 Earl, how are you? Great, great. Tell me, do you remember the Lucky Floor Ranch? Well, look, you're talking about the one out in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. That's the one I'm talking about. Well, sure, that's where you and I and Ray... Ray, what's his name? Ray Smithney. Yeah, Ray Smithney, who owns the Lucky Floor. You and he and I investigated the death of that concert pianist. That's right. Also, he has some real fine trout fishing up in 11 Mile Canyon. Do you remember the little private lake up in the mountain back of Ray's Ranch? Cherry Lake? Yeah, it's Old Bill Cherry's Lake. Oh, he isn't there anymore. Huh? Oh, that's too bad. Old Bill isn't around anymore either. Well, what's happening to him? According to all the information, he was killed when the dam broke and sent his firmhouse crashing down into the valley below. Oh, gee, that's too bad. Uh, I have a claim for his insurance right here in my desk. I'll send a copy of the policy to you there at the Lucky Floor. Hey, wait a minute. Is something wrong, Earl? That's what I want you to find out. What makes you think something's wrong? A phone call I just got from Ray Smithney. He's found a couple of things. Okay, Earl. I'll grab the first one I can. In the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator... Yours truly? Johnny Dollar. The expense account submitted by a special investigator Johnny Dollar. To the Tri-State Life and Casually Insurance Company at Tension Aeroport. Following his account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Lucky Floor matter. Expense account item one, three dollars and a quarter phone call to Ray Smithney to tell him I was on my way. Item 28170, air transportation to Colorado Springs. Ray met me at Peterson Field, the municipal airport. Well, glad you could make it, Johnny. Yeah, good to see you again, Ray. How are things at the Lucky Floor? Oh, just fine. Our best season ever. Here, you'll shove your bags in the back seat. Okay, good. Go ahead now, hop in. Yeah, sure. Now, what's this about you're thinking Old Bill Cherry's death was no accident? Johnny, I'd better give you the whole story. You remember Cherry Lake, don't you? Sure. I remember taking a couple of nice trial evidence on a sober doctor. Or, uh, wasn't a royal post. Well, you didn't need Old Bill because he was away at the time. Actually, we were kind of poaching when we fished out there. Aw. If he'd suddenly come back and caught us, he'd probably have filled our hides with bird shots. And here, I always thought you were on the side of law and order. He was a kind of ornery old cuss, but in spite of it, we got along pretty well. Even after he put in that dam, how'd the dam affect you? Three mile creek used to water some of my property before he put it in. Some of the others down below, too. Oh, I see. But now what happened? Johnny, Old Bill's little plot of farmland is up around the 9,000 foot level, you know. Yeah, I know. So the snowpack notes down pretty late. That meant a big summer flow of water into his lake. Yeah. And what about when some of your big summer rains come pouring down? It was during one of the big rains a couple of weeks ago. One night it was that the dam gave way. Johnny, that thing busted loose like an explosion. What was left of Old Bill's house came tumbling down on the lucky four property. And Old Bill? Oh, he found his body in the wreckage. Oh, hold on. I'm going to take my favorite shortcut and get away from the highway traffic. Sure. But now, Earl Foreman told me you seemed to think that dam didn't give way by itself. Well, I did in the beginning. Everybody did. And why not? Old May Dam, more water in the lake than ever before. More water pouring down out of the sky to fill it up. Big storm. Maybe it was even hit by lightning. But now, Johnny, I went up there and poked around a couple of days ago. First chance I've had since the rain quit. Now, what did you find? Couple of things I want you to look at. What kind of things, right? Now, they may not mean a thing, Johnny, any more than who's the beneficiary of Old Bill's insurance. Which reminds me, that Earl sent me something in the mail. Oh, yeah, a big envelope, Johnny, and I opened it by mistake. I was supposed to contain a copy of Bill Cherry's policy. It did. And when I looked at it and saw who the beneficiary is, hey. Now, to me like, you need a tune-up, buddy. Funny. Let's stop and take a look, huh? Yeah, why not? Let's say that when you saw who the beneficiary is, a worthless nephew of Bill who hangs around the cool rooms in Colorado Springs has been in a couple of scrapes with a lock. Oh, yeah. Let me see if I can help with that. Anyhow, I've always felt this Tommy Walker wouldn't stop short of murder if he thought it was bad. Yeah. Oh, good. And, hey, look at all those crazy wires. No wonder she was missing. You didn't put that wiring in there. Are you kidding? Right, come on. Hit the deck, huh? Come on, the side of the road, back of this lock. What's the matter? All right, get down fast. What's got into you, Johnny? Look, you look with some kind of a bomb wired up in there by somebody who meant business. Johnny? By somebody who must have seen you poking around up near Old Bill's dam. You mean it must have found out you'd sent for me. What do you say the name of Old Bill's nephew is? Act two of yours through the Johnny dollar in a moment. Many of us on the job are clock watchers and time clock punchers just waiting for time to quit. When is it really time to quit? The man with a set day of work has a schedule to adhere to, but the fighting man quits only when the job is done and, to him, captured by the enemy does not mean the end, but perhaps only the beginning of the most important part of his job. One of the points of the Code of Conduct for the American Fighting Man says, quote, if I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy. On quote. The strong ideals set forth there are the same ideals that gave great determination to one young officer of the United States Navy. Half an hour after Lieutenant Edward B. M. Isaac's ship was sunk by three torpedoes in the Atlantic Ocean in May 1918 at the height of World War I, he was taken prisoner by the commander of the German submarine, U90. During the U-Boats trip back to Germany, Lieutenant Isaac learned a great deal of vital secret information about U-Boat movements. Determined to make this information available to the United States and alive naval authorities, Lieutenant Isaac, while on his way to a prisoner of war camp, risked his life by jumping through the window of a rapidly moving train. Severely injured by his fall, he was again captured. Months later, aided by several American Army officers in the short circuit of the prison-liking system, Lieutenant Isaac escaped through barbed wire fences and amid heavy rifle fire from the guard. After seven days and nights of rugged travel over the mountains and with only raw vegetables for food, he swam the swift current of the Rhine River right under the noses of the enemy sentries. Evading many enemy soldiers, he reached the American legation in Bern, Switzerland and completed his self-assigned mission. Many times, above and beyond the call of duty, Lieutenant Edward Isaac was awarded the Medal of Honor. His personal code of conduct had made him realize that war doesn't end with confinement as a prisoner of war. That is when the real responsibility may begin. And now, act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, and the lucky Four Matters. It was the driver of a big interstate moving van that came to our rescue after a race car blew up. He'd seen the explosion from the highway, seen one of the fenders flying through the air. Yeah, somehow those big truckers are always around to give you a hand. He drove us into Colorado Springs. I had him $350 to pass it on a rental car, and we headed east on Highway 24 to Green Mountain Falls. The lucky Four is on a level spot on the side of a mountain about half a mile up in the highway. Six or eight nice modern cottages share a beautiful view of pikes and several other high peaks that surround colorful view paths. I jumped my luggage, set a load of rays pretty wide-fleet, and we headed up a narrow wagon trail up the side of the mountain and raised jeep. Here, Johnny, that truck driver gave me this. Hey, looks like a piece of the wiring we found under the hood before your car blew up. That's what it is. Now, look, you see there where a three-mile creek bounces down over the rocks? That's quite a flow there, right? And I see that it goes on down through your property. Just like it did before old Bill put on his dam. Of course, I don't really need the water, not as much as Ralph Kimball, at least. Oh, Kimball. A property next to mine. A retired man used to be a math or physics prof or something. Nice neighbor. Now he keeps himself, being his wife, honorary old cuts like old Bill. They had no use for each other. Didn't like interference. Now, you see that clearing up ahead? That's where old Bill's home used to be, huh? Yeah. Before the water dumped it down on my plate. That's about all that was left of it. You still haven't told me what you found of it. One thing I found down below on his body, ripped tight in his hand, sort of a death grip, I guess it was. Yeah. Cigarette package. El Paro cigarette. That's a Cuban brand. Now, what, he smoked? No, sir. He never smoked in his life. Wouldn't even have the things on his plate. Do you see what I mean? Well, I don't think that's much of a clue. Well, what I figured, Johnny, that is after what else I found, is that he caught somebody falling around his dam, maybe struggled with him, and that's how come the cigarette package. Oh, well, now I'll raise that cost. Whatever else you found up here, it's better be more inclusive than that. All right. Look here. Here's where the dam was between these big rocks. What kind of a dam? Concrete with planks across. Oh, yeah. I can see where some others still stuck to them. Hmm. Use some dynamite, too. You can see the mark where he drilled a packet of stuff. That's my crew number one, Johnny. He didn't use any dynamite. He was afraid of it. Also, I didn't know, and I'd have heard it go off while he was building his dam. But somebody... Yeah, somebody are. Look at this. Blasted on this rock. A piece of label? Blasted on the rock by the force of that explosion. There's Titan's super IXL dynamite. Johnny, he wouldn't even have the stuff around. Another thing. It's a brand you can only get in one little store in Denver, and he'd never go there. He hated the place. Yeah, you said the dam went like an explosion, yes, sir. And of course, with all the thunder and lightning that night, who could be sure which was which? All our chances are lightning wouldn't reach down here, right, with all the high peaks around. That's what first hit me, Johnny. Come on. Let's go into Colorado Springs and find this nephew of old Bill. Tommy Walker. Yes, sir, Johnny. Being the beneficiary in all, who else could it be? Right. I'm with you. Doesn't look to me like there'd be any cheap pool halls in this part of town. No. But up ahead's the eighth high radio shop. That's where county was working last I heard. Aw. Can you think of anything better to tie in with a way that infernal machine was wired under the hood of your car? Holy smoke, Johnny. You're right. But what I don't understand is how come it didn't go off the second I turned on the ignition. Can I help you, gentlemen? Some kind of timing device. I think whoever said it wanted to get me, too. Yes, sir, gentlemen. That means he knew you'd be in the car with me on the way back from the airport. That's right. Gentlemen. Oh, uh, we're looking for Tommy Walker. Oh, don't mention that. No good. Then I take it he isn't here. Oh, two days he lasted. If you ask me, it was two days too long. Were you had trouble with him, mister? Oh, no, no, no trouble. No, nothing. That was a trouble. I answered my ad in the paper that he knew all about radios and electronics. He could fix anything. Well. That's a dumb lazy lot. He didn't know anything. He didn't do anything. He didn't know the difference between a fuse and a vacuum tube. Never even heard of a transistor, much less know what a circuit was. Yeah, well. All he knew about a radio was how to turn the knob. Oh, and the music that guy would do. Well. Now, me, I like the guy. Yeah. Well, now, look. And that boy was so dumb he couldn't even attach the wires to a plug properly. Yeah, sure. All he wanted was a place where he could sit around smoking smelling Cuban cigarettes and listening to thrashing music. Cuban cigarettes, Johnny. That fact I found. Yeah. Mr. In my life. As long as I'm here, I wonder if you could sell me a hunk of wire like this piece. Certainly. Oh, this and all. I have nothing like that. I see. And you're sure Tommy didn't know anything about electricity? Oh, of course I'm sure. Look, when I told him once to open up the back of a telephone. Come on, Ray. That darn fool, he would have electrocuted himself if I hadn't been there to tell him. Johnny. If he's telling the truth. He is, Ray. Come on, we're going back to the ranch. A little bit. Why, Johnny? It's worked before, and I hope and pray it'll work again. Ray, I'm going to play a hunch. Hey, Johnny, dollar in a moment. And now for another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald Belvedere, my husband. Can you see all right? Oh, yeah, I can see. Those windshield wipers are operating with mechanical perfection. You notice they're no more strange either since they're put on the new rubber blade. You know, I think every driver should have his windshield wipers in good order. It's much safer. It'll be much safer if everyone would slow down during wet weather like my husband was doing right now. Just being cautious, Ray, but we don't want an accident and move down for it. We don't want an accident any time. Yeah, that's pretty sure. Well, the experts say that accidents just don't happen. Something causes accidents, and that cause can be prevented. By the way, dear, in what kind of weather do you think most accidents occur? Anything like sun and rain or snowy weather or slippery weather when visibility isn't there? That's the wrong answer, dear. Wrong? Are you serious? Statistics show that 8 out of 10 accidents occur when the weather is clear or with a cloudy overcast. Are you positive? I wonder why. Oh, here that house is. Oh, yeah. You sit right here, Reba. I'll get out with the umbrella and then I'll come around and open your door. All right, honey. I wonder why. Wonder why and what? Why 8 out of 10 accidents happen in clear weather? Oh, well, I don't know for sure, Sergeant. But I do know that you go very carefully tonight in the rain. Nice. Now, if everyone drove carefully during clear dry weather, there'd be less accidents, I'm sure. Man, that must be it. People automatically get cautious in the rain and snow. Man, too bad they don't stay that way in Goodwood. You will, won't you? I mean, drive safely in Goodwood, too? I promise. Oh, that's my Donald. That's my Donald. Sure is truly Johnny Dollar and the lucky four matters. Frank and the lucky four-raised wife, Glee, made us a couple of sandwiches and some coffee. We'd kind of forgotten about lunch. But I looked over the insurance policy that Earl Porman had sent on to me. Yeah, Tommy Walker was the only beneficiary. But, and this was the important part, he was due to receive the magnificent sum of $1,000. And that's all. That's all? You mean to kill his uncle for $1,000? I don't think so, Glee. And yet, if Tommy is the only one to benefit... Ah, listen, Ray, you told me right off the bat you hadn't liked the idea of old Bill putting that dam out there. Tommy... Daddy, no. Daddy, none of us liked it. What do you mean by us? Well, none of us. The Kim Boos and us. Only because it kept the creek from coming down here. He made a division when he put in that dam. But after I put in the pumps, we've had plenty of water, and I'd have had to put in the pumps anyway. Ah. You ever used dynamite around here, Ray? Sure. Most everybody does one time or another in this whole section. Use it to clear the land. Johnny, that's... Listen, Johnny, I don't know what you're driving at. Most everybody does, huh? Yes. Have you ever used that particular brand? Titan Super Eye XL? No, sir. Never in my life. But you knew where to get it. Everybody does, Johnny. Johnny, please. Everybody, huh? Yes. Including Ralph Kimball next door. Mr. Kimball? Yeah. Maybe I'd better go over and talk to him, huh? They're not at home. Went to Denver this morning early, but Johnny... How do you know? She told me they were going. She dropped in last night, and she told me, and I said Ray was going, too, to meet... Johnny, Johnny, look. She dropped in here very often? Well, only since the dam broke, and... Well, they weren't too friendly before, but now, well... Physics professor, huh? Electronics. Good Lord, Johnny. I'm going over and take a look around. Yeah. What? I'll go with you, Johnny. Ray had minimized the problem he'd had when the dam was put in. Maybe his next door neighbor happened. Kimball had kept to himself, Ray said. It was very much like old Bill Cherry and Henri Sardic Cussard. Didn't like interference. And old Bill's dam had certainly interfered with Kimball Brothers' project. We started our search in the workshop back at Kimball's house. Here it is, Johnny. Take a look. Titan Super IXL. Look here, Ray. This rock drill is the same size as the one used up on the dam. Sure is, Johnny. Man, if we can climb some of it. Yeah. Yeah, this is it all right. Same kind of wire that was on the bomb under the hood of my car. Pretty good evidence, if you ask me. And here. L. Peril. The same brand as the cigarette package you found clutched in old Bill's dam. But listen, Johnny. Yeah? This is only what you'd call circumstantial evidence. But if there's enough of it. Listen. Yeah. Maybe you want to plate it. Maybe you were pretty sore about that dam. Well, of course I was. So was Kimball. We threatened to sue Johnny. He threatened a lot of things, but that doesn't... All right. All right. Call that the motive. Now this evidence, this rock drill. But a lot of people use them maybe even the same size as wire. The same kind used to hook up that bomb. But most anybody could get wire like that. I think. The point is, he has it. And the right brand of dynamite. Anybody who knows that store up in Denver. I was looking up that infernal machine. Kimball was a physics professor, electronics. Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Did he know about your private short cut to Denver? Yes. Yes, Johnny, I told him one time. He also knew when you and I would be on that road. Glee had told his wife. She probably told her why I was coming here. Yes, that's true. Kimball and his wife left for Denver early this morning. And look, Johnny. The mud on these boots here in the corner. The same gray silk you find only up around Kerry Lake. And if that doesn't prove it... But Johnny, it's all circumstantial. But it'll hold up in court. What? Seven points of similarity, Ray. It'll stand up in any court in the land. But even if... Even if. Because what the law calls seven points of similarity, as any mathematician can tell you, will occur only once in 38 billion times. That's true. That's true. And that's what's going to hang, Mr. Kimball. That, Mr. Dollar, is not true. Kimball. Oh, now, surely you're not going to be foolish enough to use that thing, Kimball. You've left me no alternatives now that you've found out. Now, look, Mr. Kimball. All right, Disney. Dollar, if you want to do any praying, do it fast. Help! Help! What? Yes, Mrs. Ray's wife! Ray's wife? Yes! That's her name. Well, she's too late. Oh, no, she isn't. That was too close, Johnny. Yeah. What is it? Shall we join the lady? And I don't think there's much doubt about the outcome. Kimball's attempt to kill us was a clincher. As for Tommy Walker, the heir, plan you'll have to pay him off on old Bill's policy. Expense account total, including the trip back to Hartford, 224.95. Your thrilling, Johnny Dollar.