And now, another tale well calculated to keep you in...
...suspense.
A man talks to his wife and keeps talking to save his life.
In just 30 seconds, Act One of Call Me at Half Past,
written especially for suspense by Alan Sloan.
The lively crowd today agrees, those who think young say Pepsi.
Please, they pick the right one, the modern light one.
Now it's Pepsi for those who think young.
So go ahead and pick the drink that lets you drink young as you think.
Yes, get the right one, the modern light one.
Now it's Pepsi for those who think young.
Well, hello Mr. Simmons. Right on schedule, huh? Your usual room?
If you have it, please.
Oh, we save it, Mr. Simmons, after all how long have you been
irregular with us at the hotel, three, four years?
Too long.
Yes, sir. Just call me Big Mouth.
Would you please sign the register?
Why, sure.
Not that it's any of my business, sir, but if you don't mind my asking,
how are things over at the hospital? Do they say?
Same as always, they say.
The wife's been lighting candles for you.
I appreciate that, Charlie. Now I'd like to go upstairs and freshen up.
Oh, sure. Front, show Mr. Simmons to his room, please.
Yes, sir, coming right up. 509 for Mr. Simmons.
Yeah, you see, even the bellhops know you.
Right this way, Mr. Simmons.
Go 509. After you, sir.
Just drop the bag anywhere.
I'll just check the bathroom.
I'm sure everything's all right.
No, sir, no bath towels. I'll send a maid up with some.
All right, that'll be fine.
You know, it is with help nowadays.
Look, here, this is for you.
Well, thank you, sir. Anything else, you just call for number 12.
Yes, I'll do that.
By the way, what's the right time?
It's 5-2.
Thanks. My watch stopped on the train.
Mr. Simmons, if you don't mind my saying, you look real beat.
If you want to grab an extra half hour rest,
there's another gentleman going to the hospital this afternoon,
but he's driving.
I'm sure he'd be glad to your company. Would you like me to...
No, thanks. I'll take the bus.
Yes, sir. The maid will be up with the towels right away.
Your order, please.
This is Mr. Simmons in 509. Would you do me a favor?
Certainly, sir.
I'm going to take a nap. Would you call me at half past?
And, operator, keep ringing until I answer.
Don't worry, Mr. Simmons. We'll see you don't miss the bus.
Everybody knows.
Lighting candles, saving my room, watching my time.
Lord, Lord.
Oh, Lord, again.
Know it or not, believe it or not, she's in your hands,
but one of these times, one of these days,
let it be the last time, God, please, please.
Oh, the damn towels.
Come in.
All right, all right, just a minute.
Don't bother.
Frances.
Franny, Franny.
Hello, Cliff.
But what is...
Honey, love, come in.
Thank you.
I thought you was a maid.
Franny, what's happened?
Why didn't they tell me? God, what are you doing?
Visiting you?
But they didn't call, they didn't write, they didn't wire.
Oh, Franny, darling, this is unbelievable.
I thought you'd be surprised.
Let me take you in my arms, darling.
Franny, Franny, you're well.
Am I?
Why, of course, if they let you come down to meet me.
But what a surprise.
Well, this will surprise you even more.
Franny, give me the gun.
No.
A good girl, now give it to me.
Come on now, Franny.
Get back.
Franny.
I said back.
Oh, honey, let's not do things like this.
Oh, dearest heart, you're so...
Oh, Franny, Franny.
I'm what?
Go ahead, say it.
Franny, dear heart.
Don't dear heart me.
Please.
Oh, well, now that I like, say please.
Franny, you're very upset.
Now, let's sit down and...
That's a very poor diagnosis.
They don't send people where you sent me because they're upset.
But I wanted you to get well, Franny.
You see, the doctors...
Mad, mad, mad, crazy, crazy mad.
No, there's nothing the matter with me.
I just hate you, that's all, and I'm going to kill you dead.
No.
I am going to kill you.
No, you're not, Franny.
Yes, I am.
You sent me there and there's nothing wrong with me.
Why, of course there isn't.
Don't you see, that's why you're not going to do anything foolish.
Only sick people do things like that.
And you just said there's nothing the matter with you.
Why, if they let you come to see me, you must be all well again.
And if you're all well, why, you don't want to do anything foolish?
Isn't that logical?
Now, dear, doesn't that make sense?
Oh, I love to hear you talk like that.
Let me come to see you, nothing.
I escaped.
Oh, all right, Franny, all right.
Let's have a drink on, okay?
Get away from that phone.
I was only going to call room service.
I've had enough room service.
For three years you've made them keep me in a room.
Yes, but it's all over now, see?
Come on, Franny, let's just get out of here and go home.
No, not after all the trouble I had getting here.
I had to smash my nice little clock,
my nice little clock that you gave me,
inside a stocking on the guard's head.
Crunch!
The little white clock?
Yes, without any alarm.
Why couldn't I have an alarm?
Oh, never mind, honey, never mind, it doesn't matter.
Would you tell me?
I'll tell you what, let's send on for coffee and cake, huh?
And we'll talk about clocks and things.
I said stay away from that phone.
All right, dear, all right, anything you say.
Anything you say.
Ooh, how scared you are.
Sure, I'll sit down.
I can kill you just as well sitting down.
Hey, Fran, Fran, you know, I just thought of something.
I couldn't, I have an alarm.
No, no, if you really escape, they'll be looking for you.
See, so why don't I call them and say you're safe with me?
Because I'll kill you if you touch that phone again.
Now don't touch it anymore, Cliff,
because I don't want to shoot you right away.
I want to watch you squirm and wiggle.
Cliff?
Yes, dear?
What did they do to me?
I can't remember things.
I remember near things,
how I put the clock in the stocking
and how I swung the stocking and crunched
and the guard fell down and...
and how you always take the same room,
but I don't remember things, Cliff.
And I have to remember so that I can kill you better.
Like...like about bells?
Bells?
Yes, bells, Franny, alarm clocks and things like that.
Can't you remember about bells?
No.
You used to get upset when you heard bells.
Don't you remember?
No, I don't.
Talk about bells.
I want to remember bells.
All right.
All right, Franny.
The big bell on the church down the street.
Huh?
The school bell.
School?
No.
The front door that went bing-bong, bing-bong.
Front door?
The alarm clock in the bedroom,
the tinkled bells in the parakeet's cage,
and even the telephone.
Telephone?
No, I didn't have a telephone.
Yes, yes, I did, but you made them take it away.
You didn't want me to talk to anybody.
Oh, no, no, Franny, what have I done?
Forgive me, I'm sorry.
Why couldn't I have a phone?
Franny, honey, let me see the gun, will you?
I've never seen a gun so close.
Sit down.
All right, yes, yes.
I am sitting down, you see?
Now tell me about the telephone.
Oh, Franny, my dear wife,
it reminded you of...
Of what?
Of something.
What?
You mean you totally... you don't remember.
Well, make me remember, make me.
Donnie.
Donnie?
The baby, Donnie.
Whose baby?
Ours.
Do we have a baby?
No.
Well, then why do you say Donnie?
Because that was his name.
Oh, Franny, please, put that gun away, will you?
Just come to me, just let me hold you.
Why do you say Donnie?
Because back then there was a Donnie.
With your hair and my eyes,
don't you remember?
Franny, remember, remember.
Remember my birthday.
Remember.
Mommy making cake?
That's right, darling.
What you doing now?
I am mixing the batter for the cake.
Donnie cake.
Daddy cake.
I lick it.
When I'm finished, you can lick the beaters, that's right.
I lick it now.
You beat it now.
Mommy beat it, Donnie lick it now.
I mean scotch, S-C-A-T scotch.
You go outside and wait for Daddy to come home.
When he does, you can both lick the bowl.
Go on now, scotch.
Okay, I go ride my bike home.
Donnie?
I am.
Don't ride too far and stay out of the driveway.
I say.
Oh, boy, yes.
Oh, my, I say.
Oh, if it's not one thing it says.
Oh, for goodness sake, does everything have to happen at once?
Hold your horses, I'm coming.
Donnie, there's Daddy.
Donnie, get out of the driveway.
Cliff, look out.
Daddy.
Oh, no.
No, Cliff.
No, you just made that up.
No, honey.
No, it's true.
And you see, when a telephone rings,
you remember it.
You live it again.
No, no.
Yes, when any bell rings, you remember it.
I was going to kill you because you put me in that place with the locks.
Now I'll kill you if that story is true
and you killed my Donnie with your car.
Oh, God, Frank, it was an accident.
Don't you think I suffered?
Not the way I have.
I haven't had the blessing of forgetting.
Don't you yell at me.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
All right, that's enough.
Now turn around, no more talk.
All right, then don't turn around.
I'd just as soon look at you and watch you die.
Let's play games.
Let's count to three, hmm?
One.
Say it, one.
Frank.
One.
Take the safety off.
Two, check the chamber.
Don't, Frank, please.
You'll be all alone if you kill me.
One, two, just for you and one for me.
It's up to...
Who's that?
I don't know.
It's them.
They've come to take me back.
Don't you move, don't answer, don't you talk.
No, no, no, it's just the maid.
The guards.
You want it to be the guards.
No, it's only the towels.
Fran, will you let...
All right, all right.
Now if it's the guards, I'll kill you.
And if it's the maid, don't you let her in.
And I'm right behind you.
Oh, it's you.
Your towels, sir.
I'll put them in the bathroom.
Don't bother.
I'll take them, thank you.
Ah, the look on your face.
You thought it was the guards.
Just made with the towels, you said,
but your face was an open book.
You know, speaking of books,
I am reading the most interesting book you...
Ah, just let me put these towels away
and I'll tell you all about it, all right?
Lock yourself in the bathroom?
Oh, no.
Put them down.
Go on, throw them on the floor.
All right, but this book,
it's one of those wonderful fan stories...
Now shut up, shut up, shut up!
Now stand on the towels.
Right there.
Ooh, it'll be so pretty, red on white.
And we won't mess up the room.
Fran, you're not going to kill me.
Why not?
Because I love you.
Because people don't kill those who love them.
You don't love me.
If you know anything, you know that.
Well, I hate you.
But that proves you love me, see?
Hate is just a thing.
Stop looking at your watch.
Oh, would you like to see it, Fran?
It's new.
I'll get you one even prettier if you want me.
You never get me anything.
You make them do things to me,
but you never bring me anything.
That is not so, Fran.
Yes, it is so!
You just take things away from me.
You took the telephone away
so I couldn't talk to anybody
and locked me in the house all day
so I couldn't see anybody.
Oh, do you remember that?
Yes, yes, I remember that.
But I don't remember why.
Well, I had to, dear.
I thought I could take care of you by myself.
And for the baby...
What baby?
Donnie.
Oh, Franny.
I used to bring you lots of things when I came home.
Watches and flowers and pictures, pretty things.
You didn't want to go out.
You wouldn't go out, so I brought you things.
You said you were lonesome.
Remember?
So I brought you something once per company.
Fran, try to remember.
It was the day I came home with something little and soft.
Remember?
Franny!
Oh, Fran!
Come see what I've got for you.
What?
Come see, dear.
No.
Oh, please, dear heart.
Come and see.
Bring it to me.
Sweetheart, don't just sit in that chair
by the window all the time.
Please come see.
No, bring it here.
All right.
Here.
I'll open the box.
What's that?
Oh, it's a kitten.
Just a tiny little kitten.
What's it for?
To take care of.
Something small and soft for you to take care of.
Not me.
Oh, come on, look at her.
Isn't she cute?
Take it away.
A tiny little kitty, Fran.
Oh, come on, love.
Hold her.
If you hold her, you'll never want to let her go.
She's so tiny.
She needs someone to hold her.
I don't want it.
See?
She wants you to hold her.
Don't put her on me.
Oh, Franny, she loves you.
Listen to her purr.
You see?
There.
How about that, Franny?
What do we name her?
Listen to her purr.
So little and soft.
Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.
There.
There, kitty.
Poor kitty.
There.
There!
Franny.
Oh, Franny!
There!
You...
You killed her.
You just twisted the life out of her.
Why?
Why?
Cat.
Cat.
Presence and cat.
Why don't you bring my darling home?
If you don't, I'll kill you too, you see?
You see?
And you see, Franny,
that's when we decided it was best for you to go to the hospital.
Hospital?
Love, it was better for you.
Safer for you, you mean?
You were scared of me, weren't you, just like you are now?
Honey, you must be getting awfully hungry.
Why don't we go down and see if the dining room is open?
It's nearly half past.
Oh, I'm hungry all right.
Oh, then good. Let's go downstairs.
I'm hungry all right to see you die.
Franny, listen.
I wish...
I wish I didn't need to use a gun.
I wish I could squeeze you and squeeze you
like a kitten with my hands, just with my hands.
Would you let me see your hands, Franny,
those pretty hands of yours?
Let's send out for a manicurist.
You'll make them all beautiful with shiny nails.
I wish I could tear your eyes out.
And your hair, why, we could call a beauty parlor.
You could have a permanent shampoo.
Dear heart, how about a rinse?
I can pick up the phone right now.
Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter.
Stop that stuff with you, you watch.
I'm getting late, Fran.
You're not going anyplace.
Franny, can I get a drink of water?
Salivary inhibition.
Under fear or tension, the mouth becomes dry.
Very interesting, very interesting.
Franny, Franny, I need a drink.
Let's phone downstairs for a drink.
Let's phone for that.
Let's not say we did.
Let's stop stalling.
I won't let you do anything now but die.
This time, you won't know when it's going to be.
No counting, no games, no one, two, three.
Any minute now, you hear?
Any minute now.
No, Franny.
No, not...
Not here.
What's wrong with here?
It's very pretty.
I haven't been in such a pretty room for a long time.
I'll take you home.
Pretty room's there.
Look, we can just catch a train.
Or rent a car.
We can be home in three hours.
Chatter, chatter, chatter, chatter.
And I can take you home in plenty of time.
That's for you.
Cliff, honey.
Yes, Fran.
Yes, darling.
Look at me, Cliff.
That's right.
Oh, I am looking at you, dear heart.
See?
Oh, see, look at me.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, see, look.
Poor little man perspire, ruining his Sunday-go-visiting shirt.
There's another in my bag.
Anything you say, Fran.
But let me change my shirt before we go down for dinner.
They'll be ringing the dinner bell pretty soon.
You said bell.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It slipped.
It didn't scare me.
Bell, bell, bell, bell.
It doesn't bother me.
Bell.
Ding, dong, bell, pussies in the well.
My, Franny, that's wonderful.
You see, you're all better.
You can come home with me.
You're all better.
You don't have to kill me.
Don't.
No, no, no, you don't have to.
Not anymore.
Yes, I do, and I'm going to, and it's about time.
Oh, you're so clever.
Oh, you've stalled and stalled and stalled with your bells and kittens and children.
Don't you remember, Donnie?
Sure you remember.
There's no Donnie.
There never was a Donnie.
There's only me and you, and in a second there's not going to be anybody but me.
You run out of time, Cliff.
I'm going to kill you right now.
Donnie, get out of the driveway.
Cliff, look out.
Donnie!
Frant, gee, Mr. Simmons, I have to put you in 704 this time.
Hope you don't mind.
Oh, no, I don't mind.
How are things at the hospital, sir?
Oh, same as always.
Would you tell the operator to call me at half past?
Suspense.
You've been listening to Call Me at Half Past, written for suspense by Alan Sloan.
In a moment, the names of our players and a word about next week's story of suspense.
Boy, am I glad this day's over.
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Featured in tonight's story of suspense were Elspeth Eric as Fran and Bernard Grant as Cliff.
Also in our cast were Lawson Zerby, Sarah Fussell, Jack Grimes, Freddie Chandler, and
Frank Milano.
Suspense is produced and directed by Bruno Zerato Jr.
Listen again next week when we return with Night of the Storm by Peter Fernandez.
Another tale well calculated to keep you in suspense.
The world's best balanced listening reaches you on this station of the CBS Radio Network.