 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar, it's me Johnny Marty. Yeah, how is he? How about the same? Dr. Wharton just gave him another transfusion Has he been able to say anything yet? He hasn't even been conscious Why Marty? Who's there with you joke really in the city attorney look Johnny? I've got to talk to you right away. All right. Go ahead and talk All right, it's room 604 city hospital come on over Not with them there. Why don't you come meet me? Because Shorty Wells is the key to this whole case if he's able to talk before he dies I want to be here to listen Suppose I tell you I'm ready to talk Johnny Are you telling me? I'm in an all-night lunch room right across the street from the hospital. Can you come over here? All right, Marty. I'll gamble with you be there in five minutes Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action Pact expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is truly Johnny dollar from special investigator Johnny dollar location Greensport, Missouri to the home office Great Plains Guarantee Company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the open-town matter expense account final page I Hunt of the phone more puzzled than ever and heaven knows the case had been puzzling from the start Marty Blake young widow of the murdered police chief had been completely uncooperative and unwilling to talk and now she was reversing her field Why? Her house had burned to the ground earlier in the evening and Shorty Wells number one on the city attorney's wanted for murder list had been found trapped in the flames Maybe this had something to do with Marty's phone call She'd been my number one suspect at first since she stood to collect fifty thousand dollars as beneficiary of her husband's life insurance But then the city attorney himself Dave Sherman had provided her with an airtight alibi, and I'd reluctantly let her off the hook now this I Didn't know what she was up to and I couldn't afford not to find out Something up darling. I was Marty Blake mr. Sherman. She's at a lunch room across the street. She wants to see me Oh, what about she didn't say we'll go ahead and talk to if you want to Johnny I'll call you sure he starts to regain consciousness. All right. Thanks, Joe. I'm sticking right here myself This one I'm gonna follow personally. Well if you really want to break the rackets in this town your answer is lying right there in that bed Shorty Wells, I think you're right if he's ever able to talk and if your police laddies don't fall over their own feet again The way they did on that gun business when Ed Lake was shot mistake was partly justified, Joe The chief's own gun that was lying beside his body was natural to assume that he had exchanged shots with a proler Yeah, but two days to realize he'd been shot with his own gun All right, all right, they fouled up by a minute and the ones who aren't stupid or crooked every raid you try to pull has been tipped off I know it I know it even when mayor Lyons brought in state police the whole plan was tipped which you took great pleasure in pointing out in your New story and you guys look now. I'll leave you two to settle this stick on this guy like a leech And if he shows any sign of coming to and talking, let me know right away. Will you never record? Yeah, I'll see you later Back here in the booth Johnny right well What's on your mind Marty sit down Johnny Here come on the waiters in back if you'd like some coffee or something. No, thanks Okay, now what is it what is what? You had to talk to me right away How I talk Johnny I'm not too hard to take am I No, you're a pink and gold doll Wild honey suckling a handful of stars At least that's what a couple of guys said today. I don't care what a couple of guys said What do you say Johnny? I? Guess the description fits as far as looks are concerned And if that's all you want to talk about no no wait Johnny I'm in the clear on this you know that the night my husband was killed. I've got an alibi. Nobody could shake right Well, I'm pretty well convinced you didn't pull a trigger if that's what you mean And you could convince the insurance company to couldn't you if you would oh, yeah Yeah, they go pretty much in my report, but I don't know we get this settled and over with why don't you be nice Johnny and Turn in a real good report So that's the pitch. It's not a pitch. I didn't do it. So why can't you tell them so why don't we get some more answers first? To a lot of questions explain a few odd angles maybe like what? Like the fact that you heard the noise and woke up that you sent your husband downstairs That you turned on the light behind him and made him a perfect target for whoever held a gun Johnny The fact that you found your insurance claim less than 24 hours after your husband was killed Suppose we hear what shorty wells has to say before I make any report What if shorty dies without talking Well in that case, I guess you will be in the clear Because right now he's the only lead I've got Not if you excuse Johnny make that report make it now. Sorry. I'll give you $10,000 out of the insurance You are anxious aren't you? I just want to get it settled Sit down Johnny and let's talk about it. Yeah, Joe. What is it? Fine when I know just came by the hospital Johnny They found out why shorty fired those shots just before he ran out of the blazing house Why that cellar door was padlocked on the outside. He had to shoot the lock off to get out Then he probably didn't set the fire after all not if he was locked in the basement What about that Marty? Was he the one who was supposed to die in the fire if he was hiding out in my cellar? I didn't know anything about it. Just another one of those odd angles, huh? Oh, stop it Johnny by the way, what you want to see me about see about what do you mean? Well, yeah, the nurse said you phoned the hospital said you wanted me to meet you here You mean you didn't come on show. Let's get back there Sure, that's why she wanted me to meet her there to get me away from that room and somebody phoned and got you away Elevators coming down now Johnny Shorty's the one big threat to whoever's guilty. They know that if he talks they're tagged Get up to his room. I thought Mr. Sherman Leaving well, yes, somebody phoned. It's the mayor. He wants me to meet him across the street anybody out there with shorty Wells Doctor will be back in a few moments. Come on Sherman back into the minute Look, I've got to meet me Sixth floor number six me I ask what's going on here. I haven't got time to go back upstairs I told you I have to take time mr. Sherman It was all right to leave dollar shorty wasn't showing any signs of coming to did you make sure that did I? Look dollar, I don't get what you're driving. Come on now. Let's go Would somebody please let me in on this? Let's take a look at shorty first mr. Sherman Johnny What happened that cop who was on duty? He was here in the hall when I left just a moment ago. I gotta walk down to the Did you leave that door a charm mr. Sherman? Oh, no, no, of course not come on, but quietly Are we interrupting something may alliance? Well, what's he doing with that pillow? Nothing nothing I wasn't doing a thing. You were holding it down over shorty's face Get out of the way. I think you were sure he's dead You smothered him with that pillow. Oh, no, he was he was dead when I came in I was just moving the pillow Dave did you have to get us all out of this room and then send the police got away just to Move a pillow mr. Dollar you suggesting well I'm suggesting it for one Dollar I've been sure for months at me alliance was back of the rackets here But I didn't have any way of proving it until now perhaps until now mayor very well don't move any of you Oh, no wait a minute that gun isn't really your answer mayor. There are three of us. You know you can't get us all Tell me something Why did you have Ed Blake killed? Wasn't he one of your own boys? I can tell you why now Ed Blake was gonna pull out of the rackets dollar and spill the whole setup to me That was the reason for that fishing trip then it must have been Marty who tipped off may alliance sure sure it figures She loved that racket money that Ed was bringing home and shorty Wells was in town with a grudge against it already Well, it was real convenient for you. Wasn't it mayor as a matter of fact Dave? It was very convenient then shorty hit out in the cellar of Marty's house until she decided things would be less Complicated if she locked the cellar door and burned the house down Marty was a weak link you might say she stayed active Are you better give me the gun now? No get back to what he says mayor. You haven't a chance. I'm warning you dollar if you try Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I doubt if you can Let go of it man drop that gun. Let go off. No Thanks Six floors down Well, you got out of being prosecuted as a matter of fact There's nobody left to prosecute You want a bit? She was still sitting there in the lunch room across the street from the hospital and She'd heard what had happened. I knew what the second day when I walked in from the half smile of triumph on her face And from the way she greeted me Too bad Johnny you should have taken my offer because I don't need your help now Your company is going to have to pay off I'm really in the clear now you are huh and Poor Dave with nobody left to prosecute He still has you Marty Accomplished to your husband's murder on Johnny shorty died without talking Mayor Lyons is dead No witnesses no case. Sorry Marty. There is a witness. Oh Who you? What are you talking about? What's that paper what you intended it to be an insurance claim, but actually it's more of a confession Signed and witnessed what you were over anxious Marty and you filled it out in complete detail it says We found my husband's body at the foot of the stairs That's right that he'd been shot and killed with his own gun. Well, it's true. Isn't it? That's what happened Yeah But this claim was in the main office of the insurance company less than 24 hours after your husband was killed The police didn't find out he'd been shot with his own gun until two days later Real meat confession. How Marty? Expense account item 12 310 dollars and 45 cents insinettles and greens port and transportation back to Hartford Expense account total 516 dollars and 20 cents and of account and of report remarks Marty Blake never was able to explain how she knew about that gun She sure tried Yours truly Johnny dollar Here's our star to tell you about next week's story Before I do that Please let me say thanks to all of you who are so kind about writing and telling us how much you like Johnny dollar It's a very gratifying experience It's encouragement to all of us who are involved in production of the program and well We appreciate your letters more than you know As always, I'll try to answer you promptly, but sometimes the meal does pile up in any event. Thanks. Thanks very much for writing Next week a yacht that wasn't there and a man who wasn't there They never were but that's where I found them Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar or is truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is Transcribed in Hollywood. It is written by Les Crutchfield and produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Heard in this week's cast were Jean Tatum Paul Dubov Joseph Kern Stacey Harris and Russell Thorson Musical supervision by Amarico Marino Be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking