 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar max Lancer Johnny he is office Pretty weak the hospital staff are doing all they can for her, but they don't give her much hope No, not yet. Maybe not ever it was ground glass. All right, the doctor's sure of it now Same as her husband Why Johnny why her I'll guess with you Maybe she figured we were closing in on her the game was over and took this way out We had nothing on her max suspicion. That's all we were going on She'd had two husbands in the last three years both of them died from the effects of ground glass poisoning and both times She goes for $50,000 insurance. That's all we had to go on and it wasn't enough I can give you a better theory Somebody tried to murder her Tonight and every weekday 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 from special investigator Johnny dollar location Chicago to the home office Northwest insurance company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the lonely hearts matter expense account final page Item 15 $2.60 sandwiches cigarettes and incidentals which I had sent up from a lunchroom across the street from the hospital It was evening again now I'd spent the whole day in the lounge down the hall from the Rome War Mabel Burke Wells was fighting for her life Fighting and slowly losing I'd tagged her as a murderous responsible for the deaths of two of her husbands But then she herself had been struck down by the same poison And now only she had the key to the puzzle a key. She might never give up Oh Hi acrylic any change yet to my aunt's condition. No, no, I just talked to the doctor if anything. She's even weaker She didn't even recognize me. I've been in the room off and on all day. She didn't even know I was there. Well, she's in pretty bad shape Sit down. You look a little rocky yourself. Thanks And maybe what's been a real mother to me is quite a shock. Yes, I imagine doctor says it's the same thing that killed Jonathan Yes, that's right. Well, it just doesn't make any sense. Mr. Dollar. They tell me something Did anyone come to the house to see your aunt either last night after Lancer left or this morning before I got there? As far as I know, why do you think someone might have I don't know She'd already gone to bed when I came in last night. I left early this morning It's possible, of course, but I don't believe anyone did She never had any visitors. She's always been a lonely person actually Maybe that's why she started the Lonely Hearts Club. Yes, it was. I suggested the idea to her as a Way to meet friends and be around people She loved it. Why couldn't she and Jonathan's daughter Norma Wells get along? She's a strange girl I said a chip on her shoulder. I spoke to Jonathan about it once, but he just laughed it off Said Norma just had too much possessiveness Well, I guess it's natural The two of them had been alone a long time until he married your aunt. Mr. Dollar. Yeah The police think that Aunt Mabel killed him, don't they they've got some pretty strong reasons for thinking so and the way she is now Dying and I suppose they think she did it herself. It's possible. She did Is that what you think? Oh? I'm not sure. I am oh come on over miss Wells. I didn't want to interrupt just making conversation You two know each other. I guess yes Well, I See you later So I gather how is she not much change Bear just sitting in that hotel room wondering what was happening. She hasn't been able to talk. No, not yet I don't understand it. My father died less than two hours after he was first stricken Difference in Constitution may be different dosage. She's too mean to die. She's I'm sorry. I said that It was cruel and heartless, but that's the way I feel. I I can't help it When I think of my father So kind and gentle Murdered and cold blood by that if she did do it then why this you mean the same thing happening to her. That's right remorse, maybe If she's capable of it or fear, I don't know why Maybe she's insane. I've always thought she might be. Oh, she's sane. All right as sane as any of us And what do you think happened to her? Oh? I don't know. We probably never will know She'll die without talking and there'll never be any proof. That's a possibility Worthless nephew of hers will collect the insurance. I suppose that's not my department, but under the circumstances I think he'd have a legal claim Horrible. Mr. Daller. What is it nurse? She's conscious and she wants to see you She was a dying woman. I could see at the moment Norma Wells and I walked into the room. I Sent the nurse to find her nephew Burton Creeley and he slipped in quietly a few seconds later The old lady lay back on her pillows smiling to herself as usual Bright-eyed with a last burst of false vitality Death was only minutes away. All of us knew it and she knew it too My gracious All of you look so serious But it was nice of you to come Keeps a body from feeling known You save your strength now, Mrs. Wells. What on earth for? Body can enjoy the last few breaths Might as well not be living. Please and maybe you please me Burton Creeley Straighten your tie you look afraid My Certainly nice to see you here Norma. I Well, I always said to Jonathan It's just a crying shame that Norman me can't hit it off better He just laughed Mrs. Wells be quiet young man Know what you're after all in due time As a matter of fact, that's why I wanted to see you I've been in my senses for the last hour, but I just didn't let on I Wanted a chance to think I'm about to die, you know, and maybe don't talk that way. I simmer down Burton Death is only the doorway to a more glorious life. You remember that Mr. Dollar I Didn't do it. I know I Finally came to that conclusion myself too late. I mean you're not surprised. No Well, at least it's a help that I don't have to convince you I'm afraid I won't have that much time. What are you saying? You heard me, Norma. I Said I didn't kill Jonathan Well, I was much too fond of him to do a thing like that Who did kill him Mrs. Wells? That's what I was puzzling over for the last hour Then when I figured it out, I had to decide whether to let sleeping dogs lie or see that justice took its course and Is it now? But I remembered how kind John had it been Decided and Mabel don't try to talk anymore those chocolates back That you gave me this morning That was an awful naughty thing to do Burton And now you'll have to be punished for it. Wait a minute, Mrs. Wells Jonathan Walter to They were always so nice to you Just can't understand why you did it Mr. Dollar, yes, you take Burton in hand give him Give him a good talking to Explain to him. Mrs. Wells He must Well clearly get your hands up dollar one move from you and Norma gets a bullet right in her back Let go of me in the closet dollar full clearly Now remember one thing dollar I'm taking Miss high and mighty here along if they get me then she goes to The door was solid built to last it took me several minutes to smash it open The nurse in the corridor said clearly and normal wells had gone down in the elevator I Grabbed the floor phone and called the main desk in the lobby They said some man and a girl had just stolen an ambulance from the emergency driveway and headed west onto the Lakeshore Parkway And at that moment max lance who stepped off the elevator shally. What's going on back to your car max come on We could hear the ambulance siren for a while somewhere up ahead of us then we lost it Max kept the red light flashing and the accelerator on the floorboard this phenomena needle-edge past 85 touch 90 and hung there There were nine miles up the parkway when I saw it park cars a crowd gathering in the air But it's rolled over against the bank. Where are they a man in the cool car out of there? They ran into the price there. He's carrying a gun take these high Johnny. I'll go around the other way right max and watch yourself The undergrowth was heavy a mass of dark shadows slashed here and there by beams of light from the headlamps of the cars on the road above Max disappeared into the night and I moved on alone Minutes passed then a car light shifted slightly and I saw them only a few yards away crouched against a tree He was holding the gun pressed against a side. Hold it dollar You're finished really? You better give up. You know what I told you I go she goes Johnny. He's going to kill me I was holding my gun at my side But I didn't dare lift to try to aim it one false move on my partner pull the trigger blast the life out of normal Wells Then she struggles slightly tried to pull away from them. I had a one-second chance and I took it. Are you all right? Yes, I'm all right. I didn't have time to call a shot. I had to get it off fast Yeah Looks like it caught him in the heart Expense account item 16 231 dollars and 25 cents hotel and incidentals in Chicago and transportation back to Hartford Expense account total 416 dollars and 40 cents end of account and a report remarks a Heart with a bullet hole in it There's a real lonely heart yours truly Johnny dollar Now here's our star to tell you about next week's intriguing story next week the Calakley's matter Which is just another way of saying the Greeks had a word for it Join us won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar the Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by Les Crutchfield. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Heard in this week's cast were Lucille Meredith Mary Jane Croft Virginia Greg Herbellis Howard McNear and Stacy Harris Musical supervision by Amarigo Moreno Be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking