A married couple, David (often played by Cary Grant) and Dorothy, are driving through a fierce rainstorm along an isolated country road. Their car runs low on fuel, forcing them to pull over and take a risky shortcut to avoid getting stranded 

As they stop, ominous noises begin in the surrounding darkness—a tension-building hallmark of Suspense productions . Soon, they realize their true peril: a deranged killer has recently escaped from a nearby mental institution after slaughtering medical staff with a cleaver.