 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Joe McNabb northeastern demnity Johnny. Oh hi Joe. What's up? At the moment my blood pressure too much work No prospect of having to pay off on a hundred thousand dollar life insurance policy. Oh Fella, I think you know Johnny hard Wesley. Oh sure, but a pal of mine for years reporter Yeah, apparently he's working on a story right now that somebody doesn't want him to report What do you mean night before last you got beat up in an alley yesterday car made a pass at him at high speed What about today? It's early yet Johnny. Oh, yeah, sure. Well, let's hope it's not too late Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yo, it's truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar to the home office northeastern demnity affiliates Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the big scoop matter Expense account item one eighteen dollars and forty cents transportation and incidentals to New York City. I called Art Wesley's paper He wasn't in and nobody seemed to know where he was Then I remembered a small bar called Tony's over on 3rd Avenue I took a cab that's item to a dollar and a quarter and found him in a corner booth Sorry Johnny, no bodyguard the informants. I'm working with a takeoff fast to the spotted one. No informants No story and insurance policy your paper took out on you. Who's the beneficiary a dear departed wife? Joe departed. I thought split up a couple months ago. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that I we're living in two different worlds. I wanted a home and family. She wanted a trip to the moon every night Where is she now? knows on her way to the moon, I guess Hey, look this story you're working on. It's hot Johnny and big real big a National gambling syndicate and run by a guy right here in New York who I'm getting close But I'm not sure yet when I am then out come my articles What's this guy gonna do when you push him into a corner? Look, I'm worried about you look Johnny. I'm not as foolish as you think I've got his name written down and put in a safe deposit box with what evidence I got That's my real insurance. All right. Look, we've been friends a long time. I'm not gonna let you do this alone Sorry Johnny. I gotta go it alone Since I've gotten nowhere with aren't I decided to try his wife Joan even though they were separated I Found her in an apartment on East 68th, but she was hardly what you'd call cooperative Look mr. Dowery, so you're a friend of arts at the moment. I'm not Mrs. Wesley your marriage with art is none of my business, but that insurance policy his paper took out on him is an Incidentally, you're still the beneficiary So so he could be in danger those articles. He's writing. Why doesn't he drop it? Look, you know art better than that. Then what am I supposed to do about it? That story is his business how I feel about things is my business and come to think of it I can't see that either of those things is your business Item three a tolerated camp fair to police headquarters in the office of my old friend detective lieutenant rostelli Sure sure I know about those attempts on arts life, so I talked to him and got nowhere He told me the stories about a national gambling syndicate. It's morning told me supposedly the big boss is here in New York Now what are you gonna do about it? Look the minute art quits thinking he's got to hit the jackpot all by himself And let's us in on it. We'll give him all the protection. He's lieutenant rostelli Yeah, yeah, just a minute for you Johnny. Oh, thanks Hello, Art Wesley Johnny. They told me at your hotel where to reach you anything new word I'm leaving town for a few hours. This could be it Johnny tonight could be the jackpot. Well, listen. Let me go with you Sorry, I got to go alone. It's part of the deal. All right. It could be a trap I could take care of myself. Call you when I get back wish me luck. Well, oh wait. All right I had him for a dollar eighty cab to arts apartment where I persuaded the manager to let me in I was looking for anything that would give me a lead Then near the phone on a scratch pad. I found where he'd written the word Watika several times Sure Lake Watika upstate art had a lodge there Item five twenty five dollars even for a rented car It was a three-hour drive to Lake Watika, which was bad enough, but to top it off it started to rain and rain hard When I finally got to the highway turnoff the side road to the lake was a massive mud Then I got two quick breaks it stopped raining and I spotted the six-mile road into arts place Half an hour further on I saw a light Arts car was parked at one side in the front door of the lodges wide open When I got to what I saw why I Was lying in the doorway Yeah He was the one who wanted to hit the jackpot But you can't hit the jackpot with a slug Particularly when that slug is right between your eyes Drove to the sheriff's office and reported it Sheriff Tompkins and his boys took over But in the darkness in the mud they can only make a routine check He asked me to be there at the lives the next morning. So I did Buddy was right here in the doorway, huh, sir Yeah, sure if I didn't move it and Wesley probably got shot when he answered the door by somebody standing out there on the ground Because of that bullet hole in the roof. Yeah Right over that shelf that's stocked with canned goods sugar salt and the like Apparently he use this place regular Yeah, he used to do some of his writing here. We are able to determine time of death Connor says between 10 30 and 11 last night. What time did you arrive about half an hour after the rain stopped? I'd say quarter to 12 means it was still raining a good half hour after the killin No wonder we found no tracks. Hey, look Sheriff I was working on a hot story about a national gambling syndicate could be that he found out who the boss was last night the hard way Oh Then you think the killer was from out of town. Maybe New York. Yeah Yeah, now where would he stay is there a hotel around here Lake Wateka in just outside a village about six miles from here Sure if I'll check it out Here at the end mr. Dollar. Well, we have only two who checked in yesterday. It's the off-season, of course Yeah, clerk. Who are they? Mr. Cooper yesterday afternoon and a mr. Buckley around dark. They still here mr. Cooper's sitting right out there on the terrace, but mr. Buckley paid in advance and left quite early this morning I see Did Buckley give any reason for stopping here? He said he was a traveling man and didn't like to drive in the rain Okay, okay, I'd like you to write down a description of him. I'll pick it up on the way out. Oh, I'll be glad to sir Hi, well good morning enjoying the scenery. Yes immensely. Oh sit down. Won't you sure? Thanks My name is dollar winds Cooper. You just check in now. Just drop by now Came yesterday. Uh-huh Pretty up here this time of year. Yes Yes, certainly is I really enjoy places like this in the off-season. It's nice change Too bad the weather hasn't been better, huh? The rainstorm last night. Oh, I enjoyed that too You were out in it. Oh, no No No, I enjoyed it the way a storm should be enjoyed front of the fireplace in my cottage with a drink and a good book No, mr. Dollar. I stayed in last night and that was that I Picked up the description of the other guest Buckley from the clerk and gave it to Sheriff Tompkins who got out of bulletin Then I drove back to New York City turned in my rented car and took a cab that's item six a dollar seventy to Joan Wesley's apartment Yes, they notified me this morning about arts death, I Don't know what to say. What is there to say? Good question. Mrs. Wesley only he hadn't been so stubborn if only he'd given up that story about the gambling syndicate or whatever it was You were you figure somebody in the syndicate killed him. Well, of course Mrs. Wesley did you know art had gone on up to the lodge at Lake Wattika? No Mr. Dollar, I'm rather tired one more thing Did you go out last night? No It was raining. I stayed here in the apartment all evening all evening. I see Well, thanks, Mrs. Wesley Maybe I was imagining but it seemed to me Joan Wesley hesitated just a little before telling me she hadn't been out of her apartment last night And if she had gone to Lake Wattika, I checked the basement garage her car was clean too clean Item seven five dollars to the garage attendant for some very interesting information Joan Wesley had ordered her car washed first thing this morning. Why? Because the wheels were covered with mud From last night act two of yours truly Johnny dollar in just a moment Better schools mean better citizens better neighbors better families But we can't expect our children to respond to learn and grow if we ourselves are indifferent to their school environment CBS radio urges that you write to better schools nine East 40th Street, New York 16, New York For information about how citizens can spark community action to improve their schools That address again is better schools nine East 40th Street, New York 16, New York Now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the big scoop matter Leave this apartment last night your car says differently Joan You had it washed today because it was all muddy and the reason it was muddy was because you had it out in the rain last night Another thing you told me you didn't know I'd had gone to the lodge You hadn't heard from him, but the switchboard operator told me you had a call from him yesterday Now why else would he call you except to tell you where he was going? Well, how about it Joan? All right Art did call me yesterday and told me he was going to Lake Whatica and how about last night? Yes, I went out but not to Lake Whatica art wouldn't give you a divorce by killing him You get your freedom and a hundred thousand bucks. I didn't kill art. I didn't go up there last night. Where did you go? Might as well. No The reason I wanted a divorce from art was because I Found someone else. Oh That's where I went for a few minutes last evening. Why did you lie about the phone call from art yesterday? No, I don't know. I was confused. I was I Was afraid it would look bad for me if it came out that I knew I had gone up there It doesn't look good for you this way believe me Johnny. I'm telling the truth. Who is this fellow you're interested in? I don't see why he was he His name is Ted Nash would You have to talk to him. I sure will and right now But I was wrong about talking to Ted Nash right now. I called his apartment and got no answer I had a $9.60 care fair to police headquarters in the office of Detective Lieutenant Rustele You figure this guy Nash and John Wesley could have killed art and use a gambling a syndicate thread as a cover I'm it's a possibility lieutenant. Well, I'll see what I can find out about Nash How'd you do it Lake Whatica? Two guests checked in the day of the killing one a man named Buckley He left early this morning Sheriff Tompkins has a bulletin out on who else Follower named Cooper who apparently likes to go places in the offseason nothing to tie him in particularly Cooper Had a rumble some time ago that a guy named Cooper was involved in that gambling syndicate. What trouble is we got no proof Hey, wait a minute. What's the matter? I? Told me he'd put the name of the man. He was after in a safe deposit box If we could find the key to that box about arts apartment. Let's take a look So we looked and we found the key tucked away in a desk, but only a number on it Nothing to tell where it was located. I gave it to lieutenant Rustele and he promised to check every bank in town if necessary Well, I went on back to Lake Whatica to see if the man named Cooper at the end was the same one Rustele He told me about When I got there after a frantic three-hour drive. I found him comfortably sitting with a fireplace Mr. Dollar isn't it? Yeah, that's right Cooper I'm gonna get right to the point You told me you came up here to enjoy the scenery. Yes, it's fine. Why? The man who was killed last night out Wesley. He was trying to expose a national gambling syndicate. Oh, that's very interesting So so I know a police detective in New York who thinks you're a member of that syndicate Well, Mr. Dollar, it's very serious charge. I presume you have proof Well, no proof Well in that case, I don't think there's a long-distance call for you. You can take it on that phone right beside you. Thanks, Clark Johnny dollar My lieutenant you locate that yeah, the safe deposit box in it We found the name of the man. Art Wesley was closing in on it. Thanks very much Well Cooper you want to proof we've got it evidence that ties you in with the syndicate clerk Well, this is ridiculous. Let me tell you the facts about this thing Something the matter mr.. Get Sheriff Tompkins on the phone clerk. Tell him I've got Art Wesley's killer here You mean mr.. Cooper on our wait a minute now look dollar if you'd get your facts straight You drop this silly notion of yours. What kind of facts Cooper? What time was Wesley kill between 10 30 and 11 last night But mr.. Dollar mr.. Wesley's place is some six miles from here. That's right. Why well then mr.. Cooper couldn't have killed him What do you mean last night? I took a drink to mr.. Cooper's cottage here at the inn What time around 20 to 11 and I chatted with him for at least 15 minutes Are you sure about that? Oh quite sure Well, mr.. Dollar, I'll buy you a drink some Cooper's stole back to the bar with a satisfied smirk on his face So the one man who had to be arts killer couldn't have killed him I Collard the clerk again and had him repeat historian detail if you recall it rained heavily last night mr.. Dollar Yes, yes, I drove through it on my way up here Well, I was making the rounds of the inn checking windows things like that when the house phone rang It was mr.. Cooper calling from his cottage. He wanted a drink you say that was a 20 to 11 Yes, I always jot down the time when I am called away from the desk. All right Well when I got to mr.. Cooper's cottage He was sitting in the living room in front of the fire with a book We chatted a while and then when I returned here to the desk. I jotted down the time again 1055 Well, that does it What do you mean? Oh? It's a good 20-minute drive from here to art Wesley's Lodge If he was killed between 10 30 and 11 and Cooper was here at that time he He couldn't have done it Well, I'm sorry, but facts are facts and excuse me Lake what he came Yes, just a moment Sure, Tompkins mr.. Dollar. Oh, thanks Hi sheriff thought you ought to know son Remember that man Buckley we were looking for yeah, sure the other guest at the end we picked him up I've been questioning him for an hour any luck no, sir He's just a traveling salesman who stayed at the end because he didn't want to drive in the rain You sure Buckley swears. He doesn't even know Cooper Just between you and me Johnny. I think we got the wrong fella No place again I Decided to start all over gun into my car and drove to art Wesley's place Nothing was changed. I Remember the trip I made the night he was killed How it rained heavily until about half an hour before I arrived How I'd found him lying in the open doorway a bullet hole in his head Yeah, and the hole in the ceiling over the shelf of provisions marking the path of the bullet It was there so were the provisions can food mustard sugar package of crackers. There was some wait a minute sugar the sugar bowl I Stared at it for a moment. I Remembered a couple of things the room clerk at the end. It told me and Suddenly the whole deal slid neatly and quietly into place I draw back to the end fast Cooper's cottage was empty So I went inside to the bedroom and took a look around Then I spotted one of the pictures on the wall a little out of place. I look behind it. Yeah, just what I expected Outside I found Cooper is sitting on the terrace in front of the main building I Slid into a chair across from well, mr. Dollar what fantastic crime you're going to accuse me of today Cooper I got a one-track mind and it's still stuck on murder Dollar we've been over this before and personally I find it quite boring so much so that it's interfering with my vacation That's too bad. Yes, it is So I'm leaving this evening. I don't think so Cooper Oh come now that Wesley was trying to expose a figure in a gambling syndicate you That's a matter of conjecture. You had to stop him for keeps on our luck dollar The time of art Wesley's death has been established is between 10 30 and 11 last night That's right between 10 30 and 11 last night And I'm sure you remember the room clerk telling you he was with me in my cottage living room from 1040 to 1055 I sure do so that I certainly couldn't have killed your friend Wesley six miles from here during that time Except that art Wesley wasn't killed at his lodge Are you talking you see I remembered something else the clerk had told me the night of the killing it stopped raining a little after 11 All right, what difference does that make all the difference in the world believe me. Here's what really happened Cooper You killed art Wesley in the bedroom of your cottage here at the Inn I'll be three you immediately called the room clerk over and chatted with him in your living room for about 15 minutes He didn't know those are corpse in the next room After he left you took Wesley's body the six miles to his place and planted it in the doorway Look, darling, the problem was to make it look like he'd been killed there Then you remembered the slug that had killed him hit the wall in your bedroom. That gave you an idea You figured out the right angle at the lodge and fired a shot upwards from the outside the door It went through the ceiling at the back. I'd tell her I've had enough of your half-baked theories with no proof whatsoever to back them up correction Cooper this time. I've got proof There was a shelf of food under the bullet hole and a bowl of sugar directly under it a bullet So what when sugar gets wet it gets crusty and it stays that way, but the sugar in that bowl was dry Now if the killing was between 10 30 and 11 and it rained heavily until after 11 Then some rain would have dropped through the bullet hole into the sugar But Cooper the sugar was dry So the bullet hole was made after the time of the murder when you planted Wesley's body there Just a little detail Cooper, but it nails you That and of course the fact I found the slug that really killed Wesley just a couple of minutes ago Buried in the wall of your bedroom behind a picture you'd move slightly to cover it Well dollar I may as well tell you that I saw you come out of my cottage a few minutes ago. I Figured you knew So ever since you sat down here, I've been holding a gun on you one to the table You know Cooper I may as well tell you Ever since I sat down here. I've been holding a gun on you, too Let's have it Well, you You didn't have any gun a big-time gambler bluffed right out of the game Cooper. You're slipping Item 10 3750 transportation and incidentals back to Hartford Expensive count total 187 dollars and 40 cents remarks Cooper's awaiting trial About Art Wesley Well, I guess that sugar bowl was a dead man's revenge Come to think of it That revenge was pretty sweet yours truly Johnny dollar Our star will return in just a moment in Days long since gone by one had to go out in search of daring to but in a fast-moving world Exciting things are happening right around the clock things you can be in on no matter what else you're doing as long as your radio is nearby With CBS Newsman on the job you can make CBS radio your listening post for world events Stay tuned now for five minutes of CBS news to be followed over most of these same stations by the FBI in peace and war Now here is our star to tell you about next week story next week colorful new Orleans from nightlife in the Latin Quarter to the dismal deadly swamps join us. Won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey Originates in Hollywood written by Robert Reif it is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Heard in tonight's cast were Virginia Greg Russell Thorson Barney Phillips Stacy Harris Larry Thorpe Harley Bear and Les Tremaine Musical supervision is by Amarigo Marino Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar Dan coverley speaking