 Johnny dollar dollar. This is Ted Orloff Orloff. Yeah, you remember Western and deputy company out here Los Angeles. Oh, of course Ted How are you fine? It's fine. Gee. It's been a long time. I know I know now I tell me are you free to come out here come out here by the way I don't know why not what seems to be the trouble one of our clients holds a small bottling plant Yeah, I'm name is Garrison Barney Garrison Go ahead called me and told me that somebody's pulled an embezzlement on him taken nearly a hundred seventy thousand dollars from his till Uh-oh 170 grand. Yeah. Well, can you make it? Can you come out here? I'll pick up a plane schedule and call you back, okay? Fine. Okay DBS radio network brings you Mandel Kramer in the exciting adventures of the man with the action-pactic expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator yours truly Johnny dollar Spence account submitted by a special investigator Johnny dollar to Western and demnity company home office, Los Angeles, California Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the shadow of a doubt matters expense account item 1 350 for the call back to Ted Orloff to tell him the best deal I could make with the flight out of Hartford at 720 the following morning item 2 185 70 for the plane ticket When I got to LA a few minutes after noon Pacific time Ted was waiting for me I piled my luggage into the back of his car and we took off Mr.. Burners little more Garrison Barney Garrison own some kind of a bottling plant. That's right soft drinks You know root beer sarsaparilla lime orange the works and just now today is a matter of what? Okay, it's okay. I didn't see signal that turn pretty so in California We we were going pretty fast and they're not here seven years now seven years Johnny But I still I can't get used to it These natives all drive around like an accident just going somewhere to happen Yes, they do but like I started to say yet Somehow somewhere Barney Garrison raised himself a lot of money and he set up this plant who is Ralph better. He's vice president and yikes Seriously hadn't you better slow down a little About Ralph better late vice president and business manager I guess you'd call him handles the bookkeeping department that kind of stuff It's almost a sort of partnership Johnny kind of a partnership So why those two would ever get together? I'll never know why do you say that? No, about as opposite as any two people could ever be Ralph is a quiet little Ingrown old man. He isn't really old probably not more than two or three years older than Barney But he looks an accent quiet meek responsible citizen He and his wife have a nice little home on Pandora Avenue in Westwood and Barney Garrison Big well-fed back slapping hailed fellow well met sort of a guy talks to anybody and everybody a real salesman He's a bachelor has a big guy for the gals and really listed up gets along with anybody drives an expensive car Has a showy home in Bel Air is just bought one in Palm Springs entertains like mad and Well, you know the type I think I do just the opposite of Ralph Bradley just the opposite well opposites always attract Yeah, yeah, yeah, I guess they don't matter with you. You're crazy as something Can you see it? You think he was the only one on the road that was with a little close Some of the cooks behind the wheel have absolutely no consideration for anyone else As I was saying yes, let's get back to the investment well Barney called me yesterday just before I called you They've been going through the books of the cash on hand for some reason they keep a lot of cash on hand And as near as he can figure it. There's about a hundred and seventy thousand gone But what does this Ralph better Lee think about it? I don't know. I told him we'd call on him after we've seen Barney So after you've talked to Barney, we'll come back here come back from where Palm Springs That's where Barney called me from where he's waiting for. Oh, I see. Hey, what's the stoplight ahead with him? No instead of driving on down there We'll cut over to Lockheed Airport and Burbank and take a plane take his plane His plane that's right his own personal private plane. Well, isn't it just about as fast to drive down there? Yeah, sure it is, but this is the way he wants it Okay We'll do it the way Barney wants it Once at the airport we hopped aboard garrison's twin ends and beach The pilot took off and in almost less time than it takes to tell about it We set down at the Palm Springs Airport Yeah, but I don't see any signs and not a sign What time is it John? Uh, I have exactly 20 minutes. That's it After five sure that's decent time. You forgot to reset your watch. Oh, oh good. Well, that makes it 20 after 2 Pilot calling though, so he shouldn't Huh? Nothing, I uh, I was surprised to see those long thin clouds up there in this desert sky Yeah, I oh wait a minute. Those are just the kind of Pay a lend of a guy riding job that's there behind you this guy, but it's still at it. Hmm. Oh, yeah P o P P Oh Papa have when he's finished that'll spell popola What's the fine way to decorate? Another wise clean clear blue sky don't knock it when out that scarison's brand new product Oh, and like I say today's the first announcement of it But now we're in the Sam Hill. Oh It's over. I'm sorry. I have to wait. How are you that boy? Fine buddy just fine And you must be Johnny doll. That's right. How are you Johnny? Welcome to Palm Springs Thanks. Just wait till you see the new joint I have down here. Now listen Ted I'm afraid you brought him down for nothing. Why do you say that buddy? Well, I use the old noodle I did some thinking about who might have embezzled 170 G's and the more I thought the more sure I got about who did it who and I'm willing to bet that if you face up to him and tell him that I'm On to him you'll break right down and admit it Who Barney that so-called partner of mine Ralph better Barney Garrison refused to talk further about the embezzlement until he Taken us out and showed us through his new home It was you shaped and built around the swimming pool and just about as modern as an expensive resort home could possibly be There's a time you see written up in the movie fan magazines and only half believed is true until you see it His pension for entertaining on a big scale was shown by the fully equipped bars There were three of them one in the pantry another in the den and the third one poolside Only one thing marred the attractiveness of that pool a Huge gaudy garish neon sign at one end with the words now is the time to and Below it was an electric clock a couple of feet in diameter with the words Drink popola on the dial where the numbers should have been You get it Johnny now is the time to and when you look at the clock Well, sure you can tell the time alright, but what you're really reading is now is the time to drink popola Yeah, I see sure I want to get the tugs out of here take shots of the place for all the picture magazines You know publicity so the word popola has got to show up somewhere And if they take a picture of me here at the pool they can't miss it I see what you mean just to make sure yeah now look look at these snapshots. I took this morning. I hear myself Yeah, I use one of those 10 second cameras and rigged along cable release so as I could get into the pictures, too Hey here Yeah, yeah, I see Now about this in Bethlehem and see this one shows me Shows the clock shows it was 10. Oh 5 a.m. And you see see up there in the background up in the sky Oh, yeah, that's sky right we saw Johnny. Yeah, today's the first day for that sky riding bit So I understand you know just to announce popola. Yes, I know now a bunny But now why don't you guys slip into some trunks and let me get some pictures of you out here by the pool Why don't we get down to business instead? You said you think your partner Ralph better Lee took the money Oh, yeah, why do you think that bunny? well, it's an awful thing to say Johnny after working together on this bottling business, but There comes a time when a guy's got to face the fact well suppose you give me some of the facts well To begin with Ralph isn't a fool partner with me the deal We have only cuts him in for about a quarter of the profits I see and they've been pretty low Johnny Kind of a startup cost on popola like I said the sky writings only started today and all the rest of the Advertising and promotion money expensive to I'm sure it is Anyhow with all the money that he's had to spend on hospital. Why did you know that she died a couple of days ago Ted? No, I didn't buddy. Yeah, yeah, too bad Anyway, he's been having a real tough time of it and You think that he would steal from his own company. He's been pretty desperate but Johnny the real point is and Now I hate to say this but He's the only one who could why is that two reasons don't you have a lot of employees there at your plant? Sure Johnny quite a few but outside of me Ralph is the only one has the combination of the safe We keep all the cash in the only one Johnny And if that don't put the finger on him, I don't know what does I think you said two reasons I am number two Ralph is the only other one has any idea how much there was in there You mind telling me why you kept that much cash on him Oh, so maybe it did seem like a lot, but it takes a lot to run a business any kind of business a hundred and seventy thousand dollars sure Well, don't you see I got to have cash to pay off the Mexican boys who a Well, that is a yes money Okay, okay, you're not the cops or the pure food and drug fellas or anything So you're only a private detective so I'm gonna level with you go on Some of the stuff for the popola mix Yeah, I mean a secret ingredient. Well, you know what I mean Go on Okay, so maybe it doesn't cross the border exactly legal, you know Ted did you know about this? I certainly didn't now wait a minute. There's nothing poison or narcotic about anything like that It's only that if those wetbacks are willing to bring it in for me, but Well, that's why I've got to keep a lot of cash on hand Okay, is it what's okay about running a business like that? And I'll wait a minute buddy that didn't you know what kind of an outfit you were selling indemnity insurance soon I guess I didn't now. Don't get up on any proper Johnny Harrison if you told the police about the investment Why should I you bet you haven't because you know you have an investigation on your hands I would put you out of business so fast you wouldn't know what hit you. Oh, yeah You think I'm not smart enough to cover up if anybody comes poking around. You don't owe me dollar I think I care to how do you think where I got where I am today answer me that You know why because I'm smart. That's why me. I'm smart enough to get away with anything if I want to don't be too sure of that Come on, Ted. Yeah. Now you listen here dollar. Yes, if you think you're going out and make trouble for me. I wouldn't waste the time Come on, Ted. Let's get on back to LA. Yes Johnny and believe me. I'll cancel out every policy we have on him Sure, go ahead But you're still gonna have to either recover the money or pay me off on this embezzlement I'm afraid he's right. Johnny. Well, I'm not and remember what I said You tell Ralph better Lee. I'm wise to him and I'm betting he'll break down and confess If he hasn't got conscience all of a sudden and blown his brains out But you just get me that money Item three is 50 bucks deposit on a rental car to get us back to Los Angeles Because I was really worried now and I don't mean over that hundred and seventy thousand dollars About what then Johnny? You have Ralph better Lee's address, Ted? Sure. I can tell you he lives in the westward section on Pandora Avenue It's up beyond Beverly Hills. Yeah, I know. I look until we get there. Yeah, you better do a little praying, Ted Praying? That's right. That this hunch of mine is all wrong But all the prayers in the world wouldn't have helped For the time we got to 1308 Pandora out there in westwood the police including a medical and a couple of the lab crew had Done their work and left All but a lieutenant Harvey may As for what had happened there. Well, you see we got a phone call from his business partner A man by the name of garrison called from palm springs. Oh, yeah Said he'd been trying to raise bed early on the phone that he was worried about and so One of the boys in a prowl car drove over got no answer to the doorbell But the front door wasn't locked so he barged in found bed early dead a bullet in his head I come on over with the dock in the lamp crew. I said But I figure it lieutenant Looks like suicide dollar all the way, you know Because of losing his wife and financial troubles and all and betelese prints are on the gun and only betelese suicide Well, maybe Why do you say that? Well had betelie pulled that gun on himself. There should have been clear powder burns on his head See But the doc seemed to think he might have been shot from six or seven feet away Sorry, he could be wrong, of course could he I doubt it. Yeah, why when was he um Well, when did he die? Docs figures sometime between 9 30 and 11 30 this morning and nobody in the neighborhood saw him might have done it Nobody heard any shots or anything like that. No, but if you're thinking of that crooked partner of his why not He's down there in palm springs. He forgetting lieutenant. That's not much more than a two-hour drive But he said he's been down there since late last night and if he can prove that Look, I know uh carousel isn't lily white. Oh, you're so right, but if he can prove He's been down there all day lieutenant. I'm sure that he thinks he can Well, then and I'm almost sure that I can prove his alibi is a phony. Oh, how dollar And if you can't, uh, that's out of your jurisdiction down there, isn't it? Oh sure, but all we have to do down. Don't call him not yet Give me time enough to drive to palm springs. Hmm Why? Well, you do maybe I'll bring you back a killer Maybe but if you tip him off by having the police bust in on him You can bet your bottom dollar that Barney garrison will think of some way to warm out of this murder You seem pretty sure it was murder. I'm sure And that garrison did it, huh? I'm sure of that too Well Okay, Donna go ahead But I better hear from you in a hurry. Don't worry lieutenant. You will Thanks Can a girl from a small mining town find happiness with a civil service jazz musician from a big city This problem may never be solved by Betty ferness on the cbs radio networks dimensions of a woman's world But her tips on home improvement cosmetics teenagers Anything of interest to women could help you find a few answers that you've been looking for Dimension of a woman's world is heard three times every weekday But Betty ferness as hostess with the mostis Information for and about today's woman And you will hear a dimension of a woman's world only on weekdays and only on cbs radio This trip I made alone After all why stick out Ted Orlov's neck too, especially when I wasn't as sure of myself as I made the lieutenant thing But too many things added up If what Ted had told me about better Lee was true He was hardly the man to pull an embezzlement But garrison if he thought he could get away with it pure And with a home in Bel Air and other impalm springs. He could certainly use the money Then there were some other things like his call to the police to say that he was worried about not being able to reach better Lee by phone Really worried about him Or just to make sure the body would be discovered And a time of death set by a lab crew And as the lieutenant said to take away any suspicion from himself Time of death that was the key is a whole thing garrison's alibi And that's what got me suspicious The fact that I'd be called on to back up his alibi and how Well a little over two hours later the door of his palm springs home opened The noise in here isn't I decided I better come back How the boy Incidentally, yeah I tried to call old Ralph after you left, but I got no answer. Oh, why call him, buddy Well, like I said to you if this conscience ever caught up with it Yes, I know you tried to plant the suicide idea with me pretty solidly this afternoon Now, why do you say plant that way? Look, where can we talk? Quietly for a few minutes Just for a little while Just a little business come on dollar in my den right this way First wouldn't you like a drink? No, let's talk first. All right, sure right in here now Well sit down dollar sit down. No, that's better. Thanks Now what does you mean about trying to plant the suicide bit with you? Same as you were so careful to set your alibi with me alibi. What are you talking about? Now look, I told you why I think Ralph's imbeciled that money and I still think he did Well, don't you know? I think you did bunny Oh, no, this is no time to joke. I'm not joking. All right, then let's are you pretending You don't know what happened back there in westward this morning You mean that you're pretending you don't know Ralph is dead Oh no, oh, yes Suicide, huh? That's too bad. He was murdered bunny And you were the first to know because you murdered him Yeah, wait a minute. Look here darling. Well Now listen You know that isn't true Because you know that I was right here in palm springs when it happened then you know when it happened Well, you said this morning, didn't you? Yeah, I guess I did yeah, I was right here and I can prove it can you Well, didn't I prove it to you this afternoon? Did you? Okay, when was he killed then you admit it wasn't suicide Well, I don't admit anything because I haven't got anything to admit. I asked a question When did he die the medico said between 9 30 and 11 a.m. Hey, see well, I was right here at exactly 10 o 5 a.m And you know it and I know it and I can prove it so can you oh By that picture I showed you that's exactly what I want to see again. All right, then here I got it right here in this desk here Yeah, now look You want to argue with this? You see the clock there in back of me 10 o 5 it says And that can be caught sure and I could have taken a picture some other time like last week maybe Except for just exactly one little thing dollar Well, go on look look at it. I'm looking You see up there in the sky in the background. You see that sky riding Popola, that's what it says and the whole population of palms The Bible that that sky riding didn't start until today today. You get it. All right So you killed him and tore him out here to reset that clock take the picture and have your alibi already by the time We arrived, you're a crazy perfect alibi bunny except for exactly one little thing as you put it I say you're crazy now you look at the picture Your swimming pool runs north and south doesn't it? So what you face the south into the camera? That's right. So what so the morning sun coming from the east would have cast your shadow to the west Over here Instead what little shadow there is east of you from the early afternoon sun Because you reset the clock and took this picture just before we arrived I see Yes Okay, darling Now look you see this this loaded baby Complete with silencing. That's right So darling Oh Well, look like lieutenant may the west Los Angeles department was right, huh? Now look I Just let me explain this, huh? Why bother, bunny? Just give the sergeant a gun Once again, it's up to the courts, but when the west Los Angeles police run down 170,000 Whoever garrison put it and I'm sure they will he won't have a leg to stand on expense account total call it 450 bucks yours truly johnny dollar Star to tell you about next week's story next week like a lot of other people I open the trout season, but in a way. I don't suggest you try Believe me join us. Won't you yours truly johnny dollar Yours truly johnny dollar is written by jack johnstone produced and directed by runo zarato jr Music supervision by ethyl huber johnny dollar is played by mandel kramer Also featured in our cast were bob dryton with barney garrison granhard grant lieutenant harvey may James stevens as ted orlock Eugene francis as the police sergeant in jocelyn summers as the girl at the party Be sure to join us next week same time same station for another exciting story of Yours truly johnny dollar This is pat cannell speaking Sportsorama with red barber premieres april 6th putting major league baseball in the sportsorama spotlight with straight from the shoulder talk About our national pastime april 6th the first sportsorama program with red barber on the cbs radio network Do you know a new family just moving to your neighborhood welcome wagon would love to welcome them Welcome wagon helps all new neighbors to feel welcome and wanted here in the capitol district Each gracious welcome wagon hostess brings baskets of gifts from tri city merchants She brings greetings from the community to these newcomers as his questions everyone wants to know about the tri city You can make sure your new neighbors benefit from welcome wagon service Just call state 5 9 6 4 0 and give the welcome wagon hostess the name and address of your new neighbors She'll call on them and present them with a basket of gifts from civic minded businessmen You'll be helping your neighbor and your welcome wagon hostess who carries on this valuable community service In the albany toys connected the metropolitan area call state 5 9 6 4 0 that's state 5 9 6 4 0 for welcome wagon Wro w albany fair and cool tonight gradually diminishing winds the low 25 to 30 monday continued fair and mild High in the low 50s present for two or 45 degrees