 And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in, in a moment, act one of Let There Be Light, starring Ivor Francis and written especially for suspense by Irwin Lewis. A little wild snow would fall, silent. Soon another winter would be my only companion. The heavy snow bits would make it impossible for Helen to come until spring. I don't think it would be anybody I know, whoever it is coming up. I'll go inside. If I knock, I won't answer. Maybe they'll think nobody's here and go away. But why? Why would anybody be coming up here? They're cutting through me like a knife. No, will you stop complaining. At least you're wearing a top coat. This fur piece of mine wouldn't keep a rabbit warm. Oh, my feet are frozen. Ah, this is a wasted time, Gloria. Nobody's fool enough to limit the tap of this hill. There's smoke coming out of the chimney. Well, gotta be it through that window, be anybody. Yeah, there's somebody inside, all right. Good. That's no example of Western hospitality. We're strangers. You should invite us in with open arms, kid, instead of just standing there in the corner. We're cold. You should ask us to warm up by the fire. In fact, if you don't mind, I'm going to take advantage of that stove right now. Half frozen. Coffee smells good. How about a cup, huh? Help yourself. Well, it's not being a gentleman, is it, Sam? Shut up, Gloria. You talk too much. There's your coffee. No sugar, no cream. Don't get too comfortable. My name is Shelby. Sam Shelby. Bill Donison. Information, kid. Right, Sam? Well, I was here. I told you. I heard it crack. Take it easy. Now, listen, kid, I'll tell you how it is. You see, a friend of ours was flying that plane down to Mexico. We were supposed to meet him there a day after tomorrow, but something went wrong and he cracked up. He managed to get to that town in the valley and phoned it. When we got to the town hospital a couple of hours ago, they told us he died, maybe an hour after he phoned. Now, you see how it is? No, I don't. I told you I didn't see the plane. And I still don't know what you want from me. All right, let's cut the call. The boys had some... Well, he got something on the plane that belongs to us. We went over every foot of the wreck and it's not there. Now, there's nobody within miles of this place, so it's gotta be that you took it. I hand it over. I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't see the plane. I couldn't. What are you trying to hand me? You'd have to be blind not to see it. That's right. Sam, he's gotta be lying. Did you see the way he lit his cigarette and the way he gets around? I've lived here for five years ever since I lost my sight in a mine accident. I know every inch of this room. I still say you're a liar. There's one way to find out. Take off those glasses. No. All right, then I'll take them off. Don't touch me. See you around sometime. What are you taking? Your mac and law. Putting it on the table, kid. That'll buy you half a... It might be Helen Prescott. She's a girl I know from the town. Once in a while she comes up here, but I didn't expect her. I mean, I was hoping... Of course, coming up and somebody's on it. That in the back, Helen leaves the horse and there in bad weather. She'll be coming in the door. How do you do? If I'm interrupting anything, Bill... They were just leaving, Helen. Yeah, that's right. Thanks for the coffee, kid. Too bad you... Well, you know what I mean. But that's life, huh? Are you all right, Bill? Of course I'm all right. Why shouldn't I be? I was worried about you. When I heard the weather report about the blizzard, I thought I'd better get up here. Why? I don't need everything? I didn't mean it that way. I thought you might like company. My company. Why? Come on, kid. Sorry we couldn't do business, but you sure couldn't have gone to that plane. The wreck at the foot of the hill? That's it. Of course he could if he'd wanted to. Helen, what do you hand in me? You don't seem to realize that there's very little Bill can't do. You can get along as well as anybody in most things, even if I can only get him to realize. Helen. Well, Bill, you know how I feel. I've told you and told you. Helen, please, stop talking. Hey, Sam, do you think... I don't know. This could be the craziest thing in the world, but we're not missing any bets. Let's take off that coat. We're not leaving yet. Bill, what are they talking about? I don't know. All right, let's have a little quiz game. I'll ask the questions and you better have the right answers. We'll start with you, lady. What do you know about that wrecked plane? Only what the town knows. It evidently crashed the night before last. The pilot crawled to town this morning. How he ever made it injured as he was was a miracle. He told the hospital he was the only one in the plane. With the storm threatening, there seemed no point in sending out a party for an empty plane. They decided to wait until later. What else do you know? Well, the pilot flown New York from the hospital. He told the doctors he was calling some friends. Then he died. I thought you two were going. Oh, look, I know this kind of weather. The visitor will get worse. You take my macadam go before it's too late. Just a couple more questions, kid. Told you before I couldn't see that plane. Yeah, that's right. But you didn't have to see it. You could have scrambled down that path like a mountain goat and poked around that plane. Your fingers could have been your eyes. And you could have found something without seeing it like you do here. Why would I do that? What do you want? I'll show you. Information. Your boyfriend here isn't as helpless as he looks. He gets around. Of course he does. Helen, shut up. Hey, it's getting dark. Is there a light in here? The oil lamps on the table. Helen, you know where the matches are. Now I can see it and realize how dark it was. Now let's talk business. Kid, except on that plane that belonged to me, give it to me. I'll make a way to you while. I don't want to get rough with you. No way. Take them back and on. Get out of here. You little punk. You're scum. Damn. Wait a minute. Now, Billy boy, if you found anything on that plane, why don't you give it to us? You'll be saving yourself a lot of trouble. Believe me. Leave me alone. Okay, kid. You had your chance. Now I'm going to pound the truth out of you. Keep your hand off him. You don't have to hit the kid, do you? What do you want me to do? Bump him. He went to the plane. How positive he did. Like I said, I didn't know what it was first, but I went down the hill. It took me a long time. By the time I got there, the pilot was gone. At least I didn't find anybody. But you did find something. Oh. I just made sure nobody was in the plane. Then I came back here. There wasn't anything else I could do. You're lying. You gotta be lying. There was $100,000 in uncut diamonds on that plane when it crashed. Diamonds. Yeah. They were in among Pete's effects. And they were in the plane. Now you admitted you went down to the wreck. So you found the diamonds. And I want them. No, I remember. I read about it. You stole the diamonds. That's right, baby. So what? They were part of a shipping from Bolshom. Before they got to the diamond cutters, we got them nice and clean. We had it all figured out. The cops were on to me, so I sent Peter head to Mexico with the diamonds. Glory and me were going to follow. That had figured great, all right. Except for the crack-up. This chance can count to three. And then I start taking you apart. One. He doesn't have the diamonds, can't you see? He's telling the truth. Two. Listen, kid, if you're smart, you'll cough up the stones. Sam can be pretty mean when he gets mad. Three. Oh, my God! Sooner kid, you were only asking for trouble. I would have given them to you right away. Other than me, but I was afraid. I figured once you got them, you wouldn't want me around the telepolice, so you'd have to kill me. Now why would we do a thing like that? Sure, kid, you didn't have to worry. I'll be a good boy and hand over the stones and we'll leave you two alone. We've wasted enough time already. It's dark out. We've got a long way to go tonight. You can't give them the diamonds. You know they'll get rid of you once you do. Shut up, sister. What do you want me to do, Helen? Fight? That's a laugh. Should I punch the air and hope I hit somebody? Yes. Pity yourself, Bill. Retreat into your shell so they can pull you out and slaughter you. Then everyone will say, poor Bill, wasn't it a shame and him so helpless? Such terrible people to do such a thing. Shut up, can't you? No, I won't shut up. You're not going to give them the diamonds, Bill. I don't want them. But you want your life. And I want you to be able to live with yourself again. That's enough now. I don't know what you're up to, sister, but we had enough talk. Bill, listen to the kitchen knife is at your right hand on the table. What? You know every inch of this room. Remember that. Blinder than you are now. He can't see. He's blind too. Blinder than I am, she said. I've got a knife. I'll be a fool. I'll shoot her. You've got to see me first. Shelby, try again. I'm going to get you now, Shelby. I know where you are. Then still I'll hear you. Because I'll hear you breathe. You can't stop breathing, can you, Shelby? Can you hear me breathe? Because I know the diamond. Maybe now you'll come back to town. Maybe now you'll understand. It wasn't pity made me come here. By the way, Bill, do you really have the diamonds? Yes. And that's the funny part of it. He could have taken them all the time and he didn't know it. What do you mean? They're in the pocket of my mac-a-law. Calling Ivor Francis. And written especially for a suspense by Irwin Lewis. In a moment, a word about next week's story by Joseph Cavill. Heard in tonight's story were Terry Keane as Gloria and Jean Gillespie as Helen. Listen again next week when we return with Brother John, written by Elspeth Eric. Another tale, well calculated to keep you in.