Final Payment

Originally Aired: January 13, 1955

Suspense #580, "Final Payment," stars Harry Bartell as Joe Thurston, an ordinary working man struggling to support his family on a construction worker's wages. When he runs into his old Army buddy Sam at a Chicago lunch counter, Sam presents him with an irresistible proposition: a foolproof insurance fraud scheme worth $100,000. The plan is elaborate but seemingly simple. Joe will move his unsuspecting wife Mary and their children to a small Indiana town, establish himself as a respectable citizen, and purchase a large liability insurance policy. Sam will arrive separately, and after careful preparation, Joe will hit Sam with his car in a staged accident. The twist comes during the trial when Joe will break down under cross-examination and confess fault, forcing the insurance company to pay a substantial settlement that the two men will split.

As Joe methodically executes each step of the plan over many months, he begins to wonder if something has gone wrong. But now, sitting in a courtroom after an unexpected outbreak has shocked everyone present, Joe frantically searches his memory for the fatal flaw in their perfect scheme.