 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny dollar Oh, yes, Miss Crane I phoned a little while ago and your maid said you were out You've had a $20,000 pearl necklace stolen I thought you might want to talk about it I have talked about it. The local police were quite thorough. Mr. Dollar. Well, let's say there have been some new developments Like what? That's what I want to see you about. I suppose you want to come out here Oh, thank you. Well, a half hour from now be convenient If 45 minutes will be better for you, I'll be glad to cooperate. I usually get what I go after What so do I oh then this might turn out to be interesting see in a half hour and Every week day 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 From special investigator Johnny dollar location Cranesburg, Ohio To the Home Office Tri-State Guarantee Company Hartford, Connecticut Assignment the Cranesburg matter expense account continued item $20,000 the face value of the policy on a pearl necklace stolen one week ago from Miss Melba Crane young socialite one of the last two surviving members of the town's most aristocratic family and According to her own statement a girl who always got what she went after Well, I'd almost got what I'd gone after I'd at least made contact with smiley prel the jewel thief who'd phoned Hartford and offered a deal But that was all Smiley had clammed up started to stall and implied the whole thing was blowing up at his face and Now the victim herself was trying to stall and on top of everything else's storm was coming up I left my hired car near the coach house and walked down a long arbor toward the entrance to the crane mansion It had been quite an estate once still was but the buildings needed a touch of paint here and there and the gardens needed a gardener Just a hint of wear and tear It fit with what I'd learned at the bank those still tops in local society Melba Crane and her uncle Phineas were flat broke I Was reaching to ring the doorbell when I saw the couple in the sunroom a man in a business suit and a girl in A mage uniform so busy with each other. They didn't even notice me at first It was an intensely romantic scene and I started to feel like a peeping Tom The girl was still a little red faced when she answered the door a few seconds later Good afternoon, sir. My name is Johnny dollar. I'd like to see my dollar. You're the investigator about the robbery Lauder must have wired everybody in town. I'm sorry, sir. I I didn't mean to blurt it out Oh, I found it interesting You know, we're gonna get a little wet if that rain starts. Oh Won't you come in? Thanks You'll want to see miss crane. I imagine yes I think she's expecting me if you'll wait here, please. Oh, by the way, I I didn't interrupt you. I hope interrupt. I I'll tell her you're here, Mr. Dock. Thanks Hello, you must be the insurance fella Did you get a wire to wire? Oh, no, Melba told me you were coming out I'm a friend of the family mr. Dollar Dean Sellers. How are you a source? Melba and I are engaged, you know Congratulations, what's not recent? Yeah, I know Say you're a little hard to figure out. I'm a complete enigma mr. Sellers. I Believe you're the chap who gave miss crane the necklace, right? Yes. It's an engagement present Do you have any lead on it yet? Nothing definite. I understood you'd been contacted by the thief who stole it. That's right Well, I haven't actually seen the necklace yet and until I do I can't be positive this man ever Well, even has it it wouldn't be the first time a professional jewel thief has tried to pull a swindle. I see Tell me something mr. Dollar. Yeah, suppose you do get hold of the pearls What happens to them then? Well, that depends if miss cranes claim hasn't been paid at the time They go to her if it has been paid and she refuses to reopen negotiations Then we sell the necklace to recover our losses and up till now as I understand that the claim hasn't been paid. That's right Well, I hope you get it back quick then the insurance won't cover the sentimental value Sentimental value to whom mr. Sellers to both of us. Oh I know I I saw you outside the sun room there strictly unintentional what I mean is his appearances can be deceiving Sometimes I I wouldn't want you to misunderstand. Oh, I think I understand perfectly mr. Sellers. Good whether miss crane would or not Maybe something else again Melvin's very understanding. She must be well I've got a run-on. She'll be down in a minute at my office is in the Ridley building drop in it There's any way I can help thanks. I may just do that. I'm sorry to keep you waiting mr. Dollar Oh, that's all right. It gave me a chance to meet your fiancee. Oh, were you talking with Dean? We exchanged a few pleasantries. It's me a darling Well, of course, he's a little headstrong sometimes and impulsive, but he never means any harm by it How did you know how personal observation and also by an odd coincidence? That's exactly the way you were described to me. Oh Instead of beautiful glamorous seductive. I imagine it was assumed that I could see those qualities for myself. I Wonder if I should buy that as it is or analyze it first and I warn you I'm dangerously settled I think you may be at that Would you like a drink or are you one of those always stick to business types? I'm even worse I combine the two I'll have scotch in the rocks. Well, that's my drink. Oh, no, we found something in common We already had something The robbery Yeah, you want to talk about it? Why not? I want that necklace recovered as much as you do Yes, I understand. It has a high sentimental value. Who told you that your fiance? Oh Here's your drink. Thanks To pearls the frozen tears from the eyes of Allah a poetic cop More cynical and poetic The man I heard call them that had just knifed a British colonial administrator and blown up a sampan with six Chinese fishermen aboard Why nine pearls he wanted them There were 38 in that necklace of yours This man Did he get away with it and not exactly he was shot to death on the Hong Kong waterfront This is good scotch. It is Another thing was crane. I am not a cop poetic or otherwise. It amounts to the same thing, doesn't it? Well in some ways I'm not professionally concerned with identifying and capturing criminals and bringing them to justice My obligations on that score are no more nor less than those of any other private citizen So so I'm hired by the insurance company to protect their interests usually then involves trying to recover stolen property or Looking for evidence of insurance fraud I'm afraid I don't quite sometimes I make deals miss crane Meaning exactly what? Meaning that if somebody should start something and get in over their head. I Might listen to reason try to work something out a cop wouldn't He's not permitted to Well, that would all be very interesting. I'm sure To the person who stole the necklace. Yeah, you'd think so wouldn't you? What about that person mr. Dollar the jewel thief who phoned the insurance company smiley-prone? I talked to him a couple of hours ago briefly Does he have the pearls? I don't know Do you mind if I have another drink go ahead? Thanks What do you mean you don't know That's why you came here wasn't it to meet him and get them back. He may not have them He may just be trying to swindle the insurance company. That's not too uncommon a game. You know, no, I wouldn't know Oh, yeah, it's tried every now and then the nicest people sometimes Just looking at you You know, it seems to me you're taking this whole thing pretty calmly Well, that's merely a front inside. I'm a seating volcano. Now look me something Why did you postpone your wedding? I didn't Dean was the one Now what difference does it make what's that got to do with it? Do you think he's changed his mind about marrying you? But suppose we leave mr. Sellers out of it can't he's already in it He's the one who gave you the necklace in the first place an engagement gift Has he called off the engagement Miss Crane? He hasn't and he won't Regardless of any rumors you may hear to the contrary now does that answer your question Moralists then suppose we leave my personal life alone and talk about the robbery That is if you're at all interested in it What is the safe Miss Crane safe? Oh That the necklace was in it's there behind that painting. Do you want to see it? If you don't mind, right? You and your uncle live here alone as I understand my maid of course Betty Well, there's the safe I doubt if you'll find any fingerprints or anything the police spent hours on it That's a real old-fashioned one our family has been around quite a while Mr.. Dollar wouldn't be much of a job for a professional safecracker. You mean even without the combination even without How did the thief get into the house force a window somewhere a door? No with a key I guess oh You see it happened in the afternoon I'd gone out and uncle Phineas was out somewhere as usual the house was empty at the time What about your maid Betty? Well after I left she decided to go into town to do some shopping or something They couldn't possibly have picked a better time Fairly none. Would you like to look around the house? No, no, thanks. I've got a pretty complete story from the police reports Mostly I came out here to take a look at you And what's your verdict? Maybe I'll do better with smiley-prowl. I'm meeting him later. Oh And is he going to produce the necklace? I don't know He talked about a double-cross said he might give me more than I was bargaining for he was pretty upset. Why I don't know Incidentally, Mr.. Dollar There's someone else you'll no doubt be talking to and I want to warn you about him who's that uncle Phineas Of course, he means all right as he had strong and impulsive too He makes up things sometimes and he's Well Just a little bit vague Bomb me you mean mr. Dollar With people of our class it's referred to as eccentric I'm sure you understand I left the house filled with Understanding and with some brand new questions about the cranes that needed still more understanding The lowering storm clouds had brought an early dusk and it was nearly dark when I reached open the door of my car Then suddenly I caught a flash of white at the corner of the coach house somebody had seen me and tried to duck out of sight I Walk quickly across the driveway and move quietly up to the corner of the building How are you Betty? Can I help you with that? No, I mean I was just gonna burn some trash. Well, let me put it in the incinerator for you here No, please Sure, you sorted these papers. There seems to be something heavy here. Let me have it, please You won't understand why miss crane thought I was very understanding you'd better run on She sounds impatient. I'll take care of this. No, please you'll only I Watched to disappear into the shadows running toward the house Then I unwrapped the package. She'd been trying to hide in the incinerator It was a 32 caliber revolver and one chamber had been fired recently Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story tomorrow a strange disappearance a Grim cry in the night and a quarry is run to earth in room 313 Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by less Crutchfield. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly Johnny dollar Roy Rowan speaking