 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Joe Parker Johnny surely mutual oh hi Joe. What's on your mind a gorgeous doll named Dolly McClain? Remember sure the champagne dream girl dancing darling of the roaring 20s Finally married Barnaby Cronin didn't she right and for a wedding present. He bought at the circle of fire Oh, yeah one of the five most beautiful necklaces in the world diamonds and emeralds where it's a half a million It's been lying in a bank vault for the last 10 years since Barnaby died we carry the insurance so She's coming out of seclusion Johnny giving a party just like the old day. She says they go on for a week last fling and She's going to wear the circle of fire. Oh, oh get the picture Gallons of champagne everything mixed up crazy and that old lady with a half million bucks around her neck Target you've got a problem Joe Johnny. We've got a problem Tonight in every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators yours truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the home office surety mutual and trust company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of my expenditure is during investigation of the Cronin matter Item one 14 dollars and 80 cents transportation to New York and to the apartment of America's one-time dream girl One time a long time ago. How do you do? I'm Johnny dollar. I believe Mrs. Cronin is expecting me I'm Mrs. Cronin, and yes, I am expecting you. Won't you come in? Oh, thanks I did have butlers and maids and such for years Scads of them what's in spawner be passed away. I've just hibernated you might say In here, mr. Dollar. Thank you Ten years now in the same little apartment as you can see I've just been living like a little mouse It looks very comfortable. Oh, I suppose it's comfortable enough, but oh Sylvia had forgotten you were still here But not for long Mrs. Cronin. Oh, no, please stay we'll have some tea or sherry or something Soon, oh You too. Do you know each other? No, I'm afraid we don't oh, but of course not. How could you? Sylvia, this is mr. Dollar. Miss Blake. How do you do miss Blake? Oh, mr. Dollar's here to talk to me about Well, something or other. I'm not quite sure what is the matter of fact It won't take but a few minutes if miss Blake would excuse us sure go ahead have at it Well, if you come this way mr. Dollar Don't you lead now? Sylvia not a chance. I just spotted your bottle of tea I'll have one or two with soda if you don't mind with sir. Oh, I see what you mean. You young people In here, mr. Mr. Dollar You buy any chance Johnny dollar. Yeah, that's right But why miss Blake? He's looking at you and brother. I wouldn't be in your shoes for a million dollars No, how about half million that I'll admit might interest me. Well shadow after you Mrs. Cronin. Thank you Wonderful girl a born comedian. Yeah, she's a scream. What is she an actress? Oh, no, no She writes things for magazines and things like that to sit down mr. Dollar She came to interview me one time. That's how I met her. I see she wrote a piece about my necklace the circle of fire Sylvia Blake. Oh sure articles about gems famous stones jewel robbers. That's her. Oh, she's fascinated by the subject She's coming to my party. Oh Why don't you come to my party mr. Dollar fine? I'd love to in fact, that's why I'm here Oh Joe Parker over at shorty mutualist kind of worried about this party, Mrs. Cronin He's afraid you might invite people like me. What I mean people. You don't know You're a detective In a way, I told Joseph how I felt about that He's not going to send any detectives around snooping into things spying on my guests Wearing the hats in the house. Oh, not that you're like that, of course But it's the principle of the thing. Well, wouldn't you have a better time at your party if you knew you were safe? Mr. Dollar It was at a party that Barnaby gave me the circle of fire our wedding reception. There were over 2,000 guests a thousand of them invited and We danced oh We danced all night and the necklace was beautiful and I was beautiful Back then true and then afterward at four o'clock in the morning We drove through the park in a handsome just the two of us and the driver of course and I wore the circle and I was safe mr. Dollar. I was perfectly safe. Maybe you were just lucky that night Maybe was so wonderful and he could make living so wonderful I don't doubt it He was probably a man who could manage things pretty skillfully He was running two railroads in a bank all at the same time Then I imagine he had no trouble arranging for your safety without even letting you know about it You mean guards all around. It's possible Yes, it is He was like that. He never wanted anything to worry me Alright mr. Dollar you win good, but it's only because of one reason I like you and I want you at my party. Thank you, Mrs. Crowley. Oh, you're going to love every minute of it It's up and they had round acts Our old summer place a Joseph told you I suppose yes He did Mrs. Crowley and the people I have invited hundreds literally people. I knew in the old days Of course a lot of them won't come but You know it was strange So many of the letters came back on delivered Mrs. Crowley. Oh Sylvia I didn't hear you come here. I'm the sneaky type. You've got a visitor says he's an old friend really Well, I suppose I'd better say you You'll excuse me mr. Dollar sure go ahead. You and Sylvia talked to each other I uh brung the bottle in case you're interested short on the soda right She's on a cloud by herself Of course some of the invites to the party were undelivered Those beautiful people had a habit of dying young say when When Who's the visitor? I'll guess with you looks like an overgrown leprechaun said his name was shorty webber shorty webber You know it I know of him an old time song and dance band Among other things she probably worked in a show with him back in those dear dead days Anyway, he's got an invite clutched in his sweaty little palm another free loader. I suppose aren't we all I am Yes, not you though. You're working your way. Isn't that what you're doing one way or another meaning a magazine article Just in case written right on the spot attempted theft of the circle of fire clever jewel face. Why do you say attempted? I'm working my way. Remember sure. I remember But it won't be attempted Johnny Somebody's gonna get that necklace before the weekend is over. I'll bet on it Would you care to name any names pick a name off the guest list? Any name suppose I pick Sylvia Blake You're the detective you've dug up and written up every big time jewel theft over the last 50 years You're bugged on the subject obsessed with beautiful gems fits my personality I'm rather beautiful too in a brittle and glittering sort of way Don't you think so Johnny? I think you work pretty hard at that tough act Maybe and I think you'd give your right arm to own that necklace Going after that would really be going for the big one going for broke And somebody will do it Johnny wait and see She left a few minutes later with the bottle under her arm and a chip on her shoulder With the girl gone and the scotch gone. There seemed to be no point in me hanging around any longer So I went looking for mrs. Cronin to say goodbye I didn't find her but I did find her caller shorty webber He didn't hear me come into the room. He was too busy. He was hunched over mrs. Cronin's writing desk going through her mail You won't find it there shorty hold it shorty. Don't try to reach for it I wasn't gonna I just I wasn't turn around put your hands up against the wall. You got me all wrong. I wasn't gonna relax I was just 38 stop barrel clip holster Nice gun belongs to a friend of mine bad business shorty an ex con packing a gun Oh, I guess you're johnny dolla. She said you was here And I I know what you think of mr. Dollar, but you're wrong why dolly, uh, mr. Cronin She's an old friend of mine I try to get her to marry me once over 30 years ago a lot can happen in 30 years Does she know you've served time in prison? Hmm She thinks I was on tour europe and australia She never reads a paper or hears anything Don't tell her mr. Dollar Please don't you know, it's quite a coincidence shorty It was joules that time a big affair of new allines And you were hired as an entertainer A diamond bracelet wasn't it and you were caught cold So the only time of my life I ever done anything like that and I went again Not especially not to her Why I I'm planning to look out for at this party. That's why I bought the gun And is that why you were going through a mail there? Yeah, I wanted to see who was coming I learned things while I was doing time I know how the word gets around in a big deal like this. There's a lot of wrong guys in this world No, I give it shorty. Yeah, well you matter. Yeah, you know how she is She's a babe in a woods and something like this Did my ears be burning or is it some other babe you mean? Not for me dolly You're the only babe I ever could see oh shorty you never give up Oh, uh, do you two know each other? Not exactly but we found we had a mutual friend A certain state prison warden. I found nice shorty's always doing benefits at those places dolly. Yeah, yeah, that was it He did a benefit there. Oh, well, I'll bet you went over big. Well, you know you're too modest shorty Why they loved him mrs. Cronin hated to let him leave. Yeah Well, uh speaking of leaving. Uh, I got a shove now. Don't take any wooden nickels It was crazy and corny and sad the whole idea I guess the sadness of it hit me when I was saying goodbye to mrs. Cronin at the door The gearty slipped for a moment and suddenly she was old and tired And at the same time she was a scared little girl And then she said something strange and the shivers ran up my back Do you believe in premonitions johnny? Well, I have a hunch now and then Well Whatever it is. It's the reason i'm doing this Having this party One last fling you might say Before it's too late. Oh come now. You're still a young woman mrs. Cronin. No I'm old johnny I've been old for years Since barnaby died We loved each other so but That's not what I mean I've had this premonition lately What sort of a premonition? That's something awful Something terrible Is going to happen to me There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the cronin matter tomorrow tomorrow a man who's afraid of his shadow A girl who's afraid of nothing And a stranger who strikes in the dark Join us won't 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 john stone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time in station for the next exciting episode of yours truly johnny dollar This is roye rohan speaking