Summary
Highlights
A woman tries to call her husband, Elbert Stevenson, but gets a wrong number. She overhears two men discussing a murder plot, detailing an attack on a woman to make it look like a robbery, scheduled for 11:15 PM.
Frantically, the woman asks the operator to retrace the wrong number, explaining she vital information about a planned murder. The operator and then the chief operator inform her that without an ongoing call, tracing is impossible.
The woman calls the Police Department and describes the murder plot in detail. Sergeant Duffy dismisses her concerns, suggesting it could be a long-distance call unrelated to her vicinity since she is not specific about where the murder is happening.
Mrs. Stevenson is horrified that the police are not concerned, and she herself doesn’t expect to be the target. She explains that she is an invalid and her husband, Elbert, adores her and hasn't left her side since she fell ill 12 years ago.
With Elbert still not home, a series of strange, silent calls unnerve her further. She then receives a telegram from Elbert stating he's gone to Melbourne for urgent business, making her feel even more vulnerable and alone.
Distraught and desperate, she tries to hire a private nurse from Henley Hospital, explaining her extreme nervousness and the terrifying ordeal she's had. She provides her doctor's name, but the registry can't send a nurse without a doctor's recommendation.
During her conversation with the nurse registry, the woman learns it's past 11:15 PM. She hears a click on her extension, realizing someone is in her house. She desperately tries to call the police again, only to be met with a 'wrong number' as the call is answered by her presumed killer.