 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar good afternoon, sir. This is Phineas Crane. How are you mr. Crane highly perturbed sir now? What's bothering you my generation used to call it conscience? I want to talk to you mr. Dollar. Well, that's quite a change isn't it from your attitude last night There have been a number of changes since last night. I can't bear the thought of that girl being imprisoned She doesn't like it too much herself All right, what's on your mind? I'd prefer now to discuss it over the telephone Then you'll have to hold your horses. I'm waiting here for a call from Hartford. It's some information from the police It might be the same information. I'm ready to give you sir. I don't think so You should have talked last night, mr. Crane. I might have been willing then to make a deal of some kind and now no deal I can guess what happened to the necklace and as far as the rest of it's concerned I never make deals on murder and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the Transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators yours truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar location Cranesburg, Ohio To the home office tri-state guarantee company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Cranesburg matter expense account final page Item 13 28 dollars and 65 cents phone calls to Cincinnati and Cleveland and two prepaid calls to Hartford The wheels were spinning now, and I spent most of the day just sitting back and waiting Toward late afternoon police chief had Durham phone then Hartford and then Durham again and Finally the three black bars dropped into place and the payoff was jackpot Item 14 $10 and 50 cents second day's rental on hired car I left the hotel just before dark and drove out through the north edge of town to the Cranes state When I'd gone out there the day before I'd been mostly guessing playing hunches But this time I knew pretty much what I wanted and just how to go about getting it I Thought the place deserted as I walked up the long arbor from the carriage house But as I stepped out onto the terrace, I realized I was wrong Over here in here, please hurry Why all the secrecy mr. Crane I wanted to talk to you alone I rather doubted whether I would be able to if it were known that you were here able to Or permitted to that's what I meant Permissed who would stop you mr. Crane for that you might say is part of the story The story I didn't tell you last night. Why not why didn't you tell me I still thought then I might be able to save things And you don't think so now I'm afraid not It's too late You know too much about it now what were you doing in smiley perils Rome when I found you last night Looking for the necklace. I told you that did you know then he'd been murdered I wouldn't have had the nerve to go there if I had and there wouldn't be of any use of going That's when I realized it was all over when I heard mr. Prell had been killed Dishonesty is one thing But murder is something else again. You're so right. Of course. It wasn't dishonest at first It was all quite legal in the beginning, but not later. No, no not later. I Was against that Not that I'm claiming any virtue for it Probably it was just cowardice Mr. Daller Be as easy on her as you can I'm afraid it won't be in my hands. I suppose not these things are always done so impersonally by Institutions created for that purpose rightfully no doubt But one occasionally wonders There's something I wonder about sometimes mr. Crane you refer to Human greed That's true There's no real excuse for us my niece and me reasons Yes, an inherited social position and way of life and declining wealth to support them We're soft people mr. Daller and when life gets hard we we look for a soft way out And that usually turns out to be the hard way She'll find it. So I imagine For me it doesn't really matter anymore. How did you get in there on the Swiley Prell? How did you know he was the one who robbed yourself? I was just guessing until you told me yesterday that he was a professional jewel thief And that he'd phoned the insurance company and claimed to have the necklace before that when you were guessing How did you know about him? What reason did you have to guess? I'd seen him hanging around the estate here twice the week before the robbery and when I saw him again afterward talking to his Contact I guess you'd call his employer if it's the facts better. I suppose so anyway I'll put two and two together and I followed prowl. I found out where he lived Did the employer know you'd done this hardly all right doubt that I'd be sitting here talking to you Oh, not that it matters since you probably know more of the details than I do. All right uncle Phineas. That's quite enough Melba That was a very quiet entrance. Miss Crane. It wasn't intentional I didn't know you were here until I heard voices Uncle Phineas, would you mind leaving us alone? It's too late my dear. I Think time was about to run out on all of us aided great deal I presume by some of your more senile imaginings Mr. Dallow didn't really need any help. Please Leave the two of you then to what I anticipate Maybe rather storming What were you doing pumping him Trying to make him say things you could twist later and use against him No, it was more a matter of humoring him I'd say what's the matter Melba hangover from last night I suppose you told him that too that I came to your hotel to see you no didn't seem relevant somehow I see where's your fiancee Dean sure how many have you got? Mr. Sellers is in the billiard room. Why? What do you want with him? Oh, I need just a few more facts to fill out the picture I think he can supply them. That's all what facts. Why have you come here? Uncle Phineas invited me what for he said something about wanting to clear his conscience his mind wanders You know that you can't rely on anything he says. I'm not what about the girl they arrested you're made Betty Yes, Betty if the police are satisfied. She's guilty. Why aren't you because I was hired to find a pearl necklace It was stolen from your safe. It was insured for $20,000 remember and I haven't found it yet Suppose I were to withdraw the insurance claim. It's a little too late. The police would want to know why why Simply because I choose to because I don't want any more fuss about it It's not a loss actually the necklace was a gift. Oh, yes I know an engagement present of great sentimental value from that wealthy young Philanderer mr. Dean Sellers who incidentally is broken than you are Yeah, got a complete rundown on him from Hartford late this afternoon. I don't believe it. It's quite a shock You'd say anything just to help that girl get out of jail. Ah, you got me mixed up with Sellers, haven't you? He's the one who rallied to her defense I hope they can Victor do you really believe she's the reason Sellers broke off your engagement. It wasn't broken off It was only postponed Well, it's like I said mother a lot of surprises By the way, I'd like to search Betty's room if you don't mind. That's actually why I came out here What for that necklace? I was hired to recover it remember But if you think she's innocent then why do you know what I think I haven't really said have I? No That's true That's quite true Lucky shot. Mr. Della. You got two on the break. Yeah result of a misspent youth All right four ball in the corner pocket Expert huh? Oh just lucky like you said. Oh By the way, mr. Sellers you were right about Betty. She isn't guilty. She was being framed. I Told you so. Yeah, she was just an innocent bystander you might say Even though I did find the necklace a few minutes ago hidden in her room. You found it good The cranes though aren't quite so innocent the cranes. No Nine ball far side pocket What do you mean about the cranes they were broke and they needed money to keep up a front When you came to town and showed an interest in Melba they figured you were the answer You're making Melba sound pretty cold-blooded. You know, oh, there was no love laws. You were playing the same game Huh sure Sellers That's the way you've always operated your last wife was a wealthy widow in Miami, Florida You stayed with her for a year and a half and took her for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars And all that was left of it when you came here was the twenty thousand dollars You had invested in the pearl necklace that was your stake and that's the way you used it to convince Melba Crane You weren't a fortune hunter 12 ball in the far corner Dollar where did you get all this information police records then about a month ago? You broke off your engagement with Melba Crane Why because I was in love with Betty you were playing Betty for a pigeon you backed out because you'd finally Discovered that the cranes were flat broke. I wasn't after Melba's money. Sure You were but you wanted to get out without losing your investment that necklace So you brought in Smiley Prell to steal it for you I never saw a pearl in my life Uncle Finney you saw the two of you together a couple of days after the robbery Well, he's lying so Prell pulled the robbery And then he told you the pearls he'd stolen were phony you accused him of double-crossing you He thought you were double-crossing him net result. He got sore and tried for a deal with the insurance company That's why you killed him Are you accusing me of murder? That's right sellers eight ball in the end pocket Who else sellers? Betty wasn't in it except that you tried to frame her and both the cranes knew the pearls were imitation You were the only one who didn't they weren't imitations. I paid $20,000 for that necklace not for this one Melba sold the necklace a month after you gave it to her. They've been living on the money She had this copy made in Cincinnati So the pearls you kill Smiley for and then planted upstairs in Betty's room are worth about 200 bucks at the most Something to think about isn't it? That's right dollar And so is this That's a losing game too selling will be for you if you try to make a move shoot it out with the police Is that your answer if it comes to that? At least I know how to use a gun Smiley Prell could tell you did you steal this one from Uncle Finney as to This one's my own Put down that pool cue and get your hands up slow and easy When I go out of here Dean, what are you doing with that? Thanks, Melba Mr. Dollar nothing it's gonna make him feel very happy for the next day or so a Pool cue makes it pretty handy what why? What was he doing with that God surprise number one your fiance is the lad who had your necklace stolen and then later Killed his partner Dean. Oh, that's probably the chief of police. He was coming out to meet me. You want to let him in? I was going to marry him. Yeah, I guess murder is a lot worse than fraud What do you mean you filed an insurance claim on a necklace you'd already sold I imagine the company will want to prosecute I Didn't know what I was doing. You sure didn't anywhere along the line You were marrying Dean sellers for the money He didn't have and at the same time he was trying to marry you for the money you didn't have Too bad it didn't work out. You two were made for each other The police are getting impatient Miss Crane Expense account item 15 186 dollars and 25 cents and senetals and Crane's Berg and transportation back to Hartford Expense account total 409 dollars and 10 cents end of account end of report Under separate cover, I am forwarding one necklace consisting of 38 pearls all imitation approximate value $200 along with my sincere condolences Yours truly Johnny dollar. Now. Here's our star to tell you about next week's story next week The curse of an ancient king and how it affected the lives and deaths of two people join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by Les Crutchfield It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Herden this week's cast were Howard McNair Forest Lewis Paul Richards Mary Jane Croft Virginia Greg James McAllion Shirley Mitchell and Russ Thorson Musical supervision by Amarigo Moreno be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of Yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking