 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar I found your message when I got in but I don't know why I'm returning your call after that lacing I took from you Well, at least you haven't run out on us. Why should I? How would you like to explain what you were doing in Port Morris, New Jersey yesterday afternoon at the scene of the so-called Accidental death of your client Ricardo Amarigo. Oh, yeah, I thought that was you I saw in that car down there It sure was are you in your office? Yeah, that's right Stay there. I do want to know that and a lot of other things. I'll see you in about an hour after I made another call Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. It's truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania To the Philadelphia mutual liability and casualty company following as an accounting of further expenses during my investigation of the Ricardo Amarigo matter Expense account item six thirty three dollars seventy five cents dry cleaning and new shirts socks and so on Including one pair of shoes to replace the ones I lost in the South Jersey swamp While rescuing what I thought was a priceless Amati violin and a muddy tidewater inlet called Lucky Ho Creek But when I showed it to Harry Branson at Philadelphia mutual Well, at least he promised to have an expert look at over and pass final judgment That's a reason for item seven eighty five cents taxi to Harry's office in the security first building. Oh Come in John come in Harry What have you found out nothing yet, but I should hear from the violin man and he meant John I do hope I was wrong Sit down. Thanks Harry I could have committed mayhem when you told me that fiddle I picked up in the swamp Isn't the Amati to think you're nearly drowned retrieving it. Oh brother. That's putting it mildly But I'm sure for a stole will know for rest. Oh for rest. Oh sir negliario However, he pronounces it the violin man. He really an expert. Well, he's the one who okayed the $30,000 policy on Amarigo's violin Let's just hope this one's it Did you learn anything in Port Morris only confirm what you'd already learned from Sergeant Peters down there? That someone had sawed through some steering connection on Amarigo's car before it crashed through the bridge. Yeah Still no sign of the body. Nope. Oh A man named Adam Bowles called. Oh, he's an old friend used to be a private detective and just can't get it out of his system Oh, well, he called me, you know, I know and I must confess John that I'm inclined to agree with him That Peter Corbyn Abner he goes agent it agent and beneficiary John and Apparently the one person who knew Amarigo well, I said it to add bulls until I was blue in the face area And I say it again too easy, but who else? I don't know. That's what I came back here to find out All the evidence circumstantial evidence the kind of man it'd be a fool to let pile up against him if he really was guilty Even so Harry, let me do it my own way, huh? What if this Corbyn tries to skip out then we'll be the time to Get it. Yes, Mr. Sharny arrow to see you sir shurny arrow. I knew that was it a Sunday, ma'am Man is here John for a stone. Yes, sure. Oh, well Come in First all meet mr. Dollar. How do you do mr. Dahl? You brought the fiddle. Yeah, right here on the desk Well, thank you. I'll open up the case Well, is it mr. Branson? Mr. Dollar, I'm sure well Well, mr. Shurny arrow shurny arrow Look, you've only got to look now that I have a clean away some of the mud and the salt from the swamp where it was I found we're lucky it did not do any real damage to change the appearance But nobody could tell the way you gave it to me. Well, how about now that you've cleaned it up? Yes Ah, you see here the shape of the F holes the curve to the belly The beautiful shape of the signs of age and above all here you see the label label through the F hole You can see it there Nicolo amati then it is Amarillo's see you're sure Mr. Sharny arrow who the label says and for us though says Well, look, I talked with a fiddle player in the orchestra at my hotel last night He told me there are literally thousands of imitations of every important violin every made shape size label and all now listen for us Oh, yeah, tell me the truth Do you really consider yourself an expert? Well, I'm well, I must sell a violin into my store violins harmonicas or corinas victory. How good are the violins you sell? Oh, she's a good one some as high as a sixty-five a dollar Harry do you mean to tell me with all due apologies for us? Oh, do you mean to tell me he was your authority for a thirty thousand dollar policy on Ricky Amarillo's violin? Well, of course a representative from the Wellitzer collection in Chicago verified for us Opinion at the time gee well, it's a new every good the violin in the world Harry. Let me have it I'll give you a receipt for it. I'll bring it back when I'm through with it Whatever you say John, I assume you want to check further on the authenticity and you are right John yeah To put it bluntly you've still not accomplished very much in so far as Amarillo himself is concerned with this fiddle under my arm I think maybe I will see you later Maybe Harry had been right in the very beginning Maybe I should have known a little more about music or more specifically violins Or maybe I should have left this aspect of the case to someone else and concentrated on the disappearance death of Ricardo Amarillo maybe I huh, well Expense account I'd have made 80 cents taxi to booking agent Peter Corbin's office All right dollar. Let's not waste either your time or either mine. You want to know what I was doing That's right Corbin Yeah, Marty I found it right where you planted it and that swamp near Port Morris You actually found the tank. What do you mean where I planted it? What else were you doing down there in the South Jersey swamps? Is that what you found? You ought to know But frankly Corbin I think you overplayed it a bit when you tuck part of one of Amarillo's monogram shirts there with it I don't know what you're talking about actually. I mean it And what were you doing down there and brother you better make it good the same thing you were trying to find out What happened to Ricky Amarillo? I tell you dollar. I was his best friend. It's a true fact If his fiddle was down there, too, I didn't see it I wish I could believe you for the way it looks from here You were willing to have the Amati violin found lying out there in that salt marsh because you couldn't get rid of it without exposing yourself It didn't put any money in your pocket the way you figure Amarillo's death. Well the way it looks from here dollar That's where you're wrong. Yeah. Yeah, actually wrong If Amarillo's dead I collect in his insurances is beneficiary that's what the policy says but believe me all right, all right But you think I wouldn't collect on the Amati fiddle whether it was found if it wasn't found That's where you're wrong. What are you talking about because I'm also a beneficiary to his will How do you know? Because I'm not only the soul and only air in his will. I'm also the executive of Yeah, the executive of his estate, too So if I was the heavy what would I take a chance leave in the $30,000 fiddle laying around in some swamp hmm cover up $30,000 worth All right, what did you do with the hacksaw? You mean somebody saw it up the fiddle. Oh, no, let me see. No, no easy. Would you? Somebody saw it partway through a steering arm on Amarillo's car to make it crash But that's a pretty fair question. Oh, no, oh no, darling Who would murder a nice sweet guy like Ricky? Maybe he was a drunk maybe hit the skids, but he had no enemies he couldn't okay Maybe he was just a drunken bum worthless. He threw away a concert career But he was still he was a gentleman an actual gentleman, and he was a sweet guy. Nobody could have murdered him Oh, no, no, darling not Ricky. Hey, who was it? Tell me huh? Who was a lousy punk? I'll kill him Okay, Pete. I believe you. I don't care whether you believe me or not. Will you tell me who done it? Hey, would you listen to me? I'm listening. I'll look here Look here and tell me is this Ricky's a muddy violin Yeah, that's That's it Poor Ricky You're sure I'm sure All right, Pete. I'm gonna give it to you straight all I ask is you tell me what you We don't know who killed Ricky Amarillo We haven't even found his body the Port Morris police is still trying of course But it it could have been carried by the tide through that inlet the lucky hole Creek right on out to the sea Of course, it may appear somewhere along the creek. It'll take weeks to search that swamp thoroughly. If they do find them I want to see he gets a decent burial. Will you promise me? Okay? I'll try but listen would you Because of the sawed-through steering arm his death was made to look accidental double indemnity and you're the beneficiary He not only wasn't making you any money because his drinking kept him off the concert stage But he owed you money plenty now. That's a motive as for opportunity who else had as much as you know, buddy Nobody nobody but I love the poor guy. I try to keep him alive and get him back on his own me And I believe you but the fact remains that the insurance company the police even a pretty smart private detective I know all figure you for number one suspect and they hope to accumulate enough evidence to move in on you And you're with the no no well yesterday right here. You sure I know I did but I've had time to think it out Now pinning it on you is just too easy much too easy I'll say it to your face Pete. You're no metal giant But only another fool would let circumstantial evidence like that pile up against him and then commit a murder like that. I May be wrong. Lord help you if I am and find out But I think you clean I swear I am gonna play it that way unless I find solid reason to change my mind Because Pete. Yeah, John. You're the one person who can help me in this case. I'll do anything Actually anything just ask me. All right Now first tell me where you were last Friday evening when Amory goes car made that dive off that bridge Alibi, that's right, brother, and you can be sure I'll check it at Willie's all right Who's Willie Willie Willie Elliot? He's a saxophone plays one of my clients. He was a friend of Ricky's to where can I find him? What's his address? I'll write it down for you We had a four-handed poker game. Who else in the game? Jerry Goldsmith one 20. You know Ricardo to oh, yeah Composer conductor violin player fiddle player. Huh? Who was the fourth? Eric Snowden. Who's he the fiddle maker lives at his shop. I'll write that fiddle maker did you sir? Yeah Yeah Yeah, he was the soul and only man Ricky would ever let touch his amati for repairs and fixing up your list there Who else were good friends of Ricardo's? While he was making it plenty Lately nobody you sure. Oh nobody Johnny. I know Of course he hung around a lot of bars. He was a regular give me a list Well, let's see. There's a little place over on pine Street Expense account item 9 370 a quick sandwich for Pete carbon to myself and a flock of phone calls to Pete's poker pals Just to make sure they were in and available when I could get around to see them I had to phony up an excuse for seeing each of them friend of Pete's just in from out of town suggested I give you a call that sort of thing and apparently it didn't arouse any suspicion at least it was a start But the first time call it a hunch or whatever you like. I felt I was going to get somewhere in this case As it turns out I was believe me Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow a trio of musicians the question Which one story was playing a little flat? Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollars starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by Sam Dawson. 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 Roy Rowan speaking