The Woman in Room 13

About the show

This synopsis has been compiled from contemporaneous newspaper and magazine reviews. Prologue (The Bruce home in Galveston, Texas.) John Bruce and his wife Laura quarrel, ending with him throwing her out of the house since she wants a divorce. (Curtain) Act I (A salon in the Ramsey's New York residence.) The ex-Laura Bush is now remarried to Paul Ramsey, who works for a bank. His boss is Dick Turner, a serial vamp who preys on married women. Turner has designs on Laura, so he sends Ramsey off to San Francisco to get him out of the way. But Ramsey is suspicious of his boss; he hires a detective to secretly watch over Laura. However, unknown to Ramsey, the detective is Laura's ex-husband, John Bruce, who seeks revenge on her. (Curtain) Act II (A Manhattan apartment hotel room, just under room 13.) John Bruce has wired the room above with a speaking tube that feeds a Dictaphone in this room, with a stenographer present to transcribe completed rolls. He summons Paul Ramsey to hear what he thinks is his wife meeting with Dick Turner. But Laura has been intercepted by Edna Crain, who sent her off while she met Dick Turner in Room 13. Enraged at his wife's supposed infidelity, Ramsey rushes out and a moment later a gunshot is heard, followed by Edna Crain coming down the fire escape wearing only a diaphanous negligee. (Curtain) Act III (Room 13 in the Manhattan apartment hotel.) Chief Carrigan takes charge of the investigation into Dick Turner's murder. The gun is found in the room and Paul is charged with homicide. Laura sacrifices her honor by insisting she was in the room with Dick Turner, to protect her husband by casting the killing as a crime passionel. (Curtain) Act IV (A corridor in the Criminal Courts Building. By darkening the corridor lighting and the use of a scrim curtain, this scene also displayed events happening in the court room.) John Bruce changes his testimony on the witness stand, identifying Edna Crain and not Laura as the woman in Room 13. The jury still acquits Paul, despite the mistaken identity. (Curtain)