 And now, another tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. Dead Man Story, written for suspense by Robert Arthur. The time, late on a foggy night. The place, a room on New York's west side near the docks, where the faint hooting of fogmores comes in the window. Lying on the bed, a man listens to the man knows that beyond those walls, windows and locked door, 10,000 men of the New York City police force are looking for him. Then comes a knock on the door, which means life or living death. I'd like to ask you a question. Have you ever been on a shipwreck and drowned at sea? No, I don't expect you to answer that. But just in case you're wondering, I can tell you it's a very interesting experience. My name, Larry King. My record, one term at Sing Sing, one term at Plattsburg, one term at Auburn Prison. Three terms, all for acquiring sums of money that weren't legally mine. Making me a three-time loser, a very uncomfortable position to be in, especially since there was a fourth charge against me, and I was hiding out quite broken without much hope when she came to my rescue. Yes, she had so often before. Larry. Larry, it's Julia. How'd you find me? Steve phoned me. Oh, Larry, why did you do it? Very good question. Just a bad habit, I guess. But you promised. I never was very good at keeping promises, was I? This time you'll be sentenced for life. Now, that's occurred to me, Julia, but you shouldn't have come here. I couldn't leave it. Leave you here to be caught. You always turn up when I need you, Junior. Why? Because I remember the good things about you, not the bad. The good things about our four years together. It's time you thought of yourself now. Your present husband, a bank executive. He wouldn't like to know that you still come to my help. I can't help it. You'll have to get out of the country. I'll raise the money, sell some of my jewels. Steve will help me find a freighter captain who will take you to South America. Will you let me do this one last thing for you, Larry? Yes, Junior. And I promise not to come back. Junior, Julia got a message to me. I slipped out and met her down by the docks. We went on board and the captain led us down a corridor. This way. Be very quiet. Yes, of course. This is the cabin. You have the money? This envelope. It's $2,100 bills. Oh, bills. Good. We sail in five minutes. Oh, baby. This is it. Any good at saying goodbye? I know. It doesn't matter. Here's a passport. Your name is Charles Riker now. Here's $3,000. All I could raise. You won't get into trouble about the jewelry? Time will never notice it's gone. Julia. Yes. In spite of everything, I want you to know that there was never anyone else for me but you. Larry. That's it, Julia. Yes. Of course. Goodbye, Larry. Goodbye. Sweetheart. Half an hour later from the portal of my cabin, I could see the lights of Manhattan fading away. I had nothing to do with the weight. The ocean rolled away behind us. The weather grew milder. And on the 17th day, we entered a Honduran port. As soon as we docked, I met the captain on deck. Are you ready to go ashore, senor? Ready as I'll ever be. You have a passport? I have a passport. I am not expecting trouble. One hopes not, but it is easy to be sure, senor. How? The customs officer is my friend. For $1,000, I can guarantee no trouble. You can, can you? And if I don't pay off, you might just tip a word to the customs officer? No, senor. I did not say that. And maybe the money would wind up in your pocket? I smell a rat, and it's you. It is a mistake to speak to me this way. We should be friends. Friends. Listen to your chiseler. You're not putting the squeeze on me. You see what I have in my pocket? We're gone. Senor, I want... I'm warning you. We're walking down that gang plank together. If things go smoothly, fine. If they don't, I'll shoot. You. You would not dare. It wouldn't be any worse for me than returning to the States to face life imprisonment. In fact, the idea of shooting you rather appeals to me. The senor makes a very funny joke. There will be no trouble. There wasn't any trouble. Half an hour later, I had a tiny room in a fourth-rate hotel hot as a baker's oven and was stretched out on a sagging bed listening to bad mambo music and staring at the cracks, spiders and flies in the ceiling. This was freedom. But I was already beginning to wonder if it wasn't overrated. As the weeks went by, I wondered more. The food, if anything, was better at sing-sing. I couldn't work, you see. I couldn't leave. I couldn't do anything except save my money and see how long I could hold out. This might have gone on for a year, but it hadn't been for my visitor one evening. Come in. Oh, I thought it was a houseboy. I'm afraid you got the wrong room, mister. I don't think so, King. I'm Lieutenant Sanders of the New York police. Oh. You sure you got the right party? I was never more sure of anything. How'd you find me? Do you remember the Thomas Letter a couple of weeks ago? Somebody who couldn't write English very well? Yeah, that figures. But suppose I say I'm not going back with you. I have the extradition papers and the end you'll have to go. How do you have it? Easy or hard? Well, to tell you the truth, I'm tired of this place. Have a drink. That cop Sanders wasn't a bad guy. I spent a day showing him the sights. And we went aboard the freighter SS Port Royal, loaded with bauxite off of the trip back to the States. After a week, we put it in a Cayman-era Cuba to load deck cargo. Next morning, we weighed anchor and started through the winter passage. It was then, with New York, the next stop that I really began to wonder if I'd done the right thing in giving in so easily. Oh, it's time to turn in. Want a nightcap? No, no, thanks. All right, put out your left hand. Where for? I'm handcuffing you to the bottom. Why? Where would I go? I've been a cop long enough to know what a prisoner is thinking. We're in the Bahama Channel now, passing one island after another. It wouldn't be too tough to cut a life raft loose. You got me all wrong. I'm playing it safe. Put out your hand. Oh, no, look. Canada. What's wrong? That's the emergency signal. We got the Canada. The button's coming back down. Sanders, Sanders. It's my chest. See if you can lift the bunk off my chest. Sure, sure. Just hang on. Now. You hear that? It means trouble. They're abandoning ship. Now, take it easy. I'll help you. I'll come under there in a minute. No, it's no use. My legs are bent. Ship's sinking. Dex. I'm ready. I'll get help. What is it? What's wrong? I can't open it. It's jammed. Try breaking it down. Hurry. I can't break it. We'll try yelling. We're going down fast. We must have ripped a big hole in it. Help! Quiet it is. Yes. We're below the surface. We're going down now to the bottom. You'll have pressure on your ears. We can't be going down yet. There's no water in here. We're still breathing. Yes, I know the ship must hold an air pocket. That's the only reason we aren't dead. But we're living on borrowed time. In just a moment, we will return for the second act of... A few hours later, we were still alive. We shouldn't have been where we were. The deck slanted at a 35 degree angle, and everything was completely silent, except for the beating of our hearts. King? Yes, Lieutenant. I don't feel so good. Every breath feels like a last. But we're still alive. While there's life, there's hope. Some hope. Two men trapped in a cabin full of air, and a sinking ship 50 feet underwater. Who's going to come by and rescue us? You never can tell. What was that? What was that? Oh, shifting. All kids are given way, baby. Field ship move. We're rolling to a different angle now. What was that? The shift unjammed the cabin door. It just swung open. Using my cigarette lighter for light, I explored. Just a few feet below us was the water. Black and rippling a little as the ship shifted with the movement of the cargo. Up ahead were a couple of cabins I could enter, and a heavy door that I didn't air open lest I let the air out. I found a jug of water in an iron rod I could use as a crowbar, and I got to Lieutenant from under the fallen bunks and gave him some water. It was all I could do. Thanks, King. But I guess pretty soon you'll have a little more air for yourself. What do you mean? I'm dying, I can tell. Look, it was you who just said while there's life there's hope. Just whistling in the dark. Here goes the cargo again. Field ship shift. We're carrying bauxite off Brazil. It slides easily. Let's slant. There it is again. The ship's vibrating. My guess is some of the hull plates near the bow have been ripped open. The ore is pouring out of the holes into the sea, and we're moving. Listen. It's here. The air bubbling out or in. We're moving. We're going up. You're that jerk? We've lost thousands of tons of ore. The ship's lighter. The trapped air is taking us up. You think we'll reach the surface? I don't know. Look out the porthole. The water seems to be getting lighter. Listen, if the ship reaches the surface, a few seconds, then dive to the bottom. You won't have much time to get out. You mean we won't? Come on, I'm taking you up to the deck. With sanders on my back, I pulled myself inch by inch up the steeply sloping porthole. I could feel the ship jerking and shuddering as we rose. The sound of water and air bubbling grew louder. I reached a companion way. Suddenly, the ship jerked and plunged throwing us against this little wall with a tremendous splash that came almost level in the water. We were on the surface. I dragged Lieutenant Sanders up the rest of the way and kicked open the door. The ship was still rolling. There was a breeze in my face. I was almost blinded by the sun in my eyes. We can't. We made it. You ever expect to see sunshine again? Make it fast. I'll make it fast. Here's a life raft. I have to get the license untied. Hurry, man! He's coming. These lastings are half untied. Now, let's slide down into the water. Now we can get off this ship, Lieutenant. Can you? Lieutenant! Just a moment. We will return for the concluding act of... Lieutenant, they're looking up at the sky. His eyes wide open. But he was dead. I helped myself to the money in his wallet in the passport. He wouldn't eat them where he was going. Then I slid down to the life raft and began paddling away. Ten minutes later, the port royals slid under for good. I was alone on a calm sea with nothing in sight but sky and air. Two days later, I drifted down to a large island. I burned the life raft and started walking. In a few miles, I found a native village. I was on the island of Great Inaugua. Some 100 miles northeast of Cuba. I bought passage on a fishing boat to Cuba. And two weeks later, I managed to slip into Miami. Without even thinking about it, I headed for New York by bus. When I got there, I phoned Julia. My name is Riker, Charles Riker. And I'd like to speak to Mrs. Wentworth. Mrs. Julia Wentworth, please. I'm sorry, sir, but that's impossible. But it's very important. If you'll give her my name, it'll... Haven't you seen the papers? Julia Hurt? Yes, sir. Sorry, sir, but you can't go in that room. I have to see Mrs. Wentworth. I'm a personal friend. I'm sorry, no one can see her. Mrs. Wentworth is on the critical list. Please, just for a minute. It's really quite impossible. But I've got to see her. Talk to her. She's been unconscious for hours. Now, I'll have to ask you to leave. But when she regains consciousness, can I see her then? Or her attorney? Now, this way, please. As I left the hospital, I remember that once Julia had said that John Warby was the family lawyer. I had to see her and he could arrange it. I found his office in the phone book and went there and an hour later got to see him. You say your name is King? Lawrence King? Yes, Mr. Warby. Julia probably never mentioned me to you, but you may know that we were once married. I know your name very well, but I can't get over your being alive. Both you and Sanders were reported dead. Survivors saw the ship go down. It came up again. I just soon everybody thought I was dead. Mr. Warby, I have to see Julia. I must see her. If only they let her know that I'm still alive. I'm very sorry, Mr. King. Very sorry. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth are dead. No, no. He died an hour ago. She half an hour. I was in there in the hospital. I'm afraid so. It's you and your dad. Can't believe it. Believe me, I sympathize fully. Mr. King. Yes. The fact that Mrs. Wentworth lived half an hour longer than her husband is very important to you. I don't see how. Mr. Wentworth's entire estate went to Mrs. Wentworth. Almost four million dollars. Oh, what does that matter? She's dead. If Mrs. Wentworth had died first, her husband's estate would have gone to charity. Instead, it goes to her. She left a will. In that will, she leaves her estate to you. To me? Yes, almost four million dollars. Less inheritance taxes, of course. That's rather funny. I'm afraid I don't see anything amusing. Aren't you forgetting that I'm dead? I went down the Port Royal. There were witnesses. It will be a simple matter to establish the fact you're still alive. And once it's established, I'll go to prison as a four-time loser, which means a life sentence. Yes. I'd forgotten that. I can do one of two things. I can walk out of here, disappear, and go on living as Charles Riker in bed, or I can claim the estate and become the richest man in Sing Sing. Quite a choice, isn't it? Yes. A rather difficult choice. Which will it be, Mr. King? Which will it be? That's a good question, isn't it? A very good question. I've been thinking about it for quite a while and I still haven't come up with the answer. If it was you, kill a choice, please. Suspense. You've been listening to Dead Man's Story, written for suspense by Robert Arthur. In a moment, the names of our players and the word about next week's story of suspense. Heard in tonight's story were Kevin McCarthy as Larry, Rebecca Sand as Julia, and Sam Gray as Sanders. Also included in the cast were John Lund, Guy Rapp, Ruth Tobin, and Richard Kendrick. Listen again next week when we return with Out the Window by William N. Robeson. Another tale well calculated to keep you in. Suspense. The latest news follows then Have Gun Will Travel on CBS Radio.