What happens
Chalmers Bentley, a property appraiser who lives beyond his means, sets out to profit from a fraudulent insurance claim. He persuades his girlfriend Maud Mullen and her elderly grandmother to back a story about lost family jewelry, hoping the payout will fund a new life in Paris. The claim is questioned by insurance investigator Mr. Coombs, and Bentley finds the scheme growing harder to control. This Suspense radio drama, from the series of the same name, was broadcast on April 5, 1954, with David Niven in the lead role.
New York City and surrounding areas, in the 1950s
Characters: Chalmers Bentley, Maud Mullen, Mrs. Mullen, Ben, Mr. Coombs, Mrs. Payne, Roger Bain, Mrs. Prescott
Listen for: Pay attention to Mr. Coombs's careful questioning of Bentley and of the elderly Mrs. Mullen, and to the way Bentley's story begins to unravel.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.