The Armed Forces Radio Service invites you to hear Fibber McGee and Molly in Backseat
Driver, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
It can't happen to you. You read about stuff like that in the papers. Girls murdered, mutilated,
drunks left dying in the gutter for the handful of chains they had in their pockets, lonesome
old men tortured because some hoodlum gets the idea they're misers with a pot of gold
hidden under the floorboards of the shack. Sure, you know it's real, but it can't happen
to you. Oh, you get your fair share of trouble. I've been a professional man here in Los Angeles
for 30 years. I've met up with bums and grifters and petty sharpers. They're around in any
business. But the viciousness, the real deep down dirt, that's for somebody else. You do
your work and you go home to your family. And for a real bang up evening to break the
monotony, you take your wife out to a movie. That's what I did that Saturday night. We
driven all the way in from the San Fernando Valley to Beverly Hills for a picture Ellie
especially wanted to see. Wasn't that a good movie, Joe? Uh huh. Just the kind I like.
Songs and dancing and girls in pretty clothes. I get so tired of cops and robbers. What's
wrong with cops and robbers? Oh, you know what I mean. Murder movies, honestly. All the
policemen stupid and all the crooks nearing out of the corners of their mouth. Yeah, the
stuff those Hollywood boys dream of. Yeah. You'd think the streets were knee deep in
blood and you couldn't hear yourself think for machine guns. Well, here we are honey.
You get in first. Okay. All right, Ellie. Just a second. All right, Joe.
Don't forget gas. I got plenty to take us out to the valley. I'll fill up with bills.
Remember how that song goes Joe? What song? In the picture. You know, two on the moon.
The one the boy sang to the girl. Oh, that one. Let's see. Oh heck, I don't know. Oh
hell, we'll be hearing it again on the radio. How about turning it on? The radio? Why sure.
Set it around 1100. We ought to get some news in a few minutes. I'd like to hear whether
they caught that fellow. That awful mass murderer? Uh huh. They spotted him in LA this afternoon
but he got away. I know. You told us at supper. Oh, it makes you shiver. Don't you worry.
He won't get away with it. We left the lights of Beverly Hills behind and turned into Cold
Water Canyon. It's as quick away as any to get us across the Hollywood Hills to the valley.
It's dark and we came in quiet with mighty little traffic at night. I cut my lights full
up and we swept up the side of the ridge. The news program came on but I didn't pay much
attention. The fellow was talking about brush fires. They'd already put out the one near
my place but they were still patrolling it. We were over the ridge and sliding down to
the valley before the program got to the part I wanted to hear. There it is. Put it up higher,
Ellie. Wife dot an entire family in Greenlee, New Hampshire. Today he was spotted 3000 miles
from the scene of his crime. At 5.30 this afternoon a patrolman saw and definitely identified
Matric in downtown Los Angeles. However, by darting through heavy traffic at the risk
of his life, the killer was again able to make his escape. According to neighbors of
the slaughtered family, Matric was first appeared in Greenlee about a year ago. From fingerprints
in the Nolan home, Lewis Matric has been identified as Lloyd Matthews, ex-convict. He is wanted
for questioning in the robbery and murder of a New York storekeeper a year ago, a crime
that netted the killer less than $20. Matric or Matthews is 32 years old, height 5 feet
9 inches, weight 155 pounds. He has blue eyes, light brown hair, nose slanted to the left.
When seen this afternoon he was wearing a blue suit and gray pork pie hat. Awful, awful.
Not pretty, no. And he's somewhere around LA this minute. Joe, you think it's right
us leaving Annie and Bud all alone while he... No, Ellen. Annie's grown up and Bud's a smart
youngster if I do say so myself. You can't wrap kids in cotton wool. I know. Oh, I'm
silly I guess. Neighbors close all around. All they'd have to do is yell. But now what
would make a young man do a dreadful thing like that? Could be a lot of things. Maybe
he's got a screw loose. Maybe he went nuts over a girl. Maybe he gets a kick out of killing
like some of them do. You know all the answers, don't you? Joe! Hey, what the... Keep going,
keep going. I got a gun here and I'll use it. Tell him you... Ellie? Against the back
of my neck. I can feel it. Cold. Well, are you gonna move? OK. OK, brother, you're the
boss. Yeah, you said it, I'm boss. And remember it. Otherwise I'll blow a hole through your
wife's head. I've had experience in these things. I drove that car like we were skirting
the rim of the Grand Canyon. With nothing between us and the bottom but a mile of country
air. This was it. The thing that happens to other people. To the ones that end up on slabs
in the morgue. But not to me. Not to Ellie. The first car we'd seen since we left traffic
swooped down behind us. It passed. But not before the headlights caught our passenger
clean in my rearview mirror. He was hunched forward, sitting on the edge of the back seat
so he could keep the gun rammed into the nape of Ellie's neck. He had light brown hair,
pale eyes, a nose that slanted. His mouth twitched, jittery. As the car went by, his
eyes caught mine in the mirror and flickered. Keep your eyes on the road. Sure, sure. Lose
your hat? Right, boy. Like I said, you know all the answers. No, I didn't lose it. I stuffed
it down a drain. Still wearing the blue suit, though. I figured it changed pretty quick
now. Think yours will fit me? You can have the suit and the car, but just let us...
Helen. But Joe, it's Mattrick. The missus is bright, too. He crawled in here while we
were in the movie. Joe, you should have that car door fixed. You know better. Honey, I
meant to. I was going to tend to it... Shut up! Let's see if he can both be bright enough
to give you a trap shot. Turn left on Ventura. Take a slow lane. Don't try plain old tricks.
I've been in this for it before. Okay by me. That's real sweet of you. Straight out to
open country, Mac. Then I'll take a missus up on that offer of the suit and car. What happens
to us? Why, you just walk home. What else? Lay it safe and you ain't got a thing to worry
about. That was a laugh. That was. Nothing to worry about. That'd kill you. Once we got
out into the open country, we didn't have a chance of walking away from the car. All
a murderer can hope for is time. He doesn't leave witnesses around to get the law on his
tail one second sooner than necessary. All I could do was stall and pray. Make what people
gestures I could at Lady Luck. The thing that came into my mind was so risky it brought
my hair up on end. But there was a chance, provided that trigger finger didn't start
jerking. In the bright lights of the boulevard, I didn't think he'd notice. But a traffic
officer would. I turned into Ventura, took the far lane, obedient as a whip pup. Must've
made two or three miles before I saw what I was hoping for. What's that? Huh? The red
light? Oh, why, an ambulance, I guess. We see a lot of them here. That ain't no ambulance.
It's a motorcycle car. Joe, it's young Mike Kennedy. He patrolled this trip. Look, what
are you up to? What are you trying to pull? Nothing. The kid's a friend of ours. Think
you can get me away easy, huh? I warned you. I ain't got a loan you ask for. Listen, listen,
will you? The kid lives near us. Practically grew up under our feet. All he wants is to
pass the time of day or maybe send a message to our Annie. Here? Yeah. You start popping
now and we'll all be dead. Keep your shirt on. I'll get rid of him. Okay. But it better
be good. I pulled to the curb. Mike came alongside. He sat balancing the bike between his knees
and the grin on his face was a mile wide. It had worked. At least we were still alive
and Mike wasn't two feet away. Where did we go from here? I had to think, but my brain
was wet wool. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Well, what do you know if it
isn't Uncle Joe? Something funny, kid? After all the times you've read us the riot act
about observing the letter of the law, brother, wait till I tell Annie. Mike Kennedy, what's
the matter with you? I didn't notice anything wrong. Hi, Annie. Nothing much the matter.
Just Uncle Joe here proceeding sedately out the Boulevard with his headlights up full.
Headlights? Oh, by golly, that's right. I must have forgotten to dim them. You ought
to forget these things. Someday a big bad cop might come along and haul you off to the
stand. Is that Annie back there? No, no, no, no, it isn't. It's our new neighbor, Mike,
Mr. Anderson. Oh, is that right? Glad to meet you, sir. Hello. I didn't know there were
any vacancies on our way. Well, there weren't any until recently. Mr. Anderson has taken
the Charles place. The Charles place? Are you kidding? Nope. Looks like things got too
much for old man Charles at last. He's clearing out for good. Kind of sudden, wasn't it? I
guess so. Oh, that's too bad for old man Charles, isn't it? Mighty nice for Mr. Anderson, though.
Good places are hard to find these days. All right, Uncle Joe, I'll let you off this time.
Give my love to Annie. Mike. What? Yes, sir? Nothing. Just come see us soon, boy. Always
glad to have you. Thanks. I'll be around the next night off. Got a date with Annie. So
that was that. Mike turned his bike and headed back down the boulevard. The chance had come
and gone. But it felt to me like half my mind went off with the boy yelling at him. Must
have been a half minute before I could pull myself together and ease back into traffic.
Nobody said anything. I didn't dare to, neither did Ellie. I couldn't see her, but I could
feel her holding herself stiff as a ramrod, scared even to turn her head. When two people
have lived together as long as we had, each one knows what the other one is thinking.
I went back to driving and praying. That and cutting my eyes up to the mirror, just in
case there might be a white motorcycle eye following us. There wasn't, of course. Back
in the back, I knew he was watching too. Those flickering eyes darting like lightning between
us in the rear window. He was too busy checking to talk. Not that that helped much. Rage and
fear were pouring out of him so thick you could have grabbed a hunk of the atmosphere in your
hand. It was queer to drive along that crowded highway, traffic streaming both ways, lights
from drugstores and cocktail joints and eating houses blazing to the sky. Know if I lifted
a finger for help, I'd sign our death warrants. It had to be luck, all luck. There was still
a chance I'd get it. The way I'd figured it, we'd started out with just about enough
gas to get us back to Bill's station. When we hit that, the meter ought to show empty.
The gas gauge was hidden from me by the rim of the steering wheel, but I was pretty sure
I was right. I waited until I saw the red and green lights above Bill's pumps a block
and a half away. And very slow and easy, I slumped over for a peek at the gauge. I leaned
just too far.
Sit up.
Huh? Oh, sure.
What now? Who were you looking at?
I was just easing the crick out of my neck.
Yes, you was. He was looking at the dash. He was... Oh, so that's it, huh? Fresh out
of gas.
Look, I just remembered.
Don't give me that. You know it all along. From now on, you keep your hands on the wheel,
but you leave me to the drive. Why, turn in that filling station. Get high test gas and
fill her up.
Hiya, Joe. Evening, Ellie.
Oh, evening, sir.
Hello, Bill.
Bill.
Up to the top?
Yeah, Ethel.
Ethel it is.
Hi. I hear you've been in the pictures.
Uh-huh.
You people know everybody in the whole of that.
We've lived here 30 years. From back when this was farmland. Of course, we know lots
of people.
I don't like it. Get the gas and get out.
Hey, I was up to Miranda's for supper.
Is that right?
Boy, her chili gets better every time. Don't see how it can, but it does.
Yeah, she's saving some for you. Said you'd be around after the show.
Miranda. Oh my, I saw Miranda this afternoon and told her we'd be by for sure, Joe.
Oh.
Well, that'll be 350 on the nose.
Three and 50. Thanks, Bill.
Same to you.
Oh, so a lot of problems.
Nothing much.
Come on. Come on. I gotta ask you everything twice.
Miranda runs a drive-in up the road a ways. On show nights, we usually drop in for a carton
of chili to take home.
I just hope she won't call home when we don't show up and get Annie all worried.
Wait a minute. Drive-in, you said?
Yeah. And this Miranda could start checking on you.
Why, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I...
They could call you and Annie and between the two of them, they'd have the cops on a
lookout for you before midnight, huh?
You're crazy.
Yeah, like a fox. I kept ahead of the buttons all this time by taking chances. We'll just
pick up that chili.
You want me to go to Miranda's?
Why not? Leave Annie get a beauty sleep. I can cover a lot of ground before tomorrow
morning. I ain't eating so good lately. I could use the food. With you and the Mrs. to
come on for me. What's to worry about?
He was right about that. I went back to driving and pray. Miranda's place is one of those
goldfish bowls, mostly glass with light pouring out across the space marked for outside service
and music coming from the jukebox. She saw us pulling up, grabbed a quart carton off
the back shelf and hustled to the door.
Well, here you are, Ellie. I was just saying to Betsy, better fix up that chili, Betsy.
It's about time Ellie and Joe were showing up. Figuring the distance from Beverly Hills.
Who's that in the back seat? Don't seem to recollect your face, young man. Though anybody
will tell you I never forget a face.
This is Mr. Anderson, Miranda. He just came out here from the East.
Is that a fact? Say, Joe, you plan to go straight up Ventura home?
Why, sure.
Don't you do it. Go the back way, even if it does take longer. Of course, it's brush
fire between here and your place is out, but there's still 50, 60 men patrolling.
What's that?
Well, that ain't nothing to what's going on further out the valley. That new fire's clean
out of control. Just a licking up hundreds acres. They've been sending truckloads of
firefighters past here all evening and the road's blocked for miles.
The road is blocked?
Well, for miles, they tell me, and all them poor ranchers losing their homes. Being from
the East, you wouldn't understand. But brush fires is awful things when you're about a
half...
Well, start moving. We'll take the back way to your house.
To our house?
What say? Oh, you staying with Ellie and Joe?
Yeah, until the road is... until I can get into my own place.
Well, what are we waiting for?
Night, Miranda.
Well, bye. Be sure you come see me, Mr. Anderson. I'll be looking for you.
So there it was. We weren't going to the country. We weren't going to be left to rot at the
foot of a cliff or buried deep in brush. No, we were going home. Home to the kids. And
taking a murderer with us. I still couldn't see Ellie, but I could feel her tensing up,
tight as a pulled drawstring.
Mr. Matrick, you... you didn't mean what you said, did you, about coming home with us?
You know a better place I can hide out until the road's open?
But it wouldn't be safe. We've got neighbors close all around. If somebody sees you...
Nobody will see me. Nobody better.
Joe, couldn't we get around the fire?
Yeah, that'd be better. We could try. There are other roads through the valley.
Listen, Matrick, we'll nose around and find a way through.
Cut it out!
You heard the old biddy, hundreds acres burning, firefighters, cops? Get off the highway. We're
going home.
No! No, I won't have it! Joe, you stop the car right here!
Shut up!
You heard me, Joe! I won't have him in my house, not with Annie and Buzz!
I said shut up!
Oh, for Lord's sake, Ellie!
It doesn't matter about us, but the kids, I won't let him touch his...
One word or two!
Joe, stop!
Helen, hush!
Oh, Joe!
Don't say another thing. I'm sorry, honey, but Matrick's the boss. We've got to do like
he says.
Ah, that's telling her. Sure, do like I say, and everything will be rosy. You got no call
to worry about the kids. I like kids, as long as nobody gives me the brush off. We'll wake
them up soon as we get home, and you and this Annie can fix up a chili supper for us. We'll
have us a picnic. Then, soon as the fire's out, we'll all take a trip to the country.
Another picnic, huh?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
You keep going. As long as you're breathing, you keep going. Even when it looks like there's
no way out, you hang on by your toenails. We poked up and down those black valley streets
to twist and turn, and sometimes wind up in dead ends.
Ellie stopped crying after a while. She slumped down with her head rolling on the seat back,
limp as a rag doll, with the stuffing leaked out.
It took a long time, but it had to come to an end. I saw the bulk of the house looming
up. There was light sneaking around the edges of the blinds up in Annie's room. She wasn't
asleep after all. She'd be sitting up in bed, maybe plastering red stuff on her fingers,
dreaming about the date with Mike. Bud's room was dark. He'd be wrapped in covers like
a cocoon and dreamy. Whatever boy's dream, I couldn't remember.
I pulled up to the concrete walk. I'd poured with my own hands before there was any Annie
or Bud to cut the lights. In a second or two, my eyes got used to the dark. I could make
out the high hedge Ellie planted around the place and the roof rising up beyond it.
Out, Mrs. Face the house.
Now you, Mac. Slide out same side. Stand beside her.
Walk to the door. Slow, no funny business. Right behind you.
Bye.
Look out, Joe!
Hold him, boys!
It's okay, Mike. I got him.
You all right, Uncle Joe? And Ellie?
Ellie, Ellie, honey, are you all right?
All right, indeed. Smack flat on my face on a concrete walk and you falling on me.
Nothing wrong with her.
That's my girl.
Well, don't just stand there. Help me out. I've got to get in the house before the kids
come busting out here. I won't have them mixed up in this thing.
Well, how's he doing, boys? Got him through the gun hand on the right shoulder, see?
Lucky shot, copper. More lucky than all the cold meat now.
Maybe.
Mattrick, isn't it, Uncle Joe?
That's him. Miranda described him to you?
The old girl doesn't miss a trick. She even knew you were taking the back way home.
You left a clear trail, Uncle Joe. Slick work.
I had to get him out of the car before the fireworks started.
Ellie didn't stand a chance. She helped, though. Ellie catches on quick.
I'll bet she does.
A mean guy like Mattrick. Make him think you don't want to do something
and he'll break his neck doing it.
I let on I was trying to run out of gas. That got us to bilge.
Then we both made it and made it out. There was no sense going to Miranda's,
so we get bullied into going to Miranda's.
If it was a thousand to one, she'd run off at the mouth about the brush fires
and scare him into hiding out.
After that, all Ellie had to do was turn on the hysterics.
He was dead set on coming here.
You're a bright boy.
Bright enough. You did all right, too, Mike.
I was watching the rear view mirror all the time you were trailing us,
but you never showed.
You knew I was there, though. When one officer starts double talking
another officer, he wants to know why.
Officer? Double talk?
He never said a thing to him, except I'd bought some place out here.
The child's place.
Poor old man Charles in a tough spot and moving out for good.
What's wrong with us?
Matric, didn't anybody ever tell you it wasn't smart to take up with strangers?
Maybe I'd better introduce myself.
The name's Charles.
Joe Charles.
Detective.
Homicide.
Tonight I was off duty and just taking my wife to a movie.
The suspense comes to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio Service,
the voice of information and education.