 I'm now for yours truly Johnny dollar the next half hour has its baggage pack to take a trip with America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator Johnny dollar at insurance investigation he's just an expert at making out his expense account he's an absolute genius expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to home office American pioneer life insurance company Hartford Connecticut attention W.K. Green general manager the following is an accounting of my expenditures in the case of Barton Drake or how I played ducks and drakes with a Drake who ducked expense account item one one hundred dollars I'm charging you for one hour's sleep I missed answering your telephone call at nine o'clock in the morning expense account item two a dollar and a half I had to go out for breakfast Easter Bunny didn't leave me any eggs item three cab fare to your office one dollar tip to driver one dollar morning Johnny why don't we make that good night sometimes soon shall we checkie well I've had to type up some of your expense accounts I think maybe an evening with you might be fun but business first old stonewalls waiting for you hasn't it gotten out of that military kick yet no he still thinks he's a general but to me he's still just what he was before he ever went into the army as belts never stop fighting the battle of the business man's bulge are well forward March good morning Mr. Green sir Mr. Dollar reporting his order to add he thought you might be homesick for some military courtesy yeah I'd be surprised to get any kind of courtesy from you but we're not paying you to be polite sit down here I've got a job for you copy made of a file in that case you can take it with you thanks Barton Drake how we are remember him let's see life insurance $30,000 beneficiary Mrs. Barton Drake well what is it is he dead or just dying neither we hope well if you'll pardon a little before noon philosophy just by living a man is slowly dying of old age we have a statistical department to worry about that your job is to find this man Barton Drake okay what's the story as far as the company is concerned the story started one night just short of seven years ago that would make it 1942 yes the same year I was called upon to fight for my country yeah in the insurance division Pentagon building Washington DC but don't get me wrong those who serve can be just as proud of what they did is those who fought as you were saying I merely use the word fight as a general term yes general Barton Drake one night about seven years ago yes when we issued the life policy on Drake he listed his occupation as that of hardware store proprietary hardware as I recall it he specialized in unregistered pistols handcuffed keys and hacksaws and if I'm not wrong at the time he disappeared he was under suspicion of grand larceny and wanted for assault with intent to kill a police officer that's right at the time he was suspected of a number of large robberies now refresh me on that cock shooting how that happened like you remember when the police arrived at the house to pick him up he opened fire from the bedroom window made a dashboard out of the back to his own car there was a chase during which the car skidded and went through the rail of a bridge into the river oh yes now I remember you know they never did recover the body or the loose all they got back was a wet Buick dollar that was seven years ago at least it will be seven years and one more week at that time Barton Drake will be declared legally dead by the probate court his wife is already instituted proceedings and when the court says she's a widow she says I want my $30,000 and you have to pay it right exactly but we're not going to pay that $30,000 if we can help it at 9 o'clock this morning the missing persons bureau the New York police department called us and gave us reason to hope that Drake is still alive what happened did they see him in a crystal ball you don't know how close to the truth you came down the missing person boys have a new habit these days whenever there's a television show there's where there's a public crowd involved they watch it last night they think they spotted Barton Drake at the prize fight now that's all we've got to go on but we think he's alive and that he's somewhere in New York well that's a start anyway I know where to find New York expense account item for $7 mileage Hartford to New York I stopped in Bridgeport to soak up a dish of coffee and whatever information there might be in the insurance file of the two the coffee was the stronger all I learned from the file was Drake's physical physical measurements the birthplace of his mother his wife's maiden name the last known quotation on his blood pressure and his home address in Manhasset Long Island to which I went the house had a $40,000 look about it and its grounds were being manicured by a gardener who had a $12 a day look about him I'd like to see Mrs. Drake here's my card yes if you wait here in the hall I'll go tell her you're here the maid had a $40 a week look about her and completed the picture of prosperity for a hardware merchant Barton Drake had died leaving his wife living a soft life either that or he was still alive and not giving his wife grounds for divorce on the basis of non-support or she was that certain kind of gal who wouldn't have any trouble making that certain kind of man get up that certain kind of money and when I saw her I knew not only that I couldn't afford her but the Drake probably hadn't been able to which probably led to his undoing just to give you an idea she was wearing a diamond necklace and a negligee and it was two o'clock in the afternoon dollar Mrs. Drake yes I'm having breakfast won't you come and join me well I'll join you but no breakfast I just had a tomato surprise lunch oh I'm glad you didn't mean me come on right in here are you sure you won't have some breakfast no thanks I couldn't bring myself to hurt that poor tired trout you've got there that's a genuine English kipper oh I beg your pardon now he didn't recognize it without its monocle oh you're more fun than eye-opener I should have you around when I get up every day well I am selling it to you that should make you really feel good you don't mean that bunch of stuffed shirts that the insurance company decided to give me my money without going through all that fuss at probate oh I've got better news than that you may not get that money but we think you have a good chance of getting your husband back yeah the New York police think they saw him last night alive maybe I was wrong maybe that doesn't make you happy well yes yes of course of course it makes me happy but to live without a man for seven years and then have a stranger just sit across the table and calmly tell you he's alive but it's just too much tell me where they found him they didn't they think they spotted him at the fights they were watching on television I imagine they're looking for I know I am well it's impossible if you were alive and back in New York he'd come to me that's what I was hoping Mrs. Drake well I don't believe why would he do a thing like that to me why would he make me suffer all these years I think you'd better go now I've got to be alone I've got to think of what why why please mr. golly I want to be alone I figured if she wanted to be alone it was for a good reason because that ladder she'd gotten into was strictly from soap opera she flooded me to the door on a tide of tears once outside I picked up the hedge clippers the gardener had conveniently left near the front walk and pruned the telephone wires leading into the house then I took a plant on the place from the other side of the street I figured Mrs. Drake would want to share her troubles with somebody and with the phone wires cut she'd have to leave the house to do it giving me a chance to follow her and that's the way it worked out she led me someplace all the way into New York City but not to Barton great that would have been too easy once in Manhattan she headed for a drugstore and the telephone booth I slipped into the phone booth beside hers I got the receiver off the hook and my nickel in the slot and time to use an old trick of mine as she dialed I tried to duplicate it with my phone she dialed and I dialed I was just one number behind her all the way when she was through dialing I held off dialing the last number on my phone until she got an answer and then I let it go the number she was calling was busy it was still room for coincidence but it was good enough for me I jotted down the number I'd gotten out of my little telephone game of tag and then listen through a place turned out to be the usual place to meet trains Grand Central Station but no train ever pulled into where Mrs. Drake went as a matter of fact no man ever did unless he was a plumber baby that's right where the ladies go to powder the noses and things she came out 30 minutes later alone but she never hit the street instead she went through the tunnel into the adjoining Commodore Hotel checked into room 407 the only room I could get was 1313 expense account item five ten dollars tipped to hotel detective for keeping an eye on the Eiffel in 407 item six thirty five dollars purchase of portable phonograph item seven sixty five cents purchase of phonograph record Frank Sinatra singing night and day with this for ammunition I went back to my hotel room and gunning for a bird I'd never seen I set up the phonograph near the telephone put on the record and placed a call to the number Mrs. Drake had called earlier in the day hello there 7 p.m. again and this is your favorite disc jockey happy jack the money man yes your favorite disc jockey your spinner with the winners tell me are you listening to our show the phone madam a little thing like that doesn't make any difference to happy jack here's all you have to do to win a house full of prizes now you just listen closely over the phone and identify today's puzzle planner and you'll win all these wonderful prizes a genuine Sunbeam mix master that makes those fresh little eggs just happy to get beat up yes and you'll clean up with the next prize make a real clean sweep with a Hoover vacuum cleaner with all attachments and no strings attached and to send you tripping happily through life you'll also receive a handsome set of easy-to-lug luggage a pair of gladiator bags are you interested well of course I am all right then here's the tune what's the title of that song night and day you're right you win all the sensational prizes quickly now give me your name and address they'll be delivered tonight Mrs. Nott yes Mrs. Nott the street number 127 East 89th Street apartment 3C thank you Mrs. Nott you'll get the whole works immediately expense account items 8 9 and 10 3950 purchase of mix master 7950 purchase of vacuum cleaner and 8950 purchase of luggage you may resent this expenditure but there's one thing you must remember nobody can resist trading the name and address for something for nothing I felt like an out of season Santa Claus when I knocked on the door of apartment 3C at 127 East 89th Street the frame suddenly became a picture frame and casing a live version of Whistler's grandmother complete with wheelchair and crocheted Afghan yes ma'am I'm happy Jack and I'm glad to meet you right in here and set them down yes there you are Mrs. Nott you lucky woman you is that all almost now all we need from you is a little information just some background on today's winter to pass along to my radio be up with you young man I'll write you a letter oh but come now Mrs. Nott never mind I have no time now just a few questions while I check you out on the Hoover I don't need any checking out now go away I must say Mrs. Nott you're a bad winner so now I'm afraid I'm gonna have to stick around to find out how good a loser you are but you know this man do I know him he's that insurance investigator Johnny dollar granny came flying out of the wheelchair multiplying a height by 3 when I first saw granny's hand flying toward me it looked like there was an old-fashioned wedding ring on each finger but just just too late I saw it was only a set of brass knuckles in just a moment we'll return to the second act of yours truly Johnny dollar CBS cordially invite you to hear the adventures of Philip Marlowe and the stories of modern crimes and their solutions has unfolded on gangbusters when they come to you every Saturday night on most of these same CBS stations tomorrow night Philip Marlowe will investigate the mystery behind the cloak of Kamehameha and gangbusters will deal with the case of the callous killers now back to yours truly Johnny dollar woke up the thunder and lightning in my head was getting an answer from the sky and I started getting some answers to you James give me a granny's voice had changed to the base register and its owner was smoking a big cigar I stayed on the floor and quiet I didn't want those brass knuckles crooning me another lullaby I told you I didn't want you to try to collect on that insurance why'd you do it $30,000 that's why here you talk you think you were going hungry what do you think I am some empty milk bottle you can run down to the corner and get your nickel back on what are you trying to do anyway sell me out sell you out you know what started this trouble you had to go to the fights last night all a big man dumb cops you don't worry about me they haven't found me I'll take care of myself but not with you lousy me up getting mixed up with dirty dealers like this guy dull you're so smart why did you let him in here shut up he wanted to give me something for free that's why well I've got something for him a free boat ride we'll let chair over here we'll take him out in that wheelchair ride was short to the street the auto ride was longer to the ocean and from what I could gather on the dock the boat ride was to be even longer to my doom I was still playing sleeping beauty and listening to the supposed to be dead man Barton Drake telling his wife Stella how he was going to make my slumber permanent come on come on get a move on I've got his hands tied hurry up with his feet I'm almost there now what now I'll stand back while I heat him up on the deck for what they ever find this both are gonna find it empty one good wave out there and this guy goes for a swim there the wheels last he's got plenty of gas and plenty of ocean out there that'll teach Mr. Happy Jack now I'm giving him away and so shower bath with my clothes on wasn't the big chill in my life I was scared my heart was racing faster than the boat engine and for the first 20 minutes all I could think about was hanging on to that slippery deck with all I had to hang with my hopes and my heels I was on the thin strip of deck after the wheel hard by my hands was a deck when that first starting point I went to work trying to out navigate that rope which Barton Drake at last the wheel I worked my tight wrist over the cleat and drop my legs down over the side into the icy racing water I had raked myself into a human jury runner to swing the boat off its course I didn't know where it would take me but I didn't care as long as it wasn't out to the open sea might well tell you you both sunk and you ruined the knock last night doing it that's paper my name's Fred kindly I pulled you off the beach and expecting to be paid for that too cost me to find out where I am paint worth nothing talking you're on Slate Island paint worth much neither all Slate didn't have a sense to grow no chalk to go with it dandy where am I clothes out the sun how about my wallet fish must have got it mind if I feel your back for fins don't get funny young fella might want to be getting off this island someday sound day some minute is more like it you got a boat of course I got a boat but he's got much food maybe if I could afford buy some a supply can good when I got to the mainland well well how much would it cost oh much as a hundred dollars maybe okay it's a deal let's go hold on now only said maybe come think of it might cost 200 okay your swindler 200 then swindler am I I see a fellow that might as well have the game as a name makes me price $500 with a greedy can good if you don't want to pay it you can get out this shack and wait for the mailboat maybe I will when does it get here week from Tuesday okay he'll get your $500 worth of canned goods when can we start and give you close soon to put it in right in and sign your name where's the paper right here keep it handy just fill in them out here $500 worth it's regular contract ship right okay give it here $500 and what do I sign right there at the bottom there you are all signed that's a peculiar name Ali Khan I'd had more than my share of wind the night before so I decided to throw caution to it I went into the building at 127 East 89th Street and up to apartment 3C first I knocked with my knuckles and got no answers so then I knocked with my feet well what do you know the lock broke there was nobody home and Barton Drake must have been out calling himself granny at the moment because the wheelchair part of his disguise was also among the missing the closet was empty and the brand new gladiator bags I had delivered the previous evening were nowhere to be found and nobody could say I hadn't made it easy for Drake to make a getaway with my little giveaway I even supplied the luggage but all the traffic wasn't going some of it was coming as one bad thing about kicking your way into places you can't lock the door behind you now that you're in you better come all the way in what are you doing here you should be asking me what I'm doing alive the only answer I've got for that is I don't murder easily where's Barton that was the next question I was gonna ask you now that that one's gone I've got a couple more I'd like to ask you and don't argue I don't know anything well then let me tell you something if you're not guilty of anything else you are guilty of attempted insurance fraud that's in my department the tougher you make it on me the tougher I'm gonna make it on you now about those questions how long is your husband back here in New York never left here the night his car crashed to the bridge he just grabbed himself a hideaway in New York and stayed put huh how long has he been using that old lady disguise all the time okay now my last question that bag in your hand where were you going okay let's find out give me that bag this well it's either a bathing suit or a two-piece handkerchief and that blouse there that doesn't look like it's for dinnerware and an igloo you were headed south so we were headed soft what about we huh if you ask me and I doubt that you will so I'll tell you anyway your hopes just headed south lady you've been double crossed your husband took off without I don't believe it if he left here he had a good reason that's your guess for we're not playing your hunches we're playing mine from here on in just where did he say you were going I don't remember maybe it'll help if first you remember what I told you about insurance fraud it's good for 10 to 20 years now do you remember but tickets on the orange blossom special for Florida it leaves Penn Station in an hour and a little backwards the orange blossom special pulls out in half an hour that doesn't even give me enough time to get down there get out of my way hello information look I want the telephone number of the Penn Station branch of a traveler's aid society this was once when I didn't want the society to aid the traveler I told them the Barton Drake was my invalid aunt and as nutty as a fruit cake with Stella's help I described his costume from the days he's on his hat to the buttons on his shoes I tagged it off with a warning that when my aunt left the house she thought she was a honeybee and was on her way to throw herself in front of the orange blossom special wheelchair and all the guy on the other end of the line took off to round up the railway police and I took off to round up a taxi the escalator into the main waiting room halfway down I spotted Barton Drake in his grandmother get up he was surrounded by police the police were surrounded by a small crowd I walked out of the orange blossom special I don't know what kind of a practical joke this is young man but it's not funny you made me miss my train and I don't even have a debut now no mother don't be upset in yourself don't you now now me young man just get me on a train and it's great was getting ready for trouble if the cops couldn't see it I could his hand was under his afghan and I know the least it could be holding was a fistful of brass knuckles but probably more he was getting ready to make a run for it I wasn't taking any chances I edge my way through the crowd up behind the wheelchair spun it around and hit what looked like somebody's grandmother a beautiful shot of the whiskers I got him now wait a minute almost so you don't understand don't I hit an old lady will you he's not an old lady trouble you want your scoundrel here maybe this will quiet you matter with your head no brains where's the general when he found out you saved American pioneer $30,000 he decided to take the morning off and celebrate he's out playing golf oh great to celebrate my getting hit on the head with police clubs he goes out and swings golf clubs Johnny I was sort of now don't worry Chicky I've still got enough energy left for night clubs you want to help me with this expense account I don't get it out of the way that's all it stands between uh-huh expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to home office American pioneer life insurance company first the police held me and let granny Drake go to the hospital where they learned the truth then let me go to the hospital and transferred Barton Drake to the pokey where he was soon joined by his lady in waiting Mrs. Drake expense account item 11 something I almost forgot $500 canned goods for the man who got me off the rocks on Slade Island mr. Fred kindly even if he did rob me I didn't feel like robbing him only thing I did do was remove all the labels from the $500 worth of canned goods I'm sure that this will see to it that mr. kindly had some very unbalanced meals because I happen to know that there's no difference in the sound of canned tomatoes and canned peaches when you shake the can expense account total $1,482.63 yours truly Johnny dollar last mankind is facing up to one of its most feared diseases cancer research scientists are working tirelessly exploring every avenue that might lead to new treatments new cures and new insight into the causes of the disease at the same time the American Cancer Society is working to keep the public informed of all the progress that has been made trying to reach everyone with the message that the sooner a diagnosis is made the better the chances of cure together this public education and research attack should bring great progress in the control of cancer but both phases of this program are costly realizing you are giving to a fight against the disease that could menace you give generously to the American Cancer Society's drive for funds this year Johnny dollar stars Charles Russell as Johnny our music is composed and conducted by Lee Stevens yours truly Johnny dollar is written by Paul Douglas and killed out and is produced and directed by Richard Sanville for CBS where 99 million people gather every week the Columbia broadcasting system