 Good evening, friends. This is your house to welcome you through the creaking door into the honor sanctum. Well, when sailing over the weekend, trim little sloop known as the Vampire, named after its owner, Max. Everything went along with the charming frenzy. The owner held man and egg, and the captain promptly did. Just one man. Spread so thin over the deck, you'd think he was brave. That afternoon, Storm gave us the time for a while. One guest was washed right over the side. We didn't rescue him because we just know he'll turn up. He did once before. He-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he The inside sanctum mystery, death on the highway was written by John Robert and stars Ted Osborn in the role of Carlisle with Alice Reinhart as Ginger. And now for tonight's sweet symphony. We're on Chicago's famous Skid Row. A grassy carnival sweet of flee circuses, guide shows, dives and honky-tons. Let's follow a muse boy as he darts into Enrico, a basement talent serving ragtime music and chili concoction. Please drag River Celeste and Samuel's read all about his paper, mister. Yes, I'll take a paper. Hey, didn't I say you were paper right here last night? Same place, same table? You did. Same place, same table, same me. You've got a good memory, mister. Some story here. Samuel's jumping off that bridge. What a way to die. Yes. Oh, what a way to die. Hey, you sound funny. Did you know Samuel's? No, I didn't know Samuel's. You've got your nickel. What are you waiting for? Nothing. You don't have to get so off. Lay down at first, please. I did know Samuel's. Lester Samuel's, embezzled $100,000 from Eric Carlisle, investment broker. And I'm Eric Carlisle. I did know Samuel's. I was an eyewitness to his last scene on Earth. I played it. Oh, well, I can't face it. You have no choice, then. You had a position of trust, and you embezzled $100,000. $10,000? I just took $10,000. Not the $100,000 it's missing. You're confused and hysterical. You lost heavily to gamblers, so heavily you lost track of how much. That's not what happened. The firm is in shaky condition. You use my small theft to cover a bigger one of your own. You stole the other $90,000 from your own customer account. It's an improbable story, Sammy. No one will believe you. I stole only $10,000. I can borrow. It's great. Make restitution, but $100,000. It means the rest of my life, the end of my life. Please, Carla, hunt. You'll stand trial, and I'll help you. I'll do everything to mitigate your punishment if you pull off a... No! I won't be your cat boy. I'll kill you first! Get away from me, Samuel's. I'll kill you until the police will attack me, and I'll get out! Samuel's got out. I'll have his coat on the bridge. Then over the rail, just 24 hours ago, the police are still dragging for the body. With Samuel's death, I was safe. I thought his plunge into the river made the police story simple and passed himself. A seething employee had taken the only way out. I wasn't safe. Even here, a heavy of that stranger on the joining table guessed my secret. How old about something, Mr. Carla? Carla, how'd you know my name? I read it off that tablecloth. You've been writing it over and over. Oh, I always do do my name. Eric Carla, your name's also in that newspaper in your lamp. I read the story a while ago. Look, if you're after a tattoo, I'm not. I'm just making talk. Funny how a man's fears stick out all over him if he's wearing a sandwich sign. Hate to break up your philosophizing, Mr. But I've got to go. Go ahead, run. You can run faster than the eyewitness. Did you say the eyewitness? Yeah. Every crime has its eyewitness, Carla. Even the perfect crime. Who's the eyewitness? You. I ran. I ran in a high-powered convertible at 60 miles an hour into the seat of an electric storm. The world's small and suffocating. I ran faster, 70 miles an hour, 72, 75. The rain fell on the sky's thunder. I kept seeing camel's face, eyes up and begging, blindly. Floating in every road puddle I splashed through and pushed the car away, but camel kept appearing faster as I murdered him over again with every puddle and every mile. Then, where the macadam was leveled and the rain puddled ended, there was Samuel, this time alive and real, standing deep in my headlights right on the road with his thumb pointing like a professed hitchhiker. Look out, Samuel! Before I dared get out of the car, the hallucination of having struck someone was the strongest. When the mood passed, I went to look. I had struck somebody. And there was a witness to it. You poured down on the poor guy like you wanted to run him down. It's impossible. It was Samuel standing in my headlights with a man who died yesterday, a ghost. How did a nut like you ever get a license to drive? This is a kid named Slim. He was trying to hitch a ride for us. I was waiting on his side and he was thumbing you. How is he? I don't feel no pulse. He's dead. You're sure? Sure, I'm sure. Have a look for yourself. I can. Help me get him into your car. There's a trooper's headquarters two miles up. Wait a moment. What for, pneumonia? I'm so true to the skin. The victim. Who is, uh, who was he? A kid named Slim, I told you. Friend of yours? Not exactly. I only met him a couple of hours ago on a road banner. He had an argument with a red-headed dame he was with. They were all open to get hitched before they got to fighting. The dame faded and a huffing. The kid, Slim, latched onto me. You're a hobo. Sure. I'm a hobo and you're a killer. What about it? I didn't mean to insult you. I'm desperate. Well, mister, you will be when I testify as how you tore along at 80 and smacked into the kid like he was a paper bag. Why should you testify? The kid, Slim, meant nothing to you. You mean even less. If I meant more. Is that an offer shaping up? If it was. How much? A thousand dollars. Eh, you've got all that sugar on you? Yes. It was a horrible accident and I'm sick and desperate trouble. Okay, okay. What do you want to, you grand? Dispose of Slim, somewhere, forget everything. Let me continue on as if nothing happened. Is it a deal? A thousand talks. Get it up. Here. There are twenty-fifty dollar bills here. I'll go on. Sure. Hey, wait. Take the kid's overnight bag with you and dump it yourself somewhere. I don't want to be stuck with it. I drove as far as I could get and pulled into the yard of a roadside diner. The storm was over and there was a wild gnawing in my stomach. I had to appease somehow. What a famous thing. Something hot. Anything. Clam cherubic? Eh, sure. Yes. How's the chowder within front of me? A sickening slop. It would do nothing to the agony in my stomach. And then I saw her come into the diner and into my life. My first sight of her was a face in the mirror in front of me. She stood behind me. Mine, company, mister. The public place? That's where you like? I like right beside you. How's the chowder? I don't know. I haven't tasted it. That's awful. Does it? How much do I owe you, mister? Uh, two bits. You're going? Yes. Without cashing your chowder? Wait for me. I'm not hungry either. A gentleman holds the door open for a lady. Look, miss, you're beautiful and desirous and two company, I'm sure, but I'm in no mood for flirtation. Neither am I, mister, and I'm in no mood for fish stories either. Fish stories? I haven't said anything. No, you haven't. What are you driving at? I looked over your car before going into that diner. I wanted to figure out how many were riding and see if there was a chance of me to catch a hit. Is that an overnight bag? And they called F-W on your front seat. F-W. Slim Williams. That's my boyfriend's bag. What are you doing with Slim's bag? I saw it lying on the highway and picked it up. I was going to turn it over to the state trooper for the first time. And don't try to lie that Slim caught a ride with you and then got out to getting his bag. Slim never forgets anything. I know, Slim. We were all hoping to get married. You think I robbed your boyfriend? No. Not a guy with your fancy clothing car. All Slim had on him was $30. The bag's just got a shirt, a toothbrush, and a keystone camera. I think you ran Slim down. What do you think of that? By the way, you're stalling and lying. Slim did suffer a minor injury. I tried to stop for him and friend his some miles back and stopping abruptly my friend to hit him a flattened blow. Where's Slim now? In a first-aid clinic in Kenmore Township, 10 miles behind us. Why did you lie about it? I didn't want to be held up any longer. I didn't have a hurry. Why did you keep Slim's release? An oversight. Just that. Believe me. I'll believe you when I see Slim. He's been around and taking me to him. Come on, get going. Now, what are you staring at? You... Don't pull that old wheeze. You've never seen me someplace before. But I have. There's a quality in your voice. The likeness in your face. Sure. I'm Zazu, the hula-dancer you met in Borneo. No. You're the face of a man I knew. You're another ghost. I remind you of a man. Mister, you sure pay pretty compliments. But I still want to be taken to Slim. Every crime has its eyewitness. Even the perfect ones. I was my own eyewitness. I had run from Samuel, the bookkeeper I'd framed and destroyed into a new terror and even greater danger. I had killed a hitchhiker named Slim and run. And now I'm a hiker. I'm a hiker. I'm a hiker. I'm a hiker named Slim and run. And now a girl with hard-accusing eyes was forcing me to turn back, forcing me to produce a dead boyfriend. How much further to that hospital clinic Slim is supposed to be at, Mister? What did you say your name was? I didn't. Richard Chambers. Now you're lying again. Your name's Carlisle. Eric Carlisle. You live on Mulberry Drive. How did you know that? By reading. You've got your car ownership slip around your steering wheel. I'm Ginger Thomas. Hello. How much further to Slim did you say? Not much further. Well, step on it. You're loathing along like we're out joyriding. The place where I paid off that hobo. And again the thing was coming alive before me. The dead were coming back in black puddles. The car overtook and splashed through Samuel's now Slim lying son by side. There had to be an escape for me. I had to rid myself of the girl at any cost. Why are you stopping? The tire feels flat. Take a look at it. Oh, I had. The tire is low. Let's pump air into it. Gotta hand pump the trunk. Hurry it up. I found a tire wrench in my tool chest. The only weapons available. Mr. Thomas. I'm used to being called Ginger. Ginger, I'll need your help. Tire pump keeps slipping. Someone has to hold it while I pump. All right, if I have to. It's pitch black and spooky out here. Where are you? I'm hardly make out. Please hurry if you're going to help. I'm staying where I am. Did you really think I was going to walk into a tire wrench whacking down on my... My hand. You've got it done. I saw it from him when we quarreled. Can you still drive with that hand? Yes. Your bullet hit the tire wrench. The hand is just stunned from this concussion. Then let's go. This time I'll sit in the back and do the directing. In case you get any more funny ideas. What's our destination? Police headquarters. You're going to tell them you ran, slimmed down and then tried to murder me. Ginger? You're warming up another fish, sorry? No, no, no more lies. I killed your slim on the highway accidentally. I couldn't seem to stop in time. Where is Slim now? A hobo who was with him disposed of him. For a price. How much? $1,000. Cheap way out for you. I didn't haggle over price. I offered that much I never haggle over the price of my safety. No price, too high. You're telling me. I saw you go for that wrench back there. You meant nothing to the hobo. Slim meant something to me. I understand. If I could make it up to you somehow. He meant a hundred times more to me than he meant to the hobo. A hundred times more? $1,000? Police headquarters about a quarter mile up. $100,000 is a foot. Sure. If it means my safety. Yes. I want the thrill of ordering a foreign steak and champagne. Formalities are a little pointless now. Okay, Eric. Order something extra good. On me. Thanks, no. Say, how are you going to turn over all that money to me? I have that much in my bowl. In cash? In cash. Don't look now. Across the room in the end booth, in a piano. Who is it? The hobo. The one that Slim took up with. The one I took up with. He mustn't see us in here. Let's go quickly. I haven't finished yet my stage. You'll get another one coming at me. We've got to get out of here. We got out of the tavern without being seen. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. This shuns on me that your safety is my safety now. We're hard news stories. And the hobo is your problem and my problem. I don't follow. If the hobo gets to worrying about what he's done for you and yelled cops, I'm out that 100,000. You're going to get me tomorrow, you see it? In a way. And if the hobo sticks his hand up for a second helping of your money, you can't pay him because I've got your money. Oh, the hobo turns to me. But how can he get to me? He hardly saw me in the storm of darkness. He doesn't identify my cause. He's an old hobo. At $1000 you gave him opened his eyes to a lot of possibilities. He doesn't know your name. I'll bet you anything. He'd got it down your license plate number when you pulled away. And what can we do? Just one thing. One thing. One thing. If we're going to stay safe, who's got a shot him out? The good. The bad guy. You were the man with the lug wrench once. Look, I've got a fortune now and Flynn wants me to protect it anyway I must. When Mr. Hobo comes out we're walking him down the road and into the woods. The hobo came out and we walked him down the road then toward the woods. I was deciding Jinju behind him prodding him with a gun. Jinju was protecting her fortune against hobo as cold-bloodedly as I had once protected my fortune against families. Now watch the rap, Mr. I ditched a kid like we agreed. You just let the talk. Oh, the dame's been selling your bill of goods. She was Slim's girl. I've seen her with Slim. You're in the clear, honest, Mr. I loaded the kid down with rocks and threw him into a lake. I've really done my bit for that grand. Stop here, Eric. I'll take him into the woods. You. Kill him? Yeah, it's me. I'll have to do the dirty work. Can't trust you with a gun so I'm stuck doing it. Uh, I won't run off while I'm in there. We've got a morning date with your bank. I won't run off. There's no place to run. Keep walking, hobo. I'll give you back that grand if that's what's cryin' you people. Rock! They disappeared into the woods for a moment. Victim and executioner. There was a long, heavy silence. BAM! Came out of the hobo's wallet. Why? 6, 7, 4, 3, 2, 8. My car lights were covered. It was his number to it. You see, it's a real blackmail. But we are really safe now. Sucker. We came back to town. Ginger and I. In the morning, I went to my bank vault and turned the packet of new bills over to her. $100,000. The money I'd stolen in Samuel's name and hidden away. She took the money without a word and went off laughing as if she had a huge joke she wanted to tell her world. I'm here in Enrico's mouth. I've been an eyewitness to a lot of things in Samuel's. I'm back here because there's no place to run to. The heavy-set stranger who called turned on me last night and is coming over. You weren't able to shake that eyewitness, huh? No. How can a man shake himself? I've been seeing Samuel everywhere. He's been a boy named Slim, hobo, a girl named Ginger. Lock me up somewhere. I'm out of my bath. No, you're so right. Samuel's in his family. His two sons and his daughter. Samuel's. And his family. Samuel didn't leap into the river. He nearly left his coat on the bridge. He walked away. But I ran over a boy named Slim. He was under my wheels. Before your wheels. He practiced just such a quality of days. It was all a frame-up, then. A frame-up to trap me, Slim, the hobo, the girl. No, not a frame-up. Just the way of giving justice to Samuel's father, maybe. No. I'm just an odd job man working at a police headquarters. I specialize in digging up eyewitnesses. Funny thing, our nine times out of ten, the missing eyewitness turns out to be the guilty party himself. Someone just said all kind of I'll need it was a dash of ginger to Turkey's goose. Still, you know, Carlisle hung on to his sanity, but tenaciously right down to the last crack. Morals? Oh, I got a couple. Short fees on the nearest tenotentiary wall, somebody. When embezzling money, be sure to amputate both hands so you won't finger yourself. I have this friendship. He who frames a bookkeeper only hangs himself. Good night. Pleasant dreams. That's the Columbia Broadcasting System and has been re-broadcast for service men and women overseas. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio Service with a voice of information and education.