 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar This is Hector, Mr. Dollar Hector Hector, Nirkley at the Drakely Arms Apartments You were here night before last inquiring about the late mr. Morgan. Oh, yes, I remember what can I do for you? Mr. Nirkley, oh, it's really quite the other way around all right. What can you do for me? Why can't you give it to me on the phone I'll tell you exactly why mr. Dollar Oh for the love of people And why not a month ago the best friend I had in the world drove his car off a cliff into the Pacific and his body's still out There in the ocean somewhere. It's never been recovered. It turns out he was $80,000 shortness accounts I can't find the money. You know the woman he was running around with before his death I can't find out anything and now if I want some it All right, I'll be there in 30 minutes Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey and 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 location San Francisco to the home office eternity mutual insurance company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the confidential matter Expense account continued item nine a dollar and seventy cents taxi from my hotel to the Drakeley Arms Apartments a Snooty high-priced joint where Ed Morgan had lived during the last four months of his life Ed Morgan a pipe and slippers bachelor who'd suddenly and strangely turned to champagne cocktails and high-living Who is head of an insurance claims office had found a way of swindling his employer out of $80,000 in four months? And who died a month ago as mysteriously as he'd lived This was the man who at the moment was my assignment who's past I was supposed to uncover And he was also the man who'd been my lifelong friend. Ah, you did make excellent time Now look if this turns out to be a run-around so help me out All right. All right. You said you had some very important information that couldn't be discussed over the phone Well, it could have been discussed of course, but well this information has to do with one of our guests mr. Dollar a Certain lovely young widow whom you seem most concerned about the last Nikki Barrett quite as she come back as she here I'm afraid not then. What is it first? I must ask you what your intentions are toward mrs. Barrett Well, I'm not gonna marry her leaves. I hardly thought you were all right, then what's the point simply this I Happen to be in a position to put you in touch with mrs. Barrett. You know where she's hiding out hiding out All right, I'll drop the implication you know where she is. I do. Well, then let's have it Why do you wish to find her? Because she's the only lead I've got on the Morgan case She and Edward thicker than thieves during the four months before his death and she was with him the night He was killed earlier in the evening at least are you going to have her arrested? No No, I just want to ask her some questions. I've got no case against her Not yet at least mr. Dollar can I depend upon you in one very important respect? What's that? Under no circumstances must you let mrs. Barrett know that I told her where she is What's the matter afraid the board of directors would bust you to bellhop and strip off your gardenia? That is not amusing Nor too improbable as a matter of fact after all the watchword of the Drakely arms is discretion. Yeah. Well, all right It's a deal. I won't tell her of course. There is one more little detail now what well the last time you requested information from me Mr. Dollar you were kind enough and generous enough Really, this is a bit awkward. What is it Hector? Is the gardenia fun getting low? Well, you did say as I recall that it was merely an item in an expense account. All right Here's another 20 bucks. Oh, thank you, sir. Now. What about Nikki Barrett? We just received a letter from mrs. Barrett. She asks that her mayor be forwarded to her in care of american express Panama city panama Item 10 20 dollars gratuity item 11 388 dollars and 45 cents hotels and telegrams Incidentals in san francisco and plane fare to panama I'd sent wires ahead before I left the states It wasn't until after I cleared customs and was heading for the american express office That I was certain the messages had produced any results Dispense of me. Please. Yeah, you are uh, senior johnny dollar from the estados. No, that's right Captain Garcia Ramulio of the panama federal police as usual. Oh, glad to know you captain. I am honored senior We have received your telegram And I have been instructed to cooperate with you very intensive. Well, it may take just that Now about the woman I described in the telegram the senora barrett Oh, son the mother. What a beautiful woman. So I've heard you have not uh had the pleasure of Acquainting her not yet the best of your life is before you in that case Then I'll speed up and get to it. So you've already located her. Oh, but of course, senior She has not um changed her name as you think perhaps So it was more simple. Good. Glad I didn't cause you too much trouble trouble Senor merely to gaze upon such a one is worth the lifetime of trouble Which is exactly what it caused a couple of guys. I know Such hair such lips. Yeah, well, uh, what do you say? Forgive me, senor. I am carried away with it Well, where is this living little doll staked out at the moment? She is registered at the hotel primesso room 17 Uh hotel primesso. This is something most unusual. I'm thinking. What do you mean? The primesso is one hotel very small, which is uh Locate on the waterfront Is most for sailors fishermen. I see the beautiful tourist or one would think to find in a hotel of More elegance. She may be deliberately staying away from the tourist belt. Yes, sir. It's in your Who can tell the reasons of a woman? Yeah, is she living there alone? So I have been informed You expect someone with her. I don't know what to expect. I don't even know why she came here I'm moving in blind Life is most difficult at times You didn't talk to her. Did you let her know you were checking on her? Please, sir. Sorry captain. I had to be sure She is most entirely without suspicions. Good. Good. Well, I suppose I'd better check into a hotel first Then what are your plans, senor? I don't know exactly. I'll talk to her try to get some answers And from there on I'll just have to call it as I go I hope this lovely lady has not involved in some Serious crime. I hope not too But I wouldn't bet much on it Item 12 8 dollars taxi flant rate for the rest of the day And by the time I checked into a hotel and showered and changed the rest of the day didn't have long to go The hotel promesa was on the waterfront as captain Garcia had said and some distance from town But although it wasn't a tourist trap neither was it quite the sailors flop house I've been led to expect it was built native style with bamboo shutters and wide verandas Half buried in a thicket of mango and banana Five bucks bought me the desk clerk's undying affection and two minutes later. I stood unannounced at the door of room 17 It's about time. I ordered that ice at least it I thought you were the bellboy. No The name is johnny dollar Johnny dollar mind if I come in mrs. Bird what for? Well, it would be more comfortable than trying to talk out here in the veranda What is it you want to talk about a friend of mine Name of ed Morgan All right Come on in Sit down mr. Dollar. Thanks I'd offer you a drink, but there's no ice and it isn't this kind of heat. I don't care for a drink. Thanks You'd think it would cool off after the sun goes down, but it doesn't at least not very much Sometimes a breeze comes up from the from What are you staring at mr. Dollar? you Why I'd had such glowing reports about you that I was sure they were exaggerated They weren't Thanks And did you come all the way down here just to check those glowing reports? How do you know I came all the way down here? What do you mean? Maybe I live here No I've heard of you before ed mr. Morgan used to talk about you was it ed or mr. Morgan You don't miss much. Do you I try not to It was ed as you undoubtedly knew. Yes, I know But I wasn't sure why Why why he lost his head Now that I've seen you I can understand Who wouldn't please I'd rather not talk about it mr. Dollar Ever since that terrible accident. There's been only one thing I've wanted To forget well, I'm sorry to have to bring up unpleasant memories mrs. Barrett, but I've got to ask you some questions The night of his death. What time did he leave you? What do you mean? You were together earlier in the evening You left the bar at the draggly arms together at nine o'clock But shortly after midnight when ed ran his car off a cliff into the pacific. He was apparently alone We went to dinner then he brought me back to the apartment house He was going to half moon bay to see a client That's why he happened to be on that road. I don't want to talk about it mr. Dollar It's horrible to think of him dying that way and his body's still out there in the ocean somewhere That's why I came down here To get away and try to forget Then you thought quite a lot of them We were going to be married. I see Well, it's uh, it's too bad it didn't work out with all the wealth ed had and the beauty you have Why I I had the idea that he just worked for an insurance company and lived the way he did Oh come on mrs. Barrett Well, actually I didn't really consider it. My husband had left me quite well off How long were you married before he died? Only 10 months Oh, you do have bad luck, don't you? I don't think this attitude of yours relax Here have a cigarette. I don't smoke Oh Do you mind if I do? No, of course not Thanks Do you have a suite here mrs. Barrett or just this one room just this room why? Oh, then this door must lead to the bath. What do you think you're doing? Empty huh, of course it's empty Then the other possibility is that closet stay away from there When I came in there was cigarette smoke in the stubs in the ashtray. There's no one here. Stay away from there Oh, look mrs. Barrett turning out the lights may be romantic, but it's not the idea I was still conscious with groggy And I couldn't seem to get off the floor I heard someone moving Heard the door to the veranda open and close I shook my head tried to clear it and finally staggered to my feet and found the light switch Nikki buried it was cowering back against the wall staring at me scared but not saying anything. I stumbled toward the door The veranda was empty. There was no sign of movement in the shadows So there was somebody hiding in that closet. No There wasn't anybody here. I'm the one who hit you. You'd have to have a fist three times your size Forget it. I know the game now. I should have known it a lot sooner There's only one person in this world who tears cigarettes apart and shreds the paper that way no the two of you in on it together They didn't find his body because there wasn't anybody to find He's still alive. He was right here in this room That was ed morgan Oh, here is our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story tomorrow A search for a dead man who intends to stay dead And who's willing to kill to do it Join us once you yours truly Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring bob bailey is transcribed in hollywood written by less 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 Hugh brundig speaking