 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar Barney Wilson, mr. Dollar special deputy with the DA is office Understand you talk to Danny Haines. You've got a good grave mine. Mr. Wilson. Oh tolerable Well, what do you think? Well, I'll go about six to five. He hasn't murdered anybody. Oh, well, that's close to even money So you're not too sure. No, I'm not too sure But then I'm not even sure yet that mark. He is dead. Remember Well, maybe we can settle that question this evening. What do you mean? The salvage boys have finally got grapple lines on that boat They figured to bring it up to the surface around eight o'clock I'm going out and one of the harbor launches you'd like to come along my company's got a 75 grand stake And they're sure I'd like to come along. All right, you meet me at Harbor police headquarters at 730. I'll be there good I'll introduce you to the late William Markey Somehow I started doubt that mr. Wilson 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 From special investigator Johnny dollar to the home office Delta liability Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Phantom five matter location Miami, Florida expense account continued Item six three dollars and eighty-five cents taxi fare to the Markey beach house Occupied for the past three days now by his wife since William Markey's accidental death According to all reports a very beautiful woman the reports were correct Won't you come in mr. Dollar? Thank you Come this way I've been practically living in here in the study since I Just haven't had the heart to even look at the rest of the house. Yes. I I imagine it's been quite a shock for you Mrs. Markey. Yes, terrible. No one knows It's a dumb start. Thank you. I I Really don't know very much about these matters if there are papers to sign. Maybe I should have a lawyer or something No, that won't be necessary for the present. There's nothing to sign But aren't you with the insurance company? I'm working for them at the moment as a special investigator I'm to supply them with a full report of your husband's accident They have to have that before they can do anything about paying off the policy Or couldn't the police give you all that and there's a mr. Wilson. I think his name is who's it with the district? I have talked to mr. Wilson. He's cooperating in every way possible But some of the details I have to get from you Have you talked with Danny Hane? Yes, what didn't he tell you what happened? He gave me a statement. Yes But only covering the details he actually knew about Well, I'm sure there's nothing I can add mr. Dollar. I wasn't even there as you know, of course I know Mrs. Markey I'll get all of those details elsewhere But then I don't see why you I'd like to know a few things about your husband Things you know better than anybody else His actions and behavior during the last few weeks his mental attitude I See you think maybe he committed suicide. Is that it? I don't think anything I'm just trying to find out but that's what you're driving at suicide. It's a possibility, of course And of course your company isn't liable I suppose if it's so it's still be liable But only to the extent of twenty five thousand dollars under the particular terms of the policy not seventy five thousand I see is that all mr. Dollar? I Don't think you do see Look, I'm not claiming it was suicide. I have no reason to think it was But these questions are going to be raised by the claims board when they meet to consider settlement And they're not going to pay out any money until they have the answers So that's why I'm here Mrs. Markey to get those answers ahead of time Now you can help or you can hinder But I think you ought to realize that you'll be mainly hindering yourself. It was not suicide Bill wasn't that kind you didn't know him I resent your implications to dollar. He'd never do a thing like that. I said I have no reason to believe that he did Please forgive me I Guess I'm sort of living in a state of shock. I'm not like this really Suspicious belligerent sure I understand and I'm sorry to have to bother you this way, but there are certain questions I know these things have to be done. It's all right Would you like a drink mr. Dollar? Not unless you're having one Yes, I think I would like something in that case. I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please. Oh here. Let me fix it Thank you. Make mine the same. I guess it was the mention of suicide that set me off Bill and I were married for three years. We were completely happy every minute of it Nobody in the world had less reason than Bill to do a thing like that. What about financial problems? None that I knew about Did you work before your marriage mrs. Markey? I? Was an entertainer chorus Yes, I suppose that gives you the usual impression Well, do I seem like a visiting fireman? No, I just thought you might have been a dancer because you carry yourself so well Live and graceful Well, I I've been away from it for quite some time. It doesn't show Here's your drink. Thank you Maybe it'll help me relax a little. I think it might tell me mrs. Markey How did your husband and young Haynes get along? Well, that should be obvious We brought him down here with us had him living here in the house for a month, but I uh, I understood that was primarily your idea Who said that did you suggest bringing Haynes along or was it your husband? Hi, I might have I don't remember how it came up now, but bill was all for it Otherwise he'd have put his foot down any possibility that he resented Haynes presence, but kept it to himself Of course not. Why should he I don't know? Well, if you're trying to imply something, I'm just asking I Understood your husband had spells of brooding during the last few weeks and I was trying to find out the reason for it If he did I'm sure I didn't notice it What are Danny Haynes feelings towards you? I think you're pretty insulting I wasn't intending to be well, what would you call it just another routine question I wasn't meaning to imply that you encourage him in any way. I certainly didn't but he's young and petuous. You're very attractive Maybe he cooked up crazy notions without any encouragement. He thought of me as a friend That's all no attitudes on his part that your husband might have misinterpreted. I Don't believe I care to answer any more questions like these mr. Dollar Look, I'm not just asking them for my own pleasure mrs. Markey I'd a lot rather not ask them but but I've got a job to do well I failed to see why it's necessary to probe into our private lives. I'll tell you why Your husband supposedly died out there beyond the surf when a cruiser burned and sank What do you mean supposedly his body hasn't been recovered so at present the evidence of his death is purely Circumstantial in fact there isn't much evidence one way or another who could possibly doubt it the insurance company will doubt it Mrs. Markey and they'll hold up processing any claim for payment until one of two things happens Until I turn up sufficient proof of death to convince them or until a court declares Your husband legally dead Barney Wilson from the DA's office for reasons of his own is going to file for an immediate court decision I'm pretty sure of that is but as things stand now my company will fight it and with no more evidence than Wilson has They'll be able to find it successfully What was the point? What were you driving at your husband's death had to result from one of three possible causes one an accident two suicide? three murder But that there was there was no one with him except Do you mean Danny? That's one possibility one out of three. No, I have no reason at the moment to give it any more weight than the other two But there is one thing certain Mrs. Markey And view of the circumstances not one set of insurance is going to be paid until one of those causes is proved But what can I do? I don't know anything about it. Maybe you don't or maybe there's something you've forgotten Don't think is important or something you haven't wanted to talk about I don't know of course But it might be worth thinking about It was nearly dark when I left the house And I wouldn't have noticed the man standing under a palm tree by the driveway if he hadn't made a sudden move to get out of Sight then when I walked toward him he scurried out of the drive and slipped into a car parked at the street I could see it was an old model, but I couldn't identify the make I Caught the last three numbers on the license plate before it disappeared around a bend. I couldn't quite figure it Might have been Haynes or some ghoulish swindler who was scared off when he saw the widow wasn't alone The numbers were 642 Expense account item seven three dollars and seventy-five cents taxi back to my hotel Item eight six dollars and a quarter dinner and incidentals there an item nine a dollar and forty cents taxi again to the waterfront headquarters of the Harbor police Thirty minutes later I was in a police launch with deputy agent Barney Wilson several miles down the coast Skimming across the water toward a bright cluster of spotlights where a salvage barge was working into the night to raise the burned hulk of the charter cruiser fathom five You still got your mind set the same way mr. Dollar. What way was that that there hasn't been any death there any murder? Oh, come now mr. Wilson. You're mistaking an honest scientific skepticism for a set of mine. Well, that's very pretty mr. Dollar What does it mean? Well, I haven't taken any definite position yet But I've got to see more evidence before I'll consider proof of death to be established without a question That means you'll file a demurrer against the declaration by the court It's not up to me. It's up to the company, but I can tell you right now that if you petition They'll move to block it. You have no real evidence mr. Wilson I'm getting it though piece by piece the sea is starting to give up its prey mr. Dollar What do you mean the boys found a shoe late this afternoon washed up in the surf just about where you'd expect to find it If it had been carried in by the current identifiable from the same New York shop that Markey's other shoes came from same size same style Well, it's something all right, but it's still not conclusive who would he ask that Markey walks up and tells you he's dead No, I guess I'd settle for just seeing him that way. Oh By the way, I wonder if you could have an auto license check for me a partial license on a used car Florida plates The last three numbers are 642. Well, it might take a while with no more than that to go on I've got an idea the car may have been purchased within the last three weeks or so. Maybe that'll narrow it down You got an idea it may mean something look. I have no idea at all. I'm just playing the hunches But it's about time something in this case started meaning something We edged the launch up the side of the barge tied up to a stanchion and climbed on deck The power winches on the Derrick's were still grinding away in the sunken hull of the burn cruise It was nearing the surface a Crew of men waited with salvage pontoons ready to float the supporting cradle into place as soon as the waterlogged hulk was raised Wilson and I stood by the rail watching not talking Wondering I suppose what answers the wreck might supply us with The taught steel cables inched their way slowly up from the depths and finally the boat itself broke the surface of the water Then the men moved in with the pontoons and other crew members dropped a suction hose into the water filled hull and started a pump to empty Finally the whole thing was high enough so we could see that the cabin in the deck were badly burned almost destroyed But strangely enough the hull itself seemed to be undamaged Then Wilson and I both noticed something at the same time a solid column of water spotting from a round hole near the keel of the boat And we both realized what it meant Look dollar look there somebody opened the seacocks Somebody left them wide open so one thing is certain. It wasn't an accident. She was sunk deliberately That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you right from the start William Markey was murdered Here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow a Photograph a silver cup a herried widow and the dead begin to stir with life Join us once you yours truly Johnny dollar 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 This is Roy Rowan speaking