 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Oh, yeah, Lieutenant. I've been trying to get you anything new on the Forbes murder How about the diamond still missing so far we're batting zero any suspects. Oh, yes, indeed. Who is it? What do you mean, Lieutenant? How many guests would you say would it Andrew Forbes party last evening? 60 then we have 60 suspects. Oh great 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 location Cape Town, South Africa to the home office Tri-Eastern indemnity Associates assignment the star of Cape Town matter Expense account continued item seven care fair for my hotel to police headquarters So far in this job. I've been a big brilliant nothing I figured lieutenant van tile of the Cape Town police might be able to supply a few answers But as it turned out all he had on his mind was questions Now mr. Dollar suppose you sit down and explain your connection with this affair sure lieutenant I can make it short if not sweet Andrew Forbes was an international playboy. I am well aware of that Cape Town has entertained mr. Forbes before or vice versa Well, then you probably also know that he recently inherited a very large diamond known as the star of Cape Town Yes The company I represent was carrying the insurance on that stone a hundred and fifty thousand dollars They didn't like the way Forbes was flashing it around. They thought he was a bit too careless with it I was trying to talk him into using a little common sense and that is why you came here to Cape Town Yeah, but it looks like I've struck out struck fours is dead and the diamonds gone Are you at the party from some time before Forbes murder until afterwards that's right you stayed in the main room the entire time well, yeah, oh Now look lieutenant. I'd hardly fly all the way here to bump off a guy That's questions mr. Dollar just questions. Yeah, but what I need right now is answers as do I? These other guests at Forbes party. Did you know anything? No? Well, I met a girlfriend of his named Sheila and a couple other people were pointed out to me Who are they? Oh Forbes older sister Agatha for one a real aristocratic type you can cross her off your list Oh, yeah, she disapproved of Forbes. All right, but not to the extent of sticking a knife in him. I'm pretty sure It would have been beneath her dignity if nothing else Besides she didn't leave the main room during the party either Then there was Helen Helen who I never did find out her last name She arrived at the party late and Forbes seemed to zero in on her right away zero in I mean He spent the rest of the evening with her they danced for a while, then they went out on the terrace and Come to think of it. I never did see her come back inside And I didn't see Forbes again either until I went to his Roman found it dead I see we shall try to find this Helen Can you describe her? Well, I didn't get nearly as close a look as I'd have liked to oh Yeah, from what I could see a real doll lieutenant dark hair and turn of nose fine complexion. Mr. Dollar We need an objective description not an appreciation At the time I was more interested in her as a prospect and a suspect. I see and You say you knew none of the other guests. That's right We've been unable to find any sort of guest list. Oh, don't waste your time looking there isn't any Yeah, Forbes explained that he had a charming habit of inviting whoever he ran into He said that half of the fun wasn't seeing who turned up that rather complicates matters doesn't it sure does Mr. Dollar diamond thefts are not unknown to us here in Cape Town. No, I imagine not Here are some photos of known jewel thieves Mugshots, huh, please see if you recognize any of these people as having been at the party Oh It'd be a little hard to remember You know people were drifting in and out all evening and it was Wait a minute Who's this guy? That is Julio Biac at jewel thief. Do you recognize him? Starky guy? Yeah, it sort of looks familiar. I can't seem to place him. Could he have been at the party? It's possible, but I can't be sure. Perhaps it will come to you later. I hope something comes to me sooner or later That diamond for instance But at this point I had to admit it didn't look very like one murder 60 suspects You get better odds than that on a roulette wheel. I Left headquarters and decided to walk around a little see if I could coax up some kind of ideas to my next step I went down to the waterfront looked around nice view. No ideas Then as I was walking along a narrow deserted street I realized I had company the shadow from the top of the building next to me ran along the middle of the Street, and I could see a silhouette. I stopped So did the shadow on top of the building. I started up again. So did the shadow I started edging out away from the sidewalk for a look the shadow raised its arms suddenly and I ducked a Large building tile crashed at the sidewalk right where I'd been a second ago I jumped for a rickety fire escape over my head and scrambled up to the roof Nobody in sight roof stretching out in all directions warehouses loading sheds Whoever it was could have been a block away by now Pretty ironic Somebody trying to take me out of the ball game when I didn't even know which team had the ball I went back to my hotel room two steps inside. I stopped cold I'd caught a whiff of what smelled like a pretty expensive perfume It certainly wasn't my shaving lotion. Hello Johnny. Wow Sheila Yeah Yeah, I remember now you were wearing that perfume at the party last night. I've been waiting for you Let's talk. Uh-huh any particular subject last night What happened Johnny that you were there to you remember I left before it happened. I think what do you mean? You think I guess I had a few too many last night. I don't remember some of it No, you are making pretty good sense when I was talking to you Well after that I mean and you were withered enough to react when Forbes and Helen went out on the terrace together Don't Johnny Did you do it? Oh Well now that's a switch. I'm not kidding Johnny you went to his room. There's only one way you'd know that Sheila You were outside somewhere watching Yes After I left I went around in back and pretty soon Helen came out of his room She was carrying something. Oh, what don't worry. It wasn't the diamond. I was close enough to see it Even if I hadn't been I guess I'd have known you mean it was a small bottle of perfume That was always the first step perfume and always the same kind That kind you're wearing yes It's got a great name forever What happened then I walked around the garden a few minutes trying to decide whether to have it out with Andy once and for all I Started back toward the terrace, and I saw you heading for his room. So I left I said don't Johnny If I'd done it what I've told you I was out in the garden You would if you were afraid somebody'd seen you there and would tell me about it. Oh And I suppose you figured out a motive for me too a couple of possibilities You told me you'd been on a merry-go-round with fours for a long time Maybe you couldn't stand the thought of anyone else getting aboard Helen That sort of things happened before Johnny Or maybe you figured the only way to get off that merry-go-round was to get rid of the guy who ran it and the diamond That could buy you a lot of rides somewhere else And I thought I was the cynic You really have a nice opinion of people haven't you I'm afraid most of the people I get myself involved with on these jobs I'm very nice. You know I didn't do it. All right. If you didn't I'm sure Lieutenant Vental will find out I know I'm on my way there now. Oh He phoned me an hour ago. I thought I'd stop by and talk to you before I went Johnny You don't really think I could do a thing like that. Do you I guess not she One thing I am interested in though. What's that? You're funny off the merry-go-round How does it feel? It isn't real That merry-go-round Was all I ever knew She walked out of the room looking Well empty is the best word I can think of And I kept wondering what she'd been like before the merry-go-round The rest of the day I spent composing soothing cablegrams and replied to angry ones from McNabb of Troy eastern and demnathy The inquest was the following morning, but the verdict was no help death at the hands of person or person's unknown Lieutenant Vental told me that Forbes sister Agatha had decided to shove off that afternoon on the southern Empress So I went down to the dock at a board ship an hour before sailing hoping I could get an award with her Farewell parties were clogging the lounges in the passageways. I waited outside Agatha for a state room until she arrived Miss Forbes Mr. Dalla, isn't it? Yes, I didn't have a chance to meet you at your brother's party last night I told me about you. It's too bad. You weren't able to persuade him to put that that diamond in the safety sooner Miss Forbes, I wonder if you'd answer a few questions. I'm very sorry. Mr. Dalla. I'm completely exhausted I don't wish to talk about it, but there are certain made my statement to the police There's nothing further to add about the diamond. There's been too much publicity about the entire tragedy as it is I have no wish to add to it Very sorry, Mr. Dalla It'll be in New York in a month or so. Perhaps I shall have recovered from the experience efficiently by then to talk about it Intelligent only trouble is by then the diamond could be in Timbuktu was See you later, Miss Forbes What snapped me into action was a glimpse of a girl at the end of the passageway just entering the lounge I couldn't be sure but it looked like Helen By the time I reached the lounge, she was nowhere in sight Then I saw another familiar face over in one corner the mugshot I'd seen at police headquarters holy obiac jewel thief and I had him pegged He'd been the stocky bartender at Forbes party the guy who disappeared just before the murder He spotted me and ducked into a passageway. I went after him He turned a corner and that was his mistake blind alley. So I closed in on we circled Now I was at the blind end and that was my mistake because suddenly there was a knife in his hand He held it low like an expert now, mr. Dower. Oh, you must have a trunk full of knives, Julio Oh, I need this one just like the one you slipped into Forbes, huh? You One side to the knife keep world and dole, but now I had But not the diamond lieutenant Nowhere and that can mean just one thing either Julio was working with somebody who's sailing on the southern Empress or He's after somebody aboard who has the diamond In that case the southern Empress is gonna have another passenger me I Check with a purser who agreed to squeeze me aboard then I headed back to my hotel room to pick up my luggage. I Could still smell Sheila's perfume in the room Then as I bent over to lock my suitcase I spot in a movement out of the corner of my eye I tried to worry over too late something hard can exit back of my left ear and I went down And out. I don't know how long it was before I came to the room was swimming But I managed to get to the window and looked out Then I realized somebody had voted me the man. They'd least like to take a cruise with The southern Empress was underway and steaming out of the harbor Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow I take a trip. All right a one-way trip Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is Transcribed in Hollywood written by Robert Reif it is produced and directed by Jack John Stone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking