And now, Roma Wines, R-O-M-A, made in California for enjoyment throughout the world.
Roma Wines presents Suspense.
Tonight, Roma Wines bring you Mr. Robert Young, a star of You'll Never See Me Again,
a suspense play produced, edited, and directed for Roma Wines by William Spear.
Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrills, is presented for your enjoyment by Roma Wines.
That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines, those excellent California wines that can add so much pleasantness to the way you live,
to your happiness in entertaining guests, to your enjoyment of everyday meals.
Yes, right now a glass full would be very pleasant, as Roma Wines bring you Robert Young in a remarkable tale of Suspense.
So, you're walking out on me.
What does it look like to you?
Like you're walking out on me? Got everything you need?
Well, at least I'm glad you're showing your true colors. I'd rather find it out now than later.
Didn't take you long, did it, baby? If you're looking for your coat, it's in there.
Thanks.
Need any money?
I don't need anything from you, including your wedding ring, here. You know what you can do with it.
Sure, hock it. Well, pick a nice quiet hotel.
I don't have to pick a hotel. I'm no orphan.
When you get good and sick of it, come on back. Maybe I'll still be here.
You'll still be here. You'll never see me again as long as you live.
You'll never see me again as long as you live.
You'll never see me again as long as you live, she said.
If I'd known then what I know now, I guess that wouldn't have sounded so funny.
All right, maybe I'm not the easiest guy in the world to get along with,
but it's perfectly natural for a couple to have at least one good fight after they've been married nearly three months.
I just wasn't going to be the first one to say uncle, that's all.
Still, you don't wait around forever when your wife walks out on you, even if you are playing hard to get.
So the third evening I put in a call.
I knew all along she'd head for her mother's place.
Anyway, she practically told me where she was going when she left.
Hello?
Oh, hello. Is this Mrs. Alden?
Yes.
This is Ed, Janet's husband.
Oh, yes. How is Janet?
Isn't she there with you?
With me? I know, isn't she with you?
No.
That was all I needed to hear.
I grabbed my hat and headed for the bus station.
That was the only way she could have possibly gone to her mother's place at that time of night, by bus.
First I wanted to find out if there was anybody who could positively identify her as having left.
The guy at the ticket office wasn't very bright.
The West Hampton? Well, seems like I remember somebody like that.
It would have been Monday night, just about this time.
West Hampton, Monday night?
Well, maybe. I couldn't be sure, though.
Never mind. Give me a ticket.
Where to?
Where do you think? West Hampton.
She was blonde, blue eyes, good looking.
Sure, sure. I remember her.
Where'd she get off?
I think it was West Hampton.
Well, good night.
Yeah, we're closed for the night, Mr. Pumps. The pumps are all out.
I just want some information. Can you tell me where the Aldons live?
Aldon? Oh, yeah. They're those new people.
Yeah.
Well, you go up the crossroad there, you turn to your left, go on down the hill, and it's one, two, three, let me see, no, no.
It's the fourth. Fourth driveway on your right.
Did anyone ask you how to get there last Monday night?
We're closed Monday, sir.
Fourth driveway on your right.
Must be somebody lost away.
Yes?
I'm Ed Bliss, Janet Hudson.
Oh, yes. Come in, Ed.
I've been looking forward so much to meeting you. I wish it could have been under different circumstances, though.
Yeah.
I'm so sorry.
Hey, that's too bad.
I haven't heard anything yet.
Oh, it's okay. I have nothing to worry about.
No.
I can't understand it. It's not like her to do a thing like that.
Oh, Ed, I want you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Farley. We were just playing a little bridge.
How do you do?
And this is my husband, Joe Aldon.
I guess that makes him your stepfather-in-law, doesn't it?
Joe, this is Ed Bliss.
Pleased to meet you, Ed.
Well, I guess we'd better be going.
Oh, yeah, yeah, I guess we have.
I certainly do hope that your wife...
I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.
Oh, you heard about it, did you?
Well, Ed, you see, they got in a little while after you phoned, and we thought it was all...
Well, that's all right.
Well, thanks for asking. It's over. I...
We'll come again real soon.
We'll do that. Well, good night, all.
Good night.
Thank you. Goodbye.
Oh, Ed, I hope you didn't mind about them.
Well, I didn't think it was necessary to...
Oh, it's all right. It's okay.
Well, then, come on into the living room and tell us about it.
Well, there's nothing much to tell that you don't know, is there?
No, no, I suppose not.
Sit down. Thanks.
Can't I get you something to eat?
No, thanks.
Or some coffee or something?
I think I'll pass up the refreshments this time.
Well, I know how you must feel.
Yeah, I guess you do.
But I still can't. I just can't...
You painted this room lately, haven't you?
Yeah, what about it?
Nothing, it just looks a little funny, that's all.
You think so?
Yeah, that brick wall in front of the house is kind of new, too, isn't it?
You know I'm a bricklayer by trade, don't you?
Well, now that you mention it...
How can you talk about... about...
You'd better go on upstairs, Laura.
Yeah, she's taking it pretty hard.
Yeah. You seem to be bearing up all right, though.
You haven't lost any sleep over it yet yourself, have you?
I'm not her husband.
Yeah, this isn't getting us anywhere.
What was that?
Laura, I guess she's going to bed.
Oh.
Well, I guess I better be going down to get that last bus.
How about staying overnight?
No, thanks.
Suit yourself.
Oh, wait a minute, I'll put the porch light on.
I can see.
That's better.
By the way, what happened?
What do you mean, what happened?
I suppose you and Janet had a row.
What's that got to do with anything?
I hear you got kind of a temper.
Were you a little too quick with a flat of your hand?
What's all this for?
The benefit of the neighbors?
It might be.
Have you notified the police yet?
No.
And I don't like the way you ask questions.
OK, OK.
Want me to walk down the bus with you?
It's pretty dark.
Maybe that's why I'd rather walk down there alone.
Oh, now wait a minute, Ed.
I think you got me wrong.
All right, maybe I have.
Say good night to Mrs. Alden for me.
Yeah, let us hear from you.
Don't worry, you'll hear from me all right.
It was still plenty dark when I got back to town,
but I took the shortcut at the corner just the same,
a path across the vacant lot.
Between the lot and my house is a hedge.
I was just going through it when I stopped cold.
There was a light on in my house,
only it wasn't a regular light.
The beam of a flashlight moving past the living room window.
That could only mean one thing, cops.
Of course, it was Joe Alden that tipped them off.
I just waited and then heard the front door open and close.
I saw two men standing outside.
And one of them went up the street.
Pretty soon I heard a car drive off.
The other man was at the shadow then,
standing by a tree in front of the house.
You could see he was expecting me to come from the other direction.
I stepped through the hedge and went over to him.
Would you be looking for anybody in particular?
I might be. Who are you?
Ed Bliss. Who are you?
Detective Stillman, Bureau of Missing Persons.
How did you know anyone was looking for you?
Oh, I'm just bright that way.
Oh yeah? Well, they like bright boys down at headquarters.
Come on, let's go.
For suspense, Roma wines are bringing you Robert Young
in You'll Never See Me Again by Cornell Woolrich.
Roma wines presentation tonight in radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Between the acts of suspense, this is Ken Niles reminding you
that it's really simple to please the palates of fastidious guests
if you'll just be sure to serve Grand Estate wines.
For Grand Estate wines presented by Roma afford you the ultimate in wine excellence.
Discriminating wine users know this and regard your offering of Grand Estate wines
as a flattering gesture to their good taste.
For in Grand Estate wines, particular guests find the brilliant clarity,
full fragrance, and mellow taste that distinguish truly outstanding wine.
You see, Roma created this limited bottling of magnificent Grand Estate wines,
especially to please those who know fine wine.
With choicest grapes, infinite patience, necessary time, and age-old skill,
Roma master vintners endowed each Grand Estate wine with fine qualities of wine greatness.
So the host who possesses all five Grand Estate California wines
is sure of pleasing all tastes at all times.
For smart entertaining, delight your guests with Grand Estate medium sherry,
ruby port, or golden muscatel.
For gracious dining, serve Grand Estate burgundy or sauternes.
Remember the name, Grand Estate wines by Roma, the crowning achievement of vintner skill.
And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood sound stage Robert Young,
who as Ed Bliss in You'll Never See Me Again continues a narrative
well calculated to keep you in suspense.
Music
He stood there in the shadows watching my face,
Detective Stillman of the Bureau of Missing Persons.
I'd been expecting this to happen sooner or later,
but the moment I saw that it had, I was stunned for a moment.
Well, come on, bright boy, they're expecting us at headquarters.
Wait a minute, I want to talk to you. I'm in a jam.
Oh, you're telling me.
Not the way you think. Will you come inside with me?
I've been inside.
Say, what kind of a furnace do you have in your cellar, Bliss?
An oil burner.
The kind that turns on automatic with an electric cut-in?
That's right. Why, is there a fuse blown?
How'd you know there was a fuse blown?
Was that why you were searching my house with a flashlight?
Or was it because you didn't have a warrant?
So you really are a bright boy, aren't you?
Well, come on, come on, we're going down the hill.
Listen, I don't want to have any arguments.
I want help, and I want it bad.
Will you give me a break?
What kind of a break?
Oh, this is no place to talk. Will you come inside?
Okay, but you better talk fast and talk good.
Don't worry.
The fuse box is right here. The flash light, please.
I always keep a couple of fuses on top of it.
Oh, there they are.
Uh, let's go in the front room.
Uh, after you.
Okay.
Now, what do you want to talk about?
Oh, don't you understand? She's my wife. I'm scared.
Then why did you run out? Why didn't you tell the police?
Because at first I thought it was just one of those things.
Anyway, I knew where she'd gone, back to her mother's.
How'd you know that?
Because I went down after her.
Because all kinds of people saw her go.
Bus drivers, ticket sellers.
Only when I got there, she wasn't there.
Mm-hmm.
How much life insurance do you carry on a bliss?
Oh, 25,000.
Wow, that's quite a lot for a $75 a week architect, isn't it?
No, her mother paid for it, a wedding present.
For heaven's sake, what do you think I did, buried her in a cellar or something?
No, we know you didn't do that. We looked.
Oh, cut it out, will you? I love her. I...
Oh.
We've only been married three months.
Well, what do you want me to do?
Oh, give me a break.
Listen, if you take me down to headquarters now, it may be hours.
Oh, it'll be hours, all right.
And in the meantime, if there's still a chance...
But there's got to be.
She's somewhere and she's in danger. I know it.
Yeah, how?
I tell you, I followed her down to her mother's place in West Hampton.
There's a guy at the station who remembers selling her a ticket.
The bus driver remembers her getting off there.
And then she just disappeared.
Then what?
I went down to her mother's house.
They hadn't seen her.
But there's something funny about it.
There's something funny about her mother and that stepfather.
There's something funny about the house.
And about that room.
What room?
That living room of theirs.
Listen, you've got to help me. Help me find her.
You've got to go down there to West Hampton with me,
because I've got a hunch somehow that I'm the only one who can find her.
All right, boys.
All right, I don't know why, but I believe you.
You do?
Yes.
You do?
I shouldn't believe you either, because...
Because what?
What, uh...
What was your wife wearing when she ran out on you on Monday night?
What was she wearing?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.
You must remember what she was wearing.
Well, she was wearing a gray flannel suit, skirt and jacket, you know.
Pink silk shirt waist, patent leather high heeled shoes,
and one of those crazy little hats.
Any baggage?
Yeah, a little tan suitcase.
You're sure of that?
Sure.
Well, that's why I shouldn't believe you.
Why not?
Because when you find somebody's clothes around,
you usually start looking for the body right nearby.
Who?
What do you mean?
Well, they weren't burned up because that fuse had blown.
But we found every one of those things in the furnace
down in your cellar about 20 minutes ago.
When he said that, I knew there wasn't much time.
But he was going up to West Hampton with me anyway,
and that was the main thing.
Of course, first he had to route out the bus driver
and the ticket seller and check my story with them
just to be sure I wasn't trying to pull a fast one.
But that was all right.
I expected that.
Then we climbed into the police car and headed out to West Hampton.
He believed me now all right.
That car couldn't have been pushed any harder
if I'd been driving it myself.
Still, it was broad daylight when we got there.
We parked the car a little ways down the road
and walked towards the house.
See what I mean, Bert?
Take that brick wall, for instance.
Well, what about it?
It's new.
What did he build that for?
It's not tall enough to hide the road.
It's not even tall enough to keep a dog out.
What did he build it for?
Well, maybe he built it to keep in practice.
Come on, come on, let's go in.
It's awful quiet.
Yeah, well, why not?
They're probably in bed, and that's where I would be
if I hadn't met you talking to me in the distance.
Listen, Bert, you don't think I...
I'm here, ain't I?
Go on, ring the bell.
No answer?
I'll keep trying.
The shades are all down.
I don't think...
Well, come on, let's try the back door.
The shades are down on this side of the house, too.
Huh?
Look, the garage is empty.
Yeah.
Well, I guess our birds have grew to coop, all right.
Bert, I don't like...
Come on, come on, we'll try this back door anyway.
Oh, it's locked.
Here, here's an axe.
Yeah, wait a minute, let me try my keys.
Oh, nuts.
Ah, there, that got it.
This, this is the way to the front of the house?
I guess so, I've never been back here.
Yeah, this is it, here's the front hall.
There, there it is.
What?
The living room, the living room I was telling you about.
Oh, what about it?
Snap on the lights.
Oh, I'd still say, what about it?
I don't know, but don't you get something funny about it?
No, what?
The lights, or something about the fresh paint, the rug.
There's something, though, I know there is.
Oh, come on, come on, we're wasting time.
There's something screwy about the whole joint.
We went over the place from top to bottom.
I wanted to get back to that room, and time was awful important.
Stillman wanted to look into everything, which was only right and natural.
Then we ran into something that was just about the last thing I expected.
Say, what's the store here?
I don't know, I thought we'd covered everything on the ground floor before.
Locked.
Must be some sort of back bedroom.
The keys won't fit this one.
Funny, the only room in the house that was locked.
Well, maybe we've got what we're looking for.
Give me that axe.
But, but Bert, don't you see?
If she was here in that pawn, they must have taken her.
She's probably...
Oh, who's she?
Mrs. Alden.
Your wife's mother?
Yeah.
Say, where's your daughter?
Oh, please, please.
Come on, come on, where is she?
I don't know.
Was she here?
Yes.
Where is she now?
I don't know.
Did she leave with your husband?
I don't know.
Why didn't you tell me she was here the other night?
Joe told me not to.
She was here, and the next morning,
Joe told me she'd left.
And this morning, he left.
What did you lock yourself up in here for?
I, I knew when Joe left this morning
that something, something terrible,
and when you came, I was frightened.
Come on, come on, where?
Why don't you get it?
For some reason, the step-father's put the snatch on her.
We've got to put a call through the headquarters
and get the highway patrols on the watch for him.
Well, what about her?
Oh, she comes along.
No, please.
Come on, come on.
Bert.
Yes?
There's something wrong about this.
You bet your life there is.
No, I mean, why would he do it?
What, what motive would he have?
Let me worry about the motive.
You worry about your wife.
And it's got some connection with what's wrong
about that room, whatever it is.
Will you forget about the room?
We've got to get going.
I want to look at it just once more.
Listen, you, listen.
Do you want your wife back or don't you?
There's no time to stare at it.
Bert.
I've got it.
Got what?
It's lopsided.
Don't you see?
It's not on a square.
How do you know?
I'm an architect.
The ceiling, the windows aren't in the middle of the wall.
So what?
The design of the rug is wrong.
It's, it's cut off too close to that wall.
It's...
Bert.
What?
That wall.
That's why the room has just been repainted.
That's why he built the brick wall in front of the house.
I don't get it.
One wall of this room is a dummy.
Built out in front of the real one.
That's why the room looks lopsided.
That's why he built the brick fence to get
bricks without arousing suspicion.
Which wall?
That one.
And Bert, it must be hollow.
Give me that axe.
You don't think that...
The janitor.
Bert, give it to me.
Get back.
Get back.
You let me get back.
Mrs. Alder.
The joke.
The janitor.
Answer me.
Answer me.
He could have done a thing like that.
Hey.
Ed.
Yes?
Didn't you say your wife was young?
Twenty-three.
Well, then you can look.
This is an older woman.
Do you know her?
No.
Well, there's your motive.
Yeah.
But who could it be?
I don't know.
Well, she.
She must know.
The mother.
She can't even talk.
Say, Ed.
Ed, you would know if she was the mother, wouldn't you?
Of course I would.
What?
No, I wouldn't.
I never saw Janet's mother until I came here to the house Monday night.
Mrs. Alder.
Mrs. Alder, answer me.
I'm not Mrs. Alder.
That's Mrs. Alder.
It was just a question of time now, whether we'd get back there in time to stop it.
It all fit together now.
And what Bert didn't know, he got out of the woman on the way back.
Did you know Joe Alder before?
No.
Not before I came to their house in East Port to take care of her.
I was her nurse.
And Joe and I.
Well.
Who got the idea to kill her?
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
I did.
Why did you do it?
Money, of course.
She kept a lot of bums around the house.
That's what Joe wanted.
Is that why you moved from East Port to West Hampton?
Yes.
Nobody knew us in West Hampton.
We moved in at night.
They thought there was only the two of us.
They thought I was the real Mrs. Alder.
When did he do it?
About a week after we got there.
One night.
By morning she was where you found her
We were doing better than 80 most of the way
Well, I still didn't think we'd make it and naturally Bert was afraid to put the local cops around the house for fear
Alden would spot the person take Janet away
And do it somewhere else. We hadn't done it already
Because Bert had the picture cold now
Janet had come to the West Hampton house and found her mother was missing before Alden had been able to make it get away
So Alden had to kill Janet too. He knew where he was taking her because of the clothes in the furnace of my house
That was the tip off that Joe was going to try to plant it on me
The only break I had at least I knew where to look if I could get there in time
The outskirts of town we picked up a police escort Bert made them lay off and we got near the house
We drove up the side street and parked a little ways off we walked up to the house. There was a car in front of it
That Alden's car. Yes. All right now you're coming in with this lady
But the first sound out of you and I'll shoot and I mean that I know much keys Ed. Yeah
Yeah, I'm glad
Oh, there's a light that's the door to the cellar come on
He's digging
Lights have gone out. He must have heard us on your flashlight. Come on, let's go
Hey, you shouldn't have done that. He killed my wife and he switched on the light. Where is she? Maybe it isn't too late
There she is
She's dead. Yeah, yeah chloroform me smell it. Come on. Get that cough off her face. It's too late. Can't you see? Yeah
Yeah, I'm afraid it
Hey, wait a minute. What are you doing carrying a gun? I got a permit. Anyway, what's the use of asking questions like that?
She's moving. Well, she's alive here. Come on it. Give me a hand quick. Yeah, you're red. Come on. Help me. I'm
Hey, hey Ed, where you going?
Put up your hands Ed
Okay
They're up yeah, you could at least have done it yourself
You know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry
You could at least have done it yourself instead of hiring a murderer
What did you do it for Ed the money what do you think for fun?
Go ahead talk
Anything to make you happy
Would have been perfect if all in that killer he first got her in the cellar like I told him to
Maybe he had a sneaking idea. I was going to double-cross him. He was stalling until the last minute. I
Don't know
Anyway, it won't do him much good where he is
Hmm
What did what you have on him Ed the mother his wife? I'd been up there before alone
I knew he killed his wife because I'd seen a picture that Janet had of the real wife. I spotted the room right away
told all and I'd split the money with him if he took care of Janet and
He didn't go on
I knew I could pick a fight with Janet and I knew she'd run up to her mother
And I went up there to make it look good after I left all in was to call the cops like he did
You take me down here to headquarters and while you were giving me the old third degree
All in was supposed to plant the body in the cellar
All in was supposed to plant the body in the cellar that way I was in the clear because you know
I couldn't have done it while I was down here talking to you
You know, she hadn't been there before because you'd look
That's why I planted the clothes in the furnace
Remember?
So you would look. Hmm. I had an alibi
Nobody had a thing on all of them
Unless I squawked
He had to take that chance
Yeah, look pretty good there for a while, didn't it?
Yeah, yeah
you're um
Your wife's outside
Want to say anything to her? Huh?
Oh, just tell her I said
You'll never see me again
Suspense
Presented by Roma wine roma made in california for enjoyment throughout the world
And now here is our producer director william spear with a basket of grand estate wines
A gift for the distinguished star of tonight's suspense play robert young bob
These grand estate wines are our way of thanking you for a really wonderful performance
Thank you bill for this wonderful basket. You know, mr
Young each grand estate wine is a limited bottling of outstanding excellence presented by roma the greatest name in wine
Each precious bottle is distinguished by brilliant clarity full fragrance and mellow taste
Yes, the name grand estate wine stands for the ultimate in wine goodness. I'm impressed and i've learned something
Well discriminating wine users everywhere are learning. Mr
Young they're finding out that grand estate wines offer a rich new experience in wine enjoyment
Toys is grapes and the patient perfection of wine making serve to establish grand estate wines by roma
As the crowning achievement of vintner skills very convincingly spoken can
And mr. Young's gift basket of grand estate wines will convince him still more
Bob, it's always great to have you on suspense
I'm sorry
We had to make such a heel out of you at the end
But that's what you get for being such a two-way stretch of an actor
Well, i'll get a two-way verdict on the show when I get home tonight
Kids will be furious because they know i'm such a nice guy
But my wife will say that suspense is the only show that ever lets me play my true villainous self
How is betty fine?
Well, congratulations again, bob. I hear that lady luck the picture you've just finished at rko is swell
Well, i'll be looking forward to seeing it. Well, you're very kind bill
Uh, who's on suspense next thursday?
It's a double threat lord nolan and vincent price and a play about two lifelong enemies who go away on a hunting trip together
Both knowing that only one of them is ever coming back alive. Well, it sounds terrific bill. I won't miss it swell
And now bob with my compliments and roma's here's that gift basket of grand estate wines. Thank you again and good night
Next thursday same time listen to vincent price and loyd nolan on
Suspense presented by the roma wine company fresno california
This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system