 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Well, lieutenant they found you in a hurry You'll get no sympathy from me. I haven't even been to bed More or less. I've got another body for you lieutenant An ex-Chicago hood named spade killer No, he fell over a cliff in the manner of speaking. That's three of the gang dead now The only one left is jibber-nits in himself No, but I think I will in the next hour or so Give me till noon lieutenant if I can take him myself. It may save an innocent person's life. He's a three-time killer already All right a friend who's with me a prospect named Jed Marsh will meet you here at the Forest Service phone in an hour He'll be in a green station wagon We haven't yet. We're about to steal it so long lieutenant And every week day night Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-pact expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar location primrose camp santa rita national forest Arizona To the home office mid-states industrial insurance company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the primrose matter Expense account final pay The jibber-nits and gang had held up an armored truck in Kansas City killed two guards and fled with a hundred thousand dollar payroll covered by insurance I'd finally tracked them down in the Santa Rita Mountains of Southern, Arizona Three of the gang were dead now and only the jipper himself was still undercounted for But he was close around that I was sure of somewhere near the primrose tourist camp where I was staying Lonely layout on a dead-end mountain road run by old pop Bardella and his wife and their daughter Jenny whom I still hadn't seen It was nearly dawn when Jed Marsh and I got back to the camp. There was no sign of life We'd taken the keys to pop station wagon from the dead gangsters pocket Jed got into the station wagon and waited until I was over at the cabin then started the motor I Was counting on the sound of the motor to bring somebody out into the open and the plan worked parking But it wasn't the jibber-nits show it was Pomp Ardell He came running out of the living quarters behind the souvenir shop tugging at his suspenders He didn't notice me until I walked up behind him. Oh, what the difference? What did you do enough? I'm an early riser Anything wrong, mr. Bardell wrong Why no, what do you think be wrong? I don't know, but I thought you seemed a little upset about something Do you happen to notice who was driving my station wagon, mr. Dollar? I can't say I particularly noticed I Imagine it was your nephew wasn't it? No, I didn't get out in time to see well who else would it be your daughter You told me isn't Tucson There's nobody else here is there except you and your wife. No nobody else, sir. I just thought maybe I Was him all right. He don't seem to be around is he in the habit of taking your car without telling you mr. Bardell. No, of course not Must have just gone after something you'll be back in a little while. It seems funny him having the keys to it He's kind of taken over your place here, hasn't he what do you mean? Well taking your car the way just did and yesterday evening when I wanted to rent a cabin for the night You claimed they were all full weren't gonna let me have one until he stepped in and okay He's he's my nephew one of the families somehow though I can't quite picture you as a man who'd let any other member of his family run things Unless of course you happen to be in a position where you had no choice. What are you talking about? I? Think you know well, of course. I got a choice. Why wouldn't I have? Not one though that you'd probably care to make if I've got the setup your tag right You ain't no tourist dollar and you ain't you're looking for uranium? Who are you anyhow? I'm a special investigator for an insurance company the company that insured that $100,000 payroll that was stolen in Kansas City by Jepa Knitzen and his gang What's that got to do with anything here from rose quite a bit mr. Bardell? Because this is where the gang hold up The two of them who were left after they shot their way through that roadblock down on the Nogales highway You're crazy. I'd know it if there was any strangers around here You did know it one of the two was the man you claim was your nephew now wait a minute actually he was a gangster But the name of spade teller he's dead by the way He's dead. Yeah, that's right It wasn't he that took your station wagon. It was a friend of yours Jed Marsh. Yeah, why what's he aiming to do? Meet the police on the road down below tell them what the setup is here and stall them off if he can Long enough for me to have a try at taking Knitzen without giving him a chance to hurt your daughter What do you mean by that last night your wife told me Jenny was in a room ill you said she was in Tucson One thing sure she wasn't around here anywhere neither was Jepa I think he's been holding her as a hostage to keep you and your wife in line That's why you had to let spade killer pass himself off as your nephew That ain't true you're out of your mind am I Jenny's in in Tucson like I told you your wife said she was here Oh, she was upset sure sure she was because of the danger to her daughter the same reason that's got you upset Oh, it ain't she'll have a lot better chance if you cooperate with me It wouldn't change things if I did the police are gonna move in at noon with 50 men and start a search Chip is a three-time killer already one more won't matter to him I can't help you Please don't ask me to use her as a hostage a shield and try to shoot his way out She won't have a chance your best hope is to tell me where he is help me get to him without arousing a suspicion I can't do it. I can't take the change Myra warning mrs. Mardell. He's a special investigator myra. He knows the whole thing Yes, I've been listening. I heard what he said and he's right, too Myra that fellow Knitson said if we would I know what he said If we breathe one word of him being here to anybody to kill Jenny first and then us and I heard what mr. Dollar just said too, and he's right We've got to take the chance for Jenny's sake. It's all we can do now. I Don't know why I just don't know with the police coming in like they are it's out of our hands now She's right, mr. Bartell. You can't do anything about the inevitable It's a matter now of doing what's best and save us for your daughter What else you suppose I've been thinking up for two days It's still the only thing to think of if I didn't agree with you I wouldn't be here I turned my information over to the police and let them go ahead and search the area they get Knitson all right But not before he killed her but I think I can prevent that the jipper doesn't know me as far as he's concerned I'm just another Eastern tourist wandering around the mountains here and because of that I think I can get a lot closer to him than the police can without putting him on guard Provided you'll help. He's right. We've got to do what he says He's old up in an old tunnel about a quarter mile back up the canyon there They took some silver out in the old days Not many folks even know about it and your daughter's there with him. Yes More than he's been taking food to him twice today making sure she's all right, and she has been I Guess he know that's the only hold he had over there. I haven't been there yet this morning. Have you know? He don't expect us for around 10. Well, maybe by that time if things go all right He'll have more to worry about than whether he gets his breakfast or not What are you aiming to do mr. Dollar make an early morning prospecting trip up that canyon? I'll take a pick a Geiger counter anything to help look the part now here I'll leave my gun with you mr. Barnell and my wallet. You're going up there without no gun Sunday prospectus from the east don't carry them Wish me luck I left a little while later with a complete kit and dressed to fit the parts Even including a couple of sandwiches in a canteen of water to show I was planning to spend a full day in the hills The end of an hour. I was working my way down the can shipping rock samples here and there testing with a Geiger counter Apparently without a care in the world The brush covered entrance to the tunnel was only a few yards ahead of me, but I made a point of deliberately ignoring it Finally the mouth of the tunnel was only a few feet away. I Pushed aside the brushes only get at the canyon wall then pretended to see the tunnel for the first time I pushed aside some more I stepped inside After a moment's hesitation, I fished out my flashlight and started walking back in from the entrance I hadn't gone far before I got results I went out like a light To hit him. He's just some prospector who stumbled in here accidentally relax kid. He's just knocked out You didn't have to hit him like that. I can't afford to take chances Going out the entrance make sure it was a long it comes to you call me The blow had been sharp but without much force. I was out only for a matter of seconds, but I went on playing possum Waited now until he was out of your shot Jenny you know my name to get easy. I don't want him to hear us. Who are you? What do you never mind? There's no time. Just don't worry. I'm here to get you out of this But how he's a killer a gangsta. I know who he is look as he got that money here with him But he stole in Kansas City. Yeah. Yeah, I'd send some canvas sacks back inside the tunnel father What difference does that money? That's what I was hired to recover Oh, I'll tell you later now if you'll keep your head and give me a little help we've got a good chance of getting you All right, listen Maneuver him four or five yards away from me with his back turned and keeping that way for just five seconds I'll do the rest. Yeah, but I don't know if I don't mind the if just do it. All right Don't let him know. I'm conscious that guy's still on Yeah, I think maybe he's dying and let him come on get away from him. Leave me alone It's inhuman to treat anybody that way. Oh shut up. I got problems on my own How much longer you're gonna keep me here? I get a hunch is something is wrong Things just don't feel right this morning If I thought this guy had something to do with it, I asked you how much longer and I said shut up How'd you like to make me shut up, huh? How do you mean? Pose you come here. Well Took you two days, but you finally starting to soften up my hand closed over a rock almost as big as a Spaceball weighing over half a pound and I came slowly to my feet chipper world around going for his gun What's the devil? I aim for his head All right, Jenny You can pick up his gun No, I haven't killed him But I imagine the state will Expense account item 12 309 dollars and 45 cents incidentals in Arizona and transportation back to Hartford Expense account total 914 dollars and 15 cents remarks The state eventually did kill him. I mean yours truly Johnny dollar Now here's our star to tell you about next week's story ever chase a phantom Well, believe me. I have and I will next week in the phantom chase matter Join us. Won't you yours truly? Johnny dollar Johnny dollars starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood written by Les Crutchfield It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone heard in our cast were Marvin Miller, Junius Matthews, Herb Ellis, DJ Thompson, Herb Butterfield, Tony Barrett and Barbara Eiler Musical supervision by Amorigo Moreno Be sure to join us on Monday night same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking