Diary of Fate - Trina Crowley

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Diary of Fate – Trina Crowley"

Podcast: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Episode Title: Diary of Fate – Trina Crowley
Date Aired: May 9, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Diary of Fate from the golden age of radio showcases a suspense-filled tale narrated by Fate itself. The story revolves around Trina Crowley, a disenchanted housewife whose ordinary life spirals into jealousy and murder when a mysterious stranger arrives at the autocourt she runs with her husband, Jake, in the Mojave Desert. Through a blend of moralistic narration and taut drama, the episode explores how greed, suspicion, and fate intertwine to lead Trina to her ultimate downfall.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Role of Fate

• The story is introduced and periodically narrated by the personification of Fate, who frames each event as an entry in a cosmic diary, emphasizing inevitability and moral reckoning.
  • “Book 74, page 309 in the diary of Faith. Yes, here it is. The name Trina Crowley, housewife...For 23 years, Trina Crowley has lived on this earth. And now she sits sobbing, alone. For in a few moments, she will start her walk to the gas chamber, cursing me fate for the bonds of circumstance I wove around her.” (00:50–01:53)

The Setting: Monotony and Resentment

• Trina and Jake Crowley’s marriage is described as lackluster and unfulfilling. Trina is particularly resentful of her isolation and the unrelenting desert heat.
  • "Jake, listen to me. I'm sick and tired of all of this. The heat, the spiders. Jake, why don't we get a change and go away somewhere like we used to?" (03:54)
• Their autocourt has become a symbol of their stagnation and Trina’s growing emotional distance.

The Intrusion: Ralph Barton and Suspicion

• A guest named Ralph Barton checks in just as the season is ending. He piques Trina’s interest and Jake’s suspicion, especially when he pays excessively for his room and has a trunk he won’t let Jake handle.
  • Notable dialogue between Trina and Jake as suspicion grows:
    • "A fifty dollar bill to pay for a two dollar room." (07:10)
    • "There's blood on the seat of his car." (07:12)
• Barton claims his trunk is full of necktie samples since he’s a salesman, but Jake suspects otherwise, especially after learning of the recent murder of Bessie Halton, a neighboring lodge owner.

Escalation: Temptation and Opportunity

• The murder investigation intensifies the tension. News arrives that Bessie Halton was found dead, and $20,000 is missing, causing both Trina and Jake to believe that the stranger, Barton, could be involved.
  • "I think it's the body of Bessie Halton." (16:17)
• Greed and restlessness push Trina to a breaking point.
  • "A stranger worth $20,000. $20,000 in cash?" (17:59)
  • Trina contemplates what she would do for that money: “I'd do anything for $20,000. Or half of it. Anything. I might even kill for [it].” (20:13)

Crime of Passion: Jealousy and Murder

• Jake, intent on exposing Barton and seeking a reward, confronts Trina as her flirtation with Barton comes to light and prepares to call the police. A struggle for the phone and a gun ensues, resulting in Jake’s death at Trina’s hands.
  • "And then the gun fell from nerveless fingers. Your husband was dead at your feet. You'd killed him." (23:27)
• Trina’s desperation peaks; she urges Barton to flee with her and the presumed cash, but Barton refuses, revealing he has nothing to hide.

Fate Sealed: Betrayal and Reckoning

• In a last ditch effort, Trina tries to frame Barton for both Bessie Halton’s and Jake’s murder. The police arrive; the trunk is opened, containing only ties—Barton’s story was true all along.
  • "I don't know that I see anything incriminating about a trunk full of ties." (25:56)
• Barton directs police to Jake’s body, and Trina’s guilt is exposed. The final narration reveals her conviction and execution, reinforcing the episode’s moral undertone that fate and justice are inevitable.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fate and Downfall:
  • "Thoughts become the parents of the deed. But no mortal can conceal anything. All are written on the pages of time." (12:50)
• Trina’s Temptation:
  • "I'd do anything for $20,000. Or half of it. Anything. I might even kill for [it]." (20:13)
• Jake’s Suspicion:
  • "You sure you're not thinking about the 20 GS in that trunk of his? The papers say the police found the body, but not the money." (22:50)
• The Climax – Accusation and Revelation:
  • Trina: "There he is. That's the man. The murderer. He's the killer."
  • Officer: "Bessie, I'm afraid there's a mistake. We found the killer this afternoon in Reno. He confessed the whole story." (25:04)
  • "Ties? They were ties all the time." (26:00)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:34–01:53 – Fate’s introduction and framing of Trina’s impending doom.
• 03:39–04:15 – Trina and Jake’s marital strife foreshadowing her dissatisfaction.
• 06:01–08:34 – Ralph Barton’s arrival and the first seeds of suspicion.
• 10:10–12:50 – Trina is drawn to Barton’s charm; Jake plots to investigate further.
• 16:55–17:56 – The arrival of Sergeant Colfax, confirming Bessie Halton’s murder and the missing money.
• 20:13 – Trina’s explicit declaration of what she’d do for money.
• 23:27 – The murder of Jake Crowley by Trina.
• 25:04–26:00 – The climax: Trina accuses Barton, the police exonerate him, and the truth is revealed.
• 27:34–29:09 – Fate closes the story, sealing Trina’s fate and moral lesson.

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Tone & Language

The episode is delivered in a dramatic, noir-informed style typical of 1940s radio drama. The narration by Fate adds a sense of moral inevitability, often speaking directly to the listener with warnings and reflections on justice. Characters’ dialogue is sharp, with a blend of desperation, suspicion, and seduction, propelling the story toward its dark conclusion.

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Conclusion

"Diary of Fate – Trina Crowley" uses classic radio drama devices to weave a cautionary tale about greed, trust, and fate. It’s a tightly constructed moral thriller, culminating in ironic justice as Trina’s criminal ambitions leave her condemned by the very fate she sought to cheat. The episode exemplifies the vintage allure of golden age radio and reminds listeners, as Fate concludes, that their own deeds may be written in the cosmic diary.

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For more classic radio stories, listen to other episodes of Harold’s Old Time Radio.

Transcript

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[Jake Crowley]

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[Narrator]

The Diary of Faith Faith plays no favorite. It could happen to you.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

Book 74, page 309 in the diary of Faith. Yes, here it is. The name Trina Crowley, housewife. A record with little to distinguish it until towards the end of the page. And there the notations become more crowded, more distasteful. For 23 years, Trina Crowley has lived on this earth. And now she sits sobbing, alone. For in a few moments, she will start her walk to the gas chamber, cursing me fate for the bonds of circumstance I wove around her. In a moment, I will read from her record in the Diary of Fate.

[Narrator]

I hope you'll understand.

[Trina Crowley]

Put that phone down. Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

The gun. So you knew about the money in the trunk. That's just what I thought.

[Trina Crowley]

You drop that phone. Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

Give me that gun. Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

Stay where you are.

[Jake Crowley]

Trina. Give me that.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, Jake.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

For six years, Trina had been married to Jake Crowley, and she felt but a certain affection for him. To Trina, Jake had come as an answer to her prayer, the means by which she could escape the humdrum life of Redland. But the wonderful lodge which Jake owned in the mystic Mojave had become a dusty autocort in the stifling desert. But let us go back to a June morning, the last day of the tourist season. Until November, you and your husband would be alone, Trina, merely existing until cooler weather allowed you to open again. You were having breakfast with Jake, thinking of the ordeal of surviving the lonely month ahead.

[Trina Crowley]

8 o'. Clock. 8 in the morning and it's so hot already you can't breathe.

[Jake Crowley]

Is there more coffee?

[Trina Crowley]

No. Jake, why don't we get away somewhere this summer? Jake, do you have to read the paper while I'm talking?

[Jake Crowley]

Says here a guy up in penalty.

[Trina Crowley]

Jake, listen to me. I'm sick and tired of all of this. The heat, the spiders. Jake, why don't we get a change and go away somewhere like we used to? We could have fun. Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

Look, Trina, we can't go away and that's final. We have some fixing up to do. We don't have money enough to go away.

[Trina Crowley]

We do.

[Jake Crowley]

We don't. Now, will you let me read the paper?

[Trina Crowley]

If you're going to read, you might at least let me have some of the paper.

[Jake Crowley]

Oh, for goodness sake.

[Ralph Barton]

Here.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, never mind. Not that important.

[Jake Crowley]

Crowley. Life.

[Trina Crowley]

Nothing but a sack.

[Narrator]

And

[Jake Crowley]

maybe it's a good thing you're not.

[Trina Crowley]

Why, listen to this.

[Jake Crowley]

Bessie Halton, owner of the Halton Lodge, Mojave, is believed to have disappeared. It is thought she was on her way to the bank with deposits from the lodge. When last seen, she was with a tall, handsome man, about 35. Police suspect.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, that's a lot of hooey.

[Jake Crowley]

What do you mean, hooey? She had $20,000 with her.

[Trina Crowley]

If I know Bessie, she'll do all right. She'll turn up.

[Jake Crowley]

The police are all wrong.

[Trina Crowley]

She's probably gone off somewhere having the time of her life.

[Jake Crowley]

Paper here says a tall, handsome stranger. Well, that's what happens when you play around with strange men.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, for goodness sake, Jake. She'll turn up someplace and then crow about the wonderful time she had on her trip. If I know Bestie, she'll turn up.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

As the day wore on, you forgot about everything, didn't you, Trina? Everything except the heat and your growing resentment toward your husband. It was growing dark as you and he sat at the dinner table in silence. And then a car pulled to a stop outside. Remember,

[Trina Crowley]

Jake, there's someone outside.

[Jake Crowley]

I heard it.

[Ralph Barton]

Whoa. Oh.

[Jake Crowley]

Looking for a room?

[Trina Crowley]

Yeah, I was.

[Ralph Barton]

You're not closed, are you?

[Jake Crowley]

Closed tomorrow. This is our last day for the season.

[Ralph Barton]

You got something I can have for the night?

[Jake Crowley]

That 3A is open. It's the only one. It's 4:50.

[Ralph Barton]

That's good enough. Glad I found your place. I'd like a shower after a hot day like today. And I didn't relish the idea of driving all night.

[Jake Crowley]

You want to go right to your room? You can come back to the office and register later.

[Ralph Barton]

Thanks. I'll do that.

[Jake Crowley]

Say, Mr. Barton. Look, I'll drive your car down. Mr. Barton. You might as well register now.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, that's okay. I'll drive down myself.

[Jake Crowley]

Well, I just.

[Ralph Barton]

What's the matter? Something wrong?

[Jake Crowley]

Well, to tell you the truth, you see, this close to the end of the season, we. We get paid in advance.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, well, yeah.

[Jake Crowley]

$50.

[Ralph Barton]

Here.

[Jake Crowley]

Just a minute. I'll get you changed.

[Trina Crowley]

What's the matter, Jake? Who was that?

[Jake Crowley]

Old guy named Barton driving a new Packard. Well, I'm going to put him in 3A. He gave me a fifty.

[Trina Crowley]

A fifty dollar bill to pay for a two dollar room.

[Jake Crowley]

I told him it was 450. Trina, there's blood on the seat of his car.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, now you're playing Sherlock Holmes.

[Jake Crowley]

Okay, be smart. I tell you it's blood. Something funny about that guy.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, Jake, stop. Matan.

[Jake Crowley]

As soon as he gets the settled in 3A, I'm going to have a look at his car. There, See it? Now what do you got to say?

[Trina Crowley]

It does look like blood.

[Jake Crowley]

I knew there was something phony about Barton. That's why I got him to pay in advance.

[Ralph Barton]

You looking for something?

[Jake Crowley]

We just noticed there's blood on the seat of your car.

[Ralph Barton]

At least it looks like it is blood. I cut my hand on the window. Bandaged it with my handkerchief. Not too good, but it'll do.

[Jake Crowley]

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Trina Crowley]

I'm Mrs. Crowley. We just came down to see if there was anything you wanted.

[Ralph Barton]

No, no, thanks.

[Jake Crowley]

I see you got a trunk in the back there. Want some help with it?

[Ralph Barton]

No, I'll leave it in the car, thanks.

[Jake Crowley]

I'll be glad to help you into the cabin with it. You must have a lot of clothes in it.

[Ralph Barton]

Well, as a matter of fact, they're tied.

[Trina Crowley]

Ties, that whole big trunk.

[Ralph Barton]

I'm traveling for the Swordling Tie company. Those are samples.

[Jake Crowley]

Are you sure you don't want anything?

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, everything's fine, thanks. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay.

[Trina Crowley]

If you want anything, Mr. Barton, be sure to let me know.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

As you walked back to the office with your husband, you thought about his stupidity, about the heat, about his childish imagination, and about the handsome Ralph Barton. As you sat down and lit a cigarette, you realized Jake was talking.

[Jake Crowley]

And that routine about cutting his hand

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

on a win win.

[Jake Crowley]

Trina, there's something funny about all this.

[Trina Crowley]

If Mr. Barton says that's how he cut his hand, that's how it was. He doesn't look like he'd lie that trunk.

[Jake Crowley]

Why should he leave the trunk out in the car?

[Trina Crowley]

He said there were ties in it.

[Jake Crowley]

And ties you were saw a whole trunk full of ties. Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

What?

[Jake Crowley]

Look down there, down the drive to 3A.

[Trina Crowley]

Why is Mr. Barton. He's carrying his trunk inside the cabin.

[Jake Crowley]

Trina, Bessie Halton's lodge isn't too far from here, you know.

[Trina Crowley]

What are you trying to build up to?

[Jake Crowley]

Well, Bessie Halton has disappeared and they said a tall handsome stranger. It's. If Mr. Barton, if that's his name, is Tall and handsome. Trina, that trunk bothered me.

[Trina Crowley]

You're not thinking that.

[Jake Crowley]

I don't know, Trina. I don't know.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

The next morning, Trina, Jake was outside working on the water pump in the shed. Looking up, you saw Barton walking toward the office, and you put a hand up to brush back some unruly hair, straighten your dress. As he entered the office, you noticed

[Ralph Barton]

his eyes weren't sun bleached like Jake.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

They were deep and blue.

[Ralph Barton]

Well, good morning, Mrs. Crowley. Last night your husband said you were closing up for the season. Yes, I just wondered if it were an absolute deadline. I'd like to stay on a while, if I could.

[Trina Crowley]

Well, we officially, but I suppose it's.

[Ralph Barton]

Well, according to my itinerary, I don't have to be in Carson City for four more days, and I like the heat.

[Trina Crowley]

You like the heat here?

[Ralph Barton]

Yes, strangely enough, I do. It's good for my sinus, and there aren't too many people. I mean, I like the quiet.

[Trina Crowley]

Well, there's plenty of that.

[Ralph Barton]

Well, if you think it's all right, I'll just pay in advance for four more days there.

[Trina Crowley]

My husband likes to play boss mansion, so you'll have to check with him. But just say I think it's okay, and I'm sure we'll be able to make an exception in your case. You can find him out in the shed.

[Ralph Barton]

Good. I'll go ahead and tell him.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

You were very pleased. A chance had brought into your drab existence something out of the usual dull routine you had grown to hate Ralph Barton. Standing behind the curtains at the window, you could hear your husband talking to Barton.

[Jake Crowley]

Well, if Trina. Mrs. Crowley said it was all right, it's okay with me.

[Ralph Barton]

Good. Now, there's one other thing. I'd like to put my car in the garage.

[Jake Crowley]

Well, guests usually leave their cars out.

[Ralph Barton]

No, but if I'm going to be here four more days, I'd like to protect it from the sun.

[Jake Crowley]

Well, I keep my car in the garage. To get yours in, I'd have to move a lot of stuff.

[Ralph Barton]

It's really pretty important to me. Don't want to ruin a paint job. Perhaps this $10 bill would make some difference.

[Jake Crowley]

Yeah. Yeah, perhaps it would. I'll have Trina get lunch for three.

[Trina Crowley]

Lunch is ready anytime, Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

Okay. Now, before I call Barton in, I want to tell you something. I'm not going to be here to eat with you.

[Trina Crowley]

Why?

[Jake Crowley]

Well, all that talk about having to put his car in the garage. Well, something funny about that. You just keep Barton here And keep him busy.

[Trina Crowley]

What do you mean, keep him busy? For how long?

[Jake Crowley]

Look, I'm going to call Barton and tell him lunch is ready. I won't be at the table. You tell him I had to finish that work on the pump out in the shed. Let me finish, will ya? Now, you'll have to keep in business talking and eating for at least 20 minutes. And while you two are busy eating, I'm going to have a look in that trunk.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

Yes, Trina Crowley, you were torn by mixed emotions. On the one hand, you were pleased and flattered by Ralph Barton's courtesy and attention. On the other hand, there was cold fear and the thought that your husband's suspicions might prove to be correct. Thoughts become the parents of the deed. But no mortal can conceal anything. All are written on the pages of time. And now it is time for another entry on your page. When I have written, I will read from your record in the Diary of Faith. Yes, Trina Crawley, your own greed, your evil mind, would soon bring forth a decision. For while occupying Ralph Barton's attention, you knew your husband Jake was in the cabin trying to solve the mystery of this trunk.

[Trina Crowley]

Something more, Mr. Barton?

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, not another thing. Thank you. When it's this hot, I don't have much appetite. I've got certainly. What a wonderful lunch, Mr. Carly. It's too bad your husband missed it.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, he's so used to my cooking, he doesn't think twice about it anymore.

[Ralph Barton]

Lucky man, Mr. Crowley. Although, maybe a good fly. Well, if you'll excuse me.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, but. But you can't go yet. I have some fresh berry pie for dessert.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, no, I've got to stop. You'll have me wanting to stay here forever.

[Trina Crowley]

Would that be so terrible?

[Ralph Barton]

I think it might be fun, but I don't think the home office would approve.

[Trina Crowley]

Nothing gets you that power.

[Ralph Barton]

No, thanks. Nothing more. I'm going back to my camp.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

Oh, Mr. Barton.

[Ralph Barton]

What are you doing in here, Crawley?

[Jake Crowley]

Oh, I came down to clean up

[Ralph Barton]

your room, and your wife said you were out back.

[Jake Crowley]

Well, I thought I might just as well clean your room before lunch.

[Ralph Barton]

When you clean the guest rooms, you always try to open trunks. I suggest that you leave now.

[Jake Crowley]

Look, Mr. Barton, you've got this all wrong.

[Ralph Barton]

I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Mr. Crowley.

[Jake Crowley]

Yes, sir. Yes, sir, Mr. Barton. I told you to keep farting here at the table until I got back.

[Trina Crowley]

Well, the man wasn't hungry. What can I do? Tie him up and force food down his throat? I tell you, I did everything I could Right.

[Jake Crowley]

All right. Don't blow your top. Listen, I'm convinced he's got something besides ties in that trunk.

[Narrator]

He's too concerned about it.

[Trina Crowley]

You think Barton's a killer, don't you?

[Jake Crowley]

I'm convinced of Jake.

[Trina Crowley]

What are you going to do?

[Jake Crowley]

I'm taking the car, going into Mojave

[Ralph Barton]

to get the late paper.

[Trina Crowley]

Going to leave me here?

[Jake Crowley]

You'll be all right. Just stay here inside. You can keep an eye on Barton. If there's a reward, I want it.

[Trina Crowley]

Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

What?

[Trina Crowley]

Jake, what do you think really is in that punk?

[Jake Crowley]

I think it's the body of Bessie Halton.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

And so, Trina, your husband left for Mojave. He wouldn't be back for over an hour. And you were alone with Ralph Barton again. You had that same mixture of emotions. Fear that he might be the killer, and yet a quickening of the pulse as you thought of his attractiveness. Then suddenly, a car drove up.

[Trina Crowley]

Good afternoon, Sergeant Colfax.

[Ralph Barton]

Good afternoon.

[Narrator]

Good afternoon, Mrs. Crowley.

[Trina Crowley]

Will you come in?

[Narrator]

No, thanks. Just stop by for a moment. Got some unpleasant news for you. They found Betsy Halton's body in Rock Canyon.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, how terrible.

[Narrator]

If he didn't find any money, the killer must have got away with about $20,000.

[Trina Crowley]

$20,000?

[Narrator]

May have been more, but they figure Bessie Halton had at least that much when she left the lodge. I really came out to ask a question.

[Trina Crowley]

About what, Sergeant?

[Narrator]

I wondered if you'd seen any strange men around during the last couple days.

[Trina Crowley]

Why?

[Narrator]

Well, I know you're closed down for the season, so I won't ask to see you register.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, yes, we are. We're closed officially, anyway.

[Narrator]

I noticed there aren't any cars in front of your cabin.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, no. No, there aren't any. Do you think this man still has the $20,000?

[Narrator]

Oh, we're sure of it, ma'.

[Trina Crowley]

Am.

[Narrator]

You haven't seen anyone, huh?

[Trina Crowley]

No. No, I haven't seen anyone.

[Narrator]

Well, get along, then. Thanks, Mrs. Crowley. Sorry to fall.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, no bother at all.

[Narrator]

But if you happen to see a stranger around, you let us know, won't you? He might be that guy we're looking for.

[Trina Crowley]

Yes, I. I will. Goodbye.

[Narrator]

Bye.

[Trina Crowley]

A stranger worth $20,000. $20,000 in cash?

[Jake Crowley]

Yes.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

Trina Crowley. $20,000. Your husband was wrong then, wasn't he? There couldn't be a body in that trunk. But there could be money. You thought of this as you walked toward cabin 3A. And you were smiling as you knocked on the door of Ralph Barton's cabin.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, hello, Mrs. Crowley.

[Trina Crowley]

I brought down some clean sheets and pillowcase.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, very thoughtful of you. Won't you come in?

[Trina Crowley]

Yes, I will. Thanks. I guess Jake was a little out of line.

[Jake Crowley]

Oh, that.

[Ralph Barton]

I'd forgotten. Guess I blew up. Well, I'm glad the pretty member of the Crowley family forgives me.

[Trina Crowley]

You see, Jake's so tied up in this murder there. Murder? The Betsy Halton murder? Sure. You know about that?

[Ralph Barton]

Well, I did read something about her disappearance. I wasn't too interested.

[Trina Crowley]

Jake was and is. He went into town to get the late papers. Wants to see if they've caught the killer yet.

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, you think they have?

[Trina Crowley]

No, and I think he's too smart to get caught. It's a long drive to Mojave. They could be gone an hour or so.

[Ralph Barton]

Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

Yes?

[Ralph Barton]

Wasn't that a police car that came in a while ago?

[Trina Crowley]

Yes, it was. The officer wanted to know if there had been any strangers around here, but I told him there hadn't been. After all, you're not a stranger now, are you? We found Beth's body in Red Rock Canyon, but they didn't find any money. The man who killed her must still have it with him. $20,000.

[Ralph Barton]

20,000. A lot of iron men.

[Trina Crowley]

What would you do if you had $20,000?

[Ralph Barton]

Oh, I don't know, Trina. Why?

[Trina Crowley]

Well, I was just thinking. The guy that got that money isn't going to have a worry in the world. Do you suppose he has a girl?

[Ralph Barton]

I wouldn't know.

[Trina Crowley]

She's lucky. You know. I'd do anything for $20,000. Or half of it. Anything I might even kill for.

[Narrator]

That's pretty broad, isn't it, Ralph?

[Trina Crowley]

If you had that money, if. I say, would you take me away with you?

[Ralph Barton]

You're married, remember?

[Trina Crowley]

I'm pretty, aren't I? Aren't I, Ralph?

[Ralph Barton]

Trina, let's not get involved in something.

[Trina Crowley]

Please.

[Ralph Barton]

Trina.

[Jake Crowley]

Trina.

[Ralph Barton]

That shouldn't have happened.

[Trina Crowley]

That shouldn't have happened. Why,

[Ralph Barton]

you're a very attractive girl, Trina, but you're married.

[Trina Crowley]

Why couldn't.

[Ralph Barton]

That's Kate driving in now. Come on, we'll walk out and meet him. Hello, Mr. Crowley. Back early, huh?

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[Jake Crowley]

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[Jake Crowley]

Yes? Picked up a paper at Fenced Corners. Didn't have to go all the way to Mojave.

[Trina Crowley]

What's the matter, Jake?

[Jake Crowley]

Coming to the house? Trina, I want to talk to you and Mr. Barton. Yes, you can wipe that lipstick off. And the minute I leave, you make a pass at Barton.

[Trina Crowley]

Look, Jake, it was just one of.

[Jake Crowley]

Just one of those things. Yeah, yeah, I know. I understand you, Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

It was perfectly harmless, Jake, really.

[Jake Crowley]

That man in three years, perhaps. Probably the murderer. And you think making love to him is perfectly harmless?

[Trina Crowley]

I wasn't making love to him. He grabbed me and kissed me. And then you came in and.

[Jake Crowley]

You sure you're not thinking about the 20 GS in that trunk of his? The papers say the police found the body, but not the money. So he's got the money. And I'm going to turn him in.

[Trina Crowley]

What are you going to do?

[Jake Crowley]

Phone the police, Tell him where this guy is.

[Trina Crowley]

Don't do it, Jake.

[Jake Crowley]

What do you mean? That man's a killer.

[Trina Crowley]

Put that phone down.

[Jake Crowley]

Jake, the gun. So you knew about the money in the trunk. That's just what I thought.

[Trina Crowley]

You grab that phone.

[Jake Crowley]

Jake, give me that gun. Trina, stay where you are. Trina, give me that.

[Trina Crowley]

Oh, Jake.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

You stood there, terror struck for a moment, Trina, and then the gun fell from nerveless fingers. Your husband was dead at your feet. You'd killed him.

[Trina Crowley]

I heard a shot, Ralph. He's dead. Jake's dead. I shot him.

[Jake Crowley]

Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

What do you mean, darling? We've got to get away.

[Ralph Barton]

But listen, Trina.

[Trina Crowley]

Don't you understand? Jake's dead. We've got to get away. But I can't. You've got money, lots of money. We can go away. Far away. Maybe Mexico.

[Ralph Barton]

Trina, listen.

[Trina Crowley]

You've got more money in your trunk than we'll ever be able to. Then hurry.

[Ralph Barton]

Please, Trina, let me.

[Trina Crowley]

Money's the most important thing in the world. I've always thought so now I've killed her. Oh, my darling. Hurry, please.

[Ralph Barton]

I'm trying to tell you, Trina, that I don't.

[Trina Crowley]

I love you so much, Ralph. I always have. Ever since you first walked in the door.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

But Ralph just stood there, Trina. He wouldn't admit to having any money, and he wouldn't leave with you. And then you heard something. A car, a police car was coming in the drive. And the web was closing more tightly around you. And then you decided on a laugh gamble.

[Trina Crowley]

Pass the police car, Ralph. This is your last chance. If you don't leave with me, I'll accuse you of my husband's murder. You've already killed. Killed one person. The police will believe anything I say.

[Ralph Barton]

No, Trina, I won't.

[Trina Crowley]

Okay, Officer. Sergeant Colpac? In here.

[Narrator]

Hello, Mrs. Crowley.

[Trina Crowley]

There he is. That's the man. The murderer. He's the killer.

[Narrator]

The killer, Mrs. Crowley?

[Trina Crowley]

He murdered Bessie Halton.

[Narrator]

Bessie, I'm afraid there's a mistake. We found the killer this afternoon in Reno. He confessed the whole story. He was romancing Betsy Halton for her money. And when she wouldn't part with it.

[Trina Crowley]

Well, that's not true. This man did it. I know he did it. Look in the trunk if you don't believe me.

[Narrator]

All right, Mrs. Crawley. All right.

[Ralph Barton]

Take it easy.

[Narrator]

We'll look in this. Jones. Come on, mister, let's have a look.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

And so, the three of you, the officer, Ralph Barton, and you, Trina, went to Cabin Free Aid. And he watched as the trunk was open. As the lid swung up. The officer looked into the depths and felt among the contents. Then he straightened.

[Narrator]

I don't know that I see anything incriminating about a trunk full of ties.

[Trina Crowley]

Ties? They were tied all the time.

[Ralph Barton]

Now, Officer, I think you'd better have a look in the bedroom of the other house. This lady's husband is there. Dead.

[Jake Crowley]

Now.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

My hand. The hand of fate. Right. The final entry. Lest any mortal should think Phaeton kind, cruel or unmindful of justice, that must be meted out. In a moment, I will read from the page of Trina Crawley in the Diary of Fate.

[Trina Crowley]

Sam.

[Faith (Narrator/Diary of Fate)]

And now the plan is finished. Complete. A moment ago, a deadly pellet was dropped automatically into a liquid beneath the chair in an isolated cubicle at State Prison. And now Trina Crowley is dead. Investigation by the authorities proved beyond a doubt that Trina Crowley murdered her own husband. Ralph Barton was exonerated of all suspicion. His watchfulness over his trunk was due to the fact that twice before doing his career as a salesman of men's neckwear. He had been robbed. And so I closed the book. Another page in the life of a mortal has been duly recorded in the ledger of the universe by me, Faith I who am but the instrument in the plan. Take heed all you who listen and remember there is a page for you in the Diary of Faith,

[Narrator]

Produced by Larry Finley. Diary of Fate is a Finley transcription brought to you from Hollywood.

[Ralph Barton]

It. Sa.

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[Jake Crowley]

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