You, finding life rather dull, dreaming again of exotic places, wishing you were somewhere else, we offer you escape. Keep with us now to Mexico City and the story of a man caught up in a terrifying web of murderous intrigue, as Patrick Quentin tells it in his exciting story, The Follower. My name is Lydden, Mark Lydden. I'm a petroleum engineer just back from three months in Venezuela. I hadn't cabled my wife that I was coming home to New York because I wanted to surprise her. We'd only been married two weeks, Ellie and I, before I went on the trip and I was crazy to get back to her. Three long empty months and now in a matter of seconds we'll be together again. Ellie! Ellie, it's me, Mark. Mark! Ellie! Ellie, are you here? Oh, let's cut out the comedy. Hey, who are you? What's the matter? What's wrong with you? What are you... Corey. Good Lord. It was the guy Ellie had thrown over to marry me, Corey Lathrop, and he was dead. I saw the two bullet holes in his chest, turned sick. He'd been dead quite a while, maybe a day or two, and he didn't look much like the socialite man about the club's member of the State Parole Board Society lawyer. He just looked dead. I recognized that torn piece of negligee in Corey's hand. I ought to. I'd seen it often enough. Oh, Nellie. The first thing I had to do was locate her fast. No. No, not the police. Not yet. Not without knowing what it's all about. Who else then? Certainly not her society friends. They wouldn't tell me if they knew. I was an outsider, big prospects, but no money, the dark horse who'd rushed Ellie off her feet. No, no chance there. Maybe some of her other friends, though, she'd messed around with just for thrills because she was rich and bored. Maybe the gambler, Victor Dottorio. Yeah, that was it. If anybody knew what had happened to Ellie, Victor would be the guy. I've really beat the odds, Mr. Lytton. Very few people I'd let come back here to my private office. Oh, thanks, Victor. Of course you're different, though. You're married to little Ellie. I'd do anything for Ellie. How is she, by the way? Well, I was hoping maybe you'd know. Why would I know anything about her? Well, you're a friend of hers, aren't you? Why, sure. I knew Ellie long before she met you. She's a great little kid. Too much money for her own good, but still. You know where she is, Victor. No, I don't. But she wasn't here a couple of nights ago. Saw her at one of the roulette tables. Ellie sure has a weakness for roulette. Yeah. Well, look, can't you tell me... I can't remember now, that was the night she got into me on credit for $20,000. $20,000? I guess the guy she was with was bad luck for her. That nose in the air, what was his name? Lathrop? Corey Lathrop. Lathrop? Yeah, somebody ought to smash that guy. He's just too good to live. Yeah. Yeah. Look, Victor, about that money Ellie lost... Oh, don't worry, Ed, about Mr. Lytton. He's a friend of mine. She'll pay once she gets the dough. These little cafe cookies understand gambling, how it works and all. They always pay off. Every one of them pays in the end. Back at the apartment again, I sat in the den smoking one cigarette after another. Tried to think it out. But it got dark and I still sat there, not knowing where to turn. Stopped cold. Hello? May I speak to Mrs. Lytton, please? Well, she isn't here right now. May I take a message? I'm Mr. Lytton. Oh, well, this is Franchot's originals, Mr. Lytton. We have those two new suits ready to send out and I find a note here with him. It is a request to forward the suits by email to Hotel Granada, Mexico City. Mexico City? Oh, yes. Mrs. Lytton evidently telephoned the message, but I did want to confirm the address. Is that correct, Mr. Lytton? Hotel Granada, Mexico City? Yes, yes, that's right. She flew down there for a few days. Ah, nice. I do hope she enjoys her trip. Well, I'm sure she will. Goodbye. Mexico City. So, that's where she'd gone. Well, whatever the game, I was sure of one thing. I was on her side when loser draw and that meant following her on the next plane south to Mexico City. From the airport, I phoned the police, told them where they'd find Corey's body and hung up. I beg your pardon, is the desk clerk around? Pue si, senor. I am the desk clerk. Can I help you, senor? Ah, yes. I believe my wife is registered here, Mrs. Mark Lytton. Lytton. That is not a very common name, senor. No, I guess it isn't. Well? That is a very nice jacket you are wearing, senor. Soft and warm like the breath of a senorita. Thank you, thank you. It must take many pesos to buy a jacket like that. I really don't remember. Now, if you'll be kind enough to- It must be very nice to have many pesos. Look, what are you after? A tip? Senor. How much? Well, when the pobrecito has five sisters to support and only one very small job, 20 pesos? Ten. Fifteen. It is only pesos, senor, not like dollars. All right, all right. Here. Gracias. Now we are friends. The senorita is registered in room 522. 522. Okay, thanks. But wait, senor. What? She is not there now. Oh? Well, where is she? The senorita is going to the bullfights, I think. But no matter, senor. You are her husband. You are my very good friend. So I let you wait in her room for only ten pesos more. Look, if you like golden eggs, don't kill the goose. But senor, you do not look at things the right way. For only 25 pesos, you now have Oscar for your very good friend. Oscar sent a bellboy up to let me into 522. When he'd gone, I opened the two traveling cases in the closet and searched through a mess of clothes and the usual feminine whatnots. I don't know what I'd expected to find in Ellie's luggage. Blood stains, a gun. I don't know. And then I heard the key in the lock. I didn't move. I didn't say anything. Ellie, baby. Who the devil are you? I could ask the same question with a lot more reason, too. Will you get out now or shall I call the manager? Now, look, there must be some mistake here. There certainly is. This is room 522 and my wife's clothes are in those bags there. You've been going through my things? Your things. Not unless you happen to be Mrs. Mark Lydden. That's exactly who I happen to be. Oh, now, wait a minute, honey. I'm Mark Lydden. Oh, please. That's a real old one and I'm just not in the mood. I'm Mark Lydden no matter what and you're impersonating my wife. I'm Mrs. Mark Lydden and you're trying to impersonate my husband. Now get out or so help me. I'll phone the manager. Wait, let me make a call first. It just so happens I know the Spanish words for police and American Embassy. You wouldn't. I wouldn't, huh? Hello. Wait, no, don't. OK. Now, what's the game? Where's Ellie? I don't know, Mr. Lydden. I've never met your wife. I was desperate, that's all. When the chance came along, I took it. What chance? What were you desperate about? I'd come down here for a week and got stuck. I didn't know you needed papers to get back across the border. Proof of citizenship, I mean. You see, I've lived in New York all my life, but I was born in Czechoslovakia. Go on. Well, I was broke, too. I didn't know what to do. That's when I ran into this bartender, George, and he fixed everything up. Fixed it up how? Well, he said this Mrs. Lydden, your wife, had just got in from the States and wanted to disappear for a few days. She was looking for somebody to take her place here at the hotel, so George arranged the whole thing, brought me here, gave me her tourist card. That's all I know about it. What were you supposed to get out of the deal? Just the tourist card. I could use it to cross the border. Mrs. Lydden was going to say later she'd lost it and get a new one. Anyway, that's what George said. George, huh? Where does this George work? Well, it's one of the American bars. He's off duty now, though. Where can I find him? Well, sometimes he hangs around the Salon de Lisboa. It's a cantina over near the plaza. Look, if this is all the truth, how come nobody here at the hotel noticed the switch when you took my wife's place? She'd checked in during the night and stayed out of sight. No one's seen her but the night clerk. Oscar, I think his name is. Oscar, huh? That boy really gets around. He's the day man now. Mr. Lydden, what are you going to do with me? I don't know yet. What's your name? Frankie. Okay, come on, Frankie. Let's go find George. There he is, Mr. Lydden. He just came in. The short blonde guy? Looks like a bannermooster. Yes. George. Over here, George. Cocky and tough. I know the type. George, we've been waiting here for you. I was beginning to think maybe you'd been called back to work at the bar. No, no, I'm off duty. This is Mr. Lydden, George. Mr. Mark Lydden from New York. Oh. Okay, if I sit down. Sure, George. That's the idea. Hey. I suppose you're looking for your wife. That's right. Where is she? You've been away somewhere, haven't you? Out of the States. Yeah. And your wife wasn't expecting you back so soon. No, she wasn't. Well, I'm afraid you're out of luck, Mr. Lydden. She took a plane to Guatemala this afternoon. No, no, no. You wouldn't be lying, would you, George? Don't push me, Mr. Lydden. Your wife's missing and you're all upset about it, but don't try to push me. Where is she, George? I just told you. That's all I know about it. I'm just a guy who helped her out of a jam. What kind of a jam? All I know is what she told me. Said she'd run out on a big gambling debt in New York. They were sending a gunman after her. She had to get away. You see, that's where I came in, Mr. Lydden. She wanted someone to take her place here, cover up her trail. How did she get out of Mexico when you've got her tourist card? She had a passport with her. She didn't need the card. I see. Well, I still think you're both lying. Oh, Mr. Lydden, I warned you about trying to... Shut up, George. You can do your talking to the police and the American Embassy. That's who I'm going to talk to. Don't be a fool, Mr. Lydden. I'd be a fool to believe this story of yours. You don't know what it's all about. You're not going to do anything with this blundering around except get your wife killed. Go back to New York and stay out of it. Skip it, Frankie. What I want your advice... What's the idea of the gun, George? The idea, Mr. Lydden, that all three of us get up from this table quietly and walk out of the cantina. I see. You're not going to the police, Mr. Lydden, nor to the American Embassy. You're coming with us. Suppose I don't? You will. Shall we go? Sure. Why not? Quietly, Mr. Lydden, just like three friends. Sure, George. I'll go quietly. Get down, George. All right, now give me that gun. Give it to me. All right, now get up on your feet. Nice going, Frankie. Come on, George, let's get out of here. Wait, wait. Give me that bottle. He's still conscious. George, you didn't have to hit him again. Shut up, Frankie. We're in it too far to turn soft-hearted now. Come on, George. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. I'm going to get you. Shut up, Frankie, we're in it too far to turn soft-hearted now. Come on, let's go. Escape under the direction of Norman MacDonald returns in just a moment. The Book of Etiquette loses a lot more pages tonight when Jack Benny tries to ingratiate himself with the suave, oh-so-social Ronald Coleman's. Yes, Ronnie and Benita will be Jack's guests on CBS tonight. And on the Charlie McCarthy Edgar Bergen comedy hour, Charlie will try to enlist in the Air Force and end up as a sky rider advertising pumpernickel bread. Red Skelton, Amos and Andy, Coralus Archer, and Eve Arden as are Miss Brooks will also be on hand on most of these same CBS stations with their famous brands of CBS Sunday Night Comedy. And now, back to Escape. When I came to a half hour later, Frankie and George were gone. The only lead to LA I had, gone. And I left the canteen and flagged a taxi. In the hope that there was only one man who might be able to help me now. I headed for the Hotel Granada and Oscar. Too bad, too bad. It is most unfortunate that you have such a very bad accident, senor. You should come to me. I would have tell you. This Alondon is not a good place for tourists. Oscar, you're a chiseler, a liar, and a crook. Senor, that is a very bad way for friends to talk to each other. You'd sell out your own mother for 10 pesos. You are what they call a very cynic man, senor. I would never do such a thing. Not for 10 pesos. Why didn't you tell me there was another woman living here posing as my wife? But you are her husband, senor. And one must be very careful with husbands. Oscar, I've played along with you as far as I'm going to. I think it's time you talked the whole thing over with the police. The police? Senor. Now you are not speaking like a friend. And just when I was going to tell you about something for free. Tell me about what? About the lady who is pretending to be your wife. She has come here while you are gone. What? She reads a telegram which is come for Mrs. Lydon. Then she has check out of the hotel. I didn't think she had the nerve to come back here. Maybe you like to know what the telegram is saying, huh? It was not sealed so tight. Of course I'd like to know what the tele... All right. All right. How much? 200 pesos. For free, huh? Okay. Here's 150 and that's all you get. Gracias, amigo. The telegram say, plans changed. Go to Hotel Casa Miranda Acapulco. Acapulco? Who was it signed by? It was only the one name. Victor. I hit my first lucky break in Acapulco. I came in from the airport and went to the Casa Miranda Hotel. And halfway across the lobby, I ran into Frankie. Mr. Lydon, what are you doing here? Looking for you. How did you find out? Easy. I'm one of Oscar's very good friends. All right. Now tell me, where's George? In Mexico City. Oh, please, Mr. Lydon. Don't try to interfere. Leave right now. You're going to ruin everything. I hope so. Where's Ellie? She's not here. She's in Mexico City. Oh, please, I know you're trying to help her, but you don't understand. You're only making things worse. You mean worse for you? Worse for everybody. Ellie, too. You don't even know what it's all about and you're going to get yourself killed. Where's Ellie? I promise you, in a week everything will be fine. Where's Ellie? You've got to believe me. You have to... There you are, Mr. Lydon. Are we ready to go? Yes, I'm ready any time, Senor Guales. Very well. Aren't you going to introduce me, darling? Introduce you? Yes. Yes. Senor Gonzalez, this is my husband, Mark. Oh, a pleasure. How do you do, Senor Gonzalez? He just arrived, unexpectedly. Oh, I see. And are you planning to go out to the Villa with us, Mr. Lydon? Oh, I don't think he wants... Oh, sure, sure, sure. Definitely. I'm in on this, too, you know. You know what is involved, then? Well, naturally, the little woman always tells me everything. And you have no objections? Well, if it's all right with her, it's all right with me. Well, you are a very broad-minded man, Mr. Lydon. Shall we go? Senor Gonzalez made a brief phone call at the hotel desk, then we got into a black chauffeur-driven limousine. Headed out along the shore highway, skirting the sea. About three miles out of town, we turned into a private roadway, stopped in front of a large Spanish villa. I regret the necessity of asking you to wait here on the veranda for a few minutes, Mr. Lydon, but I believe it is better that you don't come down to the boathouse with us. Aye, sure, sure, that's fine. Just make yourself comfortable, Mr. Lydon. This shouldn't take long. All right. Mark. What? Mark, over here. Ellie. Oh, Ellie, baby. What are you doing here? Mark. Mark, it's wonderful you're here. Oh, darling. I thought you shouldn't have come. What have they done to you, baby? Nothing, nothing, Mark. I'm all right. But you're not, darling. They'll kill you. You've got to get out of here. We'll both get out. We've got time. Frankie and Gonzalez have gone on down to the boathouse. Yes, I know. You know? Yes, Gonzalez phoned from town. They won't do anything to you if you leave right now. Victor promised me. Ellie, what are you talking about? I didn't want you to get mixed up in it, Mark. I wanted it to be all over before you came back from Venezuela. I think you better tell me what this game's all about. I had to do it. Victor made me do it. I lost a lot of money at his club. He said if I didn't, he'd kill me. If you didn't? If you didn't what? Bring a load of dope across the border for him. Dope? That's another one of his rackets, along with gambling. He gets it down here from Gonzalez. So Victor hasn't been after you. You've been on his side all the time. But then where do Frankie and George come in? They're both working for the police. They kidnapped me from the hotel, gave me drugs so Frankie could take my place and meet Gonzalez. They planned to get the dope from Gonzalez, deliver it to Victor, and then have the police move in on everybody. I got away, though, and phoned Victor. He came down here. So that's why Frankie was impersonating you. George used to be one of Victor's boys. Then he got sent to prison. He just got out on parole. It was through Corey he began working with the police. Ellie, tell me the truth. You killed Corey, didn't you? I had to, Mark. He was going to turn me in. He was on the parole board and George reported to him, so he found out about me. He was going to turn me in. All the time you've been in it up to your neck. It'll be all right, Mark. Victor will fix it. About Corey, I mean. Don't pretend it never happened. Just another thrill, huh, Ellie? I've been crazy about you, but I guess I haven't known you very well. You know, I thought this fooling around the clubs with Victor and the others was just bored little rich girl stuff. But it goes a lot deeper than that, doesn't it? But darling, I had to do this. Don't you understand? What was I, Ellie? Just another thrill, something different for a while? No, that's why I did it. For us, I mean, Victor was threatening me. He'd have told you all kinds of bad things about me. That's why I had to. Is Victor down at the boathouse? Yes. What are they going to do to Frankie? I don't know. They're going to kill her, aren't they? Why, I suppose. I don't know. What's the difference anyway? Who cares? She doesn't matter. Don't you see that? It's us that counts. That's why I did what I... Mark, where are you going? To get her out of it if I can. That's the least I can do. No, come back. Goodbye, Ellie. Mark, no. No. I ran down the driveway toward the boathouse. I was sick, sick inside and all over, sick from seeing Ellie the way she really was for the first time, dazed with a shock. They looked at me startled when I burst through the door. Frankie, pale but defiant, sitting in a chair against the wall with Victor and Gonzales bending over her. Well, this is quite a surprise, Mr. Lyddon. You're supposed to be escaping. Yeah, I know. I talked with Ellie. Generous of you, Victor, letting me go. Oh, we do anything for Ellie. She's a great little kid. All right, Gonzales? Yes, indeed. The most charming woman. She wanted us to let you go, so we said, okay. That's too bad you had to blend around down here. That's all right, Victor. I wanted to see Frankie. I tried to keep you out of it, Mr. Lyddon. I guess now you know. That's right, Frankie. Oh, I know. That's too bad, Mr. Lyddon. But you ought to have taken Ellie's advice. Oh, no, Victor. You're all mixed up. I'm in on this too now. You know, any game Ellie plays, I play too. Oh, hell, hell. We figured you for one of those moral guys. Real gun on a kid, huh? Yeah. Yeah, real gun on a kid. Well, fine, Mr. Lyddon. Join the party. Thanks. We're trying to get this little cookie to tell us where George is. If she doesn't, we're gonna count to ten and then... Well, how about it, honey? I told you. I don't know where he is. Mm-hmm. That's too bad. One, two... Better talk, Frankie. Three... I stood there watching them trying to figure a play. Victor held a gun pointed at Frankie's head and Gonzalez was probably carrying one too. Six... Whatever the play, it had to be fast. Seven... Eight... Nine... Victor, don't hurt him, Victor. Ellie. He doesn't know what he's saying about trying to help Frankie. I mean, he's out of his head. This is Lyddon, you fool. So that's a game. Victor, no! As Victor swung the gun toward me, Ellie jumped and grabbed his arm and hang on. Gonzalez was just drawing his gun when I hit him and we both went down. As he scrambled to get up, I drew back my foot and kicked him in the head. I fumbled on the floor for his gun and from the corner of my eye saw Victor turn his own gun point blank on Ellie. As he turned toward me, I was up on my knees, Gonzalez gun in my hand and I let him have his... Are you all right, Mr. Lyddon? Yes, Frankie, I'm all right. Mike... Mike... Yeah, baby. Mike, it would have worked out all right. I know it would. Sure, Ellie. Of course it would, Ellie. We'd better get her to a doctor, Mr. Lyddon. I wanted it to. Please believe me. I've done bad things, Mark, but I could have changed. Would you? Sure, honey. I know. Mike... I could go up to the house and phone for a doctor. No, Frankie. She doesn't need a doctor. She's dead. Well, that was it. Whatever Ellie was, whatever she'd done, I'd loved her more than anything else in the world. A love like that becomes a part of you. And even when it gets diseased, has to be cut out, it leaves a deep wound. Takes a long time to heal. If I'd known more about it, I may have acted differently. She might still be alive. I don't know. But as it was, I'd done the only thing I could. I'd followed her. I'd followed her clear to the end. After the direction of Norman McDonald, Escape has brought you The Follower by Patrick Quentin, especially adapted for Escape by Les Crutchfield. Bill Conrad was starred as Mark Lyddon. Featured in the cast were Georgia Ellis, Harry Bartel, Virginia Gregg, Lou Krugman, Sidney Miller and Don Diamond. The special music for Escape was composed and conducted by Del Castillo. In just a moment, we're going to ask you to stay tuned for Bill Goodwin and Dollar a Minute. That reminds us that starting next Sunday, Dollar a Minute will move back a half hour and be heard on most of these same CBS stations at this time. That is the time you've been listening to Escape today. The new addition to the CBS Sunday afternoon lineup next Sunday will be Rate Your Mate, the comedy quiz starring Joey Adams. So now, stay tuned for Bill Goodwin and Dollar a Minute, which follows immediately on most of these same CBS stations today and will be heard a half hour earlier next Sunday. This is Roy Rowan speaking. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
