Drive In, starring Miss Margaret Whiting.
A tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
I wish I hadn't let Ruth talk me into serving that last car that came into the drive in that rainy night.
It was late and I was tired.
Oh, Mildred, please take that order. I've got three other cars and I'm waiting for French fries.
Well, look at the clock, will you? It's near midnight and I'm off duty.
Oh, please, Mildred, just this one more, will you? I'll do the same for you sometime.
Oh, the doctor's car, see? Probably a fresh. Anyway, you've got nobody waiting for you.
It was true. No one was waiting for me. Only the bus which would take me to North Hollywood, the apartment, where I lived alone.
So I buttoned up my raincoat and I took a menu over to the car.
Good evening.
Never mind the menu, just some black coffee and a ham sandwich. Please hurry it.
I hurried it, but when I clamped in the tray, I had to roll down the window a little.
When I touched the handle, it felt kind of sticky and my fingers were red, blood red.
Oh, I'm Dr. Russell. I just had an emergency patient in the car.
An accident?
Yes. Sunset and vine, quite a crash. I just happened by. I took one of them to the hospital.
Oh, I see. I walked back trying to wipe the blood from my hand with a paper napkin.
It gave me a creepy feeling to have somebody's blood on my hand.
I was keeping close track of the time and I was a little worried for fear the big driving clock wasn't right.
Sometimes ran slow, so I took a coin from my apron pocket.
I figured it was worth a dime not to miss that last bus to North Hollywood.
I walked over to the pay phone and I was about to drop the dime and went...
I looked out and he was leaning on the horn and beckoning to me at the same time.
Put the dime back in my pocket and hurried out to him.
I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I haven't time for this coffee to cool off.
How much do I owe you?
Forty cents.
Here you are. I hope I didn't interrupt your phone call. Wasn't important, was it?
No. I was just checking on the time. Didn't want to miss my bus.
Well, there was a clock right over your head.
It's usually wrong.
I have the time. It's about four minutes to twelve.
Oh, I am going to miss it.
What time does it leave?
At midnight from Hollywood and Highland.
Well, hop in. I'm going right past there.
Oh, wonderful. I'll just get rid of this stuff.
All right.
In my hurry to unhook the tray from the window, I gave it a jerk and it fell crashing to the ground.
Oh darn. Ruth, please help me pick up these things, will you? I'm going to miss my bus.
All right, Mildred. Don't get shook.
We picked the things up quickly and Ruth took them to the kitchen.
Then I noticed something shining on the ground.
It was one of the shakers that had fallen from the tray.
I picked it up, put it in my apron pocket, rushed over to the other side of the car and got in.
I suppose you're in a hurry because someone's waiting for you.
No, I live alone, but I'd hate to walk all the way out to North Hollywood in this rain.
You won't have to walk.
This is very nice of you. I appreciate it.
Not at all.
Would you mind rolling up that window on your side as a draft?
Of course. You can let me off at that corner over there.
All right.
Anywhere along here will be all right. This is fine.
Hey, you're turning the wrong way.
Am I?
Yes. This goes out to Laurel Canyon.
Does it? You thought you were pretty smart, didn't you?
I don't know what you mean. Please, let me out of this car.
You thought I wouldn't see you. Go to the phone.
Well, I was calling about the time. Honest I was.
The time with that clock over your head?
But I told you that clock's wrong sometimes. Besides, who would I call?
Why should I call anyone about you?
You were calling the police.
No, honest I wasn't. Why should I call the police?
You know why.
No, really I don't.
Because you saw it.
Saw what?
His blood.
Whose blood?
The blood of the man I just murdered.
We passed a few people and some cars in the next few blocks, and I thought of calling out.
And then I knew why he told me to roll up the window when I'd first gotten into the car.
And then we were at the mouth of Oro Canyon, and I could see the road dark and lonely up ahead.
Look, I didn't know anything about you. Honest I didn't. Please let me go.
You know something about me now?
I won't tell anybody, whatever it is. I promise you I won't.
A woman's promises. Remind me to tell you a story about a woman and a promise.
Let me out. Please, let me out right here.
It's a long way to North Hollywood.
It's all the better. It'll take me hours to get there, and you'll be miles away by then.
I'm not taking any chances with you.
Please let me out. I gotta get home.
You said no one was waiting for you. You live alone. No one will miss you.
He heard the siren and looked quickly into the rear view mirror.
Then he took a gun from his pocket and turned to me.
If that's for us and we're stopped, remember I've used this gun before tonight.
And I can use it again if I have to.
If I'm taken, you'll go first.
Now listen, I'm a doctor and you're a nurse, and we're on an emergency call.
If you want to live, you won't try to pull anything.
What's the trouble, officer?
Going off too fast for a wet night, aren't you, sir?
I followed you up from Hollywood Boulevard.
I'm Dr. Russell, and this is Nurse Johnson. Emergency call.
Let's see your identification, sir.
As he fumbled through his pockets, the motorcycle cop looked over at me.
I thought for a moment that I could signal him with my eyes.
Then I knew he wasn't looking at me.
He was looking down at my white starched apron, which you could see under my raincoat.
He thought it was a nurse's uniform.
Here you are.
Okay, Doc. Sorry I stopped you.
Oh, just a minute. What is it now?
The rain started to slide up the canyon a ways. Take it easy.
Thanks. I will.
You're not Dr. Russell, are you?
What do you think?
Halfway up the canyon, we came to the landslide.
It wasn't a big one, but it had made a terrible mess of the road.
He didn't slow down, and the car swerved crazily as it slipped from one side of the road to the other.
Suddenly it felt as though the whole rear end had left the pavement.
I looked over at him. He was tense.
His knuckles turned white as he clutched the wheel.
He shoved the car into reverse.
I prayed it wouldn't move.
It didn't. We were stuck, hopelessly stuck.
Of all the luck.
Suddenly the canyon was filled with light.
The car had come around the curve behind us. This might be my chance.
Remember, I still have this gun. Don't try anything.
Hey, we're stuck here. Could you give us a push?
How do you like that? Now I'll have to get out. I'll have to put something under the wheel.
You stay here.
There were some bushes by the side of the road.
If I could reach them, maybe I could run up the hill and hide until he went away.
I carefully turned the handle of the door.
I could see him in the rearview mirror. He was at the back of the car.
I eased the door gently open. I put one foot out.
I was just sliding up when I heard him behind me.
You're not going anyplace. Come here. Give me that raincoat.
Why?
I need something dry to stuff under this wheel.
But I...
You won't be needing it.
I hesitated a moment. He ripped it off my back, bent down and stuffed it under the wheel.
The gun. Stuck out of his back pocket.
If I could get it.
No, if I could lay my hands on it. I held my breath and I reached out.
It seemed so far. I finally touched it.
And then I snatched it from his pocket.
Give me that gun.
I'm getting out of here. You can't stop me now.
Can't I?
No. You stay right where you are. I won't hurt you.
All I want is to get home. I'm going, but if you try to follow me, I'll...
You'll what?
I'll kill you.
I don't think you will.
Yes, I will. You think I'm afraid.
Aren't you?
No. I don't care what happens to you. You're a murderer.
And I'm going to tell the police. Now you stay where you are.
Don't come any closer. I'm not afraid. I'll shoot.
Good thing I used them all up tonight.
Now give me that gun and get in that car.
Are you... are you going to kill me?
I've got to, now.
We were nearing the top of the canyon. The road was very steep.
The rain had let up. It was just grizzling now.
Suddenly we came over the crest of the hill.
Way down below, the city stretched out for miles.
Finans of lights glittering in the rain.
For a moment I forgot my fear. It's so beautiful.
Look out, mountain. Top of the world.
Ever been up here before?
No.
Nice, isn't it?
Yes.
I used to come up here with a girl once.
We used to sit and talk for hours.
Come on, Will. We'll get a better view if we get out.
I knew it was no use arguing, so I followed him.
But not all the way to the edge of the cliff which dropped away into deep darkness.
Come on.
I'm afraid to get so close.
You won't fall.
Look.
That's Los Angeles over there.
I was born there.
And I went to school there, too.
Used to get into all sorts of trouble at school.
And over that way, towards the ocean,
that's Westwood.
That's where she lived.
The girl I was telling you about.
Does she still live there?
No.
She's dead.
I killed her.
Why?
Because she couldn't keep her promises.
The jury said I was insane, but I think it was the sanest thing I ever did.
I thought about it a lot.
If I could keep him talking, maybe a car would come along.
Maybe something would happen.
It was my only chance.
I know the difference between right and wrong.
You killed someone else tonight, didn't you?
Yes.
Dr. Russell?
Yes.
Why?
He was one of the men who said I was insane.
But they'll catch you.
No.
No, they won't find the doctor for several days.
Well, what are you going to do now?
Kill you.
I started to back away slowly.
I'd made a mistake of reminding him of the present.
My hands went instinctively to my apron pocket for something to defend myself with.
I knew there was a pencil there.
It was sharp.
Maybe I could scratch him, hurt him some way with it.
When I reached for it, I felt something else instead.
Something cold and hard.
It was puzzled for a moment.
Then I remembered.
It was the shaker I'd picked up at the drive-in.
You can't get away now.
Then he started moving toward me.
Me with only a pencil and a shaker to defend myself.
It's too bad I came into that drive-in tonight.
Why did you?
Because I was hungry.
I hadn't eaten for a long time.
Weren't you afraid someone would see you?
My arm had gone out.
Well, how did you know?
I knew.
If only you hadn't rolled that window down.
Well, if you're sorry, why don't you let me go?
It's too late.
I heard a car coming up the hill.
With a sudden movement, his arms were about me in a tight embrace.
I started to scream and suddenly his lips closed over mine.
Pushing my head back roughly, he kissed me.
I could scarcely breathe.
He put the car's lights on us like a spotlight.
He held me for a long moment.
When the car had passed, he released me.
A pencil had fallen to the ground,
and I was left with only the shaker in my hand.
I fingered it nervously, and I felt the top coming off
and the content spilling into my hand.
What have you got in your hand?
Nothing.
Give it to me.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him.
We were moving to the edge of the cliff,
but my other hand was free, and I threw the handful of pepper into his face.
I tried to clear his eyes, but it was too late.
The pepper had blinded him.
He lunged out for me.
I stepped aside quickly, and he slipped in the mud.
His hands went out to steady himself.
He clawed frantically at thin air,
and then he fell over backwards, over the edge, to the darkness below.
Then my legs wouldn't support me.
I sank into unconsciousness.
I don't know how long I lay on the wet ground.
When I came to, it was raining again.
I was soaked to the skin, and my hair was caked with mud.
There was no one in sight.
The lights of Los Angeles sparkled peacefully far below,
and I knew that somewhere on the other side of these hills was North Hollywood
and my apartment.
As I rode slowly to my feet and started back down the road,
somehow everything that had happened seemed unreal, like a dream.
Everything but the warm pain of my bruised lips where he'd kissed me
to keep me from crying out.
Suspense, in which Margaret Whiting starred in William and Robeson's production of Drive-In,
written by Melden, writing in tonight's story, where Gayle Lucas, William Wintersall, and Norm Alden.
Listen.