Originally Aired: June 29, 1954
Suspense #558, "Too Hot to Live," presents Jefferson Casey, a drifter and former Air Corps captain, who jumps off a freight train near Marcus Junction on a sweltering day. When his boot sole breaks loose, he encounters Benjamin Martin, the friendly local sheriff who buys him coffee while his shoes are being repaired. At the restaurant, Jefferson meets Rachel, a provocative waitress who invites him up to her apartment for drinks while they wait. Despite protests from Kenny, the jealous grill cook, Jefferson follows Rachel upstairs.
In Rachel's cramped apartment above the diner, the heat, the liquor, and Rachel's proximity quickly overwhelm Jefferson's better judgment. As they drink and embrace in the stifling room, Jefferson's awareness begins to fade. The stage is set for something to go terribly wrong in this small town, where a barefoot stranger without shoes finds himself unable to run, the temperature climbs dangerously high, and a friendly sheriff with a gold star waits somewhere below. Jefferson Casey walked into Marcus Junction as just another drifter, but he may soon find himself trapped in circumstances far more dangerous than he imagined.
