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Inner Sanctum Mystery, also known as Inner Sanctum, is a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941, to October 5, 1952.
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00:00Inner Sanctum Mysteries
00:23Good evening, friends of the Inner Sanctum.
00:26This is your host, welcoming you in through the squeaking door.
00:31Come in, see my latest collection of corpses.
00:34I've dug up some very interesting pieces, but of course I had to pay a stiff price.
00:42This petrified man, for instance, he's over a hundred years old.
00:46They found him in a forest.
00:48That's right.
00:50Bazed in the woods.
00:51My goodness, do you expect folks to believe nonsense like that?
00:56Oh, but it's true, Mary.
00:57Look over here at this artist model.
01:00The last time she posed for a sketch, she was drawn and quartered.
01:04The artist wanted to paint her with her head in her hands, but he didn't have the nerve to axe her.
01:10So he saw her in half.
01:12What an imagination you have.
01:14You don't believe me.
01:15All right.
01:17I'm not going to show you my corpse collection anymore.
01:20This is the last time.
01:21Well, I don't believe that either.
01:23Tonight's story is called Dead Man's Debt.
01:26It's an original radio play by Robert Newman.
01:29And our star tonight is Joseph Julian, who plays the role of Danny.
01:33The corner cell in the courthouse jail.
01:41Stone walls, stone floor, and a hard cot.
01:45Lying on the cot, huddled under the blanket, is Danny Gorman.
01:48His eyes are closed and his breathing is regular.
01:51But even he is not sure whether he's asleep or awake.
01:55For he's listening to a voice.
01:57A voice he's heard quite often during the past few weeks.
02:00In a voice he shouldn't be able to hear.
02:04A voice of a dead man.
02:07Are you sleeping, Danny?
02:09Don't.
02:10It's a waste of time.
02:12A real waste.
02:14You'll be sleeping for a long, long time very soon.
02:18But you're dead like I am.
02:20No, no.
02:21Yes, Danny.
02:22Did you think you were going to get away with it?
02:25You won't.
02:26You'll pay.
02:27That soon.
02:28No, I said no.
02:29Shut up, son of a bitch.
02:31What's the trouble in here?
02:32What are you making all that racket for?
02:34Better pull yourself together and get moving.
02:36Wait before you're downstairs, courts and sirs.
02:39All right, don't rush me.
02:41I'm coming.
02:42I'm not rushing you.
02:43Sure glad I'd be rid of you.
02:45Glad you won't be coming back here again.
02:47What?
02:48What do you mean?
02:49I wind up your case this morning.
02:51Hand down a verdict before lunch.
02:52Two to one, they do it without leaving the jewelry box.
02:55And ten to one, it's guilty.
02:59Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?
03:08We have.
03:10Prisoner will rise and face the jury.
03:13Go on, Danny.
03:14Stand up.
03:17What is your verdict?
03:19Not guilty.
03:20Not guilty.
03:22You mean?
03:22What a riot.
03:27I should have taken him up on it.
03:28Then the one he wanted to give me that you were going to send me up.
03:31But I knew it.
03:31I knew you were.
03:33Order.
03:34Order, Mr. Russell.
03:36You a quieter client?
03:37I apologize, Your Honor, but as you can imagine, he's been under considerable strain.
03:41Take it easy, Danny.
03:42Danny.
03:43Oh, Danny.
03:44Okay, how are you, baby?
03:45I knew it, too, Danny.
03:47I knew they let you go.
03:48They had to.
03:48I hope you don't mind coming here to celebrate.
03:59It's not very fancy, but, uh, well, that's the way they picked me up, put the cuffs on me.
04:04I'm kind of sentimental about it.
04:06Perfectly all right.
04:07Here's to you, Russell.
04:08You did a swell job getting me off.
04:10I had probably done better if I didn't have a conscience.
04:14How come?
04:14I was assigned to your case.
04:16I had to defend you.
04:18I did the best job I could.
04:20But it was a little hard to put my heart in it when I knew you were guilty.
04:23Not of the murder you were charged with, but another one.
04:27What?
04:28Is that supposed to be funny, Mr. Russell?
04:30It's not, Gail.
04:32Danny was charged with the murder of Carson, a well-known jeweler whose body was found a few miles from his country house.
04:39Danny was seen in the vicinity in the company of Stack Allen, a man with a long criminal record.
04:43Now, if you remember, there were just three things that saved Danny.
04:48One, the fact that Carson was thought to have a valuable diamond on him.
04:52Danny didn't have the diamond, and it hasn't been found yet.
04:55Two, Carson was shot with a .45.
04:58Danny's gun was a .38.
05:00And three, Stack Allen has disappeared.
05:02Now, on the basis of these three facts, I was able to convince the jury that it was Stack who killed Carson and took the diamond.
05:09And, as a matter of fact, that's what I think did happen.
05:13Well?
05:14The D.A. made one mistake.
05:16He charged you with a wrong murder.
05:18I don't believe you killed Carson, but I do think you killed Stack Allen.
05:23That's ridiculous.
05:25Danny, tell him it's not true.
05:28Tell him.
05:28Tell him.
05:29What are you going to do about it?
05:31Nothing.
05:33I'm not a policeman.
05:34I'm an attorney.
05:35You're lying.
05:36No.
05:37No.
05:37You see, basically, I have great respect for the law.
05:43I believe that even though it sometimes makes mistakes, it generally corrects them.
05:47I think it'll catch up with you.
05:50In the meantime, that's the matter of my services.
05:53Since I saved your life, I figure you owe me a good deal.
05:57Don't worry about that.
05:58I'll pay you.
05:59Yes?
06:00How?
06:00Never mind that.
06:01I said I'd pay you.
06:02You don't have the money now.
06:04I know that.
06:05If you wanted me to, I could probably help you.
06:08I don't want any help from you or anyone else.
06:10I said I'd pay you and I will.
06:12Come on, Gail.
06:12Let's get out of here.
06:19Are you sleeping again, Danny?
06:22That's a mistake.
06:23A waste of time.
06:25You'll be sleeping for a long, long time when you're dead like I am.
06:30You're stuck.
06:31No, leave me alone.
06:31I can't, Danny.
06:33Not until you pay for what you did to me.
06:36And you will pay for that.
06:38And soon.
06:41Who?
06:42Who's that?
06:43Who's there?
06:44It's me, Danny.
06:46Gail.
06:46Oh.
06:48Okay, just a second.
06:53Hello, Danny.
06:54Hi.
06:55Starting to get a little worried about you.
06:58Are you all right?
06:59Sure, I'm all right.
07:00What is there to worry about?
07:03Well, it's been a week since I saw you.
07:06I've been hearing things.
07:09That you were hanging around with the old gang again.
07:11With Frankie.
07:12So what?
07:13Do you mean it's true?
07:16Danny, you shouldn't.
07:18You know what almost happened with what would have happened if it hadn't been for Mr. Russell.
07:23Russell.
07:24You wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him.
07:27Danny, you said you were going straight and instead he wanted to help you, remember?
07:33How are you, Danny?
07:34Russell.
07:35What are you doing here?
07:36Look, if you're worried about your dough, I told you I'd pay you.
07:39I never said anything about money, Danny.
07:41And I'm not worried about being paid.
07:44I'm a firm believer in balancing accounts.
07:47We pay for everything we do.
07:50What are you driving at?
07:51You killed Stack Allen for the diamond you took from Carson.
07:54But you never got the diamond.
07:57Suppose I help you find it.
07:59What?
08:00How do you know where it is?
08:03I don't know.
08:04I'm only guessing.
08:06But if you show me where you buried Stack's body, I think maybe we can find it together.
08:11You're just trying to trap me.
08:13Tag me with Stack's murder.
08:15I told you I was an attorney, not a policeman.
08:19Okay.
08:21Okay, I'll take a chance on it.
08:24Get your car, I'll show you.
08:32Go easy now.
08:38Turn off there to the left.
08:40Into the woods?
08:41Yeah.
08:43Just a little further.
08:45All right, go slow.
08:47Okay, now stop.
08:49I think you'd better stay here, Gail.
08:51It's not going to be very pleasant.
08:53Here, tell her.
08:54I'll come.
08:55Just as you like.
08:56Now, tell me again just how it happened, Danny.
08:59Well, we drove down here after we knocked Carson off to decide just what we're going
09:05to do.
09:07I had a feeling Stack was going to plug me so he wouldn't have to split with me, and
09:10I decided to beat him to it.
09:13He went over there.
09:14He sat down on that log, and he was playing with his ear the way he used to, pulling on
09:20it.
09:21I let him have it.
09:22I searched him, but I couldn't find the diamond.
09:24What did you do with the body?
09:25I dug a deep hole right there.
09:29I dumped him in it, and I piled wood on it, and then built a fryer.
09:32And after it burned down, I covered it up.
09:35Okay.
09:36Let's get the shovels out of the car and start digging.
09:49Hey, my shovel hit something.
09:51I think it's him.
09:52Gail, will you go back to the car?
09:53No.
09:54No, I'm going to stay.
09:55I just won't look.
09:58There.
10:00There he is.
10:02At least his bones.
10:03Put your shovel under his skull and lift it carefully.
10:08Hey, that diamond.
10:09The diamond's lying right underneath him.
10:12How did you know?
10:13I didn't.
10:15I told you I was guessing.
10:17You saw him take it from Carson, knew he had it with him, but you couldn't find it when
10:20you searched him.
10:21You mentioned that when he was thinking he had a way of playing with his ear.
10:26His ear, of course.
10:28That was Eddie headed in his ear.
10:30Maybe he figured I was going to stick him up or something.
10:32Maybe.
10:33Anyway, I got it now.
10:35We're rich.
10:36You hear, Gail?
10:37We're rich.
10:39Yes, I hear.
10:40What are you looking at me for that way?
10:43Danny, I loved you for a long time.
10:46Even when I knew there were things wrong with you.
10:49I stuck with you through the trial because I thought you were innocent.
10:53But you hadn't killed Carson.
10:56Now I hate you.
10:58I stood trial.
10:58I got off, didn't I?
11:00I paid for the diamond.
11:02And now it's mine.
11:03Yes, Danny.
11:05It's yours.
11:06But you haven't paid for it.
11:08You're only going to start paying for it.
11:11And now, friends, back to the story of Danny Gorman,
11:20who was tried for the wrong murder and who's found, so far at least,
11:25that crime does pay and very nicely, too.
11:29It's about an hour later now,
11:30and a car with three very silent people in it
11:32has just reached the outskirts of the town.
11:35What's the matter with you two, anyway?
11:42What are you sitting there like a pair of mummies for?
11:44Why don't you say something?
11:46I said everything I had to there in the woods, Danny.
11:49I've got nothing to say.
11:52No, nothing at all.
11:54I'm trying for a lily act now, Russell.
11:57Don't forget, you're in this as deep as...
12:00Hey, wait a minute.
12:01Stop right here.
12:04Yeah, that's right.
12:05In front of that hock shop.
12:06Where are you going?
12:08Inside to see a friend.
12:10Might just as well get the dough to pay you off right now.
12:12And I won't have to listen anymore of your double talk.
12:18Hello, Finney.
12:19Well, well, Danny.
12:21Haven't seen you in a long time.
12:23And I didn't think I'd ever be seeing you again.
12:26How come?
12:27Yeah, I thought that anybody who'd just beaten a murder rap
12:30would have sense enough to keep it clear.
12:33Not get mixed up with anything hot.
12:35Or is this a social visit?
12:36Not exactly.
12:39Uh, take a look at this.
12:41Huh.
12:43It's a very nice diamond.
12:45Very nice, indeed.
12:46What's it worth?
12:47Well, you really want to know what it's worth?
12:49You want to know what I'll give you for it.
12:50What's the difference?
12:51A great deal.
12:52It's worth, uh...
12:54Let me take another bucket.
12:55Huh.
12:57Yes, uh...
12:58It's worth ten, maybe twelve thousand dollars.
13:00I'll give you two thousand for it.
13:02What?
13:03Why, you, uh...
13:05What's the idea?
13:06It's very simple, Danny.
13:08You were tried for Carson's murder,
13:09and you got off because you had a good lawyer
13:11and because there wasn't enough evidence.
13:13But if you were tried again,
13:15right now,
13:16you wouldn't do so well.
13:18Because this is the very best kind of evidence right here.
13:22You see, I happen to know
13:23that this is Carson's diamond.
13:26Yeah?
13:27Yes, Danny.
13:28That means that you wouldn't dare take it to anybody else.
13:31It wouldn't be wise for you even to take it out of this shop.
13:34And that's why it's very generous of me
13:35to offer you fifteen hundred for it.
13:37Fifteen hundred?
13:38But you just said...
13:42Okay, Finney.
13:44Take the diamond, give me the dough.
13:45That's very sensible of you, Danny.
13:47Come back tomorrow about the same time.
13:48Nothing doing.
13:49I'm taking a powder out of time.
13:51I want the dough right now.
13:52Oh.
13:53All right, Danny.
13:54Wait out there and I'll get it for you.
14:02Seven.
14:05Twenty-one.
14:07Four.
14:10There we are.
14:14There.
14:16Let's see.
14:20Sorry, it had to be a knife, Finney.
14:22Can't, ain't, you.
14:26There.
14:27Couldn't take a chance with a gun,
14:29not with my friends outside.
14:33Shouldn't have driven such a hard bargain.
14:35Because now I'm not only going to take the diamond back,
14:38I'm going to take every cent you got in the safe.
14:41After all, it won't do you any good anymore.
14:43All right?
14:51Yeah, let's get going.
14:53You seem quite pleased with yourself.
14:56I shouldn't, I think.
14:57Get rid of the diamond and I finally got my hands in some real dough.
15:01I can pay you off now.
15:03What do I owe you?
15:03I told you, Danny.
15:05The great deal.
15:07Your life.
15:08Okay, don't build it up.
15:09What do you want in cash?
15:10I never said anything about money, Danny.
15:12There is something I want.
15:15When the right time comes, I...
15:17I think I'll get it.
15:28Yeah?
15:29Who is it?
15:30Me, Danny.
15:31Frankie.
15:32Oh.
15:33Just a second.
15:33Hiya, Frankie.
15:39Fine.
15:41I was a little worried about how you were.
15:43Me?
15:43How come?
15:45That little job last night.
15:47Said you wanted to get in on it.
15:49Then you never showed up.
15:51So maybe you were sick or something.
15:53Oh, that...
15:54No, no, no.
15:55It was just that, uh...
15:57Well, I changed my mind.
16:00Yeah?
16:01Yeah, I kind of thought it over.
16:02I decided, uh...
16:04I better stay in the clear.
16:05Let's go straight from now on.
16:07That's smart, Danny.
16:09Real smart.
16:10Yeah, I think so.
16:12How'd it go?
16:13Smooth as certain.
16:15We ended up with stuff where...
16:17Well, three or four G's anyway.
16:19Yeah, swell.
16:21Yeah.
16:21It's only after it was all over that...
16:25We ran into something kind of funny.
16:28What was that?
16:30Well, the stuff was kind of hot...
16:31And we thought we ought to unload right away...
16:32So we went down to Finney's.
16:34You know, the fence.
16:34Yeah.
16:36We got there.
16:36It didn't seem like there was anyone around.
16:39I took a gant of the back room and...
16:42You won't believe this.
16:44But the safe was open.
16:47Cleaned out.
16:50There was Finney.
16:51Dead.
16:53What?
16:56Well...
16:57Have any idea who did it?
16:59I don't know.
17:01It's been knifed.
17:03Whoever got them left in such a hurry...
17:04They forgot to take the knife with them.
17:07I got it right here.
17:08Let's, uh...
17:09Let's see it.
17:10No, don't touch it, Danny.
17:11You might get your fingerprints on it...
17:12And that'd be bad.
17:14I said don't touch it.
17:16I'll try any monkey tricks...
17:17Or I'll pass you for keeps.
17:18So you were going straight, eh?
17:23You merely a mild double-crosser.
17:27Where's the diamond?
17:28What are you talking about?
17:30Don't give me that.
17:32You think I know your knife when I see it?
17:35There's only one reason you'd go to see Finney...
17:36To cash in on that diamond you and stack it from Carson.
17:42Well, I want it.
17:45Okay.
17:48Okay, Frankie.
17:48You can have it.
17:50I've been having nothing but tough luck...
17:52Ever since I first laid eyes on it.
17:54If over there had my bureau hidden under my socks...
17:56I'll get it for you.
17:57You're starting to show some sense.
17:59Yeah, I think so.
18:04More sense than to let you leave here knowing what you know.
18:10Now, get my friend the lawyer down here.
18:14Everything will be hunky-dory.
18:15All right, it sure got down here fast, Russell.
18:30Hey, what's the idea?
18:31Bringing Gail with me?
18:33I thought she might be interested in anything you might have to say to me.
18:36You said something about another case?
18:39Yeah.
18:40Look over there.
18:42In the corner.
18:43Oh.
18:44Frankie?
18:46Frankie, you ring.
18:48And he's dead.
18:49You killed him?
18:50Yeah.
18:51It was self-defense.
18:53See, he came down here to get me to go out on a job with him.
18:55I told him I wouldn't, but I was going straight.
18:57And he pulled a gun.
18:58There it is in his hand.
19:00See?
19:01I got my own robbed in the bureau and...
19:03Well, that was that.
19:06Sound okay?
19:07Fine.
19:09You know, it ain't gonna be easy, I know.
19:10Me coming up for a second murder rap.
19:13But you can get me off.
19:14I got plenty of dough this time.
19:15I can really pay.
19:17The thing is, what do we do first?
19:18We don't do anything, Danny.
19:21There are a lot of things you can do.
19:23But my suggestion is that you call the police.
19:26Give yourself up.
19:27What?
19:27You mean you're not gonna take this case?
19:30No, Danny.
19:31Why not?
19:32You found it for me the last time.
19:33Yes, Danny, and I told you why.
19:35I was assigned the case, couldn't turn it down.
19:38Besides, you were being tried for the wrong murder.
19:41But this time, it won't be the wrong murder.
19:43It'll be the right one.
19:45This is the one I said was finally going to catch up with you.
19:48I see.
19:52Is your car downstairs by any chance?
19:55Yes.
19:56Why?
19:57I'm starting to feel a little restless.
20:01Let's go places.
20:03Go ahead, march.
20:04Sammy.
20:05What are you gonna do?
20:06Are you kidding?
20:07You know about Stack and about Freddy.
20:10Somehow I don't think I'd sleep so good knowing that you knew.
20:13But besides that, there's one more you don't know about.
20:16Finney.
20:17I got him yesterday while you were waiting in the car.
20:20After your first three, they started to come easy.
20:22Even dames.
20:23We're gonna take a little ride together.
20:26But I got a feeling.
20:27We're not all of us coming back.
20:38Keep driving till I tell you to stop.
20:40Right.
20:40You're taking this awful quiet, the two of you.
20:45Maybe you don't think I'm gonna go through with it.
20:47Oh, I think you intend to, all right.
20:49Whether you will or not is another story.
20:52So is the reason I'm taking it this way.
20:56Maybe this is as good a time as any to tell you a few things.
20:59Why I took your case in the first place.
21:02Well?
21:04It was because of Carson.
21:06He's my father's best friend.
21:08Kind of a second father.
21:12It was he who put me through law school.
21:15When he was murdered, I made up my mind to get to the bottom of it.
21:17Find out who killed him.
21:19I didn't think it was you.
21:20And it wasn't.
21:22You were involved.
21:23And I knew that if I helped you get what the murder was committed for, the diamond,
21:27eventually you'd pay for the murder you committed.
21:29Well, now, you've got not one, but three murderers to pay for.
21:36What are you stopping for?
21:37Railroad crossing.
21:38There's a train coming.
21:39Can't you hear the bell?
21:40Told you to keep going until I set for you to stop.
21:43Okay.
21:47Hey, what's the idea?
21:49You stole the car.
21:50Yeah.
21:51To make sure it stays, Dole, I'll just take these keys.
21:55Stanley!
21:56We're right on the track.
21:57Yeah.
21:58This is it.
22:01You fell in love, see?
22:02You ran away together.
22:03Smacked into the train.
22:05Now, don't try to do it.
22:06They're locked.
22:08I'll just wait over here and make sure everything goes the way it should.
22:12Well, Dale?
22:14Somehow I'm not frightened.
22:17And I don't care.
22:18Hey, my foot!
22:19My foot!
22:20It's a car!
22:21It's a train!
22:22It's not coming down your track!
22:24It's coming down this one!
22:25Hey, what's up?
22:26It's here, honey!
22:27It's here, honey!
22:35Hey, Andy!
22:37Yes.
22:39He was on the wrong track.
22:42Then he'd been on the wrong track for a long time.
22:46John, what was it you said before?
22:51About why you took the case.
22:54Was it true?
22:54Yes.
22:57But you always talked about payment, about something you wanted.
23:02I...
23:03I wanted justice.
23:06And I also wanted something else.
23:09Someone Danny had at first and then lost.
23:13Someone he didn't deserve.
23:16John...
23:16Yes, Jester.
23:18That's right.
23:20You.
23:21You.
23:29Say, what is this, anyway?
23:31Inner Sanctum or Love's Old Sweet Song?
23:34You'd better get yourself another tune, Professor.
23:38Or I'd better get myself another program to haunt.
23:41That's right.
23:42One more sappy ending like that and they can get themselves another host.
23:46Well, what was the matter with that ending?
23:48I thought it was the nicest one we've had this year.
23:51I thought it was sweet the way those two people discovered they loved each other.
23:54Listen, Mary, there's only one kind of sweet stuff that goes on this program.
23:59And that's sweet essence of cyanide.
24:01And now, a word of advice, friends.
24:15Don't let tonight's story, all this business about dead men's deaths, prey on your mind too much.
24:22If you should wake up at about two in the morning and hear strange footsteps coming up the stairs towards your room,
24:28don't worry.
24:29It won't be a homicidal maniac.
24:33It will probably be the ghost of a bill collector coming to collect I.O.U.
24:42By the way, this month's Inner Sanctum mystery novel is Lay That Pistol Down by Richard Powell.
24:49And now it's time to close the squeaking door.
24:52So, good night.
24:54Pleasant dreams.
24:59This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
25:09This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
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