 CBS radio brings you Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Duller. Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Duller, with the Mono Guarantee Insurance Company Little Rock Office, following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the double deal matter. Expense account item $1.14 and $10, plain ticket from Hartford to Philadelphia, PA. From two six dollars and a quarter taxi and tip for the ride into Easton Trust and Insurance on Walnut Street. Hi, it's Ed. I'm mighty glad you could make it, Johnny. How are you? So they made you the big wheel in this office, huh? Made me that goat is more like it. Sit down. Yeah, sure. Now, what's this about Mickey the Hood? Michael Jonathan O'Banion. Oh, it's a nice, respectable-sounding name, but, oh, brother, what a character. A bootlegger, among other things, wasn't he? Rum runner, gun runner, smuggler, Jewelty. Probably a killer, too, back there in the 20s, only they could never pin it on him. Yeah. A real nice boy. Now, after he served his term in order to fill out his parole, he worked for one of the drug companies here in town. And then about two years ago, he opened a little importing company, probably just a front. Importing? Drug imports, mostly from the Far East. And that's when Bruce Tawiliger sold him all his insurance. Ah, Tawiliger. Yeah, my predecessor in his job. That's when he sold Mickey all his insurance, nearly a half million coverage on his business. I'm sure it's not worth a tenth of that, and over a quarter million on his life. Hmm, sounds as though he's still in the rackets. Sure. Man wants plenty of coverage in case he gets bumped off, and he should have been long time ago. Hey, who's this beneficiary? Oh, hold your hat, Johnny. Mary Toodles Baker. Toodles? Yeah. She's a cheap stripper, right out of the saloon circuit. So you want to take him off your books, huh? Well, he's a bad risk. He's constantly behind in his premium payments, and he, well, I just don't want him as a client of this office. Well, I can't say I blame you. But this dear old, safety conservative company won't let me cancel his policies until I can get some legal proof. Prove he's still in the rackets, huh? Yeah. Johnny, that's your job. Oh, now, wait, wait, Ted. Yeah? That's not for me. That's a police job. Yeah, but they haven't got a thing on him, Johnny. So far he's there concerned. He's behaving himself, staying out of trouble, and just running his drug business. Yeah, but you think differently. Well, I bet my bottom dollar on it. And Johnny, if you can prove it... Oh, look, Ted, what am I supposed to do? Stick my neck out to a punk like Mickey just because you have a hunch about him? Oh, a hunch? Oh, no. Thanks, Ted. If a guy like that happens to be involved in fraud against the company, something like that, you call on me and I'm stuck with him. But did you write a frame him for you when there's no real evidence against him? Oh, a frame him? No way. I didn't say that. Just show him up for a wrong guy. Look, when he commits some offense against the company, okay. But until then... Look, John... No, sorry, Ted, but it's no go. No, you mess around to carry it to you like that without legitimate reason. I'd end up with a hideful of lead. No, Johnny. Yes, thanks a lot. I want nothing to do with him. But, Johnny... Sorry, Ted. No, okay, okay. I suppose all I can do is wait until it's too late and we have to pay him a lot of money and some fraud and claim are on his rotten carcass. Right, so... Oh, Johnny, if you'd only... Oh, excuse me. Ted Plainer. Well, that's all you wanted me for. Dollar? Hmm? Oh, yeah. I... What did you... Look, look, talk a little slower, will you? Well, yeah, yeah, he's right here. What's that? Here, look, you talk to him. Here, Johnny, it's for you. For me? Oh, some crazy... He said he traced you here through your calls, sir. It's back and on. Okay, let me have it. Ask me the guys over at the rocker. Let me know, I... Hello? Hello? Well? John? John Dollar? Yeah, that's right. John, you must come to see me. Who's that? The most terrible thing has happened. Oh, oh, yes. Yes, what? This is Harry Branson at Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casual Liability. Oh, I might have known. What? Nothing. What seems to be the trouble, Harry? Disaster, John. Disaster. Can you see me at once? What about? The famous Canary Diamonds. Listen to me. Oh, now, wait, Harry, I brought those things back from France some months ago. I know, I know, but now they've been stolen again. They what? Yeah. Okay, Harry, I'll be right over. Who the devil was he? Well, now that insurance man wants to hand me a case that I can really do something with. Oh? And he'll pay me a pile of dough if I can solve this theft for him. Theft? Yeah. Hey, wouldn't it be nice if I could sort of tie Mickey the Hood in on it? Johnny, are you serious? You really think you could? And... Yeah, yeah, Johnny. Fat chance. Act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in a moment. Act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in a moment. Reach yourself to a pack of new king-size Philip Morris commanders made on a new machine, the Mark VIII, that takes rich, full-flavored Philip Morris tobacco and gently vacuum cleans it. And the cleaner the tobacco, the better it tastes. Yes, the cleaner the tobacco, the better it tastes. Noticeably better. And now act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, and the double deal matter. I found Harry Branson pacing the floor, wringing his hands. John, thank heaven. So the canary diamonds have been stolen again. Terrible, terrible. But I thought they were insured by you, isn't it? They got so much publicity when you recovered them from that smuggler over in France that one of our important clients, Mrs. Arthur Pierpont Galloway, just had to have them. So she bought them and then insured them with us. How much, Harry? $515,000. Wowee. She received a phone call that one of the national magazines wanted pictures of them there at her home. The call was a phony? I thought her chauffeur and butler would be protection enough, but when the man came, well, he tricked her into being alone with him and, well, he just walked off with the diamonds. Well, they must have a description of him. Of course they have, but a rather confusing one. They were all so excited. So what about the police? Oh, dear, the police have shown Mrs. Galloway and the chauffeur and the butler so many pictures of criminals that, well, they just don't know which is which. Oh, fine, fine. But the police seem to think if they have some ideas about who this terrible thief might be. What about fingerprints, that sort of thing? Oh, he was far too clever for anything like that. Yeah, I wonder if the chauffeur or the butler could be in cahoots with this man. Absolutely not. Well, you sound pretty sure of that. I know both of them myself, have known them for years, ever since they went with Mrs. Galloway, and I'm certain they are absolutely honest after all, John. I am an excellent judge of character. Oh, yeah, I'm sure of that. Now, who's in charge of this case at headquarters? At Central Headquarters, the Lieutenant Bernard Barry. Bernie Barry? Sure, I know him well. Now here, I'll give you Mrs. Galloway's address. Don't bother, Harry, not yet. Oh? John, you mean you might have some idea who might have done this? Not the least. But unless you see and talk with her. But as long as the police have some ideas, why don't I see them first? Oh. Yeah, I'll give it a fling, Harry. Give it a fling? Sure. As long as I'm already here in Philly. John, how can... Don't you re... $515,000. Yeah, that's a lot of dough. Then how can you be so casual? You don't even seem to be really interested... John, John, think of what your commission will be if you affect the recovery. Do you think I'm thinking of anything else? I walked down over to Central Police Headquarters and talked to Lieutenant Bernard Barry. He asked me, dollar, that thief had concealed his identity pretty well. Oh, what do you mean, buddy? Well, according to their descriptions, he must have been wearing enough makeup for a whole chorus line. But why Mrs. Galloway and her servants didn't realize that right in the beginning and throw them out, I'll never know. That's why they couldn't pick them out of the mug file, huh? Except for one thing the chauffeur noticed about him. What was that? He'd apparently tried to cover his scar on his face. Oh? From the outer edge of his left eye down his cheek. Wait a minute. Yeah? Maybe five feet eight and nine. Very heavy, sac-a-lander pounds. Yeah, darling, I'm way ahead of you. And say about 51 or two years old? Well, with all that makeup, it was hard to tell. But... Black hair, bushy eyebrows, maybe? We'd powdered his hair to make it look gray. We found traces of the powder. But... Mickey the Hood. Mickey O'Banion. We've had a tail on them every minute since the robbery was reported. And? Nothing, darling, nothing at all. And, of course, he had an airtight alibi. Oh, sure he would have. And, of course, there were any other crooks smart enough to pull a job like them. Just the same, Bernie. But until we can trip him up, or more important, find out how he'll try to dispose of those stones. I know how to get him out of the country. Hey, but wait, his drug-importing business. Yeah, importing, darling, not exporting. But he must ship stuff around in this country. And any shipments he makes will be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Unknown to him, of course. Yeah? What do you mean by that? Well, if he did take these stones, he'll know everything you're doing. Maybe. You're thinking, of course, about how they were gotten out of the country before. In those cases of canned goods you found in Paris. Yes. I'm also thinking how impossible it would be to dispose of them here in the U.S. Even broken down, taken out of the settings? Oh, look, Bernie, the distinctive color of the canary diamonds, all of them perfectly matched. That color's so unique that only have to get them abroad. But where? And how? Dollar, all we can do is keep an eye on him. Of course, keep an eye open for anyone else who might have stolen them. Uh-huh. Well, Bernie, I'll concentrate on him. Well, what'd you do? I mean that we're not already doing. Well? Bernie, I have a the least idea. Oh, sure. Maybe someone else had taken those stones. But I've played my hunches before, and somehow they've usually paid off. And sure, if Mickey did steal them, maybe he was smart enough to simply sit tight for a while until things cool down. I looked up the address in the phone book, then spent item three a dollar even for a cab to a small building on South 23rd Street, marked O'Banion Drug Imports. It was a small kind of store building with a combination office and sales room in the front. Much to my surprise, there was only one person there. That's right, Michael J. O'Banion. Well, sir, my name is Russell, Peter Russell. Mr. Russell? Yes, sir. I own a small chain of drug stores in the South, and we get a lot of calls for anything unusual down there. Our customers seem to go for unusual, exotic type drugs and medicines. Oh, so I understand. So when I saw your ad on the Yellow Pages, I thought I might take a look at your stuff. Oh, fine. Everything we catalog is right here on these display shelves. All right, sir. Now, pick out whatever items you like. I'll be glad to ship them to you. Everything from dried sea horses and kelp, the Oriental people go over those things, to rare items like oil, rhodium, lovage, musk, and... Yes, sir. I see you all import a lot of things from China. Japan. Oh, I have contacts in Hong Kong and Kowloon that furnish me with many unusual items. Excuse me, Mr. O'Berry. Yes, I'll be with you in a moment, madams. Oh, Mrs. Peterson. That's right. We met at the travel office and you promised me some... Yes, of course, Mrs. Peterson. I have the bottle of nerve pills I promised you right here. Oh, I'm so glad. And how much do I owe you for them? Oh, not a thing. Not a cent. What? Glad to have been able to make them up for you. Here you are. Aren't you? Here you are. Aren't you nice? Such a big bottle, too. Oh, it's my pleasure, Mrs. Peterson. Well, have a nice trip. I hope I can swallow such big pills. Yeah, well, you just chew them like animals. Well, they don't taste bad. Just like sugar pills. Oh, how nice. And remember, keep them in this bottle with its special seal and take only one each day. Goodbye. My goodness, there are so many of them. Yes, I'm sure they'll let you. So nice to have gotten them for me. Yeah, that's perfectly all right, Mrs. Peterson. I'm just sure I'll have no nerves at all on this tour. Yes, well, that's good. Now, if you'll just excuse me. I'll tell you. I'll send you a postcard when we get to Hong Kong and let you know how they work. Well, that's not necessary at all. And goodbye, Mrs. Peterson. Well, I certainly thank you. Well, it's my pleasure. Goodbye. Well, now we can get back to business. Are you always so nice to your customer's opinion? Just a minute. Yeah. You've got your phony accent, didn't you? My, uh... That voice. I'd know that voice anywhere from the radio. The radio? Johnny Doller. So? I should have known it when you talked about a non-existent ad in the yellow page. So I pulled a booboo. Listen, Doller, if the police sent you around here, if you think I had anything to do with those canary diamonds... Well... ...neither you nor anybody else can prove it. So, Doller, if you know what's good for you... Oh, now that's a corny line. If you want to stay alive, just leave me alone. Make this Thanksgiving something special. How? By taking lots and lots of pictures. Just think of all the wonderful moments you can capture forever. Mom in the kitchen making dressing. That big moment when Dad starts slicing the turkey. The look on the kids' faces when they select their pie. Dad snoozing in his favorite chair after dinner. Yes, pictures are the best way to make those moments last forever. But only with flash can you capture all the fun and color of those moments at their best, anytime, anywhere. That's why now, today, you should pick up a pack of Sylvania Blue Dot Flash bulbs, the world's largest selling brand. Sylvania Blue Dots work with any film, with any camera, and you can always be sure they'll work. Simply look at the little blue dot. Sylvania puts it there as your assurance that it will fire. If by some rare chance it has turned pink, then return the bulb to your dealer. He'll make good on it. But hurry, Thanksgiving is this Thursday. Get your Sylvania Blue Dot Flash bulbs today. And now act three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. There in Mickey O'Banion's phony import office, things began to wear up. Before he recognized me, he'd said something about contacts in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Great smuggling country. And the little old lady, Mrs. Peterson, to whom he'd given the nerve pills. She said she'd met him in a travel office. Was he making arrangements for a trip out of the country? Yeah, another thing, that bottle of pills, he'd made them up, he said. Big pills, remember that. Take only one of them a day, he told her. Well, by the time she got to Hong Kong, she could only use a few of them off the top of that bottle. It must have held a couple of hundred of them. And once in Hong Kong, one of his contacts, oh, would he himself be there by then? Yeah, but I needed proof. And I certainly couldn't trick an old hand like Mickey into a confession. Far from it. You think I don't know that cops are watching me every minute, going through every package I try to ship out of here? All right, now listen, Mickey. Do you think I'd be fool enough to touch those stones in the first place? Fool enough or smart enough? Oh, I'm smart enough, though, and don't you forget it. Until you can show some kind of proof, I know anything about it. Okay, okay, Mickey. Well, now go on, get out of here. And you stay away from me before I... Before you what? All right, go on, get out. Sure. Why not? If only I'd had sense enough to follow that Mrs. Peterson. When I was standing there talking to Mickey, she could be on her way to a plane, a train, or a steamship. I had him for a dollar thirty in a phone booth calling every travel agency, airline, steamship, company railroad I could find listed until I got the one who'd arranged her round-the-world tour. That was due to leave in a few hours. Better still, they told me she'd been staying at the Bellevue Stratford. Item five is a dollar and a quarter taxi fare to the Bellevue. Now, Belle boy, and you... Oh, why, you're the young man I saw a little while ago. I want that bottle of pills you got from Mr. O'Bankey. Now, look here. Where are they? I'm a very nervous woman. All right, my name is Dollar, special investigator. Investigator? That's right. That's like a detective. That's right. Now, please, those nerve pills. I haven't done anything wrong. You will if I don't stop you. What? No, you're a robber, a burglar or something. And I'm so nervous. Then why don't you take one of those pills? Yeah, go ahead. Yes, I will. Well, I dig out some credentials to prove I'm telling you the truth. Here. Now, here they are. All right, here are my credentials. Now, let me have this bottle. Johnny Dollar, free lad. Filling them. Now, they can't all be loaded with. Let me have one of those pills so I can... Now... All right, that one you took, maybe from the bottom of the bottle, because of the way they fell on the table when I spilled them out. Now, what possible difference could... Oh, my dear, I've broken a tooth. No, no, you haven't. All right, spit it out into my hand. I certainly will not. Come on, come on. All right. Broken tooth, huh? What? Ever see a more perfect yellow diamond than this? Diamond. No wonder he had to make the pill so big. But I don't... Oh, and what a beautiful stunt. Who'd ever think to question a bottle of nerve pills carried to Hong Kong by such a sweet, pretty little old lady? Well, but... And once there, either Mickey or one of his pals would take them away from him. Mr. Dollar. But instead, we'll just dissolve the sugar coating off the rest of these and... Mrs. Peterson. Well, yes, Mr. Dollar. How would you like some extra spending money on this trip? Say, a couple of thousand dollars? A couple of thousand dollars. And all you have to do is come along with me and tell the police where you got this bottle of pills. But I'm afraid I still... Well... Well, of course. It was all Lieutenant Barry needed. Canary diamonds are home again. And that'll save Philly Mutual from having to pay off a big claim. And Eastern Trust and Insurance has plenty of reasons to drop O'Banion as a client. After all, he ought to be out of circulation for a long, long time. Expense account total $2,044.25. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Our star will return in just a moment. Constipation is something people don't talk about much. But it can be a problem for anyone, even doctors. And when constipation occurs, it's interesting to see just what doctors consider important about a laxative they might use or recommend. Well, a majority of the doctors we heard from had this to say... A laxative should be effective, gentle, close to natural acting. A medicine that can be used with complete confidence. Now, X-Lax has been popular with many doctors and millions of people over the years because pleasant tasting chocolate at X-Lax is effective. Overnight it helps you toward your normal regularity. X-Lax is so gentle. So close to natural acting, there's no upset. That's why many doctors and millions of people use X-Lax with complete confidence. X-Lax, the laxative that helps you toward your normal regularity, gently, overnight. Now, here's our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, one of the roughest, toughest, and most unusual investigations I ever get involved in. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Truly Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey. Originates in Hollywood and is written, produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard in our cast were Virginia Gregg, Chet Stratton, Harry Bartell, Barney Phillips, and Paul Freese. Be sure to join us next week, same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is John Wall speaking. Stay tuned now for another tale well calculated to keep you in suspense. This is the CBS Radio Network. Your gender radio, 590-WROW in Albany, New York.