 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Yes I suspicion wrong patch. He's still here very much. So when you listen shoot The man was a little over ambitious let himself into the house through a basement window. So while he was there the telephone He wasn't crazy enough to answer it crazy like a fox It was long distance from right where you are now San Juan del Perro and Johnny I suspect it was from the man And whose policy she's made a claim for a quarter million dollars for a dear departed husband Douglas Lanford Right, and if so her claim on him at least is fraudulent. So see if you can dig up some proof brother I have it the man is anything but dead It was Douglas Lanford who wrecked our plane when we tried to land here a few hours ago Sure if he doesn't get me first And every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar location San Juan del Perro Nicaragua to the Universal Adjustment Bureau Hartford, Connecticut Following is an accounting of expenses incurred during my investigation of the sea legs matter 250,000 insurance claimed by mrs. Constant Lanfair for the death of Douglas Lanfair and Additional hundred and fifty thousand for the loss of the yacht the sea legs Claim number one now proved to be fraudulent as for number two the claim on the yacht Expense account item 14 two dollars American to the banana plantation worker who pulled us out of the small plane the Douglas Lanfair Wrecked as we tried to land and another dollar to set plantation worker for a ride into town in his ancient truck I must admit that this is one time that my ubiquitous assistant Oscar Patrick Vladimir Pascarro came in handy through his knowledge of the Spanish Indian dialect spoken in these parts Apparently San Juan del Perro had once been a fairly busy little seaport But over a period of years the sea had slowly inexorably washed in shallow sandbars and only a handful of small Cargo and fishing boats now negotiated the narrow channels that led out to the blue Caribbean The town itself was scattered around a small marketplace near the docks There were a few stone and brick buildings including the San Andrea Hotel, but most of them were weather beaten frame structures An occasional age of American car kicked up the dust, but most of the street traffic was ox carts Item 15 two dollars American to a doctor with an unpronounceable name who came to our room at the San Andres and patched us up And about 7 p.m. He left after instructing us to spend the rest of the night in bed Item 16 another two dollars for a sumptuous dinner brought to our room American dollars I learned go far in this place unless of course Oscar gets his hands on them You should let me handle all the bills for you while you're here in the garage with mr. Dollar Yeah, sure unless you take a 50% commission on all of my no, thanks But mr. Dollar and when the poor fellow who rented us that plane to get down here starts patching it up My expense account is gonna take a big enough beating have no fear I will supervise the repairs on the plane myself. Yeah for a small pittance. No, of course What a wonderful dinner now to sleep it off. Well, you sleep all you want. Oh, I got work to do work If besides you still haven't told me why we flew down here in the first place I still don't listen ask her a couple of years ago land fear lost a power cruiser off the Baldero Island I know I told you I helped him and his wife and his captain get to shore He collected eighty five thousand dollars for that boat from his insurance company I saw the boot it was worth the eighty five thousand so he should have insured it for more Maybe a hundred thousand made himself a profit really a very poor businessman Would you listen the ease of collecting on that loss must have given him ideas? What's more he could do with some money the parental estate was running low Anyhow a few weeks ago. He brings a yacht a motor sailor down here the sea legs, right? This one's insured for a hundred and fifty thousand and his own life is insured for a quarter million Maybe he's not such a bad businessman after all He takes the sea legs out to the very same place where he lost the first boat this time he leaves his wife for sure He and the skipper go out alone presumably to check on some new radio equipment. He's installed sure We made the radio contact from my own personal sender on shore. I put the guard but the contact was suddenly cut off I heard it and the next thing we know Mrs. L is back at her home on Long Island claiming a total of four hundred thousand Well, why not if she thought he went down with the boat because I don't think she did what's more Of course, I knew it all the time Because if he drowned off the Baldala Islands, what was he doing here today driving the car that wrecked our plane unless he was dead And do you know something mr. Dollar? I don't believe it Oscar There was somebody in the cabin of that other plane waiting to take off with him after he smashed our landing gear You didn't see who no, but I'll give you odds. It was constant land fear Another thing she said that when the sea legs went down she heard it go over the radio You said that the signal just suddenly cut off mr. Dollar You don't think the office wrecked at all not any more than I think land fear went down with it then there is it Well, I have a hunch it's right here in San Juan del Perro. Yes, but wouldn't everybody know the boat? Oh Oscar one of the oldest insurance rackets in the world is to fake a shipwreck take the hull to some obscure foreign port Dress it up a new pain in rigging then put it to see again Now why didn't I think of such a now if I remember rightly I spotted a couple of old shipyards down here when we circle The land yeah, sure, but there's only one that does any work. You know it is of course I do you see how invaluable I am to you then that's where we're going right now, but mr. Dollar What if you do find the boat? What do you mean? Mr. Landfeer has already flew the goose he took off in that other plane after we cracked up Look, we'll take things as they come along right now while we're here I want to look for that yacht I saw an excellent picture of it And I'm sure if I find it I can identify it and if we do find it We will have twice the case against the landfairs mr. Dollar mr. Dollar I am fortunate to be working for such a sterling silver 14 karat genius for the most outstanding intelligent Get your hands out of my pockets There's one other thing I'd like to find one person unless landfair murdered him who is one-man crew Oh, who heard him on Gonzales the same manners on the first three Well if he was allowed to live through the first wreck he was probably in cahoots with landfair and therefore is still around Would you recognize him if you saw him? Maybe so maybe not the first three of us big and fat The second three people skinnier. He wore a beard on his face if he's changed again. Yeah You're a lot of help. I thought you never forgot a name or a face, but mr. Dollar him I never made any money off of well come on get into your clothes and let's prowl around a shipyard It was only a few minutes after eight, but the town was practically asleep except for an old saloon down in the docks Quietly so not to disturb the snoozing night clerk. We let ourselves out of the hotel and headed for the waterfront The night was clear on moonlets, so we had no trouble finding the way I Glanced hopefully into the open door of the dock side saloon as we passed it and I chuckle that the incongruity of the music blurring away But of course on no one that Wait a minute Oscar. Yes, sir at that table in there drinking beer Hey, can one of them be the Raymond Gonzalez you mentioned so who can tell from here and send one del perro There must be a hundred who are skinny and very dirty little beard on the face Could you tell from close-up? Sure. What do you recognize you so what might not be very healthy for you? Mr. Dollar working on an important campaign for you my dearest friend I would gladly lay down my life for you for a small pittance, of course, of course Anyhow, how would he know I am working for you? Okay, okay, then son are in and take a look. Okay I'll wait right here. Good evening gentlemen Nice letter we're having huh, it's when the ad no Oh If it isn't my old pal Ramon Gonzales, how are you? Me a stranger why I'm one of your oldest and dearest friends and me a me go remember Get out But I am Oscar Patrick Vladimir Busquero. You know, there's a fine old Spanish name Who helped you assure that time when I don't think they'd like you to interrupt that little beer party Is he Ramon Gonzales? Oh, yes. Yes, I'm sure of it. You see Mr. Dollar He did not go down with the ship you're telling me. Well, aren't you going to do something about him later? If I locate the sea legs Cautiously quietly looking back over my shoulder now we prowl through the old shipyard and Finally led by the smell of fresh paint. I found it The once clean white hull was painted a gaudy red and blue Given the appearance of age the mahogany rail and taff roll had been replaced with iron pipe The beautiful teakwood deck painted a dirty gray The wheelhouse of and move the cabin altered even the mass spouse Britain general rigging changed stanchions cleats all the hardware that had once been polished bronze was now corroded or painted over All in all a quick very thorough job of disguise of change From a graceful expensive yacht to a rather weary-looking fishing school there, but it was the sea legs. All right Never be leave it, Mr. Dollar. I I never would have recognized it. Are you sure one your hand over the chance of me? You can feel where the lettering has been painted over It all struck a match so I can see better not somebody That's too late now But do you see where the outline of the lettering is underneath this last coat of paint? But it was such a beautiful boat Now it looks like like a dirty old trap What do we do now go back to that saloon and latch on to Ramon Gonzalez make him talk sure only I Wait for you. He's so big and strong mr. Dollar and that knife in his belt why I thought you said you'd lay down your life But what could he tell you that you don't already know now where the landfers headed when they took off in that plane come on Mr. Dollar I was afraid of that look the knife in his hand Ask her if he makes one move to throw it pull the trigger Well, let's bring him in bring him to so I can question Let's get out of here, please Mr. No, he may have a friend around right Oscar he has and This one carries a gun aimed straight at mr. Dollar's back. Well, well Mrs. Lamphere Surprised Johnny Oh, here's our star to tell you about the final episode of this week's story tomorrow Sometimes when you wind up a case things take a turn a sudden switch that makes you wish you hadn't won Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar a Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is Transcribed in Hollywood it is produced and directed by Jack John Stone who also wrote this week's story Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking