Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The McCormack Matter Omnibus Edition (EP1346s)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The McCormack Matter Omnibus Edition (EP1346s) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio and our bi annual listener support
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campaign from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. If
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you have a comment, send it to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
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net and follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives and become one of our friends
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on Facebook, Facebook dot com, slash Radio Detectives. Well, today is
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a special app and we will be bringing you three specials over the course of
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the listener support campaign. We're going to revisit the Johnny Dollar five parters now
1:08
where we're going to bring you today's program in an omnibus format with all five
1:15
parts together in a semi feature link Johnny Dollar Radio Adventure, and we'll have
1:23
more to talk about that in a moment. I do want to encourage you
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to support the show support dot Great Detectives dot net, and for the past
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few years, listener support has been our greatest source of revenue on the program.
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It helps pay for quite a few things that we need to do in
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terms of website protection, hosting, and also just really working towards a goal
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of me being able to focus on trying to find ways to pursue passions for
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writing and for radio drama. Of course, this past year we've also done
2:02
The War, which was a great limited series, and it's the type of
2:07
thing I'd like to do more of. It just always becomes a matter of
2:09
time, So listener support is helpful on that in during the year, if
2:15
you send in a donation of seven dollars or more, we'll send access to
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our premium site. We will also during the listener support campaign send you an
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extra thank you gift with a donation of twenty dollars or more. At the
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twenty dollars level, I'll be happy to send you one of Colonial Radio Theaters
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great Perry Mason mysteries. These are great adaptations. They take a different tack
2:40
from the television show, really trying to be very faithful to this spirit of
2:46
the novels and they're definitely worth a lesson, and we will send you one
2:50
with a donation of twenty dollars or more, and at the fifty dollars level,
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we'll send your choice of volume one or volume two of the BBC follow
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the Brown series, and that's her donation of fifty dollars or more, and
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at the one hundred dollar level for those of you who are in the United
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States or Canada will send you you your choice of volumes one, two,
3:13
or three of John Abbott's Great Who Is Johnny Dollar, which is a complete
3:19
episode guide to the series with details on many lost scripts. Volume one collects
3:23
all of the pre Bob Bailey Johnny Dollar stories, Volume two collects the Bob
3:30
Bailey Johnny Dollar stories, and Volume three collects the post Bob Bailey Johnny Dollar
3:36
stories. And that's with the donation of one hundred dollars or more. Well,
3:40
the story of the Johnny Dollar serials is one I've mentioned before, but
3:44
I'll recamp briefly. CBS really was trying to find some way to continue to
3:51
use dramatic radio and they had the idea of bringing back the fifteen minute serial
3:57
for mystery dramas. This out with two other shows prior to Johnny Doller,
4:02
Mister and Missus North and Mister Keyinges Tracer of Lost Persons, in addition to
4:08
recording an audition for a return of Rocky Jordan. In the end, it
4:13
was Johnny Dollar that returned, with Bob Bailey taking over the role as the
4:18
man with the action packed expense account and Jack Johnstone producing. I made a
4:25
list of the top Johnny Dollar cereals, and this first one ended up near
4:30
the top. After two cereals went bus they really needed to make this five
4:36
part concept work and they went forward with Gusto. Here with this first story.
4:43
It originally aired between October third and October seventh of nineteen fifty five,
4:48
and the title is the McCormick Matter. So here now is all five parts
4:55
of the McCormick Matter from Hollywood. It's time now for Bob Bailey as Johnny
5:04
Dollar. Mister Dollar, this is Father Taggard. I'm calling you from Austining.
5:09
I'm one of the chaplains here at Sing Sing. Oh, yes,
5:11
sir, What can I do for you? Father? Well, nothing for
5:13
me, mister Dollar, but possibly for someone else. Michael Cairn, one
5:15
of our inmates, asked me to contact you. Michael Ken you remember him.
5:19
He wasn't sure you would, old time grifter and con man who got
5:23
tied up with an insurance fraud a few years ago. Blonde fellow. Yes,
5:27
Michael wants to see you, mister Dollar. Could you possibly find the
5:30
time to come up here? Oh? I don't know, Father, is
5:31
just something important? It is to Michael Oh, well, look, I'll
5:35
be in New York sometime next month. Maybe I'll get a chance to stop
5:39
off. Well, couldn't you possibly make it sooner? What's the rush?
5:42
He's going to be there quite a while, isn't he not very long?
5:45
I'm afraid Michael is dying all right, Father, you can expect me.
5:58
Welcome to Johnny Dollar, beginning tonight and every weekday night, Bob Bailey in
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the Transcribed Adventures of the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account, America's Fabulous
6:06
freelance Insurance Investigator, Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account submitted by a
6:20
special investigator Johnny Dollar to the Allied Casualty and Insurance Company Limited, Markham Building,
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Hertford, Connecticut, Attention at Barth Controller's office. This is an accounting
6:30
of expenditures during my investigation of the McCormick matter. Though you didn't authorize the
6:34
investigation, ed, I'm sure that once the facts are out, you will
6:38
honor the following expense account Item one seven dollars and ninety five cents trained Fare
6:43
and Incidentals Hartford to Arsining, New York. I was admitted inside the prison
6:49
and greeted by Father Tech He's a tall, mile looking man, a jesuit.
6:54
I believe he had to pass already for me, and he led me
6:57
straight to the prison infirmary just in here. Michael will certainly appreciate your coming,
7:04
mister Dollar. I hope it satisfies whatever's on his mind. I can't
7:09
imagine what it would be. You know. It was my investigation and testimony
7:13
to put him in here. Father. He told me all about that,
7:15
and I'm sure it has nothing to do with one. He wants to see
7:16
you. Sees, lung was started to go about two years ago and there's
7:20
just been no way to arrest the condition. Does he know how close he
7:24
is? He is and he's not afraid to die? Here we are,
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mister Dollar. Oh but I did the same, man. I remember,
7:33
Father, he's headed bad lately, lost a great deal of weak. Yeah,
7:38
sleep yes, Michael, Michael. Oh, hey, father, I
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brought someone to see you. What do you say, Hi, Am Mike?
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Oh, thanks for coming, Thanks Johnny, Thank Father Taggert here.
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He's an all right guy, Johnny. He's just like you. I always
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said you would best insurance cup here? What's all this? I'm kicking out?
8:05
Johnny? Didn't you tell him father. He told me, Mike,
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in case I didn't live right, I'll be back in a little while.
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Thanks man. You take it easy, Mike. A lousy place to die
8:18
in prison, but you got my choice thanks to you. Well, it's
8:22
just that you picked a do a couple of things that the law and some
8:24
insurance companies didn't agree with. Mike. I don't hold none of that against
8:28
you. The guy does what he does. I don't know how to tell
8:33
you this. Maybe I better get the doctor. You shouldn't be talking so
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much, Johnny. Look you know I'm no cry baby. When the doctor
8:43
gave me the news, I got to thinking I ain't scared the blowout.
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You understand. I know, Mike. I know. It's just I had
8:52
a wife once, a long time ago. When I started out, oh
8:56
yeah, then I just kind of drifted out of her picture one day he
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got a cough drop baby. I guess it wouldn't sure what I got anyhow.
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I got to do something for her before I Johnny, I lay here
9:13
and I get myself an idea, Johnny, if there was some real easy
9:18
money lying around, would you pick it up for me? Depends on how
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clean it is, Mike, and where it's lying. Yeah, sure,
9:24
sure, but it's clean, all right. You can find that out for
9:28
yourself, all right. Listen. Until they moved me down here in the
9:33
infirmary, I roomed upstairs with Jojo Penny. You know, no, I
9:37
don't believe I do Carthy from the hay stage. You got his sabbatic go
9:43
three weeks ago parole. But I've been in the camp with a lot of
9:48
guys. But Jojo Penny takes the cake. He's got a little old five
9:52
year trick to put in. It's Jojo. He does like a vacation,
9:56
you know, a real picnic. Time he gets a chance out in the
10:01
yard. He's taking sun so we don't get the color. See yeah.
10:05
Yeah, when they push him in with me, I notice this, and
10:09
I get to going over in my head. Yeah. Why does a guy
10:13
whistle in a saddle block, Johnny? Why is he treating it like a
10:16
rest home short term? He's got something outside waiting, that's it, baby,
10:22
He's got something waiting for him outside, something that he knows will keep
10:26
safe. Money. Thought you said this was legitimate, Mike, it is
10:31
it is now. Wait. I didn't ask Jojo anything about this. No,
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I figured out myself. Then a couple of times I hear him yelling
10:39
in his sleep, mccarmick. He yells, mccarmick, Eh makes sense now,
10:45
Johnny, not Johnny the Big Heist, Johnny the Big Heist. A
10:50
few years ago a rich guy named mccarmiy got on Long Island. There's someplace
10:54
like that, gets turned over for one hundred thousand dollars worth a jewelry you
10:58
remember vaguely. Well, I'm thinking that Jojo Panny was in on it somewhere
11:03
else. Why would he be singing in Porceland and cheering himself around this fly
11:07
trap for five years? Else? Why would he be talking about that when
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he's sleeping. Mccarmick. Mccarmick. Maybe you've got something, Mike. I
11:16
know I got something, Johnny, and you got something too. Oh I'm
11:24
all right, I'm all right. Don't you see? The insurance company must
11:26
have a reward out. They always do a reward. But Mike, I
11:31
tell you, Jojo is the gins of the done the job, or he
11:35
knows who did it. So you look into it, work on it,
11:39
maybe turn up the stuff and get the reward. Good clean coin, yeah,
11:43
yeah, send half of it to my old lady, will you you
11:48
keep the rest yourself? What you say? Eh? Taddy me at Apostolia
12:01
City in tribute indulgentz Myke Cairn died three hours later. The last living thing
12:07
he did was wink at me. Expense account item two fourteen dollars and twenty
12:22
cents trained Fair and incidentals. Astening to New York, I arrived at two
12:26
fifteen, dropped my bag off at the New Western, and went over to
12:28
the Metropolitan Police station to find out what I could about the McCormick matter.
12:33
It was all pretty much as all Mike had told me. Julian McCormack,
12:35
living on Long Island, had suffered one hundred thousand dollars jewelry burglary in nineteen
12:39
fifty one. Twelve suspects had been arrested and released. The case was marked
12:45
open and unsolved. Allied Casually had been the insurance company involved. This is
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the Adjustment office, Frank Porter speaking. My name's Johnny Dollar. Mister Porter,
12:54
I'm an investigator. Oh, I think I've heard of you, mister
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Dollar. Yeah, wonder if you could give me a little information about acclaim
13:01
your company handled. In nineteen fifty one, a man named Julian McCormick out
13:05
on Long Island. Jeep will long time ago. What about the McCormick I
13:11
might have some information on it. I don't know yet, it's a long
13:13
chance. I'm at police headquarters and I notice you investigated for the insurance company.
13:18
I'd like to talk to you. Sure, but it's kind of late
13:22
today tomorrow, Okay, Well, you can tell me this right now.
13:24
Is there any reward being offered? Cheep wiz kind of falls my sales,
13:28
I said, we'll asking about a reward. You sound like you can make
13:31
full recovery and want to make sure that you'll be paid for it. Well,
13:35
I said it was just a long shot. How about the reward,
13:37
Well, that's pretty standard with us on cases like this. Yeah, I
13:39
think it's seventy five hundred or something like that. I'm not sure, Gray
13:43
staying New Western. Well, I'll look it up, get the exact figure
13:46
and call you there. How'll that be fine? Thanks, that'll be fine.
13:56
Before I left the police station, I turned out a mug on Jojo
13:58
Pan. He was a big, broad shouldered lad with plenty of beef and
14:03
a list of petty convictions, four of them in New York state. The
14:07
last one was for carrying concealed weapons. His parole status was good, though,
14:11
and the parole officer furnished me with his home address, the Allen Hotel.
14:15
Right, stay a week a month, one hundred and fifteenth Street.
14:24
Come on in, Hi, looking for Joe Patton. Yes, sir,
14:30
that's me. My name's Johnny Dollar. Yeah. I uh, I just
14:35
came down from Austining. I saw a friend of yours up there, Joe.
14:37
Who was that Mike Can? How's Mike? Not so good? He
14:43
died today. It's too bad. He was a nice old coot. Kind
14:48
of liked him. Said if I ever saw you to say hello? Uh
14:52
huh. He didn't give you my address, No, I got it from
14:56
the parole office. Use some kind of cup. Now. I work for
15:00
an insurance company. Oh why you drink? Sure? Why not expense account?
15:13
I had him three four dollars even for drinks. I wanted to look
15:18
at Jojo Panny and talk to him and figure out how I was going to
15:22
go about getting information from him. And the more I saw and the more
15:24
he talked, the more I wondered if whatever he might have said about the
15:28
McCormick case in his sleep happened to some other McCormick. After all, a
15:31
man with a long list of petty fever he's is hardly ever involved in a
15:35
slick, big time safe cracking job that takes another kind of talent. And
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when I was sure that Jojo didn't have so, I'd just been taking it
15:46
easy and looking around. I figure I can get a job pushing a truck
15:50
or maybe a cab if I'm lucky. Got to get something to do for
15:54
all. Office is kind of hard nosed about things like that. Yeah,
15:58
drink up, want one more? Oh no, no thanks, please?
16:03
My limit like to keep in shape for sure. Say you got anything to
16:10
do? Nothing special? Why thought I might go out to Long Island later
16:15
on tonight to sail out to an old friend of mine. If you haven't
16:18
got anything to do, come on along, you're okay, bub sure?
16:22
Why not this friend of yours he's an ex con too, No, he
16:30
never did any time, Just a friend. Want to salo us all rich
16:36
fella. His name's Julian mccormff. You're very big with a hellos around here
16:42
today? Aren't you anything wrong? Joe? You probably are? Why do
16:47
you say that nothing? I haven't know anyone named McCormick. I knew a
16:51
guy named Arnie McCormick once back in Salt Lake City. We were paled for
16:56
a while. Oh yeah, Arnie was killed in the war. He'd got
17:00
himself drafted in the infantry. Maybe he's related to my friend Julian McCormack out
17:04
on Long Island. He wasn't related to anybody, not that bird. I'm
17:10
leaving. I want to get up early tomorrow. Why not come with me?
17:15
Thanks for the drinks. He drifted off down the street and left me
17:22
standing there. And one thing I was sure of he had the name McCormack
17:26
on his mind. Whether it was the right McCormick of the right case,
17:29
I didn't know. Anyhow. He was my one big lead. So I
17:33
was back at his hotel early the next morning and talking to the disclaim And
17:37
he did you say room till ten? Yeah, that's right by moost.
17:41
What he left bag and baggage last night? Well where did he go?
17:45
What's his forwarding address? He didn't say, just left. Johnny Dellar,
17:51
it's Frank Porter allied casually, Yes, mister Porter, I'll call me Frank.
17:55
Johnny. You phoned yesterday about the McCormick matter. I got all the
17:57
stuff about the case home desk here, and we're still offering seventy five hundred
18:03
dollars reward. Thanks for confirming it, Frank, Sure you got a tip
18:06
or something. An old con named Mike Karen gave me a tip about a
18:10
guy named Jojo Penny. I'm working on it. Need any help, Noh,
18:12
not yet, I might Jojo pulled out of his hotel last night bagging
18:17
baggage. What are you going to do? I'm on my way to Long
18:19
Island. I want to talk to McCormick himself. Oh, Johnny, yeah,
18:25
let me give you a tip for your own good. Don't bother Julian
18:29
McCormick unless you've really got something. Could be dangerous. I think I've got
18:33
something. Expense accounts submitted by a special investigator Johnny Dollar to the Allied Casualty
18:42
and Insurance Company Limited, Markham Building, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is
18:47
an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the McCormick man. Item four ten
18:55
dollars deposit on the car I rented to drive out to Julian McCormick's home on
18:57
Long Island and judging by the looks of the place, a safe full of
19:02
one hundred thousand dollars worth of jewelry would feel right at home. It was
19:06
a mansion, and the rugs on the floor were an inch thick. I'm
19:11
sorry I've kept you waiting, missus. McCormick and I were packing for a
19:15
little trip to Europe. Sit down please, thanks, going to be gone
19:18
along. Oh. We usually spend several months a year over there for a
19:22
bit late this year. Our reservations are for next week. I envy you,
19:25
mister mccomick, dollar the name, that's right. I forgive me,
19:27
but I don't seem to recall having heard of you before. It's okay,
19:30
we never met. I'm an insurance investigator. Oh really, Am I being
19:37
investigated or something? No? No, nothing like that. It's just that
19:40
I might have a lead on that jewelry that was taken from your home a
19:42
few years ago. That's wonderful. You must tell me about it. Can
19:45
I make you a dream? No? Thanks? You're from the insurance company
19:51
Casualty. No, No, I'm not. I'm an independent investigator. Why
19:55
should anyone feel it necessary to call in it? Oh? Oh, I
20:00
see there's a reward. Of course, that's right, yes, But now
20:07
tell me how can I help you. Well, I'm just checking a few
20:11
things, mister McCormick. I haven't even gone over it with a man who
20:15
handled a case for Allied. Possibly I have run into something that will help.
20:18
I don't know. I'd like you to tell me what happened. My
20:22
safe was opened and my jewelry taken. I mean, how it happened.
20:25
Well, it was right in this very room. That's the wall safe there,
20:30
Ah, missus McCormick, and I had just returned from our honeymoon five
20:33
years ago. It was Yeah. All I know is that when I stepped
20:37
into the library here that morning, the safe was open and everything was gone.
20:41
Whoever did it was extremely clever and quiet, I must say. Was
20:45
the safe crack? No? No, no, it was just opened.
20:47
Someone figured the combination or something like that. Well, who knew the combination
20:51
at the time, only myself, mister Dallan. You be sure of that?
20:56
Why, of course, I see. I reported it to the police
21:00
away here in Long Island. Then some men from New York City were here
21:03
too, and your insurance company. I reported it to my insurance company immediately.
21:07
They had a man on the scene as soon as a police A mister
21:10
Porter, Frank Porter. Yes, you know him. I've taught to him
21:14
on the phone. I haven't met him. In a very nice chap.
21:15
He worked very hard trying to recover it. I'm sure he did. Did
21:18
they have an adjuster? Yes? How much did you collect? If you
21:22
don't mind, not much? What do you mean? Well, it was
21:26
unfortunate by keeping that much Julie in a small house safe. It seems I
21:30
violated the clause in the contract. It should have been kept in a safety
21:34
deposit box or some such. Consequently, the matter went into litigation. I'm
21:38
afraid the court found me at fault. I collected only a part of the
21:44
insured value twenty thousand dollars, so you can see I certainly welcome and recovery.
21:49
Sure, Julie was in the family a good many years. I had
21:53
given it to my wife, and I well, a man hates to lose
22:00
things he loves. Yes, I understand. Was missus McCormick here the morning
22:06
had happened? Oh, I'd like to talk to her. She's terribly busy,
22:10
but if you think it's sufficiently important, I'll call her. No,
22:15
never mind, I'm curious, mister Dolla. This case has been closed a
22:18
long time. At least no one's contacted me or asked me for any information
22:23
about it for at least four years. What opened it a man named Mike
22:30
Ken, who's he an all convict of it. Usening, who shared a
22:33
cell for a while with a man named Joe Panny. Ken died yesterday,
22:38
but before he died, he told me he thought Panny had something to do
22:41
with it. He heard him mention your name. Well, it seems to
22:45
me you should talk with this Joe Penny. I did, and I will
22:48
some more as soon as I locate him again. Right now he's missing.
22:51
Oh, I'm sorry. Well, thanks for the time, mister McCormick.
22:55
You'll let me know you learn anything, or do you. I'm think you
23:00
can recover that jewelry. But then he look at all that's would be wonderful,
23:03
wonderful do you think so? Why? Yes, of course, missus
23:10
McCormick might be glad to know about it too. You said it was her
23:14
jewelry. I don't know why I said that to him, just a sudden
23:21
impulse. But he wasn't smiling when he walked me to the door. Shook
23:23
my hand and patted me on the shoulder. I had a funny feeling that
23:27
mister Julian McCormick was scared like a rabbit of me. I drove back to
23:33
the city, had lunch at Walgreens, and dropped into Allied Casualty's New York
23:37
office to pick up the folder on reward information. I met Frank Porter and
23:41
liked him right away. A big redheaded man in a tweet suit. Here,
23:45
Johnny, it makes me feel older than ever doing this. How come
23:48
well? I weighed fifteen pounds less when this case started June. Here we
23:53
are, and these are pictures and stuff. Now. That one they called
23:59
Pierre Dale Kuego some necklace, nice, see why? Yeah? And this
24:03
one was called Imperial in the Royal Family of Russia at one time. And
24:08
this is the other one, placid, beautiful stuff. Oh you can say
24:12
that again? Is that all? Well? That's about the size of a
24:15
Johnny one hundred thousand dollars gone. Yeah, helping me. Sure, It's
24:21
nice to know what I'm trying to find. I hope you have better luck
24:22
and I did? Yeah, say who was the police officer on the case.
24:29
Martin duels Martin out of central. Yeah, we ran down every lead
24:33
we could find, big and small. The final said, you made twelve
24:36
arrests, you know, something like that, but not one of them panned
24:37
out. Had to let them all go. Martin requested pickups on every big
24:41
time jewelry man in the country. Now, I don't think one of them
24:44
was overlooked. Well, no, Johnny, somebody just simply walked in that
24:47
house, opened the safe as needed, you please, and walked right out
24:49
with all of this very slick job. Had to be an experienced man.
24:53
Might have been a first job for someone just starting in. They got lucky.
24:56
Yeah, we thought of that, and we didn't think much of it
24:59
after a while. Gee whiz, Johnny, You know nobody could be that
25:02
lucky case the house knew exactly where the safe was, know what was in
25:04
it, get in, open it up, and get out without anybody servants,
25:10
the mccormicks or any of their friends even See. Yeah, oh that
25:12
wasn't even the hardest part. You see. Not one scrap of this stuff
25:15
has ever turned up anywhere, Yeah anywhere. Now, what did whoever took
25:19
it do with it? Did he break it down, sell it overseas?
25:22
What? Not a trace of it. Imagine that. You know what I
25:26
think. I think the guy who swiped all this stuff still has it.
25:29
I think he's sitting around waiting for it to cool off. Could be,
25:32
but it's never going to cool off. Johnny. There isn't a city in
25:33
this country or across the ocean that isn't on the lookout for these pieces.
25:37
I suppose now, sooner or later, hot boy or a lucky boy,
25:40
well, whoever is, we'll make a move. Meantime, we just wait,
25:44
unless, of course, you've got something for us to look into.
25:47
Not yet, Frank, Yeah, Well when you have, we'll be right
25:48
with you all the way. Good. Good, How about a drink?
25:52
Take a rane check? Okay, but remember we got a whole floor full
25:55
of lawyers upstairs. They can get up warrants, ritch seize your orders,
25:57
anything you might want. You just let me know when you get somewhere,
26:00
and we'll go to work. I'll do that, Frank. I left Frank
26:10
Porter and went back over to the parole office to see what had developed with
26:12
Joe Panny. After all, if he didn't report in, he'd be in
26:15
violation of his parole, be in real trouble. But nothing had developed.
26:19
He hadn't put in the change of address. Nothing. So I went back
26:22
to my hotel and had some dinner. Then I shaved, changed my clothes,
26:29
expense account it him five dollars and a half cab fare. I garage
26:33
my reddit car, went back to Central Police Station and pulled out the mug
26:36
on Joe Panny once more, hoping to get a line on some friends or
26:40
relatives of his where he might be staying up. Till then, things had
26:42
been going pretty routine. Then a clerk from the parole offices stepped across the
26:47
hall. Hi, mister Dollar. Hi thought it was you I saw on
26:51
here. I wasn't sure. How's it going? Fine? Fine? Doctor
26:53
friend Joe Joe Penny? Yet not today? Why? He seemed awful anxious
26:57
to talk to him as well? Why don't you go see him? You're
27:02
playing games. I've been trying to find out where he is all day.
27:04
And I already told you you watch you. I give it to you half
27:07
an hour ago when your phone when who phone? Sure? About half an
27:11
hour ago? Look, Joe Panny call in and told me his a dress?
27:15
Yeah? I no, sooner set down a phone and you call in
27:17
and said, this is Johnny dollar. Have you heard from Joe Panny what?
27:21
I said? Yeah, and I told you his address. It's all
27:22
what a dress to just say, the Allen Hotel on one hundred and fifteenth
27:26
Street, same place he was before. What's the matter? You forget?
27:33
It took me ten minutes to get from the police station over to the Allen
27:36
Hotel, ten minutes of wondering who'd put in that call and use my name?
27:40
I went up the stairs two at a time, up to the second
27:41
floor, and right at the top of the landing I bumped into a dark
27:45
haired woman wearing a silver fernace. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see.
27:49
It's all right, you heard. I'm not at all Please let me
27:52
go past. I'm in a hurry. Yeah, I'd be in a hurry
27:53
too. What do you mean the gun? You should carry it on the
27:56
inside of your purse. Oh, I suppose I take it, menails,
28:02
all right, take it. She'd given it to me all right, right
28:08
on the side of the head. It didn't knock me out, but it
28:11
did knock me off balance. So I tangle up with the hall table,
28:15
and that gave her plenty of time to scurry down the stairs while I got
28:17
out of the furniture and back on my feet. By the time I got
28:19
down the stairs and out on the street, she was nowhere in sight.
28:23
Hmm, now, one yelled, I'm shot. No one did anything but
28:29
what they were already doing. Where were you just now? You weren't here
28:40
at the front desk out back eating my dinner? Why nothing? You happen
28:44
to see that woman who just ran through here? No, tall, dark
28:47
haired woman about thirty woar a mixed stove man. Yeah, Oh, you're
28:51
kidding, miss Jake. You're still looking for Joe Penny. He lives here
28:56
again, doesn't he? Yeah? Have you seen him? Where is he
28:57
out? I sat down with myself and waited. Half an hour later,
29:07
when the clerk went back to finish his dinner, I stepped over to the
29:08
desk and borrowed his pass key and went back up the stairs to room too.
29:11
Ten. Wow, I didn't need the pass key, and I didn't
29:27
need to doubt the clerk. Joe Penny wasn't there, but all of his
29:32
things were. The curtains were drawn and the windows closed. Every drawer had
29:36
been pulled out of every dresser. The mattress on the bed was slipped from
29:40
top to bottom and the rug had been ripped and turned over. Expense account
29:52
item six, one dollar one drink from me. I left JoJo's room,
29:56
went to the nearest bar, sat down and had a drink. A scared
30:00
victim, a missing con a darkhaired woman wearing a mink and a gun,
30:06
and other things. Right then and there, I decided that Mike Cann's tip
30:11
had been pretty good at that Johnny dollar. This is Duels Martin. Lieutenant
30:17
Martin, Yeah, that's right. I got a message you called while I
30:19
was out left this number. Yeah, I want to talk to you about
30:22
the McCormick case. Lieutenant McCormick, one hundred thousand dollars burglary out on Long
30:27
Island back in nineteen fifty one. I was the officer in charge. Who
30:30
are you, insurance investigator? I got a tip to the next convict named
30:34
Joe Panney might have pulled it. I'm at Panny's hotel. Well, let
30:38
me know how you make up. Say listen, his room has been torn
30:41
apart, every inch of it's been searched. And when I came here tonight,
30:45
I got socked by a woman with a gun. Give me that address.
30:53
Expense account submitted by a special investigator, Johnny Dollar did the Allied Casualty
30:59
and Insurance Company Limited Mark I'm Building, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is
31:03
an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the McCormick matter expense account. I
31:11
had him seven two dollars two drinks for myself and Lieutenant Dules Martin, NYPD,
31:17
A big, swarthy man who seemed to know what he was about.
31:19
Martin looked over the damage done by the unknown ran sacker of Joe Panney's room,
31:23
questioned the clerk, who was unable to furnish any helpful information. Then,
31:27
because Joe Penny was officially a parole violator, ordered a general pick him.
31:34
He should be able to get our hands on him pretty soon. Dollar,
31:37
I hope it's that easy, Lieutenant. Any reason why it shouldn't be
31:41
fairly routine? No, just a feeling. I guess. I don't know.
31:45
This whole matter has been flimsy. The tip was weak, but it
31:48
seems to be paying off. I think fits though I don't quite get all
31:52
this. Dollar, how'd you comment on this all? Mike Cairn died up
31:55
at Sinsing two days ago. Before he went, he told me he believed
31:59
Joe Penny I pulled the McCormick burglary. It didn't seem likely then, Panny
32:04
being a small time autos eve and whatnot. But now it does, and
32:07
view of what's been happening lately, somebody sure worn something Panny might have.
32:10
Judging from that room, I never saw one taking a part better an expert
32:15
search job. Yeah, hey, lieutenant, when you picked Choe Panny up,
32:17
I'd like to be in on it. He's my only lead in this
32:21
case, and I want to talk to him again. And that's not asking
32:22
too much. Now, dollar about this woman you saw? Pretty about thirty,
32:28
dark hair, good dresser, wore a silver Minx stall. The gun
32:30
she sacked me with was a little one twenty five or maybe thirty two automatic.
32:36
You think she might have done the searching in Joe's room? What do
32:38
you think? She was flushed and upset when I bumped into her, anxious
32:42
to get away from the place, and of course the gun in her hand.
32:45
Yeah, she sounded familiar to you in this neighborhood. No, No,
32:49
it could be anybody. Yeah, well that's about litteutenant. Yeah,
32:54
no, I got Oh, thanks, I suppose you talked to McCormick got
32:59
the full story of the I agree from him almost first thing. Yeah,
33:01
and I remember him when it first happened, nice enough, but strange.
33:06
I thought. It's a business about somebody fulding the parole office ahead of you
33:09
to get Joe Penny's interests. That stops me, though. That's hard to
33:12
figure you. Sure you're telling me everything. Sure, I'm sure that part
33:15
sounds crazy. Not if somebody knew I was looking for and wanted to get
33:20
him first. But who how should I know? Well, we will see
33:22
what we will see. Can I drop you anywhere? No, thanks,
33:25
I'll walk. You'll let me know when you pick him up. Sure.
33:34
Two days passed and I didn't hear from Lieutenant Martin. I finally phoned in
33:38
and a supplementary. It turned up no leaves. Martin had men watching Joe's
33:43
hotel. His former friends and acquaintances were being checked. Meanwhile, I decided
33:47
to try and find out who the dark woman in the first stole had been.
33:52
It seemed pretty obvious that she had just come from Joe's room, that
33:54
she knew him or was connected with him in some way. Once more,
34:00
I combed over Joe Panny's file at headquarters, this time looking for a woman's
34:04
name. The only one mentioned was an ex wife who had divorced him six
34:07
years before. Her name was Iris Carter at the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
34:12
The marriage certificate and record of divorce proceedings gave me a composite picture of an
34:15
unhappy and turbuneent three year marriage. It also gave me a general description of
34:21
Iris Carter that could very well fit the woman i'd seen briefly in the hallway
34:23
outside Joe Panny's hotel room. There was a six year old address to start
34:28
on. No, ma'am, I'm not unus. I don't know. I
34:40
really don't know her. Well, what do you want? I'd like to
34:45
talk to the manager. I want some information. What's your name, Johnny
34:47
Dollner? What kind of information you're looking for? Are you the manager?
34:52
Yes, I am. Well, I'm trying to locate a woman named Iris
34:54
Carter. She might have used the name Iris Panny. She was married once
35:00
to her. A man named Joe Penny lived here about six years ago.
35:04
Were you here then? That was? Did you know her? I did?
35:08
Did you know him? Yeah? You went to jail. Did she
35:13
live here now? She don't. Do you have any idea where I can
35:16
find her? I don't. Well, do you happen to know if she
35:21
ever worked? Just to talk to her? What did she move on?
35:25
Oh? Long time ago, five years? Maybe? What's your business insurance?
35:34
Oh? Oh, nobody around here by his insurance. Oh, we
35:40
don't have to go into that. If you can think of any place I
35:44
might get a line on her, I'd appreciate it. It seems to me
35:46
she worked at a bookstore down the street, down what street? Out there?
35:52
Block or two down that way? I think she worked there. I
35:54
don't know who. You can try? Thank you, I will, Why
35:59
you plight? You tipped your head? So tell me? Do you remember
36:02
what she looked like? Sorta? Yeah? Well, oh about as tall
36:09
as I am. Nice, pretty girl, blonde of brunette, dark here
36:15
almost black. Know any of her friends when she lived here? No,
36:21
No, I couldn't tell you that. Why Oh I might look up one
36:24
of them and ask her about her, that's all you ask. If that
36:28
bookstore? I think she worked there. The bookstore Iris Carter Panney had worked
36:37
in was as dismal as the neighborhood. The proprietor of missus Oles yielded a
36:43
little more helpful information than Iris Carter's former landlady. Yes, Iris had worked
36:46
there for about six months. She quit almost five years before. No,
36:52
she didn't know where to find her expense account item eight, one dollar and
37:01
two cents. Lunch. I had it in a neighborhood diner called the show
37:05
bl place, where missus Ole said Iris Carter had frequently eaten. The restaurant
37:09
manager remembered Iris vaguely. She also remembered Iris's boyfriend. I asked for a
37:15
description. She did better than that. She gave me his name, occupation,
37:19
and address, an old rehearsal hall two blocks away. The five man
37:34
combo working there was really putting it up. Yeah, and the minute I
37:39
saw him, I knew the boy wearing the trumpet was the one I was
37:42
looking for. Just good looking and smooth enough to go with a girl.
37:46
Iris Carter sounded like him, the smooth trumpet too. Okay, guys,
37:55
take five. I'm looking for Jack Lang. You found. I'm Johnny Dollar.
38:06
Did we talk a minute? That's about all I got, mister doll.
38:09
We smoked. No. Thanks, Oh man gets real tired out about
38:17
this time of day. Yeah, imagine it does. The way you put
38:21
it out. Well, everybody to his own racket. That's yours insurance investigating.
38:27
Okay, now what Well, I've been asking around the neighborhood, and
38:30
they tell me you once knew a girl named Iris Carter or Iris Panny Iris
38:35
Carter. On. I'd like to find her and talk to her, and
38:38
I thought you might be able to help me. Go on, I want
38:43
to talk to her ex husband. Most of all, I thought somehow she
38:45
might know where to find him these days. He's in the can he was
38:50
released three weeks ago. Any ideas, No, I thought finding her might
38:55
be a shortcut to him. I wouldn't think so washed up when I know
39:00
her? What was that five years ago? She hadn't seen him for over
39:04
a year. Then she didn't have much use for him. I don't blame
39:08
her. How long did you know her? No, we went together for
39:13
a while whilst you worked at some crummy bookstore, and she moved away and
39:19
I didn't see her after that. I think she said something about going back
39:22
to Ohio. You think I don't remember off, Well, let me put
39:27
it this way. As far as I know, she's in no trouble.
39:30
The one we want is a rex, husband, you'd be helping a lot
39:34
if you could tell me where to find her. I don't know. I
39:37
honestly don't know, and I sure wish I did. I'd like to find
39:42
her myself. Why well, when she went with me, I well,
39:49
wasn't any good. I think she just walked out because she was tired of
39:52
loser's sick up to here, you know what I mean. Can't blame her.
39:58
He gave her a pretty bad time. I didn't do much better.
40:00
But now I got something. It's just a little five piece outfit, not
40:05
much, but something. I'd like to show it to her and say,
40:08
iris is his mine? You kind of head it bad? Huh bad?
40:15
Is a guy like me can get it? I know I'll probably never see
40:19
her again as long as I live, Boye, and never another one like
40:23
her ever shows up. I'm gonna be ready to ever see it. No,
40:30
she must have been something. Take a look nice? Yeah, I
40:40
take it back. What about seeing her? I've seen her two nights ago
40:46
in the hallway outside Joe Penny's room. You sure. I'm sure she hit
40:53
me with a gun before she left. The picture he had flipped out of
41:00
his wallet was old and well thumbed. It showed a sultry kind of face
41:05
that could have been in twenty or thirty or forty, A wide, frank,
41:08
smiling, happy mouth. Not the kind of girl I would imagine could
41:12
ever be married to a Joe Penny. But there was no doubt about it.
41:15
She had been married to him, and I had seen her. On
41:19
my way back to the hotel, I dropped into check with Lieutenant Martin.
41:22
Hi. Hi, doing any good, any lead on Joe Penny? And
41:24
I think so far this may take longer than I thought at first. Well,
41:28
I've been out looking for his ex wife. I didn't find her,
41:30
but I found a few people knew her. She was the one at his
41:34
hotel the other night. Names Iris, Cardiff, You sure positive I saw
41:37
a picture. We better try to pick her up too. I'll put it
41:38
out right away. Fine, I'll keep him telling Oh wait a minute,
41:42
don't go huh. We had some action here today. Sit down. Thanks.
41:47
Julian McCormick called up reported you. He said you came out there bothering
41:52
him a couple days ago. He said he doesn't want to be bothered.
41:54
Well, I only talked to him to get his story on the burglary,
41:58
and I told him, as long as he didn't break the law, there
42:00
was nothing we could do to stop you from investigating. But he didn't like
42:02
it. He seemed perfectly willing to cooperate with me when I talked to him
42:06
before. It was sometimes he's rich. Excuse me, Martin here, that's
42:12
right? Well, how long ago? Okay? Well they found your boy,
42:20
Joe Penny. What. Yeah, he's on his way to the Morgue.
42:23
Harbor patrol picked up his body a couple of hours ago, loaded down
42:27
with slugs, some case. And that ain't all Johnny Huh. His feet
42:30
were burned, Johnny Dellar. Frank Porter allied casually. How's it going,
42:37
kid? I don't know you ever find Joe Penny. The harbor patrol found
42:42
him floating around the harbor. He'd been shot and his feet were burnt.
42:45
She was torture. Well, what can I do to help find a girl
42:50
who was once married to him? Joe Penny had a wife. Yeah,
42:52
she wears a man stole these days and carries a gun. She's tied out
42:57
with it somewhere. Her name's Iris Cardi Paris Carter. You met her just
43:01
long enough to get slug with her gun. Well, wait a minute,
43:05
I'd like to get it all straight. Can I come over, I'll be
43:07
here. Expense accounts submitted by a special investigator, Johnny Dollar, to the
43:16
Allied Casually and Insurance Company Limited, Markham Building, Hartford, Connecticut. The
43:21
following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the McCormick matter. Expense
43:28
account Item nine fourteen dollars even secretarial services. I dictated a detailed report of
43:34
the one hundred thousand dollars McCormack case. I did it for two reasons,
43:37
One to make certain that Allied and the New York Police were thoroughly informed of
43:40
my part of the matter, and two to review the case for my own
43:45
benefit. One of the key figures, Joe Panney, was a murder victim.
43:50
Attached as a copy of that report. I tried to cover as closely
43:52
as possible my conversation with Mike Kern at Sing Sing when he tipped me off
43:57
that Joe Panney had something to do with the McCormick burglary five years ago.
44:00
Also one conversation with Joe Penny, his subsequent disappearance and murder. I had
44:07
a copy for Frank porter. When he showed up at my room. He
44:09
read it from top to bottom. Jeep, whitch, Johnny. If this
44:14
isn't something you come here for. Joe Penny, it looks like he did
44:16
the McCormick job. Now he's dead, you're stopped. What can you do?
44:22
Find his wife? Maybe you're doing this at your own expense, aren't
44:24
you. Oh? I think your company will pay for it in time.
44:27
You have to recover the stuff. I know you think you will. I
44:30
think so ya, your key man's dead. You have to start all over
44:34
again. Maybe not. I don't really know whether Joe Penny was my key
44:37
man or not. I still can't see a small time auto thief working a
44:42
big, slick, safe burglary. Every indication is that he was the one
44:45
I know. I'd like to find that girl, Iris Carter and talk to
44:49
her about it. She's connected with it now from what you say on the
44:52
paper, Yeah, very much. O jee whiz. I feel like a
44:57
fifth wheel. I'm not helping you, Bed. You know I handled this
45:00
case for the company when it first broke. I worked with Lieutenant Martin for
45:02
six months on it, and we didn't turn up a thing. You're on
45:06
it three four days and you have all kinds of action. I must have
45:08
stepped in at the right time. Yeah, Johnny, somebody gunned Joe Panny
45:14
down. I know you like to work alone, do things your own way,
45:17
but be careful if you stay on this. I get worried when somebody
45:21
starts shooting. Oh sure. I didn't get that though, But if I
45:25
keep on this, I wouldn't let it go. Now if my life depended
45:30
on it. I'm going to find that woman and I'm going to find the
45:31
stuff. Sure well, Jeeve wish, don't let anything happen to you.
45:37
I won't. I talked some more with Frank Porter about the case. He
45:45
repeated his offer in the name of Allied casually to help if he could.
45:49
I told him I'd take it up on it if anything came up at all.
45:52
He left. I was at Central Police Station ten minutes later, and
45:55
five minutes after that, Lieutenant Dules Martin was calling for the medical examiner report
46:00
on Joe Penny's death. A uniform man bought it in. Martin shoved it
46:04
across the desk at me. The emmy says, Joe Penny's been dead about
46:08
forty eight hours or longer. To twenty five slugs right through the chest,
46:13
penetrated both lungs, one through the neck. It's very neat shooting at that
46:17
range. What range all at least twenty feet maybe longer. Not many people
46:23
shoot twenty Five's that? Well it's a little gun, a woman's gun.
46:28
Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Now let's talk about that woman
46:31
you saw around there that night. Now you say it was Panny's X Yeah,
46:36
I risk conner. I don't know whether her gun was a twenty five
46:38
or thirty two. Well think about I have no Look, don't get sore
46:42
with me. It's just that she looks like better than ever for opening this
46:45
case up. I put her on all points. Sorry, I got it
46:50
wround. That's all right now. The emmy thinks that Panny was killed before
46:53
he was dumped in the water, possibly ambushed by someone he didn't know or
46:58
didn't trust. If he's right about the range, that it fit in someone
47:01
who knew it would do it close up. Yeah he wait, you said
47:06
his feet were burned. Yeah, I got the pictures here to prove it.
47:08
They'll take a look. And these are the glasses, huh, Now,
47:15
these are the burns here right here? Here and here. Then he
47:22
wasn't ambushed exactly. Look, I don't know what he was. But this
47:25
is the crazy part. He was already dead when this happened. No rope
47:30
marks on his legs are wrists. You don't sit still for burning, no
47:35
matter how tough you are. It's fascinating. Then someone shot him down and
47:38
tried to make it look like he was tortured for information. First cover up.
47:44
He's supposed to look like he knew something or had something. And maybe
47:46
he didn't know or have anything at all. Oh, how do you feel?
47:50
Lows he If the burning was cover up, then maybe the big search
47:53
of his room was cover up too, to throw us off, to throw
47:57
you off, not me. I wasn't in on it. Then, yeah,
48:00
well, one thing that's genuine. What's that the corpse. An hour
48:12
and a half later, a witness was delivered to the office of Lieutenant Martin.
48:15
His name was Edmund Thompson. He saw papers in the dock area.
48:21
Both Martin and I looked at him twice, and I could tell both of
48:22
us were doubting the credulity of anything he might have to say. Why,
48:29
I my name's Martin. This is mister dollar yes, sir, glad to
48:34
know you both. Now, would you mind telling us everything you saw the
48:37
other night? Tuesday night? Here it was tuesday? Sure, Why not?
48:43
I saw this guy dumped in the water. We understand that. Can
48:46
you tell us the circumstances. It's against the will of God, as it
48:52
certainly is against the laws of nature too. What did you see, mister
48:58
Thompson? I prayed for him both. You tried dollar. When did you
49:06
pray? Right after? I saw it? Yes, sir? On the
49:09
street, huh, nope. I was on the vacant lot. I was
49:15
cutting across towards the dark. Oh. Then I see this car pull,
49:19
a long black car, a lot of chrome on it. This fellow jumps
49:23
out and goes around at the back. He opens the trunk and he pulls
49:28
this other fellow out, hoists him up, and he carries him over the
49:31
don Then he just lets him go. Then you pray? Then I prayed.
49:40
I was a little too scared to do anything else. This car.
49:45
The man had long black, one lot of chrome. Sedana. Cope,
49:51
what's the difference? Two seats in one seat? One seat? Happen to
49:55
get the license number? Uh? All right, all right, let that
49:59
go. How about the man? Can you describe him? He stood there,
50:04
looked down at the water, and started himself a cigarette. Well what
50:07
kind of a face did he have? Dark light, a mustache? What
50:13
a devil's face? Now? What does that mean? The devil? Mister
50:19
Thompson, do you understand that we want to apprehend this man, that he's
50:22
responsible for one man's death, and then he might harm someone else. I'll
50:27
pray for him, pray for all. Well, how was he dressed?
50:32
Didn't notice hat, but he had a long black coupei. Do you know
50:39
the make? Nope? Would you know him if you saw him again?
50:45
Nop? Look when you saw him dump a body into the water, Why
50:49
didn't you notify the police? Why should it's police business? Let them take
50:52
care of their business. I'll take care of mine, any of you fellows?
50:59
Got his gritto, and I left Lieutenant Martin brooding over his witness,
51:07
went out for a white at dinner. When I called him later, he
51:10
hadn't learned anything more. So I decided to call it a night and went
51:13
back to my hotel. I found a note waiting for me from Jack Lang,
51:16
the band leader friend of Iris Carter, said he got a tip she'd
51:21
worked at one time at the Elmar Theater in the Bronx. If I learned
51:23
anything, please let him know he was still in love with her el Mar
51:29
Theater. I decided my night was far from over. Are you by a
51:39
ticket off front? If you want to look at I only want to see
51:43
one. Her name's Iris Carter? Does she work here? I just told
51:45
you go buy a ticket off front? Just tell me this? Does Iris
51:49
Carter work here? Is the name familiar to you? Have you ever seen
51:52
her or heard of her? You give me any more trouble or clock ta?
51:54
I told you go off front? Hadn't you answer a simple question.
51:58
I'm looking for Iris Carter? Iris Carter you never heard of? Call me
52:04
a cop? Glorious never mind, I'll take care of him. Come on
52:07
you, Iris, that what you said? Yeah, I gotta change you
52:16
gotta get back on in five minutes. Then I'll talk to you later.
52:20
You haven't got a bunch to say. Stick around, I'll change back the
52:22
screen. Okay, I'm Gloria Ward. Who are you? Johnny Dollar?
52:29
What do you want with Iris Carter? I want to see her and tell
52:31
her something. Tell me, Well, for one thing, her ex husband's
52:36
dead. What better watch that screen? Oh say that again? Joe Panney?
52:43
Her ex husband's dead? Kid? That no good? Bumba's really dead?
52:49
Where can I find it? You don't work here, no more have
52:52
worked here in four five years? She quit? Where is she? You
52:54
took over from the old man out there when you heard me mention her name.
52:58
You've satisfied yourself that I'm ready to looking for So suppose you with me?
53:00
Mister. I'm not satisfied about anything. Where is she? She got
53:07
married to a nice guy. Good for her? Is she in town?
53:09
You sure? You just want to see her and tell her Joe's dead?
53:13
That's about it. I thought maybe she might be able to help me and
53:15
the police find out who killed him. He was killed two days ago.
53:19
They found his body today. Know about that? You a cop? I'm
53:22
an insurance investigator, and you have to see her. You want to put
53:28
in writing? Don't get nahaf but I'm getting at Is this click? Change?
53:32
Eh? Now? Listen? Iris is good? You know what I
53:36
mean? And she's married to a nice guy. Now will any of this
53:39
make a trouble? Not? If she hasn't done anything wrong? Well I
53:43
can tell you she hasn't. But does make trouble. It be a shame.
53:46
She's set up nice and I like to see a girl. Said,
53:50
well, don't you certainly I haven't seen her almost since she left here.
53:53
But you look like a right kind of guy. I believe you. Thanks
53:58
Gloria up in Long Island now. Her name's McCormick, Irish McCormick. By
54:07
the time I said goodbye to Glory and walked out the stage door and got
54:10
out into the alley, I thought I had most of it a game.
54:14
The ex wife of an ex Cohn married a wealthy Long Islander named McCormick.
54:17
When the honeymoon was over, the safe was robbed. Walking out that alley,
54:22
I was wondering whether to phone the police or allied casually. First shooting.
54:43
You've been hit. It isn't bad. Did you see him? I
54:46
see nobody. The car. See the car the one that just got out?
54:50
I ought the car. We had a long, black coop a lot
54:52
of chrome. A fellow didn't have his lights on it. Hey, that's
54:54
against the law. Hey you need help, mister No, No, I'm
55:07
Johnny Dollar ready with your party in Hartford, Connecticut. Mister Dollar, go
55:10
ahead, please, Hello, mister Barth Yes, this is Johnny Dollar.
55:15
Johnny, what's up? I listened carefully ed. I've just been shot.
55:17
Oh, it's nothing serious on backstage at the Elmar Theater in the Bronx.
55:22
Johnny. I'm all right, now, listen to me. I got a
55:24
tip from old Mike Cairn, a convict, that a man named Joe Panney
55:28
might have had something to do with the McCormack case a few years ago.
55:30
Yes, jewlry case hundred thousand dollars. Oh, Panny's been murdered. I
55:35
didn't get a chance to learn anything from him, but I have learned that
55:37
Panny's ex wife is married to Julian McCormick. You've contacted our New York office.
55:43
I've been trying to get your man, Frank Porter at his home,
55:45
but no one answers. It's going to be pretty nasty for Allied casually if
55:49
she plotted with this Joe Penny to Rob mccomick. Yeah, do you want
55:52
me to wait and let Frank Porter handle it? No? No, No,
55:54
you go ahead. If somebody's throwing bullets around, they'd better be stopped
55:58
before well, by me rather than Frank Porter. Huh. Okay. Expense
56:08
accounts submitted by a special investigator Johnny Dollar to the Allied Casualty and Insurance Company
56:14
Limited, Markham Building, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of
56:17
expenditures incurred during my investigation of the McCormick matter. I'm eleven seven dollars and
56:25
a half one bottle of Scotch, which I sent the stage dorman out to
56:29
get while I was calling it bar the Allied Insurance. Apparently everybody in the
56:32
neighborhood through thought. The exchange of shots between me and somebody in the long
56:37
black cope were backfires. It was the dorman who dragged me back in the
56:40
theater. You got yourself a boy, now, mister, just a grace.
56:46
I should don't get you. Corner assures people an appoli. Somebody fires
56:51
to god, you call the cops. Have another drink? That's hey,
56:53
Hey, where are you going? You see a doctor? Lay there?
57:00
I went back outside in the alley where the shooting had taken place. Ten
57:04
minutes are looking around, and I dug a pair of thirty eight slugs out
57:07
of a telephone post expense account out of twelve four dollars and thirty five cents.
57:15
Camfair Elmar Theatre to Long Island. It was twelve o'clock straight up.
57:20
When I got to the McCormick home. There were no lights burning, and
57:22
apparently everyone had retired for the night. I checked the garage first, a
57:28
fifty five Cadillac convertible and a four year old Jay. No warm motives,
57:32
no black coops. I went to the house. Oh it's you, hello,
57:44
missus mccarmick. No, no, please, please don't come in here,
57:46
my husband. Please. I don't know who you are, but I
57:51
remember meeting you at the hotel the I'm Johnny Dollar, an insurance investigating insurance.
57:55
Well, there must be some way we can fix this up. Talk
57:59
to me tomorrow. I'll meet you somehow. How can you fix up?
58:00
Murder? Murder? What are you talking about? Joe Panny's dead, your
58:05
ex husband. He was shot with a twenty five, just like the one
58:08
you swung at me at the hotel. Oh no, you want to tell
58:13
me about that, all right, I'll tell you. Joe was your husband
58:17
once you helped him rob this house five years ago. He couldn't have done
58:22
it alone. He wasn't that slick, he wasn't that good. He could
58:24
steal a car, but a safe. Lock's different from ignition. Well,
58:30
yes, yes, I helped him do it. He made me, he
58:35
promised me if I helped him, I'd never hear from him again. I
58:37
hope him the safe for him. But you were down to see him at
58:40
his hotel the other night. You searched his room, searched his room.
58:44
Yeah, well, I don't know anything about that. He called me,
58:46
said he wanted money. I didn't know where he'd been for these last few
58:50
years up the river. Oh well, he wanted money, and he wasn't
58:53
there when I went there, and I was yes, and the gun.
58:58
I went down there to kill him. But I didn't see him, not
59:00
then later somewhere. I haven't seen him at all. I tell you,
59:02
just talked to him on the phone. I don't suppose it did make any
59:07
difference if I told you I had a good reason. If I told you
59:10
I loved my husband very much, not likely in view of the fact you
59:15
helped your ex husband rob him of one hundred thousand dollars worth a jewelry five
59:17
years ago. Oh, I can explain that Joe came around when we got
59:21
back from my honeymoon. It's an old story, my past isn't all well
59:28
anyhow, Joe threatened to tell my husband about it unless I gave him money.
59:31
I didn't have any, so I opened the safe for him that night.
59:36
It's all I could think to do. Yeah, then you split with
59:38
him later on. I told you I haven't seen him. Why would I
59:42
want to do that. I have everything I want in life right here,
59:45
mostly my husband. Well, that's still a police madam. Missus mccomick.
59:51
I spent a long time looking for you. Maybe you better get your coat
59:54
irish. You'll remain exactly where you are, Julian, and so will you.
59:59
Mister Julian, you heard what I said. Don't worry about it.
1:00:01
My dear, mister Dollar, I'm a gentleman that this is a gun.
1:00:07
I noticed a thirty eight. I got a couple of slugs in my pocket
1:00:09
that came from it. Stand over there, Now, this is pretty silly.
1:00:13
You can put that thing away and we can settle this way. Why
1:00:15
he has told you the absolute truth with the Dollar, She's innocent of any
1:00:19
wrongdoing so far as I'm concerned. Is that clear? It's pretty glib McCormick.
1:00:23
She's accessory to one hundred thousand dollars heist, and she hasn't done anything
1:00:27
wrong. If she wanted to give them away my ex husband to anybody that
1:00:31
was her affair, I would not press charges. Well, that takes care
1:00:35
of you. How are you going to square it with Allied casually in the
1:00:37
state of New York? And you also forget a little matter of a dead
1:00:40
man. But I haven't forgotten you, mister Dollar. Jullian, please don't.
1:00:44
I've caused enough trouble. Please calm yourself, my dear. This is
1:00:47
the least I can do for you after what you've done for me just being
1:00:53
my wife. Mister Dollar, will you accept money? Not enough for murder?
1:01:00
Fifty one hundred thousand. I'd hate to kill you, mister Dollar.
1:01:07
You tried once tonight. You referred to that before, but you weren't very
1:01:09
good, and now you're even worse. You forgot to take the safety off
1:01:13
that gun. He's all right, get out of the wind. Let me
1:01:20
see that gun. I wasn't interested in either one of them. For the
1:01:30
moment I was looking at the thirty eight I'd taken from Julian McCormick. There
1:01:34
was a smear of cosmoline still inside the barrel. I sniffed it, checked
1:01:37
and found all chambers loaded. It was a brand new weapon and it had
1:01:42
never been fired. Expense account item thirteen five dollars and a half cab fare
1:01:51
again, this time from Long Island to an apartment in Queens. The man
1:01:54
I wanted to see was Allied Casualty's man, Frank Porter. He lived in
1:01:59
a very neighborhood. That's apartment two three. But mister Porter is not inter
1:02:06
I wait for him, Yes, sir, it's all right if I sit
1:02:10
in your lobby, isn't it. Oh, yes, sir, yes,
1:02:13
But I'd prefer that you waited somewhere else. He was, this is a
1:02:16
rather exclusive apartment buildings, and we don't like people loitering in the lobby.
1:02:22
Well, I'm on a pretty exclusive mission. But you don't like the mud
1:02:27
on my clothes and the tear on my coat? Are you a friend of
1:02:30
mister Porter? Yeah, good friend. He wouldn't mind if I waited in
1:02:35
his apartment if that's what you mean, No, sir, impossible, But
1:02:42
a couple of bucks can do wonders sometimes. It was quite a lay on
1:02:47
books, pictures, furniture and whatnots that make living at home pretty agreeable.
1:02:53
I prought myself up on a stool at Frank's little bar, poured myself a
1:02:58
drink and sat there waiting for him. I was like that. Half an
1:03:02
hour later when he showed up, he looked a little unsteady on his feet.
1:03:07
With Johnny Dollar, he was the last person in the world I expected
1:03:13
to see that light and let you in. I didn't think it mine,
1:03:17
No, not all. I tried to phone you earlier tonight you were out.
1:03:22
I'm sorry with what's her name of mind, Johnny, I wanted to
1:03:27
tell you I was shot at tonight. Well, I wanted to tell you
1:03:30
I found out who missus McCormick is and was. Since you were on the
1:03:34
case first for Allied, I thought i'd tell you first what you wish say.
1:03:37
This is a nice setup, full of nice things. I've been in
1:03:43
places like this before, Frank. They usually started three hundred a better a
1:03:46
month, but made service, phone service. All those things cost money,
1:03:52
A lot of money, don't they, Frank? Cheap with when you tumbled
1:03:59
to it, Johnny. A little while ago, when I was out on
1:04:01
Long Island, Julian McCormick made me a proposition. He finally offered me one
1:04:06
hundred thousand dollars a lot of money. He sounded like he'd had experience making
1:04:12
propositions. I should have tumbled to it a couple of days ago when you
1:04:15
phoned the parole office after I left you. He used my name when you
1:04:18
asked for Joe Panney's address. Yeah. I wondered if your tip was on
1:04:24
the right track, and then figured Joe Panny was eligible for paroles so quick
1:04:28
I had to get to him before you did. He wasn't a kit and
1:04:30
keep his mouth shut. You shut it for him, didn't you. Frank
1:04:34
My advice SAI down, Johnny. Now go ahead. They'll be strapping it
1:04:39
down one of these days. Geeh wish No. One hundred and a half
1:04:44
a week investigating claims by nice places like this. It was one of those
1:04:48
lucky things, Johnny. When I was called to Long Island to investigate that
1:04:53
heist five years ago, I met McCormick's wife, happened to recognize her as
1:04:59
Joe Penny, and you knew McCormick was in love with his wife enough to
1:05:01
pay you to keep quiet, and I gave him service for his money.
1:05:05
The cops would have broken at case in twenty four hours. But I covered
1:05:09
up all the tracks I can find, and I made it real safe by
1:05:13
seeing Joe send up the river. How just tipped off the cops to some
1:05:17
of these hot car deals, and he picked him up. He happen to
1:05:21
be carrying a gun, so he got the works. Then you just sat
1:05:25
around drawing blackmail from McCormick, Chief Whiz. Don't look at me like that,
1:05:30
Johnny. Every guy has a price, how about you. That's the
1:05:35
second offer I've had tonight. It's a good one. Joe Penny was a
1:05:40
dumb guy. He picked up that jewelian, went right down town and punked
1:05:43
it in a safe deposit box. It's been sitting there all the time he
1:05:46
was up the rivers. Still worth for? Sorry, Frank you sure?
1:05:51
I'm sure, Chief Chief wish Johnny, you are a good dick. You
1:05:58
don't buy off. I just wanted to see. I guess sure, Frank,
1:06:03
Well do we go in quietly? You'd be surprised, Johnny, how
1:06:09
quiet? You better dial for an ambulance if you want me to go to
1:06:13
to try or you were good in that ally back of the theater tonight,
1:06:17
Johnny. When I tried to knock you off, followed you all night looking
1:06:23
for my chance. You nicked me twice. Dalard Duck quick, quick,
1:06:29
jeez, where is it hurts? He died right there without saying hull.
1:06:44
The disposition of the case, and what to do about Frank Porter an insurance
1:06:46
adjuster who goes bad and as a matter I don't have to handle and I'm
1:06:50
glad. Expense account it am fourteen hotel on board in New York City,
1:06:58
seventy nine dollars and thirty cents. It had him fifteen eighty four dollars legal
1:07:02
fees and incidental expenses involved in locating the widow of Mike Kirn's, which seems
1:07:08
is still alive somewhere in Iowa, and will accept half the reward as promised.
1:07:15
Item sixteen fourteen dollars even transportation back to Hartford. Expense account total two
1:07:20
hundred and sixty five dollars and ninety one cents. Remarks she whiz yours truly,
1:07:27
Johnny Dollar. Now here's our star Bob Bailey to tell you about next
1:07:43
week's story. Thanks. Next week the story of a ship the Molly k
1:07:46
Destination. Davy Jones Locker join us, won't you yours? Truly Johnny Dollar.
1:07:57
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar is Rems drived Hollywood, written by John Dawson.
1:08:00
The entire production is under the direction of Jack Johnstone. Heard in this week's
1:08:04
cast were Mary Jane Croft, Virginia, Greg, Marvin Miller, fors Lewis,
1:08:09
Frank Gerstall, Herb Butterfield, Herb Ellis, Tony Barrett Ken, Christy,
1:08:13
Jack Cruschan, and Junius Matthews. Be sure to join us on Monday
1:08:15
night, same time in Station or another exciting story of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar.
1:08:20
Roy Rowan, speaking welcome back. I think that there were definitely virtues
1:09:17
to the way we went through the series originally, and I also think that
1:09:24
there is a virtue in listening to it as an omnibus format. You get
1:09:29
a different experience. With the serial format, you really got the feel of
1:09:33
this suspense from day to day as we went from Monday through Friday waiting for
1:09:42
the case to be resolved. However, when you listen to it as an
1:09:45
omnibus format, you kind of see the story develop differently. I think we
1:09:50
had a lot more clues and it was a lot clearer and easier to follow.
1:09:58
I saw the clues to the insurance adjuster's guilt more clearly as the story
1:10:04
went on, with this sort of battle of wits going on unbeknownst to Johnny.
1:10:12
I think when you listen to it the first time, you're almost really
1:10:15
surprised at the end when it comes out the way that it does, because
1:10:19
the clues were pretty subtle throughout. However, you have perhaps a better opportunity
1:10:26
to catch the whole thing and all the little clues if you listen to it
1:10:31
altogether. And we will be back with two more of these omnibus specials during
1:10:36
our listener support campaign. Speaking of which you can support it support Dot Great
1:10:42
Detectives dot net. I also wanted to highlight that we do have a variety
1:10:45
of movies. We do offer actual DVDs as thank you gifts. If you
1:10:51
live in the United States, we can ship you for a donation of fifty
1:10:56
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1:10:59
what I I think is the best movie of all time, Casablanca, and
1:11:02
that's with a donation of fifty dollars or more, and we have a lot
1:11:06
of other options you can pick yours a support Dot Great Detectives dot net.
1:11:12
Well, we'll be back on Monday, and on Monday and Tuesday of this
1:11:15
week, we'll be announcing programs that we're going to be introducing to you in
1:11:19
the twenty fourteen twenty fifteen season of The Great Detectives of All Time Radio.
1:11:25
Wednesday through Saturday are pretty well set. Those will all be the same through
1:11:30
the next season, but Monday and Tuesday will have a little bit of change,
1:11:34
so you'll want to be listening then in the meantime, sender comments to
1:11:39
Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter Radio Detactives,
1:11:43
and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com. Slash Radio
1:11:46
Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off