Signal gasoline. Let every traffic signal remind you, you do go farther with signal gasoline. Yes, you do go farther with signal. The Signal Oil Company and your neighborhood signal dealer bring you another curious story by the Whistler. Tonight, Accident According to Plan. I am the Whistler, and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak. There are many kinds of jealousy, and none of them are good. The jealous one in love is the most frequent, but there is another more terrible jealousy. Yes, that of a man for his co-worker. Tom Reddick was jealous of Charles Fremont's cleverness, his ability to succeed. Always when there was applause for a job well done, Charles Fremont was patted on the back, fated, given a raise. Charles, Charles, you did it again. Boys, I don't know what we'd have done without that building. I only wish more of the men had your ability. Oh, thank you, Mr. Winston. I appreciate your kindness. Oh, not since my boy. Charles, I'd like you to take over general managership of the plant, effective next week. Congratulations, Charles. That's when the jealousy reaches a sickening height. When the man of whom you're jealous gets your job. Tom Reddick had been the general manager of the plant, but Tom Reddick hadn't been able to arrange the lease on the new building. Hadn't been able to do anything but his job the best way he could, slowly and often blunderingly. And when he lost the job, that's when Tom Reddick knew he had to kill Charles Fremont. Be careful, Tom. Remember, you're a slow, blundering thinker. But this time, you have a plan that's beautiful in its simplicity. You'll have a few drinks with Charles that evening, and offer to drive him home from work. And at the railroad crossing out on the highway, you'll get rid of Charles Fremont. It will look accidental. Charles will be out of the way, and you'll get your job back. So, after work that evening, you stop Charles in the washroom. Hello, Charlie. Congratulations on the promotion. Oh, thanks, Tom. I'm awfully sorry, fella, replacing you this way. It doesn't seem fair somehow. Don't be silly. I was never comfortable being general manager anyway. I'm more of a shop man. I feel strange when I'm not around machines. I'm glad you're taking it this way, old man. If I thought it was going to bother you, I'd rather not have the job. It really doesn't mean that much to me. Now, cut that out. You're the man for the job, and you take it. And let me buy you a drink, and we'll toast your promotion and my return to the shops. Well, I should be getting hot. Oh, come on. A drink will only take a few minutes. Well, okay. Let's go. This isn't going to be hard at all, is it, Tom? He sympathizes with you, and you've convinced him he deserves the job. So there are no hard feelings, are there, Tom? That's it. Take him in for a drink. Then suggest a ride home. The train passes that crossing at 6.30, so don't dawdle over your drinks. Here's looking at you, Charlie. Best of luck. Thanks, Tom. Oh, that could be a bad habit. Let me buy you one. Oh, it's almost 6. I really should. Oh, come on. Don't make me hang around here alone waiting for that train. Tell you what, I'll let you buy me a drink if you let me drive you home. Ah, that's darn decent of you. You're getting the worst of the bargain, though. Not at all. It's a pleasure. Take your right to your door. It's only a few blocks out of the way. So you have your drinks and get into the car with Charlie. Drive out of the lot through town and out onto the highway. If you time it right, you'll arrive at the crossing just at 6.30. If the train is on time, the signals will be going, and you'll have to stop the car. It'll be easy to tap Charlie over the head with a wrench you have in the side pocket. Then you can get out, set the gears, and run the car in front of the train. It's the same train you take when you go home evenings without your car. So you'll just climb aboard in the excitement and go on home. When the story comes out, you'll just say that Charlie wanted to borrow your car for the evening, and you let him. Seeing as how he was a good and close friend of yours. I can't tell you how grateful I am, old man. I've gotten to hate that train trip. Forget it. Maybe we can fix it so you won't ever have to take the train. Oh, that'll be fine. Oh, oh, oh. Those drinks make me sleepy. We have another 30 minutes of driving to do. Why don't you take a little nap? Yeah, yeah. I think I will, if you don't mind. Not at all. You just take a little nap. This is even easier than you figured it, isn't it, Tom? He's sleepy from the drinks, and he dozes right off. Now you won't have to tap him with a wrench. You drive at normal speed, and soon the railroad crossing is just ahead of you. No sign of the train yet. Maybe it was early tonight, Tom. Maybe the train has already gone past the crossing. No, there's the signal. The train has passed the far curb. It's coming. Everything is in your favor now. Charlie is sleeping soundly. The road is empty of cars, and the railroad was kind enough to put one of their new automatic signals at the crossing. And here comes the train. But maybe all the noise has awakened Charlie. You get the wrench out of the side pocket just in case and... Charlie. Charlie? He doesn't hear you. He's sound asleep. The train is close enough now. You get out of the car, put it in gear. The car lurches forward, you slam the door, and it's done. Whistler fans, don't look now, but right near your home is one of the sponsors of this program. Yes, I mean your signal gasoline dealer, that friendly station wearing the black circle sign with the big yellow letter spelling SIGNAL GASILINE. And he's a man you should know these days, not only because he brings you the Whistler, but also because it stations wearing signals yellow and black circle sign. You'll find the West's famous longer mileage gasoline, SIGNAL GO FARTHER GASILINE. And after all, what's more important these days than getting the most miles you can from every gasoline stamp? So make it a point before next week's Whistler broadcast to get acquainted with your signal gasoline dealer. Prove for yourself what more and more thousands of wise Western drivers are constantly discovering, that you do go farther with signal gasoline. And now, back to the Whistler. Well, you did it Tom Reddick. You killed Charlie Fremont. He's lying in that flaming wreck that was your automobile. And you hide there in the bushes until you find him. And you're going to be a good man. You're going to be a good man. You're going to be a good man. You're going to be a good man. When you get into that horror automobile, and you hide there in the bushes until it's clear and you can sneak on the train. No one will know. No one saw you. You did it perfectly. But you keep rubbing your ankles on. Does that hurt? Maybe you twisted it, jumping down into the bushes alongside the road. But it'll be alright, won't it? Nothing can go wrong now. The climb is done, and done well. It looks clear now. run for it to get on the train. Hey, Max, did you hear something? What? I said, did you hear something? Did you hear somebody yell? No, no, come on, Larry. There must have been someone in that car. A car don't run into a train all by itself. We hit that car awful hard. He must have been thrown clear. I thought I heard him moaning. Take him over there. All right, you look over there. I'll keep looking around here. That guy might still be alive, you know, if he got thrown clear. Oh, why don't you just stop talking so much and look a little bit harder? You got no sympathy. Guy is probably in great pain if he is still alive, but you don't care. Hey, Max, Max, I did hear something right over here. What are you fellas doing over there? We're looking for the victim. I don't know about that. He's over here, Larry, come on. I just heard something right here. Come on, they found him. Stop playing hide and seek in them bushes. He's over here. Hey, is he still alive? No, he's dead. And no wonder. Take a look at him. You're all right, Tom. They didn't see you. You're still all right. But that fellow they call Larry, the fellow that heard you moan when your ankle was hurt, he might remember it later. So you change all your plans. You try to sneak away even with a bad ankle. Hey, Max, Max, look, there goes somebody running over that way. Where? Hey, you're right. Hey, you stop. Hey, come on, Max, let's catch him. What's he doing around here running? We'll find out. Come on, after him. Hey, hey, wait a minute, you. Yeah, he's slipping. Hey, maybe he was in the car too. Why is he running away? I don't know. We'll ask him when we catch him. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. What's the matter with you? Can't a guy run if he wants to? Do you have to go running after him? Maybe he knows something. Knows something about what? You always make a big mystery about everything. Now what would he know something about? About the guy that was dead. They say a guy that's doing all the running might have had something to do with it. Oh, you sound like a regular detective. Stop with that stuff already. The train's late. Let's go back and help. Wait a minute. I think we ought to catch that running guy. Oh, he's gone. He was probably running because he was late for his dinner. Now cut it out and let's go back to the wreck. It's still all right, Tom. You got away, but that was awfully close. You hadn't figured on the ankle or a snoopy person. Now you've got to change all your plans. You can't get back to where the train is, and your ankle is swollen from the running you did. But there's a bus stop down the road, and the bus goes right by your house. It's not far to the bus stop. Just walk slowly, and you'll make it all right. There's the bus waiting to leave. You get in and take your seat. Good evening, Mr. Reddick. Haven't seen you in a long time. It's all right, Tom. In a few minutes, you'll be home. You forgot, Tom. You can't go right home. The bus has to pass the railroad crossing too, and the train is at the railroad crossing. You'll have to wait until they get your car off the tracks. You'll have to wait a few minutes, folks. Sorry. Hey, Mac. Yeah? What happened? Car ran into the train. They killed a guy driving it. Really? Anybody hurt? I told you. Kill the guy. What do you mean on the train? Anybody hurt on the train? No. Hey, open the door, will you? Two of us got to go with you and tell the widow what happened. Yeah. Get in. Hey, Max, come on. OK, OK. Gee, I sure hate to have to tell that name what happened, Larry. Shouldn't the police or somebody do it? No, it's better we should. It's bad enough what happened without the police going to the house. Well, OK. Get in. Where do you want to go? The name of the deceased was Fremont. Charles Fremont. Lives on North Brookside Avenue. I passed a couple of blocks from there. Awful, ain't it? Oh, well, you know how it is. People don't pay no attention to signals at all. Yeah. It's awful, but serves a guy right for not paying attention. Hey, here's a good seat. Yeah. Hey, buddy, that right? What? I was just telling the driver what a terrible thing it is. Oh, yeah, terrible. Hey, do I know you? Seems like I seen you somewhere. I don't remember. I don't think so. Well, I meet a lot of people. I guess so. Did you see the accident? Me? Yeah, I did. I seen the whole thing. Yeah. Yeah, it was terrible. My friend Max here and I were out taking a hike when we saw the accident. It was quite a joke. That guy driving the car, man, is a guy I feel sorry for. He was a pretty young guy. Really? Yeah, maybe 35. Me and Max here are going to tell his wife. I think it's better if we go than if the police were to go. The least you can do, you know? Yeah, it's the least you can do. You know, it's a funny thing. The guy wasn't driving his own car. It was some other guy's car. Can you imagine letting a guy your car to drive and then he gets killed in it and wrecks your car? Especially now when it's so hard to get cars. Guy named Reddick, Tom Reddick. What? The guy that owned the car. His name was Tom Reddick. Yeah, we're going to tell him too. OK, folks, all clear. Here we go. That's not good, Tom. Things are piling up, things you hadn't counted on. This man saw you running away, and now he's going to tell Charles Fremont's wife that he's dead. And then he's going to look for you to tell you your car has been wrecked. Why do some people always have to butt in, making you change plans? You've got to get out of that bus and get away. Get home before this Larry does, and some way, get Hazel out of the house so that there will be no one home when Larry gets there. Beechwood Avenue. Good night, Mrs. Nelson. I'll get out here too. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Reddick. I forgot you were here. That's all right. Excuse me, I'm late. It's awful about Mr. Fremont. Awful. Good night. Hey, driver, just a minute. Hey, what'd you call that guy? Mr. Reddick? Reddick, yeah. Hey, what's his place name? I don't know. Why? That car was owned by a guy named Reddick. That's why. Hey, stop the bus. What difference does that make? That's a certain Max. Come on. Come on, I want to talk to that guy named Reddick. We got to tell that woman, you said. Where you going now? Guy that just got off was named Reddick. So his name is Reddick. I don't follow you. Why don't we just go home and forget all about this? It's none of our business anyway. Come on, come on. Don't you understand? I tell this guy all about the accident. Who was driving the car? And who owned the car? And he never said anything about his name being Reddick. And the guy that owned that car, his name was Reddick. He didn't say anything. Then he's just a guy named Reddick who didn't own the car. Say, what's got into you? Oh, I never thought of that. You mean he could be a good guy? He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. He's a good guy. You mean he could be perhaps Harry Reddick, and he didn't even know this Tom Reddick that owned the car, huh? Eh, now you're getting smart. It's a fine time to get smart after we get off the bus. Now we got to walk to the widow's house. Well, while we're walking, we can think of what to say to poor Mrs. Freeman. Eh, that's a terrible thing to happen to a lady, losing a hubby so suddenly. Yeah, but I still don't think this is any of our business. And besides, my missus is going to be awful sore at me coming home so late. Now, look, when you explain to her what you were doing, she'll be very proud of you. Not every man has the heart to do what we're going to do. Yeah, you mean it's not every man who's such a bud-insky to do what we're going to do. We could walk right back to the corner and get right on that bus and go right home. No. I got to tell the widow what happened. Hey, I know. Now what? Look at that street sign. This here is Hillbrook Street. Oh, that's very nice, I'm sure. Hillbrook Street is where this Reddick guy lives. Tell him, Reddick, let's go tell him first what happened to his car, huh? Maybe he can help us tell Mrs. Greenland. You must know her husband, her dead husband, must have been a friend who borrowed the car. In fact, maybe he'll go tell her and we can go home. Yeah, now let me see. This house is number 479. What number that guy say he lives in? Oh, I don't remember. Why don't we just forget all about it, Larry? Why do you want a bud-in? You think it was number 456? Let me see, I wrote it down here. Yeah, yeah, there it is, number 456. All right, which way do we go? I guess it's down here. Hey, look, that guy up ahead of us has got a bad leg. Oh, you're driving me crazy. Now what difference does that make? It don't make no difference. What's the matter with you? Can't I remark to a friend that a guy up ahead has a bad leg? Well, you're always remarking something. Sometimes I wish you'd shut up. Max, that's not nice. Well, I do. Here's 460. Hey, look, the guy with the bad leg, he's finally home. See, he's staying at the house down there. Yeah, but he's not going in, see? He just stopped to look at the number. Hey, that's that other Reddick guy, the one on the bus. Well, he's not going in that house, and that's number 456. Yeah, it is. Well, I hope they got insurance on their car. That was close, Tom. You saw them just in time. So you just kept walking until they go in the house. And then you come back and wait for them to leave. They'll tell Hazel all about it. And after they leave, you can go in. Tell her you loaned the car to Charles Fremont and came home on the streetcar and bus. You're late because the bus got stopped at the crossing. You had no idea that your car was the one wrecked by the train, or that Charles Fremont was dead. Now those men are coming out of your house. Keep back, and they won't see you behind the hedge. Yeah, with a real nice lady, she was upset. Well, of course she was upset. It all makes me feel kind of silly talking to people I don't even know. Well, it's a good thing we did. We might have gone right over to the widow's house. Which way did she say it was a police station? Four blocks to the left. We'd better hurry. Yeah. A police station? Why are they going to the police station? What did they talk to Hazel about? Who are those two men, Tom? And why do they keep following you? Better hurry in the house, Tom, and see what was said. Hazel? Hazel, I'm home. Well, it's about time. Where have you been? Dinner burned to a crisp, and it cost 30 red points. Now don't start screaming again. I got stuck on the bus. There was an accident at the railroad crossing. Who were those men I saw leaving the house? So you lent your car to Charlie Fremont. You won't let me drive because you don't think I'm careful enough. But you lent the car to Charlie Fremont. How'd you know? Who were those two men that... That accident you saw from the bus. That was your car. Charlie Fremont had an accident in your car and got killed at that railroad crossing. What? Well, I had no idea for that. Well, he did. What'd you loan it to him for? I can understand you're driving him home if you want to, but what'd you loan him the car for? You were coming home, and he was coming home. Why don't you come home together? He told me he was going over to the other side of town to see a customer. How did I know he was going to come right home? Let me smell your breath. What? You had a few drinks, didn't you? I thought you had. You and that Charlie Fremont. You just stop and have a cocktail before dinner and keep the dinner waiting until it's not fit to eat. Then come home and tell me some fantastic story about loaning the car to Charlie Fremont. What are you talking about? Those men over here. They asked me if we had any relatives living around us. I told them the only relative we had was my sister in California. That it must have been you they talked with on that bus. Maybe you can fool some people, but you can't fool me. I know you, Tom Reddick. You were in that car, and you got scared because you were both drunk. I told you I lent Charlie the car. How many times do I have to tell you I lent Charlie the car? Those two men told me about you. They saw you there at the railroad crossing. One of those men talked to you on the bus, and you made believe you'd never seen him before. Made believe you didn't even know people named Charlie Fremont and Tom Reddick. You're just a good-for-nothing drunken. I wish I never married you. Look, Hazel, there's no sense in getting upset about this. Sure, I was in the car. We had a couple of drinks in town before coming home. Charlie insisted on it. I got scared when we had the accident, so I ran. You're not gonna go and tell. No, are you? I most certainly am. I never did like Charlie Fremont and his wife. That no good. Calling me up in the middle of the afternoon to crow over me. Mrs. Fremont called you up? To crow over me. She's bragging about how her and Charlie got your job away from you. He takes your job away from you, so you go and have a drink with him to celebrate. Stop it! What's the matter with you? Aren't you ever happy? Don't you have any feeling toward me at all? What's that? I'm sure I don't know. It's the doorbell. Answer it. I'm not home. Don't you dare order me around, you drunk. Don't you dare even talk to me. Shut up! Yes? Good evening. We thought that... Hey, Max, it's the guy. You were right. What do you want here? Who are you? Hey, now, look, Mr. Reddick. Why didn't you tell us on the bus who you were? We were just trying to help you. It's none of your business who I am. Now get out of here. No, no, no. Take it easy, Mr. Reddick. Somebody has to do these unpleasant things. Me and Max here thought we would. The least you can do. He was in that car. I told you he was. Hazel, shut up. I will not shut up. You were in that car. You told me you were. You're so smart. Having a drink with a man who takes your job away from you. Mr. Reddick wants this job? Oh, gee, I'm sorry. Mr. Fremont got his job, so he had a drink with him to celebrate. And then they were drunk and had that accident. Wait a minute. You mean, you mean that Mr. Fremont got Mr. Reddick's job away from him? And they had some drinks together and then they were both in the car when I hit the train? Sure they were. Only Mr. Reddick ran away. Maybe he ran away because... Hey, wait a minute. Max, Max, he's trying to... Get him, Max. He can't run far. He's got a bum ankle. Yeah, yeah, okay. There he goes down the lower... Follow him, Max. Hey, look. Look, he fell. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. I'm sorry, Mr. Reddick, but I think we'd better take you to the police station. I think you murdered Mr. Fremont. The Whistler will return in just a moment with the strange ending to tonight's story. Meantime, I'd like to make clear just what we mean by the more conscientious service your car gets from a signal gasoline dealer. For example, take Larry Doody's signal gasoline station in Oakland, California. While checking your water and oil, Larry's also busy making sure that excessive grease and corrosion isn't clogging your cooling system, or that a loose or fraying fan belt isn't about to give you trouble, or that acid corrosion isn't eating your battery cables. And while he's testing your tires, he's on the alert for any little breaks in the rubber that could spread and ruin the tire. What's more, there's a good reason why you'll find these plus many more unasked for extras not only at Larry Doody's signal station in Oakland, but right at your own neighborhood signal dealer. You see, being in business for himself, your signal dealer will go out of his way to keep you pleased so that you remain his regular customer. You can prove this for yourself by looking up the station in your neighborhood wearing signals black and yellow circle sign. And there never was a more important time to do this than now when your car needs signals more thorough service to help it last out the duration. And now, back to the Whistler. Well, Tom, you bungled your perfect plan, didn't you? But then you never were any good at planning. That's why Charlie got ahead of you. And of course, you let the little man who was always butting in make you so nervous that you gave yourself away. But when you got to the police station, you really thought fast for once. You kept your mouth shut and let them believe what they wanted to. Your wife's story helped. You were drunk. The accident happened. You weren't hurt, but you got scared and ran away. Maybe they'll believe that. And all you'll get will be a few years for man slaughter. Maybe they'll believe it. But even as you think it, you know very well they won't. The motive is too apparent. Charlie got your job, so you killed him. No, Tom, you won't get away with it. And so as you sit in your cell and brood over the fate that awaits you, you make up your mind and you start resolutely into action. A small barred window is high over your head. And as you strain, you think of that little man who was always butting in. The little man who caused all your troubles. And you can almost hear his voice. Sure, sure, we know. We'll only be a minute. We've got something very important to tell him. Reddick, huh? Oh, he's in 214. Boy, he'll really be glad to see us. Yeah, you bet. We just came to your autopsy. The colonel's autopsy. We got news for Mr. Reddick. Yeah, what kind of news? Well, there was something fishy about the accident where Mr. Fremont got killed. They had an autopsy. Yeah, and they found out something. They don't really have anything on Mr. Reddick. They're gonna let him go. Let him go? Sure, and we came right over to tell them. When they had the autopsy, they found Mr. Fremont wasn't met at all. He was dead when the train hit the car. He wasn't supposed to drink and he died of a heart attack 20 minutes before the accident while he was still riding in the car. No kidding? He'll be glad to hear that. Here's his... Hey, hey, Mr. Reddick! Well, what do you know about that? At least the reddick went and hung himself. Next Monday at nine o'clock, The Whistler will bring you another strange tale, the curious story of a friendly case of blackmail. The Whistler is broadcast for your entertainment by the marketers of signal gasoline and motor oil and fine quality automotive accessories and by your neighborhood signal dealer. This program directed by George W. Allen with tonight's story by Bruce Elliott, music by Wilbur Hatch is transmitted to our troops overseas by the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is Marvin Miller speaking and suggesting that you let every traffic signal remind you that you do go farther with signal gasoline. Yes, you do go farther with signal. This is CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System.
