 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar welcome to Hollywood mr. Dollar. This is Daryl Daryl Jim Daryl Daryl and Clark insurance We wrote up the palm quiz policy. Oh that Daryl for a minute. I thought maybe yeah Yeah, everyone does about the policy understand you're worried about it national underwriters is they asked me to take a look Come on over and help yourself a hundred thousand dollar coverage on both. Dr. Carl palm question his wife It's that double indemnity clause. I'm interested in becomes effective the end of this week, doesn't it? That's right What's wrong an anonymous letter sent to underwriters kind of hints that somebody is going to try to collect 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 National Underwriters Association 1180 River Road Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the long shot matter Expense account item one one hundred seventy four dollars and ninety cents airfare and incidentals to Hollywood, California a Good night sleep at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and in the morning sunshine Hartford slush was only a clammy memory Nobody walks in California saw one in Rome item two two dollars even cab fare to Daryl and Clark insurance brokers Beverly Hills where else come on in dollar won't be a minute grab a chair One look at the furnishings, and you know a lot of insurance was sold here It takes a flock of premiums to pay for the really good modern the long clean functional stuff impressive Jim Daryl was even more so and I'd have bet that 90% of his policyholders were women He seemed to be doing two things at once shaving and keeping track of passes by in the street outside I watched him glance quickly out the window for the fifth time smile happily to make a check mark on a desk I Give up. What is it? Electric shaver. I mean the bit outside the window. Oh, it's this year's version of counting license plates You playing alone with Clark my partner You see he takes charcoal gray suits, and I take permuters shorts based on strictly how many past the window Other side of the street doesn't count loser buys lunch. Where's Clark? Seeing prospect we play on the honor system Yeah, I'm mr. Darrell Yeah, bomb quiz policy on you want to know about it Well, you sound reluctant. It's delicate. So is this letter Look into palm quiz policy. You may have to pay off soon Nice corny touch there letters from a magazine pasted on to form the message Well, the style's a little old hat but the meanings clear enough You want to fill me in the palm quiz mr. Dollar the last of one of our oldest families out here name social position money They've got it all that's why I'm not too impressed with this little Communicator you were telling me about the family palm quiz the doctor an important one six dish to the manner born complete with iron gray hair and distinguished bearing a Knows what he wants type of man has tremendous practice and still finds time to go hunting about two months out of every year and his wife Invalid confined to the house a huge house by the way out near the beach and there's a son Eric 25 who lives with them That's the family about the policy Darrell Simple enough 100,000 straight coverage on both doctor palm quiz and his wife and the beneficiaries only one son Eric for both for both Hmm, it's pretty pointed grunt. Why not? I was thinking of the double indemnity clause. It'll be effective in a few days That's what I thought you were thinking. Well, let me have a couple of addresses with you the house at the beach and palm quiz office sure Officers only a few blocks from here and dollar, please be tactful with those premiums They're so lovely the way to make sure they keep coming is to keep people healthy. Yeah, I guess you have some What do you know? Another one why now Bermuda shorts that puts me three up glass gonna scream like an eagle when he pays that lunch check today We did Roman off I Walked the four or five blocks to dr. Carl palm quiz office It was easy to find you just look for the most expensive building and the most expensive part of Beverly Hills Or as the natives sometimes call it lootville as I turned into the entrance Young executive type brush past me on the street suit charcoal gray. I hoped he wouldn't pass Darrell's window Dr. Palmquist office was all it should be tasteful quietly lush the kind of place that made you wonder why he didn't live right there The nurse who came forward did nothing to destroy the thought blonde complete with doe eyes Retrozee nose and a figure that floated great medicine for the sick May I help you? I'd like to see the doctor. You have an appointment. Mr. Dollar Johnny dollar. No, I haven't Dr. Palmquist isn't in right now. Oh, what time will he be back? Well, he has a 430 appointment suppose I show at five then miss London Stephie London miss London five. I can't promise anything, but you might try. Oh, I will I'll try like mad Expense account item three thirty eight dollars even deposit and first days rental on a drive at yourself car and Driving an out-of-long sunset boulevard was delightful. I had no trouble at all getting into the California spirit I pretended that I was a movie producer going home to his starlet wife. I Found the Palmquist house on a quiet dead-end street high on the Palisades overlooking the Pacific Darrell was right huge a single-story farmhouse that seemed to ramble endlessly It was a long way to come for nothing. I Walked around the side of the house. Nobody tried to stop me I moved through an open breezeway and wished that somebody had because suddenly I felt like an intruder Because of the woman sitting in the wheelchair staring vaguely down at the swimming pool that sparkled in the sunlight Because of the way she poured a drink from the bottle beside her without ever looking at it Because of the way she held the glass as though she wanted you to believe it was sarsaparilla tea not whiskey Isn't really medicine, you know, I Only pretend that it is Yeah, sure Look, I I didn't mean to barge in like this Mrs. Palmquist Victor says it's disgusting Calls it a sign of weakness Do you feel that way young man? well Nobody does anything without a reason My name is duller Mrs. Palmquist and well, I'd like to talk to you for a little while if if you feel up to it weakness Oh It's very sorry Victor wouldn't like that either Would you mind wheeling me into the house young man? I'm very tired. Oh, yeah, sure thing. You just relax She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She wasn't sleeping just somewhere off in thoughts of her own I Pushed the chair toward the house as gently as I could It wasn't until we almost reached it that I realized we had an audience a good-looking kid in his mid-20s watching us from a bedroom window A kid who didn't want to be seen the way he jumped back from the window told me that It's getting pretty weird out Inside the house. I wheeled Mrs. Palmquist into a large living room Gently patiently I tried to get her to answer a few questions, but I got nowhere She wasn't rude just secretive swanning and very far away. I Was wondering how to get out gracefully one. I'm so very sorry I'm afraid I haven't been very attentive. Have I mr. Dollar certainly just as clear and lucid as that I looked around to see what it made this almost magical change and he was standing just inside the room the kid I'd seen watching from the window Eric come here dear This is my son Eric. I'm afraid. I've forgotten where you told me you were from mr. Dollar My mother's been ill mr. Dollar. She's not supposed to be disturbed. Oh, I'm sorry. I was just leaving good I'll show you the way out. Oh Maybe that would be best You'll come back again mr. Dollar when I'm Feeling better. Yeah, sure, of course, please make it soon. I Don't seem to keep very good track of time another sign of Weakness I suppose when you show mr. Dollar out Please come back Paul. Oh, yes, mother You're a good son Paul This way mr. Dollar What do you want here? You can see she's in a well. Yeah. Yeah It didn't take you long to go from Eric to Paul did it she is not insane you hear mr. Dollar I didn't say she wants now. Why did she call you Paul? Paul was my older brother. He died three years ago. That's part of why she's like she is a small part. Oh, I'm sorry Nobody's asking you today. You just don't come back here. I Had plenty of time to kill before five o'clock and a lot of things would have been pleasant Sopping up the Malibu Sun watching the kids in the beach you name it But instead I settled for a visit with an old friend lieutenant Barry homicide I wasn't just being social pretty sneaky as a matter of fact The anonymous note which underwriters had received intrigue Barry and he promised to have it gone over by the police lab At five on the dot I was back in dr. Palmquist's office Yeah, he used to get gold stars for it at school I'm afraid dr. Palmquist doesn't get one He called just a little while after you left this morning. Oh said cancel all appointments for today that he wouldn't be in I'm so sorry Yeah, so my I would have called you but I didn't know where to reach. Oh, sure. That's okay What about tomorrow? I can give you an appointment at 10. How's that? I'll be here. Thanks. Oh Mr.. Dollar, would you like to give me some information now like what medical history previous illnesses complaints the usual thing? Saves time in the morning. Well, why don't we wait till tomorrow in case dr. Palmquist decides to play hooky again? There's one nice thing about this job you get around so much you learn to pick up local habits without even thinking about it For instance that evening. I had a leisurely dinner then took in an endless double feature all without ever once getting out of my car Drive engine It was well after midnight when I got back to my hotel feeling a kinship for bus drivers everywhere I headed across the lobby ran smack into Jim Darrell is around at the cigar stand Dollar, where have you been? Well, hi Darrell. Hey, who wound up paying for lunch? Listen, I've been trying to get hold of you all night Where were you dinner a movie the wildlife fine? Well, don't look that unhappy. I didn't do anything illegal Somebody did why? Hey, what is it Darrell? What are you talking about? Mrs. Palmquist? dead Shot to death a couple of hours ago Oh, here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow Variations on an old theme you pay your money and you take your choice But no matter how you pick it it comes out murder Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dolly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by Tony Barrett. 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