 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar John this message I found when I came here Pete somebody took a couple of shots at your $50,000 client Mike Flynn Well, is he will he die from the looks of things last night he may pull through in spite of the two slugs in him I hope so. Do you know who did it? No idea? But I'm gonna try to talk to him if you talk to the beneficiary not yet first I want whatever information I can get from Mike if he's still alive Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar location New York, New York Attention Peter Branson Lakeside Life and Casualty Insurance Company Following us an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the indestructible Mike matter Expense account item six fifty-five cents taxi to the neighborhood of the glad hand rescue mission where daddy Bill the general fact Told him had promised to take the best of care of Michael Jeremiah Flynn He'd given Mike a room to himself on the second floor and what a room What wallpaper is left hung in shreds from the crack plaster the shades on the dirty windows were tattered and torn a Single bear fly speck light bulb hung on a cord from the ceiling The floor was bare and the only furniture was a better chest of drawers an ancient wash stand with a cracked picture in bull And a sagging iron bed on which old Mike Flynn lay Hi You must be the man who helped me into the mission last night. Yeah. Yeah, my name is Johnny dollar Come up to see how you make it out. Well, I much obliged you Johnny. I'm real obliged here Well, how are you feeling this morning me? Oh, I'm fine. I'm fine. I've never felt better Sit down Well, what did the doctor that daddy bill got for you have to say the doctor for me? Oh now Johnny You must be joking joking after you had a couple of slugs tear through here. Here. Let me help You see see they just went through my side here in the front and out the back Holy oh, aren't they heating up nicely well that one couldn't have missed your heart by more than three inches Yes, it did not nearly as the closest this scar though. I want to see this guy Look at it out here. It was that a bullet wound too. No, no, no Johnny That was just an old ice picking something. Huh somebody in the crowd during that fire down at the battery line. Oh Wasn't that a beautiful fire Johnny? Did you see that? Oh, but what are these slugs duty inside? You must be to me. Oh, not a thing. Well, I'm so durable. Wait a minute. Wait a minute Did you say there was another attempt on your life last week? No, no, no, of course not just an accident like those shots last night You think that was an accident? Why don't you do you know who fired them? Oh Johnny? I haven't the least idea. What did it happen? I was right here in the mission and I didn't hear any shots. Oh dear. No. I was down near my private place Where's that? Where's that Mike? Well, I'll tell you It's this way Daddy Bill and the others here at the mission are real nice to know they're real nice You can see by this lovely private room that they fixed up for me Yeah, and they'd like for me to stay here all the time I guess daddy bill thinks if I'm here most of the time I might not drink so much and keep getting those kind of stuff So do you ever enjoy a little drink Johnny? Well on occasion, but you were gonna tell us here. Oh here I've got a little bottle tucked under the mattress. You see Ah, here it is One of the sun is that that that color the pink. Yeah, that's my favorite that pink a straight whiskey costs so much Even when I have the money now and you know something I like a little bit more kick in mine I guess it's kind of a hangover from Prohibition Days So I mix a little kick into it here Johnny. I want you to try this. Well, I Like this Oh Yes, what that stern oh, that's what I add to it. Just a little bit of stern oh Like this stuff will kill you. Oh, I've been drinking that for years. Look at me the picture of health Oh, I'm gonna get you a doctor. No, no, you're not. I won't stand for it. What you've been shot Just gave me a little twinge or two last night, but now I feel fine Well, you fell flat on your face when you came in here Now listen Johnny, don't you tell daddy Bill, but I'm afraid it wasn't the bullets last night. It was Overindulgence. Oh brother, I give up. No, no, don't say that Johnny. Oh, all right, then how did it happen? Well, I was on my way back here when the car drove by. Oh, it sounded to me like a couple of backfires or two But then I felt this little Sting on my side and that's it and you call that an accident of course the men in the car probably just have a little friendly How many men? Well, I'm not sure. I think there are only two of them. I waved at him. What kind of a car? Black. Well, what make could you tell? Well, it was shiny. It was new. See, I wish I had a car, Johnny Look Mike, I'm on a level with you. Oh, I'm an insurance investigator Investigating Well, I will say that's interesting, Johnny. Say, let's have a little drink on that. Well, you tell me about it. No, no, no, thanks And there isn't much to tell except that I'm here to try to save your life among other things. Well, no, I don't understand I'm getting along all right. I've been living it up here in the Bowery for years Maybe you were getting along okay until you took out that big insurance policy. Yeah, oh say wasn't that nice of Mr. Cosgrain now all my life I wanted to have some life insurance, you know, it gives you kind of feeling of importance and security So when he came down here one night and I told him that Well, I say his eyes just lit up and he said he was gonna make me a person of some insurance Who is this Cosgrain? How much you know about it? Oh, he's wealthy I know that much about he has a beautiful car and a show. Does he come down here often? Oh, no, I'm in. Just now, I'm in. Why? Now I've often wondered about that Johnny So one time I asked Daddy Bill and he said that years ago when Mr. Cosgrain was young He came to the mission for help and Daddy Bill gave it to him. Oh, what does he do when he's here? Oh, he brings some food for the brothers and the brothers That's what Daddy Bill calls us and some money and he always gives jobs to a couple of men who've drifted in him What kind of jobs Mike? You know, that's something I don't know. You see they never come back here again Maybe it's because they can't Mike, I'm gonna give it to you straight To me the whole thing smells to high heaven. I mean this Cosgrain sounds like a racketeer. I may be wrong I'll know better when I meet him and I intend to do that as soon as possible But right this minute. I bet that he comes down here for only one purpose To recruit help for some sort of illegal job. Oh, that's a terrible thought. When he heard you say you'd like insurance He jumped at the chance and why not? Let you name him as beneficiary and then have you knocked off. Oh, no John Ice-picking your side was no accident Mike. No more than the shots that you last night He's been so nice sure of course. He has he can afford to after all your body's worth $50,000 to him and that's what you're gonna be Mike just a body unless I can do something about it Such a nice man, too. How's he been getting this money to you in an envelope by mail It usually is just left here at the mission by home. Well, nobody ever seems to know It's just a plain envelope. It's dropped in the mail return address. Oh, no, no, no, but I'm sure it comes mr. Cause great So there was one do yesterday every Monday, you know, but daddy built said it didn't arrive Well, maybe it'll be here today, and you know something. I'd like to see it delivered You'd like to see who delivers it Why don't we go downstairs and wait and see no easy there Mike? You're a sick man Oh stop talking that way sick Let me give you Look at that. Look at that daddy bill left my shoes here by the bed Brother now I've seen everything Now there we are all dressed I don't know how you do it Mike Shall we get downstairs sure made the way The envelope should be there because it always comes in the morning when there's nobody here you know and daddy bills out shopping and Just the door to the assembly room is open for any poor lost soul who wants to come in wait for the chow line to open Well, we'll see we see and then we'll go to my private place You see there are two things. I like Johnny solitude and crowds of people Look at that Johnny There's mail there by the door You see Here's my envelope and my name's on it to wait Mike. It's all right. It's all right You see that Johnny a $20 bill Let me have that envelope for possible proof. Oh, yes. Yes. Here you are Johnny now. We can go out your night We can have a real big Well now Johnny look at that a package for me to easy Mike. Let me have that no no I know what you're thinking an infernal machine or something. That's exactly what? But you didn't hear it Well, look at that Johnny Well joyous be one for you and one for me easy Mike. I want to carry this one in the rapid Fingerprint sir. That's right Mike. I'm gonna take you back upstairs and lock you in your room You're to stay there let nobody in not even daddy bill until I get back I say and just remember that I'm trying to save your life I Don't seven to seventy cab fare uptown to the 18th precinct station The lamb boys took over three hours while Randy Singer and I talked about cases that we'd handled together in the past I asked him to dig up whatever he could for me on John Wesley Cosgrave the man named as beneficiary of Mike's insurance policy This he promised to do Finally a slim and intelligent looking lieutenant walked in and handed Randy a neatly type reported the lab's findings in connection with the liquor Bottle and envelope I'd given them Randy not much I'm afraid Johnny apparently the only prince were those made by the old man and you proof that somebody's been pretty darned careful Not to be identified. Yeah, that's right Hey, wait a minute Seal on the bottle had been tampered with so the lab boys opened it that bottle contained enough wood alcohol to kill an army I thought old boy drinks the way you would Lord Randy. See you later I don't make ten bucks even taxi fare and tip back to the glad hand rescue mission I don't know how the driver did it But he skinned through practically every red light on the route and I soundly cursed myself for having left Mike with the other bottle The place was apparently still empty when I pounded up the stairs to the second floor in Mike's room At least kept his room locked as ordered Mike Mike Mike are you all right? He was stretched out on the old iron bed his face drawn even whiter than the pillow in which his head rested The half empty bottle lay where he dropped it on the floor beside him And I got a sob for the stupid careless unthinking way in which I Mike Johnny what a hangover this is going to be Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow the would-be beneficiary of indestructible Mike turns out to be a Very interesting and dangerous man Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dolly yours truly Johnny dolly is starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone who also wrote tonight's story Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking