 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Yes, didn't you get it? Attempted suicide by gas Sheldon Forbes FORBES No, no relation insurance investigator. I just found him. Are you kidding? I asked you hide in 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 accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the Continental Adjustment Bureau 418 Elizabeth Avenue Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditure is during my investigation of the Forbes matter Sheldon Forbes pleaded guilty to a $4,285 embezzling charge He waived jury trial and was awaiting sentence when he was bailed out of jail went home and turned on the gas 30 seconds after I dragged him from the apartment I called the police emergency squad and a matter of minutes they arrived and a couple of interns were working on floors with a Full motor in that dingy dirty badly-ladded hallway There was no telling how much gas Forbes had breathed in Well for how long a period after he went into his apartment the gas jet had been open hand me that hyper well swab Okay, he uh He alive barely The fellow found a mister. Yeah Hard to say what can happen on these kind a Shot I just gave him should produce some reaction This year place is You know who he is his name Sheldon Forbes Nice-looking guy Now I'll need that Yeah, thanks. I think we're getting somewhere now. Look, can I help? No? Now you better hand me one of those two. I'm gonna be pretty sick if Well, thank good. He's he's catching on. Yeah, let's have a little increase. I'll up at just a little Okay, hold it there The intern and his assistant work quietly and methodically There was nothing I could do but stand and watch After about a half an hour the color of Forbes skin seemed to me a little more close to normal His eyes were still closed though, and he showed no signs of movement Okay, you can kill the full motor and I'm getting some pulse now Respiration to what do you make it? Depends, mister He has any kind of heart condition. It'll be tough We can tell more when we get him into a hospital nothing more we can do for him here Okay, I'll have the boys load him up. Let's get out of here Mr. You say he's a friend of yours Just someone I know. He's got you to thank Casey makes it Warley B We'll take him over to Bellevue all attempt of suicides get over there I'd like to talk to him when he comes around Any idea when that'll be no telling better phone in first. Please don't want to talk to you You give identification headquarters when you called in yeah Yeah, that's the third one tonight What is it the weather not for him my job is to handle him, but I wonder why they do it Oh, this guy's got a problem. He's out on bail goes into court Friday to be sentenced and bustling charge Seemed like a nice guy to look at I think he probably is a nice guy Well, I thought you said he was an embezzlement. I did Well Mission calling. Yeah, sure doctor. Thanks the uniformed officers outside the apartment house question me thoroughly regarding the circumstances of the attempted suicide I told them what had occurred and gave them my business address for reference They asked me to arrive over to the station with them and verify the facts. I did All of that took about two hours when I was finished. I put in a call to Bellevue. No change in Sheldon forbes condition Expense account item 9 280 one theater ticket That's what it cost me to see the last 15 minutes of a fairly bad musical play at the Empress Theatre When it was over I walked around at the stage entrance didn't quite get that mr. Dollar dollar Mr.. Dollar well, what can I do for you between 6 30 and 7 o'clock tonight a man came here to the stage entrance And talk to you a lot of people talk to me here. That's my job talking to him one man particular his name is Sheldon forbes Don't remember nobody named for well Maybe didn't give his name. He was a tall man about my size 30 or so dark hair clean cut or a tweed suit Beats me. Did you come here to see somebody in the show? Is that it? He might have I don't know How do you know he came here? I followed him my son. It's a business my business. I'm an investigator Wait now Did he have a hat on tonight? No, no, I didn't short haircut. Yeah, do you remember sure sure? What she done struck me as a nice young fella. He's been around here a lot of times Sheldon forbes. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't recognize the name first. Would you mind telling me why he comes around here? Comes here to see Betsy Walker One of the girls in the show Betsy Walker. Is she his girlfriend? No, don't think so It's like this He comes here asking to see her and she never sees him You get it? Yeah, I suppose. Oh, who is she? Oh? She sings here dances a little pretty girl. Have you ever seen her with forbes? I can't say I guess not is she still here, huh Betsy Walker is she still here? I'd like to talk to her well She wouldn't be here this late. She finishes her bit in the second act Could you tell me where she lives? Oh, I'm sorry boy. I can't tell you there. All right. Well, where can I phone her? Can't tell you that either and now Why don't you drop around tomorrow? It's important tonight. Hey, look, would you do me a favor? Depends. What is it? Would you telephone Betsy Walker? Tell him my business and ask her if she'll see me Well, I suppose I can do that. All right, Mr. Dollars. Take a chair there. I'll see what I can do for you The doorman did all right Expense account item ten two dollars and sixty five cents cab fare I gave up my rented car and had the cab driver find the address Betty Walker had given It was a rather nice apartment and a rather nice part of town and was almost one in the morning when I got there She met me at the door wrapped in a chenille dressing ground with cold cream on her face This Walker You must be Mr. Dollars. Yes Now just wait a minute Do you mind if I see some kind of identification or something like that? Oh, no, they are Parkwood Connecticut You'd be surprised at some of the things some man will try Come in, please. Thank you. I didn't quite understand Frank on the telephone Frank. Oh The doorman at the theater. Yes, I didn't know quite what to make of it Goodness, are you really an insurance detective? Yes, and I'd appreciate you letting me see it tonight, Miss Walker Sit down Can I fix you a drink? No, no, thanks Frank mentioned something about Forbes. You're here because of him. Yes, Miss Walker. I understand that you know Forbes No Not exactly There's some reservation in the way you say that miss Walker, you know his name. Yes I I know the name Can I ask you what this is all about routine investigation? I'm curious How did you get my name? How am I connected with Sheldon Forbes? That's what I'd like you to tell me. Well first about my name Forbes was at the theater earlier tonight asking for you I understand he's been around there quite a bit. Yes I really don't know how to tell you this mr. Dollar I've only seen that man once in my life. Honestly. He's oh, he's really quite impossible. I just Dear this is so embarrassing to try to explain this Maybe I can save you some embarrassment then if you'll answer one question sure why not did Sheldon Forbes ever give you any presence? Yes, what? well That cigarette box on the table there and the lighter to go with it Hmm Tiffany's Pretty aren't they? Yeah, very also expensive What else well? Let me think No, no, that wasn't from him. Oh That was the lamp over there Mm-hmm And a first stole may I see it? I'm afraid I gave that away. You did I gave it to my kid's sister who was visiting me last week I already had one. Oh, I see What else did he give you? I think that's about it Except for orchids that used to come every night a dozen orchids every night for the last month You only saw him once and he gave you all these gifts Dear, I know how that must sound. I just Look it started a month or so. I guess I got a card in my dressing room one night asking me to dinner It was signed Sheldon Forbes so Well, I'd never heard of anybody named Sheldon Forbes and I just tore the card up But every night after that I kept getting orchids and the card and Then the gifts started to come The cigarette box first. That's when I saw him. I didn't even die with him, mr. Dala We had one drink and I told him I had a headache. I see but the gifts still kept coming flowers invitations I Ignored them. I tried to send the things back and I didn't know where to send them Some I gave away and some I've kept I Didn't want his gift. He was nice, but I well I just didn't want anything to do with him when I did meet him He was so different than what I had imagined. I mean, well, gee I've had my share of stage door Johnny's but this man was Well, he just couldn't say a word without stumbling. He had no poise no Sophistication nothing all he had was money. He told you that he didn't have to those gifts Well, he didn't have money miss Walker. He worked for 82 dollars a week as a bookkeeper You must be mistaken. I'm afraid not. He stole the money to buy you all these things And you caught him yeah Forbes trying to commit suicide earlier this evening suicide I'm sorry. I had to come to you to get this information. He's refused all along to tell anybody what he did with the money Will he go to prison? I'm afraid so. Oh But it's crazy. We had nothing. He's just a name to me. He means nothing to me. Yeah But apparently you mean something to him There'll be another intriguing episode in our story of the Forbes matter tomorrow tomorrow Proof that four thousand two hundred and eighty five dollars worth of unrequited love can spell three years of prison But sometimes there's an angle in this case a rather startling one Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by John 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