 Johnny is a pattern to them. I said armed robberies. Yeah, anybody been killed being his first victim Casually no sacrifice can be too great. Even if it means lost of the thing most dear and precious to me my life Never mind. I'll see you in a couple of days. The man with the action tax expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Gator Johnny dollar to the tri-state life and casually insurance company Los Angeles office Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of The wayward killer cycles matter Friends account item one $170 and 40 cents playing fair It was after 7 p.m. Hartford time when Earl called me and the next good flight I could make was shortly after dawn the next morning To copy there about 9 a.m. Pacific time I am through with six dollars for a cab to our apartment office in Westwood and you store Robberies Johnny have all taken place in LaMoudre Beach LaMoudre Beach There's one of those new developments that have spun up like weeds all over this town Now you mean it's part of Los Angeles. That's right That's like Westwood here in Brentwood Hollywood view park studio city Sherman. Oh Anyhow LaMoudre Beach is a real nice smoothie resort at the main shopping section nearly half mile long Markets nice little furniture best jewelry stores car dealers drug stores everything. I think And these robberies have all occurred along that main stem and the robberies not burglary is robberies every one of them Johnny And they've been seven in a row now Every one of them has occurred in broad daylight in a regular path now wait a minute I haven't the police been able to do anything about them. Well, they tried all right, but so far They haven't got the first base. Mm-hmm. Now, let's get to this pattern And what it begin with it all looks like the work of one man The store owners who've been robbed all make him about five to ten ten and a half from a hundred and fifty to fifty five pounds Dark brown hair age about thirty and he wears a handkerchief over face. Well, let's face it earlier that description fit thousands of men Yeah, I know anyhow Well, you know Johnny he always pulls a job in the morning when there aren't too many people in the shops on the streets and At the precise moment when the owner is all alone The timing of them almost took it to be true almost fantastic And he simply barged in waving a gun. That's right. I don't know me 45 He's made the owner clean up not only the cash register, but the state provided us in a back room. It can't be seen from the street Then he skipped out through the alley. That's the whole of stores and it's all happened so fast I turn to Johnny his timing is just fantastic. I don't any of the store owners of alarm systems I don't believe me. They're all out of them, but there hasn't been time to get any of them in stores And these seven robberies have all happened within the past business week Two of them were in one day. How much money has been taken? Well, not an awful lot, but enough to hurt You see the world Kind of an exclusive shop expensive except for the little coffee milk that was knocked over yesterday Oh within a week Yeah, almost before the police ability had a chance to catch up with him That's right. There may have been a few police out there So maybe he'll knock over a couple more places and then take off for other parts Or maybe he's through here already. Well, that's why I think he's an accent I mean if it was somebody who lives there doing it He'd take his time and pull a job and wait for the heat to die down and plan pull another What's the address of that coffee knock? 421 Harbour Drive My mode for Beach, right? Do you want me to drive you over there? But it won't only your car and sin. Oh sure Here's the keys. Help yourself. Okay I'll check with you later Adam 3 470 for a tank full of gas And I drove to the motor beach Believe me. It's an exclusive resort. All right And not only because of the expensive homes around it all of them are $50,000 in up glass But I looked at the prices of the shop windows along that main drag One sign on the window of a tailor shop announced that food prices start at 275 bucks And most of the buildings are quite colorful A bar and grill that looks like the bow of a ship a Radio shop with a power to make it look like a lighthouse and so on Then that's the coffee nook and that was the name of it. This is Webster's coffee nook. He certainly did mr Uh, mr. Dollar did you say? Yes, I certainly did. He took over a hundred and thirty five dollars from me You know some of that money I put aside came my bakery bill. You see until they get a bank out here Certainly, you say hurry up and get that bank finish before everybody gets All there will be there'll be three of them with all that confusion over building coals Well, all the rest of the stores and places got in the people started coming before they can finish up a single bank I just wish to have to keep so much money around here all the time So does everybody else or the nearest banks over in the valley or in Santa Monica or westwood But after what happened to me with that robbery yesterday morning Are you sure to see him with that horrible looking pistol the way he waved it at me? Yes Well, mr. Webster, I believe they're doing everything they possibly look look look there they go now Yes, I see You ask me that means there's been another robbery There you see it's time to get that nice radio and television store just the other side of sam the tailor And do you see that nice mr. Mark the owner you see him calling the policeman? Yes Yes, it looks like you're right. Mrs. Webster Another of these robberies One television store until the police could poke around and ask the usual questions And apparently get the same answers they had from all the previous victims of the whole that man Instead of checking in with them I waited until they and the usual bunch of sympathizers left the shop And then sorted in I should be glad it didn't haul away all my stock too They I mean him that dirty robber 200 hours. He took from the old cash on here That's too bad. It's the same one. It's the robbing everybody else around here Even the police admitted only how did he know I was here alone? Answer me that How did he know that birch room was out making that installation for mrs. Doverne over on palm drive? I'm sure I don't know Yeah, you know what I'm gonna do I'm gonna close up this place That's what until they catch him or until they get a bank in this town And so are a lot of other people you mark my word And if it's an excuse me mister, I'm gonna close this place right just Well, I would Unless you want to buy a radio set or maybe a tv Oh, no, thank you He would have been saying that's model. Haha one of the finest tv sets ever made absolutely the newest model 23 Infecture high fidelity. Yes. Yes, I'm sure and look look look here. Yes step back away from here here Here like this You see this little thing. I just took off the hook in front of it. No bigger than a package of cigarettes That's a well maybe king size mr. Mark It's positively the latest type remote control. Well, I'm here to see you So that's the morning dance party you're looking at. It's a good picture. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good clear picture All right, so maybe you like the music a little bit loud So you uh, you have to walk back to the set and turn it on No, sir, this little remote control unit right here in my hand. So I push a little button like this So listen William and you see I've come to music tonight and even have it back to the set That's wonderful. I can bring that music down a bit. Well, of course like this Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's better now mr. Mark. Now hopefully you can take the station While it's the same time the president elect can't be with a new John Yeah, you don't want to hear the news Oh, yeah, I'm doing it for this button. No, no, please mr. Mark Just watch Now there's that fit for love that wonderful serial program every day and any other program you want all you're doing Listen Mark, but well if you want the dance party back, oh, please I was just just demonstrating, you know in case you want to buy a nice brand new latest No, I don't I don't what I wanted to talk to you about look Would you please just stop fooling with that thing for a minute, but I didn't touch it not not that time Oh, well see that goes again changing stations all by itself. What do you mean? Is it supposed to do that? No I mean today is the third time that thing has been acted up Maybe the fourth you better send it back to the factory and the last time was only three four minutes before that hold up man Came in here Going crazy that hold up is what I came in here to talk about mr. Mark Just like I said before Please can't you turn that thing off say I just thought of something mr. Uh, mr What's the name is? Well, I didn't but it's Johnny dollar. Well, see mr. Dollar Now if I am a special investigator from the insurance company that will have to pay you for whatever loss you suffered as a Would you turn that thing off, please? Oh, yeah, yeah, of course Now there you are the whole set is off now But like I started to say I started to say the next to the last time this happened was just Well just before that poor mrs. Webster got robbed yesterday morning what I want to know from you What what did you say? I said I said the remote control system on this fine this magnificent television set acts in the very same way just before I got robbed Yeah, yeah, and also just before mrs. Webster got robbed. Are you sure of that or maybe It may be the now that I think of it. Yes, maybe what? Well, maybe it was acting up this way three days ago and mr. Blanton with the novel these shots He was robbed. Well, yeah over 700 hours right after the set started acting up. Yeah, that's funny Somehow he said this crook seemed to know exactly when the owners were alone in their stores Yes, but his timing was perfect. What's in this dollar? Oh, that's what earl poor man told me Earl before and maybe this TV demonstration of yours this Remote control gizmo explains just how that holdup man knows when the coast is clear Well, I don't understand what you're saying mr. Dollar in other words Now wait mr. Dollar. Yes, you have an idea. Yeah, I certainly have Because if you're from the insurance company, then if you're the one to see I get paid back for what I lost Well, should we talk business? Yes, yes, we'll talk business. All right, but not about your insurance But mr. Dollar that remote control device here Yeah, now, how does this thing work? Well, it is I don't know exactly. It's some kind of wave wave. Yes sound waves The something You know in this booklet here that comes with a set of sound waves. Yeah It's look look look here. It says waves of 44 point six kilo cycles to 51 kilo Again, so high and pitch as to be inaudible to the human ear. Does that mean you can't hear it? Yes, I know go on here You know Actuated device within the set itself that changes volume or station channels or turns it off or turns it on. Okay Okay, I got it Yeah, yes, yes, don't you see this holdup man has a pal Yes, that's it. There is somebody along this name street Who can keep tabs on all your store owners who knows when you're all alone in your shop? Oh, he does and by radio. He communicates with a man who actually pulls the holdup Tells him when the coast is clear. You mean that one of the merchants does somebody hear a long this street It's telling this holdup. Yes. It's telling him by radio. Well, it's safe, but yeah, that's exactly what I mean And he doesn't know it But his radio signal on a band somewhere between 44 and 51 kilo cycles is also working this remote control gadget So I told you it's a wonderful a marvelous set. All right, then If I can get hold of a direction finder I can track down the guy who's sending out the all clear information to the holdup man What do you think so that is the answer Mr. Marks And I think I know where to get hold of a direction finder Yeah, that's what you say it's too, mr. Dollar. Yes. Well Well, after the way this set was behaving a couple of minutes, right, right more holdup information being sent out from that transmitter Yeah, but then there ought to be another holdup only there isn't At least there isn't any Oh, yes Come on, and you see the people there in the next block down in front of the market That's another holdup two in one day again Yeah, and mr. Dollar, there'll be more and more and more of them until we're all put out of business No, no because now mr. Mark. We know the answer From the phone in the store mr. Marks, I ran up item four 20 cents for a call to Bob McKinney in North Hollywood Who was known among radio hands as w6 v s g He not only used to handle the engineering end of my broadcast, but to leave me bob knows his killificals like the back of his hand Sure Somebody along this street can send an info about when the coast is clear Okay, then Bob if you can bring a direction finder over here We can track down the transmitter and nab at least one of the teams Yes, unless this last one was the last one. How soon can you get over here with that equipment? Oh, it has to be waiting for you with the marks radio and television shop here on the main drive I drove back to west Los Angeles And spent the rest of the day and the night With hurl poorman and his wife Then early the next morning met Bob and mr. Marks shop in La Molder Beach As Bob finished setting up this radio direction finder There we are all set The Johnny you still haven't told me how you got the frequency of that signal he's sending out to wherever he is Now it's easy Bob that tv's set up there on the floor You see him There against the wall with the big one As a remote control That um, remember to remove a little box with buttons on here. I know the model I push one of these buttons it sends out a signal in that frequency range that I gave you and makes this set chain station So it's the transmitter sending out info to the hold-up man Also makes this set chain station. It must be working in that same frequency. Oh, tell me no What? I'm sorry, but it doesn't mean a thing Oh, what do you mean? Every remote control puts out sound waves. Well, I know too high and pitch for us to hear them not radio waves What would you mean that my theory my whole theory about somebody transmitting information that you mean it's all wrong Johnny it's sound that makes the tv set react So whether somebody's using a radio transmitter on that frequency or not, I couldn't possibly You know, I suppose the matter of resonating. I mean A sympathetic resonance. Oh, wow But sometimes nearby to a broadcasting transmitter a pile of bits of metal something like that sometimes it'll resonate Well listening to that pile of scrap metal you can actually hear the broadcast so But the transmitter of these signals don't have to be flexible on top of this tv set Maybe it is Because whoever is tipping this guy off to when the coast is clear To when some businessman is alone in his store has to be somewhere right along this main street Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to see when it's all clear Well, maybe if it was somebody right next door, mr. Mark the mario well, this is with a nice dress shop Never, mr. Dahl never stand on the other side of the plane my good friend. Sam the Taylor But on top of this shop of yours It's built up like a lighthouse here for local color here at the beach here Like like tony's bars like the front of a ship and like that hawaii Yes, yes, but what what is in this lighthouse of yours? With just a couple of small apartments there, right? But there's a transmitting antenna on the top of this home I don't see a transmitter on the shop. Well, I don't have any all I tell is receiving things like raiders and bomb you have got it One of your borders mr. Mark those two boys boys. Well, you know 25. Let me say to you. So what do they do? Well, I'd will have thought since he never seems to leave the place Well, of course, he doesn't because up there in that tower is where you can see everything that goes on down here On the street the whole length of the street johnny you're right and the other one mr. Mark Well, I don't know that that harry williams goes out early every morning and comes back late at night Well, of course because he is out waiting to get the word from Thorsten up there on the tower And johnny if that transmitter is up in the tower, it's pretty close enough to affect this tv set Then go on up there mr. Dahl and arrest that willard that that willard sources on what? Unless we catch him broadcasting information to harry williams Even then pal harry might get away. All right So I have a better idea Why don't we just sit down here and Watch some tv Though we did for three solid days Until suddenly the set began to change stations unexpectedly When that happened barb turned on his direction finder and yes, that figure was coming from straight up over our heads And the voice that mr. Marks identified at willard's Thorsten Told his pal harry the coast was clear at beckham the jeweler's Yeah, right down the straightness is our only five dollars down the street So while barb mckinney went up in the tower to grab willard's Thorsten I hiked on down the back alley to beckham the jeweler's with my 38 ready for action And I got there just in time to find harry williams about to leave by the back door loaded with beckham's cell You know, I didn't like his look I didn't like that 45 in his hand either And he objected to my barring his getaway. He was really kind of nasty about it But after a while we kind of reached under My knuckles are Still sore from when he ran into my chest. So I guess there's nothing like modern electronics as an aid to crime And as an aid to catching a crook Two of them in this case expense account total including a trip home Oh call it four hundred bucks even yours truly Johnny dolla hard to tell you about next week's story the next week A crook a fire bug unwittingly sounds the case for me and hands me a christmas present to boot Join us won't you yours truly? Johnny dolla directed by bruno's around her junior heard in all cast lay on jenny as mr. Mark Less dayman is earl still sterling his barb and a penal lord is mrs. Webster