For Love or Murder

Originally Aired: December 8, 1949 In Suspense #362, "For Love or Murder," pianist Tommy Lee commits the unthinkable at the urging of his lover Anne. Following a meticulously rehearsed plan, Tommy climbs the back stairs of an apartment building with a gun in hand, ready to kill Anne's husband. The drums beat in his head as he confronts the helpless victim, a fat little man who looks at him like a scared fish. After pulling the trigger, Tommy must complete the rest of the plan: strike Anne to make it look like a robbery gone wrong, steal jewelry and the victim's wallet, and escape undetected. But in his rattled state, Tommy makes a crucial mistake—he forgets to dispose of the evidence. Racing back to the club where he works, Tommy tries to maintain his composure as just another pianist soothing sophisticated New Yorkers. When he finally attempts to dump the wallet and jewelry into a sewer, he has a close encounter with Dan, a friendly police officer who notices Tommy's jumpy behavior. As sirens wail in the distance from Fifty-Fifth Street and Tommy returns to his piano, the carefully planned murder begins to unravel around him.