 From Hollywood, it's time now for Johnny Duller Well a long time Pat what's on your mind at the muck's hey, you're really thinking big these days no correction worrying big Well, I guess if I had a hundred and twenty thousand clams, I'd worry too So who does have it Thomas Chase coming in a partner in the New York investments into get ever since chase Chase and bezel the money. We think so so what do you want with me? I'm no expert in forcing confessions. I'll be right over Tonight and every weekday 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 to the home office universal adjustment bureau Hartford, Connecticut Following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Phantom Chase matter Expense account item one a dollar even taxi from my apartment to the offices of universal adjustment where Pat McCracken was waiting for me With a worried look in a handful of papers How can you figure it Johnny an outfit like ever since chase goes along for years without a blemish on the record and then bluey One of them turns sour. That's what makes horseraces. I guess that's also what gives bonding companies headaches What's the background Pat? No, it's all in here Everson and chase investment brokers real high-class clientele partnership. Oh, yeah George ever since senior partner 42 years old pillar of society marine. No widower wife died three four years ago This Thomas Chase is the junior partner. Yeah, he's 38. It's a big fellow clean cut all conference football player in college You know that sort of thing everything in his favor looks personality intelligence ability Why Johnny why a guy like that? Oh, you're asking the wrong fella. I've seen enough embezzers I don't know they come in all shapes and sizes. Yeah What turns a man like that sour anyway? Well, you know the stock reasons as well as I do Pat gambling debts a woman Incidentally is chase married. Now. That's another thing. I don't get what do you mean? I know one of the stock reasons for embezzling is another woman if that was Chase's motive He's naughtier than a fruitcake Why anyone I had a wife like Lola Chase would even look at another woman is beyond me like that on like that Impresses me as a real real fine woman and has got the looks to go with it. Well, you'll be talking to you'll see for yourself Always a pleasure Pat now about the money that's missing a hundred and twenty thousand dollars You see are more or less currency checks negotiable security. Well, look a deal like that didn't just take place overnight I must have been going on for a long time. No doubt of it how to chase manager Well Everson can fill you in on that better than I could a senior partner Yeah, now he's still not willing to go along with us the chase is guilty I think he's pretty concerned about the company name which is understandable enough. Well, maybe he's got something Well, you better save yourself some time Johnny meaning Meaning you just answer me one question. All right. What is it? Would an innocent man jump bail? Expense item to sixteen dollars and twenty cents transportation and insinettles to New York to the office of Everson and Chase George Everson was Justice Pat McCracken had described him early 40s a little gray at the temples of healthy tan The real solid citizen type handsome and right now unhappy I still can't believe it. Mr. Dollar Tom Chase of all people. Well, he was like a younger brother I nursed him through the best graduate business school in the east. I took him in with me Yeah, how long ago did he become a partner in the firm mr. Everson for five years Yeah, five years next month. It would be and Lola poor Lola his wife If I ever saw an ideal Mary's that was it as far as I could see she was she's all in a man could want Maybe not for Tom Chase. Yeah, maybe not. I certainly don't understand it Tell me how was chase able to get away with a steal the embezzlement? Well to begin with mr. Dollar our firm has always maintained a very fluid relationship with its clients Frequently we're buying or selling for them Or both very rapidly in a situation like that the client places a great deal of confidence and trust in us And we've always had the utmost of both from them At least we did have I see well anyway in a situation like ours It is possible for a clever man to juggle figures and that's what Tom Chase did Yes, I'm afraid so you see more and more lately. He'd taken over the personal management of some of our best accounts Oh sort of taking them under the wing I encouraged him to But if I'd realized I was only putting temptation in Tom's way, I How did you find out what he'd been up to mr. Everson well Tom had formed a kind of pattern in his accounts He specialized in handling those clients of ours who were primarily interested in growth investments and growth long range You know buy and hold it for quite a while. Oh, yeah, I see But one of those clients suddenly decided to liquidate his holdings on short notice the account turned up short then quite short So, of course, I immediately ordered a full-scale audit the results of that brought the district attorney's office into it The rest, you know, yeah, yeah, but I must say that on paper. He'd done a very convincing job You see now here are the files on all his accounts Pardon me. He recorded each transaction carefully and correctly and had written up memos on all of them These memos then his handwriting. Yes. They are may I take one of them with me? Yeah, certainly Yeah, thanks Mr. Everson as I understand a town chase wouldn't talk after his arrest No, that was the most frustrating part of it if he'd have given us some kind of explanation Anything, but he refused to make a statement of any kind. I see I arranged for his bail of course and tried to do what I could but But he jumped bail and disappeared. Yeah, this was four days ago. I understand. Yes One more thing Mr. Everson had he acted at all differently lately. Well, I I hadn't noticed anything but Apparently his wife Lola had. Oh, yeah, I had dinner with him a week or so before Before this thing happened Lola got me off to one side for a moment and asked me if I'd noticed any change in Tom lately change Yeah, she said that he'd seem rather moody and preoccupied Well, that made me realize that he had seemed to trifle tents around the office Apparently he told her he'd been working extra hard. Yeah, I suppose that should have been a danger sign to me, but Well, I was afraid I'd so I just passed it off. I kidded her out. Yeah Well, thanks for the information, mr. Everson. It's little enough. I'm afraid Where do you start looking at a case like this? That's a good question First I think I'm going to have a talk with Mrs. Chase find out all I can about her husband's habits likes and dislikes so on Sometimes you pick up a lead that way. Well, you probably run him down sooner or later I understand you have quite a reputation that that sort of thing And I wonder if you'd do me a favor mr. Dollar sure as I say you probably find him and as for the money Well, I guess whatever part of it we recover we should be grateful for that's about the size of it I guess frankly, I'd rather not see Tom chase again unless it can't be avoided Yeah, I understand, but there is one question. I guess I'll always wonder about Maybe you can find the answer for me. What is it? Why did he do it? Why? Expense account item 312 50 cocktails and dinner for Lola chase myself I figured she might relax a little more that way and believe me taking Lola chase to dinner was no chore She was everything Pat McCracken and George Everson had said she was Tom Chase must have had some pretty powerful reasons to walk out on her Now Lola and I made general conversation throughout dinner. She was poised but pretty subdued After we finished eating I steered the conversation around to her husband. I Don't know that there's anything I can tell you that I haven't already told the district attorney's office, mr. Dollar Whatever information I can furnish what I mainly want to know is oh What sort of person was your husband? Tom I Guess I'm the wrong one to be answering that mr. Dollar I thought I knew Tom better than anyone in the world, but as it turned out I Didn't know him at all Funny how you can live with someone for years Yeah, so when you ask me what sort of person he was I Guess I have to say I really don't know How about his hobbies likes and dislikes you know that sort of thing well he liked to play golf he did some sailing and He had quite a collection of records and an elaborate hi-fi set all what kind of records jazz mostly used to play them by the hour I must say he turned them up a little too loudly for me But then I understand that women's ears weren't built for hi-fi or something like that now tell me mrs. Chase Did you notice much change in his behavior recently? Yes, I did Ended upset me what sort of change Well for one thing he became rather moody Guess you'd call it He seemed to have something on his mind all the time Several times he stayed out late at night said he was working missing and then there was the thing about our vacation What was that? Well, we planned a little trip But at the last moment he told me he couldn't go he insisted I make the trip without him. I didn't want to But he insisted So I finally went alone It was when I got back that I found out he'd been arrested What did you go on this trip? Martha's vineyard Well, thanks very much for the information mrs. Chase. Thank you mr. Dollar You've been very kind Women if you find Tom well Yes Well, I guess I'm just foolish enough to think he He still might be innocent I took mrs. Chase to a apartment and then went back to my hotel the big question was where to start What did I really know about Tom Chase? I had a picture of him and a specimen of his handwriting. I knew his hobbies, but what did it all add up to? Oh Mr. Everson, yeah, I'm sorry to barge in on you at this hour mr. Dollar. No not at all come in Come on, thanks Dollar you probably think I'm crazy and I know it's a very slim chance, but it is a chance What are you talking about? Take a look at this newspaper right here I'll feature right again on jazz in New Orleans this picture taken in a bar down there The old guy with the trumpet no no no in the background the people sitting at the bar look at this man right here Oh, his face is half turned away, and it looks like he hasn't shaved for a while mr. Dollar. That's Tom chase You sure you can't see much of his face I know I know but when you've been around a man for several years You notice little things about him little mannerism like what look look at the way He's got his head sort of cocked to one side Now that's just the way Tom always did when he was listening to something and look at his hand resting on the bar like one finger Was pointing at something well That's the way Tom held his hand and look he's got one leg sort of drawn up That is exactly the way Tom used to sit at a bar Oh, but mr. Everson any number of men and that picture isn't too clear I know maybe it's just a crazy wild idea with mr. Mr. Dollar I'll bet on it that that man is Tom chase Crazy wild idea Maybe maybe not But it took less than a second to mentally flip a coin and it came up new Orleans Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this story Yeah onto new Orleans with a trail proves to be pretty cold, but warms up fast Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar or is truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is Transcribed in Hollywood written by Robert Reif 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