 From Hollywood, it's time now for... Johnny Deller. Hi, Ed. Lefty? Well, sure, of course. Listen, are you having trouble again with old man Caraway? Well, good for you, but now what's your problem? Well, Johnny, we fixed this place up real nice since you've seen it. You know, we spent a lot of dough on it. So? She'll then hop on over to Georgetown and see her old friend Joe Piccatello about it. Old friend, huh? After all, he's your insurance agent. Yeah. Is he? Well, sure, of course he is. Didn't he send you all the other insurance you... Lefty? Has something happened to Joe? Yes. What do you mean? You think somebody's knocked him off? Well, have you gone over to Georgetown to see him, to see what's the matter? Lefty, I don't get it. You know something? I think you're right. In the exciting adventures of the man with the action-pact expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator... Yours truly, Johnny Deller. Act one of yours truly, Johnny Deller. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Deller to the Continental Insurance Company Home Office, New York, New York. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the virtuous mobster matter. Expense account, item one, $7.85, trained in New York City and taxied to the office of Continental Insurance Company. Fortunately, my contact there, Ben Orloff, was in. Come in, Mr. Deller. Come in. Thanks. How are you? Sit down. Thanks. Now, Mr. Orloff... Wait a minute. Don't tell me you never received that check for your services down in South Carolina. Oh, yes, I got that. Why have that mailed out to you nearly two months ago? Yes, I said I got it. I... Oh, oh, good. Incidentally, I thoroughly enjoyed your report on that case. The Village of Virtue Matter, you called it? Yes, I... So why a group of ex-gangsters should decide to settle in a town called Virtue? I'll never understand. Well, they... Were they really behaving themselves as your report indicated, or had they been using that old plantation for a sort of hideout? Their records have been cleaned down there for over 20 years now. Is that so? Well... Well, maybe the answer to organized crime is to give all those fellows a nice quiet plantation to live on. Yes. Though I must say that when our agent down there, Joseph Picatello... It's about Joe that I've come to talk to. I must say that I was a bit concerned when I found Joe had sold policies to characters like Lefty Stemper and Bully Magoon and Flippy Lacomage. Mr. Orloff. Why, those were the very sort of men that Thomas E. Dewey chased out of New York when he was DA some years ago. Mr. Orloff. That was before Dewey became governor, you know. So naturally I... What were you going to say about Joe Picatello? Have you heard from Joe recently? No, no, I don't think I have now that you mentioned it. Because I just talked over the phone. Wait. You must understand one thing, Mr. Donner. What's that? Our office down there in Georgetown is probably the smallest one we have in the whole country. Joe really doesn't handle much business for us, you know. Yes, I understand. I understood that when I talked to him in April. If it weren't for those mobsters over in virtue... Ex mobsters, Mr. Orloff. Well, if it wasn't for them and some of the townspeople to whom we've issued policies, I'd... Mr. Donner. Has something happened to Joe Picatello? That's what I want to find out. Because now that I think about it... Excuse me. Miss Bailey? Yes, Mr. Orloff. Did you ever get a reply on the Harmon policy from Mr. Picatello in our Georgetown office? No, sir. Thank you. Dollar, we wrote Joe about that Harmon matter over four weeks ago. Well, didn't it occur to you to phone him and find out why he hasn't answered you? But it involves such a small policy that... Yes, perhaps I'd better try to call him. Miss Bailey? Wait. Yes? Nothing. What? I said nothing. Well, Mr. Donner? Well, Mr. Orloff, if something has happened to Joe Picatello... Well, look, instead of spreading the alarm, how about if I quietly run on down there? But have you reason to believe something wrong has happened to him? Only from what his clients down there at the plantation have told me over the phone. You think perhaps some of these old gangland enemies have got to him? After 20 years, I don't know. If you'll okay my expense account, I'll go down there and see. Well, now, Mr. Donner... And if you won't, I'll go down there anyway. But there's the danger, too. This might be a very dangerous... Let me... Let me hear from you as soon as you can, Mr. Donner. Two of yours truly, Johnny Donner, in a moment. And now for another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald Bellweather, my husband. Boring, isn't it? Can you see all right? Oh, yeah, I can see. The windshield wipers are operating with mechanical perfection. You notice there are no more streaks, either, since I put on the new rubber blade. You know, I think every driver should have his windshield wipers in good order. It's much safer. It would be much safer if everyone would slow down during wet weather like my husband is doing right now. Just be cautious, Reba. We don't want an accident when it's downpour. We don't want an accident any time. Yeah, that's for sure. Well, the experts say that accidents just don't happen. Something causes accidents, and the laws can be prevented. By the way, dear, in what kind of weather do you think most accidents occur? Oh, I'd say in rain or snowy weather or slippery weather when visibility isn't impaired. That's the wrong answer, dear. Wrong? Are you serious? Statistics show that 8 out of 10 accidents occur when the weather is clear or with a cloudy overcast. Are you positive? I wonder why. Oh, here's our house plan. Oh, yeah. You sit right here, Reba. I'll get out with the umbrella, and then I'll come around and open your door. All right, honey. I wonder why. Wonder why what? Why 8 out of 10 accidents happen in clear weather. Oh, well, I don't know for sure, Sergeant. But I do know that you go very carefully tonight in the rain. Thanks. Now, if everyone drove us carefully during clear dry weather, there'd be less accidents, I'm sure. Hey, that must be it. People automatically get cautious in the rain and snow. Hmm. Too bad they don't stay that way in good weather. You will, won't you? I mean, drive safely in good weather, too? I promise. Oh, that's my Donald. That's my doll. Two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the virtuous mobster matter. Expense account item 2, $28 even, transportation and incidentals, New York City to Georgetown, South Carolina. It was late when I pulled into the prosperous little Southern community, and it was dark, pitch dark. The $3.50 deposit on a rental car, item 4, 70 cents for a sandwich and a coke at an all-night diner. Then I drove over to Joe Pigatello's on a side street near the park. The small frame building that served as both office and living quarters for Joe was dark. But in the hope he might be asleep in his little apartment up above, I knocked. Until I was about to turn and go back to my car, it was the sound of a door slamming somewhere inside, but still no light showed. I knocked again. Then, faintly, I heard footsteps approaching. But why hadn't Joe turned on the light in there? What do you want? Joe. Yeah? Joe, open up. It's Johnny Dollar. Johnny who? Johnny Dollar Insurance Investigator, you know. Investigator? That's what you said? Are you kidding? What's the matter with you, pal? Open up. Hiya, Joe. What's the idea? No lights in here. You forget to pay your bill or something? Maybe. What do you want? What? Investigators said, Willie. Did you hear that? Willie? Yeah, I heard. What is this? Don't move. Oh, no, you don't. Yeah, I got his gun. I hit him again. Again. Once more. There he is. I'd like a life. Yeah. What do you want? I should do with him now. Huh? You crazy, Willie? You mean you don't know? Okay, but if I blast him here, it's going to make a lot of noise, and if anybody hates a car coming down the street. Investigators said, he wouldn't be working alone. Come on, out the back way. But I know who's going to stand here. Maybe Joe's went to bed if he's there. He didn't answer the phone when you called him. Listen, let me. Johnny Dollar told me I should come down here and look for Joe myself. So come on, we'll see. Whatever you say, Lefty. Only I thought that Johnny was coming down here himself. Huh? Hey, look, the store's open. You look what I stepped on. Joe. Joe, what happened there? That ain't Joe. It's Johnny Dollar. Johnny the... Hey, you're right, Flippi. Somebody must... Listen, again away. Johnny. Johnny, it's me. It's me, Lefty. Lefty. Me, me, me, me. Flippi. Johnny, okay? You all right? Yeah, all right. Oh, holy fuck. Oh, don't this to you, Johnny. Yeah, we'll motorize him. Hey, Flippi, turn on some lights. Yeah, yeah, sure. You know, who done this to you, Johnny? Yeah. Yeah? Yeah? Hey, come here, Flippi. Help me lay him up on the sofa. Easy, easy. Yeah. Who, Johnny? Who? Yeah, yeah, yeah, Johnny. I can't believe it, but I could see him in the light of the street. Who? Who? Joe Pigatello. Smokey Pigatello done this to you? Another guy with him. Called him Willie. Willie the lump? Why? Why did he do it? I don't know. I acted very strange when he came to the door. But I don't get it. He was my pal. He was your pal. Well, Willie, the lump with him. That's what I don't get. That means he's went back. That's what it means. He's went back to the old racket, dope smuggling. Oh, no, no. Yeah, him and Willie the lump was partners in the old days. But, but, but 20 years, Joe's been straight lefty, like you and me and Vully McGoone. Yeah, for 20 years, you and me and Bully, the only guns we ever used was for hunting, for killing snakes. But not no more. What do you mean, lefty? Joe Pigatello done this to you, Johnny. It means only one thing. There's only one thing we can do. No. He's right, Johnny. Oh, no, lefty. Yeah, Johnny, first we take you back to the plantation where you get all right again. Oh, no, listen to me. Then we find Joe Pigatello, flip and bully and me and then we do. Huh? Well, now, what are you pumps doing here, huh? Hey. Joe. That's right. Who'd you expect? What's the big eye? All right, don't move. Because Joe, I'm going to blast your head off. Act three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in a moment. Do you know who said every individual in society has certain powers, rights and privileges, which no other individual can justly abridge or destroy? Those words were written by Noah Webster, the man who compiled America's first great dictionary. Mr. Webster knew that if the country which he had seen come into being were to succeed, the rights of the individual have to be protected. Each person is entitled to certain basic rights, powers and privileges, which must not be taken away because of the whim of someone with greater power. In the United States, the individual is important regardless of his wealth, power or position. The importance of the individual is closely linked to the American tradition. Remember the words of Noah Webster. They are part of your American heritage. The rights and privileges of the individual must be preserved. And now act three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the virtuous mobster matter. To say the atmosphere was tense there in Joe Pigatello's office in Georgetown, South Carolina would be the understatement of the week. After the beating I take, and from the ex-gangster and one of his pals, my old friends Lefty and Flippy had come in and found me there. And they couldn't understand why Joe had done this to me. Unless... It means he's went back. That's what it means. Went back to the rackets. Well, Willie, the lump was with him. And then Willie was partners in the old days, dope, not cottage. So the two of them swore to get Joe. And then suddenly we looked up to see someone standing in the doorway. It's Joe. It was Joe Pigatello. That's right. Now, who'd you expect? All right, don't move. Blast your head off. Oh, now put that thing down, Lefty. Don't move. What is it, Slippy, a gag or something? Is it a gag? What you done to Johnny Dollar? Huh? Johnny. I said one move and I'll give it to you. Johnny. Turn around, Joe. I'll shoot you in the back. You dirty... What do they do to you, Johnny? Listen, Joe. Lefty, Flippy, I'll kill you for this. What are you talking about, you dirty rat? Wait, Lefty. Johnny's my pal. Like you used to be before you went back in the rackets. Went back in the rackets? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. With that dope hound who will willied the lump. What do you know about willied the lump? Plenty. Now that you're back with him... You're crazy. It's no good, Joe, because Johnny recognized you. You and willied the lump when you waked him over. And I tell you that I had no... 20 years, you and Bully and Flippy and me, we showed we could do it straight. We could be respectable. Me and the boys at the plantation, you down here. But now you're spoiled it. You're ruining for all of us. Look, when you listen... So don't move. We made a deal. You and me and the boys. 20 years ago, if anybody slips, anybody breaks up our respectable life, he gotta go. Was that the deal? Yeah, yeah. That was the deal. But you don't know what you're talking about when you say I'll go and back in here. All right. So you and your lousies come, you not only go back, you do this to Johnny Dollar. My friend, the guy who believed in us. Lefty. So for that you gotta go. Lefty, listen. No, Joe. Right. Lefty. Give me your gun, Lefty. No, Johnny. That was the deal. You ever use a gun on a man, a gun for the rest of your life? Johnny, it's for you. I'm killing them. Hand it over, Lefty. Okay, thanks. You see, it wasn't Joe who worked me over. What? I thought it was. It looked like him. It sounded like him. Then it was him. Look at his hands. His face. His clothes. Is this the man I fought with in here five minutes ago? Sure, maybe I did get the worst of it with two of them on top of me. But believe me, I cut them up some too. He's right, Lefty. Yeah. But then I don't... Look, if it wasn't him... the twin. You're right, Lefty. It must be the twin. The twin here? All right, boys. Let me in on it, too. It is. Shep Larko, the twin they called him. That's what the law called him. Call him and Joe the twins. Because they looked like each other. They talked like each other. There was always the alibi for each other. But what's Shep Larko doing here? I... I can't tell you, Flippy. Not yet. All right, Joe. All right. I believe you about not working over Johnny here because of what he says about... about you and me, it must stop. But if you and Shep are back in Iraq... I'm not, Lefty. That's straight. No. All right, then tell me. Where you been? I can't tell you. Three, four weeks now we don't know where you are. The insurance company don't know where you are. Well... I can't tell you. Now, listen. You'll listen. If Shep and Willie have been here, they'll be coming back. Why? Yeah, Joe. I can't tell you. I can't tell you. All right. Listen. We're listening, Joe. The secret service. Huh? Well, after those killings up in Baltimore. During that smuggling job? Yeah, Johnny. They knew that Twins Shep Larko and Willie... well, the boys in Washington knew they did it. But they didn't know where to find them. Well, go on, Joe. So they spread the word. The secret service spread the word. That I knew where Shep and Willie were. That I would lead them to them. You knew where they was, huh? No, but the law boys knew how to flush them out. Get Shep and Willie out looking for me. Gunning for me. And the secret service didn't keep you under cover? Yeah, until today, back in Washington. Well, I talked to you on your phone right here. A lot of line was rigged through to Washington. You said until today, Joe. Yeah, because Shep and Willie didn't show. The law boys had to make them show. So then they sent you here as living bait? Yeah. And they passed the word that you'd be here? That's it, Johnny. Shep and Willie were waiting here when you came. That's why they'll come back now that I'm here. Boy, you stuck your neck out for the sake of going straight. No, I couldn't help myself. The secret service rigged it on me. A guy named Phillips. But now you're all in it. It's a flippy, tight-out-the-life. Yeah, and let's get out of here. What? Oh, listen, we was crooks, but never killers. But it's killers that's coming to get Joe. What do you mean, Lefty? But they won't. And they won't get you, Johnny. Sorry, Lefty. I can't move. Then we're staying. For you and Joe. Yeah, right. So turn out the lights for me. You're too late, boys. Shep. That's when. That's right. Your old pal, Shep Larko. Keep her out on him, Willie. Don't worry, Shep. Investigate her, huh, darling? Only a secret service, ain't it? Yes, it. I knew we should have killed you when we had you, darling. But we thought these boys driving up was reinforcements. Reinforcements. We should have known the secret service, wasn't that right? All right, Willie, first come while I keep this gun on him. Sure. No, none of you trying to. Not, darling. We got his gun. Oh. Okay. Just what do you intend doing, Shep? They're clean, Shep. What do you think? All right. Joe gets it first. Put your gun up close so it don't make no noise. Go ahead, Willie. Yeah. No! No! You got them both. And I thought you couldn't move. Yeah, boy. Thanks, Johnny. Thanks. Thank Lefty for giving me his gun when I asked for a show. Hey, look. Any of you guys know a good doctor? Yeah, I've said it before and I say it again. In this insurance business, you never know what you'll run into. Expense account total including a flock of medical expenses and the trip back to Hartford, $174 even. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Johnny Dollar starring Bob Bailey originates in Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone, who also wrote today's story. Heard in our cast were Gene Tatum, Jack Krushen, Les Tremaine, Billy Halif, Frank Gerstle, and Gil Stratton Jr. Be sure to join us next week. Same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Roy Rowan speaking. There's been a presentation of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.