And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Tonight we bring you a story of lost and found.
The found being a wallet, the lost being a life.
We call it love, honor, or murder.
So now, starring Miss Charlotte Lawrence with William Conrad, here is tonight's Suspense
play, Love, Honor, or Murder.
Seven years of wedded bliss and the only thing to show for it is this stinking place.
Believe me kid, if I ever got my hands on a thousand bucks I'd get out of here so fast
I could...oh hold it a minute Alice, someone came in.
Is that you Harry?
Yeah, it's me, I came home early.
Well if you expect a fine dinner at this hour you're going to be disappointed.
Oh, it's Harry, Alice.
What was I saying?
Oh yeah, the same old...
Honey, will you cut the conversation if something's happening?
What?
Cut the conversation...here, give me the phone.
Well if all the...
Alice, Helen will call you back later, goodbye.
Baby, you know what I got here?
Twelve thousand dollars.
Are you out of your mind Harry?
Helen, I found this wallet, my god.
I'm going to get it.
Are you out of your mind Harry?
Helen, I found this wallet in my cab just a few minutes ago.
What?
Here, look inside, open it up, go on.
Harry, hundred dollar bills.
The fifties and twenties and tens, more than twelve thousand dollars.
Twelve thousand dollars?
Now I was all right to come home early, huh?
Well, gee, I don't know what to say.
Well you just take it easy baby, don't get too excited, I got to give it back.
Well yeah, look at the name inside the wallet there.
But you brought...
Well it belongs to a regular customer of mine, Sidney Walker, the news commentator, you know.
I take him around town every afternoon, he calls up for me personally.
Twelve thousand dollars?
Yeah, but as far as we're concerned, it's not worth twelve cents.
If they don't turn it into the company before Walker calls about it, well they can throw
me in the pen for five years.
And why did you bring it home?
I don't know, I guess I shouldn't have a doubt.
It's just that I never saw so much money before, and I wasn't very far away, and I just had
to bring it home short.
You had to bring it home and wave it under my nose, that's like you.
That's just like you, Harry.
Give me the money, Helen, before Walker's gonna remember leaving the money in my cab,
he'll call up the company.
Wait a second, Harry.
How long ago did you find the money?
About twenty minutes ago, I guess, I came straight home.
Now what's the hurry?
What?
Well, as long as you're home.
Why don't you wash up and I'll fix your supper.
I'll make you a fine supper.
Oh, I don't know, Helen, I ought to get back.
Go on, honey, wash up.
Well, give us a chance for a little while to kind of pretend that money belongs to us.
Ah, that coffee really hits the spot.
Why didn't you eat, honey?
I was thinking.
Yeah, well, someday we'll have it too, baby.
We got it right now, Harry.
Yeah, for about five more minutes.
Well, I guess I'd better report in now, it's almost been an hour.
Walker'll be calling the company pretty soon, I want the money to be in the safe when he
does.
I'll call him, Helen.
How do you know Walker will call the company?
We gone all through that, he'll call, because he remembers the ride with me.
We went over a bumpy stretch, easy for his wallet to pop out, then he'll probably remember
me.
He could have lost it so many other places, he may not even think of the cab ride.
If he doesn't, won't you feel like a fool?
Well, that's better than cooling my heels in some jail.
I know what I would do if I were you.
What?
I'd take the chance that Walker wouldn't remember that he wouldn't call, I'd keep the money.
Well, Helen, stop that.
That's what I would do, but not you.
You've always been afraid to take a chance, you've always been content to be nothing.
Well, I'm sorry I ever came here with the money.
Now, you give it back to me, I'm going to turn it in the company.
Do you love me, Harry?
That's got nothing to do with it.
Oh, but it has everything to do with it.
If you leave this house with the money, when you come back, I'll be gone.
You're talking like a sap now.
I mean it.
Give me the wallet, Helen.
Here it is, Harry.
When you come back, I'll be gone.
Yeah, I'll bet you will.
Well, I gotta be going now.
I'll see you later, honey.
I'll be home later.
It doesn't matter when you come home, you won't find me here.
Helen, stop talking like that, huh?
So long, Helen.
It's really goodbye, Harry.
I mean it.
You know, from the first day we were married, you've been twisting me around your little
finger because you know how much I love you and how much I need you.
I guess you'll never stop doing that, will you, Helen?
Well?
What do you want me to do?
Nothing, darling.
Nothing.
You owe everything to me.
Dear, this is Cab Company.
This is Mr. Sidney Walker's personal secretary calling.
Well, don't tell me that Cab Mr. Walker ordered hasn't got there yet.
I sent it out hours ago.
Oh, it got here all right.
It's not that.
I...
We're trying to locate Mr. Walker.
I just wondered if by any chance you might have heard from him.
Huh?
Well, no, if he got his cab all right, why should he have called us?
Of course, you're right.
Well, thank you very much.
Well?
He hasn't reported anything yet.
What?
That don't make sense.
$12,000 bucks, a lot of money even for Walker.
Give me the phone book.
Who are you going to call now?
Why, Mr. Walker, of course.
Got to find out why he hasn't reported losing his wallet.
Look, Helen, why don't you let me take the money back?
Maybe you'll give us a good reward, huh?
You're not going to do anything.
Let's see.
Oh, here we are.
Helen, you're going to get us in a lot of trouble.
I know what I'm doing.
Helen, please, you're going to get us...
Hello?
Hello, I'd like to speak to Mr. Walker, please.
He's not in right now.
This is Mr. Walker's housekeeper.
Could I take a message?
No, this is a personal matter.
Where could I be certain of reaching him?
Nowhere, until 10 o'clock.
10 o'clock?
Yes, that's when he does his nightly broadcast, you know.
Oh, yes, of course.
And what time does he reach the station?
Five minutes to 10.
You're quite sure he'll be there then?
My heavens, you could stake your life on it.
That's been his schedule for a good many years.
Who is this talking?
Are you a friend of Mr. Walker?
Oh, yes, my husband and I have known Sydney for a long time.
Well, as long as you're a friend, I can tell you Mr. Walker has a busy evening ahead of him.
Oh?
He lost his wallet an hour or so ago.
It contained a lot of money.
That's too bad.
I do hope he finds it.
Oh, he'll find the wallet all right.
He's out looking for it right now.
Does he have any idea where he might have lost it?
Oh, yes, and he's mighty disappointed it hasn't been returned.
He knows who found the wallet?
Not exactly.
I think he knows who should have found it.
He didn't say who.
Oh.
He's too kind and easygoing, that's what he is.
I'd have called the police right away.
Why hasn't he?
Oh, he doesn't want to cause any embarrassment or hard feelings, you know.
So first he's going to look everywhere else he's been this evening.
And if it still doesn't turn up?
Well, he says that this fella he suspects hasn't come by the apartment to return the money by the time he gets home.
Then he'll report it all right.
If we want to reach Sydney before he gets home, you say he will arrive at the radio station just before ten.
At five minutes to ten.
On the dot.
Then we'll contact him there.
Thank you.
That was his housekeeper.
By what she said, he knows he left the wallet in your cab.
See, I told you.
But he hasn't reported it yet.
Mr. Walker is a very fair man.
Then I'll have time to take it back down to the company.
We've got to decide what we can do to keep Walker from reporting his loss.
There's nothing we can do, Helen.
You just said he knows that he left the money in my cab.
That's right.
Then what's there to decide?
What are you smiling about?
Oh, was I smiling?
I was thinking of something.
Of what?
You know, there's really only one way in all the world to keep Walker from telling about that wallet.
What are you talking about?
The only way to keep Walker from telling would be to kill him.
Look, Helen, we've got to decide what we're going to do now.
Let's stop the jokes.
Do I look like I'm joking?
No.
No, you don't.
There's that gun in the dresser drawer.
Helen, what are you talking about?
You've got to kill him.
It's simpler, isn't it?
How can I, Helen?
He's never done me any harm.
If he lives, you'll call the police and tell them you've stolen his money.
That's why I've got to return the money.
And if you do that, you'll lose your wife.
But, Helen...
Look how simple it is.
At five minutes to ten, you can be absolutely certain that he will be going in the broadcasting studio.
You were waiting outside for him, and there are so many quiet places you could take him with a gun.
But, Helen, listen to me.
Even if I...
Even if I wanted to kill him, I couldn't.
I haven't got the nerve.
Oh, but you have.
Every man, even a man like you, can kill once.
If he's got to kill to get rid of the thing that'll destroy him.
No, Helen.
I can't do it.
You can, Harry.
You can do it for me.
Look, why don't you just let me take the money back?
It'd be so much better that way, Helen.
What time is it?
What?
What time is it?
Oh.
Ten minutes after nine.
You couldn't take the money back now, even if I let you?
Why couldn't I?
What time should you have reported in with your cab?
Half past eight.
What difference does that...
Oh.
Oh, so that's it.
See what I mean?
If Walker reports his loss now, you're in trouble no matter what you do.
They'll know you were thinking of keeping the money.
And in their eyes, that's almost as bad as really keeping it.
Helen, but...
You know the rules of the company.
You're supposed to inspect your cab after every fare.
If they don't arrest you, they'll fire you and blackball you
so you'd never get another job.
That's why you kept me here, huh?
Made supper for me, stalled around.
You figured that one out, too, didn't you, Helen?
Walker will get to the station at five to ten.
You've got 45 minutes.
Start out and act as if you were on a regular run.
That'll be your alibi later.
Stop at all the usual places, talk to the boys.
Act as if it were just another night.
What about my schedule?
I was supposed to be in at eight thirty.
Well, you can always tell them business was so good you couldn't come in.
Shall I get the gun, Harry?
Yes.
You are listening to Love, Honor or Murder, tonight's presentation in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Tomorrow night there's action and excitement when on most of these same CBS radio stations, the FBI in Peace and War unravels another thrilling case involving crime and racketeers.
Stand by for thrills tomorrow evening on CBS.
And now we bring back to our Hollywood sound stage Miss Charlotte Lawrence starring in tonight's production Love, Honor or Murder, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Harry, is it you?
Huh?
Oh, I'm sorry, I thought it was my husband.
What do you want?
Oh, you must be Mrs. Black Harry's wife, huh?
Yes, what do you want?
Say, have I talked to you on the phone before?
Why?
Your voice sounds kind of familiar.
You may have, who is it?
This is Dave Harris over at Peerless Cab Company.
Peerless Cab Company?
Yeah, see, have you seen Harry in the last couple hours?
Why, no, he's out working.
Well, he should have been through with his shift at 8.30, it's 25 to 10 already, it's not like Harry.
Is something wrong?
I don't know, one of Harry's regular customers, Sidney Walker, called a few minutes ago from a restaurant on one of that broadcasts of his.
Yes?
He thinks he left a wallet in Harry's cab.
I said he thinks he left a wallet.
I heard you.
Well, it was $12,000 in the wallet, Mrs. Blake, and according to Walker, he looked everywhere else, he might have lost it and it hasn't turned up.
He just wants me to contact Harry as soon as possible and tell him to look in the back of his cab.
If Harry should call, I'll tell him to get in touch with you right away.
What did you say before?
Huh?
Walker called and told all this before he started for the station?
What are you talking about, Mrs. Blake?
Nothing, nothing!
Walker called before he reached the station and Harry will be waiting at the station to kill him.
But now, now Walker's already told them that maybe Harry took the wallet.
Everything will point to Harry.
They'll arrest him ten minutes after he's killed Walker and Harry will tell them everything.
He's weak, he'll try to blame me, he'll tell them I made him do it.
I've got to call him back.
I've got to stop him before he kills Walker.
Twenty-five to ten.
Twenty minutes to reach him.
I've got to reach him.
I told Harry to make all the regular stops so everyone would remember him.
He'll stop for gas at the taxi garage.
I've reached him there before.
Seven.
Oh.
Nine.
Feel this garage, right?
This is Mrs. Blake calling.
Harry Blake's wife.
Oh yeah, Mrs. Blake.
Has Harry been there yet?
To get his gas, I mean.
Nope, he hasn't been here all night.
Say, what's he been up to?
What do you mean?
I just got a call from the main office to hold him here when he does show up.
Look, Harry always told me you were his friend.
He's in trouble.
Terrible trouble.
I haven't time to explain, but if I don't reach him right away, I don't know what'll happen.
Well, I don't know what I could do, Mrs. Blake.
You can tell me the names and telephone numbers of some of the places cabbies like Harry stop at while they're on their runs.
Well, the boys stop at Gus's coffee shop on 670 McCall.
What's their number?
Randolph 67098.
All right, where else?
Maybe if he had a few minutes to spare he'd go into Frank's Tavern on Washington Boulevard.
I don't know the number now.
I'll look it up.
Where else?
Oh, of course he might go up to Union headquarters to shoot a rag with the boys.
Union headquarters?
Where else?
There's lots of places he might stop off at.
Gotta reach him by 10 o'clock, huh?
That doesn't leave you much time.
No, it doesn't leave me much time.
I'll start calling.
What can I do now?
I've tried everywhere.
I've got to stop him, but how?
15 minutes to 10.
10 minutes.
Only 10 minutes.
But let me think.
Radio station's on 6th and Main.
It's two miles away.
Maybe I could get to Harry before Walker reaches there.
I've got to try.
I've got to stop him.
Driver, when I got into your cab you told me you could get me to the radio station in 10 minutes.
I don't give you no guarantees, lady.
I'm doing the best I can.
But I've got to get there before 5 of 10.
You told me you could make it.
It don't do no good to holler in my ear, lady.
There must be some better way to make time.
Can't you take side streets or something?
Oh, again you're stopping.
It's the traffic, lady.
But you told me...
I know what I told you, but I didn't think about so much traffic.
Please hurry.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Look, I'll pay you anything if you can get me there in time.
Oh, now what's wrong?
The traffic is lousing us up.
What time is it now?
Oh, about 10 minutes to 10.
Don't tell me about.
I want the exact time.
Exact time.
Seven minutes to 10.
How much farther is it to the station?
Well, I can tell you this.
We're not going to make it in two minutes.
Then there's no need to make it at all.
Take me home.
Just a minute or two before 10.
They'll be coming home soon.
They'll trace the killing to him fast enough.
They'll come here and take us both away.
And the money, too.
The money, too.
Wait.
Why?
Why should they come here?
Why should they get the money?
Why do I have to take the blame for what Harry did?
I didn't commit the murder.
If that money had to get away, they wouldn't look for me too hard.
I'm not going to suffer for what Harry did.
Police department. Sergeant Graham speaking.
I want to report a murder.
What's that?
You're too late to stop the murder, but you can still catch the killer.
Wait a second.
His name is Harry Blake.
He drives a taxi cab.
The taxi number is 365.
You should find him somewhere around the radio station on Sixth Avenue.
Who did he kill?
He killed...
Hello, Helen.
Go on.
Finish your conversation.
Did you get back here so soon?
A good cabbie can make time when he has to.
You killed him, huh?
It's just after 10 o'clock. Turn on the radio and find out.
No, but you're talking on the phone.
I'll turn the radio on for you.
The police will come here and look for you.
They'll catch you, Harry.
Did anyone see you do it?
Did they try to...
Mr. Sidney Walker.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is Sidney Walker.
Tonight I'm going to bring you a report on a recent interview I had
with one of the most prominent industrialists in America.
That's all I want to hear.
Turn it off.
So you didn't kill him after all.
I should have known.
I actually thought you went through with it.
But you didn't have the nerve.
No, I didn't kill him.
But I did have the nerve, Helen.
You gave me the nerve.
That pep talk before I left, it was very true, you know.
What are you talking about?
You remember?
Even someone like me can kill once.
If he's got a kill to get rid of the one that'll destroy him.
Now those were your very words, Helen.
Now why did you kill Walker?
Because I got to thinking about what you said and how right you were.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized it.
Realized what?
That I was headed in the wrong direction.
What do you mean by that?
Put that gun away, Harry.
In order to rid myself of the one thing in the world that can destroy me,
I had to come back here to you.
Helen.
Hello? Hello? Hello?
Hello. This is the police department, isn't it?
I heard her talking to you.
Yeah, sure, it's the police department.
What's going on there? What were those shots?
Wasn't my wife reporting a murder?
Yeah, but she didn't tell us who was killed.
Well, you see, officer, until this very moment, she really didn't know.
Suspense, in which Miss Charlotte Lawrence with William Conrad
starred in tonight's presentation of Love, Honor, or Murder.
Next week, the story of betrayal and retribution on Devil's Island.
We call it The Stool Pigeon.
Suspense is produced and directed by Anthony Ellis.
Tonight's script was written by Larry Marcus.
The music was composed by René Garagin and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Featured in the cast were Barney Phillips, Helen Klebe, Charles Seale, Jack Prusian, and William Justine.
Listen while you work. Perry Mason is here on the CBS Radio Network.
The Stool Pigeon
you