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THE BYRON HOYLE MATTER and THE JACKIE CLEAVER MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
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YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance...
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Johnny Dollar
From Hollywood. It's time now for Edmund o' Brien as Johnny Dollar. The insurance investigator that's working on the Byron Hayes killing. That's right. Who's this? I got a few things to say about the shooting. I can't say him to the police, but if you'll level with me, maybe I can say them to you. All right. But I've got to be sure of you, too. Who are you and how'd you find out about me? One of the papers mentioned that you'd come to New York. I guess you've read about me, too. I'm what they call the chief suspect, object of a widespread search. Roy Corona. That's right. Now, do you want to talk to me? Sure, Roy. Anytime you say. I thought so. I'm gonna give the phone to a friend that's with me. He'll tell you where to go and what to do so he can pick you up. Edmund o' Brien in another adventure of the man with the action packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, J. Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Dollar to home office, Corinthian All Risk Insurance Company. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Byron Hayes matter. Expense account item 1, $12. Transportation from Hartford to New York. There wasn't much that first day. The police had their theory on who had killed Hayes and I hadn't had time to form mine. And then that evening, I received a phone call from a man who called himself Roy Corona. The basis of the police theory. Twenty minutes later, according to instructions, I was standing on a 7th Avenue street corner holding a copy of Life magazine in front of my face so I'd be recognized. Hey, you. Yeah, what's your name? I'm your man. All right, Dollar. Come on. How are you, dolly? All right. You didn't do anything I told you not to on the phone, did you? I told you I wouldn't do anything, didn't I? A lot of people make a lot of promises they don't keep. Maybe so. Well, I guess all I can do is either trust you or drive fast enough and far enough to shake a tail if I don't trust you. Or you can Dr. Me if you don't want to go through with this. I didn't ask to come, you know. That's right. And I don't think he should have been asked. But it's Roy's neck, not mine. I'll just pretend there's a tail on me so I won't get out of Practice the doorway next to the poultry store there. Thanks for the ride. Then the ground floor, second door back. Tell Roy I'll sit out here for a minute and then park the car. Sure. Tell them I'll be in in a little while. Yeah. Yeah. Roy? Yeah? Did my friend stay outside? Yeah, he said he was gonna park the car. I'm not so sure I did the right thing calling you. But I guess I couldn't make things worse by doing it. I guess not. Roy, they want you real bad. Sure they do. Cause I'm a natural. Once you've been in prison, you're a natural for anything. There's more to it than that, isn't there? According to the papers, yeah, but not really. I didn't kill this Hayes guy. I didn't even know him. The police don't seem to think that's important. They figure that a guy who spends two years in a prison. Comes out to find his girl mixed up with a lot of men is going to get knocked off balance. Yeah, I guess that part of it's true. It did hit me pretty hard. But not hard enough to make me kill anybody. They think it did. Hayes was one of the men you lost your girl to. So they figure you wouldn't have to know him to kill him. That you were waiting outside her apartment when Hayes came out. You blasted him. Sure, they got it all worked out. The only thing wrong with it is that it ain't true. They don't care about that. But I do. If you can prove they're wrong, you got nothing to worry about. Have you? My proof that I was someplace else is a couple of ex convicts like myself. Statements from guys like that are broken down before they even make them. Isn't that right? I guess there could be better alibis. Why did you bring me here, Roy? Try out your alibi on me? Or to tell me who killed Byron Hayes? I don't know who killed him. But it would help if you believed that the proof I was someplace else would stand up. If you have something else to back it up, let's assume that I do believe it. It's something the police won't find out. Rita was black. How do you know that? I heard him. Right after I came out. When I was having a bad time over Rita. I was in the hallway one night and I saw him go into her apartment. I listened to the door and I heard him talking about it. That would make a pretty careless, wouldn't it? Oh, it was him that was talking so I could hear. He told her he couldn't afford to pay her anymore. But it had to stop. It wouldn't do you any good to make this up, Roy. I know that. And if she was taking him, she must be taking the others. A cop wouldn't get the truth out of anybody. But you might be able to check it. If they'll trust you. All right. I'll look into it. What about the police? You gonna tell them that I got it from you? Yeah. They'd either toss me into a cell or laugh me out of town if I did. Unless you'd like to stick around and pack me up. I don't think I will. I gave it to you. And by the time my friend gets you back to your hotel, I'll be out of here and hold up someplace else. Sure, I. I thought you would. The only reason this tip from the number one suspect meant anything to me. Was that to date, no progress at all had been made. Rita Cobb, outside whose door Hayes had been killed, said she'd known him only casually, that he just dropped in. Nobody else could be found who knew about the association. And even a widow, Agnes Hayes, said she had never heard of Rita Kar. After I was dropped at the hotel, I decided to try out the new lead on the widow first. I've told the police everything I know, Mr. Duller. I'm afraid it wasn't very much, Mrs. Hayes. And I wondered if there might not be something you didn't tell them because you didn't want to. What do you mean? I'm not a policeman. There are no reporters around. Everything you say to me will be kept in confidence, Mrs. Hayes. Didn't you really know that your husband was seeing Rita Cobb? If I'd thought he was, do you think I wouldn't have done something about it? You didn't suspect anything? No. Even now I don't think he was seeing her, as you put it. Do you know why he would have dropped in to see her as she said he did? No. I knew nothing about it. Oh, please, Mr. Dolly. You must understand that this has been very difficult for me. Yes, of course it is. As far as I'm concerned, My. My husband always was a man above question. His friends, his business associates, everybody looked up to him. I looked up to him. And now you and the others asked me to believe that he knew this woman. She said as much. No, she was lying. There must be something else she's hiding. She's saying she knew Byron to hide something else. She didn't know him. She's lying. We'll learn the truth, Mrs. Hayes. Someone told me that Rita Cobb was blackmailing her husband. That's not true. That he was heard saying he couldn't pay her anymore. It's not true. Why should he pay her anything? He didn't know her. All right, Mrs. Hayes. I only wanted to tell you what somebody said. It's not true. All right, Mrs. Hayes. I thought a little more of Roy Corona's lead after I got the widow's reaction. Nobody can deny so vehemently and not be doubted. I wondered how the beautiful blonde in the case would take the bait. Hello, Ms. Car. Hello. I'd like to talk to you. Why? I told you and the police everything I know. That's what Mrs. Hayes told me just a little while ago. I think I'd better come in. No. You have no right to do this. I suppose not. But you have no right to hold back information from the police either. I haven't held anything back. I want to be sure of that. So far the police and I have been working completely blind. Nobody has known anything. Hayes is shot to death right outside your apartment and nobody has the faintest idea why. Do you think I'm enjoying it? Do you think I like seeing my face plastered all over the papers labeled the Mystery Woman? Don't you think I'd like to see this cleared up? Would you like to see it come out? That Hayes was more than a casual acquaintance of yours? I met him once or twice, that's all. Why did you say that? How many other casual acquaintances do you have? I don't understand. What about a man named Donald Smith? How did you find out about him? That's not the point. I refused to have the names of my friends dragged into this. It wouldn't do any good. Wouldn't do anything but hurt them. Arnold Smith is about the same kind of man. Hayes was married past middle age, good sized bank account. Don't drag him into this, please. How about your friend Earl Fisher? Married past middle age, good sized bank account. What did you learn about him? I've learned about two or three more of your men. The police know? Not yet. You gonna tell them? I may have to. I wish you wouldn't. I didn't mention them because I didn't think there was any reason to. None of them had anything to do with Byron. How did you know that? Because none of them knew about him. Because he was such a casual friend? No, I lied about that, but not to hide anything from the police. And why? I don't know. I was afraid to tell about him. I can see why. There are a lot of things that aren't being told about this. But it'll come out if everybody in town has to be dragged into it. Now, think that over, Rita, in case you feel like coming clean. She didn't feel like saying any more to me anyway. It was about 10pm When I left her. And my first stop was a phone booth a half block away from her apartment building. I dialed a number and got what I'd expected, a busy signal. There was nothing definite, but I would have staked my expense account total on the hunch that she was warning somebody to bear me out. The phone was ringing in my hotel room when I got there. Johnny Dollar? This is Earl Fisher. Mr. Dollar? Earl Fisher. Yes. You mentioned my name to Vita a short time ago. Yeah. I had a feeling I should have talked to someone before this. That's right, you should have. I hope you can understand, however, my feelings. I naturally didn't want my name to enter this publicly. Naturally. I have a great deal to consider. The family reputation. Yes, yes, I understand, Mr. Fisher. But I feel that I have to talk to you. Did you tell Rita Cobb that you were going to? Hardly, since you threatened me with dire consequences if I did. All right, Mr. Fisher. Where can we get together? I'd have to know that I could count on your confidence, at least temporarily. I think you can count on that. Could you meet me this evening? Where? Do you know Ricky's Club on Lexington, near 80th? I can find it. Then shall I see you there in 30 minutes? The bartender will point me out to you. I'll be there, Mr. Fisher. Thanks for calling. That was the first real result of the lead given to me by Roy Corona. The second was quick to follow. I would have made another bet that a warning by Rita Cobb had decided somebody else to correct the situation in another way. It happened when I left the lobby and called for a cab. Hey. The shots came from a car double parked. First I saw the pistol come out of the window. Then I dropped and from a prone position I heard the rest. And I remember lying there. I didn't wonder so much about who was shooting at me. Then I wondered how many people in the city of Greater New York wanted to see me and my information out of the way. We will return you to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in just a moment for another great crime hunting drama. Spend a half hour with CBS's Gangbusters. Every Saturday evening on gangbusters. Sheriffs, police chiefs and district attorneys from American cities and towns. Tell the story of their manhunts. Fine cast of top actors join them to reenact these real dramas of crime busting in action. Gangbusters is heard every Saturday evening on most of these same CBS stations. Be listening this Saturday, won't you? Now with our star, Edmund o' Brien, we return you to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Doll. I didn't want to talk to the police right then, but I didn't have a chance not to. A patrolman was on the scene almost before I could get up off the sidewalk. 25 minutes later I was in my room with the sergeant of detectives I'd met earlier in the case. What's going on, Dollar? Who's out after you? I think I was mistaken for somebody else. Now, you know better than that. I've got witnesses that for 10 minutes a car was double parked in front of this hotel. And that time, four or five men came out of that lobby. But the minute you step out, they open fire. That doesn't sound like a mistake, does it? It still could be. Are you holding out anything, $? I don't know who shot at me, if that's what you mean. That's only part of what I mean. I don't want anybody killed working on one of my cases. Now, what have you dug up? If you don't give it to me, I'm going to put you under wraps for your own good. Okay, Mayor. Oh, then you do have something. Well, I didn't of it at first. Was a lead on Rita Cobb. What kind of a lead? On what might really have gone on between her and Hayes. Where'd it come from? I took it to the widow first. She still denied knowing her husband was acquainted with the cobwoman. But she may have realized that by admitting it, she'd be giving herself a motive. That's not new. No, but the possibility of blackmail is. And she could have known about that too. Blackmail? Where'd that come from? I can't tell you, but I think it's worth something. I have a list of names, men who might be on the same spot that Hayes was. Got it written down? Yeah, right here. Where'd you get this, $? Names, addresses and occupations. I'm sorry, I can't tell you that. You're gonna refuse to answer police questions? Just that one. I'm not trying to hog a case, Sergeant Middleton. I'm trying to be hard to get along with. But you've got to understand, you must have given your word to an informer somewhere along the line. All right, we'll let it pass for now. Thanks. And I guess you understand, too, that you're probably holding the names of some potential suicides if you break this publicly right now. What about a potential killer? Do these men know you're onto them? I'm not sure how many. I tossed a couple of names at Rita, generalized the rest. Then one of them phoned me when I was leaving the hotel. I was on my way to meet him. He probably baited you out onto the side. It could be. I couldn't tell where he was phoning from. Maybe right downstairs. Which one was he? This one. Earl Fisher. Married, family, fairly big gun on the stock exchange. Motive enough to make a try on you? No proof that he fired the shots. But I'd pick up Rita Cobb as a material witness or something. Somebody might think of putting her out of the way. If they haven't already. No, not if they know you have their names. I guess you're right. But I'll pick her up anyway. Let me get on the phone. Just try a check on Earl Fisher. I called the bar where Fisher said he'd meet me. The answer I got didn't do much to alibi him for the attempt on my life. The bartender told me that Fisher not only hadn't been there that night, but that he, the bartender, had never heard of him. While Sergeant Middleton went out to pick up Rita Cobb I hopped a cab, went back to the Hayes address to try the widow again. Is it absolutely necessary, Mr. Dollar? I'm so distraught. I'm afraid it is necessary, Mrs. Hayes. A number of things have happened since I left you. Very well. I hope you won't stay long. I'll try not to. Would you like to sit down? Yes, I think we'd better. All right. Come in here. I hope you'll forgive the appearance of the apartment. I haven't had the servant in. Might have been better if you had, rather than staying here alone. I couldn't. I couldn't face her. I don't know how I'll be able to face anybody, ever. We've been not what you call prominent people but certainly quite acceptable then to have Byron killed in that sordid place under these circumstances. What circumstances, Mrs. Hayes? That girl. No one will ever really believe that Byron didn't know her, no matter what the truth is. I think you know what the truth is. But you had reason to deny it. Now. What reason? What are you trying to save? Save? What is there to save now? I can't think of anything except what's left of your pride, Mrs. Hayes. If you'll excuse my saying so, you're a cruel young man. I don't like to be. But sometimes it's worse to be too kind. You've taken advantage of the police and me by holding back the truth for purely selfish reasons. Mr. Dollar. You're less interested in seeing your husband's death cleared up than you are in what your neighbors will think of you when the truth does come out. And it has come out, Mr. Dollar. And you're in danger of having to answer. Impeding the investigation of the death of your own husband. Now, what will your neighbors think of that, Mr. Dollar? What are you saying? What do you mean? Rita Cobb admitted to me that your husband was more than a casual friend. She's lying. Another acceptable husband admitted to me that she was blackmailing him. There are others. So it's only logical to assume that she was blackmailing your husband. That's not true. How do you know? It can't be true. The state will spend a year looking into Mr. Hayes money transactions if they have to. And there's something else. I'm convinced that you knew about it. I was convinced by the way you reacted when I told you earlier tonight. I'm so confused. When I told the police how you acted, their first thought was that possibly you'd killed your husband. Your motive would be that you knew about Rita Cobb. So naturally you wouldn't want to admit it. Don't see that they can't. My own husband, no matter what he did. Police minds go that way when people don't cooperate with them. I was wrong. I thought it didn't make any difference. I thought nothing did. But Byron's death. You knew about Miss Cobb, didn't you? Miss Cobb? Yes, I knew about that. Why didn't you tell us? I don't know. And you knew about the blackmail? Yes. Oh, I know why I didn't tell you. I. I've been trying to spare myself, as you said. But for far worse reasons. I'm responsible for Byron's death. How, Mrs. Hayes? Because I was a righteous wife. It wasn't enough that I found out about her in her blackmail, but I wasn't big enough to forgive him or even think calmly. If I had been, it would have ended and there would have been no reason to consent to blackmail. You learned just recently then? Yes. I made him go to this woman. I made him go and tell her that he was through and that he was going to report her to the police. That's why he was killed. I sent him and I was afraid to admit to my responsibility. He was killed night before last. You must have learned that day a man came here. He said Byron knew that woman. I didn't believe him. But when I faced Byron, then I knew this man. Did he give you his name? No. What did he look like? Was he dark? Not quite as tall as I am. Yes. Please go. I've told you. I've told you. Now I want you to go. I left and took with me one more piece of the puzzle that looked like it was ready to fall into place. The man I described to her was my original informant, Roy Corona. Now, this is serious $. You shouldn't have met with Roy Corona without telling us about it. I don't think your best squad car could have tailed the guy that drove me, Sergeant. After I met him, he moved someplace else. So it probably doesn't make any difference. Then. What do you think his game is? The way I see it, he was in love with Rita Cobb. Two years in prison, he comes out and finds her involved with these men. He did enough listening at doors to satisfy himself that she was blackmailing hates. As far as I can go, he's hoping to frame her for it. Or whether talking. Well, you shouldn't have met him when door's coming up there did you bring me down here for? You're a witness. But looks like you're what's downstairs. Some fast explaining. Rita and Hayes. I told you. For blackmailing Hayes. I found that out. It wasn't blackmail. I borrowed some money from Byron once in a while. That isn't what Roy Corona told Mrs. Hayes. Oh, I should have known. Well, I don't care what he told her. Go through just what happened the other night again. It's the same as before. Byron left. I heard some shots and ran out. Byron was lying there. You ran right out and didn't see anybody? That's right. You're sure you didn't see anybody? If I had, don't you think I'd say so? You didn't see Roy Corona? I wish I had. I don't care what you've got on me. I'm not changing my story. I heard the shots, ran out and Byron was lying there. Have you seen a lawyer? Is there a log in? Sir, are you sure you didn't run out first, then hear the shots and then see him lying there? Are you asking me if I killed him? If you didn't, who did? I heard the shots, ran out and he was lying there. We've figured out a motive for you now. Byron's wife got after him. Made him come down and tell you he was going to turn you in. Didn't he say that? Turn me in for what? Byron and I were good friends. He dropped in. So you prove that's what he said. We've got pretty good proof that you were blackmailing five men at least. I don't think you'll find anybody who'll say that's what it was. Yeah. You had enough dollar I've had enough. I'm going to see her charged with murder tomorrow. You certainly got a. That's the way things stood that night. And until my hotel room phone rang in the morning. Ah, Johnny$, this is Roy Corona. Yeah, what do you want? I read in the morning paper they're charging Rita with murder. That's right. She didn't do it. I did. What are you talking about? What's the matter with you? Nothing's the matter with me. Only she didn't kill him. I did. I shouldn't have, but when I found out she was seeing him and she wouldn't see me, I went crazy. I saw him come out of her apartment and I killed him. I want you to come and get me. Nobody has to come and get you, Roy. Nobody's interested in you. If you want to make a statement, look up Sergeant Middleton and make one. I can't do it that way. Look, I'm where you first met me. Bring the sergeant and come out after me. And do it fast before I change my mind. Hello? Hello. After working half the night, it bothered Sergeant Middleton even more than it did me. But it was something that we thought we should look into. About 45 minutes later, we were knocking on the door of the dingy room next to the poultry shop. Who's that? Dollar that's right, Roy. You came too late. I told you I might change my mind. Well, I have. Oh, come on, Roy, don't be ridiculous. No, I killed him. If there's no chance of working out a life with Rita, you might just. Look, Roy, everything is just okay dollar Let him have it. Roy Corona made a good try as well he might have since he went to Mrs. Hayes and started the whole thing. But his shots went wild and the sergeant's mind did too. When we dragged him out, he was still telling the same story. He didn't stop trying to save her until he heard about the confession made by Rita Cobb after I'd left her. About her motive and about the murder gun that turned up in her apartment. Find enclosed his reaction to that. I'm sorry I started it. I wanted to get her away from these men. Thought I could scare her away from the things she was doing. That's why I went to Hayes wife. I never thought it'd lead to this. And I'd take the rap for Rita if I could. Wanted to get her to come back to me. Now, look. Expense account, item 2, $140. Miscellaneous expenses in New York. Item 3. Same as item 1. Transportation back to Hartford. Expense account total $180.80. Remarks. Earl Fisher, the man suspected of shooting at me, was brought in for questioning because there was no proof he survived that. But I felt sorry for him. I saw his wife. And what lay ahead for him at her hands was obvious. He was a condemned man. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar stars Edmund o' Brien in the title role and is written by Gil Dowd with music by Wilbur Hatch. Edmund o' Brien's latest picture is the Paramount Pictures production the Redhead. And the cowboys featured in tonight's cast were Jim Nusser, Lee Patrick, Gene Bates, Ed Begley and Jack Moyles. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar is produced and directed by Jaime Del Valle. This is Dick Cutting inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmund o' Brien returns as yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Foreign it's faster, it's funnier. It's got new life and a brand new punch. Because Jan Murray has taken over. It's CBS's Saturday Night Musical quiz, Sing it Again. An hour of mirth, melody and money that's heard on most of these same CBS stations. Yes, Jan Murray is your new host. Alan Dale, Judy Lynn, the Riddlers and Ray Block are your music makers. And there is still loads and loads of cash for identifying the new phantom voice. Be sure to hear the new Sing It Again starring Jan Murray tonight on cbs. Stay tuned now for Vaughn Monroe's Caravan, which follows immediately on most of these same stations. This is cbs, where you laugh at Jack Minnie every Sunday night. The Columbia Broadcasting System from Hollywood. It's time now for Edmund O' Brien as Johnny Dollar. Is this Mr. Dollar, the insurance investigator? That's right. My name is Mason, Carl Mason. I'm an adjuster from Sierra All Risk, a West coast company. Yeah, I need some help. I flew east to meet the claim of a beneficiary $40,000 policy. Name is Jackie Cleaver. Now that I'm here, I can't find her. You mean she's missing? I can't find her. I have an address, but it led me up a blind alley. I'VE got the authority to hire you. If you're free, we can talk about it. Good. I had correspondence with her just last week. It's strange she should drop out of sight so suddenly. Edmund o' Brien, in the transcribed adventure of the man with the action packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by Special investigator Johnny Dollar to Sierra All Risk Insurance Company, Fifth and Hill Streets, Los Angeles, California. The following, like it or not, is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Jackie Cleaver matter. Since Count Item 1250. Cab fare from my apartment to the Excelsior Hotel, Hartford, where I was directed to room 216 and Mr. Carl Mason. I'm having drinks sent up. Or is this too early for you, Easterner? Well, it's a little for me, thanks. It's the first time I've been in this part of the country for six years. One thing you can say for it, it doesn't change. Except for the weather. The west changes every day. So I've heard. Still, growing up, I heard a lot of good things about you, Dolly. Well, that's something new. When I ran into this wall looking for this Jackie Cleaver, I called a few of the companies around here. They all suggested you. Probably to keep me out of their hair. What's the background on this thing? I've got it all here. Policies in the name of Schumacher, Howard Schumacher. He was killed in a traffic accident out there. Lots of them, you know. Here, see, her address was listed as 382 Gardner street in Manchester. That's just a few miles east of here. I know the place. What'd you learn there? It's a queer sort of a place. Man running around in trousers and a set of long underwear. I got the idea that he was lying to me. What did he say? That she hadn't lived there in two months. How could that be when I've had correspondence with this Cleaver woman in the past two weeks? Her mail could have been forwarded to someplace else. From the Manchester post office. What was the return address on her letters to you? I didn't notice. I think she would have mentioned any change, but she didn't. This man, Forsland was his name. Said she moved to a place called Middletown, but he didn't have an address. I went over there, but it's too big a place for an untrained man like me. Let me see that. This says she's Schumacher's wife. Ex wife, I believe. Will you take it over for me? Yeah. I'll take a crack at it anyway. Good. You can take these forms with you. This is the one we want signed. And here, here's one of my business cards. I'll jot the phone and room number down for you. Thanks. I'll let you know what I find out. Item 2, $35 car rental and mileage. It was 3 o' clock when I left the Excelsior Hotel. But I figured there was enough left of the afternoon to make the short trip to Manchester and back. Jackie Cleaver's address. There was a big frame house set back from the street at the edge of town. A sign that stuck out from a snow drift called it a convalescent home. Yes? You Mr. Forsman? I am. Well, my name is Dollar. I'm an insurance investigator. Are you the same as that other one? I'd like to talk to you about the same woman. Well, you better come in. Got to close the door one way or t' other. Thanks. Might find it too warm in here. Got to keep it that way for my patients. Now, what's the matter with that Cleaver woman? Nothing that I know of. Man left her $40,000. I'm trying to find her so she can get it. $40,000? Wouldn't take you long to find me, I can tell you that. Are you sure she didn't say anything about where she was going when she left here? She just picked up and packed one morning, saying she'd write, which she never did. She give any reason? Said she need no change. Was she an invalid? Not so as you can notice. Came here for a rest, she said she was well enough to go clean into Halford to a bank when a check came twice a month. Did she have any friends I could look up? Anyone come to see her? Nobody. I'd say she was a lonely woman. Wouldn't talk about herself. She happened to notice where her mail came from. What's nanny except for checks? They came from California. Los Angeles? Uh huh. Well, I won't take up any more of your time, Mr. Forsland. Thanks a lot. Wasn't much good, I can tell you. Oh? What does she look like? I've never seen her. Foughtish, I'd say. Well, turned out for that age. Added a bit of color to her hair, I expect. That was brown. Sharpness, features and knowing eyes. Saw a lot of life in the time. I'd say she was strange. Not cute, I understand. Just strange. I caught the Manchester post office before it closed and a cooperative clerk there gave me her forwarding address. In Middletown. It's about 15 miles south of Hartford. And I drove down there after dinner that same night. It wasn't quite the setting you'd expect for a divorce, a who received checks from California twice a month, and it was in line for $40,000. It was a ratty little hotel on the darker end of town. There was one man in the lobby and one woman behind the desk. Oh, needed. Mr. What? Let me. I understand you have Mrs. Jackie Cleaver staying here. Jackie Cleaver? Are you kidding? No, I'm not kidding. Is she in? She don't stay here anymore. You know where she went? It's hard to tell about Jackie. What do you want with her, honey? An insurance company wants to find her. Somebody left her $40,000 in a policy. Are you kidding? She was married to a man named Schumacher in California. Jackie was married and divorced, but she stayed on as beneficiary. She never said anything about that marriage, but there's plenty of her. That doesn't come out. You sound like you know her pretty well. Not as well as some, I guess. When did she leave here? Oh, two or three weeks ago. Anyway, I can look it up. More important, do you know where she went? No, not exactly. She said something about New Haven. You might try the Bridgeport house. All right, I will imagine her married. That must be why she got those checks from out West. He came here too? Yeah. Alimony. Well, that's Jackie. I hope you find him, mister. Thanks. So do I. Hey. Yeah, I'll walk out with you, all right. And what's this about, Jackie? You must have heard all of it, if you heard any. Are you a friend of hers? Yeah. Yeah. Who is this Schumacher you say she was married to? I don't know. What's all the mystery about her? There's no mystery. She's restless, likes to move around. Beneficiaries get paid off every day. Everything about this thing is normal. But her. Why is she so hard to find? Maybe she don't want to get found by every Tom, Dick and Harry passing through. It's none of my business. I'm being paid to get her signature on a form. Then she gets her money. Are you from the West Coast? No, I'm from Hartford. Well, maybe I could locate it for you. What then? I'll give you my card. You can phone me at my apartment. Dollar, huh? All right, dollar. I'll see what I can do. Mr. Carl Mason, please, is in room 216. Just a moment, please. Yes? His dollar, Mr. Mason. Oh, what luck have you had I'm not sure yet. Just got home from Middletown. I met a man down there who thought he knew where she was. What do you know about her? Nothing at all. Why? Well, it looks to me like she's on the run from something. I thought there was something funny about that place in Manchester. What else have you run into? It's just obvious that she wants to stay out of sight, that's all. Well, we don't care about that. We just want to get our books clear. Yeah, I gotta hang up now. I'll be here if anything comes up. All right. Bye. Mason. This is him, Bert. Get back inside, darling. Well, it didn't take you long to get here, did it? Stay away from the telephone. Sit down over here. What's the automatic for? To show you how serious we are about this. About what? We're talking to somebody named Mason. What's the rest of it? Look, I'm not used to being pushed around in my own apartment. Don't push too hard or I might make you use that gun. Calm down. Is it Carl Mason? What if it was? Where is he? Go find him. I don't want to beat it out of here if I don't have to. Hey, Bert. Never mind. There it is. It's caught by the telephone. Give me that. Get off, you stop it, $. Stop it. All right, come here. I'll give you a chance to try that again, I promise you. Come on, Dollar, get up. Happy, go get a dish towel or something. Stop his head bleeding. I don't owe it to him. Come on, get up. Now, how much trouble are you going to give us? How much do you want? What do you know about all this? Oh, what? I want to know how much Mason told you. About what? About Jackie. Don't play it smart with me. I couldn't if I wanted to. He didn't tell me anything. Did he come alone, Mason? How the devil should I know how he came? Here's your towel, Dollar. You wrecking yourself? I'm sorry about that. Yeah, sure. You got a license in this state, so I'm gonna take a chance on you. What does that mean? I want you to stop looking for Jackie. There's gonna be trouble anyhow. But if you don't stop, there's gonna be more. Let me see that card. Heavy. That was handy, wasn't it? He? Excelsior. And what about Dollar? I don't know. Be tough taking him with us. Way he looks, somebody'd notice him. You want me to go down? I better go, I guess. You stay here with Him. Keep him away from that phone. Yeah. Good luck, Bert. Thanks. Give me 25 minutes and you can get out of here. See you tomorrow. What's it all about, Happy? Well, now, this thing is too big for the both of us, as they say. Now, don't talk. Just pretend you're here alone and your phone is out of order. I thought I knew what to expect at the hotel after the one called Happy had left. And I was able to get down there. But I was only half right. Excuse me. Excuse me. Could I get through, please? Hey, mister, you can't go in there. Here's my it. I was working for Mason. Oh, on the house detector. Come on. Where is he? In the bathroom. I closed the door. He'd evidently been blasted into the bathroom by the shock of a heavy caliber gun that had taken him in the middle of the abdomen, in the chest. But it wasn't Carl Mason. It was the gunman who'd come to kill him. The one called Bert. We will return you to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar in just a moment. You can sing it again for an hour tonight on most of these same CBS stations. And while you're enjoying this merry, tuneful hour with Jan Murray and the gang, maybe you'll get a phone call and a chance to solve the phantom voice mystery. The cash jackpot is the highest it's been in weeks. Be listening for. Sing it again this evening on cbs. And now with our star, Edmund o' Brien, we return you to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Except for one unfortunate coincidence. I probably would have been able to drop the whole matter right there, and I would have gladly. But it turned out that the lieutenant assigned the case was an acquaintance of mine. He had once informed me that a friend of his was on the state board, from which I got my license, and he had never let me forget it. Now, John, you tell me this fellow Mace hired you? Name is Mason Schiller. Carl Mason. Oh. Oh, I jotted it down with a dull pencil. It's hard to read. Mason. He hired you to get the signature of this Cleaver woman. Who is she? I wish I knew. I wasn't able to find her. Well, who did this Mason say she was? It's pretty obvious. He fed me a pack of lies. Looks like he hired me to put the finger on her. Why would he do that? I don't know, Shiller. If I'd known, I wouldn't be here now. You ought to be more careful who you hire out to, John. Now, let's See, you say that a second man named Happy held you in your apartment at gunpoint while the other one, the deceased, became this hotel room. Is that true? Of course it's true. If you were any kind of a policeman, things like that wouldn't happen to honest taxpayers. You haven't been in trouble in Hartford for quite a while, have you, John? Not this kind. I'm surprised you didn't try to notify the police prior to the shooting. I did. Look at my head. And now you're asking me to risk infection just so you can write a lot of illegible nonsense in that notebook of yours. Let's start over. In a better mood. Force has always cooperated with you. At least I have. You ought to be more thankful. All right, Shella, but please put away the pencil. Let me tell you what I know. Mason evidently came from the west coast to find the Cleaver woman. Why the West Coast? Well, he had forms and a business card from a Western insurance company. She had been receiving mail from California. The guy called Happy mentioned the West Coast. Now, how would that add up? Florida. Go ahead. He's your man, Chiller. And he's going to be halfway back to the west coast unless you remember your training. Get some men to cover the airlines and railroads and get some roadblocks. Yeah, I. I was planning to. You want anything more from me? You can't just drop this thing, John. How would that look in my report? What do you want me to do, Chiller? Find that woman. No use my wasting men when you've already started on it. Expense account. Item 3. $10 to the hotel doctor who stitched and bandaged my head. Item four. $.30. Night ladder to a Coast west detective agency asking for a rundown on both Carl Mason and Jackie Cleaver. Then at about 11, I started back for the hotel in Middletown. Oh, must have dropped off. Oh, it's you again. Yeah. Where is everybody? Who? The guy was in the lobby the last time I was here. Place is all yours. Hasn't been a soul in since you left, I don't think. Does he live here? I'm not so sure I know just which one you mean. I think you do. They call him Happy, which he isn't going to be when I find him. I don't think I know him. What's the matter, honey? Enough to make it smart for you to level with me, honey. The police aren't far behind me. What do you want? I want Happy. Does he live here? No, he just hangs around once in a while. Got a girlfriend lives here? Yeah. Where is she? She's not home. She's sick in the hospital. Which one? The county hospital. What's her name? Nadine Williams. What's the matter with Happy? He and another guy named Burt something teamed up to get rid of somebody, but it backfired. Burt was killed. Oh. What is there about Jackie Cleaver that could cause this trouble? I don't know anything about it. If you're holding things back from me, I can have the police drag you in. I don't know what it's all about with Jackie, but I can tell you a few places where you might find Happy. What's his real name? Snell Chandler. He was going to meet Bert tonight. Do you know where? A couple of places. One's the Wigwam. That's a roadhouse on the highway south of here. The other's Further Tower in New London. All right, I'll check him. If he happens to come in here again, tell him what happened. And tell him he can do himself some good by talking to me before the police get to him. I don't think he'll come back here, not with trouble like this. He probably doesn't know about it yet. Hadn't thought of that. All right. If I see him, I'll tell him what you said. I don't have the brand you ordered, but I got some others. It's all right. Just any kind of doc run. This okay? Sure. Get a big call for Ron when it's as cold as this right there. That's fine. Say, this Happy Chandler been in tonight? Happy who? Not the famous one. Oh, I thought you were pulling my leg. No. Nobody with that name comes in here. We get a pretty steady set of customers here. Oh, Once in a while somebody driving by drops in. Maybe you got your signals mixed. That could be the only reason. Another wigwam around here. That I know of. Somebody told me he comes in here. Not that I know of. How about another one? No, thanks. What do I owe you? 50 cents. Thanks. Thank you. Sorry you got mixed up, darling. Over here. It's a lot warmer inside, isn't it, Happy? No, I just got here. Look. May at the hotel give you a bum stairs, see? Don't be too rough on her. She has to play along with us or she couldn't stay in business. Yeah. Here. That's all I care about. She phoned and told me what happened. So I came over here to talk it over with Burt. Didn't meet me, so I guess it's straight about him. Huh? You'll read about it. Did Mason get away? Temporarily, but I don't think he'll get out of the area. Police have it covered. I wish him luck. You told me I could do myself some good if I talked to you before the police pick me up. That's the way I see it. You're in a bad spot. But if you play ball with me, I'll do the same for you. Keep. Keep coming. I didn't know who you were when you and Bertkin spoke. For a killing that's a wrap. I might save you. The police don't have your name yet or your description or the name of the hotel in Middletown. What do you want? The Cleaver woman. She's the middle of this mess. She's clean. She didn't do anything. She must have to bring Mason all the way from the west coast after her. Burke died trying to stop him. She must have done something to rate all that action. I mean, as far as tonight goes, she's out of the picture. She doesn't even know what happened. What would you do with her? The police want to talk to her. If she's clean as you say, she shouldn't mind that. I don't think she would. You. What's the matter? Don't you believe me? She wouldn't. She's got no reason to be afraid of the police. Well, it's holding us up then. Well, it's too late tonight. Look, I gotta make a couple of calls. You'll be in your apartment tomorrow morning. I'll phone you about 10. Okay. Happy? I'd call myself stupid, except you showed up here tonight and you didn't have to. You'll hear from me. I'll call at 10. The first thing I got the next morning was the information I'd wired for Carl Mason was a disbarred lawyer who had linked himself with a syndicate that until recently had controlled the wire service Etc of four Western states. The machine had been destroyed by the Supreme Court testimony of a state's witness. The rundown on Jackie Cleaver filled out the rest. She had been the witness. Johnny$mason. Who? Carl Mason. Oh, wow. I want to give myself up dollar but I want you to take me in. Why? I've read the papers as morning since you were held by these gunmen. You'll be important to my plea. What plea is that? I can build the tightest case on self defense Connecticut has ever seen and you know it. You know that man was on his way to kill me. Yeah, but you were Wrong about my motives for coming here. I didn't intend to do Ms. Cleaver any harm. I think you've made a good choice. It'd be tough to prove what your motives were. I want your statement as part of the formal arrest. Where can I meet you and when? Be better for me. Later in the day, maybe. Right. Afternoon. You all right where you are? Yes, I think so. Good thing you didn't try to leave town. They got everything covered. I thought they would have. All right, Dollar. I'll wait where I am and call back at 12:30. I'll be here. Goodbye. Hello? Hey, your phone's been busy. Oh, is this Happy? Yeah. I'm sorry. Somebody had a job for me. What's happening with you? Jackie's with me. What's the name of the cop in charge of her killing? Lieutenant Schiller. Schiller. Schiller. Is he a precinct man or from downtown? Downtown. You have him in his office at 11. Jackie will meet you there. I'll meet her at the desk out front. All right, I'll have her there. And he did. I recognize her from the dispute as she walked through the door. Dark, nicely featured and wearing conservative clothes. She held out a gloved hand when I told her who I was. Well, Mr. Dollar, I didn't have any idea I was causing everyone so much trouble. Well, you are hard to locate. I've had to be. Where's the lieutenant? This way. Lieutenant Schiller, this is Ms. Jackie Cleveland. Well, sit down, Ms. Cleaver. Thanks, lieutenant. It's a pleasure to meet you. Well, we've had ourselves a little trouble, haven't we? I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Lieutenant. Oh, I don't blame you entirely. From what Dollar tells me, you're to be commended for testifying for the state out there. I didn't know the secret was out, Mr. Dollar. Part of the agreement was to keep it. I wired for some information on you. What did you find out? Only that your testimony put the syndicate out of business. When you hear the rest, I know you won't pay. Talk about it outside this office. They've been very nice to me in payment for what I did for them. They understood, of course, that it wasn't saved for me out there. So they saw that I got here and have been sending a small amount of money twice a month. That's not quite the accepted thing, is it? My money is sent to a lawyer in Los Angeles who sends it on to me. Well, I suppose they have their reasons, Dolly. That's none of our business. I take it the syndicate learned where you were. You can't hide from those. I don't know how they found me, but they did a few months ago. I've had to stay on the move ever since. I suppose not knowing that, you must have thought I was an arch criminal myself. I was curious. My friends here have done everything they could to help me. Poor Bert. I don't think he went to kill this Mason. Why not? Well, I think he went to frighten him away. News about Mason. Oh. Oh, we will haul him in. Don't you worry about that. He's ready to give himself up. It told Dollar this morning. Oh, I hope you get him. Maybe that'll put an end to it. Do you need me anymore, lieutenant? I don't think so. Do you, Dollar? I guess not. Well, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. Well, now that we understand it. It's Perfectly all right, Mr. Dollar. Thanks for coming in. I'm glad I finally. The second surrender, that of Mason, should have finished the whole thing, but it didn't. I waited for his call at my apartment. When it came, I met him for instruction in a drugstore a few blocks away. I made one mistake. I answered the only question he asked me. Have you found Jackie Cleveland? Yeah. I talked with her, and I'll tell you what she said. The court thinks she's a brave, courageous woman. Arrangements have been made so that she gets prepared. Paid for her service to it. That's right. Well, I'll put the lie to that. What's the matter with it? Well, she testified, all right. She knocked our syndicate out so the one she was mixed up with could move in. What do you think of that? Is it true? Of course it's true. That prosecutor thought he was using her, but she was using him. The situation the way it is, she could purge herself again to some federal investigators and make it look as though there was collusion between the state and the syndicate that moved in. Not true. But she could cause some heads to fall. Glad I live in Connecticut. Don't be stuffy. Ready to go? You're right. I'm ready. I don't care what the charges against me are as long as I can get the truth about that character on record. That car's outside. Down this way. Don't forget you heard those men say they were going to kill me. I want the arresting. Wait. Yeah, that's the other one. Happy? What do you want? Get out of the way, Tyler. I've lived up to my part of the bargain. Come on, let's play it out the right way. Get out of the way. Wait a minute. You happy? Get out of here. No. As I said, it should have ended when Mason gave himself up. But it didn't. Snell Happy Chandler was apprehended, but the search was on again for Jackie Cleveland. I wish them luck. They can have the job. Expense Account Item 5 $45.75 Miscellaneous Expense Account Total $280 remarks Since Mason actually had nothing to do with the Sierra All Risk Insurance Company, I hardly expect you to honor this account. But you should. It should be worth that to learn what goes on behind your back. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. 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