 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Listen, it's after midnight and I don't feel The also very uncooperative mayor chief of police in general do nothing in this town now just a minute now You just a minute. I asked you for help this afternoon and finding out who's threatening to put make McCarthy in a restaurant on a business What do I get a snide warning from you that the people of Cod Harbor don't want outsiders messing in their affairs Well, I don't believe it And why weren't you here a little while ago when somebody slugged me I was What You Okay, Beasley if my head stops spinning long enough, I'll be right over Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-pact expensive America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator is truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar location Cod Harbor, Massachusetts To the intercoastal maritime and life insurance company Boston Assignment the makes palace matter expense account continued expense account Well, so far here in Cod Harbor. There's been little need for it Make McCarthy had given me a small room above a restaurant provided all the food I could eat my own two feet Were the only means of transportation The only shops were along the waterfront They were suppliers to the boats tied up at the various docks and a motley lot of boats They were some were big schooners dating back to the last century and still carrying sail They were power boats of all shapes and sorts and sizes from 18 footers with one lung gasoline engines the big 60 and 70 foot diesel jobs Trouble of the sort I'd come to investigate seemed out of place in this otherwise peaceful little village So you've suffered a change of heart obviously and you've decided to go up Yeah, that's about the best way to put it. I guess she's wait wait before we go any further What was this bit about picking me up after I got socked on the head a while ago? Listen, mr. Dollar after you left here this afternoon. I got to thinking Maybe I was wrong and giving you the back of my hand and maybe you was right and walking out mad like you did Well, how would you feel the insurance company back in Hartford gets worried from make McCarthy that somebody's Threatening to burn up that joint on the waterfront. She calls a restaurant. It's insured for $15,000 and she's insured for 25 No, I know well, you see it's this way and when I get here I learned that somebody has already tried a couple of times to set fire to the place. All right All right, I learned a long time ago that in a case like this. It's smart to enlist the help of the local authorities Here in Conn Harbor those authorities all seem to boil down to you why I will never know Yeah, like I told you but now what do I get from you the cold shoulder the back of your hand as you put it I gotta explain to you mr. Dollar and go ahead and explain and believe me brother. I'd better be good Well, they're probably ain't another village like this in the whole country see Technally, we're supposed to be part of Barnsboro a few miles inland But we've always left them alone and they've always left us alone any trouble happens We settle it amongst ourselves and because we're such a small place It's get along with everybody or get out see so we just don't have no trouble Not a penny account that is unless it's somebody comes in from outside and makes it for us You understand mr. Dollar are you forgetting it was one of your own towns people who asked me to come here and for her own Protection, that's what I got to thinking about after you left so I decided maybe I better talk to you and Well, that's how I happened to go over to Meg's place tonight Was that you I saw in the shadows up at the front door. Yes I was waiting for Captain Billy Morgan and his crew to finish cleaning up the place for Meg And I was gonna go in and talk to you and that's the truth mr. Dollar come on Well, I just got there when I heard an annoys out at the side of the cafe like a fight Course it was dark was no fight somebody came out the side door from behind me and knocked me on the head Yeah, so I took you up and put you on your bed and give you time to get your senses back and then telephone to you You sure it was you out at the front of the cafe Oh, no, mr. Dollar you trying to implicate maybe it was me that give you a belay and pin over the head Was that what hit me Beesley a belay and pin? Well Something hit you and I just okay. Okay. I'll take your word. It wasn't you for the time being I swear mr. Dollar by all All right, then listen. Yeah, I heard that side door open just before I started seeing stars. Huh? Yeah That means whoever struck me must have come from inside the cafe say yeah Yeah, that's right. The only people inside were Captain Morgan and the crew of his fishing boat. You sure I'm sure Because I was in there myself just a minute before Just Billy Morgan and his three men where was made she'd gone up to bed. I just stepped outside for a breath of air Holy, huh? Holy Jensen first mate. Yeah, I heard Captain Billy call one of Moli last name's Jensen, huh? And in this Charlie Charlie buttons a deck hand in Montgomery the engineer. Well No, no not one of them could have done it. Isn't that like saying I didn't get hit one of them must have done it No, sir, mr. Dollar. He just couldn't make any sense. I tell me this Are any of them related to the guys who run the other cafes along the wharf? No, no But you are aren't you beastly? Huh to Clem Harris at the silver plate or is it the greasy plate? Anyway, he's your cousin, isn't I told you that but if you think he had it right now I don't know what I think let me tell you this if you have suffered this big change of heart It's about time you started proving I'll do anything you say mr. Don all right Make seems to think the threats and attempts to burn down her place came from her competitors I know she does but she's on a couple of hours. I'm taking off at the fishing banks with Captain Morgan and his crew Maybe I'll be able to spot which of his men laid me out in the alley if it was one of them Meantime you see if you can dig up anything that would put a finger at the other cafe owners That means Ernie at the manna house Tony who runs Irving's chop suey joint and your cousin Clem Harris Okay, mr. Dollar, I'll do it. Hey by the way Did you ever check their handwriting against the letters Meg received? Well, no I never quite got around to it. I don't think you ever got around to doing anything It's such an easy job. Do it get the letters from Megan check them. Yes, sir I'm gonna try to get a couple hours sleep before we take off on the little e-mail. Yes, sir The big lazy slob The first time I met him he'd actually posted about his soft job About how nicely he could live in the town without having to lift a finger. Oh Sure, the sudden change of heart may have been genuine, but I wouldn't have bet on it And I still had no proof. It wasn't he who slugged me and one of Meg's rival eateries was run by his cousin But then everything indicated that whoever struck me had come from inside her own cafe So I decided it was more important than ever that I go on the next day's fishing trip Back in my room on the second floor of Meg's Palace. I fell asleep the minute my head hit the pillow And I got a swan. It was only a second late. It is Oh Who was it what is it time to get up and out? What do you think it is? You're going out with the boys just get them lazy bones if yours up after that bed. Oh, but it's still pitch dark Are you gonna eat it? Well for the hour for the eighth time you was up Here's the light for you. Oh Turn this thing off. Here's some coffee. Take a sorcerer to a little choke yet That's strong, but at a week Johnny boy What happened to you? Oh just what it looks like, but your head somebody just got real friendly with a bullion pin right after you went to bed They come up here and attacked it. No, no, it's outside. I'll be the side I'll kill whoever done that to you Johnny boys. So help me. I'll find out who done that You sure you want to get up and go out to the banks. Maybe it's no no, I'll be all right And I think it's pretty important I go out with Captain Billy and his boys Because I have a sneaking suspicion one of them may have done this. Why is him dirty conniving? Oh No, Johnny, you must be wrong. Oh, don't you know darling? That's the finest growth man in all of Cod Harbor That's so sure But then you you mean you think one of them could also be behind trying to burn me down and maybe me with it You can be mighty sure I'm gonna try to find out Johnny boy, I pray that you're thinking wrong Anyhow if you're going with them well Up and out with you the time you're in your clothes. I'll have some grits in the table for you eggs and part chops and donuts I'm at the crew of the lian at that breakfast breakfast Considering the amount of food set before them and the way they piled into it You'd think those four men hadn't eaten for a month And I must confess there was nothing about them that looked like cause for suspicion First was Charlie a tall brown-eyed husky young fella alert and pleasant with a sense of humor and he was obviously liked by the others I don't know mr. Dollar. I think you just got to dreaming about some nice pretty gal And when you reached out and tried to grab her you fell out of bed. That's the way you got banged up My gum read a bit older the man who was responsible for the engines on the boat gray haired lean worry with narrow fingers It looked clumsy and somehow never made a clumsy move Whose blue eyes look straight at you when he spoke that you believe and you can blow me down, mr. Dollar If that ain't the most dastardly thing I ever heard of here in car Darba You best stick close dust that your friends whilst you're here. I said friends are made McCarthy be friends Then Holly Jensen first made the oldest member of the crew quiet calm and efficient the sauce spoken It's not for me to inquire why you're here that business you're about mr. Dollar and they don't But I'm certain it's for the good and any help that we can give you you're welcome, sir Well then a few minutes we cast off and the lily and put to see Slowly the lights the little village disappeared after the moon had gone down and our only company out on the dark water Was the twinkling stars and the occasional running lights from the other boats setting out for the fishing banks Captain Billy Morgan stood at the wheel Gummary said it's worth the engine cover and occasionally made some slight adjustment or indicated to change of throttle to the captain Young Charlie and only made ready the two small boats and trot lines for today We'd go for cod fish in the deep that lay along the edge of Taylor Banks I stood alone up in the bow It's looking over the curling wash as it scattered the myriad microscopic beings and gave a soft phosphorescent blow to the water gliding past And I wondered I wondered why they had to be trouble in this world where honest labor by honest men could do so much more Honest men no Not even among this crew One of them had to be the man who'd attack me was probably the one who had threatened to burn make McCarthy out of business So I'd better have it I'd better get back to have talk with them watch their every move Try somehow to trap one of them into saying something that would give them away Or maybe who knows give all of them away And above all watch my step There was a long way back to shore The darkness and the sound of the engines could all too easily cover up an untoward act by one of them It did Before I could lift my head a powerful pair of arms that picked me up bodily and dropped me over side On all aboard In the brief moment that I remember I felt the strong tug from the big propellers as the water closed over me Then a terrible blow against my side Then nothing Oh, here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story tomorrow The motives for arson and murder begin to take definite shape in the form of a confession Join us won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone who also wrote this week's story Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking