 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar I was out when you phoned a minute ago and skid over here fast I'm trapped in the office of Jensen's boathouse trap look I've got no time to explain there's a man outside with a gun and I can't hold him off much longer I don't know but I've got a strong hunch is the one who murdered Russell and he's trying to do likewise to me And every weekday night Bob Bailey and the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expensive cow America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to amalgamated life associates home office Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Crystal Lake matter expense account continued Item seven two cents just about what I figured my life was worth at the moment the tiny office I was in had no windows and no outside door a real trap an Outside in the darkened boathouse somebody with a gun was stalking me Probably the killer I've been looking for But now he was looking for me. I Stacked what furniture the was against the door He started throwing his weight against it and it couldn't last very long. There was nothing I could do but wait Right then the sound of ants carrots voice outside was just about the sweetest music this side of heaven. Yeah Yeah, just a minute. I'll get this stuff away from the door Okay, let's switch here somewhere Well, Bill Jensen, so you're my boy Jensen. What are you talking about? What are you doing here? Anyway, dollar getting shot at by you mostly Look, this is my boathouse. Remember you got no business to come prowling around here simmer down build simmer down I thought he was a prowler ants. Oh, yeah, sure You knew I was getting close to you Jensen You decided to put me out of the ballgame and you came pretty close believe me. I tell you I don't know what you're talking about. I figured it was somebody after my boss expecting me to buy a story like that Just hold it a second both of you I can get a word in edgewise around here. Maybe we can straighten things out. They're pretty straight right now as far as I can see maybe Bill you claim you figured Johnny was a prowler trying to steal something, huh? How would you figure it ants? I see somebody sneaking into the boathouse and catch a glimpse of somebody else hanging around Wait a minute. Wait a minute somebody else who man or woman? I couldn't tell Ever it was got out of sight mighty fast. Oh sure pretty convenient story Jensen Somebody around here has been keeping an eye on me right from the start But right now it figures to be you Bill a couple of Jensen's boats have turned up missing lately Johnny It's natural. He might think and something else has turned up missing here to ants What do you mean? That's why I came here to the boathouse tonight in the first place When I was here this afternoon I noticed that the padlocks on his boats were missing one of them was missing They looked an awful lot like the one that Russell's killer put on the cabin door when he planted the body there Locks a lock Johnny. Yeah, but one of Jensen's is missing. Don't forget that. Oh Yeah, come here take a look right there Yeah So it is How about it Jensen I? Didn't even know it was gone I know what happened to it somebody stolen probably the same guy who stole those boats last month Look at look if you're trying to involve me and Russell's murder you're wasting your time I didn't even know the guy and you got nothing to tie me into it now then you better listen to a few facts Jensen Edward Russell took off from his home in Denver and came up here to Crystal Lake looking for a guy named Bill Which just happens to be your name Half a dozen other bills in town too dollina. What is that proof Russell's body was found in Bixby's vacant cabin when Bixby He brought a prospect up to show him the place Bixby's lock had been taken off the door and a new one put on your padlock Jensen I already told you somebody must have stolen it from then I come around to your boathouse here to check on the locks And you start throwing shots at me you figure it out You haven't got a case against me and you know it dollar just the same Jensen you better come down to my office with us I got a few more questions. I want to ask you and I'd like to check your gun against the slug that killed Russell Go ahead check it Sure, I'll come down with you ants. I want to get this straightened out too Well, let me tell you something dollar Next time you come around my boathouse without a search warrant. I won't miss We questioned Jensen for an hour, but he didn't change his story He kept denying any connection with a murdered man Edward Russell or his wife Leona After what ants and I went into his office I don't think we got enough to hold him on Johnny For one thing his guns a different caliber than the one that killed Russell. Oh sure He could have used a different gun, but we'd have to find it to prove anything. What about the padlock? That's a point all right, but it's our only point Somebody could have stolen it like Jensen said a frame could be Jensen sure sticks to his story Yeah, I throw everything I could think of at him, but he didn't crack an inch Well, after all Johnny you were out of line going into his boathouse like that So I should have had a search warrant. It wasn't time You know you got quite a neck for stirring up trouble If you're wrong about Jensen and the other suspects you're gonna owe a few apologies Apologies, I know mine handing out but Russell's killer. I want do you think I don't Deputy Sheriff Garrett speaking, right? Oh, yeah, yeah, put it through It's Mrs. Putnam in Denver Johnny wife of the man who wanted to buy Bixby's cabin. Yeah, I put a call into her earlier Hope you hello Mrs. Putnam, this is Deputy Sheriff Garrett up at Crystal Lake The reason I'm calling your husband tells us you and he had been interested in buying a cabin up here for some time I thought I'd check with you What's that You sure about that I See Yeah, thanks very much, Mrs. Putnam Well, I Guess your hunches are still clicking Johnny. She didn't know anything about it, huh? Not a thing Didn't even know her husband was up here Look gentlemen, I've already told you all about it I saw Bixby's ad in the paper about his cabin here being for sale He it sounded like just a thing that that that you and your wife had in mind mr. Putnam Yes, yes, exactly so I can hold it right there Putnam you lied to us. I most certainly did not Your wife doesn't seem to know anything about it. Oh my wife Good Lord. Is she up here? No, no, I talked to her on the phone You you you didn't tell her about my wanting to buy the cabin. Yeah putnam. I did you lied putnam And there could be a pretty good reason for it. Look, I knew Bixby's cabin was empty You could have planted Russell's body there and then pretended to want to buy the place So Bixby would open it up and the body'd be discovered It'd make a pretty good cover for you. Oh gentlemen, please I'm in enough trouble as it is right now without you piling more on I had nothing to do with Russell's murder I didn't even know the man. What do you mean about being in trouble then? With my wife. Look, it's probably hard for the two of you to understand. You don't know my wife Don't know your wife. What about I did lie about her wanting the cabin. She didn't know anything about it We know that I just wanted a place to Well to get away from her once in a while Anne's looked at me and I looked at Anne's And I guess we both have the same idea the idea that we do on another in a long series of blanks We heard putting them out a long and familiar tale of wall We get established no connection between him and the dead man. So we finally left We left him in the middle of a long sentence about what his wife said to him every time he got home from the office late Anne's and I went outside The lake was silver in the moonlight and a million stars were crowding the sky a good night to be young But at the moment I was feeling 90 years old Getting you down Johnny Yeah Right now I feel like an old beat-up merry-go-round I've been going around and around and my bearings are getting creaky And trouble is we've checked out just about everybody who could possibly be involved. It's motor that beats me It's the only one we know of to gain by Russell's death as his wife Leona beneficiary of his $50,000 insurance policy Yeah, but the Denver police established her in Denver at the time Russell was killed up here Yeah, we've got only one war lead as far as I can figure the guy who drives the local taxi here at the lake Huh? Yeah, he keeps his car right over there in that shed. I know that's why I was heading this way Sheds empty though Benny Norton told me when she was with Russell the night he got killed his hair I'm came up and told Russell somebody was looking for him drove my way Hiram could have a line on the killer, but I can't seem to get a line on Hiram I've tried to call him half a dozen times. I left a message for him to contact me But I haven't had a word from him. I don't like my boys are looking for him. No sign yet Well, I'm not getting anywhere right now. Hey, look if you're off duty answer by your drink in the hotel I am and she's got a deal Of course there's one possibility been in the back of my mind all along Johnny probably in yours, too You mean the killer could be somebody we don't even know about a stranger. Yeah Yeah, those are the toughest ones to crack. I know Hmm lobbies kind of crowded tonight getting into the busy season. Mr. Dollar It's Leona Russell. Excuse me minute ants meet you in the bar. You're right Good evening, Mrs. Russell. I didn't know you were still here I'm leaving in the morning the sheriff asked me to come up here and make an identification of the body I know Afterward, I just couldn't seem to get myself organized. I took one of the hotel cottages for a day or two Such a peaceful spot up here It's hard to believe. Yes, I understand Mrs. Russell Your husband came up here apparently looking for a man named Bill I've questioned two bills so far culling the bartender and gents in the boat keeper Those names mean anything to you. Not that I recall That's what's so terrible about this whole thing, mr. Dollar There just doesn't seem to have been any connection between anybody up here and my husband Why would anyone have done it? That's a good question, Mrs. Russell and right now we don't seem to have an answer for it I went into the bar, but ants guard was nowhere in sight the bartender told me he'd been called away Expensive con item 875 cents one drink. I waited still no Garrett After a while, I went on him back at the hotel to check on Hiram's taxi cab nothing The message I'd left him was still there. I went back into the bar, but ants didn't show up Finally, I went up to my room Johnny dollar. It's good Johnny. Oh, hi. I got tired waiting for you Sorry, I'm calling from a gas station up near the three-mile grade trouble plenty Johnny seems like when you go looking for people it always turns out to be bad luck For them. What do you mean? You came up here looking for Russell. He turned up dead Now you've been looking for Hiram the taxi driver Don't tell me afraid so we just fished his body out of a ravine Here's our star to tell you about the final episode of this week's story tomorrow the wind up the payoff a Pay-off with illegal tender hot lead Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar a Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by Robert Reif it is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Roy Rowan speaking