Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Nick Shurn Matter Omnibus (EP4580s)

Summary

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio: "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Nick Schern Matter Omnibus" (EP4580s)

Introduction In this compelling omnibus episode of "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar," special investigator Johnny Dollar delves into the intricate and perilous case known as the Nick Schern Matter. Set against the backdrop of the holiday season, Johnny navigates a web of deceit, danger, and determination to uncover the truth behind a murder that threatens to unravel lives.

Setup: A Festive Masquerade with Darkness Beneath The story commences with a seemingly idyllic Christmas atmosphere in New York City. Johnny Dollar, portrayed by Bob Bailey, is introduced as a seasoned freelance insurance investigator with a knack for uncovering the truth. The festive jingles and cheerful scenes quickly juxtapose the underlying tension of Johnny’s latest assignment.

Key Plot Points and Investigative Journey

1. The Murder and the Policy

   • [07:00] Johnny Dollar: "We're holding a hundred thousand dollar policy on him."
     Johnny learns that Mel Priker, his partner in a string of supper clubs, has been murdered. Nick Schern, Mel's partner and the beneficiary of his insurance policy, becomes the prime suspect.

2. Encounter with Lt. Ed Rafferty

   • [08:21] Ed Rafferty: "Nick figured if half was good, all the take would be twice as good."
     Johnny meets Lt. Rafferty, who reveals the murky business dealings between Mel and Nick. The police find Mel shot twice with his own gun, but lack definitive evidence linking Nick to the murder.

3. The Missing Witness: Kathleen O'Dare

   • [09:30] Ed Rafferty: "Miss Kathleen O'Dare. All country back three generations. County Kildare."
     The only witness, Kathleen O'Dare, a hat check girl at one of their clubs, has disappeared. Johnny is tasked with finding her before Nick’s associates can silence her.

4. Confrontations and Obstacles

   • [16:00] Johnny Dollar: "What do you care who killed him?"
     Johnny faces opposition from Nick Schern himself, who confronts him directly, revealing the high stakes of the investigation. Benny Stark, Nick’s loyal trigger man, further complicates Johnny’s quest.

5. The Blizzard and Pursuit

   • [52:25] Johnny Dollar: "Stop."
     Amidst a fierce blizzard in Branbury, Michigan, Johnny’s pursuit of the assailants leads him into a life-threatening encounter with Benny Stark. The harsh weather conditions heighten the suspense and peril of Johnny’s mission.

6. Resolution and Testimony

   • [63:07] Johnny Dollar: "I'll help you, Kathy. All the way."
     In a heartwarming turn, Kathleen O'Dare musters the courage to testify against Nick Schern. Her bravery not only ensures justice but also brings personal redemption and closure to Johnny’s relentless pursuit.

Character Dynamics and Development Johnny Dollar is portrayed as a dedicated and relentless investigator, willing to face extreme dangers to uncover the truth. His interactions with other characters, such as Lt. Rafferty, Ed Rafferty, and Mike O'Dare, highlight his resourcefulness and unwavering commitment. The character development is further enriched through Johnny’s introspective moments, revealing his internal conflict between his demanding career and personal desires.

Themes and Insights

1. Courage in the Face of Fear

   • The narrative underscores the theme of courage, especially embodied by Kathleen O'Dare, who overcomes her fear to stand up against injustice.
   • [61:25] Johnny Dollar: "It's not the fear that's important. It's the courage you bring up to fight it."

2. The Duality of Festive Cheer and Hidden Dangers

   • The contrasting scenes of Christmas celebrations with the dark undertones of murder and danger emphasize the coexistence of good and evil.
   • [37:44] Johnny Dollar: "Some things just don't make sense, Johnny."

3. Isolation and Community Support

   • Branbury’s tight-knit community contrasts with the anonymity of New York, highlighting the importance of communal support in overcoming personal and external challenges.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Johnny Dollar: "You know something, Johnny. I don't play that way anymore." ([14:22])
• Benny Stark: "He really planned for it." ([10:49])
• Kathleen O'Dare: "I was there at the club that night when it happened." ([62:31])
• Johnny Dollar: "You might, if the rumor happened to be one of your special favorites." ([22:12])

Conclusion The "Nick Schern Matter" omnibus episode masterfully blends suspense, character depth, and thematic richness, making it a standout in the "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar" series. Johnny’s unwavering dedication, combined with Kathleen’s newfound courage, delivers a powerful narrative that resonates with the timeless struggle between good and evil.

Listener Feedback and Commentary Host Adam Graham provides insightful post-episode commentary, praising Bob Bailey’s exceptional performance and the authentic portrayal of Branbury, Michigan. Listener emails highlight the story’s impact and its nostalgic resonance with fans of old-time radio dramas, further affirming the episode’s enduring appeal.

Final Thoughts "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Nick Schern Matter Omnibus" exemplifies the golden age of radio detective fiction, offering a riveting story filled with intrigue, emotional depth, and moral complexity. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the series, this episode promises an engaging and memorable listening experience.

Transcript

[Johnny Dollar]

Lights are going up.

[Don]

Snow is falling down.

[Johnny Dollar]

There's a feeling of goodwill around town. It could only mean one thing.

[Don]

McRib is here. People throwing parties.

[Johnny Dollar]

Ugly sweaters everywhere. Stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only mean one thing.

[Don]

McRib is here at participate at McDonald's.

[Kathy O'Dare]

For a limited time.

[Mike O'Dare]

This is for people who grocery shop without a list. The Vibe shoppers. The ones who let shiny packaging and supermarket soundtracks lead the way. A sale on jumbo jars of olives. Why not too? Oh look, pineapple. Maybe with that gouda you just grabbed. Looks like tropical charcuterie. Tonight, whether you shop on Vibes or wear out that notes app, Numerica has money answers designed for you and only you. Learn [e-mail] betterly insured by NCUA.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment we're going to bring you a Yours truly Johnny Dollar Serial omnibus. But I do want to encourage you if you enjoy the podcast, to follow us using your favorite podcast software, the serial we'll bring you today. And since it's Christmas time, in a way this isn't a surprise is the Nick Schern Matter. Now, of course, longtime listeners might know that I already did an omnibus of the Nick Schern Matter was recorded back in 2014. Why am I doing it again? There are two reasons. First, I feel in the past 10 years I've grown as a host and now that I'm a full time podcaster I feel like I can put a little bit more time into composing and thinking out my commentaries. And the second reason is that I absolutely love this story. I've said it before and I'll say it again and you'll hear it when you get to the commentary. This is one of my all time favorite stories and I really want to express how well I like it and why I like it. And I feel that I did that back in 2023 when we did the serialized version. I was really proud at what I wrote and what I was able to say, and I want that attached to the omnibus. So we'll be providing that commentary for those who are going to listen to the whole omnibus with just a couple minor tweaks. In addition to that, in order to make this extra special, we are doing something different with comments and feedback. Typically, at the end of one of our stories you'll hear listener comments that have been sent in about previous episodes. However, for this episode you'll hear comments that listeners shared in response to the next Churn matter, which isn't something we've done before. I hope it makes for a really good listening experience. Now. All of that said here from December 19th through the 23rd, 1956, is the nick Schurn matter as humans, we're naturally.

[Narrator]

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[Kathy O'Dare]

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[Narrator]

As humans, we're naturally driven by the search for better. But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search Match with Indeed. When I was looking to hire someone, it was so slow and overwhelming I wish I had used Indeed. If you need to hire, you need Indeed. Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed Data, and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast. Ditch the busywork. Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster. And Indeed doesn't just help you hire faster. 93% of employers agree Indeed delivers the highest quality matches compared to other job sites, according to a recent Indeed survey. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com podcast. That's Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

[Don]

From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Deler.

[Johnny Dollar]

John Wilkins, Johnny Prime Mutual Limited.

[Don]

Oh, hi, Don. Thanks for the Christmas present.

[Johnny Dollar]

Well, just don't take out the cork near an open flame.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Johnny Dollar]

Say, you know anything about a guy named Mel Priker?

[Don]

Nothing good about him. Why?

[Johnny Dollar]

Got himself killed last night. Murdered.

[Don]

Pryker was born to be murdered.

[Johnny Dollar]

Maybe so, but not at our expense. We're holding a hundred thousand dollar policy on him.

[Don]

Wow. Who's the beneficiary?

[Johnny Dollar]

His partner, Nick Shern.

[Don]

Nick Shern. You picked a fine pair of rats.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah, I know that. Now, the New York police are holding Shern, but they've got no evidence. Go down there and check it out first. Johnny, if Nick did the killing, we're off the hook.

[Don]

Any witnesses?

[Johnny Dollar]

One, apparently. The head checker in that nightclub of theirs.

[Don]

What's her story?

[Johnny Dollar]

I wish I knew. She's disappeared. We gotta find her, Johnny, before some of Nick's hoodlums find her.

[Don]

Don, maybe they already have. Tonight and every weekday night, Bob Bailey in the transcribed adventures of the man with the Action packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by Special investigator Johnny Dollar to the home office, Tri Mutual Insurance Limited, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is the count of expenditures during my investigation of the Nick schern matter. Item 1:2280, Transportation to New York, tips and incidentals. And taxi fare to the office of Lieutenant Ed Rafferty, Homicide Division, the man in charge of the case.

[Ed Rafferty]

Oh, hi, Johnny. How've you been?

[Don]

Not bad, Ed. How's the homicide business?

[Ed Rafferty]

Terrible. You look at that teletype. Shoplifting. Five complaints right in a row the week before Christmas. That's all we get. Shoplifters.

[Don]

Mel Pranker wasn't shoplifting.

[Ed Rafferty]

Oh, you working on it, Johnny?

[Don]

Yeah, the insurance angle. Nick shearns, the beneficiary, 100 grand policy.

[Ed Rafferty]

Well, you got a tough one, boy. Shern killed him, all right, but I don't think we're going to be able to stick him. Come on in the office. Hey, you know what that kid of mine wants for Christmas?

[Don]

Marilyn Monroe.

[Ed Rafferty]

Oh, next year, Johnny. He's only 10, you know. Go ahead.

[Don]

Okay, thanks.

[Ed Rafferty]

No, he. He wants a motorbike. Can you tie that? 10 years old and he says he needs a motorbike. Have a chance.

[Don]

Okay. Well, look, I know a factory representative here will make you a good deal on one.

[Ed Rafferty]

Oh, now, forget it, Johnny. No, I was 14 before I even had a pair of roller skates. And then I had to Buy them myself. Kids are spoiled today. That's the half of what's wrong with them. Ah, there's a file on the case. What little we've got.

[Don]

Okay. Uh huh. Yeah. How'd it happen?

[Ed Rafferty]

You mean, how do I think it happened?

[Don]

That's good enough for me.

[Ed Rafferty]

Mel Priker and Nick Shern were both in the rackets for years, as you probably know.

[Don]

Yeah, I've heard rumors.

[Ed Rafferty]

Well, a while back they teamed up and opened a string of supper clubs. That's where Priker got it. Their main club, the Trescollette.

[Don]

Strictly legitimate, huh?

[Ed Rafferty]

More or less. I guess they could afford to be. The dough they were making and arguing over. According to the word around, that's the.

[Don]

Reason for the killing, the way you see it. Sure.

[Ed Rafferty]

Nick figured if half was good, all the take would be twice as good.

[Don]

And the insurance on top of it. You're a fast one, Johnny.

[Ed Rafferty]

Anyhow, several people heard the shots about 2:30 in the morning. It was right after the club closed, but none of them bothered to report it. A cleanup crew came in at 3 and found Prager's body. He was lying in his office, shot twice. Gone. On the floor beside him. No prints. Was his own gun, and it was kept there in his desk.

[Don]

Where was Nick Shern?

[Ed Rafferty]

And we picked him up an hour later at another one of their clubs. The manager was with him. And, oh, Benny Stark, now he.

[Don]

Benny? Yeah, I know. Trigger man for Nick's mob in the old days. 15 years overdue for hanging.

[Ed Rafferty]

That's our Benny. Anyhow, they. They both swear that Nick was there from 1:30 on.

[Don]

What about a paraffin test then?

[Ed Rafferty]

Positive. Clear to the elbow. Then you can throw it out the window.

[Don]

What do you mean? Clear?

[Ed Rafferty]

Earlier that evening, Nick spent two hours at a shooting gallery uptown firing a pistol.

[Benny Stark]

Ooh.

[Don]

Smart, huh? He really planned for it.

[Ed Rafferty]

He really did. Jim, without a witness, we haven't got a chance.

[Don]

I understand there was a witness. Some girl who was mixed up in it.

[Ed Rafferty]

Easy, Johnny. You're talking to a Rafferty.

[Don]

Mmm. So the girl's Irish.

[Ed Rafferty]

Miss Kathleen O'Dare. All country back three generations. County Kildare.

[Don]

Then naturally, she's as innocent as a newborn babe. Naturally. Then how does she figure?

[Ed Rafferty]

Well, a taxi driver who knows her said that he saw her leave the club five minutes after the shots. She denied it. Said that she left at closing time. Well, now, in my book, she was lying.

[Don]

Scared to talk, huh?

[Ed Rafferty]

Paralyzed. And with plenty of reason. You know Shern's reputation.

[Don]

What about the cab driver?

[Ed Rafferty]

I changed his story. He said it might have been some.

[Don]

Other girl he saw. Oh, no, don't tell me yet. Let me guess.

[Ed Rafferty]

That's right. His name's O'Toole. And I forgot to mention that Kathleen's pretty.

[Don]

Naturally.

[Ed Rafferty]

Anyhow, I let her go. I too. And when I went around to talk to her this morning, she'd flown the coop.

[Don]

Any chance I'm a Nick's boy's grabbed her?

[Ed Rafferty]

I don't think so. It looked more like she came home packed in a hurry, took her kid and blew.

[Don]

Kid, Doc. Eight year old daughter, Irish, and a mother too. I was on sacred ground.

[Ed Rafferty]

I was fingering me gun. No, seriously, Johnny, would you find her? She may be able to break Nick's alibi and it's our only chance.

[Don]

And it might be her only chance. Nick Sheeran's not the boy to leave a loose end lying around.

[Ed Rafferty]

I know. I've got 30 men checking bus depots.

[Don]

Airlines, and no luck, huh?

[Ed Rafferty]

In this mess, this time of year? I'm a hard boiled cop, Johnny. I've got no Christmas spirit. I'm glad it only comes once per annum.

[Don]

Well, there's not very much to go on, that's for sure. I'll see what I can turn up. Ed, check with you later.

[Ed Rafferty]

All right, that's fine. Oh, oh, by the way, Johnny.

[Don]

Yeah?

[Ed Rafferty]

About that friend of yours.

[Don]

What friend?

[Ed Rafferty]

The guy with the motorbike, sir. How would I be getting in touch with him?

[Don]

Oh, yeah, his name's Ralph Sterner. He's in the phone book office in the Mackley Building. Hard boiled cop.

[Ed Rafferty]

Well, they're kids.

[Don]

Only young ones. Yeah, sure.

[Ed Rafferty]

Now, you find that O'Dare girl. Find her, keep her alive and get her to talk.

[Don]

How long have I got to find her? What do you mean? Nick Shern. How much longer can you hold him, Johnny?

[Ed Rafferty]

He was turned loose an hour ago.

[Don]

So that was it. A lot of maybes, a lot of questions and a lot of pressure. A job to be done and done fast. Find one Kathleen O'Dare, former hat check girl at the Shay. Colette, keep Nick Shern's hoodlums away from her and persuaded to talk. And three to one, Nick was looking for it too. He was free now, on the loose, and he might be anywhere. Only the way it turned out, he wasn't just anywhere. He was in one particular place, parked right smack in front of the precinct station.

[Johnny Dollar]

Over here, Johnny.

[Don]

He was sitting in the back seat of a sedan and his trigger man, Benny Stark, was at the wheel.

[Johnny Dollar]

Been there a long time, hasn't it, Johnny?

[Don]

About five years, as I remember it, Nick. It was that warehouse robbery over in Queens. When you got away with $40,000 worth of furs.

[Johnny Dollar]

You've forgotten. I was acquitted on that one.

[Don]

Oh, yeah, I know. After they pull the only witness onto the east river, his feet in a bucket of cement.

[Johnny Dollar]

Jessica. Coincidence? I never seen him before.

[Don]

You've seen Ms. O'Dare before? Sure I have.

[Johnny Dollar]

She works for me. She's a good kid, Johnny.

[Don]

So I hear.

[Johnny Dollar]

I wouldn't harm a hair on that girl's head.

[Don]

She'll be relieved when I tell her that.

[Johnny Dollar]

Get in. I want to talk to you.

[Don]

No, no, no. Sorry, Nick. I like it fine just the way it is. In the car, I'd be outnumbered.

[Johnny Dollar]

You got me all wrong, Johnny. I don't play that way anymore.

[Don]

What about Benny? Has he reformed too?

[Johnny Dollar]

Well, if that's what. Benny, go take a walk.

[Don]

Yeah, boss, but.

[Johnny Dollar]

I said go take a walk.

[Don]

Okay.

[Johnny Dollar]

Get in, Johnny.

[Don]

What's on your mind, Nick?

[Johnny Dollar]

You working on this case?

[Don]

Yeah, I'm on it. Why?

[Johnny Dollar]

That's what I figured. I was talking to my lawyer in there and saw you go to Rafferty's office. I guess the insurance company's gonna try to welch on that claim.

[Don]

It's your party, Nick. You talk.

[Johnny Dollar]

I got a better idea.

[Don]

What's that?

[Johnny Dollar]

You know, it's real nice out in Las Vegas this time of year, Johnny. A man can have a lot of fun out there for the next month. With maybe $10,000 to play with.

[Don]

What man are you talking about? You. I don't have $10,000.

[Johnny Dollar]

You will 30 minutes from now if you say it away.

[Don]

Oh, Nick, you're lucky we're not standing out there on the sidewalk in a car seat. I haven't got room to swing.

[Johnny Dollar]

Still a fool, huh?

[Don]

I don't know. Why don't you write me about it? You'll have plenty of time up there in the desk cell.

[Johnny Dollar]

Suppose I didn't make any claim on that policy. And you wouldn't have any reason to stay on a case.

[Don]

No, Salemick, 100 grand is a lot of money. I'd want to find out why you didn't make a claim.

[Johnny Dollar]

You know why. You're out to Pinnace on me and so are the cops. A man with a record hasn't got a chance.

[Don]

You should have thought of that before you kill Mel Priker.

[Johnny Dollar]

Want to know something, Johnny? I didn't kill him.

[Don]

Well, I'm betting you did.

[Johnny Dollar]

What do you care who killed him? You're not shedding Any tears over it?

[Don]

No, But I'd sure hate to see you get away with it. And I'd hate it even more if anything happened to that girl.

[Johnny Dollar]

Kathy O'Dare. No, what could happen to her?

[Don]

She just might fall in the river. She probably thinks she's safe as long as she hides from the police and refuses to talk. She doesn't know you very well.

[Johnny Dollar]

You had me all wrong, Johnny.

[Don]

You know, you hear a lot about peace on earth, goodwill toward men around this time of year. But I don't have much goodwill toward the kind of rat you are. And I figured there'd be more peace on earth if you weren't on it. Push me and maybe that's what'll happen.

[Johnny Dollar]

Well, at least that's fair warning.

[Don]

Yeah, it's fair warning. I'm gonna tag you for this, Nick. You can count on it. Expense account, item two. $2.40. Taxi to the east side. Roaming house of Kathy O'Dare. I didn't have much hope of turning up anything. Ed Rafferty and his men had already been through the place inch by inch. But it was the only starting point I had. The landlady was out and a uniformed policeman let me into Kathy's flat. I spent an hour and a half and got nowhere. I went through her mail. Bills, advertisements, casual notes from men she'd met at the club, but nothing personal, not even a postcard. There were no pictures, photographs of Kathy or her daughter anywhere in the flat. She made a clean sweep, then left in a hurry. And obviously she didn't mean to be found. But I had to find her and fast. It was dusk when I left. The street lamps were on and the colored Christmas lights in the windows along the block. Snow was falling in big, soft, gentle flakes and there was a holiday feeling in the air. It was neither the time nor the setting for murder. Big contribution, son. Give a little something to help, fool. Oh, sure. How's it going this year, son? Oh, it's better than usual, but it just seems there's never enough to go around, no matter how. Well, bless you, son. Thank you kindly. No mentioning. Good luck, Pop. Thank you, son. Well, the city ought to clean the streets better.

[Johnny Dollar]

I've been waiting for you.

[Don]

Sorry, Benny. It's not my day for punks. Get some friends. Want to talk to you. Start walking, Johnny, down the alley. It's dark down there. Start walking.

[Johnny Dollar]

This ain't just my hand in my pocket.

[Don]

Better be, Benny, with two cops standing up there on the porch watching. What are you talking about? There ain't no cops. I smashed him in the mouth and knocked him flat. Followed it up and kicked his gun in the gutter. He ran, rolled over, came to his feet and rushed me. I was hoping he would. He have that coming, son. He had it coming. Well, he.

[Benny Stark]

He sure did get it.

[Don]

Yeah. Hey, you know something, Pop? I think Benny wants to make a contribution to help the poor. Well, he ain't saying no. Oh, he's a good boy at the moment, at least. Here you go. That ought to help some. For $500, what if word will do the most good. Well, Merry Christmas, son.

[Ed Rafferty]

Happy New Year.

[Don]

Yeah, same to you, Pop. And many more of them. Hey, taxi. Johnny Dollar.

[Mike O'Dare]

This is Men's Gotlers speaking.

[Don]

Goddler.

[Mike O'Dare]

I'm Kathleen O'Dare Landley.

[Don]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike O'Dare]

You wanted to talk to me.

[Don]

That's right. I'm trying to find Ms. O'Dare. Do you know where she is?

[Mike O'Dare]

You're a friend of hers?

[Don]

I think I will be once I meet her. I'm an insurance investigator. I want to help her.

[Mike O'Dare]

That's what the other one said.

[Don]

Yeah. What do you mean? What other one?

[Mike O'Dare]

Fell that come up here a while ago. Short, mean faced, shifty eyes.

[Don]

Benny Stark. Was that his name?

[Mike O'Dare]

He didn't say, Mr. Dollar. I guess he was too busy.

[Don]

Busy doing what?

[Mike O'Dare]

Breaking my good right arm.

[Don]

I'll be right over. From special investigator Johnny Dollar, New York City to the home office, Tri Mutual Insurance Limited. Hartford, Connecticut assignment. The Nick Shern matter. Expense account continued item 5, $2.30. Taxi. To Mrs. Gotler's rooming house. The place Kathy O'Dare had called home until she disappeared.

[Mike O'Dare]

Coming in. Get your hands off.

[Don]

Mrs. Gauntler. Well, look, I'm Johnny Dollar. I talked to you on the phone. It's all right. You can put that gun down.

[Mike O'Dare]

Well, I guess it's you all right. Sorry, Mr. Dollar, but I've only got one good arm left and I'm aiming to keep it. Pull up a chair.

[Don]

Thanks. Kind of rough boy, huh?

[Mike O'Dare]

I'd have showed him who was rough. If I could have got a hold of my gun. I'd have blasted him. Christmas week or not, I'd have blasted him. Mr. Dollar.

[Don]

Yeah, I know how you feel.

[Mike O'Dare]

And me with all these presents to wrap. How can you wrap presents with one arm? That is being a paper hanger?

[Don]

Well, I'll be glad to help out Mrs. Gauntler. I won't guarantee what they'll look like.

[Mike O'Dare]

I sure do appreciate it. And don't worry about their looks. I got to get them wrapped. That's all. Let's see now. This paper goes on that one, all right. It's a water muffler for my nephew over in Brooklyn. You know them terrible winters they have over there.

[Don]

Oh, yeah, they're frightful. Of course, it may be better this year. The Dodgers won the pennant.

[Mike O'Dare]

Nothing but luck. It won't happen next year.

[Don]

You never know. Hey, tell me something, Mrs. Godler. How come Benny worked you over? Why did he break your arm?

[Mike O'Dare]

Here, stick this card on it. As soon as you get the ribbon tied.

[Don]

Oh, okay.

[Mike O'Dare]

No time of year like Christmas. I. He wanted to know where Kathy went. When I said I didn't know, it jumped onto me. Said it was lying. If I could have got hold of that girl.

[Don]

Where did she go, by the way?

[Mike O'Dare]

You aiming to break my other arm.

[Don]

Mr. Dollar, with all these packages to wrap here? Hold your finger on that knot.

[Mike O'Dare]

Tie it tight. Now, them postmen in Brooklyn are always busting things open.

[Don]

No. There. Well, that's one down. Where did you say she went?

[Mike O'Dare]

I didn't. Now, this one I'll deliver myself, so it don't need to be raptor careful.

[Don]

All righty.

[Mike O'Dare]

Kathy lit out of here in the middle of the night. You think I sit up 24 hours a day spying on my rumors?

[Don]

You might, if the rumor happened to be one of your special favorites.

[Mike O'Dare]

Who told you that?

[Don]

What's the difference? She was, wasn't she?

[Mike O'Dare]

Kathy was everybody's favorite. Anybody that ever met her. Oh, you'll meet them as make remarks about a girl that works in a nightclub. But I'll tell you one thing, Mr. Dollar. Kathleen O'Dare is a final LA as you'd ever care to find.

[Don]

And I would care to find her.

[Mike O'Dare]

Good luck to you, then. And if you do, let me know where she is.

[Don]

You helped her pack, didn't you?

[Mike O'Dare]

Now, how did you know that?

[Don]

About as good as I can get it. Be careful when you deliver it, though. It's not tied very tight. I didn't know, Mrs. Gartner. I was guessing, but it figured. Kathy was scared half to death when she packed up and left here. All she had on her mind was to run and hide. She wouldn't have thought of stripping that flat. Taking out every bit of personal identification. Somebody had to help her. Now, where'd she go?

[Mike O'Dare]

I don't know.

[Don]

Look, look, you don't get the idea I'm on her side. She's up against a rough deal and doesn't even know it. You've had a sample of the way those boys play. And that Was only a sample. With Kathy it'll be a whole lot worse. They're looking for her and sooner or later they'll find her. Her only chance is for me to get to her first so you.

[Mike O'Dare]

I'm not lying, Mr. Dollar. I don't know where she went and that's the truth to help me. Tried to get her to tell me, but she wouldn't. She said if I knew it would be dangerous for me. I helped her pack, yes, but I don't know where she was going.

[Don]

Well, that's that, I guess. I don't know where to turn next. She apparently didn't have any other close friends. I don't even know what she looks like. I've never even seen a picture of her. I was hoping you could.

[Mike O'Dare]

Well, if that'll do you any good, I've got one right here in my sewing basket.

[Don]

One what?

[Mike O'Dare]

A picture. What did you think? Give it to me about a year ago but she's never had many taken, but here it is.

[Don]

Thanks.

[Mike O'Dare]

Real pretty girl. Don't you think so?

[Don]

Yeah, she's lovely. Well, at least I'll be able to wreck. When Was this taken, Mrs. Godler?

[Mike O'Dare]

Now how should I know? Three or four years ago, I guess. Before she come here to the city.

[Don]

This photographer's address, the name of the town. Is that where she came from? Branbury, Michigan?

[Mike O'Dare]

Well, yes, that's her hometown, Brambury. I'd forgotten the name of it. And she was just talking about it a week or so ago. She wanted to go home for Christmas but she said she couldn't see Mr. Dollar, do you think she might?

[Don]

Maybe it's the most likely place a scared girl would run to. Home anyway, it's worth a chance. Mrs. Gotler, I love you.

[I]

Why, Mr. Dollar. Why, Mr. Dollar?

[Don]

Expense account item six, $88.35. Hotel and incidentals in New York and transportation to Branbury, Michigan. Branbury turned out to be a lumber village half hidden among the pine covered hills. It was a little bigger than a wide spot in the road, but not much bigger. A foot of new snow had fallen within the past 24 hours. A fluffy white blanket lay softly on the trees and the housetops and filled the deep hollows in the frozen ground. Men in bright red flannel shirts drove horse drawn logging sleds through the forest trails and their shouts sounded sharp and clear. A crystalline tinkle in the icy air. Branbury looked like the place where Christmas was invented. It was beautiful and very quiet when it came to putting out information. I found it out first when I tried the local telephone. Operator.

[Mike O'Dare]

Number, please.

[Don]

I just checked in here at the hotel. Operator, There doesn't seem to be a phone book. So don't steal them.

[Mike O'Dare]

That's why Traveling people going through.

[Don]

Oh, souvenir hunters, I suppose.

[I]

How's that?

[Don]

Look, I wanted to call the O'Dares.

[Mike O'Dare]

Could you put O'Dares? There ain't but one.

[I]

That's old Mike.

[Don]

Oh, and that's the one I want to call. Would you mind ringing him?

[I]

Oh, do no good. He ain't there.

[Mike O'Dare]

He's slapping up at number four mill today.

[Don]

Well, actually, it's his daughter. I want to talk to her. Yeah, that's right. Kathleen. Do you know her?

[Mike O'Dare]

Just growed up with her.

[Don]

Oh, well, would you mind?

[I]

Friend of hers?

[Don]

No, I've never met her.

[I]

But where are you from?

[Don]

I came here from New York, but.

[Adam Graham]

What's your name?

[Don]

Johnny Dollar. Now would you please ring Kathleen? I live here.

[Mike O'Dare]

She lives in New York City.

[Don]

I know where she lives.

[I]

And what give you the idea she'd be up here?

[Don]

I'm psychic.

[I]

You're what?

[Don]

Look, where can I get in touch with her?

[Mike O'Dare]

I wouldn't know anything about it, Mr. Dollar, and I can't give out that kind of information. You better go on back to New.

[I]

York and write her a letter.

[Don]

Let me talk to your supervisor.

[I]

Supervisor?

[Mike O'Dare]

Well, I'm all there is, so I guess that's me. Start talking.

[Don]

Forget it.

[I]

You're welcome.

[Don]

I got the same kind of runaround from the hotel proprietor. As soon as I mentioned Kathy, he suddenly forgot his own name, age and the time of day. One thing sure, this town took care of its own. I wondered if the law in Brambury would take the same attitude. I decided I'd better go find out. As it happened, I didn't have far to go. On the sidewalk in front of the hotel, the law came to me. Just a second there, mister.

[J]

Like to have a little talk with you, if you don't mind.

[Don]

All right. Quite a change to find somebody here who wants to talk.

[J]

I understand you just got in from New York. Here on business.

[Don]

Look, you know why I'm here. But now everybody in town knows.

[J]

Got any identification on you?

[Don]

Yeah, have you?

[J]

My name's Martin, Dan Martin. I'm the deputy sheriff in charge of this part of the county.

[Don]

Oh, then you're just the man I was looking for.

[J]

Is that so?

[Don]

I'm Johnny Dollar, insurance investigator. I'm looking for a girl named Kathleen O'Dare. Do you know where she is?

[J]

What do you want with Her?

[Don]

I'm working on a murder case. She's a witness.

[J]

Is there any kind of a charge against her?

[Don]

No. I just want to talk to her.

[J]

What makes you think she's here?

[Don]

Are you a friend of hers? Mr. Martin?

[J]

I've been in love with Kathy since we went to grade school. I'd be willing to die for her. Does that answer your question?

[Don]

All right, let me put it this way. You think you're helping her by hiding her out. All of you think so, but you're wrong. You're helping her right into her grave.

[J]

Kathy doesn't figure it that way.

[Don]

She's scared. She doesn't know what she thinks. I know these boys who were after her. They don't play kid games. And sooner or later, they're gonna find her. So if you love her and if you know where she is, you better take me to her before it's too late.

[J]

I don't know. I don't know what it is Kathy's mixed up in. I didn't want to ask her. But I know it isn't the police she's afraid of. And I don't think it's you.

[Don]

No. At the time she ran out, I wasn't even in the picture. I'm on her side, too, Mr. Martin, and I've got to see her.

[J]

Go talk to her father, old Mike. See what he thinks. He's not at home right now.

[Don]

Yeah, I know. He's out at number four mill. How do I get there?

[J]

The county pickup truck is parked down the block.

[Don]

The tire chains bit into the packed snow and pushed the four miles of logging road behind us. It was late afternoon and the sun had dropped behind the timbered slopes, throwing a pale sheet of cold yellow against the western sky. Here and there, a few scattered lights were coming on in the windows of the village and the bunk houses of the lumber camps. Bright white smarks against the darkening shadows. Emptiness. Loneliness. And somewhere in it, a frightened girl in hiding. A girl who'd run away from the city of a hundred million lights and from an unsolved murder. Michael Deer was winding up a job working at the big slabbing saw, and I stood by and waited for him to finish.

[Benny Stark]

Be right with you, Mr. D. This is the last one.

[Don]

Okay.

[Benny Stark]

Well, that's the last of it now till after Christmas. Yeah. I'm sorry to keep you waiting.

[Don]

That's all right. Mr. O'Dear. My name is Johnny. Never mind.

[Benny Stark]

I know all about you. Dan Martin. Phone said you was on your way out. Mr. Dolan. The answer Is no.

[Don]

I see.

[Benny Stark]

I've had it over since Dan called before I'd have anything happen to Kathy. I'd rather see ten murderers going home.

[Don]

Now, look, hiding out won't help. As long as Nick Shern is free, Kathy's in danger.

[Benny Stark]

He can't hurt her if he can't find her.

[Don]

I found her, Mr. O'Dare.

[Benny Stark]

Just by luck. There's not one chance in a million of. Sounds like a car. Who the carnation had drive out here this time of the evening.

[Don]

We walked over to the big doors. The car had stopped about 20 yards away. A man got out and turned toward us. I was standing under the dock light, so he recognized me. Before I got a good look at him, he jumped back in the car and went for his gun. Benny stark. Get back. Mr. O'Dea. It was too dark to get a decent shot. I tried once more and missed. And the car disappeared behind the trees.

[Benny Stark]

Mr. Dollar. Who was it? Was that one of them?

[Don]

That's right, Mike. They found her. Johnny Dollar, Dan Martin here.

[J]

I was up the street when you saw.

[Don]

Listen, Sheriff, They've traced Kathy O'Dea here to your nice little town of Branbury.

[Benny Stark]

Who has?

[Don]

Nick Shern's boys. One of them, a trigger man named Benny Stark. Came out to the sawmill hell, a few minutes ago. I traded a couple of shots with him, but he got away in a car.

[J]

Did he head north or back toward town?

[Don]

Toward town, I think. You can't see the turnoff from here.

[J]

All right. Dollar, you're packing a gun. Will you take the pickup truck and block that turn off? Hold it until I can get somebody out there to relieve you.

[Don]

Right. How many deputies you got? Deputies? Uh. Oh. What about volunteers?

[J]

Is this Benny Stark the man Kathy's afraid of?

[Don]

He's one of them.

[J]

Then I'll have volunteers. 20 men within a half hour armed with deer rifles. And every one of them a dead.

[Don]

From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar. Location, Brambury, Michigan, to the home office, Tri Mutual Insurance Limited. Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment, the Nick Shern matter. Expense account. Continued. Item 8. $3.60 for two packs of cigarettes and a pint of applejack borrowed from the foreman's locker at the sawmill. I figured these are standard equipment for holding down a roadblock at 10 degrees above zero. And Mike O'Dare agreed with me 100%.

[Benny Stark]

Now, I'll tell you one thing. They can make it out of corn, rye, barley, make it out of gold if they want to. But they'll never come up with anything better than what they make out of apples. Here, here, have a short one, Johnny.

[Don]

No, no, thanks. I'll save it for later.

[Benny Stark]

Well, I'll just. It's got the taste of Indian summer in it. You ought to see this country around that time of year. Johnny. Break your heart. It's a beautiful.

[Don]

Well, it's beautiful now with the snow on. And it would be more so if there wasn't a killer running loose in it.

[Benny Stark]

Johnny, I want to ask you something about my daughter. And I want you to answer me honestly.

[Don]

All right.

[Benny Stark]

It's no use trying to fool you. She's here.

[Don]

All right, I know.

[Benny Stark]

But she hasn't told me what it was that happened in New York. But she ran away from it somehow. I figured it was just as well not to ask her.

[Don]

Your sheriff, Dan Martin, said practically the same thing.

[Benny Stark]

Dan's been in love with Kathy since he was 12 years old. He's a good man, Charlotte.

[Don]

So I figured.

[Benny Stark]

Anyway, she was scared. Scared half to death. And she'd come home for help. So we tried to help her.

[Don]

What was it you wanted to ask me, Mr. O'Dare?

[Benny Stark]

You mentioned a murder case, Johnny. You didn't give any of the details. Just said that Kathy was her witness. Is she mixed up in this murder?

[Don]

And you wanted an honest answer. All right. I'm not sure.

[Benny Stark]

I see.

[Don]

That's why I wanted to talk to her. Get her story, the truth. I realized from the start she might be guilty. I don't think so, but it's a possibility. You may as well know about it.

[Benny Stark]

I guess you realize it wouldn't make any difference. Not to me or to Dan.

[Don]

Oh, yeah. I figured. In other words, you're with me as long as I'm trying to protect her. But you'll fight me if I find reason to think she's guilty.

[Benny Stark]

That's about it, Johnny.

[Don]

Well, at least we know where we stand. And I hope it won't come to what you meant. Car coming. Light on the trees there at the bend.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah. Do you suppose maybe.

[Don]

Probably not. But you can't tell. Better get behind the truck, just in case. They'll have to shift into low to edge past us. Let me get that spotlight on.

[Benny Stark]

I guess I'll just have another quick one. That wind cuts right through your bones.

[Don]

It's a dark colored sedan. It might be him.

[Benny Stark]

Funny, I'd been hoping for two months that Kathy'd come home for Christmas. And I didn't figure I'd be out here in the woods, hiding behind a truck, waiting to shoot it out with somebody that wanted to kill him.

[Don]

It's a crazy world. Keep your head down. Mr. O'Dear.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah.

[Don]

Just the driver by himself. Or a dark cat. I don't know.

[Benny Stark]

You know, that kind of looks like Curly. It is.

[Don]

What?

[Benny Stark]

That's Ted Perkins. Old wreck. No doubt about it.

[Don]

All right. You better wave him out past. He probably thinks we need help.

[Benny Stark]

It's all right, Ted.

[Don]

It's.

[Adam Graham]

My God.

[Benny Stark]

Go ahead, go ahead. We don't need anything. Yeah, we're all right.

[Don]

Thanks anyway.

[Benny Stark]

Well, there's one thing about people around here. They mind their own business and don't ask no questions.

[Don]

And they don't answer them often, either. How's that applejack holding out? Two long hours went past. Only three cars came out from the village. And each time a long moment of tension while we waited to identify the occupants. But all of them were townspeople. Many didn't show. One truck came down the logging road from the back hills loaded with dwarf spruce and fur. Peace on earth, goodwill toward men. We were waiting for an assassin. But the truck only carried Christmas trees. The night was crystal clear with bright stars hanging low on the blackness. But it kept turning colder and colder until leaving the Apple Jack didn't help much. And the wind, too, changed gradually and blue. Fitful and gusty and strange.

[Benny Stark]

It's going to storm come a blizzard. Maybe not tonight. Tomorrow sometime. Or tomorrow night. I know this country, know the signs.

[Don]

There's an odd feeling in the air, all right.

[Benny Stark]

There's an even odder one in my leg. Log rolled over on it pretty near six years ago. Bothers me some in the winter. Till that were so right before a storm.

[Don]

That's kind of a handy thing to have.

[Benny Stark]

Well, that's one way of looking at it, I guess. Like one time when Kathy was little, when her ma was still alive, God rest her soul, we had a big measles epidemic here in Branbury. And every night Kathy used to add a line to her prayers. She'd say, and please let me catch the measles so I can stay out of school like the other kids. Now she's wanted as a witness in a murder case. And somebody's prowling out there in the dark trying to find her and kill her. Little Kathy, who never harmed anybody in her whole life. Some things just don't make sense, Johnny.

[Don]

Some things never have. There was another time once when men like Benny were prowling in the dark, trying to find a little child and kill him. And he hadn't harmed anybody either. That was nearly 2,000 years ago.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah, so it was. I Like you, Johnny. Kathy will like you, too. And little Jill. Oh, now there's a pair for you. That kid looks more like her mother did at her age.

[Don]

Another car coming, Mr. O'Dare.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah, sure there is. And this just might be the one.

[Don]

Maybe.

[Benny Stark]

I sure wish that applejack hadn't run out.

[Don]

But it was only a couple of men Deputy Martin had sent out from town to relieve us and take over. Big men, calm and quiet, wearing plaid mackinaws and heavy lace boots and carrying Winchester 94s over their arms. They told us Benny Stark had been seen. He'd come up from the west, driven onto one of the roadblocks unexpectedly. In a flurry of shots, he'd broken through. The men couldn't understand his persistence. They thought he'd run for it, get out of the area once his presence was known. I didn't bother to explain to put him straight. But I knew Benny had never run, not now. He was a trigger man, a professional killer with a reputation at stake. And he had his orders. To silence Kathy O'Dare. A half hour later, we were back in town, turning into the main street around the village square. Strings of pelly lights on a tall pine in the center of the square square blinked and sparkled as they swayed in the wind. Around a hundred cars and trucks were parked in the street and in the lot behind the town hall. And the sound of singing drifted out from inside.

[Benny Stark]

They're practicing carols and things for the big doings on Christmas Eve. Ain't it beautiful?

[Don]

The men at the roadblock had given a description of Benny's car and the license number. It was just barely.

[Benny Stark]

Got something in mind, Johnny.

[Don]

Let's take a look through those parked cars.

[Benny Stark]

I don't know. If it was me, I sure wouldn't be hanging around here. I'd stick to the tall timber.

[Don]

Yeah, but you're not a city boy, Mike. Tall timber is foreign soil to Benny. He's only comfortable when he's close to a crowd.

[Benny Stark]

He the fella that's supposed to have done that murder?

[Don]

No. Is the man he works for, a cafe owner, ex gangster. A man named Nick Shern. Let's check that lot around at the side. I don't think he'd show here in front.

[Benny Stark]

He'd be taking a big chance showing anywhere In a town this size, people know each other.

[Don]

It's his job to take chances. And he probably doesn't realize.

[Benny Stark]

Wait a minute.

[Don]

That sedan against the building with the side window broken, seven, eight, two, one.

[Benny Stark]

That's his car. Johnny?

[Don]

Yeah? Wait here. I eased my gun out of the holster and started toward the car. There were no lights in the lot. Only the soft glow reflected from the packed snow underfoot. And the car itself stood in the dark shadows next to the building. I couldn't see whether anyone was in it or not. The singing seemed to swell louder as I approached. I moved slowly, watching for any sudden movement. The car was empty. It was time past, time to talk to Kathy O'Dare. And with the pressure tightening, the danger close to home now, her father was ready to take me to her. We drove over to Dan Martin's house, where it turned out Kathy and her daughter were staying. Dan's mother had been looking after her. Dan was there when we arrived. Busy on the phone.

[J]

Yeah, I know the car, all right. The one Jed bought last spring down in Bay City. 7, 3, 9, 2. Where was it parked?

[Mike O'Dare]

All right.

[J]

Keep an eye out, Charlie. So long. Benny Stark has stole himself another car. Took Jed Wharton's station wagon.

[Benny Stark]

What for? That was a better one he had.

[J]

Charlie says the steering gear was sprung. I guess it happened when he crashed that roadblock.

[Benny Stark]

Well, how's Kathy and the young un?

[J]

Oh, fine. They're asleep upstairs. Mom's next door helping Mrs. Barton stuff a turkey.

[Benny Stark]

Johnny, you. You figure it could wait till morning?

[Don]

I'm sorry, Mr. O'Dear. I've got to talk to her tonight.

[Benny Stark]

All right. I'll go wake her up.

[J]

Mr. Dollar, no matter what she's done, don't hurt her any more than you have to.

[Don]

As far as I know at the moment, Dan, all she's guilty of is withholding information. And most people would have done the same thing. Nick Sheeran's a rough boy to tangle with. She was scared, that's all. Lost her head.

[J]

She never did belong in a city. She belongs right here in Branbury. This is her kind of life.

[Don]

Why did she leave?

[J]

Well, we argued one day and she said she'd show me. So she ran off and married that fellow. He treated her bad. Finally left her, but she was too proud to come back. She wouldn't have come back now. She hadn't been so scared.

[Don]

Well, maybe it'll work out now.

[J]

She ought to stay.

[I]

Her kid.

[J]

Ought to grow up here, learn the outdoors and the woods like Kathy used to know it. Why, she roamed through those hills like a young Indian. Knew every trail in that forest, every timber camp and trapper's cabin from here to the ridge. I remember one time, the two of us were up toward Dan.

[Don]

What's the matter? What is it, Mr. O'De.

[Benny Stark]

You said. You said Jill and Kathy were asleep upstairs. Ain't that what you said, Dan?

[J]

Of course that's what I. Mike, what's happened?

[Benny Stark]

They're not up there. They're not up there. Anywhere else in the house they're gone.

[Don]

Johnny Dollar.

[Benny Stark]

Michael.

[Don]

There.

[Benny Stark]

Johnny. Any sign of Kathy?

[Don]

No. The boys at the highway turn off haven't seen her or Benny either one. Not a sold out that way in the last hour.

[Benny Stark]

What about there at the Sawman?

[Don]

Nothing, Mike. No fresh tracks on the logging road. No sign of her. And the worst thing is it's starting to snow again.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah, here in town too. Dan Martin's just phone. No luck. She hasn't shown up at any of the roadblocks.

[Don]

She's.

[Benny Stark]

She's around somewhere and we've got to find her.

[Don]

We will, Mike.

[Benny Stark]

And it's gotta be fast. Johnny, there's a blizzard coming up and that gunman Benny Stark is around too. Maybe he's already found her. Maybe even took her from the house. Her and Jill both. Maybe she didn't get scared and run. Maybe it was him.

[Don]

Maybe she. Stop it. That kind of thinking is not gonna help any.

[Benny Stark]

What is gonna help?

[Don]

I don't know. But I've got a half baked idea and I may be right. Stay there at the house. I'm coming back to pick you up. And one thing you can do while you're waiting.

[Benny Stark]

What, Johnny?

[Don]

Pray. From Special Investigator Johnny dollar. Location, Branbury, Michigan to the home office, TRI Mutual Insurance Ltd. Hartford, Connecticut assignment, the nick Shern matter. Or more important, find Kathy O'Dare. Item 12 on expense account. $4.90 a tank full of gas for the county pickup. I'd borrow from Deputy Sheriff Dan Martin. The falling snow was thickening now and the wind was rising and steadying in the northwest. The night had all the makings of a blizzard. And wherever Kathy and her daughter had gone, we had to find them before it hit. It was 10:14pm when I pulled up at the side porch of the Odare house and Kathy's father came. Came hurrying out to the truck, leaving the door open behind him and buttoning his heavy mackinaw as he ran. Any news, Mike?

[Benny Stark]

Not a thing.

[Don]

All right, get in. Shut the door.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah, we'll get a foot of snow before morning with a zero wind behind it.

[Don]

Now listen, Mike, I think we can forget any idea that Benny found her and got her out of the house. In that case she wouldn't have taken your car. He's already got one.

[Benny Stark]

I know. I thought of that.

[Don]

And he wouldn't have given her time to dress herself in jail the way she did. With heavy clothes and snow boots. And she wouldn't have taken the rifle.

[Benny Stark]

Then what has happened?

[Don]

She knew I'd be there to talk to her sometime this evening. I think she lost her nerve. Couldn't face it. Decided to run again. Maybe so.

[Benny Stark]

But where, Johnny?

[Don]

That's what I want you to tell me. What? No, I don't mean you knew what she was gonna do and where she was gonna go, or.

[Benny Stark]

How do you think I can tell you?

[Don]

Look, Kathy knew about the roadblocks Dan Martin set up to trap. Benny Stark knew where they were. So if she didn't want to be seen, then naturally she'd avoid.

[Benny Stark]

She couldn't. Not if she wanted to get away. Take the highway to Flint or Detroit. She'd have to pass one of them at least.

[Don]

But she hasn't passed any of them. So she's still in this area. And I don't think she ever meant to leave it. But then Dan Martin said Kathy used to spend a lot of time in the woods when she was growing up. He said she knew every back trail in these hills. Logging camps, trapper's cabins.

[Benny Stark]

She did. She used to worry the dickens. Had to be, the way she.

[Don]

Yeah. Now, where would she go, Mike, if she wanted to hide? Out back in the hill somewhere.

[Benny Stark]

There's a lot of places. Chippewa Canyon's 1. 3 or 4 timber camps abandoned in the winter. Some cabins along the. No, no, she couldn't make it. There's a roadblock before you get to the turnout there.

[Don]

It's gotta be someplace she could reach without being seen.

[Benny Stark]

Well, there's Barker's flats, but that's 12 miles of a foot trail. She wouldn't try it in this weather. Not with Jill along, anyway. Then there's Lake Pine. No, it's over the other way. Pine Lake Road.

[Don]

Where's that?

[Benny Stark]

Runs northwest of town. Not much better than a wagon road. Dan didn't put a block on it because it dead ends at the lake about 5 miles hour.

[Don]

What's out there?

[Benny Stark]

Nothing at the lake, but you can go on up Pine Creek. About four miles on foot. And there's some cabins. Maybe a waste of time, Johnny.

[Don]

Let's get going. Expense account, item 13. $6.90. One dry cell, electric lantern. An extra pair of batteries picked up at the Branbury Hardware Company on the way through town. The falling snow, driven by a bitter cold wind. Formed a dense curtain in front of our headlights. And from the turnoff all the way up the narrow, twisting road to Pine Lake. I had to keep the truck in second gear. There were car tracks in the road, all right, several of them. But they were covered now by the new blanket of snow, and it was impossible to tell whether they'd been made earlier tonight or a week ago.

[Benny Stark]

The road ends a couple of yards past this next turn. Well, so, no, there's four or five side turnips clearance.

[Ed Rafferty]

Where?

[Benny Stark]

Where you can park. We'll have to check all of them, I guess.

[Don]

All right.

[Benny Stark]

That draw there on the right, that break there in the trees, that's. That's where the Pine Creek Trail starts.

[Don]

I was swinging it, Mike. I guess we won't have to check those turn offs, huh? Is that your car over there under the trees?

[Benny Stark]

Yeah, that's it.

[Don]

I left Mike waiting in the cab while I went over to look inside the car. It was empty, abandoned, and there was no note, no clue of any kind to tell where Kathy had gone. I raised the hood and felt the motorblock ice cold. The car had been here for some time. I flashed the lantern on the ground and followed the faint tracks made by two pairs of snowboots. They ended the deep draw that led back into the hills, the start of the Pine Creek Trail. I snapped off the lantern and stumbled through the snow back of the truck.

[Benny Stark]

What'd you find, Johnny?

[Don]

It's them, all right. They've headed up the trail. I found tracks in the snow.

[Benny Stark]

Then we'd better get started.

[Don]

Oh, wait. I'll go after them. Mike, you take the truck. Go into town, find Dan Martin. Bring help as fast as you can. That storm's getting worse.

[Benny Stark]

No, you don't. I know the risk starting up that trail with a blizzard coming on. And if you think you're going to.

[Don]

Protect me by sending Mike, there's no time, and you're wrong. I'm not protecting you. I'm protecting myself.

[Benny Stark]

What do you mean?

[Don]

That bum leg of yours. I don't want you on my hands, too, along with the girls.

[Benny Stark]

All right, Johnny. I'll go after D.

[Don]

And hurry. Mike, I'm depending on you.

[Benny Stark]

Yeah. Good luck, Johnny.

[Don]

See you, Mike. I stood there in the snow, watching the headlights of the truck move away. Finally, they swung around the bend and disappeared. And I suddenly felt more alone than I ever had in my life. I'd gotten rid of Mike, deliberately, sent him away on purpose because I hadn't told him everything. I could see no point in tearing his heart out. There was another car parked on beyond Kathy's nearly hidden by the trees. Jed Horton's station wagon. The car that had been stolen by a killer named Benny Stark. It took me half an hour to cover the first mile and the storm kept getting worse. The beam of the lantern penetrated a bare 30ft ahead of me before it was smothered out in the white blackness of the night. After a few hundred yards, the tracks I was trying to follow had nearly disappeared. Snowboard blotted out, I gave up looking for them and stuck to Old Mike's description of the trail following the left bank of the frozen creek. The drifts were deeper down along the creek bottoms and the going was rougher. But I didn't dare leave it to look for better footing. It was my only landmark. The trail itself was buried. Any man who lost his way tonight and wandered off into one of those side gullies would wander straight to his death. An hour passed, then an hour and a half or two hours maybe. I lost all track of time and distance. The wind cut through my clothes and the numbing cold crept into me deeper and deeper. Gradually the walking, stumbling, breathing, even thinking became automatic and without feeling. The world itself seemed to narrow down to a tiny circle close around me. And all beyond was chaos, blackness and roaring storm. I tripped over fallen logs and floundered back to my feet, dropped my lantern and recovered it broke through the crusted drifts and struggled for footing and kept on moving in the weird nightmare of the blizzard. I could hardly recognize reality when I came face to face with it and a beam from my lantern touched him crouching by a tree a few yards away. I could barely accept him as being real. He'd been watching my light as I approached, waiting for me. It was Benny Stark with his gun leveled and aimed.

[Narrator]

Stop.

[Don]

Don't be a fool, Benny. Drop that gun. A curtain of snow swept between us then, blotting out the sight of him, and I was grateful. I turned and stumbled on into the storm. Moving in pitch darkness now except for the ghostly glow from the snow covered ground. The second shot had smashed my landing. I had nothing left to go by but instinct and luck, and they weren't enough. Within 15 minutes I was hopelessly lost. That's when I started hearing the music. Miles from no place where there couldn't be any music except inside my head. The cold and fatigue were finally doing their work. I knew the signs. The next step was to start wandering in circles, smaller and smaller ones, and the last step to drop exhausted and go peacefully, to sleep peacefully and permanently. But the sound kept growing louder And I moved in the direction it seemed to be coming from. It couldn't be just illusions. It had to be real. Hello? Hello there. Then suddenly, only a few yards away, a brilliant blaze of light exploded from the darkness. And it seemed that a golden haired girl was standing in the middle of it. And for a moment, my sanity tottered.

[I]

Who's out there?

[Don]

My golden vision was wearing blue jeans and a flannel shirt and was holding a rifle. She looked exactly like the photograph I'd seen of Kathy O'Dare. And the blaze of light came from an open cabin door. Who is it?

[I]

Speak up or I'll shoot.

[Don]

Oh, thank heaven. Hold him a. It's Johnny Dollar.

[I]

Are you getting warm now?

[Don]

I don't think I'll ever get warm again.

[I]

You will if you don't move away from the stove a little. The back of your shirt is starting to smoke.

[Don]

Yeah, I. I thought I was beginning to feel something. How's the firewood?

[I]

There's plenty. And plenty of food.

[Don]

And a radio. If I hadn't heard that music, I'd have blundered right on past this cabin.

[Mike O'Dare]

We've got everything.

[I]

We can hold out for a month if we have to. I hope we have to.

[Don]

What about your daughter? Is she all right?

[I]

Sure, she's fine. It's a picnic for her, a camping trip. She's sound asleep back there in the lean to. Dreaming about Santa Claus. I wish I could. How did you find me, Mr. Dollar?

[Benny Stark]

Oh, hunch.

[Don]

Guesswork. I was born under a lucky star.

[I]

I wasn't.

[Don]

Oh, I don't know. I think you've been pretty lucky, considering everything. More so than your landlady bank in New York, Mrs. Gratler?

[I]

What do you mean?

[Don]

Betty Stark went to see her. Tried to find out where you were. When she wouldn't tell him, he broke her arm.

[I]

Oh, no. Oh, the poor woman.

[Don]

Oh, it's a rough game, Ms. O'Dear. Trying to play it cozy with a mobster like Nick Shern. You know, of course, that he sent Benny here to find you.

[I]

You'll have a hard time finding me in this place.

[Don]

He did find you.

[I]

What?

[Don]

Maybe he followed you from the house or saw you drive through town. Anyway, I ran into him back down the trailer ways.

[I]

I thought I heard shooting a while ago.

[Don]

You did. He tried to ambush me. He thought he had the drop and he wouldn't give up. I had to kill him. Johnny Dollar.

[I]

Johnny Dollar. Spell it.

[Don]

J, O, H, N N Y D O L, L, A, R. That's not right.

[I]

You forgot to capitalize you're right, honey.

[Don]

Let me hear you spell your name.

[I]

Okay? Capital J, I, L, L, Jill. Capital O. Apostrophe.

[Don]

Apostrophe.

[I]

I never can say that. Capital D, A, R, E or dare. Of course, my last name is actually something else. I forget. But my mother says I'm really an odair.

[Don]

Not the least doubt about it. I could see it in a minute.

[I]

I like you, Johnny$.

[Don]

And I kind of like you too. Jello, dear.

[I]

You think my mother's pretty?

[Don]

I think she's lovely.

[I]

Why don't you get married to her so I can have a daddy?

[Don]

Well, that's certainly something to think about. And not a bad idea. Now I'll be quiet before you wake her up.

[I]

I'm already awake. And with a plot like that being hatched, I think I better stay awake. Is there coffee, Johnny?

[Don]

From special investigator Johnny Dollar. A small cabin in the timber outside Branbury, Michigan. To the home office, Tri Mutual Insurance Limited, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment, the Nick Sch matter expense account. Final page, item 15. $1,000,000 for a certain feeling. I realize, of course, that the amount of this item is somewhat unusual and may be cause for mild criticism by your accounting department unless the accompanying report includes an adequate and detailed explanation. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary correspondence and delay, I am attaching said explanation herewith. Here's your coffee, Kathy.

[I]

Thanks. How long did I sleep, Johnny?

[Don]

Oh, a couple of hours. It's around 4 in the morning.

[I]

The storm hasn't let up at all, has it?

[Don]

Oh, it's worse if anything.

[I]

Jill, honey, it's 4:00 in the morning and your eyes are just about to fall out. Now you go back there and go to sleep. Do I have to, Mommy? You have to. We're along now. Mr. Johnny Dollar and me were having a lot of fun till you woke up. Well, that's life, sweetie. Night now.

[Don]

Good night, Jill.

[I]

Good night.

[Don]

Proud of her?

[I]

I'm crazy about her. That's what you mean.

[Don]

She's a great little girl.

[I]

She's the only thing I ever did in my whole life that turned out right.

[Don]

That bad, huh?

[I]

Johnny? It's no good. I know why you're here. I know what you expect from me. And the answer is no.

[Don]

You're jumping the gun. I haven't asked you anything.

[I]

You will. You haven't done all this for nothing. You're going to ask me to come back to New York and testify against Nick Shern.

[Don]

I might ask you to tell the truth. Is that just another way of wording him?

[I]

I didn't see Anything? Hear anything? I don't know anything about it and I have nothing to say.

[Don]

So Nick Shern gets away with another murder.

[I]

I wouldn't know anything about that.

[Don]

And sooner or later, of course, he'll kill you too. He sent Benny Stark out to do it and Benny missed. But he's got other boys. Or he might even handle the job himself.

[I]

Why, by now he ought to know that. I'm not going to tell.

[Don]

But there's always that chance. You might change your mind. That Nick's a gambler, but he likes the odds on his side. He doesn't take chances. Whenever he can, he stacks the deck.

[I]

I wish I could help you, Johnny, but I don't know anything about it. I left before it happened.

[Don]

How long have you worked for Nick Sher?

[I]

Known him two years. I'm not wide eyed about him, Johnny. I've heard what he's been. What he may even still be. A gangster, hoodlum, racketeer. But that's none of my business. The club was legitimate. My job there was on the level. And he never got out of line once.

[Don]

And no doubt he's always been kind to his mother and loves dogs and children.

[I]

I wouldn't know. Except children. He's crazy about them. He was always buying something for Jill, asking about her.

[Don]

And he also shot and killed Mel Priker.

[I]

I couldn't say.

[Benny Stark]

I see.

[Don]

Well, you're letting a lot of people down. People here in Branbury that you grew up with. People that love you. Your father, Dan Martin.

[I]

What have they got to do with it?

[Don]

You know, it's a great country up here. I'd like to spend more time in it. And it's big country. Big and beautiful and dangerous. Like that blizzard outside there. It's not the kind of country that turns out cowards.

[I]

Cowards?

[Don]

Your father said something yesterday. That some people belong in cities and some don't. And that you're one of the second kind. He was right. The city's made a coward of you.

[I]

You don't understand.

[Don]

They know it. Oh, Mike, Dan, all of them. Of course, they'll never mention it. But you're letting them down and they know it. And you know it.

[I]

Kathy, they don't have a daughter to think of.

[Don]

It's not her fear we're talking about. It's yours.

[I]

All right, I'm scared. I've got reason to be. It's easy for you to talk. You don't know what fear is, what it can do to you.

[Don]

I don't.

[I]

It can push you and drive you and make you do things you hate yourself for.

[Don]

And it can destroy you.

[I]

How would you know? How would any of them know who haven't felt it, who haven't been there?

[Don]

Kathy, you're not alone. We've all been there. It's not the fear that's important. It's the courage you bring up to fight it.

[I]

I've tried. I've. I've nearly gotten crazy trying to think it out. But it always comes back to one thing. Jill.

[Mike O'Dare]

She's what counts.

[I]

Nothing else matters.

[Don]

And if you love her, teach her to grow up without fear. Sacrifice anything if you have to, even your life. But teach her courage. There's nothing greater you could do for her. Sorry. It's all right. It's all right.

[I]

I knew what was right, Johnny. I knew all the time.

[Benny Stark]

Sure.

[Don]

Of course you did. All you needed was a little push. Want to tell me about it now?

[I]

I. I was there at the club that night when it happened. I stayed after closing. I had some presents for Jill and I wanted to wrap them before I took them home. Nick and Mel Priker were upstairs in the office.

[Don]

Nick was there?

[I]

Yes. I could hear them arguing. They didn't know I'd stayed and.

[Don]

Go on.

[I]

I heard Mel Yellow. He said, no, Nick, no. And then I heard the shots.

[Don]

Yes.

[I]

I didn't even think. I ran up to the office. Mel was lying on the floor and Nick was standing there with a gun. He told me to get out and to keep quiet. I wanted to keep on living.

[Benny Stark]

That's it?

[I]

Yes.

[Don]

Would you make a statement to the police? Testify at the trial?

[I]

Yes.

[Don]

I'm good.

[I]

Will you help me, Johnny? Will you stand by me?

[Don]

You know I will.

[I]

You've got to. Because I'm scared. I'll be scared all the way, but I'll do it if you'll help me.

[Don]

I'll help you, Kathy. All the way. Why don't you curl up here and get some sleep? Come on.

[I]

Maybe now I can sleep.

[Don]

It's going to be all right.

[I]

Thanks, Johnny, for giving me the push.

[Don]

Oh, sure, honey.

[I]

You know something, Johnny? I'm with Jill. I like you, too.

[Don]

She went to sleep with her face against my chest. And after a while, little Jill came tiptoeing in and curled up on the other side. And I sat there holding them both, thinking and waiting for the dawn. So that's what I mean about a million dollar feeling. True, it wasn't my little girl or my big girl either. But for the moment, at least. Well, that item still goes. I'll still tag that feeling at $1 million. And I was sorry when the storm was over and a rescue party came up from town because I felt I'd had one moment in a lifetime that I'd never find again.

[Benny Stark]

Good King Wenson's luck looked down on.

[Don]

The feast of Stephen when the snow lay round about. The big event of the year in Brambury was the Christmas Eve show. In the town hall, there was music and a pageant and singing, and everybody took part in it. From the youngest kid in town to the toughest old grizzled lumberjack from the back hills. Jill was in the children's chorus and old Mike was to operate the spotlight. So they went on ahead. I took Kathy, and since she wasn't quite ready to face people yet, we made a point of getting there late. I didn't care when we got there, as long as I was with her. We slipped in quietly and took seats. At the back of the room, the string group from the high school orchestra was playing and no one noticed us, not even old Mike, Cathy's father, who was working the spotlights.

[I]

I hope. I hope Jill does all right. She hasn't had any time to practice with us.

[Don]

Oh, she'll do all right. We'd been there about 10 minutes when somebody else came in and slid into the one seat between us and the door. I didn't look around until I felt Kathy stiffen beside me.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, no.

[Don]

It was Nick Shern.

[Johnny Dollar]

Nobody gets excited now or makes any sudden moves. We just sit here quiet like.

[Don]

He slid his hand over to feel inside my coat under my arm.

[Johnny Dollar]

Now backing around, huh?

[Benny Stark]

Perfect.

[Don]

I'd left my gun at Kathy's house. Old Mike had been dubious about it. But with Benny dead, I'd seen no reason to carry it. And after all, it was Christmas Eve.

[Johnny Dollar]

All right, now, we're gonna ease out of here now without attracting no attention from anybody.

[Don]

You crazy, Nick. You're crazy.

[Johnny Dollar]

And just don't forget one thing, Dar. And that hornet's gone on. You see him? Right at the middle of Kathy's bank.

[Don]

Let's go, Johnny. No choice, Kathy. Come on. The back of the room was dark. Nobody paid any attention. Somebody was always leaving or coming back in. Come on.

[Johnny Dollar]

I got a car over at the side.

[Don]

Johnny, what's your dollar? We'll be right back, Mike. Just gonna get some air.

[Benny Stark]

All right, Johnny. But don't go running out before I give you your present, huh? Here. And don't uncork that until you're ready for some serious business.

[Don]

All right, I'll. I'll Thanks, Mikey. Thanks a lot.

[Benny Stark]

Don't mention it. Good luck, Johnny.

[Johnny Dollar]

Come on, let's get away from here.

[I]

Johnny, he's going.

[Don]

Take it easy. Kathy. Wait for me.

[Johnny Dollar]

Now what?

[I]

Oh, no, Jill, Go back.

[Adam Graham]

I want to say Uncle Nick.

[Benny Stark]

Why'd you tell me you were coming.

[I]

Here to hear me sing, Uncle Nick?

[Johnny Dollar]

Well, I. Listen, please, Uncle Nick.

[I]

Take your hands out of your pocket and pick me up.

[Johnny Dollar]

Look, Jill, you run along now.

[Don]

Who's that? Dan Martin. He's a deputy sheriff, and he's a dead shot. Better do like she says, Nick. Take your hand out of your pocket and pick her up.

[I]

Uncle Nick.

[Johnny Dollar]

All right. Reach in my pocket, Johnny, and take my gun.

[Don]

Later, Kathy and I walked around outside. We could still hear the children's chorus singing inside.

[I]

Jill saved our lives tonight.

[Don]

No, she saved Nick's life.

[I]

What do you mean?

[Don]

That present your father gave me. Up there at the spotlights, he could see what was happening. And he thought real fast, that present was a gun. I had Nick covered from the time we stepped off the porch.

[I]

I'm glad he didn't move. I'm glad it happened like it did.

[Don]

Yeah, so am I. I thought we'd.

[I]

Never see those stars up there again.

[Don]

You kept hold of yourself, Kathy. You showed a lot of courage.

[I]

No, but maybe I can learn to show it. I was just thinking, Johnny, looking at the stars up there. There was fear in the world then. 2,000 years ago. And he had courage.

[Don]

Expense account, item 16. $230.40. Incidentals in Branbury and transportation for two adults and one child. Branbury to New York. Expense account. Total $486.20. End of account. End of report remarks. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us here on the program, and God bless you. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood. Written by Les Crutchfield, it is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard in this week's cast were Virginia Gregg, Peggy Weber, Don Diamond, Ben Wright, Jack Crucian, Barney Phillips, Sam Edwards and Ken Christie. Musical supervision by Amerigo Marino. Be sure to join us on Monday night, same time and station, for another exciting story of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Roy Rowan. Speaking.

[Narrator]

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[Narrator]

Naturally driven by the search for better. But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search match with Indeed. When I was looking to hire someone, it was so slow and overwhelming. I wish I had used Indeed. If you need to hire, you need Indeed. Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed Data, and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast. Ditch the busy work. Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster. And Indeed doesn't just help you hire faster. 93% of employers agree Indeed delivers the highest quality matches compared to other job sites, according to a recent Indeed survey. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com podcast. That's Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. Well, I'll be honest, this is my all time favorite. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar Cereal. And there's so much to talk about on this one. We'll start with some of the smaller items and then go into the big overarching themes as we get to the close of the commentary. First, first of all, let's talk about the scene with Johnny on the trail in episode four, looking for Kathleen and dealing with Benny Stark and a Blizzard. This is simply some of the best radio you will ever hear with the mix of music, sound effects and Bob Bailey's narration and acting just grab your attention and carry the scene through. And this is actually the only scene that I've ever actually paid someone to animate. And I'll include a link to it in the show notes. It's fascinating to see how they interpreted it, even if the pictures don't quite match the vivid ones that would be in the heads of most listeners. It's just such a well executed and suspenseful and dramatic sequence. And of course that comes down to Bob Bailey. And let's just appreciate how good he is in this serial. Bailey is praised oftentimes for being the best Johnny Dollar actor. But in this serial I think it really is at another level. He has so many great scenes and really his performance is just a master class. And having listened to the serial a few times, this time through, I noted some of the actors. And the first few times through I was so into the story I didn't pay a whole lot of attention. But I noticed that you had a couple of actors in this who were playing parts that were very different from the sort of roles that you would associate with them. Now, Ken Christie tended to play a lot of generic cops and policemen. It wasn't exclusively, but that's probably the most common role I've heard him in. And of course he had ongoing roles as Lt. Johnson on Let George do it after Wally Mayer was no longer available to play Lieutenant Riley. And he was also the second actor to play Noah Danton on Mystery Is My Hobby. And in the serials Don Diamond, I've noticed he plays a lot of younger, edgier, hipper characters. For example, in the Broderick manner, he played a jazz musician. In the Cui Bono matter, he played the guy who was running the underground club, sort of tough from the city. And that tends to be his roles. Yet in this one, Ken Christie plays old Mike and. And Don diamond plays the sheriff's deputy. And I think it really works well. I. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a Ken Christie performance more than in this story. The start of the final episode was really interesting from a character perspective, not just for the way it handled the Johnny Dollar opening in a very different way because Johnny, of course, is a bachelor and that's a conscious choice. If there's any part of the character that carried over from the O'Brien era, it may be from that one story where Johnny said he didn't like policemen's wives. And it was applied to both policemen, detective, what have you. And what he meant by that is he didn't like what the job did to them and how hard it was on them. And so Johnny sees a really strong conflict between his job and having a family life. And he loves his job. Plus the fact that his heart has gotten broken so many times probably doesn't help matters. Yet in this brief moment, Johnny indulges in a bit of imagining what if or what could have been, but which he never expects to happen. I think that the fact that Johnny has conflicting desires about family life actually makes him more interesting than those sort of characters who you just know they're never gonna get married and have no interest in anything other than their work. And I think it's really particularly well handled in his interactions with Jill. As for the story itself, it's such a story of striking contrast. The majority of this serial, after the first episode and a half in New York, takes place in Branbury, which feels like the sort of town a Hallmark movie would be sent in. Instead, Johnny's hunting for a killer. The contrast between the Christmas atmosphere and the deadly of the situation occurs time and time again. Christmas music is often played at times of extreme peril. It's such an odd but intentional juxtaposition. The conversation between Mike and Johnny in episode three, when Johnny compares Benny to those who hunted baby Jesus, drives home the point that this contrast between the spirit of the season and the cruelty and harshness of the world has always been present. I think there can be a view that Christmas, with its joy and hope and peace on earth, really can only fit into a sort of idyllic place, a sort of fantasy, because reality is far harsher. Because the more we look at the world and all that goes on, the more Christmas and all of its themes can seem out of place. Yet one of the big themes of this episode is that evil in the world and Christmas have always coexisted, and so they coexist in this story. The other big theme is courage. Johnny's confrontation with Kathleen, as well as her final line really drive home this theme and the idea that fundamentally, Christmas is about courage. It takes courage to celebrate peace on earth and goodwill toward men in the face of all the evil and heartache in the world, to do the right thing in your life all the year round, no matter how fearful the consequences might be. And it explains, explores this idea through the Christmas story and what I think is a really effective way. The Nick Shern matter manages to be a very good detective story and also a very good Christmas story, while also offering some unexpected thematic depth. Its acting is on point and its use of music to drive the themes home is effective without ever feeling overbearing. I'm of the opinion that this is of the truly great audio dramas ever made. It's an all time classic and it's always such a pleasure to share it with you. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback and we start with an email from Miranda. Miranda writes hi Adam, first just want to say that I love the podcast. I grew up listening to the Old Time radio shows on Sirius XM with my family. My favorite was always Dragnet, but I also love Johnny Dollar and Boston Blackie. Hint hint. Now I drive a ton for work so it's great having the podcast to listen to. I look forward to my Dragnet day and my Johnny Dollar days every week. Thank you for reviving these old detective shows. I also wanted to comment on the Nick Schern matter. I grew up and live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is where I chose to think Branbury is, mostly because of the references to the logging camps and the snow and because we tend to get overlooked in entertainment. The writing of that serial was phenomenal and the setting was on point. I was driving through some snow early in the morning while listening to the part where Johnny meets Benny Stark in the blizzard, and when Benny came up out of the darkness to confront Johnny, I jumped. I like the part where Mike O'Dare asked Johnny why Benny would go into town since staying in the woods would be safer, because I was wondering the same thing. There's also a moment where they reference Chippewa Canyon. Kind of a throwaway line, but although I've never heard of a canyon by that name, there are Chippewa Counties and Chippewa river up here in the Upper Peninsula, so I'm wondering if that's where they got it all. That is to say that I guess things haven't changed much here in rural Michigan since the 50s, especially the opinions and personalities of us locals, and that the writers of the show did a great job making the shows accurate and the characters believable. Merry Christmas and thanks again for bringing us the detectives of Old Time Radio. Well, thank you so much, Miranda. Really appreciated your email. And it's the type of email that can really only come from someone who happened to live in that area. And it's a fascinating insight. And really, when it comes to these sort of small town portrayals, there are essentially two different sorts of fictional small town. The first is almost completely fictitious. It's imagined based on media portrayals based on the author's prejudices and preconceived notions rather than an actual place. I mean, there are writers whose portrayal of what a small town is wouldn't change a whole lot, whether the location was supposed to be up in Vermont or or over in eastern Montana. Even those. Those are very different fields of towns. And then there are those that try to capture and tie into real places, capture that sort of authentic culture and authentic feel. And if the writer is good at crafting a story, you're not going to know the difference unless you're from that story specific region. So getting an email from someone who comes from that Upper Peninsula region in Michigan is just incredibly helpful. I wish I could find some insight as to how or what might have inspired Crutchfield. I looked into it and he was from Kansas with no specific ties to Michigan, and certainly not to that region that I could find. Was it a place he vacationed once? Was it someone he knew from that region of Michigan? I'm not certain. But to learn that it's got that actual authenticity to place, it really does add a little bit more to what is a really solid cereal. So so thanks so much for that, Miranda Lauren's email has the subject line Is it even Christmas if you don't listen to the Nick Schern matter? Lauren writes. So I admit I listened to my favorite serial a little late in the season. Listening to the Nick Shern matter is a tradition for me, and it did not disappoint. I even noticed a few new details this time around. For example, the not so subtle part that radio plays in Johnny's survival during the blizzard. A sign of the times too good. I actually think I enjoyed it more than usual. Perhaps this was because I was anticipating this special tradition of mine. Or perhaps it was because I wasn't distracted by the seemingly endless Christmas to do list. Or possibly I'm just getting older and appreciating the little joys in a different way. Also, your commentary on the cereal was so insightful. I especially resonated with commingling of good and evil points which mimic real life. True words right there. Thank you so much. And from YouTube, Roncher writes Adam, I agree with everything you said about this serial, but you missed one of the greatest features. Barney Phillips made a great sidewalk Santa. I imagine he and Bob Bailey had a ball doing that scene. Well, thanks so much for the comment, Reinzer. There is so much good to say about the Nick Schern matter. It's hard to cover at all. Plus, I tend to be a bit light on my commentary on the first half of the serial, but I think Marty Phillips as a sidewalk Santa really was a nice highlight. Much like Ken Christie playing Michael Derf, Barney Phillips as the sidewalk Santa is really different from the typical roles we hear him in, particularly in these Johnny Dollar serials. And I think that one other thing I forgot to mention, now that you mention it, it was Virginia Gregg who played the landlady in episode two and then played Kathy O'Dare in episodes four and five. It really is remarkable, just the high quality of her output and how she's really able to seamlessly play two characters like that. And then I received another comment. I've made this comment before. This is my favorite radio episode. The exposition is perfect and the scenes are so descriptive that I can easily visualize what's going on. And Mary says, marvelous. Simply marvelous.

[Narrator]

As humans, we're naturally driven by the search for better, but when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search Match with Indeed. When I was looking to hire someone, it was so slow and overwhelming. I wish I had used Indeed. If you need to hire, you need Indeed. Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed Data, and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast. Ditch the busywork. Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster. And Indeed doesn't just help you hire faster. 93% of employers agree Indeed delivers the highest quality matches compared to other job sites according to a recent Indeed survey, and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com podcast. That's Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

[Adam Graham]

Thank you so much for your comments and I hope you enjoyed this slightly different format for this omnibus. This version of the nickshirn Omnibus will actually replace the version on our Christmas feed, but the old version will remain on the yours truly Johnny Dollar feed and also and also the Volume two feed and our Great Detectives website. Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day and I want to go ahead and thank Delilah. Delilah has been one of our patreon supporters since December 2019, currently supporting the podcast at the Seamus level of $4 or more per month. Thank you so much for your support. Support Delilah and that will actually do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software that will do it for today. A reminder, you can find all of our Christmas episodes [e-mail] Check out the Amazing World of Radio at amazing.greatdetives.net where where we have three Christmas episodes posted now, with one more scheduled for Christmas Eve. We'll be back on Friday with our regular weekly yours truly, Johnny Dollar. But join us back here tomorrow for the Adventures of the Falcon, where.

[Benny Stark]

I.

[Adam Graham]

Hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to Box 13@channel greatdetactives.net follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram instagram.com greatdetectives From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham, signing off.

[Narrator]

As humans, we're naturally driven by the search for better. But when it comes to hiring, the best way to search for a candidate isn't to search at all. Don't search Match with Indeed When I was looking to hire someone, it was so slow and overwhelming. I wish I had used Indeed. If you need to hire, you need Indeed. Indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million global monthly visitors, according to Indeed Data, and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast. Ditch the busywork. Use Indeed for scheduling, screening and messaging so you can connect with candidates faster. And Indeed doesn't just help you hire faster. 93% of employers agree Indeed delivers the highest quality matches compared to other job sites, according to a recent Indeed survey. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com podcast that's Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

[Kathy O'Dare]

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[Don]

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