 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar Yes, Mrs. Henderson, I'm with Paramount insurance adjusters. Oh, yes, you probably know we asked for the inquest into your husband's death We're trying to clear up the entire matter as quickly as we can Mrs. Henderson. I'd like to talk to you Hate to trouble you at a time like this May I come out to the house this afternoon Good I'll be there Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with a action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to Paramount insurance adjusters Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Henderson matter Expense account continued item seven five bucks one pair of galoshes believe it or not It snowed in cover Montana during the night all night by morning 14 inches of fine new snow covered everything in sight After my phone called a mrs. Henderson. I spent the morning trying to rent an automobile There was none to be had so that afternoon I dropped over to see if holding my sheriff friend Son you're gonna catch your death unless you start wearing this car. Yeah, I'll remember that if but maybe I won't need one Oh, yeah, I think I'll be leaving culvert pretty soon. I hope you don't mean that son I'm afraid I do I'll have to tie this case up one way or another pretty quick. Why my company wants me to get back home I got a letter this morning. Oh, well, how can I help you? Well for one thing you can lend me your car again I uh, I have a date with a lady out at the Big Hor Lodge Pretty fancy you can have the old thing any time you wanted you know that son Who's the lady George Henderson's widow? Yeah, oh No, I know what you're gonna say why go after her why bother her until I have something to go on Well, I got to do something if I'm no nearer now to knowing whether Henderson was pushed out that hotel window fell or jumped I Think I have enough of an idea of Henderson and his wife to pick up some valuable information from her any objections. Nope Johnny a couple of days ago you asked me to look up people who might have been a spatially friendly to mrs. Henderson you still want to know about them. Yeah, sure. Well, I'm working on it anyone so far nobody I'd put in that category What time you have to be at the big horn for I don't take you a while wouldn't hurt to start right now He's uh, she parked out back. Okay. Thanks, Eve. Good luck and don't let her rang dangle you son She could do it if she wanted to goodbye Ten minutes later. I was on the road to Big Horn Lodge Which also happened to be the same road I traveled two days before to attend George Henderson's funeral As I drove past the graveyard white and stark against the blue winter sky I noticed a car parked along the side of the road a little Chevy coupe about 1952 There was the figure of a woman all alone standing by George Henderson's fresh grave. Her head was bowed She didn't notice me as I walked up a gray haired woman about 45 slight delicate gentle Oh, I'm I'm sorry. I I didn't mean to start. Oh, that's all right Must be getting late dear it is Do I know you why I don't know I'm Maddie Nickerbocker The name it startled me the day before an insurance broker in Great Falls had mentioned her Told me that George Henderson had named her his beneficiary then changed his mind a few minutes before he died Your name's not Campbell. Is it no Johnny dollar Johnny dollar You remind me of a boy. I had in one of my classes once Tori Campbell. Oh, you're a teacher miss Nickerbocker Everybody knows me I think or at least I flatter myself that way Well, I should be going I I knew mr. Henderson too. Oh Oh He was a wonderful man George He was very dear to me I'll find it difficult getting used to the fact that he'll never be around any more George had a wonderful laugh, didn't he? Yes Yes, he did mrs. Nickerbocker. I never really thought that he ever grew up Of course, you knew him in a business way, and I'm sure he was very very grown up in business But it doesn't hurt to think of him this way now does it I don't think so miss Nickerbocker. I Didn't come to his funeral. I Didn't think I could bear it. I Thought I'd just drive out this afternoon and say goodbye by myself Well, I apologize for interrupting you not at all, please Funny little things the birds in the snow Such tiny wonderful little things a Little bit of God in each of them mr. Dollar, wouldn't you say? Yes, ma'am. I don't know why I think George would like to know they're here near him Miss Nickerbocker I Have to tell you know you don't mr. Dollar. I Know who you really are Everyone in town knows You seem like a nice young man Was it curiosity that made you stop your car? Yeah, I suppose so I apologize I'm just an old friend of George's saying goodbye to him. Good afternoon, mr. Dollar Goodbye Talking to Maddie Nickerbocker. I felt that for the first time somebody namely Maddie Had talked frankly and truthfully about George Henderson. I Was still thinking of the frail drab little woman with a nice blue eyes when I met Pauline Henderson at the Big Horn Lodge These matters you want to clear up, mr. Dollar. Oh just some doubts in my mind about your husband's death What are you doing? I learned to like it in France One per no bourbon little water on the side. Yes, sir You sound like George when you order. Hey, I like your big horn Lodge and I have to say when it's elegant in the West It's elegant. I'd like a light, please Thank you, mr. Sanderson You mind if I don't stall any longer with the drinks the smokes and the compliments. I'm surprised you've told this long I've heard you're a very blunt and impulsive man I spoke to an insurance agent named Thurber yesterday in Great Falls your husband's agent Mr. Thurber told me that your husband wanted to name a new beneficiary last week. Yeah, he named Matilda Nickerbocker Matty Nickerbocker I'm not surprised. I suppose Matty's a lovely woman. I know George was very fond of Mr. Thurber also told me that mr. Henderson changed his mind about that the day he died In fact, he phoned mr. Thurber in Great Falls and told him to leave the policy as it was He did that a few minutes after you left his hotel room a few minutes before he died Can you explain any of that mrs. Henderson? Why don't you ask Matty Nickerbocker because I don't think she'd know I ran into her this afternoon And I talked to her or not about this just about other things I'll look her up again if I have to But it's you I want information from now then why don't you ask what you mean mr. Dollar? All right? Did something happen in that hotel room that made him change his mind about you? That's better I do wish that ridiculous little man would bring our drinks. He won't Don't misunderstand what happened in the hotel room George and I were going to be divorced He moved out of the house a month ago We went to his attorneys and drew a pretendative property settlement you mean lap Eder Reardon and Blake Great Falls They have a copy of that settlement George was quite generous to me So I didn't kill him for his money if that's what you're thinking here. We are sure No bourbon. Thank you. I Didn't see George for Three weeks or so after we made the settlement and we happened to meet one day in Culver and Well, we had Rather bitter argument was one of those ridiculous things we quarreled and parted very angrily the whole thing was childish My first impulse was to go right back to the lawyers and demand every unreasonable thing. I could on the divorce settlement I guess George's first impulse was to cancel me out as his beneficiary. Did you go to a lawyer mrs. Anderson? No No, I cooled off. I cooled off considerably mr. Dollar After all George had been everything to me most of my life I was truly sorry. We never got along as man and wife I'm glad that we made it up before he died that morning He apologized when I came by the hotel. I apologized after I left He fell out the window Then I can assume that this business with the policies had to do with the argument assume what you like mr. Dollar I can understand why you're annoyed by me and my questions It's just that it's kind of hard for us to believe that a man involved in divorcing his wife would still name her as his beneficiary I say that because of past experience. Oh, it's happened, but as usual. I Could have told you that we were reconciled that day in the hotel that we were going to drop the whole divorce matter that George was Coming back to the house to live. Yes, you could have told me that mrs. Anderson Mr. Connors in our home office in Hartford called you a few days ago. You hung up on him. Why? Well, I was very upset I've never been a widow before I believe you mrs. Henderson sitting here like this You're a lovely person and I know it and you know it and this is a pretty nice place to conduct business Why didn't you ask me to your home? I prefer to talk to you here? That's what I thought I saved all the did your husband have any enemies and did he seem depressed questions for another time? But before I went to bed that night I read and reread mrs. Henderson's testimony given at the coroner's inquest The next morning I interviewed all of the people at the Butte Hotel who'd been on duty the day Henderson fell out the window After that I dropped in to see Eve Holton Here it is Johnny right here Personal effects of the deceased included four suits of man's clothing 14 shirts five pairs of holder was there a bottle in that room sheriff Laker yeah, no no bottle nothing like it son. All right He didn't call down and have a bell boy bring him a bottle or send him any drinks The chambermaid swears there was no liquor in his room all the time. He lived at the hotel. You say he was a light drinker Now what light drinker takes a nip before he has his breakfast who said he had a drink that morning mrs. Henderson What on the witness stand under oath at the inquest? She testified that her husband had a drink before she came up to the room and while she was there now mind you She didn't say he was drunk, but she did say he had been drinking You read over that transcript So so I think she threw that in made sure it got in because it's sometimes hard to believe that a cold sober man Will walk out of a hotel window and kill himself accidentally a drunk or a drinker might do it You and I and everybody at that inquest somehow got the impression that Henderson was slightly tipsy that morning and mrs. Henderson saw it of that now then If Henderson had a drink I want to know where he got it Tell me if no bottle in the room. No bottle brought up to the room Where did he get that drink? That's a pretty good question son There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Henderson matter tomorrow tomorrow the wind up Yeah, the whole case blows sky-high Join us. Won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure and join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking