about the joker that got killed this morning? Yeah, how about that? Run across the track while the nags are working out. They say it was a bookie. Oh, that figures. Never did no bookie knew anything about horses. In which high over back, starred as Phil. Next week, the story of an actress who's still in her dressing room after the theater is emptied spends the most terrifying moments of her life, all as the result of a most innocent note to an admirer. We call it blind date. That's next week on Suspense. Suspense is produced and transcribed by Norman McDonnell, with music composed by Lucian Morrowick and conducted by Lud Bluskin. The sure thing was specially written for suspense by Ross Murray. Featured in the cast were Clayton Post, Julie Bennett, Jerry Hausner, Peter Leeds, Charlotte Lawrence, Lou Krugman, Jan Arvan and William Euler. Perry Como sings for you Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights on the CBS Radio Network.