 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar, I've been trying to call you. I know I was out. I'm sorry. You keep pretty late hours. It's after midnight No, I'll come over Betty, but not to talk about the moon of the water Yeah, a little thing called murder 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 Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to amalgamated life associates home office Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Crystal Lake matter Expense account continue item six two dollars tip to the Crystal Lake Hotel garage attendant for rousing him out of bed to get my car I Wanted very much to have another talk with Betty Norton the wealthy glamorous girl on the other side of the lake She had told me she hadn't been with Edward Russell when he left the hotel bar the night He was murdered but the bartender at the hotel swore that she and Russell had left together If she'd lied about that maybe she'd lied about a few other things When I got to her Lake Shore mansion She had a few well-spaced dim lights burning a dreamy type record playing and some drinks mixed the whole bit You are Johnny bourbon isn't it? Yeah Ah, you've got a good memory Betty sure I always remember what's important or what you want to remember Same thing isn't How about the things you don't want to remember? meaning How about a questions I want to ask you now don't start making with those dull questions again look Let's just have a drink Last time I had to go swimming with you before you'd answer this time. It's got to be a drink, huh? Well, I thought we might dance to with you leading I suppose Sorry Betty, I know you probably own quite a few things in this world, but the list stopped short of me I want some answers from you, and I want them now Okay, so be a party pooper so ask questions You told me you met Edward Russell in the hotel bar the night. He was murdered you had one drink with him and left That's right You lied Betty who says so the bartender at the hotel My I've always tipped him so well to look baby. Suppose we cut the comic routines, huh? All right, so I left the bar with Russell. Why did you lie about it to me this afternoon? It's very simple Johnny part of the Norton training. I guess what does that mean? My father told me long ago. I could do whatever I liked but to keep it out of the newspapers That's the way I've played it ever since Well that night you're talking about Russell and the bartender got into a fight and that's why I lied to you Believe me. I just didn't want to be mixed up in anything that could land in the papers. I see what happened then He and I went to a coffee shop to sober him up a little you can check that I will then what? Kept mumbling about somebody named Billy was looking for he say much about him No, it wasn't making very much sense Then Hiram came into the coffee shop who hire him the old fellow who drives what passes for a taxi here at the lake He told Russell somebody wanted to see him Russell left with Hiram And you didn't see Russell after that. No, I didn't You don't look convinced Johnny. I'm not you lied once before you could be lying again Sorry, I told you I lied before but this time it's the truth We're gonna get in touch with Hiram his numbers on the cover of the local directory local directory This one over here. Yes Johnny at this time of night. Yes at this time of night. He doesn't usually take calls after midnight Sleep around somewhere Well, I'll check him in the morning What is it? Johnny, what is it? What's the matter? I thought I heard something outside here Could it have been one of your servants? I only have a housekeeper with me here and she went to bed hours ago There are a lot of deer around here. Maybe that's what it was. Yeah, maybe Johnny you call Hiram in the morning. He'll back my story up It's crazy thinking I had anything to do with Russell's murder what possible reason could I have a pretty weird one Maybe but it might fit You told me this afternoon you had to play everything your way You've probably been doing it most of your life and getting away with it Maybe Russell wouldn't cooperate. Are you kidding? Look men like Russell are a dime a dozen So I had a drink with him and got mixed up in a bar room brawl. I should have known better But as far as getting interested in him, I wasn't Believe me. I can always find others who like to Play it my way as you put it What's the matter? Oh, you kill me that gold plate at front you put on I wonder if behind it you aren't just a hollow lonely kid Thanks a lot for reminding me mr. Freud. Oh Sorry, I guess that was a little out of line. I guess I was asking for it But you're wrong about me not being able to stand anyone who doesn't play it my way You see I Found someone who won't and I kind of like it Kind of like you that is Yeah, look oh, don't worry. I'm not going to try to appropriate you or to buy you But about the loneliness don't leave just yet Johnny Stay just a few minutes more Okay Just a few minutes. I guess I felt a little sorry for loneliness or maybe it was Well, anyway, I stayed a few minutes more. I think it was just a few minutes. I watch it stopped First thing in the morning. I tried to get higher on the cab driver on the phone again But still no answer. I headed for deputy sheriff Ansel Garrett's office Clarence Bixby who owned the cabin where Russell's body was found was with him Good morning Johnny. That's mr. Bixby. Good morning. Dolly anything new not much Well, I won't take up any more of your time sheriff However, I would like to ask a favor of you though. What is it? So far the Denver papers haven't mentioned which cabin up here the body was found in I'd appreciate it If it could be kept that way otherwise if it got out I'm afraid my chances of reselling the place would be pretty dim Yeah, and anybody who'd want to buy it for that reason probably be the kind of person not very welcome here at the lake Okay, Bixby sounds reasonable enough. See what I can do. That's your blood chef Cigar. No, thanks Dolly. No, no, thanks. Well, I'll see you later fellas I'll be around day or two more if you want me to okay Well, how do things look this morning Johnny? Just like Bixby's cigar wrapper Hmm, I wish he'd quit tying those things and knots Every time he does it it reminds me that we're right in the middle of a knot. We can't untie It's a bear. Oh brother. It's worse than that a Guy named Edward Russell takes off from his home in Denver and disappears He turns up here looking for a guy named Bill of which there are too many in this Then Bixby brings a prospect up here to show his cabin to he finds the padlocks been switched Russell's body inside. Yeah It's the only person who stood to profit financially on Russell's death is his wife Leona beneficiary on his $50,000 insurance policy But she couldn't have killed him the Denver police established her in Denver at the time. Oh, incidentally, she's up here at the lake now Johnny. Oh, yeah, she told me over the phone. You wanted her to confirm the identification How'd she bear up? Not too well kind of rough You get any information out of Betty Norton Well, her story is she had coffee with Russell after his fracas with the bartender Hiram the cab driver came in and told Russell somebody was looking for him Russell went away with Hiram You checked with Hiram. I've been trying to get in touch with him on the phone No answer on the goal on he keeps his cab behind the hotel garage. We can check there and leave a message for him. Okay It's What about Bixby as a possibility? I I thought of that too Johnny It had taken off a lot of nerve to kill a guy and then arrange to discover the body in your own cabin, but It sure would be quite a cover. Yeah Like you say to take more nerve than most men have got Besides we run a check on Bixby and we've turned up absolutely nothing to tie him into the deal at all Now there's no evidence he'd ever known Russell. I know Leona Russell can't remember her husband ever mentioning Bixby's name. I Yeah Hey, wait a minute. How about putting them the guy who wanted to buy Bixby's cabin? Yeah The same thing could apply to him. He knew the cabin was empty He could have planted Russell's body there and then arranged for Bixby to open the cabin It could be except how does he tie in I don't know he said he and his wife wanted to buy the cabin Might be interesting to check with his wife and see what she says not a bad idea Johnny I'll put in a long-distance call to her Don't count on much though at this point Ansel. I'm counting on nothing And I wasn't I was getting nowhere trying to match a logical motive with any of the suspects I Decided I might as well continue checking guys named Bill around town and see if I could find the one Russell had been looking for I Went down to Bill's boathouse at the landing Bill Jensen ran it was a stocky heavy-set man in his late 20s his face looked friendly enough That is if you weren't paying much attention to his eyes They were about the coldest shade of blue. I'd ever seen what can I do for you mr. Dollar boat maybe a little information maybe What about a man named Edward Russell the guy who was murdered what about him did he come around here to your boathouse? Not that I know of Well, he was looking for a man named Bill and I thought you might be the one No, no, I ain't scared was telling me about him, but I'm not the one he was looking for sorry Did you have to see him around town anywhere Russell? No First time I saw him was his picture in the paper after the killing. I see Hey, you got quite a lot of boats here Jensen. Yeah pretty big investment in him You keep the ones here in the boathouse padlocked. I see no I have to used to get one stolen now And then say you want to take one out in the lake now mr. Dollar Not right now Jensen. Maybe they didn't see around All of a sudden I was real interested in Bill Jensen in his boathouse Because some of the padlocks and the boats look very much like the one that had been placed on Bixby's Cabin door the one He pried off when he discovered Russell's body. I Wanted a closer look at those padlocks, but now wasn't the time I Went on back to the hotel to look for Hiram, but his taxi still wasn't there So I left him a message to contact me as soon as possible Then after dark I went back to the Boathouse. There was nobody around I Slipped in the back and took a close look at the boat padlocks Yeah, no doubt about it. They were the same kind as the one on Bixby's door and one of them was missing Yeah, Bill Jensen could be my boy Behind one of the boats and looked around me It was a bad spot to be in I was pinned against a wall I edged toward the rear then dole for the door of the tiny office And I realized my mistake. I figured that the office would have an outside door, but it didn't I was trapped He had looked like I just solved the murder The hard way Oh, here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story tomorrow a shot in the dark that missed and Another that hit the bullseye Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar or is truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is Transcribed in Hollywood written by Robert Reif. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking