 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Jason Mrs. Cronin's trust fund. Oh sure. We haven't met of course I know that I'm overstepping the ordinary bounds of propriety, but I simply have to talk to you immediately if possible Well, can't it wait until train time you're going with us up to a party in the Adirondacks, aren't you? Yes, I am but it'll be too late to make very much difference. Well, maybe you could tell me the general idea of what you Understand mrs. Cronin has authorized you to obtain the circle of fire from the bank and to keep it in your possession until she wears it at the party Yeah, that's right. Don't miss where it is. Why? Story mr. Dollar is a lot more complicated than you realize. Well, I'm beginning to realize it just exactly. What is it? You're worried about I'm worried about Mrs. Cronin's sanity Tonight and every week day 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 New York City to the home office surety mutual and trust company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Cronin matter expense account continued item for a dollar and 80 cents Taxi to the offices of the Daily Times career for a look at the morgue files on mrs. Cronin the clipping started with the year 1916 when a bright-eyed wide-eyed kid named Dolly McLean danced her way out of the chorus lines of a two-bit music And straight into the limelight of Broadway One hit show after another hits just because she was in them and parties ball social affairs The Dancing Darling a critic tagged it with a name in her first write-up and the name stuck So she danced danced away the mad crazy years that followed World War one and like everybody else she lived it up There were rumors of engagements love affairs the Baron this count that one after another shorty Weber was mentioned a few times and Jason Prell was in from the beginning as a promoter though a business manager not as a lover her friends were mentioned hundreds of them Then Barnaby Cronin came into the file boy wonder of the business world the golden prince Engagement marriage and Barnaby's fabulous gift to his new bride a half million dollar necklace of diamonds and emeralds the circle of fire Then Barnaby sudden death mrs. Cronin seclusion and a file Expense account item five twenty four dollars and thirty cents transportation hotel and incidentals and a taxi to the railway station to find the Special coach mrs. Cronin had charted to haul her guests to the Adirondacks and to her roaring 20s weekend party. I Purposely got there early, but one of the guests was even earlier dollar wait. Hmm. You are mr. Dollar, aren't you? That's right, but I don't think Jason Prell. I thought you might come down early to meet the bank messengers Thank heaven you did well. I'm afraid I don't dollar. I have known Dolly McClain. This is Cronin for over 35 years All that time. I've managed your business affairs range your personal contacts been like a father to her. Yeah, I've read the newspaper clippings Newspaper stories can be misleading sometimes. They build things up Sensationalism it's true. Of course that Dolly and I had some quarrels who doesn't in spite of everything I was still her best friend come on. I know Dolly nor better than anybody else in the world I know how she's gone downhill since Barnaby died and especially in the last year or so And I know this whole idea is the worst possible thing she could do have you tried talking to her along that line She won't listen. She's dead to set on it. I'm hoping you can help how Point out to her how dangerous it is to go off into that isolated place with a piece of jewelry as valuable as a circle of fire It's worth a fortune. Somebody's bound to try to steal it. I still don't get what you're driving at mr. Brown, but I just told you it's the risk that's involved To whom the Mrs. Cronin, of course, she knows about the risk. She's willing to take it. She doesn't know what she's doing Hey, you said something on the phone about her sanity Are you trying to imply that she's not not yet, but she's not well She's burned herself up back in those early years and she hasn't much left the only thing that keeps her going is As a crazy kind of belief belief Dolly believes in people So do I mr. Pearl. Yes. Yes, of course But Dolly's whole thinking hinges on it all the people she knew back in the heyday the people she calls her friends in her book They can do no wrong She lived in a dream world still does like a fairy princess But it never really existed things weren't like that back in those days mr. Dollar So I've heard most of the people she thought of as a friends were only trying to use her Barnaby and I would block them off take care of things when things had to be done and let her go on living happily in her Never-never land and now that's the only land. She has to live is that what you mean? Exactly why some of those friends would cut their mother's throat for a tent of the value of the circle of fire Those are the guests. She'll have with their party Well, I've already been told once that somebody will steal that necklace before the weekend is over Do you want to add your prediction? I think somebody will try That's all that's needed to start that dream world of hers falling apart and to make her face Things the way they are may ask you a question mr. Pearl Yes, of course this trust fund you're managing that her husband left for Just how big is the setup? Barnaby Cronin was a wealthy man mr. Dollar, but he had his ups and downs like every business investor The capital is adequate for her support, but not much more is the necklace a part of the trust capital It's her own personal property Otherwise I could have prevented it from being taken from the bank you have complete control of the trust Yes, Barnaby knew that she had no understanding of business matters. I see he's old mr. Dollar older than her years tired All that keeps her alive is her belief in the past Her dream world where everybody loves her and protects her where she's still a dancing darling And if that dream world is destroyed she'll be destroyed along with it now phone the bank mr. Dollar Ask them not to bring that necklace here. I'm afraid they think I was crazy. Why because I've got it with me mr. Pearl I picked it up myself two hours ago Then heaven help us all The convention coach mr. Cronin had charted for the run to the Adirondacks was arranged with a long aisle of individual Staple rooms and a main lounge area at one end It could accommodate 50 people, but when the train pulled out there were only six of us in the coach six Out of the hundreds of friends she'd had in the old days when she was in the big time and on top And even out of the six three of us were new acquaintances people who hadn't known her back when I Was there of course because I'd been hired to be there to protect your fabulous necklace and Sylvia Blake still playing it tough And cynical was probably hoping for a magazine article or hoping for something But the third newcomer there was the question Don't you think it's too exciting for words? Well, I know who you are Of course you're mr. Johnny dollar and you're supposed to protect those fabulous jewels And I'm Laura Dean and I think we ought to call each other Laura and Johnny because after all it's a party Up till now I was having doubts You're obviously not one of mrs. Cronin's friends from the old days Oh, no, I just met her back there at the station you what I talked to her on the phone Of course, she sent an invitation to my aunt who was a very dear friend of hers Only they hadn't seen each other for years and she didn't know my aunt had passed on over a year ago So I phoned her and told her told mrs. Cronin I mean and she said for me to come to the party She'd like to meet me and I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Yeah, well They'll really have champagne and bathtubs like they used to back in her time if they do it'll get awful wet out There are only six of us to drink it. Oh Gosh, I don't see how you can call six people a party. Well, the thing is we'll all be in there trying hard Now you're joking me. I'll bet you're fun at a party. Oh, wait. Do you see the act I do with a lampshade Who did you say your aunt was I don't think I said who when do they start serving the champagne Johnny when they see the whites Of your eyes. That's cute. I like that. Thanks now about your aunt poor old soul She'd have loved this too. You ought to hear about some of the party. She and mrs. Cronin used to go to yeah I imagine they used to go every place together back in those days the newspapers called them the Siamese twins the Siamese twins that was just an expression fritzy morale. Is that what you're saying that you're fritzy Morel's niece Did you know her Johnny? No, I never met her. Oh, you'd have liked her. She was a lot of fun. Love to party She kept babbling on and I listened to her and tried to figure her out the chatter was smokescreen Underneath it. She was cool sharp and shrewd. I Didn't know what she was up to know why she was here But I did know one thing Fritzy Morel had died about a year ago true enough, but she'd left no surviving family and no niece Laura Dean was a liar. I hadn't seen mrs. Cronin since we pulled out of the station She greeted us then gone right to her stater. I'm at stayed there When I saw Jason Prell come hurrying from that direction. I could read the look on his face even before he reached Mr. Dollar, please mrs. Cronin. Yes, go to her at once. What is it? What's wrong? She was suddenly taken ill very ill hurry Mrs. Cronin. Oh It was just nerves. I've had it before My doctor in New York gave me some tablets to take whenever these the tablets this bottle here Yes You know what they are Johnny Yeah, I know All right So he does say it's my heart, but he's wrong It's just nerves. Yeah, sure That's not why I sent for you Johnny. You have the necklace. Yeah, I want to see it. No, I'll wait until it's time to wear it Johnny I've written something here. I'm going to sign it and I want you to sign as a witness Well, all right, unless you'd rather have Jason pro Jason would argue about it There Now you sign They are keep it for me Do you mind if I know what I've signed? Of course not read it if you like In the event of my death I Dali Cronin being of sound mind bequeath the necklace known as the circle of fire To Sylvia Blanche Sylvia loves jewels. She'll appreciate it. Yeah Imagine she will she's not to know about this one to stand because Of course, it'll be years before she gets it. Oh, sure. Well, now you'd better try to get some sleep I'm going to and thanks Johnny. It was nothing I was heartbroken when they didn't show up the station All my old friends But I've been lying here thinking and I finally figured it out Oh They all went on ahead. They'll be waiting at the house. They're trying to surprise me Don't you think so Johnny? I said yes. I thought so but I was lying Because I didn't think so But she was still a dancing darling and she had that way about her you wanted to protect her I didn't go back to the lounge. I walked down the corridor to my stateroom It was night by then and the corridor was only dimly lit My stateroom was dark when I opened the door. I caught a bear flash of movement too late When I came two minutes later, I was lying on my stateroom floor blood seeping from a cut in my head I fell in my inside pocket for the bulky leather case that had held the necklace It was gone There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Cronin matter tomorrow tomorrow an old love And an old hate and violence breaks out at midnight join us. Won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by Les Crutchfield 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