Goodnight Mrs Russell

Originally Aired: August 3, 1954 Suspense #563, "Goodnight Mrs Russell," Mrs. Russell is a pleasant, middle-aged widow who frequents Henry's small cafe near the Hillmar building where she works. Henry, the polite and meticulous cook who runs the establishment alone, seems especially attentive to her, though she notices his odd habit of suddenly freezing and listening to sounds only he can hear. When Mrs. Russell ventures to the cafe alone one evening after working late, she senses something unsettling about Henry's behavior. He seems suspicious of her presence at night, insisting there's a difference between her daytime visits with friends and coming alone after dark. Against her better judgment, Mrs. Russell returns to the cafe alone three weeks later, determined to prove she enjoys Henry's cooking and perhaps help the troubled young man who reminds her of her late son. As she chatters about her family and her dead husband Leonard, Henry grows eerily quiet, watching her with a blank expression. Then Mrs. Russell's head grows heavy, she becomes dizzy, and as consciousness fades, she realizes with horror that Henry has done something terrible. Now, as dawn approaches, she waits in dread, knowing Henry is silently planning how he will kill her.