 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Thanks operator. Yeah Pete a big fat expense account, and you still reverse the call had to I'm phoning from a crossroads store Look, I need a quick fact or two in connection with the Ellen Bates murder that $10,000 policy on Ellen's life. When was it written Pete? No, no, that's close enough. I was hoping it was only a year or two back No, but it doesn't help it any Hey, is there also a policy on the life of Ben Bates? A nice round zero The only local authority in shady Lane is sitting outside in the car right now, and he thinks the same as I do We're both stumped. I'll be talking to you 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 From special investigator Johnny dollar location shady Lane, Vermont to the home office star mutual insurance company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the shady Lane matter Expense account continued Item four seven cents a copy of the shady Lane weekly crier the paper that prints the folksy news according to the masthead Maybe it would help because the whole case seemed to have a folksy flavor a Young farmwife named Ellen Bates a semi-invalid without a known enemy in the township had been shot to death a month before The killer unidentified motive unknown physical evidence non-existent leads none. I Rejoined constable Jed Bramler in the car and glanced over the paper as we drove on to the Bates farm I began to realize that folksy and at the Bates case was probably going to be tougher than an old boot Now we'll leave the car here at the road and walk up through the draw I'll show you how it happened. All right good This sure doesn't look like very good farmland paint Ben's got a few good acres north the house But most of it's like this won't grow much of anything except in rocks Takes a lot of scratch in to make a go of a place like this. Yeah. Yeah, I imagine And it would be even tougher if you had to take care of an invalid wife at the same time Yeah, I reckon could watch yourself on that bar boy. I missed a dollar. All right It's easier ways to get into the house But I figured you'd like to see how the killer got away and this is it you think you fired the shot from cover and then Oh, she did. All right, whichever and then he or she ran back down this draw here and got away Yeah, must have been seen otherwise But here in the draw a person would be out of sight from both houses either the Bates place or the preemie's over on the other side I'll buy that one. All right, this brush is thick enough to hide a heretic channel Yeah, yeah, once the killer got to the road back where we left the car might have gone any place Yeah, that's the trouble. This case is too full of mites tried to pick up a trail in here He even brought in dogs, but they didn't turn up nothing dogs is mostly overrated anyhow. Yeah, so I've heard Yeah, let's see now. I'll be right about here some Ah, yes, there we are over that way. Yeah. Yeah, I see the stake you put up to mark the place No, doesn't mean to put it up. It's a survey marker, but it's just about where I calculate shot was fired from Right about here. What was the survey for mr. Brownlee highway department? They was figuring to build a new turnpike through here last year fell through though How come the whys of a public bureau ain't familiar man to know mr. Dollar They finally picked someplace else few months ago Shame to might have made this land worth something to bend another one of those mites, huh? Now look through the bushes there just to the left of that big maple Mm-hmm. That's the corner parlor corner of the Bates house and Ellen was sitting right there in that big front window when it happened then has put the glass back in since Well, it wouldn't have been too difficult a shot from here In old-fashioned squirrel rifles is mighty accurate and nearly everybody in the township has one. That's about it That's not a matter of finding a needle in a straw stack. It's finding one special straw in a straw stack mighty hard Sure, I'd say so what are they? So there she sat an easy target Alone at her own front window. Well, not exactly alone, mr. Dollar Oh Alone at the window. Yes, but mrs. Prenie was in the room with her at the time The woman who wrote the anonymous letter accusing Ben Bates. I didn't know that Yeah, didn't seem to have no bearing She just happened to be there brought over a cake or something from next door. She was always doing things like that for Ellen Uh-huh, but mrs. Prenie didn't see who fired the shot She just heard the window glass crash and saw Ellen come half out of her chair and then fall on the floor An Enverland helpless sitting there at a window Now what the devil could a woman like that do to make somebody hater enough to kill her? Mr. Dollar if I could answer that I would have somebody locked up by now If anybody did hater, of course meaning Maybe hate wasn't the reason Got a better one. Oh, I'm just supposing Yeah, I'm quite a bit of that so they tell me something mr. Bramler This waitress at the shady Lane Cafe the one mrs. Prenie made the insinuations about Millie Wells. Yeah, Millie Wells Is she pretty? Well hard to say tastes different. I reckon though most anybody'd call her pretty though Oh, what about that gossip mrs. Prenie was spouting is it just a rumor? I was Ben seeing Millie before his wife was murdered hard not seer into very big town You know what I mean did he go out of his way to see her? Stopped in the cafe there once in a while cup of coffee a piece of pie Doing all the cooking at home like he was he got a might tired of it. I reckon what about now Is he still seeing her each most of his evening meals there is that all it amounts to? Well folks generally agree that there's some interest building up since his wife's death What about his wife? Did she have any chance at all of getting well? No, not according to the doctors. I see Mr. Dollar, yeah, you are barking up that same wrong tree again Oh, it kind of heads up that goes lie sometimes pretty girl young and alive interested Maybe an invalid wife rundown farm a ten thousand dollar insurance policy all facts true enough He wouldn't be the first man. I went wrong with a set up like that. Ah, not then I told you before murder just ain't in his nature No, come on. Let's walk on up to the house and talk to him One other thing that anonymous letter mrs. Prini sent us Now why would she go out of her way to get Ben Bates in trouble? I'd say I thought she was a friend of the Bates of Mrs. Bates Yes, Ellen But for some reason she never has seemed to like Ben very much I don't know why she done it mr. Dollar, but I sure wouldn't put no stock in what she said It's just her nature. That's all it is It was late afternoon long shadows were beginning to stretch out over the flinty ground Almost the same time of day that Ellen Bates was killed Killed by her husband. I was beginning to believe and yet Constable Jed Bramler swore by Ben his longtime friend Human ties human emotions just plain folks and a case that was growing messier and more vague by the hour How much sign of life well Ben's in and out you never know Sounds like somebody coming around the house. Mm-hmm must have been working out in the barn always plenty to do on a flint rock farm Do you come looking from it? Constable yeah, how are you grody? He said how are you fine? I'm just fine been around I've been working our bank fix and spread it. Yeah, that's fine grody. He's been here Ben No, no miss Ben's not here. No where he is No, he's not here any idea when he'll be back No, no, he didn't say You can go in and set though if you want Constable. Maybe we will Grody, this is mr. Dollar grody Hawkins. How are you grody? Oh, I'm fine. I'm just fine Grody does our jobs for Ben some of the other farmers too. Oh, I see Were you working here the day mrs. Bates was killed? That's a lie I won't even near here that day and anybody that says I was a liar. Oh, I was crew over on the other side of town We'll go inside and wait mr. Dollar. Yeah, all right See you grody Kind of gets excited when he figures he's being accused something. Yeah, he seems scared of you Has he been in trouble before? Patty stuff like shooting game our season is he a good shot dead shot never misses Fact we waited in the parlor for a while the roam where Ellen Bates had died Her picture was still over the mantle A clear eyed sober woman much younger than I'd imagine The sun gradually set and the light on the picture grew dim, but Ben didn't come back We gave up finally and drove back to town I left Bramler at his office and walked down the street to the shady lane cafe to eat dinner No, hurry. You'll be cooler if you sit there by the window. Oh, oh fine. Thanks There were a half a dozen tables in the place all empty. I was the only customer The girl was pretty and friendly and fitted the description of milley wells The pot roast is awfully good this evening. I think you'll like it. All right. You've made a sale You're a stranger in town, aren't you? Yeah? Yeah, I'm investigating the murder of Ellen Bates Are you by any chance milley wells? Yes Then I guess you're the person I'm looking for You worked very fast I thought it would take longer Oh, I knew you'd find out of course sooner or later, but But I was hoping ben and I would have a little time together first I see We were fools to expect it though Once you've been tagged you don't have a chance did Ellen Bates have a chance I didn't give her the slightest cause to worry I didn't let ben know once how I felt not until after she'd been killed That was very considered of you and I know he didn't give me one thought as long as she was alive It's not in his nature. So I've heard it doesn't it mean anything at all when a person has been acquitted acquitted acquitted of what of murder what else isn't that why I thought you knew I thought that's what you I guess maybe you'd better tell me about it milley Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow a sudden twist and a cool threat A strange revelation and the lives come thick and fast Join us won't you yours truly johnny doll Doors truly johnny dolly starring bob bailey is transcribed in hollywood written by less crutchfield It is produced and directed by jack john stone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time in station for the next exciting episode of yours truly johnny dolly roi roan speaking