 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny Deller Oh, hi a Dave. How's the family? I guess not it's been a long time There's nothing going on here except a rent what's on your mind. I don't know exactly maybe smoke maybe a fire I got a girl here executives really live Social or do I get paid for it you get paid $1 jig a little personal attention to lonely hearts especially hearts Why'd you say that say what lonely hearts? I don't know why is it a coat of some kind? What's it mean Johnny if this girl is telling the truth it means murder 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 just truly Johnny Deller From special investigator Johnny Deller to the home office Northwest surety company Hartford, Connecticut The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the lonely hearts matter Item one a dollar and sixty cents taxi fare from my apartment to the Northwest surety building in the office of Dave Elwood Executive claims adjuster a hard-working little man with thinning hair who even after 20 years in the game still couldn't help making every Claim a personal matter He met me in the outer office and led me off to one side She's waiting inside there Johnny. I wanted to brief you before you met her. Who is she named her name is normal well She's from Chicago. She flew in from there this morning hasn't had any sleep. She's pretty upset. Mm-hmm What about her father died three days ago suddenly unexpectedly? What did he die of a cute enteritis supposedly? The death certificate hasn't been signed yet. Is that what you meant by murder and his daughter thinks so. Mm-hmm Was he insured with you $50,000 term life written five months ago. Who's the beneficiary this daughter? No, his wife his second wife That is the girl's mother died years ago wells remarried a month before the policy was issued a woman named Mabel Burke The insurances payable to her and the Wells girl thinks she killed him. That's what she says. She's pretty mixed up Why did she come here and I'm not quite sure Johnny suppose you ask her okay? Let's go this way What about that lonely hearts crack you made on the phone? Well, that's how he met this new wife this Mabel Burke through a lonely hearts club Like they say marriage is a lottery in this case. It sounds more like Russian roulette. Yeah in here Miss Wells. This is Johnny dollar. He's a specialist expert in this kind of thing. I'm sure he'll be able to help you Do mr. Mr. Dollar Miss Wells now. I'm gonna leave you two alone I have a couple of things I got to take care of you just punch the intercom if you want me right Dave. Thanks Would you uh, would you care for a cigarette miss Wells? No, thank you. I Yes, yes, I will too. Oh Please forgive me. I I just can't seem to think straight. Oh, that's perfectly understandable Yeah, thanks. Thank you, mr. Dollar Forgive me for being so blunt, but when was the last time you had something to eat? Why I Yesterday morning, I guess Dave Suppose you could send out for a glass of orange juice a hot roll of pot of coffee Go get it. No, no, please. I I really don't you're really going to though You're shaking so hard you can hardly hold on to that cigarette. I know It's so stupid of me You and your father were pretty close. I imagine yes Until he married her. What kind of a woman is she? Well, she's strange It's hard to explain. She's She's sort of vague fuzzy around the edges. If that makes any sense It's like she isn't even there sometimes but but away off somewhere in time or space a little bad Is that what you're implying? No, no, not really She could be as sharp as a tack when she wanted to But something about her well, I Was scared of a mr. Dollar And I don't actually know why I see my father and I could never be alone Somehow she always managed to be there separating us Driving us apart. Did she ever say anything that would lead you to believe that she didn't have to Just being there was enough to All right, I know what you're thinking father fixation second wife Jealous daughter neurotic imagination. It's a possibility, isn't it? No, don't you suppose I thought of that made allowances for it You think I'm a fool. I I don't know what to think miss well as you told Dave Elwood You believed your stepmother had murdered your father and so far the only reason you've given is the fact that she was around all the time Maybe he wanted her around. Maybe that's why you married of course. He wanted her around That's not what made me suspicious Then what did the fact that he took out life insurance named her as beneficiary not at the time I Wasn't suspicious at all, mr. Dollar Not until until the night he he died Oh, I was hurt. Yes, and I felt out of place. So Well, I moved out of the house three months ago and took an apartment off the loop But I didn't have the slightest idea. She might be planning to kill him Did he carry any insurance before they were married some? Protection for you in case of no, he didn't feel it was necessary He'd set up a trust fund and and there's some bonds and so on that I suppose will come to me. I see no The policy was entirely her idea Thinking back it Seems to me she started talking about insurance the first week after they were married And he finally gave in if he hadn't I I Think he'd still be alive Just what were the circumstances of his death? I don't know. I Wasn't there. She saw to that. What do you mean? Well, he was taken ill suddenly in the middle of the night He wanted her to call me, but she wouldn't do it. Why not? She claims she didn't think it was anything serious So there was no need of it Instead she called the doctor her doctor A few minutes after he arrived my father died Then they called me after it was all over this doctor Is he the one who has refused so far to sign a death certificate? Oh, he was going to sign it all right Until I got there and kicked up a scene an obvious case of acute enteritis. He called it Then he backed out Decided maybe he should have another opinion. I went to father's doctor But he said there was nothing he could do because he hadn't been called in at the time He's the one who suggested I come here. Why so he said the insurance company would help me Since they were involved too. They'd advised me what to do What did he think about that diagnosis acute enteritis? He said he said it was possible, but extremely doubtful He knew father's physical condition. He treated him for years How long had your father known this Mabel Burke before they were married less than a month? He'd answered a lonely hearts ad in the paper So I found out later by accident. I see Bosing Embarrassed by the way they'd met was it a private ad or an organization a club of some sort The rendezvous club. They have an office on Atlantic Avenue Mr. Dollar, it's not just imagination father's own doctor feels there's something wrong too. That's why he sent me here I'm not crazy. He killed him for his insurance. I know she did maybe there's not much to go on not at the moment Anyway, I think it's about time for a coffee break. Yeah, I imagine it's a little pastime I couldn't really oh, yes, you could yes, you could go ahead now dig in. I'll be back in a few months Have a word with you Dave, right John Well, what do you think? I think I need some looking into How soon can you get miss Wells and me on a plane for Chicago an a half? I've already checked good I'll have her get a court order for an autopsy in case the coroner hasn't already asked for one And we'll take it from there and you think the girl is telling the truth. I wouldn't bet on it Expense account item two ninety six dollars and forty cents transportation from Hartford and taxi tips and incidentals in Chicago I dropped normal wells at her apartment checked in at a hotel and phone the coroner's office I learned that an autopsy request had been filed, but was being delayed pending a court order I informed them that the daughter was available and willing now to cooperate with them I left my name and asked the office to keep in touch with me Item three two dollars and ten cents taxi to the offices of the rendezvous club Introductions arranged mail forward at lonely hearts mended and possibly murders planned. I Must be in the wrong place. What do you mean? I mean I I can't see you as the lonely type. Oh, I'm not I mean, I'm not a client. I work here really For some reason I'd always had the idea that these clubs were run by a sweet old ladies of 75 or so Well, I don't exactly run it at least I don't own it. That's what you mean Hey, you're not a client for guys say any rules against it. Oh, no, how do I go about it? I mean becoming a client Well, you either ride in or come in like you are now then you fill out a form tell all about yourself and attach a photograph and Look buster, there's no use trying to kid you. We don't have a woman in our files under 45 years old Well, maybe I got a mother complex So I fill out a form. What do you do with it then? We'll keep it on file then we send out bulletins to the active members and forward letters back and forth Oh, you can come in here and be introduced and Look, are you serious don't I act serious Well, I don't get it a young guy with your looks and I Bet you're selling something. No, no as a matter of fact, I just got in town and I'm trying to locate a certain fellow I I was told he's a member of your club Well, why didn't you say so? What's his name Jonathan Wells? You probably got his address Jonathan well, yeah, have you got a file on him? Who are you? You're with the police police now what gives you that idea Well, I don't know anything about the man you're looking for no Well, uh, suppose we check through the fire. It's not here. We don't keep the files. Where do you keep them? They're not here. Well, maybe they're in the next office Through that door there. No, you can't go in there. Relax now. Take it easy. You have no right in there You just stand right up there on that desk and stay out of trouble Who was in here nobody you smoke cigars, of course, I don't smoke Yeah, right there in the ash tray still burning somebody just sneaked out through that door in the hall. Who was he? What's your name? Tetler Danny Tetler. How long have you worked here a year? Hey, I've got a hunch you're not a policeman. I didn't say I was what about Wells. Have you got a file on him? No, what happened to it? I don't know what you're talking about. How about Mabel Burke? Mabel Burke. Have you got a file on her? Of course not. What do you mean? Of course not. She and Wells met through this club Look Buster Mabel Burke owns this club Now here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow another day another husband another death and a sweet little old lady rocks and smiles Join us. Won't you yours truly Johnny dollar? Yours truly Johnny dollar starring Bob Bailey is transcribed in Hollywood Written by Les Crutchfield. 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 You