Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble by Suspense

Summary

Relic Radio Thrillers: "Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble" by Suspense

Episode Release Date: July 11, 2025
Original Air Date: April 6, 1943
Host: RelicRadio.com
Author: John Dixon Carr

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Introduction

"Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble," a classic episode from the renowned Suspense series, immerses listeners in a gripping tale of mystery, deceit, and murder set against the backdrop of an old London theater. This episode masterfully intertwines elements of espionage and psychological thriller, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats until the very last moment.

Setting the Stage: Drury Lane Theater

The story unfolds in the historic Drury Lane Theater, an iconic venue steeped in tradition and haunted by its storied past. Paul Lucas, portrayed by the distinguished actor Paul Lucas himself, serves as the central character navigating the unfolding drama.

Paul Lucas (02:39):
"Historic Drury Lane Theater, a relic of old London. On this site, in the cramped and crooked lanes of Aldwych, there has been a playhouse since Nell Gwynne sold oranges in the pit."

The theater's eerie ambience is vividly described, highlighting its red plush seats and the lingering presence of old ghosts, setting a foreboding tone for the night's performance.

Characters and Relationships

• Marcia Blair: A celebrated Shakespearean actress with a mysterious past, recently married to Howard White.
• Howard White: Marcia's devoted second husband, whose loyalty is called into question.
• Paul Lucas: The protagonist, deeply entangled in the unfolding mystery.
• Ludwig von Arnheim: A professional magician and escape artist with hidden motives.
• Louise Fenton: Marcia's companion secretary, caught in the center of the intrigue.
• Big Jim Bradley: The ex-wrestler chauffeur, loyal yet unaware of the impending danger.

Rising Suspicion and Unease

As the characters settle into the evening's performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth, tension brews backstage. Marcia Blair expresses her fears about her first husband, Barry Lake, whose death she suspects may not be as final as reported.

Marcia Blair (06:43):
"Howard, I know I shouldn't be talking like this on our first anniversary, but that's what worries me. What if Barry isn't dead? What if he isn't dead?"

Howard reassures her, but his demeanor raises further suspicion.

Howard White (07:01):
"Listen to me, darling. Your late husband, heaven condemn his soul. Died in New York more than a year ago. We have proof of that."

Marcia remains unconvinced, hinting at deeper secrets yet to be revealed.

The Night's Performance and Unexpected Tragedy

As the play commences, the atmosphere is thick with anticipation. However, the evening takes a dark turn when Marcia is found dead in her box.

Paul Lucas (18:46):
"She wasn't shot."

Marcia Blair (18:48):
"She wasn't shot?"

Investigations begin, uncovering that Marcia was poisoned through a concealed mechanism in opera glasses, a sinister plot devised to masquerade her murder as part of the theatrical performance.

Investigation and Unveiling the Culprit

Paul Lucas delves deeper into the mystery, piecing together evidence that points to Howard White, Marcia's second husband, as the orchestrator of the crime. The revelation is meticulously crafted, culminating in a confrontation that exposes Howard's true intentions.

Paul Lucas (27:57):
"They think you have hooks in your door but I can prove it hasn't gone down."

The discovery of the murder weapon—specially constructed opera glasses—ties Howard directly to the crime, revealing his obsession with Marcia and his motive rooted in financial gain.

Howard White (26:12):
"Marcia Blair was not shot."
Paul Lucas (26:20):
"I think you do, if you'll put your mind to it. Do you remember what Howard White said to her just before he left the box?"

Climactic Conclusion

In a dramatic finale, Howard White is apprehended as the police uncover the critical evidence linking him to the murder. The intricate plot unravels seamlessly, showcasing Paul Lucas's astute investigative skills.

Paul Lucas (27:33):
"Now, you and Bradley can supply the clue that will hang him."

With the truth unveiled, justice is served, and the theater that once stood as a beacon of art becomes the stage for a chilling tale of betrayal and retribution.

Notable Quotes

• Marcia Blair on Stage Fright:
  Marcia Blair (07:14):
  "Shall I quote you something from another play, Howard? Well, the Ides of March are come. Aye, Caesar, but not gone."

• Paul Lucas on the Murder:
  Paul Lucas (27:45):
  "They were specially constructed glasses... relese the spring of a sharp, thin blade which strikes through the eyes into the brain."

• Howard White's Admission:
  Paul Lucas (25:28):
  "Marcia was killed by her devoted second husband, Mr. Howard White."

Conclusion

"Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble" stands as a quintessential example of old-time radio thrillers, expertly blending suspense with intricate storytelling. Relic Radio Thrillers brings this timeless episode to contemporary listeners, preserving the legacy of Suspense and its ability to captivate audiences with tales of intrigue and mystery.

For those new to Relic Radio Thrillers, this episode offers a perfect introduction to the genre, showcasing the power of radio drama to create vivid and unforgettable narratives.

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Produced by:

• William Speer, Producer
• John Deetz, Director
• Bernard Herman, Composer
• Robert Salmon, Conductor
• John Dickson Carr, Author

Narrated by:
Paul Lucas and Marcia Blair

For more captivating old-time radio adventures, visit RelicRadio.com and explore their extensive collection of podcasts and streams.

Transcript

[Ted Osborne]

Relicradio.com presents stories of mystery and intrigue, espionage and suspense. Hear tales of ticking time bombs, mysterious crime scenes and cloak and dagger action. This is relic radio thrillers. Welcome back to relic radio thrillers. We're going to hear from suspense this week, a series that debuted in 1942 and aired until 1962 over CBS stations. Over 900 original stories were created. The one we'll hear today is from April 6, 1943. It's titled Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

[Paul Lucas]

The spin. This is the man in black here again to introduce Columbia's program suspense. Our distinguished star this evening is the stage and screen favorite, Mr. Paul Lucas, whose performance is in the lady vanishes and in the stage production, the watch on the rhine, you will recall with pleasure. Tonight's tale of suspense is a story by John Dixon Carr. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. If you've been with us on these Tuesday nights, you will know that suspense is compounded of mystery and suspicion and dangerous adventure. In this series are tales calculated to intrigue you, to stir your nerves, to offer you a precarious situation, and then withhold the solution until the last possible moment. And so, with fireburn and cauldron bubble and the performance of Paul Lucas and the other members of our company, we again hope to keep you in. Tory Lane theater presents the distinguished American actor Myron Willard in Shakespeare's Macbeth with magic effects especially designed by Ludwig von Arnheim.

[Marcia Blair]

Double, double, Toil and trouble and cauldron Bubble.

[Paul Lucas]

Historic Drury Lane Theater, a relic of old London. On this site, in the cramped and crooked lanes of Aldwych, there has been a playhouse since Nell Gwynne sold oranges in the pit. The present theater, though modernized, is heavy and darkened with time. By daylight it is a dinginess of red plush seats haunted by old ghosts. But at night, when the lights bloom for some new production, when the murmur of a crowd fills the carpeted aisles, the orchestra begins to tune up. It is kindled with that strange magic before the rise of the curtain.

[Marcia Blair]

What's this way, sir? E12 and 13 program. Chocolate.

[Paul Lucas]

Thank you.

[Marcia Blair]

No, madam. This is Rowie. Your seats are G4.

[Paul Lucas]

And backstage, where nerves crawl and there is a tendency to scream. The three witches of the play are huddled around the peephole in the curtain, looking out into the audience. They are hideous looking creatures, these witches in gray rags like cobwebs. But as they speak.

[Marcia Blair]

Dear, I am scared. Don't let it bother you, darling. You can't even see the audience when the floats are On. There's nothing to worry about. Nothing except the size of the take at the box office. You won't even have to worry about that tonight. Look out there. You two are shaking as much as I am. Now, don't pretend. All right, all right. Everybody's jumpy on first nights. What I can't understand is why they want to use young girls as witches and then make us talk in cracked voices as though we were 80. Double, double, toil and travel. Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Say, dear darling, it's only one of the ghost effects. You've been hearing it for weeks at rehearsals. I will say this for Marin Willard as an actor and a manager too. He's the first one who's ever had a real professional magician to do the ghost effect effects of this ham show. Oh, I see. You look there. Where? Out in the audience in the second huffle box on the left hand side. Oh, don't you see the woman who's just coming in? Yes, I can see her. Not a bad looking bit of good for her age. What about her? But that's Marcia Blair. Marcia Blair? You don't mean you've never heard of her? I can't say I have either, if it comes to that. Move over, Ivy. Give us a squint. Marcia Blair used to be Mr. Willard's leading lady. She was a very great actress. 15 years ago. Oh, 15 years ago. She's had a terribly romantic history. Why, she's made lots of money and retired from the stage. Then she married some horrible no good. And you see that tall grey haired man standing beside her? Well, he doesn't look much like a no good. That's not the man I mean, Celia. That's Howard White, her second husband. Oh, they say he loved her for years and sawed her about and practically worshipped her. But she was married to this no good and wouldn't get a divorce. Then the no good died. I suppose so. Marcia Blair and her faithful Howard got married. Yes, I remember reading in the paper that they'd be married one year tonight. I expect they're very happy. Well, I'd be happy too, if I had a mink coat and a string of pearls like that. Well, you've got to admit she's beautiful all right, Katie, if you say so. I used to go and see her act when I was a little girl. She. She was kind of an idol. I wonder what they're saying to each other up in that box now. I wonder what they're saying.

[Paul Lucas]

I wish you wouldn't be so Uneasy. Nothing can happen to you here.

[Marcia Blair]

You're uneasy yourself, Howard.

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, I suppose I am, a little.

[Marcia Blair]

Howard, I know I shouldn't be talking like this on our first anniversary, but that's what worries me. What if Barry isn't dead? What if he isn't dead?

[Paul Lucas]

Listen to me, darling. Your late husband, heaven condemn his soul. Died in New York more than a year ago. We have proof of that.

[Marcia Blair]

Then who wrote those letters to me?

[Paul Lucas]

I don't know, dear. Somebody playing a joke on you?

[Marcia Blair]

Joke? If you marry him, Marcia, you won't be alive a year from then. Joke.

[Paul Lucas]

But you're married to me, my dear. And you are alive.

[Marcia Blair]

Shall I quote you something from another play, Howard? Well, the Ides of March are come. Aye, Caesar, but not gone. And it's still two hours. Two hours to the time we were actually married.

[Paul Lucas]

Oh, look here, dear. This is carrying an obsession too far.

[Marcia Blair]

It would be just like Barry to wait until the last moment just to make it worse. You knew him?

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, I knew him.

[Marcia Blair]

He was a genius.

[Paul Lucas]

I suppose so. As a mere businessman, I never quite understood this theatrical temperament. Except yours, of course.

[Marcia Blair]

Barry was a greater actor than Myron Mullet will ever be. Barry could play anything from a cockney to King Lear. His skill at makeup wasn't nearly good. It was terrifying. Oh, Howard, I am frightened. Suppose he's managed to get close to us tonight and. And yet we can't see him.

[Paul Lucas]

Well, the music started. Marcia, I. I shall have to go.

[Marcia Blair]

Must you go, Howard? Really?

[Paul Lucas]

If I break this appointment with Ferndale, dear, the deal would be called off. And since I haven't got too much backing anyway, I.

[Marcia Blair]

All right, dear, I understand. Go ahead.

[Paul Lucas]

Unless you wanted to come with me.

[Marcia Blair]

And Ms. Myron's opening tonight. Oh, I couldn't do that, I tell you.

[Paul Lucas]

You'll be perfectly safe here, dear.

[Marcia Blair]

Of course, Howard. I know that.

[Paul Lucas]

You're in full view of 3,000 people. Nobody could attack you. The only door to this box is guarded. Outside that door will be Ms. Fenton, who's devoted to you. And the chauffeur, who's even more devoted to you. What could happen, dear?

[Marcia Blair]

Nothing that could. And I'd prefer to be alone anyway.

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, I rather guess that.

[Marcia Blair]

It's just that I can't endure anybody being with me when I'm watching a great play. But that doesn't include you, darling.

[Paul Lucas]

Then if you'll accept these, madam, in honor of our first anniversary.

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, Howard. Well, they're lovely. Of course I'll accept them.

[Paul Lucas]

And here's a program. Got Everything else you need?

[Marcia Blair]

Yes. Yes, I think so.

[Paul Lucas]

I'll just open the door to the passage to make sure our watchdogs are on guard. Yes, they're out there all right. Good night, master. See you in an hour or two.

[Marcia Blair]

Good night, Howard.

[Paul Lucas]

And good luck, Miss Fenton. Bradley.

[Marcia Blair]

Yes, Mr. White.

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, sir. Anything wrong, Miss Fenton? You've been my wife's companion secretary for five or six years.

[Marcia Blair]

Yes, Mr. White, and I've loved every minute of it.

[Paul Lucas]

And you, Bradley, you haven't been my chauffeur for quite so long. But they tell me you're an ex wrestler. That's right, sir. Champion of the Shoreditch Athletic Club. And in me prime. Though I says it as shouldn't. As good a man as ever climbed through the ropes. Now you know your instructions badly. You trust me, sir. Nobody gets into this here box tonight unless it's over my dead body. Nothing must happen. Do you understand? Nothing.

[Marcia Blair]

Please. You're as white as paper.

[Paul Lucas]

As for you, Ms. Fenton, I'm afraid it's a little awkward. I know I ought to ask you to go in and join Marcia.

[Marcia Blair]

But you needn't apologize, Mr. White. I know she doesn't want company. She'll be leaning forward with her elbows on the box rail, just as she always does. She isn't merely watching a play. She's acting Lady Macbeth. Every line, every gesture. And I don't mean to disturb her.

[Paul Lucas]

You won't leave this door, either of you. You trust me, sir. If anything wrong, Bradley, it is a very rummy looking cove coming along the passage, sir, wearing a big black cloak with a red lining. Oh, that man, Bradley. That's only her. Von Arnheim. He's a professional magician and escape artist. He was just wondering. Excuse me.

[Marcia Blair]

Don't worry, Mr. White. We'll look after her.

[Paul Lucas]

Von Arnheim. I see. Von Arnheim. Thou canst not say I did it. Never shake the gory lucks at me. I beg your pardon. And I beg yours, my friend. I was merely quoting a line from the play. You are not leaving the theatre, surely not? Walking out on Macbeth? I'm afraid I have got to. Oh, that's a pity, my friend. You will miss some of my best effects. To say nothing of Shakespeare's. When Banquo's ghost appears at the table. I don't want to hear any more about ghost, thanks. Banquo's or anybody else's. I imagine you mean your wife's late husband. You've heard about it then? Yes, your wife has told me a Good deal. She seemed to think that in my profession I might have some charm over demons or spell against ghosts, you know, Van Arnheim, in a muddle kind of way. That's what I've been wondering myself. Unfortunately, no. I am all too human. But your problem interests me, and I confess it worries me. Worries you? What about me? As I understand it, her first husband was a half mad American actor who later went completely mad and died in New York. His. Oh, what's the word? I want? Or obsession. That's it. Obsession. His obsession was Marcia Blair's eyes. Yes, always her eyes. They seemed to hypnotize him. It is not new, you know. You'll find the same motive. The eyes of a beautiful woman all through the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Then, as I understand it, after these men's death, she began to receive a series of letters. Foul letters, apparently written by him and threatening her with some rather horrible form of death if she married you. I tell you, Barry Lake is dead. He can't get up out of his coffin. Oh, getting out of coffins, my friend, is not so difficult. I have done it myself. Oh, please stop joking, Bernard. I'm. You don't happen to be dead. True. There is that small difference. Is your wife here in the theater tonight? Yes. She wouldn't have come here except that it's Maren Willard's first night. We haven't seen Marin, either of us, in years. She's back there in box D. So I hear. I was hoping that you might invite me to share the box. Look here, old man, I. I don't want to seem inhospitable, but she doesn't want company. Well, that's about it. Well, then walk back a little distance with me this way. So that you can see the stage from the back of the dress circle. Now, the orchestra has stopped and they ring up in a moment. There. Look at it. Look at what? The stage, man. Lights have gone out. All except the dim yellow footlights shining on the curtain. The last cough, the last murmur, the last rustle of program dies away in one vast breathing. Hush. The curtain goes up. Let go of my arm, Von Arnheim. I've got to leave. What are the stage directions? Desert place. Thunder and lightning enter three witches. When indeed I wonder. I beg your pardon, Von. Aunt, do you speak? No, it was nothing in the London newspapers for that year, 1936. You may read how Myron Willard triumphed at Drury Lane as Macbeth. But tonight, as the clock ticks on, there is another drama in the dimly lighted corridor. Outside Box d, there sits Ms. Louise Fenton, Marcia Blair's companion secretary. Beside her, burly and broken nosed, is Big Jim Bradley, the ex wrestler. And when more than half an hour has passed.

[Marcia Blair]

There'S the applause. Jim, that must be the end of the first act.

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, I hear it. Nothing's happened, but take my word for it, nothing's going to happen.

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, she's such a likable person, Jim. And I think one of our greatest Shakespearean actresses.

[Paul Lucas]

I don't much care for this Shakespeare business, Miss. You give me a good movie with gangsters in it. It's my style.

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, you don't understand, Jim. I've seen her as Juliet, as Rosalind, as Portia in our own drawing room without any props. I've heard as Lady Macbeth too. You should see her eyes.

[Paul Lucas]

Eyes, miss?

[Marcia Blair]

Yes, you should see her eyes when she delivers that speech. The raven himself is hoarse. That croaks the fatal entity.

[Paul Lucas]

Hey, Miss, look there.

[Marcia Blair]

What is it?

[Paul Lucas]

That foreign looking cove in the black cape coming along the passage. Now.

[Marcia Blair]

Easy.

[Paul Lucas]

I beg your pardon. You are Ms. Louise Fenton, aren't you?

[Marcia Blair]

Yes, my name is Fenton. What is it?

[Paul Lucas]

I am Ludwigful Arnheim, a friend of Mr. Weitz. And I must see Marcia Blair at once. No, you don't, Governor. You're not going in there. Why not? Cause nobody goes in there. Not if it was the King himself. That's orders. Now listen to me, both of you. When the lights went on, I happened to be looking at Box D from the other side of the theater. And I think there is something wrong.

[Marcia Blair]

But there can't be anything wrong. Jim Bradley and I have been sitting here the whole time.

[Paul Lucas]

Except, of course, except when.

[Marcia Blair]

Well, except when I went in there for a few seconds.

[Paul Lucas]

You went in there, Ms. Fenton? May I ask when that was?

[Marcia Blair]

But it was after Mr. White has gone. And just before the play started. I went in to ask if she wanted anything. She said she didn't, so I came out again. And Bradley's been with me all the time. Except when he went to get a drink of water up the corridor.

[Paul Lucas]

That's as true as gosh for a ganny. One moment and listen to me. Marcia Blair is leaning forward across the railing of the box.

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, but that's nothing, Herr von Arnheim. That's the way she always is.

[Paul Lucas]

Does she always fall forward with her arms held straight out and her head down on her arms? Better be careful, miss. It's a trick. Trick? Why not open the door and see for yourselves? Would that do any harm?

[Marcia Blair]

No, I Suppose it wouldn't. But. Oh, there must be some mistake. We haven't heard a sound from in there. There couldn't be anything wrong.

[Paul Lucas]

You Open the door, Ms. Fenton. I'm going tight to this gentleman, just in case. Quiet, please, quiet. What is it, miss? Walk in there with me, both of you. Please. Go casually, as though nothing were wrong. We don't want to attract attention.

[Marcia Blair]

Now I have one on.

[Paul Lucas]

I.

[Marcia Blair]

There's blood all over her face.

[Paul Lucas]

Yes, and don't begin screaming again, Miss Fenton, when I tell you she's dead. Bradley. Yes, sir. Pick Ms. Brayer's body up and carry her out into the corridors. In another minute, we'll have the whole theater wanting to know what's wrong. All right, sir, you win. But what about the people in the other boxes? Won't they see they've gone down to.

[Marcia Blair]

The bar to get a drink? They won't see anything. Hurry.

[Paul Lucas]

She ain't no right to wait. The poor lady ain't steady, does it? Hold the door open. That's got it. Now close the door. Shall I put a dan on the floor, Kathleen? Yes. Better do that.

[Marcia Blair]

I never took those threats seriously. That's what I blame myself for. And if something did happen, well, I thought he'd attack her. Never thought he'd hide away across the theater and fire a shot.

[Paul Lucas]

And you were quite right, Ms. Fenton. Marcia Blair was not shot.

[Marcia Blair]

She. She wasn't shot?

[Paul Lucas]

No. Take a look at the wound. I can't look at it. She was stabbed. Stabbed through the right eye with a narrow, sharp blade which entered her brain and killed her instantly. Not a pretty death, but a quick one. You seem to know a lot about this, governor. Perhaps I do, my friend. And perhaps I can guess a lot more. You mean somebody stood out there and threw a knife at you like a ruddy boozy called 10? No, I don't mean that either. There's no knife in the wound and none in the box. The murderer took it away. Took it away? Exactly.

[Marcia Blair]

Herr von Arnheim, please wait. You're not saying someone climbed up from outside, 20 or 30ft from the floor and stabbed poor Marcia in full sight of 3,000 people?

[Paul Lucas]

That, Ms. Fenton, is what the evidence seems to indicate.

[Marcia Blair]

But it's impossible.

[Paul Lucas]

Yet it happened. There is Marcia Blair's body. What's that?

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, it's the warning bell for the second act. People will be coming back here anyway any minute. What are we going to do?

[Paul Lucas]

I will try the last.

[Marcia Blair]

Before my body I throw my war like she.

[Paul Lucas]

Applause, acclaim, triumph. Byron Willard is Macbeth. Helen Gale is Lady Macbeth. Magical effects by Ludwig van Arnheim. Very few persons knew that there is a dead woman in the theater. But at the end of the play, it is a different story. The crowd files out past according police. The lights are extinguished. The great theater is dark and mumbling with echo. See the stage now. Only the batons or overhead lights pour down a pale blaze on two men who stand grotesquely against the background of Dunsinane Castle. One of these men is Howard White, very near collapse. The other is Myron Willard himself, still wearing his makeup, still wearing helmet and chain mail. And when Willard speaks. Howard. Howard White. Confounded man. Can't you hear what I'm saying? Excuse me, madam.

[Marcia Blair]

I.

[Paul Lucas]

This is almost finished. Oh, not that I'm blaming you, old man. Thank you, madam. It's traditional, you know, that Macbeth's an unlucky play. But up to the very end, I thought I'd never done better. 11 curtain calls. No, 12. How did you like my Tomorrow and Tomorrow speech? I'm sorry, madam. I'm afraid I didn't hear it. Yes. Poor old Marcia. She'd have hated to die like that. Marcia was proud of her eyes. Always nearsighted as an owl, but too vain to wear glasses. There's von Arnheim, looking at us from under the castle archway. Von Arnheim. Did you call me, my friend, you're rather difficult to recognize under all that Macbeth makeup. Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. Never mind that. Where are the police now? At the moment, Mr. Wheeler, the police are in your dressing room. They are using you for questioning. No reception tonight, of course. No, but I thought you might be interested in two items of information that police have just discovered. Well, go on. We had a fairly full house tonight, I believe. Fairly full? Every seat was reserved. Reserved, yes, but not occupied. I don't follow you. One box on the ground floor, Box E, to be exact, was empty. Reserved and paid for, but empty. And Box E, oddly enough, was just underneath the one occupied by Marcia Blair. All the same, I still don't see quite what you're. Now, our next item of information comes from an usher. An outside eye seat in the stores very close to that empty box was occupied by a very curious stranger who arrived late in the dark and slipped out again by a nearby exit a few minutes afterwards. Just for a moment. Von Arnheim, are you saying this stranger climbed up and attacked Marcia in full view of the audience? No, my friend. The murderer did not approach from that direction. Then he must have reached Marcia through the door. Guarded by Bradley and Ms. Fenton? No, not from that direction either. Confound it, man. It must have been one way or the other. Not necessarily. Tell me, Howard, don't you think I've got enough troubles already without this nightmare on top of it?

[Marcia Blair]

Here. Von on him. Have one on Heim.

[Paul Lucas]

You must take it easy, Miss Fenton. You must not excite yourself. Have the police. Yes.

[Marcia Blair]

Look, you've got to help me. They won't believe me.

[Paul Lucas]

They won't believe the young lady, sir, and that's a fact. I tried to help her all I can. But there's things I can swear to and things I can't.

[Marcia Blair]

You see, I did go into that box. Oh, just for a couple of seconds, I admit it. But no other person went in or could have got in, so they say. Or at least they're hinting that I killed her. But I swear I never touched her.

[Paul Lucas]

Who was questioning you, Ms. Fenton? Inspector Grimes or Sergeant Blake?

[Marcia Blair]

I'm. Well, I'm not sure. The sergeant, I think.

[Paul Lucas]

Then I shouldn't worry if I were you. Inspector Grimes knows better. Is guessed. In fact, exactly what I have guessed. You seem on rather familiar terms with the police, my friend. I am, Mr. Willard. I am anyone who practices escapes from handcuffs, sex chest and stage boxers, perhaps. Stage boxers? If you insist. Excuse me. Isn't that Inspector Grimes in the wings now?

[Marcia Blair]

Yes, and he's nodding his head.

[Paul Lucas]

Then I can tell you, I think, what you want to know. And if you do happen to know anything, it's your duty to speak up. Poor Marcia seems to have had some ridiculous idea. That her former husband, Barry Lake, was still alive. Her affairs weren't justified, of course. And she wasn't killed by any dead husband. I beg your pardon? Her fears were justified, though not quite in the way she believed. And she was killed by her husband.

[Marcia Blair]

Then Barry Lake is still alive?

[Paul Lucas]

No, Barry Lake is dead.

[Marcia Blair]

You don't mean Marcia was really killed by a goat?

[Paul Lucas]

No, I mean she was killed by her devoted second husband, Mr. Howard White. Here. Stop it. Do you only hear what they say? That's not true. It's a slanderous statement. I'll have you in court for it. Everybody knows how devoted I was to Marcia. Your devotion, my friend, was devotion to her money. And your business affairs have been shaky for a long time. That's not true and you can't prove it. Marcia Blair was inclined to be, shall we say a little close fisted with money. That's true, anyway. It's a lie. A lie willing to marry him. But Mr. Hard White knew he'd never touch a penny unless he killed her. He wrote the letters himself, Herr von Arnheim.

[Marcia Blair]

He can't be guilty. She was alive after he left the box. He wasn't anywhere near her when she died.

[Paul Lucas]

Perfectly correct, Ms. Fenton.

[Marcia Blair]

He wasn't there and yet he killed her.

[Paul Lucas]

Exactly. But you and Bradley can supply the clue that will hang him. Me, sir? I don't know nothing.

[Marcia Blair]

No, I don't either.

[Paul Lucas]

I think you do, if you'll put your mind to it. Do you remember what Howard White said to her just before he left the box?

[Marcia Blair]

Yes. He said, good night, Marcia. See you in an hour or two. And she answered, good night and good luck.

[Paul Lucas]

No, I mean just before that.

[Marcia Blair]

I. There wasn't anything.

[Paul Lucas]

You see, It's a slanderous statement without any proof. It's an insult to my position on the stock exchange.

[Marcia Blair]

I do remember something rather queer.

[Paul Lucas]

Think, Ms. Fenton, think.

[Marcia Blair]

He said to Marcia jokingly, if you'll accept these, madam, in honor of our first anniversary. And Marcia said, howard, they're lovely. Of course I'll accept them.

[Paul Lucas]

That's right, sir. He did say it. And what do you think he was referring to, Ms. Fenton? What was he asking her to accept?

[Marcia Blair]

Well, I imagined it was flowers, a corsage or something like that.

[Paul Lucas]

Did you see any flowers in the box or pinned to Marcia Blair's gown?

[Marcia Blair]

No. Come to think of it, I didn't.

[Paul Lucas]

Then what did he give her? Don't look at me, sir. Now, here is a woman who is very near sighted. Rhett. Yet refuses to wear glasses. But she can accept a pair of opera glasses. Miss. A lie. You can't prove it. Hold on, sister. Go. You better stay here, governor. Thank you, Bradley. But the place is surrounded with police.

[Marcia Blair]

But I still don't understand.

[Paul Lucas]

Now, what happens when you lift opera glasses to your eyes and they are not in focus? You turn the little wheel in the middle to bring them into focus. For Marcia Blair, it was deadly.

[Marcia Blair]

You mean the glasses?

[Paul Lucas]

Yes. They were specially constructed glasses, Ms. Fenton. They were invented by a French criminal years ago. That little wheel is a little trigger. It releases the spring of a sharp, thin blade which strikes through the eyes into the brain.

[Marcia Blair]

Oh, don't, please.

[Paul Lucas]

You can't prove it. Marcia Blair died instantly. The glasses, torn from her eye by their own weight, dropped over the box rail to the carpeted aisle below. The only witnesses who might have noticed would have been the people in the box just underneath. And that box was empty by arrangement? Yes. Even if anybody did see them fall, Howard White was prepared to remove the evidence instantly. You haven't forgotten the curious stranger?

[Marcia Blair]

Curious stranger?

[Paul Lucas]

I mean the man who slipped in after it was dark, took an ilc just under the box and slipped out again a few minutes later. The pack of lies from start to finish. I can't prove a word of it. I beg your pardon, my friend. Didn't you see Inspector Grimes nut to me a moment ago. Well, you are going to hang, my friend, for one of the neatest and cruelest crimes in my experience. The police have just found those opera glasses with a neat set of fingerprints in the side pocket of your motor car. And so ends Fire Burn and Cauldron bubble. Starring the distinguished actor Paul Lucas. Tonight's tale of suspense. This is your narrator, Ted Osborne, the man in black, who conveys to you Columbia's invitation to spend this half hour in suspense with us again next Tuesday, same time, when Nancy Coleman stars in Fear Paints a Picture. William Speer, the producer, John Deetz, the director, Bernard Herman, the composer, conductor Robert Salmon, studio technician, and John Dickson Carr, the author, collaborated on tonight's suspense. This is the Columbia broadcasting system.

[Ted Osborne]

You can find more from suspense, Relic Radio thrillers and all of the relic radio podcasts@ Relicradio.com. our shoutcast stream is there as well with even more old time radio. And if you'd like to help support this and all of that, visit donate. Relicradio.com or click on one of the support links on the website. Thanks to those who have helped out. Thanks for joining me this week. Be back tomorrow with the horror next Friday with our next episode of relic radio thrillers.