Mystery House.
That strange publishing firm owned by Dan and Barbara Glenn, where each new novel is acted out by the Mystery House staff before it is accepted for publication.
Mystery House.
Well, come on in, gang. We're waiting for you.
Hi, Mr. Glenn. Got a good story for us back out tonight?
Well, you'll have to ask Barbie about that.
How about it, Barb?
It's a really unusual story, the kind that has you holding your breath.
Holding your breath? Say, that's old stuff for radio announcers, Barbie.
You know, they have to be able to hold their breath for smooth sentences.
How do you mean, Tom?
Well, it's kind of hard to explain, but, well, listen to this.
Okay, places everybody. Let's get the scene, Tom.
Danger. Man at bay.
Tonight's story opens in the living room of a pleasant home.
Walt Marvin has just come in and talks to his sister.
Lock it, honey.
What? Walt, what are you doing here?
You read the papers, didn't you? They're after me.
You'll come here the first thing. You'd feel right to come here. You'll get me into trouble.
Trouble? You don't know what trouble is.
On the radio, they said the police had been instructed to kill you on sight.
Well, they did, huh?
Well, you can't stay here. You've got to get out.
You don't say so.
Stop listening to me. Frank and I have our reputations to worry about.
That's too bad about you and Frank.
You've done nothing but get into trouble ever since you were a kid.
You've disgraced the whole family. I remember how Mom...
Shut up. This is no time to talk about Mom. Where can I hide?
I don't know.
Oh, well, it's going to be like that, huh?
You killed a man. You shot him in cold blood.
Yeah?
What does that say, Penny?
They know.
They're smart guys, aren't they?
But if you hadn't killed him, you wouldn't be running away.
You never had the cops chase you, have you?
Who's taking care of that for the whole family?
I'm going to get thrown in a mine.
If a guy's own sister can't give him a break, I don't know who can.
I've got my own life to live, Walt.
And bad enough people knowing you were my brother.
How the trouble you've been in.
I've never been in any real trouble before, see?
This is it. The works.
Get the staff out of your eyes and get this straight.
This is the showdown.
It's me or the cops.
You should have thought of that when you killed that man.
So he's dead?
Don't shed any tears over him.
He's lucky he didn't get it sooner.
Lousy little rat.
Well, you killed him.
Listen.
What difference does it make whether I kill him or not?
The cops say I did.
They're after me.
They've got their guns loaded and they're all set for a little
marchmanship practice.
You say I'm a killer.
You are.
Well, unless you give me some help, you're a killer too.
I'm your brother, ain't I?
You're the only person in the whole of the world I can ask to give me a break.
But I'd better lie to you.
If we'd get into trouble by helping you, it's...
Oh, Walt, it would be terrible for me.
Don't worry about that, bum.
You don't like to call Frank a bum.
He's done a lot better than you have.
He isn't hiding from the police here.
Shut it out.
I don't even like to hear you talk about that guy.
I've given you money.
I've lied for you.
I've got you out of jams.
And now I have to think about myself.
Think about yourself tomorrow.
Tonight, think about me.
Oh, just this once, Tomali.
It'll be the last time I'll be honest.
Honest?
You couldn't be honest if your life depended on it.
Oh, look, kid.
Remember how I bought you a doll on your 10th birthday?
You never had one and...
You stole the money to get it?
Well, what if I did?
That's what I'd have been the things that a kid had.
Brought up on charity, supposed to be grateful for the scrap people through us.
The point is, I took chances for you.
I've always taken chances for you.
You never learned to live honestly.
I didn't have to be a crook just because we were poor.
I've gotten along all right.
I have a nice home.
I'm happy.
Oh, for the love of heaven, cut it out.
As soon as those dumb fats get there thinking they're gonna come here.
Frank will just love that.
The whole neighborhood ain't on the verge of getting filled with lead, is it?
I'm...
It's too late.
They're coming here.
Go outside.
Get out of here.
What are you gonna do?
I'm gonna shoot it out with them.
If not more than four, I might have a chance.
Walt, you can't murder anymore, princess.
They'll kill you short.
Listen, go on.
I'll have friends at your good home.
If you didn't kill that Joey day, I'll say that you...
You still believe in fairy tales, don't you?
Listen, I could walk out of here with my hands over my head and they'd still plug me.
They'll after me.
Look, look, they're getting out of the car now.
Up in the corner.
Smash that pig bank on the mantle quick.
Smash it.
I don't need money.
What I need...
Smash it.
All right, I'll do it myself.
I told you I don't need money.
Now take it quick.
Put it in your pocket.
Now hit me on the head with your gun.
Hurry up.
What?
Do as I say.
Make a big suit of gas with a couple of blankets in it.
In my bedroom.
After you've hit me, get in and close it.
I think I can prepare the police and...
Right, too.
Do as I say.
Hit me.
I couldn't hit you, my...
Joey, I...
Oh, no, it's not...
What's wrong with that fool?
Hit me on the head hard.
You've got to do it.
Close your eyes.
I don't...
I'm going to heaven.
All right.
Oh.
Oh, bring the lady to the house.
Open the door and break it in.
Great suffering.
We will take a look at this one.
Yeah.
It's just a labor.
The same one.
Well, he's been here all right.
And take a look on the floor on a busted China bank.
After money, the dirty rep.
Say, do you suppose he's still around here?
Yeah, we'll see, Burton.
But the little lady needs attention.
Get her some water.
Well, can't the doc take care of her?
I'm anxious to get that Walt Marlin.
Yeah, we'll get him all right, Burton.
But get the little lady a glass of water first.
That is a messy boo she has on her forehead, poor thing.
Okay, Flannery, okay.
But you Irish are all alike.
You let your shivlin' get you into the dynast messes.
All right, all right.
The guy could be getting five blocks away
while we're fussing around here.
The water, Burton, get it.
Okay, okay.
Ah, poor thing.
He hurt your bad kitten.
Must be pretty grim to have a lass like that for a brother.
Can't even be decent with his own sister.
And her a pretty lass like you.
Here's the water.
Now hurry it up.
A bit on the forehead and the rest of your mouth.
Ah, that's the girl.
Ah, see?
She's coming to already.
I...
Fair now.
You'll be all right.
We'll have a doctor here in no time at all.
He's gone, isn't he?
We'll take care of him all right.
Now tell us, what happened?
Oh, he...
He came in a little, a gun in his hand.
He wanted money, he threatened me.
What did he want to go for, did he say?
Yes, he said he had to get the taxes tonight.
He was in trouble, had to get out of town.
He wasn't lying about that.
I told him I didn't have any money.
He tugged a little turnip at his bank on the mantle and grabbed for it.
I tried to stop him.
He screamed at me, I got to get out of town.
I reached out to the bank and...
That's all I remember.
You think he left you then?
We better not come back, he knows what's good for him.
I don't blame you for feeling that way.
Hitting his own sister like that.
Well, he's irrelevant of mine.
Not up to that.
You sure you won't hide me from us?
Me?
Listen, he's the only crook in our family.
How long ago was this?
Well, I don't know.
Frank, that's my husband, called and said he had to work late.
He said he'd be having about an hour.
Then Zalk came in right after that.
You don't know what time it was, huh?
No, I didn't look at my watch.
Frank, oh thank goodness you're home.
Molly, I...
Oh, police, huh?
Molly, don't tell me that brother of yours has been here.
That he has, Mr. Gorman.
Why, you've been hurt, darling.
I'll get that bum and I'll whip him within an inch of his life.
Now, now, Mr. Gorman, the police will take care of that and find sure.
You got home when you expected, did you?
Well, yes, of course. Why?
Then that means our little pigeon's got near an hour's head start on us.
Hmm, we've got to find out when their train's leaving for Texas or that general vicinity.
And maybe that was a trick.
We'll find out when their train's leaving for any place at all.
You're sure he isn't here?
No, we ain't looked yet.
We better take a look around.
But Frank, do you really...
You better be sure now, darling.
If he'll like him, I'm not anxious for any more trouble.
Let's give the place a once over.
That's a good idea.
Burton, you run along back to the station and get reinforcements for covering the railroad and bus station.
Okay, and I'll send another squad car out to pick you up.
Okay.
Well, let's get busy. I'll take the clothespots.
Mr. Gorman, if you look out in the kitchen.
Right.
Man, no sign of anybody in the East closets.
I don't think he's here. He wouldn't have dared.
You never know, man.
A man who's desperate enough to strike his own sister.
There's no sign of him in the kitchen.
We better try the bedrooms.
That's a good idea.
This way, officer.
But wouldn't it be silly for him to hide in the bedrooms, sir?
There's no way of getting out of the house from them without going down this hall.
Well, he doesn't have the mentality to figure out a thing like that.
Two bedrooms, officer. Let's try this one first.
You look under the bed.
I'll take the feet in the clothespots.
Right.
Yeah, not in there. That's good.
See, I wonder now.
I wonder if a man could squeeze into that chandelier.
I looked in the office in the office, officer.
It's sort of a chateau, and I'm afraid it's not very tidy.
Oh, don't mind me. I'll just take a quick look.
No, no, nothing there, officer.
Except a rather untidy bunch of blankets.
I'm sorry, I'll get them started after now.
Well, that leaves one bedroom. Let's see it.
Yeah, this way.
Here we are. Look it over.
Not much space to hide in there.
Oh, you know, I always feel silly looking for a person under the bed.
Not in the clothes closet.
Well, it just about takes care of this.
If you hear anything from them, let us know.
Yes, we certainly will, officer.
It might be a good idea for you to keep a man posted in the neighborhood just in case.
That I will.
Well, I might as well wait out in front for the squad car.
I don't need to disturb you folks anymore.
It's quite all right, officer.
Well, all right.
Goodbye.
Well, that's all.
You can't imagine how frightened I was when the ball came in and hit me over the head.
You can quit acting now, Molly.
What?
I saw that bump on the board.
I thought perhaps you actually had refused to give that bum any help.
Then I looked in the cedar chest.
I knew it was all a act, Molly.
You're sorry?
Of course I'm sorry.
Well, then why?
Why didn't I say anything?
If you'd just entrust that cook, he'd have told the police the whole story.
He'd have been thrown into jail right along with him.
You had him at the fugitive, the neighbor.
I didn't want to help him, Frank.
On it, I didn't.
I had to.
That's because the business was a skunk.
Yes, you're right in this with him now, Molly.
Well, it was my fault.
Let's call the police and say that he came back.
But, but he wouldn't take it.
I have a gun, dear.
I heard what had happened.
I knew just about what to expect.
This is any better way.
No.
Don't.
I wouldn't wait for that gun to fire with you, Frank.
There's nothing I'd enjoy any more than putting a bullet right through your head.
And don't think that I have anything to lose.
Is Walt Marvin going to kill his sister's husband, and will the police catch him?
We'll find out in the second act of tonight's story.
Meanwhile, here's a brief message from our sponsor.
And now, act two of Danger, Man at Bay.
The scene is the living room of the Frank Norman home.
Frank and his wife, Molly, are seated in two easy chairs, and a third voice comes from behind the piano.
Keep all the lights on and the curtains up.
Let everybody see that they're sitting in your living room.
And if you had the nerve to come out from behind that piano and fight it out like a man.
You're a great one to talk about fighting like a man, you yellow pup.
Going to turn into the cops without giving me a chance.
I've thought it all over, Walt.
I'm going to give you enough money to clear out.
Get out of the country.
You are the best, Ali.
Cut it.
You must think I'm an awful chap, Frank.
I'll give you a thousand dollars cash.
You can ride a long way on the trains for that.
You'd sure like to see me try it, wouldn't you?
You know that bits are lined up all over the railroad station.
Don't you think you owe Molly a little something?
I didn't expect you to show me any consideration, but after all, she's entitled to live a respectable life.
Yeah, I guess she is at that, Frank.
She can be mighty proud of you, can't she?
And before she goes, people are going to be whispering,
that's Smarter than a Man.
Her brother, Walt Marvin, you remember?
The killer.
Tough, huh?
I guess it's asking too much to expect you to say it.
You can't stay behind that piano forever, Walt.
The police are going to be watching this place day after day.
Sooner or later, they're going to get you.
Once they decide you haven't left town on one of the trains,
they'll really concentrate here.
And that's going to embarrass you, ain't it?
If I shouldn't have said that, embarrassing me seems to make you very happy.
You know what I think I hate most about you, Frank?
You came from the right side of the tracks.
You had the chance to be quite a guy.
And you're the lousiest eel I know.
Walt!
I wonder...
Answer the doorbell.
And no funny stuff.
I thought for you too, Frank.
Oh, wait.
Did you sign him off of his planner?
No, we're stuck.
And nobody that answers his descriptions has been seen near the railroad stations.
He's still in town, of that we're sure.
But then he might come back here.
Indeed he might.
That's what I come to warn you about.
I'm afraid we need more than a warning, officer.
Oh, don't worry.
There's two men outside right now.
One in back and one in the front of the house.
They got instructions to shoot to kill the minute they see Walt Marvin.
That's some assurance, I suppose, but...
Don't you think he should have a man inside the house too?
Oh, that's silly.
What for would I put a man in here when we already got men outside?
Oh, I don't know. I just wondered.
But you look tired, officer.
Molly, why don't you play some music for us?
Oh, I don't feel like playing, Frank.
Oh, come now, darling.
I'm sure Officer Flannery would love to hear some good, lively Irish music.
You know, that's one thing about the Marvin's, Flannery.
They all love the piano.
They say most of the Irish is musical.
Myself, I never could distinguish a harmonica from a scither.
Oh, you don't know anything about pianos, then?
Not a thing.
That's too bad.
I've been wanting someone who knows about them to examine our...
Officer Flannery, tell me, who is this Joey Berry that my brother's supposed to kill?
Well, ma'am, exactly what he is is hard to say.
But we think he's a hijacker.
We've got evidence and that will satisfy us. That was his business, now that he's gone.
Then you mean that I'm sorry, dear?
Sorry? Indeed, no.
Your brother saved us a fair lot of trouble, there he did.
A smirred operator, they were, with high-up connections.
How do you know he was?
Not much mystery about that one.
Your brother was eating lunch with a bunch of hoots when he got a phone call.
He'd come back to the table and said he had to go over to Joey Day's office and collect some money.
Well, that hardly proves that he murdered the man, does it?
And he was seen going over to Day's office. His dad called the station saying that he was expecting some trouble from one of his truck drivers and to have a man around handing.
Our man was just getting there when Walt Marvin had come running out.
Our man hollered for him to stop and what does Walt Marvin do but fire a shot at him?
Did he hit the police?
No, but he knocked a gun out of his hand.
At the time Ariarty got his gun again, Walt Marvin had run down the stairwell.
Ariarty went into Day's office and found a guy with a bullet in his head.
My brother, and he isn't afraid to show today.
Oh, he's desperate. Up to now he's been what you might call a nuisance to us.
Petty rackets, more bodies than anything else.
But you see ma'am, he gets cornered with a big rap against him.
From now on he's got nothing to lose.
I see.
He hasn't a chance in the world.
We got his fingerprints, he's in our file complete.
He's a marital man.
But you haven't found him yet.
So what if we don't get him for a couple of days?
None of his hoodlum friends dare do anything for him.
He's too hot.
Fanerich, look out!
Too late Frank.
But thanks for trying to tip him off anyway.
Where's Marvin?
Hey listen Marvin!
Go down the stairs, Molly, so I can come out into the room.
Hurry up or I'll shoot.
Alright. Alright.
So, you was here all the time.
I am through.
What did you think I asked you about putting a man inside the house?
What do you think I kept talking about the piano?
You mean you wasn't hiding him?
Hiding him? You idiot. He was back there with a gun on us.
The same gun I have on you, Flanery.
Put your sidekick around.
Burton, he's back at the station.
Alright. I want you to call him.
Tell him to bring the star car after you.
No, I...
You feel the barrel of this gun against your head, Flanery?
You won't feel it long unless you make that call.
What do you want?
You won't get away with this.
I kind of think I will, Flanery.
Now make that call.
And don't try any tricks.
I'll call in all of you.
I got here as fast as I could, Flan.
Step right on in, Burton.
No, I wouldn't reach above you.
I thought she was Flan.
That's not her, Burton. Nothing but his feelings, that is.
He doesn't seem to like my clothes nearly as well as his uniform.
When we finally get you in, Sonny Boy, you're going to get everything in the book.
I'll worry about that when the time comes.
Let's have the gun, Burton.
I won't argue with you.
Thanks.
Okay. What next?
I want you to call him in the doorbell, Burton.
You stopped to talk to the man out in front.
You told him you were picking up Flanery, did you?
Of course.
When we called?
Only because he had a revolver barrel right against the back of my head, Burton.
There was nothing I could do.
Absolutely nothing, Flanery.
And I don't think there's anything Burton can do about the next part of our little performance.
What's that?
I'm dressed in Flanery's uniform.
I have his gun, yours and mine.
I'm going to have one of them in my hand in my coat pocket.
Trained on you.
I'll have to knock Flanery and my dear brother-in-law out before we leave.
You mean the two of us?
Exactly.
I mean that you and I are going to walk out to the squad car, arm in arm.
When we get in, I'm going to drive.
And it's going to be quite a trip.
You, what are you planning to do to me?
When we get far enough away from here, I'm going to give you a slight tap over the head, Burton.
Enough to make you sleepy.
Once I get outside your dragnet, I'm not interested in you.
You'll be interested before you get through our life.
Your descriptions are broadcast all over the state.
That's real flattering, Burton.
Okay, Flanery, ready for your sleeping pill?
You keep away from me.
Hold still.
Either you take it nice or I'll have to shoot.
You ain't good.
Stand back, Burton.
You dirty rat.
I'll get even with you for this when we pull you in.
And don't think I won't remember.
I bet you will, Burton.
Triffs?
I think I can trust you.
I don't know the world.
Now just remember, any alarm you give is a bullet right through my heart.
Remember that and...
Well, I don't think I'll have to worry.
Okay, Frank.
Okay, what?
I'll have your gun now, too.
I don't have any guns.
Don't write on me, Frank.
You started to pull one out when I walked in on you.
Hand it over.
All right.
Sure, here.
No.
You're fooling me, Frank.
You're a poor damn fool.
Stand back, Burton.
I'm still on my feet.
I still got a gun.
Get a knife, just quick.
A knife?
Yeah, quick.
Get the bullet out of my stomach.
Got to...got to throw away.
I didn't understand.
Hurry, hurry.
Got to...got to get the bullet.
I...I didn't want your cops to know.
Know what?
That it...and me and...and one and Dave will be same.
Frank's been blaming me all the time.
He's a fence for day, two days, and he called me and the cops didn't want you to...
didn't want you to know this.
But had to...had to get the gun.
Frank, is it true?
Of course not.
He's trying to get even with me for shooting him.
If it isn't true, give Officer Burton your gun.
Give it to him.
That's a good idea, Mr. Gorman.
I'll give it to you, right in the heart.
Keep away from me.
Listen, you're going to get it anyway.
If I kill you and Molly, Flannery will think it worth it.
So, you've known all along I was framing you, Walt.
Sure.
And you're a bigger sap than I thought.
Sis, I'm crazy about you.
You...you got much insurance, Frank?
Better for a sis this way, Frank.
That was pretty nice shooting for a man with a bullet through his stomach, Walt.
Poor sis.
Sorry, dear.
We've got to get you to the hospital.
Burton, call an ambulance.
Get a doctor.
I...I guess it's no use, Mrs. Gorman.
I don't know what to do.
I...I'm not ready to do it, but...
I know.
You've just lost yourself.
Quite a guy.
Unfortunately, I'll be back to do the rest.
Don't worry, I'm not telling you to go.
I...I'll be back.
But, don't worry, I'm an officer.
I'll be fine.