 It's that you mean you got some kind of a lead on them, but I just got hold of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you told me Hold everything said I'm on my way down to see you Brings you Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigate yours truly Johnny doll Counts admitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to Eastern liability and Trust Company, New York City office Following is the kind of expenses incurred during my investigation of the man who waits matters I and I alone to take the credit for Rocky Harrison's trip to sing-sing over seven years ago But the fact I'd not been able to recover the only diamonds really stuck in my craw So what if I was still fairly new in the business at the time? There was no excuse Okay, then expense account item one three ninety five a taxi to the station and train for to New York Walked over from Grand Central the Ted Bessam's office at 500 fifth Avenue You know, I thought the mention of Rocky Harrison to bring you here in a hurry sit down Johnny Yeah, sure. Thanks. You're a little drink. No cigarette. No, just tell me what you know about Rocky and why you think I might be able to Get on the track of those jewels again Well during his trial Rocky played it smart. He knew you pinned the robbery on him So in order to draw a light sentence he admitted everything except what he did with those down Apparently he and his lawyer managed to convince the jury. Oh That cock at bull story about his having had them stolen from him as a lot of hot one You know it's mine. Oh, yeah, Rocky was far too smart for anything like that and too dangerous And if that servant there in the oldie household who caught him blasting that wall face if that servant fell down the staircase Accidentally, I'll eat my shirt Rocky killed him Ted. I'm sure of it. Same as he tried to kill me The fact remains he wasn't held for murder The jury believed his tale about losing the diamonds and he got away with a short term. All right now But during his two years probation. He behaved like an angel got himself a job work hard live modestly saved his money And he was a big disappointment to the police who hoped he might lead him to the stone but of course, he didn't right And I'm afraid by now even the cops believe his story about what happened. Yeah, well, I don't Anyhow probation over he dropped out of sight Yeah, so you said over the phone the cops apparently figured he moved somewhere else and breathed a sigh of relief But you figured otherwise Ted, I guess I think the same way you do Johnny Probably because of my work in narcotics before I got into the insurance business Yeah, and sometimes we'd hunt for years all over the country for some character only to find he was right under foot all the time Couldn't see him for falling over him as the saying goes. Yeah, I know what you mean Anyhow, I figured that instead of making himself conspicuous in some small town Best place for a man like that to get lost The best place in the world Would be the biggest place in the world Right here in New York. I can't argue with you so When I got wind that Rocky disappeared Wow You know as well as I do Johnny that most of these cases aren't solved by any Sherlock Holmes kind of scientific deduction. No, I'm sure that's all on information One good stool pigeon is worth all the clues in the world, right? Well, when I found out he disappeared I got in touch with one of my paid informants from the old days No character by the name of Soder Soder. No, I don't think I ever heard him. No whiskey Soder. They call him. I Told him I'd say him well if he'd locate Rocky Harrison for me. You've heard from Soder He called me this morning Told me that he's seen Rocky here in town just as I thought he would where he wouldn't say over the phone So I told him I'd send you down to see him Hey, Johnny, I'll scribble it to get some place. Yeah, I do that Cheap rooming house down near the Brooklyn Bridge Just a minute. Yeah Soder made one thing clear. I don't know just how or why I Guess the why is obvious enough. Yeah But apparently Rocky has somehow changed his appearance so much that even his own mother wouldn't know him But Soder recognized him. Yeah And One other thing Johnny say what's up? I'm sure you know Rocky well enough to be careful sure Yeah What's your step? All right. So what if there was a little risk involved? Here was my chance to make up for having done only half a job some seven years ago Also, I figured I knew enough about Rocky to be well prepared for almost anything you might try The main thing was to find out what he'd done with the old me diamond and of course get my hands on Expense account item to a dollar seventy-first cab to whiskey Soder's address. It was the kind of place I'm sure the city planning commission will be glad to tear down Manager was scrolled across the door on the hallway mark with a number one and as for the manager Yeah, what do you want my rooms are all filled up? Well, now what's it just like you doing around here? I'm looking for a man named Soder And first he's smelling old You'll find him down the hall and numbers. Hey, he's getting real popular today Well, what do you mean by that? You're the second gents been here to see him. Oh, who is the first? Well, I didn't get a good look at him, but I heard him go on back to which is Soder's room What's the number number seven down the hall? See the man leave though Maybe still in there with Now who left that window open there at the end of the hall number seven Sure that Soder didn't leave Well, then come on. Let me have your key. Come on. Come on Just a minute you think you are busting down this budget. Oh, yeah He's dead. Somebody shot him Right through the side of the head more now But enjoying it left start to really enjoy Johnny dollar and the man who wakes my head right in front of his left ear That's right. I didn't hear any shot. I've been up front my room all afternoon Because whoever did it use his pillow the most one of my best pillars to look here Look what it's done to it. The man who was here before what do you look like, huh? Well, I only looked out of my room and time to see him coming in here I didn't get a look at his face. You said he was a gentleman. Uh, yeah, but I didn't breathe out I think he had gray hair. What about his height and build? Oh, I don't know. I was up front Look, I told you There's a fire spot be a trouble and for calling the police Sergeant Randy Singer at the 18th, please And my name is Johnny dollar that's right. The one that's on the radio call the police tell them I'll contact him later Rocky Harrison had changed his appearance once before seven years ago He never known how I'd got on his trail. The only one who did was Randy Singer at the 18th briefing But I'd found him by using the same corny trick that he had used Maybe maybe that trick might work again if he'd returned to his old haunt All right, then item three a bucket a quarter is a nearest drugstore for some goop to plaster down my hair Item for a dollar for some black hair died Item five seventy-eight cents for a check of peroxide getting rid of the tan I usually have just time with a lot of work. They gave me a few days to raise a small moustache. I died that black also Item six twenty bucks for some clothing including a couple of aprons some of these joints you have to furnish your own Then item seven thirty one dollars for a pair of six glasses that I could see through all right, but this gave me a headache But it was a waste of time that got me down Working there for solid nights hoping nobody gets suspicious of me working where and why and the reason for the silly get up Will you figure that? Okay, there you are Willie One old fraction one double gift Thanks, Joey, and that's a ticket on What yeah, right there right right in front of you. Oh, sure. What's the matter with you? Can't you see? Once you get them glasses changed, what's there? Okay? Oh, yeah, sure. They are You're gonna take a drink to the table, huh? Oh, that's right Well, I've been tendon bar here at the purple hat since the place opened up, but you had a punch it Here you are chance an old-fashioned and a double Well, you just long enough to get them The other way around the double gift in mine. Oh, yes Well, here's the prosperity Barney So would you just like to already ten and now now later? Yes, I'll wait. Yeah, you do that Waiter, yes, you go get yourself a drink. It's on me Well John will trade to manage but would exactly like okay, okay, then just for moose we'll call you when we want another one Yes, now rock you Barney you don't you ever call me that again call me Rocky Harrison all it was luck dumb luck He'd been in there alone three nights running but believe me I hadn't recognized him wouldn't have recognized him now this pal there at the table hadn't slipped up and called my name Since probation he disappeared for only one reason to change his appearance completely He'd grown a beard a full head of hair and he bleached it almost white He'd put on 20 or 25 pounds at his buck teeth fixed and it made a big difference What's more of course? I hadn't seen him since he'd been sent up the river That's for his towel Rocky had told him Barney sure But I had little one of the cleverest big-time fences the NYPD had ever known about on home They'd been able to pin absolutely nothing Sure, it was unnatural Rocky had the jewel stashed away somewhere Barney knew it and was willing to recut them and fence them out for him Maybe if I was real lucky I could nail them both During their meal I I stayed close to them as much as possible, but it got me nowhere Whenever I was in hearing their conversation was me That's right Barney just tell him that Edward Kilton said of course Mr. Tills Glad to use your name. I'm certain they'll do all right by you Yeah, what's more they were both trying to make it all so plain that Rocky's name was Edward Tills And I wonder Rocky by any chance seen through this corny disguise of mine Apparently not Okay, wait any arm. Oh Thank you, sir. Oh, have you changed it a minute? You can keep the change. Oh, thanks for a watch, sir We get up. Shall we leave? Now already oh, I'd like to look up the owner and compliment him on his chef. Why not? If they get fine the owner's office they made a beeline for it and that told me something else The owner of Pete Monaster had been away when I was hired now. He was back in town And he probably knew more about Rocky more about the jewels than he'd ever admitted to the police. I Wish that planted a bug Monaster appears to all like to put what went on in there But I hadn't so I couldn't and said I cleared off the table and since my hitch for the night was over I went back into the locker room changed into my street cause As I was about to leave Don't bother buddy. Oh, your name's Willie ain't it just a woolly forgot my name Pete Monaster I own this June. I've been away a couple of weeks. Oh, how are you sir? Mr. Paying a few bucks severance You beat up quiet. That's right. I Done something wrong. No, it's just that we got enough way There's without you shouldn't have hired anybody when I was gone anyway, just going out by the back way Well, sure sir, but if I thought it done something wrong, I Not at the moment Not until I left by the back door Statted out through the long dark alley. You're the waiter we had tonight, aren't you? Yeah, that's right. You made a real good waiter real good. See so so I got something for you dollar Think I'm gonna leave you alive. He put that thing away. No, you don't bring the cops. That's all right Barney, I'm just gonna use the butter that's like They remember something crashing down on my head and if you think people don't see stars you're wrong Conscious I've braced myself for another blow, but it never came Instead of crazy mixture sounds noises a lot of footsteps of barrage a gunfire sirens a lot of cars breaking to a stop When he was all like in a dream I Came to the next morning and found myself in a hospital bed a doctor leaning over me with a hypo in his hand Then sometimes later. Well, it looks like the doctor was right then then Oh Randy a slug of something to make you sleep for a while really works. Yeah, you're gonna be okay. That may be for a big head Randy Lieutenant singer to you Buster Son of a gun Johnny, what are you gonna learn to let me know when you're working around this town? Huh, was it you came along right like the u.s. Marine. Well, how did you how did you know? They were gonna weigh me there in that alley. I didn't hadn't the least idea didn't even know it was you. They were jumping You and that crazy get-up that black hair on the mustache, you know the thick glasses then I I don't understand Johnny I've had a bunch of the boys on Rocky Harrison for over a week Yeah, sure ever since that silly whiskey Soder told me about him being in town that was you told me where to look for him I went seven years ago the first time you found him in the purple hat So we've been tailing them for days What a part of knowing that you think you're the only one that thought he might sometime lead us to those jewels You found a brandy? No, and now Thanks to you it looks like we may as well give up What do you mean? And then that you just stay in bed when the boys saw what was happening there in the alley They moved in yeah when Rocky and Barney started throwing lead. Well boys kind of thought they'd better answer back So Rocky and Barney are dead So now how are we gonna find out where those diamonds are stashed away, huh? Do you know where Rocky was living? Sure, we've been all through its place and Barney little place nothing Since we don't know of anybody else who might have been in with them. Oh You you don't ah What do you mean? Randy I've suddenly got a crazy idea that maybe I can blurt my way into finding those jewels You want come on help me get into my clothes You didn't know just a minute dollar. Did you say that's right? There's something a little familiar about you. I'll come off it Peter. Oh wait. Oh That stupid waiter I fired last rocky Harrison told you who I was if you're wondering how I know that just look at that bug Fasten to the underside of your desk All it beats You try opening one of those drawers reaching for a gun I pull this I also heard them tell you when to let me go out Into that dark alley. Oh look, I was I don't know what they wanted you out there for I also heard enough to know where the only jewels are Open up that safe. Oh, yeah open it you're crazy. I'll listen dollar put down that gun Let's maybe we can make a deal seven years of hunting for him Pete So it's becoming obsession with me. Maybe it has made me a little crazy I'll list you when I was crazy enough to put on that phony disguise to get into this place to find Rocky Harrison I'm crazy enough to blast you down and blow that safe if I have do you understand that and There's nothing you or anything else is gonna be forgetting those jewels First you go. No. Yeah, you mean it. Oh, yeah, Pete. I mean it The fee on this one for recovery the diamonds Well, maybe the department frowns on such things but half of the check goes to lieutenant Randy singer NYPD good man. Good friend Expense accounts total including the ride back to Hartford Well, it's just about balances with what I made on my job as a waiter Yours truly Johnny dollar