Let George Do It and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

Summary

Case Closed! (Old Time Radio) - Episode: "Let George Do It and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar"
Host: RelicRadio.com
Release Date: October 30, 2024

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I. Let George Do It: The Ghost on Bliss Terrace

Introduction to the Mystery

The episode begins with George Valentine receiving a compelling assignment from Mrs. Angela McCauley. She is determined to dispel the rumors of a haunted house on Bliss Terrace—the now-empty Mitchell house—believing it's merely a focal point for ghost stories stemming from an unsolved murder.

• George Valentine [00:00]:
  “Danger is my stock and trade. If you're crowded into a corner and you can't fight your way out alone, you've got a job for me, George Valentine.”
  [00:00]

• Mrs. Angela McCauley [00:57]:
  “There’s no such thing as a haunted house... We just want you to prove that all those stories about the Mitchell house are full.”
  [00:57]

Unveiling the Haunted Happenings

George delves into the mystery, uncovering accounts from neighbors like Fred Horton and Tommy Koenig, who reported seeing ghostly apparitions and hearing unexplainable music emanating from the Mitchell house.

• George Valentine [02:30]:
  “We’ve been through that house with a fine-tooth comb. We've watched it from the outside. Nobody could have got in or out without us seeing them.”
  [02:30]

• Fred Horton [05:28]:
  “Like I’ve been saying, a face in the window around dawn one morning. A thin face like it was almost all bone.”
  [05:28]

Confronting the Supernatural

Determined to debunk the hauntings, George and Mrs. McCauley spend the night in the Mitchell house. Their investigation turns tense as unexplained noises and movements suggest they are not alone.

• Mrs. Angela McCauley [10:15]:
  “I kept getting the feeling that I was in a honeymoon cottage that hadn’t been changed in 40 years.”
  [10:15]

The Revelation

The true nature of the haunting is unveiled when Paul Huff, an ex-gangster, is discovered hidden within the house. Driven by jealousy and a desperate need to remain hidden, Paul reveals that he murdered Sam Mitchell in a fit of envy after being seen by him.

• Paul Huff [25:12]:
  “Suddenly I felt nothing but hatred and envy. And I grabbed the stove poker.”
  [25:12]

• Mrs. Angela McCauley [22:45]:
  “Oh, it’s horrible, Paul. How could it be, Paul?”
  [22:45]

Conclusion

With Paul's confession, George Valentine successfully closes the case, debunking the myths surrounding the Mitchell house and bringing peace back to the Bliss Terrace neighborhood.

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II. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Village of Virtue Matter

The Assignment

Transitioning to the second story, Johnny Dollar, a savvy freelance insurance investigator, is approached by Ben Orloff from Continental Insurance Company. Orloff tasks Johnny with investigating a string of thefts in the seemingly tranquil town of Virtue, South Carolina.

• Ben Orloff [31:59]:
  “Glad to see you. Sit down.”
  [31:59]

• Johnny Dollar [34:11]:
  “Now, look, why don't we go up there so I can see for myself?”
  [34:11]

Meeting Lieutenant Riley

Johnny teams up with Lieutenant Riley, a former gangster who turned to the insurance business after the crackdown on organized crime. Riley provides insight into the current troubles plaguing Virtue, hinting at deeper corruption beneath the town’s peaceful facade.

• Lieutenant Riley [32:07]:
  “What are you doing in the insurance business?”
  [32:07]

• Riley [33:18]:
  “Some of the boys from New York and Chicago went around, did pretty good. Could have blown all that dough on booze and dames and big times.”
  [33:18]

Investigating the Caraway Plantation

Their investigation leads them to the Caraway Plantation, owned by Mayor Parley Carraway, who also serves as the town's police chief. The plantation, a historic estate, becomes the focal point of their inquiry as they uncover a web of insurance fraud and orchestrated thefts.

• Lieutenant Riley [35:04]:
  “Bull Magoon had himself a nice little fishing boat handed ever since he went straight and moved in up there 20 years ago. Now, somebody stole it.”
  [35:04]

Confrontation and Unveiling the Fraud

As tensions rise, Johnny and Riley confront the plantation's ex-gangster operators who have been staging thefts to file fraudulent insurance claims. Their scheme aims to destabilize the community, allowing them to seize control of the plantation and its lucrative assets.

• George Valentine [46:38]:
  “Why, Mr. Caraway, why would these men suddenly want to make trouble with their friends, your townspeople?”
  [46:38]

• Mayor Carraway [47:32]:
  “Why haven't you called in the state police? Because I am the mayor of Virtue. I'm the police department and I can take care of these things myself.”
  [47:32]

Resolution

Through strategic negotiation and exposing the deceitful practices of Carraway and his associates, Johnny Dollar ensures that the fraud is uncovered, and Virtue is saved from impending civil unrest. The plantation's control is restored to its rightful owners, and Virtue returns to its peaceful state.

• Johnny Dollar [42:16]:
  “And listen, those pals of yours, you better drop in on them now and then to make sure they do stay on the straight and narrow as well as that old coot Caraway.”
  [42:16]

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Notable Quotes

• George Valentine [00:00]:
  “Danger is my stock and trade. If you're crowded into a corner and you can't fight your way out alone, you've got a job for me, George Valentine.”
  [00:00]

• Mrs. Angela McCauley [00:57]:
  “There’s no such thing as a haunted house... We just want you to prove that all those stories about the Mitchell house are full.”
  [00:57]

• Lieutenant Riley [32:07]:
  “What are you doing in the insurance business?”
  [32:07]

• Johnny Dollar [34:11]:
  “Now, look, why don't we go up there so I can see for myself?”
  [34:11]

• Paul Huff [25:12]:
  “Suddenly I felt nothing but hatred and envy. And I grabbed the stove poker.”
  [25:12]

---

Conclusion

This episode of Case Closed! masterfully intertwines two gripping narratives from the golden age of radio crime dramas. George Valentine brings resolution to a haunting mystery, debunking ghostly myths and uncovering a human perpetrator driven by personal vendetta. Simultaneously, Johnny Dollar navigates the murky waters of insurance fraud and organized crime, showcasing his astute investigative skills to restore peace to the town of Virtue.

Listeners are treated to a seamless blend of suspense, character development, and insightful resolutions, making this episode a quintessential homage to the classic era of old-time radio crime storytelling.

Transcript

[George Valentine]

This is Case Closed, your weekly hour of old time Radio Crime. Every Wednesday@ RelicRadio.com we're going to hear first from Let George do it and his story from August 16, 1948 titled the Ghost on Bliss Terrace. After that it's yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the Village of Virtue matter. That story aired April 27, 1958. Standard of California, on behalf of Independent Chevron Gas Stat Standard stations throughout the west, invites you to Let George Do It. The Ghost on Bliss Terrace. Another adventure of George Valentine. Personal notice. Danger is my stock and trade. If you're crowded into a corner and you can't fight your way out alone, you've got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Dear Mr. Valentine, there's no such thing as a haunted house. You know that and I know it. Still, a great many people in our neighborhood are convinced that a certain empty house on this terrace is occupied by a ghost. I've persuaded a group of my feiner neighbors to join me in raising a fee so we can prove one. Prove once and for all that it's all so much poppycock. You can find me at home any morning. It's signed Mrs. Angela McCauley.

[George Valentine]

A haunted house, no less.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, I know how we can earn that fee in a hurry.

[George Valentine]

All right, angel, I'll play straight man. How?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Just put out a for rent sign. Whatever ghosts happen to be around will be trampled to death.

[George Valentine]

Brooksy, you take this too lightly. This isn't just one person's fancy for whim. This is a community project headed by a solid citizen named Angela McCauley. We can't turn our backs on a civic enterprise like this.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, all right, but what's standard equipment for a job like this? Hand tailored bed sheets? Old props from an Abbott and Costello picture?

[George Valentine]

No, angel, just pride in our work and a normal amount of curiosity.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

And as I've said, Mr. Valentine, although we're ordinary middle class families, we take great pride in our neighborhood.

[George Valentine]

Yes, you've told us that, Mrs. McCullough.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

I can't imagine the effect all this talk about the Mitchell house has had. What do you mean? Oh, it just stands there empty. Nobody will rent it, nobody will buy it. An eyesore for the whole neighborhood.

[George Valentine]

Well, outside of saying boo to the ghosts, what do you expect me to do?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

It's entirely up to you, Mr. Valentine. We just want you to prove that all those stories about the Mitchell house are full. Well, just what are these stories, Mrs. McCauley? Well, there was the milkman, Fred Horton. He swears that when he was delivering milk one morning, he saw a curtain swing back and a face suddenly appear in the window.

[George Valentine]

I see.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, is that all that happened? Tommy Koenig left Martha Koenig's old eyes. He says he saw a face in the window, too.

[George Valentine]

Well, anyway, that's two people that saw.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

I certainly wouldn't take Fred Horton's word for anything. And Tommy, that boy can dream up anything with his imagination.

[George Valentine]

You know, I doubt very much if a group of substantial people like yourself would have asked me in at all. Just because a milkman made a few wayward remarks and the little boy seconded the motion. Are you sure you're not leaving anything out, Mrs. McCauley?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Not a thing. As I told all the others, this never would have happened if Sam Mitchell hadn't been murdered. Murder?

[George Valentine]

This might be the thing you left out. Did you say Sam Mitchell was murdered?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Yes, that's right. About a month ago. It was never solved.

[George Valentine]

Why didn't you say that at the beginning?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

What a way to tell a story. An unsolved murder is an afterthought. Just because Sam Mitchell was hit over the head by some passing cramp, it doesn't mean the whole neighborhood should be given a bad name.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, I know, and I see.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Young man, do you or don't you want to accept this assignment?

[George Valentine]

Oh, yes, Mrs. McCall. Yes, I'd like to take it on. Good. I don't know why. Maybe as Ms. Brooks said, it's just the fascinating way you tell a story with murder as an afterthought. Okay, Valentine.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Okay.

[George Valentine]

I don't see why this Mitchell case has to be a private nightmare.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, nightmare.

[George Valentine]

Well, what would you call it, Ms. Brooks? Sam Mitchell, railroad engineer, devoted husband, coming up for pension after 40 years of faithful servant, hasn't got an enemy in the world. Suddenly we find him beaten to death in the home he worked and paid for. Yeah, we found out that much, Lieutenant. There wasn't anything stolen. Everybody loved the guy. We can't find the murder weapon. How about Mrs. Mitchell, Lieutenant? Oh, well, she was visiting her sister when her husband was murdered. He was hit over the head repeatedly with a blunt instrument by someone who apparently couldn't do the job right the first time. Simon Riley, huh? Yeah. I told you. My only job is to prove that the house on Bliss Terrace isn't hard. I know, I know.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Ghosts.

[George Valentine]

Yeah. That day Mrs. McCauley's been in my hair, too.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, what about it, Lieutenant?

[George Valentine]

We've been through that house with a fine tooth comb. We've watched it from the outside. Nobody could have got in or out without us seeing them. Oh, you know how people are when they start talking. Yeah. Ghost of all the cockeyed jobs you've ever taken on. Valentine, this is the lieutenant.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Take it easy.

[George Valentine]

Suppose I look for ghosts and you try to find the murderer. I understand you deliver milk in the neighborhood of bliss. Terrorism, Mr. Horton. That's right, mister. Well, now, just exactly what did you see? Well, like I've been saying, a face in the window around dawn one morning. A man or a woman? Oh, couldn't tell. It was a. A thin face like it was almost all bone. Long stringy hair. You seen it? For a minute. Look, you believe me, don't you? Oh, sure, sure, sure. Go on. Well, not only that. One morning I heard music coming out of the Mitchell house. What's that? Yeah, a guitar, banjo or something. It went something like this. You believe me, don't you? Oh, yeah, every word. I was just marveling at the way you carry a tune. Thanks for the information, friend.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Sure. I seen somebody in the Mitchell house and I'm gonna prove it too.

[George Valentine]

Okay, Tommy, take it easy.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, tell us about it, dear. What kind of person was it? Well, lady, it was getting dark. I put my face up to the window on the porch. And gosh, all of a sudden there was another face looking right at me. I bet that must have thrown a scare into you, Tommy. Me?

[George Valentine]

Scared?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Not me, lady. I just kept looking right back at him. I'd say it was me who scared the daylights out of him.

[George Valentine]

So it was a man, huh, Collie?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

I don't know for sure. He had long hair like a lady, but. Well, anyway, it was real, like Mr. Wharton said. Just wait till I prove it too.

[George Valentine]

Well, that's a job we both got, son. Only it looks as though you've got a head start on me. I know it can't be easy for you to talk about this, Mrs. Mitchell.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But I don't mind at all. Really, I don't. Oh, that's very nice. Tell me, dear, do you like this perfume? It's lilac. It's lovely. Do you think I have too much on? I've always used lilac since I was a girl, as Sam used to say. Made me seem even smaller, more fragile than I am.

[George Valentine]

Ah, yes. Now, about the house, Mrs. Mitry. You were saying after Sam was.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, after he passed away, I tried to go back, but I couldn't stay there. You see, there's someone there. I felt it. Footsteps in the night. And once I say music. Yes, how did you ever guess, Mr. Valentine?

[George Valentine]

Oh, I'm psyching on my mother's side.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

That's nice. It was an old, old song. It reminded me of the days before Sam and I were married and moved into that house on Bliss Terrace. You know, I was quite a bell, Mr. Valentine.

[George Valentine]

Yes, well, that's easy to imagine.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But if the mandolin club every Sunday, canoe rides. Oh, those were happy days. I could have married someone more romantic than Sam. Like Paul Howe.

[George Valentine]

Look, Mrs. Mitchell, I understand you were away at the time of your husband's death.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Yes, I was staying here as my sister. I'm afraid that Sam and I had a little tick.

[George Valentine]

Oh, about what? If you'd care to tell me.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Sam was getting his pension in a few days. He wanted to live quietly on Bliss Terrace, but I wanted to use the money to see all of the wonderful places. I've only read about poor Sam. Now I suppose I have to do that alone.

[George Valentine]

Yeah. Mrs. Mitchell, I wonder if you'd let me have the key to your haunted house. I'd like to take a look around.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You know, George, we could sit here in the car and watch that house all night and still not see anything happen.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, you're so right, angel. I don't even know what I expect.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

To see happen, darling. Well, when we went through the house before, I. I did get sort of a funny feel.

[George Valentine]

Not you, too, Brooksie. That's Mrs. Mitchell's private routine.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, I kept getting the feeling that I was in a honeymoon cottage that hadn't been changed in 40 years.

[George Valentine]

How do you like that? A honeymoon cottage. Bliss Terrace and a murder. What a combination.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, George, maybe I'm imagining things, but isn't the curtain in that window on the porch moving?

[George Valentine]

Yeah. Come on, Brooksie. That's our cue. Brooksie. Somebody was moving the curtain in this room. There are no windows open. It couldn't have moved itself.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Nobody seems to be here.

[George Valentine]

Now, we're gonna keep right on looking. Come on. We'll start with the dining room.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Okay. The light should be here on the wall somewhere. No, you don't. Stay where you are, George. Okay, you asked for it.

[George Valentine]

What the. Oh, all right, Tommy, you can put away your machine gun now, huh?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, it's only you guys. Say, how did you get in here, anyway? Oh, one of the windows in the back.

[George Valentine]

You would find the one I haven't overlooked.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, I had to prove I wasn't lying when I said I saw somebody in here.

[George Valentine]

Now, look, fella, I told you. We're both trying to prove the Same thing. How about giving me a break? Well, I know you're better at this sort of thing than I am, but it happens to be my living, my job. So how about going home?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Yes, your mother's probably wondering where in the world you are. Come on. She knows I can take care of myself.

[George Valentine]

Hey. I'll be in the kitchen, Brooksie. What a deal. Mrs. McCauley, why didn't you stay out of my life? You and your Citizens Committee for the prevention of Ghosts.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

George.

[George Valentine]

George.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, that Tommy Carrick is. Well, he's a carrot. Well, don't you believe in life? Oh, George.

[George Valentine]

Oh, don't be. Just a childhood habit sprawling out on the kitchen floor.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

What happened?

[George Valentine]

You frightened off a remarkably agile ghost. I got tapped before I could even turn on the light.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But it. It can't be.

[George Valentine]

Well, this bump is no maple eater.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But where did this. This thing go? Couldn't get out. There's no place to hide. Tommy was playing around in here and we were watching the house from the outside.

[George Valentine]

Somebody tried to give me the same kind of scalp massage Mitchell got.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, what goes on here?

[George Valentine]

Roxy, we're not leaving this Victorian love bower until we find out. We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment. Meanwhile, a word about waste. No motorist would deliberately drive with a choke out. It would be like throwing gasoline away. But some folks let the air cleaner under the hood get so dirt clogged that it can waste just as much gas as a pulled out choke. Even worse, a dirty air cleaner means that some road grit and dust is mixing with the gasoline. And that can raise Cain with finely polished engine parts. So take a summer driving, have the air cleaner on your own car serviced. It's an inexpensive job that you can have done quickly at an independent Chevron gas station or a standard station. While you're there, let them help keep your engine cooler by cleaning out the radiator. That's another simple, speedy service which repays its cost many times over by maintaining proper engine temperature. Better all around operation. Ask for radiator and air cleaner service tomorrow at any standard station or independent Chevron gas station, where they say and mean, we'll take better care of your car. Now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. Well, a committee of interested neighbors hires you to prove that a certain house isn't haunted. Oh, yes. You discover almost accidentally that there's been a murder committed in said house. A brutal, unsolved murder at that. Finally, you have to be knocked unconscious before you're Convinced you're dealing with anything but a ghost. So just like George Valentine, you change your tactics. Well, let's face it. Somebody was right here in the kitchen with me, and he didn't have a chance to leave the house.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, we keep going over the same thing.

[George Valentine]

All right, angel, all right, let's be very simple. Why should anybody want to jump me like that?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, I'd say whoever it was didn't want you to find him in the kitchen.

[George Valentine]

Ah, now you're being very nice and simple.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Thanks.

[George Valentine]

Since I took him by surprise, he wouldn't be carrying a shillelagh around in his hand. He probably reached out for something that he knew would be there. Something nice and handy. Something like. Hey, what could be handy?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

What are you doing, George?

[George Valentine]

This poker hanging on this old fashioned coal stove.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Yeah, could be.

[George Valentine]

Yeah. And Brooksie, it's got blood on it. Yeah, Riley. This is Samuels down the lab, Lieutenant. And about that stove poker. Well, let's have it. We checked and talked to the medical examiner. That was the weapon used on Mitchell. All right. We're working on the fingerprints now. Well, good. Well, that does it, Lieutenant. Whoever killed Mitchell was there in the house with us tonight.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Now, wait, don't go jumping at conclusion.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, you don't think it's just a coincidence that of all the things in the house, he used that stove poker on George?

[George Valentine]

He knew just where it was. He used it before. Well, okay, okay, I'm gonna buy that. And what's more, I'm going back to that house with you. I don't know what else we can find there. That. That's what has me stumped. Well, if I have to, I'm gonna tear that place apart with my bare hands.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Sure, Giant, sure. We turned all the lights off when we left.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, so I. But there's a. A light in the parlor. All right, come on, come on. What in the name of heavens is that? Sure, Porton the milkman. He hummed it to me. He swears he heard somebody playing it on a banjo or something when they passed the house one morning. Well, let's go inside and find out what this is all about.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, goodness. What must you think of me sitting here singing to myself last day?

[George Valentine]

I thought you were staying at your sister's place. Mrs. Mitchell, why did you come back here tonight?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, let me see. Oh, yes. These two nice young people and I were talking about the old times just this afternoon. Yeah, yeah, the songs we used to sing. And that naturally reminded me of the mandolin. You can understand that, Lieutenant.

[George Valentine]

Oh, yes, sure, I. What mandolin, Mrs. Mitchell?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

The mandolin, of course.

[George Valentine]

Oh, look, Valentine, I don't give up easily, but this is getting out of hand. Here, wait a minute, will you hold a. Lieutenant, I'm very interested in that mandolin. Messages. It's your.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Are you, young man? Paul Harp gave it to me when I married Sam. Paul Harp? He was one of your beaux, wasn't he? He was so handsome and he adored me. No one could play the mandoline like Paul.

[George Valentine]

I'm sure of that.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

He was the leader of our club. I've always felt that Paul gave me that mandolin so I'd never forget him or the dream we had together.

[George Valentine]

I don't know why, but let's get back to that mandolin.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Now. That's just it, Lieutenant. It's gone. It's the only thing in the whole house that's missing. If it was a tramp who killed Sam, why would he just steal a mandolin?

[George Valentine]

Oh, you'd be surprised how many questions I can't answer. Mrs. Mitchell. Come in the next room, Valentine. I want a three coffee. Come on.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You can understand, Miss. I've got this.

[George Valentine]

Valentine, a weird thought just occurred to me. You mean that Mrs. Mitchell might be our ghost and murderer? Well, she had a choir with her husband. The milkman says he heard something that sounded like a mandolin, and the old girl plays one. Ordinarily, if you wanted to kill somebody with a stove perker, just a couple of smacks on the head would have done it. Lieutenant, Mrs. Mitchell is small and fragile. Yeah, yeah, and it took a lot of blows on Mitchell's head to make her a widow. Now, I've kicked that around too, Lieutenant. But if I don't come up with anything better than that, I'm gonna buy me a mandolin and play on street corners. Well, I'm gonna get Doc Powell down here. Police psychiatrist.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Yeah, yeah.

[George Valentine]

Maybe he can get her to make some sense. I know I can't.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, I enjoy Talking to you, Dr. Fair.

[George Valentine]

You don't mind the others being here?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, no, no, not at all.

[George Valentine]

All right, then, we'll go on. Years ago, when this house was built, you meant it to be a sort of, well, dream castle.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

That's exactly right, Doctor. It's strange how you should know, but.

[George Valentine]

In back of your mind, you didn't mean it to be for you and Mr. Mitchell.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Oh, but you're wrong, doctor. Sam and I lived here for 40 years.

[George Valentine]

What I mean is that you were thinking of someone else all the time, whether you were willing to admit it to yourself or not. What about that Mrs. Mitchell.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You leave me alone. Get away from me.

[George Valentine]

Ah, wait a minute. Don't get excited.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You guessed my secret.

[George Valentine]

Take it easy, miss.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

There's nothing to be afraid of. I never let Sam know how I felt. I tried to make you happy, believe me. Oh yes, we do believe you.

[George Valentine]

Just a minute. In here, Riley. All right. What do you make of it, girl? Well, Valenton, I wouldn't say she's crazy. Well, okay, Doc, what would you say? You've heard of people who stop growing physically, others mentally? Yeah, well, some stop growing emotionally. She's one of them. Ah, don't go technical on me. I mean, for some 40 years that woman has tried to remain a romantic young woman, holding on fiercely to a love she had to turn her back on. It's as simple and complicated as that. And one day she couldn't stand it any longer and bumped her husband off. Huh. The answer to that, Lieutenant, is your job. I don't think you need me anymore. Good night. Good night. Well, it's all wrong, Riley. What's all wrong? It finally came to me. A matter of arithmetic. Play around with it all you want. Five never equals six. Ah, listen, haven't I had to unravel enough double talk here tonight? Mrs. Mitchell is not even five feet tall and I'm over six. She couldn't hit me over the head with that stove poker. But it couldn't be anybody else. Unless he's hiding behind a molding somewhere. And if he is, we'll find him. What do you say we really take your advice and start tearing this house apart?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But George, we've been through this closet before.

[George Valentine]

All right, so we'll look at it again.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

What are you looking for? Gentlemen, I might be able to help.

[George Valentine]

Please, Mrs. Mitchell. Wait a minute, wait a minute. That patch up there in the ceiling.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Huh, that's funny. I never noticed that before.

[George Valentine]

What, that little square. Well, even if it was an opening, it wouldn't lead anywhere. Uh huh.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

It couldn't be more than a few feet between the ceiling and the roof.

[George Valentine]

Here, wait a minute. Let me have that umbrella. Ah, that does open. Well, if somebody could squeeze in and out of that hole. How, how, how could he stay up there?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, why don't you give me a booth, Maybe I can take a look.

[George Valentine]

Hey, how about that? Lieutenant? Do we borrow your flashlight? All right.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Here.

[George Valentine]

Okay, up you go, Brooksy. Well, what do you see?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Let me get the flashlight on, will you?

[George Valentine]

Yeah. Brooksie. Oh God.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Hold me down quick.

[George Valentine]

I got you, angel. What is it? What is it?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

There's a man crouched up there. Oh, it's horrible, Paul. How could it be poor?

[George Valentine]

Say, Valentine, I remember, Lieutenant, you're in a hospital, not down at headquarters. Oh, oh, yeah, sure.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

And the nurse is likely to throw you out.

[George Valentine]

Well, I'm sorry, but. Look, Valentine. Look, you and I are on this case together, aren't we? Well. Well, I just got a confession from this Paul Huff character. He admits he killed Mitchell.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Well, that's that, then.

[George Valentine]

Just a minute, Miss Brooks. He must talk some more, but he keeps freezing up on me. Valentine, see what you can get out of them, will you? Huh? Well, okay, Lieutenant. Mr. Valentine, it's so important someone know. I didn't plan it. I didn't mean it to happen. You sure you want to go on? Oh, yes. Yes. I never made anything out of my life. I never knew just what I wanted. Except a few times I'd come back here to town and pass that house on Bliss Terrace. And then I knew what I always wanted. I never could have.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You mean you've been coming back here all these years?

[George Valentine]

Oh, they never saw me. But this one time, I knew I was getting old, sick. I went into the house when they were out. Yeah? I wanted to see what life was like for them. Living it so calmly, so peacefully. And suddenly I heard someone come in. I didn't know what to do. I ran into the closet. And here was that opening in the ceiling. Somehow I climbed up there. And that's where I've been staying.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

But how long?

[George Valentine]

Oh, weeks. I don't know. It's hard to say. I don't think I could have stood it if I didn't hear her moving about. But Sam Mitchell was your friend once. You could have talked to him. I thought of that, too. But one night when she was away, he walked in and he saw me in the kitchen. Yes. And I was scavenging for food just like a tramp. He didn't even know who I was.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Don't try to sit up, Mr. Hut.

[George Valentine]

Suddenly I felt nothing but hatred and envy. And I grabbed the stole poker. When I had no place to go, I went on living up. When you found me in the kitchen last night, you felt I was the intruder and you belonged in that house. To think that she kept my management for 40 years. That's a long time, isn't it, young lady?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Y. Yes, a very long time.

[George Valentine]

Yeah. I guess that's all I wanted to tell you. Sorry. Beloved. Beginning to feel very tired. I'll see that the Lieutenant gets your story straight. Thank you. Yeah. And I'll tell Mrs. McCauley there'll be no more ghosts on Bliss Terrace. That finely polished and precision built engine that gives your car all its go can't be neglected. In fact, it needs more attention when you're asleep than when you're driving. And the reason for that is internal engine rust, which goes to work when condensed moisture begins to settle over parts. Nearly any ordinary oil can fight off rust when your car is running and there's full circulation of the lubricant. But RPM motor oil is compounded to protect the engine when it's running hot and when it's standing cold. Unlike ordinary oils, RPM doesn't run away from its job when you cut the motor. A special adhering compound in RPM keeps a tough oil film on all engine parts. Protect the interior of your engine from rust. And that's another reason why Western motorists choose RPM motor oil two to one over any other motor oil. Get RPM at any Standard station or independent Chevron gas station where they say and mean we'll take better care of your car. Next week when you tune our way for another Adventure of George Valentine. You'll hear Lieutenant Riley saying, Valentine, when you tell me there was a girl sitting in this chair when you came in and that she had committed suicide, natural curiosity makes me ask, where is the body? I don't know, Lieutenant, but she was there. If you ask me, my friend, somebody's taking you for a ride. And if you ask me, my friend, I'll keep saying it's Marsha Palmer who's been taken for a ride. And, Lieutenant, I intend to find out where and why. Tonight's Adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and Standard stations throughout the West. Let George do it stars Robert Bailey as George with Francis Robinson as Claire. Wally Mayer appears as Lieutenant Riley. Tonight's story was written by David Victor and Herbert Little, Jr. And directed by Don Clark. Also heard in the cast were Sarah Selby as Mrs. McCauley, Virginia Greg as Mrs. Mitchell, Stanley Farrar as Dr. Farrell, Howard McNear as Paul Huff and Alan Reed, Jr. As Tommy Koenig. The music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter. Your announcer, John Hen. Listen again next week, same time, same station, to Let George Do It. This is the Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System from Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny dollar, Ben Orloff, Mr. Dollar at Continental Insurance Company in New York. Oh, yes, Mr. Orloff. What can I do for you? Did you ever hear of a Place called Virtue. Are you kidding? I'm very serious. Wait a minute. Virtue, South Carolina? That's right. You want me to go down there? Yes, if you will. Do you have a bulletproof vest and a couple of extra handguns I can take along? My one suggestion would be that you do not take along any firearms. After all, ex gangster. Yeah, I see what you mean. All right, what do you want me to do? Our representative has his office in Georgetown. He can give you the whole story. His name is Joseph Picatello. Got it. Joseph Pig. Smokey Picatello. The guy whose name was linked with Murder Incorporated a few years back? Yes. $ chose Smokey Pigatello. You sure you want this assignment? Well, I'll tell you this, Mr. Orloff. Yes? If you don't have to pay off on my insurance policy before I'm through. Well, mister, this is going to cost you a whopping big expense account. Bob Bailey in the Exciting Adventures of the man with the Action Packed Expense Account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dullard. Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar. To the Continental Insurance Company, Georgetown, South Carolina office. Following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the Village of Virtue. Matter Expense Account, Item 1 47. Even transportation and all the incidentals I could Think of. Hartford, Connecticut, to Georgetown, South Carolina. Item 2. A dollar for a cab to Continental's office on Screven Street. Hi, Dollar.

[Lieutenant Riley]

I'm Joe Picatella. Glad to see you. Sit down.

[George Valentine]

Thanks. Now, look, Joe, before we go into this matter, there's something I'd like to know.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Sure, pal. Ask it.

[George Valentine]

Just what are you doing in the insurance business?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Look, you remember back in New York. Just before Tom Dewey took over as DA The Great Holy Racket Buster?

[George Valentine]

Yeah, and I'm sure you do okay.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, I was just a young punk then. But I was a bright one. Ambitious, you know. Finished up my high school, started taking law.

[George Valentine]

You studied law?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Why not? I could have cleaned up. You know, Mouthpiece with some of the mob. Some of the boys I knocked around with. But then Dewey came along, broke up the rackets, so I gave it up.

[George Valentine]

To do what, Joe?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Oh, you know, this and that. Chicago for a while with some of the boys Al Capone left behind. And down near the border at San Diego for a while.

[George Valentine]

Smuggling narcotics across from Mexico.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Then some of us tried Las Vegas, but we didn't get any. What was that crack? Well, listen, I'm clean. You make a crack like that, you can prove it. Okay. If you can't, don't say it.

[George Valentine]

You were telling me how you got into the insurance business.

[Lieutenant Riley]

All right, where I'm taking you on this case. Don't talk like that. The gents I deal with don't like it. And don't forget, whatever you think about them, you could also be wrong.

[George Valentine]

Okay, Joe.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Two kinds are wrong, Darla. Just plain wrong and dead wrong. You see what I mean? All right. As I was saying, how I got in this insurance racket.

[George Valentine]

As you were saying?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, some of the boys from New York and Chicago went around, did pretty good. Could have blown all that dough on booze and dames and big times. They were smart. They leased an old plantation up in the valley north of here on the Pee Dee River. The old Caraway Plantation. It's right next to the town of Virtue.

[George Valentine]

Great name for a hideout, I'll say that.

[Lieutenant Riley]

I didn't say hideout. $. It was just a nice quiet place where they could live it up in a nice, quiet way. And at the same time, they wouldn't have any cops around their neck.

[George Valentine]

No police in Virtue.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Nobody but old Polly Caraway. Anyhow, after six, eight months of taking it easy. Mint juleps and hunting and fishing instead of being on the lam all the time. Well, Johnny, you wouldn't believe it.

[George Valentine]

What do you mean?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, they all settled down there to spend the rest of their life. They all went respectable, every last one of them.

[George Valentine]

You sure of that?

[Lieutenant Riley]

It's been 20 years now. Can you be any more sure than that?

[George Valentine]

I don't know, but go on with what you were saying.

[Lieutenant Riley]

All right, I got an idea. I signed up with this little insurance company. Then I went up to Vitu and made the pitch. They're all respectable now. And they got to make like respectable people. And cover themselves with a lot of insurance.

[George Valentine]

And it worked.

[Lieutenant Riley]

You remember Lefty Stumper, the old time.

[George Valentine]

Numbers king for Chicago, right?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Bookies, slot machines, everything.

[George Valentine]

Old pal of mine.

[Lieutenant Riley]

So when he told the rest he was buying insurance. Well, Johnny, I got policies on every one of them. The rest of the town, too. On their life, their homes, everything.

[George Valentine]

Okay, now let's get to the point. What's happened up there in Virtue?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Trouble, Johnny, Old man Caraway for me.

[George Valentine]

What kind of trouble?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Twenty years now, the boys and the people in Virtue have been getting along fine. The boys have been behaving themselves. And the people in town are all nice people. Until a couple of weeks ago.

[George Valentine]

What happened?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Bully Magoon had himself a nice little fishing boat handed ever since he went straight and moved in up there 20 years ago. Now, somebody stole it.

[George Valentine]

Well, why don't you just pay off his claim and forget it?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Listen, a couple of days after that, Mr. Avery that runs the general store in Virtue had his boat stolen.

[George Valentine]

So you'll have to pay another claim, but small ones.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Joe, will you listen? Ever since then, not a day has gone by that somebody hasn't had something stolen from him. Mostly the people in Virtue. Boats, cars, money, furniture, anything you can think of. The people blame the boys, and the boys blame the people. And, Johnny, there's gonna be a civil war in Virtue unless somebody finds out who's doing this. And if that happens, there's gonna be a lot of killing. And, well, with all the insurance I sold, me and the company are gonna be in trouble.

[George Valentine]

Well, can't you get the state police to come in? State police invite you, you said. It's a real respectable community now.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Yeah, sure it is. But. Well, dragging him in might really start things off. That's why I had a sense for you.

[George Valentine]

Look, why don't we go up there so I can see for myself?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Sure, Johnny, sure. But, hey, open your coat.

[George Valentine]

What?

[Lieutenant Riley]

I mean, if you're gonna take along that lemon squeezer, take my advice and. Don't.

[George Valentine]

You have a pretty sharp eye, Joe.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Johnny boy. I can spot a shoulder holster a mile away. But so can some of the boys up in the valley on the plantation. And I don't want you to end up with a slug between your eyes.

[George Valentine]

Real respectable people.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, shall we go? My car's outside.

[George Valentine]

Into the valley of Death rode the 600. At least a couple of them.

[Lieutenant Riley]

What are you talking about?

[George Valentine]

Nothing. Joe. Let's go. Act Two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. In a moment, our flag now numbers 50 stars and behind each star there stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states. Florida state flag bears the Red Cross of St. Andrew in sympathy with the flag of the Confederacy. On a field of white, centered over the cross is the state seal. Within a golden circle, the sun, an emblem of glory and splendor representing absolute authority, peers over a Highland. In the distance, flowers, a symbol of hope and joy are scattered by an Indian maiden indicative of the Indian influence within the state. Centered is the coco, or palm tree, an emblem of victory, justice and royal honor. Florida state flag. The flag of the 27th state to enter the union was adopted in 1900. And now Act 2 of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the village of Virtue matter. Joe Picatello, erstwhile gangster turned insurance agent, led me out to his car and we headed north out of Georgetown, South Carolina. After 20 miles or so we swung onto a side road paralleling the and finally we came to the old Caraway plantation. Acres and acres of huge old live oak trees festooned with Spanish moss flowers, millions of them. Sages, iris, roses, rhododendron bushes aflame with color in the afternoon sun. Then at the end of a broad tree lined path, the fine old colonial mansion with its towering pillars. The property faced the curving lazy yellow river A Lying across it was a broad expanse of marshy grass crisscrossed here and there by canals through which the slaves in olden times hauled the rice crop to the riverboats. Yeah, it was a beautiful spot. A calm, quiet, peaceful spot, apparently.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, here we are, Johnny. Let's go in and see if anybody pumps.

[George Valentine]

Hey, hey, hold it.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Hold it, you punk.

[George Valentine]

It's me smoking, Smokey.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Who else? Put those guns away. You want to get in trouble?

[George Valentine]

Don't you guys know no better to come barging in this way without letting us know you're coming.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Come on, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

Sure. Nice peaceful spot, huh? Who's that you got with you, Smokey?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Boys, this is Johnny Dollar. He's from the insurance company. Johnny, this is Bull Magoon.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, hi.

[Lieutenant Riley]

And this is Lefty Stemper.

[George Valentine]

Hiya, Johnny Dollar, huh?

[Lieutenant Riley]

And the shrimp there is Slippy Lakovich.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Hiya, Jeff.

[George Valentine]

Johnny. I'm pleased to meet you. Catch away, Flippy. What did you bring here, Smokey, a dick or something? Yeah, $. What's the idea of packing a ride?

[Lieutenant Riley]

All right, all right, let him go, you guys. Oh, yeah, yeah. Look, he's on our side. He's up here to find the stuff that's been stolen.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, we don't need no outside help. Oh, you've found who's behind the thefts, Alepty? No. If it's any of your business, it's my business. You're interrupting me. Yeah, Dolly, shut up. I say we'll find out who's coming over here if we invite you and taking our stuff ourselves. And when we do, we'll eliminate them. Right back to the old days, huh? If we got to, to protect our rights. How about letting me have my gun? Well, here, Flippy, he wants his gun.

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

You make a move the dollar, and.

[Lieutenant Riley]

I'll flip you so fast.

[George Valentine]

Oh, you mean like this?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Hey, hey, hey.

[George Valentine]

It's Flippy. Got flipped.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Attaboy, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

That is so Rip. Finally got it. Hey, Johnny. Dolly, you're okay. Anybody else want to get smarter? He cut me off of the guard expert, Flippy. Well, you ain't anymore. Lefty I'll take my gun. Oh, sure. Yeah, yeah. You're okay, Johnny. All right, now, let's get things straight. I'm not the cops, but I'll drag him in if necessary. Oh, no, listen, you listen. I'm going to try to stop what's going on around here. And if any one of you interferes, I'll have you locked up so fast you won't know what's happened to you. Wait a minute. Now, listen to me, will you? $? Well, look, I guess we're all kind of shaky, you know, We're. Well, we're sort of somewhat upset by the events of the past couple of weeks or two, you know what I mean? Lefty, Joe told me that if the burglaries, robberies, whatever they are, go on much longer, there's liable to be a war between you and the people of the town. We ain't worried none. We got enough guns and ammo stashed the way around and. Shut up. Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, Lefty, I'm sure you have. But if you ever expect to make peace again with the townspeople, if you expect to stay on here, we got at least 15 years to go. Shut up. Okay. All right. Look, all we got here is our hunting rifles and with shotguns and a couple of pistols in case of a snake, you know, while we're hunting or fishing here in the swamps. A lot of cotton mouse around here, you know.

[Lieutenant Riley]

That's a fact, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

The point is, I didn't come here without providing for any and every exigency. What's that mean, boy? What a dope. It means if anything happens to him, we're dead. Now, ain't that. Excuse me. Isn't that right, Dollar? Right. You see? Now give me a hand. Cooperate with me and maybe we can clear this thing up. Don't. And I have only one alternative. What's that mean?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Shut up.

[George Valentine]

And that's to have you legally ousted from here. Out of the state, if necessary. Oh, now, look, doll, we'll cooperate. Now, I don't mind telling you, we love this place. Look, it's the only real home. We got Flippy and Sadie. We got Bull and Mary and me and Nora. Maybe. Maybe we got Wreck. It's all right. Some of us maybe did time for some of the little jobs we pulled, huh? But we've been playing it straight since we come here, all along the line.

[Lieutenant Riley]

It's like I told you, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, honest. Look, that's the way we want to keep it. If the people are virtual, just leave us. Keep it that way. And you know something? I don't get it. Don't get what, Lefty? Well, over 20 years everything's been nice and okay, huh? Now they gotta start this. What about the losses they've suffered? They ask me dollar their phonies to cover up for Robinhour stuff. Nobody asked you. Maybe they think the same way about your losses, huh?

[Mrs. Angela McCauley]

Who?

[George Valentine]

Yeah. Now, where's the owner of this place, Caraway? Oh, yeah, he's over invite you at his office. Office? Sure. He's a mayor and a police. All right. Joe and I are going over to.

[Lieutenant Riley]

See him now, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

Smokey, will you please don't go. They see you guys coming from here, they're gonna take a shot at you. Doc Caraway told me so. Yeah, sure, we'll take that chance. Come on, Joe.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Well, I'll tell you, Johnny.

[George Valentine]

Tell me along the way. Come on. The more I thought about the whole thing, the sillier it all seemed. Yet it was obvious that even after 20 years, lefty and Bull and Flippy might think of only one way to settle their problems. With a gun. And if the people of virtue were feeling the same way. What? As Joe and I walked along the main, the only street of the little town, there were no signs of hostility or even suspicion toward us.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Now look, Johnny, if those bums back at the plantation are making this trouble.

[George Valentine]

Why, why would they, Joe?

[Lieutenant Riley]

What's what I don't get. But what if they don't like your interfering decide to knock you off?

[George Valentine]

Then I'll probably go to my grave unmourned, unremembered.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Yeah, but you told Lefty you'd provide it for every exigent for. Well, for if anything should happen to you.

[George Valentine]

Yeah, and he and the boys believed it.

[Lieutenant Riley]

And if anything does the.

[George Valentine]

Huh? Yeah. All I can hope is that they keep on believing. Act three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar in a moment. Sometimes a quotation is a helpful thing because it points out some wisdom that helps us to lead better lives. Here's one that struck me as being very wise and true. Dr. Samuel Johnson, that wise and witty man immortalized by Boswell, said, quote, it matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. A man's life may be long or short, but the way he lives it is the important thing. It's important no matter what he does, they have integrity, loyalty and honor and a sound code of conduct. Enlisting at the age of 17 with his parents permission, Corporal Charles L. Gilliland found himself soon after his 18th birthday in a narrow defile in the middle of the treacherous, rocky terrain of Tongman ni, Korea. At 2:30am that moonlit morning of April 25, 1951, Corporal Gilliland's army unit, Company I, 7th Infantry Regimental Combat Team of the 3rd Division, became the focal point of a murderous assault from Chinese Communist forces. The fighting became brutal and bloody. The brunt of the attack was directed up the defile, guarded by Gilliland with his automatic rifle. The slashing barrage of small arms, automatic weapons, mortar and artillery fire was dropping the men all around him. Gillilan faced the full force of the assault and advancing against tremendous odds, poured a steady fire into the attacking forces and eventually halted him. For valiant and heroic conduct, Corporal Charles Gilliland was awarded the Medal of Honor. Although in age, he still may have been considered a boy, he had lived and died like a man. And now, act three of yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and the Village of Virtue Matters. Joe Picatello and I walked the main street of Virtue, South Carolina, unmolested, virtually unnoticed. And we found the mayor, Parley Carraway, and the little shack that served for an office. I'm also the police chief, Mr. Dollar. Don't you forget that, sir. And you found no clue as to who has been committing the robberies? No, sir, none whatsoever. But who else would do it? They're all three of them. Ex gangsters?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Sure. Ex gangsters.

[George Valentine]

Why, Mr. Carraway, why would these men suddenly want to make trouble with their friends, your townspeople? I don't know. I honestly don't know. Unless, of course, they think they can take over the way they used to take over gangs in the old days. After 20 years of a happy relationship.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Mr. Carraway, they never made a bit of trouble in all that kind.

[George Valentine]

I know it, I know it. But the fact remains that unless this trouble stops. After all, Virtue was here long before they came. Unless it stops, I say, I shall have to break their lease and make them leave the plantation. Oh, they pay you pretty well for it, huh? Enough to keep it in good repair. That's a beautiful ring you're wearing. Oh. Oh, yes. Two and a half carat Diamond Ship. Yeah. And is that your nice new car out front? Yeah, it certainly is. Ain't it pretty? About $8,000 pretty.

[Lieutenant Riley]

Didn't you have a new one last year, too, Mr. Caraway?

[George Valentine]

Of course, I try to have one every year. But now, tell me one thing, Mr. Caraway. Yes, sir. If you really think the robberies around here are gonna cause so much trouble. Oh, I do, I do. That's why I contacted Mr. Picatello. Why haven't you called in the state police? Because I am the mayor of Virtue. I'm the police department and I can take care of these things myself. And now that you gentlemen have witnessed the bad blood between these gangsters and the people of the town, well sir, I'm going to throw them off that plantation. In spite of all the money they've been paying you? Yes, sir, and I'm sure you gentlemen will back me up in all the money did you say? Enough to keep you well dressed, well fed and fancy cars. Now look here, sir. You realize how much that property will bring? Well, that depends. How much have you been offered? I'll tell you how much. 124,000. How did you know? You just told me. Well now listen. You also told me why you've been robbing the people of Virtue and those men at the plantation. To stir a bad feeling. Give you an excuse to get them out. What?

[Lieutenant Riley]

Johnny, you're right.

[George Valentine]

Now just, just throw away. If I do call in the state police, it'll be to have you locked up. No. And if Joe here has any sense he'll tell the insurance company to bring charges of fraud against you.

[Lieutenant Riley]

You said it.

[George Valentine]

Oh, but the money. Think of all the make sell in the old place. Now where's the stuff that's been stolen? It hasn't been harmed. It's stored away carefully. Stored away? I was going to give it back when. When those men left and I could sell the place. Give them their stuff too. Well, I'd make up for it in cash. Every cent of it. In cash? Yes, I. I'd say it was for breaking the leaks. Truly, Mr. Dollar. Now you listen you old money grubbing crook. You're in trouble. You. You call in the state police. You bet I will. Unless. Unless what, sir? First you lay off the plantation. You've leased it to those men. Let them have it and return all the stuff you stole. Oh, but if they find out you figured how to get it away from them. Now figure out how to get it back. Discover it, anything you like. The point is that if you don't get it back, I'll tell them where it is. And you know what that'll mean. Oh yes, Mr. Dallahan. I'll get it back. Also respect that lease. I believe it has 50 more years to run. Yes sir, it has. I will. Okay, do all this and Joe and I will forget the whole thing. But if you don't. And Joe will be checking on you.

[Lieutenant Riley]

You said it.

[George Valentine]

Oh but I will, I will. Mr. Dollar, I promise you I'll get. Come on, Joe. Let's go back to the plantation and have a drink with some respectable citizens. Yeah, this insurance business really has some funny ones. And I guess it's the funny ones that balance out the bad, the tragic cases. Anyhow, I like it. Expensive total, including the trip back to Hartford. Call it a hundred bucks even. And in view of our little secret, Joe, well, maybe you'd better pay it out of petty cash. And listen, those pals of yours, you better drop in on them now and then to make sure they do stay on the straight and narrow as well as that old coot caraway. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Our star will return in just a moment. Our flag now numbers 50 stars, and behind each star there stands yet another flag representing one of the 50 states. Michigan state flag was born on February 22, 1837, because of the strategic role played by Michigan in the War of 1812. The word to a boar I will defend is prominent on the blue flag of Michigan. Beneath it, a rising sun casts its rays over a lake and a man standing on a peninsula with his right hand raised, symbolizing peace, while in his left hand he holds a gun indicating that although they love peace, the people of Michigan are ready to defend their state and nation. Another motto, the state's official one, is at the base of the flag. See Querus Peninsulam Aemonam circumspi. If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you. Thus does Michigan's flag carry its own invitation to visit one of America's scenic areas. Michigan State flag. The flag of the 26th state to enter the union was adopted on August 1, 1911. Now here's our star to tell you about next week's story. Next week, a strange series of fires. And believe me, the reason for him is a strange one too. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey, originates in Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone, who also wrote today's story. Heard in our cast were Frank Nelson, Billy Halep, Jack Crucian, Peter Leeds, Gil Stratton and Will Wright. Be sure to join us next week, same time and station, for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Dan Coverley speaking. This is the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service. That's case closed for this week. There's more from Let George do it. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. This podcast and all of the other relic radio shows are relicradio.com you can also find the Relic Radio Network on Spotify. Just search for Relic Radio Network or click on the Spotify link in the show notes. And as always, you'll find our shoutcast stream at the website with even more old time radio lots to listen to, all for free. Thanks to your support. If you'd like to help out, visit donate. Relicradio.com or click on one of the links on the website. Your support makes it all happen. Thanks to those who have helped out. Thanks for joining me this week. Be back again next Wednesday with another hour of Case Closed.