Banquo’s Chair

Originally Aired: March 9, 1950 Suspense #375, "Banquo's Chair," stars James Mason as Sir William Brent, the recently retired head of English criminal investigation, whose illustrious career has been marred by only one failure: the unsolved Bedford murder case. Three years ago, John Bedford brutally murdered his wealthy aunt, Miss Martha Ferguson, in the gloomy Victorian mansion known as Turret House, but his perfect alibi prevented Sir William from securing a conviction. Now, unable to let the case rest, the obsessive detective has spent three years planning an elaborate trap. He invites mystery writer Roberta Stone and crime reporter Arthur Grange to Turret House on a stormy November evening, instructing both to come armed. As Sir William explains his "diabolical scheme," he recreates the night of the murder in vivid detail, showing how Bedford strangled his aunt for her inheritance. The detective reveals that Bedford himself will soon arrive for dinner, and shockingly, so will his victim, Miss Ferguson. Sir William's patient and methodical plan promises to finally bring the murderer to justice through an unconventional method that skirts the legal prohibition against trying Bedford twice for the same crime. The stage is set for a night of psychological manipulation and terror.