 Johnny Dollar. Hi, Johnny. Johnny, Les Walters at World Mutual. Les, how are you? I'm ready to blow a gasket. Why? What's the matter? Troubled. $300,000 worth. It's a lot of trouble. Well, I'll pick you up at your place in, say, 20 minutes. All right, but what's it all about? Les, murder, burglary, arson, embezzlement? I'll tell you when I see you. Well, give me a hint at least. Some possible angle to mull over. All you have to mull over is what your commission may be on 300 Gs. Okay, I don't mind if I do. I'll be there. G.S. Radio Network brings you Mandel Kramer and the exciting adventures of the man with the action-tact expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to World Mutual Insurance Company Home Office, Hartford, Connecticut. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the deadly crystal matter. By the time I'd shaved, showered, dressed, and poured myself a cup of coffee, Les Walters was pounding on my door. Coming, Les, coming. And a popular morning to you. Well, you have to sound so all-fired, cheerful. Oh, why not? Come on in. Join me a cup of coffee. No, no, no, no time. Not if you're going to make the next plane to New York. Oh, I am. You are. Why? I told you. $300,000. The company doesn't want to have to pay out. For what? Look, will you quit stalling? Let's go. Came back from New York? Yes, yes. Oh, rather of Bronxville. One of the suburbs. Yes, I know the town. Well, that's where Mrs. Gurney Dalrymple Weatherwell lives. And who's she? Oh, an exceptional character at Weatherwell's. What is it? 1263 Birchbrook Road. You got it? 1263 Birchbrook Road. I got it. Now, tell me, what's happened? Ah, the old old caper. Servants they offer old lady all alone with $300,000 worth of jewels. You mean she kept that kind of stuff around the house? She kept it on her. Yeah. 24 hours a day even when she went to bed. To a reminder of the old days when she didn't have a sense, she says. I told you, she's a character. Boy, she must be. Yeah, well, the only time she didn't wear it was when she took a bath. So, what happened? She took a bath. You may think you're kidding, but that's it. She left the stuff on a dressing table in her bedroom. By the time she got out of the tub, threw in a dressing gown, walked back into the bedroom, the stuff was gone. And absolutely no sign of where and how and by only. The police have any ideas? No, she won't let them near the place. Why not? Look, I told you, Johnny, she's a character. She's a character, all right. Yeah, she's a character. She wouldn't even give me any details beyond what I told you. I told you, insisted that you and you alone handle the case. Well, never heard. Now, here, here's a list of everything. Watch it, watch it, lad. It's close. Crazy woman driver. Quite a doll, though. It'll be a pleasure to be run down. Yeah, sure. Well, it's not me. Anyhow, let's see, here's the list. Now, the most valuable piece is that number one item there, a necklace with a big ruby pendant. You see it there? Wow. Twenty-three carats. I wouldn't let that out of my sight even when I took a shower. Yeah. Now, when did it happen, Lest? You shouldn't have asked. Two weeks ago today. What? Yeah. And she only just now, notifying you? Yeah. Yeah. And she won't let the police take her hand, huh? No, I told you, John. Yes, you told me Lest, but if you ask me, there's something very, very fishy about all this. One, 1045, Plain Fairton, New York, and aboard the plane in the seat right next to me. Yes, the girls who had nearly run us down on the way to the airport. She was late 20s, I'd say, very petite and cute. She got black hair and warm brown eyes. They'd be familiar, too, but not exactly sociable. I told you, Mr.... What do you say your name is? Dollar, Johnny Dollar. Oh, yes. And yours? Lyndon Peters, if it makes any difference. Well, of course it does, because Lyndon... Look, I told you, Johnny, it was completely the fault of whoever was driving your car. And that's that. Now, excuse me. I'll tell you what, Lyndon. I'll have him send you a written apology, okay? It won't be necessary. Forget it. Now, if you'll excuse me. Forget that somebody as pretty as you are might have been hurt because of his... I said, excuse me. I'd like to read. If you don't mind. Ouch. Your $50 deposit on a rental car. An hour later, I pulled up in front of the old mansion at 1263 Birchbrook Road in the beautiful suburb of Bronx. And Mrs. Guernay and Darrymple Weatherwell was a character. Mr. Walter told you rightly, Mr. Dollar. Like today, it was a servant's day off. I was completely alone here. I was taking my tubs at my precious jewelry store. And no sign of anyone having broken in, Mrs. Weatherwell? None whatsoever. I see. Now, tell me, who else has a key to the house beside the servant? No one, and it was not they who did it. Well, can you be sure of that? Absolutely certain. I won't even permit you're questioning them about it. Any family then? Well, since my husband died, I've lived here entirely alone. Except for the servants. It was not they. Well, you didn't really answer my question about family. Well, come on at the door, Mr. Dollar. Yes, I know. But before you answer it... You may answer it. What? I told you no servants today, so you will answer the door. Go on, young man. Go on. All right, all right. Here, Charlie says... Lynn. Oh, here. Would you take this along with your leave? Wait a minute, Lynn. Who's Lynn? You are. At least that's the name... Well, what is it? What is it, young man? Put it... What's that package you have there? Is that for me? Yes, yes, it is. Here. Now, just a minute. I think... This is what I think it is. Oh, wait a minute. The girl out there who brought it, would you just stand aside one moment? Don't bother, Mr. Dollar. You see? That's right. All of them. I knew Charlie wouldn't say that. Oh, wait a minute. Listen to me. That girl... The only thing I'm interested in is if my jewels are back. There. See? Aren't they lovely? Yes, they're lovely. But if you'll let me by, please, so I can see what happened there. Here. While I hold it in place, the necklace for me. Go on, fix it. Okay, okay. There you are. Kale, am I going out? Thank you. Now that she's gone. I have my jewels back. The case is closed and I have no for the need of you. Goodbye. The case is closed, hmm? Yes. Wait. That's what you think. There was something fishy about this case. Now I was sure of it. I was also sure there was no point trying to get anywhere with Mrs. Weatherwell. So there wasn't much to go on, except the girl, Lynn Peters, if that really was her name. And there had been something vaguely familiar about her, but from where? I drove back to New York to 18th Precinct Police Headquarters in my old pal, Lieutenant Randy Singer. Lynn Peters. No, no, it doesn't ring a bell with me, Johnny. What have you got on it? Accessory to a jewelry, a heist up in Bronxville, I think. Well, what did the police think up there? Randy, they don't even know the stuff was taken. They don't? And now that it's all been returned. Returned, by who? This girl, this Lynn Peters. What if the stuff is back? Well, I worry about it. I want to know why it was brought back. And if it was intended to be returned, why it was stolen in the first place. So the answer is to find the girl. I wish I could help you, Johnny, but I ain't never even heard of her. So how's about forgetting her and treating me to a nice dinner on that expensive kind of yours, huh? Randy, how about a look at your mug book, hmm? Brooke, we've got a stack of them this high, Johnny. We'll take it two weeks. Just leave me to them. But you're not even sure she's from here in New York. Randy, listen to me. More than any other city in the world. This town puts a kind of stamp on its people. Not just the way they talk, though. New Yorkers do have a kind of a dialect for all their own, but there's more than that. It's the way they walk, the way they dress, the way a girl uses makeup, the way she reacts when you try to make a pass at her. Oh, no, I get it. You're a real reason for wanting to find this day. Oh, come on now. Stop. The fact remains that if somebody asked me, I'd say right off that she's a New Yorker. Let me see the mugbooks. But even if she is a local, she wouldn't be in one of them unless she's been on the plotter. And from what little you seem to know about her, and only the fact, she happened to return some stolen goods, without even a charge against her on this particular job, and with only your suspicion that she might be involved. Okay, Johnny, just follow me. Present 15 minutes later, it was 4 a.m. and I was still pouring over the mugbook. And Andy was back on duty and shelling a mug of hot coffee at me. Oh, come on, Johnny. Give up, will you? Nope. But even if you find her, you've got nothing on her. And from what you've told her... All right, all right. So I'm stepping. But until I figure out what this cock-eyed caper is all about. But don't just stand there, Andy. Give me a hand. Me? I don't even know what she looks like. All right. She looks a little like this one. Only the eyes are different. And a bit like this one. Only she's smaller. And this one here, a little only darker here. And much cuter. Cuter. Ha! Did you run a check on that name, Lynn Peters? Like a darn fool right after I locked you in here last night. Nothing, huh? Nothing. Nothing? Hey! What? Look, here she is. I knew I'd find her. I knew it, Randy. And look, look. Her name is Ruth Ballochet. I thought you said her name was Lynn Peters. Did I say it was her right name? Okay, okay. So it's Ruth Ballochet. But what? You know her? Sure. The quick dip we called her. Her first match at your pick pocket years ago. All right then. But not anymore, Johnny. So don't you make any trouble with her. Ruth's clean these days. She is, huh? Well, we'll see. And the address? Yeah. 2120 West 94. Johnny Dollar. Mm-hmm. Hi, Lynn. Or is it really Ruth? Ruth? Lynn? Aren't you making some mistake? And I don't say you don't recognize me this time. I've never seen you before in my life. Who are you and what do you want? Are you kidding? I am not. Who is it you wish to see? My cute little seatmate. I'm a plane down from Hartford yesterday. You. Me? And don't try to tell me you're not the one. The one who gave me the name of Lynn Peters. It's only it's really Ruth Ballochet. I'm sorry, mister. I never heard of either of them. Now, if you take your foot out of the door. Now, just a minute. What is this? Some kind of a racket. What if you don't think I can scream loud enough for that cop in the corner to hear me? Will you listen to me for a minute? No. The same one Mrs. Weatherwell has used. Charlie. Charles. So maybe he was the key to all this. The rest of the day I watched the place hoping he'd appear. Nothing. Nor the next day. Or the next. Then it hit me. Item three, a dollar twenty for a call to Les in Hartford. Where have you been, Johnny? I tried to call you at your apartment half a dozen times. Just answer my question, Les. Mrs. Weatherwell's beneficiary? Yes. Only one. Her stepson, son of the man who died, left her widow. What's his name? And is it at the informal notice of her death? All right, Les. What's his name? Uh, Charlie. You know where I can find him. All right. Little information. You, with that ridiculous talk about a plane from Hartford. Where is he? Charlie Weatherwell. Charlie? Charlie, don't. Don't worry. But here, you keep the gun on him just in case. Sure. See, though? Told you he'd be back. Did you fix the hypo for him? Right here, baby. One shot of this and you'd be out for at least five days. Now pull up his sleeve. Sure. It won't kill him, Les. No, it won't kill him. I didn't study chemistry for nothing. All righty then. Here now. Intramuscular. So the effect will be slow and will last. There. And by the time he comes out of this, you and I'll have the insurance and the ruby and be on the other side of the Atlantic. Now, let's get out of here. I don't know if the punk who did it has a gun. It's smart to play possum. The only thing that worried me was that injection in the muscle of my left arm. The minute they left, I sterilized the blade of my pocket knife with a match made a deep cross cut through the needle mark and squeezed until my fingers were sore. It must have done the trick. Although I felt giddy for a while, I didn't pass out. Item four, two bucks at a nearby saloon or a slug of brandy. Item five, $20 for some work on the arm by a doctor who stops asking questions only after I showed him my credentials. Then I drove back to Brownsville. Dr. Harmon Barley and you, sir? Johnny Dollar. Oh, yes. Yes, Dollar. I've heard of you. Come in. How is she, Doctor? She's still alive? Yes, but in spite of all we're doing for her, she is. Well, maybe you're doing wrong. Big pardon? Where is she? Upstairs. I've called in a couple of specialists for consultation. Just tell me this. Is she wearing a necklace with a ruby pendant? An almost orange-colored ruby that was stolen temporarily? Yes, she is, but why? Then come on. Get out of the country with not only the insurance, but the ruby, Charlie said. Charlie? Ruby? Yes, that means he made a substitute for the real one after he stole it from her before he got the stuff back to her via the girlfriend. Mr. Dollar, just... Which way now? Uh, uh, second door on the right. All right, come on. Put a mark on her chest. With a so-called ruby and that pendant rest, and it was the only sign. But it was enough to convince the two specialists. They immediately began treatment for one of the most subtle and fiendish poisons known to man. Then some 36 hours later, after she'd passed the crisis... Yes, Mr. Dollar, that cantankerous old patient of mine. Well, I must... Patient of ours now, Dr. Briley. I stand corrected, Dr. Radford. And that goes for Dr. Wilson, too. Anyhow, she's going to be all right. Good. How do we have a breather, Mr. Dollar? Tell us. What in the world they've alleged to believe that this sudden, almost violent deterioration of the red corpuscles in her blood was caused by potassium paradigmate? Doctor, a couple of months ago, in one of our western states, a young student made up some jewelry out of various crystals that he'd put together in a laboratory. It was written up in the press. Oh, yes, yes, I remember that. And so do I. Now, as you mentioned it, but there was quite a fear over the fact that some of the crystals that looked so like jewels were actually deadly poisoned. Yes, and that contact with human tissue for any length of time. Yes, yes. The very symptoms that Mrs. Weatherwell was baffling us with until you came. That's right. So, and I heard him say that he had the ruby. He? The one who did this? Yes, when he said he had the ruby. And that meant the real one. I figured he must have substituted one of these deadly crystals in the pendant on her necklace. And you were right. But wait, you know the name of this man? I certainly do. Tanker's old bitty's recovery was complete. I must admit, a little short of miraculous. I went back to my apartment, made a call to Les Walters. Got a few hours of badly needed sleep. Then the next morning joined Les at his office. Yes, Johnny, it took a little finagling, but the item appeared in this morning's Hartford current. Now the New York paper's got it too. Good, good, Les. So the word is odd that Mrs. Gurney Dalrymple Weatherwell has died. Tomorrow, of course, there'll be a retraction. Of course. Well, where is he, Les? I thought you said that 15 minutes after the news got out, we... Johnny, he has to have time to get here. So, I'd say that he ought to appear... Yes, Miss Mandeville? Uh, Mr. Weatherwell is here, Mr. Walters. Oh, send him in. Right on cue, do you suppose? Mr. Walters, my name is Charles Weatherwell. I'm beneficiary of my stepmother's insurance, and as I understand it, to be paid to me immediately and with a... With a... Mm-hmm. Yes, Mr. Weatherwell, meet Johnny Dalrymple. Oh, uh, we've met. Hi, Charlie. What's the matter? How do you get here? What is it? Some kind of a trick? Oh, and before I forget it, Mr. Weatherwell, there was a... Call for you a couple of minutes ago. Call? For me? Yes. Your stepmother. Want to return it? Here, you can use this phone. No. No, she's dead. Oh, you saw that erroneous news report. No. It's true, it has to be. Why, because you poisoned one? No. Of course not. You mean yes, don't you? It's a trick. It's a trick. Charlie. But you won't get away with it. Put that gun away. No. I'll kill you too. Not today, Charlie. All right. All right. It's all okay, folks. Everything's under control. Just a little argument in here, and Mr. Dollar has settled it. Quite satisfactorily. May Ruth Valaché had made the mistake of waiting for Charlie outside in the car. No. She'll have her day in court too. Oh, and the original ruby, the real one, we found sold into the lining of Charlie's coat. Expense account total? Well, just for kicks, why don't we call it a hundred bucks? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Here is our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week? I want all of you to be sure and listen. You may be sorry if you miss it. I call it the case of the tip-off matter. So tune in, won't you? No, it's truly Johnny Dollar. If you drive a car, remember this. Almost anywhere in the country where you see the Sinclair sign, you can save up to four cents a gallon on gasoline by using Sinclair Dino. That's because in three out of five cars, regular price Sinclair Dino matches the performance of expensive premium gasoline, costing up to four cents more a gallon. And by Sinclair Dino Gasoline by Jack Johnstone, produced and directed by Fred Hendrickson. Johnny Dollar is played by Mandel Kramer, also featured in our cast for Carl Frank, Olive Deering, Elspeth Eric, Sam Gray, Casey Allen, Bean Carlton, and Rene Santoni. Music supervision by Ethel Huber, sound patterns by Walter Otto. Technical supervision by Larry Soler. Be sure to join us next week, same time, same station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny Dollar.