 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Deller head Arloff here. Arloff Los Angeles. That's right. Try Western indemnity company. Well, hi Ted Look, are you free to come out here in a hurry? What's up a wayward truck a wayward? That's right truck lost Raider stolen That's what I hope you can find out. It's a big one insured for nearly twenty thousand That is a big one and a board it when it disappeared was the driver insured for ten thousand and a cargo of copper tubing 9500 also insured. Holy Ted, I'll grab the next plane Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny Deller And now act one of yours truly Johnny dollars Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny Deller to the Tri-Western indemnity company Los Angeles office Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the wayward truck matter Expense account item one a hundred ninety four dollars sixty five cents airfare and incidentals Hartford, Los Angeles, California When my plane set down at the International Airport shortly after 9 a.m. Ted Arloff was waiting for me He led me on out to the parking lot Here we are Johnny this car right here. All right Okay You reserve a hotel room for me in town Ted Why well after all I've been sitting up on a plane all night and wouldn't mind a chance to shower and slick the whiskers off I'm close don't want to take the time. That's why I'm glad you could make it out here right away See this thing only happened Wednesday night Well, just what did happen and who suffered the loss and how about stopping somewhere so I can grab some breakfast, huh? Sure find a place along the way Like I told you Johnny a truck loaded with ninety five hundred dollars worth of copper tubing is disappeared What kind of tubing the kind they use a lot of and building airplanes that sort of thing come on It was shipped from Marlowe copper products over in East Los Angeles. That's where we're heading Marlowe's a big job or distributor. Okay, so what happened? Well late Wednesday night a driver by the name of Jackie McCallan was Scheduled to haul this order of tubing over to the Belden aircraft corporation over in Victorville That's about a hundred miles east of here out in the desert. Yeah, no So well the truckers usually drive that route at night not only because of lighter traffic But to avoid the heat during the daytime brother. You can say that again. Yeah Well, anyhow right after midnight Wednesday 12.05 to be exact Jackie signed out of the Marlowe warehouse with his load of copper tubing Yesterday morning Friday Belden aircraft was screaming for wanting to know why it hadn't been delivered as promised just disappeared just disappeared Hijacked obviously and the driver any word of him nothing Well, what kind of a market is there for stuff like that out here plenty of market for it Not only because it's expensive, but it's hard to get to Spacially for some of the new little companies that have sprung up around Palmdale and Lancaster out that way Didn't lock he just built a plant out there lock heat Belden a lot of the big ones and they subcontract work to the little boys That's why nearly ten thousand dollars worth of copper tubing would be worth its weight and gold of those little plants Well, and it's a wonder there isn't more of this kind of hijacking if that's what it is What do you know about the driver of that truck Jackie McCallan is as honest as a day as long Yeah, who says his employer and he should know Jackie's been driving for Marlowe copper products for years. They trust that boy with a load of pure gold. Yeah What's that mean? Yeah, man might have some trouble selling off a load of pure gold Huh, but if what you say is true about the demand for copper tubing in this area. Oh Now wait a man every man supposed to have his price you know to look Johnny I see what you're driving at all right, but not Jackie McCallan. You sure Ten thousand is a lot of money wouldn't be worth ten thousand sold under covered Jack He was certainly nowhere to sell it though, wouldn't he Johnny and why hasn't he showed up? I'll tell you why because he's probably been killed Item two at under seventy five breakfast for me and a cup of coffee for Ted Orloff on the way into Marlowe copper products in East Los Angeles I was amazed at the way this industrial area has grown in the past for years The Marlowe operation turned out to consist of a small office and a couple of warehouses Marlowe himself was a tall lean man of about 50 very much on the ball Yes, sir. Mr. Dollar. It's as simple as that now Willie here is the night watchman How do you sure I willing according to Willie's clock and the shipping order in the manifest Jackie McCallion signed his load out at Exactly 1205 and that's the last we've seen of either of them He took off alone with a load worth ten thousand dollars ninety five hundred Yes, well, isn't that taking quite a chance? We've done it many times Mr. Marlowe promises this Jackie earn a week Well, I would depend anywhere from a hundred and Well now wait a minute if you're thinking what I think you are you're wrong dollar Dead wrong just as I said Johnny why I'd trust Jackie with my own life and believe me whoever's done him in well He's gonna have to deal with me. I'll see him hang. What makes you so sure he's been done in It's the only thing that could have happened to make him give up a shipment of goods a hijacker to have to kill him And whoever did this to Jackie? Tell me do you think there's any possibility of his having been approached beforehand by hijackers? Perhaps threatened at attending the shipment over to them. No, not a chance He would have told me of anything like that immediately if he had time maybe Who's working on the case now? Mr. Marlowe the LA police department and the sheriff's department of every county in Southern, California Around your trucks like those two I see out the window there Jackie's was we got four of those big singles did have now It's three three big tractor trailer rigs. Mm-hmm a truck like one of those is a pretty big hunk of stuff to just disappear Willie. Yes, sir. Were you on duty Wednesday? Yes, sir. How was did you notice anything unusual about Jackie that night? Well, I know sir not that I know this he came to pick up his truck alone I didn't see nobody else with him. Well, did he look worried anything like that? Not that I could see no sir, and he didn't say anything that might have indicated things weren't as they should be Not that I heard no sir just exactly. What did he do? What the driver always does come in sign in signed up the manifest putting down the time And then drove off with these truck like old nothing unusual at all. That's it. I saw no sir. Mr. Marlowe What did Jackie live somewhere over on West 3rd Street? He lived alone Naturally the police looked for him there first thing may I have that address, please? I'll have my secretary get it for you. You were you all through with me boss Yes, Willie if you're gonna work tonight, you better get some sleep. Yes, sir. Thank you I believe me nothing's gonna happen anything this time If I were you mr. Marlowe I think I'd have more than that for a night watchman in a place like this just what were you thinking of mr. Dollar Jackie's address I mean Look if the police and sheriff's offices haven't been able to turn up anything well in spite of what you said There's always the possibility of collusion in a case like this between between Jackie and whoever stole that truck Oh, no, sir. There's always the possibility Voluntary or otherwise if Jackie was in with the hijackers even against this I I wouldn't believe but it's a possibility Whether you want to believe it or not For one thing how would the hijackers know when and how the shipping was to be made from any one of a number of Sources the man who supervised the loading here for instance Oh red Kingsley you're almost anybody in the place or just as easily anyone over at Belton Aviation in Victorville Well then with no exact time of a departure from this warehouse Well, no close timing in a hijack operation is usually pretty important But they knew the stuff was due at their plant early Friday morning. They've been hollering for whatever since I'll lay my money on the tip off coming from this end Now has the route between here and Victorville been thoroughly gone over by the police And they found no sign of either the truck or this fellow Jack That's right. The truck of course could be disguised you coat of paint that sort of thing often done But no body alive or otherwise no So how do you plan to proceed? Well, if Jackie was forced to participate and I'm sure he wasn't Then I don't know Let me have that address Frankly, I didn't have the least idea what I was looking for but I couldn't just stand around So I borrowed a company car with a name and a number plastered all over the side and drove to the West 3rd Street address Hoping I'd have no trouble persuading the manager to let me in Manager not in that old ramshackle frame house The front door was wide open and the mailbox had the number four opposite Jackie's name That meant upstairs As I reached the second floor I could see that the door of number four was slightly a jar and I could hear somebody moving about inside opening closets and drawers Quietly I slipped close to the door Inside his back toward me was a big broad shoulder group hastily emptying one of the bureau drawers He was dressed in dirty work pants and wore a heavy tattered blue sweater Maybe you better let me ask the questions, huh? Oh, yeah now look buddy doing here What are you putting into those handbags? None of your business. I got here until I find out what you're up. I said get out Can you hear me take it easy? Oh, yeah, you want to play that way, huh? That's right Brother that was a big mistake. I start talking. What are you doing here in Jackie's mom? Well, what was I doing here? Who do you think you are the law or something margin in here like this? That's right Who are you? I said who are you? I think mccallion What that's right Jackie mccallion Julie Johnny dollar in a moment Our flag now numbers 50 stars and behind each star there stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states New Jersey's flag was created at the direction of George Washington in 1779 General Washington directed that the New Jersey Continental Regiments where coats of dark blue with buff colored facing This was done as a tribute to the former ruler of these colonies the Dutch whose national colors were buff and blue Later he instructed that the field on the flag of New Jersey should be the same buff color and the state coat of arms in blue Be placed upon it the state's motto reflecting the aspirations of all who came to the shores is also inscribed on the flag Liberty and prosperity This flag was displayed proudly before the combined American and French armies at the surrender of Cornwallis's army at Yorktown New Jersey state flag the flag of the third state to enter the Union was adopted on March 26th 1896 Now act two of yours truly Johnny dollar and the wayward truck matters Missing a $20,000 truck from the Marlowe Copper Products Company of East Los Angeles Also missing its cargo of copper tubing insured for $9,500 Also missing also insured the driver one Jackie mccallion And when I found a big ugly looking carrier going through Jackie's furnished room I jumped him and who does it turn out to be? That's right. Jackie mccallion I'll say this buddy. You sure handy with your dukes for a skinny guy. Hey, who are you anyway? Johnny dollar insurance investigator and look I'm I'm sorry. I must jump insures what well I came here to find out what happened to you and that truckload of copper tubing They never got to build an aviation over in Victorville. We're talking about of course it didn't of course not well Why because the shipment was called off. That's why why we're sure It was supposed to go out Wednesday night right after midnight and it did at least it left the warehouse Oh, that's where you're wrong because me and Betsy we was gonna take it Betsy. Yeah Betsy, you know my truck Only the order got cancelled out. Who says oh the office who with the office? Well, how shall I know? Well, I know as I was here in my room getting ready to go over and pick up Betsy and the tubing and Phone rung on her girl from the offices of shipments cancelled off what girl. Do you know I don't know Some girl says she was in the office is all you know one of the girls like they always given out the orders You know and she told me the boss says on a counter there ain't no more trips for me this week I can stop my vacation right away instead of next week, but you don't know which girl on the office told you there I told you I don't know I told it tell mr. Marlowe. Thanks. That's all why didn't she tell him Where have you been since Wednesday night? Well, Donna, San Diego stay on my sisters and doing some yell at the old fishing while I was there You know out around San Clemente island Boy, they pulled in a big one. Yeah, I'm sure there was one guy on our party boat. They Wait a minute. What do you mean the shipment went out? Just that on schedule a little after midnight. What a girl told me it hasn't been heard of since you You mean it went out in my truck in Betsy. Who took it according to everything we know You oh no, sir by midnight Wednesday. I was halfway to San Diego my colleague You asked my sister down there. I got there before 1 a.m. Call her up and ask her go ahead call them You're sure of that. Oh, sure. I'm sure And if some dirty guy took my Betsy out, I'll kill him. Don't nobody write Betsy with me Oh, what were you doing when I came in here packing those bags in such a hurry? What for? My vacation. What's the matter? Don't you hear good? Hey, well look mister if somebody took my truck. Okay, Jackie. Okay calm down and come along with me Where we're going back to a Marlo copper products to talk with a couple of people Maybe do a showdown Jackie With a name like that. I'd picture the slim wiry little fellow and not this big gorilla And for what he'd said and what he told me on the way back to the Marlo warehouse I was convinced he was telling the truth about his whereabouts the night of the robbery But then who could possibly have been a close enough double for Jackie to fool the watchman Or had the watchman been trying to fool me and the police and why? Or could Marlo himself have somehow contrived to But again why? And if Marlo was up to something Well, he'd have been smart enough to put or at least keep Jackie out of the way I'm Mr. Dollar. Did you find it? Jackie hi boss. Hey, hey, what's going on? Jackie thank heaven boy. You're all right We thought you'd been killed or something me Where'd you find him dollar? Where's the truck? Hey boss? That's what I've been trying to find out only all this guy here does has asked me questions The important thing is you're all right I didn't tell you this before dollar, but Jackie's as much a part of this business as I am Come on. Ah, you started out with me in the beginning when I didn't have a penny to my name Worked seven days a week night and day helping me build up this business And you've kept him just a truck driver. What do you mean? Just kept me a truck driver That's the way I like it. Oh Yeah, even a big retirement. He made for me. I don't want that I just want to keep on driving the truck just like I am and maybe go fishing now and then That's what I like and I'm never happy. Thank god. You're still all right. Hey, but what about besie? Yes, dollar. What about the truck any ideas any leads mr. Marlo? I want to talk to that night watchman of yours again Well, will he that's right. Let's just hope he hasn't skipped town skipped town Would you see if you're gonna locate him and get him down here? Well, of course you think he was involved in the hijack up well, let's get him in here if we can and we'll see Something had just come back to me something pretty damning in so far as will he was concerned It was the way he had answered my questions when I talked to him before Was there anything unusual about jackie when he came to pick up the truck? Well, not that he noticed he said Had jackie picked up the truck alone Well, he hadn't seen anybody What did jackie said he hadn't heard anything Not one really positive answer in the lot or to the other questions I'd asked him Much to my surprise Marlo's phone call brought assurances from willy that he come over to the plant right away And I I told him I'd get somebody else to fill in for him tonight because of the sleepies having to miss. Yeah Well, tell me this Do your watchman carry a time clock? That's right There are punchkey boxes located in a dozen or so spots all over the warehouse and one in this office Uh, they register on a paper dial on the time clock. Yeah, that's right That way there's a record of what time he reaches every station on his nightly round Would you get me that record for wednesday night, please? Of course And while you're at it, I'd like a copy of the shipping order and the manifest for that truckload of copper tubing I'll have my secretary get them for you By the time the secretary dug the punch clock record out of the files Oh, will he arrive looking somewhat the worst from like of sleep, but apparently willing to cooperate in any way could I took him out of the watchman's booth, which was just inside the warehouse gate Yes, sir. Mr. Dollar. This here is my own private office every night And this is where you were when jackie mccanion came to pick up his truck once the night, huh? Well, now, where else would I be? Well, now that answer is just as definite as the ones you gave me before willy and I won't do Why I asked you if jackie said anything that night that might have made you suspicious And I told you not that I heard no sir. Well, did you talk with him at all? Well, no no reason to there were just the two of you here in the middle of the night Yes, sir. And you didn't even say hi to each other? Well, no no reason driver comes around to pick up a shipment he Well, all he has to do is sign up the manifest the time he leaves and you knew what time he was to be here, didn't you? Sure. I mean, yes, sir. We were right on the shipping order, but you didn't see him You didn't see him pick up the shipping order or sign the manifest or drive out of here with his truck Knowing he was coming you left the gate open for him or knowing somebody was coming That's against the rules. Mr. Lieben that you weren't here when that truck went up I didn't say that oh no so far you haven't said anything You've just given a lot of evasive answers to all my questions. All right. All right Now if you were here, you were partnered to the hijacking operation. No, sir. You had to be Because jackie mccannion didn't pick up his truck that night as you'd have us believe If you were here at the gate that is and that's something we'll find out right now There Hey, that's out of my time clock. That's right. And it's dated the night of may 22nd and 23rd. That's the night. Yes Now where's station one? Well, that It's right there on the gate there And and and that's the key. I used to punch my time clock every single night right on schedule And I don't know what you're getting at. Joe. All right. All right. Just listen to me and answer my questions Station number one was punched at 1141 that's what it says. That's what it was. Now. Where's number two? Well, look, I don't like where is number two It's a big double doors back in the warehouse on the right, but now you look 1147 You must walk pretty slowly. Well, of course I do. I look around and make sure that everything's all right. Okay Now where's number five? Come on number five When the back gate way around the other side of the warehouse. Yeah A good quarter of a mile from here and according to this time clock record That's where you were at exactly 1204 that night And brother, I'd like to see you do a quarter of a mile around these buildings in less than a minute to get back here At exactly 1205 when you claim Jackie signed out that truck Well Right mr. Dollar. Yeah, which way am I right? I I wasn't here I I left the gate open for him Like often done when I wouldn't be right there for a night shipment like you often did Don't you see nothing like has ever happened before and when I seen his name on the manifest I know that you weren't here when the truck went out. So you don't know a thing I mean, I thought Jackie took it because I left the catch on the main gate so it looked like it was locked. You ever done that before Not for Jackie. He was always too close to the boss or he and the boy. Yeah, I know all about that But I have for the other boys. Yeah Yeah, you've left this whole place wide open for anybody who wanted to come in and take anything he could lay his hands on And this time it was a 20 000 truck with a 10 000 cargo Willie you're in trouble plenty I question him further and got nothing more than a few tears and a plea for mercy and then I turned him over to Marlowe. Well, he was his problem now But my own was still far from solved I wasn't any closer to the missing truck in its cargo than I'd been when I arrived Expense account item three two twenty lunch for Jackie McCann and myself at the lunch room around the corner We're on our second cup of coffee. Oh boy. You know, that was a good donut Oh, sir, mr. Dollar The more I think about it the more I say outside of them pretty girls in that boss's office The only ones to be sure what time that shipment was to go out Was willy and and red king's lee Kingsley That's his car. I use. Yeah, that's the guy. He's in charge of all the shipping. Well, how much do you know about him? well I don't know after all, you know, he's kind of over me I thought you're only real bosses mr. Marlowe. Well, he is you just bet he is and and he's the best friend I ever had to But if I don't keep my place around a plant, you know Keep support nating to the guys at a form and stuff that what do you think could happen to the morale around a plant? Well, tell me about red anyway I just got a call from the sheriff substation in victorville Yes, they've picked up some of that shipment of copper tubing. You see we put a stamp on every piece Then whoever hijacked it is already getting rid of him. Yes But so far nobody's admitting where they got it It's an air metals company and stress products incorporated both near victorville. You want to check on it? Use kingsley's car again, right? Hey, hey, you want me to show you're out? Okay, mr. One your jacket go to her And believe me we want I don't know whether the police along the route have been alerted to let us buy or not But we earned more than one speeding ticket before we hit the cutoff around victorville The cutoff that would take us on past edwards air force base where the plants we were looking for were located All along the way jackie had carefully scrutinized every truck we passed going in either direction No, no same maker model, but she embeds he oh jackie Don't you realize that truck of yours is no doubt thoroughly disguised by now Or you think a father couldn't tell his own little baby no matter how disguised it was maybe but a truck Yeah, no, look at that one up ahead. You know the one we're putting up on Oh, it's the same maker model only this one is painted green. Yeah, I want to slow off as we pass it No, she ain't bet even from here. I could tell Oh, I didn't quite Hey, wait a minute That's Betsy. You sure that paint job looks pretty old. That's Betsy. I know by a sound you stop and block her off Hey red, that's what he shot it and this is red kingsley's car with a company name all over it Yeah, that's why he thought we was red when we passed him. Sure and look look. He's catching up on us He sure knows we ain't red by now clapping you want to push this way, but come on. Oh, it's okay. It's okay All right, I'm okay Hey, yeah your piles up the road with that other truck that's the sheriff's car Up up there were a couple of thousand miles of copper pipe spread all over the country, sir Oh, yeah, I edged him off the highway and he flipped over Well, why did you do that? Why? Why to hear those cops dog? You think I was a hero or something guys in the green truck rammed you off the road, didn't That's right. Well, when the cops seen that happen, they tried to force the truck off Mr. That takes something like claire bell here claire bell Yeah, yeah, that's what I call this tractor trailer rigmar It's not the first time I've given the police a hand They've given a lot of people a hand those boys who drive the big interstate trucks and trailers They're a pretty fine bunch to have on the road Well, I guess it's pretty obvious that red kingsley and marlo shipping department was back at a hijacking operation The two who were aboard the stolen truck turned states evidence and sang plenty and the courts will take care of them Expense account total including air transportation and incidentals back to hartford 50105 yours truly johnny dollar Now here is our star to tell you about next week's story next week Well, if you think a sudden case of complete amnesia is any fun, you're wrong because It happened to me Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar originates in hollywood. It is produced and directed by jack johnstone. Who also wrote tonight's story Heard in our cast were vorace lewis john daner junius matthews stacey harris and jack crucian Musical supervision is by americo marino Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly johnny dollar