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In this gripping episode of Radio Mystery Theater, host EG Marshall delves into a tale where money and morality clash, echoing Thomas Jefferson's observation that money, not morality, governs most lives. The story unfolds with Gaye Armstrong discovering that a pearl necklace, willed to her by her late mother, is a fake. As she seeks answers, suspicion falls on her stepfather, Bart Lerner, who offers her a check for the necklace's value, raising questions about his involvement in the necklace's disappearance.
As the mystery deepens, Gaye, with the help of her fiancé Preston and reporter Mike Shea, uncovers a web of deceit involving a bribery scandal linked to a road construction contract. The episode explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths one might go to protect loved ones, culminating in a moral dilemma for Bart Lerner, who must choose between revealing the truth or preserving the memory of his late wife. Tune in to discover how this intricate tale of crime and conscience unfolds.
(00:00) Introduction and Theme
(02:00) The Mysterious Necklace
(14:05) Doubts and Discoveries
(26:05) The Shadow of Crime
(34:07) The Unraveling Truth
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[00:00:00]
Unknown:
Radio Mystery Theater presents
[00:00:19] Unknown:
Come in. Welcome. I'm EG Marshall. Money has been called many things, but the cynical observation that applies to our story is from Thomas Jefferson, who said money and not morality is the principle of commercial nations. Change that a little to money and not morality governs most of our lives, and you will understand our tale. It begins a week after a death in a family, and it begins on a jarring note. Miss Armstrong,
[00:00:58] Unknown:
I have been a jeweler here for over thirty five years, and I've never seen anything like it. Mother willed it to me.
[00:01:05] Unknown:
She loved that pearl necklace. But it's it's not for me. It's it's more an older woman. What's it worth, mister Connor? I want to sell it. No. No. No. My dear girl. My father bought it from you? He didn't buy this pearl necklace from
[00:01:19] Unknown:
me. Miss Armstrong, these pearls are imitation. They're made of paste. They're fake.
[00:01:32] Unknown:
Our mystery drama, crime casts a shadow, was written especially for the mystery theater by Roy Windsor and stars E. V. Juster and William Redfield. It is sponsored in part by Carrier Air Conditioning and Contact, the twelve hour cold capsule. I'll be back shortly with act one. Our theme is money and morality. It is said of Diogenes that he walked around in the daylight carrying a lantern, looking for an honest man. Well, that was a little extreme. There are honest men and women, but there are also otherwise honest men who sometimes yield to extreme temptation.
Bart Lerner, for example. Yes. Yes. Thank you for being so thoughtful.
[00:02:29] Unknown:
No. No. No. No. There was no suffering. She just, well, drifted away. But my stepdaughter and I were with her when she died. We've expected it for almost a year after all. No. There was no chance of a of recovery. It was nephritis, and the kidneys just stopped functioning. Thank you again. I I sure appreciate your call. Yes. Goodbye. Hi, Bart. You got a minute? Oh, hey, Gaye. You're up so early. It's only 09:30. Oh, sure. I'm not expecting my plans till ten. What is it? Remember this? Sure. Of course. Your mother's pearl necklace. Mhmm. It's beautiful.
What are you doing with it? I thought it was in the safe deposit box at the bank. It was.
[00:03:17] Unknown:
I picked it up yesterday. Oh, why? Well, my mother left it to me in her will. No conditions attached.
[00:03:27] Unknown:
She suspected I'd sell it and use the money as a nest egg. Why not, honey? It's too old fashioned for a young woman like you. You might as well sell it. I tried to. Well, you mean today?
[00:03:38] Unknown:
Mhmm. At 09:00 this morning. I had an appointment with Max Tomer. Oh. My father bought the pearl necklace from him years ago, fifteen years ago, five years before he died.
[00:03:52] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:03:53] Unknown:
Well, what, why did old Max offer you for it?
[00:03:56] Unknown:
Nothing. Nothing?
[00:03:58] Unknown:
Nope. Not a cent. Max said the necklace is worthless. The pearls are artificial, made of some kind of paste or something.
[00:04:08] Unknown:
I'll be darned. Are you sure? He was.
[00:04:11] Unknown:
He sold a real pearl necklace to my father for $12,000. I I thought I might sell it for 15 or more. Well, I don't know about that, Gabe. The real necklace is worth that much or more, but that's beside the point now. This imitation isn't worth anything. Bart, what happened to the original necklace? Have you any idea?
[00:04:32] Unknown:
No, honey. I I really haven't. Well, didn't my mother ever talk to you about it? Oh, your mother was a very sick woman for the last year. Gay, she was bedridden. I I haven't seen her wear that necklace for many years.
[00:04:44] Unknown:
Did you put it in the safe deposit box for her? Not that I recall.
[00:04:48] Unknown:
No. She must have done that herself before she was confined.
[00:04:51] Unknown:
What could have happened to the real necklace, and who replaced it with this?
[00:04:57] Unknown:
Gail, let me ask you something. What value has the necklace for you? Well, it was a kind of trust fund for me.
[00:05:04] Unknown:
With $15,000,
[00:05:05] Unknown:
I could begin to build an estate. Sure. Sure. And instead, you feel feel cheated.
[00:05:10] Unknown:
I don't know what I feel. I I can't believe that mother cheated me. Do you think she sold it? But if she did, why didn't she tell me? And why should she have sold it, Bart? Because you and my mother were pretty well fixed for money. Oh, not that well. Oh, sure. The past year, I've done well. But before that, with your mother's illness, we were pretty pinched. You know, medical expenses
[00:05:34] Unknown:
and, well, let's not talk about it. It's it's only two weeks ago since she I know.
[00:05:40] Unknown:
I feel I feel terrible, like a vulture. But mother would have understood. The necklace was left to me to keep or to sell, and now I can't do either. Could she have sold it? Sure. She may have. You say that, Barb, as if you know something you're holding back. No. No. No. It's nothing I know. But it it is something you suspect. Right? Well, I,
[00:06:06] Unknown:
I was puzzled at the time. I admit I was I was thinking of taking out a second mortgage in the house to meet some large bills. And your mother objected strongly. You know how she was. Pay as you go and stay out of debt. I know. I know. But
[00:06:18] Unknown:
if she sold a necklace, why didn't she tell me about it?
[00:06:22] Unknown:
Probably because she expected to redeem it. I, I really don't know, Gaye. Well, I wanna find out. Look. I'll tell you what. The necklace was worth, what, 10 say, $15,000. Right? I know my father paid more than 10. 10. And that amount of money was going to be your nest egg. Right. Okay? I'm gonna make out a check for that amount and give it to you. What? No. No. No. I mean it. You'll you'll have all your money, and we'll we'll say no more about it. Well, but firstly Not a word, honey. This is what your mother would have wanted. Oh, then you know she sold the necklace. I know nothing of this sort. All I know is that I never took a loan and somehow the bills got paid. The nurses stayed with us, the doctor bills, the hospital tests. Oh, surely insurance covered part of it, but almost half of the expenses we had to pay for.
I insisted. She explained, but she just smiled, you know, the way she did and said I wasn't to worry. I had enough to worry about with my contracting business. So you suspected she'd sold the necklace. Your mother never would let the subject come up. I didn't realize. Now look. It's all settled. But, Bart, I just can't let you Only look at it this way. If your mother helped me out at a time when I sure needed help, I owe her whatever the necklace is worth today. We'll make it $15,000. The necklace was left to you. It's gone. Let's forget it. But I can't forget what I owe. I'll have a certified check for you for $15,000
[00:07:47] Unknown:
when I come home from work. But I don't know what to say.
[00:07:50] Unknown:
I'm very fond of you, honey.
[00:07:52] Unknown:
I think you're you as a daughter. Oh, and you know I'm fond of you. And all I can say is thank you.
[00:08:00] Unknown:
It's an awful lot of money. No. I don't wear this year. I don't think about it. Well, what do you suppose became of the real pearl necklace? Somebody bought it. Through the jeweler? Max Thomas? Maybe or maybe it was sold direct. I wouldn't know. Why? Curiosity.
[00:08:16] Unknown:
I just can't imagine mother selling it without saying anything. I thought we'd agreed to forget about it, Gaye. Oh, I suppose I should, but, boy, it bugs me. It's it's so unlike mother.
[00:08:29] Unknown:
There's nothing to do. Just forget it. I can't.
[00:08:33] Unknown:
I have to find out what happened to the real pearl necklace. I don't know, Gaye. Sounds alright to me. I wish someone would drop 15 into my lap. But don't you think there's something funny about it? You're a lawyer. You ought to know something. Well, not the way you've explained it to me.
[00:08:59] Unknown:
A, your stepfather was pressed for money. Right. B, your mother sells her pearl necklace and pays the bills. Mhmm. C, your stepfather suspects that what she has done. And now he very generously has given you a check for $15 to compensate for the loss you've sustained because the necklace was sold. I've got a feeling there's something odd about this whole business.
[00:09:17] Unknown:
Would my mother have done something like this? You knew her, Pres. Well, she certainly wasn't evasive or deceptive.
[00:09:24] Unknown:
What you wanna know is who's got the real necklace. Right? Yes. Yes. I do. Some rich old doll in the city. So what? I I don't know what you're out to prove. Some woman's got the necklace. You've got the money or you will have it. So why not forget it? No.
[00:09:39] Unknown:
You think your mother didn't sell the necklace. You think that maybe Bart learns stole it. Oh, I don't know. I I I just can't believe it. Not Bart. He's a good man. Well, lots of good guys have turned bad. Not Bart. Well, then what about this feeling of yours? Well, it's all so
[00:09:55] Unknown:
unsatisfactory. Now listen to me. I telephoned Max Tollner, the jeweler, late this morning because Bart said maybe Max had bought the necklace from my mother. The answer is no. Max sold it to my father, but he hasn't seen it since, not in fifteen years. So where could mother have disposed of the thing? Maybe in the city. Lots of dealers.
[00:10:19] Unknown:
You mean fences. Right? No. Legitimate dealers. The necklace hadn't been stolen. Your mother owned it. She had a right to sell it or to borrow on it. Well, but maybe somebody took it out of the safe deposit box at the bank. Impossible. Only someone authorized is allowed to examine a safety deposit box. Mother,
[00:10:36] Unknown:
me, Bart Lerner.
[00:10:38] Unknown:
And I didn't swipe the necklace. And neither did your mother. It was her property. She had a right to remove it. And neither you nor Bart Lerner had that right. So if your mother didn't sell it and if you didn't steal it Don't be stupid, Prius. Well, then Bart Lerner did. Look.
[00:10:53] Unknown:
We're going on a circle, baby. Let let's have some dinner. We can talk more over some food. Alright, Prius.
[00:10:59] Unknown:
But I wanna get to the bottom of this funny business for my own satisfaction. It just wasn't like mother to sell such a gift for my father.
[00:11:16] Unknown:
Hello? Yes. This is Arnold Walling. Oh, why yes. Of course. Well, perhaps it could be arranged tonight. Oh, that sounds impossible. Well, let me see. It's almost 07:00. You say she's out to dinner other than possibly the theater? Yes. Yes. I understand your problem. It's a matter of time. You will have a check? Yes. Of course. I will return your call. I will do my best. Goodbye. And there goes my evening. But a fee is a fee. Yay. I'm glad to see you out. I was awfully sorry to learn about your mother. Thanks, Mike. How's the ambulance chaser? And how's the scandal monger? Sit on, Mike. Just for a second, Pres. If Gaye doesn't mind. Of course not. Thanks. You alright, Gaye? I think so.
[00:12:21] Unknown:
It was bound to come, so we were prepared for it, but it still leaves a big blank in our lives, but it's a nice. Yeah. You, gonna stay on with him? Not for a while,
[00:12:31] Unknown:
but I really want a place of my own. Well, what about this Claude here? This Claude's gonna marry the lady whenever she sets the date. Oh, Gaye, don't. He's just after your money. I've just come into some, Mike. Don't don't tell him, baby. Don't don't you know that a reporter is like a ferret and a rabbit warren? Scrap of news and he pounces?
[00:12:49] Unknown:
Well, maybe he can help. Name it Gaye.
[00:12:52] Unknown:
Look, my cousin's pal. Give Gay a break, And no story without her approval. Alright? Cross my hard press. What's the story, Gay? Well,
[00:13:01] Unknown:
my mother left me a $15,000 pearl necklace. Wow. Wow. It was right. It was a real thing. Genuine. And when I had Max Taulner appraise it this morning, it turned out to be a fake.
[00:13:23] Unknown:
You know how it is after someone has died. Not long after the mourners have departed, the oftentimes unhappy business of settling the estate begins. It's somewhat unusual, however, when a daughter discovers that a costly pearl necklace willed to her by her mother is worthless. Had the mother sold it? Perhaps. Had the stepfather sold it? More likely. But why? We'll find out when I return shortly with act two. To believe with certainty, we must begin with doubting. That was written a couple of hundred years ago. Nothing highly original about it.
Common sense ought to teach us if not to doubt, at least to question. And that's what Gaye Armstrong has been doing ever since her remarkable discovery. A pearl necklace willed to her by her mother and kept in a safety deposit box in a bank has been appraised as worthless. What became of the necklace? We will soon find out. Well, that's quite a story, Gaye. What do you think? Oh, I don't know what to think.
[00:14:44] Unknown:
Let's be practical.
[00:14:45] Unknown:
Necklace is gone, but Gaye has the $15. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure the money is great, but that's not her point. There's a mystery about the whole thing. What happened? That's what Gaye wants to know. Exactly. The whole thing's as phony as plastic wood. Meaning, my mother didn't sell the necklace. Of course not. Bart Lerner stole it. Oh, honey. I know how you feel about him. I like him too. But he must have needed money, so he grabbed the necklace and sold it. You really think that Bart Lerner stole the necklace? Sure. Who else? Well, my mother may have gone to the bank and I doubt it. She was a pretty sick lady. It's easy to check. The receptionist at the bank vault makes you fill out a slip. Ask the bank to check out the time anyone asked for your safe deposit box, and you'll find out if your mother went to the bank this past year. That's an idea. I mean, it's obvious. I bet only Bart Lerner had gone to the bank.
Also, can you believe for a minute that if Bart needed money, he wouldn't have talked it over with your mother, and then she wouldn't have said sell the necklace? They had a happy marriage, Gaye. His story about all the secret is is so much hogwash. Either your mother said it was okay to sell the necklace or he stole it and sold it. But which was it? And how can we prove it? You can't. Bart can always say your mother agreed to have him sell the necklace, and you can't disprove that gay. But mother would have told me. Maybe. I guess I'm with Preston there. Take the $15 and forget the mystery.
[00:16:10] Unknown:
If my mother told Bart he could sell the necklace, why didn't he say so? Why didn't he tell me soon after the funeral and before I went to the bank to get the necklace to have it appraised?
[00:16:19] Unknown:
I
[00:16:20] Unknown:
don't know. But don't don't you find that kind of funny? He had a lot on his mind, honey, after all. No. No. You can't convince me. And what about now? He he is giving me a check for the money because the necklace is false. Well, he's in the money now, Gaye. But does anyone just hand over $15,000 to a stepdaughter?
[00:16:40] Unknown:
That strikes me as a guilty conscience. Yeah. No. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait a minute. What? A year or so ago, Bart says he was pinched for money. Mhmm. Now what about now? Today? He's making a lot of money. Doing what? I know he's a contractor, but what specifically is he doing? What's he building? Well, I can answer that, Mike. Bart's company is building a big stretch of road in, Northwest New York State. Miles and miles of it. Now why? What are you thinking? A real story? You lost me, Mike. Good. Forget it. Let me just do a little digging. If I discover anything, I'll let you know. But what about my necklace?
[00:17:14] Unknown:
Mike, maybe if you ran a little human interest story in the forum No. No. No. No. I don't think so. That could embarrass you.
[00:17:21] Unknown:
I agree. All Mike could write about would be your suspicion that Bart Lerner stole the necklace. We don't know that. I'm sure of it now. That's not good enough, honey. You have to have proof. Also, so soon after your mother's death, you'd look, well, well, greedy. Oh, I suppose that's right. But what do I do? I got an idea. If it pans out, we'll know what happened to the real necklace, and I'll have a story for our front page. What kind of a story, Mike?
[00:17:48] Unknown:
Graft. Good evening, mister Worley.
[00:17:56] Unknown:
It is kind of you to see me, missus Knight. I I I apologize for my late visit.
[00:18:02] Unknown:
09:30? I'll be up for hours. That's good. Well, mister Walling, I'm intrigued by your visit. What you told me over the telephone Oh, well, it's a very unusual
[00:18:15] Unknown:
situation. The original owner of the pearl necklace wants to buy it back. Isn't that what it comes down to? Yes.
[00:18:23] Unknown:
That's it. Well, may I ask why? Not that I'm willing to sell the necklace. It's an extraordinary piece worth much more than we paid for it when we bought it from you. Oh, I realize
[00:18:35] Unknown:
that. I I told you that it was an exceptional
[00:18:38] Unknown:
buy. And you were correct,
[00:18:40] Unknown:
for which we are very grateful. Thank you. I would say that the necklace today would bring as much as, as $25,000.
[00:18:50] Unknown:
Indeed.
[00:18:51] Unknown:
It is appreciated in value. Yes. I have a check here in that amount. I beg your pardon? Here is my check for $25,000,
[00:19:01] Unknown:
missus Knight. But I have no idea of selling the necklace.
[00:19:07] Unknown:
I know that.
[00:19:08] Unknown:
You're being very mysterious.
[00:19:10] Unknown:
I will give you this check. You give me the necklace. Keep the check. Don't deposit it. In a few days, I will return with your necklace, and you will give me the check. I will tear it up and give you another check for a thousand dollars.
[00:19:26] Unknown:
A thousand dollars?
[00:19:27] Unknown:
For your cooperation.
[00:19:30] Unknown:
I have never heard of anything like this.
[00:19:33] Unknown:
Well, neither have I. I told you it is a very unusual situation.
[00:19:38] Unknown:
But it doesn't make sense. Why would the original owner want the necklace back for just a few days? I cannot tell you, missus Knight. Perhaps when I return the necklace What if I refuse to cooperate?
[00:19:51] Unknown:
Well, I will just report your refusal to, my client. Well, there are some persons who, shall we say, play rough. Are you threatening me, mister Worley? Oh, good heavens. No. The the very idea of violence abhors me. Well, it sounded like a threat. Well, not for me. But if my client can't explain the disappearance of the pearl necklace to, to to others, there's no telling how many persons might be hurt. Well, it's not only unusual, mister Walling. It's rather unpleasant. Oh, I agree.
[00:20:34] Unknown:
What if I turn the necklace over to my bank? Don't tell me these so called
[00:20:40] Unknown:
strange men would break into the bank. Oh, no. No. No. Certainly not. That would be crude and obvious. You frighten me. It frightens me too. Why do you think I've given up my evening to pay you this visit? I've enjoyed meeting you again, but I'm not here by choice. I see.
[00:21:00] Unknown:
And I really don't have a choice, do I?
[00:21:04] Unknown:
The police? Oh, they could protect you up to a point.
[00:21:11] Unknown:
It is incredible thickening as if I were being watched and controlled by some kind of secret police.
[00:21:21] Unknown:
Well, missus Knight? Give me your check. Thank you. I will return the necklace in a few days.
[00:21:30] Unknown:
I'm sorry about this, mister Walling. Sorry for both of us. Excuse me.
[00:21:43] Unknown:
Hi, honey.
[00:21:45] Unknown:
What bar? It's almost midnight.
[00:21:47] Unknown:
What are you doing up so late? Oh, waiting up for you. You have a nice time?
[00:21:52] Unknown:
Oh, very nice. Well,
[00:21:54] Unknown:
how's Preston?
[00:21:56] Unknown:
Fine. Did you just weigh up, or did you want to see me about something?
[00:22:02] Unknown:
Well, yeah. Matter of fact, I did. I've, I've been thinking about you all day long, how upset you were this morning about your mother's necklace. And by the way, here's that check for you.
[00:22:16] Unknown:
But I
[00:22:18] Unknown:
I don't know. Oh, now please. I want you to have it. About 15,000 The real necklace is worth at least that much. So give me the fake necklace, and we'll drop the subject for good. Do you have it here? Yes. I left it in the desk drawer. Alright. Hand it over to your old stepfather, and you'll never see it again. Alright.
[00:22:36] Unknown:
I might as well tell you, Bart. I talked this over with Preston. Uh-huh. Here here's here's the box. Oh, thank you.
[00:22:45] Unknown:
So, what did Preston have to say?
[00:22:48] Unknown:
Take the check and forget about the necklace.
[00:22:51] Unknown:
Smart young man. Let me take a look at this thing.
[00:22:58] Unknown:
It's quite beautiful, isn't it? Yeah.
[00:23:02] Unknown:
Hard to believe it's a fake. I couldn't tell, could you? No.
[00:23:08] Unknown:
But we're not experts. They look like genuine pearls to me. I couldn't possibly tell the difference.
[00:23:18] Unknown:
No. Neither could I. I mean, I've never seen more perfect match pearls,
[00:23:24] Unknown:
And these are fake? That's what the jeweler said.
[00:23:27] Unknown:
I wonder if he knows. Max Teller? Oh, sure he does. He sold a real pearl necklace to my father. Why wouldn't he know? Well, Max Teller is a pretty old man. He Do you think he could be mistaken? I couldn't say, but these look pretty good to me. I mean, if this necklace is fake, it's it's one great piece of work. Oh, I I wish I knew more about stuff like this. Well, let's not worry about it. You got the check. I got these.
[00:23:52] Unknown:
Maybe I'll have another jeweler examine him. Why don't we go back to Max? We? Why not? I well, I owe it to you, Bart. What do you mean owe it? But will you forgive me if I tell you something?
[00:24:06] Unknown:
Forgive you for what? My crazy imagination. You come again?
[00:24:14] Unknown:
Well, I thought about what you told me this morning, and I I I just couldn't quite believe it, Bart. I mean, mother selling the necklace to pay bills and and and not telling me about it.
[00:24:28] Unknown:
Don't you think you would have embarrassed her selling something she had
[00:24:33] Unknown:
already willed to you? Mhmm. That makes sense. No.
[00:24:38] Unknown:
And what else went through that imagination of yours?
[00:24:42] Unknown:
Oh, I'd rather not say. Makes me feel crummy. Wow.
[00:24:47] Unknown:
Oh,
[00:24:49] Unknown:
did did you think that I had stolen the necklace? Oh, please. But, of course, it was a perfectly natural thing to think. I thought about it at work today. I I knew what you were thinking. I feel terrible about it. Please forgive me.
[00:25:01] Unknown:
Done. And now let's forget
[00:25:06] Unknown:
it. Are you going to see Max Toner tomorrow? Oh, he might as well. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Oh, I couldn't be. I was gonna say, wouldn't it be wonderful if this necklace is a genuine one? Why would would you want it back? Oh, no. It's beautiful. But it's not for me.
[00:25:27] Unknown:
If you do prefer it to check. Oh, yes.
[00:25:30] Unknown:
Oh, but I'd be happy happy if this thing was really worth what you paid for it.
[00:25:36] Unknown:
That's too much to hope for. But it would be like having $15,000 fall right into my hands. Yeah. If Max said it was worthless,
[00:25:46] Unknown:
well, he should know. He could have been mistaken.
[00:25:49] Unknown:
Maybe. We'll find out in the morning. Now come on. Take your check, and I'll put this necklace in the wall safe, just in case.
[00:26:05] Unknown:
From what we've heard, that pearl necklace seems to be a rope of hemp around Bart Joerner's neck. Why? Even though he took the necklace and sold it, no one could prove that his wife had not given it to him to sell. That was the reporter's point. But a crime, however small, somehow has a way of raising its head and staring down the person who committed it. I still don't know what Bart's real crime was, but we'll find out when I return shortly with act three. Crime really does cast a long shadow, meaning that there is always a vestige of a shadow trailing, however faintly, the person who did something wrong.
Many crimes are not detected, of course, but they are known to the person and try as hard as he will his knowledge of something evil he has done cannot be erased from his conscience. If a man's life is his character, as many philosophers and writers maintain, then Bart Lorner was flawed by the weakness of temptation. Its consequences will now become apparent.
[00:27:30] Unknown:
Oh, my goodness, miss Armstrong. You back again. Oh, I'm sorry to be a pest, mister Thomas. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Come in, my dear. Come in. This is my fiancee, Preston
[00:27:40] Unknown:
Welch and Mike Shea, a reporter on the phone.
[00:27:43] Unknown:
Oh, then I I don't want to talk to him. He'll make me look like a fool. No. No. No. I won't, mister Towner. I'm after something bigger than what happened to you. What happened to me? Oh, what happened to me was I couldn't tell a fake pearl necklace from a real one. And if you print that story, I'll be laughed out of business. I've already apologized to miss Armstrong and to mister Dana. And mister Tallner, is there any doubt in your mind that the necklace you saw this morning an hour and a half ago is genuine? No. No. No. No. Not a doubt in the world. Yesterday, I looked at the same necklace and told miss Armstrong the pearls were fake. No. You didn't, mister Towner. Well, I didn't know. I
[00:28:23] Unknown:
must be going crazy. You are the victim of a switch. The first necklace you saw was a fake.
[00:28:29] Unknown:
Last night, Bart Lerner and miss Armstrong looked at it again. Lerner had his doubts about your appraisal. This morning, they showed you the genuine pearl necklace. The
[00:28:39] Unknown:
is it is this true? We think so, mister Toner. Well, then then I haven't lost my mind. No. But but why why why the switch? Can you can you prove it? We're going to try. We need your help. If you were gonna sell the real pearl necklace, who would you take it to? Well, no one here in White Plains, I don't think. New New York City, probably. Yes. The big buyers and sellers are in the jewelry center down there. Uh-huh. Can you give me, some names? Oh, there are so many. Becker, Tautner, Wolling, Donald Wolling. He's very big. Uh-huh. He arranges many big deals and all legitimate.
[00:29:17] Unknown:
Press. Hit the road and see what you can find out about,
[00:29:21] Unknown:
okay. Arnold Walling. I'll go with you, friend. No. You won't. You get back to your job. I'll report back to Mike
[00:29:28] Unknown:
if I have any luck. And I've got reports coming in already. Reports about what? Payola, baby. The truth about your pearl necklace could rock the state.
[00:29:39] Unknown:
Thank you for seeing me, mister Walling.
[00:29:41] Unknown:
You you said that you are a lawyer?
[00:29:44] Unknown:
Yes. Yes. I practice in White Plains. Oh, I see.
[00:29:47] Unknown:
And you said you wanted to ask me about a pearl necklace with with the idea of of buying one? No, mister Walling.
[00:29:55] Unknown:
With the idea of finding out the name of the person from whom you bought it.
[00:30:00] Unknown:
Assuming that I did buy such a necklace, the name of the seller is confidential information. You can, of course, understand that. Of course. Just what is your interest in the necklace? It was willed
[00:30:14] Unknown:
to a young lady I know. When she went to have it appraised, it was declared worthless. A fake necklace had been substituted for the genuine one. I I see. Do you, mister Walling? Someone had to make that false necklace.
[00:30:28] Unknown:
You bought the genuine one and sold it. So so are legitimate transactions, mister Welch. I I don't question that. But if you sold it, how did it happen that this morning at 09:00,
[00:30:39] Unknown:
the young lady had the necklace appraised a second time? And this time, it was the genuine article. Well, I I I can't say. Did you help to arrange the switch, mister Walling? And before you answer, it is the opinion of a very sharp newspaper reporter, Mike Shea, and mine also. The money obtained through the sale of the pearl necklace was used as payoff money to an unscrupulous member of the roads and highways commission. What does that have to do with me? I want the name of the person who sold the necklace to you and the person to whom you sold it. You
[00:31:11] Unknown:
don't know the former?
[00:31:13] Unknown:
Yes. But I want your testimony as proof. And I want to visit the buyer in order to piece the scheme together. And if I tell you that I know, I'll give you my word that I'll protect you and the buyer from publicity and innuendo. As a businessman,
[00:31:29] Unknown:
I have never violated our confidence. I said I protect you from publicity and innuendo, mister Walling. But can you protect my life?
[00:31:46] Unknown:
And that is all I know, mister Welch. Welch, is it? Yes. Yeah.
[00:31:52] Unknown:
It's a beautiful necklace, missus Knight. It is. It is.
[00:31:57] Unknown:
Mister Walling brought it back to me this morning, and I returned his check. You will keep my name out of the papers, won't you? Certainly. It's an evil talisman. Well, I'm sorry for the stepfather. You say he's a nice man. Yes. He's very nice.
[00:32:15] Unknown:
Made a mistake is all. Not so much in selling the necklace to mister Worley, but in paying money to influence the paving contract. You know that for a fact? Just about.
[00:32:24] Unknown:
You expect him to involve the man he bribed?
[00:32:28] Unknown:
Oh, he'll have to explain what he did with the money. If he won't, he'll go to court. Under oath, he'd have to talk.
[00:32:34] Unknown:
Alternative is jail. Oh.
[00:32:36] Unknown:
I wouldn't like to see that happen. Oh, but he'll be punished, of course. But if he cooperates with us, he might just be fined and placed on probation. I'm sorry for him. I am too. As I said, he's really a nice man.
[00:33:00] Unknown:
Bart Leonard speaking. What? What? I can't believe. The story tonight's for him. Oh, I'll be ruined. No. No. No. No. Of course not. I who telephoned you? Rowling? I well, that knocks me out. I I yes. Well, let me explain, please, sir. Look. My my stepdaughter had the necklace appraised this morning. It was the real one. She was happy. She kept the check I'd given her, and I returned the necklace to Walling. I thought the whole thing was over and done with. Yes, sir. I I I realize it isn't a bit. Of course, sir. I'll protect you.
Well, thank you. I'm gonna need the best brains you can buy. I can't tell you how sorry I am. What do I do? What can I do?
[00:34:08] Unknown:
Ah, here's Mike. Yep. Right off the press. It's,
[00:34:12] Unknown:
not a nice story, Gaye. Oh, Mike.
[00:34:14] Unknown:
Public road paved with pearls. Art Lerner suspected of selling stepdaughter's heirloom necklace to bribe roads and highways official. It's all here except for the names of Walt and missus Knight. Thanks, Mike. It's it's hideous.
[00:34:29] Unknown:
Poor Bart. Poor Bart, my foot. He stole your necklace, Gay, and used the money for payola. He's a small frog. We've got the big one on the hook. And with or without Bart's cooperation, we're gonna deck him. But it it is so cruel
[00:34:41] Unknown:
seeing it in corporate like this. I can't face Bart. I just can't. Yes. You can. But I
[00:34:48] Unknown:
I betrayed him. Gaye, if he had told you the truth in the beginning, none of this would have happened. He deceived you. He made two mistakes. Acting surprised when you found out that the necklace was a fake and then scrambling to work out a switch. Come on, Gaye. Let's get over there. You can't hide from this. He won't squeal on the commissioner. You think he'll prefer to go to jail?
[00:35:13] Unknown:
Bart.
[00:35:15] Unknown:
Bart, I'm so sorry. Oh, baby. Alright. Come on. Don't cry. Sit down, Preston. Mike. Right. Thank you. I didn't know that that necklace There was nothing wrong with the necklace, honey. Come on. Try it to yours. How can you take it like this, Bart? What else can I do? I made a mistake.
[00:35:35] Unknown:
I have to pay for it. I'm so sorry. It just breaks my heart.
[00:35:40] Unknown:
Yeah. I'm kinda sorry, too. Well, Mike, you've had a field day, haven't you? I don't look at it that way, mister Lerner. You know, your newspaper is gonna have a libel suit on its hands tomorrow. We can support what I wrote. You think so?
[00:35:57] Unknown:
Yes. All that Preston and I found out isn't in that article. Oh, I admit selling the necklace. My wife knew about that at the time. That's not what you told Gaye. You said she probably had sold it. And you can't guess why? I didn't want Gay to think your mother and I had robbed her of a gift freely given. Wait a minute. If you agreed to sell the necklace, why did you have mister Wolling make a paste copy of it? I don't think I'll answer that question.
[00:36:23] Unknown:
I gave Gabe $15,000
[00:36:25] Unknown:
for the imitation necklace To make her forget the whole thing. Sure. But that's where I came in, mister Lerner. Just a little more than a year ago, you were awarded a big paving contract. Why you? Well, we ran that down. You got the contract because one of the commissioners recommended you very strongly.
[00:36:41] Unknown:
Did you bribe him, Bart?
[00:36:45] Unknown:
Yeah. I've been an honest man all my life. So you won't answer the question.
[00:36:50] Unknown:
I've told you that your newspaper will have a libel suit on its hands tomorrow. Look. We don't intimidate easily. If you wanna sue for libel, go ahead. Then all the facts will come out from the theft of the necklace. Steal the necklace, and I paid Gaye what it's worth. You're gonna have to explain why you engineered this whole thing, and you're going to have to explain what you did with the $20 you got from Rolling. Where did the money go, mister Lerner? It'll all come out. And if you won't talk, you know where you'll end up. Jail. Don't say that, Mike. He's right. Okay.
[00:37:19] Unknown:
But please admit what you did. If you did make a mistake, admit it. Isn't that what you've always told me? Admit a mistake and you can be forgiven?
[00:37:29] Unknown:
Well, honey, that's easier said than done. Have you been threatened
[00:37:33] Unknown:
already?
[00:37:34] Unknown:
What are you talking about, Mike? Okay. You're really very naive.
[00:37:39] Unknown:
Your stepfather is in trouble.
[00:37:42] Unknown:
You mean, if Bart talks, they'll they'll kill him?
[00:37:49] Unknown:
Sound melodramatic? Well, it's true. He's already been warned, haven't you, mister Learner? Yep. Well, he'll get rubbed out or spend a long time in jail. Not much of a choice, is it? I wouldn't like to make it.
[00:38:07] Unknown:
Well, I'm not talking.
[00:38:09] Unknown:
I'll see you in court, mister Lerner. Good night, mister Lerner.
[00:38:12] Unknown:
Gay, I'll be going too. Talk to you tomorrow, baby. Okay.
[00:38:18] Unknown:
Bart?
[00:38:19] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:38:21] Unknown:
Did you bribe that man?
[00:38:25] Unknown:
No, honey. You you didn't? No.
[00:38:30] Unknown:
Oh, I I don't understand then. He he got the money. If he had Yeah. He got the money. Who gave it to him? Who is he, Bart?
[00:38:43] Unknown:
I hadn't been very successful as a road instructor. Never landed a big bid. I didn't know why. The man who received the money is named Thornbury.
[00:38:56] Unknown:
I know him, Bart. He was a friend of my parents. Yeah. And an influential man. And you you didn't give him the bribe money? No. But I intend to say I didn't. Well, if you didn't give it to him, who
[00:39:10] Unknown:
Bart. It got me the bid, honey. It was well intentioned.
[00:39:16] Unknown:
Mother, she did it for you, and now now you'll go to jail?
[00:39:25] Unknown:
It's our secret, gay honeymoon, And no one is ever to know.
[00:39:37] Unknown:
And so the long shadow of a loving intention, which was a crime for bribery certainly is that, will imprison a guiltless man. Not if he'll tell the truth, but could he do that to the memory of his dead wife and to the stepdaughter he loves? Quite a remarkable man, Bart Lorner. I shall be back shortly. I leave you with this thought. Crime is never founded on reason. Missus Lerner wanted to do her husband a favor. He'll go to jail rather than sully his dead wife's memory. Yes. Quite a remarkable man. Our cast included E. V. Juster, William Redfield, j Gregory, and Ian Martin. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown.
And now a preview of our next tale.
[00:40:42] Unknown:
You don't remember me, Judge?
[00:40:45] Unknown:
Oh, who are you?
[00:40:46] Unknown:
I'm the girl who gambled and lost. Stop talking in riddles. I'm Althea, Judge. The town girl who wasn't good enough to marry Richard. Dick, what's the meaning? The meaning is that I promised to pay you back and I'm giving Dick $1,000,000 to kill you. Well, this is crazy. Show him the revolver, Richard. This is a joke. It's a Nobody should choke with a loaded 38 in his hand. Dick, after all I've done for you. What have you done for him lately?
[00:41:15] Unknown:
I swear to you, I'll
[00:41:17] Unknown:
I'll leave you everything in my will. Here. I'll I'll even write it out now and and and sign it. Can you give him a million dollars? No. You don't have that much, and that's my bid. Jake, you can't kill me.
[00:41:31] Unknown:
I've known you since you were just him. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser. This is EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Pleasant dreams.
Radio Mystery Theater presents
[00:00:19] Unknown:
Come in. Welcome. I'm EG Marshall. Money has been called many things, but the cynical observation that applies to our story is from Thomas Jefferson, who said money and not morality is the principle of commercial nations. Change that a little to money and not morality governs most of our lives, and you will understand our tale. It begins a week after a death in a family, and it begins on a jarring note. Miss Armstrong,
[00:00:58] Unknown:
I have been a jeweler here for over thirty five years, and I've never seen anything like it. Mother willed it to me.
[00:01:05] Unknown:
She loved that pearl necklace. But it's it's not for me. It's it's more an older woman. What's it worth, mister Connor? I want to sell it. No. No. No. My dear girl. My father bought it from you? He didn't buy this pearl necklace from
[00:01:19] Unknown:
me. Miss Armstrong, these pearls are imitation. They're made of paste. They're fake.
[00:01:32] Unknown:
Our mystery drama, crime casts a shadow, was written especially for the mystery theater by Roy Windsor and stars E. V. Juster and William Redfield. It is sponsored in part by Carrier Air Conditioning and Contact, the twelve hour cold capsule. I'll be back shortly with act one. Our theme is money and morality. It is said of Diogenes that he walked around in the daylight carrying a lantern, looking for an honest man. Well, that was a little extreme. There are honest men and women, but there are also otherwise honest men who sometimes yield to extreme temptation.
Bart Lerner, for example. Yes. Yes. Thank you for being so thoughtful.
[00:02:29] Unknown:
No. No. No. No. There was no suffering. She just, well, drifted away. But my stepdaughter and I were with her when she died. We've expected it for almost a year after all. No. There was no chance of a of recovery. It was nephritis, and the kidneys just stopped functioning. Thank you again. I I sure appreciate your call. Yes. Goodbye. Hi, Bart. You got a minute? Oh, hey, Gaye. You're up so early. It's only 09:30. Oh, sure. I'm not expecting my plans till ten. What is it? Remember this? Sure. Of course. Your mother's pearl necklace. Mhmm. It's beautiful.
What are you doing with it? I thought it was in the safe deposit box at the bank. It was.
[00:03:17] Unknown:
I picked it up yesterday. Oh, why? Well, my mother left it to me in her will. No conditions attached.
[00:03:27] Unknown:
She suspected I'd sell it and use the money as a nest egg. Why not, honey? It's too old fashioned for a young woman like you. You might as well sell it. I tried to. Well, you mean today?
[00:03:38] Unknown:
Mhmm. At 09:00 this morning. I had an appointment with Max Tomer. Oh. My father bought the pearl necklace from him years ago, fifteen years ago, five years before he died.
[00:03:52] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:03:53] Unknown:
Well, what, why did old Max offer you for it?
[00:03:56] Unknown:
Nothing. Nothing?
[00:03:58] Unknown:
Nope. Not a cent. Max said the necklace is worthless. The pearls are artificial, made of some kind of paste or something.
[00:04:08] Unknown:
I'll be darned. Are you sure? He was.
[00:04:11] Unknown:
He sold a real pearl necklace to my father for $12,000. I I thought I might sell it for 15 or more. Well, I don't know about that, Gabe. The real necklace is worth that much or more, but that's beside the point now. This imitation isn't worth anything. Bart, what happened to the original necklace? Have you any idea?
[00:04:32] Unknown:
No, honey. I I really haven't. Well, didn't my mother ever talk to you about it? Oh, your mother was a very sick woman for the last year. Gay, she was bedridden. I I haven't seen her wear that necklace for many years.
[00:04:44] Unknown:
Did you put it in the safe deposit box for her? Not that I recall.
[00:04:48] Unknown:
No. She must have done that herself before she was confined.
[00:04:51] Unknown:
What could have happened to the real necklace, and who replaced it with this?
[00:04:57] Unknown:
Gail, let me ask you something. What value has the necklace for you? Well, it was a kind of trust fund for me.
[00:05:04] Unknown:
With $15,000,
[00:05:05] Unknown:
I could begin to build an estate. Sure. Sure. And instead, you feel feel cheated.
[00:05:10] Unknown:
I don't know what I feel. I I can't believe that mother cheated me. Do you think she sold it? But if she did, why didn't she tell me? And why should she have sold it, Bart? Because you and my mother were pretty well fixed for money. Oh, not that well. Oh, sure. The past year, I've done well. But before that, with your mother's illness, we were pretty pinched. You know, medical expenses
[00:05:34] Unknown:
and, well, let's not talk about it. It's it's only two weeks ago since she I know.
[00:05:40] Unknown:
I feel I feel terrible, like a vulture. But mother would have understood. The necklace was left to me to keep or to sell, and now I can't do either. Could she have sold it? Sure. She may have. You say that, Barb, as if you know something you're holding back. No. No. No. It's nothing I know. But it it is something you suspect. Right? Well, I,
[00:06:06] Unknown:
I was puzzled at the time. I admit I was I was thinking of taking out a second mortgage in the house to meet some large bills. And your mother objected strongly. You know how she was. Pay as you go and stay out of debt. I know. I know. But
[00:06:18] Unknown:
if she sold a necklace, why didn't she tell me about it?
[00:06:22] Unknown:
Probably because she expected to redeem it. I, I really don't know, Gaye. Well, I wanna find out. Look. I'll tell you what. The necklace was worth, what, 10 say, $15,000. Right? I know my father paid more than 10. 10. And that amount of money was going to be your nest egg. Right. Okay? I'm gonna make out a check for that amount and give it to you. What? No. No. No. I mean it. You'll you'll have all your money, and we'll we'll say no more about it. Well, but firstly Not a word, honey. This is what your mother would have wanted. Oh, then you know she sold the necklace. I know nothing of this sort. All I know is that I never took a loan and somehow the bills got paid. The nurses stayed with us, the doctor bills, the hospital tests. Oh, surely insurance covered part of it, but almost half of the expenses we had to pay for.
I insisted. She explained, but she just smiled, you know, the way she did and said I wasn't to worry. I had enough to worry about with my contracting business. So you suspected she'd sold the necklace. Your mother never would let the subject come up. I didn't realize. Now look. It's all settled. But, Bart, I just can't let you Only look at it this way. If your mother helped me out at a time when I sure needed help, I owe her whatever the necklace is worth today. We'll make it $15,000. The necklace was left to you. It's gone. Let's forget it. But I can't forget what I owe. I'll have a certified check for you for $15,000
[00:07:47] Unknown:
when I come home from work. But I don't know what to say.
[00:07:50] Unknown:
I'm very fond of you, honey.
[00:07:52] Unknown:
I think you're you as a daughter. Oh, and you know I'm fond of you. And all I can say is thank you.
[00:08:00] Unknown:
It's an awful lot of money. No. I don't wear this year. I don't think about it. Well, what do you suppose became of the real pearl necklace? Somebody bought it. Through the jeweler? Max Thomas? Maybe or maybe it was sold direct. I wouldn't know. Why? Curiosity.
[00:08:16] Unknown:
I just can't imagine mother selling it without saying anything. I thought we'd agreed to forget about it, Gaye. Oh, I suppose I should, but, boy, it bugs me. It's it's so unlike mother.
[00:08:29] Unknown:
There's nothing to do. Just forget it. I can't.
[00:08:33] Unknown:
I have to find out what happened to the real pearl necklace. I don't know, Gaye. Sounds alright to me. I wish someone would drop 15 into my lap. But don't you think there's something funny about it? You're a lawyer. You ought to know something. Well, not the way you've explained it to me.
[00:08:59] Unknown:
A, your stepfather was pressed for money. Right. B, your mother sells her pearl necklace and pays the bills. Mhmm. C, your stepfather suspects that what she has done. And now he very generously has given you a check for $15 to compensate for the loss you've sustained because the necklace was sold. I've got a feeling there's something odd about this whole business.
[00:09:17] Unknown:
Would my mother have done something like this? You knew her, Pres. Well, she certainly wasn't evasive or deceptive.
[00:09:24] Unknown:
What you wanna know is who's got the real necklace. Right? Yes. Yes. I do. Some rich old doll in the city. So what? I I don't know what you're out to prove. Some woman's got the necklace. You've got the money or you will have it. So why not forget it? No.
[00:09:39] Unknown:
You think your mother didn't sell the necklace. You think that maybe Bart learns stole it. Oh, I don't know. I I I just can't believe it. Not Bart. He's a good man. Well, lots of good guys have turned bad. Not Bart. Well, then what about this feeling of yours? Well, it's all so
[00:09:55] Unknown:
unsatisfactory. Now listen to me. I telephoned Max Tollner, the jeweler, late this morning because Bart said maybe Max had bought the necklace from my mother. The answer is no. Max sold it to my father, but he hasn't seen it since, not in fifteen years. So where could mother have disposed of the thing? Maybe in the city. Lots of dealers.
[00:10:19] Unknown:
You mean fences. Right? No. Legitimate dealers. The necklace hadn't been stolen. Your mother owned it. She had a right to sell it or to borrow on it. Well, but maybe somebody took it out of the safe deposit box at the bank. Impossible. Only someone authorized is allowed to examine a safety deposit box. Mother,
[00:10:36] Unknown:
me, Bart Lerner.
[00:10:38] Unknown:
And I didn't swipe the necklace. And neither did your mother. It was her property. She had a right to remove it. And neither you nor Bart Lerner had that right. So if your mother didn't sell it and if you didn't steal it Don't be stupid, Prius. Well, then Bart Lerner did. Look.
[00:10:53] Unknown:
We're going on a circle, baby. Let let's have some dinner. We can talk more over some food. Alright, Prius.
[00:10:59] Unknown:
But I wanna get to the bottom of this funny business for my own satisfaction. It just wasn't like mother to sell such a gift for my father.
[00:11:16] Unknown:
Hello? Yes. This is Arnold Walling. Oh, why yes. Of course. Well, perhaps it could be arranged tonight. Oh, that sounds impossible. Well, let me see. It's almost 07:00. You say she's out to dinner other than possibly the theater? Yes. Yes. I understand your problem. It's a matter of time. You will have a check? Yes. Of course. I will return your call. I will do my best. Goodbye. And there goes my evening. But a fee is a fee. Yay. I'm glad to see you out. I was awfully sorry to learn about your mother. Thanks, Mike. How's the ambulance chaser? And how's the scandal monger? Sit on, Mike. Just for a second, Pres. If Gaye doesn't mind. Of course not. Thanks. You alright, Gaye? I think so.
[00:12:21] Unknown:
It was bound to come, so we were prepared for it, but it still leaves a big blank in our lives, but it's a nice. Yeah. You, gonna stay on with him? Not for a while,
[00:12:31] Unknown:
but I really want a place of my own. Well, what about this Claude here? This Claude's gonna marry the lady whenever she sets the date. Oh, Gaye, don't. He's just after your money. I've just come into some, Mike. Don't don't tell him, baby. Don't don't you know that a reporter is like a ferret and a rabbit warren? Scrap of news and he pounces?
[00:12:49] Unknown:
Well, maybe he can help. Name it Gaye.
[00:12:52] Unknown:
Look, my cousin's pal. Give Gay a break, And no story without her approval. Alright? Cross my hard press. What's the story, Gay? Well,
[00:13:01] Unknown:
my mother left me a $15,000 pearl necklace. Wow. Wow. It was right. It was a real thing. Genuine. And when I had Max Taulner appraise it this morning, it turned out to be a fake.
[00:13:23] Unknown:
You know how it is after someone has died. Not long after the mourners have departed, the oftentimes unhappy business of settling the estate begins. It's somewhat unusual, however, when a daughter discovers that a costly pearl necklace willed to her by her mother is worthless. Had the mother sold it? Perhaps. Had the stepfather sold it? More likely. But why? We'll find out when I return shortly with act two. To believe with certainty, we must begin with doubting. That was written a couple of hundred years ago. Nothing highly original about it.
Common sense ought to teach us if not to doubt, at least to question. And that's what Gaye Armstrong has been doing ever since her remarkable discovery. A pearl necklace willed to her by her mother and kept in a safety deposit box in a bank has been appraised as worthless. What became of the necklace? We will soon find out. Well, that's quite a story, Gaye. What do you think? Oh, I don't know what to think.
[00:14:44] Unknown:
Let's be practical.
[00:14:45] Unknown:
Necklace is gone, but Gaye has the $15. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure the money is great, but that's not her point. There's a mystery about the whole thing. What happened? That's what Gaye wants to know. Exactly. The whole thing's as phony as plastic wood. Meaning, my mother didn't sell the necklace. Of course not. Bart Lerner stole it. Oh, honey. I know how you feel about him. I like him too. But he must have needed money, so he grabbed the necklace and sold it. You really think that Bart Lerner stole the necklace? Sure. Who else? Well, my mother may have gone to the bank and I doubt it. She was a pretty sick lady. It's easy to check. The receptionist at the bank vault makes you fill out a slip. Ask the bank to check out the time anyone asked for your safe deposit box, and you'll find out if your mother went to the bank this past year. That's an idea. I mean, it's obvious. I bet only Bart Lerner had gone to the bank.
Also, can you believe for a minute that if Bart needed money, he wouldn't have talked it over with your mother, and then she wouldn't have said sell the necklace? They had a happy marriage, Gaye. His story about all the secret is is so much hogwash. Either your mother said it was okay to sell the necklace or he stole it and sold it. But which was it? And how can we prove it? You can't. Bart can always say your mother agreed to have him sell the necklace, and you can't disprove that gay. But mother would have told me. Maybe. I guess I'm with Preston there. Take the $15 and forget the mystery.
[00:16:10] Unknown:
If my mother told Bart he could sell the necklace, why didn't he say so? Why didn't he tell me soon after the funeral and before I went to the bank to get the necklace to have it appraised?
[00:16:19] Unknown:
I
[00:16:20] Unknown:
don't know. But don't don't you find that kind of funny? He had a lot on his mind, honey, after all. No. No. You can't convince me. And what about now? He he is giving me a check for the money because the necklace is false. Well, he's in the money now, Gaye. But does anyone just hand over $15,000 to a stepdaughter?
[00:16:40] Unknown:
That strikes me as a guilty conscience. Yeah. No. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait a minute. What? A year or so ago, Bart says he was pinched for money. Mhmm. Now what about now? Today? He's making a lot of money. Doing what? I know he's a contractor, but what specifically is he doing? What's he building? Well, I can answer that, Mike. Bart's company is building a big stretch of road in, Northwest New York State. Miles and miles of it. Now why? What are you thinking? A real story? You lost me, Mike. Good. Forget it. Let me just do a little digging. If I discover anything, I'll let you know. But what about my necklace?
[00:17:14] Unknown:
Mike, maybe if you ran a little human interest story in the forum No. No. No. No. I don't think so. That could embarrass you.
[00:17:21] Unknown:
I agree. All Mike could write about would be your suspicion that Bart Lerner stole the necklace. We don't know that. I'm sure of it now. That's not good enough, honey. You have to have proof. Also, so soon after your mother's death, you'd look, well, well, greedy. Oh, I suppose that's right. But what do I do? I got an idea. If it pans out, we'll know what happened to the real necklace, and I'll have a story for our front page. What kind of a story, Mike?
[00:17:48] Unknown:
Graft. Good evening, mister Worley.
[00:17:56] Unknown:
It is kind of you to see me, missus Knight. I I I apologize for my late visit.
[00:18:02] Unknown:
09:30? I'll be up for hours. That's good. Well, mister Walling, I'm intrigued by your visit. What you told me over the telephone Oh, well, it's a very unusual
[00:18:15] Unknown:
situation. The original owner of the pearl necklace wants to buy it back. Isn't that what it comes down to? Yes.
[00:18:23] Unknown:
That's it. Well, may I ask why? Not that I'm willing to sell the necklace. It's an extraordinary piece worth much more than we paid for it when we bought it from you. Oh, I realize
[00:18:35] Unknown:
that. I I told you that it was an exceptional
[00:18:38] Unknown:
buy. And you were correct,
[00:18:40] Unknown:
for which we are very grateful. Thank you. I would say that the necklace today would bring as much as, as $25,000.
[00:18:50] Unknown:
Indeed.
[00:18:51] Unknown:
It is appreciated in value. Yes. I have a check here in that amount. I beg your pardon? Here is my check for $25,000,
[00:19:01] Unknown:
missus Knight. But I have no idea of selling the necklace.
[00:19:07] Unknown:
I know that.
[00:19:08] Unknown:
You're being very mysterious.
[00:19:10] Unknown:
I will give you this check. You give me the necklace. Keep the check. Don't deposit it. In a few days, I will return with your necklace, and you will give me the check. I will tear it up and give you another check for a thousand dollars.
[00:19:26] Unknown:
A thousand dollars?
[00:19:27] Unknown:
For your cooperation.
[00:19:30] Unknown:
I have never heard of anything like this.
[00:19:33] Unknown:
Well, neither have I. I told you it is a very unusual situation.
[00:19:38] Unknown:
But it doesn't make sense. Why would the original owner want the necklace back for just a few days? I cannot tell you, missus Knight. Perhaps when I return the necklace What if I refuse to cooperate?
[00:19:51] Unknown:
Well, I will just report your refusal to, my client. Well, there are some persons who, shall we say, play rough. Are you threatening me, mister Worley? Oh, good heavens. No. The the very idea of violence abhors me. Well, it sounded like a threat. Well, not for me. But if my client can't explain the disappearance of the pearl necklace to, to to others, there's no telling how many persons might be hurt. Well, it's not only unusual, mister Walling. It's rather unpleasant. Oh, I agree.
[00:20:34] Unknown:
What if I turn the necklace over to my bank? Don't tell me these so called
[00:20:40] Unknown:
strange men would break into the bank. Oh, no. No. No. Certainly not. That would be crude and obvious. You frighten me. It frightens me too. Why do you think I've given up my evening to pay you this visit? I've enjoyed meeting you again, but I'm not here by choice. I see.
[00:21:00] Unknown:
And I really don't have a choice, do I?
[00:21:04] Unknown:
The police? Oh, they could protect you up to a point.
[00:21:11] Unknown:
It is incredible thickening as if I were being watched and controlled by some kind of secret police.
[00:21:21] Unknown:
Well, missus Knight? Give me your check. Thank you. I will return the necklace in a few days.
[00:21:30] Unknown:
I'm sorry about this, mister Walling. Sorry for both of us. Excuse me.
[00:21:43] Unknown:
Hi, honey.
[00:21:45] Unknown:
What bar? It's almost midnight.
[00:21:47] Unknown:
What are you doing up so late? Oh, waiting up for you. You have a nice time?
[00:21:52] Unknown:
Oh, very nice. Well,
[00:21:54] Unknown:
how's Preston?
[00:21:56] Unknown:
Fine. Did you just weigh up, or did you want to see me about something?
[00:22:02] Unknown:
Well, yeah. Matter of fact, I did. I've, I've been thinking about you all day long, how upset you were this morning about your mother's necklace. And by the way, here's that check for you.
[00:22:16] Unknown:
But I
[00:22:18] Unknown:
I don't know. Oh, now please. I want you to have it. About 15,000 The real necklace is worth at least that much. So give me the fake necklace, and we'll drop the subject for good. Do you have it here? Yes. I left it in the desk drawer. Alright. Hand it over to your old stepfather, and you'll never see it again. Alright.
[00:22:36] Unknown:
I might as well tell you, Bart. I talked this over with Preston. Uh-huh. Here here's here's the box. Oh, thank you.
[00:22:45] Unknown:
So, what did Preston have to say?
[00:22:48] Unknown:
Take the check and forget about the necklace.
[00:22:51] Unknown:
Smart young man. Let me take a look at this thing.
[00:22:58] Unknown:
It's quite beautiful, isn't it? Yeah.
[00:23:02] Unknown:
Hard to believe it's a fake. I couldn't tell, could you? No.
[00:23:08] Unknown:
But we're not experts. They look like genuine pearls to me. I couldn't possibly tell the difference.
[00:23:18] Unknown:
No. Neither could I. I mean, I've never seen more perfect match pearls,
[00:23:24] Unknown:
And these are fake? That's what the jeweler said.
[00:23:27] Unknown:
I wonder if he knows. Max Teller? Oh, sure he does. He sold a real pearl necklace to my father. Why wouldn't he know? Well, Max Teller is a pretty old man. He Do you think he could be mistaken? I couldn't say, but these look pretty good to me. I mean, if this necklace is fake, it's it's one great piece of work. Oh, I I wish I knew more about stuff like this. Well, let's not worry about it. You got the check. I got these.
[00:23:52] Unknown:
Maybe I'll have another jeweler examine him. Why don't we go back to Max? We? Why not? I well, I owe it to you, Bart. What do you mean owe it? But will you forgive me if I tell you something?
[00:24:06] Unknown:
Forgive you for what? My crazy imagination. You come again?
[00:24:14] Unknown:
Well, I thought about what you told me this morning, and I I I just couldn't quite believe it, Bart. I mean, mother selling the necklace to pay bills and and and not telling me about it.
[00:24:28] Unknown:
Don't you think you would have embarrassed her selling something she had
[00:24:33] Unknown:
already willed to you? Mhmm. That makes sense. No.
[00:24:38] Unknown:
And what else went through that imagination of yours?
[00:24:42] Unknown:
Oh, I'd rather not say. Makes me feel crummy. Wow.
[00:24:47] Unknown:
Oh,
[00:24:49] Unknown:
did did you think that I had stolen the necklace? Oh, please. But, of course, it was a perfectly natural thing to think. I thought about it at work today. I I knew what you were thinking. I feel terrible about it. Please forgive me.
[00:25:01] Unknown:
Done. And now let's forget
[00:25:06] Unknown:
it. Are you going to see Max Toner tomorrow? Oh, he might as well. Wouldn't it be wonderful? Oh, I couldn't be. I was gonna say, wouldn't it be wonderful if this necklace is a genuine one? Why would would you want it back? Oh, no. It's beautiful. But it's not for me.
[00:25:27] Unknown:
If you do prefer it to check. Oh, yes.
[00:25:30] Unknown:
Oh, but I'd be happy happy if this thing was really worth what you paid for it.
[00:25:36] Unknown:
That's too much to hope for. But it would be like having $15,000 fall right into my hands. Yeah. If Max said it was worthless,
[00:25:46] Unknown:
well, he should know. He could have been mistaken.
[00:25:49] Unknown:
Maybe. We'll find out in the morning. Now come on. Take your check, and I'll put this necklace in the wall safe, just in case.
[00:26:05] Unknown:
From what we've heard, that pearl necklace seems to be a rope of hemp around Bart Joerner's neck. Why? Even though he took the necklace and sold it, no one could prove that his wife had not given it to him to sell. That was the reporter's point. But a crime, however small, somehow has a way of raising its head and staring down the person who committed it. I still don't know what Bart's real crime was, but we'll find out when I return shortly with act three. Crime really does cast a long shadow, meaning that there is always a vestige of a shadow trailing, however faintly, the person who did something wrong.
Many crimes are not detected, of course, but they are known to the person and try as hard as he will his knowledge of something evil he has done cannot be erased from his conscience. If a man's life is his character, as many philosophers and writers maintain, then Bart Lorner was flawed by the weakness of temptation. Its consequences will now become apparent.
[00:27:30] Unknown:
Oh, my goodness, miss Armstrong. You back again. Oh, I'm sorry to be a pest, mister Thomas. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Come in, my dear. Come in. This is my fiancee, Preston
[00:27:40] Unknown:
Welch and Mike Shea, a reporter on the phone.
[00:27:43] Unknown:
Oh, then I I don't want to talk to him. He'll make me look like a fool. No. No. No. I won't, mister Towner. I'm after something bigger than what happened to you. What happened to me? Oh, what happened to me was I couldn't tell a fake pearl necklace from a real one. And if you print that story, I'll be laughed out of business. I've already apologized to miss Armstrong and to mister Dana. And mister Tallner, is there any doubt in your mind that the necklace you saw this morning an hour and a half ago is genuine? No. No. No. No. Not a doubt in the world. Yesterday, I looked at the same necklace and told miss Armstrong the pearls were fake. No. You didn't, mister Towner. Well, I didn't know. I
[00:28:23] Unknown:
must be going crazy. You are the victim of a switch. The first necklace you saw was a fake.
[00:28:29] Unknown:
Last night, Bart Lerner and miss Armstrong looked at it again. Lerner had his doubts about your appraisal. This morning, they showed you the genuine pearl necklace. The
[00:28:39] Unknown:
is it is this true? We think so, mister Toner. Well, then then I haven't lost my mind. No. But but why why why the switch? Can you can you prove it? We're going to try. We need your help. If you were gonna sell the real pearl necklace, who would you take it to? Well, no one here in White Plains, I don't think. New New York City, probably. Yes. The big buyers and sellers are in the jewelry center down there. Uh-huh. Can you give me, some names? Oh, there are so many. Becker, Tautner, Wolling, Donald Wolling. He's very big. Uh-huh. He arranges many big deals and all legitimate.
[00:29:17] Unknown:
Press. Hit the road and see what you can find out about,
[00:29:21] Unknown:
okay. Arnold Walling. I'll go with you, friend. No. You won't. You get back to your job. I'll report back to Mike
[00:29:28] Unknown:
if I have any luck. And I've got reports coming in already. Reports about what? Payola, baby. The truth about your pearl necklace could rock the state.
[00:29:39] Unknown:
Thank you for seeing me, mister Walling.
[00:29:41] Unknown:
You you said that you are a lawyer?
[00:29:44] Unknown:
Yes. Yes. I practice in White Plains. Oh, I see.
[00:29:47] Unknown:
And you said you wanted to ask me about a pearl necklace with with the idea of of buying one? No, mister Walling.
[00:29:55] Unknown:
With the idea of finding out the name of the person from whom you bought it.
[00:30:00] Unknown:
Assuming that I did buy such a necklace, the name of the seller is confidential information. You can, of course, understand that. Of course. Just what is your interest in the necklace? It was willed
[00:30:14] Unknown:
to a young lady I know. When she went to have it appraised, it was declared worthless. A fake necklace had been substituted for the genuine one. I I see. Do you, mister Walling? Someone had to make that false necklace.
[00:30:28] Unknown:
You bought the genuine one and sold it. So so are legitimate transactions, mister Welch. I I don't question that. But if you sold it, how did it happen that this morning at 09:00,
[00:30:39] Unknown:
the young lady had the necklace appraised a second time? And this time, it was the genuine article. Well, I I I can't say. Did you help to arrange the switch, mister Walling? And before you answer, it is the opinion of a very sharp newspaper reporter, Mike Shea, and mine also. The money obtained through the sale of the pearl necklace was used as payoff money to an unscrupulous member of the roads and highways commission. What does that have to do with me? I want the name of the person who sold the necklace to you and the person to whom you sold it. You
[00:31:11] Unknown:
don't know the former?
[00:31:13] Unknown:
Yes. But I want your testimony as proof. And I want to visit the buyer in order to piece the scheme together. And if I tell you that I know, I'll give you my word that I'll protect you and the buyer from publicity and innuendo. As a businessman,
[00:31:29] Unknown:
I have never violated our confidence. I said I protect you from publicity and innuendo, mister Walling. But can you protect my life?
[00:31:46] Unknown:
And that is all I know, mister Welch. Welch, is it? Yes. Yeah.
[00:31:52] Unknown:
It's a beautiful necklace, missus Knight. It is. It is.
[00:31:57] Unknown:
Mister Walling brought it back to me this morning, and I returned his check. You will keep my name out of the papers, won't you? Certainly. It's an evil talisman. Well, I'm sorry for the stepfather. You say he's a nice man. Yes. He's very nice.
[00:32:15] Unknown:
Made a mistake is all. Not so much in selling the necklace to mister Worley, but in paying money to influence the paving contract. You know that for a fact? Just about.
[00:32:24] Unknown:
You expect him to involve the man he bribed?
[00:32:28] Unknown:
Oh, he'll have to explain what he did with the money. If he won't, he'll go to court. Under oath, he'd have to talk.
[00:32:34] Unknown:
Alternative is jail. Oh.
[00:32:36] Unknown:
I wouldn't like to see that happen. Oh, but he'll be punished, of course. But if he cooperates with us, he might just be fined and placed on probation. I'm sorry for him. I am too. As I said, he's really a nice man.
[00:33:00] Unknown:
Bart Leonard speaking. What? What? I can't believe. The story tonight's for him. Oh, I'll be ruined. No. No. No. No. Of course not. I who telephoned you? Rowling? I well, that knocks me out. I I yes. Well, let me explain, please, sir. Look. My my stepdaughter had the necklace appraised this morning. It was the real one. She was happy. She kept the check I'd given her, and I returned the necklace to Walling. I thought the whole thing was over and done with. Yes, sir. I I I realize it isn't a bit. Of course, sir. I'll protect you.
Well, thank you. I'm gonna need the best brains you can buy. I can't tell you how sorry I am. What do I do? What can I do?
[00:34:08] Unknown:
Ah, here's Mike. Yep. Right off the press. It's,
[00:34:12] Unknown:
not a nice story, Gaye. Oh, Mike.
[00:34:14] Unknown:
Public road paved with pearls. Art Lerner suspected of selling stepdaughter's heirloom necklace to bribe roads and highways official. It's all here except for the names of Walt and missus Knight. Thanks, Mike. It's it's hideous.
[00:34:29] Unknown:
Poor Bart. Poor Bart, my foot. He stole your necklace, Gay, and used the money for payola. He's a small frog. We've got the big one on the hook. And with or without Bart's cooperation, we're gonna deck him. But it it is so cruel
[00:34:41] Unknown:
seeing it in corporate like this. I can't face Bart. I just can't. Yes. You can. But I
[00:34:48] Unknown:
I betrayed him. Gaye, if he had told you the truth in the beginning, none of this would have happened. He deceived you. He made two mistakes. Acting surprised when you found out that the necklace was a fake and then scrambling to work out a switch. Come on, Gaye. Let's get over there. You can't hide from this. He won't squeal on the commissioner. You think he'll prefer to go to jail?
[00:35:13] Unknown:
Bart.
[00:35:15] Unknown:
Bart, I'm so sorry. Oh, baby. Alright. Come on. Don't cry. Sit down, Preston. Mike. Right. Thank you. I didn't know that that necklace There was nothing wrong with the necklace, honey. Come on. Try it to yours. How can you take it like this, Bart? What else can I do? I made a mistake.
[00:35:35] Unknown:
I have to pay for it. I'm so sorry. It just breaks my heart.
[00:35:40] Unknown:
Yeah. I'm kinda sorry, too. Well, Mike, you've had a field day, haven't you? I don't look at it that way, mister Lerner. You know, your newspaper is gonna have a libel suit on its hands tomorrow. We can support what I wrote. You think so?
[00:35:57] Unknown:
Yes. All that Preston and I found out isn't in that article. Oh, I admit selling the necklace. My wife knew about that at the time. That's not what you told Gaye. You said she probably had sold it. And you can't guess why? I didn't want Gay to think your mother and I had robbed her of a gift freely given. Wait a minute. If you agreed to sell the necklace, why did you have mister Wolling make a paste copy of it? I don't think I'll answer that question.
[00:36:23] Unknown:
I gave Gabe $15,000
[00:36:25] Unknown:
for the imitation necklace To make her forget the whole thing. Sure. But that's where I came in, mister Lerner. Just a little more than a year ago, you were awarded a big paving contract. Why you? Well, we ran that down. You got the contract because one of the commissioners recommended you very strongly.
[00:36:41] Unknown:
Did you bribe him, Bart?
[00:36:45] Unknown:
Yeah. I've been an honest man all my life. So you won't answer the question.
[00:36:50] Unknown:
I've told you that your newspaper will have a libel suit on its hands tomorrow. Look. We don't intimidate easily. If you wanna sue for libel, go ahead. Then all the facts will come out from the theft of the necklace. Steal the necklace, and I paid Gaye what it's worth. You're gonna have to explain why you engineered this whole thing, and you're going to have to explain what you did with the $20 you got from Rolling. Where did the money go, mister Lerner? It'll all come out. And if you won't talk, you know where you'll end up. Jail. Don't say that, Mike. He's right. Okay.
[00:37:19] Unknown:
But please admit what you did. If you did make a mistake, admit it. Isn't that what you've always told me? Admit a mistake and you can be forgiven?
[00:37:29] Unknown:
Well, honey, that's easier said than done. Have you been threatened
[00:37:33] Unknown:
already?
[00:37:34] Unknown:
What are you talking about, Mike? Okay. You're really very naive.
[00:37:39] Unknown:
Your stepfather is in trouble.
[00:37:42] Unknown:
You mean, if Bart talks, they'll they'll kill him?
[00:37:49] Unknown:
Sound melodramatic? Well, it's true. He's already been warned, haven't you, mister Learner? Yep. Well, he'll get rubbed out or spend a long time in jail. Not much of a choice, is it? I wouldn't like to make it.
[00:38:07] Unknown:
Well, I'm not talking.
[00:38:09] Unknown:
I'll see you in court, mister Lerner. Good night, mister Lerner.
[00:38:12] Unknown:
Gay, I'll be going too. Talk to you tomorrow, baby. Okay.
[00:38:18] Unknown:
Bart?
[00:38:19] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:38:21] Unknown:
Did you bribe that man?
[00:38:25] Unknown:
No, honey. You you didn't? No.
[00:38:30] Unknown:
Oh, I I don't understand then. He he got the money. If he had Yeah. He got the money. Who gave it to him? Who is he, Bart?
[00:38:43] Unknown:
I hadn't been very successful as a road instructor. Never landed a big bid. I didn't know why. The man who received the money is named Thornbury.
[00:38:56] Unknown:
I know him, Bart. He was a friend of my parents. Yeah. And an influential man. And you you didn't give him the bribe money? No. But I intend to say I didn't. Well, if you didn't give it to him, who
[00:39:10] Unknown:
Bart. It got me the bid, honey. It was well intentioned.
[00:39:16] Unknown:
Mother, she did it for you, and now now you'll go to jail?
[00:39:25] Unknown:
It's our secret, gay honeymoon, And no one is ever to know.
[00:39:37] Unknown:
And so the long shadow of a loving intention, which was a crime for bribery certainly is that, will imprison a guiltless man. Not if he'll tell the truth, but could he do that to the memory of his dead wife and to the stepdaughter he loves? Quite a remarkable man, Bart Lorner. I shall be back shortly. I leave you with this thought. Crime is never founded on reason. Missus Lerner wanted to do her husband a favor. He'll go to jail rather than sully his dead wife's memory. Yes. Quite a remarkable man. Our cast included E. V. Juster, William Redfield, j Gregory, and Ian Martin. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown.
And now a preview of our next tale.
[00:40:42] Unknown:
You don't remember me, Judge?
[00:40:45] Unknown:
Oh, who are you?
[00:40:46] Unknown:
I'm the girl who gambled and lost. Stop talking in riddles. I'm Althea, Judge. The town girl who wasn't good enough to marry Richard. Dick, what's the meaning? The meaning is that I promised to pay you back and I'm giving Dick $1,000,000 to kill you. Well, this is crazy. Show him the revolver, Richard. This is a joke. It's a Nobody should choke with a loaded 38 in his hand. Dick, after all I've done for you. What have you done for him lately?
[00:41:15] Unknown:
I swear to you, I'll
[00:41:17] Unknown:
I'll leave you everything in my will. Here. I'll I'll even write it out now and and and sign it. Can you give him a million dollars? No. You don't have that much, and that's my bid. Jake, you can't kill me.
[00:41:31] Unknown:
I've known you since you were just him. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser. This is EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Pleasant dreams.
