 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar who Johnny dollar the insurance investigator. This is Miss Abbott, isn't it? Yes, what are you doing in the stable office waiting for you to call me your father threw me off the farm a few minutes ago a Man named Cully who works for your dad said he really didn't mean it said he'd fix it up for me to talk to you I guess that's why I asked me to phone the stable office. You told me the horse wasn't injured shouldn't have been destroyed. I Hope you didn't believe all that mr. Dollar well now look I've got a settle of sixty five thousand dollar claim on the death of a racehorse the carcass was cremated And I have no evidence that the horse was destroyed or even injured I don't know what to believe yet, but I can tell you this don't ever talk to an insurance Investigator the way you did earlier today not unless you can back it up. You sound like it's a laughing matter Hardly anything's a laughing matter. I'll be right down Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey and the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Shawnee dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar locations and Pietro, California To the Universal Adjustment Bureau Universal building Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expended yours during my investigation of the Duke red matter 15 minutes after I spoke with Terry Abbott on the phone I looked out the window of the stable office and saw her starting down toward the stables She'd changed clothes this time. She was wearing blue jeans and riding boots She carried a court in one hand a cigarette the other There was a scarf or some such tied around her hair all in all it was a classic impression Rich girl racing horses and fast cars. She wore a disdainful pout also classic I Do you where I was going and I told him I was going for a ride Why'd he throw you out? He didn't like questions. I asked him. I guess I don't know Maybe I won't like the questions you asked me possibly probably You don't really work very hard trying to please anyone do you industrial hazard in my business Hope it doesn't bother you too much miss Abbott. Nope. I like it You're so darn sure of yourself and you know so darn little and you look like you might be thinking all kinds of things How tall are you? No, no, no, let me guess 61 not quite Well, you're tall enough. I suppose Do you like this office? I suppose you've been opening the files and going through all of father's papers That's what you're supposed to do. Isn't it nope Well, unless you know something about horses the papers around here wouldn't mean much to you times Waits whole schedule and chart for every bit of stock on the place Do you know anything about horses just one Duke red? Oh, he was insured for $65,000 and he's dead now You know, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. I wanted to talk to you before I left What about I didn't ensure Duke red my father insured him your business is with my dad not me, Mr Pardon me if I seem a little confused but earlier today you were very anxious to tell me something about all that Yes, you were. Hey, what is this anyway? I Wish we hadn't met but we did and you mentioned there was no need to destroy Duke red after he'd been injured Did you say something like that to me because you were angry at your father or did you say it because there was some truth to it? Well, what's that supposed to mean? Do you just stand around and pout when people ask you questions? Did you mean that horse wasn't injured or that he was injured, but that he could have been saved Well, did you have any reason at all for saying the things you did I I've been very upset lately all of us around here have been very upset. Yeah, I'm getting that way myself Duke red was the best horse. We've had around these stables in five years His father was a real champion Earl red and maybe you've heard of him here in $190,000 We've all been counting on Duke red since he was a cold. He had it then this was gonna be his big year When this stupid accident happened it It just turned all of us upside down Uh-huh. Is that your explanation for the things you said to me? Yes for the moment Now, please don't ask me any more questions right now one more What your father fired a couple of people I wanted to talk with one of them was a Howard Monroe Dad's office manager. Yes. I met him a couple of nights ago. He wouldn't talk. He was too mad Said something about letting your father handle his own dirty business. What I don't know what that meant And I don't think I care just now But the other man who was fired was a horse trainer named Warner Tom Warner According to your father It was Warner's neglect that caused the horse to stumble and back into the tractor blades Warner isn't around here now, but he must be somewhere and I want to talk to him Now where can I find out his address? He's from Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore. What about his address? Well, it'd be in the personnel files. You can get those at the office in town in San Pietro. Okay. Do you think he went there? I don't know. I don't know and what's more? I don't care The Abbott's father and daughter were turning out to be a real peachy pair to deal with I Left them in their racing farm and drove back into San Pietro in the offices where I obtained the Baltimore address on Thomas Warner Expense account item for one dollar and five cents one telegram to Hartford in the office of Niles Pearson Requesting a complete record of Benjamin Abbott's financial status Item five one dollar and sixty cents another telegram to Thomas Warner horse trainer Requesting him to contact me as soon as possible at the San Pietro hotel Meanwhile, I did what I could to establish Abbott's local credit standing. I started with the bank Dollar that's right. What's it about? I'm an insurance investigator. I'm working for universal adjustment bureau We have a claim in on a property of Bench of an Abbott Duke red. That's right. $65,000. Wow. Yeah That's quite a load. What can the bank do for you? Tell me about Abbott's credit situation for one thing Oh, he does bank here. I presume. Yeah for years. My name's Dale Ryan. We better go in my office. Sure Grab a chair dollar. Thanks Miss white. Yes, Mr. Orion bring in mr. Abbott's file, please up to date. Yes, sir It'll take a few minutes dollar, right Maybe you can give me a rundown on how things are generally maybe This is all confidential I suppose absolutely mr. Orion. I have no axe to grind you must have something to grind or you wouldn't be here People usually try to cheat insurance companies for money reasons. Don't they usually yes. Have you been cheated? I don't know. I don't know if there's any reason for us to be cheated Look, maybe it'll put your mind at ease if I just tell you that a man with a $65 claim has his financial situation checked as a matter of course. You're a careful bunch of cut-ups, aren't you? Well business being the way it is young. Well, I don't think you'll find too much to raise an eyebrow about with old Ben He's got one of the largest balances in town roughly it'd be in the hundred thousand dollar area Yeah, racing horses. It's quite a business and he knows what he's doing. I Doubt very much if he'd try to bamboozle you people out of a tiny little 65,000 well that's small change to Ben Abbott that ranch the stock his investment there must come to well over a million dollars He meets a weekly payroll in the $10,000 class Terry must run him a couple of thousand a month or so. You mean his daughter. Yeah met her. Yeah, well And Terry wants a new car. She just parks the old one She's been driving and takes a plane to San Francisco and buys a new one She might even feel like having a vacation and fly over to Honolulu. She's very expensive that way What you say is true. She must be no doubt about it Well, she'll probably be marrying somebody one of these days as soon as you can find a guy who can stand the freight charges. I Figured it'll be one of that Los Angeles oil gang or somebody from Texas oils her best bet Don't you think what that is if she wants to stay in her social circle. It isn't very wide naturally naturally. Oh, yes Mr. O'Ryan. Oh, come in. Come in. Mr. Abbott's folder. Oh, thanks Well, here it is See for yourself There's a lot to it. I'll take that office over there and look this over mr. Dollar. Mr. Dollar Yeah, I think I'd better I spent the rest of the afternoon going over Benjamin Abbott's local bank standing It confirmed in detail what mr. O'Ryan had sent in general His assets were many his cash on hand plentiful also and this has a bearing the activities of his daughter Terry were indicated in some of the expenditures There's only one item. I had to question Orion about when I'd finish looking at all over Yes, darling. I uh, I noticed a check was drawn five days ago payable to Howard team and roll $5,500. Yes. It's marked bonus Monroe handled business affairs for Abbott a year or two and Monroe left a few days ago Probably severance and things like that. Yeah No anything wrong. I don't know for all I can gather they didn't part company under the best of terms As a matter of fact, they had kind of a row Seems strange he'd pay Monroe a balance after he kicked him out. He's a strange guy check cleared. All right. No question on it Oh, yeah, I noticed Something else then hmm when roll was fired last Tuesday Monday a man named Thomas Warner was fired to Tom Warner the trainer Yeah, Abbott told me Warner was responsible for the accident with Duke red Funny what? According to these books Abbott should still owe Thomas Warner a month salary $700. Let me see Yes bonus no salary no severance Seems to me Tom Warner's got a kick coming Why doesn't he kick mr. Oran? I don't know I would most anybody would Re-checked Abbott's local office in San Pietro and learned that Warner had not left any kind of forwarding address As a matter of fact, he told no one he was leaving Expensive count item $6.98 dinner alone in the dining room adjacent to the lobby of the San Pietro hotel I wasn't enjoying my chef's special with a limp green salad when the clerk came Mr. Dollar. Hmm. I thought you might be in here along. This is called for you both more merrily. Oh, yeah Use the lobby for mr. Dollar. I'll plug you in from the switchboard Yeah, go ahead. They're on the line now. Good. Thanks. Thanks very much Hello Hello Hello This Johnny dollar the man who sent the telegram. Yes. Who's this? This is Thomas Warner's father The wire I opened it it said it was important for Thomas to get in touch with you I thought I better call and tell you where you could reach him. Mr. Dollar. Well, that's very kind of you, sir I come home from work. I think this is best You call him in San Pietro. He worked near there for a man named Benjamin Abbott Ben Abbott training horses You you get in touch with Thomas. Wait a minute. I'm in San Pietro now, Mr. Warner. Your son left here four days ago Didn't he come home? No, are you sure Thomas is not that mr. Benjamin Abbott farm positive Do you have any other ideas where he could be? Oh, not sound like Thomas though, mr. Dollar He would not go off away with without letting his mother and me know are you sure? I am sure certain Thomas my son. He always let my wife and I know where he is. So we don't worry Something is wrong with the dollar. What is something wrong? Yeah, maybe there is Yeah Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow Well, sometimes a dead man can answer a lot of questions Join us won't you yours truly Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by John Dawson It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking