 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar. This is Don Taylor down at tri-stage Johnny. Hello, Don. Happy new year belated of course same to you, Johnny Listen, would you like to come over to my office and meet a pretty girl? Sure. Is she interesting very as a matter of fact? She just told me the most interesting thing I've ever heard. Oh, what's that? She just told me that she was dead Tonight and every weekday night Bob Bailey in the transcribed 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 tri-state insurance underwriters international building Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expended jurors during my investigation of the McLean matter Expense account item one one buck cab fare to the international building and Don Taylor's office He was sitting behind his desk when I walked in talking to a tall dark-haired girl in her late 20s Who was standing casually looking out the window at the street below? She was pretty she was quiet and she was well dressed. Hello, Johnny Thanks for coming right over I'd have you meet Mrs. McLean. How'd he do? Sit on Johnny make yourself comfortable and take my desk. What are you going? I'm gonna let Mrs. McLean talk to you alone Here's a most unusual story. Yeah, something about being dead. Isn't that what you said? Yes something about being dead Mrs. McLean mr. Dollar will be handling this matter for tri-state. I wish you'd tell him exactly what you've just told me Bring the buzzer when you're through Johnny. Oh sure Would you like to sit down he thinks I'm crazy that's what he thinks well, isn't it? Well, I doubt that Well, uh, sit down. Let's talk it over. Of course. He does the first I've told it to anybody. It's fantastic What do you say your name was Johnny dollar dollar? What do you do? I'm an insurance investigator for him for anybody who hires me Here Try one of these mrs. McLean. Thank you. I Suppose I'll be put in jail. Don't you look mrs. McLean Why don't you try to tell me some of the facts about? Well about whatever it is the facts are I'm legally dead mr. Dollar My husband collected on my insurance policy. Mm-hmm. When did all this happen two years ago in Los Angeles? How much money did your husband collect on your insurance policy $10,000. Where is your husband in Los Angeles? I suppose you tell me how it worked mrs. McLean My husband's a doctor mr. Dollar His name is Dave McLean One night he had a patient come in a girl. Oh, she was in pretty bad shape She'd been drinking somewhere and she just came in off the street saw his shingle outside the office. I Was there helping Dave as a receptionist? Oh Dave took her into one of the examining rooms to see what the matter was She had a heart attack She died on the table. Well, there was nothing he could do for her nothing anybody could do for She died on the table and then what? Dave came out and told me what had happened We looked in her purse to find out who she was and where she lived There wasn't anything but an address in Jersey City. No Los Angeles address. No Her name was Teresa Corbett She was from Jersey City. That's all then what? Well, Dave called long distance to the place in Jersey City. It was an apartment. He talked to the manager there I say going well, well Dave didn't say anything about Teresa Corbett being dead Well, he didn't have a chance really that the manager was very upset He told Dave that Teresa's mother had died very suddenly two days before Said he'd been trying to locate her there in Los Angeles. Oh, he was very frantic It was just one of those crazy things the the apartment house manager was just about out of his mind Teresa's mother had died in one of his apartments on his premises. He himself had assumed responsibility for the body Didn't know what to do about a funeral or anything else He told Dave that Teresa was all the old woman had in the world Nobody else and Teresa Corbett was dead in your office at the time. Yes Well, Dave hung up. I I didn't know what he was thinking at first and And then he said to me We're in luck. Hmm. I Asked him what he meant by that and and he said that the girl who had died in our office Didn't have anyone in the world and no one would know the difference Then he told me we'd use her body Just like that. Yeah Just like that He said it was the chance of a lifetime Well, go on Well, Dave called up dr. Reed. He had an office across the hall from Dave waited a while and And then I hid when dr. Reed came in Dave told him that I had had a heart attack. He took him back in the examining room and Showed him the body of Teresa Corbett And told dr. Reed it was me What was awful? What do you mean? Well, I mean I I hid there in the back office and listened to them talk They tried oxygen on the girl and shots and everything else But it was too late Dave knew it was too late but well Dr. Reed signed my death certificate Two days later they buried Teresa Corbett under my name And then what did you do? Well, I I took a hotel room that first night and Then I went down to Palm Springs Dave said he'd meet a minute. Dr. Reed had the office across from your husbands Yes, well, didn't this dr. Reed know you hadn't seen you around you said you were acting as a receptionist for your husband I never met dr. Reed. He he was just new Okay So he went to Palm Springs. Yes After the funeral Dave came down and he said I'd have to disappear for a while To give him the time to collect the insurance money and straighten out some things. He collected the money Yes. Yes, he did all of it. Then what happened? I came to New York to live Dave was going to close his practice in Los Angeles and come to New York and we'd be together again He never met me in New York, you know why he never met you in New York. No, did he write to you? Yes for a while For about three months after I left. He wrote me once or twice a week and said that he'd be in New York any day And then he stopped writing. Do you have any of those letters? No, no, I'm sorry. I don't you know why he stopped writing to you. No, I have no way of finding out I I couldn't call anyone in Los Angeles and ask them to look into it for me. Could I? Tell me What is it you feel now mrs. McLean? What? Well, just what is it you want us to do? Well, I don't know what do you do in a case like this? I've never had a case like this Why did you come to us? I've had this thing on my mind almost two years. It was wrong to begin with. It's wrong now. I Suppose it's because this insurance company was wronged mostly My my husband and I cheated them out of $10,000 at least my husband did what about this dr. Reed He didn't have anything to do with it. I I mean he just signed the death certificate, but he didn't know the difference sure about that Quite sure about that. I Don't want to get anyone into trouble. I Mean anyone including dr. Reed Yes, I know how how fantastic all of this must sound but but it's the truth Do you think I'm crazy you don't look crazy to me What's the saying what saying oh something about how you can leave home, but eventually you have to come back to count the spoons I Guess that's what I'm doing now Telling you all this It's good to tell it to someone after all this time Did you get any of the insurance money mrs. McLean not a dime were you supposed to I? Supposed so yes If Dave had met me would you say the whole thing was his idea? Yes. Yes. I would I Didn't know what he had in mind that night after you hung up the phone You've been living in New York for the last couple of years since it happened. Is that right? Yes? 2257 Street Parkman 23. What have you been doing? How do you live? I've been working. I took a job in a medical lab Do you're on name? No, I used the name of Patricia Kennedy. Is there any way you can prove you're actually Doris McLean? Could in Los Angeles how? People there know me friends. I've had all my life. We ever fingerprinted there No, I I don't think during the war did you work in a defense plan, baby? No, how about a California driver's license? I don't drive. No, would you be willing to furnish me with a list of names of people who might be able to identify you? People in in Los Angeles sure anywhere. Well, yes. Yes. I would if if it's necessary. It's necessary Don't you believe me all of this has to be checked mrs. McLean Now what was the reason for trying to cheat the insurance company? Oh Dave was badly in debt. Oh, he needed so many things that well It seemed a good way to get them without too much trouble You mean burying a girl named Teresa Corbett under your name? Yes a girl without any family anywhere with a mother Who died two days before yes? Very few people in this world are without somebody somewhere mrs. McLean Teresa Corbett didn't have anybody mr. Dollar I know that do you know any more about her than what the apartment house manager said on the telephone to your husband? No, do you remember the name of the apartment house manager in Jersey City? No the address? No, is there anything else you'd like to tell me about all this? I can't think of anything. No before I asked mr. Taylor to come back in here I want to ask you again. Why did you come to the insurance company? Why did you come here to Hartford to the insurance company? You asked me that once and I told you The insurance company were the people that were wrong Obviously you've been living and working in New York and getting along no one knows anything about this There was no need for anyone to know anything about it no need for us to know about it Now you'll pardon me, but you don't seem like the type of person who wakes up one morning with a big pain in the conscience Not at all Now you sat here and told me about your husband how your husband thought of the idea how your husband hung up the phone How your husband called in a doctor read to sign a death certificate How are your husband handled every detail all of it? Not you mrs. McLean your husband He's the one you want us to get isn't he? Yes He He didn't have to meet me in new york once he got his hands on that money He didn't have to do anything about me. I was dead on paper And I couldn't go back I I buy a los angeles newspaper now and then and I saw and noticed yesterday that he's going to get married again. I see But i'm still his wife. He tricked me. You helped him to do it. Who is he gonna marry there? I didn't recognize her name. How old are you? I'll be 30 next june. I'm gonna ask you something else mrs. McLean. Have you ever been in trouble before? No. Well, you're in trouble now if all this is true. Well, it is true now I just told you. Would you be willing to sign a statement in front of witnesses containing all the information you've given me here today? Yes Yes, I would okay Yeah, johnny you can phone your legal department don mrs. McLean is wanting to make a statement regarding this whole matter All right, mrs. McLean you can make your statement in front of mr. Taylor and whatever witnesses he wants to use I'll see in about an hour or so done. Good You're all through with me No, there's one more thing mrs. McLean You realize that if what you've told me is true both you and your husband will be criminally charged. Well, yes Yes, I realize that Oh I just wanted that part understood. I'll see you Johnny wait a minute. Don't worry. I'll be around plenty Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow some well thought out lies Well, believe it or not. They come true Join us won't you yours truly johnny dollar truly johnny dollar starring bob bailey is transcribed in hollywood written by john Dawson It is produced and directed by jack john stone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly johnny dollar roy rohan speaking