 Well, I understand you're probably the best private eye in the business. Well, I try to make a living as an insurance investigator, if that's what you mean. Well, what I have in mind does not exactly come under the heading of insurance investigation. Oh, then if you'd like me to recommend somebody to you. But then again, it might. What? Does the name of Sarah Balderson Barling mean anything to you? Uh, yeah, wait a minute. The old dollar bureau owns about half of the Southern Connecticut water and power company. That's right. She's a very important client of ours. I thought you said this matter doesn't involve insurance. Oh, now look, if this is one of those bodyguards assignment. No, it isn't the sizeable fee for your service. Oh, well, why don't you say so in the first place? How much? $5,000. $5,000? But if you think perhaps I'd better get some. Don't even think of it, Mr. Whitley. I'll be right over. Bob Bailey, in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-pact expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Russ Trulli? Johnny Duller. The insurance account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Duller. Deleasing liability and trust company, Home Office, Hartford, Connecticut. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the only one but matter. With a $5,000 extra fee dangling in front of my face, expense account item one, naturally, was $1.10 for a cab to Fred Whitley's office in the Gregson building downtown on the square. You have the money, huh? Well, I suppose I can't exactly blame you. Mr. Whitley, if I ever reach the point where I can turn up my nose at $5,000. I mentioned Mrs. Sarah Balderson Barling. And as I understand it, she's one of the wealthiest people we have here. Well, it's really her daughter that we're concerned about. That she is concerned about. Oh, I don't know. Her name is Truda Lynn Barling. Truda. She celebrated her 21st birthday about a month ago. Oh, yeah, remember, that big brawl the old lady threw for her must have made the headlines all over the eastern circle. That brawl, as you call it, was engineered by Truda Lynn herself. Yeah, and as I recall, now the police had to put on a couple of dozen extra men to keep things under control. Champagne? The cost of that party, including damage to the hotel where it took place must have run to $30,000 or $40,000. Then this Truda Lynn must be quite a gal. It was typical of many such incidents in the life of Truda Lynn Barling. Young, wealthy, completely spoiled, and completely rebellious against her mother's recent attempts at discipline. To put it mildly, she's been quite a problem. Life of home with her mother has been one continuous battle. There's been about as much love between them these past few months. And believe me, Donner, it's been as much her mother's fault as it has been Truda Lynn. You mean for spoiling her so badly in the first place? Yes. You see, her mother's only interest in life has been in adding to the fortune her husband left her. Or what has happened, friend? Five days ago, Truda Lynn simply packed up and left her parts unknown. And I'm certain it was more than mere coincidence that young Harvey Howard also... Harvey is a worthless young playboy who's been trying for some time to marry her and very obviously only to get his hands on her money. Also, Lucy Taylor left town about that same time. Oh, is she? One of Truda Lynn's playmates, a young social climber who's been practically living off her for the past two years over Mrs. Barling's strenuous objections, of course. So all the three of them have just cut loose to run off and have a fling, huh? Any idea where they might have gone? We'll have to find the girl. Somehow bring her back here. Well, now, Mr. Wiggly, if she's 21. Otherwise, my company stands a good chance of losing the literally millions of dollars worth of insurance policies of her mother. Yes, but look, even for a $5,000 fee, we'll make it 10. And must I remind you that it's hardly your place to question the reasons for an assignment given you by one of the companies you agreed to serve? 10,000, huh? Yes. Okay, I'll see what I can do. With no trouble at all, I found a taxi driver who'd taken a missing girl down to the railroad station the morning she'd left home. Item two in the expense account, a $5 tip to him for the information that she'd been met there by young Lucy Taylor and Harvey Howard. Loaded with luggage, they'd all climbed aboard a train for New York. Item three, 45 cents for a phone call to my old pal, Lieutenant Randy Singer, at the 18th precinct New York Police Department. Well, do you, Randy? Listen, she and a couple of her little buddies flew into town less than a week ago, and they'd been raising so much pain around the nightclub circuit. Well, for a while there, we were thinking of putting on a flock of extra men. Well, do you know where she's staying? Yeah, Johnny, an expensive little apartment house over at 727 East 51st Street. Thanks, Randy. When I get down there, I'll buy you a drink. Item four, 875 for a quick lunch and a train down to New York. Item five, a buck and a half for a cab to 727 East 51st. A real fancy place, with some micro-dentials, and he had the elevator boy taking up to the single apartment on the whole 7th floor. Right ahead, sir. I see the door's open like it usually is, but maybe you better ring, sir. Yes. This is Merling. Give me Lieutenant Randy Singer, and homicide. I told Randy what I found. Yeah, it was the body of Trittle and Merling, lying there in the middle of the floor. They had been very pretty once, with the blows from a heavy bronze candle stick and chainsaw left. A half-finished cigarette with a touch of lipstick on it was still smoking in an ash tray, so it must have happened within the past few minutes. Quickly, I searched the apartment, I found nothing. Then purely on a hunch, hoping you hadn't yet left headquarters, I made another call to Randy Singer. I was just about to grab Doc Winters and hop into a prowl car, and I'll be sure you don't touch anything, Johnny. Yeah, sure, sure. Now, listen, Randy. Yeah, Harvey Howard and a washed-out blonde named Lucy Taylor. You know what they're saying? Yeah. Then if I were you, I'd pick them up and bring them along with you. Just a hunch. Uh-oh. One of your famous hunches, huh? Just bring them along, will you? The elevator operator in Dortmund. That is after they've calmed down a bit. Well, I still think I better notify the management, Mr. Dollar, and if the cops are coming in. Save it to later. Is there any way to get up to that apartment besides the elevator? No, it's a tobacco apartment. But the only way anybody could get in there is if I let them in the service entrance downstairs here. Ain't that right, Willie? That's right. Did anybody come here to see Miss Barling today? Yes, sir. Two people. Yes, of course. Well, you see, about two hours ago, Miss Barling went over to see a doctor in that building across the street. Ain't that right, Willie? That's right. Dr. Thornton's been seeing him a couple of times every day. Back here, not more than a half hour ago, said she was going to pack up her stuff and leave. Yeah, ain't that right. Go on. Well, then her friend Miss Taylor come around to see her. When? Only a little while before you come. Ain't that right, Willie? That's right. And more maybe 10 or 15 minutes before you come. How long did she stay? Maybe five, six minutes. Maybe less. Maybe less. Yeah, it seemed to me, I was going to come down and got settled, and I had to go up there when she rung the buzzer. You said that two people were up here to see Miss Barling. And Miss Taylor both been here a lot of time. You know his name? Sure. Nobody ever gets in this building without giving their name unless we know him. Ain't that right, Willie? That's right. Well, who was he? Name is Mr. Harvey Howard. When was this? Right after Miss Taylor left. And they didn't come together? No, sir. By the time her cab got down the street, his come rolling up. How long did he stay? Not any longer than the lady had. That's right. I'm going across the street to see this Dr. Thorson. If I'm not back by the time the police get here, tell them where to reach me. Send for me. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Mr. Daller, from the first day that she moved into the apartment across the street, sometimes a couple of times a day. Well, what was the matter with her, doctor? Well, physically, she had what I best be described as a mild incipient peptic ulcer. I see. And with all her nightclub drinking and smoking drinks? Strangely enough, despite Miss Barling's party going plot clever days, habits, she was quite the hapacundriac. Of course, all her tearing around laid hours during the first three days and nights here in the city did her no good. Only the first few days? Yes. Hypochondriac, you said? Yes. And as is often the case, Mr. Daller, to someone like that, the doctor suddenly finds himself a close confidant, even on rather short a quote from John. Well, in spite of telling me it was only to say goodbye and thanks, I think her visit today was more than anything else to boost her morale of self-confidence. Why? She'd suffered a considerable change of heart since running away from her mother. Oh, that's odd. Apparently, this was the first chance she'd ever had to really be by herself. Take things out for herself. And she was getting ready to telephone and renounce the two... reaches. The best word I can make of her. The two who came down here with him? Yes, she was going to telephone them and tell them that she was through with them. Then go back to Hartford, square things with her mother, and then possibly get a job. Simply to make up for all the times you'd wasted just playing around. Maybe you don't know it, doctor, but what you just told me indicates that if she did suddenly throw them over, either Harvey Howard or Lucy Taylor, either one of them may have killed her. Mr. Dollar, I believe you're right. But which one? And how to prove it? Great. I thought you were going to send over for me when the police got here. Well, I was, Mr. Dollar. Ain't that right, Willie? That's right. But the two pennants said not to bother. Yeah, they're inside, locked up in a couple of bedrooms. Okay, okay. You two can go on back down stairs now. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Well, have you found out anything? Well, as for your hunches, this Taylor brawn or this fishy-eyed Howard did it. Well, it's probably a pretty good one, Johnny, but I'd like to see some proof. I thought you were bringing over a medic. Well, the doctor, one of the boys from the lab just left. Meat wagon will be along in a little while to take this to the morgue. Did they find anything? Any prints? Well, whoever did it must have worn gloves. Hey, she's, uh, quite a bitch, Johnny. Oh. Yeah, the kind you'd expect to pick up at the back door of a cheap stripper joint. Why a girl with money like Trudel in Barling would ever let somebody like that get their hoaxes? Where did you find it? In her hotel room with the likes packing up and getting ready to leave. To go back to Hartford, she said. And Harvey Hart, in his room there at the like, also packing to leave. Now, the only ones known to have been up here today. Yeah, I checked it out real good with that dumb doorman and the elevator boy. Nobody could have gotten up here without their knowing about it. Now, we've got to show up to one of these two that murdered Trudel and the proof they both did it. Well, they came up here separately? Oh, I didn't know that. Now, let's talk to them. Yeah. Uh, just unlock that door, besides it. Right. Oh, no, police. All right. I'd like to see you prove I killed him. Maybe I will, Harvey. Why don't you do something with the body of poor Trudel in line there? Your, uh, dearest friend, huh? Yes, of course you... Who are you? This is Johnny Donner, you two. He's a special investigator. Oh, well, go ahead and investigate, Mr. Donner. Just keep me out of it. All right, Harvey. Aren't you going to search cocktails? It's cocktail time, you know. I said all right. We'll see you came up here to see Miss Barling a little while ago. That's right. Why? I've been seeing her every day since we all came down here to New York. Anything wrong with that? You were pretty mad at her for bringing you down here and then suddenly telling you to leave and go back to Hartford, weren't you? What? Or do you want to pretend she didn't call you and tell you that? All right. Maybe she did. But I thought that if I could see her and talk to her, I could put a straightening thing out, you know. Only when I got here, she wouldn't let me in. She didn't let you in? Just slammed the door in my face so I left. That's she, Lucy. Then why is it that I found the door a job when I got here? So maybe she opened it again after... You're working? Of course. She telephoned to me, told me the same thing? The door was a job. Yes. So you came on in? No. No, of course not. It wouldn't have been possible. Oh, no. I rang the bell and knocked it. I got no answer. I decided she'd already left, so I went back to my hotel and... Yeah. Of course. Why, honey? Well, honey, I did come in. I found her body lying here. I knew I'd be suspected of killing her. There's nothing I could think of as getting away. That's a lie. You came in here and killed her. No. You found her sitting here in the chair and you sneaked up... No. You know something? I think she's right. Uh, got a pair of gloves on you, Harvey? Well, yes. I always carry gloves. Even in the summer? Of course. Well, you put them on to avoid leaving fingerprints. Ms. Barling was sitting here in the chair, her back to the door quietly smoking a cigarette. Yeah, I found the ashes and the ashtray was still warm. No, oh, please, listen. Wait a minute. Huh, Johnny? Brother, how stupid can I get? Now, what do you mean by that? Lucy, you swear you didn't come in here? Yeah, I'd be struck down if I did. Maybe you will. I told you. Brutal implants are doing my face when I came here to talk to her. She wouldn't let me in. Okay. Randy, that cigarette... Hey, yeah, what about it? It was still burning when I got here. It had lipstick on it. And you didn't save it, Johnny? No. But it turns out I didn't need to. Don't you see? What the Miss Ellen said was true. She was sitting right here when her back to the door. That lipstick was yours, Lucy. The cigarette was yours. I tell you, I swear I didn't come in here. Uh, not Ms. Barling, Johnny. Suffering from an ulcer, seeing a doctor a couple of times a day about it smoking. No, you're right. She didn't smoke. Yeah. Want to let the lieutenant have your gloves, Lucy? No, why? And Randy, you want to bet the lab will find microscopic traces of bronze on them from that candlestick she used to kill Truda Lynn. All right, Miss Taylor. Hand them over. Yeah, you're the extent. But you know something? If that pretty boy Harvey had found her alive when he'd arrived, I'm not so sure he wouldn't have done the rest. There are times when I'm glad I'm not rich with a bunch of these leeches hanging around grabbing a bydole, which reminds me that nice extra fee you promised me in this case. Expense account total including transportation back to hybrid $25.55. Yours truly, Johnny Dolley. All right, to tell you about next week's story. Next week, a prantic fisherman will prove to be the key to a murder. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dolley. Starring Bob Bailey, originates in Hollywood and is written, produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard in our cast were Virginia Gregg, Les Tremaine, Herb Byron, Alan Reed, Frank Grissel, Jack Edwards and Jack Grimes. Be sure to join us next week. Same time and passion for another exciting story of Yours truly, Johnny Dolley. This is Jim Matthews speaking.