Speaker 1: Stay tuned for a mystery theater.
Speaker 2: Come in.
Speaker 1: Welcome man, I'm g Marshall.
Speaker 3: Our tale is another domestic story. It's about the happy
home life of a modern young family, a life, unfortunately
which is cut movially short. Please be warned some of
the scenes may not make you feel safe and secure,
even if your door is locked and bolted. It's a
story about a family man named David Farmer. Our mystery
drama promised to kill and especially for the mystery Theater
by Henry Schlesser and stars Gordon Gould. It is sponsored
in part by Buick Motor Division and Anheuser Busch Incorporated.
Speaker 1: Brewer is a Budweiser.
Speaker 4: I'll be back shortly with Act one.
Speaker 3: The scene is a suburban community called appropriately Park Pleasant,
for that's exactly what it is. Pleasant and park like
and very serene, a haven for the families of busy
city executives like Dave Farmer. Dave is a lucky young man.
He has a good job. He's a beautiful young wife
named Connie. He has a daughter who promises to grow
up looking just like her, But little Susan has plenty
of time for that. She's only five years old. The
day is Monday. The time is eight fifteen am. The
day is just beginning, so is the nightmare.
Speaker 5: Hey, will you please hurry up? Stand's gonna drive me
crazy with that horn.
Speaker 1: I'm coming, I'm coming.
Speaker 5: I wish you wouldn't fly down those stairs.
Speaker 1: I'm always afraid.
Speaker 6: Your break your neck.
Speaker 1: Listen at my neck. That's the problem. I can't see
the time I tie around it this morning.
Speaker 6: It's no wonder with Dan blowing his horn that way.
What's the big hurry?
Speaker 1: It's on a quarter past. He's got to be in
court this morning.
Speaker 5: Well that's his problem. You don't have to be at
work until nine. And I insist that you had some breakfast.
Speaker 1: I really don't have time money, Yes you do.
Speaker 5: Look, the eggs are all made, the toast is halfway
down it.
Speaker 1: You haven't plugged it in?
Speaker 6: Oh my, has Susan again?
Speaker 5: She insists on pulling plugs out of the wall.
Speaker 1: You better keep her away from wires and stuff.
Speaker 3: She would electrocute herself anyway.
Speaker 6: Here the eggs.
Speaker 2: Hey, what's going on here?
Speaker 1: Come on in Stan. I've been intimidated into eating breakfast.
Speaker 3: Breakfast, but now I've got a case argue this morning
and this carpool was your idea?
Speaker 1: He said, Okay, I'm already. That didn't take long.
Speaker 6: You didn't even taste those eggs were.
Speaker 1: Great, terrific. I am sorry to rush him out so early.
Speaker 2: Connie, Why, daddy?
Speaker 1: Oh a new complication?
Speaker 6: Weez my tuesdays?
Speaker 1: That's right, my darling.
Speaker 5: You told Susan you were going to bring her a
pool bear last night.
Speaker 1: But I did. I just got home too late to
give it to her. She was already asleep. Well where
is it?
Speaker 6: Daddy?
Speaker 1: Waited? Eggs offer Pete?
Speaker 3: Say come on, Dave, am I going to hang up
my client for a wooly bear? I want my Tuesday?
Speaker 7: Dude?
Speaker 1: It is just as I promised. Oh wait is he you?
Don't you love him? Susie?
Speaker 8: Oh?
Speaker 6: Say thank you? Daddy.
Speaker 1: Froggy goes day? Would you please?
Speaker 5: Er?
Speaker 2: Wrong?
Speaker 1: Darling?
Speaker 5: And when you're calling this afternoon?
Speaker 1: Don't I always have a good day? You two day? Thanks?
You two have already ruined my day? Served you're right, bachelor.
Speaker 3: Well, I'll say one thing for married life hasn't hurt
Connie's looks.
Speaker 1: Yeah she really looks great, doesn't she.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've almost forgotten how pretty she is. It's first
time I've seen her in more than a month.
Speaker 1: That's not my fault. Call, I told you what to do.
Get yourself a date and we'll make it a fourth
them one night.
Speaker 3: That's trouble with being a bachelor. You you know you've
always got to sclounge around.
Speaker 1: For a Date's okay, we'll make it a threesome. I'm
sure you'd rather not. Three's a crowd, right, Not when
two of them are married. Anyway, it's about time you
made it a permanent for them. Why don't you make
up your mind which of your fifty five girlfriends you
want to marry. Tried it once?
Speaker 7: I didn't like it.
Speaker 1: If at first you don't succeed, try try, that's what
you say. Ah, you hear it right the first time?
Just lucky, I guess, no kiddings. Then how about going
to the theater? Oh, the theater? What about it? And
if I got to talk Connie.
Speaker 3: To go to the box office for four? Some tickets
were that for us at the park.
Speaker 1: Pleasant Playhouse for tonight, but we have to pick them
up before noon.
Speaker 3: I relax, we'll stop at the phone booth on the way.
Speaker 1: Dear, are you sure you want to drive us? Dets.
Speaker 6: Mommy can do like you. He Well, it's tweew baby,
But they're only a few.
Speaker 1: Can I get ready to discover up?
Speaker 5: No, dear, bears don't eat eggs.
Speaker 6: Fifty day bears.
Speaker 5: Eat honey, but I could get No, you can't give
Winny to pool any honey eater.
Speaker 1: I mean, bears don't eat anything that time of the year.
They just sleep.
Speaker 7: Oh so lady are putting to that?
Speaker 6: Now that's a good idea. How long have you see?
Ella usually see through the whole winter?
Speaker 5: Maybe pogos give her run along? Now, dear mommy had
to answer the phone.
Speaker 7: Maybe so.
Speaker 1: Hello, Hi on, it's Paula.
Speaker 5: Hi.
Speaker 6: One second.
Speaker 5: It's not for you, baby, it's your aunt Paula. Now
you go give pubert a nap.
Speaker 2: Oh kay, Paula, Hi, How are you feeling? Oh fine, you're.
Speaker 6: Calling pretty early, aren't you.
Speaker 9: I'm calling to give you a wonderful opportunity. If you
meet me in the city before noon, I'll buy your
lunch and then we go shopping.
Speaker 6: Oh I can't today, paul I'm sorry.
Speaker 1: Why not? We'll Tusy's home from school for one thing.
Speaker 5: They having one of those teacher's confidences.
Speaker 9: Why can't the nid take care of her?
Speaker 5: Because it's Emily's day off, and I've got a dozen
things to do around the house, and.
Speaker 1: At the moment I have to answer the doorbell.
Speaker 3: Go ahead, if it's stopping you, well, do.
Speaker 6: You want to hold on it?
Speaker 9: I call you back?
Speaker 3: Oh huh.
Speaker 7: Oh, hello, Vernon, Hi, miss Farmer.
Speaker 1: What in the world time is it?
Speaker 7: Oh?
Speaker 3: Gee, I don't know. I don't have a watch. But uh, well,
I I thought it was the right time.
Speaker 5: Well, you usually delivered the grassies around ten, don't you.
Speaker 3: Well, sure, usually, but I I thought, whoa you know?
But come early today?
Speaker 5: Well alright, I suppose it doesn't make all that much different.
Speaker 7: It it does to me, Miss Farmer.
Speaker 1: What listen?
Speaker 7: What y what do you want me to do? I mean,
sh should I bring in the stuff right now?
Speaker 1: Well?
Speaker 10: Of course, uh, I mean I I I could leave
him out on the truck for a while. U No,
I guess that's not a smart idea. I mean, you
got milk and cream and stuff. They might get spoiled.
Speaker 6: Well, of course they might get spoiled. Vernon, what an idea?
Speaker 1: Bring him in right away?
Speaker 3: Sure, I'll do that, Miss Farmer. I won't be long okay, Paula,
are you still there?
Speaker 9: I'm here? What's going on?
Speaker 5: Well, it's just a boy from the supermarket, uh, Vernon
whatever his name is?
Speaker 9: Oh yeah, the blondea don it all muscle including his head.
Speaker 5: Well, there is certainly something wrong with his head today.
He's talking so strangely. Anyway, listen about the city. Thursday
is absolutely the first day I can make.
Speaker 7: It here, is miss Farmer?
Speaker 1: All like Vernon? Paula, what do you think about Thursday?
Speaker 9: Thursday's Bye. I'll call you Wednesday just to make sure
you don't kick it out.
Speaker 1: Bye Paula, Bye, so long? Ms Farmer.
Speaker 7: What is it okay? If I put everything here.
Speaker 1: Well, yes, of course, pretty big load today. I can
handle it. I mean I'm strong, you know.
Speaker 7: Oh yes, oh yeah, you want me.
Speaker 3: To put the milk and stuff? Uhator no, no, just
leave them there. You know, it was really something this morning.
Speaker 7: I mean the way I felt driving over here.
Speaker 11: Yes, uh, it's a lovely day, you know what I mean,
driving over here and knowing that well that it was
gonna see you, Well, that's h very sweet, and kept
seeing your face in front of me like it was
in the windshield.
Speaker 1: You know, what runin?
Speaker 10: What a strange thing to say, kept thinking about wobout
how it was gonna be. And when I rang the
bell and you opened the door and you saw me and.
Speaker 7: I don't know. I here we are, I mean.
Speaker 5: Just acting like always, like always, you know, like nothing
was special. Well, I never mind the rest of that stuff.
And then I'll empty the boxes myself.
Speaker 10: Yeah, yolky, that'll be better. We don't have much time.
I guess I gotta be back to the store around
nine nine thirty.
Speaker 6: What are you doing?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 7: Oh, you've got such soft hands, you know.
Speaker 1: Please don't do that.
Speaker 7: Listen, what about her? You know, your little girl?
Speaker 3: Because what about it?
Speaker 7: When well, where is she school or something?
Speaker 1: And then stop that.
Speaker 7: Jeez oh, your skin is.
Speaker 3: Oh I know it's like something else is just for
Heaven's sake.
Speaker 7: Please don't don't tease no more, missus, farmer, don't tease.
I ain't how much time you know? Will you let
me go? What is the matter with you? When you
go you want to you want to go upstairs?
Speaker 1: Let me go, you let me go off and lead
the house down. Don't do.
Speaker 3: Leap, I swear I will.
Speaker 5: I.
Speaker 7: Don't, Farmers, You just stop trying James way, don't missus?
Speaker 1: Farmer?
Speaker 7: Please sing nice?
Speaker 1: Don't make me hurt you? Please?
Speaker 7: Please? Are you sure you dial the right number?
Speaker 1: Positive? I think I don't know my own number. A
lot of people don't. Connie's got to be home. We
left only half an hour ago.
Speaker 7: Maybe she's in the bath and Susie picks up.
Speaker 1: The phone when she is. I'll try just once more.
Oh fine, Now I got a wrong number. Hello is
this I was calling the Farmer residence?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 9: Yeah, this is the right place. Oh I speaking to Please?
Speaker 1: Maybe you can answer the same question since it's my house.
Speaker 9: Are you mister mister Davis Farmer?
Speaker 1: Yes, that's right. Who are you?
Speaker 9: This is patrolman? Ernest may leave you.
Speaker 1: Mister Farmer. Did you say patrolman? What was that? Listen?
Is there something wrong out there? Was there a fire
or something?
Speaker 7: Good?
Speaker 1: Lord Dave? Well, no, mister Farmer, it's not a fire.
Speaker 9: Could you please tell me where you're calling from.
Speaker 1: I'm in a pone booth on the expressway. But Pete's sake,
will you tell me what you're doing in my house?
Speaker 7: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Let me speak to my wife.
Speaker 8: I'm sorry, mister Farmer, you can't do that maybe maybe
it would be best if you came back home.
Speaker 1: I'm not doing anything until you tell me what happened.
Speaker 9: There a little trouble, I mean a lot of troubles.
Speaker 1: I want to know what kind better.
Speaker 8: Just come back here, mister Farmer. Your wife and kid
were hurt very bad.
Speaker 1: Oh Lord, Connie, Susie, how bad? What's going on? For
Pete's sake, I want to know what happened. I want
to know how they were hurt and how badly.
Speaker 9: I hate to tell you, mister Farmer, I mean, just
like this over the fall.
Speaker 1: Damn, you'll tell me they're dead.
Speaker 9: All of them are dead, mister Farmer.
Speaker 3: It's a strange place to find yourself in the middle
of a nightmare, a highway crowded with cars and trucks,
the bright midwinter sun shining in your eyes, hearing a
disembodied voice telling you that everything you cared for in.
Speaker 1: Life is gone, vanished in one bloody.
Speaker 3: Instant, one terrible moment of madness, one meaningless action. But
this nightmare isn't over for Dave Farmer, or for a
young man named Vernon White. We'll be back in just
a moment. With that two, the scene changes We are
no longer in the quiet suburb of Park Pleasant. We
are in a large, high ceiling room flanked by American flags,
solemn with the traditions.
Speaker 7: Of American justice.
Speaker 1: This is a courtroom.
Speaker 3: Seated in the front row is David Farmer. Beside him
sits his friends Stan, his sister in law Paula. His
face is ashen, haunted and at the defense table, his
hair neatly combed and brushed, his cheeks rosy, wearing his
best blue suit, looking very much like.
Speaker 1: The all American bo boy. It's Vernon White killer, your honor, Yes,
mister Waterman.
Speaker 3: The defense says, no objection to these photographs being submitted
to the jury. But these proceedings have been delayed long
enough very well. Is the prosecution ready to proceed, Yes,
your honor, Then please continue your examination of the witness. Yes,
your honor, Patron mcleary, you've seen these photographs we've shown
the jury, Yes, sir. Is it an accurate representation of
the scene you discovered that morning at the Farmer house.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, that's what I've found.
Speaker 3: A young woman brutally assaulted, strangled to death.
Speaker 1: Yes, sir. Evidence of a struggle, yes, sir.
Speaker 3: A young wife and mother slain in her own kitchen,
and a child five years old slain just as horrible,
your honor, May I object to the prosecutions use of
such emotional term.
Speaker 1: I begged the defense attorney's pardon.
Speaker 7: You're quite right.
Speaker 3: One hardly needs words like brutal and horrible to describe
this crime.
Speaker 1: The facts speak for themselves.
Speaker 3: Atron McLevy, did you also see several boxes of groceries
in that kitchen?
Speaker 1: Yes, sir. About the four boxes, you.
Speaker 3: Concluded that the delivery had been made that morning, Yes, sir,
the perishables hadn't been put away, and that led you
to make inquiries in the neighborhood about the arrival of
the grocery truck. Yes, sir, we learned that the truck
from the park Pleasant Supermarket had been there and left,
and you sought out the delivery boy, or should I
say the delivery man, Yes, sir, I interrogated in mister
Vernon White, say and what did he tell you? He
apologized for what he apologized for killing missus.
Speaker 1: Farmer and her daughter.
Speaker 3: Well, they they eat something when you don't just stare
at your plate a come on eat, No.
Speaker 6: I can't, David this is ridiculous.
Speaker 3: No brexit, no lunch.
Speaker 1: What good is that going to do you? No good?
I have talk some sense on them, Paula.
Speaker 3: Look at him, he's lost ten pounds the trial starter, David.
Speaker 6: Please, she was my sister.
Speaker 1: I loved her. I loved Susie.
Speaker 6: But I know that I have to stay alive.
Speaker 9: I know that, and so do you.
Speaker 1: Come on, let's get that to court. Ardan, is missus
Farmer alone?
Speaker 3: When you walked into the kitchen, Yes, did you attend.
Speaker 1: Her right away?
Speaker 7: Attack her?
Speaker 1: You heard me?
Speaker 7: Did you just reach out and grab her?
Speaker 1: Well, no, of Chris.
Speaker 3: Nd did you try to embrace her, kiss her or
anything like that? Yeah, yeah, I guess I.
Speaker 1: Did because because what Vernon, Well, because.
Speaker 7: I thought she liked me, because I thought she wanted
me to.
Speaker 6: The defendant will rise.
Speaker 5: Vernon White, you have been tried and convicted for the
crime of homicide in the first degree. The laws of
this State, as amended on October fifth, nineteen seventy four,
impose a mandatory sentence for this crime. Therefore, it is
my duty to instruct the warden of the State Prison
in Pickstown to take you to a place where you
shall be kept until the thirty first day of March
nineteen seventy six, at which time you will be hanging
from the neck until dead.
Speaker 1: May God have mercy on your soul. Who is it?
I said, who is it? It's Falla.
Speaker 6: Please let me and David down, all right?
Speaker 5: Well, well with a real David Farmer, please shave.
Speaker 1: How did you find me? If you must know, stand
told me stand as a big mouth.
Speaker 6: You look terrible, you look it's run down. Is this hotel?
Speaker 1: Did you want me to do? Stay up there in
that house?
Speaker 6: You could have found something better than this suits me?
Speaker 1: Fine?
Speaker 6: If you want to stay in a hotel for a while, fine,
But the least.
Speaker 11: You can do is get a decent room.
Speaker 1: This isn't the hotel room, faller. This is a waiting room,
but eating room, a place for me to wait for
the thirty first of March.
Speaker 6: Oh, Dave, Dave, that's terrible that some sense me.
Speaker 1: What else have I got to do but count the day?
Speaker 6: But to do this to yourself, To.
Speaker 5: Hold up in this awful flea bag, staring at the calendar,
think of nothing but that pom Moron's execution on a moron.
Speaker 1: He's Jack Armstrong. The all American boy. Didn't you hear
what he said in court? He thought Connie liked him,
that she wanted him.
Speaker 6: Dave listened to me. Vernon White killed something very precious
to me too, Dave. I have to tell you something.
Tell me what what you want to happen isn't going
to happen.
Speaker 1: What did you say?
Speaker 6: There isn't going to be any thirty first.
Speaker 1: There's always a thirty first seven months out of the year.
Speaker 6: I mean, there isn't going to be any execution.
Speaker 5: Stanley call to tell me, and I think that's why
he gave me your address so I could break the
news to.
Speaker 6: You instead of him.
Speaker 1: What are you talking about?
Speaker 5: The appeal was accepted because of Vernon's substandard intelligence or
something like that.
Speaker 1: Here, you're lying to me.
Speaker 6: Save they had community sentence to life imprisonments.
Speaker 1: They can't do that.
Speaker 5: They can't they did, Dave, Vernon White went through tests.
He's not an imbecile and he's not insane, but he's
just not smart enough to know the difference between right
and role.
Speaker 7: They can't do that.
Speaker 1: He killed Kanne. He killed my little girl. Good Lord, Paula,
You've got to accept it, Dave.
Speaker 3: Don't let it make such a difference to you.
Speaker 1: No, never, I'll never accept it. Do you think I
can go on living with human alive and breathing, walking
around and smiling, and Connie and Susie dead. No, I
won't let it be. Stan admitted Vernon isn't crazy. They
would have pleaded insanity if he was. It's not a
matter of sane or insane. Dave. There is such a
thing as clemency. Yes, it's clemency for the criminals, not
for the victims.
Speaker 7: This kid's got an IQ of under a.
Speaker 1: He was smart enough to think Connie liked him. He
thought she had a crush on him. He was so
used to having girls ogrel him in the supermarket, juggling
those crates with his big muscles.
Speaker 3: Dave, this is useless. The court has accepted the appeared.
You just don't have any recourse.
Speaker 1: You're wrong. I do like what I'm going to kill him, Stan,
That's all I can do right now. I have to
kill that animal, or I have to stop living myself
one or the other. That's how it has to be. Stand.
But you're crazy, David. I don't believe you mean that.
I mean every word. I'm going to kill him, and
you're going to help me. But the man in prison.
People get killed in prison. There's a way to do
everything if you have the desire and the money. I
have both. You haven't got that cut of experience, but
you have Stan. You were in criminal law once. You
must know people. I'm sorry, Dave, You're supposed to be
my best friend. If that's what you are, prove it,
help me wipe the germ off the fate of the earth.
It wouldn't prove anything.
Speaker 7: It will to me.
Speaker 1: I want his life for Khannie, for Susie's and mine.
Whose life do you want to save? Stan, Vernon White's
or mine?
Speaker 7: Oh?
Speaker 1: No, no, no, I hope you're not talking about it.
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 7: You're what I said.
Speaker 1: I can't live if he does. I just as soon
stick my head into an oven. You are putting me
in one hell of a spot. Find out what I
have to do.
Speaker 3: Stan, mister Ross, this is the farmer. Oh, mister farmer,
nice Midny. Hello, mister Ross is in the transportation business.
Speaker 1: He was a client of mine a few years back. Yeah,
a long distance hall. And you know, can't we get
to the point, said, Well, here's the point. Mister Ross
has a brother named Joey. Yeah, Joey right as well.
Speaker 3: Unfortunately, a few years ago the Rosses got into a
jam when was a movement company. Me and my brother
I got mister Ross off, but his brother wasn't that lucky.
He's serving a ten year sentence right now in Peakstown, Peachtown,
right as well.
Speaker 1: Joe's a friendly guy. You know, he's made a lot
of friends in prison.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Joey's okay. The point Dan proposition is this, Joey
is a trustee at Peakstown, and even though he's made
some pin know errors in his life, he doesn't like
child killers anymore than we do. He might want to
do something about Vernon White. We ain't talking about favors though, No, no,
not favors. What we're talking about entails a certain amount
of risk. Oh, it's only fair that we arranged some compensation.
Speaker 1: I'll pay anything. Name your price. We've already agreed on
the price. Three thousand dollars.
Speaker 3: I'll make it five. Wait a minute, day, I'll make
it five. If you kill him, that's four the thirty.
Speaker 6: First, let's see, when did you pay this plumbing bill?
Speaker 1: I don't know, Paula.
Speaker 6: If not paid, but I don't see the castle tag.
Speaker 1: What does it matter?
Speaker 6: It doesn't matter days.
Speaker 5: You can't let everything slide this way. Half a dozen
people are threatening to sue you for this or that.
Speaker 3: And I suppose you know that you let your.
Speaker 6: Insurance policy last.
Speaker 5: You went right past the thirty day grade period.
Speaker 1: What's the difference? You know why I have that policy, but.
Speaker 3: It's ridiculous to let it last one of these days.
Speaker 1: You might don't say that, Falla.
Speaker 5: Anyway, I called you broker and arranged to have it paid.
I'm surprised stan didn't do that for you when he
had the power of attorneys.
Speaker 1: Then isn't the book keeper he's a lawyer.
Speaker 5: Staley could have been more helpful. He knew how spaced
out you were. He could have hired a girl or
somebody to pay your bills, keep your accounts in order.
Speaker 1: Paula, will you stop taking off on stand? What have
you got against the guy?
Speaker 6: What if you got in your favor?
Speaker 1: He's my best friend. He proved that.
Speaker 6: Maybe I wonder how friendly he'd be if you were broken.
Speaker 1: I'll cut it out, Paula.
Speaker 6: Look at this checkbook. None of the stubs filled in,
and you must have spent a villion.
Speaker 5: Dollar well expensive, I know that, but stand so those
securities for you back in March that meant a deposit
of almost one hundred.
Speaker 1: Thousand dollars Paula.
Speaker 5: I can't think now, okay, but I just wanted to
know that there are expenditures.
Speaker 6: I can't explains.
Speaker 1: Well, day, Yeah, what's happening?
Speaker 8: Day, don't get upset about this, But something went wrong
up in peaks down?
Speaker 1: What do you mean wrong?
Speaker 9: I don't have all the details yet. Our friend Joey
up there tried to fulfill his mission this morning, but
he watched it.
Speaker 3: Oh how Hernon isn't Danny's hurts.
Speaker 9: He's got a night wound, but he's alive.
Speaker 1: We had a deal, don I know.
Speaker 9: I know we won't pay until we get what we pay.
Speaker 1: I don't care about the money. It's just a delay,
that's Oh for how long?
Speaker 9: We can't be sure? Vernon to the prison hospital.
Speaker 1: It's a hard place to reach, Dave.
Speaker 9: But don't worry. Mister Ross says he'll get the job done.
Speaker 1: He's got to. He's got to.
Speaker 3: And so the executioner has failed to perform his allotted task.
Vernon White is alive and not so well in the
prison hospital, but the physicians who will treat his wounds
don't know that he's suffering from what might well be
a terminal illness, the disease called revenge. We'll see if
Dave Farmer gets that revenge in a few moments.
Speaker 1: When I return with Act three.
Speaker 3: Vernon White, Killer of Constance and Susan Farmer is still alive.
David Farmer is alive too, if walking, talking, and breathing
are signs of life. As his sister in law follow
sits in a restaurant table and looks at his pale features,
her eyes are clouded with pity. Dave.
Speaker 5: When I first met you, when Conye introduced him, I
remember thinking you were sweet on Kime, maybe a.
Speaker 1: Little vulnerable, vulnerable.
Speaker 5: Seeing what you wanted to see in people giving a nice,
clean images, even if they were more complicated than you
wanted them to be.
Speaker 1: I suppose you're talking about Stam.
Speaker 6: No, I'm talking about Connie.
Speaker 1: Connie.
Speaker 5: You see, I'll have my sister for a sister much
longer than you had.
Speaker 6: Her for a wife.
Speaker 1: I never saw anything complicated about Connie.
Speaker 6: It was hard to see.
Speaker 3: She had such a bright, glowing surface.
Speaker 1: Paula, we were married six years. Do you think I
didn't know Connie?
Speaker 5: She always wanted so much days? Don't put worried me
when she told me she was getting married. She was
used to one hundred phone calls seven days a week.
Speaker 6: Fifty men in her life at all times.
Speaker 5: She was beautiful, Paula, I know she was dazzling. Maybe
that's what happened to that poor delivery boy. She was
dazzled out of herself.
Speaker 1: Is that why you wanted to have dinner with me?
To defend that more?
Speaker 6: On no days? I had another reason?
Speaker 1: Well, what is it?
Speaker 5: I finished all the books last night, so I did
everything I could, Dave.
Speaker 6: I got everything to balance practically.
Speaker 1: To the penny. I knew you were a great bookkeeper.
Speaker 5: The only trouble is I still can't explain some of
the cash with doraws that were made by stand forget them,
Forget you hurt me.
Speaker 6: Forget twenty five thousand dollars.
Speaker 1: Twenty five thousand that's right?
Speaker 6: Well now even you seem surprised.
Speaker 1: Or it can't be that much, Paula, it just can't be.
It is, and I think you must know what that means.
Twenty five thousand all taken out in cash, but that
there were expenses, Dave.
Speaker 3: You know that.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sorry if they weren't all item I
not like you, though. You were always a stickler about money.
Speaker 3: You always said you were raised poor, so you had
respect for the buck. Look, Dave, I wasn't at my
best at the time either. Connie meant a lot to
me too, you know.
Speaker 1: And what happened to that money?
Speaker 7: Hey, hey, come on, what kind of tone of voice
is that?
Speaker 1: I want an answer? Oh wait, when are you accusing
me or something? Oh wait a minute, I just got it. Oh,
Paula puts you up to this. Yeh, Paula never liked
me much. She's found the perfect way to get back
at me. Now money is gone.
Speaker 3: It went into somebody's pocket, and I want to know
who's I want to know if there's something you're hiding.
Speaker 1: Maybe there's something that got to be hit. Nothing like this.
Speaker 3: You were willing to spend five thousand dollars.
Speaker 1: That was different. That money had a special purpose. Now
what's the special purpose for that? Twenty five grand I
wanted to spare you the truth, Dave. What's the truth?
Speaker 3: Well, even now I don't want to tell you I'd
rather you thought that I was a thief and a swindler,
that I robbed you.
Speaker 1: Is that what you did?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 7: No, no, what I did?
Speaker 1: I did for you and for Connie. Connie, I swore
to myself that you should never learn about saying about
what the money about? What the money bought? A go on?
It went into somebody's pocket? All right, George Waterman's Venin's
defense attorney, Are you kidding me? I had to do it, Dave.
I had to make things easier. How could they be easier?
Lenin confessed his prints were on everything. There wasn't any
doubt of his guilt, Dave, Dave.
Speaker 7: The money bought a note?
Speaker 9: What note?
Speaker 3: I should have burned it the the minute that was
in my hand, But I didn't. Lord knows why I
who knows? Maybe I was afraid that this would happen,
that that I'd have to account to you for what
I did?
Speaker 1: What note?
Speaker 7: Who wrote it?
Speaker 1: What did it say? I? I haven't here in this
or I would give my right arm if you never
had to see it. It's it's Connie's stationary yes y
h her handwriting. Yes, I have to see you. Dave
leaves for a city at eight thirty, I'll try to
send Susie out to day school. I'll be waiting for you, Darling.
Please don't disappoint me. I am sorry, Dave. It's it's
her handwriting. I know I have to see you.
Speaker 3: Dave.
Speaker 1: Lee's for the city. Good lords stand?
Speaker 7: What does this mean?
Speaker 3: The note was sent to Vernon White. No, No, that
just can't be he He turned it over to his
attorney after the arrest. Waterman didn't want to submit it
into evidence. Before he talked to me. He knew it
wouldn't make any difference as far as the verdict was concerned. Well,
it might even have made his client a little less pathetic,
but he knew it would make a difference to us.
Speaker 1: I'm not going to believe it. I'm not. Oh, I
haven't helped me. I didn't want to either, But it's
the truth.
Speaker 3: Twenty five thousand dollars worth of ugly truth.
Speaker 7: Who is it, Paula?
Speaker 1: Please open the door.
Speaker 6: Days, don't worry.
Speaker 5: I didn't bring your chicken srup, just a couple of
containers of coffee.
Speaker 1: You just think I'd need sobering up, you do, days.
I haven't been.
Speaker 3: Drinking, I thought, well, I thought you might be upset tonight.
Speaker 1: Why because of what happened? Have you been talking to Stan? No,
of course not.
Speaker 5: I have nothing to say to Stan, and he vice versa.
I meant about Vernon White. Do you still take your
coffee black?
Speaker 1: What about Vernon?
Speaker 5: He was released from the prison hospital, but the authority
thought it would be too risky just to put him
back among the same prisoners, so they transferred him where.
Speaker 3: Well, I guess they thought he.
Speaker 5: Couldn't be very dangerous after the knife wound and all that.
But he must be a strong yet to the point,
Vernon's loose.
Speaker 1: It wasn't easy, mister farmer.
Speaker 7: Let me tell you.
Speaker 1: But you really know something.
Speaker 3: I know everything. His kid burning is the dope. He
ain't playing with a full deck, you know what I mean?
I know, well a poll of mine. He lives on
East Avenue. He gives me the tip.
Speaker 1: Some kids in the neighborhood like a gang.
Speaker 3: They do a lot of problem around the section where
they're knocking down buildings for some kind of housing project. Well,
they spotted this blonde guy sleeping in one of the
condemned buildings.
Speaker 1: I think maybe they rolled him and.
Speaker 7: He didn't have no money.
Speaker 1: What happened to him? Well is he now?
Speaker 3: Well, Mike Palell. He goes to have a look at
the guy and sees the kind of clothes he's wearing.
He figures he busted out of the joint.
Speaker 1: Where is he? Where it's burning white?
Speaker 3: My friend's got him like in custody, you know what
I mean. Sometimes there's a reward for turning in the
skatee Cobbs.
Speaker 1: He wouldn't call the police.
Speaker 3: No, my friend is not exactly friendly with the cops.
But bread is bread, mister Farmer.
Speaker 1: I'll tell your friend how much does he want? A thousand?
More like gire too and dead and there's me. I
put in a lot of time, all right, A thousand
for you, two for your friend only. I want one
other thing. I want a gun. Hello Vernon, Oh.
Speaker 7: Hello?
Speaker 1: Do you remember me? Vernon?
Speaker 3: M Oh, I guess I don't. Oh wait, you look
kind of familiar. Look hard Vernon, Nope, but just don't remember. Hey,
you're you're bringing somebody. My name is Farmer, the man
that was here before. He said he was gonna bring
me sandwiches or something. I sure I have hunger son.
Speaker 1: And doesn't the name mean anything to you?
Speaker 5: Oh?
Speaker 1: Well, what was it again, Farmer, David Farmer. My wife's
name was Connie. My daughter was named Susan. Do you
remember now, yo?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I remember. I saw you up at Park Pleasant
and in the court.
Speaker 1: I'm her husband, Vernon, the husband of the woman you murdered.
Speaker 3: The father of the child, mister Farmer. I'm I'm really
sorry about what happened.
Speaker 7: I really am.
Speaker 1: Iron. Another one told me you were sorry.
Speaker 7: I mean, I didn't mean to hurt your wife. I
really didn't. The little girl, No, I didn't mean her either.
Speaker 1: One I liked them, didn't you. You liked my wife
and she liked you. I thought you did, mister Farmer.
She told me she did.
Speaker 7: Only when I came to s Ye like she asked
me to, she put up this big fight, and I
got all upset about it. I didn't know what I
was doing anymore.
Speaker 1: A lot of the girls like you don't favor in them.
Speaker 7: Yeah, a lot of at this store.
Speaker 1: Is is that a real gun?
Speaker 3: Yes? Well, well, anyway, she sent me that note, and
I thought she was like the girls in the store,
and well she said it was good looking. That's what
he told me. He who told you? Well, he did,
he did the man I used to see there.
Speaker 7: What man? I forget his name?
Speaker 1: A lawyer.
Speaker 7: Yeah, he told me that she liked me.
Speaker 3: And I'd be loading up stuff at the supermarket and
he'd drive up and say, hey, brun missus farmer thinks
you're a real good looking kid.
Speaker 1: She'd really liked that. Get you all crazy? Nobody told
you any of such things.
Speaker 7: Yeah, he did, he did. And then he gave me
this note that she wrote to me.
Speaker 1: He gave you the note, this lawyer, you know.
Speaker 7: I swear he gave me this note, and it said,
I want to see you. My husband's going to the
city and I want you to come around with a liar.
You're a liar.
Speaker 3: No, look, I swear it's true. Of he was that
kind of yours, the one that you drove around with
a lot. And he gave me a note. And I
went there and and she she didn't like me.
Speaker 1: She didn't like me at all.
Speaker 7: And Very, that's when everything went wrong.
Speaker 3: Every very.
Speaker 1: Come on in and stand.
Speaker 7: Hell.
Speaker 1: Thanks. Do you hear the good news about Vernon White?
Speaker 3: Yes?
Speaker 1: I heard.
Speaker 3: Well, he'll be holding him a maximum security for a while.
He can scratch any idea of getting at him at
least for the time being.
Speaker 1: It's okay, Stan, I've dropped the idea. Vernon's death doesn't
mean anything to me.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 7: Well, I'm relieved to hear that in.
Speaker 1: Fact, I was the one who turned him in. That
anonymous tip to the police was mine. But how did
you know where he didn't see any reason for Vernon's death?
Not after he told me about the note. Yes, I
talked to him, Stan, Mister Ross helped me find him
and we had a good long talk.
Speaker 3: Hep you, uh, hope he didn't take him too seriously, Dave.
You know the kid's moral.
Speaker 1: He's dim witted, not a moron, Diman. Not to think
that Connie liked him just because you said so, to
believe that note was meant for him when it was
really sent to you. Wait a minute time. I couldn't
understand it at first. Then I remembered how it was
between you and Connie before I came along. I had
a little more to offer, so she picked me. But
she didn't want to give you up either, Dave. Now
I don't know what to hurt. Something happens, Stan, Connie
threw you over for some reason. I remember when you
stopped coming around to the house save. I swear to you,
little must have hurt you pretty bad, so bad that
you wanted to hurt her back, so you ficked Vernon.
Please please let me say something.
Speaker 3: Told me all about it, what you used to say
to him to go to him on, get him all excited,
and then you gave him that note, the note Connie
once sent you.
Speaker 1: I didn't mean it to work out the way it did,
so help me. I didn't. I didn't know what he'd do.
I just I just wanted to teach her a lesson.
But that's why you were willing to help me, willing
to let me kill that boy so he'd never give
you away.
Speaker 7: Dave, Dave, I didn't mean it. I didn't want it
to happen.
Speaker 1: They did. It happened. He killed them, Connie and Susie.
Speaker 7: You kill them.
Speaker 1: No, No, it's not me. I swear.
Speaker 7: What will you swear?
Speaker 1: Stand? Yes, Yes, on your knee, on my knees, Dave,
on my knees, I swear it wasn't me. All right?
Stand they say the gun you did it's the thirty first, Dan.
Speaker 3: That execution has taken place on the thirty first of them.
Speaker 1: In the mind of David farmer.
Speaker 3: Justice has been done, but now the executioner himself must
face the bar of justice for usurping the privilege. Only
the law can have, only the law must have. I'll
be back shortly. We hope you didn't find our little
domestic tale too grim. When violence strikes close to home,
Saul was more upsetting. If you are disturbed, why not
sit back now, have a nice warm drink, move to
bit early and take tomorrow off. Then you'll be all
ready for a little more terror and suspense. When we
returned with another episode of Radio Mystery Theater. Our cast
included Gordon Gould, Earl Hammond, Russell Harker, Heddy Galen, Leslie
Woods and Roy LeMay. The entire production was under the
direction of Hyman Brown. Radio Mystery Theater was sponsored in
part by Anheuser Busch Incorporated, Brewers of Budweiser.
Speaker 1: And Buick Motor Division.
Speaker 9: This is E. G.
Speaker 3: Marshall inviting you to return to our Mystery Theater for
another adventure in the macabre.
Speaker 1: Until next time, Pleasant dream.
Speaker 12: Goodnight's Mystery Theater was also brought to you in part
by Shop Right Supermarkets, where you get a lot more
for a little less. The preceding program was furnished by
CBS Radio retirea set for News with John Scott. Paris
police shoot two gunmen dead after they'd held hostages all
day and a bank called off, and President Ford's plan
to bail out New York City continues to make progress.
In the United States Senate, it's thirty one degrees in
clear mid Manhattan. The man says, clear, windy and cold
tonight with the low in the middle twenties, Sunny and
cold tomorrow with a high in the upper thirties. This
is John Scott with the eight o'clock edition of the News.
Paris police a shot two gunmen dead in a street
battle or early today, after the men had held more
than twenty hostages for fourteen hours in a Paris bank,
demanding two million dollars in ransom. The gunman had left
the bank with hostages in a getaway car provided by
police and with sacks apparently containing money. A few hundred
yards away, just off the chanse Lise, their car collided
with a taxi.
Speaker 7: They opened fire on