In this thrilling episode of Mystery Theater, hosted by EG Marshall, we delve into the chilling tale of "Deadline for Death," written by Arnold Moss. The story follows Sam Rogers, a man haunted by the promise of vengeance from beyond the grave by his former partner in crime, Johnny Promise. As the deadline for Johnny's posthumous threat approaches, Sam is consumed by paranoia, suspecting everyone around him of being the instrument of his doom. The tension builds as Sam's fear manifests in hallucinations and a gripping sense of impending doom, leading to a dramatic and unexpected conclusion.
Listeners are taken on a suspenseful journey through Sam's psychological torment, as he grapples with the consequences of his past actions and the relentless ticking of the clock. The episode masterfully explores themes of guilt, fear, and the inescapable nature of fate, leaving audiences questioning the boundaries between reality and the supernatural. With stellar performances by Michael Tolan and Joseph Julian, "Deadline for Death" is a captivating exploration of the human psyche under duress, set against the backdrop of a noir-inspired mystery.
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Unknown:
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Stay tuned. Fornestory Theatre. Come in. Welcome. I'm EG Marshall. The one place where all men meet sooner or later is the grave. It's the place where all roads end. That small model of the barren earth which serves as paste and cover to our bones. What happens more than twenty years ago. Our mystery drama, Deadline for Death, was written especially for the mystery theater by Arnold Moss and stars Michael Tolan and Joseph Julian. It is sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser. I'll be back shortly
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with act one. Say, do you know what happens this time of year? The swallows come back to Capistrano. Nope. The buzzards come back to Hinkley Ridge, Ohio? No. Bulldogs all over the world begin to shed? Not even close. Oh. This, my friend, is the time of year when you can get a super little deal on the practical but elegant Buick Apollo. And just between you and me, it may very well be the best chance you'll ever have to buy a Buick. I could have sworn this was budget day in Hinkley.
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This is Dave Herman reminding you that the Jets Raiders game over WOR Radio at 03:35 this Saturday afternoon is brought to you in part by your New York, New Jersey, Fairfield County Dodge boys.
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Suburban savings in Northern New Jersey would like to set you straight on savings. Straight off, Suburban offers you the highest interest allowed by law, A big 7.90% effective annual yield on Suburban seven point fifty percent savings certificates, and Suburban guarantees it from four to ten years. Minimum, $2,500. Federal regulations allow premature withdrawals on savings certificates provided prescribed federal penalties are adhered to. Of course, Suburban also has a whole selection of other savings plans that keep your savings headed in the right direction straight up. Why not head straight over to your nearest suburban savings office conveniently located in Bayonne, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Hackettstown, Morris Plains, Nutley, Paramus, Sparta, and Wayne, and let them set you straight on savings?
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Was the threat Johnny Promise made some minutes ago an empty warning? Can a dead man moldering under the damp earth for twenty years doom the life of another man? Can a corpse, long dead, wreak vengeance on another human being from the immeasurable distance of another world? We're about to find out as Johnny Promise talks to his old friend, Sammy Rogers.
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Sam? Sam Rogers? Answer me, Sam. It's so dark here we can't see one another, but we can hear. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore.
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Sam? Why can't you leave me alone?
[00:04:33] Unknown:
Nobody's bothering you, Sam. Nobody. Just someone to talk to is all old friends, old times sake. Nothing wrong in that, is there? Is there? Nice to talk over old times. Friendly. Makes me feel good. Besides, what else is there to do in this place? I don't wanna talk, Johnny. Not again. Oh, don't be unfriendly.
[00:04:58] Unknown:
Sam, not here. Get your kick some other way. Leave me alone. Stop torturing me. It's been finished all over for a long time. Oh, tell me again how it was.
[00:05:09] Unknown:
Just one more time. Like, what went wrong in our bank job? How we had it worked out so good? How some way we goofed? How the cops broke in on us and we began to run? How the big one took a shot at me and I shot back and let that cop have it right through the head? How they all started a targeting on me? How I called you for help? And how you ran away and ran and ran and ran? You did manage to save your own little neck, didn't you? Tell it to me again, Sammy. You've heard it a thousand times. I know, Sam. I know. And more than anything, I love the way you tell about the courtroom.
That hot summer day nineteen, twenty years ago, back in the fifties. I'll never forget that one, especially your part. You'll never forget it either because as long as we're here together, I won't let you forget, Sammy. I won't let
[00:06:13] Unknown:
you. Johnny Promo, also known as Johnny Promise, a jury of your peers has found you guilty of the murder of officer Cochran in the first degree. Are there any last words you would like to say before I pronounce sentence? Yes, your honor.
[00:06:30] Unknown:
But it's not for the court. It's for Sam Rogers sitting over there, star witness for the prosecution. You saved your own skin, Sammy, by squealing about me to the DA. If not for you, I'd have got away with it. But you'll pay for it, Sammy boy, with your life. My name ain't Johnny Promise for nothing, kid. So keep an eye on the calendar. Count the days one by one because after I get mine, I'll see to it that you get no more than a month to live. Order. Maybe less than a month, but not one minute more. Don't look so scared, Sammy. If you live past the month, you're safe.
But I got a lot of friends and a lot of dough to toss around to those friends. Today, you buy loyally like you buy land shops, so don't count on more than a month. And when you get yours, remember Johnny promised let you have it straight from the grave. Remember the date, Sam? The date the judge named for me to burn in the electric chair? I don't remember. Oh, that's not true. You remember? August, '5 o'clock in the morning. Taps for Johnny Promise, a man with a code of honor, a man whose word was a thing of respect, and above everything else, your friend.
Now how could you forget that? You will never let me.
[00:07:59] Unknown:
And little Sammy with his big mouth made the whole thing happen, right? Cut it out, Johnny. I don't wanna hear anymore. What do you get from tormenting me like this?
[00:08:11] Unknown:
Laughs. And it passes the time. We got no place to go. We're gonna be here for the rest of our, let's say for a long, long time. And I like to laugh. And that story of yours is good for a million of them. Let's have it, Sammy boy. What was it like for you after I got mine? Come on. Tell it just like it happened. Tell it.
[00:08:46] Unknown:
After the judge pronounced your sentence, I sat there in the courtroom like it was me he had sentenced. The cold sweat was pouring out of my body. I couldn't move. I hardly breathe. All I could hear was your voice laughing and saying, a month to live. One month to live. I knew for sure that within the month after you burned, you'd see to it somehow that I got mine. So I holed up in that scrubby hotel room, way up on the Ninth Floor, and for two whole weeks, I didn't see anyone. I wouldn't answer the phone. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I wouldn't open the door, except for Linda.
She was the only one I could trust.
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What's me, Sam?
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Come in quick.
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Here's your dinner, Sam. Thanks, Linda. And today's newspaper?
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September. Fifteen days since Johnny You've got to stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it. By 5AM of the twenty eighth, I'll be a dead man. And it could come at any time in a week, tomorrow, in an hour. But you've taken care, sweetie. Nobody can get it you up here. And once you get past the twenty eighth, you're a free man.
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Johnny said so, didn't he?
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Yeah. He did. And he never broke his promise, did he? Yeah. That's what I'm counting on.
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But just the same, every morning I wake up after a bad night and I hear myself talking to myself. I say today, today, will it be today? Is this my last day on Earth? That's what's driving me crazy. Sam, you've got to find things to take your mind off of it. It's only another couple of weeks. And then And then?
[00:10:30] Unknown:
Well, go away someplace. Far away. Start a whole new life. Why don't you eat something? It'll make you feel better. I'm not hungry. Maybe a little coffee while it's still hot. I got the change from the 20 you gave me. Forget it. It's right here in my bag.
[00:10:49] Unknown:
What are those?
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The keys.
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What keys?
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To this room. To this room? Of course.
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Where did you get them? You gave them to me. Don't you remember?
[00:11:01] Unknown:
I never gave you any keys to this room. Who gave you those keys? I told you, Sam. You did. You lousy little liar.
[00:11:09] Unknown:
Where did you get those keys? I don't know what you're talking about. We even got to you. Oh, Sam. How could you think that I could He got to the crummy desk clerk first, didn't he? And then to you.
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And you had the duplicate made. Who made the payoff?
[00:11:22] Unknown:
I said who made the payoff? Sam, you're insane. Why would I ever do anything to hurt you? Because for 500, a thousand bucks, you'd do anything.
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Now get out of here, you little tramp but fat. Oh, you're wrong, Sam. You're wrong. I love you. Out. Always, Sam. I don't need you or anybody. Get out before I get it.
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It was the house phone. It's not my private line with the unlisted number. Only two people ever knew that number. You, Johnny, and Linda. But But this was from the lobby downstairs.
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I stood there listening to it ring.
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Didn't dare answer it. The sound began to bore a little hole into my brain. And finally yeah? Who is it?
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It's me, Sam. Linda.
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You? How could it be you? You just went out of the door.
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Where are you? In the lobby downstairs. I'm so glad you answered. How did you get down there so fast? Please, Sam. Listen to me. I know how you felt about those keys, but you've got to trust me. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. But how did you get to that phone so Stop taking hold of yourself. Why did you have the locks changed on your door?
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Why?
[00:12:37] Unknown:
For what reason? Call in a locksmith. Somebody who never heard of you, of me, of Johnny, anybody we know. Let him change the locks and give the keys only to you. One of a kind for each lock. No duplicates. Do that, Sif. Please. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you.
[00:12:57] Unknown:
Sure, sweetie. It's a good idea. I don't know what got into me, what made me think that you I'm sorry, Linda, for everything.
[00:13:06] Unknown:
You call a locksmith. Yes?
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First thing in the morning.
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I'll be seeing you, sir.
[00:13:13] Unknown:
Oh, yeah, Linda. Right. That was real tricky of you, Johnny, leading me to suspect that Linda might be the one you'd take to get me. After I put the phone down, an idea came to me. Hit me like a thunderbolt. Made the best sense of anything in the past couple of weeks. What was the point of living holed up like a rat? Like a sitting duck in that lousy hotel room waiting, just waiting for you Johnny to make me a target for whoever you paid off to let me have it. For once you thought Johnny promised he's gonna be outsmarted, right?
[00:13:50] Unknown:
For once you thought Johnny Big Mouth was gonna meet his match.
[00:13:54] Unknown:
How could you have been so dumb? Why hadn't I thought of it before? All I had to do, Johnny, was to find out who it was you picked to put the finger on me. Once I knew who it was, I could take care of him before he ever got the chance to get to me. Pretty good thinking, Johnny. Right? And I knew the first and best place to start looking. The bowling alley was one of the crowd's favorite hangouts. If your man was any place, Johnny, this was it. I noticed a couple of familiar faces. Hi, Benny. What's new? How's the wife?
[00:14:30] Unknown:
Hey, Tommy. Putting on a little weight, Better take it easy with a beard.
[00:14:35] Unknown:
What do you say, Benny? How's the score? Still over two fifty?
[00:14:39] Unknown:
Every one of them. They just walked away, didn't they? Wherever you went, the guys moved away, turned their backs on you without a word. Like you were some kind of bad news, some kind of disease.
[00:14:51] Unknown:
I went to the bar to order a drink. A beer, Joey.
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You've known Joey the bartender for years.
[00:14:58] Unknown:
He gave you your drink without so much as a word. I swallowed my beer, and as I did, I spotted little red Mike down at the other end of the bar. I never liked him from the first time I met him. And everybody knew he never liked you. Something about him, his beady little eyes looked at you like a rat. I walked over to him. Without saying anything, he started to move away from me. I grabbed him by the back of the neck. Don't you walk away from me, you little louse? I know what you're up to. Now let go of me. What do you think you're doing? It's you, ain't it? You're the one. You're the one he picked to do his job. What are you talking about? Get your hands off of me. I don't know what you're saying. You're that sniveling two faced rat. You thought I was afraid of you. Better let you have it. This minute before you get me, Johnny promises a little stoolie.
[00:15:41] Unknown:
Give my hands where they are, Mike. Hey. You're crazy, Sam. Johnny's dead. Put that gun down. Please. I don't know what you're thinking, but you're making a big mistake. Would a smart cookie like Johnny ever pick somebody like me to do what you're thinking? Put your gun down and frisk me. Come on. If you don't believe me, frisk me, Sammy. Okay.
[00:16:04] Unknown:
Alright. So I made a mistake. But from now on, stay out of my way. You understand? Whatever you say.
[00:16:11] Unknown:
But you really ought to take it easy. Because you know as well as I do, when your time comes, you'll go. Just like everybody else. Johnny, that's your voice coming out of Red Mike's mouth. Meantime, we gotta take care, don't we, Sammy? What kind of crazy trick are you pulling, Johnny? And you can count on me for the best care a fella ever had. Like they say in the cemetery, Sammy, perpetual care. I promise.
[00:16:45] Unknown:
There's a delicate little mechanism inside the head of all of us. When you're threatened by an overpowering fear, for example, whatever or whoever is the cause of that fear turns the little machine on, and wherever you go, you see that person. Hear his voice. Feel his touch. Like what's happening to Sammy. Right? Just how far and to what ends will the little machine drive Sam Rogers? We'll find out shortly when we return with act two.
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Hey, mom. What's for dinner?
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Hey, mom. What you got? Your ShopRite supermarket has a what's for dinner idea the family will love. Choice grade boneless beef roast. Bottom round or shoulder, just a dollar 29 a pound. Put a few in your freezer at this low price. Other ShopRite values this week include sweet honeydew melons, just 69¢ each. Minute Maid orange juice. Court Gardens, free for $1. Armour Franks, one pound package, 79¢. ShopRite is also headquarters for your back to school shopping. So visit your ShopRite and see at ShopRite.
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Good news. She loves a family. She wants the best.
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WO R New York, an RKO general station.
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One of the great mysteries is time. It often happens that time seems never to move forward when the minutes are suspended in some terrifying space and refuse to move. And then there is that silent, never resting thing called time that rolls on, rushes along, swift as an ocean tide on which we and the whole universe ride. For Sam Rogers, time was beginning to take on a new meaning.
[00:19:08] Unknown:
End of the month was getting closer and closer. The days were racing by. Every night, I shut my eyes to try to get just a couple of hours sleep. And I kept myself awake thinking,
[00:19:19] Unknown:
what were you thinking, Sammy?
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Tell me that I had to find the guy you picked, the guy that was gonna let me have it. I kept telling myself, get to him before he gets to you, and there'll be nothing to worry about.
[00:19:32] Unknown:
Sooner or later, I had to find him. Once you made your mind up about that, you began to feel a whole lot better. Yeah. I began to live almost a normal life again. Like the day I went to the custom shop to get fitted for a couple of new suits. I congratulate you on your choice of materials. The, silver mohair and silk will make up into a perfectly lovely suit. And, so will the tweed. And don't forget the extra padding on the shoulders. Well, if you'll forgive me, it's the natural look this year. The real look of the fifties. No padding. Extra padding on the shoulders. Well, of course, as you wish. I wish. Certainly? Certainly, sir.
Now if you'll just, stand still for a moment while I drape this material over your shoulder. Hey. What do you think you're doing? Hey. Let me go with my arm. Put that scissors down. Drop it, I tell you. Drop it. All I was trying to do, sir. I know what you were trying to do. Well, I'm very sorry, sir. Very sorry. I assure you it won't happen again. But you see, you see, Sammy, you gotta realize it could be anybody.
[00:20:32] Unknown:
Anybody at all. It was happening again. The tailor who was standing there in front of me, right in the middle of a sentence. It was your voice that was coming out of him. Your words. And there was that day in Luigi's barbershop. Hadn't been to the barber in weeks. Luigi had been my barber for fifteen years. There was one guy in the world I could trust. It was him.
[00:20:58] Unknown:
And that's what the guy on the radio says, Sam. If we get the same kind of heat tomorrow like we had today, it's gonna set some kind of records. Imagine, the September,
[00:21:08] Unknown:
'90 '6 degrees. Yeah. That's what they call a real Indian summer.
[00:21:12] Unknown:
If it don't cool off, Sam, they can give this summer back to the Indians. You understand?
[00:21:19] Unknown:
I sweated out every stroke of that sharp razor. How does While Luigi went droning on about the weather, I held my breath You know? Thinking maybe my friend. Ford, everything He was your friend too, Johnny.
[00:21:31] Unknown:
So The eyes are shut. All he has to do is let that blade slip just one little bit accidentally, you know? Alright. Chin up a little higher, Sam. Just a little more. And who would know the difference? Ah, there we go. Let me just, lower the chair a little, And what are you doing? Well, like always, a nice, hot towel opens up all of the pores. When they're open, a little lotion closes them up again.
[00:21:55] Unknown:
He could've let me have it right then and there while he was shaving me, but he didn't. When he wrapped that hot towel over my face, instead of it feeling good, I suddenly got the idea that this could be it. Luigi could smother me to death. And there I sat helpless beneath that hot towel. I ripped it off, screaming you. Thought you had me, didn't you? You and your hot towel. What's the matter with you? Here's what you can do with your towel. Hey. I have to think of something better than that. Only you'll never get the chance. You've seen me here for the last time. What are you talking about, Sam? But it won't do you no good.
[00:22:29] Unknown:
Getting excited this way. It was your voice again, Johnny. You gotta learn to calm down. Take things easy. Listen to me, Sam. Easy does it. After all, there's only three more days to go. Right?
[00:22:52] Unknown:
I raced all the way back to my hotel. I got to my room, I opened the door, and I slammed it shut.
[00:22:59] Unknown:
My lungs were bursting.
[00:23:02] Unknown:
I sucked in whatever air I could in big gulps. There was a sharp pain in the middle of my chest like a knife sticking right into me, but I was safe. Nobody could get at me here. Never mind that idiotic idea trying to find out who was supposed to put the finger on me. Just sit it out. Sit it out. Right here. Right here, I told myself. Play it safe. But when I looked around the room, I knew that I was not safe. Even here, there was a peculiar feeling about the place. You couldn't say exactly what it was until you looked to see what time it was. And then I saw that my little electric clock on the dresser was turned around with its face to the wall, and it was unplugged.
In the bathroom, there was broken glass sitting in the sink. Somebody had been there. That's for sure. No. No maids. I never let the maids in, maids or anybody else, except Linda. Linda was right. She was right.
[00:24:04] Unknown:
I had to get those locks changed today without waiting another hour.
[00:24:14] Unknown:
Well, yes, sir. They may cost you a little more, but, you know, you got the best and safest locks American ingenuity can devise. Well, this makes me feel a whole lot better. Now when you turn the key, this pin tumbler drops right down into the holes that are waiting for them. Yeah. And there you are, safe and sound. Now you should have real peace of mind. Thank you. Thank you very much. And, here are your keys, one for each lock. No duplicates, just like you ordered on the phone. Good. That's fine. Take my advice, sir. Change your mind. Get duplicates made. I don't want any duplicates. Well, it might be a lot of trouble to get them later on. Each key is made on a special machine. The formula of each key is registered. It's the way I want it. But supposing you lose one of them, the only way you're ever gonna get in is to call me, which might be somewhat inconvenient for you.
Now suppose you got a real friendly date.
[00:25:08] Unknown:
You've had a fine dinner. Why was he giving me this big song and dance about the possibility of a lost couple of keys? Why was this guy a guy I'd never seen before? Picked the address right out of the yellow
[00:25:21] Unknown:
pages. Why was he so anxious for me to order duplicate keys? That's why I recommend you have another pair made. I have no intention of losing these keys. Well, no one ever wants to, but take my advice.
[00:25:32] Unknown:
I don't want your advice. Well, certainly it hit me. This could be the guy you picked to get me by some crazy coincidence. Who was he anyway? Somebody I picked out of the phone book. And that's why he was telling me this bill of goods about duplicate keys. The whole thing was a big put on.
[00:25:50] Unknown:
Here. Here's your money. Thank you. Well, whatever you say, you're the boss. Now get out of here. Get out before I throw you out. If if anything should happen, don't say I didn't warn you. A door you can't get into could turn out to be a matter of life and death. But maybe you're right. If someone really wants to get in there I don't know how you did it, but that trick where the voices was driving me up the wall. I guess a little thing like a couple of keys is not gonna stop them. We both know that, Sammy. Don't we?
[00:26:21] Unknown:
I was trapped. It was bad enough the way it was before. Now with the locks changed by this strange guy, the walls began closing in on me. The room got smaller and smaller. The air I tried to breathe burned my lungs. I threw open the window and took a deep breath. It didn't do any good. It was like a fire inside of me. I could only get a little sleep. I would try to face what the next day might bring. After a while, I went into the bathroom.
[00:26:56] Unknown:
You stepped into the shower, turned on the water. Right? Hard. Ah, the spray of the shower felt good. It seemed to wash away all the crazy things you were feeling.
[00:27:08] Unknown:
You gave yourself a good brisk rub down with a heavy bath towel. Until my skin tingled and glowed from the rubbing. You thought,
[00:27:16] Unknown:
I'll brush my teeth and hit the sack for a good night's rest.
[00:27:21] Unknown:
And then And as I started to put the toothbrush into my mouth, there in the bathroom mirror, I saw something that blew my mind in a little bit. The teeth I was brushing, the eyes that were watching what I did were not my teeth, not my eyes. They were not mine, Johnny. They were yours. I'll never see that face in that mirror again. And then instead of panicking, the funniest thing happened. Everything suddenly became clear. For the first time in weeks, my thoughts were not confused.
[00:27:55] Unknown:
It all came into focus. For the first time, it got to me that I was letting the whole pattern of my life be spelled out by a dead man. And where the day before that idea would have hit you like a wallop in the pit of your stomach, where yesterday the idea would have made you dizzy and sick, right that minute, as you looked at the mirror you just smashed, you realized
[00:28:15] Unknown:
it didn't have to be this way, didn't you? It was essential this point on. You'd been trying to rattle me, Johnny. But now I knew exactly what I had to do, and that was to stay just where I was with the door locked till the month was up.
[00:28:33] Unknown:
Tell me how you caught the dateline of the newspaper that was lying on the bed, how you stared at it, how it kept moving towards you.
[00:28:41] Unknown:
The print grew bigger and bigger. It exploded at me. Today was September 27. One more day. One more day, and the month would be over, and you, Johnny, would be out of my life forever. My head began to swim with excitement. Kept telling myself, live through this one day, Sammy. Get through this night, and then 05:00 tomorrow morning, you've got it made. What made me so absolutely 100% sure?
[00:29:07] Unknown:
Simple. Johnny promise never went back on his word. Right? Right.
[00:29:12] Unknown:
I made a grab for the phone.
[00:29:23] Unknown:
Front desk. Can I help you? What time is it exactly? Exactly. 11:15PM. You sure? I just checked it with the radio. I'll set my clock. It, it stopped. And today's the twenty seventh? It'll be the twenty eighth in three quarters of an hour at midnight. And don't forget to very much. By the way, the young lady just came in. She's standing here at the desk. She'd like to talk to you. Oh, what young lady? Oh, your young lady.
[00:29:49] Unknown:
Oh. Oh, put her on. How are you feeling, Sam? It couldn't be better. Couple hours more, it'll all be over.
[00:29:58] Unknown:
What are you doing down there in the lobby? I thought I'd be close in case you needed anything.
[00:30:03] Unknown:
Well, why don't you get us a couple of hamburgers and coffee? Right away. See you soon.
[00:30:09] Unknown:
He's feeling great, he says. Well, that's nice for a change. He's sure that in only a few hours, he'll be a free man again. Poor guy. Why don't you tell him? I couldn't. I don't know what he'd do if he knew. Anyway, he'd never believe me. It might be the best way. Tell him the truth. How could I tell him that he's a very sick man, That his whole sense of time is mixed up, confused, that he doesn't know one day from another. In the state he's in, how could I possibly tell him that Johnny Promise actually went to the electric chair almost three
[00:30:48] Unknown:
years
[00:30:51] Unknown:
ago. Does one tell a dying man what he's about to meet? Or keep the secret from him? I suppose it depends on how you see death. If you look at it as a friend, you entertain it. If it comes as an enemy, you prepare to overcome it. Death has its greatest advantage when it comes as a stranger, as it may or may not be coming to Sam Rogers. We will know the answer when we return shortly with act three.
[00:31:28] Unknown:
When you feel like having a cold Budweiser, do you automatically reach for a glass? Well, sure. Bud's a great beer any way you drink it. But without a glass, you're really missing something. Now take that wonderful Budweiser head of foam for instance. Those bubbles, tiny though they are, still amount to something pretty special at the top of your glass. Taste appeal, and eye appeal. Two results of exclusive beachwood aging and natural carbonation. It takes a lot longer to brew Budweiser that way, but brewing beer right does make a difference that you can taste.
That's why when you say Budweiser, you've really said it all. Anheuser Busch, St. Louis.
[00:32:23] Unknown:
Hi. Dave Herman here reminding you that my analysis of this Saturday afternoon's Jets Raiders game at 03:35 over WOR is brought to you in part by your local Chevron dealers.
[00:32:33] Unknown:
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Just send unused tablets to the Compose people. Try compose early tonight. Then at bedtime, fall asleep more naturally as compose gently throws the sleep switch. Compose, c o m p o z. Compose.
[00:33:35] Unknown:
Well, good evening, Mystery Theater fans. This is, Gene Shepherd, and we're sitting here having a very friendly roundtable discussion with many of our listeners who gather nightly here at, the 07:10 spot on the dial. And if you'd like to join our little evening gatherings, I'm on every night at, let's see. It's 09:15 now. 09:15. You write that down and make sure that, you bring all the things you need to be prepared for a fantastic evening. I'm on every night from 09:15 until ten. Join our little group some night. We sit around and discuss the world and enjoy life and and, walk around in the weeds and, just be people. 09:15 on WOR.
[00:34:35] Unknown:
It has been said, a man is never less alone than when he is alone. Thoughts crowding on him. His imagination summons up multitudes. And which is harder to bear? The fear of loneliness. Or as in the case of Sam Rogers, the loneliness that comes from fear. Somewhere in a lonely graveyard, a cold wind whistles over the moonlit tombs. From a purgatory of his own making, Sam Rogers is forced by Johnny Promise for the ten thousandth time to recreate the path of his downfall.
[00:35:18] Unknown:
In my hotel room, I kept staring at the clock in my dresser. The hands didn't seem to move at all. They smooth so slowly. And then it was midnight. Midnight at last, right on the nose. Only five more hours to 05:00. That was when you got yours, Johnny. Five AM. And here I was, just five hours short of the deadline you'd set for me. Five hours, five years. My blood went cold. Little bumps on the back of my neck. My throat scratchy and dry. I wasn't about to fall for any more of your tricks, Johnny.
[00:35:52] Unknown:
Smart boy. You sat there on the bed waiting. You weren't gonna head, sir. The knocking kept on louder and louder with more and more force. You sat so still, the muscles in your back and legs began to stiffen and ache. There was a dull pounding at the base of your skull. Finally, you saw a sheet of paper come sliding under the door.
[00:36:15] Unknown:
Four words written in red with what seemed to be lipstick. It's me, Linda. Open. Carefully, quietly, I got off the bed, onto the door, and I whispered, who is it?
[00:36:27] Unknown:
It's me. Open the door. Did you forget? The hamburgers and the coffee?
[00:36:34] Unknown:
Get in quick.
[00:36:40] Unknown:
Are you alright?
[00:36:41] Unknown:
Fine.
[00:36:42] Unknown:
Here's your coffee, light, the way you like it. And no sugar? No sugar. The rare hamburger is yours.
[00:36:49] Unknown:
In less than five hours, Linda, we're gonna leave this town for good. I never wanna see it again. We'll start all over again, fresh. Maybe Alaska or Mexico.
[00:37:00] Unknown:
Whatever you say, Sam.
[00:37:05] Unknown:
We talked of our plans for the future, where we might go, what we'd do. The family would raise, pushing all other thoughts right out of our heads. It was exciting and beautiful. I looked at the clock again. Where is the time gone? It was a quarter to five. I said to Linda, you've gotta leave. Why? When I walk out that door, I wanna do it alone. You understand why? Of course. I understand. I'll meet you in about an hour at your place.
[00:37:32] Unknown:
Good night, Sam.
[00:37:41] Unknown:
The next time I looked at the clock, it was a couple of minutes past five. The time had come at last. I paid my dues, and I showed you up, Johnny Promise. For the first time, your word wasn't worth so much as one bent nickel. I mustn't take any chances, not at this late date. A 10% foolproof. Safe. Give myself every possible break, the benefit of every doubt, no chances. Give myself, what? Half hour cushion? Wait till 05:30 at least, and beat it out of here fast and forever.
[00:38:19] Unknown:
And you hung on.
[00:38:21] Unknown:
Those last few minutes were the longest in your life, weren't they? Finally, that big hand on the clock dropped down to the six. It was 05:30.
[00:38:29] Unknown:
A half hour past the deadline I'd set for you. So you took a deep breath and you screamed. You lost, Johnny. You lost.
[00:38:39] Unknown:
Sammy outsmarted you. So run away in your grave, bit by bit, piece by piece because I'm alive, Johnny. And I'm gonna stay alive.
[00:38:48] Unknown:
But you, my friend, are dead as dead as yesterday.
[00:38:56] Unknown:
05:40. Twenty minutes to six. I turned the keys. First in one lock, then the other. One opened the door. Ran down the hallway, hang for the elevator. When he got to my floor, the door opened. I took one last look behind me and got into the elevator car. But then you thought,
[00:39:17] Unknown:
the elevator man, Can I trust him? Was he dependable? Could he possibly no. No. That's all over and done with. I don't have to be afraid of anybody. Not anymore. You had your bad dream. You were finished with waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. The nightmare was over. The only thing that was real was that you were alive and breathing. What happened when the car reached the lobby floor?
[00:39:44] Unknown:
I rushed past the front desk out into the street. There was a chill penetrating drizzle. It was still dark. The promise of a new day was doing its best to break through in the East. For the first time in I don't know how long, I felt able to slow down. I started walking in the direction of Linda's place. Slow, but sure, firm step. Streets were deserted. It figures,
[00:40:08] Unknown:
a Sunday morning, quarter to six. Wonderful feeling, wasn't it? Like the whole city belonged to you and you alone. That's right. The buildings took on a look of friendliness,
[00:40:19] Unknown:
like I've never seen them before. The traffic lights were changing from red to green, then back from green to red, but there was no traffic. Like a ghost city, abandoned. And my own footsteps echoed behind me as I walked. Was it my imagination? I thought I heard two pair of footsteps following mine.
[00:40:41] Unknown:
But you didn't have the guts to turn around and look back.
[00:40:44] Unknown:
For a minute, you thought maybe they were your own footsteps echoing down those narrow streets.
[00:40:49] Unknown:
I stopped. They stopped. I started to walk. They started. I got to a corner and quickly turned into the other street. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two men. It wasn't wide enough to make out their faces. They weren't saying a word. They just seemed to have their minds on one thing, to keep me in their sight no matter where I went. My heart stopped. There they were, less than 50 feet behind me, following, following. Sickening thought came to me, terrifying. Tell me about it. It's possible, I thought. Anything is possible. Suppose just suppose in some crazy way that I made a mistake.
Suppose my clock had been wrong. I think it's a quarter to six, but I suppose Then all of a sudden you found yourself passing the jewelry shop. You looked up at the big clock that hung over the entrance. I almost passed out with what I saw. I swallowed hard. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton wadding. I looked up once more to make sure. And what did you see? The clock said a quarter to five. A quarter to five, not six.
[00:41:58] Unknown:
Something was wrong, wasn't it? The whole thing was like crazy.
[00:42:02] Unknown:
How could it be?
[00:42:03] Unknown:
And those two faceless men were still there following you. There was a bank on the opposite corner.
[00:42:09] Unknown:
I raced across to look at the clock outside the bank. I couldn't believe what I saw. That clock too said a quarter to five. Then I began running. I didn't know where. I didn't care. Those clocks, for some insane reason, were right, and I was wrong. Then I still owed you fifteen minutes, Johnny. You still had fifteen minutes to get me. There's two men following me. It can't be, I told myself. Those clutch are both crazy. It's a quarter to six. It has to be.
[00:42:35] Unknown:
You checked and double checked. And then something like a heavy sledgehammer hits you right between the eyes. Sammy, you stupid ignorant dummy, you said to yourself. How could you be so blind? How could you have missed it? That's what the desk clerk was trying to tell you. It was the last Sunday in September. In those days, daylight savings time ended at 02:00 in the morning. The last Sunday in September. Of course.
[00:43:01] Unknown:
Those clocks had all been turned back for an hour. Only I forgot to turn my clock. It is a quarter to five. Five. It's five, not six. You crazy fool. You thick skull brainless imbecile. You deserve to die.
[00:43:16] Unknown:
Now we're getting to the best part, angry, Sammy. You began to walk. Right? Slow at first, then a little faster. Finally, breaking into a run. Whenever you got to a corner, you turned. When you saw an alley, you ran into it. When there was a fence, you vaulted over it. Then out into the streets again. But no matter what you did, wherever you went, those same two characters stuck to your tail. You couldn't shake them. They stuck right behind me, always the same 50 feet away.
[00:43:47] Unknown:
I kept running until I thought my sides would burst. And then way off in the distance, I heard the deep throated bombs of a church bell striking the hour. I stopped running. I waited. I counted.
[00:44:16] Unknown:
That was it, Sammy boy. You doubled up and fell to the pavement. You never got to the count of six because there wasn't any six. You dropped right there where you were standing. Right? Your body crumpled up like a little rag doll. It was all over just like I promised, except for one thing. One little thing.
[00:44:40] Unknown:
Remember, Sammy? I remember.
[00:44:42] Unknown:
Tell me how it was, Sammy.
[00:44:46] Unknown:
I dropped like you said.
[00:44:49] Unknown:
And then?
[00:44:50] Unknown:
The two men rushed up. One of them felt my pulse, the other my heart.
[00:44:57] Unknown:
And there was no pulse. There was no heartbeat.
[00:45:01] Unknown:
I was dead.
[00:45:04] Unknown:
Go on, Sam.
[00:45:06] Unknown:
One of the men got up from where he'd been kneeling over my body, turned slowly to the other fella, and said, he's dead alright,
[00:45:15] Unknown:
and not a mark on him. That big newspaper delivery truck passed by, backfired, just backfired, and this guy drops dead. Yeah. I guess we better call the police.
[00:45:32] Unknown:
So Johnny kept his word after all, didn't he? And even today, from where he is now, he keeps assuring the rest of his companions. It's like it's my code of honor.
[00:45:45] Unknown:
Once I give my word, I never break it. That's why they still call me Johnny Promise. Right, Sammy? Right, Johnny. Oh, and, Sammy. Yeah. Tomorrow, I want you to tell me the whole story all over again from the very beginning.
[00:46:05] Unknown:
Right? Right.
[00:46:21] Unknown:
I'll be back shortly.
[00:46:23] Unknown:
Excuse me, sir. But do you know what happens this time of year? Right on, pal. I happen to know that right about now, a freak blizzard falls on Dumont, New Jersey, and they're snowed in for the rest of the summer. Happens every year.
[00:46:36] Unknown:
No. No. No. Nope. You see, what happens this time of year is that you can get a particularly good deal on what is perhaps the most luxurious midsize car on the market, the midsize Buick Century Regal. What good's a car when you're hopelessly snowed in?
[00:46:50] Unknown:
Well, that's a point.
[00:46:52] Unknown:
The Jets Raiders game at 03:35 over WOR radio this Saturday afternoon is brought to you in part by Eminem Mars, the fun sized candy people. And I'm Dave Herman for all the commentary throughout the game.
[00:47:14] Unknown:
There's a new spirit in the friendly skies of your land. United Airlines has a bright new look with new colors, a new symbol, and it goes deeper than that. There's a mood you can sense in our people, a spirit you can catch, the spirit of friendship service. Come share the spirit of friendship service. It's catchy.
[00:48:01] Unknown:
United has seven nonstops to California. Call United or your travel agent.
[00:48:16] Unknown:
You may recall that Johnny had promised he was going to give Sammy the best of care, everlasting perpetual care, which is exactly what happened. Before he, passed away, Johnny signed a contract with the cemetery to provide Sammy Rogers grave with perpetual care. Weeds removed, flowers four times a year, neat and beautiful till the end of time. Always a man of his word. Our cast included Joseph Julian, Michael Tolan, June Gable, and Guy Repp. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Anheuser Busch Incorporated, Brewers of Budweiser, and Buick Motor Division.
This is EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.
[00:50:00] Unknown:
The WOR Mystery Theater was also brought to you by ShopRite Supermarkets, where you get a lot more for a little less, and by Suburban Savings with offices throughout North Jersey. The preceding mystery theater program was furnished by the CBS Radio Network.
[00:50:41] Unknown:
I'm Fulton Lewis in the Mutual Broadcasting System Studios in Washington DC. Now my commentary. President Ford said today that he wants the American people to get the unvarnished truth about inflation, and they are sick and tired of having politics played with their pocketbooks. Perhaps the best indication of Ford's approach to the nation's economic problems came as he offered a spontaneous response at the opening of a White House mini conference on inflation to an answer to an economist's suggestion that the country needs what was termed positive thinking. After Walter Hoadley of the Bank of America called for upbeat thinking to counter a lack of confidence in the future, President Ford volunteered the opinion that Americans cannot indulge in positive thinking unless they first have the truth.
Saying that he wanted the unvarnished truth on the table at the meeting, the President said that he was confident the people would respond positively if they got that truth. At the first of what are planned to be a dozen sessions leading up to a September 2728 major summit conference on inflation, a consensus seemed to emerge among economic experts that a depression is unlikely to develop, but that output is apt to be flat, sluggish or even down a bit over the next eighteen months. A sizable number of conference participants representing business, finance, labor and the academic profession, all of them professional economists, also called for a gradual easing of the Federal Reserve Board's tight money policy that has produced record high interest rates.
Many of them conservatives as well as liberals also recommended that serious consideration be given to a public service employment program in anticipation of an early rise in joblessness. Improved unemployment compensation programs also met with considerable support. At the Capitol, Senate Democrats put President Ford on notice that they are ready to keep Congress in session for the rest of the year to deal with the nation's economic problems. At the same time, their leaders said that it is up to the White House to make a specific move if any action is to be taken this year. President Ford opened the day long meeting in the East Room of the White House today, broadcast live over public television and radio.
He said, Our purpose is to find ways by which we, the American people, can come to grips with our economic difficulties and surmount them, declaring that people understand economics very, very well, and they are sick and tired of having politics played with their pocketbooks. The presidents of these meetings are not going to be empty exercises in economic rhetoric, neither are they going to reveal any quick solutions or miracles. There is no quick fix for what ails our economy. He added, but before this conference ends, I would like to see and to have set before the American people a consistent and considered package of the most promising answers that you are able to find.
Now this.
[00:53:32] Unknown:
This is Rocky Graziano. Lots of times on talk shows, I tell jokes. And sometimes I kid around when I talk about Lee Miles, the transmission champs. But transmission trouble isn't a joke, so I'm not kidding when I say you should see Lee Miles. They've been in business about twenty five years. They repair, rebuild, reseal, or exchange your transmission. Lee Miles has shops all over the greater metropolitan area, and you'll find them in your yellow pages. They're the greatest, and that's no joke.
[00:53:59] Unknown:
Senate Democrats advised president Ford today that they are ready to keep congress in session for the rest of this year, if necessary, to deal with the nation's economic problems. At the same time, the senate Democrats said that it is up to the White House to make any specific moves or suggestions regarding the economic situation if any action is to be taken on Capitol Hill this year. Presidential Press Secretary, Gerald Terhorst, said that the President was delighted with the Senate Democratic Caucus' pledge to support the President and to give the highest priority to economic matters, but ter Horace reiterated the President's hope that the work can be completed without holding a lame duck session in Congress, in other words, a session after the November.
The entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate is going to be elected in November, but they will not take office until next January. Assistant Democratic leader Robert Byrd said the executive branch is the action arm of the government. Democrat leader Mike Mansfield said action by the Democratic controlled congress alone is an impossibility. He told newsmen, if you wanna get something done, you have to have the cooperation of the White House. It's as simple as that. The Democrats who met behind closed doors for nearly two hours today declined to endorse any specific proposals pending the president's September's, economic summit conference.
They asked their policy committee to consider some specific plans, urged the White House Conference to consider every alternative and made clear that they think the situation is too serious to defer action until next year as suggested by some administration officials. The reference to every alternative would presumably mean the inclusion of wage and price controls, which Mansfield and many Democrats favor, but which president Ford has very specifically ruled out. Senator Mansfield, who previously has talked confidently of winding up the congressional session for the year by mid October, said today, the way the economy is going, I'd say the chances are better than even that Congress will have to come back after the November.
Senator Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat, noted in the statement two days ago by William Seidman at Ford Economic Aid that new proposals this year would be impossible since Congress was planning to adjourn in mid October. Senator Byrd said the country cannot afford to wait until next year. We want to debunk the idea that Congress is getting ready to go home and stay home because of the election. If the practice of four years ago has followed, Congress would take a month off beginning in mid October and then come right back after the elections. Besides the economic situation, the House and Senate may not be able to complete work by mid October on President Ford's nomination of Nelson Rockefeller to the vacant vice presidential post. Mansfield said again today, there is no reason to assume that the Senate rules and administration committee won't have the Rockefeller nomination ready for action by mid October, but he said it will not be rushed through the Congress.
The economic resolution which Mansfield offered to the Democratic caucus declares the Democrats stand ready to remain in session throughout the year if necessary to cooperate with the President in meeting the grave economic problems confronting the nation. Mansfield said that he would discuss the situation with House Democratic leaders next week when the House of Representatives finally ends its Labor Day resets. Officials of 13 states may learn tomorrow whether the Justice Department considers their state lottery systems to be legal. Attorney General William Saxby and other Justice Department officials were scheduled to discuss the legal situation involving the state lotteries with governors and lottery directors that have been summoned to a Justice Department meeting.
President Ford still apparently favors passage of a constitutional amendment to permit states to enact legislation on abortion according to White House spokesman Gerald Horst. He said that the President is not in favor of federal laws governing abortion. The president's wife was asked at a White House news conference yesterday whether she was closer to the views of Senator James Buckley, the New York conservative who opposes legalized abortion or whether she leaned toward the views of Vice President designate Nelson Rockefeller, who favors legalized abortion or at least who favored it when he was Governor of New York. Mrs. Ford replied quite candidly that she leaned definitely toward Rockefeller.
White House Press Secretary Terhorst said today that Mrs. Ford's reply was not a very definitive answer, and he said that the views of the President and his wife are not that far apart. Mrs. Ford's concern, he said, and the President's concern are essentially that there must be a remedy for persons when abortions become necessary because of a serious illness or criminal attack of some kind. From a mutual studios in Washington, Einfold and Lewis, and that's the top of the news as it looks from here.
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[00:00:30] Unknown:
Stay tuned. Fornestory Theatre. Come in. Welcome. I'm EG Marshall. The one place where all men meet sooner or later is the grave. It's the place where all roads end. That small model of the barren earth which serves as paste and cover to our bones. What happens more than twenty years ago. Our mystery drama, Deadline for Death, was written especially for the mystery theater by Arnold Moss and stars Michael Tolan and Joseph Julian. It is sponsored in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated, brewers of Budweiser. I'll be back shortly
[00:01:59] Unknown:
with act one. Say, do you know what happens this time of year? The swallows come back to Capistrano. Nope. The buzzards come back to Hinkley Ridge, Ohio? No. Bulldogs all over the world begin to shed? Not even close. Oh. This, my friend, is the time of year when you can get a super little deal on the practical but elegant Buick Apollo. And just between you and me, it may very well be the best chance you'll ever have to buy a Buick. I could have sworn this was budget day in Hinkley.
[00:02:28] Unknown:
This is Dave Herman reminding you that the Jets Raiders game over WOR Radio at 03:35 this Saturday afternoon is brought to you in part by your New York, New Jersey, Fairfield County Dodge boys.
[00:02:46] Unknown:
Suburban savings in Northern New Jersey would like to set you straight on savings. Straight off, Suburban offers you the highest interest allowed by law, A big 7.90% effective annual yield on Suburban seven point fifty percent savings certificates, and Suburban guarantees it from four to ten years. Minimum, $2,500. Federal regulations allow premature withdrawals on savings certificates provided prescribed federal penalties are adhered to. Of course, Suburban also has a whole selection of other savings plans that keep your savings headed in the right direction straight up. Why not head straight over to your nearest suburban savings office conveniently located in Bayonne, Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Hackettstown, Morris Plains, Nutley, Paramus, Sparta, and Wayne, and let them set you straight on savings?
[00:03:45] Unknown:
Was the threat Johnny Promise made some minutes ago an empty warning? Can a dead man moldering under the damp earth for twenty years doom the life of another man? Can a corpse, long dead, wreak vengeance on another human being from the immeasurable distance of another world? We're about to find out as Johnny Promise talks to his old friend, Sammy Rogers.
[00:04:14] Unknown:
Sam? Sam Rogers? Answer me, Sam. It's so dark here we can't see one another, but we can hear. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore.
[00:04:29] Unknown:
Sam? Why can't you leave me alone?
[00:04:33] Unknown:
Nobody's bothering you, Sam. Nobody. Just someone to talk to is all old friends, old times sake. Nothing wrong in that, is there? Is there? Nice to talk over old times. Friendly. Makes me feel good. Besides, what else is there to do in this place? I don't wanna talk, Johnny. Not again. Oh, don't be unfriendly.
[00:04:58] Unknown:
Sam, not here. Get your kick some other way. Leave me alone. Stop torturing me. It's been finished all over for a long time. Oh, tell me again how it was.
[00:05:09] Unknown:
Just one more time. Like, what went wrong in our bank job? How we had it worked out so good? How some way we goofed? How the cops broke in on us and we began to run? How the big one took a shot at me and I shot back and let that cop have it right through the head? How they all started a targeting on me? How I called you for help? And how you ran away and ran and ran and ran? You did manage to save your own little neck, didn't you? Tell it to me again, Sammy. You've heard it a thousand times. I know, Sam. I know. And more than anything, I love the way you tell about the courtroom.
That hot summer day nineteen, twenty years ago, back in the fifties. I'll never forget that one, especially your part. You'll never forget it either because as long as we're here together, I won't let you forget, Sammy. I won't let
[00:06:13] Unknown:
you. Johnny Promo, also known as Johnny Promise, a jury of your peers has found you guilty of the murder of officer Cochran in the first degree. Are there any last words you would like to say before I pronounce sentence? Yes, your honor.
[00:06:30] Unknown:
But it's not for the court. It's for Sam Rogers sitting over there, star witness for the prosecution. You saved your own skin, Sammy, by squealing about me to the DA. If not for you, I'd have got away with it. But you'll pay for it, Sammy boy, with your life. My name ain't Johnny Promise for nothing, kid. So keep an eye on the calendar. Count the days one by one because after I get mine, I'll see to it that you get no more than a month to live. Order. Maybe less than a month, but not one minute more. Don't look so scared, Sammy. If you live past the month, you're safe.
But I got a lot of friends and a lot of dough to toss around to those friends. Today, you buy loyally like you buy land shops, so don't count on more than a month. And when you get yours, remember Johnny promised let you have it straight from the grave. Remember the date, Sam? The date the judge named for me to burn in the electric chair? I don't remember. Oh, that's not true. You remember? August, '5 o'clock in the morning. Taps for Johnny Promise, a man with a code of honor, a man whose word was a thing of respect, and above everything else, your friend.
Now how could you forget that? You will never let me.
[00:07:59] Unknown:
And little Sammy with his big mouth made the whole thing happen, right? Cut it out, Johnny. I don't wanna hear anymore. What do you get from tormenting me like this?
[00:08:11] Unknown:
Laughs. And it passes the time. We got no place to go. We're gonna be here for the rest of our, let's say for a long, long time. And I like to laugh. And that story of yours is good for a million of them. Let's have it, Sammy boy. What was it like for you after I got mine? Come on. Tell it just like it happened. Tell it.
[00:08:46] Unknown:
After the judge pronounced your sentence, I sat there in the courtroom like it was me he had sentenced. The cold sweat was pouring out of my body. I couldn't move. I hardly breathe. All I could hear was your voice laughing and saying, a month to live. One month to live. I knew for sure that within the month after you burned, you'd see to it somehow that I got mine. So I holed up in that scrubby hotel room, way up on the Ninth Floor, and for two whole weeks, I didn't see anyone. I wouldn't answer the phone. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I wouldn't open the door, except for Linda.
She was the only one I could trust.
[00:09:27] Unknown:
What's me, Sam?
[00:09:32] Unknown:
Come in quick.
[00:09:37] Unknown:
Here's your dinner, Sam. Thanks, Linda. And today's newspaper?
[00:09:42] Unknown:
September. Fifteen days since Johnny You've got to stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about it. By 5AM of the twenty eighth, I'll be a dead man. And it could come at any time in a week, tomorrow, in an hour. But you've taken care, sweetie. Nobody can get it you up here. And once you get past the twenty eighth, you're a free man.
[00:10:02] Unknown:
Johnny said so, didn't he?
[00:10:04] Unknown:
Yeah. He did. And he never broke his promise, did he? Yeah. That's what I'm counting on.
[00:10:10] Unknown:
But just the same, every morning I wake up after a bad night and I hear myself talking to myself. I say today, today, will it be today? Is this my last day on Earth? That's what's driving me crazy. Sam, you've got to find things to take your mind off of it. It's only another couple of weeks. And then And then?
[00:10:30] Unknown:
Well, go away someplace. Far away. Start a whole new life. Why don't you eat something? It'll make you feel better. I'm not hungry. Maybe a little coffee while it's still hot. I got the change from the 20 you gave me. Forget it. It's right here in my bag.
[00:10:49] Unknown:
What are those?
[00:10:50] Unknown:
The keys.
[00:10:52] Unknown:
What keys?
[00:10:53] Unknown:
To this room. To this room? Of course.
[00:10:57] Unknown:
Where did you get them? You gave them to me. Don't you remember?
[00:11:01] Unknown:
I never gave you any keys to this room. Who gave you those keys? I told you, Sam. You did. You lousy little liar.
[00:11:09] Unknown:
Where did you get those keys? I don't know what you're talking about. We even got to you. Oh, Sam. How could you think that I could He got to the crummy desk clerk first, didn't he? And then to you.
[00:11:18] Unknown:
And you had the duplicate made. Who made the payoff?
[00:11:22] Unknown:
I said who made the payoff? Sam, you're insane. Why would I ever do anything to hurt you? Because for 500, a thousand bucks, you'd do anything.
[00:11:31] Unknown:
Now get out of here, you little tramp but fat. Oh, you're wrong, Sam. You're wrong. I love you. Out. Always, Sam. I don't need you or anybody. Get out before I get it.
[00:11:45] Unknown:
It was the house phone. It's not my private line with the unlisted number. Only two people ever knew that number. You, Johnny, and Linda. But But this was from the lobby downstairs.
[00:11:57] Unknown:
I stood there listening to it ring.
[00:11:59] Unknown:
Didn't dare answer it. The sound began to bore a little hole into my brain. And finally yeah? Who is it?
[00:12:09] Unknown:
It's me, Sam. Linda.
[00:12:11] Unknown:
You? How could it be you? You just went out of the door.
[00:12:15] Unknown:
Where are you? In the lobby downstairs. I'm so glad you answered. How did you get down there so fast? Please, Sam. Listen to me. I know how you felt about those keys, but you've got to trust me. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. But how did you get to that phone so Stop taking hold of yourself. Why did you have the locks changed on your door?
[00:12:36] Unknown:
Why?
[00:12:37] Unknown:
For what reason? Call in a locksmith. Somebody who never heard of you, of me, of Johnny, anybody we know. Let him change the locks and give the keys only to you. One of a kind for each lock. No duplicates. Do that, Sif. Please. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you.
[00:12:57] Unknown:
Sure, sweetie. It's a good idea. I don't know what got into me, what made me think that you I'm sorry, Linda, for everything.
[00:13:06] Unknown:
You call a locksmith. Yes?
[00:13:09] Unknown:
First thing in the morning.
[00:13:10] Unknown:
I'll be seeing you, sir.
[00:13:13] Unknown:
Oh, yeah, Linda. Right. That was real tricky of you, Johnny, leading me to suspect that Linda might be the one you'd take to get me. After I put the phone down, an idea came to me. Hit me like a thunderbolt. Made the best sense of anything in the past couple of weeks. What was the point of living holed up like a rat? Like a sitting duck in that lousy hotel room waiting, just waiting for you Johnny to make me a target for whoever you paid off to let me have it. For once you thought Johnny promised he's gonna be outsmarted, right?
[00:13:50] Unknown:
For once you thought Johnny Big Mouth was gonna meet his match.
[00:13:54] Unknown:
How could you have been so dumb? Why hadn't I thought of it before? All I had to do, Johnny, was to find out who it was you picked to put the finger on me. Once I knew who it was, I could take care of him before he ever got the chance to get to me. Pretty good thinking, Johnny. Right? And I knew the first and best place to start looking. The bowling alley was one of the crowd's favorite hangouts. If your man was any place, Johnny, this was it. I noticed a couple of familiar faces. Hi, Benny. What's new? How's the wife?
[00:14:30] Unknown:
Hey, Tommy. Putting on a little weight, Better take it easy with a beard.
[00:14:35] Unknown:
What do you say, Benny? How's the score? Still over two fifty?
[00:14:39] Unknown:
Every one of them. They just walked away, didn't they? Wherever you went, the guys moved away, turned their backs on you without a word. Like you were some kind of bad news, some kind of disease.
[00:14:51] Unknown:
I went to the bar to order a drink. A beer, Joey.
[00:14:55] Unknown:
You've known Joey the bartender for years.
[00:14:58] Unknown:
He gave you your drink without so much as a word. I swallowed my beer, and as I did, I spotted little red Mike down at the other end of the bar. I never liked him from the first time I met him. And everybody knew he never liked you. Something about him, his beady little eyes looked at you like a rat. I walked over to him. Without saying anything, he started to move away from me. I grabbed him by the back of the neck. Don't you walk away from me, you little louse? I know what you're up to. Now let go of me. What do you think you're doing? It's you, ain't it? You're the one. You're the one he picked to do his job. What are you talking about? Get your hands off of me. I don't know what you're saying. You're that sniveling two faced rat. You thought I was afraid of you. Better let you have it. This minute before you get me, Johnny promises a little stoolie.
[00:15:41] Unknown:
Give my hands where they are, Mike. Hey. You're crazy, Sam. Johnny's dead. Put that gun down. Please. I don't know what you're thinking, but you're making a big mistake. Would a smart cookie like Johnny ever pick somebody like me to do what you're thinking? Put your gun down and frisk me. Come on. If you don't believe me, frisk me, Sammy. Okay.
[00:16:04] Unknown:
Alright. So I made a mistake. But from now on, stay out of my way. You understand? Whatever you say.
[00:16:11] Unknown:
But you really ought to take it easy. Because you know as well as I do, when your time comes, you'll go. Just like everybody else. Johnny, that's your voice coming out of Red Mike's mouth. Meantime, we gotta take care, don't we, Sammy? What kind of crazy trick are you pulling, Johnny? And you can count on me for the best care a fella ever had. Like they say in the cemetery, Sammy, perpetual care. I promise.
[00:16:45] Unknown:
There's a delicate little mechanism inside the head of all of us. When you're threatened by an overpowering fear, for example, whatever or whoever is the cause of that fear turns the little machine on, and wherever you go, you see that person. Hear his voice. Feel his touch. Like what's happening to Sammy. Right? Just how far and to what ends will the little machine drive Sam Rogers? We'll find out shortly when we return with act two.
[00:17:24] Unknown:
Hey, mom. What's for dinner?
[00:17:26] Unknown:
Hey, mom. What you got? Your ShopRite supermarket has a what's for dinner idea the family will love. Choice grade boneless beef roast. Bottom round or shoulder, just a dollar 29 a pound. Put a few in your freezer at this low price. Other ShopRite values this week include sweet honeydew melons, just 69¢ each. Minute Maid orange juice. Court Gardens, free for $1. Armour Franks, one pound package, 79¢. ShopRite is also headquarters for your back to school shopping. So visit your ShopRite and see at ShopRite.
[00:18:00] Unknown:
Good news. She loves a family. She wants the best.
[00:18:18] Unknown:
WO R New York, an RKO general station.
[00:18:33] Unknown:
One of the great mysteries is time. It often happens that time seems never to move forward when the minutes are suspended in some terrifying space and refuse to move. And then there is that silent, never resting thing called time that rolls on, rushes along, swift as an ocean tide on which we and the whole universe ride. For Sam Rogers, time was beginning to take on a new meaning.
[00:19:08] Unknown:
End of the month was getting closer and closer. The days were racing by. Every night, I shut my eyes to try to get just a couple of hours sleep. And I kept myself awake thinking,
[00:19:19] Unknown:
what were you thinking, Sammy?
[00:19:21] Unknown:
Tell me that I had to find the guy you picked, the guy that was gonna let me have it. I kept telling myself, get to him before he gets to you, and there'll be nothing to worry about.
[00:19:32] Unknown:
Sooner or later, I had to find him. Once you made your mind up about that, you began to feel a whole lot better. Yeah. I began to live almost a normal life again. Like the day I went to the custom shop to get fitted for a couple of new suits. I congratulate you on your choice of materials. The, silver mohair and silk will make up into a perfectly lovely suit. And, so will the tweed. And don't forget the extra padding on the shoulders. Well, if you'll forgive me, it's the natural look this year. The real look of the fifties. No padding. Extra padding on the shoulders. Well, of course, as you wish. I wish. Certainly? Certainly, sir.
Now if you'll just, stand still for a moment while I drape this material over your shoulder. Hey. What do you think you're doing? Hey. Let me go with my arm. Put that scissors down. Drop it, I tell you. Drop it. All I was trying to do, sir. I know what you were trying to do. Well, I'm very sorry, sir. Very sorry. I assure you it won't happen again. But you see, you see, Sammy, you gotta realize it could be anybody.
[00:20:32] Unknown:
Anybody at all. It was happening again. The tailor who was standing there in front of me, right in the middle of a sentence. It was your voice that was coming out of him. Your words. And there was that day in Luigi's barbershop. Hadn't been to the barber in weeks. Luigi had been my barber for fifteen years. There was one guy in the world I could trust. It was him.
[00:20:58] Unknown:
And that's what the guy on the radio says, Sam. If we get the same kind of heat tomorrow like we had today, it's gonna set some kind of records. Imagine, the September,
[00:21:08] Unknown:
'90 '6 degrees. Yeah. That's what they call a real Indian summer.
[00:21:12] Unknown:
If it don't cool off, Sam, they can give this summer back to the Indians. You understand?
[00:21:19] Unknown:
I sweated out every stroke of that sharp razor. How does While Luigi went droning on about the weather, I held my breath You know? Thinking maybe my friend. Ford, everything He was your friend too, Johnny.
[00:21:31] Unknown:
So The eyes are shut. All he has to do is let that blade slip just one little bit accidentally, you know? Alright. Chin up a little higher, Sam. Just a little more. And who would know the difference? Ah, there we go. Let me just, lower the chair a little, And what are you doing? Well, like always, a nice, hot towel opens up all of the pores. When they're open, a little lotion closes them up again.
[00:21:55] Unknown:
He could've let me have it right then and there while he was shaving me, but he didn't. When he wrapped that hot towel over my face, instead of it feeling good, I suddenly got the idea that this could be it. Luigi could smother me to death. And there I sat helpless beneath that hot towel. I ripped it off, screaming you. Thought you had me, didn't you? You and your hot towel. What's the matter with you? Here's what you can do with your towel. Hey. I have to think of something better than that. Only you'll never get the chance. You've seen me here for the last time. What are you talking about, Sam? But it won't do you no good.
[00:22:29] Unknown:
Getting excited this way. It was your voice again, Johnny. You gotta learn to calm down. Take things easy. Listen to me, Sam. Easy does it. After all, there's only three more days to go. Right?
[00:22:52] Unknown:
I raced all the way back to my hotel. I got to my room, I opened the door, and I slammed it shut.
[00:22:59] Unknown:
My lungs were bursting.
[00:23:02] Unknown:
I sucked in whatever air I could in big gulps. There was a sharp pain in the middle of my chest like a knife sticking right into me, but I was safe. Nobody could get at me here. Never mind that idiotic idea trying to find out who was supposed to put the finger on me. Just sit it out. Sit it out. Right here. Right here, I told myself. Play it safe. But when I looked around the room, I knew that I was not safe. Even here, there was a peculiar feeling about the place. You couldn't say exactly what it was until you looked to see what time it was. And then I saw that my little electric clock on the dresser was turned around with its face to the wall, and it was unplugged.
In the bathroom, there was broken glass sitting in the sink. Somebody had been there. That's for sure. No. No maids. I never let the maids in, maids or anybody else, except Linda. Linda was right. She was right.
[00:24:04] Unknown:
I had to get those locks changed today without waiting another hour.
[00:24:14] Unknown:
Well, yes, sir. They may cost you a little more, but, you know, you got the best and safest locks American ingenuity can devise. Well, this makes me feel a whole lot better. Now when you turn the key, this pin tumbler drops right down into the holes that are waiting for them. Yeah. And there you are, safe and sound. Now you should have real peace of mind. Thank you. Thank you very much. And, here are your keys, one for each lock. No duplicates, just like you ordered on the phone. Good. That's fine. Take my advice, sir. Change your mind. Get duplicates made. I don't want any duplicates. Well, it might be a lot of trouble to get them later on. Each key is made on a special machine. The formula of each key is registered. It's the way I want it. But supposing you lose one of them, the only way you're ever gonna get in is to call me, which might be somewhat inconvenient for you.
Now suppose you got a real friendly date.
[00:25:08] Unknown:
You've had a fine dinner. Why was he giving me this big song and dance about the possibility of a lost couple of keys? Why was this guy a guy I'd never seen before? Picked the address right out of the yellow
[00:25:21] Unknown:
pages. Why was he so anxious for me to order duplicate keys? That's why I recommend you have another pair made. I have no intention of losing these keys. Well, no one ever wants to, but take my advice.
[00:25:32] Unknown:
I don't want your advice. Well, certainly it hit me. This could be the guy you picked to get me by some crazy coincidence. Who was he anyway? Somebody I picked out of the phone book. And that's why he was telling me this bill of goods about duplicate keys. The whole thing was a big put on.
[00:25:50] Unknown:
Here. Here's your money. Thank you. Well, whatever you say, you're the boss. Now get out of here. Get out before I throw you out. If if anything should happen, don't say I didn't warn you. A door you can't get into could turn out to be a matter of life and death. But maybe you're right. If someone really wants to get in there I don't know how you did it, but that trick where the voices was driving me up the wall. I guess a little thing like a couple of keys is not gonna stop them. We both know that, Sammy. Don't we?
[00:26:21] Unknown:
I was trapped. It was bad enough the way it was before. Now with the locks changed by this strange guy, the walls began closing in on me. The room got smaller and smaller. The air I tried to breathe burned my lungs. I threw open the window and took a deep breath. It didn't do any good. It was like a fire inside of me. I could only get a little sleep. I would try to face what the next day might bring. After a while, I went into the bathroom.
[00:26:56] Unknown:
You stepped into the shower, turned on the water. Right? Hard. Ah, the spray of the shower felt good. It seemed to wash away all the crazy things you were feeling.
[00:27:08] Unknown:
You gave yourself a good brisk rub down with a heavy bath towel. Until my skin tingled and glowed from the rubbing. You thought,
[00:27:16] Unknown:
I'll brush my teeth and hit the sack for a good night's rest.
[00:27:21] Unknown:
And then And as I started to put the toothbrush into my mouth, there in the bathroom mirror, I saw something that blew my mind in a little bit. The teeth I was brushing, the eyes that were watching what I did were not my teeth, not my eyes. They were not mine, Johnny. They were yours. I'll never see that face in that mirror again. And then instead of panicking, the funniest thing happened. Everything suddenly became clear. For the first time in weeks, my thoughts were not confused.
[00:27:55] Unknown:
It all came into focus. For the first time, it got to me that I was letting the whole pattern of my life be spelled out by a dead man. And where the day before that idea would have hit you like a wallop in the pit of your stomach, where yesterday the idea would have made you dizzy and sick, right that minute, as you looked at the mirror you just smashed, you realized
[00:28:15] Unknown:
it didn't have to be this way, didn't you? It was essential this point on. You'd been trying to rattle me, Johnny. But now I knew exactly what I had to do, and that was to stay just where I was with the door locked till the month was up.
[00:28:33] Unknown:
Tell me how you caught the dateline of the newspaper that was lying on the bed, how you stared at it, how it kept moving towards you.
[00:28:41] Unknown:
The print grew bigger and bigger. It exploded at me. Today was September 27. One more day. One more day, and the month would be over, and you, Johnny, would be out of my life forever. My head began to swim with excitement. Kept telling myself, live through this one day, Sammy. Get through this night, and then 05:00 tomorrow morning, you've got it made. What made me so absolutely 100% sure?
[00:29:07] Unknown:
Simple. Johnny promise never went back on his word. Right? Right.
[00:29:12] Unknown:
I made a grab for the phone.
[00:29:23] Unknown:
Front desk. Can I help you? What time is it exactly? Exactly. 11:15PM. You sure? I just checked it with the radio. I'll set my clock. It, it stopped. And today's the twenty seventh? It'll be the twenty eighth in three quarters of an hour at midnight. And don't forget to very much. By the way, the young lady just came in. She's standing here at the desk. She'd like to talk to you. Oh, what young lady? Oh, your young lady.
[00:29:49] Unknown:
Oh. Oh, put her on. How are you feeling, Sam? It couldn't be better. Couple hours more, it'll all be over.
[00:29:58] Unknown:
What are you doing down there in the lobby? I thought I'd be close in case you needed anything.
[00:30:03] Unknown:
Well, why don't you get us a couple of hamburgers and coffee? Right away. See you soon.
[00:30:09] Unknown:
He's feeling great, he says. Well, that's nice for a change. He's sure that in only a few hours, he'll be a free man again. Poor guy. Why don't you tell him? I couldn't. I don't know what he'd do if he knew. Anyway, he'd never believe me. It might be the best way. Tell him the truth. How could I tell him that he's a very sick man, That his whole sense of time is mixed up, confused, that he doesn't know one day from another. In the state he's in, how could I possibly tell him that Johnny Promise actually went to the electric chair almost three
[00:30:48] Unknown:
years
[00:30:51] Unknown:
ago. Does one tell a dying man what he's about to meet? Or keep the secret from him? I suppose it depends on how you see death. If you look at it as a friend, you entertain it. If it comes as an enemy, you prepare to overcome it. Death has its greatest advantage when it comes as a stranger, as it may or may not be coming to Sam Rogers. We will know the answer when we return shortly with act three.
[00:31:28] Unknown:
When you feel like having a cold Budweiser, do you automatically reach for a glass? Well, sure. Bud's a great beer any way you drink it. But without a glass, you're really missing something. Now take that wonderful Budweiser head of foam for instance. Those bubbles, tiny though they are, still amount to something pretty special at the top of your glass. Taste appeal, and eye appeal. Two results of exclusive beachwood aging and natural carbonation. It takes a lot longer to brew Budweiser that way, but brewing beer right does make a difference that you can taste.
That's why when you say Budweiser, you've really said it all. Anheuser Busch, St. Louis.
[00:32:23] Unknown:
Hi. Dave Herman here reminding you that my analysis of this Saturday afternoon's Jets Raiders game at 03:35 over WOR is brought to you in part by your local Chevron dealers.
[00:32:33] Unknown:
Can't get to sleep? You're not alone. An estimated twenty million Americans occasionally suffer from some form of sleep disturbance. Just a sleeping aid may not be the answer, but there is a simple get to sleep system that may prove successful. Try Compose. Compose relaxes you, enables you to sleep. Don't take it as you would some sleeping aids right at bedtime. Take it earlier so you can fall asleep more naturally. Take compose before you get ready to go to bed. Let compose help you unwind, quiet you down. At bedtime, you fall asleep more naturally. Does it work? Judge for yourself. Take as directed. Compose is so gentle we think of it as slowly throwing the sleep switch. Unconditional money back guarantee.
Just send unused tablets to the Compose people. Try compose early tonight. Then at bedtime, fall asleep more naturally as compose gently throws the sleep switch. Compose, c o m p o z. Compose.
[00:33:35] Unknown:
Well, good evening, Mystery Theater fans. This is, Gene Shepherd, and we're sitting here having a very friendly roundtable discussion with many of our listeners who gather nightly here at, the 07:10 spot on the dial. And if you'd like to join our little evening gatherings, I'm on every night at, let's see. It's 09:15 now. 09:15. You write that down and make sure that, you bring all the things you need to be prepared for a fantastic evening. I'm on every night from 09:15 until ten. Join our little group some night. We sit around and discuss the world and enjoy life and and, walk around in the weeds and, just be people. 09:15 on WOR.
[00:34:35] Unknown:
It has been said, a man is never less alone than when he is alone. Thoughts crowding on him. His imagination summons up multitudes. And which is harder to bear? The fear of loneliness. Or as in the case of Sam Rogers, the loneliness that comes from fear. Somewhere in a lonely graveyard, a cold wind whistles over the moonlit tombs. From a purgatory of his own making, Sam Rogers is forced by Johnny Promise for the ten thousandth time to recreate the path of his downfall.
[00:35:18] Unknown:
In my hotel room, I kept staring at the clock in my dresser. The hands didn't seem to move at all. They smooth so slowly. And then it was midnight. Midnight at last, right on the nose. Only five more hours to 05:00. That was when you got yours, Johnny. Five AM. And here I was, just five hours short of the deadline you'd set for me. Five hours, five years. My blood went cold. Little bumps on the back of my neck. My throat scratchy and dry. I wasn't about to fall for any more of your tricks, Johnny.
[00:35:52] Unknown:
Smart boy. You sat there on the bed waiting. You weren't gonna head, sir. The knocking kept on louder and louder with more and more force. You sat so still, the muscles in your back and legs began to stiffen and ache. There was a dull pounding at the base of your skull. Finally, you saw a sheet of paper come sliding under the door.
[00:36:15] Unknown:
Four words written in red with what seemed to be lipstick. It's me, Linda. Open. Carefully, quietly, I got off the bed, onto the door, and I whispered, who is it?
[00:36:27] Unknown:
It's me. Open the door. Did you forget? The hamburgers and the coffee?
[00:36:34] Unknown:
Get in quick.
[00:36:40] Unknown:
Are you alright?
[00:36:41] Unknown:
Fine.
[00:36:42] Unknown:
Here's your coffee, light, the way you like it. And no sugar? No sugar. The rare hamburger is yours.
[00:36:49] Unknown:
In less than five hours, Linda, we're gonna leave this town for good. I never wanna see it again. We'll start all over again, fresh. Maybe Alaska or Mexico.
[00:37:00] Unknown:
Whatever you say, Sam.
[00:37:05] Unknown:
We talked of our plans for the future, where we might go, what we'd do. The family would raise, pushing all other thoughts right out of our heads. It was exciting and beautiful. I looked at the clock again. Where is the time gone? It was a quarter to five. I said to Linda, you've gotta leave. Why? When I walk out that door, I wanna do it alone. You understand why? Of course. I understand. I'll meet you in about an hour at your place.
[00:37:32] Unknown:
Good night, Sam.
[00:37:41] Unknown:
The next time I looked at the clock, it was a couple of minutes past five. The time had come at last. I paid my dues, and I showed you up, Johnny Promise. For the first time, your word wasn't worth so much as one bent nickel. I mustn't take any chances, not at this late date. A 10% foolproof. Safe. Give myself every possible break, the benefit of every doubt, no chances. Give myself, what? Half hour cushion? Wait till 05:30 at least, and beat it out of here fast and forever.
[00:38:19] Unknown:
And you hung on.
[00:38:21] Unknown:
Those last few minutes were the longest in your life, weren't they? Finally, that big hand on the clock dropped down to the six. It was 05:30.
[00:38:29] Unknown:
A half hour past the deadline I'd set for you. So you took a deep breath and you screamed. You lost, Johnny. You lost.
[00:38:39] Unknown:
Sammy outsmarted you. So run away in your grave, bit by bit, piece by piece because I'm alive, Johnny. And I'm gonna stay alive.
[00:38:48] Unknown:
But you, my friend, are dead as dead as yesterday.
[00:38:56] Unknown:
05:40. Twenty minutes to six. I turned the keys. First in one lock, then the other. One opened the door. Ran down the hallway, hang for the elevator. When he got to my floor, the door opened. I took one last look behind me and got into the elevator car. But then you thought,
[00:39:17] Unknown:
the elevator man, Can I trust him? Was he dependable? Could he possibly no. No. That's all over and done with. I don't have to be afraid of anybody. Not anymore. You had your bad dream. You were finished with waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. The nightmare was over. The only thing that was real was that you were alive and breathing. What happened when the car reached the lobby floor?
[00:39:44] Unknown:
I rushed past the front desk out into the street. There was a chill penetrating drizzle. It was still dark. The promise of a new day was doing its best to break through in the East. For the first time in I don't know how long, I felt able to slow down. I started walking in the direction of Linda's place. Slow, but sure, firm step. Streets were deserted. It figures,
[00:40:08] Unknown:
a Sunday morning, quarter to six. Wonderful feeling, wasn't it? Like the whole city belonged to you and you alone. That's right. The buildings took on a look of friendliness,
[00:40:19] Unknown:
like I've never seen them before. The traffic lights were changing from red to green, then back from green to red, but there was no traffic. Like a ghost city, abandoned. And my own footsteps echoed behind me as I walked. Was it my imagination? I thought I heard two pair of footsteps following mine.
[00:40:41] Unknown:
But you didn't have the guts to turn around and look back.
[00:40:44] Unknown:
For a minute, you thought maybe they were your own footsteps echoing down those narrow streets.
[00:40:49] Unknown:
I stopped. They stopped. I started to walk. They started. I got to a corner and quickly turned into the other street. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two men. It wasn't wide enough to make out their faces. They weren't saying a word. They just seemed to have their minds on one thing, to keep me in their sight no matter where I went. My heart stopped. There they were, less than 50 feet behind me, following, following. Sickening thought came to me, terrifying. Tell me about it. It's possible, I thought. Anything is possible. Suppose just suppose in some crazy way that I made a mistake.
Suppose my clock had been wrong. I think it's a quarter to six, but I suppose Then all of a sudden you found yourself passing the jewelry shop. You looked up at the big clock that hung over the entrance. I almost passed out with what I saw. I swallowed hard. My mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton wadding. I looked up once more to make sure. And what did you see? The clock said a quarter to five. A quarter to five, not six.
[00:41:58] Unknown:
Something was wrong, wasn't it? The whole thing was like crazy.
[00:42:02] Unknown:
How could it be?
[00:42:03] Unknown:
And those two faceless men were still there following you. There was a bank on the opposite corner.
[00:42:09] Unknown:
I raced across to look at the clock outside the bank. I couldn't believe what I saw. That clock too said a quarter to five. Then I began running. I didn't know where. I didn't care. Those clocks, for some insane reason, were right, and I was wrong. Then I still owed you fifteen minutes, Johnny. You still had fifteen minutes to get me. There's two men following me. It can't be, I told myself. Those clutch are both crazy. It's a quarter to six. It has to be.
[00:42:35] Unknown:
You checked and double checked. And then something like a heavy sledgehammer hits you right between the eyes. Sammy, you stupid ignorant dummy, you said to yourself. How could you be so blind? How could you have missed it? That's what the desk clerk was trying to tell you. It was the last Sunday in September. In those days, daylight savings time ended at 02:00 in the morning. The last Sunday in September. Of course.
[00:43:01] Unknown:
Those clocks had all been turned back for an hour. Only I forgot to turn my clock. It is a quarter to five. Five. It's five, not six. You crazy fool. You thick skull brainless imbecile. You deserve to die.
[00:43:16] Unknown:
Now we're getting to the best part, angry, Sammy. You began to walk. Right? Slow at first, then a little faster. Finally, breaking into a run. Whenever you got to a corner, you turned. When you saw an alley, you ran into it. When there was a fence, you vaulted over it. Then out into the streets again. But no matter what you did, wherever you went, those same two characters stuck to your tail. You couldn't shake them. They stuck right behind me, always the same 50 feet away.
[00:43:47] Unknown:
I kept running until I thought my sides would burst. And then way off in the distance, I heard the deep throated bombs of a church bell striking the hour. I stopped running. I waited. I counted.
[00:44:16] Unknown:
That was it, Sammy boy. You doubled up and fell to the pavement. You never got to the count of six because there wasn't any six. You dropped right there where you were standing. Right? Your body crumpled up like a little rag doll. It was all over just like I promised, except for one thing. One little thing.
[00:44:40] Unknown:
Remember, Sammy? I remember.
[00:44:42] Unknown:
Tell me how it was, Sammy.
[00:44:46] Unknown:
I dropped like you said.
[00:44:49] Unknown:
And then?
[00:44:50] Unknown:
The two men rushed up. One of them felt my pulse, the other my heart.
[00:44:57] Unknown:
And there was no pulse. There was no heartbeat.
[00:45:01] Unknown:
I was dead.
[00:45:04] Unknown:
Go on, Sam.
[00:45:06] Unknown:
One of the men got up from where he'd been kneeling over my body, turned slowly to the other fella, and said, he's dead alright,
[00:45:15] Unknown:
and not a mark on him. That big newspaper delivery truck passed by, backfired, just backfired, and this guy drops dead. Yeah. I guess we better call the police.
[00:45:32] Unknown:
So Johnny kept his word after all, didn't he? And even today, from where he is now, he keeps assuring the rest of his companions. It's like it's my code of honor.
[00:45:45] Unknown:
Once I give my word, I never break it. That's why they still call me Johnny Promise. Right, Sammy? Right, Johnny. Oh, and, Sammy. Yeah. Tomorrow, I want you to tell me the whole story all over again from the very beginning.
[00:46:05] Unknown:
Right? Right.
[00:46:21] Unknown:
I'll be back shortly.
[00:46:23] Unknown:
Excuse me, sir. But do you know what happens this time of year? Right on, pal. I happen to know that right about now, a freak blizzard falls on Dumont, New Jersey, and they're snowed in for the rest of the summer. Happens every year.
[00:46:36] Unknown:
No. No. No. Nope. You see, what happens this time of year is that you can get a particularly good deal on what is perhaps the most luxurious midsize car on the market, the midsize Buick Century Regal. What good's a car when you're hopelessly snowed in?
[00:46:50] Unknown:
Well, that's a point.
[00:46:52] Unknown:
The Jets Raiders game at 03:35 over WOR radio this Saturday afternoon is brought to you in part by Eminem Mars, the fun sized candy people. And I'm Dave Herman for all the commentary throughout the game.
[00:47:14] Unknown:
There's a new spirit in the friendly skies of your land. United Airlines has a bright new look with new colors, a new symbol, and it goes deeper than that. There's a mood you can sense in our people, a spirit you can catch, the spirit of friendship service. Come share the spirit of friendship service. It's catchy.
[00:48:01] Unknown:
United has seven nonstops to California. Call United or your travel agent.
[00:48:16] Unknown:
You may recall that Johnny had promised he was going to give Sammy the best of care, everlasting perpetual care, which is exactly what happened. Before he, passed away, Johnny signed a contract with the cemetery to provide Sammy Rogers grave with perpetual care. Weeds removed, flowers four times a year, neat and beautiful till the end of time. Always a man of his word. Our cast included Joseph Julian, Michael Tolan, June Gable, and Guy Repp. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in part by Anheuser Busch Incorporated, Brewers of Budweiser, and Buick Motor Division.
This is EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant dreams.
[00:50:00] Unknown:
The WOR Mystery Theater was also brought to you by ShopRite Supermarkets, where you get a lot more for a little less, and by Suburban Savings with offices throughout North Jersey. The preceding mystery theater program was furnished by the CBS Radio Network.
[00:50:41] Unknown:
I'm Fulton Lewis in the Mutual Broadcasting System Studios in Washington DC. Now my commentary. President Ford said today that he wants the American people to get the unvarnished truth about inflation, and they are sick and tired of having politics played with their pocketbooks. Perhaps the best indication of Ford's approach to the nation's economic problems came as he offered a spontaneous response at the opening of a White House mini conference on inflation to an answer to an economist's suggestion that the country needs what was termed positive thinking. After Walter Hoadley of the Bank of America called for upbeat thinking to counter a lack of confidence in the future, President Ford volunteered the opinion that Americans cannot indulge in positive thinking unless they first have the truth.
Saying that he wanted the unvarnished truth on the table at the meeting, the President said that he was confident the people would respond positively if they got that truth. At the first of what are planned to be a dozen sessions leading up to a September 2728 major summit conference on inflation, a consensus seemed to emerge among economic experts that a depression is unlikely to develop, but that output is apt to be flat, sluggish or even down a bit over the next eighteen months. A sizable number of conference participants representing business, finance, labor and the academic profession, all of them professional economists, also called for a gradual easing of the Federal Reserve Board's tight money policy that has produced record high interest rates.
Many of them conservatives as well as liberals also recommended that serious consideration be given to a public service employment program in anticipation of an early rise in joblessness. Improved unemployment compensation programs also met with considerable support. At the Capitol, Senate Democrats put President Ford on notice that they are ready to keep Congress in session for the rest of the year to deal with the nation's economic problems. At the same time, their leaders said that it is up to the White House to make a specific move if any action is to be taken this year. President Ford opened the day long meeting in the East Room of the White House today, broadcast live over public television and radio.
He said, Our purpose is to find ways by which we, the American people, can come to grips with our economic difficulties and surmount them, declaring that people understand economics very, very well, and they are sick and tired of having politics played with their pocketbooks. The presidents of these meetings are not going to be empty exercises in economic rhetoric, neither are they going to reveal any quick solutions or miracles. There is no quick fix for what ails our economy. He added, but before this conference ends, I would like to see and to have set before the American people a consistent and considered package of the most promising answers that you are able to find.
Now this.
[00:53:32] Unknown:
This is Rocky Graziano. Lots of times on talk shows, I tell jokes. And sometimes I kid around when I talk about Lee Miles, the transmission champs. But transmission trouble isn't a joke, so I'm not kidding when I say you should see Lee Miles. They've been in business about twenty five years. They repair, rebuild, reseal, or exchange your transmission. Lee Miles has shops all over the greater metropolitan area, and you'll find them in your yellow pages. They're the greatest, and that's no joke.
[00:53:59] Unknown:
Senate Democrats advised president Ford today that they are ready to keep congress in session for the rest of this year, if necessary, to deal with the nation's economic problems. At the same time, the senate Democrats said that it is up to the White House to make any specific moves or suggestions regarding the economic situation if any action is to be taken on Capitol Hill this year. Presidential Press Secretary, Gerald Terhorst, said that the President was delighted with the Senate Democratic Caucus' pledge to support the President and to give the highest priority to economic matters, but ter Horace reiterated the President's hope that the work can be completed without holding a lame duck session in Congress, in other words, a session after the November.
The entire House of Representatives and a third of the Senate is going to be elected in November, but they will not take office until next January. Assistant Democratic leader Robert Byrd said the executive branch is the action arm of the government. Democrat leader Mike Mansfield said action by the Democratic controlled congress alone is an impossibility. He told newsmen, if you wanna get something done, you have to have the cooperation of the White House. It's as simple as that. The Democrats who met behind closed doors for nearly two hours today declined to endorse any specific proposals pending the president's September's, economic summit conference.
They asked their policy committee to consider some specific plans, urged the White House Conference to consider every alternative and made clear that they think the situation is too serious to defer action until next year as suggested by some administration officials. The reference to every alternative would presumably mean the inclusion of wage and price controls, which Mansfield and many Democrats favor, but which president Ford has very specifically ruled out. Senator Mansfield, who previously has talked confidently of winding up the congressional session for the year by mid October, said today, the way the economy is going, I'd say the chances are better than even that Congress will have to come back after the November.
Senator Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat, noted in the statement two days ago by William Seidman at Ford Economic Aid that new proposals this year would be impossible since Congress was planning to adjourn in mid October. Senator Byrd said the country cannot afford to wait until next year. We want to debunk the idea that Congress is getting ready to go home and stay home because of the election. If the practice of four years ago has followed, Congress would take a month off beginning in mid October and then come right back after the elections. Besides the economic situation, the House and Senate may not be able to complete work by mid October on President Ford's nomination of Nelson Rockefeller to the vacant vice presidential post. Mansfield said again today, there is no reason to assume that the Senate rules and administration committee won't have the Rockefeller nomination ready for action by mid October, but he said it will not be rushed through the Congress.
The economic resolution which Mansfield offered to the Democratic caucus declares the Democrats stand ready to remain in session throughout the year if necessary to cooperate with the President in meeting the grave economic problems confronting the nation. Mansfield said that he would discuss the situation with House Democratic leaders next week when the House of Representatives finally ends its Labor Day resets. Officials of 13 states may learn tomorrow whether the Justice Department considers their state lottery systems to be legal. Attorney General William Saxby and other Justice Department officials were scheduled to discuss the legal situation involving the state lotteries with governors and lottery directors that have been summoned to a Justice Department meeting.
President Ford still apparently favors passage of a constitutional amendment to permit states to enact legislation on abortion according to White House spokesman Gerald Horst. He said that the President is not in favor of federal laws governing abortion. The president's wife was asked at a White House news conference yesterday whether she was closer to the views of Senator James Buckley, the New York conservative who opposes legalized abortion or whether she leaned toward the views of Vice President designate Nelson Rockefeller, who favors legalized abortion or at least who favored it when he was Governor of New York. Mrs. Ford replied quite candidly that she leaned definitely toward Rockefeller.
White House Press Secretary Terhorst said today that Mrs. Ford's reply was not a very definitive answer, and he said that the views of the President and his wife are not that far apart. Mrs. Ford's concern, he said, and the President's concern are essentially that there must be a remedy for persons when abortions become necessary because of a serious illness or criminal attack of some kind. From a mutual studios in Washington, Einfold and Lewis, and that's the top of the news as it looks from here.
Introduction to the Mystery
The Mystery Drama Begins
Johnny Promise's Threat
Sam's Paranoia and Isolation
Act Two: The Fear Intensifies
The Countdown to Freedom
The Final Hours
The Twist of Fate
Conclusion and Reflection
