 It seemed to be making for the roof, but on the top floor we've finally caught up with her. Crane, please, please! That ape came out of here! I'll do anything, anything! You treated me like an animal, Cecily, and now an animal shall treat you as you deserve, choke you to death! Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest, and our fears the strongest, our strength at its lowest ebb. Midnight, when the graves gape open and death strikes, how? You'll learn the answer in just a moment in The Eighth Song. Murder at midnight, tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the macabre. Our story by Peter Martin is The Eighth Song. Captain Fogg shrouded a nondescript freighter just in from Africa, and now unloading its cargo in New York Harbor. Down in the ship's deepest hole stands Crane Follyott, the famous big game hunter. Before him is an iron cage containing his latest conquest, a restless thing of panic and hysteria and insensate passions. A huge ape! Quiet. Don't be afraid. I'm not going to kill you, hurt you. I killed too much already. And besides, I need you to live, need your help. And that's better. Yes, my friend, you shall live to save me from death, a death in life. I'll be taking them off in a minute. Oh, good. Lucky thing we were able to get a hold of another truck. Why, the university forgot to send their truck is beyond me. Still, I don't think keeping the animal in my cellar overnight will harm him or anybody. Well, look at him shake, though. He's scared. Not scared, exactly. That's because like all apes taken from their natural habitat, he imagines he's in the presence of death. Death? Yes. What's he doing now? Opening and closing his mouth as if he were trying to sing or something? How did you know? No. Know what? I'm sorry. You wouldn't know. They can sing, though. Yeah? They do. But only when they're in the presence of death. We rode home through the foggy night in the truck, the ape and I. The house was dark when we got there, and I had to give the driver and his helper an extra $20 to take the canvas-covered crate holding the ape around to the back door and into the cellar. Coming up the cellar stairs, I entered the front hall and... Folly, is that you? Dr. Murchison. Yes. Welcome home. What are you doing here? Your wife was just going out when I came here, but she let me in and I've been waiting for you. Waiting for me? Yes. I was about to go myself when I heard the noise downstairs. Oh, I suppose you want to know where the ape is? Well, he's downstairs in the cellar. I see. Folly, why did you bring the ape here rather than to my laboratory? Well, the laboratory truck never arrived. What? It's impossible. I personally arranged for it to meet you at the pier. Why are you questioning me, Dr. Murchison? You don't really think I want a neighbor's house guest, do you? The only thing I was interested in was to get the ape to a safe place until morning, then I was going to call you. I see. Can't you wait to start cutting him up, whatever you intend to do with him? You want to take him with you now? Well, you know that's impossible for Folly yet, and you know we don't intend to cut him up. I'm sorry, Doctor, but the strain taking care of him, you know what delicate animals they are. Eh, won't you come into my study and we can talk? Thanks, Folly. But now that I know his safe, I must be running along. As you wish. When, uh, when will you send the truck around, take him to the laboratory? Well, round noon, I should say. Good. Get some sleep, man. You look terribly tired. Yes. Good, peaceful sleep. At last. Hello. Someone's at the door. Yes. Yes. I imagine it's my wife. Oh. Oh, Crane. Hello, Cecily. You're back. Yes. Why? Why? That's a strange question. You know Dr. Merchison, don't you? Yes. I was just about to leave Mrs. Folly yet. You must excuse my wife, Doctor, she's so pleased to seeing me that she's forgotten her manners. I understand. Well, I'll be in touch with you. Brian? Good night, Mrs. Folly yet. Good night. Crane. You promised you'd stay away until November. Yes, I know I did. But the thought of you all alone in this big house doing nothing but waiting for me to return to your welcoming arms, what else could I do but rush home as quickly as I could, my dear? Don't be sarcastic, Crane. I'm the contrary, my dear. I'm not being half as sarcastic as I'd like to be. Excuse me, I'm going to bed. But, uh, don't you care for me just a little, Cecily, just enough to kiss me good night. Let me pass. I've never asked very much of you, you know. No more than the friendly pat on the head you give to your dog. I said, let me pass. Yes, Cecily. But first, there's something I must tell you. How tired I am of being a hunter of killing wild animals instead of enjoying the happiness of my home with you. You seem to enjoy your hunting trips well enough. You're always going on them and bragging about them to everybody. Now let me pass, Crane. Please believe me, Cecily. Hunting is only a substitute. A very unsatisfactory substitute for the love I hope to receive from you. I never do. I thought we'd settle all that. Yes, but I... I never dreamed you'd treat me like some loathsome animal you couldn't bear near you as though I wasn't a man but an ape. When are you leaving on your next trip? When? Yes. Because until you do, I'm going away. If you hate me so much, my dear, why don't you go to Reno and get divorced? You know my family doesn't approve of divorce. Of course they don't. Especially when it's a matter of losing the foliate millions along with the husband. How can you be so disgusting? Something terrible has happened to me, Cecily. Something which forbids me ever to go hunting again. Don't make silly excuses. You know you love to hunt. Not any more, Cecily. Something has happened that makes me terrified ever to hunt again. What on earth are you talking about? I really can't explain it, my dear. But on this last trip, every time I killed a wild animal, I imagined I was killing... I was killing you. I watched her run up the stairs in terror. I heard the slam of her bedroom door. I stood there at the foot of the stairs for a moment, days, yet more certain than ever of what I had to do. And then quite unexpectedly, I felt the wet sting of tears on my cheeks. Yes, there were tears, but no sound. I thought of the ape in the hold of the ship, silently opening and closing his mouth. Some outside force seemed to be guiding me now, as though I was a mechanically controlled robot. I began walking down the hallway to the cellar door. The darkness didn't frighten me. It was my friend. I went down the cellar steps in perfect calm, never thinking to snap on the light. No, it was the darkness that soothed me, whispered to me the darkness and the presence of my friend. He sensed me, of course. And more than that, he expected me. He knew I was coming. I went to him. There he was, outlined in the dim light of a faraway street lamp, coming into the cellar from the grating over my head. Yes, my friend, you want to be free, don't you? Yes, and why not be free? But before I left you out of your cage, we must understand each other. There is a price you must pay for your freedom. Am I really being so unreasonable? Listen, you shall do what I command you to do, with an ecstasy of satisfaction. Do you hear? This time it is no animal you will see die, but a human being. And more than that, my friend, you will not only see her die, but you yourself shall kill her, shall avenge all the terrible debts I have dealt your fellow brothers of the animal kingdom. I see you are pleased, and you should be. Didn't I kill your mate? But I tell you, Cecily drove me to it in my need to clench my murder lust against her. And now, my friend, you shall act as my conscience. You shall kill Cecily and revenge. Your spirit shall be my spirit, and Cecily will die. Yes, yes, you do understand. Here in my hand is the key to your cage, the key to your freedom, and mine. We have made our bargain, haven't we? Yes, yes, we understand each other as though we were two brothers. Yes, come out. It is there to her room. It is there that you shall sing at last. Yes, your song of freedom, your ape song. And so man and ape start for the room of their victim. Start up the stairs side by side in the darkness as the clock strikes twelve for... Murder! Now back to murder at midnight the ape song. Crane folly it and his ape continue up the steps to Cecily's room. We went up the stairs together and it didn't seem strange when the ape took my hand as though wishing me to guide him. And then for a moment I was afraid of trouble. The ape became fascinated with a heavy carpeting in the hallway, patting it with his hand as an infant plays with sand. But finally I got him to stand up and come with me. We made hardly any sound as we climbed the main staircase leading to her room. What is it my dear? What's the matter? Something in the room. I see it's eyes. But that's fantastic my dear. There, there it is. Crane, Crane what are you doing to me? I see nothing, I hear nothing. Crane, let go of my arm. In a moment, but won't you kiss me please? You're going to kill me. Oh no, no, not I. Come, aren't you going to kiss me just once as you used to in the old, old days? All right, yes, anything, but let me go. Good, now, let me hold you in my arms. Oh, Cecily, I need you so. Why have I lost you? Why did you forsake me, Cecily? Go! Cecily, come back, don't run, you can't get away. Very well, if that's the way you want it. There's quite a chase. I followed them as they ran through the house from room to room, floor to floor. She seemed to be making for the roof, but I knew if she got away from me, she'd never, never shake off the ape. Finally, on the top floor, we caught up with her in the attic. Crane! You treated me like an animal, Cecily. And now an animal she'll treat you as you deserve. Choke the life out of you. There she is, over there in the corner. No, no, Crane. She made me kill your mates. Kill her? Goodbye, Cecily. I stood over her body and thought I could smell the sea and hear the pounding of the clean waves. And I felt sleepy again. Really sleepy again. I knew I could sleep now. I don't know how long I stood there or how long the doorbell was ringing. Until I remembered that it wasn't I that it killed her, but the ape. I was safe. Why not go downstairs and open the door? I couldn't get a taxi in there. I wanted to see the ape first thing in the morning anyway, so I thought I'd come back to that comfortable sofa of yours. Dr. Murchison, the ape has escaped. Escaped? Yes, he jumped out of a window into a tree after killing my wife. Fully it! What are you saying? Yes, right after you left. The first time you ever took it was when she screamed. I ran upstairs to her room, but... Queer. What was that? I nearly said it was queer. I can't tell you how sorry I am, Fully it. For you. Sorry. For me? Shouldn't I be? In a way. Yes, it's lucky you did come back. We'll have to organize a search for the ape, of course, called the police. Yes, I am sorry for you, Fully it. Terribly sorry. The days that followed were the happiest of my life. At the inquest the coroner's verdict was death by accidental strangulation. The ape could not be found, and the official opinion was that he drowned in the river his body carried out to sea. Everything had worked out perfectly until I began to become aware of something strange and frightening and horrible. All this was happening to me one day on the street. You dropped the coin, sir. Oh, thanks that dime. I... I have it. Uh... Did you hurt your finger? Here, let me pick it up for you. Thank you, my thumb. Somehow I can't seem to bring it across. My thumb was no longer opposable. I couldn't bring it across my fingers. I never realized what it could mean until a few days later at a ball game. Get your scorecard at the game. You can't sell nothing without a scorecard, mister. Never mind. Come on, mister, only a dime of scorecard. You don't want to spoil the pleasure of the game just for a dime. Do you move on, you idiot? Yeah, who are you, a quiz kid or something? I said, get out of here. Take your hands off of me, you apier. What was happening to me? I could hardly force myself to think about it. But I had to, especially after what happened at my club. I say there, fellow you don't mend. Have a seat in the check. Thank you, Sam, but I've got to be going. Yes, of course. I see you. You see what? Lumbagoa can't straighten up your back. Going to a doctor, eh? You think it would help, do you? I don't know. But you certainly can't spend the rest of your life bending over like that with your hands hanging halfway to your knees. A half hour later, I was in Merchison's office. Now you must take it easy for it. We all have our off days, you know. You've got to help me, Dr. Merchison. You don't know what I'm going through. I wonder. You do look rather... I can't stand wearing shoes anymore. They're taught to me. And I can't straighten my back up. Have you ever had rheumatism? And a severe back injury. Rheumatism? You sit there talking like that when I've caught myself making sounds like an ape? Don't you realize what's happening? That's what I'm becoming, an ape. You're a psychiatrist, aren't you? We'll do something. You've got to do something. With your whimpering and listening. I can help you, but only if you cooperate. I'll do anything. Admit your range for your wife's murder. What? With the ape's help. Everything points to it, Follyette. You're bringing the ape to your house, your strange behavior before and after I left. And now the transference. I don't know what you're talking about. It's quite simple. Arranging for the ape to strangle your wife puts you legally in the clear. But you can't strangle your guilt. You can only suppress it. And unconsciously in your guilt, you have taken on the actual characteristics of the ape. If you say that again, I'll kill you. Killing me would only prove your guilt twice over. Be sensible, Follyette. Trust me. I've taken extensive note on your case. You've taken note? Yes. Because I knew that some sort of reaction would set in. Oh, there you see. Oh, no, no. Keep away from me. You're going to turn me over to the police. You're against me too. Everyone's against me trying to hunt me down. But you won't get me. You won't... Please stop that. I dropped him. And he fell to the floor, gasping. And then I tore open the door and ran. I didn't know what I was going, what I was going to do next. I only knew I had to hide. I found an abandoned house, hid in the cellar, and there, there in the darkness, it all became clear. Ape. The ape who had killed Cecily. I was the ape. That meant he was claimed Follyette, and that meant... Yes. I had to find him somehow. Kill him for killing Cecily. And that way, that way become my old self again. Where could I go? Where would I hide if I were he? Whether it's green, yes, and trees, and rocks. Ape, yes. In the park. At night, in the park, I threw off my shoes, walked barefoot, concealed in the night as I hunted my mortal enemy. Piece by piece, I discarded my clothes, my jacket, my trousers, walking like the animal I had become. My eyes were sharper than they'd ever been. I could see even in the darkness. And then, as the moon started to go down, I climbed a ridge. There were caves, cages, stone houses, and a zoo. And then, I heard something, it made the hair prickle on the back of my neck. My fingers itched, and my body shook as I heard the sounds that told me I had found my enemy. The ape, I jumped down toward the sounds, my lips puffing in and out with my heavy breathing, my head pounding like a trip hammer, my entire body of flame with a hot blood of murder. I ran to where the sounds came from, and there was a locked steel door. The ape was snarling, and when I came to come near him, I ran around to the other side, wrenched a fire axe from the wall, and came back to the door. I smashed at the lock with a sharp edge of the axe, opened the door, and leaped into the cage. He reared at me with his hind legs, and I swung at his throat. Holy monsters! Jake, get your gun quick. There's a man in there. Let me help you. And die in me too. Let me rest while I act. Watch out, the cage's open. There he is, Jake. Let him have it. I pronounce him dead. Who thought a man could make a sound like that? It was dark and we thought the ape had killed him, so Jake just fired. What gets me is trying to kill a nape with his bare hands and doing it. His crazed mind. This was the same ape he provoked into killing his wife. I can't get that sound as long as I live. Never. The complete transference into ape. Yet he could have been saved. Look at them lying on the ground. Too bad we couldn't have gotten here a minute sooner. Sure left an easy trail dropping his shoes in clothes after him piece by piece. Ape and man on the ground, side by side. It ain't pretty. His toes turned in. Puffs of hair from the ape's throat still clutched between his fingers. His teeth biting into his lower lip. Poor foliage. Or should I say poor humans? How close to animals we really are. Two bodies lying side by side in the darkness with no one to say which was the victim. As the clock strikes twelve for... Murder! Remember to be with us again when death pads through the night with glowing eyes and the clock strikes twelve for... Murder! The part of the big game hunter was played by Raymond Edward Johnson. With music by Charles Paul. Murder at midnight was directed by Anton M. Leeder.