Speaker 1: Come in welcome.
Speaker 2: I'm e. G. Marshall, shepherd of this far flung flock
that dissembles regularly at this time and in this place,
to indulge in our mysterious devotions. While might may not
make right, it can and often does make just about
everything else.
Speaker 1: In a very real sense.
Speaker 3: The story of our alleged civilization is a story.
Speaker 2: That has been created by armed men. Although the imminent
mister Bulwer Lytton may have said that the pen is
mightier than the sword, it should be noted that he
used a knife to sharpen his quill. And after all,
when you come to think of it, our country, and
practically every other country in the world, still spends more
money for guns than for almost everything else put together.
Speaker 3: Any special orders today, Frank, nothing, It's quiet. This should
be one of the nice, peaceful days a police win's delight. Yeah,
I hope so, Frank, anything wrong with he?
Speaker 4: Well?
Speaker 3: Is it possible to know when the last day of
your life has arrived? No, it isn't possible.
Speaker 5: I got this funny feeling.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Right now, if I close my eyes, I see myself
walking the beach. A guy with a gun is running
out of a store, I yell halt, he turns, he
shoots over.
Speaker 1: You want to go and sit? Call no.
Speaker 5: I get this feeling every day and.
Speaker 3: You're the most sensible guy in a precinct. It's just
a crazy feeling and it always passes except today, Except today, What.
Speaker 1: Bath and I'll be Okay, Okay.
Speaker 2: Our mystery drama Just One More Day was written especially
for the Mystery Theater by Sam Dan and stars Theodore Biquel.
His name is Edward Mason, and this is the early
morning of a very special day in his life. To
each of us, there comes a final day from time
to time, a last day, a day which marks a divide,
and today is one of those special days for Eddie
because it is the last day that Eddie will spend
as a police officer. This is the nine fifty fifth
day that Eddie has been on the force, and it
marks a total of twenty seven years. Every routine act
that Eddie performs today is something that he will do
for the last time. Checking in, standing must walking his beat,
making his reports, and checking out. But today there may
be one act that Eddie will be called upon to
perform for the very first time. In nine eight and
fifty five days for the first time in twenty seven years.
Speaker 4: Morning, darn, I, what are you doing so early? I
heard you stirring around?
Speaker 5: Sorry, I woke you, so I.
Speaker 4: Figured I come out to the kitchen and put up
the coffee. Yeah, well, what's the matter, Eddie?
Speaker 5: Nothing?
Speaker 4: Same dream?
Speaker 1: Yeah, same dream.
Speaker 3: I've been dreaming that dream now for I guess for
the last six eight months, but it's never been so real.
Speaker 4: You know what you ought to do with that vivid
a medication? New yours, Eddie.
Speaker 3: I'm sitting in Mom's candy store, eating at the sh
ice cream vanilla with strawberry syrup.
Speaker 4: You should become a writer, Eddie.
Speaker 3: I'm aware of how creamy white that ice cream is
and the strawberry syrup is red like blood.
Speaker 4: Maybe go back to school, take a writing course.
Speaker 3: Usually you don't dream in such shop to tell, you know.
And then there's this kid, he's maybe seventeen eighteen. One
of the local punks, his name is Tommy, comes running.
Speaker 4: In, Eddie, Eddy hits on a dream.
Speaker 3: Yells, there's a guy next door Indangelo's. He's got a
gun and rush out of the candy store and I
hit the streak as this guy with a gun in
his hand, and I yelled, halt, But he doesn't. He
spins around any fires.
Speaker 1: And what happens I don't know.
Speaker 3: The shop's the loudest shot I ever heard in my
whole life.
Speaker 1: Always wakes me up, Eddie, call him sick.
Speaker 5: Nope, not on my last day.
Speaker 4: But you got the time off coming.
Speaker 3: Mayrah, Honey, I'm gonna put in my twenty seven years
fair and square. Hey, turn on the radio. Let's hear
the news.
Speaker 4: Oh, okay, of the radio.
Speaker 5: Yeah, the radio. Oh, I can't Why what's the matter?
Speaker 4: It's broken?
Speaker 3: It is when I was getting up just before I
thought I heard it.
Speaker 4: Well you did, but it just quit all of a sudden.
Speaker 5: Well, let me see if I can fix it.
Speaker 4: So take my word for it.
Speaker 3: Eddie, Come on, Mayra, what is it? You don't want
me to hear now, Eddie, I'll know about it sooner
or later.
Speaker 4: I was hoping it would be later.
Speaker 5: Tell me what it was.
Speaker 4: Well, A cop was shot early this morning, a hold
up in an all night cafeteria. Ooh, Coler, George Coohler,
did you know him?
Speaker 5: You know him too?
Speaker 3: His father was the first partner I had on the force,
Henry Coller.
Speaker 5: You hand me the phone book.
Speaker 3: I think the kid was with the Southwest precinct, Eddie.
Speaker 4: I want you to listen to me.
Speaker 1: Southwest here it is, Oh.
Speaker 4: Eddie, please don't go in today, Eddie. Eddie, I'm afraid my.
Speaker 1: Take it easy.
Speaker 5: Sarzant Rowland.
Speaker 3: I'm patrolling Edward Mason with a twenty fifth precinct about
Georgia coler I I called to see if he needs blood.
Oh yeah, sure, kid died an hour ago.
Speaker 2: Eddie.
Speaker 1: I think I better leave now.
Speaker 4: You haven't even had your breakfast.
Speaker 1: Well, it being the last day and all I want
to get.
Speaker 4: In early, Eddie. Watch yourself.
Speaker 3: You know, that's what you always say, and that's what
I always do, Hoddie. I thought sure the Captain was
going to make a little speech this morning about what
oh about this being your last day and all.
Speaker 1: Yeah, well I asked him not to.
Speaker 3: I'll miss you, Eddie. I'll tell you. I think you're
the best cop.
Speaker 1: I ever knew.
Speaker 3: How come you will wind up after twenty seven years
just pounding the beast.
Speaker 1: I like to beat Frank.
Speaker 5: You get to know the people, you get to be involved.
Speaker 1: That's where I disagree, Eddie.
Speaker 3: It's a job, all I want to do is put
in my eight hours and get home, especially now I'm
getting married.
Speaker 1: Congratulations, Frank.
Speaker 3: Look at what she gives me for a wedding present.
She says to me, Honey, I want you well taken
care of.
Speaker 5: I must say, it's an unusual gift.
Speaker 1: Revolver.
Speaker 3: How can you just call this a revolver? It's like
calling the mona Lisa picture. It's a custom made thirty
eight special that but is a mother of pearl. It's
pure ivaly be graving. It's a work of arts, feel
of balance, trigger it.
Speaker 1: What do you say?
Speaker 3: All I can say is I wish we didn't have
to carry guns?
Speaker 1: Are you nuts? How can you be a copper not
carry a gun.
Speaker 3: Cops don't carry guns in England, your kid, The cops
there don't carry guns, So most of your criminals don't
carry guns either. Look, Eddie, the very fact that you've
got that revolver riding on your hip, don't.
Speaker 1: I give you a sense of security? No?
Speaker 3: Oh, come on, all the times in the past twenty
seven years that you had to go to the host,
where would you be if there was no gun there?
But I've never gone to the holster. Frank never what
that's right?
Speaker 1: Frank?
Speaker 3: Never are you telling me you've been a cop twenty
seven years and not once in all that time did
you ever have to draw your gun? In twenty seven years,
I never have been forced to fire a single shot.
Speaker 1: I can't believe it.
Speaker 3: You you got an arrest record as good as any
man in the precinct. Some of your collars have been
real rough characters. And you say you never went for
the gun.
Speaker 1: I never won. Swim for the gun? Want your bag?
Half of these guys been lucky.
Speaker 3: I guess that has got to be the most single
sensational streak the luck.
Speaker 5: And I only hope it'll go on for one more day.
Speaker 3: That's what I'm praying for, Frank, Just one more day. Hello, Tommy,
what do you want, Copper?
Speaker 5: What do you want? Tommy?
Speaker 6: Oh?
Speaker 1: It's a public street.
Speaker 3: Ann No, not exactly a public it's an alleyway used
as a loading dock for this warehouse.
Speaker 5: You got any business here?
Speaker 7: Well, I'm just passing through.
Speaker 3: You wouldn't buy any chance case in the joints me
figuring out maybe a little breaking entry tonight.
Speaker 7: Would you stop me like this if I was a
rich old guy? Now you see it's the poor and
the downtrodden that get pushed around by the law.
Speaker 5: Against a wall here, Tommy, what.
Speaker 7: Do you want to frisk me for?
Speaker 1: I'm clean?
Speaker 5: Not Tommy, I'm about this ship.
Speaker 7: Well, I got to protect myself, don't I.
Speaker 1: The law will protect you, Tommy.
Speaker 3: Well, I just hold on to this and you won't
be tempted to get into trouble.
Speaker 7: Is that all, Santa Claus?
Speaker 3: Why don't you go back to school, get yourself an education?
Speaker 1: Are you for real?
Speaker 3: It's the only way. Tommy, you're breaking my eyes. Don't
you want to get anywhere now?
Speaker 1: Sarah?
Speaker 7: Not me?
Speaker 5: Why not?
Speaker 1: Well?
Speaker 7: I guess I'm like you, Weddie.
Speaker 1: What did you have a gift?
Speaker 7: You put in twenty seven years and you're still a
uniform cop. Now, I can understand it if you were
making money down here, but you two don't even shake
down the storekeepers.
Speaker 5: Okay, punk beat it.
Speaker 7: I understand when you're retiring tomorrow aready and all you
got is your pension and you're telling me to be smart?
Speaker 1: I said, be that.
Speaker 4: Good morning Eddie, Good morning mam Eddie. Maybe you better
come into the store for a minute.
Speaker 5: What is it, mom?
Speaker 4: Well, I don't know. I got a funny feeling.
Speaker 1: You too, What do you mean?
Speaker 4: Me too?
Speaker 1: What? Nothing?
Speaker 4: I was opening up the store this morning. You know,
Benny's got this guy Attica.
Speaker 3: Hey did he go see the stock Dot told you about?
Speaker 4: Did he ever go see a doctor in his life?
So I just put out the papers on the stand
and this man, a Youngish man, oh maybe city years old.
He picks up a paper, throws down some money, walks away.
Speaker 1: What about him?
Speaker 3: Mom?
Speaker 4: I don't know. His face was familiar.
Speaker 1: In what way?
Speaker 4: Well? You know me, I'm always looking at the papers.
I recognized him, some gangster, you know, yeah, crook? Hold up, man,
I've seen that face in the papers, but I can't
remember the name.
Speaker 3: Wait wait, and what connection would you have seen him
in the paper?
Speaker 4: Well? Like maybe a man that escaped from jail.
Speaker 5: Try and think more.
Speaker 4: I'll try, But it ain't no good, you know me, Eddie,
let something once fly out of my head and wild
horses couldn't drag it back. Benny, he says the same thing.
But you know who could tell you who this kid? Tommy?
He eats breakfast with me here every morning. What can
I do? The father's are drunk and the mother. Ugh,
Tommy's seen him too. So I says to Tommy. I says, Tommy,
do you know who that is? And he says, no,
I don't, but I could tell by the way he
said no, I don't. The answer was yes, I do.
Speaker 3: Telling me maybe I can get it out of him.
Speaker 4: And he don't bother with it.
Speaker 1: What do you mean don't bother with it?
Speaker 4: Well, in the first place, he ain't gonna tell you.
And in the second place, it's your last day, on
your last day, please don't look for trouble.
Speaker 1: Come out in Lucas. I ain't you busted out of
the slam. How's your wake it? Let's get out of business,
just go. That's what I like about you, Lucas. You're sociable.
Speaker 8: I called you because I need a wheelman, and you're the.
Speaker 1: Best of his. I used to be monest, but why
fight it.
Speaker 8: You're like twenty maybe thirty minutes stops.
Speaker 1: You get twenty five percent of what.
Speaker 8: Come over by the window across the street on the corner.
You got a candy store next to it. See the
sign Dangelo's Jewelry.
Speaker 1: That's it?
Speaker 3: You mean you want to knock off a jewelry store?
A little neighborhood ice parlor. Well, it's been great talking
to you, Lucas. C you around if the fuds don't
beg you?
Speaker 1: What's wrong with it? What's wrong with it? What do
you think he's gotten?
Speaker 9: There?
Speaker 1: The Kohino diamond? For crying out loud? All right?
Speaker 3: Say you can empty your mount What do you get?
A bag full of cheap rings and watches? And you
gotta fence every penny and pennies is all a fence
will give you.
Speaker 8: I don't want what's on a counter or on a shelves?
Speaker 1: Oh, what do you want? What's in a safe?
Speaker 8: He's holding half a million bucks worth of uncut diamonds.
Speaker 1: How do you know?
Speaker 8: He's holding them for some guys that smuggle him out
of South Africa?
Speaker 1: Where'd you get the tip?
Speaker 8: Guys in jail with me telling him a good turn?
Speaker 1: So are you giving to me? And I know her?
Speaker 8: I can get a quarter million for the ice you're
cut fifty grand?
Speaker 1: You want me to keep talking? I'm all is, Lucas?
What time you got on your watch? Eight forty five?
Speaker 8: Right now the cop on the beat's gonna walk out
of the candy store.
Speaker 6: Watch see, yeah, there he goes he's gonna go in
the jewelry store, see, and he'll be there exactly two
and a half minutes. I do you know, I've been
watching this cop eight hours a day for more than
a week. I know every movie makes I know where
he's gonna be every minute.
Speaker 1: Well, that's good.
Speaker 3: The biggest problem you've got on any job is a
cop who comes wandering along.
Speaker 1: I don't know. Why don't you worry about this cop?
Speaker 8: He just ain't gonna be no problem at all.
Speaker 2: After nine eight hundred and fifty five days on the job,
will Patrolman Eddie Mason finally have to draw his service
revolver in the line of duty. The two gentlemen whose
conversation we have just overheard would seem to be the
type who could very well make him do it. I
shall return shortly with that too. I am the master
of my fate, says the poet, not quite answers the realist,
and he would seem to have the best of the argument.
The fact is so much of our fate lies in
the hands of others. Much of life is spent adjusting
to or countering moves by other people, people who may
neither know of nor care about our existence. Some of
these may be good moves. Some are not such good moves,
particularly the ones being pondered at prest by two young
men who are peering out the window of a flat
in a dingy tenement building. I have to hit the
joint at exactly ten minutes to four.
Speaker 1: Why so late? At eleven minutes.
Speaker 8: Of the cop goes into the candy store next door,
and he has a plate of ice cream. I can
even tell you what kind vanilla with strawberry syrup.
Speaker 1: Oh, you gotta be out of this world, Lucas, who
could believe you?
Speaker 6: For the next eleven minutes, he's gonna sit there fanning
the breeze with the old lady who runs the joint.
Then four on the head, he hits the street and
waits for his relief.
Speaker 1: You got this all clocked. Uh, it's the only time
of the day.
Speaker 6: I got eleven clean minutes, eleven minutes to walk in
air show the old geeze of the gun.
Speaker 1: Get him to open a safe. Hand me the bundle.
You're parked outside and we're off. How do you like it?
I'd like it fine. Weren't the gun? That's no matter
what the gun? I hate guns.
Speaker 3: Once they go off, you can never tell who gets
hit Without a gun. If you get caught, A good
mouthpiece can reduce any robbery. Wrapped them maybe three to five,
But get collared with the iron on you, you're looking
at seven to ten.
Speaker 1: Kill somebody. You're buried for twenty a tidy.
Speaker 8: All I want that gun for is to scare him with.
Speaker 3: Okay, you see that fire plug twenty feet down the block.
That's where I'll be parked, so I can count on
an open space.
Speaker 8: I'll come barreling out of there, have that engine running.
Speaker 1: Nobody ever complained about my work yet.
Speaker 6: Look, you're getting fifty grand for that, and I want
every penny.
Speaker 3: So I'll be waiting for you anytime between three point
fifteen and four pm.
Speaker 1: See you, hey, where you're going? Well, I gotta steal
a car, nice little sea dan. Okay, we got a deal. Yeah,
but you got a deal as long as i'd on here,
no shooting.
Speaker 3: I am very nicous. I have been known to panic
itt to sound the gunfire. I forget why I am there.
I just hit that gas pedal and I fly.
Speaker 8: I said there won't be no shooting. How many times
do I have.
Speaker 3: To tell you?
Speaker 1: If you mean it. You only had to told me once.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're okay, sure, nine thirty chick in You're sure
you're okay? Yeah, yeah, I'm market frank. Listen, Mom Feldman,
who's the candy store?
Speaker 1: What about her? She's not sure?
Speaker 3: She thinks she spotted somebody this morning. Oh she's not sure. Look,
why don't you get hold of the latest one at
Circulars and bring them down here?
Speaker 1: How about this one? Mom? Nah?
Speaker 4: Humans sharing this one?
Speaker 1: Mm hmm? What about him?
Speaker 4: Wait? Wait a minute?
Speaker 1: You sure?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm sure. In the picture he gets short hair
now and now it's down over as he is. But
I know him anywhere any time by his mouth tight
pulled up like something's always bothering him.
Speaker 3: Jack Locas, Yeah, busted out of the state pen six
weeks ago, armed and very dangerous. That he be careful,
I'm always careful. He always carries a big gun, likes
to use it. We better ask to have an extra
car patrol the area.
Speaker 1: I'll tell you one thing, Eddie.
Speaker 3: You spot him, you want to shoot first, and shoot fast,
and remember I remember you see anything the least bit
out of the way call in okay for thanks mom my.
Speaker 4: Pleasure, Eddie. It's your last day.
Speaker 1: Why did you have I have a job to do, man.
Speaker 4: I remember reading the name jack Lucas mad Doug Jackie.
Speaker 5: And he's here in the neighborhood.
Speaker 4: Who says he has to be here?
Speaker 7: Maybe you what?
Speaker 4: Whoa? Maybe he was just passing by. He could be
miles away from here by.
Speaker 3: Now, Mom, he's here, Ah.
Speaker 4: Eddie, makes sense? Why would he be here? What's here?
Speaker 5: He's here?
Speaker 1: Mom?
Speaker 4: Why do you think I am wrong? Eddie?
Speaker 3: If I tell you, you say I'm crazy?
Speaker 1: Eddie?
Speaker 4: You crazy? It's impossible.
Speaker 3: Today is well, the only thing I can think of
to call it is Today's the day of the gun.
Speaker 4: The day of the gun? Now, what is this, Eddie?
Speaker 1: The law of averages?
Speaker 3: Mom, the law of averages suddenly realizes that me Edward
Mason has been breaking it far too long.
Speaker 4: Now that sounds crazy, you know.
Speaker 3: So today we have to have the day of the
gun to make up for all the days we didn't
have one. I won't want to talk this way to
anybody but.
Speaker 1: You, Mom.
Speaker 4: Eddie, what is this about a gun?
Speaker 3: Wherever I turn today, I'm looking down the barrel of
a gun. Last night I dreamed about a gun this morning,
A cop I knew since he was a kid is
gun to death.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I hit it on the radio.
Speaker 3: I come to work and Frank makes a big deal
out of his brand new custom made service revolver, a
gift from his fiance.
Speaker 4: No less, what kind of gift? All right, each is own.
Speaker 3: And now we have mad Dog Jackie Lucas, who I
think was weaned on a gun.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but what does he want here?
Speaker 5: I think he wants me.
Speaker 4: What kind of talk is this? Did he know you?
Speaker 5: No, Mom, and I don't know him either.
Speaker 4: Then what do you say?
Speaker 3: And I'm saying, I got this feeling. I can't shake it.
Just one more day, that's all I want, just one
more day, and I know, I just know I can't
have it.
Speaker 5: Listen, you say you saw this.
Speaker 4: Guy, Well, I could have been mistaken.
Speaker 3: Ah, that doesn't help. If he's in the neighborhood, I
have to know. Could Tommy have seen.
Speaker 1: Where he went?
Speaker 4: Could Tommy you see?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Sure, And I'll tell you why, because when I asked
Tommy if he knew the fella, Tommy went to the
door and he looked, so wherever he went, Tommy would
have seen him.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 5: Thanks Mom, for what.
Speaker 4: I upset your whole day? Hello, Eddie?
Speaker 1: How do you know? It's Eddie? Oh?
Speaker 10: I was just sitting here wishing and hoping and praying
you'd call I guess it's what they call ESP.
Speaker 3: I just want to let you know it's twelve known
and all is well.
Speaker 1: How do you feel? You just great?
Speaker 10: Oh, it's so hard to believe you'll only have four
more hours to be.
Speaker 4: A police officer.
Speaker 3: We got to eat out tonight and celebrate.
Speaker 10: M We've been invited.
Speaker 4: Out, yeah by who oh, some old friends.
Speaker 10: Eddie?
Speaker 1: What is it?
Speaker 10: I was going to suggest something, but I know you
won't do it.
Speaker 5: Honey. You know i'd do anything for you.
Speaker 10: Well, I wish that you'd call him sick and come
home right now.
Speaker 5: Ask me something else?
Speaker 4: Eddie, watch yourself.
Speaker 3: That's what you always say, and that's what I always do.
Speaker 4: Where now cold's here? Miss that Julia Gangsta himself?
Speaker 7: Give me a shock? But Marth huh held your buck
and a half for breakfast, So just take it out
of this.
Speaker 4: Where do you get ted?
Speaker 7: I lifted a guy's wallets.
Speaker 4: I almost believe you. What are you gonna get a job? Oh?
Speaker 7: I made pull ont tonight was.
Speaker 4: It gonna end with you, Tommy. Eddie the cop wants
to see you. Oh yeah, listen, Tommy, you remember that
person we saw by a paper this morning.
Speaker 7: I didn't see no person.
Speaker 4: Do you know who he is?
Speaker 7: I don't know nothing.
Speaker 4: He is the one they called Jackie, mad Dog Lucas.
Speaker 1: I never heard of him.
Speaker 4: An escape combat a murderer.
Speaker 7: I can't prove nothing by me, Tommy.
Speaker 4: If a person like this is in the neighborhood, Eddie
should know about it.
Speaker 7: A lot of things that he should know, But he's
a chump.
Speaker 4: Eddie's a good cop.
Speaker 7: There ain't no such animal as a good cop.
Speaker 4: Don't you talk that boy about Eddie. Was there ever
a hungry person on this block? Edie buy him groceries?
And your own father? How many times does Eddie carry
him upstairs when he's dead drunk?
Speaker 7: Why don't own business and leave the old bum and
a gutter?
Speaker 4: Tommy, you can't say that about your own father, even
if it's true. Believe me, Eddie's on your side.
Speaker 1: Hello, Tommy, Wow, look who's here?
Speaker 7: You're all Santa Claus in a blue coat? Here? What
happened your whiskers?
Speaker 3: I want you to look at the picture on the circular.
Speaker 7: I'm glad the lies you know, sport, the local fuzz
all the way.
Speaker 1: That's my style.
Speaker 5: Look familiar, of course, that's.
Speaker 4: The pushing you and I saw this morning.
Speaker 1: Tommy.
Speaker 7: I never seen him before in all my life.
Speaker 3: Okay, you walked through it to the door to get
a bit of look.
Speaker 1: Oh did you did well?
Speaker 7: I may have walked to the door because a good
looking dame was walking past.
Speaker 1: Which way do you go? Which way? Who go?
Speaker 3: The guy on the circular, the guy I'm looking for,
Jack Lucas.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna tell you which way you want one. I
never seen him.
Speaker 5: Okay, Tommy, have it you away?
Speaker 1: What do you mean? Habit my way?
Speaker 7: What do you want for me? What am I a cop?
Am I supposed to go around looking for escape cons?
I don't get paid the word badge?
Speaker 1: Why do I have to do your work?
Speaker 7: Maybe if you spend more time being a cop, unless
time hustling drunks out of the gutter and helping a
bunch of dead beats pay the rent and quit being
big doddy good old uncle Leddie. Maybe if you spend
more time being a cop, a real cop, you'd find
of yourself.
Speaker 1: I'm getting out of here. What's a real cop, Tommy, sir.
Speaker 4: What they call it is their boy Eddie. He doesn't
respect me, ma'am. H, don't say that.
Speaker 5: It's the truth.
Speaker 4: You are the best cop on a whole force.
Speaker 3: No, I'd beat the best cop if I opened somebody's
skull with a billy club or gun down some crook.
That's what he's been taught to respect, Eddie.
Speaker 4: He really looks on you as a father.
Speaker 5: That's no compliment.
Speaker 4: Well just think tomorrow you'll be a retired man.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but that's tomorrow. Meanwhile, I still got today, just
one more day.
Speaker 2: Long ago, a poet wrote, be the day short, or
ever so long? It creepeth at last to evensong, and
the longest day for Patrolman Edward Mason also creeps reluctantly
to its close.
Speaker 1: But before it ends.
Speaker 2: Finally, a certain event is scheduled to take place, and
looking at it analytically, there are three possibilities. A. It
will be canceled. B it will be postponed. See it
will happen. I shall return shortly with act three. Our
dream is about to come true. For Patrolman Edward Mason.
The trouble is he doesn't know which dream. He has
two of them. The first is that he'll be able
to complete twenty seven years as a police officer without
firing a shot in the line of duty, and the
second dream is that he won't. It is now two
o'clock in the afternoon of his last day on the force,
and he has two hours to go. All twenty seven
years are now compressed into two hours, one hundred and
twenty minutes seventy two hundred seconds, and Eddie can feel
the beat of each of them.
Speaker 1: Ah, Edgy.
Speaker 3: Mom says, you wanted to see me, Jimmy, Edgy, look
at you.
Speaker 1: I don't know. Should I love? Should I cry? Well
to both Jimmy, see what you like better? Eh?
Speaker 11: I cry because twenty seven years Ady, where did it go?
Speaker 1: Touch me?
Speaker 11: But I laugh because tomorrow you are a retired man,
a free man. And then I cried because I lose
an old friend.
Speaker 1: How can you lose all friends? Eddie.
Speaker 11: We're going to have a wonderful dinner tonight.
Speaker 5: Tonight.
Speaker 3: Oh no, I think my wife said we were invited to.
Speaker 7: Oh sure, we fixed it with Myra.
Speaker 8: There's going to be a bigger dinner in Cleanse's restaurant.
Speaker 1: For you, for me.
Speaker 11: Everybody is coming Mama Feldman and Schmidt the Butcher, and
Pedro and Jerry the plower.
Speaker 1: The whole neighborhood is supposed to be a surprise.
Speaker 11: Oh I shouldn't have told you. Don't ask me why
I told you, Okay, Jimmy, I want to ask you.
Speaker 1: Know why I told you. I don't know what got
into me.
Speaker 11: I just want to make sure you know how how
how everybody here feels about you.
Speaker 1: It's just look, you're coup.
Speaker 11: You understand, any minute, some bomb, some some gum on.
Speaker 1: You know how it is. I just felt I had
to tell you.
Speaker 5: I understand.
Speaker 1: Let me tell you the rest. You've got a promise
to act. Surprise when you get it.
Speaker 5: When I get what?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I got to hear the drawer to watch.
Speaker 5: Oh hey, that's it.
Speaker 1: Say what I engraved on the back. It's my finest
work to Edward Francis Mason, Eddie a man of the low,
and put it back until tonight.
Speaker 3: Jimmy, Well what he got in that drawer?
Speaker 1: A revolver? Jimmy, what I got a license for it? Eddie?
Speaker 3: Times have changed, I know, but you can't change him
back with a gun.
Speaker 11: Nobody gonna come into my jewelry shop and hold me up.
Speaker 3: You want to get killed, Jimmy, what's gotten into you?
Speaker 1: That gun?
Speaker 3: He won't settle anything.
Speaker 1: You'll maybe settle a few crooks. You show the gun,
you force them the killing.
Speaker 11: These animals today, they kill you anyhow. Believe me, Eddie,
you're getting out just in time. You're not a coup
for today.
Speaker 3: Promise me you won't do anything foolish?
Speaker 11: How can any human being make such a promise?
Speaker 1: Hey, Eddie, what's up? Frank?
Speaker 3: Nothing rose in the neighborhood, soars Rogers.
Speaker 5: Anyone's spinning anything?
Speaker 1: Not a smell.
Speaker 3: Lucas is here, he's sacked up tight.
Speaker 5: I'll keep looking.
Speaker 3: Just think, Eddie, forty more minutes. You're out of it forever.
Why is it twenty after three already? As if you
ain't clock on every second, I would say you're over the.
Speaker 1: Hump, twenty after three one.
Speaker 3: I turn around the beat and then I hand it
over to Smitty Twain.
Speaker 1: You and me, Eddie.
Speaker 3: I don't think Mom actually seeing this mad dog Locus,
Well she did. He was just passing through.
Speaker 1: Yeah, see you back at the station house. Okay, and Eddie,
keep your eyes open. Huh, give me.
Speaker 7: A pack of cigarettes some tommy.
Speaker 4: You want to come to the dinner tonight?
Speaker 7: Me pay five bucks to eat with a cop.
Speaker 4: I'll pay for you.
Speaker 7: Why don't you get off my back?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 4: Who's bothering? Which year?
Speaker 7: And don't ask me if I seen this guy who
was asking? Because the answer is no.
Speaker 1: You had a phone boot right in the back nikes. Ah, yeah,
it's made chess go. I'm in a candy store. You set.
Speaker 3: You look out of the window with the black tudor
hard top near the fire plug.
Speaker 1: You'll see I'm set. Listen.
Speaker 3: I want to ask you something. Is there a chance
somebody could have fingered you?
Speaker 1: What do you mean? Well, I mean your picture's been
in the paper. You could have been spotted. No way?
Speaker 3: And what was the Proud card doing outside? Two minutes ago?
The cop in the car was talking to the cop
on the beat that they been talking about you.
Speaker 1: No way, you didn't say nothing about provde cars. I
thought you had it locked. I do. That was the
three twenty check off? What three twenty check on?
Speaker 7: Ay?
Speaker 8: Minutes after every hour a car comes down the street.
I told you, I know every movie these clowns.
Speaker 1: Make all right, I'm just checking. You'll make sure that
motor is running and ready, and you'll make sure right
on air. No shooting hot day. Huh.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it's like yesterday it was winter and today at summer.
What happened to spring?
Speaker 1: Don't ask me? What do you get for an ice
cream soda?
Speaker 4: Forty cents?
Speaker 1: I can't remember when the cossed a quarter.
Speaker 4: I can remember when I sold him for.
Speaker 3: A dime forty cents, but you get two scoops?
Speaker 1: Uh, give me a black and white. Ain't of a
crime the way prices the sky high today?
Speaker 7: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Where will it end? H Tommy? I already paid the
five dollars for Benny.
Speaker 7: I should have heard gone.
Speaker 4: I just talked to Bennie on the telephone. He can't
even get out of bed. Why should the money go
to waste?
Speaker 7: I'd starved at that first. I'll show your.
Speaker 4: Mom young people today.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no manners.
Speaker 4: We got a cop on the beat, such a wonderful man.
I couldn't begin to tell you. We're giving him a
retirement dinner tonight, and that one don't want to go
no respect.
Speaker 1: Hey is at the right time in your clock?
Speaker 4: Absolutely we said it by the radio.
Speaker 1: It can't be three forty seven. My watch, my wife stopped.
How do you like that? Stopped before?
Speaker 4: Take it next to her? We got a jeweler, mister D'Angelo,
The man's a genius.
Speaker 7: Day.
Speaker 4: You're two minutes early.
Speaker 3: That's your car parked outside?
Speaker 1: Yeah, it is an officer.
Speaker 3: You're kind of close to the fireplug. That'll be twelve
feet away.
Speaker 1: Okay, officer, I'll thank care of it. Thanks for telling me.
Speaker 5: You can finish your soup.
Speaker 1: It's okay. You want to diet anyhow.
Speaker 4: What a nice young fellow. The usual.
Speaker 5: Yeah, weight as well.
Speaker 4: Go easy on the syrup, though, Eddie, I can't tell
you how glad I am. The day is over.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's just about over. And I made it.
Speaker 4: I am so happy for you.
Speaker 5: I made it, mom, But I cheated.
Speaker 4: What are you talking about.
Speaker 3: It's like a pitcher on baseball who was trying for
a no hitter.
Speaker 1: You know what I mean?
Speaker 4: From baseball? I know nothing.
Speaker 3: Well, the first couple of innings he doesn't realize it,
but as the game goes on he becomes aware of it.
Speaker 4: I still don't understand.
Speaker 1: The gun thing.
Speaker 3: I mean, it's become bigger than anything else would make
me different. Give me something to brag about.
Speaker 4: Eddie, don't be sataped with yourself.
Speaker 3: This escape gunman Jack Lucas. I haven't really been looking
for him.
Speaker 4: Which you don't even know if he's around here.
Speaker 3: We know he's here, mom, but you see, my record
is more important to me than my is a cop.
I don't want to find him.
Speaker 4: I don't believe you.
Speaker 3: I've been going through the motions. I haven't really been looking.
You know why, because if I find him, I know
I'll have to shoot. So I'm sweating out four o'clock
and four o'clock is eight minutes away.
Speaker 4: Eddie. You want to finish your career without using your gun,
not just for pride.
Speaker 5: I know myself, Mom.
Speaker 4: I know you better than you know yourself. You want
to prove that a cop don't have to be a
man as violent as the criminals, except he wears a
badge and he's got the right to smash heads.
Speaker 1: All right.
Speaker 3: The ice cream is in the syrup is blood red,
just like a dream.
Speaker 4: What you're trying to tell everybody is, look, a cop
can be kind and understanding and a human beast.
Speaker 3: I don't think I can eat it, mom, Eddie, something to.
Speaker 7: Matter hey, Eddie, Yeah, what is it you gotta?
Speaker 5: What do you want?
Speaker 4: Punk?
Speaker 7: Nothing?
Speaker 3: You're gonna like the cop who's gonna walk this beat tomorrow.
He's your kind of cough Eddy.
Speaker 1: What is he? Don't say?
Speaker 7: I told you don't ever say I rad it. But
but watch next door next door di' angelo's it's a
stick up.
Speaker 1: He's got a gun. Phone the station ozma, Oh.
Speaker 4: Eddie, yeah, it was on the news. I heard Frank
called me and the sergeant.
Speaker 3: And mom the' angelo he's dead. Oh no, you see
he was willing to give up the diamonds.
Speaker 4: But what Eddie.
Speaker 3: He wouldn't let the hood take the watch.
Speaker 1: Oh this watch. Read what it says.
Speaker 4: I know what it says.
Speaker 1: I killed the guy. I know he fired first.
Speaker 4: That's what everyone says.
Speaker 3: He's thirty two years old, spent twelve years in jail.
He had to end like this one day. He was
searching for this day. He was waiting for it.
Speaker 4: That's right, Eddie.
Speaker 1: Listen.
Speaker 5: Uh.
Speaker 3: I told the commissioner that since I'm still on the fifty,
I can put in thirty years instead of twenty seven.
All right, Eddie, they need me on that beat.
Speaker 1: You're my myra.
Speaker 4: I don't mind. They need you, Eddie.
Speaker 9: See what it says to Edward Francis Mason, Eddie, a
man of the law. Guys like you a few far between.
Speaker 3: Nah, there's lots of guys like me. Guys will pray
for just one more day. Well, just because I didn't
get it, don't mean I have to walk out.
Speaker 1: I'll just start all over again.
Speaker 2: Just one more day, a modest enough request. There are
so many days, so many uneventful days, so many dull
days in which nothing happens.
Speaker 1: And yet when Eddie Mason prayed for just one.
Speaker 2: More of them, suddenly it became too precious a gift.
Speaker 1: I'll be back.
Speaker 2: Shortly, because they come and go without effort, without notice,
because one follows another swiftly and regularly.
Speaker 1: Do not take your days for granted.
Speaker 2: Each is special, Each has its own meaning and his
own place in the scheme of your life. Each one
added to the other shapes the meaning of your existence.
And hopefully you will always be able to ask for
and receive just one more day of whatever it takes
to make you happy. Our cast included Theodore biquel E
v Jester, Jackson, Beck, Ken Harvey, and Jack Grimes. The
entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown.
Speaker 12: Well, my name is Matt, and today I was supposed
to get married to the girl I loved more than
anything else.
Speaker 1: In the world. Her name is Angela. See.
Speaker 12: We were all at my bachelor party doing shots, and
then my buddy Mike, who I've known since we used
to raise tricycles together, whipped out some coke in the bathroom.
I did four spoons and died right there in the stall.
Cardiac arreste said, a heart attack. In the last second
before I died, I thought of Angie and how we
had everything, how she'd start a sentence and I'd finish it,
or how our hands fit together when we held the
day we fell in love, and the dunes at the
beach and then we cried the night we got engaged,
and how she wanted boys and I wanted anything with
ten fingers and ten toes. How it was going to
be Matt and Angie. Angie.
Speaker 2: From the Partnership for Drug Free America, this is E. G.
Marshall inviting you to return to our Mistry Theater for
another adventure in the macabre.
Speaker 1: Until next time, Pleasant Dreams