 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Earl poor man. Hi Earl. How are things down in sunny, Florida? How soon can you come down here Johnny? You got troubles? Yes, over a $2,000 insurance claim. Oh now wait Earl How can you justify my fee an expense account on a claim as well as that? Johnny? Yeah The responsibilities of an insurance company sometimes involve far more than just collecting premiums and paying off on claims Well, sure keeping your clients happy a little good old public service Even a little attention to our national security. Sure put on such a small policy. I still don't see how you can justify National security. Yes, Johnny. I'll grab the first plate Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar and now act one of yours truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar The tri-state life and casualty insurance company Sarasota, Florida Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the wayward moth matter Expense account at a 1 9620 plane for an incidentals Hartford, Connecticut to Sarasota, Florida There I was met at the airport by my old friend and fishing pal Earl poor man. We drove on into town You like my new car Johnny when aren't you driving a new car? Well, now let's get down to electric windows power seat air conditioner. Yeah, sure Look, you said something about national security in connection with this insurance plan. Yes, Johnny I did well explain yourself. Well, that's the trouble. I can't You mean to say you had me fly all the way down now now wait Johnny or was it just some trick to Me into fishing, huh? Is that it a crack at some of the great Florida fishing you've been promising me all these years Well, who knows maybe while you're here We will be able to get in some fishing too to an addition to what sure Johnny I just had my boat repainted the engine over all we'll go out in the Gulf for Kings Look and in the bay in the bay you back at the house I promise your red fish and sea trout until you get tired reeling all right all right Just tell me why you've had me come all the way down here to investigate a lousy $2,000 client. I told you I don't really know all right National security is involved. Yes. Well Okay, Johnny I Issued a policy covering the chemical plant of dr. John C. Allworth. What kind of chemicals? Well, you see I don't know Huh? I issued the policy at the specific request of Todd swamp who's he chamber of commerce knows more about this whole area And it's people than anyone else. Well, surely you've seen this chemical lab No, I haven't you why does a matter of fact its exact location is a complete secret. Oh now now look girl If you if you've issued a policy if you're ready to pay off a claim But if you haven't seen look, how do you know a couple of thousand dollars worth of damage occurred? I've taken Todd swamps word for it. I trust him implicit This is the dog on this girl. How can I possibly investigate something if I can't even if nobody knows what? I give up. I'm sure that Todd'll tell you everything. I'll take you in introduce you to him Then I'll leave you with it leave me. That's the way he says it has to be Here take the keys to my car. You'll probably need him, but how would you get and If you need anything or if I can be of help, you know where to call me at the office or at the house out on St Armand's key, come on Serious alert perceptive he thanked her offer bringing me then led me alone into his private office Sit down Johnny and I'll get right to the point. Thanks. I know all about you at least all I need to know Not only from Earl poorman, but from a lot of the cases you've handled how long you went up on me I also know that on occasion you've handled security matters worked hand-in-glove with the FBI and so on so all right My job here is not only to promote Sarasota tell the world what a nice place it is to live nice people good homes Ideal climate great fishing yes fishing boating just about everything. Okay. Okay. I'm sold But what about this dr. John all work my job is also to be at whatever service I can to the people of the city all right Dr. Allworth has lived here for years Chemists retired until recently that is well go on now in his small laboratory carefully hidden in the swamps of the Everglades For security reasons dr. Allworth is producing an important rocket fuel ingredient all for use at one of the testing centers here in Florida Cape Canaveral He and his assistant work entirely alone for obvious reasons look Earl says there's been some damage at his place That's why I asked him to have you come down only a couple of thousand dollars worth that is beside the point Johnny. I Think it's a case of sabotage, but if nobody's even permitted to know where the place is And if you're ready, we'll go out there right away. Okay, right? Act 2 of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment And now act 2 of yours truly Johnny dollar and the wayward moth matter Manager the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce suggests that we use two cars So I got behind the wheel of the one Earl poor minute left for me and followed We drove south on highway 41 through Fort Myers then swung left on route 82 into the Everglades And finally into the big Cypress swamp country A few miles further south I'm not permitted to say how many we left the main road for a pair of wagon tracks leading into the swampy jungle We stopped in a little clearing From a small shack on the edge of a bio a tall husky Indian emerge He lowered his high-powered rifle as he recognized Todd Swam and walked over to where we parked Then I see older. This is mr. Johnny dollar. Hi, Ben How do you do mr. Johnny then he used to be let through here anytime he wants Very well, Mr. Todd. Have you the airboat ready for us already back of my house good Come on Johnny The airboat parked on the edge of a bio back up in Osceola shack was an aluminum hull about 12 foot long square across the bounds that Appointed too high seats were built up on it and the back was a powerful motor with a propeller of the airplane type Todd Swam and I climbed on to the precarious little seats and we took off What a ride The airboat half plane half skipped over the shallow water the buyer Perched up over the hull itself. I kept waiting for us to flip After a quarter mile or so we came on a vast plane of soggy grassy marshland splotched here and there with patches of clear water Now and then on half submerged logs big turtles quickly drew in their heads we approached More than once a huge alligator gave us the BDI and then quietly sank over the surface of the shallow pool Thanks a lot Finally we pulled up to an acre and so a fresh and free Almost like an island in the middle of the swamp on it said a long low building made a concrete block This is the place Johnny unless you'd like to ride around a bit more no thanks Todd swam got the introductions over in a hurry dr. Allworth a short Wario man with sharp features and a shock of white hair led us into the laboratory building no mr. Dollar not in there and no one is permitted in the laboratory except myself and my assistant Oh, I'm sorry dr. You lead the way about your assistant dr. Allworth It was in the vault that the accident occurred it was an accident of course It was who would possibly want to plenty of people doctor and you know it May sound corny, but this whole country has enough enemy agents You speak as though we were at war time Well, we're certainly in a cold war and speaking of agents a moment, please gentlemen while I work the combination of this lock This ball looks big enough for a bank in it. I keep two things mr. Dollar the finished rocket fuel component now and the delicate apparatus with which I complete the final secret stage of its production Apparatus no one but myself has ever seen and you're letting us see you well the Accident has rendered it completely unrecognizable. I still haven't learned what happened here. You know matter of fact I haven't either Johnny. I certainly have my suspicions doctor No, no, no don't go in well I the substance on the floor is so corrosive that well look You can see how the legs of that heavy metal table have completely corroded left nothing but a pile of splintered metal and rust The rocket fuel did that now there in the corner at your left are the rotting tangled remains of the apparatus I mentioned The apparatus the insurance money will replace so I can make up for valuable time lost doctor I tell you it was no accident What happened mr. Dollar is that the heavy glass Flagon containing the finished rocket fuel additive glass doctor a very special class over in each stick the Flagon containing about five liters of it was on that marble slab there in the middle of the floor Ready to be crated and shipped to Ship to its destination. I see I had completed processing it night before last Early yesterday morning for some reason. I have not been able to determine The flag and exploded well, I'll bet I can find a reason. Where is that assistant of yours Leon? Yes, Leon Salkoff Salkoff yes, Johnny a man doing secret work for the rocket missile project hires an assistant with a name like now Salkoff hey doctor there was a famous well I should say infamous character by the name of Salkoff during the last war a young chemist Yes, mr. Dollar mixed up in a couple of industrial bomb plots And if this is the same man it is the same man well in good heaven exactly what I know No, no, no, no, you're both wrong This man was cleared in the war trials. What difference does that make I say a leopard can't change his spots But but don't you see that not even he knows the combination to this bolt Some other way to get in those little windows up there Eight inches square and two inches thick and you're sure there's nothing in your process that would cause the bottle to explode Oh, I have checked and rechecked it where was Leon Salkoff when it happened and where is he now? Well, he went to Fort Myers for suppliers early this morning. He should be back my guess is that he kept right ongoing Yeah, that's how I'm inclined to agree with you because doctor of what you've told us is true Well, somehow someone must have got to this stuff How high are those little windows above the ground outside? Oh about five feet then a gun perhaps aimed in through a window But they are all in place and unbroken Well any reason why one of them couldn't be removed from the outside then replaced well, I I don't know I'm gonna see I'll be right back Act three of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment And now act three of yours truly Johnny dollar and the wayward moth matters Now wait one move and I will pull this trigger. Oh, are you I will ask the questions What are you doing here? Where is Dr. Elworth? Answer me also help me? I will shoot you down Did you find anything doctor stay there doctor? There's a man out here with a gun. What's that? No, no don't come out here Johnny dollar insurance investigator to arrange the payment of our claim You're sure doctor, of course. I'm sure Well, I recognized mr. Swarm's car at this shack of the Indian But when I saw the other car well, I was worried about you. No, no, no, no, it's all right. He's here to help us So you finally decided to come back Mr. Swarm what took you so long layer? All the way into Fort Myers this morning I puzzled over how the flag and could possibly have exploded in the vault you found the answer Or have you known it all along Salkoff? I do not understand mr. Dollar. I think I do Johnny. I thought so from the first I've heard about you Salkoff about some of your activities during the last war I pray that heaven will forgive me for what I have forced to do in that conflict mr. Dollar forced It is my hope that by serving this wonderful country that that has given me refuge In some way I can make up for the terrible things I was compared to do For the man who sought to rule the world now. That's a very pretty speech. Oh, it's true Mr. Dollar you've only to consult the records of the war crimes. I may take a look at those records before I'm through with this case I humbly beg you to do so you still haven't told us where you've been all day leon I tried to figure out how the explosion could possibly have occurred So I telephoned one of our contacts contacts the glass company that has furnished us with the heavy Flags, but there is no way the additive could have caused them to disintegrate Disintegrate no no doctor or the flagon had stood. We found the pile of granulated glass The flagon had completely crystallized. Oh, but even so Wait Of course, of course by some means exactly a critical the formula for the glass that I obtained from the glass works Indicated the possibility would you gentlemen mind telling us what this is all about? Mr. Dollar, I believe leon has found the answer. Well, if he has I'll take back a lot of the things I've said and thought about him Of course, we can't be sure until we prove that it means waiting until morning Oh great meantime, we have a lot of work to do We spend most of the night working like dogs Swabbing out the vault with a powerful neutralizing solution Then early in the morning the four of us gathered in the vaults A flagon like the first one was placed on the marble slab in the middle of the floor We sat around awake a long time Then I noticed something The rays of the sun Coming through one of the tiny thick windows The light was focused as though through a magnifying glass Slowly the powerful searing pinpoint of light worked its way over to the flagon Dr. Alworth rose and held a piece of paper where the rays converged It burst into flame there Now you can see the tremendous heat generated at this point. Yes, and on the flagon itself exactly The tempered thick glass wall of the bottle at tempered perhaps to a highly critical degree But the crystallized doctor the way the other one did leon I still don't believe it. Well many things will cause glass to crystallize vibrations of many kinds You've heard I'm sure of the tenor who shatters the goblet by the power the vibrations of his voice But light vibrations. Oh doctor, of course it Should have occurred by now if it's going to at all Oh the temperature of that bottle must be terrific the pressure building up in the glass itself I don't understand Still the angle of the sun is slightly different each day Or an imperceptible flaw in the one that exploded. Oh sure Well, perhaps the other had some outside stimulus to act as a as a trigger a sudden graft perhaps Oh any little thing excuses leon you're stalling You said the other bottle was in here alone The doors closed only it wasn't because you exploded that thing I don't know how but you did it and if that isn't sabotage Come on, johnny this gag has been carried far enough I saw a tool A tiny moth Attracted by the blazing spot of light on the side of the flagon Where the focus rays of the sun converged The moth circled flew past it Almost brushing it with his wings We waited He circled again again Then dove at it Well time yes leon I apologize A tiny moth Triggered the reaction that disintegrated that crystallized that bottle into a million tiny grains like sand And simply because of the difference in temperature of his little body Seems impossible But it happened Expense account total including the trip back to heart for 204 dollars even Remarks Pay up this claim in a hurry will you The more help we can give to people like dr. Alworth and leon salcoff the better yours truly Johnny dollar Star will return in just a moment Now here is our star to tell you about next week story next week Well, I thought my job in florida was all done far from it. It had just begun Join us won't you 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 big parent herbellus paul richards lumero and leon belasco Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is dan coverley speaking states armed forces radio and television service