 For your listening enjoyment John Lund as Johnny dollar Dave Brace Johnny Plymouth Mutual. Oh, hiya Dave Johnny Sapphires a bad luck. Yeah, so a black cat cats don't get stolen How much Many stark Yeah, jewel thief couple of convictions. I Haven't heard of him lately Rockport outside of Chicago wants to talk to you. He apparently has the sapphire necklace Who's your client Dave the girl named Ellen? Oh regard big wheel in Rockport society. I've already made your plane and hotel reservations and Dave Benny your name Right here I have a few words to say and I'll say them as quickly as possible You know someone once said that everyone and everything in America depends on speed And that as our country grows older we all move faster But it wasn't much more than a hundred years ago that the fastest anyone could travel was at the speed of a running horse Which wasn't very fast when you compare it to the speed of our latest jet plane and talk about going to the moon at 25,000 miles an hour and During that same 100 years or so We've grown from the first crude telegraph to the perfection of color television Yes, there's increased speed in transportation communication and everything else has changed almost everything in our country Including the cabinet of the United States For example up to World War two There wasn't any reason why the war and Navy departments shouldn't be directly responsible to the president But then there was a growing need for the speeding up of military action and decision Calling for unified commands and a more closely knit integration of military activities Thus our Department of Defense was born Creating a new cabinet post to coordinate and execute the overall general policies relating to the armed forces And the Secretary heading this new Department of Defense Became the representative to the president for the newly designated secretaries of the Army Navy and more recently the airport In the future our fast-moving world may add even more members to the president's cabinet to ensure the safety and well-being of our United States Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to home office Plymouth Mutual Insurance company Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Boregaard matter Expense account item one fifty eight dollars and forty cents airfare and into that lose to Rockport, Illinois I checked in to the bleaker hotel and waited for a contact from one Benny Stark jewel thief I plan to see the Boregaard later, but instead the Boregaard came to see me or anyway, one of them did I'm Jarrett Bodegard. It was my niece Ellen from whom the Nick that was stolen May I oh sure come in mr. Borgard have a seat. Thank you, sir This is a little unexpected. I just got in town. Well, at least a brace of the insurance company wired up. You were coming I I wanted to talk to you before you saw Ellen Oh, I see my niece is a Remarkable girl. Mr. Dollar trifle headstrong at times though and not always inclined to use the best judgment Well, I guess that could apply to most of it. Yes. Yes, of course Now tell me mr. Dollar. Do you have any hope that the necklace may be recovered? I think so It's fairly certain in fact Well Ellen will be a very happy. It was an engagement gift you understand from till Avery her fiance She was quite broken up when it was stolen. Yes, I imagine $30,000 is quite a loss. Well, it's more of a sense of an attached and the beauty of it You've seen the necklace mr. Dollar. No, but I have photographs of it. Oh, yes from the insurance company About your niece mr. Borgard Just what was it you wanted to tell me? Johnny dollar, okay shoot now, but I'll find it Yeah, sure. Have you Got the item. What do you mean double-cross? I've got to run along with the dollar I I didn't really have anything in particular Well Ellen is too impulsive sometimes, but she didn't mean very hard by it. I I'm sure you understand Expensive kind of two $14 to hire a car Benny was on ice until nine o'clock So I decided to call on Ellen Borgard the girl who was too headstrong and impulsive, but didn't mean any harm by it Uncle Jared was wrong though. I Didn't understand I left the car near the border guard coach house and walked down the terrace toward the entrance ahead of me in a glass-in Sunroom a man and a girl were so busy with each other that they didn't even notice me I'll hide a romantic scene The mistress of the house probably The only trouble though. He was wearing a maid's uniform. He was still a little flush when she answered the door Good afternoon, sir. I'd like to see miss Ellen Borgard. My name is Johnny dollar They must have wired everybody in town Won't you come in thanks Yeah, right You must be the insurance for You too Ellen said you were doing sound today. I'm still a very much darling. How do you do? Ellen and I are engaged. I gave her that necklace that was stolen. Yes, I know I certainly hope you can get it back The insurance won't cover the sentimental value Sentimental value. Yes. Oh I know I So you come up on the terrace, but appearances at this evening sometimes I We want you to misunderstand. Oh, I think I understand perfectly with her avery good I got to run my officer in the central bank building drop in if there's any information you'd like. Thanks. I will. Bye I'm awfully sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Dollar. Quite all right, Miss Borgard Gave me a chance to meet your fiancee always until a guy Impulsive but he never means any harm by it. That is exactly Well, I thought you wanted all about the robberies. No, I think I know most of it already I would like to see the safe though. Oh, yeah, of course. It's over here behind the painting You've just got to find that necklace. Mr. Dollar. I feel so guilty about guilty. Why? Well, because it it was a gift from Phil and not that I was careless, but I'm sure you understand It is back of the portrait An old-fashioned one, huh? Everything in the house is our family's been around quite a while Yes, wouldn't be much of a job for a professional safecracker How'd they get into the house, Miss Borgard? For the lock somewhere? No, they must have had a clue. You see, I'd run out for the afternoon and Uncle Jarrett was off somewhere and the house was empty. Your maid wasn't here? No, after I left, she decided to go into town to do some shopping or something. Oh, but they couldn't have picked a better time. No, they couldn't have. Okay, incidentally, you'll probably be talking to Uncle Jarrett and I wanted to warn you about him Of course, he needs well, but... Is he headstrong and impulsive too? No, no, it's just that he's well, a little vague. I'm sure you understand, Mr. Dollar. It was nearly dark when I left, filled with understanding and with a lot of questions about the Borgard establishment that still needed answering. I started to open the door of my car when I caught a flash of white at the corner of the coach house. Somebody had seen me and then tried to duck out of sight. I walked across the drive and moved quietly up to the corner. Evening, Lois. Can I help you with that? No, no, I was just going to burn some trash. Well, fine. Let me put it in the incinerator for you. No, please. Oh, it's no trouble. I'll just... Hey, have you sorted through this? There's something heavy inside these papers. Lois! Let me have it. You won't understand. Oh, and you're the first one around here who hasn't talked so... Lois! She sounds impatient. You better run along. I'll take care of this for you. No, please. Oh! I knew what it was already. And in a moment I had it unwrapped. A 32 caliber revolver. And one chamber had been fired recently. Mr. Dollar? I slipped the gun in my pocket and shoved the papers into the incinerator. Mr. Dollar? Right here, Ms. Beauregard. Oh. Oh, I saw your car. I was still in the driveway and I... Just checking the layout of the ground. I'm leaving now. Lois just came in from somewhere in this direction. Oh. Was she talking to you by any chance? Oh, we passed the time of day. Well, don't believe anything she tells you. Any definite reason? Why not? Oh, I caught her in all sorts of lies. I didn't want to say anything inside. She might have been listening. How long has she been with you? Four months. She goes out in the afternoon sometime and I know she lies about where she's been. Do you think she had something to do with the robbery? I don't know. I'm only suggesting that you check very carefully on anything she might tell you. Well, if she's like you say, why have you kept her? No, I've been planning to let her go, but... Well, objections were raised. Who raised the objection? Uncle Jerry. When I got back to the hotel and went to my room, I had another surprise waiting for me. Good morning, sir. I never see you. Oh, thanks. I could be in the wrong room, of course. I'm out of your Mr. Dollar. You know a fellow named Benny Stark? Not exactly. I'm looking forward to meeting him, though. I see. You got business with him? I might. Do I, uh, have any with you? My name's Cotton, Mr. Dollar. I'm the Chief of Police here. Oh, I see. How did you get out of me? Find your name with Stark and written it down at your room number here at the hotel. He a friend of yours? Well, I guess we might as well work together, Chief. I'm an insurance investigator, checking on that borough guard robbery. Ah, so that's it. Stark is a jewel thief. He phoned the company and offered to talk a deal. I've got an appointment with him at nine tonight. Yeah, I don't reckon you're gonna be able to keep it. Why not? Because this Stark fellow got himself shot a few hours ago. Real shot. Dead in fact. Righted? Yeah. Find him in a room and hide over across town. Uh, you wouldn't know anything about it, would you, Mr. Dollar? I might. What kind of a gun was it? Two revolvers according to the lab. Well, this might be the gun. I'm fired, all right. Where'd you get it? I took it away from Lois, the borough guard's maid. He was trying to hide it in the incinerator. You might have a check, but I doubt if it's registered. It's registered. Huh? We don't have many guns around town here. I recognize this one. It belongs to Jared Borough Guard. Uncle Jared, huh? What about these borough guards? Who are they? What are they? Four line family, four generations. Just the two of them now, Jared and Ellen. Not as wealthy as they once were, maybe. You never know, though. They, at least, Jared seems to have plenty of money. Lately? Oh, not just since the robbery. That's what you think. And I meant the last four or five months. Ah. What about this bill, Avery? In a couple of years, fine, you're a fellow civic leader. Everybody was pretty tickled when they got engaged last spring. I figured they was meant for each other. Well, he goes in for lavish gifts, at least. Victim anybody? No. Who is it? Lois. I've got to talk to you, Mr. Dollar. Just a second. You want to dive into the bathroom and look at him? Good idea. Come in, Lois. Thank you. I've got to have a task, Mr. Dollar. What? The gun. Please, Mr. Dollar, it's not the way it looks. I was trying to get me in trouble. I found the gun. Where? Right under the mattress of my bed. I got scared. I was trying to get rid of it when you stopped me. The night in the paper, it says a man's been shot. Did you know him? No. You know whose gun this is? No, I don't know anything about it. Give it to me, please. I'd like to, Lois, but I'm afraid it's not that simple. All right, chief. You know many great men have attained the highest office in our land, the presidency of the United States. Can you guess the name of this man? As a boy, his general health was bad. But as a man, he was a dynamo of energy. He was only 42 when he became president. The youngest man ever to hold that position. His administration was a fairly untroubled one. There was still no income tax. Other taxes were comparatively low. And the United States was in a peaceful era. The conservation of our natural resources was one of his greatest concerns as president. And in 1902, he signed a bill putting the Reclamation Act into action. If you don't have his name by now, here's one more important clue. During his administration, work was begun on the Panama Canal. Who was he? Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States. His life is part of your American heritage. And now, with our star, John Lund, we bring you the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account item three, $2.90. Two hamburger steak lunches the next day at noon in the Blaker Hotel Grill. Apparently a favorite daytime eating place for the president of the Central City Bank. I tell you, you mind passing me that Tabasko sauce, Mr. Dollar? Oh, here you are. Oh, I love it on hamburger. I love hamburger for that matter. Just a proletarian at heart, I guess. Maybe so, but you've got some pretty aristocratic clients, haven't you? Well, that's a bank for you. Yeah, I guess you mean the Boulder guard. Well, here, try some of the sauce. Yeah, thanks. Oh, there are aristocratic and others, as far as the family background is concerned. Our social position, that sort of thing, but when it comes to money, that's another story. When you want to know about a man's economic status, just ask his bank. That's exactly what I'm doing. Oh, yes, here you are. Now, you understand, Mr. Dollar, that I wouldn't know it in there, and they left this information out. Yes, yes, yes, of course. The fact is, though the town figures, they're rolling in it. The Boulder guard, they're broke. They're flat broke. They have been for a couple of years. What about that house, the estate? No, it's mortgaged to the hilt. Like a few other properties, they've still managed to hang on to. But cash, oh no, no, they haven't got it. You're going to eat that butter, Mr. Money? Huh? Oh no, no, go ahead. Thank you, thank you. Except the mayor's three or four months. You know, it's a funny thing. Old Jarrett seems to be going around with a pocket full of money. He's probably borrowing it from his prospective son-in-law. Bill Avery, huh? How has he fixed, financially? Oh, how has he fixed a man who can afford a $30,000 engagement here? I have never looked through his account, but I'd say that if he doesn't have it, he soon will have. Oh my, that boy's a go-getter. Pretty well thought of, huh? Elected him to the board of directors of the bank last month. You're not going to eat that roll? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't know how he finds time for it, that boy. He's got a half a dozen jobs already. He had to postpone his wedding even. They were supposed to get married three weeks ago. Oh, I see. Lois, the borough guard maid, wouldn't have anything to do with that, would she? Oh, gossip, gossip, oh, it gets around that gossip. Well, she's a pretty little thing, you know. And a man who's about to tie himself down for life, well, you know how that is, wouldn't you? Yeah, yeah, sure. It'd be just too bad if Ellen found out about it, though. This time to be able to put some real excitement, if she felt, oh, we could pass that sauce again, Mr. Dulling. Good afternoon, Chief. I have a couple... Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy. Well, that's all right. Come on in. You know Mr. Ray, very, very well. Yes, we've met. How are you, Mr. Dulling? Glad you came. This concerns you too. Mr. Avery figures we're doing this girl Lois an injustice. She's not involved in any of this, Mr. Duller, out of the theft or the murder. She's not the kind. I know her. Oh, well, Mr. Avery, well enough to know that she's a pretty fine person. The only trouble is, Mr. Avery, I've got a pretty strong case against the girl. She was trying to dispose of the murder gun. She'd know the time, the house would be empty to set up the robbery. She could have given Benny Stark the key to get in. One thing, though, Chief Cotton, we haven't found the necklace. Unless she can be tied up with that, the case won't stand. Ah, we're still looking. What about her room at the Bora Guards? Or places around the house that she might have access to? First thing in the morning, we're going to take it to pieces, Mr. Duller. No, you won't find a thing. Wait and see. I'm afraid that's what we'll have to do, Mr. Avery. Wait and see. Well, you go on back and talk to her if you want. I told her you could have 15 minutes. Thank you, Cotton. See you, Mr. Duller. All right. What's on your mind, Mr. Duller? Jewelers. This is a photo of that necklace. Do you know any jeweler here in town who could make a duplicate imitation? No, I have to go to Chicago for that. Well, that's what I want to know. Whether somebody did go into Chicago four or five months ago. Well, I could get Jim over here from Harkley's jewelry store. I could give him a technical description over the phone. Chicago police work pretty fast. Might have some information back by the sea. Good. I'll wait to hear from you. There was nothing more I could do until I heard from the Chicago police. So I went to my hotel room to wait it out. Johnny Duller. Oh, yes, Miss Bargarde. Well, that's softly nice. Yes, I'd like to. Good. See you then. Expensive count item four. $14. I went to the rental for an additional 24 hours to attend dinner party at home of clients. I arrived at 645 parked by the coach house. And then at seven o'clock, I joined Phil Avery in the fidget room. We were about to start a game when the phone call I'd been hoping for came through. I took it on the extension in the entry hall. Johnny Duller. Oh, good. Any luck? Did you remember the client? Oh, I found the necklace, by the way. The sooner the better, chief. I'll see you. Good evening, Mr. Bargarde. You've discovered our little family secret, I take it. I'm afraid so. I knew you would. I want to tell you I warned Ellen, but she's headstrong. Of course, it was legal in the beginning, but not later. No. You'd better ask Ellen to come down as you wish, Mr. Duller. Shall we start the game, Mr. Avery? Right. Go ahead and break them. Let's make it straightforward. Okay. Start. You want a break? Like shooting quail in the brush. Ah, four ball in the corner pocket. By the way, Mr. Avery, you were right about Lois. She isn't guilty. She was being framed. I told you so. She's not involved in any of this, except as an innocent bystander. Even though I found the necklace a little while ago hidden in her room. You found it? Good. The Borgards, though, are not quite so innocent. There's a seven ball in the side pocket here. What do you mean? The Borgards needed money. They were still keeping up a front, but they were broke. And when you started getting interested in Ellen, they figured you were their answer. You make it sound pretty cold-blooded. No, I don't think there was much love lost on either side. You were playing the same game. Ah, wait a minute. It was a natural the way you saw it. Ellen, the last of an old line family, prominent, wealthy. Why, she was the key to open any door in town. So you gambled your steak on a $30,000 gift to show her that you were in the fortune on it. Mr. Dollar, I don't like this. 12 ball in the far corner. Then about a month ago, you had a chance to see the Borgard accounts at the bank. Why, they were broker than you were. I wasn't marrying Ellen for money. Only trouble was you couldn't stand losing that 30 grand necklace. So you brought Benny Stark in, and he stole it for you. But when he gave it to you, he told you it was phony. And you thought he was double-crossing you. He got sore and decided to try for a deal with the insurance company. And that's why you killed him. You're accusing me of murder, darling? Let's see now the eight balls in the end pocket. Well, who else, Mr. Avery? Lois wasn't involved, except that you tried to frame her. The Borgard knew the sapphire necklace was an imitation. You were the one who didn't. It wasn't an imitation. I paid $30,000 for it, not this one. Ellen's soldiers a month after you gave it to her. They've been living on the money. She had this one made in Chicago. That's dirty. Another clincher. You were the only one who heard me tell Chief Cotton that we'd have to find the necklace before we could convict Lois. So you brought it here tonight and planted it? Well, apparently I don't have to go on. No, you don't. Did you steal that gun from Uncle Jared, too? Oh, no. That is my own. You better lay down that cue now and get your hands up. It's slow and easy. And if I don't, you're... Thanks, Mr. Borgard! A video cue makes quite a weapon. What's this all about? Well, it seems your fiancé is the lad who had your safe rifled and then later killed his partner. Killed him? Yeah, I guess murder is worse than fraud. What do you mean? I heard an insurance claim on a necklace you'd already sold. I rather imagine the company is going to prosecute. Chief Cotton's on the way, Miss Borgard. Expense account item 5, $114.10. Hotel, incidentals, and transportation back to Hartford. Expense account total $203.40. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.