 The encyclopedia says that the island of Haiti can be called San Domingo, Santa Domingo, or Hispaniola. Now, after my visit there, I could suggest a few more things they can caught, but they probably wouldn't get past the census. This is another in the Adventures of America's Fabulous Freelance Insurance Investigator, Johnny Dollar. At Insurance Investigation, Johnny Dollar is only an expert. At making out his expense account, he's an absolute genius. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar. To Home Office, American Federated Life Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut. Attention, Harvard Huntington, General Manager. The following is an accounting of my expenditures during my assignment in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Or, the nights may be black down there, but the magic is blacker. Expense account, item one. $15 for a pair of tickets to see the show Detective Story at the Hudson Theater in New York. Which I never got a chance to use, since I was sitting in the living room of your Hartford home promptly. I want to thank you for coming out here. Well, that's all right, sir. Sorry to break into your evening like this, but since I have, I'll get right to the point. Fine. Perhaps you've heard of the Gordon family here in Hartford. Well, what I see of the society page is while I'm flipping back to the sports section. But I've noticed the name. Diamonds study, don't they? It's immensely wealthy, pillars of society, and surprisingly, quite a proper family. It is all but one of the sons, Ralph, the heavy drinker, complete waster, and narrow to will. A blot on the old discussion, eh? Yes, continually getting into one scrape or another. Now, he's done it again. I'd say that you're not worried about Ralph the man, but about Ralph the policyholder. Well, to put it bluntly, yes. I don't think it's unethical for a company to protect its interests. In this case, the policy is in the amount of $150,000. Payable to his death to charity or to his wife if he's married. That's quite a piece of paper. Yes, if he's quite candid, I'd rule the dead with issues. But the point is this, Ralph Gordon, at last report, is dying aboard his yacht at Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Oh, you don't need me, Mr. Huntington. You need the Mayo Clinic. Scholar, I hesitate to even mention this in the presence of a sane man, but from everything we can learn, young Gordon is not dying from any known malady. He's dying as a result of a... Well, it's pure nonsense. He's supposed to be dying as a result of a voodoo curse. Now, anyone with any sane... Now, wait a minute. Where did you get your information? From his older brother, Thomas. He's a doctor. He's down there in Haiti with Ralph. I want you to go down and debunk this thing, dollar, and find out what's wrong. Why, any sane man knows there's no such voodoo. You don't believe in it, do you? No. Not unless I see it working. Expense account, item two. $148.70. Hartford to Port-au-Prince via Airplane. Expense account, item three. $32.50. Tropical flows. They didn't fit me, but they fit the weather. And item four, 25 bucks. Spent while I browsed the waterfront bars in Port-au-Prince, looking for somebody who knew where the Gordon yacht was going. When I found him, he not only knew that, he knew everything. Ask me first. My name's Cap Regan, and I've been here since before repealed. Give up my citizenship, you ever did? With the help of a couple of broad-vision agents? Oh, you don't say. Uh-huh. And I figure on sailing out in the final days right here. What do you want with the Gordon craft? I want to see the owner, Ralph Gordon. How do I get to it? Oh, I reckon you pay me to row yow tour. My dinghy's down to the foot of the pier. Just a short hail from where we're at. Oh, good. Come on, let's shove off there. Just whittle it down my ration here. Man, that ain't all putting me ship shape. What'd you say you wanted with that schooner? You figured on barnard? Thanks for the compliment, pal. Listen, if I bought a boat today, it would have to be a surplus life raft. Now, I told you I want to talk to Gordon. Friendly visit or other kind? I'm beginning to see how you know so much about this island. Well, never question, never learn. Remember that, Sonny? Yeah. Now, this way. We're off to starboard. Never question, never learn. Yep. Well, I'm an insurance investigator, and a company sent me down here to look things over, including Gordon. Something wrong? I don't know yet. What do you know about him? A jugful, Sonny, a jugful. Stood into the harbor about two months back. No sooner dropped his hook than his crew started taking the pier head lead. Everybody jumped at the boat for reasons of his own. Why did they leave him? Because he was half seas over all the time. You navigate with sexed and encompassed and parallel rulers, Sonny, not with a double shot and a water chaser. They were afraid to sail. All right. That's the line, isn't it? And if you had ever piled into a reef, you'd feel the same. Yeah, here we are. That's my dingy down at the bottom of that ladder. There's Gordon shot out there. You see her? Oh, yeah. That tug's passing the stern of her now. Yeah, hey. That's a lot of boats. Yeah. She carries the suit of sail like a grain clipper. Wait till you see her close up. She's as dirty as a garbage cow. Sonny! They're close enough. It may have had good lines, too, but it couldn't have touched what stood at the rail wearing clam diggers and off-the-shoulder t-shirt and a Caribbean tan. Uh-huh. There's a crimp hole for you. Yeah, that'll be his wife. His wife? Can I come aboard? I'll swing the skirm into the ladder. Okay. Oh. Steady now. Steady, steady. Okay, Captain. You wait for me, huh? Yeah, yeah. There's two things in Ralphie's old hometown. Uh, cold. But not as cold as this reception. Don't let it throw you. What is it, a friendly drop-in? Business? Or just plain snooping? It's the last time Edwina, the wife they haven't heard about at home. Congratulations. Now I know why you like to wear your shoulders there. It's better to keep a chip on them. If you're through being sharp, I'll let you hear what's left of my husband. Come on. Through here. Okay. You've got a visitor from Hartford. Get away from this cabin, you dirty, low gold digger. And take your visitor with you. He's got the door locked. You'll stay that way until he runs out of wine. You heard enough? Yeah. Enough to know how you acquired your charming attitude. You get it. I walked into it with my eyes right open. Let's get back out on deck. The lights better for throwing bombs at each other. Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun. Do I have to help you off the boat? Not until you help me by answering some questions. I'm an insurance investigator, and I was sent down here by the company that holds a policy on your husband's life. Oh, what should I do, Finn? The story they got was that Ralph was dying from some kind of a voodoo curse. They don't believe it, neither do I. Why not? That might be true. Uh-huh. Some old dame, they'd call a Maria Lacelle. She came out to the boat. She else some things at him, and when Ralph ate through a bottle at her, she swore she'd put a curse on him. How'd they hear about that back in Hartford? Ralph's brother, Dr. Thomas Gordon, told him. Do you know him? Yeah, we hate each other. I wonder why he told him. Maybe because he thought somebody who'd be better off with Ralph dead was using Maria Lacelle's curse as a cover-up. How would you stand as a widow? Get off this boat. Never mind the act. You're his beneficiary. Or didn't you know? I said get off. What's the trouble, Annie? Oh, him. Yo, come here, will ya? Just get him off him. I'll see you in my cab. Sure, honey. Anybody get you this upset, it'll be a pleasure. Well, mate, do your walk or dive. Saviors' strength for the last scene, Goliath. I was just leaving. Expense account, item five, three dollars. Paid to Cap Regan as water taxi fare. Item six, 80 cents. Land taxi fare to Hotel Francois. And up at the heels hangout for not only the best in tourists, but also brother Thomas Gordon M.D. I'm Johnny Dollar, Dr. Gordon, from Hartford. Oh, yes, Tom. I've been expecting you. They wired me you were coming down. Come in. Thank you. Well, please make yourself comfortable. Could I offer you something? Nothing but some brotherly advice. Why, certainly. You know, I feel like a stupid fool for not being able to handle this thing myself. So now that you're here, you call on me for anything. And have you seen Ralph? I tried to, but he locked himself in his cabin. Tell me, as a medical man, how do you digest this voodoo curse story? Why, it's ridiculous. Good heavens, this is the 20th century. I do think that science doesn't know everything it would like to know about voodoo and black magic. The story is supposedly true, but any victim would have to have a highly susceptible mind. I know my brother, Mr. Dollar. His mind is susceptible only to his own whims and fancies. Well, then what's the matter with him? That's it. I don't know. He's drawn within himself. He seems to be searching almost insanely for escape through alcohol. Hasn't anybody thought of putting him on the wagon? It's a horrible idea, but I've heard it works. I don't think this is the time for it. He's suffering mentally and needs release. Well, that leaves us with only one thing to think about. No matter how thin you cut it, it's still voodoo. Well, I'm a man of science, Mr. Dollar. I'd make hypocrisy out of all my knowledge and training if I attacked a problem from that direction. But please, you let me know what you learned. Spence account, item seven. $4, rental of horse and cart in which my walking tourist guide, Cap Riggan, and I jolted out of town in search of Maria LaCelle. Something made me feel like I was riding my last mile in a tumble on route to the guillotine. The moonlight was fighting a losing battle against an army of storm clouds that were sweeping in. And that'll make it worse, I heard a drum. You hear that, Sonny? Yeah. That's sort of a Tyre Jean Krupa. It means we're getting close to Maria's headquarters. Is she the only one around here? Yeah. None of the good Ugans performs in her territory. She's too mean. Oh, great. What's the matter? We're here. And that's the path. Over there with that gnarled old tree. From here on, you plot your own course. Is this close enough for me? Oh, me too. Well, how do I know I can't put a curse on her? I've never tried. Smooth sailing, Sonny. The path ran along the edge of a field of sugar cane. On the other side was a solid wall of jungle. First I smelled some feathers burning. Then I heard the chant. There was an opening in the wall of jungle that led through a small clearing. And just before the moon was smothered by another cloud, I saw a shack. Little clouds of smoke curled out through an open door. I could see the glow of a fire on the floor inside. Maria, I want to talk to you. What is it? It's a good thing to you, but what I have to say will. Can I come in? I haven't gotten any answers from anybody else. I don't know what's behind this so-called curse you put on Ralph Gordon. You couldn't see what she'd thrown to the fire. She'd reached behind her for it. But when the smoke from a world around me seemed to grab my throat and squeeze my stumble back to the door. I hadn't believed in Voodoo when I'd come in, but going out, I wasn't so sure. In just a moment, we'll return to the second act of Johnny Dollar. But first, the two Orange Bowl teams, Attaclara and Kentucky, will be honored by Vaughn Monroe and his CBS Caravan tonight. Vaughn and his great band will play favorite songs of the two Orange Bowl teams. Be sure to hear Vaughn Monroe's Caravan, followed by the Gene Autry show on most of the same CBS stations tonight and every Saturday night. Now with our star Charles Russell, we return to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. My throat burned. My eyes were looking at each other. My lungs felt like a pair of deflated footballs. And the blood in my head was pounding a better and louder rhythm than that drum. I staggered around the heavy jungle air and when I could breathe again, I gulped in enough to lift the Grave Zeppelin. By that time, I was cool enough to get hot in anger. When I got back to the shack, the spirits appeared in the space or flown the coop. The atmosphere was not quite deadly. I crossed over to where she had been squatting. She hadn't left much of what she'd smoked me out with, but she'd left enough to swing things back from the world of black magic into the world of logic. A few shreds of photographic film on the dirt floor. And film, made of cellulose and nitrates, not only takes pictures, it puts out nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide when it's burned. I could live up to the demands of any gas chamber. The captain rode me out to the Gordon Yacht. This time, I boarded without a hail. Ralph was still in a bad mood as I started to pass his cabin. Why don't they send the one? His antics inside the cabin sounded interesting, but not half as interesting as the conversation coming from Edwina's cabin. Dear Edwina, the little wife they didn't know about at home. I spilled the whole thing. What difference does it make? Better than landing in a Haitian prison with your moat at the showings? Think it over, Angel. I'll be in my sack when you make up your mind. How long can you be? See you later, hon. Since I've been on the receiving end of so many surprise sluggings, this was almost a poison. What are you doing on this ship? Get off! Oh, no. None of that intriguing conversation, I just heard. How much did you hear? Well, I don't know what you're talking about. Well, the point is, I know what you two were talking about. Oh, listen to me. You've got to believe me. I don't have to. Well, try me, anyway. Well, I... I admitted him, and I... Well, it was because Ralph turned into a whino after you were married. Well, this probably marks the first time in history that an icicle melted and poured off French. Please, let me finish. When my marriage went to pieces, I... I had to do something. I'd go crazy. See, Ralph drinking up all the champagne on the island was just more than I could take. I was going to divorce him and... and leave with him, but we weren't going to murder him. Chapter one has so many holes in it it would have been printed by a punch press. You don't worry about landing in prison with your motive showing when all you're planning is divorce. Oh, yes, you do, when people are waiting for your husband to die under mysterious circumstances. That's why I was trying to make him go away. If Ralph died, who'd look any farther than the earring wife? Can you lock this camera from the outside? No. What are you going to do? You're not going to lock me in? No, just your playmate. You're coming with me. Where? To Maria LaCelle. I want to catch your reaction once she sees you. You don't believe me. No. With 150,000 at stake, I don't even believe myself. There's her chance. Go ahead. Go on in. Are you satisfied? Not quite. Drop the act, Maria. I know what you're doing to the fire. I say that I've got enough on you, you old fake, to put you in the local pokey. Who dares to speak this to Maria? And that's where you're going to go if you don't cooperate. That's a promise. What is it you want? Did somebody put you up to this cursed business that Ralph Gordon is supposed to be under? A man of your eyes. Who was it? I do not know. Now go. That is all. It's not enough. What was his name? I don't know the name. What do you look like then? My eyes are closed. Nuts. Come on. I'm taking you into town. I'm going to drag you by the hair. Don't touch me. I will tell you how it is. It is true. I do not know the name. All the face. He comes to me. He asks me when comes the next rain and wind. I tell him last night. But it is tonight. The storm comes with the seat. He tells me he needs firm to close the portholes in the ship. He says if I bring this curse, I will be the best hogan on high ground. Because it kills white men. That is difficult. That is all. Now you go. How about the film for the fire? Did he give it to you? This is true. It's not long before you come. Well, get rid of it, Granny, before you lose your license to operate. Now you go. Maria will be along. Let's not stay for the music. Did you make hair out of what she said? Look. What goes wrong? Nothing but food and wine. Mostly wine. Well, who fixes his meals? I do. Our cook left us. Well, what about the wine? Huh? Where does it come from? You said it was champagne, didn't you? Yeah. It always comes in the same place. Liquor shop in town. It's a case at a time. Oh, nothing makes any sense. What are you going to do? All I can do. Try every angle. But that's not all I'm going to try in that liquor shop. Expense account item eight, four fifty. Two quarts a rump, the purchase of which helped loosen the tongue of the proprietor who had been supplying Ralph Gordon's champagne. A case at a time. And the words that's poured out weren't exactly intoxicating, but they sent me staggering to the nearest phone. Hello, Dr. Gordon. This is Dollar. Gordon. First tell me this. What would happen to a man if he was in a ship's dock and he was in a ship's dock? A man if he was in a ship's cabin on a stormy night with all the portholes closed and there was a lot of dry ice in there with him. What? What was that? A small room. No ventilation. A lot of dry ice. A lush may be passed out. What would happen? Lord, dry ice is solidified carbon dioxide. Perhaps it evaporated into the room. The lush would not be bothered by a hangover the next morning because he wouldn't wake up. Right? Exactly. The gas, although not toxic, would force the oxygen from the atmosphere and the result would be intelligent. The curse your brother is suffering from is very scientific. The champagne he's been getting has been chilled by dry ice. About five pounds per case. And one case went out to the yacht just before the storm broke. That was... Yeah, I know. For a boson he'd make a very good chemist. Well, send for a full motor, will ya? If it's too late for your brother, maybe I can use it. Send him around, George, from a shipmate and me. Ha-ha. This is wrong, my lord. Never mind the round, Cap. You gotta roll me out to that yacht again. What do you take me for? A blasted galley sleeve? Come on, snap. Man back is about to burn out from all the roaring in this... Twenty bucks. In this wh... What'd you say? I didn't think it could rain any harder than it had, but it did. We would have been drier swimming. And the visibility was so bad I would have had to have a seeing-eye seal to find the ship. But about 20 minutes out, Cap spotted a riding lice. Here's your lice, any? We were on targets. But so was somebody else. A searchlight stabbed out at us. Hey, hey, hey. This sounds like prohibition days. Who's giving us a broadside? Can't tell yet. Lay a pelican hood over his head if I get on my hands on him. Hey, Cap, what's the matter? My left leg, right? Cap, get down to the bottom. I'm going over the side. To me, swimming is a fast time to be practiced only under ideal circumstances, in a pool, and preferably in the company of a well-filled bikini suit. But there was nothing to do but swim, so I swam. I tried to remember how many shots had been fired, and that's where I made my mistake. There was a lull in the shooting, which I took to mean the gun was empty. I put my head down in the best Weissmutter style and thrashed my way to the ladder. But when I got there, the first thing I saw after I'd shaken the water out of my eyes was the muzzle of a rifle. The face looking down the barrel let me belong to brother Thomas Gordon M.D. Sorry, darling. Killing you wasn't in my span, but now it'll have to be done. I wasn't surprised at that, but I was surprised at what happened. I was waiting for a bullet to come my way, but instead the doctor did. Ah! Here I am. It's only wrong that a Turkish towel will cure. I'll thank you later if it's spoiling his name. Get a hook on the doctor. He's our prize fish. Don't let him get away. Got up his case on my way to Ralph Gordon's cabin. If it needed ventilating, I knew one quick way to do it. I didn't shake for oxygen. I took a deep breath, held it, and went in. The cabin was littered with wine bottles. In one corner in an open case was the dry ice that was in the process of cooling Gordon off for good. He was stretched out of his bunk. I handed him to my shoulder. He was the last of my breath getting him out of there. Expense accounts? Item 9. $30. Cover charge at a hospital where I put the revived Gordon under the care of a doctor, not his brother, who happened to be resting in a jail cell at the time. His motive hadn't been the insurance money. He figured again quite a chunk is the only heir to the Gordon fortune if he could have taken care of Brother Ralph. Item 10. Same as item 9. Same hospital where they patched up Cap Regan. Item 11. $148.70. Return trip to Hartford. And expense account item 12. $40. An ounce of voodoo perfume for the lovely but sometimes chilly Ed Winger. Maybe if she tries that kind of magic on her husband, he'll spend less time with a bottle of joy and more with her kind. Expense account total $424.70. Signed yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, stars Charles Russell. Tonight's script by Paul Dudley and Gildowd was produced and directed by Ralph Rose. Featured in the cast were Betty Lugerson, Sylvia Sims, Ben Wright, Ken Christie, Howard Culver, Dawes Butler, and Tim Graham. The special music is written and conducted by Leith Steven. Be sure to be with us at the same time next week when another unusual expense account is handed in by... $20. Were you right? Were you wrong? Did you know it was Buster Keaton playing Sing It Again's Phantom Voice these last few weeks? Well, now there's a new Phantom riding the airways on Sing It Again. And for identifying him tonight, some CBS listener can win $50,000 in cash and prizes. Radio's largest jackpot. Phone calls go out from coast to coast, so be ready for the new Phantom when Sing It Again comes your way over most of these same CBS stations later tonight. Now stay tuned for Vaughn Monroe's Caravan, which follows over most of these same CBS stations. This is CBS, where yours truly Johnny Dollar meets adventure every Saturday night, the Columbia Broadcasting System.