 Johnny dollar Hanley I see Well, I'm sorry mr. Hanley Mr. Hanley, I was just about to leave here and grab a plane for New York There I'm heading south to one of my favorite fishing spots in South Carolina where I What was that I said fine? I'll expect you in a couple of hours. Well. No. No, I'm uh, I'm going fishing I'm on my way to South Carolina We're at 505th Avenue. Mr. Hanley. I'll be here waiting for you. Mr. Dollar and I listen will you? Mr. Hanley Hanley Hello, oh Fine the CBS radio network brings you a Bob Reddick in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by a special investigator Johnny dollar to amalgamated life association New York City office Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the morning after matter I wasn't getting after breaking my neck over more than my share of tough cases during a long hard winter I thought inside a little a few days of relaxation of fishing at the old Arendelle Plantation down near Georgetown, South Carolina So what if this Timothy Hanley did have some problem requiring investigation important enough to call off a well-deserved fishing trip? Not for me Okay, then expense account item one is eleven dollars for a cab to Bradley Field in the plane to New York Item two when I got there is five eighty five for a taxi in the Penn Station for my train to South Carolina But then Sucker that I am Well item three is a dollar even for another cab This one to five hundred fifth Avenue in the office of amalgamated life Thanks All right now mr. Hanley Mr. Dollar good good. I'm glad you got here so promptly sit down, please Yes, but as I told you over the phone that Mrs. Bromberg should be here any moment now in the meantime I'm just passing through mr. Hanley in the meantime I can tell you why she insisted I call you in on the case look I am on my way south to go fishing and with all the other insurance Investigators available like Brownberg did you say that's right the wife of the biggest Brownberg you remember the case don't you? Brownberg he disappeared about seven years ago. Of course you remember flyer wasn't he flew his own private plane If that's what you mean and heaven knows he could afford to he was quite wealthy for a while Yeah, I remember now made a big pile in Wall Street and then suddenly lost it Well, most of it and then took off in his plane was never seen again precisely You admit only the fact that he suffered complete amnesia Complete loss of memory just before his sudden departure no doubt a result of his staggering losses on the market Yeah His plane was found some days later on a ridge on the far side of Allegheny, but there's for Brownberg himself Yeah, as I recall they never found his body or any sign of it exactly In other words liking any definite proof of death Well payment of the insurance has been held up all these years. How much insurance something over six hundred thousand dollars Wow, and the beneficiary his wife Lita Spencer Brownberg who should be here any minute? Did you get it? Mrs. Brownberg Johnny dollar. Hey, yes, this is mr. Johnny dollar. How do you do a mrs. Brownberg? Sit down young man? And let me tell you something It's it down yeah dollar all right No, then You've got to find my husband and you've got to find him before this coming Wednesday. Oh, I before Wednesday, mr. Brownberg Well, I was just about to tell never mind Hanley. I'll tell him very well It's because of that hearing in court this coming Wednesday If you don't find Thaddeus, but he doesn't recover his senses and come back here You'll be pronounced legally dead in which case I understand you'll collect some six hundred thousand dollars insurance and well I can use it When he went out of his head and didn't even know his own name that night Do you know there was less than a hundred thousand dollars in our joint bank account? But I've had to scrape and skimp ever since oh If our lovely home in upper Montclair hadn't been in my name so I could sell it I just don't know how I could have got along all this time See real tough I'm terrible. Just terrible. Well, this may sound a little out of order. Mrs. Brownberg. Well Well, things won't be nearly so distressing for you if the court says he's legally dead. Will they? How can you talk like that? Do you think for one minute that money could ever take the place of my beloved Thaddeus? But if you've asked the court to take action, I have not That's the doings of this cold-blooded insurance company That's not precise. I haven't found out about it about demanding this court action You've told us many times you'd like the money, Mrs. Brownberg. We're not the horse I would and we don't like to keep these Open obligations on our books any longer than necessary. Cold-blooded, that's all. Yeah, and when it's become obvious There's no longer any hope any chance whatsoever If the police haven't been able to get anywhere after all these years Is that any reason why you can't find Thaddeus, Mr. Dollar? That's a pretty good indication It's an indication of nothing. I know all about you, Johnny Dollar. Mrs. Brownberg About the almost miraculous way you solve these cases. Mrs. Brownberg Here is a picture of Thaddeus. As you can see, Mr. Dollar, he was a rather Younger man. I beg your pardon. What? Is that a snide implication that Thad was younger than I am? Well, I didn't say that, Mrs. Brownberg. He was 54 when he Disappeared And now you have to find him, Mr. Dollar, before Wednesday. On our way, please. Mr. Hanley can tell you where to bring him to me. Wow Yes And yet, Mr. Dollar, if there's anything you can do that is... You mean to save your company from having to pay out all that money? Well, of course, we'll have to pay it out sometime, but it's our duty as an insurance company to... Well, what is it? This picture. Yes, I wonder. You, you mean you might have some idea where to look for him? Dollar? I said I wonder that song. Mr. Dollar. I just, um... Let me think about it, huh? Repeat after me, please. What do you want when you need brand? What do you want when you need brand? Reliability. Reliability. Now, what do you get in Kellogg's all brand? What do you get in Kellogg's all brand? Reliability. Right. Hi, this is Dennis James to explain why Kellogg's way is the reliable way to get the effectiveness you want from brand with just half a cup a day. See, Kellogg's all brand is the real Battle Creek formula, the one that millions of people depend on. And they depend on it because Kellogg's all brand contains more vital brand bulk to help you keep regular. It's low in calories and it's mighty pleasant eating, too. Kellogg's all brand comes in toasted shreds that have a wholesome brand muffin taste. I think you'll like it. So be sure you remember, for the effectiveness you want from brand, get reliable Kellogg's all brand. That's what you get in Kellogg's all brand. Reliability. What about that snapshot of Thaddeus Brownberg? Well, sir. But I'm not sure, Mr. Hanley. Would you call it a good likeness of him as of the last time you saw him? Yeah, excellent. Despite the costume, the surroundings. I wish that background looked familiar, but the face. Well, you've seen it somewhere? Recently. Well, there's something very familiar about it, at least. Now, I don't know. After all, Mr. Hanley, with all the traveling I do from one end of the country to the other, all the people I meet. And if this was taken over seven years ago... Look, where does Mrs. Brownberg live now? 533 East 52nd Street. All right. Call and tell her to stay there. Then I'll be able to see her in a little while. Meantime, if you need to get in touch with me, I'll be at police headquarters on 18th Street. And now wait, Mr. Dollarhead. What for? The police will know the most about this case. Those over in New Jersey and upper Montclair, they're the ones to go to for help. Not the kind of help I want. Item four, a buck, or a cab for the 18th precinct. As usual, my old pal, Lieutenant Randy Singer, was ready and willing to give me a hand, regardless of what my problem might be. And as usual, I told him it was none of his business. But I only wanted one of his men in photo identification, a fellow named Billy Cross. I had him make some blow-ups of the face on the picture I had. I had him touch up that face to make it look the way it might look if it were seven years older. Add a beard or a mustache or both. Make the hair look gray instead of brown. Make it longer, shorter, harder differently. Worn in every conceivable way that it could be worn. A little hours later, we were pushed. And I'm afraid I stared a little stupidly at the pile of over 50 variations on the face of Mr. Thaddeus Brownberg. Not one of them, Johnny? No, Billy, I'm afraid not. Except maybe for one of these with a beard, like this one, for instance. I almost swear that I've seen a man like this somewhere in my travels. Where? I wish I knew. Oh, Johnny, why don't you give up? Nobody else thinks that Brownberg is still alive, or if he is, he's still suffering from that loss of memory, so he's not the same man he was. What good would it be if he did find him? When the case comes up in court day after tomorrow, they'll call him dead. The case will be closed, none of these add. Why don't you give up? Because I'm stubborn, I guess. Don't you see? The cops over in New Jersey, all over the country for that matter, did all they could to find him after his plane cracked off. I promised the insurance company and his wife. What? Did you perform a miracle? I forget it, Johnny. Run along on your fishing journey. You were speaking of his wife. What time is it? It's nearly midnight. Holy smoke. I've got to get over there and see her. Johnny. Thanks, Billy. Thanks a lot. Even if it didn't get us anywhere. Item five, another buck for another cab. The poor Mrs. Brownberg. An apartment of hers turned out to be a penthouse, full of expensive furniture and draperies and rugs, a couple of inches thick. While a sleepy-eyed maid hung my topcoat next to a chinchilla wrap and a full-length mink coat, Mrs. Brownberg poured a much-needed drink. And then we sat down in the luxurious living room and she yammered away about her poor, dear, soly espadious and gave me just exactly no helpful information whatsoever about where and how to start looking for him. Oh, yes, Mr. Dollar. I just knew he was going to lose his mind someday, working as hard as he did to make money in the market all the time. The only recreation he ever had was his fishing trips now and then. About the background on that picture you gave me, do you know where he went fishing? No. Thaddeus never told me. He'd just take off in his plane and go. Oh, but in the hope that the dear, dear boy might still be alive, that he'd recover his memory and come back here sometime. Well, look, let me show you the den I've had waiting for him. It's in here, Mr. Dollar. You see, if I had some idea where he liked to go when he was away. All over the country, I suppose. He never told me. But now, here's the den with all his... Wait a minute. Wait a minute. What's the matter? This fish on the wall, the stuffed one. It's from one of his trips. The last one before he disappeared. Well, did he? Do you know where he caught it? I told you, Mr. Dollar. I haven't the least idea. Well, I do. You do. Yes, I'm sure of it. And believe me, it's a place he'd surely go back to if he could. Mr. Dollar. Let me use your phone. Michael all got Tim Hanley out of bed. And I'm still not quite sure that he really understood me. What do you say? Do I have to spell it out for you, Mr. Hanley? No, no, no. Not at all. And you're leaving... That's right. I'm leaving right now. And believe it or not, I'm going fishing. Welcome aboard. Try new king-size Philip Morris commanders. New because the tobacco in them is vacuum cleaned. And the cleaner the tobacco, the better it tastes. Yes, the cleaner the tobacco, the better it tastes. Philip Morris commanders are made by a new kind of machine, the Mark 8, that takes rich, full-flavored tobacco. And first, gently vacuum clean it, then rolls the cigarette fully, evenly, cuts the ends clean and firm. The result is new Philip Morris commanders with the cleanest tobacco ever rolled in a cigarette. Try a pack. You'll get a full round king-size of solid smoking pleasure because the cleaner the tobacco, the better it tastes, noticeably better. Welcome aboard. Welcome aboard. That mounted fish, that nice big, lunker bass, could have come from only one place that I know of that I myself had fished. It was certainly a place that Thaddeus Brownberg, if he was still alive, would go back to. Item 6 is 20650 for a cab to the airport, a jet to Los Angeles and plane from there to Las Vegas, Nevada. Item 7 is 50 bucks deposit on a rental car. And shortly afternoon, Pacific time, I pulled in a Lake Mojave resort just above David Dam. I parked and tore on down to the dock just in time to keep Ham Pratt, the manager of the place, from stepping into his powerful outboard and taking off of the lake. Ham, wait on this. Ham, glad to see you again. Well, how are you, Ham? I'm glad I caught you. Well, how are you, boy? I'm great, great. Only, where's your fishing tackle? Or, uh, who are you looking for this time? Well, now, listen, listen, look, look here at this picture. No, no, no, this one, the one with the beard, ain't it? So? Now, Ham, I've seen this man before, maybe somewhere on this lake. You know, one of my fishing trips out here. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if you have. You know his name? I mean, what he calls himself? He calls himself Ted Benham. Benham? Nice old guy. I've been fishing around here some six, seven years. Six or seven years, huh? Yeah, I don't know much about his background or where he came from. Now, I've heard people say that he doesn't know much about it himself. Because of amnesia. What? He's here at the resort? No, he stays at, uh, the Cottonwood Co. at Bob Cole's place. I'm a permanent resident, I understand. And he's there now? Well, no, I don't know, but there's one way to find out. Right, crank her up and let's go. As always, that drive up the lake made me want to be there for only one reason. The fish. One of those big, beautiful fighting bass. But I had to find Faddeus Brownberg if he was here. And sure enough, when Ham had pushed me off at Bob Cole's place on Cottonwood Co., there about to enter one of the modern trailers that served as cabins. Mr. Brownberg! Oh, wait a minute, Mr. Brownberg! Are you speaking to me, young man? He bet I am. Look, my name is Benham. Ted Benham. No, it isn't. I'm a sort of guide here about... Well, let's go into your trailer where we can talk. Oh, wait. Now, I've... I've seen your picture and... and your voice is very familiar. Yeah, you've seen me here on the lake. Maybe heard my voice on the radio. Your name is... Dollar. Johnny Dollar. That's right. I suppose I was more or less expecting you sooner or later. Let's go inside and talk. He poured us a drink and we talked. He was a real decent sort, the kind of a man I like. And far too good for that shrew of a wife. But he stubbornly maintained that he was Ted Benham. He also claimed he remembered nothing of his life before he came to Lake Mojave. That is, until I suggested maybe I should take a set of his fingerprints to the police back in New York. All right, all right, Mr. Dollar. I suppose I tell you that I knew this fattiest Brownberg. But I knew him very well. Now, that's better. Now, go on. I suppose I tell you that he never suffered from amnesia at all. You mean it was a bluff? And that he lost most of his fortune deliberately. Well, why? Another drink. Thanks. True, he had the knack of making money and he hoped to build up a measure of security for these for his later years. But his wife extravagant, spending everything she could get her hands on, kept demanding and getting because he thought she loved him, kept demanding more and more and more. She didn't want him. She only wanted his money. I see. Your drink. Thanks. Now go on, Mr.... Go on. Drink is all right? Yes, fine. Please go on. Her only reason for wanting him around, Mr. Dollar, was so that he could build up another fortune for her to go through. He finally realized this. Realized that she didn't love him. And realized that he could be free of her, free of the nerve-wracking fight to make money for her. And at the same time, provide well for her. By a disappearing act. Well, look at it this way. If he were legally dead, as he will be after the court hearing tomorrow, he'd no longer exist. Sadius Brownberg would no longer exist as far as she's concerned, as far as he himself is concerned. And nothing would be really lost. She'd be well off. He'd have his freedom. Now look. And so if he could be let alone until after that hearing tomorrow, don't you see, Mr. Dollar? I know. I... I don't blame you. I'm... I'm sorry, old man, but I got a... I got a job to do. And before that, here. And here. Well, what did you... Plenty, Mr. Dollar. You're not gonna get away... I remember waking once, my throat burning with thirst. I remember giving me another drink and passing out again. And then, years later it seemed, the smell and taste of hot, strong coffee. And I came too slowly, breathed completely. A little more coffee, Dollar, and how about some food now? After all, it's breakfast time. Breakfast time? It's also Thursday. Oh, my head. I'm sorry, but that was necessary. Now look. Listen, Mr. Brownberg. Only it is venom now. Ted, Venice, will you call yourself whatever you like? And after what you told me about that... that woman that you're married to, believe me, I don't blame you. I honestly wish that I could legally help you stay away from her. That won't be necessary now. But I know that... well, you're really fattiest, Brownberg. And my job is to get you back there before. You said Thursday? Today is Thursday? Yes, Thursday. I checked in New York papers last night by long distance, Mr. Dollar. What? And the hearing took place yesterday. And fattiest Brownberg is now legally dead. But even so... And now, if you're feeling better, if you want to talk some more about it, let's get out of this stuffy trailer. Let's get out onto the lake. Out onto the lake? To talk? Well, yes. Uh-huh. No talking. Let's go fishing, Mr. Benham. And so we fished. And it was great. All three days of it. Right? Wrong? I don't know. Who's to judge? As for the expense account, forget it. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Now, here's our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, a case involving a prize fight, in which the only prize to be won is death. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. And so, Sterling as Billy Cross and Jim Bulls as Ham Pratt. Be sure to join us next week, same time and station for another exciting story of Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Art Hanna speaking. Here, expanded CBS News on the hour, bulletins at once, Monday through Friday on the CBS Radio Network.