 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar. Oh, yeah, mr. Hanley I found this message to call you. You're still in town at the Beverly Hilton. Yes, that's right I thought you'd be back in Hartford by now when I can enjoy a spot like this on expensive count what this California weather the swimming pool here at the hotel wait no no no wait you say on expensive count why sure All right You cleared up that matter for us you prove conclusively that Randolph Merrill did not lose his yacht that the explosion in the sinking were fake. That's right and incidentally as you anticipated the yacht was found in a small Mexican seaport all ready to be rebuilt and repainted to thoroughly disguise it. Good. Now mr. Hanley. Oh by the way in spite of his earlier vindictiveness Merrill has decided to plead guilty and throw himself on the mercy of the court Has he signed a confession? Well, no. Then I'll bet he changes his tune by the time he goes to trial. Oh, sure That's an old trick to slow things up gain time Are you having Mrs. Merrill held as an accessory? The Merrill has made and signed a statement completely clearing you so do holder now would only complicate matters. Hanley Either you haven't yet read my expense account or I forgot to or I forgot to tell you What tipped me off that that bear was trying to pull something on us. Oh What was it mr. Dollar? Her jewels that you'd insured for a hundred thousand dollars. Oh, no. Oh, yes, Hanley That jewelry Mrs. Merrill showed us was fake paste You uh, you still think I ought to go back to Hartford. No, no, no, not until you found out where the real jewels are Can you come down to the office mr. Dollar right away? Sure if you like Whatever you say Right away Scotch and so to be all right. Yeah, what you suddenly sound as though you can use a drink Bailey in the exciting 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 western maritime and property insurance company, Los Angeles, California Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the wayward diamonds matter Expense account item one two dollars and a quarter for drinks in my room at the Beverly Hilton By the time room service had delivered them collected the tip and left peter hanley arrived Yeah, come in I make no bones about it. Mr. Dollar. I had completely forgotten about those jewels of mrs. Merrill. Yeah Well, I can't say that I blame you we were so intent on exposing the so-called sinking of that yacht Exactly. All right. All right relax here. Come on now sit down and relax while we map out a plan of action Thank you After you hung up. I suddenly remembered that you had mentioned the fact that those jewels were fake to mrs. Merrill herself Yeah, that's right. All right. Well, well, how did you know that they were fakes mr. Dollar? You remember when we sat in their living room out in westwood? Well, they gave us that cock and bull story about the yacht going down. Yes. Yes, I remember all right She handed me the jewels to look at I kind of absentmindedly drag one of the so-called diamonds across the glass top of the Coffee table and realized it didn't scratch it Now did any of the others which proved they weren't diamonds at all, but some kind of imitations Look, why why kid about it handily up to that point? They'd had me believing their story about losing that yacht. You weren't alone dollar You weren't alone, but now I suppose we'd better call in the police about that jewelry Why the police? Well to see if they can find the originals now. Look look the mrs. Are a clever pair they proved that when they almost got away with a hundred and fifty thousand dollar claim against you For a boat that didn't sink after all very true dollar very true So you can be pretty sure they didn't take the diamonds out of that jewelry and just hand them over to some fence around here Yes, you're right Later, I suppose she figured to lose the fakes have them stolen then claim the insurance Yeah, probably if we hadn't have the old man for the yacht fraud You say she hasn't been held no But I see now that we she should have been In spite of her husband's statement that she was completely innocent of any complicity in the whole scheme Yeah, yeah, I think she should have You know, it's gonna take a lot of money to defend him And with him in the clink she's the logic. I want to raise it with the diamonds the real diamonds That's my guess very well Then I'll go over to police headquarters right away charge her with fraud You know because of the diamonds themselves and see that she is held until she tells us where we can recover them Hadn't you better get evidence of fraud first? Your fact that she substituted paced for the real diamonds in that jewelry dollar Well, a lot of people do that never wear the real stuff in public unless they have a lot of guards around Well, even so no Henley You've got to prove that she's actually got rid of the real ones or tries to you see I don't think she's had a chance to yet. Why not? No, no, listen I'm running up a nice fat item for you on my expense account What kind of an item? Well, so far it only amounts to a hundred and hundred and fifty dollars What for? Fee to a private detective agency somebody to tailor 24 hours a day In the hope of finding out what she's doing with the genuine stones more important to find out how she'll try to dispose of them But you may have done that some time ago. I doubt it. Why? It's only recently they've needed no granted They had two plans the phony sinking of the yacht and later if that worked a phony laws of their phony diamonds But why later? Well to run them both together would look suspicious What's more apparently saving the jewels made the yacht accident look legitimate. Yes, I suppose sure And remember this she made a big thing of having saved her jewelry when we still believed the wreck was legitimate That's right She made a big point of displaying those phonies to us because she wanted to be sure we'd not only see them But believe they were the originals that we'd be witness to the fact she still had them Yes, I see But she must recall that you finally recognize them as pace Yeah, but like you and I almost forgot about it simply because they had nothing directly to do with the matters at hand Yeah, and she may think that we haven't forgotten. I mean, I doubt it The point is now she needs money He saw to it that she stayed free to raise it and the diamonds are probably her only way of getting it Which is why I put a detective on her. Oh, excuse me Johnny dollar Yeah What? Well, how does I well look I'll be right over What is it? Oh that detective I was talking about has just lost his job. I don't understand. He just came to Came to yeah at the home of mrs. Merrill He's in her home. Yes, but she isn't she's gone Back to of yours truly Johnny dollar in a moment Although most men by nature don't feel in a combat mood much of the time There are some who just can't get enough of a good fight, particularly if there's a good sound reason for it In july 1900 When american fighting men were protecting the rights and liberty of their fellow countrymen during the boxer uprising The battle was a furiously fought affair army private robert h von schlick Serving with company c of the ninth united states infantry division was in the thick of the fracas Although he had been wounded previously while carrying a wounded comrade to a place of safety He rejoined his command which partly occupied an exposed position on a dyke Private h von schlick remained there after his company had been withdrawn and in spite of the hail of bullets around him Single-handedly continued to fire into the enemy ranks Oblivious to the fact that he was a conspicuous target He refused to leave the fight until he was literally shot off his position by the enemy Private robert h von schlick earned the medal of honor for valiant devotion to duty And added heroic background to the code of conduct of american fighting men And now act two of yours truly johnny dollar and the wayward diamonds matter In separate cars, I still had my rental job pete handley the insurance man and I drove out to westwood just beyond bevelly hills You're sure that detective was here at the marrow home when he called. Well, that's what he said But if he was supposed to simply tail it come on come on Mr. Dollar. Yeah, that's right. Now take it just sam bench Holy smoke. What happened to you? Where's mrs. Merrill? Well, like I told you on the phone mr. Dollar. She's gone. Any idea where? Oh, sir Hey, you mind if I sit down? I don't feel so good. No, no go ahead. Go on sit down All right gel set. Yeah. Now what happened? Well, I was walking up and down the street Huh, you know real casual. So it's not there. I was not you've been walking up and down in front of this house all morning Oh, yeah all morning. But like I say real casual. So where did you ever learn to be a detective some correspondence course on our luck Dollar, you shouldn't talk like that. I resented. Okay. All right. Go ahead and resent it But prowling up and down in front of the house. My brother runs a very good detective. Hey, brother Yeah, if he didn't think I was a good operator, he wouldn't be all right. What happened Well, I see her come out the back door. You know mrs. Merrill. Wow, and I say go out and she opens up the garage And why were you? Well by good luck. I just happen to be in front of the driveway about then so real casual I lean over and I start tying up my shoelace, you know, so she won't get suspicious of me. You see Go on go on. Well when she gets in the car and she gives me a look But that's all so I figured maybe it's a casual law. She's not wise to what I'm doing around here You know, I'll bet she wasn't but that's where you're wrong dollar because somehow she must have figured it out Even with me being so casual. All right. All right. What happened? Yeah Well dollar she comes bound out of that garage so fast. I didn't have hardly and she casually ran you down So it was casual about it by the time I picked myself up and to find out I got any busted bones She's down the street and around the corner What kind of a car was she driving? Uh, do you know what was the license number? I don't know. You don't know Well, then how it happened so fast. Look whoever assigned you to this job I told you my brother and don't you say anything about my brother? How did you get into this house? Well, my order said if she made any move, I was to phone you. I figured nearest phone was in here How did you get in? Well, I looked around and see when the back windows was open Do you have any authority to enter this house or warrant maybe? No But I have my orders to phone you just as soon as I couldn't like I said, I figured the nearest phone You want to see my orders? No, I don't. Well, look see here. Now you look you can take those back to your office And shove them in your darling brother's face. Oh, now you're saying things against my brother? Just don't forget to tell him you're fired Oh, now look, darling Anybody can make one little mistake. You asked me you made them all now go on get out of that chair and get out of here Oh, now listen Oh, and I uh, suppose that car that's parked right across the street. I suppose that's yours Oh, sure. Oh, no So as if she made a move I could follow without wasting no time Real casual on her so she wouldn't know you were following her All right, go on get out. Oh Now look, you wasn't really serious about what you said about her About you being fired? You bet I was and you can tell your brother he and his agency are Oh, go on. I'll settle with him later. Look, I'm not used to being treated like this and when I tell my brother Oh brother Well, hany it looks like I called in the wrong detective agency. I'm sorry I'm afraid so And I suppose you and I have no more right to be in this house in that idiot hand So perhaps we'd better leave. Yeah, sure But not until you get on the phone and call the department of motor vehicles Find out from then the year making model of mrs. Nancy murrell's car. Oh better still I can I can call my office Your office. Yes, we issued the insurance on that car. Well, good meantime rather than just sit here and twiddle my thumbs I'm gonna have a look around but dolly if our simply being here is illegal Would you stop worrying about it and get on that phone? In the bedroom, I found the jewel box all right, but no sign of the jewels However, in a desk, I did find a receipt I receded bill for some work done by a jeweler in westwood village the amount of the bill Yeah, it was more than enough to cover the substituting phonies for the diamonds in that jewelry So when Hanley got the description of Nancy murrell's car I sent him over to west LA police headquarters to have my pals over there put out an apb on it Then I hopped into my own car and headed for the jewelry store in westwood And you know something If I'd had any idea of what was waiting for me there Believe me, I'd never have gone alone Act three of yours truly johnny dollar in a moment Our flag now numbers 50 stars And behind each star there stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states Kentucky's state flag is dark blue With the seal of the commonwealth encircled by a wreath of goldenrod The state flower Within the seal two friends embrace Their right hands clasp their left resting on each other's shoulder Their feet on the verge of a precipice which illustrates the motto beneath them United we stand divided we fall Kentucky state flag the flag of the 15th state to enter the union was adopted on march 26 1918 And now act three of yours truly johnny dollar and the wayward diamonds matter Howard's hillcrest jewelry is a small but very exclusive shop on wayburn avenue in the westwood village section of los angeles There with the help of receipt i'd found in nancy murrell's desk. I hope to get on the track of the missing diamonds I ended the snooty little shop and asked for the owner I'm sorry my good man, but mr. Hard Howard is engaged with one of our important clients Well, I'm here on rather important business Well, if you care to leave your name and he wishes to see you, perhaps we shall call you Ah, mrs. Smythe can worthy how delightful to see you again And did little cheatsy like the jewel color we selected for him such a lovely puppy You know, he's the favorite of all my doggy friends. Just as you're my favorite Maybe I'd better look for this Howard myself mrs. Smythe can whether you have no idea how it brightens the data had you dropped in Oops wrong department I have a difficult privacy thing in real ammo No, no, but you must please Oh Nancy nancy my dear. Yes, Howard My pet when I remove the genuine diamonds from your various pieces and replace them with paste It was with a distinct understanding I know dear I know but now I have to have the real stones put back Why as I understood it was in order to have the fake gem stolen so that you could collect on the insurance Oh, of course it was of course Howard our plan to claim that the yacht exploded failed ramdolph is in jail He didn't involve you in that. I must say rather foolish plot. Oh, no But I have to go through the motions of getting him legal help. Excellent my dear. I hope they keep him in jail Howard ramdolph has stood in the way of our romance too long my pet Howard, please listen because of the yacht. They sent an insurance investigator out here Investigated yes. I'm mr. Johnny dollar dollar Good heavens. You know him. I know about him I don't like this and he found that these jewels I have now are paste Now you've got to put the original stones back so that when he sees them again, he'll think he was mistaken. Impossible I've already disposed of them through various connections Why did you show him those fakes? Well, I thought I thought you thought wrong your stupid wench Don't you see you may have opened the door to investigation of some of the other favors I've been doing you and other customers to beat your insurance companies. Oh, but I didn't think oh, of course you didn't But if dollar ever connects me with those limitations Oh, dear Oh, I know And if they ever find out that the loss you faked here in the store that you collected so much on Nancy if they ever discover that that was faked, I'll go up for life. Thanks to you. Oh, no I could kill you for being such a fool. Oh, but darling, I didn't know I didn't realize you don't know anything Howard, please. Oh, shut up Shut up and let me think if there's anything anything I can do. I said shut up Howard Will you be quiet? I got to think this thing out I knew from the beginning that that stupid trick with the yacht wouldn't work out I told you so but it fooled the police and the coast guard How are we to know the insurance company would send that Johnny dollar out here? Will you stop talking about him? We've got to figure our way out of this mess Now who else besides dollar knows about the phony jewels I made up for you. No and Howard except my husband, of course Are you sure? But how could they know? Well, what if your husband talks? Oh, he doesn't dare Don't you see he's the one who sent me here to get the stones back So the dollar can't prove he saw the imitations and I tell you I can't get them back They're probably scattered all over the country by now But don't you see unless we can show them to him the real ones I mean show them to this Johnny dollar. No, no, no, it's impossible So That means only one thing Nancy Replacing the fakes with some other genuine stones. No, no, that would take months No, Nancy. It means that I have to Get rid of this man dollar That gun that's right You you'd kill him. Yes Nancy. I'll kill him if I can find him. I'll save you the trouble of looking for me Howard. What? Dollar and is that the gun you plan to kill me with? Yes, that's right And I think I'd better kill you right now. Howard darling, please. Oh put that thing down Howard You're not gonna shoot with customers out front my private vault is just outside this back door of my office dollar And it's open in there the sound of a shot won't be heard out front No kidding. No kidding. All right walk out that little door Walk Well, you don't really leave me much choice, do you? I'll open it carefully. No tricks tricks But a gun in my back. All right, open the door go ahead. Oh, it seems stuck Maybe you'd better open it. I said no tricks. You open it. How would you don't know what you're doing? You bet I do go ahead dollar. You may be sorry for this, you know, will you quit stalling and open it? Mr. Howard No, Nancy go out there. Tell him. I'm not to be disturbed. I'll see them in a few minutes. Oh, please Go on The police well bless peter. Oh, no Yes, I do Dollar, are you all right? Those shots are Johnny. Hi peter. Huh? Oh, thank heavens Thank you. Yeah, looks like he's okay, mr. Hanley But dollar one under the sun did you do to our friend Howard here? Well, we had a little argument sergeant I'll tell you all about it and then you can haul him off to the clink Oh, hey, listen if you've got something on Howard Howard, you'll be our friend for life sergeant I've got plenty good because brother. We've been trying to catch up with him for years Oh, incidentally, have you got a cell for mrs. Merrill to you bet we have Expense account item two fifty dollars in legal fees to make a deposition. So I won't have to hang around for a trial or two or three And I have a sneaking suspicion that Howard and Merrill and his wife are gonna have a long long time to think things over Expense account total including additional mileage on my rental car on the trip back to hartford 218 dollars even yours truly shiny dollar Our star will return in just a moment There are some men who after being practically pushed into the service find their element and commit heroic deeds Frank luke was that sort of young man Soon after the united states entered world war one luke was taughted by his patriotic family into joining up He was commissioned a second lieutenant after completing his flight training with the signal core air service That small beginning of today's mighty air force Lieutenant luke found it difficult to accept the discipline so necessary in the military When he got to france and was assigned to the english spads his attitude worried his commanding officer But luke's performance in the air didn't In less than two months in aerial combat He accounted for seven enemy aircraft and earned himself the nickname of balloon buster For knocking down 11 or 12 of those menaces to the ground troops the observation balloons For his gallant action in the face of great danger and overwhelming odds He was awarded two distinguished service crosses and the medal of honor Shortly before the end of the war lieutenant frank luke made his last heroic combat flight After having just returned from a sizzling air battle He refueled his spad and took off on an extra duty mission Pursued by eight enemy planes. He shot down three balloons He was wounded and his plane was so badly damaged in the action That he had to make a forced landing in a german cemetery Perhaps the irony of it struck him at the time When called upon to surrender He preferred to open fire with his automatic and fight to the death Though he was only 21 years of age Lieutenant frank luke may have had trouble adjusting to the military life But when he did he was a gallant fighter and a credit to his country Now here's our star to tell you about next week's story Next week a quiet little fishing pier on the coast of california only they call it the pier of death Join us. Won't you yours truly johnny dollar? Yours truly johnny dollar starring bob bailey originates in hollywood and is written produced and directed by jack johnstone Heard in our cast were paulowinslow then right jack prussian jack edwards marvin miller and joseph curins Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly johnny dollar This is roy rohan speaking This is the united states armed forces radio and television service