And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in...
Suspense.
In a moment, act one of Blackbeard's Ace,
starring Elaine Ross and John Thomas,
and written especially for suspense by Jack Butrum.
This first portion of Suspense is brought to you by the makers of Marlboro cigarettes.
Why don't you settle back and have a full flavored smoke?
Have a Marlboro.
You get a lot to like with a Marlboro, the filter cigarette with the unfiltered taste.
Try Marlboro.
I had never believed in ESP, extra sensory perception.
Oh, I had heard of universities conducting tests of this mental phenomenon,
but their studies covered only those messages transmitted from one living subject to another.
The messages that came to me were transmitted by the dead.
Charles, my husband, was worried about my dreams,
and after he finished his last book, he suggested a rest for the two of us on the Carolina coast.
Margo, you remember Aunt Ida? She lives down on the coast near Charleston.
What about her?
Well, she's invited us to vacation in a seacoast cabin she has in her hands. Sound good?
Oh, well, I don't know, Charles. You think we should?
With your writing and all, I just have the feeling.
Oh, come on, Margo. She says she can't get a buyer, and the place is just standing idle, so let's go.
I'm... Well, all right, honey.
You remember the last time we went away. I had that awful dream.
Oh, dearest, the doctor said those dreams were all cured. You're as good as new.
Charles, they weren't dreams. They were real. They happened. I know they did.
All right. Whatever they were, they're all gone now. And you do need a change.
All right, dear. I'll go if you really want me to.
That's my girl. Well, we can start packing. Right away, I'll get my typewriter.
Did you get those books from the library?
Yes, I put them on your desk.
Oh, yes, I see them. What about these?
The Lore of Piracy and Rascals of the Spanish Main.
Where'd you get these?
I don't really know, Charles. I just saw them on the shelf and picked them up. They just seemed interesting.
I just sort of felt I wanted to read them.
Well, they might come in handy at that. That section of the coast is full of pirate stories.
We'll probably need a handbook to know one pirate from another.
I won't need a book. No, Charles, I'll know them. I'm sure I'll know them.
Now, how'd you folks happen to buy this place?
Well, we're not buying it, Judge. You see, my aunt acquired this place. What do they call it?
Teaches Cove?
Yes, Teaches Cove. Well, she bought it along with some other property about a year ago.
That'd be right after old Herd died.
Old Herd?
Yeah, Herd Simpson. This fella used to own the cove right where old gent.
He lived out here all alone. Yeah, I reckon this land went up for taxis right after the accident.
He died in an accident?
Well, the official report said accident. Most folks around here got their own ideas.
Like what?
Well, I saw it myself and I don't think it was no accident.
I usually brought out Herd's weekly groceries and when I come out one Saturday morning, he weren't nowhere about.
I sat and waited to spell, but after a while I got suspecting, so I gets to looking around and I find this little trickle coming out from under the door.
Looked like somebody dropped a jar of preserves, but it was blood.
Oh, no.
Well, I busted in the door and found old Herd dead as a hammer. Terrible cut.
Oh.
That's right, ma'am. Weren't no sight for a lady.
The sheriff, he come out and marked it down as an accident because the doors and windows were locked from the inside.
But how a fella could cut himself from the shoulder clear down to here by falling on something, especially when we couldn't find nothing that big for him to fall on.
Oh, Charles.
I'm afraid your little gory tail has frightened my wife.
Oh, no. There's no need to be frightened now, ma'am. That was most a year ago.
At least it was about this same time last year, time of the full moon and the highest tide.
Pirate's moon.
Margo.
That's right, ma'am. Pirate's moon. I reckon they called it that because of the high tide.
They could slip over sandbars and get farther up the inlets to bury their treasures or whatever.
Margo, how did you know about a pirate's moon?
I don't know, Charles. I read it in one of those books, I guess.
There's a cove right up ahead.
It's a nice looking place. The way you were talking, I expected to see a tumble down shack.
Oh, heard he was a pretty good fella keeping the place up. Yeah.
Well, here we are.
Certainly is deserted country. We didn't see a single soul on the way out here.
Well, I guess I better help you get set up, huh?
I'll unlock the door if you can start bringing in the bags.
Yes, hurry. Get in before dark.
I don't know why, but I just knew we must be inside the cabin with the door locked before dark.
There was something that would not be quiet, something inside my brain that was trying to speak to me.
I had to shut it out of my mind.
Well, that ought to do it. Hope you folks are comfortable.
Thank you, Jed, for all your help. That's all right, ma'am.
Here, I'll pay you and see you off. Goodbye, ma'am. Goodbye, Jed. Thank you.
I didn't want to say anything in there, but my wife's been ill.
Oh? Well, not physically, but, well, she has periods of, well, hearing people who aren't there.
Hearing people?
Do you get what I mean?
Yes, sir. I think so. She's, uh, she might, uh, edgy.
Exactly. I know we originally arranged for you to come out at the end of the week to pick us up,
but I think you'd better come back sooner. You know, if she should have a relapse.
Well, I wouldn't want to keep her out here any longer than absolutely necessary.
Uh-huh. Well, I reckon I could make it out, uh, a day after tomorrow.
Well, that'd be fine, Jed. Here's your money for this trip.
Oh, thank you, sir. Oh, uh, Mr. Reed.
Yes?
If I was you, I wouldn't go taking any moonlight strolls around Teaches Cove.
It's best to be in after dark.
I determined that my husband should see no abnormal sign in me.
I laughed. I acted gay.
I ignored the feeling and the thoughts that kept trying to force their way into my brain.
Darling, look. Look through the window.
How beautiful that sunset.
The tops of those clouds are still in the sunlight, the base in the dark.
It's the way I feel sometimes.
What?
Nothing.
Margo, do you, uh, do you know where I put those books?
What books, dear?
You know, the ones you checked out on pirates.
I didn't pack them, Charles.
I know you didn't, but I put them in myself. Oh, yes. So here they are.
But, Charles, I...
Well, I thought I'd look up your friend Teach, since this cover is supposedly named for him.
Might even do some treasure hunting myself.
Oh.
Look. Look at this map.
It was drawn a long time ago.
Not labeled, of course, but the general shape seems to correspond with our little inlet out there.
I'll bet that's it.
Yes. It is our inlet.
And listen to this, honey.
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard,
was a giant of a man standing well over six feet and weighing nearly 300 pounds.
He was killed in a furious fight in an inlet on the Carolina coast.
The secret of his supposed hidden treasure went with him into oblivion.
Doesn't that sound exciting?
What was that?
What was what?
I thought I heard a squeaking.
Rhythmic.
Like an oar lock.
As if someone were rowing.
I didn't hear anything.
But, uh, look.
Can't see anything now.
Must have been your imagination.
Let's see. Where was I?
Yes, right here.
His favorite weapon was a cutlass,
which could inflict a horrible wound at one blow.
There are probably many shallow graves along the coast that attest to Blackbeard's double insurance when concealing treasure.
Hmm. Interesting, don't you think, dear?
I think it's horrible.
Can't you just see it?
The treasure's buried, the men start to fill up the gap.
But before they can, the giant cutlass flashes twice in the moonlight.
Ah!
Charles rushed out to investigate that scream.
I knew he would find nothing.
But at least it was a relief to know I'd not just imagined it.
Charles had heard it too.
Next morning, there was no indication of the mysterious sounds of the night before.
Only a lingering dread in my mind.
For I knew that night would fall again.
Oh! It's just what we need. Sun, sky.
What about the scream last night?
It's probably a swamp cat or something.
If we were reading about pirates and such, our imaginations coincided with a perfectly natural sound.
Charles, imagination? Coincidence?
Well, I don't believe it was Blackbeard's ghost guarding his treasure, if that's what you're leading up to.
I hadn't mentioned it at all.
I just know it's on your mind.
Say, what's that over there?
What?
That piece of iron sticking up out of the sand.
Looks like part of a small boat's anchor.
Looks pretty ancient. Let's dig it out.
Charles, I don't think we should.
For Pete's sake, why? It's broad daylight. Come on.
What's this? Looks like a piece of ivory.
Heart-shaped. Black diamond shape and laid in the middle.
You ever see anything like it?
No, Charles.
I wonder if it's valuable. It's a funny little thing.
Just one hole in it down near the point of the heart.
It's evil, Charles. It's evil. Throw it away.
Margo, don't get excited over a little bit of ivory. It might be valuable, that's all.
Evil, Charles. It's evil. Evil. Evil.
A planchette. A planchette.
What?
It's an ivory planchette. Used to communicate with the dead.
Take it easy, honey.
The small hole is for the insertion of a writing instrument.
There are two small casters attached to it.
You place it on a piece of paper. Let the hands rest lightly on top.
And it writes messages. Evil messages. Evil. Evil.
Here, darling. Lie down on the bed.
Here's something to drink. It'll help you rest. Make you feel better.
There, now. Now, what kind of evil messages are you worried about?
What?
You were just telling me about messages from the dead. What were they?
I don't remember.
Well, you just said something about this planchette, right?
You... you don't remember, do you?
No. I really don't know what you're talking about.
It's like I blacked out for a moment.
Well, let's see if you were right about that thing.
I'll look it up in that pirate book of yours.
Glossary. Pirate, like a plane.
Oh, yes, here. Planchette used in a form of automatism.
Especially believed to be used in communication with the dead.
You're right, Margo. Absolutely right.
Well, by golly, we're going to try.
No, Charles. It's evil. I know that, too. It's... it's evil.
There, there, baby. Now, you just go to sleep. You get some rest now.
Charles.
That's my girl. You'll sleep for a few hours.
Well, now, maybe the planchette will tell me where Blackbeard's treasure lies.
That is, unless his ghost is still guarding it.
Charles? Charles, where are you?
Right here, darling.
Charles, the planchette, did you...
No, no, no, no dice, baby. Old Blackbeard just won't tell me where his treasure is.
I fixed up the little plaything there. I put a pencil in.
Sat for over an hour with my hands resting on it, waiting for it to write on the paper.
Still blank.
I'm glad.
I guess the way those things really work is your muscles finally get tired
and you write out the messages that are already in your brain.
Maybe so, Charles.
But how do the messages get in your brain in the first place?
Don't ask me. That's Old Blackbeard.
You hungry?
No, not very.
You've been sleeping all afternoon. It's already dark.
Is the moon up yet? It should be full tonight.
Why? I hadn't noticed. Why?
You said it wasn't quite full last night.
Tonight must be the pirate's moon with the highest tide.
Good night, the reclaiming buried treasure.
Yes, I... I guess so.
I guess I will fix a little something.
You had dinner yet?
Just a snack.
Oh, let's see. Where did I put that?
Where did this come from?
A cutlass.
Did Charles put this here to scare me?
Does he want to drive me out of my mind?
I won't make a scene.
I'll just ignore it like it wasn't even there.
I won't even mention it.
Charles? Did you hear it?
What, dear?
It sounded again, like the roaring we heard last night,
just before the scream.
No, Margo. You're really letting this thing get too big a hold on you.
You didn't hear it.
I didn't hear a thing.
I won't then either.
I won't imagine I heard anything.
He's trying again,
trying to make me think thoughts that don't belong to me,
telling me I'm hearing things.
Oh, Charles. Charles.
Well, I think I'll turn in early tonight. Oh, boy.
City boys like me get tired pretty quick in the outdoors.
Yes, it's a good idea, Charles.
You need some rest.
You need a rest.
After tramping around this afternoon while I was asleep,
finding that cutlass, putting it in here to make me think I'm going crazy.
Yes. Yes, you sleep.
Where is that planchette?
Oh, yes, here.
Here. Put in the pencil.
Now, on the paper, write.
Write.
Write out the message that is in my brain.
Reveal it to me.
Write.
There it's moving.
It's writing.
A-I-L-L.
Kill?
Kill whom? Why?
C-A-J-R-L-E.
No. No, why should I kill Charles?
He's my husband. He takes care of me. He keeps me...
Wait a minute.
Does Charles think I'm crazy?
E-S.
What was that?
Did you hear something, Charles?
Yes, I thought I did. Something like we heard last night.
Don't you think it's your imagination, Charles?
There. There you...
You must have heard it that time, Margo. Didn't you?
Really, Charles. You've been awfully jumpy lately.
Margo, what's the matter with you?
Nothing, Charles. Absolutely nothing.
I've just been using the planchette.
You have?
Here, let me see this paper.
Is this what the planchette wrote?
Yes.
It says, kill Charles.
Yes.
Margo.
Margo, what does this mean? Are you...
Are you crazy?
I don't know, Charles.
Is that what you want me to be?
Did you put this in the kitchen so I would think Blackbeard had been here?
Margo, what are you doing with that thing? Put it down. You could hurt yourself.
Do you want me to say I'm crazy, Charles?
Do you want me to say that I've been talking to Blackbeard
and he wants me to keep you from disturbing his treasure?
Is that what you want me to say, Charles?
I don't...
Margo. Margo, stay back. Put that down.
Margo. Margo!
Hello, the house.
That's funny. Nobody seems to be around.
Mr. Reed said I should come out and check on things today.
I guess I'll just take a look.
Oh, Lord, look at that.
Now, there, there, Miss Reed. There now. I'm here to help you.
Now, you used to cry no more right now.
Oh, Jen, it's horrible.
Yes, ma'am. It sure is.
Now, come on. Let's go outside. Away from all this, huh?
Now, why don't you tell me all about it, huh? How it happened?
I don't know.
The last thing I remember, yesterday,
Charles gave me a sedative to make me sleep.
That horrible nightmare is all about blood.
And this morning, I...
I woke and found it.
Now, ma'am, it won't do no good to cry no more.
It sure is terrible. Terrible cut.
What?
Terrible cut your husband had there. Terrible. Just like one herd had.
Herd Simpson?
Yes, ma'am. Of course, you wouldn't know it unless you've seen them both like I have,
but them cuts are almost identical. Exactly alike.
What's that you're hanging on to?
This?
Yeah.
I don't know. We found it on the beach yesterday.
Yeah. That's mighty hard to explain. Old herd had one of them things, too.
He did?
Yeah. Practically had to pry his fingers off of it.
Funny little things, ain't they?
Well, I thought this... I mean...
I thought mine was the only one.
Oh, no, ma'am. Some kind of gambling ship, I reckon,
sunk out there a couple of years ago,
and ever since then, them things been washing the shore.
Then... then they're not valuable as antiques or anything.
Oh, sucks, no, ma'am. They got so plentiful around here,
folks got to calling them Blackbeard's ace.
Not much use to them, I reckon.
No, Jed. Not much use.
Not much use to them at all.
Except to Blackbeard.
Suspense.
You've been listening to Blackbeard's Ace, starring Elaine Ross and John Thomas,
with Bob Dryden as Jed and written especially for Suspense by Jack Butterm.
Suspense is produced and directed by Bruno Zirotto Jr.,
music supervision by Ethel Huber, sound patterns by Joe Cabibbo.
Listen again next week when we return with The Second Door, written by Robert Reddick,
another tale well calculated to keep you in.
Suspense. Betty Furness talks about the Seattle World's Fair tomorrow on the CBS Radio Network.