Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Lansing Fraud Matter, Part Five and the Widow is Willing (EP0979)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Lansing Fraud Matter, Part Five and the Widow is Willing (EP0979) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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slash Radio Detectives. Well, today's episode is brought to you by the financial
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support of our listeners. Thanks for your support, and you can support the
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program at support dot Great Detectives dot net. Now it's Tom for today's episode
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of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, the Lansing Fraud man Or Part five, and
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coming up after Johnny Doller, we'll listen to part two of the Widow was
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Willie from Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Doller, Jim Connor, Johnny
1:21
anything on Hillary Frank's He just telephoned me two minutes ago. What I'm on
1:25
my way to meet him now and try and make a deal. I tell
1:27
him if he give me a statement about the attempt to fraud worldwide on Lansing's
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fifty thousand dollars policy, I do my best to have them dropped. Charges.
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You didn't make any promises. I couldn't make any promises, Jim,
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but I'll do my best to see that the charges are dropped if he gives
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me that statement. Well, if he gives you that statement, I'll help
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you at a place near here. He knows every comp in the area is
1:47
looking for him. Yeah, be sure he doesn't give me a bullet kill
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tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey and the Transcribed Adventures of the Man
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with the Action Packed Expense Account America's Fabulous Freelance Insurance Investigator or its truly Johnny
2:08
Deller expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Doller and Tucson, Arizona to the
2:23
Universal Adjustment Bureau Home Office, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is a further
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accounting of expenditures during my investigation of Will. It was a case of fifty
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thousand insurance to one Arlene Kennedy unless I could prove my point in the Lansing
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fraud expense account, Item ten ten bucks cab fare from my hotel and the
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mission sound heavier to talk to Hillary Franks, the insurance agent with no future
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ahead. I used a taxicab instead of my rented car because I didn't want
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to waste time searching around for the mission. It was a few miles outside
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of town, over rough and broken desert roads, an ancient missionary. You're
3:00
standing stark against the moon filled night. Here we are, mister Gooda here
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keep the change much long with a white boy. Now I'm back, okay,
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not many places to call a calf. I'm out here. Yeah,
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I know one of the podreys. You're friend. No, No, I'm
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nowhere around here. Are you all right, mister m you feel all right?
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You're loaded or something? No, why we're coming out here at midnight?
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Oh, it's just a whim, friend, don't worry about it.
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How about your boy? Let's do Yeah? Are you gonna meet somebody here
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or something? Why? I just saw a guy standing over by the bell
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top. Oh? Thanks, good night over here, mister collar careful though
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Hillary Franks had a thirty eight pointed right up my chest in the bright moonlight,
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I could see that he was still wearing the same clothes he'd had on
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two days before in his office. He needed to shave, and, judging
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from the circles under his eyes, he hadn't slept much. He was pale
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and shaking A gun wobbled in his hand. Anybody with you? I came
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along. Did you tell anybody you were meeting me? Jim Carter, he's
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been working the case with me. Did you tell him where? No,
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you don't need that gun. Frank's put it away. I just came here
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to talk with you, all right, Nice on a smoke, Thank you.
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Why did you talk to Carter? What did he say? He said
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he'd help me try and have the charges dropped against you. If you give
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us a statement, you have two of us on your side, mister Franks.
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If you want to cooperate, there were you. I want to straighten
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out what I can, allows the time to do it. What was your
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deal with Arlene Kennedy James Lancing sister and beneficiary. I met Arlene Kennedy right
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after my wife died. I guess I was very love Oh, that's perfectly
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natural. I became interested in Arlene because we had a great many things in
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common, so I thought, I mean, she was a widow and had
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no one except her brother, James Lancing and Los Angeles. And we went
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together and eventually I asked her to marry me, but she laughed at me.
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Why, I guess I'm not an exciting man, a witty one,
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or even an interesting one, mister Valler. Missus Kennedy made me feel as
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though my whole life had been hopeless, useless, raising children, selling insurance.
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She made me feel as though I had missed a great deal in life
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unless I married. What is it? What do you want from me?
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What do you want from life? I ask? And she'd only laugh laugh
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at me. Go on, I just can't tell you how desperate it made
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me feel like I loved her, mister Dalla, I wanted her. Did
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she ever answer your question? Many times? She pointed out that her trust
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funds pay her over seven hundred dollars a month for life, and she knew
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that my commissions and salary as a broker came to about the same. Oh,
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mister Della, we could have lived very comfortably on that kind of income.
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But Arlene talked of traveling in Europe, of clothes and I don't know
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things. Her family had been able to afford for her once many years ago,
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and she said she wouldn't marry unless we could look forward to that kind
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of life. She wanted fifty thousand dollars in cash instead of money just trickling
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in every month. That's about it. Why don't she get around to the
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proposition her brother's insurance. Her brother came here from Los Angeles one day.
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The doctors there gave him a year or two to live. Oh yeah,
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he was pretty shot, been drinking for years. He'd used up all his
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money for a long time before he asked Arlene to help him. She paid
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his apartment with him and gave him enough money for liquor. And then one
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day, one day, she came right out with it. She said she
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was investing in him and he was a good risk because she knew he'd die.
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That's how she put it to me. Arline said, all I had
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to do was see to it that her brother had a nice fat policy.
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He was going to die. Why not cash in on it. I must
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have been crazy to even think about it. How did you work it?
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I mean, how did doctor Mayhood pass him? I paid a man a
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hundred dollars to go to doctor Mayhood's office and take the physical for lancing.
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Was a man's name. Oh no, no, I wouldn't tell you that,
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mister Goler. He's not involved in an end, all right. They'll
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let that go. Once you arranged for Lancing to becoming short. Do you
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and missus Kennedy just planned on waiting for him to die? That's what the
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general idea and pew of what the Los Angeles doctors has said. Once I
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had done it, I mean, gotten him insured, it was too late
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to turn back. Did you want to turn back? Yes? What did
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missus Kennedy say about being out? She thought I was weak and afraid and
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things weren't so good between mister. The idea was to wait for Lancing to
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die, collect the fifty thousand, and get married. I suppose, oh
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yes, But once he was insured, she talked less and less about all
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getting married. You're leaving something up, mister Franks. Huh didn't she tell
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you exactly what kind of a position you were in? Didn't she fix it
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so that you couldn't make a mole? Legally, she'd done nothing wrong.
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It was you who had arranged for the physical, you who had made the
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application for insurance in the name of her brother. Oh yes, Oh yes,
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she was clear about all that, and she told me so every time
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she felt like it. When you write down what you just told me and
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sign it, we can hold it over missus Kennedy's head to prove attempt at
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the one in collusion. How would you do that, mister Franks? Yes,
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and I guess we'd better get back into town, all right, Come
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on, mister Franks. We walked three miles over to the highway, flagged
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down a car, and got back to the hotel about two thirty in the
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morning, got Jim Cratter out of bed and closed fine notarized statement of Hillary
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Franks explaining his part in the matter regarding policy six seven, eight J and
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two three L. Before he was finished, Crater had already telephoned the Tucson
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Police telling them that the charges were being dropped against Franks and that he was
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no longer a fugitive. Then he placed a long distance called the Worldwide President
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and Hertford Jim Carter, Sir, I want to ask you not to prosecute
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Hilary Franks in this matter. Yes, sir, he's given us a complete
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statement about the whole thing. I don't think we have to go any farther
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than that. Oh. Look, the guy made one mistake, the first
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one in seventeen years. He suffered enough for it already. Yes, it
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dollar feels that way too, Yes, sir, I think it's okay,
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mister Franks, all right, I thank you. What are you gonna do,
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mister Franks? Oh sure, I'll never sell insurance again. I think
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I'll close up and just move away, far away. Thank you, poor
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guy. Oh let's clean up the rest of this and get out of this
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town. Show it, Jenny. Hillary Franks pulled out up Tucson. That
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afternoon. Missus Kennedy was shown a carbon of the enclosed statement of Hillary Franks.
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She instructed her attorneys to withdraw the suit against Worldwide expensive count ATOM eleven
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seventy five dollars, hotel on board one on Tucson, ATOM twelve four hundred
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and two dollars and fifteen cents plane tickets Tucson to Hartford for Crater and myself.
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We were scheduled to leave at one thirty in the morning, Two hours
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before playing time. I dropped by Missus Kennedy's house to have her sign a
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release of all claims on the insurance company and for other reasons. Don't mean
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mister dollar, please help. I carried Arling Kennedy to the couch and I
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did what I could for I've phoned the police and told them to bring an
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ambulance. After that I began looking around. I found a dark stain on
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the window still leading outside of the back of the house. On the floor
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a blood stained letter opener. There was no gun in sight anywhere. I
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decided if I had been stabb with a letter opener, it would be easier
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to try to make it out the backway than risk the street that was about
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to be full of policeman any minute. I was right. Hillary Franks was
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on a ledge of rocket rose above the back of the house. I gut
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behind some tectis points. Get away from me. You know I won't.
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You know I wouldn't when I let you walk out this afternoon. That's right
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now. Put that gun away and come on off that ledge. Get away,
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go away. You missed by a mile. You don't know anything about
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shooting a gun. Come on down, see where you are. Don't do
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anything, puish, I'm coming after you. I don't shoot good good shot
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and you walk No, Why did you do it? Mister Franks came back
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to see her at night. She laughed at me, said if we had
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gotten the insurance Manishi, she was planning to run away sign up. She
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just used me all along. Missus Kennedy was dead when the police got there.
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Hillary Franks died on route to the receiving hospital. I had am thirteen
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fifteen bucks Hotel, one more night in Tucson, explains account. Total eleven
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twenty one dollars and thirteen cents. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Remember there'll
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be another exciting story beginning next Monday night, next week. Trip to New
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York, to the bright lights, the glamor of Broadway, with its theaters,
14:03
its actors, and yes, some very bad actors. You might even
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say chillers. Join us, won't you cars truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours
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Truly Johnny Doller, starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood. Written by
14:28
John Dawson, It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard him this
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week's cast where Mary Jane Croft, Viviy Janis, Jean Tatum, high Everback,
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Barney Phillips, Russell Thorson, and Howard mcneer. Musical supervision by Amerigo
14:41
Marino. Be sure to join us on Monday night, same time and stationed
14:46
for another exciting story of Yours truly, Johnny Doller. This is Roy Rowan
14:52
speaking Welcome Back. I won not one of my favorite of cereals I thought
15:54
it wasn't bad, mate. It was kind of involved, but you got
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the field that we really needed that shooting to happen at the end. We
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wouldn't have much of a of a story overall in terms of a detectors story.
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You know, he signs the statement, she goes ahead and gives up
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on the claim, and that would have been that not a whole lot of
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drama tacking So tacking on the shooting kind of it was necessary for plot point,
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but kind of a stretch from a story point. This is an adaptation
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actually of a John Lone story. It was based on the Chicago Fraud Matter,
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which originally aired February sixth, nineteen fifty three, and we played it
16:45
for sixteen months or eighteen months ago on in episode zero five six out.
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I should also mentioned before we get into our Carter Brown's story that you will
16:57
not have a story about Broadway as that story, the Nick Scharn Matter is
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really a great Christmas story. So we're going to skip over it for now
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and we'll come back to it at a more seasonally appropriate time in six months.
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All right, Well, let's go ahead and take a listen to our
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second program. The Widow is willing Cartha Brown Mister Adventures in Excitement and Suspense,
17:44
based on the best selling novels by the slick storytelling sensation Carta Brown.
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Have you ever woken up in the bedroom in the middle of the night and
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heard a weird whispering voice, switched on the light and found the room empty?
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Around the office of Excelsior Insurance in Corporated, I was considered a pretty
18:14
tough investigator, Mark Hunt, the guy with a marble heart. I didn't
18:18
get much sleep the rest of the night, and that empty room in the
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gaunt gulbride house, with the rainsheets looping viciously against the window and the wind
18:26
whining outside the walls. I was glad when daylight came. Daylight, Such
18:30
a nice, sane thing to see everything that sneaks out of the graveyard at
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midnight is back there before dawn. Who is it? Row? Okay,
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come in? Ever sent to fetch you? And Lylah? I was wondering
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what had happened to you? It's late breakfast over that's okay. I've kind
18:48
of lost my appetite this morning anyway. Why what's the matter? Oh,
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it's nothing really, only I'm just beginning to understand that old guy, that
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old guy, the one over. I made a couple of cryptic comments about
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this place. I'm beginning to see what he meant. You're not making sense,
19:06
but that's not my business. I was told to get you. The
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lawyers arrived, lawyer sure to read Henry Goldbright's will. They're all gathered in
19:12
the living room. And while I've figured you ought to be there, seeing
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that you're investigating Henry's debt. Oh yeah, sure, I'll get dressed right
19:19
away. Okay, I'll get back. Oh if you time it right,
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you'll miss all the legal mumbo jumbo, and get there for the interesting pie.
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John Cross was right all the time. I crept quietly into the living
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room and took a seat. The legal eagle, lean, lifeless looking bird
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was getting down a business before reading the section concerning the actual beneficiaries. I
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must say that I did my utmost to dissuade mister Goldbright from the course he
19:52
took. My efforts were of no avail, and he insisted on couching his
19:56
will in at present terms. Thank you, mister Daventry. Would you please
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contin and now as to the disposal of my estate, I am well aware
20:04
that my wife married me only for what she could get. Therefore, I
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have not the slightest intention of allowing her to squander the wealth it took my
20:12
family five generations to a mess. I leave her a legacy of ten thousand
20:18
dollars and trust it will be enough to keep her until she remarries. I
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might add that I have long suffered watching the sheep's eyes made my wife by
20:26
John Cross, and knowing he's practically penniless, cannot help feeling a certain satisfaction
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in knowing that if they marry, it will undoubtedly be a love man.
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How always please The bulk of my estate I leave to my brother, Clem
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Goldbright. I realize that he is a waster, but I trust he has
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enough family pride to guard the family fortune. If my brother should die within
20:48
two years of inheritance, my wife shall take over the whole estate. If
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she should die within a similar period, then the estate will revert to my
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friend Michael del Prescot, who has for so long desired my paintings and other
21:03
art treasures. There are other minor provisions, of course, A thousand dollars
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for the butler and five hundred for the maid, and that I think is
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all. Has any wonder any questions? Yes, I have, Yes,
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mister Goldbright. That last condition about the estate reverting on death is that legal?
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Can it be contested contested? Certainly not. It's a perfectly legal procedure.
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But don't you see what it means If Henry was murdered, if his
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fault wasn't an accident, it means he's a killer in this house, and
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that will is an open incitement to murder. Come, come, mister Goldbright.
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Aren't you letting your imagination run away with you? If I am found
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one morning on the jellylike Henry was, that'll be a comforting thought. The
21:48
lawyer left after lunch. The rain hadn't let up, and that, combined
21:52
with the terms of the will and Clem's outbursts, produced an atmosphere like death
21:56
row and a penal institution. Everyone retired Earlier. I was back in my
22:04
bedroom and I was wishing it was someplace else because the room kept reminding me
22:08
of that whispering voice in the night, so as I couldn't stop thinking about
22:12
it, and I tried to figure out what the voice had been trying to
22:15
tell me. Eternity can be held in captivity. It had said in prison
22:19
for all to see. Of course, it meant a camera. If someone
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had taken a photograph as Henry plunged to his death, that was it.
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The voice meant that somewhere there was a negative that proved whether Henry fell or
22:34
was pushed. Who's that? Oh, I'll come in. I've brought a
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bottle and two glasses, Lila, that's an inspiration, that's what I thought.
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Here you do the pouring. Ye, that's been such a dreadful day.
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I won't argue with that. I just couldn't stand being by myself.
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Well now you're not. No, he should drink. You know. It's
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funny, isn't it? Sure? That will? And I think of all
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the time I've been here in this guystly place, of all the time I
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endured Henry. What do I get as a reward ten thousand dallars? Henry
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seems to have been an eccentric character. Henry was a heel, pure and
23:22
simple. But don't let's talk about you, okay? What will we talk
23:26
about? You? You and me? It sounds an interesting subject. I
23:30
like you, Mark. You have my idea of a man. I haven't
23:34
known a real man these last few years Is that a very awful thing to
23:40
say? Let me think about it. No, I don't think it is.
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I wouldn't like you to think I'm awful. I think you're beautiful.
23:48
Park the lights they've gone out. Yeah, in the doorway, I figure
23:56
it's Henry. As Lila's body cleft the floor, every hair on my head
24:03
stood on end. In the doorway, bathing on unearthly light, was the
24:06
figure of a man with gray hair and a gray mustache. I grabbed for
24:10
my gun. The figure was in front of me, but the laugh came
24:15
from behind me. I whirled around, and when I turned back for the
24:18
door, the figure was gone. I was hitting for the door when I
24:22
heard the voice again in the darkness. Do you believe? Will you listen
24:27
when I tell you that the secret of my dear is held for all time,
24:33
imprisoned in emotion, waiting to be and you shall discover the Suddenly the
24:44
music stopped and the lights came on. I looked at my gun, and
24:48
then at Lila on the floor. As I picked her up and placed her
24:52
on the bed, she stirred, Mark, it's okay, it's okay.
24:56
Did you see him? I saw something? It was Henry hat from the
24:59
dead, even from beyond the grave. He wasn't in the page. I
25:02
don't think it was Henry. I fired at whatever it was, but my
25:04
gun was empty. Someone's removed the clip and genuine ghost wouldn't worry about bullets.
25:11
But someone worried enough to take them out of my gun, so I
25:14
wouldn't fire any But who would do that and why? That's the sixty four
25:18
thousand dollar question. If we knew that, we'd know everything. Mark,
25:22
I'm scared. I can't go back to my room. I've got a solution.
25:27
Stay here. Yeah, we can finish the bottle after breakfast. Next
25:38
morning, we all gathered in the living room Clem Goldbright and said he wanted
25:41
to make an announcement, and everyone was wondering what it was. Everyone's here,
25:47
good. I told you I had an announcement to me. Here it
25:51
is. You all heard the terms of the wheel yesterday. You all know
25:55
that world's ended. Everything that goes with it is my property. You also
25:59
heard me say what I thought of the will nothing more nor less than an
26:02
open invitation to murder. Well, I have no intention of being murdered,
26:07
So I'm asking you to leave. All of you leave now. Wait a
26:08
minute, call Brian. That's just what I won't do. Mister Cross,
26:11
wait a minute longer than I have to. The inquest is this afternoon.
26:15
She shouldn't take long with no evidence. A verdict will be accidental death,
26:18
and I'm asking you all to leave by tomorrow. Launch will be winning for
26:22
you at ten thirty in the morning. Climon, that doesn't give us much
26:23
time to pack our things. I've got all my clothes. Alo down there
26:27
and call me all the names you like. Cross. You might have some
26:32
consideration for Lila, even if not for the rest of it. The only
26:34
person I'm considering is me. I'm sorry. Ten thirty tomorrow morning. That's
26:40
final. I watched him stride out of the room, and I thought that
26:48
boy was really scared. I got away from the rest of them one decided
26:52
to take a walk around the island. The rain had stopped, but the
26:56
sky was still lead gray, promising more. Yeah. I've enough for about
27:00
an hour and was heading back towards the house. I came on the figure
27:03
of a woman and what a figure and what she was holding pulled me up
27:07
short. Well, Hello there, hello yourself. Nice to get some fresh
27:11
air. Huh, yeah, what's the camera for one of those photograph fans.
27:18
Ter Harby, I wouldn't have thought that you'd go in for photography.
27:22
You're quite a surprising girl, mAbs am I. One of the tragedies of
27:26
my life is having a husband who's old enough to be jealous but too old
27:30
to be interesting. You'll look young enough to be interesting, Mark, Well,
27:34
thanks, What did you do before you acquired your husband? Used to
27:40
work in goals? Like it? Some of it the time I worked with
27:42
a magician that was fun until his wife woke up to him. Tell me,
27:47
Maybes, did you think Henry Goldbright was murdered? I wouldn't know,
27:51
and I wouldn't care. I never liked him and he never liked me.
27:55
How much is the policy you'll have to pay on him? Fifty thousand dollars?
27:57
Wow, that's a lot of hate, sure is. And it depends
28:03
whether he fell or whether he was pushed. That's right. Supposing someone gave
28:07
you proof that he was pushed, would you pay them anything? Of course?
28:11
The usual right, ten thousand dollars. That's not bad thinking of claiming
28:17
at maybe's maybe you've got some proof, like a photograph or something, a
28:22
photograph of what Henry coming down with a view of the balcony behind him and
28:26
maybe somebody standing on the balcony. That's ridiculous, is it? Whatever gave
28:30
you an idea like that? It was just something that came to me in
28:33
the night. The inquest, as Clem Goldbright had prophesied, was straightforward and
28:41
to the point. Verdict accidental death, which meant we'd have to pay on
28:45
the policy. It was late by the time I got back to World's End
28:48
and half to dinner. Everybody got busy with their packing in preparation for departure
28:51
In the morning. I took some liquor up to my room and locked the
28:53
door. I didn't want any visit a supernatural or seductive. Half a bottle
28:59
later, I was asleep, but I wasn't destined for an undisturbed night.
29:06
I grabbed my gun and made for the door. Look, did you hear
29:10
it too? Hear us? It'll hold my dreams. It's over outside for
29:12
balcony. Come on, come on? Do you think I know why?
29:15
I think there's balcony here? Cross? What is it? Hey had the
29:22
scream, came out and looked down. I keep awaiting like that, Why
29:26
why? John? You guy? Says a body on that jetty body,
29:29
who is it? Cross? You're gonna look for yourself? Can you see?
29:33
Yeah, the moonlight shining full on it. That's Clem Goldbright. Welcome
29:53
back. Well, I can't say I feel a lot of sympathy with the
30:02
widow and the story and totally understand the decision to do the will the way
30:07
he edit in terms of not leaving our money. The problem with the air
30:14
was he was really a little too slow about getting folks out of the house.
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So now we have a real mystery to deal with and we'll see how
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it starts to work out. Be sure and listen next week for part three.
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Johnny Dowler begins a new serial on Monday. In the meanwhile, I'll
30:33
send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectors dot net, follow us on
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Twitter Radio Detectors, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot
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com, Slash Radio Detectors. But from Boise, Idaho, this is your
30:45
host, Adam Grahamson and off