 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny Dollar. This is Harry Branson, John. Hi, Harry. The Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casualy Insurance Company. I said hi, how are you? Thank you, but that's beside the point. John, this thing has me terribly upset. Comes the day you aren't upset over something, Harry. It'll be a miracle. What's it all about? Can you come down here to Philadelphia right away? Don't see why not, but now what seems to be... If you can clear up this matter, I shall be eternally grateful. $985,000. Wow, for what, Harry? Of course, anyone, any criminal, that is, could be suspect in the theft. Theft of what? But the murder, it doesn't make sense. What does it, what do you think, John? What do I think? Look, Harry, you haven't yet given the... What possible reason could there have been for firing the shot? How about the butler? The butler? I'll be down to see you, Harry. Goodbye. Wait, wait. You mean you know something about this case that the police and I don't know? I don't know anything about it yet. I'll be down to see you. But in that case... Goodbye, Harry. But in that case, John, if you don't know anything about it, what leads you to suspect the butler? News. Then that makes us even. Bye. But, John... So help me. If it weren't for the big fat expense account I can foist on Harry Branson, well, here we go again. Exciting adventures of a man with the action-packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. That was truly Johnny Dollar. Act one of yours truly Johnny Dollar. Now, submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to the Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casual Insurance Company Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the ingenuous jeweler matter. Expense account item one, $32.70, trained for an incidental's Hartford, Connecticut, to Philadelphia. Cab to Harry Branson's office on Walnut Street. Upon him sitting at his desk, he's headin' his hands. Oh, John, I'm glad you've come. How's your good health, Harry? My health? As a matter of fact, it's fine. Oh, I did have a touch of laryngitis last week. I could hardly speak about it. John, why do you always try to take my mind away from matters at hand? I simply asked you. Particularly something as important as this. All right. As what? The Beaufort collection, of course. Beaufort? Oh, yeah. Seems to me I've heard about that. Jewelry? One of the most important small collections in the world. Why, when his grace, the Duke de Beaufort, lost them to the Germans back during the First World War. Yeah, yeah. I'm sure. But now let's get to the point. They've been stolen. And we'd insured them for nearly a million dollars. Stolen from where? The jeweler who owned them, J. Harold Whipsett. Oh, hey, I've heard of him, too. Isn't he the fellow who was tagged by the customs department a few years ago for trying to smuggle in lipstick? Yes, yes, the same one. But his reputation since that incident has been quite all right. Completely unsullied. Oh, I must admit that I had some misgivings about issuing a policy to a man with his past record. But since he's in the clear again, considering the premiums involved, and John, I had a long discussion with a psychiatrist about the man about what would motivate him. Look, Harry, before you go rattling off on another attack. John, I resent that. Look, you said something about murder at the time of the theft? Oh, yes. So far, however, it's only attempted murder. You see? Of this man, Whipsett? His secretary, Miss Winkle. Winkle? Perry Winkle. Oh, no way. Is that some kind of a gang? It certainly is not. When they arrived, the police thought she was dead. Where did all this happen? At the Whipsett office. It's on Chestnut Street. When did it happen? Just last night. Oh, dear. $985,000. And maybe a human life. Well, yes, of course. Now, tell me all you know about it, Harry. Well, the Beaufort collection contains several diamond and emerald brooches that date back to, um... Let me see it. Forget the dates. What I want to know is... No, the fact that all the stones were rather small than a conventional cut means that once they're remounted, no one could ever identify them. Well, what's that got to do with the date of the collection? Well, as I started to say... Oh, let's go over to the Whipsett's office. Very well. Now, as I started to say, the date of the Duke de Beaufort's acquisition of these jewels. Uh, you say this Perry Winkle was badly hurt. How? She was shot by the robber. Now, as I started to say, the date at which the Duke de Beaufort... Tell me this. Was Whipsett himself shot or shot at? No, and I'm sure he'll tell you all about that when you see him at his office. He's certain to be in this morning. As I started to say, John... John, going down, gentlemen. Yeah, thanks. Come on, Harry. Step in, please. Harry! As I started to say, John... John? Wanted or not, during the nine-block taxi ride up Chestnut Street, they got the whole history of the Duke de Beaufort's jewels from the time of the French Revolution to the present. That came out of the way as Adam II, a dollar even. What I did want to know was more about J. Harold Whipsett. After all, a man who'd once attempted fraud against U.S. Customs. Anyhow, we finally reached his office in the Prosser Building. Present was police lieutenant Bart Stanley, with whom I'd worked a case two years ago. Glad to see you, Johnny. Yeah, same here, Bart. What do you make of it? So far, Blanco. Is Whipsett here? One of the boys took him down for some coffee. He needs it after what happened to him last night. The Duke de Beaufort jewels, huh? Yes, I told Mr. Dollar all about them, lieutenant, how the robber took nothing else, how the jewels themselves came into being, how back in the day... Henry, we've got work to do here. Well, I...after all... Now look, Bart, this man Whipsett, his reputation in the past. I know exactly what you're gonna say. I might have thought the same thing, Johnny, if I hadn't seen exactly what happened. Tell me what did happen. Lieutenant, you look very tired. Yes, Mr. Branson, I am. After all, having been up all night on this thing, I bring Mr. Dollar up to date. Well, sure... Oh, no, you don't. I want to find out now, not next week. John... Go ahead, Bart. Well, Whipsett and his secretary, Perry Winkle... Isn't that a name? Yeah, sure is. Where is she, by the way? Jefferson Hospital. Anyhow, they were here very late last night, working on the books. Came a knock on the door, Whipsett opened it. This man barged in with a gun and demanded the Beaufort collection. And? Well, Whipsett argued with him, finally gave in when the guy threatened to shoot him. But Miss Winkle made a dash for the door. The intruder let her have it, held the gun on Whipsett, tore out the telephone line, then locked him in and disappeared. And? That's it. Wait a minute. How could he lock Whipsett in his own office? This lock opens from the inside. With this, Johnny? What? This little rubber doorstop? That's right. But I don't see... I'll tell you how he did it and why this little rubber wedge is absolute proof that Whipsett couldn't possibly have rigged this whole deal. Truly Johnny Dollar in a moment. For a long time, people. And now, act two of yours truly Johnny Dollar and the ingenuous jeweler matter. Still old building. All the office doors open outward into the corridors. See? So? All right. After the robber made Mr. Whipsett hand over the jewelry, shot the secretary, Miss Winkle. Then he yanked out the telephone, beat it and slammed the door on Whipsett. But you said locked him in and I don't see how... Look, with this little rubber wedge, the door opens outward, right? Don't you see, Johnny? Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. Sure. Of course I see, Bart. Sure. He simply jammed the doorstop under the edge of the door from the outside. Sure. So the harder Whipsett pushed against the door, the tighter it jammed. The telephone knocked out, all he could do was bang on the door and holler and holler out the window. That's what zipped you off? The policeman on the beat down on Chestnut Street heard the shot and then the yelling. By stroke of luck, I pulled up in a prowl car just about then. I see. We came tearing up here and found out how somebody locked Whipsett in his own office. Whoever did it, Johnny, must have cased the joint to know about the door's opening outward. Yeah. Makes any suspicion of Whipsett himself. Well... Yeah, yeah. Makes it look a little silly. Anyhow, he was pretty much beside himself, more upset over the girl lying there with a slug in her than he was over losing the collection. Any idea what kind of a gun was used on her? The hospital sent the bullet over to the lab. It was a .38 special. And she was in pretty bad shape, huh? Well, we thought at first she was dead. So it was Whipsett. Could he give you a description of the, uh, the assailant? Yeah, but it's not much help. Could apply to half a million men in this big city. What about fingerprints? None. Guy wore gloves. Has the girl been able to tell you anything at all? She was unconscious, Johnny. Has been ever since. I'm afraid it's going to be curtains for her. Oh, too bad. She's over at Jefferson, you say. Yeah, but there's no point in going over there. Even if she came to for only a couple of minutes, she might be able to give us something to go on. What could she tell us that Whipsett hasn't already told us? Well, we're back, Lieutenant. You want Mr. Whipsett to stick around? No. I guess not, Conroy. I took him over to a place I know on Pine Street and poured a couple of stiff drinks in him. He needed him. And you too, Conroy? Oh, no, Lieutenant. Mr. Whipsett, this is Johnny Dollar, insurance investigator. Oh, Mr. Dollar. Oh, yeah. You know Mr. Branson, I guess. Oh, yes. Oh, yes, indeed. And may I tell you, Mr. Whipsett, how dismayed I am by what's happened here? Oh, thank you, Mr. Branson. It's been a terrible deal. It certainly has. 985. I was speaking of poor Miss Winkle, sir. Oh, yes, of course. Yes, yes. Mr. Whipsett, this girl, Miss Perry Winkle, she was your secretary. She was more than that, Mr. Dollar. Well, I loved her. How is she, Lieutenant? Has there been any word from the hospital? Well, yes, Mr. Whipsett, there has. And it's proof that modern medicine is a very wonderful thing. What? What do you mean, sir? Yes, Johnny. It may take time, of course, a long time. Yes. As a matter of fact, she hasn't even regained consciousness yet. Well, I see. But it looks as though she'll fully recover. Oh, I see. Well, I hardly need to tell you how I feel about that. How glad I am. Hold that little white lie to see what, if any, reaction I'd get. And I had a strange feeling that his words, how glad I am, were not quite true. Fortunately, neither Harry Branson nor the Lieutenant questioned my apparent knowledge of the condition of the girl. Even better, the Lieutenant rose to the occasion. Well, as I see it, there's really nothing further we can do here. You look like you could use some sleep, Mr. Whipsett. And Conroy and I'd better get back to headquarters, see if the boys have run down anybody who fits that description you gave us. Yeah, good idea. Let's go, huh? And Mr. Whipsett, you close up and go on home and get some rest. Yes, I will. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. You have no idea what a terrible shock this has been for me. Of course, you'll keep yourself available if we need you further. Of course, Lieutenant. OK, Johnny, what was that all about, telling him she'd recover? Yes, John, I almost interrupted. I was afraid you would. That's why I kept talking. Barn, I'm going over to the hospital. Oh, now look, if there's only one chance and a million of that girl regaining consciousness, I want to be there when she does. You still suspect Whipsett? Did I say that? Don't you see, John, the whole thing hinges on that little rubber doorstop. On the fact that he couldn't possibly have locked himself in with it. Branson's right, Johnny. OK, then I won't go over to the hospital. Ring for the elevator, Harry. Oh, sure. John, what will you do? Call him on the phone down in the lobby instead. This is Johnny Dollar, doctor insurance investigator. I'm calling about Miss Perry Winkle. Oh, she's conscious now. She died, Mr. Don... Genuous jeweler matter. You better get on over to headquarters. I'll phone poor Mr. Whipsett. He left the building while you were in the phone booth, John. Barn, have you got a key to his office upstairs? Well, sure, right here. Let me have it, will you? Here. You want me to go up there with you? Why don't you go over to the hospital and see if Whipsett shows there? What do you expect to find up in his office, Johnny? I haven't the least idea. Why, kid about it. I didn't have the least idea of what I expected to find. Or even what I was looking for. When I walked into the jeweler's office up on the eighth floor, I picked up the rubber doorstop. The one thing that proved Whipsett couldn't possibly have rigged the whole deal. But I somehow felt that if only that little wedge of rubber could talk, then I noticed a funny sort of burr on one side of it. Just a tiny little rough spot. But it showed me where somebody had pierced a tiny hole through it. Why? After a couple of minutes of rummaging around, I found it. A piece of fine, strong platinum wire about two feet long. A wire that could be carefully slipped through the hole in that rubber doorstop. Well, Mr. Dollar. Well, what are you doing back here, Whipsett? If you don't mind my saying so, there was something about your attitude that I didn't exactly care for when you were here with the policeman, Mr. Branson. And when you left him downstairs in the lobby and took the elevator, oh, I see you found it. Yeah, that's right. It was very smart of you, Whipsett. Thank you. Put this rubber wedge on the floor just outside the door with the wire on it leading under the door. Exactly. Then pull the door closed. Then pull the wedge into place with a wire. And the door can't possibly be opened from in here. You've locked yourself in. The more you push in the door, the tighter the wedge holds it. That's right. And you don't forget to retrieve the wire by pulling on one end of it. I suppose those are the gloves you wore when you killed Miss Winkle so you'd leave no prints. Oh, then she's dead. How fortunate for me. And that's the gun you used? Yes. I'm afraid she was rather averse to my breaking down the Beaufort collection, melting down the mountains and secreting the stones at my home. And, of course, claiming the insurance money, but after all, nearly a million dollars. Why are you telling me all this? Because, you see, this is also the gun that will kill you, after which I shall lock your body in this office using the door stop again. It's a rather nice touch, don't you think? Isn't it? Well, don't you see, it's now sort of a trademark at the completely unknown thief, the unknown killer of both the girl and you. Oh, no, wait a minute. Do you think if I found out how you did it, the police can't? Did they, even after their lab crew spent the whole night up here? I guess you've got a point there. Yes. Well, turn around, dollar. Well, turn around. Well, you see, I'm going to have to shove this gun into your back to muffle the sound. Well, look, whipset. Unless you have a better idea. Well, I have. Well, I suppose I might have known this whole thing seemed too easy. All right, lieutenants. All right, Conroy, wrap them up. All right, lieutenants. Hands out, whipset. Johnny, I knew you had something up your sleeve when you came back up here. Just wouldn't let me work it out alone, would you Bart? All right, what was it? What did you find out that tipped you off? Oh, you'll never know for me. After all, I might want to use it to stump you some time. Oh, now look, Johnny. Okay, ass whipset here. He just loves to explain things. At great length, too. At least it was long enough for you boys to get up here. I know something he's not going to explain his way out of. Let's go, whipset. I think I'll have to figure out some way to pad my expense account even more than usual in cases like this. I mean, where a 38 slug nearly ends up in me. After all, fun is fun, a job is a job, but some of these laddies carry things too far. Come to think of it, I'll have to run down to New York again to appear against whipset. So, expense account total, including that and transportation back to Hartford and all the incidentals I could possibly think of, $181 even. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Star will return in just a moment with the bigger mor... everywhere. Now, here is our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, an inventor with a device that can either save or wreck our country. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. It originates in Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone, who also wrote today's story. Heard in our cast were Harry Bartell, Byron Kane, Vic Perrin, Joseph Kearns, and Austin Green. Be sure to join us next week, same time and station for another exciting story of Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Dan Cumberley speaking.