And now, tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, Suspense.
Tonight, we bring you a story of a postmaster and his desperate search for an unwelcome
package.
We call it, Fragile Contents Death.
So now, starring Victor Perrin, here is tonight's Suspense play, Fragile Contents Death.
All it took was a phone call.
Until it came that morning, everything at the post office was the same as it had always
been.
I was just another postmaster, 40 years old, with a postal problems of some 80,000 people
to look after.
All it took was that call to make things a nightmare.
As I said, the day was just a day.
I remember I was making up my mind to get busy on the stuff piled on my desk.
It was 9.15.
Morning, Mr. Jordan.
Oh, morning, Hartley.
I'm just going to send for you.
Don't tell me all this heap is for me.
That's right.
Well, didn't anybody weed it out?
It's been weeded, Mr. Jordan.
Well, if I must, I must.
Even a parcel, I see.
Yeah, yeah, it's marked personal.
From Paxton and Brown, something earlier, Broadway, New York.
Oh, I remember.
Sure, this must be that new type of lawn sprinkler I ordered for the wife.
I should have had it sent to the house.
Put it over there, would you?
I'll take it along when I go home.
You're here?
That's fine.
Post office, this is Jordan.
Jordan, that postmaster Jordan?
That's right.
What can I do for you?
Plenty.
You got a bomb someplace in the mail down there.
Is this a joke?
Listen carefully.
This is no joke.
A guy I know sent another guy a bomb, a time bomb.
It'll be delivered here in town.
It was supposed to be set to go off at seven tonight, but it ain't.
He forgot to change the timer before he shipped it.
It's set for 2.30 this afternoon, five hours from now.
I don't like that.
Maybe some poor guy like a mailman will get it instead of the guy you're supposed to.
That's why I'm telling you about it.
You gotta find it and stop it.
There's another thing, too.
It's fixed so it'll go off when you open the package.
You got all that?
Sure, I got it.
But how do I recognize this bomb?
Who's it addressed to?
I ain't telling who sent it.
I don't care about who sent it.
Who gets it?
Who gets the bomb?
Hello?
Hartley.
Yes, sir?
You probably heard enough of that to know what's going on.
Something about a bomb in the mail.
Yeah.
Now listen carefully.
I'm only gonna tell you once.
I'm gonna tell you on the double.
I want the assistant superintendent of mails and the dispatcher, Stuart and Fox.
Get them in here as quick as you can.
You got that?
Yes, sir.
Operator?
This is Jordan.
How many inspectors are in today?
Do you know?
Just a moment, Mr. Jordan.
Mr. Williams is in.
Mr. Jackson left word he'll be out in Lincoln County until tomorrow.
And Mr. Thompson entered the hospital this morning to have his appendix out.
Well, ring Ed Williams for me, please.
Tell him to get over to my office right away.
It's urgent.
Yes, sir.
Hello, Fox.
Come in.
Sit down.
Yes, sir.
Something wrong?
Plenty.
Bomb in the mail.
You know much about it?
I'll tell you later.
Williams and Stuart are in on this, too.
Man, are we ever in for a busy day.
Hartley said there was a hurry-up call in here.
I thought they closed that door on my face, Joe.
Come on in, Ed.
Close the door.
Sit down, both of you.
Now, sit down and listen.
Uh-oh.
No raises this year.
I've been waiting for them to spring it on us.
Button it up, Joe.
Here's what we do have staring us in the face.
I just told Fox a minute ago there's a bomb in the mail someplace.
Oh.
That's right.
A few minutes ago, I got a phone call.
I don't know who it was.
All I got were these facts.
It's now 9.30.
Between now and 2.30, we've got to find a time bomb which was mailed to somebody here
in town.
Somebody?
I don't know.
12 o'clock lunchtime.
I ordinarily eat at Bailey's, but not today.
We had sandwiches and coffee brought in.
The coffee was welcome, but we didn't seem to be very hungry.
This is Jordan.
Darling, have you forgotten something?
Hello, dear. Have you forgotten something?
I'm waiting for you.
I've been here for 25 minutes.
We're having lunch together today.
Alice, I'm afraid I'll have to wake you up.
You'll be sorry.
There's the best looking man sitting here.
He's the tall, rugged, iron gray type.
He'd be glad to buy me a meal.
I have confidence in you.
Anything to save us a buck.
You definitely aren't coming.
I'm afraid not. I'll tell you all about it tonight.
Sometimes remind me never to marry a busy executive again.
Bye.
What do you got, Foxy?
Things in my mind, Doug. First, let me get this one off.
The cops picked up the Morgans.
The couple who were driving to Washington found them in a service station on the edge of town.
They got the package.
They'd already opened it. Nothing much in it except some fancy sports shirts from Morgan himself.
And they're on their way again?
Yeah, with apologies. I understand they were scared silly, though.
Morgan offered to show the cop the shirts. He even wanted to give him one.
I'm afraid they were stolen goods.
I'm glad that's cleaned up.
Yeah, I'd say he just had a call from the Woodmont branch.
Go on. Do you remember Spicer?
Spicer? Yeah, suspicion of robbing the mails. What about him?
Looks as though he hung one on himself this time.
Well, how's that?
He left the packages in the bins just before he quit last night.
He remembered one for Dr. Turner.
This Turner, it seems, collects magazine first editions.
Sometimes these aren't worth insuring, sometimes they are.
But they're always worth something more than their original price.
And this package looked like one of those.
What about the carrier, Spicer?
Well, it seems he blew in just as the place was about to close.
Said he forgot a bag of his with some new shoes that he'd bought.
He drifted through and then right out again.
Nobody paid any attention at the time.
And this morning Turner's package is gone. Is that it?
Where's Spicer?
Stay off. Substitute's working.
They're sure the package is gone.
Well, Turner called to ask if it came in and they couldn't trace it.
That's how they were sure it's missing.
Well, I don't have to tell you the next move, do I?
No, I already tried. Called his rooming house. He's not in.
Didn't come in last night either.
I'll call the police. I'd better do that, Foxy.
Thanks. Even if he has the thing, he surely opened it by now.
I think so myself, but we can't be sure. We can't take chances.
I better call.
Operator?
Get me the police station.
Ed, any luck with this pile of stuff?
Well, one that's uncertain.
Trying to make up my mind.
Let's see.
It's not very big.
Wouldn't have to be.
Addressed to Jack Gordon, 128 Andrew Street.
Is that anybody important?
Never heard the name. If you ask me, it's a kid.
What makes you think so?
Return address.
Columbia Foods, Incorporated.
Cereal coupons.
Fluorescope indicates a watch inside.
Let's put a stethoscope on it.
Okay.
Get it?
Yeah.
Is this all right?
No question. Is it a dollar watch or is it... it?
A watch, probably.
Probably?
Let's play it safe.
That's what I thought.
Take it outside?
Ordinarily, yes. But we couldn't detect anything that would trigger the thing, so we'll put it in a water bucket here.
Did you put wetting agent in the water?
Yeah.
It'll soak through the wrapping quicker and then throw anything else inside that much faster.
That doesn't.
Inside takes a little longer.
Reminds me of the time I put in as an inspector.
I'm not sure I was ever a good inspector.
I mean, the time I put in as an inspector.
I hear you were pretty good, Doug.
Just lucky?
Getting the walkers lucky.
Well, better have a look at your toy here.
Easy.
Up she comes.
There.
Looks as though we were right the first time, Doug.
Here, have a pocket watch. Genuine hobby.
Keep it for a souvenir.
That's one kid we all watch.
Will the budget stand it?
It'll strain it, but it won't break it.
Let's step out back. I need a cigarette.
Good idea.
You heard about this carrier, Spicer?
Yeah, Foxy told me. Get him yet?
The police haven't.
Maybe the police haven't got him, but that's it.
The clock's hands were still going around.
One-thirty. Just about one hour to go,
and still we hadn't found that bomb.
We hadn't found it.
We hadn't found the missing carrier.
All we had found was a new headache every few minutes.
This is Jordan.
This is Malloy again, the driver, you know.
Yes, Malloy. Do you have something new?
Sort of. You see, Mr. Jordan, it's like this.
While I was eating lunch, I kept thinking,
and all of a sudden I remember this other package
I delivered this morning out on Beach Avenue.
So I drive over here to see about it.
I'm at the house now.
Have you got the package? Have they opened it?
No, it ain't open.
Well, you better talk to this lady, Mr. Jordan.
She won't listen to me.
Mrs. Bates, this is the postmaster on the line, himself in person.
Hello. This driver says you're the postmaster. Is that right?
That's right. This is Douglas Jordan.
I don't understand all this about the package
which came from my husband.
First this man delivers it, now he wants it back.
He's perfectly right, Mrs. Bates.
We'd very much like to have that parcel.
I don't see why. It has my husband's name on it.
It's the correct address.
I'm afraid I can't give it back
until my husband has a chance to examine it.
What did our driver tell you, Mrs. Bates?
He had some story about stolen goods,
but that doesn't make sense.
Anyone would know that my husband would...
Someone may have confused him with another Bates.
Have you thought of that?
No, I hadn't, but I'm still sure that my husband
should pass judgment on this.
If I were to take the responsibility and I were wrong...
Let me take the responsibility, Mrs. Bates.
He might not see it that way.
He might say I let myself be talked into something.
Mrs. Bates, believe me,
I'm sure your husband would be the first to thank us
if he only knew.
On my word of honor, we must have that package.
Well, it's your responsibility, understand?
Here, young man.
But I don't think my husband will thank you.
He doesn't like anyone connected with the government.
None of you.
For that, I'm sorry, Mrs. Bates,
but thank you for giving us that parcel.
But it wasn't what we were after.
A box of advertising pencils, that was all.
Then it was half an hour.
I forced myself to stay in my office
waiting for a call that they'd caught Spicer
or that someone, somewhere, had turned up something.
Oh, Ed.
Any luck?
No, I'm not.
I'm not.
Ed, any luck?
Not a bit.
We've combed everything, not a thing.
They haven't caught up with Spicer yet.
I think that's a false lead anyway.
If he has a thing, he's open it by now.
That leaves us nowhere.
Yes, it does.
Somebody's forgotten something.
That must be it.
Maybe.
Could be all a hoax, you know.
What's the matter?
Don't you want it to be a hoax,
all this effort and nothing to show for it?
That it? Want to repeat the Walker business,
catch a murderer through the mail?
No, Ed, no. I just want to be sure.
Well, by the way, he's out, you know.
Who?
Steve Walker, the brother.
He's out of jail, didn't you know?
Why are you looking so funny?
Steve Walker?
He said he'd get me.
Yes, or what?
Where did I put it?
Where's that lawn sprinkler?
Lawn sprinkler.
Now I know.
Where'd that package come from?
I've had it right here all day,
didn't even think about it.
It came early this morning.
Let's not think, let's move.
Give me that.
Is there time?
I think so. Better be.
Get it under the florist cup.
Look.
That's it.
Brother, that's it, all right.
Do you have time to take it out to a safe place?
No, sir.
All we can do is put it in the water bucket,
take it into the alley, and pray.
Okay.
Here goes.
Order get through that wrapper.
Doug will give it an hour, just in case.
Five minutes.
Fifteen.
Thirty minutes.
Forty-five.
One hour.
And then...
Well, Doug, there it is.
All in little pieces.
Be glad those pieces aren't you.
I am, Ed. I am.
Pretty good collection of evidence.
You can go out to Steve Walker with this, Doug.
Mr. Jordan, telephone.
Coming.
On four.
This is Jordan.
Well, I couldn't bear the thought of you plotting away down there.
Now, maybe you'd like to hear the story about my lunch,
and it was the most exciting...
Why, it had better be good, honey.
Maybe you'll hear the one I've got for you.
Suspense.
In which Mr. Victor Perrin starred in tonight's presentation
of fragile, content death.
Be sure to listen next week when we again bring you
another presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills,
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and directed in Hollywood by Anthony Ellis.
Tonight's story was written by John F. Suter.
The music was composed by Rene Garagankin,
conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Featured in the cast were Vivi Janus, Leonard Weinrib,
Helen Klebe, Herbert Ellis, Ted Bliss, John Larch,
Charles Seal, and Frank Gerstel.
This Friday night, the CBS Radio Workshop takes you on an exciting excursion
into the world of fantasy,
as it recounts Antoine Desaint-Zupéry's delightful story of The Little Prince.
A best seller in America, as well as France,
and a joy to readers of all ages,
The Little Prince is sure to be one of your all-time dramatic favorites,
as you hear it this Friday night,
over most of these same stations on the CBS Radio Workshop.
Stay tuned for five minutes of CBS News to be followed on most of these same stations
by My Son Jeep.
...
You hear America's favorite shows on the CBS Radio Network.
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