 From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar Dave Loller Johnny over shorty mutual and trust company. Oh, hi Dave long time Yeah, I know listen you own a pair of dark sunglasses and some real loud sports shirts Mine are so loud. I have to keep in a soundproof drawer great But where you'll be at this time tomorrow. Nobody will get my second look. Oh like where well according to the travel folders It's quote the land where the summer spends the winter on quote in other words Palm Springs, California Dave You're on good, but don't forget this can be pretty expensive for your company more than you know Johnny 75,000 hard cash Unless you're able to prove the bracelet Dan Galloway gave to his child bride wasn't really stolen For a church of Palm Springs at this time of year. I think I could prove anything Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of a man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator was truly Johnny dollar Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to the home office surety mutual and trust company Franklin building Hartford, Connecticut Following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Sun tan oil matter Expense account item one a hundred and ninety seven dollars and forty cents airline fare and incidentals Hartford of Palm Springs, California. I Registered at La Casa de paz on South Palm Canyon Drive changed into casual clothes and so on her door to police headquarters Detective Sergeant Lacey was about to leave for lunch. So I went along with him Yeah, dollar you'd be surprised at how much stuff is lost in this town during the course of just one season the report We got says it was stolen sergeant. Oh sure sure, but I doubt it a 75,000 dollar bracelet just five days old That'll be a little careless of the lady wouldn't it? Well, if you were married to one of the biggest wildcatters in the oil business, maybe you could afford to be careless What about Dan Galloway? Didn't you say he was drilling somewhere around here about 80 miles south in the middle of the desert down by Salton Sea Salton Sea. Oh, that's really a big inland lake that lies way down below sea level, isn't it? I want to bring me a check daddy at 245 feet below sea level dollar there's oil there Dan Galloway figures it this way one of the most successful new fields It's been worked in years as deep under the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana There are a lot of salt domes down there and underneath them are big pools of oil millions of barrels So why not under the Salton Sea, which is all salt deposits? Oh, no, it's maybe has something Anybody else drilling down there? Just Galloway who else needs it? I mean any more than he does Well, does he all yours daddy? Oh, I know Galloway needs it, but there has been talk around You know, but if he's hard up, how could he afford that fancy bracelet last week? Yeah, or the snazzy Italian sports car the week before that. I don't know either darling What about his wife? Oh, oh, oh that Roberta. What a doll and in 3d And if you know what I mean, how an old coot like him could ever latch on to a pretty little chick like her I take it Roberta is somewhat younger than her husband. Oh, not more than 35 40 years. I see How long have they been married? Two maybe three years down in Dallas. I think it was she's a Texas girl. Well, is it working out? I mean, are they happy there's talk about that too. What kind of talk? Oh, it's really just small-town gossip for the most part Every year of sunny wyman wyman no well sunnies around Roberta's age One of those kids who came up from nothing but all the time to exactly where he was going You know made a point of meeting the right people shaking the right hand real nice kid, too What's he do now when the season's over here? He works Pasadena Beverly Hills in LA always has something that'll intrigue his wealthy friends This season, it's Italian sports cars Cosmo Roma's I think they are and he's the one who sold the Galloway's theirs. Um, he sold Roberta hers Any angle there in connection with the bracelet? There is you let me know well if there isn't what have you been working up to well actually nothing You see I still believe it was lost Expense account at him to thirty five dollars for rental of a drive your own car I found the Galloway place about two miles out north and east of town As I parked in the broad u-shaped driveway I noticed a low shiny suntan color sports car standing in the shade of a date palm backed by the garage Started over to take a look at it But the front door of the house open a Filipino boy appeared took my name and showed me into the living Through the solid wall of picture windows I could see that the whole place was built around a kidney shaped swimming pool Why the inviting and so was Roberta Mrs. Galloway when she stepped into the room a minute or two later My it's nice. I'll be to come all the way out here. Yeah, Sergeant Lacey was right Roberta was a living doll 22 or 3 trim petite and with a figure that Well, let's not go into that. She said it would be more comfortable out on the lanai beside the pool. I Just wish there was something I could tell you about that bracelet that it helped you find it, mr. Dollar, but Well, just must have been stolen well It makes no difference in so far as your claim is concerned Mrs. Galloway The company will still have to pay up, you know, unless of course it's found. Oh, I know that How do you go about your investigation? I mean do you offer a reward or something usually? Yes, of course It depends on how much have they offered for my bracelet. Well, frankly, I haven't checked on that yet, but now mr. Galloway How much would you guess Johnny? Well claim this size probably somewhere between 10 and 30 percent What's the matter Johnny your ears out of mile? Nothing. I just thought I had that's funny. I didn't hear a thing But I had quick footsteps somewhere in the house then the door open and close Then a few seconds later the unmistakable growl of a high-powered engine thundering out through twin straight pipes Probably some hot rod fan in the neighborhood just drove by She prattled on for another hour or so and again asked about possibilities of a reward for a bracelet But so far as helpful information was concerned. She came up with nothing So I excused myself and drove back to town. I wanted to talk to the driver of that sports car I also wanted to check with Wilhoit van hoek the jeweler who had sold the bracelet I found his shop on Palm Canyon Drive a small place, but very ultra ultra as I was about to enter the door Yeah, sure two or three minutes And I uh, I like your car Mr. Wyman, that's right. How'd you know how'd you know mine? Yeah, real cloaking dagger stuff, huh? You uh, you knew I was out at bird's house, didn't you? Well, it seemed pretty obvious when I heard you hot-footed for the door and then heard this pint-sized monster yours barrel off Hey, you wouldn't like to buy a Cosmo Roma, would you? It's a real dilly. Oh, I'd like nothing better, but I'm out here on a job Yeah, I know that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, you know anything that'll help me not much I'm afraid but I'll be glad to tell you anything I can you going in to see Willie Willie Yeah, you know well white van hoek the jeweler. I was yeah, why do you know him? No, and I sold him one of these one exactly like mine and we're both gonna be in the rally there holding next Sunday You ever see a good sports car race and no, I'm afraid not well I will soon fix that and look after you've talked to Willie if you want to go down to where Dan Galloway is drilling his new Well, I'll be glad to give you a lift. Good idea, but I don't want to take you out of your way Oh, not at all. I was going away. Anyhow besides, uh, I thought it might give us a chance to talk a little Sure one Why not with a name like will hide van hook I expected Well, I don't know what I expected as it turned out. He was a smartly dressed chap of about 40 tall and slim blonde hair and quick blue eyes and alert mind I told him why I was in Palm Springs showed him my credentials and he immediately offered full cooperation No, here we are mr. Dollar. Here's a copy of the appraisal A duplicate of the statement I sent Dan Galloway and here. Yes. Here's a sketch of the bracelet Ah very good diamonds here emeralds and the mounting is yellow gold and worked all of it One thing I can't help wondering about mr. Van hook. Yes Isn't a 75 000 bracelet have been unusual for a shop in a resort town As a matter of fact, it is as you can see I specialize in rare and exclusive sort of things But very a little over say 10 or 12 000 dollars then the Galloway bracelet was an exception Yes After Dan told me what he had in mind to give to his wife I had some sent over from Pasadena in los angeles by wholesalers with whom I do business You know had him shipped down on consignment. He liked one and that was that I see Mr. Dollar I wouldn't want this to go any farther, of course But after all jewelers and insurance companies are Well, our businesses are pretty well tied together at least on occasion Unfortunately But what are you getting at? I'll tell you Two days after the bracelet was delivered one morning. Just as I was opening up Dan came in here. So he was ill at ease Look worried He said he had to have some cash quickly He asked if I could possibly refund his money. Oh Did you know because I couldn't Things have been rather slow for me this season quite frankly I'd used all I've made on the bracelet to pay up some old bills I told him as much and that I was sorry but I just couldn't help him Did Galloway say why he had to have that much cash right away? Yes Well I don't know much about oil drilling But as I understand it his test well is down some 400 feet further than he'd planned on going And the day before he came in here something on his rig had broken loose and left him with a highly expensive repair job Before he could proceed any further Apparently it was all very serious and very expensive Hmm Strange his wife didn't seem to be bothered. I just talked to her burta Believe me mr. Dollar. She wouldn't be in fact. I doubt if she even knows Figure it out for yourself A man of nearly 60 who has to give bracelets and fancy cars to his wife to keep up her interest Well, you'd hardly expect him to tell her that kind of news. How would you? Now I suppose not Especially if he's worried about the competition and if you ask me he has competition if only he could see it That suntan and chrome cosmo romo was all sonny wyman claimed it was It proved like a kitten performed beautifully But I was more interested at the moment of what sonny wanted to talk about Johnny, I'm gonna be perfectly blunt with you I'll go along with that Out at the house a while ago I felt pretty foolish when you arrived and burta insisted I hide until she could get you out on the lanai Did she have any particular reason Well, you see we know that Well, there's some talk going around about burta and me Any truth in its sonny? A little I guess you saw it. Oh, yeah I mean, it's nothing serious between us. It's just that well with Dan away so much of the time we uh Well, we have fun together. Yeah, sure Now what about the bracelet? You mean who might have stolen it? That's a general idea. I don't know. I have no idea That uh sound funny to you should it Well, after all dan and burta keeping their house open to everybody people end of swim play badminton cocktails barbecues I guess half the population of palm springs has been there at one time or another And even if it weren't an invited guest, why'd be simple for someone to just sneak in and walk off with it? Providing, of course, they knew where it was kept. Well, yeah, someone who was close enough to Oh, yeah, I I heard burta asked you about a reward for it You think a big enough reward would turn it up? I would think so I understand the stolen jewelry brings about 20 cents on the dollar Sometimes it brings 20 cents Sometimes 20 years Yeah Well, I uh just wonder How's the car business doing sonny? Oh great great It's really one of the reasons i'm driving out this way. Oh a prospect An oil rich indian or a well-to-do prairie dog hardly No, I told you we were having a sports car rally on sunday Well, being the promoter so to speak i'm going down to check the course if you're still around you ought to come Oh, maybe I will having some good events too Willie van hook and I are running a match race He's quite a bug, you know and ever since I sold him the twin of this job He's been working it over special carburetor racing cams everything and I wonder I can't afford this kind of stuff Oh, man, you'd be amazed at the amounts of amount of money to change his hand Wait a minute sonny isn't that an oil rig over there? Yeah, dan galloway's the rig itself is about 50 feet out in the lake The shack or office or whatever you want to call it's over the other way You see about a quarter of a mile beyond those joshua trees. I'll drive you over He did there was an old car parking near the shack so we figured dan galloway must be inside Sunny women dropping in front of it then took off in a cloud of dust and exhaust gas I picked my way between the cactus plants opened the door without knocking and bars right in mr Uh, oh, hello No use asking if mr galloway is here. I can see isn't no he isn't Is it all right if I wait? I'm johnny doller. I'm mrs. Galloway mr. Doller Hell that is i'm the first mrs. Galloway the former the one who scrimped and saved while dan was booming around every oil field All over the country trying to make a score. I'm the forgotten mrs. Galloway Oh, yeah, well, I'm sorry Are you expecting him back soon? Who knows? I've been waiting here three hours, but I'll wait three days if I have to promises. That's all promises What do you mean mrs. Galloway after working to help him the way I did for all those years and then to be Tossed over for somebody else who never did a lick of work in her life Oh, sure. Give me anything I want if I let him free. So what do I got promises? Well, I I'm sorry But getting all upset is going to help Well, wouldn't you be upset if you had more than 18 000 dollars in back alimony coming to you and with them living like royalty Oh, I see now. He's not going to keep on getting away with it. That's why I'm here Well now that gun in your handbag isn't the answer. I'm afraid How'd you know I've seen that kind of bulge in a handbag before you really have ideas about using it on him Well Why Oh, I don't know There are times when I feel as though killing and be too good for him Then there are other times when Oh, I don't know Here better let me know Well, I'm not gonna sit here and try to make sense with somebody as upset as you are who has a gun Well, how would you feel? What would you do if you were me? How should I know but killing him isn't the answer or sitting here shouting at me Who are you anyway? What are you doing? I came out here to see your husband your ex-husband on business What kind of business a friend drove me out here and figured dan would drive me back But since he isn't around there's no point of my staying here. Are you either? Well, maybe you want to have a car so you and I are driving back to pond spring I'm not leaving here till I see dan until I get some money from him or see him dead Maybe he's at the well. All right. Maybe he is over there now. Come on I took this on I didn't know But I couldn't leave that slightly frantic woman sitting there waiting with murder in her heart For all I knew she'd murdered dan already better inspect the gun later The road down toward the oil rig was just a pair of ruts in the desert sand Then just as we cut in between some yucca plants in a wind-blown Joshua tree. I slammed on the brakes There in the middle of the trail a man's body crushed and twisted Dan Galloway had been carefully repeatedly run over by a car Expense account item three one dollar 19 cents for a quick phone call to sergeant lacy and palm springs and smelling salts and a bromide for Florida the ex-miss is galloway Then I dropped her off at the galloway house She and roberta ended up consoling each other while I huddled with lacy and his officer Some of the boys are still out there dollar checking tire prints taking pictures and so on no clue as to who ran galloway down Not yet Looked to me as though galloway stepped out of his own car to see whoever'd pulled up in the other and was run down for his Trouble the car that did it ran around in a circle over and over him any suspect sergeant You found his ex-wife flora waiting for him in the field office. You said that's right And she was pretty nervous on edge. You said so also she was carrying a gun Any reason why she couldn't have run him down earlier then gone back and just waited for somebody like you to come along Somebody with whom she could then discover the body only one hit you told me yourself Dollar that she was pretty insistent about you're going over there to look for galloway. Yeah. Yeah, I know But sergeant you're off on the wrong foot Why Because of the tracks left by the killer's car. They didn't match the tires on flora's car You checked I checked and if I were you I'd have your boys find out whose car did make those tracks I'm way ahead of you. Well, if you know, then what do you wait a second? Yeah Levine sergeant I got news for you. Listen to this dollar about those tire tracks at the scene of the killing Well, right on cue there the same making size as the tires on sunny wyman's cosmo roma. You sure Well, I told you it's a scene. I thought it was a sports car But the small size of the circle the tracks made yeah And knowing the feeling between wyman and galloway. I went right over to his place Nice clean tracks all over and they match you're holding wyman. Oh, well, I don't know where he is sergeant He wasn't at his place and there was no answer to the phone at his showroom Well, then get after him put out a flash on him with that car. He shouldn't be too hard to find Let me know when he's picked up. Yes, sir What do you think sergeant? You know something dollar? I have a notion that when we find sunny wyman, we'll also find out what happened to that bracelet. Yeah, could be One thing was certain Dan galloway could no longer be suspect in the case But roberta Why not? Maybe she did know that dan had run out of money Maybe that's why she was so interested in the amount of reward for the bracelet Now what about Sunny wyman Well, it looked bad a smart young opportunist out for the fast buck And of course close to galloway's wife Anything he could do to hurt galloway would help him And now these tire tracks the one solid clue to galloway's killer Sergeant lacy and I drove out to the galloway house I know johnny. I haven't seen sunny since he left here this afternoon. That's when you were here. He didn't call up Why should he call up? Why shouldn't he call roberta if he'd heard that dan was killed? Now you listen here, mr dollar If you're trying to trick me into saying something about sunny having anything to do with dan's death, you're wasting your time and what's more Pardon me. Oh, yes, just a minute for you sergeant lacy. Oh, thanks Hello Yes Yes, when Yeah, I see Okay, levine. Thanks Has he found sunny wyman he sure has and if you want to see him you'll have to go to the coroner's office What no yeah that souped up car of his a couple of miles out of town ran off a curve and over a hundred foot bank Well then minutes lacy and I were at the scene of the accident looking things over with the help of flashlights Yeah, he must have been really burning up the road to spin and roll this far off the highway But surely he must have been familiar with that curve. Oh sure He knew these roads around here as well as anybody in the county tires still in one piece too And these sport cars usually corner pretty well. Well, this one didn't Hey lacy look here. Yeah, this left rear fender looks to me like this car was side swiped Hey, you're right rolling over never make a long crease like that No, wait If another car side swiped him, there'd be paint on this fender paint from the other car Sgt. You're absolutely right and since there's none here Sgt. You're absolutely wrong. How far to the nearest filling station? I want to make a couple of calls to some wholesale jewelers in pasadena and los angeles right now in the middle of the night right now wholesale jewelers Expense account item for eleven dollars and ninety cents phone calls to pasadena and la The third call yielded mr. Alfred makin of makin imports incorporated. It was pretty cheerful about having been gotten out of bed Well, I hate to throw something like this at you in the middle of the night mr. makin, but tell me please Did you ship a diamond and emerald bracelet to wilhoit van hoek in palm springs within the past few weeks? Oh Three That was two weeks ago and he returned them all Returned them when I'll tell you you bet it does. Thanks very much Lacey and I piled in a one squad car for patrolmen and another It was several miles out to the little ranch where van hoek lived and lacy and I chewed it over as we drove along It don't hold out on me johnny What if I made you think a willy van hoek is the one who drove sonny wyman off the road? Well, apparently there was no paint on that fender from the car that sideswiped him actually there was Holy of course van hoek's car is exactly the same color as sonny's another thing The car that ran down galloway like the one sonny drove even down to the tires But not necessarily the same car Plus the fact that couldn't help wondering about van hoek all along Yeah, but why in a job like mine you have to wonder about everybody connected with a case Anything particular about van hoek? Well, he told me that he'd use the money He got from galloway to pay off some overdue bills and yet a few weeks ago. He was able to buy an eight thousand dollar sports car It ties up dollar it all ties up But how did sonny wyman figure it? Oh sonny was a fellow who lived by his wits He may have reached the same conclusion about van hoek than I did May have had an idea for latching on to the reward money He mentioned the matter of reward to me a couple of times or he may have had ideas for blackmailing van hoek Another thing van hoek saw me drive away from his shop and sonny's car That many had to act fast get rid of galloway who'd given him back the bracelet and of course take sonny out of the picture too Yeah, it all seems to head up very nicely and when we face van hoek, but there's his place now Here's his driveway Well either he's skipped out or he's asleep No lights on in the place if you ask me he's far away. Yeah That third window on the right the blind was pulled away for a second and two Well, then let's get out of this car. We're sitting ducks in here What do we do? You boys split up cover the back the sides of the house. He's in there. Yeah, okay boys. Come on Johnny maybe you better keep out of this. Are you kidding up? Hey listen That's the car door. I'm sure. Yeah, I know Holy what's he up to gonna lock himself in take them an oxide route. Come on Now they're back doors on that garage that I know of there. Wait a minute Then hook This is the police We've got men all around this place Turn off that engine and come out of there with your hands over your head Don't be a fool van hook. You haven't got a chance He drove right through the door of his garage. Come on lacy the car get after him you guys get moving. Yeah, come on boys I'm swiping have it see what he did to that other patrol car. They're okay. They're off and telling us come on step on it lacy This is one time. We ought to have a cosmo roma Well, maybe he can't outrun us but with two cars on this tail he may get careless take chances if so Hang on lacy you could qualify for some of those road races yourself That guy's out of his head main highway like this full of trucks and trailers Oh, don't worry about those guys those interstate truckers will give you a clear road after them They're the best drivers in the country. Come on. Hit you siren. You're right You see I told you those guys to give you the road The trailer in front of him and the oncoming truck Manhook's trying to squeeze through pull up pull up. Oh, well Only squeeze through all right Squeeze right through the pearly gates Expense account item five thirty eight dollar seventy five cents room two meals and ballet service at the custody paths Item six one hundred ninety one dollars and sixty cents airfare and incidentals ponds rings california back to hartford Expense account total four hundred seventy four dollars eighty four cents remarks Well, justice is done in pretty strange ways sometimes Kind of makes you think Maybe it pays to tread the straight and narrow doesn't Yours truly johnny dollar Oh, here's our star to tell you about next week's story next week International intrigue a beautiful girl and a very clever chemist Join us won't you Yours truly johnny dollar johnny dollar is starring bob bailey originates in hollywood It is written by paul franklin and is produced and directed by jack johnstone Heard in our cast were barbara euler paulowinslow forest louis frank nelson sam edwards austin green and chef mankin Musical supervision is by americo marino Be sure to join us next week same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly johnny dollar This is dan coverley speaking worldwide facilities of the united states armed forces radio and television service