 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar This is Hillary Fuchs CPA. You left word for me to call Mr. Dollar. I don't seem to recall the name I'm with universal adjusters. They asked me to look into this Wendover claim Insurance adjusters. That's right insurance. I understand you filed a claim in Mrs. Wendover's name Anybody who can make me understand why Mrs. Wendover let a $50,000 policy lie around for two years before she filed a claim 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 yours truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the Universal Adjustment Bureau 518 spear Boulevard Hartford, Connecticut The following is the counting of expenditures during my investigation of the tears of night matter Expense account item one ninety two dollars and fifty cents airfare and incidentals Hartford to Miami Beach, Florida My plane got in at 11 p.m. So I went to a hotel. I got some sleep I put in a call to Hillary Fuchs certified public accountant as soon as I woke up Then I had some breakfast and took a cab out to his office It was a pleasant four-mile trip along a beautiful white sanded ocean front and it cost me Adam two three bucks Even come on in here dollar the air conditioners working here Hillary Fuchs was a big man in his late 40s. He was semi-balled had a good sunburn and smelled faintly of scotch whiskey The office he led me into was cool and dark and elegantly furnished in bamboo knick-knacks The desk was cluttered with a stack of financial statements of legal papers This is quite a thing I guess dollar and by the way, I didn't find any universal insurance adjusters in the phone book We're located in the Hartford, Connecticut Hartford. You're a long way from home dollar They sent you all the way to Miami Beach about this yep seems like a pretty expensive way to handle it pretty expensive claim $50,000 would it do any good to tell you it's legitimate sure, but I'm hired to check it out just the same In other words, you don't believe me. Well, look at it our way, mr. Fuchs The claim came into the office day before yesterday, and we have 72 hours to act on it. Okay, what can I do first off? Tell me your connection with Mrs. Wendover. She hired me to put her business affairs in order about ten days ago First time I ever saw her she said the Treasury Department had advised her to get some expert help They were on her about back taxes and that's it. I see Tell me about Noah Wendover's death. He died two years ago last April 14th By the way, it's just coming to me. Did you people I mean did the insurance company know anything about him being dead until that claim came in? No No wonder they sent you all the way from Hartford well Wendover and his wife took a party of eight out on their boat for a 10-day cruise Wendover had an attack of appendicitis at sea. There wasn't a doctor aboard the appendix burst and he died before they could make the nearest port Let me get back to the original question Why all this time before Mrs. Wendover filed claim for benefits? Well, you really got to know Mrs. Wendover I guess she's a little crazy little wacky little strain. These are your impressions of her? It's a consensus I asked around after she came here the other day The story is that she and Wendover had a pretty good thing in their marriage They were wild about each other They spent money like water and they had plenty of it to spend then one day he died Kind of threw her maybe it's still throwing her. I don't know sure Somewhere along the line in the last year Mrs. Wendover's met somebody else Oh, I don't know who he is because I wasn't paying any attention when she mentioned his name But she's sort of coming out of it and she's gonna marry him So she wants to get her business affairs in order from the look of things nobody's done much about them since went over his debt You see all that stuff in the desk. Yeah, I noticed it all hers She brought it to me in three big hat boxes stocks bonds bills deeds. I don't know what all I Know she's in a little trouble with the government Not because she hasn't got the money to pay them but just because she hasn't bothered with anything like that Anyhow one of the first things I came across was the insurance policy thrown in there with all the rest of the stuff and Look You see these checks. Yeah, almost $90,000 dividends on some oil stock doesn't even bother to open her mail or cash her checks Well, a lot of people around the country including your insurance company are gonna be startled when I finish straightening all this out I sent the policy claim in as a matter of course That's my explanation for it being two years late. Oh, that's a pretty good explanation. Look here She completely forgot she loaned an $8,000 automobile to a friend in Tampa 14 months ago I asked her about it and she said she thought she'd left it at the filling station What and here the boat went over die-down worth $60,000 she sold it to a fisherman last year for $5,000. Yeah, I get the idea. Mr. Fuchs. Yeah So you file the insurance claim and her name along with a dozen other matters that should have been taken care of two years ago Yeah, you play golf. No, well, I do and I'm tired of looking at this pile of stuff Might if I look at it help yourself all yours. I'll be at the club Do whatever you have to By the way, what do you have to do? Verify this death certificate and the coroner's report and then you'll honor the claim I'll file my report and it's up to the insurance company to do as they see fit. You've got a cagey, aren't you? That's why they pay me. Oh Mr. Fuchs, yeah, is there some kind of bank balance in this stuff current You'll find it there, but I'll tell you in cash. Mrs. Wendover is worth about $950,000 I doubt very much if she's trying to cheat the insurance company out of 50,000 You can't ever tell low. Can you mr. Fuchs? Nope can't ever tell After he left I got on the telephone and talked to officials about the car in his autopsy and the death certification on Noah Wendover they all seem to be in order Then I went through the papers on Fuchs desk They seem to be in enough disorder to verify what he told me about at least Wendover I left Fuchs office about 430 and went back to my hotel Carrying a picture of a woman who had existed in a state of limbo for two years or more so far as Responsibility and attention to business one Johnny dollar Hillary Fuchs. Can you come over to my office right away? I just left there. What's up? Mrs. Wendover. She's having a fit come on over Expense account item three three more bucks more cab fare back to Hillary Fuchs office. I Pulled up in front at exactly 530 and noticed a 1956 white Cadillac convertible parked in front For no reason at all. I took 30 seconds to peek inside the registration told me the car belonged to Elise Blair Wendover She had left her purse on the seat and the keys in the ignition a Mink stole was thrown carelessly over the back of the seat Anybody could have taken the stole the purse the car the whole works Mrs. Wendover was living up to her advanced notices Come in come in Fuchs look pale and shaken he fumbled around for a cigarette until I handed him one of mine He lit it up and tried to get a grip on himself Mrs. Wendover is in there. Yeah, what happened? Oh, I had some papers for her to sign and she dropped in a little while ago. Uh-huh. I told her about you I explained to her it was certainly reasonable the insurance company would want to investigate a claim that had been delayed 25 months. Well she blew up got kind of hysterical about it said she wanted to see you right away that she had something to tell you Go easy on her will you? Oh, why do you say that? Oh, it's just that well if I'm wrong about her I'm glad but I Don't think I'm wrong when I say she's right on the edge just on the edge of it Feeling better Mrs. Wendover The pale girl with a cold black hair seated stiffly in the chair in front of Hilary Fuchs desk was not feeling better She could have been 16 or 36 it depended on where you were standing when you looked at her She had a mouth that was too full shoulders too wide for the strapless sundress Parasandals a clanking costume bracelet and black eyes around big bright too bright This is mr. Dollar. Mrs. Wendover. I understand you're investigating my husband's death I'm here to verify the facts so that eastern states can act on your claim. Don't you believe he's dead? Yes Don't you oh? Yes, I saw him die. Yes. He's dead How much money do you owe me the claim is for $50,000 will you pay it? I presume it will be paid from all I've seen so far Of course that part of it's up to the insurance company, of course And they have men sitting at desks reading reports about claims all day long Yes, my dad owned an insurance company once you know Those men sitting at their desks even my dad said at a desk. I Wonder something Would one of those men sitting at one of those desks right? Okay, on my claim for noise benefits if he knew about me sit down Mrs. Wendover Maybe you'd like a drink you have one mr. Fuchs would they well I I have to be indefinite about that too Mrs. Wendover What would put a question in the mind of an adjuster if he knew about you? I'm indolent and I'm irresponsible Mr. Fuchs can tell you that I'm not quite dependable am I mr. Fuchs. Oh, we're getting straightened out Mrs. Wendover, and then of course that wouldn't make a difference I mean not really a great many you're responsible indolent undependable people file You're something else I'm a curse Are you? Oh, yes, it's a very bad thing a curse people around me people. I love just seem to Die Why do you think you're a curse? Noah died and I loved him and daddy. I loved him and my brother Jim all dead No one can stay alive around me. I thought I should tell you that Yeah, well, I appreciate it mrs. Wendover Well And we don't have anything more to discuss. Goodbye mr. Dollar. Mr. Fuchs Wait a minute Johnny. Hey, where are you going? I'm gonna drive her home. You're right. She's on the edge of something I can't quite figure it yet Brother was killed in Korea her father died of a heart attack ten years ago I got that much from the papers on your desk Lord words. She ever get the idea. I don't know I've heard of things like this happening. I'll phone you later, right Wait a minute, I'll drive you home mrs. Wendover. Oh That'll be nice She smiled brightly still too brightly and we drove along She didn't tell me which way to turn what direction to go and I didn't ask her I liked it that way no one's saying a word I was listening to something else anyhow something inside of me loud like a cannon firing twice a second It was my heart making all the noise. Oh, it's happened a couple of times before And it meant trouble coming up. I knew it My heart never makes a mistake. Mr. Dollar Do you think he'll die too Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow Right out in the broad daylight. I have a look at the tears of night Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar fully Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by John Dawson It is produced and directed by Jack John Stone Be sure and join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking