 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Oh, thank you operator Hello, well you seem pretty anxious to talk about something miss Harkness To dig up the remains of the old Pharaoh come a check When I talked to you on the station platform a while ago. You said something about the curse of come a check Isn't that nothing more nor less than superstition? No, huh? I'll take the first train 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. That's truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar to inter allied life insurance company crutchfield square Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the curse of come a check matter expense account continued Item four three twenty cab to the station train fare from Hartford to Stamford and cab to the modest but attractive apartment of Dorothy Harkness The short trip gave me time to think Eric Turnbull wealthy retired businessman call me in on this case Turnbull uncle of young Donald Cronin and turning in control of a large trust fund for the boy Turnbull who was determined to prevent him from making an expedition to the tomb of komishek on the excuse that he suspected a plot against the Boy's life Engineered by Dorothy Harkness who was not only Donald's fiancee, but a beneficiary of his hundred thousand dollar life policy So a talk with Dorothy Harkness seemed very much in order come in mr. Dollar I'm so glad you were willing to come and talk with me. How are you miss Harkness? You make me sound so old Dorothy won't you sit down? Thank you But before we go any further Dorothy, I think you ought to understand that I'm an insurance investigator in so far Donald told me his uncle was going to send for you, but there's been no claim file no reason for one I know mr. Turnbull does well kind of unusual things now and then and I guess this is one of them Unless he's trying to prevent whatever might cause a claim to be filed Mr. Dollar, I don't know what mr. Turnbull has told you about me, but I'm sure it wasn't good I'm afraid we don't get along very well Well, it's pretty obvious. He doesn't like your interest in his nephew Donald. I've known Donald since school mr. Dollar And we we hope to get married at least Donald does. Oh, what about you? Well, I don't know I don't know I Got the impression from mr. Turnbull. You were doing a pretty good job of getting Donald into your clutches That isn't the way it is at all We've been seeing a great deal of each other and Donald has asked me to marry him and I'm fond of him Mr. Dollar terribly fond of him, but so far as marriage is concerned. I I'm not sure. Oh, what do you mean? I can't help wondering all the time if he isn't hoping to marry me just as a Well as an escape from his uncle. Uh-huh. Would you marry him? If I was sure Of him you'd be sure of an awful lot of money Dorothy. What the minute he reached 30 that is Mr. Turnbull has poisoned your mind mr. Dollar What money Donald has or may have has nothing to do with it? That sort of thinking is Filthy I Um, I guess you mean that don't you Dorothy? Yes, I Think I've loved Donald ever since my father brought him into the museum your father. Yes, he's curator of archaeology Well, how does he feel about Donald and you? It's only interest in Donald is in the money the financial support. He gives the museum since mother died he Become a grasping self-centered old man whose only interest is in the museum. I see I don't live with him anymore Well, then I take it he opposes any thought of you're marrying Donald He wants me to string him along raise money and scientific contributions But Donald is making something of himself Instead of wasting his life in idle luxuries mr. Turnbull would have it or would he rather have done increase the family fortune? No, no just not spend it. That's all he cares about so if anything should happen to Donald There would be more left for mr. Eric Turnbull and That's why I called you Because I'm afraid that if Donald does go on this expedition to Egypt something will happen to oh now wait a minute Turnbull has objected Strenuously to this latest expedition. You don't know them yet either of them They're of the same stock and they're both stubborn determined and willful and his uncle is clever Clever enough to play on this stubbornness Capitalize on it. What's that supposed to mean? He knows that the surest way to keep Donald from doing something is to insist That he do it. It's always been that way. Are you sure you haven't been reading too much psychology? It's true and in spite of Donald's academic maturity He's almost like a child in some things emotional sometimes that That's another reason why I wonder if Donald really wants to marry me If he loves me enough Or if he's simply rebelling against his uncle you feel then that mr. Turnbull is opposing the expedition to be sure that Donald will make it Yes, because he doesn't quietly reason with Donald talk things out He shouts he storms he threatens and that gets Don's back hair up makes him more determined to go than ever Wouldn't do the same to you Maybe so and I'm afraid that if he does go He'll never come back You honestly don't want him to go no Just what do you think might happen to him this curse of camishek you mentioned I think that would be the excuse for his uncle to have something happen to him. What is this curse? Do you remember King Tutankhamen? Well, I remember hearing and reading something about him old Egyptian feral his tomb had a curse on it, too But because they believed it would yield important historical data and some of the treasure of those ancient Dynasties an expedition went to the Valley of the Kings and excavated it anyhow You really have on this stuff, aren't you because of Donald's interest in it? I guess but listen to me One after another people who were involved in that expedition died under very mysterious circumstances Yeah, I remember even Lord Carnival himself They said that he died from the results of a mosquito bite in pneumonia, but the other deaths were not so easily explained away Not even by able scientists and doctors You believe in the curse of King Tutankham and now the curse of camishek. No Well, I don't but from what you just told me there have been too many other tombs all bearing warnings Where the people who dug into them touched the treasures and them even touched the remains of the Kings had no harm It all come to them. Well, then I'm afraid I don't see what you're driving at this Johnny Any mysterious death of someone who's explored one of these ancient tombs will be accepted as a result of the curse Don't you see it's an open door to murder. You know something to me. It all sounds a little far-fetched Because of Eric Turnbull because I'm sure he wants Donald out of the way for his money There's terrible friction between them this antagonism that's been building up for years and It's reached a point where either one of them would be glad to see the other out of the way But Eric Turnbull is the only one who is evil enough to do something about it I gotta admit the sparks kind of flew between them when I saw them together and don't forget it would be to His uncle's advantage of Donald would die. He needs the money. Well, no, I guess he doesn't what about you I'm doing all right at the museum Learning enough to live on and I'm happy in my words just the same as I understand it You'd collect half of Donald's life policy. I hate you for even thinking about such thing. I'd hoped you would help me save Donald's life Funny though as them funny Eric Turnbull is my employer in this case if there really is a case because he's smart He's clever. He's clever enough to know that calling you in would help cover up anything he might do my luck Suppose Eric Turnbull did one did plan to get rid of Donald. How I don't know But this I do know It's the thing that has scared me on his last expedition and he didn't realize it until afterwards one of the men in his party a man He'd selected himself turned out to have been paid separately by mr. Turnbull Why not he probably wanted somebody there to look after Donald without his knowing listen to me This man caused a couple of accidents at least they called them accidents that could have cost Donald his life No, I can see that you don't believe anything I've told Dorothy I think you're just building up something in your imagination. You don't believe me But at least do this Remember No matter what happens Remember what I've told you Somebody was lying that was a cinch, but who and why Unless one of them really was plotting against the life of Donald Cronin. I Couldn't get it out of my head that at least Eric Turnbull didn't need whatever money would come from Donald's death Dorothy Harkness on the other hand would gain what to her would be plenty Sure, nearly a million will go to Turnbull But that would mean much less to him than the 50,000 insurance would to her Well, there seemed to be nothing more to say to her at the moment So I left her took a cab back to the station that's item five sixty five cents and telephoned to the house on Birchbrook Road and the hope that Donald would be home and I'd have a chance to talk to him. Oh Mr. Turnbull, this is Johnny dollar Well, I'm at the station, but I was calling to try Yeah, sure Long a few minutes. Goodbye. I'm in mr. Dollar. Thank you. But before we Before we talk about this time, won't you? Now from what I've been able to learn Donald is planning to leave for Egypt immediately I checked with a friend at the explorers club in New York where the boys been staying these past few days Oh, I thought he always stayed right here with you Well, he does except when he's preparing for an expedition then you are gonna let him go Well, how can I stop him without making him look foolish in the eyes of his colleagues museum universities are so interested in his work Yes, I have to let him go, but with you beside him Oh, wait a minute, of course I'll expect you to be with him during the entire expedition Well now look I remember this no expenses to be spared in the protection of my nephew's life I had to go down to New York to see David Wilte. He's my stockbroker Harris Dillman company while I was there I stopped at my bank and arranged to have some five thousand an American Express Chavros checks ready for you All you have to do is go down there and sign them pick them up if you need more cable to me You don't waste any time. I know Donald he very stubborn determined and willful In his present frame of mind he might pack up and take off at a moment's notice. I want to be sure you're at his side Okay, you're the boss But mr. Turnbull. Yes You still haven't told me why you think his life is in any more danger on this expedition than on any of the others He's undertaken because that girl Dorothy Hockness is smart as clever And because of something that happened on Donald's last expedition in Yucatan Oh, he didn't realize it until afterwards But one of the men in his party a man he'd selected himself turned out to be a friend of this Dorothy Hockness Not 20 minutes ago. I heard exactly listen to me This man caused a couple of accidents at least they called them accidents that could have caused Donald his life And mr. Dollar though lacking any proof I am convinced he was put up to them by the beneficiary of his insurance policy Dorothy Hockness Did I say somebody was lying somebody had to be lying and By now that old feeling was beginning to come back to me that hunch whatever it is that told me somebody was planning to kill Donald Very turnbull Dorothy Hockness Something told me I'd better get to Donald Cronin but fast Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story tomorrow Suddenly the reason for a carefully planned murder becomes crystal-clear and a race against death becomes a race for my own life Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar or is truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone who also wrote this week's story Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking