 Johnny dollar. Mr. Dollar. Oh not Hollister in Phoenix, Arizona. That's right. Oh, here we go again What was that sir? Nothing nothing at all. Just go right ahead. Yeah. Oh you do. What's your problem? Mr. Hollister, wait just a minute. Let me be perfectly honest about this I have never liked do not now like and never will like these bodyguard assignments As far as I'm concerned there for the birds I beg your pardon. What's more you have a whale of a good police department out there in phoenix And if somebody needs protection, why not call on them? Mr. Dollar. Yes Did I say that mr. Cook? No, I guess you didn't and it like maybe how much? Mr. Hollister, you have just struck a very responsive chord. Yeah, it's pretty late in the day But if I can get a night flight, maybe I'll see you first thing in the morning Look into the plane schedules. Yes, I suggested you do But first, why don't we discuss just how much this extra fee is? Goodbye, Mr. Dollar. What? I said goodbye. Now wait a minute I'll be expecting you but unless we can agree a hello Hello, okay friend Just wait till you see my expense account CBS radio brings you Bob Reddick in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by a special investigator Johnny dollar to the greater southwest insurance company in phoenix, arizona Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of The captain's table matter that always managed to avoid any assignments from barton hb Hollister He was an egotistical finicky penny pinching stuffed shirt Always demanded rather than asked had no patience for anybody else's opinion Still I had no other assignment at the moment And he had promised an extra fat fee so expense account item one four dollars and No, let's get this thing started right Call it six dollars even for a cab to bradley field Item two one hundred and fifty dollars and seventy cents plane fare plus Ten bucks for incidentals As promised it was early next morning by the time we circled for a landing at the phoenix sky harbor airport Item three Well, let's say five bucks for a cab into the office on adam street The day was young the weather clear people along the way were bright and cheerful and I felt pretty good myself But mr. Barton hb Hollister Wow Well, where have you been sit down? Where have I been? I might have known this would happen sit down I said are you mind telling me what you had for breakfast What I had for breakfast. Well, it's obvious that something has got you all upset quite true. You have I phoned mr. Kirkham last night and told him you'd be here right away I took the first plane I could get well. You're too late too late for what? A few hours after I told him you were on your way Henry Kirkham was found dead No kidding didn't need your protection. I didn't say that mr. Hollister You've certainly implied as much all I said, but that's neither here nor there now The simple fact is that Henry Kirkham insured by our company for over 70 000 dollars has been murdered Or has committed suicide Oh now I get the picture. What do you mean? You hope I can prove it was suicide Of course then this company of yours won't have to pay off the insurance over 70 000 dollars. You said that There's far more to this matter mr. Dollar like what? The police apparently believe it was murdered how they can prove it. You're stuck. Wait, please They only suspect their holding is a man with the name of Walter Pinkley Who happens to be Henry Kirkham's beneficiary? Well, and what's your problem if he did kill mr. Kirkham and they can prove it You certainly don't have to pay him the insurance You're quite right the money will go to whatever other person or persons are entitled to it under the laws of succession But now bear this in mind go on Walter Pinkley is also one of our policyholders Hmm That's interesting So if he did commit this murder has the police suspect And he goes to the gas chamber. You're stuck with the payment on his policy too. Exactly if it was suicide You pay nobody right, but if it was murder You stand to pay off on both of them. Correct Well, the police must have some reason for thinking it was murder. Oh, yes. Yes, they have well Then if you don't mind I'll pack up and head on back to art. No mr. Dollar You won't well give me one good reason why I should get into a hassle over the police I have assigned you to this investigation and I have agreed to pay your expenses out here plus a nice fat bonus remember I remember that doesn't mean I have to accept the job You'd rather absorb the cost of your trip out here yourself and the return fare Oh now just a minute very well now rent yourself a car at our company's expense and get over to tuttle immediately Okay, all right you win Who is tuttle? Tuttle is not a who it's a where Small town 30 or 35 miles north and east of here where this murder or this suicide occurred I suggest you contact the police first His name is alfred applebee His name then see the people at the yucca flower rest home That's where both kirkham and pinkley lived the rest home Yes, it's a small exclusive place in the outskirts of that little town Mostly for people with lung trouble. Okay. Good. Now. Mr. Hollister. Yes, my boy now that you've roped me into this thing Well hardly roped that extra fee that we were talking about If you can show that kirkham was a suicide thus saving us from having to pay out all of that insurance And I understand you're very good at this sort of thing when it's justified. Well, of course, of course And I'm sure we understand each other how much mr. Hollister Prove it was suicide A thousand dollars Only two thousand dollars for saving you all that money. All right. All right 1500 and what have I find that pinkley did it's And we have to pay on both pauses Well, there'll be no extra fee then of course not But as I say If it was suicide and you can convince the police of it two thousand now dollar or shall I hitchhack my way on back to heartford Very well two thousand in either case. Yes. Yes in either case now get to work You know Hollister a little urging and you're not such a tight-fisted old coot at that. I beg your pardon um Granted Item for $50 deposit on a rental car I drove north through glendale and cave creek And then east and a bit south of the town of tuttle There are a couple of general stores one of them closed the gas station and a rickety old one-story building marked city hall That's where I stopped And believe it or not It's only occupant in a small corner room with bars on the door. That's right young man My name is water pinkley the police chief who was also the mayor has gone out to the rest home again Well, I'm johnny dollar mr. Pinkley. I represent the company that ensured the life of mr. Henry kirkham Oh poor henry. Oh, it's a terrible thing Terrible thing pretty terrible for you sir if you killed him Now isn't that the most absurd idea mr. Dollar putting me in jail this way Is it but I suppose that policeman that chief appleby feels he has to point to someone as a suspect Why did he pick on you sir? Well after all mr. Dollar I was the only one to have visited with him there at his cottage at the rest home last night And I'd told everybody I was going to spend the evening with him I mean everybody at the captain's table Why did you call on mr. Kirkham? Because he was my friend Henry was the only one who appreciated my ability as a composer The composer of what mr. Pinkley why here? Let me show you Here now You see This is the new concerto. I'm working on This would be my finest musical composition Oh, um concerto You you understand music mr. Dollar. Well not enough to appreciate this I'm afraid. Oh, that's too bad So few people do when Henry's gone By the way, did you know that he left all of his insurance to me? So I understand that was wonderfully sweet of him And now I'll be able to buy a piano for my little cottage and And compose and compose and compose I wonder Oh, there's no need to wonder about it at all mr. Dollar I shall Just how much do you know about the circumstances of mr. Kirkham's death? Well, not very much I'm afraid you see I went around to his cottage after supper last night. Why sir Well, Henry'd been worried about Something of later. I don't know exactly what he he never told me in spite of our friendship Had he any other good friends there at the rest home? With all the petty jealousies And the people just sitting around getting annoyed if you saw the over nothing at all No No, Henry and I were the only real friends. I see all the rest of them Well, I I don't want to use the word hate but Well, if it weren't for the almost magical curative properties of the air and the Time and Touch of lung trouble, you know Now mr. Pinkley as long as I stay here. I feel just fine And so do the others. Yeah, well now it's added at least 10 years to my life I'm sure it has but as I started to say It was about eight o'clock when I dropped in to visit Henry and we looked over some of my music and talked and talked and And had a gay old time sounds like a ball now. Tell me at what time did you even so he was well Well depressed and worried Mr. Pinkley. Oh, oh, yeah. Yes. Oh, what time did you leave mr. Kirkham? Well, I guess about 10 o'clock He said he had to write a very important letter in case In case in case of what mr. Pinkley. Well, uh, I'm not quite sure But during supper he had mentioned that someone was coming to see him He'd had a phone call that someone was coming to see him to um And to help him I I think and in case that someone didn't arrive in time Well, I'm not quite sure just what he meant I think I have a pretty good idea then this morning when they found him lying there in this cottage with With that horrible pistol beside him Mr. Dollar, I never dreamed that Henry would commit suicide Suicide Surely you don't think that anyone would have killed him Not even you good heavens. No when he was always so nice to me and changing his insurance to me and all Well, apparently somebody thinks you did it. Oh, they'll find out They'll find out. Don't you worry In the meantime, it's so nice and peaceful here in this jail and I can work all undisturbed on my concerto I've been working four years on it. Mr. Dollar and in another four or all five years I Mr. Pinkley I sincerely hope you'll be around long enough to finish it What? What did you say? Nothing nothing. I'll um I'll see you later I learned a long long time ago that the most unlikely person may often be a killer But this sweet old walter pinkley Never At least not in my book I got back into my car and I drove on out to the yucca flower rest In addition to a small office building there were eight or ten neat little cottages on the side of a tree covered hill The car in front of the office had the word police badly printed across the side of nearly foot-high letters And as I pulled up to a stop A heavy set man of about 50 wearing boots Jeans a blue cotton shirt with a string tie and a beat-up officer's cap with a badge in the front of it came out to meet me You must be johnny dollar, right? That's right chief applebee. Howdy, but you got here too late, dollar How do you mean too late chief? I mean I got it all sewed up. Have you? Yes, sir I suspected this so-called pal of his right in the beginning right from the time I found out he'd just been named the new beneficiary of the Deadman's insurance walter pinkley. Yes, sir. He just couldn't wait to see now a little cracked part Didn't realize we're trying to make it look like suicide might cancel out that insurance Why do you think it was pinkley think doc? Think right was on the beginning now. I know You see now I got what you'd call a uncontroversial proof You see mr. Dollar it was all made up to look like suicide I mean in there all by himself just laying there in the middle of the floor Shot right through the right temple real close up like as if he'd done it himself. Well now chief Yeah, and and the old-fashioned 32 h and r there beside him Like as if he'd fell out of his hand Did you check that gun for fingerprints not a sign of any prints on it anywhere? Now you know he'd have to have his own prints on it if he'd done it himself Yeah, I guess it would only one uh only one note to have been in to see him last night was that old walter pinkley Right, but our chief that still doesn't prove that what pinkley didn't figure on was that that kirkham was already scared of him And he'd sent for you and pinkley also didn't know that sometime last night kirkham wrote you a letter just in case Chief I have reason to believe he wrote that after mr. Pinkley now wait now wait now just let me finish, huh? Go ahead this uh this letter was there on his desk and Well, I got to admit I didn't take a look at until a few minutes ago, but here Here look at it for yourself See Pins of murder on pinkley and nobody else read it I mean if you can that handwriting is kind of old-fashioned Mr. Johnny dollar honored sir So is the salutation chief A bit old-fashioned Honored sir. Yeah, real formal. There is within this place One Who would avenge himself upon my life? How do you like that language sounds like an old shakespearean actor? Well, that's exactly what he was an old ham actor Let's see Nor have I been remiss in my endeavor to ass wage the Passion that manifestly has provoked his wish for my demise It means he tried to talk this other one out of it out of trying to kill him. Yeah, fine. Thanks chief But Alas, I had made it only too clear I could no longer abide as ridiculous con Hmm Conchettos conchettos. That's what he meant Well, maybe so but it's spelled c-o-n-c-e-t-t-o-s conchettos Oh, it's it's that handwriting. He meant conchetto. He couldn't stand that conchetto anymore It's all that I don't think they ever talked about but but but go on And so because of my resentment over his stupid conchettos or conchetto. All right conchetto conchetto, whatever it is. He seeks Revenge Unless he seeks to destroy me ere you come to afford me protection I tell you now that his name turn it over But hark there sounds a knock upon my door. I shall finish this anon That's all on Well, it's all I need he thought the knock on the door was you he let the other guy in Got himself killed. I wish he'd had a chance to finish this to actually name the man He suspected oh now now now wait a minute dollar. You want anything more clear than that Nobody else had a conchetto Pinkley's guilty and that's that maybe well sure he is The others at the captain's table Pinkley said what's that? They all knew I was coming here. So if one of them wanted to kill him He knew we'd have to do it right away. Sure. And one of them was Pinkley same group of five at that same table Three meals a day week after week year after year five Who are the others did you check on that? Oh sure did Kind of they were the only ones that would know the most about not only kirkham, but water pinkley too But who are they those five the other three besides kirkham and pinkley? An old lady named uh miss uh sarah sanderson man who calls himself captain Howard another old fellow named david David hesher or get him together chief. I want to talk to him. What for as long as we know who did it Just as a favor. All right. All right anything you say Something had suddenly rung a bell I picked up a dictionary in the office I looked up a word in it And then took it along to meet the group one at a time in one of the little cottages Mrs. Sanderson in her late 70s was a sweet little soul who was so unnerved that all she did was cry during the interview Old david hesher is mind-failing now. He was no help at all But captain used us Howard Well, I certainly don't find anything mysterious about this case, mr. Dollar If you want my opinion which I didn't after all I speak from yours of using this excellent mind of mine to solve far more complex problems than this What a blow heart. What of course My extreme modesty Forbids me to lord my own accomplishment Unconscionable bore nevertheless. I am convinced like that insurance man. Hollister. I Out of my vast experience and confident. I I I can assure you that Chief applebee is entirely right in holding Walter pink captain Howard pinkly and his Ridiculous Concerto now captain. I could have composed that for him in a month and a week I told him as much. I'm sure you did But would he avail himself of my superlative musical knowledge now? Wait a minute will you will you wait just a minute? You don't want my opinion. I don't think I need it anymore Really chief and dollar you and pinkly both told me that kirken changed his beneficiary recently Sure to name pinkly which I maintain explains why Walter pinkly killed. I just hold it captain, please Chief who was the beneficiary before it was this very group of people darling is a sanderson david hesher and the captain here And of course pinkly too. It was to be split up equal and that's it Well, what is these other people were cut off by the chain and I assure you mr. Dollar to me that made no difference be quiet, will you really tie that fact in with a letter chief So that that letter pins it on pinkly and that's that Didn't you wonder why the killer left the letter on kirken's desk? He must have seen it I am convinced that pinkly overlooked it in his excitement over what he dot well I am convinced that the killer misread that letter the same as we did that he left it there because he felt sure But convicted ol pinkly and you captain and this dictionary prove it Well, I don't get you dog. I'm certain that I don't that word conchetto Only what he meant was was conchetto. No, that's just the point Because do you know what conchetto means? It's an old-fashioned italian word that means Conceit, huh unusual term, but so a lot of others in that letter. Well, sure conchetto means conceit So add them up and the beneficiary was changed this silly Conceited old captain Howard here was cut off Along with a couple of others But I doubt if they cared only the captain did He didn't like the snob that it implied Anymore than he'd like being turned down by pinkly over that music so he had to get even Mr. Dollar if he could make it look like suicide he not only would get even but nobody would get that insurance So he knocked off kirken and set it up that way and I'll bet he made sure that kirken's prints were on the gun Keep talking darling, but then he found the letter that unfinished letter and he thought that had put the finger on pinkly Now he could get even with both of them. I will not listen to such drivel Take it easy captain. That's when he wiped the prints off the gun So only pinkly would be suspect because of the letter he thought But the letter talking about his stupid ridiculous conchetto his conceit Gave him away. You thought the letter would clear you captain, but that was one big fat mistake Yeah Very well I Killed kirken. That's all I wanted to hear Just put on these cups come down Would you take me off make me suffer maybe die? Like a common person for the one very small mistake Me Captain Eustace Langhorn avery hard Me yeah captain you For mr. Barton hv Hollister You'd better shed a bit of your concede and pay me not only that fee you promised But an expense account total including the trip back to hartford and believe me all the incidentals I could possibly cook up A total of four hundred thirty eight dollars even yours truly Johnny dollar Well, here is our star to tell you about next week's story next week The fog closing in over a dark abandoned pier in san diego A killer on the loose join us. Won't you? yours truly Johnny dollar Starring bob reddick is written by jack johnstone produced and directed by bruno zirato jr physical supervision by ethyl huber Here in our catastrophe edgard staley as walder pinkley richard kendrick has barton Hollister John rigs is captain Eustace Howard and jim bulls as chief applebee He should have joined us next week same time same station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is art hannah speaking