A Watery Grave

Originally Aired: March 10, 1952 Suspense #464, "A Watery Grave," stars Joseph Cotten as Callan, a powerful district attorney who has made a devil's bargain with the corrupt businessman McNeely. In exchange for wealth and political advancement, Callan agrees to drop his prosecution and look the other way, which means allowing his key witness, a street-tough informant named Bartel, to be eliminated. Seeking to enjoy the fruits of his corruption, Callan takes his wife Betty on a long-dreamed-of European cruise, telling himself he's building a better life for her while conveniently ignoring how he's achieving it. But on the first night at sea, Bartel appears on deck, having stowed away to escape McNeely's hired guns. He's been wounded and is fleeing the country illegally, and now he demands that Callan help him get into Europe or face exposure that will destroy everything. With his wife aboard and his carefully constructed world threatening to collapse, Callan faces an impossible choice. As Bartel pressures him and the clock ticks toward discovery, the district attorney must decide how far he'll go to protect the life he's built on compromise and corruption.