Suspense: Deadline at Dawn (EP0800s)

Welcome to the Great Detectors of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectors dot net and you can follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives. Well, this is our eight hundred episode special and we're going to bring you another one hour episode of suspense. And this is from a story originally written by Cornell Woolwich. It was was adapted as a

movie and there was a Lucks Radio Theater version of the movie. But myself, I like this version much better. I think it's a very emotionally resident and a powerful story, A definitely a great mystery with lots of detection. We would probably put it today the way it was performed here on the radio, into the category of romantic suspense, but I think it's pretty exciting and challenging for anybody. So let's go ahead and take a lesson to this episode

from May the fifteenth, nineteen forty eight. It was the very last of Suspense Is one hour episodes, So let's go ahead and enjoy Deadline at Dawn. Suspense Radio's outstanding theater of frills brings you an hour, a full sixty minutes of suspense to night. Our stars, Miss Helen Walker and mister John Beale. Our Story Deadline at Dawn by William Irish, a suspense play produced

and directed by Anton M. Leader. If you've ever been alone in a strange, big city, you know the haunting loneliness of it, and you know how the sight of a familiar face, the sound of a familiar voice can lift your spirit high. Even a stranger who comes from your hometown becomes a long lost friend because he brings with him a breath of home, a flood of memories. That was the emotion that drew Brickie Coleman and Quinn Williams together. But their meeting wasn't the joyful, happy kind. It was the

beginning of longing and fear and danger. And now, with the performances of Helen Walker as Brickie Coleman and John Beale as Quinn Williams, and with William Irish's great story Deadline at Dawn, we again hope to keep you in suspend. Until I met him, men were just pink dance tickets. To me. They were just two and a half cents worth of commission on the dime. Here's a feat that kept crowding mine. All over the map, all over the floor, all over the night. There were blank faces that could

steer me anyway they wanted until they're five minutes were up. Because I was a New York taxi dancer until I met him, a girl from a small town, caught and held fast in the big city, with all her dreams forgotten and all her hopes gone, and not caring anymore, not caring at all until I met him. They always dimmed the lights for the last dance, just to make the customers feel sentimental about it all. At one in

the morning, I was through again for the day. I put on my coat, go out the side door, walked past the sad sacks that thought they were wolves and loitered on the sidewalk, and then I begin the twenty blocks to home. Home was a filthy old brownstone down near the river, the long Smelace, an old army caught That was home. But at least it was a place where I could get out of my shoes and make some calls sleep to forget. I'd get home about one thirty. You left your

door open, so I left my door open. It did you think that was an invitation to walk in. You better close it now. Hey, listen here, please, all right, you're a burglary. You won't find anything. The rats got here first. I am a burgley. Oh then you're a very smart one. What are you looking for? Coffee grounds? I wasn't looking for anything. Then, why don't you go? Please find a nice, rich old lady to rob. I need a place to stay for a while. I thought maybe you would let me. What stay here?

I don't hand out favors. You're nothing to me, I know, just a hunch I head where you were looking at me. I thought I could come here for help. The way I was looking, I've never seen you before in my life. Well, you were looking straight at me at the dance hall about an hour ago. You mean you were at the Cinderella Ballroom tonight. Don't you remember me? No, that's funny, not funny at all. You all look the same to me, namely horrible. I guess it's my mistake. I was sure you seem so so nice, did

I? Yeah, that's because I was thinking of home. I always do that on the job. Makes the night go faster. I guess I know what you mean. What'd you do? Follow me? No? The man at the door gave me your address for a dollar. Oh he did, did he? I wanted to get off the streets this time of night. The cops are curious. I thought I saw one of them following me, so I beat it down this hall to hide. That's when I found your door open, and take a good place for hiding. Nobody ever comes here

but the landlady once a month. Please let me stay awhile? Please? What's your name? Quinn Williams? Quinn? Ye never heard that name before. It used to be my mother's before she got married. I see, what do you say? You want some coffee? Quinn? Thanks? Thanks? I get this straight. One cup of coffee and nothing more. No sugar goes with it. You give me one blink too many coffee? I understand a man can tell by looking at a girl whether she means one thing

or another. Be surprised how many of them are to have an oppetition? I know. Give me a match for the oven. Here you are. I got the oven lit and reached down some cups and sauces and watched him. Not that I was worried. I wouldn't have closed the door if I hadn't thought I could handle him. It was only that he was so young and his face was so tight and strained. He'd been beat by the city.

Must have been like taking candy away from a baby. And he trusted me because I'd smiled at him while I was dancing, and he thought that smile was for him. I wish it was all of a sudden because he was different. Coffee won't be long. I' sorry, I'm in no hurry. Pretty young for a burg Roger, doesn't take much training. Where'd you come from? And how did it happen? Oh? Come from a little town. It's nothing much, but I like him. I hick myself here

from my place is Glenn Falls. I will what's yours? What's the matter? Nothing? Oh? I thought I said something wrong. Oh no, you said something right. It's crazy, a crazy coincidence. But I come from Glen Falls too, honest. That's that's amazing. You know it is? What street did you live on? And there's name Pine Street? The second house down between Pine and Oh when we're neighbors? What? I live just across the street from you? How is it we never met? I

don't know. I came here five years ago. Oh, I've been here a year. You must have come to New York before we moved in. Sure, Wait a minute, Have you got a brother with a lot of freckles? Yeah, Journey, he's just a kid about eight. My sister has been writing to me about a new boyfriend, a boy named Williams. How perfect he is except for the freckles, And of course they're we are off. That's Journey. Ah, so you're the boy next door. Were

we we'd probably have known each other very well. If you'd stayed home. I know I wish you had stay I do too. What's your name? Ruth Coleman. Everybody at home calls me Brickie. They started it because because of your hair, that's right. Do you have a feel that you want to go back every day? Zebus les New York every morning at six I know I've inquired. I've got the fair sewed up in my mattress. Have you go because my mother thinks I'm dancing in a Broadway show. Because I'd

be too ashamed because it's so hard to go back. Yeah, would you want to go, Brickie? This morning? At six o'clock? You ought to go back? Hard? Going back alone? If someone could come with me. Would you come home to Quinny. You want to escape from the city, don't you just like me? You want to go back. We'll then come with me. If it's the fair you're worried about. I've got enough for both of us, including a good dinner in Chicago, anything for

the boy next door, Quinn makes Brickie. It's too late. The police will be looking for me around eight o'clock this morning. Oh yeah, I forgot. How long have you been at very glad? About three hours? Three hours? And did it tonight for the first time, so you see breaking it's a little too late for me to go back. I've missed a bus three hours. Hop is ready, clean, good cream and sugar? No thanks, Black? Was it easy? Very easy? Why you do

it? You'll do anything when you've gone for four days without eating. Oh but it's funny. After I'd done it, I went straight to the best restaurant in town. I looked at the menu and got ready to order everything on it. Two helpings of everything. Right. I couldn't eat it, so I got up and walked out. That's when I began to think cops were trailing me. I'm not used to being a robber. So you still got it all with you, twenty five hundred dollars in cash. Divide it

up into small rolls in all my pockets. You want to see it, No neither do I. But it's there. I can feel it against my skin all over my body. Where did you get it? Quinn? I was working for an electrician about four months ago. One day I got a call to go to a big house on seventy first Street and put a fixture in the bathroom wall. I had to cut a big hole in the wall to do it. While I was doing that, I ran into woodin a wooden box in the wall. I did my work just beside it, and

that box. That box was the back of a safe OH put into the wall of a study in the next room. The front of the safe was good, heavy steel. When they built it, nobody thought it could be broken into from the other side through the bathroom, and nobody ever would have either until an electrician ran into it one day by a mistake. But all this happened four months ago. You see, I'd brought more tools with me than I needed that day, and I left some of them in my bag

downstairs on a little table near the front door. And when I got back to the shop, I found a key in the bag. I must have brushed it in while I was putting the tools back after finishing the job. It turned out to be a key to the front door. You didn't return it. I didn't. No, I meant to, but right then I forgot all about it. And when I did remember that I had the key, I was out of work, hungry and wanting money badly, so I went back there. It's an unbox. I opened that hole again, pulled

the back of the safe out. I didn't bother with any of the papers or securities. I just took the cache. The house was empty. The man who lives there society fell up, by the name of Graves, was probably out on the town. So I just walked out the front door. Seems like ten years ago. It was only three hours. So this Graves man will see the hole in the morning when he goes in to take a shower. Then you'll call the police. It will be a quick trial.

I'm a short one, but the sentence won't be so short. The boy next door, the boy you wave too when you come in or out of your gate. The grinning boy next door, friendly as a pun, Go back, Brickie. It's where you belong. It's the only kind of life for you. Come with me, Quinn. I've told you I can't. They've got a long arm. They'll find me, and I'd rather have him. I'm me here in the city. Have you still got the key,

the key you went in with? Yeah? Why well if you can get back in before he comes home, just in and out long enough to put the money back. They won't come all the way to Iowa for you, just for chopping a hole in the wall if nothing's been taken. Don't you want to go home? At six o'clock this morning? If he's out on the town, he won't be home yet. At least that's what we'll pray

for. We'll go together now. I'll wait outside for you, and then we'll go down of the term and buy our tickets and wait for the bus. We'll wait for dawn together, Quinn, you mean you do this for me? For the boy next door? Anytime anything. There was no time to lose. Graves might be coming home any minute. I ripped the money out of my mattress and we ran out of the cold, empty streets, just as a cab crows By. We piled into it and told him to

take us to seventy first Street, and to take us fast. Everybody's always in a hurry. What's your hurry? The night's young, Yeah, have a mind the conversation, Joe drive. The customers always right. I just remember what. I can't pay for this cab unless I use some of our capital. I don't care what you use, Pal, just so it's money. Don't worry about it. You'll get paid. I'll pay him. We

don't want to use any of our capital, not a single penny. It's all got to go back breaking when we get out of this, when we get back home, Oh, thank you. Then i'll find a way to thank you. Seventy free Street, any special number, No, Just let us out here on the corner. That's ninety cents, and I can break a fifty if I have to. Here's ninety cents, and here's a time have fun. Well, here we are. Where's the house across the street? Up a little you wait here, don't come any closer than this.

I'll be back in no time. Don't be frightened, Brinkie, don't take any chances. Quinn. If you see any lights. If it looks as if he's gotten back already, don't go all the way in. Just drop the money inside the door, all right, Bricky, goodbye? Then goodbye, Quinn, hurry back. I waited for him there in the chilly night, on the dark empty street. Why I knew better. New Yorker taught me one thing, and that was never to be a sucker for a man.

But then there was no man. This was the boy who lived across from the on Anderson Street in Glen Falls, Iowa. The boy had come here to do big things, to lick the town, and instead he'd been licked. Instead. He was hiding in the dog sneaking along the streets helpless, the boy next door. Then I suddenly crouched back into our doorway. A patrolman was coming on his tour of duty. He stopped near me, not ten yards away, but his back was to me, and his hand

was opening a call box, Russian reporting in how's a rummy game? Gone? Another thing? Quiet at church? He finished his call, closed the box and went on down the street. Then he turned a corner and disappeared, and I breathed again. He'd been right, though it was quiet as a church and that was wrong because Quinn should have been back long ago. Ricky, what's the matter? Ricky? Tell me, Quinn? What is it? What is it? What are you frightened about? What happened in

there? He's been killed, He's dead, he's lying in there, dead man who lives there? Yeah, mister great, why is it you? Quinn? Did you do it the first time you were in there? And I I swear I didn't, Ricky, I only took the money. He wasn't even there. He must have come back since I knew you didn't, Quinn. I knew even though I asked, go down to the terminal, get your ticket and climb on that bus and forget we ever met. Go on, Ricky, beat it before they find out, not without you.

But don't you see now it's murder. They'll charge me with They'll find the bathroom, fix your tampered with the traces the electrician, then to me, and they'll they'll naturally think, don't you see it's too light, Breakie. It's never too late, don't you know that, Not until the last second of the last minute of the last star. What do you mean. We'll go back in there and see if we can figure it out. It's our only hope. We're fighting for our lives, Quinn, for our lives,

and we have until six o'clock this morning to win our fight. All right, Champ, come on, And so very slowly we went together into the place where death was. The door closed on our backs, and we felt our way down a long and narrow hallway. He's upstairs. I don't want any lights on down here. You just hang on to my sleeve. I'll lead the way, all right. We went forward in a sort of swimming darkness that was almost liquid. It was so dense. I could feel the

muscles in his arms shivering. But he was brave, not afraid. He was going into it, not running away from it. To the step. Here, a stair creaked under our weight. I wondered if there were anyone else in the house, anyone still alive, suppose someone had slept through the murder, would be awakened any moment by us. Okay, we were on the second floor. Now. I smell the aroma of leather and would work.

I smell the last lingering trace of a cigar. I smelled powder, a harsh, deadly powder, and then I thought I saw, I thought, I smell something sweet, something very sweet. Here, Brickie. All right. They say you can't smell a recent death, but I could smell a stillness and a presence in it was more than just emptiness. Yet your eyes ready, Here go the light. The dead man lay in the middle of the study. His face was all out of focus. The lines that

have been laugh lines were creases now. The mouth that had been either strong or weep was just a gap now, a place where the face was open. The eyes that had been either kindly or cruel were just glossy, lifeless insects. Now this was the dead man, and we'd come for his secret. This is it, Bricky, Yes, this is it? And now what do we do? Shouldn't we close? They seem to be watching. No, don't touch him. I don't know how to anyway. He's he's

done a tuxedo. It couldn't have been home very long. Can you tell what it was done with? No, I'll have to done. Botanist, Jackie, all right, go ahead, there it is. Must have been a gun, Yeah, a bullet. It's round and frazzled. A knife would have made a slit. And we can be sure no one else was in the house, or they would have heard it go off, and the killer must have taken the gun away. There's no sign on one lying around, so he didn't do it himself. It can't be suicide. Right now,

we'd better look in his pocket. Yes, I'll do it. You look the things over as I hand them to you, all right, Quinn. I'll start up here in the breast pocket. That's the highest pocket in anybody's suit. His handkerchief. Look, Quinn, the bullet went through this the way it folded, it just made one little hole. When you open it up, it makes three separate holes, like when you cut papers and make them into patterns. One on the left side's empty, the right hand

pocket empty. Two Try inside the jacket, Ye, take out everything, no matter what it is. Right, cigarette case silver, Tiffany's three cigarettes in it, the wallet, two fives in a single. Two ticket stubs from tonight's show at the Blaskos see one hundred and twelve, one hundred and fourteen, So we know where he was from eight thirty to eleven. Anything else, business cards, Stafford Holmes, Inglesby, whoever they are. Oh

on a snapshot girl in riding tags. Let's see that, yeah, it's the same ones in the silver frame over there on the desk to Stephen with love from Barbara. Then she didn't do it. If she had, she wouldn't be there on his desk anymore. Just the silver frame maybe, but not her anymore. That's common sense, all right, Let's go on. I had to lift him a little. Go ahead, left ray air in the trousers. Nothing right ray air, spare handkerchieon left side, nothing right

side match folder, loose change, latch key. That's it. Not much help. Do we know what we're doing, Ricky? I don't know. Quinn a man who's a cigarette smoker, and we found that case in his pocket. Would he go in for cigars too? Maybe some people smoke boards, but but would he smoke two cigars alone by himself? Look, Quinn, two butts in this tray, yeah, and the trays between two chairs facing each other, one cigar and one not of the tray, the other

one around on the other side from it. Two people, Quinn, two men, and they were having an argument. One of them was worked up about something. You see, this butt is smooth at the mouth end. And look at this one chow to ribbons, choot to a fringe. That tells it just which who was common, who was steamed up? And who was the other man with Graves? Oh, Quinn, wait a minute, here's something. What must have fallen out of his pocket? He was probably

sitting on it. Fine, another book of matches and it just did another one. Graves had some on him. So this is the other man. And did he leave his name on it? No? But he was excited. Look how many matches he used up just on that one cigar. A folder could have been half used up before he began. Maybe take this What does it tell you? Tells me to cheo Dawson's gum? Not that cover inside? I don't know what are you driving here? Yeah? Take my matches. I'll tear one off. Let's strike it all right, okay,

blow it out. You see what you did? No? You tore the match from the right hand side, didn't you. Yeah, that's what everybody does. They start on the outside on the right and work their way over to the left. But this fold was worked in reverse. Now do you see the man sitting in this chair facing Graves was left handed. I see we're making progress, are we, Quinn? Well, of course we are. We know this man was rattled about something that he whittled away fifteen matches

to one cigar and then mangled it to ribbons between his teeth. That he was probably on bad terms with Graves, and that he's left handed. Fine, only you've missed something. Boy. The matches belonged to a woman. A woman. A woman chopped that cigar to pieces. Smell the folder. What do you get? Soft of the way matches? Always give that a minute to clear away. That's the stronger of the two. Are tops the

other? Now, okay, fume, isn't it. Yeah? It's been carried around all day in a handbag, a handbag that stinks up the fume. I noticed it in the dark when we were coming in. There's been a woman in this room tonight. Well, that gives us two of them, a man and a woman, and they weren't here together. There are only two chairs, one for Graves and the other one for each of his business. Who was the last to go the man of the woman, I don't know, but we're started. Look where we've dug up in half an

hour, two unidentified people in the biggest city in the world. You're right, it's no use. Oh even so, we can't give up. It's no use. And what's more, I'm yellow, Bricky. Let's give it up. You're not yellow, Quinn, or I wouldn't be up here in this room with you. I'd better tell you this well I can, Bricky what I love you. It's three o'clock, Quinn, and we have till six three hours. Bricky, save it, Quinn. Save it for the bus when we're on our way home. All right. I don't know what

to do next to you? No, I don't. What's that? In tonight's full Hour of Suspense, Helen Walker and John Beale co star in Deadline at Dawn by William Irish, Tonight's study in suspense, Just a Moment,

We will return with Act two of Suspense. This is CBS the Columbia Broadcasting System and now back to our Hollywood sound stage and Act two of Deadline at Dawn, co starring Miss Helen Walker as Brickie Coleman and mister John Beale as Quinn Williams in radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspense, All the emotions of a lifetime have been crowded into one night for a Brickie Coleman and Quinn Williams and

Dawn is a fast approaching deadline which they must meet. The bus which will take them to home in safety, seems remote and unattainable as they stand now over the body of a dead man in the quiet apartment, knowing that they must find his murderer or stand incriminated for the crime themselves, And suddenly a terrifying sound comes to them. What is it, Bricky? What is this? Sounds like a burglar or the front door bill. Mammy, Wait a

minute, there's a box over there against the wall. Follow the cord. It's in his desk, in the drawer. What shall we do, well, answer, I'll be careful. You'll have the police here. You'll know us. Not his voice. I'll talk lore, I'll pretend i'm him. Say a prayer, Brickie, Hello, darling, this is Barbara. I had to speak to you. We've never potted angry like this before. I know. Maybe if we hadn't gone there to that Parricae place, it wouldn't

have happened. No, who was she, the tall red head and the light green dress. I don't know you told me that before? Then? Why did you slip a note into your hand? I saw a dot you know? Did you? And then you couldn't wait to see me to my door and get me off your hands? What happens, Steve? Did this woman come by to see you afterwards? Is that why you wanted to get rid of me? No, Barbara, Steve, you sounds so far away? Is it the telephone or is it you? Poor connection? Sounds so

cagy is if someone were there? Now? Can't you talk louder? I'm sorry? What's going on there? Isn't it? It's just catching on. I'm take your hand away from the mouthpiece and turn it my way, Sugar. Come on, I'm getting tired of waiting. How much long are you going to stand there talking? I'm sorry, Stephen, forgive me. I didn't know. You can hang up now. I feel like a heel. We'll stop it. We don't have time, Paracay. That's a nightclub,

isn't it. Yes, I'm fifty four street. A woman slipped him a note, quinn, Oh woman, could be Do you think he tore it up? Or maybe not? Maybe he wanted to have a good look at it when he got home alone. Let's look again. Well, I went through those pockets pretty carefully. I'm sure it's not that you might have missed something, Quinn, turning him over again. All right, nothing, nothing at all. Shall we go through the desk. Wait a minute, boy, run your eyes over him again. I don't see a thing. He's

very well dressed. And yet isn't that a hole in the heel of his sock? They're just showing over the shoe. That's funny. Take his shoe off, Quinn. Okay, the note. Of course, he didn't want Baba to see it, so he hid it here until he could be alone alone to go on, mister Graves, I'd like to speak to you in private after you've taken the young lady home. And I don't mean some other time, I mean tonight. I wouldn't want to be disappointed. And so

it isn't sign a woman of the matches. Sounds like a shakedown, I mean blackmail. That's right. He'd have to pay attention to a note like this. And we're going night clubbing, my boy. We'll visit the paraquet. It'll be closing by now. She must have been seen there, a tall redhead in a light green dress. We'll check with the people who work there. They'll still be around waiters, checkroom girl, washroom attendant. We'll

find her. Oh, we will trace her. If I have to go over the hair brushes in the dressing room one by one for stray red hair. M kill the lights. I'll be right with you. Hey, don't forget the switch, the one over the sink in the bathroom. Come on, Quinn times running out in a minute? Is anything wrong? I don't know. Look what I found, right? It's a check, yeah, made out to Stephen Graves for twelve thousand dollars, signed by Arthur Holme. And look I stamped returned, No fun? Who did you find it in

the dry bottom of the tub? How did ever get there? Just one way? When I came here tonight the first time I did it. Why don't you see when I pulled the cash box out and opened it, the check must have slipped into the tub without my noticing it. And unless fellow Holmes game, our jittery cigar smoker, maybe to ask Graves not to prosecute

on a bad check, to stall for time. Graves went to find the check, and he couldn't because it was on the other side of the wall in his bathtub, and Holmes thought he was trying to put something over on him, and you think Holmes shot him, killed him for twelve thousand dollars. It's been done before. And what about our redhead Brickie. It's the man, it's got to be. I think it's the woman. We'll have to split up. No, let's do it together the way we start.

It's too late. We can't follow them one at a time. Our deadlines at don Quinn, and we've got less than three hours. Bus to glen Falls, the last bus. Remember that it's the last bus for you and for me too. Then we will be saying goodbye Bricky, Yes, Quinn, goodbye till on. We went down into the empty streets without talking to other, each of each other again, and I went one way and Quinn

went the other. In ten minutes we were blocks apart, maybe miles, but it seemed to me that I was still at his side, still with him. As he finally found an all night drug store and went back into a booth. I knew he'd dial all the alpha holmes is in the book and talked to a lot of angry, sleepy people, and then he'd find the right one. The alpha homes we wanted. What would Quinn do then what would he say? What would happen? Hello? Yeah, is this

mister Arthur Holmes? Welmas Holmes. You don't know me that wants to speak to mister Holmes. The name isn't known to you, mister Holmes. But what makes you think this is mister Holmes? And are you aware that it's almost four o'clock in the morning. What do you want? I have a check here that belongs to mister Holmes. Will you let me talk to him? You're speaking to him. It's made out to Stephen Graves and I have it right here in my hand. Where did you find it? I found

it on the seat of a taxi. It must have slipped out of someone's wallet. Who was with you when you found it? No one? Just me by myself. Whom did you show it to afterwards? No one? Who's with you now? No one, I swear. And you called because you thought I might want it back. That's right, I'm sorry he tied it up. Nickel? Please shall I hang up? Mister Holmes? Put in another nickel? Tell me what's your name? Quinn Williams? Tell me

something about yourself you do Are you a married man? No? I'm single. I live by myself, not even a roommate, nobody, strictly lone wolf. I'd like to see that check Quinn. Maybe I can do something for you fair enough as a little bar called Owens down on fifty first. You know it, I know where it is. Can you take me about fifteen minutes to get dressed and get down there? He is? Fifteen minutes? Good for you? Just fine, mister Holmes. I'll see you there.

You're a cagey boy, mister Holmes. But you swallowed yeah over here in the boot. Good evening, mister Holmes, Good evening. Sit down, watch you, yeah, I will. You're right on time? Sure, so are you? As a drink for you? I had water? Here is why i'd be allowed to stay in here. It's past closing time. Thanks. What's the matter, son? Nothing, it'd just be funny. That's all funny and kind of corny. If you'd slipped a little something into this take mine then I haven't put it to my mouth yet. I

think I will bottoms up, bottoms up my cars around the corner. Would you rather talk about it there? Yeah? I would. I think we ought to be alone. It's easy, son, we can be alone. That's enough. Driving pull up. I just thought we'd coast a bit. If we can't say, talking at the curve at this hour, we'll have a cop done on us, sticking his nose into the car. And what's wrong with that? I don't know, do you? I was asking you, however, if you want to pull up the East River, a mighty

mysterious place at this time of day. You're pretty close to the edge, ain't you. The wheels are blocked. You're not nervous, are you? No? I'm not now about that check. I didn't find that check in a cab, mister Holmes. I found it in stephen graves house, where he's lying right now on the floor dead. Stephen dead, and your cigar is still in the room with him, chewed to a pop a corona like the one you're smoking right now. You should have taken it with you,

mister Holmes, after you'd killed him. You seem to know a good deal about this, a little, just enough to know who the killer is. I feel a little sorry for you. I didn't know you were as young as you are. Over the phone. What about what I got to do with it? You're having a lot of trouble with your eyes aren't you. Lights on the dashboard have got rings around them, haven't they like big soap bubbles? What are you talking about? Say you talked too much. You've

talked yourself into the grave. I would have believed you about finding that check in a taxi. You would have gone to sleep in the card. When you woke up, you wouldn't have the check on you anymore, but you'd have had a ten down a bill in your pocket. Too, sugarcoat the experience head weighs too much? Doesn't it too heavy for your neck? My head? You should have stuck to your own drink. Son, You were suspicious, but not suspicious enough. You took the wrong glass. Me.

I'm a chess player. You know what chess is. It's figuring out your opponent's moved before he makes it a funny thing. Wear my head. I a solid rock. You're going to sleep here in the car, Then you're going into the river without a mark on you. But I'll take the check before I dump you. It's probably in your shoe. It's about where your type of youngster would think was a clever hiding place for it. Just clear my head, kicking trying to kick out the glass you haven't the strength of

a kick left in you. No, it's all over. That's water in front of us, that even black line you see right over the hubcat. I can't even move, can't you. That's right. Make a lazy pass with your hand, like your brushing away flies. That's about all you're able to do. In a minute. You won't even be able to do that. There, go your eyes down, down. You won't get he won't get away with this. Mister Ricky knows there are two of us, not just one. And so I walked away from Quinn and I was alone again.

I'd met him only a few hours before, and with him, i'd met my past, my home, and everything I loved and wanted. And now I was alone again, somewhere in this sleeping city. Quinn was after his man, and I was after my woman, my redhead, my long stemmed American beauty. The nightclub Parriquet was dead, dead, but not quite cold, just in the process of giving up the ghost. Every other minute, a solitary figure would come out and walk away, someone who earned a

living inside. This was the five o'clock in the afternoon of the nightclub workers, whose clock goes in the opposite direction to that of the rest of the world. And what did I have to go on? A redhead blackmailer who had quickly scribbled a note to a man. And that kind of woman doesn't ordinarily carry around pencil and paper in her purse. She sends messages with her eyes and her hips. If she wants a pencil, she's got to borrow it from the help. Excuse me, huh, what's the matter? You

work here, don't you. I'm in a check room till something better turns up. Why well, I wondered. Did my friend in a light green dress, a redhead? Did she borrow a pencil from you? Tonight? It works the other way around, Honey. The men take out their pencils and give me names and addresses and telephone numbers. I got a fist, didn't a woman. It's no dice, honey. I don't even see any women in my scall. Oh, another long day. My feet swell up

all the time. You want to drying up some salts water as hot as you can stand. Excuse me, Wow, my name's Jerry, but don't let the name stand in your way. I'm looking for my friend. A redhead in a light green dress. Did she borrow a pencil from you tonight, not at my end of the bar, how about it, Frank ye sure, Joan Bessett about midnight. She's always borrowing something and forgetting to give it back. How that girl think it? That's the way Joanie is?

Do you do you know where I can find her? Try to concorde. That was the last address, which she's probably moved by now, thanks fellas. Oh, can't I do anything for you another time? Jerry? Okay, that's a promise another time? What can I do for you? Be friendly? Pops say hello? You know that's better? What do you want a room? Pull up brows? My girlfriend got I want to r up and tell us something, you know, Joanie Joan Bassett, Yeah, Joan

Bassett. Only we don't have to be so formal. She's didn't fur ownin Wait a minute out train skip that she don't have to put on no airs with me? Who's she kidding? I know she's two weeks behind no rant. All right? If you know that? Well, going up? What do you want you? I want to talk to you? Yeah, I'm just stand out there a minute and tell me what about we got a friend in common? You and I it's possible. Go on. This friend's name

is Stephen Graves. Suppose you come in a minute. I'll hear what's on your mind. Sure, I thought that might do it. Do you have to lock the door? Yeah? I think I do. Whatever you think best, begin with your name. You can put me down as Caroline Miller. All right, Carolin Miller. Now about Stephen Graves. What makes you think I know him? Stop being polite? You know him? He mentioned me to you. No, he wasn't doing any mentioning of anybody. He

wasn't doing anything. Been over to see him lately, very lately. I just came from there. Now, how did you find him? I found him dead. See that tap in the kitchen is loose again. Excuse me a minute. While I t I'd known we weren't alone the moment I came into that room, and I knew that faucet in the kitchen was a signal for a quick conference. It was my chance. Maybe I had a minute, maybe only thirty seconds. There was only time for one thing. The

open handbag on the dresser. Nothing there XTI powder, usual junk, and then an unpaid hotel bill for seventeen dollars and eighty nine cents from this place the conquered, no good, worthless, and my time was up. Yet something screamed at me to hold on to it, to slip it inside my stocking, high up, and to get back into my chair. Wow that's done. Now. Where were we with Stephen Graves? Oh? Yeah, you go up there alone? Or do you have somebody with you alone?

I don't take my grandmother with me when I'm visiting. I see somebody stopping at the door and tell you that I found out. Cops and people hanging around, lots of excite. No one knows it. I found him alone. I had a key to the house that he'd given me. I went up and there he was dead. What'd you do? Holler bloody murder and bring everyone down the place. I got out of there fast and quiet. I don't want to be mixed up in it, smart girl, And all

this happened just a little while ago. Yeah, nobody knows yet, but you me and you did you come here alone? All alone? Everything I do I do alone. I guess I've hit the jackpot. Yeah you're sure, head baby, You've hit it hard. Make it tight grip so she can't make any noise. Don't worry about that. Well, miss Carol and Meller, you're in trouble now, you tell me so. Stephen Graves is dead and you felt a little nosy about it. Huh. You're wanted the

details, all right? You can have him. You seemed to have known him pretty well. Maybe he told you did he did? He tell you about his kid brother who married a tavern hostess back in Boston. They tell you what that did, the fine old family name. When this girl again asking for money, when she came to New York and again asking Stephen for money, he'd tell you that he paid and paid, and finally decided to stop paying. So this girl and a friend had to pay him a little

visit tonight. I'd try to persuade him. Did you tell you that? I tell you what happened when he couldn't be persuaded. Yeah, No, he didn't tell you that because he wasn't talking by then. Then he was dead. That's enough. You want to spend the night at it? All? Right? Well, what's the plane now? Don't you figure we are not here in the room that's begging for it. You don't understand, I don't mean chop chop, that kind of stuff. I mean, four flank

step. I ought to be enough. Three of us get to drink in a piece. She goes over to the window, trying to open it for a little air and jams, so she's well, there's always a follow up. It's a little messy. Let me take care. Yeah, like it took care of the other. And I told you just to throw a scare into him. Say come across a well, sound scarier through at him, Griffin. Yeah, I scared him right out of his skin, right out of his heart. I don't want you to be so impulsive this time.

Well, the less blow stuffer in the closet backs up against the dead wall, so she'll never bear. It'll be days before they get around the bust in the door down. Yeah, we'll be far away by there, Yeah, far away. Okay, I can pack in ten minutes. Less, I'll give you a hand. Wait a minute, I'm missing that hotel bill. It must have fallen, so we're not don't worry about that. He can make up a no one for you down at the desk. Shall we get her out of the way fast? Yeah, Han, Carol and Miller

in the closet take a comfortable griff. Sure, we want to be extra nice to her because there's a little fresh air. Yeah, I only be a minute with it down. Put her down quick. I ought to have my head examine. Mean you slept on something? Yeah, forgot, We both clean forgot? What was it? Kept her off to me? She didn't pull my name and address out of my hat. Yeah, gag off her. You try to scream and I'll dent you. I won't scream, no talk. How'd you know I knew him? How'd you know where to

find me? Left you heaven and I'm gonna keep letting you heaven to answer. You dropped your hotel bill over there? I found it lying in the room with him. I ought to slap you down to the sociothy you left your calun contest, which you know she's lying. I swear I thought my hand bag after I got bad? Did you take it out to shaw man? Sw me? Did you sure while you were waiting downstairs? It was part of the build up to shaw them? How bad? I needed money? But I know I put it back again, thank you. Oh,

I'm almost positive it fell out. It was for seventeen dollars and eighty nine cents. It had passed. You stamped on it in purple ink. It even had your room number on it. How what did you do with it? Did you bring it with you? I left it where it was. I was afraid to touch anything. We'll have to go back and get it, all right, we will, We'll take her with us. It looked like she did it to him. What do you want to do in the

first place, Griff, We do it over there. If my double head had a figure out, it's the only way robot this detour by finishing her off where she started from. All right, come on, Carol and Miller, they are going for a little ride. And so I went back into stephen Graves House for the second time that night. They pushed me ahead of them in the darkness, whispering to each other not to use any lights. It just as Quinn and I had done a few hours before, or was

it a few years before. Then we were in the study and the lights were snapped on, and the dead man was still on the floor, and nobody stepped forward to say, Ricky, is that you No, he wasn't there, Quinn wasn't there waiting to help me, to save me. And let's do what we have to do and get out. First, No, not yet, something else first? Well you where is it? Where's that hotel bill? Where you say your thought? Over there by him? Is where I said? And you believed me? And you did? You lied?

I lied? Where is it? Where you got it? That's that's your a little problem. Let me have the gun here he's Griff, Get away from him, move over, stand still, caroling, minute and want to come real clothes. I want them to worry about whether it's so. Sign yes, Griff, I'll stand still, good girl, Carol, good girl. It didn't hurt. It didn't hurt at all. And I opened

my eyes to find out why. Griff stood in the middle of the room, his face contorted, an arm squeezing hard around his neck, and behind his face was another face, a face I knew Quinn's face, the boy next door, fighting for me, fighting to save me. Then Quinn went down, all lopsided, and Quinn was on top, punching at him again and again, and John was racing across the room with an end I and raising her hand. I never played football as a little girl, but on

this night I decided it was time to try. Ricky Ricky Darling Quinn Are you all right? Somebody's bringing church bells in my head. Oh you knocked yourself out with a flying tackle, Quinn, Quinn, what happened? I think? Oh? Yeah, they're both asleep, Ricky, as sounds can be. All right. See you've wrapped them up nicely. I had to tear up a few good sheets to do it. But I don't think mister Graves would have minded. I'd given up, Quinn. I thought i'd beat

you back here, and I'd given up, Ricky. I saw them coming in with you outside on the street. I was watching from one of the front windows, and something about the way you were walking between them sort of stiff told me they had a gun on you. So I backed up into the bathroom and laid low. Yeah, the ones, Queenn, they did it, and we can go now. It's a quarter to six. We can catch that bus for home. There's one more thing to be done, Ricky. I'll only take a minute, and then you and I aren't going

to have any more to worry about. It. Is this a police I want to report a murder Queen Stephen Graves in his home on East seventy first Street. There are two people tied up in the same room with the body, and they're the killers. You'll find a special delivery letter in the desk from Graves's younger brother, and that'll tell you the reason for the killing. What. No, this isn't any rib I wish you was me, just a guy who happened to be passing by. We can take their car.

He left his keys in it. Come on, Quinn, hurry will make it. Don't you worry, Brickie. I'm not worried. I know we will. What happened to you tonight? Did you find Holmes? Yeah, and he tried to kill me. Quinn. It was your name that saved me, Brickie, and call out your name and told him you were in on this with me, and he changed his mind in a hurry, and we saved each other. That's right. What about the check? Cut at it figure? Holmes was caught short when he wrote that check, and Graves

got sold and the bank returned it. They talked it over tonight and it ended up with Graves giving him another day to raise the money. The reason Holmes was legitty was that the check seemed to have disappeared. You didn't know what Graves might be pulling, and of course, Graves wasn't pulling anything. That Jack lying in the bottom of his bathtub. You told Holmes how it got there. Yeah, and look what I've got two hundred dollars, Quinn.

Oh, I didn't steal it. After he decided he wouldn't kill me. Holmes and I ain't got very chummy, he said. We both made a mistake in the same night, knee breaking into a safe and him with his bad check. He slipped me appeal earlier in the evening, and now he was walking me around and sober me up. That's when he gave me the money, a nest egg for me. He said I could send it back to him a little at a time. Later on, we'll send it back. Quinn. We've Bricky. We're in this together, aren't we.

Yes, Bricky, we are. Look, Quinn, we made it. We're in time. The bus is still there. Come on, Bricky, let's go on home. Thank you Helen Walker and John Beale for your truly wonderful performances as Bricky and Quinn, And to Lillian Bayer, Frye Billsbury, Edith Tackner, Buddy Gray and Bill Johnstone, thanks for your splendid support with

this performance, Suspense leaves the air for a short vacation period. We will return on Thursday at nine pm Eastern Daylight Saving time starting Thursday July eighth with an outstanding series of gripping suspense stories featuring the acting of your favorite stars of the screen. Watch for the new suspense series starting Thursday July eighth. Miss Helen Walker soon be seen in My Dear Secretary and mister John Beale will soon

be seen in Paramount's Abigail Dear Heart. Deadline of Dawn by William Irish was adapted for radio by Irving Ravitch and was produced and directed by Anton M. Leader Blood Gluskin is our musical director and conductor Lucian Marrowak composes the original scores. Be sure to watch for the new half hour series of radio's outstanding theater of thrills Suspends. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System. Welcome back

Well. I love the story the way it was acted. Certainly it was the type of thing that with people moving to the cities, could spake too, perhaps that longing for home, for the for the quiet peace of the towns where people came from. So I think this would resonate with a lot of audiences, and certainly if you're from a small town, I can't help but think that this has some residence. I know it does for me because I always have this sort of feeling when I hear of somebody being from or

in a Galluspell up in a northwest Montana. It's it's a special sort of feeling of home, you know. And it captured that managed to keep a good solid story going along with this sort of emotional romantic angle that was offered here. As they've hinted at the end, it didn't come quite out and say that they suspense would revert back to the one half hour format, which

it held for all but really half a season of its run. But these I love these one hour stories that are incredibly involved, and I think we've got more than a few left with some very interesting stars. This one, in terms of its star power, is usually is a little less than the one hour suspense. Usually they tried to go all out with the guest star,

but this was actually a couple of interesting actors. John Bill, who they mentioned here, was a long time character actor whose last movie credit will be in the nineteen ninety three film The firm had more than forty five years of acting ahead of him. Helen Walker meanwhile a somewhat of a tragic story

as the top build actress. In this one, she had picked up three soldiers, gotten into a car accident where one of the soldiers died and the other two said she'd been drinking and speeding, and this led to actually a manslaughter try for her. But with what had happened, it really soured the public on her, and according to IMDb, although she was acquitted of criminal charges, many fans turned against her. Major studios were hesitant to hire her.

She tried to adapt by portraying ruthless and manipulative women in dark murder mysteries, in which she again showed great talent. She performed with great applaum and nightmare Alley the gritty urban police drama called North Signe seven seven an impact, an unconventional murder drama that featured a fatal automobile accident. Her character helped cause, but she could not overcome the stigma of the veteran's death. I don't know. It may have been that all of her roles reminded people of it.

That I think could have been a problem. But really she was very talented and tragically her career cut short by the whole thing, and she up dying much earlier in nineteen sixty eight than Bale, even though she was eleven years younger than Bill, So you kind of had two careers headed in different directions, all right. Well, though, that will actually do it for today. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. We will be back on Monday

with the adventures of Frank Race in the meantimes. Andrew Commas to box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and call us to a eight not nine one four seven eighth three from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off