 Lipton Tea and Lipton Soup presents Inner Sanctum Mysteries. Good evening friends of the Inner Sanctum. This is your host Raymond inviting you once again to join our own scary company. Please come in won't you? We have a full quiver of shepherds this evening and a... What? You say it's rather cold in here? Well, some of the chills of our story must have leaked out. Why don't you all huddle together? There's so much comfort in having someone else beside you instead of being besides yourself. Now, Mr. Raymond, that's no way to welcome people. You're apt to chase them away talking so scary like... What? Oh, hello Mary Bennett. So, you don't think I'm a good host, huh? Maybe I should say lay your little head on a pillow. Are you comfy? There. Now Uncle Raymond will drone you to sleep with bedtime story and when you wake up Aunt Mary will give you a nice hot plate of Lipton's noodle soup. Oh dear, there's just no talking to you. Folks, please don't listen to the way he talks about Lipton's noodle soup. Try it for yourself. You just don't know how good noodle soup can be until you've tasted Lipton's. It's got such a grand chickeny flavor. It really tastes homemade. And then, of course, Lipton's noodle soup comes in a package so it's no work to prepare. You just empty it into boiling water and then a jiffy soup's on. And another thing, Lipton's makes lots more and costs less than canned soups. Well, thanks for the hot facts, Mary. And here's a fact for you. Did you know that more than two-thirds of the earth's entire surface is unknown? The salty wastes of the sea? Only a short distance under the surface death lurks in a hundred different shapes. And that's where we're going to take you tonight in Robert Newman's strange story of death in the death. A fork in a small seaside town a few minutes before midnight. Moored to the dock, just barely visible through the thick fog, is a stubby, broad-beamed ship. Suddenly out of the swirling mist, a man and woman appear. He is tall, heavy set, carries a sea bag over his shoulder. She's slim, attractive. They reach the end of the dock and he stops, his face. I can't do it, Lil. I just can't. That's all there's to it. Stop arguing and get on board there. Well, I'm telling you, I can't, Lil. I can't. I even think about it the way the water looks down under. Feel of it pressing against you. And I'm telling you the jar are going, whether you like it or not. Two years of living in crummy, second-rate, rooming houses. That's plenty, see? Too much. You're going back to doing something that really pays off. I told you to shut up. Now stop squawking and let's go aboard. Okay. Hi there, the Casca Bay. Is Captain Brody around? I'm Brody. Come aboard. Good evening, Captain. My name's Farrell. This is my wife. Hello. I understand you're going off on that job and you're looking for divers. Yes, I am. We've got a salvage job off the keys. It's a tough one, 20 fathoms. We only use real deep water men. Won't you say your name once again? Farrell. Steve Farrell. You mean big Steve Farrell? Why don't you say so? Sure I can use you. Wait right there. I'll go get the paper. Okay, Captain. Well, was that so tough? Hey, look, for heaven's sakes, don't make me do it. You don't know what you're asking me to do it. It's like sending me... Hey, look, did you hear that? Nine bells. What of it? What of it? There's no such thing as nine bells. It's like a clock striking 13 o'clock. Well, that means that. The only other time I ever heard it was when... Listen, I'm getting sick of this. See? You don't want to do any more diving because you've lost your nerve. And because a bell rings nine times instead of eight, you say it means something. Well, what do you think it would mean if I told the police a couple of things I know? I'll tell you. It would mean the chair. Now, how do you like that? Lila, you don't know. Take care of yourself, Stevie boy. I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks. Feeling pretty good, aren't you? I think you're getting just what you want. Well, maybe, uh... Because when I sign those papers, I won't be signing on as a diver. I'll be signing... my own death certificate. More set, Captain. Any instructions before they close me up? No, Steve. You can't expect much on a first dive, but see if you can determine the extent of the damage. All we know about her now is that she's about 1,500 ton. Her name was the Santa Elena. She went down the collision. Right, Captain. Okay, close them up. Start the pumps. Far away. I'm scared. Scared. I swore I'd never go down again. But here I am. That's all just the way I remember it. Nothing at first, but the quiet. Just the pumps like the echo of your heartbeat. And the light fading as you go down. Getting darker. And the cold. The pressure building up. Pressing harder and harder. Grouping you tighter and tighter as everywhere, being swallowed by something alive. Always down below where you can't see it. Something weighty. Something that was at town when I really used to like diving. Did it all begin? I swear. That night in the bar in Tampa, she told me she married Curly. Well, this is certainly quite an evening you're giving me, Steve. It's more like a wake than a celebration. Why are you looking at me like that? Wondering whether I should kill you. Or if you talk to Curly and let him do it. What do you mean? You know what I mean. You know Curly. You ever found out how things were with you and me? Well, he's just young enough and crazy enough about you to put your way for keeps. I can handle Curly with my little finger. Besides, you wouldn't do anything like that. Wouldn't I? Why'd you meet me here tonight? You know it's because you wish you were married to me instead of him. So what? What are you going to do about it? You know Don well, he'll never let me go. No. I guess he won't, but we've got to do something. But what? After all, he wakes for me. Diving's kind of dangerous. As a matter of fact, we're getting off on a job tomorrow that's pretty tricky. Steve. When you want something badly enough, there's always a way of getting it. That was the beginning. That wasn't when I was afraid for the first time. That came later. Two days later, out in the reefs. Two days of being with Curly and talking to him. And all the time when it was going to do. And that last dive, late in the afternoon. Standing on deck with Andy, the pump man, and watching Curly through the clear water. Watching him move across the deck of the Hulk. As cool as she was. You going down too, Steve? Yeah, Andy. Maybe we can wind up today and start on the mire. You can handle both of us? Sure. Only watch the coral over on the port side there, sharp as a razor. Almost took Curly's boot off this morning. If you get into any trouble, I'm all alone up here. I'll watch it. You want to button me up? Yeah, sure. I'm going down now. But I still wasn't afraid. Not yet. I was too busy figuring out just how I was going to do it. And landing on the bottom and starting to wake my way toward the Hulk over the coral. There was Curly's hose and safety line lying on the coral. Sneaking its way to the Hulk where he was waking. I didn't have to look up. He told me by the shadow I was under the hull of my ship, so Andy couldn't see me. And I came to a place where Curly's line was lying right next to a coral spire. And I know that was it. I bent down, looked it around the spire, so Andy couldn't pull him up. I took out my knife and cut Curly's air hose. Andy must have known it even before Curly did. As soon as the bubble started pouring out of the end of the hose. Hello, Curly. Can you still hear me? I think you're in trouble. Your hairline's cut. Hold it and save whatever hair you've got. Steve's on the bottom too. He'll get over to you. Did you hear Steve? Yeah, I heard. I'm going as fast as I can. I just hit the deck, but it's crowded up and I can't see anything. Where's Curly? Up forward till the ship's bell. Listen, he says he's going to ring it so you can follow the sound. If for heaven's sake, hurry! Follow the sound? As if I didn't know where he was. Straight forward. I could see him now with his lifeline taught so we couldn't move. Pulled his air hose with one hand and ringing the bell with the other. He was swaying back and forth. I started counting the strokes. Five, six, seven, eight. Then he slid down onto the deck. Yeah, bubbled out of his helmet and I knew he was dead. I remember thinking one bell after midnight. And suddenly it came over me that this was something I'd... I was never going to be able to forget. Never. But every time I went down I was going to see him swaying there, hanging onto the bell. Waiting for me. Waiting. So that's why Steve Farrell wouldn't go back to his old profession of deep sea diving. I should think it would lose some of its peel if you expected me to be that dead man every time you go down. How about that, Mary? Climb board and tell us what you think. Well, Mr. Raymond, I certainly wouldn't like to be a deep sea diver. To be all alone down there in the cold water with fishes and all sorts of things swimming around you. That's not for me. Oh, but just think, Mary, when you come up you could have a nice hot plate of Lipton's noon soup. I think you've really got something there. Lipton's noodle soup would sure be welcome at a time like that. It's such a heartwarming dish. It perks you up just looking at it. Looking at those tender noodles floating in that golden broth. Well, I'm getting to talk fancy. But really, folks, Lipton's does taste sort of special. It's got a chickeny flavor and it... Well, it just tastes homemade like the old-fashioned noodle soup you used to make yourself. But, heavens, I don't want to be interrupting Mr. Raymond's story. So I'll just say, try Lipton's real soon. Won't you, folks? Now, shall I go on with the story of death and the depths of the sea? That strange underwater world where dead men ring their own death knell on the bells of sunken ship? Okay. It's just a moment later now. And Steve Farrell is still standing on the deck of the sunken freighter Santa Elena. Anything the matter? Why, uh, no, no, Captain. I'm sorry. I thought I heard something funny and I... I guess I lost my knife for a minute. After all, this is my first diving quite a while, but I'm okay now. You sure? We can haul you up, send Mike down. No, no, no, I'm okay. I'm gonna stay. Well, all right, but don't forget we can't see you from up here. So keep talking all the time so we'll know exactly where you are and what you're doing. Check. I'm up forward now on the port side of the deck. I'm just going inside. The finding way door is jammed shut and I'm flicking on it. There she is. And now I'm inside in the car door. It's pretty dark. I'm switching on my light. I can see now, another way ahead of me at least. It's, uh, it's all kind of queer. Just, uh, funny, strange. She's candid over on the stop at side so the car is tipped over at an angle. Sort of like a dream where everything's turned around. Kind of different and still familiar. How does it seem so familiar? Seems to remind me of something else. You know, the hotel right after we were married. Walking down it with her, Lila. Now down to the terrace. The way she took the cigarette I gave her. Smiled at me. Very sure of herself. Thanks, Steve. Thanks a lot. Why the smile, baby? Why shouldn't I smile? I'm young, healthy, and I'm married to a guy I like. The guy who's going to take real good care of me. Sure am, baby. Not only that. Now on, things are going to be different. I didn't have a chance to tell you before, but I'm through with diving. What keeps? What do you mean? Just that. I sold a boat yesterday and all the equipment. I'm out of that racket for good. You shouldn't have done that, Steve. Not without talking to me about it first. What do you expect to do from now on? Oh, I'm upset on that. I got a job as a second engineer and afraid of the outtourists. Well, I guess that'll be all right. For a while, anyway. What do you mean, for a while? You think you're going to tell me what kind of work I should do and what kind I shouldn't do? But of course, Steve. Like I said, I'm your wife. Besides, if I wanted to, I could tell either you or anyone else, a lot of other things. Like why you decided to give up diving. What are you talking about? Give it up because I was sick of it. Is that the reason? Or is it because you're afraid that if you did do any more diving, you might start seeing things? Seeing what? Well, after all, you were right there when Curly had his accident and got drowned. The funny thing is you were talking about how he might have an accident just before you went off on that trip. I've been thinking, I really ought to talk to Andy about it since he was there, too, and find out just how it happened. Andy's not around anymore. He left town right after I paid him off. Oh, I see. Well, remember that the police could probably find him, Steve, if they should ever want to ask him any questions. Oh, huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Captain. Nothing's a matter. I guess I was just thinking about something else, and... I'm at the end of the corridor now. I'm just opening the door to the engine room. I'm going across the gratings now and down the stairs. Funny. There's something kind of familiar about all this. Pattern and grills. A picture of the stairs. Hey, Captain, what did you say the name of this tub was? The Santa Elena Panamanian Registry, I think. Why? She kind of reminded me of another ship, the Arcturus. The Arcturus? What made me think of her? I know why. A year and a half from which I almost forgot about it, Curly. What had happened down there on the deck of the Schooner. A year and a half from which I was almost happy, even with Lila. And that night, the night McCannery came up to me. I was on watch in the engine room. Hi, Steve. How are they going? It's well, Chief. I just got number two on again, and she's burning like a kitten. Look, Steve, the old man cleaves his hand a little bit heavy. He wants it to sound like a thump and check the bilge. I told him he was crazy, but... Well, maybe we'd better. Okay, Chief, I'll get out right away. Anyone around to give you a hand? I don't really need any help. But if I want them, Swanson's I have someplace. Well, report to me as soon as you're finished. All right, Chief. Oh, there you are, Swanson. Hey, where you going? Come back here. Oh, not Swanson. Who are you? I'm nobody, Chief. It's doorway, huh? I'm down here behind the boiler. Now, give me a break, will you, Chief? I ain't doing nobody any harm. Well, I'll be. Steve, big Steve Farrell. Andy. Andy Andrews. And I wanted a break. This is terrific, Steve, like money in the bank. What happened to you anyway? Oh, usual thing, run a tough luck. Get out of work for about a year now. Look, Steve, I'm pretty hungry. I ain't had enough meat since we left Port. Well, I guess I could pick up some stuff from the galley for you. But you have to be careful. Be the devil, if they find out I was hiding it. Good old Steve. I know you wouldn't let an old shipmate down. And, Steve, while we're at it, I could use a little cash, too. Yeah, yeah, I figure that. Well, when we get to Port, I, I guess I could let you have 10 or 20. That's not enough. I was figuring on, like, uh, 500. What's that? 500. You nuts. I don't think so, Steve. You see, after Curly had his little accident, and you sold the boat and all the equipment, I figured you'd given up diving because you were kind of upset about it. Then I heard you'd married his widow, that, uh, Leela Dame. I started thinking back. I remembered how Curly's air hose looked after we pulled him up. The place where it was cut wasn't rough, like it had been done by Coral. It was clean, like it had been done with a knife. So that's it. Blackmail. Why do you have to use words like that, Steve? Okay, Andy. It's gonna be a little tough to get, but... Wait a minute. What is it? Someone's coming. One of the wipers. I know. Down there in the bilge. Here, climb in. Right down through that middle. But it's almost full of water. There's plenty of room, and you'll be safe there. Really safe. Okay, but you better not... What are you doing? Let go of me! Let go of me! You'll be safe here, all right? I'll see to that. Stop struggling like that, Andy. It's not gonna do you any good. And I'm in two people already, too. Let's you go wandering around with what you know. You winks before they find you down here in the bilges. Maybe they never will. And if they do, they'll figure you tried to hide down there and get drowned all by yourself. Down at the bottom of the ladder in the engine room. This light's not too good. The boilers are right in front of me. There seems to be some kind of a brass plate on the floor here. This isn't a tantalina. It's the actoris. What are you talking about? It is. It is. Don't you understand it? It's a ship where I kill him. And he must still be down here. Down in the bilges. Get me out of here. I don't know if we're having sex. I think I see something moving like that. Behind the boilers. Hey, Brody. I think I did one curly. That means that he's here, too. No, Brody. Can't you get me out? No good, Steve. You'll know that, don't you? You're here to stay. Who is you? You're Steve. And I got a friend with me. A friend of yours, too. He's standing right next to you. We waited a long time, Steve. But now you're here with us. And now you're going to know exactly what it was like with both of us. You're going to know what it's like to drown. Good enough. You're late, Steve. This is it. This is the way it was with us. Trying to hide it first. Holding your breath. Then you can't fight it any longer. Letting go. The water rushing in. Into your mouth, nose. You choke at first. Try to fight some more. Then everything starts to go black. And you relax. There are lights moving in the darkness. Suddenly you feel very peaceful. And very free. Peaceful. Find him, Mike. Yeah. It was right where you said. Down in the engine room. They're hauling him up now. It's going to be tough breaking the news to his wife. How does it happen? There's a heavy iron door leading into the engine room. It swung shut. Cut his lifeline and air hose. Hmm. You're saying an awful lot of stuff that didn't make sense. But there was something about a bell. Well, his lifeline was looped around the bell on the foredeck. Mr. Gatton caught when you tried to pull him up. And that may have rung the bell a few times. There was something else, though. You remember you said he kept asking if the ship's name was really the Santa Helena? Well, there was a brass plate in the engine room with her original name on it. And it was the Arcturus. Yeah, they must have changed it when they re-registered that. Eh, that is funny. There's one thing that's even funnier. Of course, the whole thing was an accident, but... But I wonder what made that door close. You do, huh? Even with two able-bodied ghosts about? But that's the way we like to leave you with a couple of things to keep you wondering. And when we do, then we've known we've really rung the bell. The funeral bell. Oh, Mr. Raymond, with all the different kinds of bells there are, why do you have to talk about that kind? All right, all right, Mary. Pick your own bell, see if I care. All right, then I'll choose a dinner bell. Will you ring it nine times? No, sir. You only have to ring it once if you're serving Lipton's noodle soup. And folks will come swarming to the table, because they know it takes Lipton's to show how good a noodle soup can be. Now, before I close the inner sanctum, here's a word of advice. If you should have nightmares tonight about drowning men and wake up with a start and see a strange figure in your room, a figure with staring eyes and seaweed in its hair, dripping water on the floor, don't be alarmed. Just ask it for its haunting license. Brother, by the way, this month's inner sanctum mystery novel is Net of Cobwebs by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding. Now it's time to really close that squeaking door until next week, at the same time, when Lipton Tea and Lipton Soup present another inner sanctum mystery directed by Hyman Brown. So until then, good night. Pleasant dreams. I don't know how you feel, but that spooky bell gave me the shivers. Right now, I'd like to hear a cheerful sound that it made me forget all about it. Yes, I'd like to hear a tea kettle singing on the stove. And when that water is at a good rolling boil, let's have a cup of Lipton Tea. You know, the tea with the brisk flavor. The word brisk, B-R-I-S-K, means that Lipton's has a lively, full-bodied flavor. It never tastes flatter or a wishy-washy. So don't forget Lipton Tea. And don't forget to tune in next Tuesday night for another inner sanctum mystery. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.