 This is Royal J. Harkins, daughter. Greater Southwest Insurance in Los Angeles. Yes, Mr. Harkins. If you're flighting to York, you can catch a midnight jet to put a ride here at 4.20 in the morning. Oh, I can. There'll be a room for you at the Beverly Hilton for whatever rescue you may require. And I'll see you at my office promptly at 9 a.m. Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Harkins, but I'm tied up this evening, so I'll grab a morning flight and see you about noon. No, 9 a.m. here at my office. Why? What's the big emergency? A conspiracy. All right, then. I'll see you first thing in the morning. This radio network brings you Mandel Kramer in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-tact expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar, the Greater Southwest Insurance Company Los Angeles office. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Four Seas Matters. Item one, and this does go on the expense account, I've dined for a phone call to Betty Lewis, the one gal who really counts for your truth. Oh, darn. I can't, Johnny. I'm sorry, hon, but I've told you from the time I started chasing you until you caught me, this sort of thing would happen now and then. I know. Look, I'll call you as soon as I get back. Okay. I'd love it. All right, now, then, but just one, the dollar's crap. We'll let's do it again. Oh, take it, please, sir. Oh, yes, here you are. Good, Mr. Dollar, get right aboard, please. Yeah. Well, good-bye, dear. Oh, and come to think of it, the dollar's promised to stop and visit me all the way to Europe this fall. Oh, the dollar's still what's the name? Yes. Mr. Dollar, would you like to hear a word, please? Oh, look, I've got to go, baby. I've got to go, baby. I've got to go, baby. I've got to go, baby. I've got to go, baby. I've got to go, baby. Oh, look, I've got to go, baby. The real beauty, too, Johnny. You'll love it. I'm sure I will. May I close the gate, please? But I understand she's married now. Oh, really? Wait here, Johnny. I need the plane, I'm not sure. Just go do us a right thing when she's here. The dollar? Oh, look, would you please? Break it off? The plane is waiting, please. All right. All right, I'm coming. I'll fly to a landing in L.A. International. Then, as I picked up my luggage... All right, Mr. Dollar, I knew it. Mr. Hawkins, it was no problem. I know, I know, I know. I've been on the poles of the airline. I'll wait for you. Okay. And listen, the name of our client is Crutton. That's C-R-U-T-T-E-L. Harvey Crutton. That sounds familiar. We see his import company, Crutton, Carding & Gallagher. So? Harvey Crutton is the senior partner, a man of about 15. He and his wife live out on Mulholland Drive, about a mile beyond Sepulveda. You know where that is? Yes, I think so. Here you are. Put it in your bag. All right. Now, how much insurance on this man, Crutton? Two hundred and fifty thousand, double indemnity. And his wife is the beneficiary? Dari Scutton? Dari. But more important, Dollar, according to the partnership agreement with Carding & Gallagher, his share of the business will pass to them. Oh, this conspiracy you told me about. Yes. They're after him. Both of them. Here. Look here. In yes of his favor. Like those 62... Man threatened to kill businessmen. Yes. Now, this other item right next to it. Man threatened to kill business partners. They ran the same item twice. Read them, sir. Read them. In a posh Beverly Hills restaurant last evening, Wilber Carding, well-known importer, told his partner Harvey Crutton in front of several witnesses. Yes, yes. Now, read the other item. In a bistro on the Sunset Strip late last night, Earl R. J. Kellinger, well-known importer, told his partner Harvey Crutton in front of several witnesses. There. Do you see? No. Oh, now which one is it? Kellinger and a night club are carding at a restaurant. They're threatened to kill him. Both of them. Don't you see, darling? Both of them did. You take that kind of threat seriously? Why? Because Crutton is bad for their business. He's one of the most disliked men in the city of Los Angeles. Well, again, why? Oh, shady deals and generally bad, moral character. Crutton has more than any client I ever had. Really? Well, I could name you a scorer of people who'd be glad to see him out of the way, be glad to help him out on his way. How about his wife? Because he won't sell out to him before the business goes completely to pot. Wilbur carding hates him most of all. Well, except perhaps for young Kellinger. What's his beef? Well, Crutton is quite the playboy. He said he's married. Oh, he is. He is. Wait a minute. You mean that Crutton is... That he's been... Yes, darling. His own partner's Earl Kellinger's wife. And judging by these news stories, it's out in the open. It's public news now. In other words, there's a telephone call for you. Huh? Mr. Arkin? It's the Boots B, or whatever that is. Oh, yes, yes. I told my office I'd be here. Oh, all right. Come on, come on. Do you honestly believe that one of his partners would go so far as to kill him? Yes, and that each of them would do everything possible to protect, to ally by the other. My sin. Oh, now, excuse me, will you? Oh, my name is Harkins. Thank you. Hello? Yes? Yes. Oh, I see. Yes, well, have you notified the... I see, I see. Thank you. Wait, wait, wait, darling. That was my office. Oh, yeah? They just received a call from Doris. Are they Cruton's wife? Yes. Cruton is dead. Oh. And, darling, that means that he was murdered. You have to stay alert. Don't let drowsiness slow you with no dose. The safe way to stay alert without harmful stimulants. Remember, when you're driving, working, studying, and monotony makes you feel drowsy. Work up. Work up with no dose. No dose. As his wife said, the police notified her only a few moments ago. There was some trouble identifying the body. Where? He drove an imported sports car in the Nerva Petini. Expensive. It would seem from what little the police told her that he lost control going around one of those tight curves, but they're a mohollum drive. Dead man's curve. I see. He tore around through the guardrail and dropped some 300 feet into the canyon. Tell me, was Cruton a pretty wild driver? No, no, no, no, no, no, definitely not, in spite of owning that Nerva Petini. That car was purely a matter of prestige for him because of its cost and exclusivity. I doubt it. There are more than three of them in the whole state of California. I can believe that. In any event, they've finally done it. They've murdered him. In spite of the fact the police claim he simply lost control. I believe otherwise that he was killed first and he and his car were pushed into that canyon or that somebody cites right in or forced him off the road or something like that. That somehow he was murdered. Do you find out when it happened? Sometime after midnight, he didn't know exactly. Well, I guess I'd better get going. Yes, Stella, get him out there immediately. Right. At the top of the pulpit of Boulevard, I turned left on Mulholland Drive to the mile of the circle of the Cruton Dress. But I'd gone only half that distance when I came to what was obviously Dead Man's Curve. A couple of power cars were parked there, also an emergency truck with a powerful crane on it. After showing my credentials to a patrolman who was busy keeping traffic moving, he came across as a way I had to have a slit and a half stumble down the perturous side of the rocky canyon to where the sports car lay and bits and pieces. You might see us if you turn around the climb and back to where you are. Oh, there's this guy. Johnny! Oh, Conroy. Sergeant Conroy, now Johnny. Well, congratulations. How are you, Mike? Oh, fine, Johnny. Of course, Mike. Where is it? Now, Doc Homie was here and said it was the accident cars that's there, so they hauled what's left of them off to the morgue. An accident? No, a suicide. Doc of course had to do a post-mortem to look for alcohol or poison or whatever, but he found no sign of anything irregular here and Doc's right, he found it. Exactly what happened, Mike. Now, you try to take that car too fast. Just look at the way this thing is wrecked. And I'll tell you this, Johnny. Yeah? I checked with a man that did his service for him. And this car was in absolutely perfect condition. Well, even so, Mike. And I'll tell you something else, too. He must have had breaks when he left the house. I know where he lives. He couldn't have backed out of the steep driveway without him. But he didn't use them when he hit that curve. Nope. Or he couldn't. One more thing. Yeah? Nobody sideswiped him. He charged at him to make him swerve suddenly. You sure? Well, we're sure. No other trucks were out of luck of them. Have any idea how fast he was going, Mike, when he plowed through that guardrail? Hamilton had asked me figures about where he first hit the side of this canyon on the way down. He must have been doing close to 90. Hmm. All right. Okay, Mike. Now, I'll grab this, Johnny. Some of these guys who own these hot rods drive much too fast when they get out of city traffic. But they lose control because of too much speed. It happens all the time. So? But you know what this looks like to me? You know what I think? What do you think, Mike? Suicide. That I doubt. From what I hear about the man, he wasn't the type. Well, why do you leave his home around midnight, then? Who set that time? Doc Holme. He has to look at... Ah? What's the matter? Okay, Gordon. Lower the swing whenever you're ready. And I'll tie it under the left. Okay. What's going to be taken, Mike? Back to headquarters. The lab crew will take another look. After that, it's up to Mrs. Kruppen. See him yet? No, not yet. Oh, why did this? But a strange one. Oh, why do you say that? Not despite of all their money. She works like a handyman. And the way she dresses, and that old geloppice she drives in, well, you'll see. Yeah, I think I will. Why not? Okay, Gordon. Lower the way. In the morning sun. The outside was all freshly painted and obviously by an expert. Someone who really cared. Even the floor of the garage was painted black behind grease marks. And the so-called geloppie parked in there, well, it too was spotless and a real beauty. Do you like it? Oh. 1938. Cleaner and runs better than the day it was born. I enjoy it myself. The museum's whole street retains it. It all works. And it runs better than the day it was born. But come into the kitchen, will you? Sure. You're Mrs. Kruppen? That's right, Darius Kruppen. Are you another policeman? No, my name is Dollar, a Johnny Dollar. The insurance investigator. That's right. Been hoping to meet you for years, Johnny. I'm a fan of yours. Well, thank you, ma'am. Call me Darius, huh? If you like. Here. Take one of these wrenches and tighten up the wall bolts while I hold this sink in place. You're installing this new sink yourself? Why not? I do all the fixing around here. Why? Just like the car, it's my hobby. I want to do something to keep you busy. Hey, to vegetate. Oh, dear. I get a bang out of all this do-it-yourself jazz. Uh, Mrs. Kruppen. Darius. All right, Darius. Yes, Johnny? Oh, you know, for a minute, I thought maybe this hard work, well, this sort of activity was just to keep your mind off of what's happened. But I guess I was wrong, wasn't I? I don't think I know what you mean. Well, I mean that it's rather evident you aren't terribly upset over your husband's death. Oh, you don't. No, why should I be? Johnny, it's the one thing I've been waiting for ever since I married that miserable man. Treat your taste kindly with kent. Want to give up marsh-tasting cigarettes? Treat your taste kindly with kent. Want to give up rough-tasting cigarettes? Treat your taste kindly with like the right filter cigarette. That's kent, that cigarette that made the filter famous. Let's you get away from cigarettes that sometimes taste too strong. Too harsh. Refines away harsh flavor. Refines away rough taste for the mildest taste of all. If you want to get away from strong harsh-tasting cigarettes, change to kent. Remember, the finer the filter, the milder the taste. Treat your taste kindly with kent. Want to give up marsh-tasting cigarettes? But his insurance is half a million now because of his accidental death. Anything wrong with that? Johnny, once I found out the rougher he was treating me like dead under his feet and with other women all the time, I stopped entitled to anything I could get. I still feel that way. Tell me, Doris, where were you when he left the house last night? You can check, Johnny. I was at a poker game with some girls I know. I got back about 1.30. I saw that his car was missing. I think it often was. So I went to bed. Then this morning the police came and told me what happened. After they got through, I called the insurance office. Where was Harvey going, do you know? Whoever knew. Some cozy rendezvous, I guess. Johnny. Mm-hmm. Did you ever meet Earl Kellinger's wife, Mara? No, why? Just wondered. But why have you come here? Do you think maybe Harvey's death wasn't an accident? What do you think, Doris? Well, I have no reason to think it wasn't. That's all I know is what the police told me, yet. Yes. Well? Johnny, it's either Wilbur Carding or Mara's husband, Earl Kellinger, did get to him somehow. Did manage to cause that accident. All I have to say is thanks. Well, sorry if you like. Any importance, except that Doris knew more than I did. So I left. Item five, a dime for a phone call to headquarters to Sergeant Mike Conroy. No, Johnny, Doc didn't find a thing. No charge of alcohol or anything in his general condition, that's who it was. And he didn't apply the brakes? Mike, I'd like to look at that, Con. Well, sure. Good, I'll be right over. Before doing so, I dropped in at the three C's import company. Earl Kellinger looked anything but sad over his ex-wild partner's death. Sure, I'm glad he's gone. Sure, I'm glad. Not only because of the business, but now it'll give Mara out, that's my wife. He'll give her a chance to come back to her senses again, behave like a decent wife and mother again. And you'll forgive her, Kellinger? She's only a kid, darling, a naive kid. And if Harve had a chance to charm her with his funny manners and all his money, well, maybe it was partly my fault, because I was so tied up with his business. Just the same, you had a mighty powerful motive for wanting to kill him, didn't you? Oh, now, don't be ridiculous. Hey, wait a minute, darling. You mean that crash wasn't an accident? Where were you late last night? On a train. I'm only back from San Francisco, a business trip. I got in here at eight o'clock this morning. Can you back that up? For sure I can. Asked Wilbert Carding. He was with me. I was afraid of that. And three of our salesmen, too. Ask them. Ask the cops. They checked us out. Listen, darling. All right. Just keep your show down. I think that Wilbert Carding gave me exactly the same story. So did the salesmen that they'd had with them. The police had checked their alibis thoroughly. They both insisted that I call headquarters to confirm the fact. So kind of left me sitting there with egg on my face. All right, now, Mr. Dollar, be honest with us. Do you really have any reason to think it might have been murder? Well, Mr. Carding, I guess I thought I had. What reason? Motives. Your motives. Yours and your partners. The only motives that seem to make any... Now, wait a minute. Hold everything. Yes? What is it, darling? Three Cs. That's the name of our company. Yes. Three Cs import company. Yes, I know. But there's another one. A fourth C. Excuse me. What? I'll see you later. Punch? Not by a long shot. Because of something Betty Lewis had said to me before I left Hartford. About Doris planning a trip to Europe this fall. Doris alone. I drove to headquarters and back of the place, a crew was going over what was left of the maneuver that she named. And here, Johnny, look underneath lineup of the tools for one of these babies. Here under the rear deck. That's exactly when I came to look at them. Especially molded velvet line compartment for every one of them. Even the lug wrench. And all of them in the metric system instead of American standard. Wait a minute. Yeah? Where's the little tool that was supposed to fit in this compartment? Well, it could be most anywhere in this mess. The brake system and the maneuver patchini and the bleeder valve for letting air out of the brake lines. Johnny, you think maybe somebody could have opened that bleeder valve just a hair? It's a possibility, isn't it? Oh, but you can't tell by looking at this wreck. It's too far gone. I know, Mike. But a special wrench is where I think it is. Mike, I'll see you. Want to tell me where it is? If you mean the tools I used to fix up my older lobby. Yes. Including this very special little wrench metric system. I guess you know them, don't you? For a maneuver patchini, isn't it? To fit a bleeder valve on the brake line. You loosened it, didn't you? Just a little. By the time he got to dead man's curb, he'd lost just enough fluid in the lines to make his brakes completely useless. Why, Doris? Why you? Somebody had to do it, Johnny. I'd waited so long and nobody else would. So I had to kill him. I shouldn't have, I guess. No, Doris. You shouldn't have. Once again, it's up to the courts. I suppose if she hadn't done it, somebody else would, like her, and the mistaken belief he could have gotten away with it. Expense account pool including mileage on the rental job on the trip home. 40123. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Can you get premium gasoline performance at regular gasoline price? Find out what so many other car owners have found. In free out of five cars, regular price Sinclair Dyno gasoline matches performance of premium gasoline. Saves you up to four cents a gallon. Almost anywhere you see the Sinclair sign, you can save up to four cents a gallon with Dyno and still get premium performance and mileage. Drive with care and buy Sinclair Dyno gasoline. Truly, Johnny Dollar is written by Jack Johnstone, produced and directed by Fred Hendrickson. Johnny Dollar is played by Mandel Kramer. Also featured in our cast were Grace Matthews, Mercer McCloud, Frank Milano, Wolverkin Seller, Vivian Smollin, Robert Dryden, Joseph Boland, Barbara Cliffle, and Larry Robinson. Music supervision by Ethel Huber. Sound patterns by Walter Otto. Technical supervision by Fred Turner. Be sure to join us next week, same time, same station for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. We'll talk in a second.