 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar That's right inspector The company I represent happens to hold an insurance policy on Dan Valentine They asked me to stay here in New Orleans and look into this attempt on his life Well, it wasn't all the papers on the wire services Valentine's always been news ever since prohibition He's still quiet about the whole thing. Yes, maybe it'll help matters when he finds out the insurance companies interested What tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance Investigator is truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the new Britain Mutual Insurance Company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Valentine matter Expense account continued item three three bucks One telegram to Roy vickers in Hartford requesting a copy of the policy contracts between new Britain Mutual and Dan Valentine Plus the name and location of the beneficiary and any other debt on the case After that I walked over to the police station and looked up inspected to Bucca I don't quite get this dollar what's your part well the insurance company would like a full report on everything It's happened. That's all you could give them that on the back of your thumbnail, couldn't you not quite inspector? Oh, you mean a separate report from what we have something like that. Yes, it's their dough They can spend it any way they want to I guess if there's any reason for them cancelling the policy on Valentine They'll do it the fact that somebody shot at him a couple of times and came near killing him is one thing The fact that he won't open his mouth about it is another Looking for way out. I didn't say that they just want to make sure about everything. That's all and Insurance policies a contract mutually beneficial to both parties both parties have to keep the line of that contract They don't figure Danny Valentine to run around shooting himself insurance money Inspector they don't figure anything Well now that you've been official be unofficial What's your idea? Well Valentine's got a legitimate policy with the company. They don't want to see him kill. They tell me to investigate the shooting Actually, they're telling me to see to it that he stays alive and well Oh, that makes sense. Good luck. If you'll sort of let me tag along on the case. I'd appreciate it Well, we'll see Oh, what's the matter now? It just occurred to me Valentine bought our house out in Jefferson Paris three months ago a couple of days after he was released from federal pen He's lived there quiet minding his own business keeping his nose out of trouble. Yeah As long as a man does that even a man with a background like Valentine's As long as a man does that we don't bother him and he doesn't bother us Well, so so what happens yesterday? You meet him and have a cup of drinks with him. Hello. Good. Bye Boom boom. He gets shot twice by somebody somewhere You were bad news boy. Now that's as wild as you can get we had nothing together except the drinks you sure I'm sure Well, I'm thinking about it just the same here Back in a minute the bulky thick folder Inspector de Baca shoved across the desk at me was marked Valentine Daniel It started in 1915 and was fat with yellowed clippings all the way through 1942 It was a pretty good history of Dan Valentine and the age he lived in He was born in Ireland and had fought in the Irish rebellion. He was regarded as both hero and scoundrel For his own good. He came to America Somehow he started out in the wholesale drug business and Understandably it was an easy step to making prohibition alcohol and an even easier step to make prison on an income tax evasion charge The folder mentioned a wife and a daughter who seemed to have successfully avoided most of the newspaper headlines that had involved Dan Valentine There was one picture of Mrs. Valentine taken in 1928. That's about as far as I got when de Baca came back into the room not alone In person stuff very inspector very well My men have been covering the neighborhood where the shooting happened just after noon. This man's a witness Is mr. Dollar is an insurance investigator. It's Willie Blakely. Oh How do you do sir hope you can help us Willie? Well, I can try him I Really didn't see too much. You see I was on my milk truck and I saw this fellow There's this big fellow walking down the street. What's his name Dan Valentine? Yes, sir Well, he was just walking like for an early morning walk and then I saw this car come around the corner And there were a couple of men in it. What kind of car? I think it was a Buick see Dan I'm not sure it was a black car. You happen to get the license number. No, I'd go on Well, sir this mr. Valentine He looked up when he saw it coming and he stopped, you know kind of funny No, I don't know tell me. Well, you know like he was surprised. Do you think he was surprised at who was in the car? Yes, sir. That's it. He sort of smiled not a hello kind of a smile Sort of a sad smile didn't wave just stood there. I Couldn't see the men in the car by then so I don't know how they were looking at him Did you see them as they rounded the corner? Yeah, just a couple of fellas dark coats and hats Would you know them if you saw them again? I Don't think so cap Okay, two men. Yes, sir So this this mr. Valentine stopped and looked at him and and given this kind of smile. He recognized him. You think oh, yeah And then I heard a noise, you know something like whack whack Mr. Valentine fell down and a car drove off. Did Valentine go for a gun? No, sir. What did you do then? Well, I got out of there. Why I didn't know what was happening. I didn't want to get hurt You didn't even try to help him. No, sir. I was scared. I didn't know what that whack whack was, sir It took you all this time to tell us about it. I'm sorry, Kevin Darling, yeah You got something to worry about. Hmm that noise he was talking about Didn't sound like regular gunshots or he would have said so Silence here. What else? Inspector de Baca continued to question the witness trying to ascertain more details about the shooting the car and the men inside the car Four hours later when I left he was still at it Some more expenses item four two dollars and a half cab fare from police station to hospital I thought I'd drop in and take a chance on Dan Valentine coming across with some information Sorry, no visitors. It's pretty important. I'm a friend of his I'm sorry one can I see him? That's hard to say mr. Valentine's condition is not too good. What well nothing to be alarmed about he lost so much blood And he's in a weakened condition Doctors ordered a transfusion. Oh, you can phone in later if you like Excuse me Yes, ma'am. I should like to see mr. Valentine, please. I'm sorry. I was just telling this gentleman. That's impossible How is he needs rest the doctor feels he'd be better off without visitors at the moment Thank you. I had a feeling about the gray haired well-dressed woman And I hurried after her down the long corridor outside the hospital I was just in time to see her take a cab that had been waiting at the curb I managed to hail one myself and we tagged along canal Street behind her until she paid off the driver in front of the Roosevelt Hotel I was right behind it when she stopped in the lobby and got a key to room 1016. I Gave her five minutes then I knocked on her door Hello, Mrs. Valentine. My name is Johnny Duller and Valentine looked at me for a long time I had to hand it to her. There were no tears no frowns or screams Just a wide Frank look from a woman who by any man's standards had once been beautiful I've been called by that name for many years Your reporter of course. No, I'm not. I'm an insurance investigator in a policeman's office today I saw one of the few pictures ever taken of you at this hotel I'm registered under the name of Anne Ward Ward is good enough for me. Mrs. Valentine may I come in? Now what is it you want mr. Dollar? Possibly the same thing you want To keep your husband alive. I believe that's up to the doctors, isn't it not quite? If he was shot at once and he won't help the police find out who did it There's a reasonable chance if he shot at again Do you know who did it? Well who it might be Look the police have found a witness who describes two men as having done the shooting Can you add anything to that mr. Dollar? I haven't seen dad in over 13 years I haven't written to him talk to him or contact him in any way either while he was in prison or these last few months He's been out. I see it was his idea, but he must have had a reason. He did our daughter She believes that Ward was her dead father's name Do I make myself clear? Yeah, I Read about the shooting I caught the first plane here because I thought I might help them My daughter thinks I'm on a little Vacation by myself You don't believe me. Do you? Well in view of what you've just said about not having written to him for 13 years That was the way he wanted it. I was never ashamed of Dan never He was ashamed of himself and how his Activities might affect us He gave me everything I ever had out of life In New Salem, that's where we live and live very well because Dan sort of that part of it before he went to prison We are considered very proper people to race in myself Dan sacrificed a great deal for that consideration. I think that you sacrificed a great deal yourself Mrs. Valentine when I go back to the hospital to see him tonight He'll probably tell me to pack my bag and go home that there's nothing to worry about But there is something to worry about isn't there Mrs. Valentine? He won't talk about it and you won't talk about it and both of you know all about it. Oh, mr. Dollar You're a very young man. I'm sorry if I sound like I could help you. I can't Please go I went back to my hotel and had some dinner Then after a while I put in a phone call to the hospital and found out I could talk to Dan Valentine between 7 30 and 9 About then a special delivery came for me. It contained the information. I wanted regarding the policy on Dan Valentine I noticed that the beneficiary was a dual affair wife and daughter and and to race award. I Had to check with inspector debacle just once more. No luck He had been unable to identify or locate the two killers described by the witness. He was trying to trace the car 7 30 on the dot I was at the hospital the reception desk seemed reluctant to talk and referred me to the head nurse who Happened to be out to dinner who referred me to the surgical nurse who took me aside and told me to find a crystal ball Mr. Valentine's gone. We have no idea where how could he be gone? We started to give him a transfusion He jumped up suddenly knocked down one of the male nurses grabbed his clothes and ran out of the hospital I thought he was in a serious condition He was in a serious condition and it's going to be critical pretty soon Running around town bleeding from two bullet wounds If you want to keep him alive, mr. Dollar, you better find him and find him fast I thought over what Dan Valentine had told me in the hospital earlier about taking care of the matter himself And the more I thought about it the more I realized he was going to do just that Even if it killed him There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Valentine matter tomorrow tomorrow What happens to a 30 year old grudge when somebody explains it with bullets? Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by John Dawson. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time in station for another exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking