 Johnny Dolan. Having new year Johnny and many of them and may your shadow never grow less and all that sort of stuff. And the same to you, cheerful Charlie. The only is Hal. What? Hal Kemper. You know, he's from my ability and trust. Hal, how are you? What's a good word? You, uh, you made me plans for dragging in the new year in a usual fashion. Oh, in my usual fashion, yes. Well, what's that supposed to mean? Well, it means that instead of getting myself hooked into some big noisy drunken party, men risking my one and only life among all the crazy drivers will be seeing double because of the parties they've attended. Instead of greeting 1962 with a hangover headache, I have other plans. Oh, yes, I forgot. That luscious little damsel you've been according all these years, Betty Lewis. Well, that's just the trouble, Hal. So what's the deal, Johnny? Quiet little supper just to two of you over her place with a log crackling on the hearth and candles on the table all that sort of stuff. Oh, I'm sorry, Hal. A stroke of midnight, a glass of sparkling champagne to match the sparkle of a lovely eyes. How am I doing? I guess right? Not quite. Betty's out in Ohio, spending the holidays with her folks. Oh, good. What's good about it? It means you have no plans. But, Johnny, I'll tell you what to do. Sorry, Hal, but I'm going to be sensible. Stay right here, have me a quiet little drink, listen to all the celebrations on the radio, get a good night's sleep, and start the new year cool, calm, and hope I can make a good one of it. Well, now, before you settle down, Johnny, how about coming over here to my house for a few minutes? Hal, I'm sorry. No, no, I want you to meet and talk to Dr. Albert Begley is all. Dr. Begley, the heart man? The heart man. Why? Because of something he just told me about one of his patients who happens to be an important client of ours, a wealthy old widow by the name of Mrs. Nancy Cunningham. What about it? You come over here to the house and let Dr. Begley tell you. Hal, a new year's eve. Look, I thought I'd get over the point that I'd rather stay out of a car tonight. Let's wait until sometime in 1962, like tomorrow, maybe. I don't want trouble, Johnny, if we do wait. If what Dr. Begley says is true, that nice little old lady might never live to see 1962. Oh, yeah. I'll be right over. Oh, yes, radio network brings you Mandel Kramer in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-pact expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by a special investigator, Johnny Dollar, leased in liability and trust insurance company, Home Office, Hartford, Connecticut. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the one too many matters. Expense account item 1480 for a tank full of gas from my car. Then, for two solid miles, I had to duck and dodge a flock of a downpool driver who's already started to celebrate, and far too many of them might end up on a slab in the morgue. When I got to Hal Kemper's house, I could see that he and his pretty wife, Dara, were planning the quiet kind of evening that I'd have been able to have had with Betty Lewis if she stayed in town. Hal immediately swung me into the den where Dr. Albert Begley was waiting. He was a short, stocking, gray-haired, clear-eyed man of about 60, I'd say, with that rare combination of gentleness, kindness and quiet efficiency that makes for a good family doctor. Glad to know you, Mr. Dollar. Dr. Begley. I'm particularly glad that Kemper here was able to get hold of you on short notice. Well, what I'm glad about is that Johnny had no plans for tonight, so there's not any people who are going right on over there. Yeah, now, just wait one minute. Go on over where? Have I walked myself into some kind of a trap that you two innocent-looking connivers have done to me? Yes, I think that's just about it. But believe me, quite necessary. Well, happy new year to me. I hope it will be. Now, I believe Hal mentioned Mrs. Nancy Cunningham, too. That's right, Dr. Eden. Well, after Mrs. Cunningham died, leaving her fairly well provided for, by the way... So I understand. Well, considering her heart condition, she did what I think was very sense-declined. Moved into a little one-story, three-bedroom home that she can care for all by herself without any danger of overdoing. It's over on the western edge of town, just north of Homestead Avenue. Now, here I've written down the address for you. Doctor, you said her heart condition. Just how serious? Mr. Dalla, yesterday I would have told you that Nancy Cunningham would live on for, oh, five, six, seven, perhaps as many as ten more happy years. But now, after what I learned from her this afternoon, well, I suggest that you go on over to see her right away. Well, may I ask why, sir? Well, because of two people who will arrive there sometime tonight, presumably just to give her a little company during this holiday season. Oh, and who are they? They're only living relatives, two nephews, Donald Kingman and Walter Baird. They're the last of the line, Mr. Dalla, and therefore Mrs. Cunningham's heir to both her estate, and I understand, a considerable amount of inch or considerable as right, John. Now, I tell upon Mrs. Cunningham that you're on your way and she'll put you up there just as long as necessary. How long is that supposed to be? As long as those two nephews are with her. After that, we'll see. Well, now, Doctor, beg with just one minute. Yes, sir. Do you mind telling me just why you've taken it for granted that I'll go along with this? Not at all. You see, I am firmly convinced that one of those young men is going there for only one purpose. What's that? To murder Mrs. Cunningham. Doctor, you really believe that one of her own nephews is going to see her? Just to murder Mrs. Cunningham? Mr. Dalla, I'm certain. And before it's too late, John. What do you mean by that, Al? I mean, she called me just a few days ago. She told me that she's done all she wants to for them. She's going to change her policy to name some charity as sensible beneficiary. What charity? I don't know. Probably some clinic or hospital or something. Anyhow, she said she'd talk it over with me some time next week, but not before. So, meantime, the boys are still in. Well, the mere fact that they're going to spend New Year's Eve with them. Before she can change her policy, Mr. Dalla. Before they can be cut out of it, don't you see? The only time they ever went to see her before was when they needed money. But now, all of a sudden, they're being good-hearted girls. Keep her company. Help her welcome in the New Year, huh? Well, I don't believe it. I agree with the doc here that one of those guys is going to get her out of the way while they can still benefit by it. You say one of them. And you said that, too, doctor. Well, which one? Well, the bed or a Donald Kingman? Well, that's good, kid. Even though they certainly never look to act like the source who could do such a thing, it's still the evidence, Mr. Dalla. What evidence? During Donald's last visit, while he was away from the house, a couple of gun shots crashed through the window, narrowly missing them. Oh. The police were able to trace those shots to Donald? No, it was Donald who called the police and made them investigate. And if that wasn't done just to take suspicion off himself. Now, just wait a minute, Hal. What did the police find out, Johnson? Nothing. They decided those shots were strayed, fired by some careless youngster over in the woods. And they let it go with that. I see. Well, it could have happened that way, you know. Yes, yes. I know, I know, I know. But I also know that when he was just a little tight, Donald was quite a rifle shot. Another thing was, Alice, that evening when he left, it was a bit of cold. So the heat was on and the house was on low. She'd planned to leave it on overnight. But it suddenly went off completely. Well, Dr. Begley, I think. Well, if I hadn't happened to go by and discovered that there was small counterpin had jammed in the regulating mechanism where it could have been placed by human hands. Mr. Dollar, you remember that. Why do you know that she could have frozen to death that night? Dr, you know as well as I do that neither of those things can be called real evidence of an intent to kill her. I don't believe it. Mr. Dollar, I believe that one of those boys, possibly both of them, are planning to kill her. And now the team's planning to change her insurance. They haven't much time. Do they know that? Well, they must, but you're not sure. Does it make any difference? Don't you see, Mr. Dollar, they don't get her insurance until she's dead. That's the point, Johnny. And unless she dies before she can change the beneficiary. Look, don't you see there can be only one reason why they give up the sort of big party or dance those boys would usually go to one night like this and spend their New Year's Eve with her. Or am I just acting like this is the biggest old thing? I don't think so. Are you, Johnny? I don't know, Al. Tell me, um, where do Walter Baird and Donald Truman live? Up in Springfield. Together? No, no, just a couple of apartments up there. Neither of them is married. How old are they, by the way? Oh, middle 20. John is assistant manager in a supermarket, and Walter has a job in a bank, I think. Yeah. Doctor, did Mrs. Cunningham tell you what time she's expecting them? Sometime this season, she says. In other words, Johnny, you better get on your horse. Okay. I'll go on over and see her. You must be either Donald Kingman or Walter Baird. Donald Kingman. Are you Mr. Johnny Dollar? That's right. Well, happy New Year and come in, Mr. Dollar. Thank you. Mr. Beggarty phoned our manager just a little while ago and said you'd be here. Oh? And I say good, the more the merrier. Come on and meet my cousin, Walter Baird. Walter, this is Mrs. Johnny Dollar, and you know who he is. I certainly do. Oh, Walter? That's right, Mr. Dollar. Happy New Year. You too. Mr. Johnny Dollar, Aunt Nancy. Oh, excuse me, Mr. Dollar, but I'm still searching for our little apartment. Oh, I surely am, Mrs. Cunningham. I just realized how late it was, and, well, it's my age. It takes a bit longer to get ready than it used to. Perfectly all right. I'll do this here in just a few minutes. Well, sit down, Mr. Dollar. Make yourself comfortable. Sure. Well, my goodness. Looks like you're planning a real evening of it. And with no pain. I think of all this food and place, silverware, glasses, even the tablecloth of napkins and one of those catering places on the way in. Even that portable bar. See it over there in the corner? Tomorrow morning, it'll send a man around to pick it all up. We won't even have to wash the dishes. Good work, John. Pour the gentleman a drink, Walt. Sure, John. Why not? And while you're at it, pour me one, too. One for yourself. The glasses are all set out. It's better said than done. What'll it be, Mr. Dollar? Oh, uh, Scott's and so will be fine. But a light one, huh? Right, sir. I could have picked up a white over here. All right, I'm wondering why Aunt Nancy never told us what she knows you, Mr. Dollar. Hmm? She's been keeping things from us. Oh, has she? Well, it's not the only thing she has kept from us. I'll say that. Well, what do you mean, Walter? I'll tell you what he means, and I mean it, too. It finally got through these thick skulls of ours, and it's high time we started making up for all that Aunt Nancy's done for us over the years. Oh? Yes, sir. My folks died when I was only a kid, and then later, Walter's parents were killed in a smash-up. Well, if it hadn't been for Aunt Nancy, I don't know what we would have done. Happy days, and many others. Cool. The point is, we finally came to our senses, and this little celebration tonight, well, it's only going to be the beginning. Amen. Yeah, I'm afraid that repayment of our debts to her is long overdue, and that's... Hold the phone. What's the matter? Learning to PM already. Oh, and I was right. Walter, did you put the champagne on there? No, I thought... Oh, son of a gun! Oh, now don't tell me. I'm afraid so, the champagne's the one thing we forgot. Oh, it's as far as I'm concerned. I don't give it a second thought. There's a liquor store about 10 blocks up the street. I've got my little blue poop outside, so I'll be back here with a couple of bottles by the time you can whistle big. Uh, tell me, Mr. Dollar, how long have you known Aunt Nancy? Mind if I ask you a couple of questions first, Don? Not a bit. Like me to sweeten that up for you first? No, no, thanks, this is fine. Well, I think I'll add a little scotch to mine. Walter makes them pretty pale. But, uh, go ahead with the questions. Yeah. Well, then, what was that? Probably some crazy driver out there wrapped his car around a tree. Must have done a good job of it. Um, now tell me this, Don. Maybe Guy can anticipate a couple of your questions. No? Like did Walter and I know Aunt Nancy was considering changing her insurance to cut us off? What did you? Frankly, Mr. Dollar, the answer is yes. Oh, is it? And, um, is that the reason you have suddenly decided to be nice to her? One of them. You're perfectly honest about it, yes. At least it was. Not any more, though. You better explain that. She changed her mind tonight. Yesterday, as a matter of fact, but she told us about it tonight. Well, then you will get the insurance. Yes, we're still in. Instead of wiping us out and giving it to some heart foundation or going ahead with that... that sanitarium, she was going... she was going to build for all... What's the matter? I don't know. So, uh... Yeah, I... I feel it, too. Good guy. I can't... I know I... I can't get out of my chair. I vaguely remember rolling off my chair onto the floor and then nothing for what seemed a century or two. Finally, in a sort of a daze, I could see a policeman standing above me and field us flat of his hand, slapping he in the face. Hey, all right. Come on, darling. Wake up. Wake up. Where? Rogan. That's right. So, Rogan? Only it's Sergeant Rogan to you. Huh? Yeah. Another snort of his brandy. Now, what do you know about this dollar? About what? This other guy is stretched out here the same as you are. Who is he? All right, uh... Don Kingman. Yeah? What about that body in there in the bedroom? The body in the bedroom. That's right. Oh, Mrs. Cunningham. He's dead with a bullet in it. Special memo to football fans. Tomorrow's thrilling Cotton Bowl game between the Mississippi Rebels and the Texas Longhorns will be a CBS radio network special on most of these stations. They say the man to stop tomorrow is the galloping half-back of the University of Texas, Jimmy Saxon. But the words around it, Mississippi has a pretty strong team, too. So, be on hand for the exclusive radio coverage of the Cotton Bowl game in Dallas, Texas tomorrow at your electronic 50-yard line. Well, Rogan, you said that Mrs. Cunningham has been murdered that 22 bullet right in the head. Good Lord. One of the other boys is up the street looking into a car crash. He heard the shot, radioed for me to get over here, and I busted my way in, and then... Well, what do you know about it? All I know is that Don and I were sitting here having a drink. First, Don collapsed, and then it hit me. That was it, Rogan, the drink. Now, say it once. You see the sediment here in the bottom of your glass? No, no, no, no, no. Don't touch it. If you don't touch anything into the lab, it could get to you. All right. And there's more of that sediment in his glass sitting there on the table besides where he peeled over. You see this little envelope I found on the shelf under the bar? It's an orphan. Yeah. Looks like your and his drink were loaded with it. I couldn't even rouse him. Even this full glass over here at summer. That's Walder's. Walder's glass, and he didn't drink any. So that was it? Yeah, likewise. Walder poured the drinks. Then without touching his own, he left on an errand, or so he said. But instead, you mean, this Walder, whoever he is, came back here, killed the old lady? That is so-called errand. He was only to make himself an alibi, to make it look as though he wasn't here. All he had to do was show up at that liquor store. I thought that if anybody might try to kill her, after all the big build-up I got, but I guess I was wrong. Yeah, look, when you start making sense, Rogan, what does all you have to do is find Walder dead? Dead, huh? Any idea where to find him? What time is it now? Ten forty. Well, he can't have gone very far. Well, where'd you sit? Hold on a minute. Sergeant Rogan. Yeah? Yeah? It was who? You sending a lab crew over here? Right. Is your head clear enough now to know what you're talking about? Well, I think so. What time did Walder bear leave you two here? Well, wait a minute. The mantle clock had just struck nine. According to my watch, well, let's see, uh... Yeah, I found another one. And that crash down the block happened less than a minute after nine. Some drunk smashed into a little blue coop that was coming from this direction. Blue coop? Yeah, the drunk is dead, and the other guys in the hospital, but he'll get over it. And this other guy? Yeah, Walder, dead. So he couldn't have done this any more than Donald here could have. I mean, if Don passed out, like he would say. But who then? He said you busted him. That front door was locked tighter than the drum. And there's no sign of anybody else having broken in. Well, the proof that Walder couldn't have done it. Well, then who? Dr. Bigley? What? The way that he so carefully laid out for me all the reasons that Walder and Don had for wanting her dead? Is that as a cover-up? So I wouldn't suspect him? Yeah, well, now, wait a minute. The charity that she might have left her money here was some hospital, a clinic. Hal Kemper told me that something Dr. Bigley wanted money for. So much that he was willing to kill her? And as a doctor, an old friend, he'd have a key to the heart, possibly. Are you sure you're feeling all right, Dolly? Wouldn't make any sense. Make no sense at all. You think you're making any? If you haven't changed her insurance yet, it must have known. I'm still killing her. Wouldn't do him any good. Dolly, listen. Yeah? What? We know that Walder couldn't have done it, okay? And we know that Donald couldn't have done it. So that leaves you. Oh, let's not kid about it. I'm moving back. Okay, then. Are you sure this doctor who might have a key would be more likely to know about the menorah thing that was used on you, Dolly? Anybody would know about that stuff. I'll be able to get it. But are you sure this doctor has nothing to gain? The only ones who could possibly gain are Walder, Ben. And he's out. And Donald here? Well, Donald couldn't have done it. Don't look at him. Wait a minute. Maybe I was a little befuddled from that drug, but look, this glass. This glass of Donald. Dad, don't touch now. Just leave it there on the scene. The point is, Rogan, did you touch it? Did you? Of course I didn't. I told you, Donald. That's it. It has to be. Donald. Donald. Knocked out by the north end. Jury was. And still is. That's right. But not until after he killed her. Ah, but didn't you say that he... Listen to me now. Those glasses had to drug in them all right. All three of them to make sure that I'd get some of it. And not only you, but them too. No. No, because if Walder himself hadn't suggested going out for the champagne, Don would have told him to. Before Walder could touch his drinks. And that ducking out would make Walder the only suspect in the murder. Well, of course. The only thing that cleared Walder was the accident that Donald couldn't foresee. All right. Right after Walder left, Don took his drink over to the bar to make it stronger, he told me. Actually was to get rid of the drug in it and pour himself a fresh one. Yeah, well, now you should. He came back here just a couple of steps. So when he saw the stuff was beginning to hit me, he made like he was passing out. Then when I fell on my face, he got up, killed her, came back in here, poured some of the drug into his drink again, and passed out legitimately. And with what he thought was a perfect alibi, that I would have to back up for him. Donald, hey, that's a darn good theory. And maybe that's the way it happened. What do you mean maybe? When he comes to, we'll face him with it. If he can prove otherwise, I'll eat your shirt. But whatever gave you the idea? The glance of his robe and the fact that it is now sitting there on the table. Huh? He put it there after he'd done the murder. After? Yes. After he actually took the drug that made him really pass out. I don't get it. All right. Listen. When he faked it earlier, when the stuff hit me, Donald dropped his glass. Oh. Yes. It rolled onto the floor. It was one of the last things that I saw and heard. Look. See there? It left a little stain right there on the floor. Hey, all right. He dropped it to convince me that he was passing out. But now it's up on the table. And only he could have put it there, Rogan. That is fine. When he came to, and we told him how it worked, how we'd made the mistake of setting the glass back on the table, told him we'd made a paraffin test at his hand to prove our point. Well, now I'm not only confess, he should have swear he hid him a gun. Expense account total? Four dollars and eighty cents for that ankle of gas. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. I'll have to tell you about next week's story. Next week I'll be back with another case for you. But for now, I would like to wish all of you the very best of a new year. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Surely, Johnny Dollar is written by Jack Johnstone, produced and directed by Brunner the Rappel Jr., music supervision by Ethel Huber. Johnny Dollar is played by Nandell Stringer. Also featured in our cast were Larsen Zerby as Dr. Begley, Alan Manson as Donald Kingman, Matt Fullen as Hal Kemper, Robert Dryden as Sergeant Rogan, Doug Parker as Walter Baird, and Ethel Everett as Nancy Cunney. Be sure to join us next week. Same time, same station, for another exciting story of Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Art Hanna speaking.