Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ideal Vacation Matter (EP1471)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ideal Vacation Matter (EP1471) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
0:32
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a common email it to
0:36
me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio
0:41
Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash
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Radio Detectives. Before we do get started, I do want to encourage as
0:51
you to make your travel plans to remember Johnny Dollar Air dot com. Johnny
0:55
Dollar air dot com is a Priceline affiliate that means you can your own price
1:00
on hotels, rental cars, airline tickets and even more, or choose from
1:04
great publish fairs. But also that part of your purchase price goes to support
1:08
the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. So when you're making those travel plans,
1:12
remember to check Johnnydollar Air dot com first. Well, this seems to
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be a time for cut up programs, and that's the case with today's episode
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of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar from the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, with
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all the intermissions cut out and a few other little things. Again not my
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doing, but the plot is mostly an attact and I don't think any part
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of the plot is missing, unlike Nick Carter, which felt like a few
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little bits might have been. But at any rate, here from September twenty
1:48
second, nineteen fifty seven is the ideal vacation matter from Hollywood. It's time
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now for Johnny Dollar. I'm mccrack and Johnny in the wrest of Adjustment Bureau.
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Oh hi, Patt, Hey, I thought you were on vacation.
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I got called back right in the middle of letting the kind of net gland
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you know, Grant the Broadway columnist, that's the one, Or what's he
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got to do with your vacation? He's heavily insured by one of the companies
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will represent, and right now he's taking his vacation. Wow, my only
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has made a lot of enemies in his time. I know. I read
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his column and it looks like one of those enemies is trying to make nets
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vacation permanent. Savvy, I'll be right over Patt Bob Bailey and the Exciting
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Adventures of the Man with the Action backed Expense Account America's fabulous free lance insurance
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Investigator. Yes, truly, Johnny Dollar, no act one of yours,
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Truly Johnny Dollar Expense Account. Submitted by special Investigator Johnny Dollar the Home Office
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Universal Adjustment Bureau, Highford, Connecticut. Following is the account of expenses Encourage
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during my investigation of the ideal vacation matter expense account, had and won a
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dollar twenty for a taxi from my apartment to the Office of Universal Adjustment Bureau.
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What Patpma Cragan was waiting for me, his face covered with sunburn and
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worry from beginning to relax and enjoy my vacation sit down on? Johnny?
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Thanks? I want the deal about his Ned Grant? When you say you
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read his column, you know he prints some pretty blunt stuff sometimes. Yeah,
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I've often wondered how he gets away with it. A couple of years
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ago he dug up some evidence and a bad boy named Willie Beamis famous Beamis.
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Yeah. The stuff he printed helped get beam As convicted, didn't it.
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Yeah? But he's worried good even with Ned Oh well, I fell
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on ned Grant's position. Here's that kind of threat all the time. Besides,
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with Bemis in jail, what's the problem, not at all, Johnny,
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if you were in jail he broke out last night? Oh, I
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see, does Grant know that Bemis is on the law. I told you
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Grant's on vacation, probably as far from a newspaper as he can get.
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So you think he's in danger, Well what would you think? Oh but
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if Bemis has any sense, he's heading in some of the direction as fast
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as he can't afford to take the chance. Johnny. Oh look, Pat,
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I still don't see where I figure in this. Why not just arrange
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for police protection for Grant until Beamas gets picked up. I want to protect
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the guy. I gotta find him first. Find him? You mean you
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don't know where Grant is? Silently nobody knows. Oh great, and I'm
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supposed to find That's right? Or do me a favor? Huh? Likewise,
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find him before will he Beams does? Well? I know enough about
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Beamis to realize he wouldn't hesitate to gun down anybody who gun in his way,
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including me. So I headed for New York. That's had him two
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twenty three dollars forty cents. I located the apartment house where Ned Grant lived
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and had to talk with a manager in his office at the rear of the
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first floor. I'm sorry, mister dollar that I really don't have the slightest
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idea where mister Grant went on his vacation. Well, didn't he leave a
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forwarding address? No, he just told me to hold all his mail for
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him here until he got back. And he didn't say anything at all.
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It would give you a clue as to where he might have gone. Who
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live at all? Oh great? I don't know if you know mister Grant
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very well, but well he's unpredictable. Let's put it that way. Of
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course, the kind of life he leads would make a character out of anyone.
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I guess you mean batting out that column every day. Huh, yes,
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and his phone ringing every ten minutes, and strange people crepsing up to
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see him at all hours. Really, I can understand he's not telling anyone
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where he went on his vacation. He just wanted to get away from it
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all. He kept saying that this time he was going to have an ideal
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vacation. Ideal vacation that could mean anything from a trip to them on to
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oh lord knows what. Tell me this. Did he take much luggage?
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Oh? I don't even know. But he hadn't been gone ten minutes before
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my phone started ringing with calls for it. Your phone. Oh, yes,
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mister Grant had his disconnected before he left. Tell me, mister Dona,
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what's so urgent about finding mister Grant. There's an escaped convict named Willie
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Beams who has it in for him. Oh, he could be looking for
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Grant. If so, I have to find Grant first. I see.
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Well, I wish I had more information for you. Oh, I tell
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you you might try miss Anthony. Possibly she could help you. Oh Miss
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Anthony Doris Anthony well a close friend mister Grant. Oh you know where I
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can find her? Where she lives or as I understand that she has a
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small apartment somewhere on East seventy third Street. Go ahead, I'll find it,
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thanks, mister Grauvis. I walked outside and hailed a taxi. But
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then, just as I was about to step into what I proze because I
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caught a glimpse of somebody walking me into the service entrance at the side,
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and it was just enough light to tell me it was none other than Willy
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Beavis. I had it back in fast and straight to the door of Crouther's
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little office. The door of it was locked, but I'll up hutus,
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Okay, then I'll open it. Hey, Cruthers, what happened to you?
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That's right? What happened? This man? Right after you left it
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came barging in. I was Willie Bemis. What did you tell him?
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Creuthers? Only what I told you? And it looks like he and I
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are starting out even. But this is one race I don't want to end
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up in what you'd call a dead heat. Act two of yours truly Giant
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Dollar in a moment, and no Act two of yours Johnny Dollar and the
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Ideal vacation matter. I looked up Doris Anthony's address on East seventy third and
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took a cab that's had him three a dollars seventy five to her apartment.
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She was tall, rangy, dark hair, and somewhere along the line I'd
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seen her before, but I couldn't remember where Ned Grant, how would I
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know where he is? He isn't exactly the sort of guy that lets you
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in on his plan. Hey, listen, Doris, this may be be
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the oldest line in the book, and I know it. But haven't I
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seen you somewhere before? Could be I've been around a while, like where
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oh I used to sing A couple of clubs around town. That's where I'm
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at. Ned. He liked me, so he helped me in this column.
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Not what you mean? Yeah, that's what I mean. As a
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proment manager says you're a very good friend of Ned's. He has a lot
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of girlfriends. My main claim to fame is I'm always handy. Well,
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look, Grant Toll, the apartment manager, he was going to take an
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ideal vacation. Any idea what that would mean? Or where? Sure?
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Wherever they are girls? What do you want him for? Somebody's out to
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get him. What do you mean, Willie Bemis? And they mean anything
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to you? Bemus is in prison, he was, he's out. Now
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what you didn't know? I haven't read the papers today. Does that change
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your mind any about helping me find him? Look, really, I don't
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know where he is, honest. There is one thing that might help though.
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Oh what, Well, a week or so ago, while I was
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at with Ned, he stopped into the travel agency Davis. I think the
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agent's name was on fifty to fifty first Street around there. Okay, I'll
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follow it up Johnny. If Ned doesn't know Beams, yeah, and if
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I don't get to him first, He's in for a real nasty surprise.
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There was still something about Doris that stuck in my mind, but I couldn't
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quite crack it, so I decided to do a little quick research on her.
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I dropped in to see an old friend to work in one of the
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newspapers. We tug through a lot of clippings in the wargue. Doris had
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sung at half a dozen spots around town, and there were a lot of
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pictures on her. Then I came to one that rang a large sized bell.
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It was a shot of hers sitting at a nightclub table. Had a
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man sitting there with her was Willy Beamis. I headed back to her apartment
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fast, but she was gone. The manager told me she'd left in a
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hurry and with a suitcase. Now I didn't know where I stood. If
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Doris was still friendly with Beamis, it could very well be that she knew
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where Grant was. It was helping Willy Beamas fight her in that case.
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The lead she gave me on the travelation was only a bum steer that's only
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off the trail. But the way things stood, I didn't have anything else
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to go on at the moment, so I had to take a chance she'd
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been on the level. I headed for West fiftieth Street and the travel asion.
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She told me about a man named Davis ned Grant us customers like him.
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I can do without what any mean by that. Here, I'll show
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you. Here we are a reservation if Nassau. Here's one in Bermuda.
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Oh, and here's one for the Virgin Islands. He had you make all
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those for him. Everyone. That sort of thing doesn't make me very popular
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at those resorts. Believe well, that's a sense. She can't be at
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all those places. Ask me, he's not at any of them. He's
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always doing that sort of thing, and that's a lot of help. Just
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the same. I'm going to call those places. Where's your phone right there
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on the desk, and I tell you, excuse me, hello, Oh
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oh yes, that's a minute. It's for you, mister Donand oh yes,
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Johnny Dollan, it's Don's Anthony Johnny. Wow. Wow. I didn't
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think i'd be hearing from you again. Why not? After I found out
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you were an old friend of Willie be Miss I went back to your apartment.
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You'd cleared up, Johnny. I'm no longer a friend of Willy Be
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oh no, wait a minute's sister, the truth, but the praid he
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might come to see me. That's why I left. Oh sure, Johnny.
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The reason I'm calling. I think I know what that could be.
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Where well, I'm not sure, but a few days ago he went to
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see a friend of his name, Mike. Mike Goal's a ski lodge up
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in Vermont Ski Lodge. There's no skiing this time of year. I know
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the lodge is closed, but Ned's gone up there once or twice before when
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he wanted to get away from everything. Okay, where is it. It's
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called Hasting's Lodge, about twenty miles beyond Bradbury on a little country road.
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Now, look, I have no choice but to go on up there.
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Have you told anyone else about this? No, of course not. Okay,
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Doris, don't sir expense account. I am four thirty eight dollars fifty
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cents transportation by plane and rented card to Hastings Ski Lodge. As I jumped
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over the pumpy road up in the Vermont Woods, I couldn't help thinking this
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might be strictly a wild goose chase. But at the moment I couldn't afford
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to pass up any lead. It was after dark when I finally drove up
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to the lodge. It sprawled on the side of a hillway out in the
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middle of nowhere. There went all lights on, no sign of life about
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the place at all. The door was unlocked. Inside the room was pitch
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dark with all the curtains drawn. I couldn't find the light switch. But
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I had a real funny feeling like maybe there was somebody else in the room
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with me. Grant, Grant, Sorry, buddy, you got the wrong
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party. Demis that's right, Willie Bemis. I totally right with y'all.
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Boy. How do you find out about this place? What difference it make?
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Yeah? I guess you got a point there, Except I have a
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nasty little idea. Who wanted to tip you off? Isn't that Grant?
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He hadn't shown up yet? So what happens now? So a wait for
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him? What about me? I'll give you three guesses about you, but
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I figure you're only going to need one of them. Act three of yours,
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truly Johnny Dollar. In a moment, No, Act three of yours
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truly Johnny Dollar, and the ideal vacation matter. Oh stand still, Dollar.
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My gun is on the left that's what you're looking for, Bemis.
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Thanks so Daris tipped you off, huh. A little talk with her,
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and I thought she was a friend of Daran's. You never know, do
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you. I guess you're right, Dollar. I'm afraid you're in my way
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around here, and that means you get the message, don't you. Yeah,
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I get the message. You see, you made just one mistake.
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What's that? You should have stayed at home. Ah? Yeah, I
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should have stayed at home, all right. And if it weren't for that
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Grant, I could have. And then it hit me. Sure, suddenly
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I knew what the ideal vacation meant for that crazy Broadway columnists. The answer
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had been right, undo my nose from the start. Yeah. I finally
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figured out where Grant was. But I wasn't doing me much good. I
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had to get out of here, and at the moment, my chances didn't
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look too good. You know, Dollar, you've got a very funny look
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on your face, have I? Yeah, like something just rang a bell
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with you? Oh huh, Sorry, Beamus, It's just my normal delirious
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expression. Okay, funny boy, played your way over against the wall.
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Move hold? It lit the car outside Branda. I don't know. I'm
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not taking any chances. Now you answered the door a dollar, I'll be
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right behind it, and this gun I'll be staring at your back. It
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could be Ned Grant who'd driven up, in which case I'd have to warn
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him somehow. Or it could be somebody else, in which case I had
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to grab their car and get out of here. One thing sure, whoever
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it was, I had to move fast, Johnny. I pulled a door
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open wide, then threw my weight against it, slammed in the famous and
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flat them against the wall. Who was off the palace so I could paul
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in This gun one's flying, But I couldn't see where, and I couldn't
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take time to look. I grabbed Doris, get on it, Come on,
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I went to the car. Now they're gonna help me for a change.
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That was don't tell me you're surprised the other one who tipped him off
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about the ski watch, But Johnny I had no choice. He pushed me
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around. Ye sure, Johnny, where are we going to New York?
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Do you think Ned's there? Use? I think he's been there right from
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the start. We stopped at the nearest town to call the sheriff. I
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wanted his boys to try and intercept Bemis. He was a sent to be
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following us by now. Then we headed for the city. The sun was
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rising when we pulled up at Grant's apartment house. The manager didn't answer.
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Maybe he's still asleep. Looks like I have to take another chance on you,
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Doris. I tell you I'm on the level, Johnny. I sure,
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hope. So I got to get up to Grant's apartment fast. Now
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there's a payphone over there in the lobby. Call the police and then meet
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me upstairs. Go on, okay, Johnny. I went upstairs and pounded
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on Grant's door, but no answer. I went to the end of the
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hall and out onto the fire escape. Yeah, there was a ledge.
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Carefully I worked my way along into a window. There was Grant's bedroom,
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all right, and there he was, sound asleep, empty bottle on the
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bed table. So my hunt have been right. Sure. It was the
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ideal vacation for a guy who was pestered by everybody in town. Tell everyone
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you're leaving the city, then disconnects your phone and hold up in your apartment
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for some real peace and quiet. I went to the front door dons.
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Yes, Johnny let me in. Okay, just a second, Well,
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Doris, I was well, well, well, well it ain't Johnny Donna,
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Hello, Venus, I ain't this nice? So you did it again,
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Hannes, Johnny, I couldn't help it. He has a gun,
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he made me. Yeah, sure, pretty smart, han Donna finding Ned
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Grant for me. You know, I don't think I ever thought looking for
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him here, but you did, so you're a smart boy, Kane.
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I don't interrupt me while I'm talking, like I was saying, I'm much
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obliged you for helping me find Grant. Now that I got him, Okay,
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so I don't need you on anymore. We'll go slowly, and with
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a smirk on his face, Bemus raised his gun until it pointed straight in
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my head. What flew out of his hand? The shot had come from
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outside down the hall. Suddenly the corridor was swimming with police. Bemis Stofer's
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gun Empsteady collected the butt of one over his left ear. That they got
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here. So you did call the police after all, you bet I did.
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Now do you believe him on the level? Yeah, Doris, I
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guess I do. And you took a mighty good way to prove it.
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What's going earlier? So you finally woke up? Yeah, hey, that's
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well venus the cardigory, it sure is? Or what's he doing here?
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What's going on? Hey? Look, bright eyes, you better go on
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back to bed. But I don't know this right. The whole deal off
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as a bad dream. Huh. Expense account total one hundred and fifteen dollars
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twenty five cents. And look, the next time you send me out to
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protect the guy, don't pick one who's going to sleep all the way through
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the deal. Huh, I don't know. It kind of takes the sport
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out of it. And pat since I didn't find a man who ran away
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for you on accountomy never really ran away? Oh how about sending my fee
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on this one to the community. Chess yours truly, Johnny Deller. Our
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star will return in just a moment. Oh no, here is our star.
20:48
They tell you about next week's story. Next week, an old old
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racket comes to light and nearly cost me my life. Join us, won't
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you yours truly? Dollar yours truly, Johnny Dollars, starring Bob Bailey.
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Originates in Hollywood, written by Robert Rich, who is produced and directed by
21:17
Jack Johnstowe. Heard in our cast were Mary Jane Cox, Lawrence Dumpkins,
21:22
Joseph Kerns, Jack Edward, Barney Phillips, and Byron Kin. Be sure
21:26
to join us next week, same station for another exciting story of yours truly,
21:30
Johnny Dollar. This is Dan cobberly speaking. This is the United States
21:57
n Horses Radio and Jovision Service. Welcome back, and now we know how
22:07
Ned Grant invented the staycation Actually is a pretty clever idea. If I ever
22:14
become obscenely famuliess, I'm not consider it, But as it is, I
22:18
can stay home without incident. It was a nice gesture of Johnny to give
22:22
his fee to the community chest, though I think fitting, because he almost
22:26
got the man he was sent to protect killed. The confrontation at the end
22:32
would have been avoided or mitigated by Johnny having the car stop and calling the
22:37
police ahead to have them check, or calling Pat McCracken to have somebody go
22:41
ahead in check. Being suspicious of Doris and continuing to ride in her car
22:45
all the way to the site of the guy you're trying to protect. Yeah,
22:49
I sense that this was not the best thought out idea, though I
22:55
did love the solution to the mystery where and the pure eyes and the slight
23:00
comedic value of it that he's actually sleeping in bed and totally oblivious to the
23:07
fact that you're protecting him or that he's even in danger. And the writing
23:11
does suffer a little bit, and some of that I think is because of
23:17
the loss of Joe time when we caught out everything that this version did.
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There's only about twenty and one half minutes, which is almost entirely story.
23:30
But you consider that a show like Dragnet or even earlier editions of Johnny Dollar
23:37
might have twenty four twenty six minutes, and clearly we've got to wrap things
23:41
up a lot quicker. Still, despite the problems, I enjoyed it,
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like I said, for the cleverness of the solution, which I definitely didn't
23:49
see coming. All Right, Well, that will do it for today.
23:53
We'll be back tomorrow with Dragnet, and then join us back here again next
23:59
Friday for another app Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. In the meantime, sendor
24:03
comments to 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
24:11
com. Slash Radio detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your host,
24:15
Adam Grahamson and off