 Johnny dollar dollar this is Larry Spangler. Hi Spangler. Did you say that's right star mutual insurance company? Oh, I'd say I guess we've never met because I've only been here in Hartford about a year Oh, what can I do for you mr. Spangler mr. Spangler? Mm-hmm. Well, don't make an old man out of me. Call me Larry Oh, whatever you say. What can I do for you Larry Johnny? Does the name briskam mean anything to you? Lloyd briskam run some kind of a factory on the edge of town, doesn't it? Yeah, he and his partner No, but I've heard of him why he's one of my clients pretty important one. I'm on my way out to his place now I'll be driving right by your apartment I thought it might be a good idea to have you come along with me anything wrong with him his business partner Just called me up on the telephone. Mr. Briskam is dead. Oh, it's too bad sure is You see his housekeeper found him just a few minutes ago with a bullet That's it CBS radio network brings you Mandel Kramer in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Spence account submitted by a special investigator Johnny dollar to the star mutual insurance company home office Hartford, Connecticut Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the oldest gag matter Spangler turned out to be one of the new generation of insurance agents with that Madison Avenue touch You know charcoal gray suit white shirt dark blue tie well shine shoes He had that freshly scrubbed look as though he just stepped out of a barber shop He was maybe 25 or 6 good-looking in an almost pretty sort of way with a well-tanned complexion Plenty of dark curly hair and above all that eager expression of the young man who's out to set the world on fire Yeah, the briskam place is down on live Oak Avenue Johnny I'm south of here away. You're the driver I'm certainly glad you were able to come along any idea who might have wanted to kill Mr. Briskam and why oh I have plenty ideas But why don't we see what the police have to say when we get there? Oh, then you've called them John barber the old man's business partner called them same time as he called me. I said at least he said he did Well any reason why he shouldn't have oh Do you know John barber never heard of him well at least you'll be starting on him fresh then I mean no preconceived idea about him. Why do you say that? Don't tell me you suspect him of this Oh, no, no, no, no, no, of course not no reason at all. It's just that well Why don't we see just what's happened before jumping to any conclusion? Larry and See what you think of the others too. That is if Barbara got a hold of What others well there's Trudy is Ward Trudy Gertrude Wilson, but there's certainly no reason to suspect her of anything You try it Johnny and you'll have me to answer to oh is that way? Well, we're real good friends and I know her well enough to know that Well, it'd be ridiculous. That's all what it sure and as for Mike though Well, who might have judged in a case like this. Let's wait and see what you think Mike who Briskam How's he related? Well, he's the old man's son or rather adopted son. He lived with mr. Briskam No, not with him Johnny, but certainly off of them The way I get it the old man threw him out on his own a few years back But then apparently Relentied enough to keep feeding him plenty of good cold hard cash to play around with a minute now Didn't I see Mike briskam's name in the papers not too long ago Yeah, maybe it was just after that big nightclub ruckus at the purple jive when a bunch of drunks kind of wrecked the joint Remember now yeah, but now wait Johnny nobody actually saw Mike there that night and just because of his Well, his reputation is no proof that he was I mean after all Johnny why hang the guy unless you're sure he deserves it Mm-hmm. He's supposed to have been treading the straight and narrow lately even got himself some kind of a job I understand so I really have no reason to What you see for yourself tell me did briskam have a wife as she died eight or ten years ago Who benefits by his death? Well, if his will comes out the same way as the insurance Mike gets one third of everything and truly gets two-thirds I see except for the business of course that'll go to his partner John barber Oh, it will at least that's what barber told me one day when I tried to sell him some insurance But surely you don't think Only what am I sweating over it for you're the investigator and it's well It's all just sort of guesswork on my part anyhow. Why should I confuse you confuse me sure Larry? You may be more help than you realize In charge at the briskam place with Sergeant Danny Gilbert not the homicide man I'd have picked for a case like this. He was always a bit too sure of his usually wrong spot judgment He sent Larry into the living room where a sad eye of a good-looking girl sat quietly talking to a couple of men Then led me directly into the study where briskam's body had been discovered earlier by the housekeeper That's old, uh, Mrs. Haskell After I got all I could from her I sent her up to a room to weep and well it out all by itself He was only in the way I see Well, there's a step just the way she found him only don't you touch anything until the dock gets here The body was slumped forward over a big mahogany desk The right hand with obvious powder burns on it still held the old battered 38 that apparently had done the job There were powder burns in the forehead to where the bullet had entered at close range There's no sign of a struggle or of anything in the room having been disturbed Body's all so stiffened up. I figure it happened sometime late last night. Yes very possibly Who was here in the house with him only the housekeeper you sure that that's what she says down I've got no reason to doubt her and she didn't hear the shot Rome is away up on the third floor besides. She's kind of death Well from the looks of things around here, Sergeant God, that's obvious. Plains of nose in your face. The old man committed suicide Did he you don't think so? I Don't know well, I do I'm betting the lab crew and a medical back me up. I've seen too many of these things not to know the signs What kind of signs? Rescans business hasn't been doing too well lately. Hasn't it certainly hasn't asked his partner out there, Mr. Barber. Yes, I will and he's had that worthless kid Mike on his hands And even that water his 2d Wilson's been a worried to him ever since she stopped living here with him And that's proof that he committed suicide It's good enough for me Well, Sergeant don't bank on it One was what Larry Spangler had told me and when dr. Thaddeus Frambler and his lab crew got through it looked as though I was wrong They could find absolutely nothing to suggest anything but suicide The only fingerprints in the beat-up older of all the briskins gun that he had in his desk for years. The only prints on it were his own The angle of the shot its proximity is indicated by the powder burns the burns on his hand still holding the gun All showed that it must have been his finger that pulled the trigger But maybe Maybe with a little help from someone else That's a suspicious mind of yours Sergeant what about the fact that the gun was still in his hand doesn't mean it But wouldn't they be dropped it to the desk at the floor when he died not if the bullet hit some part of his brain It caused the final spasm made him tighten up. That's the doc here darling. Go ahead ask him. All right. All right, sir Doc the law says you have to do an autopsy in a case like this. I'd like to know the results of it It's all right by me doc. He can tell him anything he wants to know as far as I'm concerned But isn't going to make any difference. We'll see You'll only be wasting your time talking to those people out there in the living room young miss Trudy that Mike briscombe and mr Bob. Well, maybe sergeant, but I'd like to talk to them anyway and separately if you have no objections That's suspicious mind of yours. You said it Oh no, mr. I'll never believe that Daddy simply wasn't Wasn't the type to commit suicide Never isn't it true that he was kind of worried about you Trudy Because of the way I left him moved away from here to get along on my own He didn't like it if that's what you mean. Why did you leave him? I understand? He was very good to you I know and it may have seemed ungrateful Because he and his wife took me in when I was just a little baby. They fed me they closed me gave me an education and After mother died he even sent me to college But he was such a Tyrant he would never let me think for myself do the things I wanted to do go with the people I wanted to go with he insisted on running my whole life Even the man that I I want to marry wasn't allowed in the house. I see When daddy had business with him, he went to see him at his office to do. I'm not a child anymore Mr. Dollar. I have a mind of my own. Oh, I can see that. I thought I had a right to use it to do the things I want to do and I've done very well. Thank you Even he had to admit it and stop harping about the way I broke his heart by leaving him. You don't seem too upset over his death, Trudy Well No No, I'm not because of the fortune that will be coming your way now. Yes, partly It'll make me free and dependent. I can marry the only man I've ever wanted to marry do exactly as I please Without this stubborn old man breathing down my neck all the time Trudy you realize don't you that if he didn't commit suicide That a statement like that might point the finger of suspicion at you as a possible murderous Would you rather that I'd lied to you, Mr. Dollar? Suicide a strong-minded stubborn old codger like Frank Briskam never Mr. Dollar never you seem pretty sure of that Mr. Butter I've reason to if you've been in business with him for nearly 10 years as I have you'd know It couldn't have been suicide to even the worries about your business. He had no worries about it not really mr. Dollar don't you know how much Frank was worth nearly a million? I mean of his own sure the business hasn't done very well lately, but that's because of him What do you mean by that? That stubbornness of his over his out-of-date old-fashioned methods his refusal to let me put in new Efficient equipment inaugurate new procedures that could have made a fortune that could have put me on easy street to Believe me things will be different now Now that he's conveniently out of the way, and you'll have the business alone Yes Yes, it's right mr. Dollar In other words then mr. Barber if it wasn't suicide, and I'm certain it wasn't you've shown a pretty good motive for killing him yourself Haven't sure now just it that's ridiculous, but I Suppose I have now haven't I you certainly have Would you rather that I tried to deceive you about my feelings in this whole matter What do you want me to do doll it's ramp on an act then you're not at all. Sorry Mike Why should I be after all he was no blood kin to me anymore, and he wants to true to your her to me So I understand so I'm not one bit. Sorry the old man's gone There's been a lot of times I wished I could have kind of helped him on his way in spite of the fact that it was pretty good to you over the years He's doing a lot better for me right now doll it and he ever did before you mean the money you'll inherit sure Third of his money one third of all that nice insurance all one nice big hunk no insurance if it was suicide Mike Oh now wait a minute doll. Well did you know the old man? No, I didn't well if you had you know perfectly Well, he never knocked himself off. I don't care what that crazy cop says you don't think so. I know he wouldn't and another thing Yeah, he took on a lot of religion the last couple of years took a real serious Oh, I guess that's why he kind of got charitable and started giving me some dough now and again And to him the worst sin he could do would be either to kill anybody or to take his own life Fact dollar he bored me with a lecture on Well on that subject more than once and if you'd known him you'd know he was dead serious and that religion stuff You said that you considered helping him on his way. I Said I kind of wished I could is all that's all I said and All that and then I'm glad he's gone. Yeah, any idea who might have done it Mike Besides you almost anybody might have done it. I mean that would have got something on it like who how about Barbara that gets the business now What about Trudy? You really think so? I don't know. I Can't see either of them actually doing You know only great dollar. What's that? Trudy gets two thirds. I only get one third. I maybe if I was smart and I wasn't so lazy I'd make a big play for her, you know After all we're not real relatives, so I'd marry her and then well I'd have my hands on it all But I guess I'd never get her away from that guy. She's going with Larry Spangler. I'll do all right anyway My share of all that dough even without the insurance is good enough for me and you know Well, you know, how much that's going to amount to dollar enough to kill him for Mike sure absolutely But I didn't do it and dollar He didn't commit suicide I'm beginning to think maybe you're right about that about no suicide. Yes, but I didn't kill him somebody did Supper a touch of arthritis or rheumatism and you've never tried mentholatum deep-heating rub You can't know how good its deep-heating action can make you feel as you massage it into painful areas You feel it's deep-heating action. You know relief is on its way Mentholatum deep-heating rub is an extra strong combination of active ingredients for safe temporary relief of minor arthritic rheumatic pain Use greaseless stainless mentholatum deep-heating rub often then Sergeant Gilbert still sure that it was suicide Thought there was no reason to hold any of mr. Briskins beneficiaries and told them they could leave Told me to forget the whole thing Then he left us there and if you'll excuse me I better get on down the office and Fred Frank's death is going to be quite a shock to some of the older employees Who've been with him since he started the business. Yes, mr. Barbara Maybe you'd better get rolling with Some of those profitable new procedures that you were telling me about now that you've got mr. Brisk him out of your hair I've got him out of my hair. Are you implying mr. Dollar if the shoe feds I get a little tired of hearing Sergeant Gilbert say it But you are a suspicious man all three of you swore it couldn't be suicide. I know but Excuse me. I'm his girl. What if I bum a ride with you? No. No, Mike. Come along, right and brother I'm going to town and tie on one that'll make history in this bird. Yeah, what? Trudy Certainly no reason for you to stay around. No, no, I'll be glad to get out of here If it's all right with you Johnny, I'll drive Trudy on home and you can take my car back to the office or the apartment if you like sure Larry be glad You've held up under this very well darling. Why not dear? Johnny Yeah In spite of what that policeman and the doctor and those laboratory men said Do you think it was suicide? You're worried about the insurance money that won't be paid if it was not Johnny Of course not Johnny and do you know why because compared to the rest of the estate the insurance doesn't matter I'll be perfectly content without it But you didn't answer me Suicide or murder Trudy, yes You know, that's a very good question If motive alone were the answer, I'd surely say murder But considering the circumstances what little evidence there is of course Johnny It has to have been suicide Because it will save your company having to pay off. Well, that is something to think about you know Come on, honey. I'll take you home See you later Johnny Love birds drove away intruding scar I took off in Larry's Then I suddenly began to think about the route to his office Something that he said about it earlier Instead of going there I drove to the morgue where dr. Framler was finishing up his brief autopsy No, mr. Darla, I'm afraid of a suicide. All right, not even any bruises anything like that. I'm doctor Well a slight one. Yeah, where on the forehead at just about the point where the bullet entered All right, then but that could easily have been caused when he fell forward on the death. Maybe but I'm betting it wasn't I Say that old man was struck on the forehead enough to knock him out It wouldn't have taken much at his age. Well, I know then he was shot in the same spot So the bullet and the muzzle blast would cover up that bruise now you've got to admit that's possible doctor Possible of course, but the police found only his own prints on that gun other way It may have been white fleeing quite recent sure sure it was Easiest thing in the world is to pick up a gun with somebody else's hand Somebody unconscious and make it pull the trigger and that's exactly what happened about who mr. Darla On the way over here just now I suddenly realized my apartment was nowhere near the route between his office in the brisken place in spite of the fact that he'd Said it was that was just an excuse to pick me up so he could talk to me What sir and that corny real friendly bit right from the beginning call me Larry real palsy Larry Yes Now that dope he gave me on the others that would make any one of them suspect why In case the job hadn't been done well enough That it might look like the murder it really was of course I have faith. I don't as for calling me in himself That's the oldest gag in the world as a cover-up to take away any possible suspicion from himself And as for motive he had all the motive in the world mr. Darla look doc if there's no real evidence to pin it on him Wait a minute. Maybe if I tear into him act convincing enough. I can make him think there is no Johnny You're out of your mouth for motive Larry who had a better one the girl that fortune even without the insurance would be enough to Keep a bright-eyed young opportunist wealthy for the rest of his life now listen too bad Isn't it that your lack of experience and crime tripped you up so easily you don't know what you're talking about. Don't I you're out of your mind You're crazy that I Larry you have no proof of anything like you suggest haven't I now Didn't you know that you're late and Prince would show up on that gun even after carefully wiping it And I that your Prince would show up on the back of old man Briskam's hand Just as clearly as they did on the arm of the chair you sat in there in the living room That a simple comparison down at police headquarters my fingerprints on the back of his head That's right. That's impossible. Is it yes because of a pair of cotton gloves that I wore cotton gloves Larry Like I said Larry you're a complete inexperience Hey Johnny not only the rank is amateur would have let himself be tripped up like that And only the rottenest kind of insurance man would have tried a thing like that Thank heaven there aren't very many of them Expense account total Wait a minute, of course there isn't any And you know what? I'm glad there isn't This kind I wouldn't want to collect on anyway. Yours truly Johnny dollar You've made ice tea and oh, what a beautiful flavor Instant tenderly cold water lots of ice you've got it made Richard writer lively or iced tea 100% pure tea new instant To tell you about next week's story next week. Do you remember who the Laurel? I were Look it up. Then join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar by Bruno Zerato, Jr. Musical supervision by Ethel Huber Johnny dollar is played by Mandel Kramer Also featured in our cast were William Mason as Larry Teresa Bauer as Judy Raymond Edward Johnson as Barbara Ivor Francis as Doc and Ralph Bell as the