 CBS Radio brings you Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-fact-expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. You're as truly shiny dollar. I'm a real cigarette, I'm a real cigarette. And for the 11th straight year, Camel outsold every other cigarette, filter, king size and regular. The best tobacco makes the best smoke. So if you're smoking more now, but enjoying it less, change to Camels. Get more real satisfaction every time. Start to really enjoy smoking again. I'm a real cigarette, a real cigarette, a real cigarette. Act one of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to the TriWestern Life Insurance Company Corpus Christi Office, following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the unholy two-matter. It was a little late in the day to ride all the way to Texas, but I managed to make a pretty good set of plane connections. So, expense account item 12720, plane fare and tips, Hartford to Corpus Christi. Item two, $4 even for a cab in from Cliff Mouse Airport to the Driscoll Hotel in North Broadway. As I was about to sign my name on a registration card for the benefit of the room clerk, well, I guess this is a pretty small world at that. And I'm sure you're going to find this room very comfortable, Mr. Dollar. Sure. I'll see you then. I'll see you first thing in the morning. There you are. Thank you, sir. Boy, take Mr. Dollar's bags up the room. Dollar? Excuse me. Did I... I hear the name Dollar? What's up? Johnny Dollar, the insurance investigator. That's right. Who are you? The name is Doug Johnstone. Johnstone? Yes. Funny. Remember the name of Johnstone dramatizes all these cases I handle so we can put them on the air. Checked Johnstone. That's right. Well, I'm his younger brother, Douglas. No kidding. No kidding. I had to know you. Hi, Johnny. Listen, I'm in a big hurry. I've got somebody waiting for me. But I hope we can get together while you're here in town and tear that brother of mine to pieces or something. Sure, why not? If you're down here working on a case, I can be any help to you. Hey, wait a minute. Are you here to look into the Peterson matter by any chance? Well, frankly, I haven't the least idea. Can you tell me this? Did Jack Price, over at TriWestern Life, send for you? Yeah. Clerk, may I have a piece of paper, please? Oh, yes, sir. Here you go. Sorry, I've got to rush out of here, Johnny, this way. Well, who is there, Peterson, Doc? Here's my address and phone number. That's both the home and the office. All right. Now, maybe I can be at help to you, so don't lose that. Yeah, OK, thanks. But now it doesn't... Because if it is on account of old man Peterson, Johnny, well, I've got some ideas about it. And then, well, they could be helpful to you. If, as I say, that's why you're here. So what kind of it is? Well, you know he was supposed to have died because his heart gave out on him. No, no, I didn't know. Oh, yeah. But if you ask me, well, if it turns out this is the case you're working on, well, you give me a call now, will you? Yeah, sure. But look, why not tell me what you know about it? Well, Johnny, after all, you may be here for something entirely different. Maybe, maybe not. Well, why don't you see first what Jack Price has to say? Well, now look, Doc, you said, Johnny, this theory of mine could be all wrong. About the death of some man named Peterson. Yeah. John Ridgway Peterson. Well, come on. Tell me anyhow. What is your theory? Well, it may not mean anything to you. You may have no interest whatsoever in Peterson. Oh, come on. Stop beating around the bush, Doug. What do you think about his death? Well, okay. Murder. What? Yeah, Johnny. Murder. Because neither of us really knew if I'd become involved in it. That was all he'd tell me at the moment. And as he said, he had to run off to meet somebody. It was late, and I was tired after the plane trip, so I grabbed a bite to eat. I'd sign him three, two and a quarter, then hit the sack. The first thing in the morning, I was in Jack Price's office at Tri-Western. Well, no, I didn't mean to sound in a rush for you to get down here, Johnny. On the other hand, the hotter the trail, the easier it is to follow. Who's trail, Jackson? Sterling Peterson, beneficiary of his uncle, John R. Peterson's life insurance policy. 100,000 clams. Yes. And what's happened to him? The nephew's Sterling, I mean. He simply disappeared. When? About the same time his uncle died, apparently. When was that? Five days ago. Funny that he should leave town when he was about to be presented with that wad of insurance money. He didn't know that he was his uncle's beneficiary. Oh? No. Old John Peterson never told him. Actually, the old man didn't particularly want to leave it to this nephew, but, well, why not? Oh, they never really got along, as I understand it. The old man had been a hard worker all his life, and Sterling is anything but. Nonetheless, he named him his beneficiary, so that's that. And his heir to whatever else there is to the estate, huh? No. That goes to Sterling's half-brother, Paul. Much of an estate? Certainly not as much as the insurance. The old man didn't have much use for either of them, Johnny. But since they were his only surviving relatives, since they'd probably get everything he left anyway. Yeah, see what you mean. Does Paul live here in town? Yes. What does he do for a living? Apparently, he has some money in the stock market. And Sterling? Johnny, I don't know what he lived on. No visible means of support kind of thing. You know what I mean? Uh-huh. I tried to call him, tell him of his uncle's death. His landlady said he wasn't there. Hadn't been there for a couple of days. That he'd simply packed up his things and left. Well, I'll give you the address. Yeah, do that. Then I called his brother, but Paul didn't know where he was either. Just disappeared. That's right. I wonder why. Who knows? Have you called the police? Why? Just because a man suddenly leaves town? That's hardly a reason to call in the police, Johnny. Maybe, maybe not. What? Sterling didn't know he was beneficiary of this policy. No. But maybe he did think he'd get some of the estate. If he were lucky and the old man turned up dead, then maybe Sterling needed money. I understand he always did. So if he could help the old man on his way... No, Johnny. The doctor said it was a heart attack. Yeah. Well, there are a lot of ways to make it look like a heart attack, as the Vinnan autopsy. Well, no. Then have one made. The insurance company's entitled to one. But you're saying Sterling murdered him? Maybe. Johnny. Just, uh, go ahead and order that autopsy. In the quarter for a taxi, I found Doug Johnstone in his office, a small place, but with a cluttered desk of a busy man. Full of stock market reports, that sort of thing. Doug brushed him aside and got right to the point. Yeah, I've got to know a lot about Sterling Peterson lately. Now, you see, I have interest in a handful of oil wells, a gas compressor station, things like that. Ah, lucky, man. Well, I spend quite a bit of time over at Merrill Lynch trading in the stock market. You met Sterling in a brokerage office? Well, that's where I met his brother, Paul. That's where I learned about Sterling. It seems he was always trying to get money out of Paul. Yeah, I take it Paul is pretty well-heeled, huh? Hardly. He's a sharp one. He has a pretty wild idea of how to make money in the market. What do you mean by that? Well, you know, it's always flattering for someone to ask your advice. Actually... Well, I'd recommend he buy something like IBM, good solid stuff for a stable company like US Steel, AT&T. Ah, no, they're wrong with that, brother. No, but instead he'd throw his money into some crazy penny stock like, well, a golden dream uranium company. It was being pushed by some crooked promoter, some boiler room operator. Ah, see what you mean. I'd suggest Union Carbide. He'd end up with some speculation nobody ever heard of him, and so on. Yet somehow he managed to stay solvent. The point is, Sterling was always going to Paul for money. Money for what? Oh, to pay off his gambling debts. You know, much as I hate to admit it, civic pride and all that sort of thing, there are plenty of places in and around this town to gamble. Yeah, so I've heard. So what a stupid guy like Sterling Peterson simply won't learn that house never loses. Well, you see what I mean. Yeah, yeah. And Sterling never really worked for a living. No, and he was always in debt up to his ears. Isn't it possible he simply left town because his debts had caught up with him, some of his creditors were getting tough with him? Well, Sterling needed money badly, and, well, Johnny, I think he finally reached the point where he was willing to kill to get it. His own uncle? If what Paul has told me about him is true, yes. Now, you remember, he thought that he would inherit part of the estate. Ah, which, of course, was wrong. But he didn't know that, not then. Then he's running away. Well, the way I look at it, Johnny, if he did kill his uncle... And you think he did? Yes, yes, I do. Wow. Well, when he found out he wouldn't get his uncle's money, his property, after all, that he'd killed him for nothing, he didn't know about the insurance, you know? Yeah, I know. Well, what was left for him around here? All by? Nothing, nothing but a lot of creditors pounding on his door. And once people begin to think about that, they might get suspicious, start asking him questions about his uncle's death, questions that he didn't have good answers for. Yeah, but to run out is the surest way in the world to arouse suspicion. I know, I know. It's stupid. Well, what do you think? Well, I'm not sure. But thanks. I, uh... I'll see you later. I took a taxi over to the place where Paul Peterson lived. That's item six a buck and a half. It was a nice apartment in a fairly good neighborhood. But he wasn't home. I had him seven a dollar even for a cab to the brokerage house Doug had mentioned. I talked to Wayne Stockson, a friend of Doug's. He hadn't seen Paul Peterson around there for several days. Well, Paul said something about going out of town, dollar, to look at some of the companies he considers investing in. I see. When he gets the money from his uncle's property and so forth, Paul will have quite a bit to play with. And play with is the proper term. Despite our advice to avoid so many cheap speculations. I've heard he's a bit of a plunger. Yes, I'm afraid so. Well, if he does come around, Wayne, ask him to call me immediately. I'll be at the Robert Driscoll. Hey, two dollars for a late lunch. I had him nine a dollar, thirty for a cab to Jack Price's office. Now, wait a minute, Johnny. Yeah? Instead of hunting for Sterling Peterson, you're just hanging around hoping to find out the old man was murdered. Well, give me time, will you? But I tell you, the doctor who was with him when he died said it was heart failure. And I tell you, Jackson, there are plenty of ways. There are medical tricks. I can't believe... Hold it a minute, Johnny. Price speaking. Yeah? Well, ready? Well, Doctor, what did you... What's the matter, Jackson? How did you know? How did I know what? The autopsy. Yeah? You were right. Apparently, some drug substituted for the digitalis the old man was taking. You mean Doug Johnstone was right? The old man was murdered. Yes, Johnny. Murdered. Act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in a moment. Welcome, Recording Star Mel Tormey. It's terrible trying to sing with a bad cold. So I always take four-way cold tablets to relieve cold miseries fast. Good idea. Tests of all the leading cold tablets proved four-way fastest acting. Four-way starts in minutes to relieve muscular pains, headache, reduce fever, calm upset stomach. Also overcomes irregularity. When you catch cold, try my way. Take four-way cold tablets. Fast way to relieve cold distress and feel better quickly. Four-way, only 29 cents. Now, here's a word about another fine product of Grove Laboratories. To get rid of embarrassing dandruff in three minutes, change to Fitch Dandruff Remover Shampoo. Three minutes with Fitch regularly is guaranteed to keep unsightly dandruff away forever. Apply Fitch before wetting hair, rub in one minute, add water, gather one minute, then rinse one minute. Every trace of dandruff goes down the drain. Three minutes with Fitch and embarrassing dandruff's gone. At the same time, Fitch can brighten hair up to 35%. Get Fitch Dandruff Remover Shampoo today. And now, act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account, item 10, $1.70 for a taxi to the cheap rooming house where Sterling Peterson had lived before his mysterious disappearance. The landlady turned out to be quite helpful. Well, that chisel and gnaw account 10 horn gambler owed me two months back rent, Mr. Dollar. Well, if we can find him, only I'm beginning to doubt it. And you ask me, there's something mighty suspicious about the way he picked up and left. Yeah, what do you mean, Mrs. Tomey? Well, now, here. Here, now, you look for yourself. You see all them empty hangers and that closet there and them empty doors I pulled out on the bureau. So what? It took every stitch or close he had. How he ever stuffed them all in them two little suitcases he owned would have been impossible. Uh, so he picked up a tour over a couple of more handbags. And without me seeing him, come in here with him? You apparently didn't see him leave. Well, look here, in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Every seat. Yeah, that is funny. Well, it sure is. Man, not taking along his comb and razor and shaving things, and his toothbrush and his hair tonica. I don't care how much of a hurry he was in. Uh, Mrs. Tomey, the day that Sterling Peterson disappeared. You mean the night he disappeared, don't you? Do I? All that day he just sat around here and said he was waiting for his brother. His brother had promised to come and see. Oh. Asked me. He was hoping his brother would bring him some money to pay up his rent and things. Did his brother come around? At 7 p.m., his brother telephoned. I took the message. Yeah? Said Sterling was to meet him at some dive out on Staples Street, so he left. And that's the last you saw him? I heard him come back here and up to this room sometime after two of him. But you didn't actually see him. I go to bed at a respectable hour. Then how are you sure it was? Next morning he was gone, bag and baggage. He must have just plain, just plain sneaked out on me. No, no, I don't think so, Mrs. Toomey. What's that? A couple of things I learned earlier, a couple of things you've told me and the stuff in that medicine cabinet. Eh? No, I don't think you'd better bank on collecting any back rents. Not from Sterling Peterson. That, that beat. Is he? Of course he is. Or is he just plain dead? I went back to my hotel. No, Paul Peterson hadn't called me. But there was a message from Jack Price, so I went to my room and I phoned him. As a result of that autopsy? Yes. They're looking for Sterling Peterson, too. Also, they've been looking for you. They're very anxious to talk with you. Anytime they like. After all, it was you who brought this thing out of the open by suggesting the autopsy. Because you had the idea that it might be murdered. No, that was Doug Johnstone's idea and a very good one. Have they talked with Paul Peterson? Well, I assume they will. Well, he's back in town, huh? Okay, Jackson, thanks. Now, let's see. Yeah? Come in. That's right. I'm Paul Peterson. I got your message. Wow. Come in. Come in. I understand that you're an insurance investigator, that you're looking for my half-brother, Sterling. Yeah, that's right. Who didn't know that he was the beneficiary of your uncle's insurance. Sit down. Sit down. Thanks. I just got back in town from a business trip. That's all. Look, I found these letters waiting for me. Oh, from Sterling? Yes. Here. Dallas, Wichita, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota. Yes, and by now he could be across the border in Canada. Yeah, maybe. Read it, darling. Just keep quiet and give me time and you won't have to worry about me anymore. And the others are practically the same. Neatly typewritten. No signature. I'm afraid it's obvious who they're from. So it looks as though your half-brother is running away. Now that we know your uncle was murdered. Murdered? Yeah, that's right. Sterling. Type these on your own machine, Paul. That might be pretty easy to trace. What? Now, with Sterling out of the way, you'd get your uncle's insurance as well as his money and property, wouldn't you? I suppose so, but I don't see what you're driving at. Oh, you did things up pretty well, Paul. Much better than your stupid brother could've. What are you talking about? All the place safe in case we discovered it was murder. Dollar. That so-called business trip. It was so that you could mail these letters to yourself, make it look as though Sterling had done the murder. Well, he must have. And what happened? Did you make the mistake of telling him you'd done it? I? Now, look here. After all, he would never have thought of substituting for the digitalish your uncle was taking. Look here, dollar. So that Sterling threatened a black male you was that why you had to kill him, too? You're crazy. You don't know what you're talking about. It's the tiny thing that tipped me off. What? When you went back to his room that night after you'd killed him to haul away his stuff, make it look as though he'd taken a powder. Yes, silly little thing. But no man, no matter how much of a hurry he would have left behind his comb, his razor, a toothbrush. And that isn't all. I say you don't know what you're talking about. Or maybe you do. Oh, easy, Paul. That gun will make an awful lot of noise in here. No. Not when it's tight up against your back with a pillow over it. Stand up, dollar. And if I don't? Well? OK, Doug. What? Kick open the door. I'll cover him. I'll cut it. The police. That's right. All right. Look, look, boys. I said you cover it, Peterson. Drop it. Drop it. Honey, you OK? Yeah, sure, Doug. You hear it all, Sergeant? Yeah, sure did, Mr. Donner. It's funny, though. Funny? All I really came up here for was to talk to you. Not much point in it now, is it? Another day, another dollar. And I'm not talking about myself. Expense account total, including hotel, bill, a flock of incidentals, and a plane back to Hydrid 28720. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Our star will return in just a moment. Constipation is something people don't talk about much, but it can be a problem for anyone, even doctors. And when constipation occurs, it's interesting to see just what doctors consider important about a laxative they might use or recommend. Well, a majority of the doctors we heard from had this to say, a laxative should be effective, gentle, close to natural acting as possible, and a medicine that can be used with complete confidence. Now, X-Lax has been popular with many doctors and millions of people over the years because pleasant tasting chocolate at X-Lax is effective. Overnight, it helps you toward your normal regularity. X-Lax is gentle. Next morning, it gives you the closest thing to natural action. And that's why many doctors and millions of people use X-Lax with complete confidence. X-Lax, the laxative that helps you toward your normal regularity, gently, overnight, is X-Lax in your medicine cabinet. Now, here's our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, a hurry trip to Alaska to look for a clue to a murder and say, if you've been to Alaska, if you know anything about the customs, the manners of the people up there, especially their eating habits, well, it's quite possible that you'll find a solution before I do, or maybe you will anyhow, because it all hangs on a tiny, seemingly unimportant clue. And yet, well, give a listen, see how well you can break down a killer's alibi. Yeah, join us, won't you? Yours truly, shiny dollar. Bob Bailey originates in Hollywood and is written, produced, and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard in our cast were Virginia Greg, Jack Edwards, Boris Lewis, Stacey Harris, Gil Stratton, and Barney Phillips. Be sure to join us next week, same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, Dan Cumberley speaking. Tangled secrets unravel eerily all through the long night as suspense follows on the CBS Radio Network.