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And now, Roma wines, R-O-M-A. Roma wines present Suspense.
Tonight, Roma wines bring you Mr. Howard De Silva in You Take Ballistics, a suspense play
produced, edited, and directed for Roma wines by William Spear.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines.
That's R-O-M-A, Roma wines.
Those better tasting California wines enjoyed by more Americans than any other wine.
For friendly entertaining, for delightful dining.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant as Roma wines bring you Howard De Silva
as Homicide Lieutenant Ed Harvey in You Take Ballistics, Cornell Woolrich's remarkable
study of the police mind at work, which is tonight's tale of Suspense.
By this time, it was night pretty late.
I walked down toward the apartment on the opposite side of the street like I had a dozen
times before that day.
This time I had to count the doorways.
I knew Cass was on the 10th one down from the corner.
I knew he was there, but I knew I'd never see him.
It was too dark.
Cass was a lot too smart.
Hi, Lieutenant.
He made any move yet?
Not a move.
How about the back way?
No.
Peter's just covering that.
He'd leave us no.
Anyway, you know, he's still up there.
Every little while you can see the shadow against the shade.
There, see?
Huh?
Hey, look.
You got a match?
Oh, sure.
Here.
Hey, Lieutenant, did you get any orders or did we just stick around?
Myself, I think he's settling down for the night.
No.
This isn't getting us any place.
I'm going to make the pinch.
Now, come on up with me.
See what we got.
Oh, boy, it's good to stretch.
My gams were killing me.
Yeah, I know.
I done plenty of stakeouts myself.
Anyway, it was warm the night.
That's a help.
Yeah, that's always a help.
Hey, you know what I think, Lieutenant?
What?
I think that guy's waiting for something.
Or someone.
Like who?
Us.
He's wise, huh?
Smart, pretty smart.
I don't like it.
Hmm.
Yes, sir, gents?
Coleman, Clarence Coleman, take us up.
Yes, sir.
I need a shave.
Huh?
Nah, you don't look bad.
How long has he been living here?
You, how long has Coleman been living here?
Huh?
Oh, Mr. Coleman?
Hmm, two or three years.
Uh, second door to your...
In all the way.
What a dump, huh?
Hey, uh, no, no, no.
Lieutenant, I think I...
No, no, no.
No gun.
He won't give us any trouble.
He's too smart.
Your name, Coleman?
Yeah.
We're from headquarters.
Okay, you want to come in or you just want to talk to me where you are?
We want to talk to you downtown, but first we want to come in.
Come on in.
Nobody's stopping you.
Look around, Cat.
Yeah.
I suppose you guys got a search warrant.
I suppose you got a witness that we don't.
Go ahead and look around.
I'm not going to be a
dumbass.
Sure, I know.
You're smart.
I was doing a crossword puzzle.
You don't mind, do you?
I'll go right ahead.
I want to get that one down before I forget.
Cat, you find it?
No.
Do you own a gun?
Why, sure.
Where is it?
Tell them to look in the bottom drawer of the bureau and they're under my winter underwear.
You hear that, Cat?
Yeah.
I got a license for it, too.
You fired it lately?
Yeah, sure thing.
I got it.
Here she is, little town.
I got you.
Don't rub off any prints.
I told you we were smart.
Maybe too smart.
38, one shell gone.
When'd you fire it last?
Right last night.
Why should I lie to you?
You're going to give me the night faith test as soon as you get me downtown, anyway.
Right last night, huh?
Right into Edmund Lombard's body?
Wrong.
Into the floor.
Here.
You got all the answers, haven't you?
I only know what I know.
Can't do better than that for my own brother.
If you fired it into the floor, where's the crease?
See that little scatter rug?
Yeah.
Just kick it aside.
All right.
See it?
Mm.
I can do better than a crease.
If you dig in with your penknife, you can probably get the slug.
Ah, well, let's have a look.
Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing that for, Cat?
This guy's just making a chump out of you.
Maybe, but we better have the slug just the same, Lieutenant.
All right.
You, take your hands out of your pockets and get your favorite hat
and start moving toward the door.
You're coming with us.
There we are.
Okay, by me.
You get it?
Yeah.
It's a 38, all right.
Am I under arrest?
Well, have you got to have a name for it?
No, not yet.
You're just a guest of the department for the rest of the night.
Get the works, I suppose.
Cass, take him down the stairs, will you?
I want to talk to this kid on the elevator for a minute.
All right.
You want any more of that gum?
Yeah, here, sure, Lieutenant.
There you are.
Come on, you.
All right, all right.
Come on, everybody.
Go.
Yes, sir?
Got a match?
Oh, sir, I have.
A gun go up anywhere in this building last night?
Sir, his did.
Who's Coleman?
Yeah.
The people downstairs telephoned me, so I had to go up there.
I went to the floor by mistake.
He was plenty scared.
Hey, uh, he in trouble?
Nothing serious, just a little thing called murder.
For suspense, Roma wines are bringing you Howard De Silva in You Take Ballistics.
Roma wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Between the acts of suspense, this is Truman Bradley for Roma wines.
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Remember, R-O-M-A, Roma, the greatest name in wine.
And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Howard De Silva as Homicide Lieutenant Ed Harvey in You Take Ballistics.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
I've been on the force for quite a while, and I've made my shares of arrests big and small.
Little punks and chisllers and big time racket men and crazy wild eyed killers.
I never made a pinch that looked better and that I liked less than this Coleman.
We had everything, we had to make the pinch.
And I knew it was going to turn sour the minute I walked into that apartment.
And a sour murder wrapped as something, well I personally don't care for.
We didn't take him downtown, we took him over to a little precinct house up on the west side.
And we didn't book him, we just tossed him in the back room and let him wait.
Leffinger and my boss got there about ten minutes later.
Did you bring him in?
Yes sir, he's in the back. Here's his gun.
He claims it went off into the floor last night by mistake.
Oh, beat us to the paraffin test, huh?
Well, he could have framed it that way after he killed Lombard.
Yeah, he could have.
Here's the slug captain.
Hmm, 38.
Turn this stuff over to Ballistics.
Hey Cass, give me a light will you?
Sure.
Okay.
Yeah.
Any report on the one they dug out of Lombard?
Probably on its way now.
Who are these two guys?
The night elevator man that took them up to Lombard's apartment.
And the night counter man at a lunch room about half a block away.
They recognize him?
Positive.
Well, let's go to work.
Sergeant.
Yes sir?
We want to spring these witnesses on them.
One buzzed in the elevator man, two buzzed in the other guy.
Okay, Captain.
You think he'll sweat?
You?
No.
Hi Coleman.
Sit over there.
Sure.
Put the light on him, O'Farrell.
Yeah, sure.
All right, Coleman.
Suppose you tell us what you did last night.
Beginning when?
Beginning when you left your apartment.
Well, I went out about nine o'clock.
Walked over to 23rd and 7th.
There's a cigar store there.
I made a phone call.
Who to?
Edmund Lombard.
Oh, so you did contact Lombard?
Sure, did I say different?
Go ahead.
You know Lombard's racket?
You tell us.
Collected bets on the nags.
Only the long shots he wouldn't turn in.
They never came in anyway, so who knows the difference.
Only this one time I get a tip on one that comes in.
A 20 to one.
Lombard can't cover.
He lambs.
I just catch up with him last night.
On the phone I tell him I want my dough.
I tell him to meet me in an hour.
Did he meet you?
I didn't give him a chance.
I went up to his place.
You went up to his place?
Sure.
Percentage for me to lie.
I know you got me placed up there.
So you went up to his place?
Yeah.
He was already packing.
Getting ready to lamb again.
He kind of laughed and said,
You can't blame a guy for trying.
I said I want my two grand.
Okay, he said.
You win.
He asked me for a receipt so I can't come at him again.
Fair enough.
I write one out for him on the hotel station.
We'll wind it up.
Let's see how good you can make it.
That's all.
So he begins unpacking.
Figures he might just as well stay where he is now.
And I leave.
So that's how it was.
Sure you didn't leave out anything?
No.
Why did you leave out about killing him?
Because it belongs out.
Because I didn't.
You didn't have a gun on you when you went up there.
Oh yeah.
Sure I did.
Why did you take a gun if you didn't plan to shoot him?
So he wouldn't pull one on me.
You think a guy like Eddie Lombard is going to cough up two grand just like that?
Don't lie to us.
When we bring in here we want the truth.
You shot him first and collected your dough afterwards.
No.
You brought your receipt to a dead man.
No.
That's how it happened isn't it?
No.
Answer me isn't it?
No.
Cass.
Yeah Captain.
Never mind those witnesses.
He spiked them for us.
Come on in here and give us a hand.
Sure.
Okay bring him out of here.
Alright come on.
Come on.
Come on will you get up there.
Why don't we give you something to pass out above.
Now why did you tell him?
You listening?
Why did you tell the night man that Lombard was staying and not to bother about his luggage?
Because I was afraid he'd go up there and Lombard might think it was me again and take
a shot at him.
Because he was dead in there and you wanted to get clear of the building before he was
found.
If I did I didn't go very far.
I stayed in the coffee shop down the block 15 or 20 minutes after.
Look what did you do with the money you took off him after you killed him?
The dough he gave me.
I put it in the bank first thing this morning.
Take over Cass.
Alright.
Come on Harvey.
No no wait till I wash my hands.
You know I need a shave.
Alright.
Come on.
See you later Cass.
Yeah yeah well now I'm good.
Alright Coleman come on now why don't we give you.
You know if I'd hang around there much longer I'd level of hurt him.
You see what I mean?
Yeah.
How come nobody heard this shot?
People next door were out and down below they were asleep.
You know I don't like it.
You notice how he beats us to the punch every time.
We got witnesses for everything except the killer.
Which all adds up to we got nothing but circumstantial.
Wouldn't stand up in court five minutes.
Maybe ballistics will tie it up for us.
Yeah maybe.
What's the matter?
Don't you believe in ballistics?
Sure but you heard the guy he's got every other angle covered.
Not going to slip up on anything as obvious as ballistics.
Don't you think he's guilty?
I think he's guilty.
I went back up to Coleman's apartment.
I hate this part of any job there's always the off chance that it may turn up something so it has to be done.
But nine times out of ten it doesn't get you the thing.
Didn't this time either.
There was a lot of junk in the living room.
Items, of course, we're positively working on.
A pencil, stuff.
The butt of the cigarette he'd been smoking and the package that came out.
The bathroom.
Items, usually sorted stuff in the medicine cabinet.
Fifteen rusty razor blades under the bathtub.
Kitchen items.
Three empty beer bottles and some very lively cockroaches of sorted sizes.
A bedroom.
Items.
A bureau full of linen and three suits in the closet.
One of them was the grain number he'd been wearing the night he called on Lombard.
There was nothing in the pockets but a Canadian dime, a faded snapshot of a faded blonde and a book of cigarette paper.
I put the stuff from his pockets in a regulation brown envelope for no very good reason.
Went back to the precinct.
I found Joe was still there biting his nails.
Did you get anything?
If I did I don't know it.
How's he doing?
How's he doing? How are we doing?
Lousy.
Yeah, so far.
You're still sure of him, huh?
I was never sure of a pinch in my life.
Hmm.
Listen, I'm going to let it go through on circumstantial.
Ballistics will be sure to match his gun to the slug that killed Lombard and that's enough to do it without anything else.
I don't know.
Say what are you drunk?
Yeah?
Yeah, this is Leffinger.
Well, it's about time.
Well, you know where to reach me.
I told you I was going to bring him out here.
Yeah.
What?
Yeah.
Okay.
Ballistics.
Coleman's gun was a.38.
I know that.
Oh, you know that.
Well, then maybe you know that the slug they took out of Lombard is a.32.
So now what do you know?
That does it.
Yeah, it does it, Orrin.
No, I don't mean that.
I mean he's our meat.
He's the guy.
You can't tell me different.
I'm not telling you different, but ballistics is.
And ballistics don't lie.
You setting yourself up above ballistics?
You take ballistics, I'll take human nature.
That don't lie either.
If you mean he did it with a.32 and then ditched it, you're wrong because we checked all the...
I know.
I know he didn't.
Otherwise he wouldn't have shot that slug into the floor.
But the slug in the floor was a.38.
Listen, Cap, I've called on Alderman, yeah, and state representatives.
And even they get a little scared when you say headquarters.
But not this guy.
He was waiting for us.
He was calm.
He was doing crossword puzzles.
He was too calm.
No, he's too smart.
He's got everything covered.
He's been ahead of us all the way.
He's our guy, I tell you.
He's our guy.
Well, go on out and prove it then.
All right.
Don't take it out on me, Cap.
I feel as bad about it as you do.
Yeah, well, you're the guy with all the big ideas.
Go out and do something about it.
All right.
How long are you giving me?
Tomorrow morning.
You can't hold them forever without booking them, you know.
Tomorrow morning?
What am I going to do it this time?
Look, make it noon, huh?
Give me a chance anyhow.
All right.
Noon.
And I'm stretching it for you.
Yeah, thanks, Cap.
Listen, wait a minute.
You're not holding out on me, are you?
I wish I was.
I don't know a thing more than you do, Cap.
I just know it's got to be our way, that's all.
Yeah, it's got to be.
Hey, I think I'll take another look at it before I go.
Oh, now listen, Colin, we know you did it.
Why don't you make it easy for yourself?
Make it easy for you coppers, you mean?
I know you guys anything for a pinch.
What do you care if you got the wrong guy?
All right.
Okay, okay, pass.
You can lay off.
You got something?
Yeah, the slug that killed Lombard was a.32.
His gun is a.38.
Huh?
Uh-uh.
All right, throw him in a cell.
We'll probably have to turn him loose in the morning.
Morning?
What's the matter with tonight?
What's the matter?
Don't you like it in here?
All right.
But you'll have a sweet case of false arrest on your hands by morning.
Remember that copper when you're back pounding a beat.
Oh, I won't forget.
You're smart.
Got a match?
Go on, have a cigarette.
I got my own.
Go ahead, have one.
I wouldn't take a smoke from a copper if it was the last one before I die.
You may have a chance to prove that someday.
Yeah?
Yeah, when you go to the electric chair.
Well, that sounded good, but I wasn't too sure.
You know, they say every criminal makes at least one mistake.
Well, I wasn't too sure of that either.
All I was sure of was that he'd done it, so there had to be some way to prove it.
At first I went back to his apartment.
I went over the joint with a fine-tooth comb.
Nothing.
And I thought of that suit in the closet.
I got it out, I went over it inch by inch, turned the pockets inside out.
Right there was where I found something that gave me an idea,
or rather it was what I didn't find that I should have.
I went out to Coleman's kitchen, I made a pot of black coffee,
and I sat down to think.
And the more I thought, the better I liked it.
It might not mean a thing, it might not even be possible, but it was all I had, so.
So the next stop was headquarters in the pistol range in the basement.
By the time I got through it was daylight.
At a quarter to seven I was waiting outside that cigar store at 23rd and 7th
where Coleman had made his phone call to lombard.
It was run by a little guy named Truehawk.
We questioned him before, but this was different.
The story wasn't open yet to it.
Finally after what seemed at least an hour and a half, I saw him.
I saw Truehawk come puffing down the street.
Well, well, Lieutenant, you're the real early bird, huh?
You're late.
Late he says.
What time you want at the cigar store should open in the middle of the night.
Come on, come on, let's go inside. I want to ask you a couple of things.
Ah, more questions.
Didn't you ask me already everything but my grandmother's middle name.
Yeah, I forgot that. That's why I came back.
All right, all right. So now what?
About this Coleman. When he was in Hillel.
Sure, sure, he telephoned from the booth back there.
How can I hear what he says one way up here?
I don't care about that now.
He used to buy smokes from you though, you said.
That's right, every day almost.
Any particular brand?
Sure, always the same for two years. These, these here.
Always machine-made cigarettes?
Always, why not?
What did he buy from you the night he was in here phoning?
The same, why not?
You're sure he...
He didn't buy these?
Wait.
Yes, if I didn't see them in your hand, I would never remember.
Cigarette papers. For change, he said, to cut down expenses, he said.
Sure, the first time he ever bought them.
Did he buy any loose tobacco to go with them?
Let me see.
Why, I don't think. He didn't ask me, so I figured he's got some already.
Okay. Okay.
You can give me some now.
Oh, sure thing.
Hey, give me some matches, will you?
Sure, sure, help yourself.
Say, what is it all of a sudden that you look down?
You look like you just swallowed the cat that ate the canary.
You're all right, Pop. And I'm going to fix you up.
Yeah?
Yep.
To be a witness of a nice big murder trial. Pre.
I went back to the precinct, but Leffinger had moved them to another one, over on the east side, on account of the 24-hour detention law.
That took more time to locate them, but that was one thing I had plenty of.
I was either in with what I had, or I was out.
Suddenly I felt tired. I felt tired as an old dog.
I tried breakfast, but that didn't help much, so I went on over to the east side.
Leffinger was right on deck, cranky as ever, but I could see he was worried.
We had this guy pretty nearly 48 hours, and the cops don't like to break the law any more than the next guy.
Well, where have you been all night, bright eyes? You look like you slept on a park bench.
I didn't sleep anyplace. I've been using my brains.
Why did you leave Ward? You were going to move him.
What's the difference? His next move is out.
His next move is a raiment, after what I'm going to show you.
Great. Great. I'm just in the mood for lantern slides.
Let's have him in, huh?
Yeah, bring him in, Johnson.
Okay, Captain.
Now, look, first I want you to watch how he rolls a cigarette.
What'll he be doing now, playing parlor games?
Just watch him, that's all. And remember, I found these cigarette papers in the pocket of his suit.
The suit he wore the night he went to see Lombard.
Oh, I suppose he gassed him to death with cheap tobacco.
There he is, Captain.
Oh, the Rover boys.
You guys woke me up just to move me to another hideout. Why don't you get wise to yourselves?
You know you're going to have to book me or turn me loose sooner or later.
All right, all right. Forget it. We're turning you loose.
All we want to do is to sign a waiver. Nothing happened to you in here.
Nuts, I sign nothing.
Hey, take it easy, will you? We got the guy that did it.
Yeah?
Yeah. Got nothing to worry about. We just don't want any suits for false arrest, that's all.
Yeah, well, you took the words right out of my mouth, copper, because my first stop after here is a lawyer.
Ah, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let's talk this over.
Smoke?
Ah, not one of them things.
Well, you smoke these, don't you?
Yeah, sure.
Here's some tobacco. Go ahead, roll one.
Thanks.
That's not the way.
I'm a little out of practice.
A little out of practice, he says.
Don't look to me like you've ever rolled one before in his life. Is it to you, Cap?
All right, so send me to the chair for that.
Just the same, he bought these cigarette papers the night he went to see Lombard at the cigar store where he bought all his smokes.
First time in two years he ever bought any. I know the backer to go with him.
And not a shred of loose tobacco to leave his pockets.
Now, why do you suppose he bought those cigarette papers that night, huh?
You're telling me. I'm listening.
Are you listening, Coleman?
You're talking in your sleep.
I'll tell you why he bought them.
Better than that, I'll show you why. Let me have your gun in a minute, will you, Cap?
Yeah, sure.
That's a.38, right?
Yeah.
Same caliber as Coleman's gun?
Right.
All right. Now, here's a.32 caliber bullet. The same caliber as the slug that killed Lombard. Do you want to see it?
I know a.32 when I see it.
All right. Now, we take the.38 bullets out of your gun.
Now, we take this.32 bullet and about the... about three of these cigarette papers.
We double them over, we wrap them around the bullet.
See? See how snug a.32 fits in your.38 gun now?
Now, I'll be a m...
Now, watch. Now, watch how a.38 gun will fire a.32 bullet. I'll put it in the baseboard over there.
That's ballistics, Cap. How do you like it?
Ballistics. Ballistics.
You take ballistics. I'll take human nature every time.
Three months later, Coleman went to the chair. Whether he took a cigarette from a copper or not before he died, I don't know. And I don't care.
Suspense.
Presented by Roma Wines. R-O-M-A. Roma. America's favorite wines.
This is Truman Bradley bringing back to our microphone the star of tonight's suspense play, Howard De Silva.
My compliments, Howard, on a grand performance.
Say, tell me, how did you like being on the side of law and order for a change? On the screen, I've seen you as a pretty tough character.
Truman, I much prefer to be law-abiding. Makes me more popular with my friends.
Well, here's something, Howard, that will make you even more popular with your guests. A gift basket of Roma wines from Roma, your host of the evening.
My thanks to Roma, Truman. This is my idea of real hospitality.
That's what your friends will say, Howard, when you treat them to the golden, amber, fragrant Roma California sherry in your gift basket.
For Roma sherry, with its tempting nut-like taste, is the perfect first call for dinner and served with nuts, fruit, cake, or any tasty snack.
Roma sherry is a truly delightful wine for entertaining any time.
Right, Truman. Roma sherry is certainly a versatile wine.
Versatile is the word for Roma sherry, Howard. And extra good, too.
For Roma sherry, like all Roma wines, gives you an important difference, an extra goodness in fuller bouquet, richer body, and better taste.
And the best proof I can give you that Roma wines taste better is the fact that more Americans enjoy Roma than any other wine.
Well, that's proof enough for me, Truman. And now who's on suspense next week?
Well, Howard, it's Claude Rains.
My favorite actor.
Yes, Claude Rains, and a very unusual suspense story. Mr. Rains will be entirely alone, no other member of the cast. A real solo performance.
The story will be a famous English study in terror, The Wax Work, and you'll want to hear what it feels like to spend the night in a museum haunted by the spirits of famous murderers of the past.
That I've got to listen to. Thank you and good night.
Howard De Silva appeared to the courtesy of Paramount Pictures and is currently being seen in their production, Blaze of Noon.
Tonight's suspense play was written by Robert Richards from the story by Cornell Woolrich.
Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Mr. Claude Rains as star of Suspense.
Produced and directed by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California.
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