 Now, Roma Wines, R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world, Roma Wines present Suspense. Tonight Roma Wines bring you Mr. Brian Dunleavy, a star of out of control, a suspense play produced, edited and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear. Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines. Those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live. Do your happiness and entertaining guests. Do your enjoyment of everyday meals. Yes, right now a glassful would be very pleasant as Roma Wines bring you Brian Dunleavy in a remarkable tale of suspense. I arrived in Gatlinburg around 10 in the morning. I checked in at a hotel called the Mountain Inn and went downstairs to breakfast. My dog, Snooki, went with me as she always does. I gave my order to the waiter as I sat there. I looked the place over. It was a good-sized room by the echo in it. There was a log fire crackling in the fireplace on the far side of the room and a large view window on my right. Glass has a special kind of echo. There was only one person in the room when I entered. It was a woman, apparently a wealthy and rather vain woman, judging from her perfume. She was sitting at the table diagonally across from me. I looked in her direction, so to speak. I heard a man's footsteps approaching across the room and smelled fresh polish on writing boots as he went past me. He paused before her table. Well, if it isn't Miss Dennis Fillmore. Hello, Marcia. Walter Crane. Surprise to see me. What do you want? I hear your husband is thinking of running for governor. So what? Well, Marcia, I've got a newspaper clipping here. I thought it might interest him. It's about your pal, the late Eddie Hassan. What about Eddie? I'll read you the headline. Eddie Hassan killed an auto crash. Colorful Reno figure plunges from Mountain Road. Car out of control, say police. Dennis never knew Eddie Hassan. No. No, he didn't, did he? You know, Marcia, how you managed to keep most to a part has always been a mystery to me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I never mean to. But if some people can read what's on the marquee of a movie theater, 10 blocks away, the most intimate conduct and conversation comes to me from across the room as if spoken into a microphone. This is a dubious pleasure to me at most times, but as Marcia Fillmore and Walter Crane continued, my interest became more than casual. He was reading again from the newspaper clipping. Hassan's gambling club is beneficiary of an insurance policy. Miss Hanley was the late Mr. Hassan's companion and was to have been married to him upon his divorce decree becoming final. Well, I was wondering if your brand new politically minded husband would be interested in the fact that you were known locally as a gangsters companion. You always were a louse, Walter, but I never thought you'd stoop to blackmail. Look, I lost a good job because of you, Marcia. When an insurance investigator gets fired because his employers think he's too susceptible to beautiful dames, he never gets back in the racket. I've got to look elsewhere for a source of income. And it so happens that there are some things about Eddie Hassan's accident that my former employers might be interested in. Eddie's car got out of control and that's all there is to it. Look, you seem to forget, baby, that I investigated that case for Pacific All Risk before they paid off. And I didn't tell all the things I know or all the things I thought because, well, you were making life very interesting for me in those days. Well, Marcia? You're wasting your time, Walter. Oh, am I? Get out and take your clipping with you. Well, you can't blame a man for trying. Oh, waiter. Yes, sir. Bring me a glass of water, will you? Ice water. Something wrong, man? No, nothing wrong. Get the water. Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Why did you do that? What? Nothing. Skip it. Oh, the ice water? Well, I'm thirsty, that's all. You're sure that's all? What else would I want with ice water? Forget it. Look, Walter, I'll sell Dennis on the idea of investing some money in a company of yours. Well, that's more like it. When's he coming up here? Tomorrow, but you mustn't see him till I've had a chance to talk to him. Get out of town right away tonight. Where do I go? I have a fishing lodge up in the mountains. I'll give you the key to the place. Go up there and stay until I've sold Dennis on the idea. When the time's ripe, I'll come and get you. I'll get you in on the deal, Marcia, if you sell him good enough. Women do things sometimes, Walter, that they don't want to be paid for. Loan some women, maybe? Maybe. Oh, Marcia, you're still the most beautiful woman that ever led a man up a garden path. Let's drink to that, Walter. In ice water? In ice water. The man who had come to blackmail Marcia Fillmore remained a whisper sweet nothings in her ear. It didn't make sense at first, but then I remembered. I had been told that she was a very beautiful woman, beautiful to look at, that is. There are times when I am profoundly grateful that I have no eyes to deceive me. It must have been shortly after midnight that I heard it. I woke with a start and sat up in bed, although I have been blind for many years. I still reach out and automatically turn on the light switch when I am awakened in the night. When the light went on, the sound stopped. I turned it off and waited. Quiet, snooki. Quiet. Quiet. It started again. It seemed to be below my window somewhere down by the hotel garages. Through the years, I have finally trained myself to identify almost any action by sound. But this one stumped me at first. It continued for perhaps 10 seconds longer and then it stopped for good. And a car door slammed shut. I made a careful mental note of the car's motor as it started up. It was a packard and one of the spark plugs was missing a fire. But it got away to a fast start and was soon out of even my airshot. Of one thing I was certain. It turned off the main road onto gravel. And there was only one such turnoff within airshot of the hotel, the private road to the Fillmore's Fishing Lodge. Evidently, Mr. Walter Crane was going to have a visitor up there sooner than he had expected. As I dropped off to sleep, the memory of that sound came back to me. There was something strange and all together sinister about it. It was still ringing in my head when I dropped off to sleep. Clash, don't keep quiet. Just a moment. Captain McClane. I'm Duncan McClane. May I come in for a moment? Of course. I do hope you'll forgive me for bursting in here like this, but I saw you in the dining room yesterday morning when I heard who you were. I hope you won't be angry with me. Not at all. Past my getting uptime anyway must have been the mountain air that made me over sleep. Won't you sit down? Thank you. Cigarette? Yes. Yes. Thanks. Well, here I've got it. You know, you're you're really amazing. One would never suspect that you're blind. Well, Mrs. Fillmore, we blind people can compensate to a certain extent by developing other senses more acutely. You know my name. I took the liberty of asking the head waiter last night who the lady was with the intoxicating perfume. Just as I asked who the man was with the police dog. Oh, no. Snooki here is not a police dog. She's just an amiable old German shepherd. I have a police dog, though. Dreist. I only take him along when I'm on especially dangerous assignments. I gather you're not on one now. Shall we get to the point, Mrs. Fillmore? Well, well, there's a man staying here in this hotel, or rather he was. His his name is Walter Crane. He's a blackmailer. Yes. Well, there's no need going into it, but he's got hold of something about my past. If it were published, it would ruin my husband's career. There's only one thing to do with a blackmailer, Mrs. Fillmore. Turn him over to the police. No, no, you don't understand. The police here is Sheriff Blackmer. He and my husband are political enemies. I'm afraid it would be too good an opportunity for him to pass up. Yes, I see your point. My first instinct was to get Walter Crane away from here. I told him to go up to our fishing lodge. I even gave him the key. I even pretended to renew an old interest, which he once fancied. I had in him personally. Always a mistake. Yes. But you don't know the worst of it. My husband came in from Knoxville early this morning without even waking me went straight on up to the fishing lodge. Left a note asking me to join him there. My husband is a violent and unreasonable man when he's angry, Captain McClane. If he finds Walter Crane staying there in the lodge, he's likely to think that... Just what are you afraid of, Mrs. Fillmore? I'm afraid that my husband... Heaven forgive me for such a thought. I'm... I'm afraid my husband will murder him. There. Now I've said it. Yes. Now you've said it. Excuse me. Hello? Yes? Oh, Mrs. Fillmore. Yes, she's right here. It's for you, Mrs. Fillmore. Oh, no. Please don't go. I'm afraid it. Hello? Oh, yes, Sheriff Blackmore. Oh, how dreadful. I know we didn't know him. I... Well, I did speak to him for a moment yesterday evening, but I'd... Of course, I'd be glad to help you in any way I can. I'll be in my cottage. What is it? Walter Crane. They found him. His... His car plunged over the embankment. He was killed instantly. When? Some people in the cottage down below, so it happened. When? Just five minutes ago. On the way over to her cottage, I stopped at the hotel desk and sent a wire to the seeing eye kennel in New Jersey. Send Driesed Air Express immediately. Driesed is my police dog, the dog I use only on very dangerous missions. For Suspense, Roma Wines are bringing you as star Brian Donlevy and out of control from the novel by Baynard Kendrick. Roma Wines' presentation tonight in Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills, Suspense. Between the acts of suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. Tonight, famous hostess Elsa Maxwell tells us how she's always ready for unexpected guests. Here's the secret, says Miss Maxwell. Entertaining friends who just drop in is easy, with Roma California Sherry on hand. Everyone enjoys Roma Sherry. And Roma Sherry is so easy to serve, I give my friends a warm welcome on seconds notice. Yes, glorious golden amber, Roma Sherry is the perfect first call for dinner too. Ideal for moderate Lenten entertaining, delightful anytime. And because Roma Wine is America's first choice, Roma brings you fine wines for only pennies of glass. Yet with Roma Wines, you enjoy the true wine taste luxury of choice tender grapes grown in California's finest vineyards, skillfully, unhurriedly, guided to mellow richness by Roma's master vintners, carefully bottled at the winery in California to seal in unvarying goodness always. Enjoy Roma Wine tomorrow. Remember, more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine. Insist on Roma, R-O-M-A. And now Roma Wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Brian Dunlevy, who has Captain Duncan McClain in out of control, continues a narrative well calculated to keep you in suspense. Sheriff Blackmare was a big professionally cheerful man, but I could tell from his voice that he was plenty worried. Glad to have you in on this, Captain McClain. We don't have many cases of this kind in these bars. I'll be glad to do what I can, Sheriff Blackmare. Oh, so this is one of them there sea-n-eye critters. You know, look no different than many other pooch to me. Nice poochie. I thought those sea-n-eye dogs were trained to be gentle. I trained this one myself for special jobs. Oh, kind of jobs. Don't bother to explain. I think I know the answer to that one. Yes. Well, now let's get down to business. Mrs. Fillmore. I suppose you want some information about that road up to the fishing lodge. It's quite steep and hard to negotiate if you don't know it. I know the road very well, Mrs. Fillmore. But then what are you? You said you didn't know this man, Walter Crane. Sheriff, I was very foolish when I spoke to you on the phone. As a matter of fact, he's a very old friend of mine or was. I think you'll understand when I tell you my husband was very jealous. Jealous enough to have killed him? Killed him. I thought he died in in an auto crash. He was murdered and thrown into the car just before it crashed. He died with an ice pick through his heart. Whatever she knew, that she wasn't telling. That part of it came to her as a complete surprise. I know that now. I knew it at the time. Whatever Marsha Fillmore had known about Walter Crane's death, she was innocent of stabbing it through the heart with that ice pick. As for the rest of it, her alibi was perfect. I was her alibi this time. She was in my room when it happened 20 miles from the scene of the crime. But someone had driven up to that lodge before Dennis Fillmore. Someone who had made elaborate preparations for that little drive. As I walked over to the hotel garage, the memory of that sound came back to me. The sound that I was convinced held the key to the mystery of Walter Crane's death and Eddie Hessens as well. I found the mechanic working on a car. Morning, sir. I had a looking for your car. No, I I don't drive. Oh, Mrs. Fillmore asked me to stop by. Is her car ready yet? Yeah, sure. It was only one of the spark plugs. Oh, this car? Yeah. Station wagon, Packard, isn't it? You've got a good sense of touch, Mr. Thank you. Say, that's nice upholstery. Real leather, isn't it? Yep. That's peculiar. What is? The floor is wet and cold. Oh, maybe they want fishing this morning. They carry a chunk of ice sometimes when they go trout fishing. Ice? Of course. That's what it was. Ice! You must believe me. I know that my husband didn't do this terrible thing. Then why did you come to me this morning and tell me that you're afraid your husband would murder Crane? Don't you understand why? I needed help. I knew you only work on murder cases and so I tried to get you interested by making that story up. I think I can save your husband, Marsha, but only if you tell me the absolute truth. I will. I swear I will. Did you go up there to that cabin last night to see Walter Crane? No. Lie number one. You drove up there around twelve thirty. How did you know? I heard a car drive out about that time. It was a packard with one dead spark plug. This morning your packard was in the garage getting a spark plug replaced. You don't know I went up there. I heard you turn off on a gravel road about halfway up the mountain. Your road is the only one up that way. All right. All right, I did go up there, but I wasn't there when it happened. Marsha, have you ever seen this bottle before? Certainly. It had varulin in it. Sleeping medicine. It's a prescription of my husband's. Have you any idea how it got in Crane's car? Well, I gave it to him. He said he couldn't sleep. How did you give it to him? In the bottle of course. Are you intimating that I drugged him? I'm only trying to find out what Crane did the last few hours of his life. If he took an overdose of sleeping medicine it might account for the accident. He might have got up this morning still woozy from the effects of the drug. Got in his car, released the emergency brake, blacked out for a split second as sometimes happens in the reaction to an overdose of sleeping medicine, lost control of the car and crashed over the embankment. It might have been as easy as that. But that wouldn't account for the ice pick through his heart. No. Not unless you took a chunk of ice up there last night, didn't you? I don't know how you knew. Yes. Yes, he needed some especially if he was going to do some trout fishing and and Walter was very fond of ice water. Yes, I know. He ordered some last night at dinner. Is there anything you don't see with those sightless eyes of yours? I still don't see the murderer of Walter Crane. I thought for a moment there you you suspected me. I'm perfectly capable of it. You had the motive, you had the ice pick, but you weren't there when it happened. No. They can't prove that Dennis was can they? Well he's a pretty likely candidate isn't he Marsha? Oh I'm so worried about him. They have a posse out for him. Where will he go I wonder? I wonder. I knew where he'd go and so did she and they both knew that matters would have to come to ahead that night. I didn't tell Sheriff Blackmore everything but he agreed to drive me up there. About 20 minutes after the sheriff left a man came into the lodge from the storeroom where I was hidden I could hear perfectly. He didn't turn on any lights but went out to the kitchen and started some coffee. It could only have been Dennis Fillmore who paced up and down in that darkened room. Then I heard the door open and a woman's footsteps coming in. Oh Dennis. You shouldn't have come here. What are you trying to do lead them to me? I didn't tell the sheriff about you Dennis. I swear I didn't. Tell him what? Dennis I know you killed Crane. So you know I'm a murderer. Then what are you doing here? Dennis I love you so much. I hated that man. I'm glad you killed him. What was Crane to you? I was going to tell you darling I used to know him. He he's a black mailer. It was perfectly innocent before I met you but but with your career and I I just didn't want you to get mixed up in it. That's why I told you to hide. I'm sorry Marsha. Don't cry please. I love you Dennis. I made some coffee. Would you like some? Yes you you sit still darling. I'll get it. Dennis what are we going to do? Have you thought about it? I'm thinking as hard as I can Marsha. You you can't confess to this terrible thing Dennis. I won't let you. I don't think the insurance company would pay if I were electrocuted would they? Oh Dennis don't say such things. Here drink your coffee. Tastes rotten but it's hot. What's the matter with you? I don't know. I I feel faint. I can't seem to get my breath. It's so stuffy in here. It must be the wood smoke. I had a terrible time starting the fire. Come along outside. The air will buck you up. All right darling. Yes that is better. Would you like to drive somewhere? No darling let's let's just sit in the car for a while this air is so. They sat there in the car perhaps 10 minutes before the car door slammed shut and then I heard it. The sound that had been ringing in my ears since that first night but now I was hearing the real thing for a second time. As calmly as the neighborhood ice man chipping out a 50 pound chunk for a housewife the murderer was making preparations for a third experiment in a method of almost perfect crime. Hello Marsha. You how did you get here? I'm afraid I was eavesdropping. Then you heard what Dennis said. Yes I did Marsha. Oh Captain McClain would you could you forget that Dennis said that. Crane was a blackmailer what does it matter who killed him? Don't come any closer Marsha. This dog isn't schnooky. This is driest the dog I told you about remember. The one you take on dangerous missions. You're frightening me Captain. You terrified me for two whole days Marsha. You're the most perfect killer I've ever met. But you said yourself I couldn't have stabbed Walter Crane. Eddie Hassan wasn't stabbed. You're bluffing. You can't prove a thing. No that's the beauty of your method. The ice melts away before the accident happens. Ice. That's your method Marsha. First the victim is drugged with an overdose of sleeping medicine then lured into the car and kept there till he falls asleep. The rest is simple. Put ice wedges under the front wheels and release the emergency break. When the wedges melt away the car rolls over the embankment with the sleeping man in it. You're miles away from the scene and the evidence has vanished. Literally melted away. Only this time it's not going to work. What are you going to do? Phone Sheriff Blackmer. I want him to get here before the ice melts. Captain McClain. Stay where you are Marsha. It would be a shame to have Dries mutilate your beauty. Your beauty is your most powerful weapon you know. I only hope it won't free you and turn you loose to start killing again. You. What do you know about a woman's beauty? You're blind. Marsha, stay back. I warn you. This dog is a killer. I'll kill you and that mongrel with you. I've hated you from the moment I first saw you. What kind of a man is it that looks at a woman with those cold dead eyes? You'd be better off dead. I'm doing you a favor. A favor. She's dead. All right. I'm sorry. The dog I I guess I'll have to have him put away. That won't be necessary Captain. She did that for you. You have the ice pick square between his eyes. Oh poor fella. What I can't figure out how did she manage to stab Crane and still keep her alibi? She didn't stab Crane. And who did? Nobody. Well and it was a freak accident Sheriff. The ice pick was on the seat of the car when it crashed. I knew that when you told me the angle at which it entered the body that it was. She really thought her husband had done it. After she left Crane asleep in the car. So much so that she even accused him of doing it. By the way, is he all right? Oh sure. Just a little dopey from the sleeping pills. I guess she's really pretty broken up about her. Really loved her. The sap. Can't blame him though. She really was a beautiful woman. Why when she looked at you with those big blue eyes of hers. You could believe anything she wanted you to believe. So they told me. Yes Sheriff. Sometimes I'm very glad I have no eyes to deceive me. Suspense. Presented by Roma Wines. R-O-M-A. Made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. Before we hear again from Brian Donlevy, the star of Out of Control tonight's suspense play. This is Truman Bradley for Roma Wines. Nowadays you can't always find the choice meats, the plump chickens, the succulent fish you'd like. But you can give available foods tempting new flavor richness by serving them with a fine Roma California table wine. Yes pale gold, romas or turn or red roma burgundy makes even the simplest dishes good eating. Adds so much to dining pleasure. This very weekend discover how a glass full of delightful romas or turn heightens your enjoyment of fish or fowl. Enjoy the satisfying taste harmony of roma burgundy with old fashioned pot roast or spaghetti. See how each sip points up the flavor of every morsel. And remember Roma wine is a treat you can enjoy often for Roma costs just pennies a glass. So make your dinner more exciting tomorrow and every day with a fine Roma wine. Insist on Roma. R-O-M-A. Roma wine made in California for enjoyment throughout the world. This is Brian Donlevy. I would like to particularly thank Kathy Lewis for her wonderful performance tonight as Marsha Fillmore. Mr. Spear has been telling me about next Thursday's suspense play. Miss Agnes Moorhead will be the star in the show concerning a fated leading lady, her cheerful second husband and a sweepstakes ticket which turns out to have been buried on the person of her not so cheerful first husband. I know that I won't miss this one and I'm sure you won't. Thank you. Brian Donlevy will soon be seen in the Paramount Technicolor production The Virginian. Next Thursday same time Roma wines will bring him Miss Agnes Moorhead as star of Suspense Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrill. Produced by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California. This is CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.