 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar Ben Tyler Johnny Transworld fidelity. Oh, hi Ben. Are you free at present if the price is right? I mean, are you on a job? It's beginning to sound like it Can you be on a plane for algears in two hours? Sure? Who's the client? Lorco limited Amsterdam, you know, they're diamond cutters an old firm big-time deals all over the world check What happened? Oh, one of their couriers just dropped dead in the algears airport all too bad He was carrying a briefcase with a hundred thousand dollars worth of set stones top grade diamonds. Don't tell me Van. Let me guess That's right Johnny Tonight in every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigators goes truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the home office transworld fidelity company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of my expenditure is during investigation of the Lorco diamonds matter Item one three hundred twenty four dollars and sixty cents transportation a routine plane flight to North Africa and the city of LG It was an easy trip and I felt relaxed and comfortable a feeling that was rudely terminated about ten seconds after I got off the plane Do I miss your daughter? Are you not? Yeah, that's right. I am inspector Marcus of the Algerian customs police Oh, how are you inspector? Oh quite well, monsieur and vastly reassured now that you have arrived on the scene of the crime Oh, you see I have implicit faith in special investigators I have encountered them in the past so I have no doubt But this little affair will prove most simple to you. I see I feel that in a mere matter of hours Voila, you will produce the guilty culprit like a lapin out of a chapel inspector I'm beginning to feel a cold wind from the north. That's odd for this time here A mere passing breed monsieur. I shall now assume my official attitude and that is extreme courtesy Complete cooperation and the devoted service of my meager talents on orders you understand from my superiors in Paris And now monsieur if you will accompany me to my office delighted to after you Alphonse My name is Pierre. Oh, sorry just a whim. Oh, yes. Yes. I know I have heard the joke Both jokes This way monsieur a man from the local diamond firm is waiting for us a special Representative so he informs me and so since you yourself are a special investigator I could perceive a certain advantage in letting him give you the facts as I believe you say it in the state Tie our tails together sit back and watch the fur flies at it. Well, he is a trifle excitable But your metaphor however escapes me. Oh, I doubt that inspector Marcus. In fact, I doubt if much of anything escapes you You are too kind except of course a hundred thousand dollars. I spoke to hastily Vanish disappeared right under your nose. Oh, but they were extenuating circumstances. Oh, I'll bet there were Tell me something confidentially. Did your superiors in Paris really blow their tops? Missy dollar if I may borrow one of your more colorful expressions. They said I had probably goofed I'd met that same attitude before with local officials to them sending in an outsider implied They couldn't do the job themselves and inspector Marcus was on an even hotter spot The air terminal was a port of entry to Algeria under his jurisdiction customs police as he said he'd goofed Maybe it is a matter which have entire pass all apprehension But he was right on one thing on Zyndorf the local representative was a trifle excitable in Amsterdam It is unthinkable such thing have happened like this even in your New York mine hair dollar It cannot have happened but here in Algiers. It have happened. Yeah Beautiful diamond gone all gone. It's like barbarians. This Africa is no place for diamonds Maybe you ought to tell them that in Kimberley. It's differently there is entire All right, Mr. Zyndorf suppose you tell me just what happened who can know my name 15 year this courier has worked for law co-company. We are thinking is trustworthy entire trustworthy Well, even a trustworthy man could die a heart failure, but he has never have these heart failing before all right But perhaps it would be better if I were to with your permission, of course, Mr. Zyndorf Yeah, yeah, yeah, you tell I am not talk this English much good precisely precisely These are the facts, Mr. Duller the local courier a man named Paul Gruber arrived on the plane from Amsterdam yesterday morning Yeah, did you know he was arriving? I did not know but the point is a very clever one So a short while before landing, Mr. Gruber was taken suddenly ill a doctor met the plane and the stricken man was removed by stretcher and taken to the emergency clinic In 20 minutes, monsieur. He was dead Diagnosis art failure, but she la vie was there an autopsy inspecting another excellent point, Mr. Duller Thank you. Yeah, do not mention it and autopsy is being performed this afternoon good So the courier died and in the briefcase it was delivered along with his other personal effects Unopened to the customs property agent here at the airport and there's name the property agent Andre Jordan He was very busy at the moment left the briefcase lying on his desk Intending at the first opportunity to register and place it in the world, but the opportunity didn't come is that it? Precisely precisely only a few minutes later. I heard a gunshot Monsieur he was lying on the floor in a pool of blood He had been struck on the head the briefcase was gone all gone this beautiful diamond gone entire yeah When did you find out what was in the briefcase inspector almost two hours later? I radioed the local firm in Amsterdam informing them of the death of their employee They replied immediately and stated that the briefcase contained a hundred thousand dollars worth of diamonds at Peter's works of art Beautiful one brooch one necklace to praise precisely Precisely. Ah, yes. Yes. Yes. The jury was being flown here unapproval for examination by a prospective buyer name of the buyer the Countess Maria de Tolia What do you know about her? Monsieur dollar if you had seen her you would not ask she is exquisite Lovely chic charming speedy Full of the joy TV and no doubt loaded with potatoes with a woman like that who would ever inquire I would Since it looks as though she might be the only person in Algiers who knew that a hundred grand worth of jewelry was coming in on that Plane I may we may we But she could not have known that the courier was going to drop dead in the airport I Good point inspector. Thank you, Monsieur. What about that property agent Andre Jardine any chance of talking to him? But of course if he is yet able to talk and I guess I'll talkings is not enough mine Mr. Seindorff you're covered by insurance insurances is money. It's not my diamonds Oh, well, if you don't want the money you can always waive your claim wave my Man hear dollar. Are you think that I am crazily that I am entire crazily I? Talked to the plane crew who'd come in on the flight with a dying courier I talked to Inspector Marcus's men who'd been with him when he found the property agent lying on the floor of his office I didn't expect much and I got just that but it didn't matter. I Figured I may have had by man spotted already the same old story an ambitious and underpaid government agent opening a briefcase to register its Contents and seeing the diamonds there for the taking hiding them quickly then a fake slugging and firing a gun at a non-existent thief Yeah, an old old story Expense account item two three dollars and forty cents transportation into town and taxi fare to the hospital of our lady of sorrows Inspector Marcus had phoned ahead to authorize my visit one of the sisters led me down the corridor to the door of Andre Jardine's room She motion silently and then turned away. I stepped inside and closed the door You're Andre Jardine and me we but yes What do you want? My name is Johnny dollar. I'm an insurance investigator My company is the underwriter on the Lorco diamonds. Why have you come here? Well to ask a couple of questions, of course if you'd like to consult an attorney before I have nothing to conceal miss here What do you wish to know just exactly what happened when that briefcase disappeared? I have told it already to inspect the mark Yes, I know so now would you mind telling it to me, but there is no Me I Was working at the files when someone entered my office. I Turned around and saw a man standing there pointing a gun at me. I've ever seen it before No, miss you. What did he look like? Well, he was quite tall heavy set No, very thin tall and thin European I believe all right. What did he do? He ordered me to turn around Stepped up behind me struck me with a gun. I fell against my desk He grabbed the briefcase and ran to the door. You were still conscious we miss you but in terrible pain I fumbled for my gun in the drawer of the desk and fired one shot Hey, it is all I can remember You hadn't by any chance opened that briefcase. I had been too busy and you didn't know what was in it Not until they told me today Andre I wonder if you'd mind if I lifted a corner of that bandage and took a look at that wound on your head If you are carefully, it is very painful. Oh, sure. I'll be careful of my stone. I'll please it'll just take a second I'll lift this edge and I Think I am lucky to be alive Yeah Very lucky Okay, thanks. It is nothing Andre do you happen to know the countess that'll ear the countess Oh She's unquestionable. Yeah, I know she's lovely exquisite charming chic Well, thanks for your cooperation under a pleasure, mr. Dole take care of that head. It's the only one you've got You Americans are so whimsical. Oh, yeah, we're all crazily entire crazily My pet theory was starting to limp that slugging wasn't phony It had taken 14 stitches to close the cut in Andre's head Whoever hit him hadn't been kidding They met it for keeps I Walked down the corridor and stood waiting for the elevator thinking it over trying to figure it out But no go I needed more facts and a moment later. I got more Mr. Duller, I thought I would find you here a clever piece of deduction inspector. No seabed miss you Don't mention it. What's on your mind? There should be something. Well, there's got to be some reason for that smug grin. What happened? Did the thief confess? Oh contrair I was on the point of asking what progress you were making on the case. You will be happy to hear none at all Oh, that is too bad inspector extreme courtesy complete cooperation the devoted services of your meager talents Remember to say to say Actually, I came to tell you that I now had the report of the autopsy the courier who died of hot failure Only he did not die of hot failure, monsieur except of course in a very literal say. Well, what did he die of? poison Well, that was the end of a good theory The courier had started to get sick on the plane so the robbery and the murder had been planned well in advance of his arrival by somebody who'd known he was bringing in diamonds and so far only one person fit the bill as Lovely charming and chic a suspect as you could ever hope to meet the countess that Dahlia There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Lorco diamonds matter tomorrow tomorrow a lovely woman lies Beautifully and a sinister whisper drifts out of the Casbah 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 Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking