 From Hollywood. It's time now for John Lund as Johnny dollar or advance. Oh The Zeeman case. What's on your mind, man? I haven't got any jobs. That's sounds like double talk to me I don't think you dog. You I don't know what it's all about Okay, I'll be waiting for you John Lund in a transcribed adventure of a man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Here's to me, Johnny Daller Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Daller to all states insurance company Wilmington, Delaware Attention, mr. Don free chief investigator Since your office authorized me to conduct certain inquiries based on information supplied by Orrin Vance I am billing you accordingly. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Baltimore matter Expense account item one two ninety five a phone call to prisoner dismissal board at Sing Sing prison Where I was informed that Orrin Vance had been released three days before the above date He'd completed seven years of a seven to fifteen year term for grand theft It was an unparalleled release The chaplain described him as a model prisoner with a better than average chance of remaining out of prison for the rest of his life For that reason, I was willing to listen to his story when he showed up an hour later Come on in Vance. Yeah, sure. Thanks. Nice place you get. I like it Sit down and tell me what's on your mind. Daller look don't treat me like a con even if I am I'll sit down. I'll have a smoke with you. I'll talk with you to get the other part for a while Will you please? Okay That one nice Just everybody's doing that with my wife Went over to see the first day. I got out. You know what what Katie wouldn't let me in the house Give me $40 told me to go out and get a decent job She had it all worked out work hard She said six months of everything's okay, and you're not in any trouble. You can come home to me and the kids If not, she said I'm gonna divorce you. What do you want me to say? Don't you offer me a seat invite me to sit down? Sure Thanks again No Thought about it a lot. You hadn't been out to get me seven years ago I've had you over for dinner Maybe we were them friends Maybe Look, I can't get a job and I'll have to go in business myself. I need a stake. That's why I'm here to see you I Talked to you maybe 20 times while you were working on that Zim in case and I think I got to know you I Called you today because of what I saw of you then I Think you're not a smart thanks. You ever hear the town of case in Baltimore Town or loan company in 1946. Yeah Everybody's heard about that million-dollar theft Insurance companies still have a reward for information leading to the arrest and permission was never solved I suppose they do I can help you help them salvage the half of that reward. Can you I know two of the men who did it Two of the six man. I talked to one of them yesterday I'll tell you who they are way you can pick them up, but I want my name out of the picture. Can you fix it? Yeah, probably I have to talk to the police sooner or later Oh, look, this is a good thing dollar and all I'm asking is your promise to keep my name out of it Tell me how good before I make any promises Fair enough They had some of the serial numbers on part of the take here This is one of the bills Why don't you check it with them then we'll take it from here? Spencer count item two fourteen dollars and eighty five cents a long-distance phone call to chief investigator Don freed all states insurance Who verified that the serial numbers on the ten dollar bill or advance handed me tied in with the town or loan company theft I? Explained the information I had at hand and the source from which it had come Leaving out any mention of names freed talk with his boss and told me back half an hour later giving me to go ahead Okay, France you're in business You tell me who they are I'll handle it from here. I mean the money When we have something you'll get paid for it all I've had so far as talk This bill could have come from anywhere. You might have picked it up as a guard counter Look, I got it from a man named Leonard Torpe. He lives in New York. He's one of Leonard Torpe Yeah, I met him my second year at assening was up on an old petty theft charge He did 18 months told me to look him up when I got out This part may sound crazy, but we had a few drinks together in his place yesterday I Was weaving on his shoulder about all my hard luck and he said you think you got hard luck Then he marched me into the bedroom and showed me a stack of money in a bureau drawer. He said he couldn't spend it Gave me one of the bills Must have been pretty drunk out. Yeah, it was Got the thinking about it check the bill found out it was in the town of me I Looked up the story in it Torpe fits the description of one of the hold-up men right down the line Now we'll see You say you know two of them. Who's the other one Harold King lives in Reno, Nevada now runs a filming station He used to come see Torpe on visiting days. I saw him several times I'll make you think he had a partner town I think just what Torpe said while he was drunk in the general description of the other Hold-up man in the story See while Torpe was drunk he mentioned his old partner Harry King told me where he was living so far the same thing about the hold-up No, I told you I found that part myself, but King is the other man. I'm sure of it King have a record. I know anything about him Okay Where'd he be? I'll phone you two days be longer. I should know something by then remember My name's out of it the police or anybody else sure You're afraid yeah, I'm a stalled pigeon. Well, haven't you noticed? I'd noticed and have worried me so I followed him when he left my place I Was buying a package of cigarettes at the corner drugstore while he boarded the street car for downtown I tagged along in a taxi to the main business section watched him get off and head for the bus terminal I bought another package of cigarettes while he bought a one-way ticket to New York in the half hour before departure time I telephoned a private detective friend of mine Pete Florian. He appeared at the bus terminal 15 minutes later What's the rumble Johnny a man over there in the gray overcoat? His name's on Vance. Uh-huh Johnny's way to New York right now Maybe you better tag along see there's nobody kills him. Oh If what he told me is true somebody might try to do just that Stay close till he settles somewhere. Hey, she Haven't got any more to tell you Pete because I'm just starting to look into it Find out where he's living there and contact me at this number. I'll let you know what to do then. All right anything else Don't let him out of your sight Pete Spencer count item three one hundred bucks Retainer for private detective Pete Florian for explained purposes I stayed at the bus terminal long enough to watch Pete board the New York bound bus and take a seat across the aisle for more in Vance I don't for eight dollars and eighty-five cents plane fare Hartford in New York Item five four fifty cab fare to hotel and then to Metropolitan police station where I explained my business to a Lieutenant Randall Who gave you this tip dollar? I'm afraid I can't tell you that a tenant Why not because I promise not to disclose any names I can't tell you that the source is a man who couldn't possibly have had anything to do with the case Since he was in prison at the time of the hold-up But you want me to stick my neck out and get up a search warrant and maybe take this bird Taupie into custody on your say so yeah plenty to start with with that ten dollar bill should be enough for you to look into it That's why you look into it Frankly, yes Prima facie evidence But no name no name. I've told you all there is to know believe me Let's get busy The mug folder on Leonard Torpey showed a balding 40 year old man with a long record of theft and burglary There was no record for a Harold King Although he was listed as an associate of Torpeys The tenant Randall wired Reno authorities requesting they locate King and hold him for possible questioning Once these preliminaries were accomplished Randall and I went out to the address or in Vance had given me This turned up a blank the landlady informed us that Mr. Torpey had lived there But it checked out the preceding morning. No forwarding address The good lieutenant and I parted company outside the apartment house and I walked back to my hotel I was going to change clothes and grab some dinner But the clerk waived me over to the house phone a call would just come in Johnny dollar How to go alone? Any visitors? What's the number? Where are you? Expense account item six one sixty Cab fare to the drugstore where Pete Florian was keeping a watchful eye on my nervous informer or in Vance I found the drugstore, but Pete was nowhere in sight the girl behind the soda fund recognized him by my Description and said he'd stepped out a few minutes before I glanced up and down the block and then spotted him standing just outside the Shadow of a streetlight across the street. I walked over that's a room back there Lights on got a couple of visitors in there with him showed up about five minutes ago car taxi They look like once then medium sized dark suit the other stocky dark suit to both in the early 40s Shopping was glasses didn't make you the one Yeah This one of them. Let me see Yeah, he's in there What's his name? Leonard Torpy. We better go in. Okay, right back there. Yeah Who's Leonard Torpy? That's somebody who might want to kill Vance. I wish I knew more about what this is all about, sonny Yeah, I said oh, aye. It's all talk so far. You see Better cover me Come over there. Mr. Vance Or in Vance You must have the wrong number buddy. Nobody by that name lives here. Are you sure positive? Why don't you try the manager? I did he said mr. Vance had this room and he's all wet good night Just a minute Torpy. What? Before I went down I heard it go off a couple of more times must have been six inches for my head My eyes couldn't see and my feet wouldn't move But I could hear It was someone very close to me And he was dying Return to yours truly Johnny dollar in just a moment Sign up enroll now Join the seven million strong who buy United States defense bonds through the payroll savings plan where they work The bonds you buy help keep America strong and now series e-bonds earn more They give you a quicker return on your investment through the payroll savings plan You'll save the sure way before you spend so sign up Invest more in United States defense bonds Now with our star John Lund we bring you the second act of yours truly Johnny dollar I won't talk about my operation I had one at the police emergency hospital. As a matter of fact, I had two They prodded a 38 slug out of my neck and another one out of my shoulder It was 48 hours before I was allowed to sit up in bed and talk Naturally enough my first visitor was lieutenant Randall. He looked haggard tired worried You say you hired this Pete Florian. Yeah to keep an eye on our advance. That's your tipster It's okay to tell it now. I suppose Yeah Thanks Florian died right there in the hall four slugs Vances on the floor beneath you still hanging on You keeping track of all this What about Torpy you get him? We didn't before Indian Torpy's in the morgue the other man got away Quite a night. Yeah Look darling You're the only one who can give me the story now Vance isn't able to talk and won't be for another three days if then Everybody else is dead or gone Now what happened there? I don't know I didn't see anything lieutenant I was trying to push into the room past Torpy and the whole world caved in any Any line on the man who was with Torpy? Good descriptions with no luck so far He hiked to the car outside Vance's place found it two hours later. No prints on it some blood He might have one of Florian slugs in him Yeah We got to land that bird Hey You all right? I Felt awful And the tenant ran to left me alone for the rest of the day At 3 30 the following day or in Vance regain consciousness long enough to relate what had happened I was wheel chaired down to his bedside Statement and closed Was Harry King with Torpy King flew here three days ago. I'm Reno Came to my place to find out what I've done with it $10 bill Torpy give me when he was drunk Told him I spent it But they didn't believe me It was King who shot me I've got reward money coming. I'm not gonna die He was still hanging on two days later when I left the hospital Spencer con item seven fourteen dollars ambulance ride Emergency hospital to my hotel Doctors told me to take it easy for a month and I'd be all right. I Had a phone call a half hour after I started to take it easy Johnny dollar Who's this sure? Yeah How do I know you hello, mr. Dollar, Mrs. King. Yes Hey, you look pretty weak. I feel that way. Maybe we better sit down Small pretty brunette woman in the nice clothes look like anything with the wife of a bank bandit and murderer She looked more like a housewife on a shopping tour or a school teacher on a New York vacation I Listened while she cleared up some questions. I had in mind There's a reward posted isn't there but that hold up in Baltimore $10,000. Yeah, will I get it if I turn Harry over to the police? Sure How much half? That isn't much for giving up your husband. I'll get him sooner or later, Mrs. King The other half spoken for This Vance man. Yes Wait, I'm just trying to figure it. What about you? I'll pass it up $5,000 for Harry providing he was tied in with a Baltimore hold up That's what the insurance companies interested in. He was in it. All right. I want to get something else straight What happens to me? What do you mean? I'm his wife No, he had a partner for the last six months. I haven't said anything. Does that need me a party to it or something? Well, you could have informed but you couldn't have testified being his wife I'm a rain. I don't want to spend all the money hiring lawyers to keep me out of jail. My company will cover that. Where's Harry? Oh, not yet What now I better get something in writing from you Something that says your insurance company will pay me the reward and give me help if I get in any trouble. Oh, I don't talk to This time I'm thinking of the future I'm going to have one once this is over. I Hope so Mrs. King. I know so Mr. Dollar Harry have money he couldn't spend to $45,000 Where is it? I can give you that when I give you Harry Well, you thought of everything I tried to Harry in that Torpy man with fools all they ever got out of it was the mark bills worthless money You don't happen to know of the other four men. Why do you know? That's what you'll ask Harry when you get him. That's the idea Well, Harry, how long will it take you to get things arranged not more than an hour. I can do it by phone. I'll call you. Okay, I Gave her a 50-second start before I left the table and went out in the street I was just in time to see her climb into a cab. I was trying to hear one to follow We're gonna black coupé pulled up to the car Come on Johnny. Hey, that's a little change I Feel terrible. What is this? Vance told us it was King. We checked the airlines and found out he had his wife with him when he flew in from Reno That is Mrs. King up there in that cab, isn't it? That's who she said she was She wants to sell you her husband for part of that reward, doesn't she? Yeah, what's the delay? She wants to make sure she'll be handled. All right the money and all so did Vance Don't needle me around. I don't mean to This all figures Thought she might try to get in touch with you for just that reason. I don't get it Well, that's why I put a man on your hotel Followed you when you came to meet her today, then he phoned me We looked her up Her name was Melva Thaler before she married King Her old man had a lot of money in Minnesota, but she couldn't keep herself out of trouble and got disinherited Money's always been her problem. It's everybody's problem. Not the way it is with her King's worth a lot of dough to her if you pay off He's no good to her now lying somewhere with a slug in him and he hasn't been any good to her with the marked money He got in the town or hold up or something else rental what? She's stalling me. I think She said she didn't know who they were But if she was lying and she does know who the others were in that town or hold up King It'll be worth even more money They'd want him dead and sit up with a police talking his head off. That's right We followed Melva King's taxi for better than 45 minutes all the way through the Holland Tunnel and into Jersey She finally left it at a train station in Bucks County We watched her buy a magazine and sit down in the waiting room and begin to read it 15 minutes later. She stepped into the phone booth when she came out I went over to the filling station phone to see if she'd phone my hotel Well, she wasn't trying to get me Well, that's out of contact of the others going to sell you or them whoever pays most for him Some operator, isn't she now when you have time look at the file we picked up on her 16 arrests One conviction for narcotics and she's 18 Well, you'll see what we will see Didn't take long When a green Cadillac pulled up at the station Melva King stepped out in the platform and greeted the two men who were in it She sat in the car with them talked for a short time then got back out When the Cadillac rolled away look at it Randall was on the radio ordering a pickup Yale five nine six Don't pick them up right away. We'll stay with her When Melva King caught another taxi we were right behind her She took her to an auto court about a mile from the station. We saw her go into the cabin mark D Randall radioed in our location. We were about to check the auto court office when the door to cabin D opened Standing beside Melva King in the doorway of the cottage was a pale stocky man And look as though his legs wouldn't support him another minute Then she saw us get out of the car You're hurt King you can't go far. It was already for her when she got back. Yeah, that's funny I thought the same thing about you King King listen to reason I can tell you're hurt bad. You need help Why don't you give it up? I wasn't how much half of it you're dying on your feet King King don't add another one to the Spencer con item eight same as item two transportation back to Hartford item nine eighty five dollars doctor bills Item ten miscellaneous $48 while in New York Spencer count total two hundred and ninety four dollars and sixty cents remarks As you know the two men Melva King contacted were also part of the six who had held up the town alone company They made a full confession and named the other parties involved Far as the reward money goes. I think Orin Vance deserves his five thousand dollars And I think Pete Florian's widow deserves my five thousand Here's truly Johnny dollar