 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar this is flurry Hawkins, mr. Dollar. Oh, yes, you were the principal of the school I'd like to talk to you if I could all right Would you care to meet me for a cocktail? There's a place called the traders in not far out of town I could be there in an hour all right Miss Hawkins. Yes, mr. Dollar. What changed your mind about talking to me about this I mean you force Sheriff d'Artie to let you in to see Roy Vickery you defied chief Hanley and Well, you don't seem frightened of any of them Also, I I suppose I'm a little sick of everything I've seen around here. Okay I'll see you in an hour. I'll be there 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 goes truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the United Adjustment Bureau for 18 West 61st Street, New York City The following is an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the racket in Clinton, Colorado Expense account item nine ten bucks one dinner and four drinks for myself at the traders in five miles outside of Clinton Where I waited for flurry Hawkins to appear. Oh, that's all right miss Hawkins. Sit down, please Would you would you like something to eat a drink maybe? No, thank you. I What's the matter what is it? Can't help looking around. I hope no one sees us together I mean that would be difficult to explain to explain to whom Your friend Sheriff d'Artie for one Last night when you came to inquire about Julian Osborne Sheriff d'Artie called and told me to get rid of you and not answer any questions Yeah, I guess that Did he tell you what would have happened if I had stayed and you had answered some questions? No, I Can imagine it would have been something that would have barred me from teaching for the rest of my life That sounds incredible. No, not to I've been looking at your little town miss Hawkins a School building can be made of paper go up and smoke a man can be killed and none of the responsible people The man who built the building the fire chief the sheriff seemed to care too much You asked me about Julian Osborne. I Knew he wrote your insurance company who called them and told him the school building wasn't right He told me he was going to do it. I see I Knew it wasn't right to Everyone who worked in there who worked on the building knew it wasn't up to specifications and I'll contact some of those people That may be difficult Julian Osborne spoke up and he burned to death Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't speak now or any of the others I'm willing to speak about that building now Now I'm willing to help you. I'd I don't know about the others Will mr. Baines help you well, he's frightened of going up against vickering in the others But I think I can talk them into it. That would be two of us. Yeah, and that's right two people speaking out And then there'd be others once it gets rolling. It won't stop unless I've missed my guess about the townspeople of Clinton You seem to know a lot about people mr. Dollar How to say what will stimulate them at the right time or make them speak out? I Have to confess you did that to me. You looked hurt and bewildered last night when I insisted you leave me alone. I Realize you know Very deeply. I realized there could have been 1,400 pupils in that school when the fire broke out. I Didn't sleep last night thinking of it. Yeah, I guess It was the only good feature of it. No children died But as you say Ms. Hawkins, it could have happened the other way Now look besides yourself and possibly mr. Baines Can you think of anyone else who might be able to supply information about the construction of the school? I don't know Let me think somebody who'd who'd have evidence in hand possibly wait Yes, I can think of someone who the building inspector the one who approved the building. Oh Well, that doesn't seem likely if he passed that building he must have been in with him What's his name? His name is Richard Hobb. Oh, I've known him for years We is in with him in a way, but I know he'd get out of it if he could he he was a very decent man when I knew him Well, I think he's still decent Richard Hobb All right, who else That's all I can think of. Well, that's a start What will you do? I'll ask you to take a plane to Denver register at the cosmopolitan hotel and wait until you hear from me What I want a statement from you before you go, but I want you to be safe I'll get around to Hobbin Baines All I want is sworn statements to the effect that Vickery bill a bad school that he violated insurance specifications That'll start it rolling. Oh When do you want the statement tonight right here? All right Let's get busy It took an hour to get the statement after that I drove her to Grand Junction to catch a plane Expense account item ten dollar and a half telegram to a friend of mine in the private detective business in Denver I asked him to meet Flory Hawkins plane see that she was safe and comfortable and keep an eye on her during her stay in Denver Then I drove back to Clinton. I'm 11 10 cents another phone call this one to David Baines Baines Flory Hawkins made a statement about the school building in the fire She's tired of being scared and shoved around Now how about you one from me? Yes Comparing your specifications with what you saw that actually went into the building But you make it out and take it before a notary if she can I can Then what then go down to Denver and wait you hear from me. I'll make the statement, but I won't leave time You'll help me a lot if you do sorry, you'll be in danger here I feel brave. You're gonna play it so broad. I'll do it, too I took his statement directly to the post office and mailed it to myself at the northern hotel Expense account item 12 40 cents phone calls. I Telephone sheriff Dorothy fire chief Hanley and county attorney contractor Roy Vickery and told them that I had a sworn statement regarding building irregularities Sheriff Dorothy snorted and hung up chief Hanley yawned and told me not to bother him and Roy Vickery just laughed About eight o'clock that night. I was at the home of building inspector Richard Hobb a nice home in a nice part of town The woman standing in the doorway was tall and blonde holding a drink and smoking a cigarette. Yes, I like to see mr. Richard hobb I'm Johnny dollar Lucille hobb. He isn't home right now, but you can come in and wait for him and talk to me I'm not bad company What a drink help Help what whatever is wrong with you? You look tired mr. Dollar. It might but I'd rather not I Just came by to talk to you you said that What do you want to talk to him about? Business this time of night Let's stop talking about him What do you say? Look you you probably missed your dinner tonight, and you've been getting all of your nourishment out of a bottle So I'll come back and you're afraid dick will walk. Oh, no. No, I'm not afraid of that. Mrs. Hobb He's already walked out and you're feeling sorry for yourself. What? Well a man if he lives in a place has an ashtray or a picture or yesterday's sports section lying around the front room I don't see anything like that in this room if I walked over to that closet tend to one I wouldn't find any of his clothes and if I tried the drawers or layouts. There wouldn't be a shirt around either When did he leave you're crazy when did he leave yesterday after the fire during the fire? Did he go I don't know did he go alone? I don't know Vickery tell him to get out of town. No I'll ask that again Did Vickery tell your husband to get out of town? I don't know You said no the first time I asked Vickery appellate your husbands. I know each other naturally Look, Mrs. Hobb, I don't know how much you've had to drink, but if I'm reading your rise, right? You're scared you're scared about what's happened here, and what could happen here, and you know your husband's involved Mrs. Hobb, I want your husband to help me if he helps me I can help this town get rid of people like Vickery and dory and Hanley If you see him if he contacts you tell him that Tell him I won't let anything happen to him. Tell him I have statements from two people already and they're being protected I'll protect your husband. You got all that. I don't know what you're talking about Good night, Mrs. Hobb I left her standing in the middle of the living room drinking hand staring vaguely at I don't know what Outside in the Chris Mountain air. I took stock of the situation Richard Hobb building inspector who had passed the school building would be the most important witness I could find to make a statement The others from Flory Hawkins and David Baines would help but Hobbs information would be essential to an investigation I was just coming into my rented car when a sleek dark limousine pulled up and Roy Vickery leaned out the window Come here. Why not pretty cold weather to be out so late at night. Yeah, but then I've got a lot to do You've been in to see Mr. Hobb. Yeah How's Richard these days? I wouldn't know I only spoke to Mrs. Hobb. I see Lovely girl and she well, she's a little sad right now her husband's missing He left town during the fire yesterday who tell yeah, I have a feeling he might have been ordered out of town Sooner or later people be asking the building inspector embarrassing questions about their school. Uh-huh Were you going to ask him some some embarrassing questions that is yeah, yeah, sure. I was I was gonna ask him why he passed it I was gonna ask him how much he was paid to pass it. I Was gonna ask who paid him to pass it and then I was going to ask him to make a statement I figured you might have had Something like that in mind. Well, it's a nice talking to you. Mr. Vickery. I hope I see you real soon in jail Hey dollar what? I know you're trying to earn your money and you're working very hard But I'd stop it if I were you I admire a man like you someone who calls a Spade a spade are a liar a liar liar a liar But dollar it it just won't do you any good here in Clinton. Tell you what you worry about your problems And I'll worry about mine have it your way Ready with your college in New York, mr. Dollar, right go ahead, please Hi Johnny, hello, Al Hey, look Al. It's a mess here. I've made a little headway I mean I'll have a couple of statements coming in but no concrete evidence yet Well, what do you think the school building was a fix or something or other money somewhere I haven't able to find out the town sewed up tight civically and politically I can't expect any help from the law or the fire department here. They're in it, too Fred so I need help we'll be there in 24 hours. They want to play it that way. We'll play it that way 20 minutes after I have the fauna was in bed. I found out how much of a mess it really was That's when my hotel door opened and a man lurched across the room toward me I've got to tell you I Wanted to get to you yesterday He stood in front of me swaying back and forth his hands clutching the front of his coat. He fell before he could get Three bullet holes formed a neat trio across where his type and should have been I ran my fingers through his coat Pulled out his wallet. The license read Richard Hobb age 39 occupation building inspector Here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow The town of Clinton begins to fall apart and it takes a lot of work to pick up the pieces Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollars starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. 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