 John Laund as yours truly Johnny Doller Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Doller to home office Eastern indemnity and insurance company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the King's necklace matter Expense account item one one hundred thirty-four dollars and seventy cents airfare and incidentals between Hartford and Miami Weeding at the airport as promised was your southern states agency manager Marty Fenton Over a cup of brew in the coffee shop. He briefed me on the assignment Ever hear of King Rawlings Johnny King Rawlings financial tycoon, wasn't he? Retired some 15 20 years ago. That's the lad About a year ago. He wrote a policy in a quarter of a million dollar necklace that he owns Which is suddenly turned up among the missing and not yet Expected to know we got a letter from him day before yesterday Claims somebody attempted to break into his safe thinks they were after the necklace I'm usually sent for after the crime has been committed true. My lad true So what am I doing here now Policy is coming up for renewal Johnny never nasty rumors circulating around about Rawlings present financial conditions Ready starting a build-up to put in a fraudulent claim Been done before The boys in Hartford get pretty stuffy about that kind of skull-duggery We want you to check around Los Barrios and see what you come up with Is that where the gentle sea breezes waft through the palm trees? 2000 imported ones Los Barrios is Rawlings own personal island off the coast of Cuba He's lived there for 20 years surrounded by his memories his trees and his collection of precious stones people Your plane's waiting Johnny hired a little lamb fib to let's not brush off the collection of people Who am I to prejudice a stalwart investigator about to brave the dangers of Rawlings Isle on your way, lad May the blessings of Eastern in Denmark a folly are even under the ends of Los Barrios After one and a half hours of white clouds and blue sky The plane put down in an even bluer sea and taxied over to a landing dock on a picture book island King Rawlings had collected palm trees. All right, but I didn't know about the people From where I stood there was nothing to be seen with the landing dock a gravel path and those trees The path led through a seemingly deserted tangle of exotic flowers sweet-scented vines and the ever-present palm trees It was like a tropical paradise peaceful serene untouched by men I Just about decided that nobody on this island ever made use of this lush garden spot When I learned that I couldn't have been more wrong Well, hello Wherever you are Hello Who are you? My name is Johnny dollar. I am Nita Valdez. I'm glad to know you miss Valdez You are the man who arrived on the plane a few minutes ago. No, I didn't think anyone had heard The hospitality is overwhelming. You will become accustomed to it Everyone here is too occupied with himself to bother concerning anyone else like me. I have been too busy, son, baby Yes So I noticed if it bothers you you could have me my role. Oh, no, no, that won't be necessary Sit down. Mr. Donald. Thanks You have come to see the king about the attempt to steal his necklace Apparently sunbathing hasn't interfered with your learning about that. You obviously did not know King Rowling's very well Why do you say that? Everyone on this island has been accused of attempting the theft including you. Why should I be an exception? Oh, just wondering Because I'm young and beautiful you think perhaps I hold some special place of esteem in King Rowling's affections Well, do you? Can you reach that by the sun than notion? Yeah, sure The back of my shoulders Would you mind? It is a difficult place for me to use. Oh, I'll be glad to About the necklace, mr. Dollar, I would not be too concerned about it if I were you. Oh Why not? Well, if anyone have actually made an attempt to steal it the king knows who he is But he's still accused everybody here It affords him a great deal of pleasure to make others squirm and be uncomfortable. You don't like him very much to you And why do you stay here same reason as everyone else money? Oh, that will do nicely. Thank you You're welcome You mind explaining that bit about money miss Valdez later perhaps Sonny's still warm and I wish to take advantage of it We will meet again a polite dismissal if I ever heard one You're wondering perhaps why I stopped you to talk this way The thought had occurred to me as when you meet the king get to know him a little I Think you will understand who I am and if I don't I Sunbathe here every day I'll think about that too I Found that Rawlings like all good Kings lived in a castle this one Obviously imported stone by stone from some Moorish province a Nervous little man came to the main gate and escorted me inside to the Baroneo Hall Harley is my name. Mr. Dollar Timothy B. Harley. I Mr. Rawlings secretary in here Mr. Rawlings study he'd be down to join you shortly. Thanks, Mr. Harley. I I Presume you're here about the necklace Mr. Dahlia a favorite topic of conversation around here isn't it a Big goodbye the necklace. Oh, yes, it's of course. Well under the circumstances you see the attempted theft and all yet As someone else mentioned it to you any reason why they shouldn't oh and oh no not at all. No, it was just that well Um Was it me to about days by any chance what makes you think so? Oh, I nothing. Oh, no, no nothing at all only you see It was where to tell you the truth. I've suspected something for a long time. It's come to my attention. You talk too much, Harley Mr. Rawlings. Oh, I didn't hear you come in. I was just Out You're from the insurance company, that's right Johnny dollar why you instead of Marty Fenton. He's an agent. I'm a special investigator. I Didn't request an investigation You made a report of an attempted robbery. Would you want me to do have you declare the policy void because I didn't what do you Want us to do? Thank you for letting us pay out a quarter of a million if the necklace turns up missing Over here darling, there's the safe I keep it in Pretty substantial job fatten supervise the installation himself Those scratches near the combination Those what made you think somebody tried to force it only a hammer and chisel could make those marks. Mm-hmm. I Like to see the necklace Boy What do you think was after it? either Harley or my protege you need a Valdez Why suspect them They love money and hate me You care to go into that You're investigating the necklace dollar not my relationships with the people on this island There it is Beautiful workmanship. What else did you expect for a quarter of a million dollars? A little more than this Rawlings. Hmm. I'm no expert on precious stones, but 10 will get you 20 if these aren't pastes Let me see You're right there any explanations None you no idea how the switch was pulled I have not When was the last time the necklace was appraised when the policy was written Who else has the combination of this safe? No one Kind of puts you in a spot doesn't it not at all. I'm insured The law says we don't have to pay off on fraudulent claims. I know The law also says you have to prove that fraud exists I broke the news to Marty woman looked around for something to improve the shining hours while waiting for him to arrive. I Found it Dressed in a clinging silk gown on a patio overlooking the sea It was obviously the cocktail Mind if I join you please do I Can't make up my mind too hot in the dollar which shows you off to greater advantage That dress or the sunset? For that you may have a choice of reward scotch or martini. Nothing. Thanks Well What did you think of him the king? Yes? I'm more interested in what you think of me. I have already told you I know he confirmed your statement that I hate him Mm-hmm You can believe it. I do What I want to know is why King Rawlings is a collector Stamps butterflies out of state license plates people mr. Dollar How does this fascinating game of his work? He specializes in aspiring artists with little or no talent Actress like myself. I would be poet like Harley He bates his trap with a promise of money to aid their careers Keeps them dangling as long as they can amuse him and feed his ego then he cuts them off very But if you know what he is why stay on Much easier to cling even to a remnant of a dream to face the harshness of reality How tough would it be to face reality with a quarter of a million dollars? The necklace is gone does that surprise you No, it was too great a temptation for you or Harley for either of us if we had known the combination to that safe And no mr. Dollar. It was the king himself was tempted. Well, that doesn't figure now with his money if he still has it Why do you think he hasn't what other answer could there be? Hmm Might be interesting to try to find out. Oh, you would be wasting your time. Mr. Dollar. I've got some to spare Perhaps I could find you. I don't have any money. Oh, that was rather cruel. I'm sorry Why the excitement Harley tell me is it true that the necklace has been stolen looks like it Why I wonder if that could possibly account for it For what mr. Rawlings, he's lying on the second floor landing. I think he's dead Timothy be Harley couldn't have been more right King Rawlings was lying stone cold dead on the second floor landing When Marty Fenton flew in three hours later Accompanied by a captain Fuentes of the Havana police. I gave them a fast briefing Marty's reaction was predictable. Nobody gets off this island until we learn what's happened to that necklace, right Captain Fuentes Yes, I agree. So you were fainting up to a certain point. What point? What do you mean? The good captain apparently feels there might be something more important about all this than a missing necklace What could be more important than a quarter of a million and stolen jewels? How about murder never ended my mind? Naturally not. Eastern indemnity only ensured Rawlings stones not his life Guess I had that coming senior dollar is quite correct However, because of senior Rawlings death is not apparent at the moment. It will require an autopsy to determine And if it's murder we must then regard everyone who was present upon this island with suspicion What help can you give us regarding that senior dollar? Well, just what I've told you outside of the servants only Harley miss Valdez and I were among those present Who was the last to see senior Rawlings alive so far as I know I was But Harley could have been with him after Rawlings left me in the study For that matter miss Valdez could have seen him too before our little tete tete on the patio Look fellows me lads I don't want to appear single-minded about this little affair, but we don't know whether Rawlings was murdered or not However, we do know eastern indemnities out of cool 250 G's of that necklace doesn't turn up Payable of course to senior Rawlings estate sure Who cares who it's payable to what I'm interested in is not paying it thinking of possible motives captain The air to send your Rawlings fortune might well be suspect So whoever stole the necklace if Rawlings had tumbled to him and there's always plain hate isn't it? You have something specific in mind senior dollar. Hmm. Just a suggestion captain When he's had his plane fly Rawlings body back to Havana for posting while he conducted a very thorough if Unenlightening questioning of those present Apparently no one had seen Rawlings after he left me in the study had any idea how he died or what had happened to that necklace When he's knocked off around midnight and everyone ostensibly went to bed I still had a few unanswered questions kicking around so I went up to Harley's room to try them out Yes, mr. Dollar, mr. Rawlings had a will but as I told captain Fuentes It's locked in the safe and it'll take a court order and some professional safecrackers to get at it. I know But what about the copy? Copy it's customary for the attorney who drew it up to retain a copy. Oh, yes, of course. I hadn't thought Signor Chavez must have one in Havana. He's an attorney there. Yes matter of fact He handled most of mr. Rawlings financial affairs Well, he must have a copy. Oh, why don't you ask him? Oh, I will But first I'd like to know why you were planning to leave Los Baños leave Well, how did you know? Well, maybe you can think of another reason for having a half-filled suitcase laying there on your bed Oh, yeah. Oh, yes, of course. Yes, I was planning to leave it No reason why I shouldn't after all my employment here has been terminated. Have you discussed the idea with captain Fuentes? well No, but why should he object? I'm not guilty of anything just a thought Harley Mind if I take a look at that suitcase. No, don't don't touch that. I don't well. What do you know a brown paper? Parcel neatly wrapped and tied You mind telling me what's in it. It's none of your business Put that down. It wouldn't be a necklace by any chance with it. Put it down dollar. Oh sure right away well That's interesting all new crisp and hundred dollar denominations Must be close to ten thousand dollars. Well, what of it? It's mine. Oh, I don't doubt that I'm just wondering where you got it. I saved it working for Rawlings. Yes. Why not? I saved it working for Rawlings It's mine. Okay, honey. I don't want it Don't you really know why captain Fuentes might object to your leaving now? No, I most certainly don't Remarkable there wasn't anything I could do before morning rolled around except smoke a last cigarette and try to think things out So I went out in the same patio where Anita and I had had our talk and lit up the one cigarette turned into two Then I started to light a third one. That was a mistake Saw the muzzle flash it came from somewhere inside a clump of palm trees But with a full moon behind me, I wasn't going to get heroic about it I made a dive for a concrete retaining wall. I Didn't think the shots I'd snapped out had done any good and I had no intention of finding out now with that moon Lighting things up. So I made myself comfortable with my back to the wall and waited for the Cuban Marines in the person of captain Fuentes to come charging to the rescue Some 15 minutes later Marty the captain and I held a council of war on our way down to the landing docks. I Found these two empty shells under one of the palm trees in your dollar But that was all no trace of the person who fired them. What about Harley? He's not in his room So far I've been unable to locate him. Hardly seems reasonable Johnny That could be so important about that money you saw to make him want to kill you. I don't know that he did Marty But I'd like to ask him a couple of questions about it But why come down here to the boat house, senior? Well with your plane gone There's only one way off this island brawling speed boats. We'd better make sure they're locked up tight One of the slips is empty. It wasn't when I got here. We heard no motor senior Well, that's nothing that a paddle and a pair of willing arms can't explain Harley That's my guess and it's tend to one. He has the necklace with him Expense account item to five dollars and sixty-five cents breakfast for two in Havana Well Martin Fatton and I found the bougainvillea and the tourist rates in full bloom We wanted to talk to senior Chavez Rawlings lawyer And after a rough trip on one of the speed boats and that rougher breakfast tab We made our way to his office See I have a copy of senior Rawlings will but you understand I cannot disclose its contents until the court so order, but we don't want to need to tail senior Chavez But I understood you were inquiring about beneficiaries All we want to know is if he left anything to a Timothy Harley or Anita Valdez I see we've explained the circumstances in your Chavez It can't violate any professional ethics to give us a yes or no to those two names No, no, I do not believe it is unethical to tell you these months No individuals were named in the wheel only charitable and public welfare institutions. Well, that eliminates the error parent angle Jenny One more thing senior Chavez There have been rumors that Rawlings fortune was almost gone Any truth to them not a bit all his investments were most judiciously placed It was perhaps wealthier at the time of his death than at any time during his life Well, you've been a big help. Thanks for now. It is an attorney's duty to pay the lawyers, you know Anytime you are here in Havana, please to stop in it would be my pleasure. I will do as any of Chavez and thanks again It was a great help cleaned up some loose ends. It's a loose necklace. I'm worried about Johnny Where do we go from here? We can check out the local police see if they've picked up anything on Harley good as anything I guess Well, which way we pass it on the way up here For you in my office from the island of Los Vanos. Oh, thanks, senior Chavez There it on my desk, senior Johnny dollar. This is Captain point a senior dollar. I have some information for you Oh, what is it captain? First of all the autopsy report on senior Rawlings has come in Natural death old aggravated heart condition. No real reason for anybody to murder him. What else? We have found senior Harley's body. I did not deserve dashed him against the rocks His skull was fractured. You didn't find the necklace on him one who stole it. What makes you think so in his wallet We found a slip of paper senior on it was written the combination of the safe Expense account item three $35 transportation of speedboat back to Los Berners With captain 20s report. There was no need to report directly to the island and Marty was anxious to get back to the office and bring you up to date So he chartered a plane and we took off for Miami Well, Johnny Milad we chalk up another happy collaboration. Yeah, you might call it that money a king there was Yeah, somehow. I don't think Rawlings was a very happy man with all his dough Hold up on that island nothing but hate around him. No money is not the answer to everything. No, but as the saying goes it sure helps But then I guess it didn't help Harley much either I Wonder if we'll ever find that necklace it'll turn up Pretty optimistic. Aren't you? No, I'm sure of it. Well, come on Johnny give what do you think it is? Right there in your briefcase It's not a very funny gag Johnny. No Marty. It's not and how about changing the snapper. I wish I could Marty But it figured all along looking for every possible loophole. I guess But they all closed up on me Where did I slip where they all slip at the very beginning? When you first thought of it what tipped you Rawlings swore that only he knew the combination of that safe. He was wrong One other man knew it the one who supervised its installation You should have known you tumbled of that the paste pinned it down even closer Marty The reproduction was too good No wonder You had every descriptive detail in your copy of the policy weights dimensions photographs everything I didn't go back to the island Johnny. How could I make the switch? That's where Harley came in You slipped him the combination and he made the switch That's why the ten thousand payoff and why you had to kill him Framers and accidents Maybe I should have killed you too, and I had the chance on the patio You've still got your gun Yeah, what's the use wrong all the way Besides I never could out-shoot you Expense account item four $32 and 15 cents hotel bill and incidentals in Miami Item five one hundred and forty one dollars and ten cents plane fare and incidentals back to Hartford Expense account total three hundred forty eight dollars and sixty cents Remarks With all due deference to my chosen profession Sometimes this is a lousy business Here's truly Johnny dollar Johnny dollar stars John Lund in the title role and was written by Sydney Marshall with music by Milton Charles Featured in tonight's cast were Jack Moyles, Lillian Bayef, Tom Tully, Howard McNair, Nestor Piva and Don Diamond Yours truly Johnny dollar is produced and directed in Hollywood by Jaime Del Valle This is Charles Lyon Inviting you to join us again next week at this same time when from Hollywood John Lund returns as yours truly Johnny dollar