 Johnny dollar my name is Bartley mr. Dollar Tom Bartley mid-states industrial insurance company here in Des Moines What can I do for you mr. Bartley? Case paper products company one of our pretty important clients It looks like somebody is trying to blow them off the map blow them off the map Explosions and fires in a couple of their chain of warehouses. Oh, yes But have so far cost us over a hundred and twenty thousand dollars If they have any more of them or if their main plant here in Des Moines gets hit I see what you mean. Okay, mr. Bartley. If I get any kind of break on plane schedules I'll see you sometime late this afternoon The CBS radio network brings you Mandel Kramer in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-backed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Expense accounts emitted by special investigator Johnny dollar to mid-states industrial insurance company Des Moines office Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the case of trouble matter $2.65 plain fare to New York to Chicago to Des Moines, Iowa and thanks to good connections We circled the transmission tower of KRNT passed over the raccoon river and set down a municipal airport shortly after 4 p.m Item 2 out of force of habit $50 deposit on a rental car. I headed north on Fleur drive That's route 123 a few minutes later walk into Tom Bartley's office on Mulberry Street in town. I Thank you pardon. Yes, mr. Case What oh I'm sorry. I well may I help you sir? Well, I don't know my name is Johnny dollar and Is something wrong miss? No, no, no, no, I'm sorry and mr. Bartley is expecting you mr. Dollar But he isn't here now. Oh he's gone to Indianola. Where's that 18 miles south of here? And he wants you to meet him there mr. Dollar just as quickly as possible. Okay, but where down there? He says you'll know when you get there and that you'll have no trouble finding him Well, I've never met him, you know just the same. He says you'll know when you get there funny and to please see him Right away immediately. Okay, whatever you say Little town about seven thousand and that secretary was right I had no trouble at all finding Tom Bartley much less as reason for being there a thick pile of smoke hung over the place it came from the smoldering remains of a big building just a black-off highway 69 near the edge of the South River a sign at one edge of the property said the building had belonged to case paper products company I pulled up next to a group of firemen who were busy with a hose killing the last Number three what's left of it and this one will cost us fifty sixty thousand more at least you think this and the Others you call the bottom in arson, huh? So does Albert case he and his brother Ed own the business main plant in Des Moines And a lot of warehouses scattered around why scattered around Tom instead of close to the main plant no room up there Also, it saves money because of cheaper property in these small towns. Where are the others? Well, those that are left or in Knoxville or Seola cold facts and Grinnell who knows for how long on the phone You said explosions and fires. That's the way they've all started with an explosion That would indicate arson all right Also a pattern by one man right but paper boons so hard and fast and hot There's never any concrete evidence after fires over about these case brothers Tom now look there's no point in hanging around this mess It's all over and done with but our insurance pay off So why don't you pile into your car and follow me home Johnny? We can talk about it there over a stiff drink that I can well you okay if you like besides It's getting late and I promised Millie. I'd bring you home for dinner leave the way We like it Yes, I guess Johnny does look like a case at that Johnny a Mildred. This is Johnny dollar. Well, hi Johnny and welcome Hi, Millie and now you two can go in there and relax now bring your drink Oh, that'll suit me fine Sit down Johnny make yourself comfortable. Thanks Tom might a attractive little wife you have there Millie used to be a singer and dancer in a sister act. Oh Now about the case brothers Tom well Albert actually runs the business It just shares the profits kind of a black sheep of the family. I've heard I see One for you Johnny One for you darling and one for me. Thank you, ma'am. Well to the gods and goddesses and Drink to that. Oh I'm darling before I forget Albert case promise to drop in good good I want Johnny to meet as a matter of fact you ought to be here right now He only lives a few blocks away He's been up in the town of Madrid Johnny cleaning up after a previous fire so he can sell the property You mean he's planning to just Pocket the insurance money. I guess so Incidentally, he himself discovered that fire. He didn't Time tell me How has business been with the case brothers lately? Well, not so good. I guess but then that's true of a lot Now now wait a minute Johnny possibility isn't it but Albert case burn down is on my list And you don't know I know but maybe you don't either Tom at least as well as you think you don't Know Johnny you're wrong in what you're thinking. Why I don't know now case for years. I've known him well What about his brother Ed the black sheep? Well, no Ed of course is a different Oh, excuse me, man, it's Albert case. It's Al Johnny come listen, right? Tom yes, Al. I told you I told you those fires were set. I know you did well I have proof you have huh, then we'll be right over. No, what? No, no, you mustn't come here and I must stay here. What what do you mean because I Because I I don't get it. You know where he lives Tom. Sure, but why did he hang on come on? Let's go as we pulled up at his house We could see Albert case through a picture window sitting at a desk telephone in hand. Hey, Al. We're here He's on the phone and nobody acts as though he doesn't even hear us wait Tom What's the matter Johnny stand back stand back Johnny What's the matter if you see from out there? Now do you see? No, what's wrong? Oh? No, well Johnny That's where the forehead Tom Looks like it was done by a 38 Business gets like here in the diner. I'm listening to the radio. I think to myself I mean Suppose that new for a day walking right now sit down at the counter and say I mean from now on I want you to smoke new port filter cigarettes You know they have to suiting coolness a mental a hint of mint and wonderful rich tobacco It's that exclusive pleasant smoking combination that makes more refreshing to begin with more refreshing all the way Will you do this for me? I mean? Maybe I'd say take the place ball joint the steam table the coffee maker. It's all yours I'm a new port smoker forever Here and I gave a place a quick run down check the doors and windows a few minutes later a young policeman arrived Oh, well you all here when it happened Mr. Bargley and Mrs. Bargley and yeah, who are you? But he's working for me officer. He's Johnny dollar insurance investigator Your insurance guys work pretty fast. Don't you? Maybe too fast. Are you related to mr. Case? What are you know why? You look a little like him All right now who bust it in the front door. I did officer when I saw through the window that something was very obviously wrong with mr. Case Oh, just took things in your own hands and bust it in huh? That's right All right, let's see what I can find out here Hey Sure here it is Now bullet hole through this window You know what that means means somebody plug them from outside there. You're sure. Yeah, sure. I'm sure so go on you free hunt Now what's your wife go bodily well out of the car? Yeah, well who told her she could leave who told her she had a sit here looking at a corpse He wasn't shot by somebody standing outside Johnny. Well, how do you know I saw that bullet hole in the window too? Yeah, but there were no particles of glass on the inside of the cell But there were on the outside That's right So the shot was fired inside by somebody that Albert case let in or who had normal access to the house Remember when Albert's phoning the you was cut off? Yes, because somebody was there and had to stop him from talking about his proof of Arson or from naming the arsonist Was Albert married I know So his death means that his brother Ed would own the business now. Yes, I guess so Where does he live in the town of Brinell the other side of Colfax both those towns have warehouses in them Right, yes, that's right now. Now wait a minute. I'll pick up my rental car at your house and take off Brinell by way of Colfax Yes, the case paper products where I But I'm walking toward it in the semi darkness. I stumbled over a little old man quietly sobbing to himself Sorry, I didn't mean to walk all over you like that I know it would happen. I knew this is gonna happen. You mean this fire. Yes, and I told Mr. Albert was going to happen, too Wait a minute. You mean mr. Albert case. Yes, I've been here night watchman for years I have and I told him it would happen. I did It was since that car started coming around here every night Frowning around I know it wasn't up to any good and I told him so I told mr. Albert about it What kind of a car was it a big white foreign car a perati with no top on to it Yes And when I told him about that car this afternoon, you know what mr. Albert said What? He said he knew then he knew what was it been trying to burn them out. He said he knew Did he tell you who we meant only that now we were sure and he'd give me this this gun this pistol to carry In case it come around again a white perati convertible Yes, sir, and I think I know the man he means to the drives one and if he does come around him Listen, please after what you're done. I'm going to kill him and put down Have this gun and took off He thought that I was someone else Millie Barkley had to Matter of fact even I had noticed a sort of family type resemblance between myself and the dead man Albert case I'd hope to make the rest of the trip in something under legal time But after having the fuel pump of my car cock out on me Then spending literally hours at an all-night service station getting a new one Incidentally, that's item 3 1580 the sun was up by the time I got to Grinnell At police headquarters there I barged into the office of lieutenant cow golden without waiting to be announced I finished up this report, Mr. Case. Well. Oh sure. I don't like to phone you, Mr. Case, but got no answer. You did Hmm. That's very interesting. I'm afraid I have bad news for you about your brother, Albert Seems it last night somebody Wait a minute. Yeah Well, I'll be You look like Ed case don't worry lieutenant You're not the first one to make that mistake, but who are you that my name is Johnny dollar? I'm an insurance investigator. Hi golly You look enough like a case to be his twin brother and you sound like tell me you haven't been able to contact him yet No, sir, then let me throw one at you lieutenant. Yeah, I have good reason to believe Ed cases Not only the fire bug were after But the man who killed his brother to put out an APB on it and he gave me Ed's address Well 17 La Croix place There was no answer to the doorbell there, so I went to the house next door Yes, oh, uh, excuse me ma'am. Oh, it's you Ed case. I beg your pardon. No wait You're not Ed case. That's right, ma'am. My name is dollar. Oh, I'm sorry I should have known because of your car. That's right. He drives a white one, doesn't he? Yes, yes, one of them fancy foreign things with the top down all the time Like the one that he gave you that blonde husband. He comes around to see him all the time a blonde man Comes up from Des Moines all the time in and out of house of his life. She belong there. It's disgusting from Des Moines Did you say anything? I don't like it's a little blonde with green eyes and one of those olive type of complexions They don't deserve thank you very much It was Millie Bartley Tom's wife petite olive complexion green eyes and she lived in Des Moines And I remembered her momentary surprise when she first saw me Item for 90 cents for a phone call. I know Johnny. I don't know where Millie is I heard her talking on the phone to a friend Bernice. They used to be an assister act You know well then Tom, but then she ducked out of the house and left in the car. I see Okay, Tom, thanks, but how are you doing anything new that I don't know about this awesome murder thing No, Tom, nothing you need to worry about Not yet parked block away and walked to 12 17 There was no answer again. So I went around to the back door Slip the lock with a business card and walked in leaving it open for a possible quick exit That was a mistake because a couple of minutes later as I rounded a corner to the living room I felt the barrel of a gun in my back Out of town Well, now I know different wait a minute. Don't move Eddie boy Trying to stall on that five grand. You owe me won't work. I think I met case. What do you mean thing? I'll listen. I don't know what happens when you're trying to stall me Eddie Really done a job on me because when I came to it was dark And I felt a little bit rocky to say the least What roused me was a sound of steps a woman steps wide becoming in the back door There were no lights remember Then briefly silhouetted against a window. I saw the all-too familiar trim petite figure coming toward me Annie oh No, you're hurt. Oh honey. You're hurt. What happened? Oh, you don't know Oh, yeah, we're Louie getting even because you didn't pay him soon enough for that last fire Here Eddie, let me turn on the lights and help you know, no, no, I just let me let me rest a minute I knew that with him. I passed on the highway. Why did you come over here from Des Moines? To make sure you'd play dumb when the cops told you about poor dear old Albert getting knocked off Why did you come here to the house because I hope that you'd come here? I guess you should have waited until I could get up the Money to pay Louie You mean for killing Albert too. Yeah, I mean no You killed Albert. I saw you from the outside in the car. Oh, you'd swear to that, wouldn't you? Eddie what a thing to say. It sounds like you don't trust me. Look. We're in this thing together Whose idea was it to knock off Albert? Well, like I told you you had to because he was getting wise to you about the fires You had it figured out that way right from the beginning, didn't you? Baby, now look. First burn up the warehouses collect the insurance on them Oh, sure. Then get Al out of the way so you and I would have it all Yeah, that's right Eddie, what are you talking this way for? I don't understand you. I wish the heaven I didn't understand you, Millie Millie, come on. Let's turn on the lights in here Eddie, you're you're not Eddie Who are you try to kid me Millie? Wait a minute Who are you? Oh, you're the dick that insurance investigator Millie told me about Johnny dollars. Let me out of here All right, honey. I'm gonna stay right here. Millie Barclay's sister Bernice. Oh, well Yes, on account of we looked like we did a sister act once before she married that Bartley guy Will you let me go? Not a chance Bernice. Let me go. I think maybe a better dollar What? Yeah, me Eddie, don't move dollar get his company take his gun away. Yes, you're ready Here here here it is. Okay, that's right I guess maybe we do look like each other don't we and fool Bernice Eddie before I put the lights on She told me everything Eddie Eddie don't believe him. It's a lot Isn't baby. I heard listen. I thought he was you don't you understand I thought he was you drive on over here anyway because Millie told me dollar was coming here I could tell she was getting wise about the fire No, Eddie honest, but she was my friend. She thought maybe she could help me out of this mess. Yeah, you're too late, Bernice Eddie what what are you gonna do? I'm gonna get rid of the both of you know figure out some way to shut up Louie But you two are first Eddie. You'll never get away with this Eddie Even when I use this gun he is to knock you off Crazy to save my own life to keep you on lowing and dive away from put the looser on my neck It's there already Eddie and you know it shut up. It won't be after I kill you Right now Well if it is you wait here you wait ah Now you don't You shouldn't have turned toward that door Out of my way No no Millie Don't go in there Bernice she was my friend I'm sorry Millie. I came alone Johnny. Why? When I talked to Bernice on the phone I I knew I could tell that your suspicion of Eddie was right and I hope that somehow I could help her Maybe you better call Tom and Tell him where you are and what's happened Count total including the trip home 256 10 yours truly Johnny dollar with that will surprise you as much as it did me Tune in won't you yours 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 dyno That's because in three out of five cars Regular price Sinclair dyno matches the performance of expensive premium gas allines costing up to four cents more a gallon Drive with care and buy Sinclair dyno gasoline directed by Fred Hendrickson Johnny dollars played by Mandel Kramer Also featured in our cast where John Seymour Abby Lewis Terry Keene Edgar Staley Jack Grimes Jim Stevens and Gilbert Mack Music supervision by Ethel Huber sound patterns by Walter Otto Technical direction by Fred Cusick Be sure to join us next week same time same station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny dollar This is Stuart met speaking Here the Dean of newscasters Lowell Thomas weeknights on the CBS radio network CBS for Durham WDNC It's 634 when headache strikes headache tension builds up you feel terrible you become irritable When this happens here's what you should do take stand back powders or tablets The secret of stand backs effectiveness is its combination formula of several medically proven pain relieving ingredients and One easy to take dose a combination of ingredients that brings you comforting relief from pain What's more stand backs gentle and effective action relieves tension, which usually accompanies pain Stand back has earned both the good housekeeping and parents magazine seals You can take stand back with complete confidence For pains of headache Neuralgia muscular aches and coldest comforts Test stand back against any other preparation you've ever used see for yourself How fast yet how gently stand back gives comforting relief Just trade your headache for a smile snap back with stand back tablets or powders