 Johnny dollar that McCracken Johnny universal adjustment pure well good for you Pat. Just keep it up Now what's that mean to assignments in one week fine one week in one day, so I still like it What goes this time Johnny? How old are you just exactly 30? Huh? Why are you felt and acted when you were a young punk, huh? Sure, but I hope you were a better sort and the one we have to deal with in this matter Yet on the other hand Well, you know the saying it takes a crook to catch a crook, huh? So maybe we'd be better off a pop. Do you mind telling me what you're yammering about but I suppose you're a good boy Oh, it's no mama's boy. That's what you mean. Oh, no good contact experience Pat I guess not. Oh, you mean if I had a nice black record. I'd be just right for this this whatever you have in mind And yet on the other hand oh come on come on Pat start making sense. Would you well? Yes, all right And they're wrong for some little rock. Yeah, good fly on out and see him Because of some trouble with some some kid that's right, okay, just a kid boy. Yeah, which played nice Oh that kind huh that CBS radio brings you Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators yours truly Johnny Duller Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Duller for the Mono guarantee insurance company little rock office Following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the bad one matter Expense account item one two bucks for a cab to Bradley Field at him to 8110 airfare to New York to Little Rock, Arkansas The plane had left New York at 6 p.m. At 8 50 central time. We sat down at Little Rock Municipal Airport They've been a lot of changes since the year 1772 when a guy named Benard de la Harp stopped here and tagged the place after an Outcropping of rock on the South Bank of the Arkansas River Yeah, it's an interesting town with its modern air-conditioned buildings of chrome and glass its busy streets and busy people and At the same time it's beautiful residential section fine homes plenty of trees and gardens and hedges and lawns that stay a lush green throughout the year Not far away a well-colivated farms and dense forests and along the river lots of rich bottomland much of it loaded with cotton Any kind of crime just doesn't seem right in this area As soon as I get settled I call Culpeper Walker made a date with him and then early the next morning met him in his office where he got down to business No, no dollar not right here in town, but one of the outlying precincts I guess you call it section they call mill town. Oh, I see and his name is Pete McGuire works in a cotton mill He's 18 19 years old and he's the only one knows who killed mr. Briarley Briarley Ambrose W. Briarley client of ours the insured for near $50,000 and his business partners and the miller also clients very important ones Well, what happened and Monday night of last week mr. Briarley was driving along with a payroll for the cotton mill Like I said over in mill town that's east of him. Yeah, somebody ran his car off the road Bashed in his head and took the payroll some $17,000 in cash He was carrying all that money around alone at night Well, he'd taken him out of the bank here in town just before the bank closed We started out for the mill, but he'd had some trouble with his car with one of the front wheels And he had to stop and have it fixed By the time he got on the road again, it was nearly dark Well, tell me you sure he didn't just swerve off the road by himself No, he was shoved off by another car tire marks the skid marks showed just how it happened Chief Andy Fisher the mill town police department check that out. I see well Could the police identify to kill his car by those term marks? No, sir, and that's where the McGuire boy comes in How do you mean? I mean he was caught running away from the scene not more than Well, couldn't be more than one or two minutes after it happened caught by home. Well, please car chief himself was in it Just checking the beat out there. He chased the kid down and brought him in for questioning. Well Nothing Nothing, what do you mean nothing all they could get out of that tough young punk was absolutely nothing Well, then what am I supposed to do if the police haven't been able to get anything out of them? Well, you could try I can't you but it's a matter for the police if it wasn't for mr.. Brile his partners Now what do they got to do with it? They are insurance insurance on the cotton mill Thousands of dollars and premiums every year. So I can't afford to lose it dollar Well, so why should I one's his partners who insisted that I get you out here to investigate. Oh Yes, sir Mr. Dollar Johnny Okay, Culpepper. I'll see what I can do Item 350 bucks deposit on a rental car and I drove over to mill town to the one-room police headquarters in the city hall Yes, sure. I miss Johnny. I was right there to scene of the murder in my proud car right after it happened Oh How come chief man at the bank it told me about mr.. Briley's car trouble Getting dark light rain falling and mr.. Briley toting all that money Well, I thought I'd better make sure he'd gotten to the mill all right So I started out that way, but what happens all right? What happens? I got there to spring road crossing and there's his car in the ditch and another car turning way up the road Oh, and this young Pete McGuire trying to get his motorcycle started and get away from there Kind of he's seen me arriving on the scene So when I found mr.. Briley is a dying there in his car. I grabbed the kid For me I had sent enough to follow up that other car Now you're sure this Pete McGuire didn't do it Well, of course he said he didn't that was before he climbed up like now when it won't say anything And he also asked me didn't I see that other car that left a couple of minutes before I arrived Well, she's that doesn't prove and there was another thing mr.. Johnny You could still see by the tracks now that other car had shoved old mr.. Briley's car off the road Doc hamper come along about that time He's you read those could you read those term marks? No, sir The doc and I could still read the tracks from that Pete McGuire cycle So he come along after the other car left all right I see but he must have seen who was in that other car, so he knows who did it Oh now wait I'm sure of it mr.. Johnny because of what mr.. Briley said what he said went while laying there in his car Dying thinking the doc was Pete standing there, and he kept saying oh Peter you saw You saw it You tell him boy You tell him who did it? You saw it boys you tell him Yes, sir, mr.. Johnny over and over again. He said it and then he died I see so he knew that Pete McGuire saw who killed him and robbed him well Maybe make of course. He did but no good kid Why is he no good chief? Why well? How should I know why mr.. Johnny except it he wouldn't go to school He was a town bum his mom never know where he was that the most work He ever done was pushing a pool cue. Oh, well now most kids boy has been a troublemaker all of his life 1015 times I tried to get him to send him to reform school You really don't like him do you nothing but trouble out of him, and I take it he doesn't exactly go for you Huh, maybe you maybe a cop-hater even huh? Yes, sir That's right a cop-hater just like his old man was like like his old man taught him before I had to kill him one night in a Robbery Pete's old man. They ought to send this cheap punk up to the pin But first I got to find out who killed mr.. Briley. Of course you're holding him chief on what? Material witness with holding evidence. There must be some way Oh with him claiming his blackout and don't remember anything so that Percy van eyes where they take while upstairs Percy van who what there the public defender got the judge to release peep McGuire on his own Recognizing her whatever it is for cognizance. Yes, sir So McGuire's out and free as a bird But if he tries to run up before I can get him up before the jury chief lots of but don't you worry mr. Johnny everybody on that jury of my friends, so they lock him up. All right Yeah, see be a kind of revenge, huh? Because he won't cooperate with you now look mr.. Don maybe just just because he's a cop-hater Well, I find this press event this public defender upstairs in his office But do you think he could get anything out of that kid what I was the kid's defender Do you think he'll tell you if he did but if he did and you find out you got to tell me? Yeah, we'll see about that. Mr. Johnny. I am not going out of here with a punk kid making me look like a fool All these years working to keep order here in Middletown Having to retire a few months from now. Yeah, and going out no richer than when I was walking a beat So maybe I'll have to live with some of my relatives somewhere out West But you think I'm going to leave with this kid making a fool out of me. I'll see you lady To paraphrase Gilbert and Sullivan and announcers lot is not the happy one Well, it's not always want to know why tell you why take this safe driving business You have any idea how many times my confrars and I have begged on bended microphone to beg people not to kill themselves on the highways Now once and for all, let's get together on this Let's understand one another unless you want to pack a frustrated announcers on your conscience Slow down and curb highway carnage. If you don't care about yourself at least have a little consideration for us And now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the bad one matter Percy Van Ashworthy Ted Wilder was hardly what his name might have implied and Called me Ted. Will you Johnny? I don't like the name Percy any more than I imagine you do Yeah, sure Ted now as I was saying in spite of the chief's feelings about him and all the trouble he had with Pete's father Well, put it this way that poor ignorant kid has had the odds against him ever since the day he was born His father was no good. So I understand his mother was an alcoholic and Because he's always been a stupid little runt. The other kids always bullied him. Oh, yes And when they pull a job of none of them very serious. I'll grant you They leave him behind so that he'd be the one to get caught for their mischief and petty thievery's He didn't dare peach on him or they beat him up and the chief never let up on him So he's hated cops hated anything that had to do with law and order Which includes you yes, I'm afraid so his fight of my attempts to get close to him And even you haven't been able to get him to talk. I've tried everything Johnny from sugar-coated kindness to the worst threats I could think of everything short of chief Fisher's heavy-handed methods. Oh You mean the good ol third-degree the rubber hose tactics and things like that. Well, of course the chief denies it Oh, sure he does and don't forget. I'm the one who got the judge to let him out on his own recognizance Why in the hope he'd open up to me? But to Pete I'm still the law just as much as chief Fisher Judge Thurber weren't you taking a big chance and is running away, but he hasn't yeah, I wonder why Won't do any good to ask him. Believe me won't do any good to ask him anything Look out there out the window here. He comes now Pete McGuire. Yes Okay, give me a try. What yeah, look don't tell him who I am what I'm here for Johnny If I thought you could do any good leave me I could but don't you see unless he talks the jury? All of them friends of chief Fisher And if he tries to run now listen, I'm no friend of yours. See I'm um, maybe I'm a troublemaker a con artist What yeah, you want me out of town you you've threatened to have me locked up if I Hey, wait here he comes but Johnny. I'm afraid I don't yeah, okay. You just try and do it See I got a right to make a living on unless you've got some formal charge against me All right now, mr. Tett while I beat come in listen Tett while you sit down dollar sit down Yeah, make me if I have to I Know no Pete Pete you want to talk now. Yes, sir. Good. Yes, sir. I sure do Well, if that's all you got to say to me no dollar. Hey, I'm not through with you. That's what you think well Pete Public defender, huh? That's right. And that's why I try to try and to trick me is all what so you got me out of the Clanker that's right. So now you think I don't know I'm being followed all the time By that chief of police or one of his men all the time wherever I go And I think I know why sir, but the chief promised me. Yeah, the chief promised you You believe that dirty cop? I Tell you mr. Ted Wiley you get him off my tail now now listen Pete And don't you see if you just tell me what you know about the murder of old mr. Briar Lee? Pete Pete please boy Pete listen to me if you're trying to protect someone by I say I really know anything well the chief says you do well oh Pete for the Look, you're in trouble boy. I'll get out of my own way. No one's really proved you didn't kill him So unless you tell me what you know, you just keep that cop off my tail and what I'm gonna kid Pete come back here See you later. No dollar come back here Hey, wait a minute Hey, get your name What's it to you? So you don't like the cops either, huh? Neither got a tail on you, huh? You want to learn how to shake a tail from an expert Expert yeah, that's right me He called you down, huh? That's a good name sounds like money. Oh, yeah, baby. Yeah, maybe plenty of money and Maybe I can use some help in this Berg Helping what? I'm not just wait talk here in city hall with the cops. I will show. Hey, you got a car I got a cycle. All right. Good. I got a car a good one. So tell me where to meet you You don't care if the cops are following me if they follow you too. You think I couldn't shake them Maybe all right you head for wherever you want me to meet you see Now if I spot somebody following Pete, I'll shake them so easy You sure that sure I'm sure then I'll meet you wherever you say, huh because if they find out where I'm hiding out You sure you won't tell him look I promise I give you my word. Well Seven mile road out beyond spring road at the railroad crossing. Yeah, you better hide your car. There's lots of trees You walk in the gully on this side of the tracks Then you see a little tool shack on the side. I'll be there. Okay. Okay. I don't know how soon Pete if we're tail I mean, I may have to lead him away, but I'll see you, huh We were tailed all right, and I could see by home and I wanted To keep him from following Pete. I had to let the boy go on ahead It was nearly an hour later then by the time I got to the tool shack and I thought I'd lost the man who was telling me There was no padlock in the heavy hasp on the door of the tool shack So y'all come on in mr. Johnny Johnny that's right Johnny dollar the big eye See so the bung you here to try to make me talk, huh? The insurance company Pete not the law not the police. No. No, I Know all about you mr. Johnny. I long admire you for a long time. I Hear that you was coming here. Well, I hear lots of things mr. Johnny And I hear you coming here. I figure maybe you can you can Help you Pete But unless I know whatever it is, you know about that murder maybe Maybe I can't tell you come on Pete try but I couldn't tell the police I'll tell any of them. I'll tell that defender you talking to they don't believe me You think they believe me over that chief mr. Johnny. You think they do oh Pete you must have a pretty sour idea of justice and that chief That chief he run this town and he liked to kill me like you killed my old man. He don't like him Only he killed me cause he'd say he catch me trying to run away Oh, Pete you listen and I don't really know who killed and mr. Bradley But I think I know and that's why I don't dare say what I think to that chief of anybody When you saw the car the killer's car heading away from the place But mr. Johnny the only one I see is the police car when it comes from the direction of the mill from the direction of the mill So I really don't know but that chief say I do and if I try and answer the question Wait wait wait trick questions like that chief try and make me answer when he come there and see me Hey listen, I tell you they only let me lose so they make me try and run away Then that chief he can kill me and nobody see it's wrong And he do it too He himself said The chief had let him go sure Maybe it was to get an excuse to kill him if he ran And another car Pete's son over the car So how would the chief know one had left the scene a couple of minutes before he got there? And there were other thing you think I'm gonna retire with this kid making a pull out of me An old man who's been running the town But he'd be rich enough with that 17,000 payroll Sure In meantime, he knew that Pete McGuire and his ignorance of justice in his fear didn't dare to say what he suspected didn't dare accuse This man he thought would kill him with impunity Yeah, and that everyone connected with the law was against all against me And so I want to live miss Johnny. I can't tell nobody not even you Maybe you don't need to Peter Besides, I only think I know kill mr. Bradley. Yeah Well, I'm sure As sure as I Hey Pete that smell Colon yeah, kerosene. Hey look soaking in around this door It's locked Somebody's jammed something into that has about there. Mr. Johnny fire. Now. They're smoking this fire, right? Winds is locked in here. We're going to live keep talking Pete. He forgot the hinges are inside the store What's it keep talking while I pull the pins out of those things We don't be cooked alive All right, chief That's right See the shack on fire. Yeah, well you set this fire as further cover-up for having killed mr. Bradley this boy told you that I'll kill him too. Oh, you won't chief put away that gun. I'll kill you too Oh You miss you Pete. I'm all right, sir. Oh, so you killed old man Braille Mr. Dollar and if this boy didn't know But until you were sure he did and you kept him too scared to talk All right chief you want to write and sign a confession, but if my people found out how shall I use this gun of yours? Oh, no, no, please justice though, wouldn't it? Well, no, oh Yes, sir I'll sign the confession. Okay, then up on your feet on your feet Yeah, pretty smart using that poor ignorant kid as a means to keep any suspicion away from himself But believe me not smart enough Expensive on total including hotel expenses the rental car and the trip back to Hartford 231 20 yours truly shiny dollar Catching a cold well I guess most everyone knows that the smart thing to do when you feel a cold coming on is to get plenty of rest But there are some days when no matter how miserable you feel you just can't stay in bed and If tomorrow is one of those big days and your cold is complicated by constipation Well, that's when you'll appreciate x-lax most You see x-lax has the qualities doctors consider most important in a laxative It's gentle effective and close to natural acting Taken at bedtime x-lax won't disturb sleep. It works effectively overnight to help you toward your normal regularity and x-lax is so close to natural acting There's no upset or discomfort so gentle. It's even recommended for children So if tomorrow's a big day for you if you have a cold and need a laxative to take x-lax Laxative with the qualities a doctor would recommend x-lax now here's our star to tell you about next week story next week the double deal matter And I give you one guess about who comes out at the short end of it. Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey originates in Hollywood and has written produced and directed by Jack Johnstone heard in our cast were Larry Dobkin James McCallion Forrest Lewis Russell Forson and Sam Edwards Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is John Wall speaking, this is the CBS radio network Your junior radio 590 WROW in Albany, New York