Suspense. And the producer of radio's outstanding theater of thrills, the master of mystery
and adventure, William N. Robeson.
Murder's tricky stuff to fool around with. Like nitroglycerin, H-bombs, and a woman's
heart, you have to know how to handle it. And when an amateur dabbles in the murder
market, well, as they used to say in ancient Rome, caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.
Listen, listen then to what happened to such an innocent as Everett Sloan stars in Halibi,
which begins in exactly one minute.
In the great legends of America, there was always room for the fairer sex. Now, I don't
know if you'd call stack of dollars the fairer sex or if she'd be what you might call a pin-up
girl, but she sure impressed many men along the Mississippi during the early riverboat
days. She had two diamond teeth with gold fillings, and when she opened her mouth with
a sunburst smile, didn't they glitter. She feared nothing and nobody. Her motto was,
come clean or come dirty and get cleaned. She could put a knot on a bully's head so
big he wouldn't know whether the knot was on him or he was the knot. She had a full
bosom, wore an eight gallon Stetson, smoked charoots. She ruled the levy with her big fist
and her boyfriend claimed he liked her cause she whooped him so good. Yes, that was the
gal called stack of dollars. Folklore belongs to every nation's legendary past, and I guess
we Americans have our share of some tall ones.
And now, Mr. Everett Sloan in Alibi, a tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
There was nothing to it really once I'd made up my mind. That was the hard part, making
up my mind. Not that Hannigan would be any great loss to anybody, including himself,
but after all, you don't often go shopping for somebody to bump off your business partner.
Never mind how I found the address. It was a grimy storefront between a press while you
wake Taylor and a fly blown fruit store. Dusty cigarette stand up posters littered the window.
Inside there was a stock of tobacco and candy that wouldn't have tempted a five year old.
Not much danger of customers disturbing you here. A pair of sharp eyes under a green eye
shade were looking at me. Yeah, I, I want to see Barney. Oh, I, I phoned him. He, he
gave me this address back there. Thanks. Are you Barney? So well, I phoned you yesterday.
My name is nevermind. You wanted a job done. Is that it? Well, yes. Short job or all the
way? A short job. You just want to scare the guy, break his arm or rough him up? No, no.
This has to be all the way. You see, he's my business partner and the big chill is a
thousand bucks in advance. A thousand. But I heard what you heard. Don't count. Mr. Well,
I've got 500 here. I'll be able to get the rest easily enough. As soon as soon as you
get your mitts in the till. No, it's not that way at all. It's just that Hannigan, he put
the money in the business and he watches it like a hawk. He'd slap me in jail in a wink
if I. Probably is ready to slap me in jail already now. How did you know? Not I'd be
guessing. Well, as soon as he checks the books first of the month. Only Hannigan ain't going
to be around the first of the month, is he? That's right. If you get busy and scare up
to the rest of the grand, that is. But there's no time. Tomorrow is the first. So? Oh no,
please Barney, you've got to trust me. I'll pay you on my word of honor. On your what?
Oh, well, you know what I mean. I swear it, Barney. Well, I ought to have my head examined.
Oh, thanks. Thank you. I'll take the five on account. Yeah, sure. Here, I'll get you
the rest tomorrow. OK. How about the subject? Where do we find him? Well, I don't want anything
around the office. You understand? He lives in the Gatesworth. Gatesworth, huh? Better
if we could catch him outside. Oh, well, he lives by the clock. Every night at nine, never
later than 915, he goes to the drugstore across the street for a hot molded milk. Helps put
him to sleep. Fine. We can do a car job. What's he look like? I've got a picture here. I
got out second. Now, you'll destroy that later. I don't think you appreciate it, Mr. The favor
I'm doing you. This is the first time I ever worked a job without the green stuff in my
hands, all of it. Oh, I appreciate it. Honestly, I. And I sure hope I don't have no trouble
with you. Oh, no, no, no. You can count on me. That's good. I hate trouble. Now we got to
fix you up with an alibi. Me? Sure, you. Who are the cops going to think of first when
your partner gets the blast? Oh. Don't worry. We take care of our customers. The law won't
get the first base because you'll be all sewed up with an airtight alibi. Well, I thought
I'd just take a trip out of town. Wait till. What for? Who are you going to see? Why. Skip
it. That's the first thing they all think of. Well, I never thought that's the trouble
with you amateurs. You never think. Well, if I just stayed home with my wife. No, we
can't have your visiting friends either. You'd blow the deal before you said three words.
Oh, I don't think I'm not. Look, you're paying me to do your thinking, Mr. We got our own
skins to look out for too. And what business do you say you were in? Tea and coffee wholesale.
Ever stop for a drink on your way home? Yeah, sometimes. All right, tell you what we'll
do. You know the Pelican? Yeah. Be at the Pelican at six. Somebody will meet you. You
stick with him and you'll be in the clear. Yeah, but who. I'm thinking of a guy I can
trust named Alan. He's got a couple of restaurants. You can be selling them coffee, catch? Well,
if you think it's necessary. Here, Mr. Here's your five bills back. What do you mean? Get
yourself another boy. Oh, no, no, wait a minute. You can't back out on me now. If Hannigan
gets a look at those books, I'll do anything you say. The Pelican at six, Mr. Alan. Well,
that's better. Now you just follow orders and everything's going to work out just dandy.
I walked out of Bonnie's with a feeling of elation. As for Hannigan, I felt no qualms
about ending his miserable existence. He was old, withered, a man who had never in his
selfish life done anything to help or comfort another. I had taken him into the business
when I needed money. He had plenty of that, but I saw a mighty little of it. No, I wasn't
at all sorry I'd gone to Barney. Of course, Barney been a little too pessimistic about
this alibi business. No reason I couldn't handle it myself. Why, I could go into the
Pelican right now and more likely than not run into somebody I knew. But when I got there,
there was something different about it. The neon signs weren't lighted and there was a
notice nailed to the door closed for violation. Yeah, how about that, Mark? What? Padlocked.
I got a first. Oh, oh, hello Lee. Well, the Pelican isn't the only place in town. Let's
drop around to Moriarty. No, I'm afraid I can't, Lee. Ah, nonsense. You look like you could
use a drink. Anyway, I haven't seen you for a month this Sunday and I'm not going to let
you get away before I buy you a piece of booze. There isn't much you can do with a persistent
pal. Nothing much without making him suspicious. So I went along. Anyway, I still had plenty
of time. Sure, Barney made it sound hard building himself up. Sitting at Moriarty's with Lee,
I had to laugh to myself at how easy it was. Why, I could take this fellow here, a casual
business acquaintance, invite him to dinner, spend the evening with him and I'd have my
alibi. The shock of finding the Pelican closed wore off. The pleasant inconsequential chit
chat over the smooth martinis was soothing and then I was jolted. I can't see how you
stand it, Mark. Tied to a skin flint like Hannigan just because you need his capital.
And if it was me, I'd be tempted to bump the old coot off. What happened, man? Oh, here,
I'm getting my handkerchief. Oh, no, it's not your fault. I've got to go. Just remember,
appointment. What on earth possessed me to talk about Hannigan? Barney was right, dead
right. I couldn't trust myself to face an evening with anybody I knew. I'd give myself
away. Sure. I looked at my watch. It was six thirty and I was supposed to meet Barney's
man at six. I hurried back to the Pelican. It was still dark, of course, and there wasn't
anyone waiting around who looked like he might be waiting for me. So I waited and waited
and I got more and more frightened. Something had slipped. I didn't have any alibi going
for me. Then I realized I couldn't go through with it. A prison term for embezzlement was
one thing, but the chair for murder. I had to get in touch with Barney. There was another
bar across the street. The Green Parrot. They'd have a phone. They did. But the booth was
occupied. A blousey blonde. Her boyfriend stood by the door, weeding slightly. She don't answer.
Well, keep ringing it, Dolly. Keep ringing it. I am ringing. Well, we've got to get a
girl for Leslie, Kelly. I've got all the calls you want. Wait a minute. I've got an idea.
I'll call Helen. She's our honey. What do you love her? Call her. Just a minute. I've got
a number right here someplace. Look, miss, could I place a call if you don't mind? It's
important. Well, you got a nerve. We was here first. Well, it's important or I wouldn't
ask. Go find another phone. But this is the only one around here. Please. Come on,
be a sport, honey. Let him have a little. All right. But make it snappy, will you? Yes,
yes, I will. Thanks. Thanks ever so much. Hello. Hello. Is this Barney? No, Barney
ain't here. Well, can you tell me where I can reach him? Got no idea. Well, when do you
expect him back? He ought to be around sometime. How soon? I don't know. He don't tell me nothing.
But I've got to reach him right now. Can you get a message to him? I could try. What's
on your mind? Tell him. Tell him this is the party he sent to the Pelican at six o'clock.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, well, the Pelican's padlocked. I've been waiting outside, but the other party
didn't show up. The one I was supposed to meet. Where you at now? I'm across the street.
The Green Parrot. Look, have Barney call me, will you? Say, you're going to hot this thing
all night. Just a minute, please. Listen, the number is Grant 4937. Give him some guys
at least they want to take you home. Look, please. I'll be through in a second. But we've
got that Grant 4937. Yeah, I got it. I'll tell him when he comes here. Now look, brother.
Okay, okay. I'm finished. Thanks very much. Well, it's about time. Okay, honey. Now watch
that. I took a seat at the bar where I could keep one eye on the padlock door of the Pelican
across the street and the other on the phone booth. And then I started sweating it out.
I didn't need the silly cuckoo clock over the bar to tell me the passing of the minutes.
Until suddenly I came to myself. Seven o'clock and that confounded couple was still at the
phone booth. I never saw anything like it. Helen, Marie, Janet, Ethel, Dorothy. Well,
she's given me a chance. I'll have dates try another one. Let's see. Oh, here's a girl.
Don't you be crazy about it. Look, miss, before you make that call. Oh, it's nosy again. Listen,
I'm waiting for a very important call. Won't you please stay off the line for a few minutes?
Well, it's fine. No, no, but this is vital. It's a matter of life and death. Oh, how dramatic.
No, I mean it. Who writes your material, bud? Go ahead, go ahead. Don't pay attention
this small. We've got to get lefty fixed up. Look, miss, please. You've got to get off that
phone. Listen, boss, the fun is fun, but you watch out how you talk to my girls. I don't
care. I thought you... Oh, you don't care? Well, now you listen to me. No, you listen to
me. Oh, tough guy. Hey, Dolly. Dolly, help me. It couldn't have lasted very long, but by
the time they pulled the drunk off of me, somebody had yelled copper and there was a big policeman
filling the door. OK, OK. Now what gives here? He did it. He started to beat up on Harry.
No, please, officer. All right, break it up. Back, folks. Hold on. Now which one started
this? No, I didn't. I didn't do anything. That's enough. That's enough. I better take the
both of you. No, but officer, I... Please. Wait a minute. That's my call. That's the call
I've been waiting for. Come along, will you? Don't give me any trouble. No, no, but I must
answer that phone. I've got to... You want to come along quietly or do you want to sample
the end of this nightstick? No, but you can't do this. No, I can't, can I? Please. What do
you think of this? Please. Now, move both of you. Look at this. Handcuffs. No. Wicks.
Oh, brother, you pack a pretty good punch. Might as well be pretty good boys. Oh, Harry,
they're taking you away. Don't you worry, honey. Don't worry. Be out in the morning. No, please.
Let me answer that phone. I said move. In just a moment, we continue with... Suspense.
This is Johnny Baker with Communism on the Spot. In the ancient world, the top authorities
and myths were the Greeks. In our time, the communists have that distinction. One of the
top myths they've been circulating is that the Communist Party is a workers' party. Some
of its members, no doubt, answer that description. But these have always been sort of window
dressing. Actually, the party is a political machine made up overwhelmingly of state officials,
the military, and industrial leaders. The workers in the Soviet Union, like everyone
else, take their orders from above, from the bosses of the Communist Party, which isn't
a workers' party at all, but is a regimented bureaucracy whose members have only one interest,
themselves. And now, we continue with the second act of Alibi, starring Mr. Everett
Sloan, a tale well calculated to keep you in... Suspense.
The phone kept ringing in my ears, the phone with Barney on the other end, Barney and Salvation.
And here I was in the squad car speeding toward the police station handcuffed to a stupid
drunk. Oh, well, it was a good fight, a while, at last, it wasn't a fella. Now, listen,
I'll tell you the truth, I'm just as happy to get away from that pig. I figured I'd
plop her off on the lefty and get me another girl. Shut up, will you? Oh, now, don't be
like that, don't be like that. You worried about the little woman, maybe? No. Come to
think of it, the only time my old lady ever believed me when I stayed out all night, I
was in jail. She could check up on that. Oh, wonderful Alibi, jail. Alibi? Oh, the very
best. Take her for me. Yes, of course. What a fool I was. I didn't need Barney now. Sure,
it wasn't the most delightful way to spend the night in the drunk tank, but there'd be
no question. It was perfect. Barney could go ahead and kill Hannigan now and I could relax.
The police car slowed down and pulled up to the curb. Only, it wasn't the police station,
it was a downtown corner by a cab stand. All right, you two, get out. What? Get out? Yeah.
You two promised to quit acting like a couple of college kids. You can hop into a cab and
go home. Officer? You're an officer or a jailer? Yeah, yeah. I don't see any reason why the
city should put you up for the night. There, the cups are off. Now, go on, go straight home,
you hear? Ah, sure pal, sure. But, officer. Now what? Well, I want to go to jail. Ah, don't
be a chump chump. You what? I, I want to go to jail. Why? Well, I, I can't exactly say.
You'd better exactly say. I'm giving you a break. Yes, I, I know, only. Only what? Only,
just don't turn me loose. Okay buddy, I won't. All right, you get going. Oh, yes sir. So long, chump.
I never heard the like wanting to go to jail. Yeah, sounds funny, I guess. Sure does.
Sergeant will be interested in it, and the lieutenant. They'll want to ask you a lot of questions, mister.
Good lord, that hadn't occurred to me. Of course they'd ask questions, questions I couldn't answer,
beginning with the first fateful one. Why did I want to be in jail when my partner was being assassinated?
I stiffened with panic, silent with shock, and then the police car swung into a side street,
which had just been watered down. It went into a skid. The officer tried to pull out, but he couldn't,
and it crashed into a pole, throwing both of us clear. He was out cold, and I, I seemed to be all in one piece.
I had to get away from there now. I had to get to Barney and call off the killing.
Too many people would ask much too many questions. I lambed out of there fast and ran three blocks
until I found a drug store with a phone.
Yeah? Is Barney there? No, he ain't. Oh, I thought he was. Well, he ain't. Listen, I called before.
He left a message for Barney, you remember? Yeah, I give it to him. Well, then, then he has been calling me.
Where from? How should I know? He don't tell me where he goes. But I... Now listen, I give Barney the number.
What more do you want? I guess nothing. I was you. I'd stick by that phone.
Barney don't like creeps that waste his time. Thanks. Think nothing of it.
Well, that was that. I had to get back to the Green Parrot, dangerous as that was, and wait for Barney's call.
I had less than an hour to make that connection. Hey, hey, wait a minute, you. Yes?
Ain't you the guy who caused the combustion in here? Sure you are. Hey, what are you doing back here?
Look, bartender, the officer let me go. He realized it wasn't my fault. All I wanted was to answer the phone.
Outside. I don't want no troublemakers in here. No, but if you'll just listen, I wasn't making any trouble.
It's an important call. I had to get to the phone. Oh, sure, sure. Look, you're breaking my heart.
Come on out of here. Get out or I throw you out. No, you can't. There. That's it. That's Barney.
Wait a minute. I didn't say you. Hold on there. No, you're not going to keep me away now.
No, you're not going to keep me away now. You let me go. Get that phone.
Hello, Barney. Barney. Hey, where you been keeping yourself anyway?
Never mind that now, Barney. Alan, the man you told me to be, he never came. What do I do, Barney?
Yeah, I know. There was a little change in plan, but don't you worry.
Oh, okay, you. Get away from the phone. What's going on there? It's nothing. Listen, Barney, that's not the point.
I want to call it off. Call it off? Yes, you can keep the money. I can't go through with it.
You can't go through it? No. That's a laugh. Well, tell me what to do, Barney. Tell me what to do.
All right, sock me with you or I'll get you in a boot. Please, just one more second. Say what? Yes.
Skip it, skip it. But hurry. I've only got a second. What do I do?
Come to Ninth and Blossom. Somebody will meet you on the corner.
Ninth and Blossom, I got it. Thanks, Barney. All right, bartender, I'm going.
Oh, so you're going? And don't come back. It's guys like you give a place a bad name.
I hit the sidewalk with a jar that shook my spine. And then a pair of solicitous hands helped me to my feet.
It was Harry, the drunk I'd been handcuffed to.
Oh, gee, pal, you shouldn't have tried to go back in there. I told you that barkeeper was tough.
Yeah, yeah, thanks. Hey, did you see Dahlia there, my girl?
No, no, I didn't. I had my own problems.
What's the difference? Who wants it? Look, I'll tell you what, pal. You and me, we'll get a couple of girls.
Look, I've got an appointment. Now let go of my arm, will you? Hey, taxi, taxi!
Hey, hey, how'd you get away from the cops?
Nine-th and Blossom driver, hurry. Oh, you got a date.
Well, maybe she's got a friend. No, don't get in here, please.
Will you? Go ahead, driver, go ahead, go ahead.
Look, please, it's not that kind of a date. You'll have to get out.
Now don't you try to ditch your old pal, Harry Allen, will you?
I tell you, you've got to get out. Did you say Allen?
Oh, sure. That's me, Harry Allen.
Why didn't you tell me? Well, you never asked me.
Allen, and I was trying to get rid of you.
Friends to the end, make a friend, that's us.
And I thought Barney bungled the whole deal and here you've been hanging on to me like a leech.
I might have known he'd handle this in his own way.
Say, don't you think we ought to be someplace where more people can sit and talk?
More people can see us? Huh? Why?
Well, it's nearly nine o'clock, the time I need the alibi when Barney is killing my partner.
Alibi? Kill?
You're Allen. You said so.
Well, yeah, yeah, but...
You're in the restaurant business. Me?
You're not in the restaurant business. Barney didn't send you?
I don't know, Barney, I don't know what you're talking about, but...
Hey, hey, wait a minute. Maybe I do know what you're talking about.
So that's why you wanted to go to jail.
Please, Allen, stop! Stop!
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Let me out, let me out.
No, you don't, no, you don't. Come back here. Come back here!
I got away from that fast. It was five minutes to nine, and Ninth and Blossom were still a block away.
I forced my pounding hard until I thought it would burst.
You sure took your time getting here.
Barney, I... I didn't know you were gonna meet me.
Come inside, off the street.
Sure, Barney, sure.
Oh, I thought I'd never make it.
Barney, what happened? Where was Allen?
Don't worry, everything's taken care of.
Oh, but I... I don't understand.
You amateurs never do.
Wait a minute.
What kind of a place is this?
A garage?
Go to the head of the class.
But... but what kind of an alibi could I have here with you?
Where's Allen? The man I was supposed to meet.
Him? He's busy.
Busy?
I told you, there's a change in the plan.
He's alibying for another customer.
Your partner, matter of fact.
Ha... Hannigan?
Say, you're real smart tonight, ain't you?
You see, I got to thinking.
I never worked on credit. Why should I start now?
I take a chance on them extra five bills.
So I just put it up to Hannigan.
You what?
Sure. You saw the point right off.
Handed up the whole grand right on the line, cash money.
Cash for what?
Yes.
What's that gun for?
What do you think?
Oh, no, no.
Hannigan wouldn't do that. Not to me.
Why not? You was gonna do it to him?
No, no, no, no.
No.
That's him, officer. He's the guy.
All right, Barney. Hold out your hands.
Oh, you won't get out of this one.
Oh, officer.
You saved my life.
You saw. You heard what he was gonna do.
We heard everything, buddy. Everything.
You two will make a nice pair of cellmates.
Amateurs.
Suspense.
In which Mr. Everett Sloan starred in Alibi, written by Lawrence Goldman.
Listen.
Listen again next week when we return with another tale well calculated to keep you in.
Suspense.
In which Mr. Everett Sloan starred in Alibi, written by Lawrence Goldman.
Suspense.
Supporting Mr. Sloan in Alibi were Ted D'Coursie, Eddie Marr, Sandra Gould, Peter Leeds, Jack Moyles, and Jack Crouching.
Suspense.
Suspense has been brought to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.
The United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.