 And now for the radio program that has rated tops in popularity for a longer period of time than any other West Coast program. The mystery program that is unique among all mystery programs. And I'll tell you why. It's because you know who's guilty. You see, his every move, you know his complete plans, even his innermost thoughts. Yet the final curtain always brings a startling surprise. In the signal oil program, the whistler. That whistle is your signal for the signal oil program, the whistler. I am the whistler, and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. Yes, friends, it's the whistler for the tops in entertainment. And for the tops in gasoline quality, it's signal. It takes extra quality, you know, to give you extra mileage. And signal is the famous go farther gasoline. So look for the signal circle sign in yellow and black that identifies friendly independent signal stations from Canada to Mexico. And now the whistler's strange story. Payment in full. It had been a series of little things in themselves insignificant, but gradually they had lighted a fuse in John Chapman's mind, touching off the entire sequence of events. Gloria, of course, had been at the center. All through his most recent trial, John Chapman, the noted criminal lawyer, had been conscious of her presence there beside him, since her warm interest in admiration. But when at last the case was won, and they were alone again in his office, he was certain she was showing more than just the concern of a devoted secretary. You look so tired, Mr. Chapman. I think you should rest awhile before you go home. Oh, thank you, Gloria. But my wife will be expecting me. Will she? Really? That's a strange thing to say. I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything. I just sit back a minute, Mr. Chapman. Forget this afternoon, the trial and everything. That's it. You're a wonderful girl, Gloria. Wonderful. Yes, John, Gloria is a wonderful girl, isn't she? But you remember how you wanted to take her, Gloria, in your arms that day. Tell her about your dreams, your plans for the future. But even now, now that weeks have passed and you've put your plans into actual operation, you know you can't confide in her. So you park your car and walk along 34th Street alone. Turn in at the little bar and wait quietly until a sharp-faced man slides onto the stool beside you. All right, Welch. Keep looking straight ahead. But give me what you've got. Well, I've been following your wife all week, just like you asked. The night after you left town, she went to the Indigo Club. Lost some more money gambling. She talked to a guy named Carlson from out of town. Yeah, what about? I don't know. I couldn't get close enough to find out. All right. I'm interested in Paul Barnes. Yeah. Nice assistant you got. Barnes and my wife and seeing each other? They met that same night in a little Italian joint. But here's the part I don't get. From the next booth I could hear enough to know he was trying to give it a brush off. Next thing he's threatening to kill her. To kill her? Yeah, that's it. How did my wife take all this? Cool as a new bedsheet. But he got a continuance. Yeah, they're talking it all over again tonight. Yeah, where? You, uh, you got a summer place up in Connecticut, huh? Connecticut. You've done a good job, Welsh. Yeah. What's the next stop? I'll worry about that. Unless I need you to testify. Testify? Barnes and those murder threats. How do we know he won't try to carry them out sometime? I don't know. You answer that question. You're the lawyer. I wasn't expecting you. I thought... That I was still in Washington? I got back a day early and came on up to Connecticut. You, uh, you could have wired. Oh, no. Well, that would have spoiled things. They planned you've made. Planned? A friend of mine, Alice, a private detective named Manny Welch. He, uh, gave me a very complete report. Oh, I see. So what's the next move, John? If you think a cheap detective is going to get you anywhere in court... I'm sure he wouldn't. Not with you there. I could tell them plenty about you. And I would... I'm sure you would, Alice. We've been through all this before. You know I'm not letting you get a divorce. So why waste money having your dirty little man follow me around? Oh, I suppose I should go on endlessly paying your gambling debts at the Indigo Club. Welch told you I was there, too. That's right. You, uh, you talked to a man named Carlson. Hmm. Well, since you know about it... Here. Oh, what's this? A bill from the Continental Jewelry. Mr. Carlson's firm. I owe him $5,000, John. Send him a check, will you? I have a little surprise for you, Alice. I'm going to pay this without a squawk. Because it's the last time you'll run up a bill of any kind. Don't be a fool. No, this isn't a sudden thing, Alice. Not the purple rage that swept over so many of my clients. John, now wait a minute. You'd be surprised how carefully I've planned this. You won't get away with it. Paul Bond is on his way here. He'll find me. I know that, Alice. That's the way I planned it. And with many wells to testify that Paul threatened you? Neat, isn't it? John! John, listen to me! The drive back to Washington is long and lonely. But you don't mind it. Because you've so many things to think about. Things like Gloria and your freedom from Alice. It's a simple matter in Washington to check out of your hotel the following morning. Simple, too, to pretend concern over Alice's whereabouts when you return to New York and check in at your office. Gloria, did you call the summer place again? My wife might have gone up there for some reason. I've tried all morning, Mr. Chapman. No. I think you should notify the police. But she... Yes, perhaps you're right. I'll do it right away. You say you found her already, Lieutenant Kincaid? That's right, Mr. Chapman. But why hasn't she called me? I've been almost out of my... She couldn't call anybody. Not since some time last night. Your wife is dead. Dead? I sent a man up to your summer place. That's where she was. Whoever killed her used a .32 caliber revolver. But it... It was murder. That's right. And we think we know who did it. You know... This, uh... This may be kind of rough on you, but... Well, you've got a young law associate here. Paul Barnes? Paul Barnes. He was in the legal department at the State Bank of New York before he joined your firm. Yes, yes. I know all that. He owned a gun. Had to have it around for his work, I guess. It was a .32. Would you mind calling him in here? Now, what about that gun you bought, Barnes? Where is it? It disappeared from my apartment about a month ago. Oh, that's so. We might as well tell you we've checked your movements for the past few weeks. You've been seeing Mrs. Chapman. You were even heard threatening her life. That doesn't prove anything. I'm not through. You drove over to Connecticut last night. A gas station attendant there recognized the description. You saw her, didn't you? Yes, I saw her, but she was already dead. Oh? And you did nothing about reporting it to the police? Or her husband? I... I didn't know how to explain being there. No. I guess not. But I didn't kill her. I swear I didn't. You'd better come along, fella. And it'll be easier all the way around if you tell us the truth. It's only a week after the funeral, John, that Lieutenant Kincaid and his men have gathered enough evidence to charge Paul Barnes with murder. You wait patiently, finally returning to your desk at the office, and to glory. You know that it won't be too long before you can be open in your feelings, tortoise. Because the way will be perfectly clear. I'm glad you decided to come back to work, Mr. Chapman. I've worried about you. But I think this is dead. Yes, I suppose. You know, Gloria, now that it's all over, I realize more than ever that... well, that Alice and I should never have married. I understand. Do you? You've heard about... Her and Paul Barnes? Yes. I wouldn't have believed that. Oh, Alice wasn't a very nice person. She gambled run-up debts. But Paul, I just... I gave him his first real brain. It wasn't his fault, Mr. Chapman. I know. She made a fool of Paul. Mr. Chapman, do you think Paul has any chance of getting off? Oh, I don't know. I have a very strong case. Good motive. It seems she'd threaten to tell me about their seeing each other. Get him thrown out of the office. I know Paul's innocent, Mr. Chapman, and I blame her for everything. What happened doesn't change how I feel about Paul. How you feel? You're not in love with him? Yes. It's something that happened just in the last few months. He was involved with her and was trying to get out of it. Oh, good Lord. Mr. Chapman, please. I know Paul didn't do this. Will you help him? You're the only one who can. Help him? Well, how, Gloria? You could defend him. Take his case. What? Please, please, Mr. Chapman. You've won cases that seem more hopeless. But, Gloria, he's charged with the murder of my wife. I couldn't go into court. You wouldn't have to try the case yourself. You could get another lawyer to do that. But you could save him, Mr. Chapman. You could figure a way. I'm... I'm asking you to do this for me. All right, Gloria. I'll do everything I can to get him off. With the prologue of payment in full, the Signal Oil Company brings you another strange story. By the Whistler. Since most everyone who has a car goes somewhere over Labor Day, this coming weekend will be a good opportunity for you drivers to prove for yourself two points that you've heard me talk about. One, why Signal gasoline has become famous as the go farther gasoline. And two, why Signal says it takes extra quality to go farther. Your speedometer, of course, is the best yardstick of Signal's good mileage. But how can you measure quality? Well, if it's a chill morning up in the mountains and your motor springs to life the instant you touch the starter, there's proof of Signal quality. When you're trapped down on the gas pedal and your car spurts ahead of the throng without jerk or hesitation and sails smoothly, silently up the steepest hills in high, there's more proof of Signal quality. Quality that helps you go farther because it helps your motor run more efficiently. Yes, just you go with Signal this weekend and you'll return convinced that to get the tops in gasoline there are only two things you need to remember. One, in gasoline it takes extra quality to go farther. And two, Signal is the famous go farther gasoline. And now back to the Quistler. Fantastic, isn't it, John? The way it's working out. Your careful plan to fasten your wife's murder on Paul Barnes is arrest. And now the shock of learning that Glory is in love with him. That you'll lose her if you don't try to save him. You've got to make it look good, John. Very good. And gradually it comes to you exactly how to handle the case of the people versus Paul Barnes. And it all hinges around Manny Welch, the private detective you hired. Mr. Welch, you've heard the arresting officer, Lieutenant Kincaid, testify that you followed Paul Barnes for nearly a week. Under what circumstances were you hired to do this? She hired me, Mrs. Chapman. She was afraid Barnes would try to kill her. And on the night she was killed, Mr. Welch, she told you to come to that house where her body was later found? That's right. She was taking no chances. Will you tell the court exactly what you did when you arrived? Well, I was just pulling my car off the road when I heard the shots. I almost jumped through the windshield before I could get out of my car because he had a gun. You're certain? Positive. Were you able to get a good look at him? Sure. He went right past the driveway light. And can you identify him positively? That's him right there, Paul Barnes. You're a witness, Mr. Stacey. It's amusing, isn't it, John? Watching the attorney you hired to defend Paul's tried-tort to witness chair. You've coached him very carefully, haven't you? As carefully as you coached Manny Welch. And they both play their parts well. So, Mr. Welch, you say that you went to that house and before you could get out of your car, you heard shots. It happened before I could do anything. How many shots? Why, there were two shots. Two shots? Then how do you account for the fact that five bullets were found in Alice Chapman's body? Five? You mean five? What you heard could have been only the backfiring of a car somewhere on the road. Isn't that possible, Mr. Welch? Isn't it possible that when you discovered Alice Chapman was dead, you let your imagination run wild? It's possible, I guess. You're doing a lot of guessing, aren't you? It was a dark cloudy night. And I can prove, Mr. Welch, that driveway light by which you identified Paul Barnes was disconnected. Well, I'm almost positive there was a light, but... But come to think of it, you're not certain now, are you? Yes, but I don't know... You don't know! And yet, with the defendant's life, it's taken you positively identified. You didn't actually see Paul Barnes leaving that house, did you? Yes, I did. I saw a man... Oh, now it's a man, any man! I want you to tell me, Mr. Welch, did you actually see Paul Barnes leaving that house? Well, I thought it was, but... I guess it could have been somebody else. Ladies, gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? We have, Your Honor. We find the defendant, Paul Barnes, not guilty. It's a popular verdict with a crowd, isn't it, John? A dozen or more people, friends, newspaper men, cluster around Paul, congratulate him as he stands near the judge's bench, his arms about Gloria. Quietly, you slip out of the courtroom, return to your apartment to write the letter that will destroy their new happiness. That night, you drop an envelope into a mailbox, an envelope addressed to the Times Press, and it doesn't take long for them to follow up on the letter, does it? The next afternoon, as you leave the office building with Gloria, Mr. Welch, Mr. Chapman... A boy, a boy here. Yes, sir. Here you are. Thanks. Thanks. Relax. We read all about it. Mr. Chapman, what is it? Oh, good Lord. What is it? This is ridiculous. They claim Manny Welch perjured himself, and Paul's trial, they've got a warrant up for his arrest. No. No, I don't believe it. Paul's innocent. Why would Welch have to lie to save him? Well, I don't know. I don't understand it at all. Though I don't believe it. Well, Paul's free now. They can't change that. That's all that matters. Free? How can he be free after this? His acquittal was a joke. They'll say he did kill her. No one will believe he's innocent. Do you? I've got to find Paul. Talk to him. Let me in, counselor. Welch, you fool. What's the idea of coming to my apartment? So you read about it in the papers? Well, yes, of course. Counsel, there's something screwy about this deal. I've been wondering who it was. You should be traveling instead of wondering, Welch. Cost money to travel. What happened to the money I gave you a couple of weeks ago? I had to buy some groceries. Look, you... I'm not in the mood for that, Welch. I'm going to give you some advice. Now, you get out of town and get fast. I want you to remember one thing. If you involve me in this case in any way, I'll see to it that the DA hears about that little affair you were mixed up with and scrapped me. You understand? Sure, sure. I'll play it. Smart counselor. But I sort of hate to blow town without knowing who tipped off the cops about me. It's a thing with me, you understand? I kind of like to know... Good night, Welch. Yeah. Good night, counselor. You're not really worried about Welch, are you? That he'll talk to the police. Tell them you planted him to wreck the case against Paul Barnes. No, your confident Welch won't involve you in any way. Because he knows you could send him to prison for life. Your plan has worked out well, hasn't it, John? There's only one last hurdle now, the visit you've been expecting from Lieutenant Kincaid. It comes early the following morning as you arrive at your office. Welch, why, yes, Lieutenant. I have been reading about that in the papers. You've, uh, found him? No. No, the boys are still looking for him. Oh. Meanwhile, we've been going on with the investigation. Uh... We found that Welch cashed a check. It was signed by you, Mr. Chapman. Oh. Oh, yes. That's right, Kincaid. That was a payment on a bill he sent my wife. Services rendered. I see. Did the bill come after her death? I don't know. There were so many bills. I've been swamped with them. Dress designers, antique dealers, nightclubs, everything. Now, this one, for example. Continental Jewelry. $5,000. Ever hear of the Continental Jewelry, Kincaid? Continental Jewelry? No. Neither have I. But, as I said, I've already paid the bills. This was the last one. I took care of it a week ago. Well, sorry, I had to bother you, Mr. Chapman. It's quite all right. You have a job to do? Yeah, and sometimes it's a job I'd like to drop down the drain. Well, see you, Mr. Chapman. Uh-huh. Oh, Gloria? Yes? I was a little worried when you went around this morning. I'm sorry, Mr. Chapman. Well, come in, come in. Is there something wrong, Gloria? Mr. Chapman, I saw Paul last night at his cabin. At Mirror Lake. Oh, well, what do you have to say? Not much. He says he knows nothing about Welsh. Or why he lied. I see. He was quite upset. I suppose it was cruel of me, but I had to know I was so confused. He became quite angry with me. Paul? I started back to town, but by the time I got to the village, I had to turn back. I couldn't let him go on thinking I didn't believe he was innocent. Somehow I had to make him understand. You went back to the cabin? Yes. That's when I saw them. Who? Through the porch window. I saw Paul talking to many Welsh. Your plan wasn't so perfect after all, was it, John? You're certain that Welsh has told Paul Barnes everything, the whole truth? You leave the office wondering what you can do now, wondering how far Paul Barnes may go in seeking revenge, and then suddenly panic strikes as you hear footsteps behind you. Steady, relentless, keeping pace with you. You feel eyes on the back of your head. For the next two days, you hear the footsteps wherever you go. Paul Barnes is following you, isn't he? After what he's learned from Welsh, he's going to kill you. Sleep is out of the question, work impossible. And then on the third night, still haunted by the idea that you're being followed, you decide you've got to get away. Yes, how soon can I catch a plane for Seattle? Seattle? One moment, please. Hurry, hurry, please. It's going west. Is it five o'clock tomorrow morning, sir? All right, all right, that's fine. My name is John Chapman. John R. Chapman, my address. Yes, sir? Suddenly you drop the receiver into place. You're too late, aren't you, John? Someone has opened the outer door of your apartment. You're sure it's Paul Barnes. Now it's either your life or his. Apparently you reach over, snap off the lights, and as the footsteps move towards you, you reach into the desk drawer for a gun. Then sit motionless in the dark, afraid even to breathe. Come in, Paul. I've been expecting you. Chapman? You're not Paul Barnes? Who? Who are you? The Whistler will return in just a moment with a strange ending to tonight's story. Meantime, a word about something free, which can mean a lot of extra pleasure for you if you're planning a trip this Labor Day weekend. Stop by your signal dealers for one of his new roadmaps. You'll find Signal's new maps a great help in suggesting interesting places to go and the best way to get there. Being just recently printed, they have all the latest road changes and conditions. They're large size for rapid reading, but have the improved accordion fold for easier handling. And you'll like their many extra features, not included in ordinary maps, such as a radio log showing where on your dial you'll find your favorite network programs as you travel. Also a guide to interesting places to visit, plus a Western States mileage chart. So for more travel fun this weekend, remember these two tips. Get one of Signal's new maps from your signal dealer, and of course, power your car with Signal, the famous Go Farther gasoline. And now, back to the Whistler. It was over now, settled in the harsh finality of sudden gunfire. And the group around the hospital bed was still, waiting, staring at the dying figure before them. It was Lieutenant Kincaid who broke the silence. He leaned over, spoke softly and urgently. Look, fella, you're not going to last the night. You might as well tell us who was in on it with you. Was it Welch? No, I never heard of him. I told you, Lieutenant, I had nothing to do with that part of it. I'll talk to you later, Welch. You've got plenty to explain away. Come on, come on, clear this up, will you? You're slipping away from us, fast. We'll have a report on your fingerprints in another hour, so you might as well tell us who you are. Okay, okay. I'm fanky Carlson, the guy that gets him only this time. Yeah, you killed Chapman, but he got you, too. Who hired you, Carlson? Who got you to kill John Chapman? Tell us. It was his wife. Mrs. Chapman agreed to send me 5,000. I wanted him out of the way so she could have a cake and eat it, too. But Mrs. Chapman is dead. Has been for over a month. I know. They read it in the papers. I thought the deal was off. And last week, the money come through and addressed to the Continental Jewelry Company. Continental Jewelry? What's that got to do with it? It's a front. The code Mrs. Chapman and me agreed on. She told me when I got the money addressed that way, I was to go through with the job. No matter what had happened. In my racket, you just don't ask no questions. But this is impossible. She couldn't have paid you after she was... Wait a minute. Continental Jewelry. Carlson, that checklist... Yeah, that's the funny part of it. The check was signed by Chapman himself. Let that whistle be your signal for the signal oil program, the Whistler. Each Wednesday night at this same time. Brought to you by the Signal Oil Company, marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil, and fine quality automotive accessories. Signal has asked me to remind you to get the most driving pleasure, drive at sensible speeds, be courteous, and obey traffic regulations. It may save a life. Possibly your own. Featured in tonight's story were Bill Boucher and Lorette Philbrand. The Whistler was produced and directed by George W. Allen, with story by Sidney Renthal and music by Wilbur Hatch. It was transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. Remember at this same time next Wednesday another strange tale by the Whistler. Marvin Miller speaking. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.