WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:07.000 Suspense! 00:07.000 --> 00:28.000 Tonight, Auto Light and its 96,000 dealers present Mr. Gray. 00:28.000 --> 00:36.000 In Nightmare, a suspense play produced and edited by William Spear. 00:36.000 --> 00:41.000 Friends, Auto Light welcomes you to Suspense. 00:41.000 --> 00:53.000 And this is Harlow Wilcox urging you to do yourself and your car the great big bountiful favor of replacing old worn out narrow gap spark plugs with a set of new wide gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. 00:53.000 --> 00:58.000 That's the biggest news I know. 00:58.000 --> 01:06.000 But I've also been told to tell you that Suspense is going to receive a great big important national honor tonight during our usual between the acts intermission. 01:06.000 --> 01:13.000 And say when it comes to honors, you'll want to award your car a set of wide gap Auto Light resistor spark plugs. 01:13.000 --> 01:19.000 Your engine will idle smoother, give better performance on leaner gas mixtures, actually save gas. 01:19.000 --> 01:29.000 And if you want the real low down on how Auto Light resistor spark plugs reduce television interference, see a copy of this week's Saturday Evening Post and turn to pages eight and nine. 01:29.000 --> 01:35.000 See your Auto Light spark plug dealer today. And remember, you're always right with Auto Light. 01:35.000 --> 01:47.000 Oh, and remember too, Suspense on television returns to many stations throughout the nation Tuesday night, September 6th. 01:47.000 --> 02:08.000 And now with Nightmare and with the performance of Gregory Peck, Auto Light hopes once again to keep you in Suspense. 02:08.000 --> 02:17.000 They say every nightmare has a prelude, something that inspires it, something that happened or almost happened that your inmost mind seizes upon. 02:17.000 --> 02:25.000 It lives there in the back of your head and it multiplies itself and fattens on tiny fears until it's grown into a monstrous bloated horror. 02:25.000 --> 02:34.000 And then when it's full sized with dread, it springs out at us from evil blackness at night when you're defenseless in sleep. 02:34.000 --> 02:42.000 The prelude to my nightmare occurred at six o'clock that evening, the third of July. 02:42.000 --> 02:48.000 Since Elsa's illness, I've been walking home from the station evenings instead of having her meet me. 02:48.000 --> 02:54.000 It's a pleasant six or seven blocks along Hartsdale Road and then up the hill to Ridgecrest. 02:54.000 --> 02:57.000 Just at the corner there, the kids play baseball. 02:57.000 --> 03:04.000 The signs say slow, children and everything, but it's a nasty spot and coming down the hill, a guy might... 03:04.000 --> 03:07.000 Look out! Look out! 03:07.000 --> 03:10.000 Hey, you, what's the matter with you? Don't you know that... 03:10.000 --> 03:13.000 I didn't see them, brother. They got no right to play with me. 03:13.000 --> 03:14.000 Have you been drinking? 03:14.000 --> 03:15.000 Oh, me? 03:15.000 --> 03:19.000 No, because if you had, I'd pull you out of that car so fast and take you over to the police. 03:19.000 --> 03:32.000 All right, brother, calm down. Nobody's hurt. Nobody's hurt. Just a little scare. 03:32.000 --> 03:37.000 I was still trembling when I got home. I had ached and I couldn't eat dinner. 03:37.000 --> 03:42.000 It wasn't something I could tell Elsa about. She wasn't ready yet to hear things like that. 03:42.000 --> 03:46.000 So I just sat there at the table looking across at Stevie, 03:46.000 --> 03:51.000 half hearing his prattle about the new fishing rod and how many fish he'd catch on our outing tomorrow 03:51.000 --> 03:57.000 and some little story he'd learned in school about Thomas Jefferson and the first Fourth of July. 03:57.000 --> 04:09.000 And then pretty early I took a pill and went to bed. 04:09.000 --> 04:14.000 It was the next afternoon. We were driving along, my wife, my boy and myself. 04:14.000 --> 04:19.000 You know that winding road that leads up from Kingston to Falls Town and the trout country? 04:19.000 --> 04:24.000 A lot of hairpin turns and a few bad shoulders, but beautiful, beautiful scenery. 04:24.000 --> 04:27.000 And that's what we all needed after her nervous breakdown. 04:27.000 --> 04:32.000 A little slow around the turns, Ben. Why do you drive so fast? 04:32.000 --> 04:35.000 You're never driving too fast as long as you feel the car's under control. 04:35.000 --> 04:39.000 Better it wasn't under control a minute ago. What a curve. 04:39.000 --> 04:45.000 Ben, the gas tank's almost empty. Why didn't you listen to me and fill up at the last station? 04:45.000 --> 04:48.000 There's always a reserve after the empty mark. 04:48.000 --> 04:49.000 Bet we run out of gas. 04:49.000 --> 04:54.000 Well, it seems to me, youngster, that when I tell you that... 04:54.000 --> 04:57.000 What's wrong? Why are we stopping? 04:57.000 --> 05:01.000 Oh, that's what I'd like to know. 05:01.000 --> 05:04.000 You know, Dad, you know. 05:04.000 --> 05:07.000 Yeah, yeah, I know. Out of gas. 05:07.000 --> 05:11.000 Oh, Ben. Will you ever learn? 05:11.000 --> 05:15.000 Well, everybody runs out of gas once in a while. 05:15.000 --> 05:18.000 Okay, well, it's a nice day for me to take a hike. 05:18.000 --> 05:22.000 But, Ben, is it all right to be parked like this? On the curb, so close to the road? 05:22.000 --> 05:26.000 Well, why not? Where's the traffic? Only adventurers like us know about this road. 05:26.000 --> 05:28.000 Well, good-bye, folks. 05:28.000 --> 05:30.000 Oh, good-bye, Mr. Know-it-all. 05:30.000 --> 05:31.000 I'll go with you, Dad. 05:31.000 --> 05:36.000 Oh, you'll stay here. Rule of the woods. Always leave one man behind to protect the women. 05:36.000 --> 05:39.000 Can I take out my rock? Can I practice how to cast? 05:39.000 --> 05:42.000 Sure. And you, lady. You wipe off that smile. 05:42.000 --> 05:45.000 With my feet, this is a first-class tragedy. 05:53.000 --> 05:56.000 Well, it's a smart thing you did coming back this way. 05:56.000 --> 05:59.000 Nothing up ahead for five miles but the royal coachman. 05:59.000 --> 06:00.000 What do you mean? 06:00.000 --> 06:01.000 It's the name of a trout fly. 06:01.000 --> 06:02.000 Well, I know that. 06:02.000 --> 06:08.000 It's the name of a roadhouse. Fancy name for a saloon. Hang out for fishermen. 06:08.000 --> 06:09.000 They say... 06:09.000 --> 06:11.000 Oh? Oh, what do you say? 06:11.000 --> 06:15.000 Go, go there crooked-as-looking bunch you ever seen. Crooks from the big town. 06:15.000 --> 06:19.000 You go to my nephew, Sammy's place in town. Sammy Crawford. 06:19.000 --> 06:23.000 Clean sheets, good beds, home cooking. Good undertaker, too. 06:23.000 --> 06:25.000 Called yourself a mortician. 06:25.000 --> 06:27.000 What do they need him for, the fish? 06:27.000 --> 06:29.000 Alive or dead, he puts you to bed. 06:29.000 --> 06:31.000 Well, want anything else? How's your oil? 06:31.000 --> 06:33.000 Oh, just the gas, thanks. Are we all straight? 06:33.000 --> 06:36.000 Yep. Oh, oh, oh, one dollar deposit on the can. 06:36.000 --> 06:39.000 Give it to my nephew Sammy and let him take the dollar off your bill. 06:39.000 --> 06:42.000 Oh, well, we may not see Sammy. We'd like to pitch camp tonight. 06:42.000 --> 06:43.000 Got a place? 06:43.000 --> 06:44.000 No. 06:44.000 --> 06:46.000 Oh, that's bad. Gets dark, mind you. Quick up this way. 06:46.000 --> 06:50.000 You sleep at Sammy's, mister. Better make a reservation. Trout season. 06:50.000 --> 06:52.000 Well, maybe you're right. You got a telephone in there? 06:52.000 --> 06:55.000 Sure have. 15 cents. 06:55.000 --> 06:57.000 Oh, this is gonna be expensive fishing. 06:57.000 --> 06:59.000 Oh, what's nephew Sammy's number? 06:59.000 --> 07:02.000 It's right here on the wall over the phone. 07:02.000 --> 07:05.000 Oh, say, look at that fellow coming down the pipe there. 07:05.000 --> 07:08.000 80 miles. Bound for the roadhouse. Can't wait. 07:08.000 --> 07:10.000 Say, there are two dozen numbers over this phone. 07:10.000 --> 07:13.000 Pick the biggest one, the one in red. 07:13.000 --> 07:17.000 Oh, look at him go, would you? 07:17.000 --> 07:20.000 Go on, you crazy fool. 07:20.000 --> 07:24.000 You're gonna save five minutes if you have to kill five people to do it. 07:24.000 --> 07:27.000 Will you try to straighten out some of them bins up ahead? 07:27.000 --> 07:30.000 Hey, you crazy fool. 07:36.000 --> 07:39.000 The pine trees were casting their last, longest shadows across the road 07:39.000 --> 07:42.000 as I hiked back to the car. 07:42.000 --> 07:45.000 We weren't gonna get too much fishing done on the Fourth of July. 07:45.000 --> 07:48.000 But we had to find some for Steve. 07:48.000 --> 07:51.000 What a kid. Teasing his old man all the time. 07:51.000 --> 07:55.000 When I came around that hairpin turn, there was the car a few yards away. 07:55.000 --> 07:58.000 But no family. 07:58.000 --> 08:01.000 Uh, Elsa? 08:01.000 --> 08:04.000 Hey, Stevie! 08:05.000 --> 08:08.000 No family. 08:08.000 --> 08:11.000 Oh, Stevie was asleep and she didn't want to call out. 08:11.000 --> 08:14.000 That's right, the kid was tired. A lot of excitement for one day. 08:14.000 --> 08:17.000 I stepped on something. 08:17.000 --> 08:20.000 Stevie's trout rod. 08:20.000 --> 08:24.000 Lying in the middle of the road, these kids have no sense of responsibility. 08:24.000 --> 08:29.000 A split bamboo rod with silk winding and a balance that was so perfect. 08:29.000 --> 08:32.000 Well, I stepped up to the car... 08:34.000 --> 08:38.000 Elsa sat in the back seat looking at me. 08:38.000 --> 08:41.000 And in her lap she held my boy. 08:43.000 --> 08:46.000 Dead. 08:46.000 --> 08:49.000 Elsa couldn't speak. She... 08:49.000 --> 08:52.000 couldn't speak. 08:52.000 --> 08:55.000 She couldn't speak. 09:01.000 --> 09:05.000 I forced some brandy between her teeth and made her swallow it. 09:05.000 --> 09:09.000 Her hands were like ice. I wanted to rub them, but I... 09:09.000 --> 09:11.000 couldn't pry them loose from the boy. 09:11.000 --> 09:13.000 No! No! 09:13.000 --> 09:15.000 You see him. 09:15.000 --> 09:18.000 No! You want to make sure. 09:18.000 --> 09:21.000 I know! You want to make sure! 09:21.000 --> 09:23.000 Get away! Get away! 09:23.000 --> 09:26.000 Elsa, how did it happen? 09:26.000 --> 09:28.000 His trout rod. 09:28.000 --> 09:31.000 Always his trout rod. 09:31.000 --> 09:34.000 He was standing at the edge there casting. 09:34.000 --> 09:37.000 He wasn't on the road. He wasn't. 09:37.000 --> 09:40.000 And then there was a noise. A car coming up fast. 09:40.000 --> 09:42.000 You could tell. 09:42.000 --> 09:45.000 And before he could move it came around the bend and it swerved. 09:45.000 --> 09:48.000 Elsa, what? 09:48.000 --> 09:50.000 There was so much dust. 09:50.000 --> 09:53.000 So much dust and pebbles everywhere. 09:53.000 --> 09:56.000 Such a thick cloud of dust. 09:56.000 --> 09:59.000 And stevie flying out of it. 09:59.000 --> 10:02.000 Like a ball or a bird. 10:02.000 --> 10:05.000 Flying out of it. 10:05.000 --> 10:08.000 Elsa, take some more brandy. It'll do you good. 10:08.000 --> 10:11.000 No! No! I don't want any! Get away! 10:11.000 --> 10:14.000 Elsa, you've got to take some more brandy. 10:14.000 --> 10:16.000 Elsa! 10:16.000 --> 10:18.000 That's how he looked. 10:18.000 --> 10:20.000 Standing in the road with a bottle in his hand. 10:20.000 --> 10:21.000 Who was standing in the road? 10:21.000 --> 10:23.000 The man. The man who killed us. 10:23.000 --> 10:24.000 He came back? 10:24.000 --> 10:27.000 He got out of his car and he came over to where I lay in the road with stevie. 10:27.000 --> 10:31.000 He had a bottle and he took a drink and he offered me a drink and he said he was sorry. 10:31.000 --> 10:34.000 And then he drove away. 10:34.000 --> 10:37.000 He said he was sorry! 10:37.000 --> 10:39.000 Sorry! 10:39.000 --> 10:44.000 Elsa. Elsa, darling. Elsa, don't. Don't Elsa. 10:44.000 --> 10:47.000 Poor little stevie. 10:47.000 --> 10:51.000 Poor sweet little stevie. 10:51.000 --> 10:55.000 Poor, poor stevie. 10:55.000 --> 10:57.000 My poor stevie. 10:57.000 --> 10:59.000 And then it began to grow in me. 10:59.000 --> 11:01.000 And then the hate began to grow. 11:01.000 --> 11:07.000 She couldn't remember his car or the clothes he wore and I couldn't make her describe his face. 11:07.000 --> 11:10.000 But I knew that somehow I'd find him. 11:10.000 --> 11:13.000 Couldn't be very far off, not in this part of the country. 11:13.000 --> 11:15.000 I'd find him. 11:15.000 --> 11:18.000 If I did, I'd kill him. 11:30.000 --> 11:34.000 Auto Light is bringing you Mr. Gregory Peck in Nightmare. 11:34.000 --> 11:48.000 Tonight's production in Radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense. 11:48.000 --> 11:51.000 Friends, this does my Auto Light heart good. 11:51.000 --> 11:57.000 It's my privilege to introduce Mr. Fred Dearborn, President of the National Safety Council, 11:57.000 --> 12:00.000 who will present to Mr. Royce G. Martin, President of Auto Light, 12:00.000 --> 12:07.000 the National Safety Council's annual award for, but you can't guess, an Auto Light Suspense Program. 12:07.000 --> 12:13.000 Yes, Suspense not only won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Distinguished Public Service to Highway Safety, 12:13.000 --> 12:18.000 but another great honor for this same program will now be presented. 12:18.000 --> 12:20.000 Friends, Mr. Dearborn. 12:20.000 --> 12:22.000 Thank you, Harlow Wilcox. 12:22.000 --> 12:26.000 The National Safety Council wishes to thank you, Mr. Martin, 12:26.000 --> 12:31.000 and the Electric Auto Light Company for bringing to your tremendous radio audience 12:31.000 --> 12:39.000 the year's outstanding Highway Safety Program, James Cagney and the Suspense Show titled No Escape. 12:39.000 --> 12:45.000 It was a wonderful story presented to perfection by Mr. Cagney and his supporting cast. 12:45.000 --> 12:49.000 The judges unanimously selected it as the winner. 12:49.000 --> 12:56.000 So now, Mr. Martin, I have the pleasure of presenting to you this certificate of award. 12:56.000 --> 13:00.000 Thank you, Mr. Dearborn. 13:00.000 --> 13:05.000 In promoting highway safety, and you can rest assured, 13:05.000 --> 13:15.000 it is a great pleasure to have Suspense win this outstanding recommendation from the National Security Council. 13:15.000 --> 13:19.000 I speak for one and all of Auto Light employees. 13:19.000 --> 13:25.000 I trust that tonight's show will make an equal contribution, 13:25.000 --> 13:32.000 especially at this time with a heavy travel over the Labor Day weekend. 13:32.000 --> 13:35.000 Thank you again, Mr. Dearborn. 13:35.000 --> 13:46.000 And now, Auto Light brings back to our Hollywood soundstage, Gregory Peck in Nightmare, 13:46.000 --> 13:51.000 a tale well calculated to keep you in Suspense. 13:58.000 --> 14:01.000 I plunged the car back into darkness toward the road house. 14:01.000 --> 14:04.000 The killer, the dirty, dirty killer. 14:04.000 --> 14:11.000 There was so much dust, dust and pebbles and Stevie flying on it, like a bird. 14:11.000 --> 14:12.000 Yes. 14:12.000 --> 14:13.000 Like a bird. 14:13.000 --> 14:14.000 Yes, Alza. 14:14.000 --> 14:16.000 He got out of his car and he offered me a drink. 14:16.000 --> 14:18.000 He stood there and he said, you better take a drink. 14:18.000 --> 14:20.000 Now there's the Royal Coachman, that road house. 14:20.000 --> 14:21.000 And he said he was sorry. 14:21.000 --> 14:23.000 Well, stop here and use the phone. 14:23.000 --> 14:25.000 There's a Sam Crawford in Falstown. 14:25.000 --> 14:28.000 He runs some tourist house and a funeral chapel. 14:28.000 --> 14:30.000 I'll call him from here. 14:30.000 --> 14:34.000 Yes. 14:34.000 --> 14:36.000 See all the lights. 14:36.000 --> 14:37.000 Why are all the lights on? 14:37.000 --> 14:39.000 It's a road house, Alza. 14:39.000 --> 14:42.000 So many people going in. 14:42.000 --> 14:43.000 Why are they laughing? 14:43.000 --> 14:44.000 Well, they don't know how we feel, Alza. 14:44.000 --> 14:48.000 They don't know about us. 14:48.000 --> 14:50.000 Is it all right to leave you here for a moment? 14:50.000 --> 14:52.000 I want a call. 14:52.000 --> 14:53.000 There he is. 14:53.000 --> 14:55.000 Would you like me to... 14:55.000 --> 14:56.000 Alza. 14:56.000 --> 14:57.000 That's him. He killed us. 14:57.000 --> 14:58.000 Who? 14:57.000 --> 14:58.000 That's him. 14:58.000 --> 14:59.000 Who? 14:59.000 --> 15:00.000 The one who hit Stevie? 15:00.000 --> 15:01.000 Where? 15:00.000 --> 15:01.000 There he is. 15:01.000 --> 15:02.000 Where? 15:02.000 --> 15:03.000 That one? 15:03.000 --> 15:04.000 The man standing in the doorway? 15:04.000 --> 15:05.000 How do you know? 15:05.000 --> 15:06.000 Can you see his face? 15:06.000 --> 15:09.000 He came over and he stood close and he said, you better take a drink. 15:09.000 --> 15:15.000 He was big and fat and his body filled the frame of the door. 15:15.000 --> 15:18.000 He ran a pudgy hand across his face. 15:18.000 --> 15:20.000 He was drunk all right. 15:20.000 --> 15:22.000 He was trying to shake himself out of it. 15:22.000 --> 15:23.000 He'd never drink again. 15:23.000 --> 15:24.000 He'd never drive again. 15:24.000 --> 15:26.000 Not after I got through with him. 15:26.000 --> 15:27.000 Alza, sit back. 15:27.000 --> 15:28.000 Don't let anyone see you. 15:28.000 --> 15:29.000 He killed us. 15:29.000 --> 15:30.000 Yes, I know, I know. 15:30.000 --> 15:31.000 Now wait here, Alza. 15:31.000 --> 15:32.000 Wait here. 15:32.000 --> 15:33.000 Don't get out of the car. 15:33.000 --> 15:34.000 I watched him go inside. 15:34.000 --> 15:36.000 He walked across the lobby and disappeared in the bar. 15:36.000 --> 15:37.000 I went in after him. 15:37.000 --> 15:41.000 He was sitting there, his elbows on the bar and his head between his hands. 15:41.000 --> 15:44.000 I sat where I could watch him and still not be too close. 15:44.000 --> 15:45.000 Yeah, with soda. 15:45.000 --> 15:47.000 Before the bartender hardly let go. 15:47.000 --> 15:48.000 He had it down. 15:48.000 --> 15:53.000 And then his watery bloodshot eyes looked about the room. 15:53.000 --> 15:58.000 His eyes caught mine. 15:58.000 --> 16:03.000 He called to the bartender and then whispered something in his ear, looking at me. 16:03.000 --> 16:04.000 Then pointing. 16:04.000 --> 16:06.000 The bartender walked over. 16:06.000 --> 16:07.000 What'll it be, Mac? 16:07.000 --> 16:09.000 Oh, nothing. 16:09.000 --> 16:11.000 Really, I don't care for anything. 16:11.000 --> 16:12.000 Oh, it's on this gentleman. 16:12.000 --> 16:13.000 Have a drink, fella. 16:13.000 --> 16:14.000 It's on me. 16:14.000 --> 16:15.000 No thanks. 16:15.000 --> 16:17.000 Can't drink alone, never could. 16:17.000 --> 16:18.000 Come on now, have a drink. 16:18.000 --> 16:19.000 What'll it be? 16:19.000 --> 16:20.000 Can't it be soda, man? 16:20.000 --> 16:23.000 You gotta have a drink with him. 16:23.000 --> 16:24.000 Come on. 16:24.000 --> 16:26.000 Better take a drink with him, fella. 16:26.000 --> 16:29.000 Oh, soda, just plain soda, but I'll pay for it myself. 16:29.000 --> 16:30.000 Just plain soda? 16:30.000 --> 16:32.000 Please, here's the money. 16:32.000 --> 16:34.000 Why do you think you're doing? 16:34.000 --> 16:36.000 He don't want your money. 16:36.000 --> 16:37.000 Ain't that right? 16:37.000 --> 16:40.000 Your money's no good here. 16:40.000 --> 16:44.000 He kept breathing in my face and talking and ordering more drinks. 16:44.000 --> 16:47.000 And I kept thinking of Elsa in the car. 16:47.000 --> 16:50.000 The way her eyes changed when she saw him. 16:50.000 --> 16:52.000 The thing in her eyes when she looked at him. 16:52.000 --> 16:56.000 That man breathing down my neck and guzzling like nothing happened. 16:56.000 --> 16:58.000 I'll have it again the same way. 16:58.000 --> 17:01.000 Come on, fella, drink up. 17:01.000 --> 17:04.000 Come on, you can't drink that stuff without something in it, can you? 17:04.000 --> 17:06.000 Hey, give him something in that soda. 17:06.000 --> 17:07.000 I don't want anything. 17:07.000 --> 17:09.000 He don't want anything. 17:09.000 --> 17:10.000 You don't want anything. 17:10.000 --> 17:11.000 No, I... 17:11.000 --> 17:12.000 I'll have it again the same way. 17:12.000 --> 17:13.000 Coming up. 17:13.000 --> 17:15.000 He kept looking at me. 17:15.000 --> 17:17.000 Breathing at me. 17:17.000 --> 17:19.000 He had the face of such an ordinary man. 17:19.000 --> 17:20.000 Only very beefy. 17:20.000 --> 17:21.000 Such an ordinary man. 17:21.000 --> 17:24.000 How could he do what he did and then run away? 17:24.000 --> 17:25.000 I wondered who he was. 17:25.000 --> 17:26.000 What kind of work he did. 17:26.000 --> 17:27.000 Did he have a family? 17:27.000 --> 17:30.000 Did he have a son of his own? 17:30.000 --> 17:33.000 Was he having all those drinks to try to forget? 17:33.000 --> 17:36.000 Well, I couldn't let him forget. 17:36.000 --> 17:39.000 How long was he gonna sit there? 17:39.000 --> 17:41.000 A couple more drinks and he finally got up. 17:41.000 --> 17:44.000 He threw a bill on the bar and started to go. 17:44.000 --> 17:45.000 Hey, you changed. 17:45.000 --> 17:47.000 Never mind the change. 17:47.000 --> 17:49.000 He waved a pudgy hand. 17:49.000 --> 17:51.000 Big shot, big tipper. 17:51.000 --> 17:53.000 Very generous, nice guy. 17:53.000 --> 17:57.000 He even offered Elsa a drink after he killed our boy. 17:57.000 --> 17:59.000 I followed him into the lobby. 17:59.000 --> 18:00.000 He went to the desk. 18:00.000 --> 18:01.000 $257. 18:01.000 --> 18:02.000 Good night, sir. 18:02.000 --> 18:04.000 Good night. 18:04.000 --> 18:07.000 He started for the elevator. 18:07.000 --> 18:10.000 I hurried to the stairway. 18:10.000 --> 18:13.000 I ran up to the second floor. 18:13.000 --> 18:19.000 I waited off the stairway landing and watched the elevator door open. 18:19.000 --> 18:21.000 Wait a minute, not so fast. 18:21.000 --> 18:23.000 I said wait a minute. 18:23.000 --> 18:25.000 Don't shut that door, not so fast. 18:25.000 --> 18:27.000 There's someone else ringing. 18:27.000 --> 18:28.000 I want to ask you a question. 18:28.000 --> 18:29.000 I have to go. 18:29.000 --> 18:30.000 People are ringing. 18:30.000 --> 18:31.000 Can I ask you a question? 18:31.000 --> 18:33.000 Please step away from the door. 18:33.000 --> 18:34.000 You're blocking... 18:34.000 --> 18:35.000 Answer my question. 18:35.000 --> 18:38.000 Get away from the door, then I'll tell you. 18:38.000 --> 18:39.000 Sure. 18:39.000 --> 18:40.000 Now answer me. 18:40.000 --> 18:43.000 When are you going to... 18:43.000 --> 18:45.000 Smart, Alec. 18:45.000 --> 18:46.000 I think she's smart. 18:46.000 --> 18:53.000 He started down the hall, coming towards me. 18:53.000 --> 18:57.000 I stepped back into the stairway, took a cigarette out of my packet, 18:57.000 --> 18:59.000 started to light it. 18:59.000 --> 19:02.000 He walked past, then he stopped. 19:02.000 --> 19:03.000 Oh. 19:03.000 --> 19:06.000 I didn't want to talk to him, just wanted to do it and get it over with. 19:06.000 --> 19:07.000 I started toward him. 19:07.000 --> 19:08.000 We were alone. 19:08.000 --> 19:10.000 And then somebody was coming down the stairs. 19:10.000 --> 19:12.000 You wouldn't mind coming along. 19:12.000 --> 19:13.000 I don't like it. 19:13.000 --> 19:15.000 Even the service is lousy in the place. 19:15.000 --> 19:17.000 One elevator and you can die waiting. 19:17.000 --> 19:19.000 How's about the light? 19:19.000 --> 19:21.000 There was nothing here to do but think. 19:21.000 --> 19:24.000 Before I can answer him, his fat pudgy hand closed over mine 19:24.000 --> 19:27.000 and drew the lighted match to the cigarette in his mouth. 19:27.000 --> 19:29.000 He puffed loosely. 19:29.000 --> 19:31.000 His hand was damp and warm. 19:31.000 --> 19:32.000 I drew back. 19:32.000 --> 19:33.000 Thanks. 19:33.000 --> 19:34.000 Yeah. 19:34.000 --> 19:39.000 See you're out. 19:39.000 --> 19:42.000 I counted the doors as he passed on down the hall. 19:42.000 --> 19:44.000 One. 19:44.000 --> 19:46.000 Two. 19:46.000 --> 19:48.000 Three. 19:48.000 --> 19:50.000 The fifth door down. 19:50.000 --> 19:56.000 That was his room. 19:56.000 --> 20:00.000 I walked slowly down. 20:00.000 --> 20:02.000 I stood in front of his door. 20:02.000 --> 20:10.000 So now it would happen. 20:10.000 --> 20:15.000 Who is it? 20:15.000 --> 20:20.000 Who is it? 20:20.000 --> 20:21.000 Who is it? 20:21.000 --> 20:22.000 Oh. 20:22.000 --> 20:23.000 What do you want? 20:23.000 --> 20:24.000 What do you want? 20:24.000 --> 20:28.000 I...I...I want to ask you something. 20:28.000 --> 20:29.000 May I? 20:29.000 --> 20:30.000 Sure. 20:30.000 --> 20:31.000 Sure. 20:31.000 --> 20:34.000 He waddled over to the bed and sat down. 20:34.000 --> 20:35.000 Here, sit down. 20:35.000 --> 20:38.000 His watery bloodshot eyes blinking at me. 20:38.000 --> 20:41.000 I didn't know how to begin or what to do. 20:41.000 --> 20:43.000 The blind rage was gone. 20:43.000 --> 20:44.000 Something happened to me. 20:44.000 --> 20:47.000 Now suddenly I...I didn't know what I was doing there. 20:47.000 --> 20:48.000 What do you want? 20:48.000 --> 20:51.000 I walked over to the window fumbling for some foolish excuse. 20:51.000 --> 20:52.000 It was no use. 20:52.000 --> 20:53.000 I couldn't kill anybody. 20:53.000 --> 20:54.000 I couldn't do it. 20:54.000 --> 20:56.000 I asked you what do you want? 20:56.000 --> 20:57.000 I looked out of the window. 20:57.000 --> 20:58.000 The light from the neon sign on the roof 20:58.000 --> 21:01.000 made everything look so lonely and dead. 21:01.000 --> 21:02.000 What's the matter with you? 21:02.000 --> 21:04.000 And there was my car in the driveway 21:04.000 --> 21:07.000 and Elsa sitting there. 21:07.000 --> 21:11.000 Her face, the thin outline of her face so gray. 21:11.000 --> 21:14.000 Her mouth pressed tight in a straight hard line. 21:14.000 --> 21:15.000 What do you want from me? 21:15.000 --> 21:17.000 She was holding my son. 21:17.000 --> 21:18.000 Holding him tight. 21:18.000 --> 21:19.000 Pressed close to her. 21:19.000 --> 21:20.000 Holding him. 21:20.000 --> 21:21.000 My son. 21:21.000 --> 21:22.000 What do you want? 21:22.000 --> 21:23.000 Why did you kill my son? 21:23.000 --> 21:24.000 What? 21:24.000 --> 21:25.000 You drunken fool. 21:25.000 --> 21:26.000 Why did you kill my son? 21:26.000 --> 21:27.000 You're crazy. 21:27.000 --> 21:28.000 You're crazy. 21:28.000 --> 21:31.000 One shot eyes bulging from his head, frightened and guilty. 21:31.000 --> 21:34.000 He reached for the phone and then I was on him. 21:34.000 --> 21:36.000 Why did you kill him? 21:36.000 --> 21:38.000 You killed him. 21:38.000 --> 21:40.000 You killed him. 21:40.000 --> 21:42.000 You killed him. 21:42.000 --> 21:48.000 You, you killed him. 21:48.000 --> 21:51.000 You killed him. 21:51.000 --> 21:52.000 Operator. 21:52.000 --> 21:53.000 Operator. 21:56.000 --> 21:59.000 You killed him. 22:02.000 --> 22:03.000 Operator. 22:04.000 --> 22:05.000 Operator. 22:06.000 --> 22:07.000 Operator. 22:08.000 --> 22:09.000 It was done. 22:10.000 --> 22:11.000 All done and over with. 22:12.000 --> 22:14.000 And now I felt better. 22:14.000 --> 22:16.000 It ought to be easier. 22:16.000 --> 22:22.000 It would be a little less pain when they buried my son. 22:28.000 --> 22:30.000 Elsa, you all right? 22:30.000 --> 22:31.000 He's dead. 22:31.000 --> 22:33.000 I made sure of that. 22:33.000 --> 22:35.000 Now let's get out of here. 22:37.000 --> 22:40.000 A twisted black top road unwound steadily under the headlights. 22:40.000 --> 22:42.000 But something had changed. 22:42.000 --> 22:44.000 It was no longer a road. 22:44.000 --> 22:49.000 It was a cloudy misty jungle where everyone was old and haggard. 22:49.000 --> 22:52.000 And there were no children. 22:52.000 --> 22:57.000 And then we brought our boy into Falstown. 23:04.000 --> 23:08.000 If you don't mind a suggestion, Mr. Kane, you look pretty done in. 23:08.000 --> 23:11.000 When we carried the boy out of the car, I had a look at your wife. 23:11.000 --> 23:14.000 Yes, I know. 23:16.000 --> 23:18.000 Good thing you didn't stop at the Royal Coachman. 23:18.000 --> 23:19.000 Where? 23:19.000 --> 23:21.000 The Royal Coachman. That's a road house. 23:21.000 --> 23:24.000 Halfway between here and my uncle's gas station. 23:24.000 --> 23:25.000 You didn't see it? 23:25.000 --> 23:26.000 No. 23:26.000 --> 23:30.000 Well, it's all lit up with neon like a regular Christmas tree. 23:30.000 --> 23:33.000 Troopers just phoned. There's a job for me. 23:33.000 --> 23:35.000 Somebody choked somebody to death. 23:35.000 --> 23:36.000 Lots of excitement. 23:36.000 --> 23:38.000 Oh, well, who did it? 23:38.000 --> 23:40.000 They'll find him. 23:40.000 --> 23:44.000 She looks bad, your wife. We ought to get her right to bed. 23:44.000 --> 23:46.000 Yes. Elsa? 23:47.000 --> 23:49.000 Now I have no son. 23:49.000 --> 23:53.000 Well, this is Sam Crawford, Elsa. He's going to take care of Stevie. 23:53.000 --> 23:55.000 And we're going to sleep in his house tonight. 23:55.000 --> 23:57.000 I think we need some sleep, don't you? 23:57.000 --> 23:58.000 That's him. 23:58.000 --> 23:59.000 What do you mean? 23:59.000 --> 24:00.000 That's him. He did it. 24:00.000 --> 24:01.000 He did what? 24:01.000 --> 24:02.000 He killed my son. 24:02.000 --> 24:03.000 Elsa. 24:03.000 --> 24:04.000 I'm Sammy Crawford, ma'am. I run the local... 24:04.000 --> 24:05.000 He killed us. He killed us. 24:05.000 --> 24:07.000 Elsa. 24:07.000 --> 24:09.000 Elsa. 24:09.000 --> 24:11.000 Look at me. Are you all right, Elsa? 24:11.000 --> 24:12.000 I don't think she knows what she's saying. 24:12.000 --> 24:14.000 He came over. He stood there with a bottle. 24:14.000 --> 24:16.000 He said he was sorry. 24:16.000 --> 24:20.000 Elsa. Elsa, this is Sammy Crawford. He wasn't there. 24:20.000 --> 24:21.000 He was here, miles away. 24:21.000 --> 24:22.000 He killed us. 24:22.000 --> 24:23.000 I'll get Doc Sadler. 24:23.000 --> 24:25.000 What's the matter with Elsa? 24:25.000 --> 24:27.000 I know he didn't do it. He couldn't have. 24:27.000 --> 24:30.000 I was talking to him on the telephone when it happened from the gas station. 24:30.000 --> 24:34.000 Elsa, we know who did do it. We know. And he's dead. 24:34.000 --> 24:36.000 He said he was sorry. He said he was sorry. 24:36.000 --> 24:37.000 Elsa. 24:37.000 --> 24:38.000 Yes. 24:38.000 --> 24:40.000 Look across the street. 24:40.000 --> 24:42.000 Elsa, do you hear me? Look across the street. 24:42.000 --> 24:43.000 Yes. 24:43.000 --> 24:45.000 Do you see that man walking toward the street light? 24:45.000 --> 24:48.000 Can you see him? Answer me. 24:48.000 --> 24:49.000 Yes. 24:49.000 --> 24:50.000 Well, just look at him, Elsa. That's all. 24:50.000 --> 24:53.000 There. Now he's under the light. 24:53.000 --> 24:54.000 Well? 24:54.000 --> 24:55.000 That's him. 24:55.000 --> 24:56.000 No. 24:56.000 --> 24:57.000 That's him. 24:57.000 --> 24:58.000 No. 24:58.000 --> 24:59.000 That's him. He did it. He did it. 24:59.000 --> 25:00.000 Elsa, that's a minister. 25:00.000 --> 25:01.000 He did it. 25:01.000 --> 25:02.000 You know it wasn't a minister. 25:02.000 --> 25:03.000 You saw it. It wasn't Sam Crawford. 25:03.000 --> 25:05.000 He was talking to me on the telephone. 25:05.000 --> 25:06.000 That's him. That's him. 25:06.000 --> 25:07.000 No. 25:07.000 --> 25:08.000 That's him. 25:08.000 --> 25:09.000 No, Elsa. 25:09.000 --> 25:10.000 That's him. 25:10.000 --> 25:11.000 No. No. No. 25:11.000 --> 25:12.000 He did it. 25:12.000 --> 25:13.000 No. No. 25:13.000 --> 25:14.000 Ben. 25:14.000 --> 25:15.000 No. 25:15.000 --> 25:16.000 Ben. 25:16.000 --> 25:17.000 No. 25:17.000 --> 25:18.000 Ben. 25:18.000 --> 25:19.000 No. 25:19.000 --> 25:20.000 Ben, darling. 25:20.000 --> 25:21.000 Ben. 25:21.000 --> 25:22.000 What? What? 25:22.000 --> 25:23.000 Hi, Dad. Hi. 25:23.000 --> 25:24.000 Hello, Stevie. Hi. 25:24.000 --> 25:25.000 Darling, what on earth? 25:25.000 --> 25:38.000 You're dreaming something, moaning and great racking. 25:38.000 --> 25:44.000 It was a nightmare. Oh, Elsa, it was. It was. 25:44.000 --> 25:49.000 You dreamed you lost your job? 25:49.000 --> 25:53.000 Yes. Yes, that was it. How did you know? 25:53.000 --> 25:55.000 Because I know everything. 25:55.000 --> 25:57.000 Come on now. Up out of bed. We've got a big day. 25:57.000 --> 26:00.000 Fourth of July comes but once a year. 26:00.000 --> 26:01.000 Garage door's open, Stevie? 26:01.000 --> 26:03.000 Why, well, we've burned up the road. 26:03.000 --> 26:05.000 Stevie, stop that talk. 26:05.000 --> 26:06.000 My darling. 26:06.000 --> 26:09.000 Oh, I'm sorry. 26:09.000 --> 26:13.000 You know, instead of going up by Falls Town and up there, 26:13.000 --> 26:15.000 we'll cut across just before Kingston 26:15.000 --> 26:19.000 and find our fishing over around Litchfield, huh? 26:19.000 --> 26:21.000 I feel like Connecticut today. 26:21.000 --> 26:24.000 Okay, Dad. I gotta go. 26:24.000 --> 26:26.000 What did you dream about, darling? 26:26.000 --> 26:27.000 It was so awful. 26:27.000 --> 26:29.000 Me? 26:29.000 --> 26:33.000 Well, since you have to know, 26:33.000 --> 26:36.000 I had a horrible jealous dream. 26:36.000 --> 26:38.000 I dreamt you didn't love me. 26:38.000 --> 26:43.000 Oh, dearest. 26:43.000 --> 26:46.000 Oh, that was the wildest dream imaginable. 26:46.000 --> 26:51.000 Now, wasn't that a waste of time? 27:05.000 --> 27:08.000 Suspense presented by Auto Light. 27:08.000 --> 27:13.000 Tonight's star, Gregory Peck in Nightmare. 27:13.000 --> 27:17.000 Mr. Peck, the subject of our show and your character portrayal 27:17.000 --> 27:21.000 won't do highway safety any harm this Labor Day weekend. 27:21.000 --> 27:24.000 Today's newspapers carried some dreadful predictions 27:24.000 --> 27:26.000 of the accidents and deaths likely to happen. 27:26.000 --> 27:27.000 Yes, I saw them. 27:27.000 --> 27:29.000 And if I may, I'd like to add a few words of my own 27:29.000 --> 27:31.000 on this subject of safety. 27:31.000 --> 27:32.000 The mic is yours, Greg. 27:32.000 --> 27:35.000 Well, this evening, the Electric Auto Light Company 27:35.000 --> 27:38.000 has been honored for its efforts on behalf of highway safety. 27:38.000 --> 27:40.000 You, too, can earn such an award. 27:40.000 --> 27:42.000 Of course, yours won't be quite the same. 27:42.000 --> 27:45.000 No bronze plaque or embossed certificates, 27:45.000 --> 27:47.000 and no one will pin any medals on you. 27:47.000 --> 27:50.000 Yours will be a greater, more personal reward. 27:50.000 --> 27:53.000 The deep-felt satisfaction that comes from knowing 27:53.000 --> 27:56.000 that you've taken care and not endangered your own life 27:56.000 --> 27:58.000 or the lives of others. 27:58.000 --> 28:00.000 So drive carefully, won't you? 28:00.000 --> 28:02.000 Today, tomorrow, always. 28:02.000 --> 28:03.000 Thank you. 28:03.000 --> 28:06.000 Yes, folks, drive carefully and drive happily, too, 28:06.000 --> 28:10.000 by switching now to new Wide Gap Auto Light Resistor spark plugs. 28:10.000 --> 28:12.000 They're ignition engineered to work as a perfect team 28:12.000 --> 28:15.000 with your car's complete electrical system. 28:15.000 --> 28:18.000 So for a smoother engine idle and long spark plug life, 28:18.000 --> 28:21.000 just remember, you're always right with auto light. 28:21.000 --> 28:29.000 Music 28:29.000 --> 28:32.000 Next Thursday for Suspense, Ray Milan will be our star. 28:32.000 --> 28:35.000 The play is called Chicken Feed, and it's the story of a man 28:35.000 --> 28:39.000 whose life was worth literally a nickel. 28:39.000 --> 28:43.000 It is, as we say, a tale well calculated to keep you in... 28:43.000 --> 28:45.000 Suspense. 28:45.000 --> 28:51.000 Suspense 28:51.000 --> 28:53.000 Tonight's Suspense play was produced and edited by 28:53.000 --> 28:56.000 William Spear and directed by Norman MacDonald. 28:56.000 --> 29:00.000 Appearing with Mr. Peck were Loreen Tuttle and Alan Reed. 29:00.000 --> 29:02.000 Music for Suspense is composed by Lucian Morrowek 29:02.000 --> 29:04.000 and conducted by Lud Bluskin. 29:04.000 --> 29:07.000 Nightmare was a radio play by Herb Meadows 29:07.000 --> 29:09.000 from a story by Samuel Bloss. 29:09.000 --> 29:13.000 Gregory Peck is currently being seen in MGM's The Great Sinner. 29:13.000 --> 29:16.000 Don't forget, next Thursday same time, auto light will present 29:16.000 --> 29:20.000 Suspense, starring Ray Milan. 29:20.000 --> 29:22.000 Music 29:22.000 --> 29:25.000 Ring 29:25.000 --> 29:28.000 You can buy auto light resistor spark plugs, auto light 29:28.000 --> 29:30.000 staple batteries, auto light electrical parts 29:30.000 --> 29:33.000 at your neighborhood auto light dealers. 29:33.000 --> 29:35.000 Drive right, switch to auto light. 29:35.000 --> 29:37.000 Good night. 29:37.000 --> 29:40.000 This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. 29:40.000 --> 30:06.000 Music