(80) Escape - The Sure Thing - (William Conrad)

Summary

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Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode 80: Escape – "The Sure Thing" (William Conrad)

Original Broadcast Date: August 10, 2026
Source Drama: Escape (from the Golden Age of Radio)

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Episode Overview

This episode features a thrilling radio drama from the classic anthology series, Escape, titled "The Sure Thing." Set on a schooner in the Caribbean, the story immerses listeners in a web of deception, greed, and desperation, all revolving around a fortune in hidden money. Through the eyes of the ship's doctor, we follow a tense, suspense-filled journey involving a secretive secretary, a ruthless ship owner, a dying tycoon, and a $2 million bank draft "payable to bearer." The drama exemplifies Golden Age radio storytelling: tight plotting, sharp dialogue, and crackling tension.

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Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: An Invitation to Adventure

• [01:14] Escape opens, promising to "free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure."
• The story is set aboard a lonely schooner, the Sidon, in the Caribbean night.

2. The Distress Call and Introduction of Main Characters

• [01:53] Dr. (John Hoyt) receives an SOS: a passenger on a schooner requires urgent medical help.
• The Doctor boards the Sidon and is introduced to owner Felix E. Rouge (William Conrad), the secretary Stephanie (Faye Baker), and the mysterious, gravely ill old man (Joseph Ingram).

3. Medical Mystery or Foul Play?

• [05:00 – 06:35] The Doctor discovers the old man’s wound is likely from a bullet, not an accident as claimed.
  • "I've dug out too many bullets not to recognize the kind of mess they make." – Doctor ([06:20])
• Tension builds as Stephanie insists the wound is from a marlin spike.

4. Hidden Motives & Misdirection

• [09:30] The Doctor notices the Sidon is not heading toward Havana as claimed.
  • "We're not headed for Havana. We're headed in the opposite direction." – Doctor ([11:54])
• Felix is hostile, and Stephanie eventually admits she’s afraid of Felix and confesses Felix shot Joseph ([17:27]).

5. Unraveling the Big Secret: The Real "Sure Thing"

• [18:22] Stephanie reveals the truth about Joseph:
  • He is the infamous aviation tycoon Joseph Ingram, believed dead in a plane crash staged to avoid indictment.
  • Stephanie and Felix are accomplices, each with their own agendas.
  • The $2 million is in a bank draft — location unknown.

6. Treachery and Paranoia: The Hypodermic Needle

• [15:35] The Doctor’s hypodermic needle (with anesthetic) is stolen, raising suspicions about its intended use.
• Stephanie later uses it to drug the Doctor, revealing shifting alliances and motives ([21:42]).

7. Climax: Betrayal, Greed, and the Deadly Struggle

• [22:49] A fight breaks out, and Felix is thrown overboard during a struggle with Stephanie and the Doctor.
• Stephanie turns on the Doctor, proposing they take the money and flee together. The Doctor refuses, and Stephanie pulls a gun on him ([24:53]).

8. Final Confrontation and Twist Ending

• [25:25] The ailing Joseph appears, reveals the location of the $2 million bank draft (in his shoe), and confronts Stephanie.
  • "In the heel of my shoe is a draft on the national bank of Venezuela for $2 million. Payable to bearer." – Joseph ([25:46])
• Joseph and Stephanie struggle and fall overboard to their deaths, leaving the Doctor alone with the bank draft.
• [27:57] The Doctor tries to cash the draft at a Havana bank but is confronted by Joseph’s wife and accused of murder.

9. Moral and Reflection

• The Doctor is left in a Kafkaesque dilemma: accused, disbelieved, and traumatized by the deaths surrounding the so-called "sure thing."
  • "But it had seemed like such a sure thing. And it was. Murder payable to Bearer." – Doctor ([29:44])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Doctor’s skepticism:
  “I've dug out too many bullets not to recognize the kind of mess they make.” ([06:20])

• Felix’s callousness:
  "Well, Doc, how's the old boys? He gonna kick off?" ([09:55])

• Revelation of deception:
  "We're not headed for Havana. We're headed in the opposite direction." – Doctor ([11:54])

• Stephanie’s confession:
  “I was forced to come. I was the only one who knew that Joseph was still alive. And now you know.” ([19:28])

• The twist with the needle:
  "She used the needle deftly in one motion, plunged it in my arm. ... But the drug was warm and deadening. And after a blurred moment, I was gone." – Doctor ([21:46])

• Final tragic reveal:
  “In the heel of my shoe is a draft on the national bank of Venezuela for $2 million. Payable to bearer.” – Joseph ([25:46])

• The Doctor’s bitter realization:
  "But it had seemed like such a sure thing. And it was. Murder payable to Bearer." ([29:44])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:14] – Show intro and setup: "Escape … for a half hour of high adventure"
• [05:00] – First medical examination, suspicion of bullet wound
• [09:30] – Doctor questions Felix, notices suspicious ship course
• [11:54] – Doctor realizes wrong heading, tension escalates
• [15:35] – The stolen hypodermic needle is discovered
• [17:27] – Stephanie confesses Felix shot Joseph and shares more truth
• [18:22] – Stephanie's full backstory, Joseph’s identity revealed
• [20:22] – Missing needle and paranoia
• [21:42] – Stephanie injects the Doctor
• [22:49] – Fight, Felix is lost overboard
• [24:53] – Stephanie threatens the Doctor, proposes partnership
• [25:25] – Joseph's return, $2 million bank draft reveal
• [27:57] – Havana bank scene, accusation by Joseph’s wife
• [29:44] – Final reflection and thematic closure

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Tone and Noteworthy Style

• The dialogue is crisp, packed with suspense and period vernacular—classic for Golden Age radio thrillers.
• The cast’s delivery adds to the atmosphere: William Conrad’s Felix is menacing; Faye Baker’s Stephanie shifting from vulnerable to deadly.
• The Doctor narrates in a noir-tinged voice, expressing cynicism and reluctant heroism.
• The story barrels forward with little respite, maintaining high tension and drama.

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Conclusion

"The Sure Thing" is a quintessential example of Escape's ability to deliver taut, character-driven suspense in half an hour. With its well-paced twists, overlapping motivations, and final ironic turn, the story captures the spirit of Golden Age audio drama: a cautionary tale that nothing, especially when greed is involved, is ever truly a "sure thing."

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Transcript

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[Narrator]

tired of the everyday routine? Ever dream of a life of romantic adventure? Want to get away from it all?

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure.

[Narrator]

Tonight we escape to a lonely schooner sailing through the Caribbean night carrying a fortune and the heedless passions of reckless men. As John and Gwen Bagney tell it in their exciting tale, the sure Thing.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

This way, senor. Thank you. This. If you would please wait in here in the President's office. Fine. You understand, senor, I have not the authority to handle the matter myself. Yes, of course, I understand. You see a Bank draft of $2 million. It is a matter of such importance. Senor Jose Perez, the president of the bank, he is the only one that's perfectly all right. I'll wait for Senor Perez. Gracias, senor. Gracias. Wait? Yes, I could wait. I'd come this far, I could afford a few more minutes. And I'd wanted to think about it. To roll it over in my mind just as you roll a finely cur over your tongue to enjoy the full realization of it. It was hard to believe. Just a short while ago I had been ship's doctor on the SS Martina, the gilded ferryboat of the Caribbean. And now I sat back in a comfortable chair and went over the whole thing again in my mind. Just the way it happened from the beginning. We had just cleared the Straits of Yucatan on our way to havana when the 23 word message came. That started the whole thing? Same thing, Doc. SOS latitude 23 north, longitude 85 west. Accident case on board schooner Sidon. Tavana urgently need. Doctor, can you aboard us? Is that all? No answer as to the type of injury. I don't get it, Zack. She's laying two just after starboard, and they still keep sending the same message.

[Narrator]

Lifeboat's ready, Doctor.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Coming. Got all your gear? All set. Let's go. As a rule, I don't excite easily, but I was hanging onto my little black bag like an intern on his first ambulance case. Maybe it was the hour, the gray hour at sea that is suspended between day and night. As we pulled away from our ship, I could just barely make out the schooner heeling to a wandering current. She was a 42 footer, and from her high bow, she sloped away neatly in a sweeping sheer line to a trim, square stern. The Sidon. The name seemed to fit her, aloof and aristocratic. We pulled alongside that for.

[Narrator]

Doctor? Yes.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Give us a hand, will you? All right, men, ship your oars.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Steady.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Doc, you on board? Here, take my bag. Olson, give me a hand with a stretcher.

[Narrator]

Right. Watch your step. Bab. Is he.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Thanks. Well, there we are. Now, where's the patient?

[Narrator]

He's below. What'd you bring the stretcher for?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Who are you?

[Narrator]

I'm the owner. Felix E. Rouge is the name. You can't take him off this boat. He's too weak.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'll decide that. Come on. Olson. Elmendak. We went below. The main cabin was lined in Honduras mahogany. Everything was custom built, even the galley that we passed through on our way to the stateroom forward, where I found my patient, an old man, and with him, a girl.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, Doctor, I'm so glad you're here. Joseph. Joseph?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Mm hm.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Joseph, the doctor. He's here.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Oh, Doctor, thank heaven. Easy now. Easy. You'll be all right.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Doctor, he had an accident. He's terribly ill. I've been so worried.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Please. Mm. Bad shock pulse. Pretty low.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

You're not going to take him away, are you?

[Narrator]

No way.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

No, no.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Can't.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Easy now. Have you enough oil aboard to reach Havana if the wind doesn't hold?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Yes, I think so.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Okay, Olson.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Hear that?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You go on back. This man's in no condition to be moved. What about you? I'll meet the ship in Havana. We ought to be in there sometime tomorrow.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

But the skipper.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'll take the responsibility.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Okay, you're the doctor.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

All right, let's have a look here. Easy now. Who bandaged him?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I did.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You did a good job. No, don't try to talk. How long has he been this way?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Two days.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Two days?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

The wound, Doctor. I'm afraid.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yes. It's a nasty one. Deep and infected. Who did the surgery on him?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Surgery?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Who probed for the bullet?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

There was no bullet. He was injured while splicing a backstay with a marlin spike.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

He was what?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

You see, he was carrying the marlin spike in his hand. When Felix had it come about unexpectedly, it threw him off balance and he fell.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Hand me my bag.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

What's the matter?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You're like a parrot I used to own. Your sea talk is too glib.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

It's the truth, I tell you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I've dug out too many bullets not to recognize the kind of mess they make.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

It was a marlin spike.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yes, well, you can yell marlin spike all the way to Havana, but it isn't going to change my report.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Report?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

No.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

No bullet.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Marlin spike. Eye back. Now, marlin. This won't hurt.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

What?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Just a hypodermic. No, no, no.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

No dope.

[Narrator]

I don't want it.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

But I've got to probe. You can't take it if you're conscious. No anesthetic only. Randy.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Doctor, give him the anesthetic.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Oh, no. You'd like that, wouldn't you?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Stephanie? You're out of your mind. Joseph. I just want to save you the pain in the.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Doctor, get him the brandy. But, Doctor, it's his body. If that's what he wants, that's the way he'll have it. Now get the brandy. Ah, thank you. And Doctor. Yes? Send Stephanie away. Don't wander around me. She went away, but she didn't like it. And I got to work. The old man didn't say a word. All the time I probed, he just moaned and gritted his teeth. I found the bullet all right. And then I pouted the wound with sulfur and bandaged it. I could see I'd have my hands full just to keep him together until we got to Havana. For the next couple of hours, I was pretty busy. And it was well after 10 o' clock when I felt it was safe to leave him and go up on deck to catch a smoke.

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[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

halfway up the companionway, I ran into Felix Arouge on his way down. I hadn't got a good look at him when I first came aboard, but now I did. Heavy, dark, bony face with a black mole on his cheek, fine flannel slacks rolled to his knees, and for a belt, a gaudy necktie. Against the polished brass and teak deck of the schooner, he was as incongruous as a herring and caviar.

[Narrator]

Well, Doc, how's the old boys? He gonna kick off?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I think he's gonna be all right.

[Narrator]

You think or do you know?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'm only a doctor. I've done everything I can for him. Wait a minute. Where are you going?

[Narrator]

I want to see him. I got to talk to him.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I wouldn't advise it.

[Narrator]

Since when are you giving the orders around here?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Since I came aboard, I don't want him disturbed. He needs to rest.

[Narrator]

Well, you got any objections if I get myself a cup of coffee?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

No, so long as you stay away from my patient.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh. Oh. I didn't hear you come up.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You handle the wheel like an old salt.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I don't know much about it. I just do what Felix tells me. How's Joseph? You've been down there such a long

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

time, I thought that he died.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

What a horrible thing to say. Of course not.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Who is Joseph? Your husband?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

No, I'm his secretary.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Oh. Then this is a business trip.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

In a way, Doctor. What are you getting at?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Did you shoot him?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Why would I shoot him and then call for a doctor out here in the middle of the ocean?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I don't know. And after tomorrow, I won't care. You realize, of course, my report to the authorities in Havana will be according to my own findings.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I suppose so. May I have a cigarette?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Certainly. Here you are.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Thank you. I have a light. I don't imagine there's any way of changing your mind, is there, Doctor?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

This is a beautiful schooner. Belong to your boss?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Yes.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I wonder. Mind if I take the wheel for a while? It's been a long time since.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, you know how to sail?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yeah, I used to back in Maine.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

All right, go ahead.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Hmm. Feels good. Yeah, she sure handles like a dream. Uh huh. Just as I thought.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

What's wrong, Doctor?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

We're not headed for Havana. We're headed in the opposite direction. The sedan was racing along with sails full. But she wasn't sailing due east to Havana. The compass said she was sailing southwest, away from Havana, as fast as wind and sail could take her. I laid her on the starboard tack and started to bring her about. The sails bellied out, catching the wind as it shifted across the bow. And then as they started to fill away, the mainmast boom swung over. Just as I ducked to a bullet, a shot rang out. I put up my hand to steady myself against the main boom. And there in the wood, right where my head would have been if I hadn't ducked, was the bullet. Across the deck, silhouetted in the light of the companionway, stood Felix, polishing his gun with a handkerchief.

[Narrator]

You shouldn't tack, Doctor, when I. Cleaning his gun.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Cleaning your gun in the dark in the middle of the night?

[Narrator]

I suppose it is dangerous. I say, you don't like our course?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I was under the impression this craft was bound for Havana.

[Narrator]

That's right, Doc. We are.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Then why are we sailing southwest?

[Narrator]

Southwest. That's a woman for you. Can't trust them behind the wheel of a car. And they're no better behind the wheel of a boat.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, no, Felix. You don't blame me for that? I don't know anything about a course. I did what you told me.

[Narrator]

Then why didn't you do it right?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

If I'm so incompetent, maybe you'd better handle it yourself.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Maybe I will.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

As the siton pushed its way through the serenity of the night. Carrying with it an incredible tension. I didn't know what their game was. The lies, the marlinspike, nocturnal gun cleaning, change of color, who they were or what they meant to each other. But one thing was certain. I intended to get to Havana if it was the last thing I ever did. And to make sure it wasn't the last thing. This was one night I wouldn't sleep. I went down to the old man's stateroom where I'd left my bag to get some Benzedrine. While I was there, I checked on him. Considering his age, he had a lot of stamina. He was sleeping quietly. He wouldn't need me. I opened the bag, took the tablets. And suddenly my hand stopped in midair. My hypodermic needle, loaded with the anesthetic that Joseph had refused. Was gone.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

In just a moment, we will return to Escape. But first, we keep reminding you that this fall you'll hear them all on cbs. But there's one Sunday night show that makes you think constantly that it's spring. It's the show that brings you the hilarious adventures. Of that capricious teenage charmer, Corliss Archer. Youth and love and a definite springtime madness. Well up in Corliss's adventures. Every Sunday night. Bewitching, bothering and bewildering. Her parents, the neighbors, her teachers and her boyfriends. For a show that's filled to the brim with charm and good humor and very funny adventure. Meet Corliss Archer. Every Sunday night on most of the same CBS network stations. Tune in, tune in this fall for the shows that you love best of all. Listen carefully. Here's the address. It's cbs. Cbs. And now back to Escape and the second act of the sure Thing.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

My hypodermic needle, loaded with the anesthetic that Joseph had refused, was gone. I tore the bag apart, took everything out. But it wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere in the stateroom. One of them had stolen it. Why? To use on the old man. On me. I went back up on deck. Felix was at the wheel. I knew it was futile to ask him if he'd taken my needle.

[Narrator]

What's the matter? Can't you sleep? Or are you still worried about the course? Say we're sailing due east.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Very commendable. Mind if I take the wheel a while?

[Narrator]

No, I don't mind at all. But keep her due east, Doctor. I want to get to Havana.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I watched his truculent broad back as he moved across the deck and disappeared below. The moon was as bright as day and as reassuring. It drove the worry of the missing hypodermic needle away from the front of my mind. It was good to be alone, to feel the sure swiftness of the boat under my feet. This was something to cling to. This was reality. Every knot closer to Havana. The sail swung out, covering the moon, throwing everything into blackness. That's why I didn't realize at first anyone was approaching until I saw the glow of the cigarette. I tensed myself. My hand clutched at something in the cockpit. It was a wrench. The cigarette moved closer. I waited. The sail bellowed back, and I saw her full in the moonlight. There was strength and defiance in the way she held her footing against the. But there was no defiance in her voice.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I have to talk to you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Go ahead, talk.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I'm afraid I haven't been very honest with you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

No, I'm afraid you haven't.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I lied to you, and I realize now how foolish it was. But, Doctor, I'm afraid of Felix.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Are you trying to tell me it was Felix who shot the old man?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Yes, and he made me lie about it.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Like you lied about the course.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

You'll never get to Havana. He's letting you think that you're getting there now. But he'll figure out something.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'm sure he will. If that target practice a few moments ago was any sample.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, he wasn't trying to kill you. Felix wouldn't kill you now. Not as long as Joseph needs you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I. I mean, you know, you're not making sense again. Felix wants me to keep Joseph alive. And yet Felix shot Joseph.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

It was just in a fit of anger and argument. Felix has a terrible temper. Why, he'd be a fool to kill Joseph.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

What makes Joseph so valuable? Hmm.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I suppose I should tell you all of it.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

It might be a good idea.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I told you the truth about one thing at least. I am his secretary. Only his name isn't just Joseph. It's Joseph Ingram.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Ingram? No wonder his face was familiar. Easy. He's the big aviation tycoon. Yeah, but look. Ingram was killed two weeks ago. I read about it in the Papers. A transcontinental airplane crashed into a mountain.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Yes, even fate works for him. We were on our way to Washington. He'd been subpoenaed to have his war contracts investigated. Oh, the public was really worked up about it. He was a cinch to be indicted. Why, even his own wife left him after 20 years of marriage. But as luck would have it, we got off the plane at Albuquerque to answer a wire from his attorneys.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

But the radio and the newspapers obituaried him to death. I know.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

That's how things happen for him. Apparently, there. There was just no record of us leaving the plane. And they only found half the survivors. Some of those they couldn't identify.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Now, go on.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Well, when Joseph realized that he was officially dead, he saw the way out. He phoned Felix in Florida to have the sitting ready. And we took a train down and boarded her there.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yeah, I see. But I don't know why.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Do you think I'm on this bus? Do you think I wanted to come? Do you think I wanted to leave my whole life behind? I was forced to come. I was the only one who knew that Joseph was still alive. And now you know.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

What about Felix? Oh, Felix.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

He does odd jobs, as it were, for Joseph. And Joseph owns Felix body and soul. Just as he owns everyone who works for him.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

And you?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I was ambitious. I oughta hate Joseph. But it's not his fault. I saw a chance to go further with him than with any other man. Only I'd known how it would end. Running away from everything. Always to be afraid.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Well, if that's it, then I was wrong. Then Maybe the needle isn't meant for Joseph.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Needle? What needle?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

A hypodermic needle loaded with anesthetic. It's missing from my bag. If it isn't meant for Joseph or for me, it's meant for you.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, no. Oh, no, he can't. He wouldn't have.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'm afraid we'll have to be more realistic, if you'll forgive the pun. I'm afraid we're both in the same boat. There was desperate. And I felt sorry for her. She was in this mess up to her neck, and she was afraid. And yet it was good having her beside me there in the cockpit. It was pleasant to be with her. Just the two of us. The moon and the sea. Well, anyway, the hypodermic needle was the farthest thing from my mind when I took her in my arms. And then it happened. I felt the stinger that pierced my flesh. The needle.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

What are you talking about?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

The needle you stuck me with it.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Needle. Oh, I'm sorry. It was just my brooch. It's always coming open.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Brooch, I thought.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Silly. Fasten it for me, will you, please?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yeah, sure. Yes, of course.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Why, you're shaking.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

It's that missing hypodermic. It has me rattled. I've got to get it back.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

You'll get it back.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yes, but when? How?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Right now, Doctor. Like this.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

She used the needle deftly in one motion, plunged it in my arm. I tried to struggle to my feet. Her face was mocking me. I grabbed for her. But the drug was warm and deadening. And after a blurred moment, I was gone.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

You stupid fishermen.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I could hear them from a long ways off. I came too slowly. Then I lay there listening.

[Narrator]

Well, you bungled it again.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I only did what you told me to do. You're the one who's bungled it.

[Narrator]

It's a good thing I caught you before.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Standing over me, working on me, doing everything they could to bring me to.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Now you've spoiled everything. Why did you have to rush things?

[Narrator]

You want to know where the money is, don't you?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Well, you haven't found out, and now maybe you won't. If you'd left Joseph alone. Oh, but no. No, you couldn't wait. As soon as the doctor was unconscious, you had to work him over. If Joseph dies out, we'll never find out where he hid it.

[Narrator]

It's on this boat. I know that. And I didn't hurt him. I just pushed him around a little.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, that stupid temper of yours. That awful impatience. You'd think you could have waited for $2 million.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

$2 million. Now it began to make some sense. Now everything made sense. As long as Joseph needed a doctor and wouldn't tell where the money was, we both lived. But if I couldn't keep him alive.

[Narrator]

Get on your feet, Doc. Come on. Come on, Doc. Get on your feet.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Felix. Easy.

[Narrator]

Since when are you getting so touchy? Now, come on. Come on.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

All right, all right. I'm on my feet.

[Narrator]

Welcome back, Doc. Now get below the old man. Nature. He's had a relapse. Stephanie, take the wheel. I said get below, Doc.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I'm not in the mood to take orders.

[Narrator]

Maybe this will put you in the mood.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

He creased my chin with a short jab. My knees buckled. I swung at him and missed. I saw another one coming. This time I ducked and connected with a roundhouse on the side of his head that sent him reeling along the wet, narrow deck. I started after him just as the boat came about. Violently heeling over with their scuppers awash, I wildly grabbed a guy line just to try. Time to see Felix thrown backwards into the sea. I whipped around. The girl had done it, spinning the wheel like crazy. I dashed back to the cockpit and tried to grab it away from her. She fought me like a tiger, but I finally pushed her off right at the boat and put her about. But Felix was nowhere in sight. We tacked around searching for him, but it was useless. Hell, he's gone. You killed him.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

It was an accident. You ought to be glad he's gone.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Why?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Well, it was either him or you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Your concern touches me.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Besides, we don't need him. Don't you see? You know how to handle a boat, and you're a doctor. You can keep Joseph alive until we make him talk. And when we find out where his money is, we can get rid of him.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

And sail away into the sunset, huh?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

That's right. Just you and me.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Yeah. No, thanks. I'll play out the original hand in Havana.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I don't think so, Doctor. I'm setting the course now. And if you're interested, I'm a much better shot than Felix. I won't hit the boom.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

The gun glittered in the moonlight and she was smiling at me. But I wasn't looking at her, but beyond her. At first I wasn't sure. I just sensed the movement. And then I saw him. Joseph Ingram, barefooted and in pajamas, pulling himself painfully up the companionway, forcing his body to make the effort.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Joseph, you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You wanted too much, Stephanie. My money and Felix's.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

You?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Felix is gone. He had an accident.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Like mine, I suppose. If only I hadn't been so greedy. If only you'd waited, you'd have gotten your share.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Joseph, you're sick.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

You are such a little fool, Stephanie. In the heel of my shoe is a draft on the national bank of Venezuela for $2 million. Payable to bear her.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

So that's where it is. Thank you, Joseph. That's very generous of you.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been watching a bullet in the stomach. Yet he kept coming at her, lumbering barefooted across the deck like a wounded bear in blue silk pajamas. Not so easy. She backed away. Everything I've done everywhere kept coming. Not so. She was at the edge of the deck as he collapsed against her, his heavy arms in a death grip around her. And like a cartwheel, they spun together over the side into the inky blackness of the sea. $2 million in the heel of a shoe. It was in the heel of the shoe already. I went below and found it just a piece of paper that three people had died. Over $2 million certified backwards and forwards, payable to bearer in just a few hours. It would be daylight. I could be in Havana by noon. Back to the Martina, back to the dispensary, back to the endless round of seasick pills, hangover remedies, and when I'm lucky, maybe a sprained ankle or Venezuelan. The choice was simple. There was no risk at all. It was a cinch. It was a sure thing. It was payable to bearer. Good afternoon, senor. I'm sorry I have kept you waiting. You presented this bank draft for payment, senor?

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Yes.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Are you Senor Perez?

[Narrator]

That is right.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I am the president of the bank. This draft, it is quite a large sum. There's nothing wrong with the draft, is there? No, senor, it is in order. Good. And you wish us to transfer this money to your bank in the United States? No, no. As a matter of fact, I wish to open an account here. But certainly. Gomez, you will make the arrangements for the senor. See Senor Perez at once. And now there is a lady, a countrywoman of yours, waiting to see you. Please step this way, senor. To see me? But who?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Oh, Joseph, I've been waiting so long. Senor Perez, is this the man who presented the draft for payment?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Si, senor, but he isn't.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Then what's happened to Joseph?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Who?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Joseph Ingram, of course.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Senor Perez, who is this woman? What is she doing here?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I heard the Siddon had come in this morning with only one person aboard. So I rushed right here to the bank. But you've cashed the draft. What have you done? Killed Joseph for it.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Look, madam, I. I don't know what you're talking about. Just who are you anyway?

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

I'm Joseph Ingram's wife.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Mrs. Ingram? But then surely you know he died in that plane crash back in the States.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

He didn't and you know it. Joseph wasn't on that plane. He boarded the Syden in Florida.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Now look, madam, all the newspapers.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

Joseph and I planned the whole thing. Those highly publicized statements about our divorce were just a cover up. He was to meet me here with the money. And I know he would have if he were still alive. Senor Perez, will you call the police? I accuse this man of murdering my husband.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

I didn't kill him. She killed him.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

She?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Stephanie. Secretary.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

And where is she?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

She's dead too. He killed her.

[Stephanie (Faye Baker)]

That doesn't make any sense. Where is Felix Arouche?

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Well, you see, Felix, he was killed when he.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Yes.

[Doctor (John Hoyt)]

Well, you see, it was like I stopped. They were staring at me. They didn't believe me, of course. Who would ever believe me? But it had seemed like such a sure thing. And it was. Murder payable to Bearer.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Escape is produced and directed by William N. Robeson. Tonight we have presented the sure Thing by John and Gwen Bagney. Featured in the cast were John Hoyt as the doctor, Bill Conrad as Felix LaRouge, Faye Baker as Stephanie, and Ian Wolf as Joseph Ingram. Also heard were Don Diamond, Ted Decorcia and Sarah Selby. Special music was arranged and conducted by Del Castillo.

[Narrator]

Next week you're within a few days of your release after eight years of horror on the prison island of New Caledonia. But between you and final freedom stands the love of a beautiful girl and the monstrous figure of Monsieur Denouement, the official executioner.

[Narrator/Scene Setter]

Next week we escape with John Russell's terrifying story, the Red Mark. Good night then, until this same time next week when once again we offer you escape. A whole family of top Hollywood stars waits to entertain your family every Sunday on cbs. It's on the Family Hour of Stars heard over most of these same CBS stations. A half hour of top entertainment, romance, comedy or drama starring Irene Dunn, Ronald Coleman, Loretta Young, Dana Andrews, Kirk Douglas and Jane Wyman. In turn, your whole family will enjoy the Family Hour of Stars Sunday on cbs, where this fall you'll hear them all. Stay tuned now for Sing It Again, which follows immediately over most of the same CBS stations. This is cbs, the Columbia broadcasting System,

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