Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Silver Blue Matter, Parts Three and Four (EP1097)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Silver Blue Matter, Parts Three and Four (EP1097) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

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Welcome to the Great Detectors of Old Time Radio from Noise, Idaho. This
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is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectors dot net, Follow us on Twitter at
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Radio Detectors, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com
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slash Radio Detectives. Before we get started, I want to let you know
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that today's programs brought to you by the financial support of our listeners, and
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you can support the show at support Great Detectives dot net. Well, now
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it's time for today's episode of Yours Truly Johnny Dowler The Silver Blue Matter,
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Parts three and four from Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Dollar. Wake
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you up, Johnny, Oh Garcia, No, just finished breakfast? Oh
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you special investigators? Do live? Suppose that insurance company of yours could put
1:23
me on expense account? Maybe if you've found that one hundred grand worth of
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stolen First just a matter of time, Johnny. Now you're talking like a
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police lieutenant. How soon can you come down here to headquarters? What's up?
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As the Watchman talked to Chrispin, No, he's still in a coma.
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I want to know some more about that kid you mentioned on the phone
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last night, Heady Money, Yeah, I don't know. That was told
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me in confidence, Johnny. I'm going to talk to you like a policeman
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for a minute. A man named Weller was knife to death last night,
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told me yourself. His death is probably tided with that warehouse robbery. Another
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man is dying at Queen of the Angels. So confidence or no confidence to
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know about this? All right, Garcia, I'll be there in twenty minutes
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tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey in the transcribed Adventures of the Man
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with the Action Pact expense account America's Fabulous freelance insurance Investigator as truly Johnny Dollar.
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From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar, location in Los Angeles, California, the
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home office Mono Guarantee Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment the Silver Blue
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Matter expense account continued. It am ten a dollar and forty five cents taxi
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from my hotel to the police headquarters office of Lieutenant Garcia. The early morning
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four was starting to lift in the city sprawl beneath a slate gray sky.
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The filtered sun should have softened things, but didn't. Gray Son Gray World
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rab and dreary, and a case to match teenagers, not a gang of
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hardened criminals, a bunch of wild kids who've broken into a warehouse and stole
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an eighty fur coat silver blue mik. A night watchman had been slugged and
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lay dying in the hospital, and a lunch room owner named Red Weller had
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been stabbed to death the night before. So it couldn't be called kid stuff.
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That term doesn't apply to murder. Run those four cards through, Joe,
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see what you can make on the us. Come on into the office,
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Johnny. This madhouse out here get you a threstle before you know it.
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Oh, you police detectives have it pretty software sere. That's news to
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me. A lot of times, photo files, record cards, crime labs.
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How'd you like to try working alone on your expense account? I could
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suffer the hardship and let's go in here. Have us see Jenny. Thanks?
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Yeah? Did I put the fear of the Lord in you on the
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phone? You were real impressive. Yeah. The Chief was breathing down my
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neck and then I'll stop trembling. Getting aside, Johnny, I've got to
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know just how that monte boy figures in this? Did I say he even
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figured in it at all. No, you just wanted some information on him.
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But he figures all right. You didn't come out here from Hartford to
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look up the nephew of an old friend. Oh, I've done crazier things
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at times. He's got a record, did you know that? No petty
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stuff, No convictions, geng brows, auto pilfering, vandalism, intoxication,
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interrogative attitude, sullen, hostile, anti social. That's quite a nephew.
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You've got, Johnny, Why actually with the family. What's the story?
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How did you get onto this cloot? Oor? I made a promise on
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this. I hate to break it. It's murder, Johnny. This kid's
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sister worked for red Weller and that lunch from across the street from the warehouse.
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Her name is Karla Many. She's five years older than he is.
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Together their parents are dead, so I put some pressure on her and she
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told me she thought her brother Eddie might know something about the robbery. She
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took me to a pool room to meetium. Oh was he supposed to have
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known about it? Say no no. She admitted later that she suspected him
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of being mixed up in in himself things he'd said, the way he acted,
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she asked me to help her try to keep him out of trouble.
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I think he's already in trouble, Johnny. Yeah, so do I and
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I think she does too. What did he have to say when you talked
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to him in the pool hall? Several things, but they added up to
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two words, get out, and I wouldn't he did. Why do you
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think Red Weller was killed, Johnny? Well, I think those kids used
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his lunch room as a lookout post to spot the prowl car that was patrolling
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that area. As soon as it passed, they pulled the job. He
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figures are right. I think RDD realized that when he thought back and knew
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who the kids were. I think that's what he was going to tell me.
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So they found out what he was up to and knocked him off to
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shut his mouth. Yeah, it ends up. Cursy Ah, tell me
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about her, Carla wants to tell She's just a girl like millions of others,
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decent, hardworking in real sweep. But there's something about her, something
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special. I don't know what, I don't know the words to use,
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but well it's there, you feel it, and she's kept it somehow in
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spite of everything. I guess I know what you mean, do Yeah,
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I told you once, Johnny, and I grew up in that district.
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I know how rough it is, or maybe it's even worse for a girl
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it is. I know I had a sister, Oh, I don't know
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that she was a lot like this girl Carla once. Then the district got
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to her and she got to be more like Carla's brother. What happened to
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her? One to five possession of narcotics, a couple of other pretty rough
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charges. She she died in the Hatcher be prisoned seven years ago. I'm
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sorry. I don't want to see this girl Carla hurt any more than you
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do, Johnny. Maybe the hurt will break her, make her lose that
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something special. But I've still got to pick up her brother and bring him
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in for questioning. Expense account Adam eleven a dollar or ninety cents taxi to
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the Weller lunch room to see Carla money. Lieutenant Garcia had a police detail
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checking known fences and borderline dealers specializing in furs, but so far none of
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those contacted had been approached by any member of the Warehouse Gang. Albert Chrismin.
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The night watchman, who had been slugged during the robbery, was still
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in a coma, unable to talk, so Carla remained my best in fact,
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my only lead to the case. The lunch room was closed, I
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paid off the taxi, walked three blocks to Carla's apartment house, climbed the
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stairs and knocked on her door. Yes, who is Johnny Dollar? I'd
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like to talk to you, all right? Just a moment coming, Johnny.
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What are we expecting a major invasion? I don't know. I don't
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know what I'm expecting currently. It's not the end of the world. Eddie
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didn't come home last night. I tried, Johnny. I tried to be
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a mother and father both do him? What did I do wrong? That's
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the kind of question that doesn't always have an answer. Have you got a
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drink in the house? Have I got anything to drink? Well, there's
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some brandy, I think, all right? Get it? Well, I
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don't know if it's a good brand. It doesn't matter. Bring two glasses.
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We're a couple of stiff ones. No, I don't go ahead and
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for them, two of them? All right? Is this a snapshot of
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Eddie when he was younger. Yeah, he was in junior high school.
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Then it was taking at summer camp when he won a medal for swimming.
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That was the only year I could afford to send it yard, Johnny.
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Thanks, all right, here's it go. I don't not drink it,
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all of it? All right? Good? You needed that. Where do
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you think he is, Johnny? What's happened to him? Carla? You're
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going to have to face it sooner or later, and I kind of think
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now is the time. What do you mean? You've been worried, sick
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for fear your brother would get into some kind of trouble, and you had
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reason to worry. It's finally happened. He's in trouble, all right,
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plenty of trouble. You're not the only one looking for him. Who else
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is? Who do you mean? John the police there's an apb out.
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They want him for questioning in connection with a robbery and with the murder of
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Red Weller. Oh no, Eddie wouldn't kill anyone. Maybe not, but
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somebody did, some member of the gang that robbed the warehouse. And it
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looks very much as if Eddie is a member. Yes, I suppose he
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is. Look, Carl, is there anything. You haven't told me about
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the robbery. I mean no, No, I was just suspicious, that's
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all because if there is, let's have it, it's too late to protect
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him now. The sooner he's taken into custody, the likelihood of his getting
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any even deeper. He was out that night, he didn't come home until
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almost morning. I was worried about it, but I knew it wouldn't do
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any good to ask him. Do you know who was with him that night?
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No, it would be the most likely ones to go along on idea
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like that, any of them, any of those he's been running around with
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lately, any idea what they hang out? Mostly just those two places I
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took you to last night, that drive in in the pool hall. Look,
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if they did pull that robbery, what do you suppose to take the
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first? I don't know. Does Eddie have a car? No, but
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some of the other boys do. Carlo, would you mind if I look
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through Eddie's room? No, I don't mind. It doesn't matter. I
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guess nothing much matters now it's gone so far. It's Eddie, he has
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his own key. Take it easy, be careful, Johnny says, you're
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gonna happen What the devil are you doing here? Working for you? Eddie?
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Yeah? What for? I think you know, Eddie, Eddie had
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got to give yourself up. Shut up, because I got you to thank
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for this jam. This insurance stick comes around romances, you up a little
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and you sell me right down the river. That's not true. How do
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you know you were in a jam aty. I got friends in this neighborhood.
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They gave me posted the same friends. Tell you Red Weller was about
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to make a deal to talk. You're whistling in the dark. Dollar.
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Maybe, I imagine Garcia will find out though, when he gets you down
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to headquarters. Get you ran off that phone. So you've got a gun,
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Eddie, Eddy, don't keep out of this. Move back against that
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wall. Dollar, put your hands flat against that wall you're keeping there.
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Give me some clothes, carlic come on, make it fast. What are
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you going to do? Get me some clothes? All right? You're wrong
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though, you're making a big mistake. It's no use running. You're lonely
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it, Eddie. Was the matter down there in the street. A police
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car just pulled up in your line. There we are dollars. I chill
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you, Carla, you're that one that brought him here, trying to let
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him trap me. I think I'll pull a bullet on you before I leave.
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You fire one shot and you won't have a chance. They'll be in
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here before you can get out of the hallway. You better make up your
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mind, Eddie. Well you've still got time. Dollar, I'm trying to
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come after him. Eddie. Please give yourself off. Eddie. Stop him,
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Johnny, I'm afraid it's a little late. Why did you let him
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go? There was no choice cover. You'd have killed you if i'd moved.
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You better give me that list of his friends. The police will want
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it. Haven't help him. Yeah, that's about all that can help him
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now, Johnny Dollar lit, Johnny, are the boys and the police car
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are still there? There are three police cars here now. They've searched the
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apartment house from top to bottom. Any luck, No, Eddie got away.
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I didn't dare make a move to stop him. He was going to
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shoot his sister. Well, we'll get him, Johnny. Don't worry about
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it. I don't intend to. My job now is to locate one hundred
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thousand dollars worth of stolen furs, not to go after Eddy money. It's
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the same job, isn't it. Probably? Did you see that list of
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his friends Carla gave me. I just put out an app to bring them
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in good. They weren't all in on that warehouse robbery, but some of
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them were. If they were, we'll take them. We've got an interrogation
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room down here to sort the sheep from the goats. Yeah, I know,
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but first you got to catch your goats. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar
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location, Los Angeles, California, to the home office Mono Guarantee Insurance Company,
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Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment a silver blue matter expense account continued adem twelve
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two cents for the way I felt. I hung up the phone and walk
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to the window, stood there looking out into the street. The police were
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leaving the apartment to carry their search for fugitive Eddie Maddy into wider territory,
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and Eddie's sister Carlos, sat huddled in a corner forlorn, beaten, broken
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hearted. From the window to the view was anything but cheerful. Thirty clotted
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streets lined by row and roe, sagging tenements drabbing gray in the weakening light
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of late afternoon. This was the slums that had spawned Eddie Muddy raised and
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nurtured him, made him into a member of a gang, and had now
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sent him fleeing from the police with a gun in his hand. And the
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same slum had bred the others of the gang who robbed a warehouse of eighty
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silver bloom mink coats, slug night watchman Albert Grismond into a near death coma,
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and had murdered a man who tried to give them away. Johnny,
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what got into him? Why is he ending up this way? I wish
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I could tell you, Carl, I did something wrong, That's it,
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of course, but it was forget it. You did all you could,
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it wasn't enough. Well, sometimes nothing is enough. And nobody knows exactly
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why I loved him. I never thought of him as just a nuisance of
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a kid brother, the way a lot of girls do. Now. Look,
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you did more than anybody could expect. You were a pretty young kid
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when your folks died, too young to have to take on the responsibility of
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raising a teenage brother. But I tried. I tried hard, and I
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thought I was doing all right until lately. No, so it didn't work.
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And what's happened is breaking your heart. Well, that can't be changed.
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But just remember this one thing. You did the best you could and
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that's all anybody could do, So don't blame yourself. Tell me something,
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Johnny. Yeah, you're wearing a gun. I don't think Ay knew it
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when he ran from here. Maybe you couldn't have used it to disarm,
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not when he was on the verge of killing you, But you could have
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drawn it and killed him. He was careless. He gave you several chances.
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Why didn't you? I don't know. Thank you, Johnny. I'd
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like to look through Eddie's room if you don't mind, all right, I'll
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go with you this way. It's down the hall. Thanks. Somehow,
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I still can't believe it. Not the killing at least Eddie is just not
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that kind. Well, a kid gets under precious sometimes it gets pushed overboard.
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Maybe we'll know more when they pick him up. What if he tries
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to resist a rest? You know the answer to that? Oh? I
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hope he doesn't. Well, here it is. This has been Eddie's room
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since he was thirteen. It ought to tell something. The main thing at
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the moment is to find something that tells where he might go to hide out.
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I've also got one hundred thousand dollars worth of first I'll okate you.
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You go ahead and look around whatever you want. Okay, thanks, I'll
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be in the living room. You call him if you want me. For
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the sake of company, I switched on a beat up record player in the
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corner, and I looked at six years of a boy's life accumulated in one
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room. Comic books, had rod magazine, school mementos, knickknacks, photographs,
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junk, mostly to anybody but the owner. I went through all of
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it, and through the drawers and chests and threw his clothes nothing. I
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looked over the photographs stuck in the mirror attack on the wall. Some of
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the names on the boy's pictures were the same as those on the list Carla
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had given to the police. There were a few pictures of girls and a
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lot of pictures of hadrods. I picked up an envelope of loose photographs lying
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in the dressing. They were views of a secondhand panel truck, and in
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all of the pictures that he was standing beside the truck with obvious pride of
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ownership. One of the views showed the front license plate. I turned the
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envelope over The film had been developed less than two weeks before. I called
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Carla back into the Roman asked her about it. No, no, I
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didn't know he had a car or a truck. Read it. It may
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not be his, but I'll lay odds that it is. That a look
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on his face is a dead giveaway. I don't know. He sure kept
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the secret. He never brought it here once he recognized the background in those
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pictures. No, no, I don't. It looks like a stewarde yard
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or an industrial places some kind, isn't it. Yeah, i'd call it
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that. Do you mind if I take these with me? Why the gang
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had to use something to haul those furs away from the warehouse. If Eddie
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was keeping the truck a secret from me, it was because he was planning
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to use it for the robbery that one or some other one. Johnny,
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he was in on it all along. Well, Carla, I've got to
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hunch Eddie as the leader of that gang. Oh. I think the truck
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was used in the robbery, And I think when we find it, we'll
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find the furs and we'll find Eddie. See you later, Carly. Expense
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account Item thirteen A dollar ready five taxi fair from Carlo's apartment to the police
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headquarters office of Lieutenant Garcia. I mean, oh, Johnny, I've been
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trying to look at you. Oh what's up. We picked up two of
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those kids on Cala Monte's lists friends of Eddie's. Wow, it's a start.
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Not with one of them, he's in the clear, perfect alibi.
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We have something on the other one, though. Want to help me talk
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to him? Yeah? Sure. Oh say, here are some photographs I
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picked him and Eddie's room a while ago. We should take a look at
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them, Garcia, All right, let's see them. The pictures were taken
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about two or three weeks ago. This truck is his. His sister doesn't
19:45
know about it. He sure got that on a look on his face.
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Yeah, he sure is. That second one there shows the license number.
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See, yeah, yeah, I see it. You think they might have
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used this in the robbery, Johnny, it's a possibility, and we're not
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exactly swamp with angles. I was wondering too, if you haven't recognized that
20:03
background behind the truck. No, but it looks like it might be done
20:07
in that area somewhere the warehouse distincts. Look, why don't you get some
20:11
copies made. Circulate them and see if any of your boys can tag the
20:14
place. Oh are you insuring sneaks to good ideas? Sometimes? Oh,
20:17
you'd be amazed. All right, I'll do it, and now let's go
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down and talk to that kid. Interrogation Room five nineteen was on the fifth
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floor, air walls painted gray, A business like room without a dormant,
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a compromise for any only with the necessary table, chairs and lights. We
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stopped in the ante room and looked in through the one way glass window.
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The boy waited along at the interrogation table, trying to put up a tough,
20:47
defiant front, but failing by the tremble of a lip and the occasional
20:49
flick of his eyes. Let's go in, get over. The kid stiffened
20:56
when he heard the door open, but he didn't turn around. He just
21:00
out there at the table, braced waiting. You can take that chair to
21:06
side, Johnny, Okay, thanks, what's your name? Ring? I
21:14
said? What's your name? Mario centuries? That's your right name? Yeah?
21:19
Where do you live? Marksman placed? My am ever been arrested before?
21:23
Mario? No, Hey, you've got kind of a bad memory,
21:27
haven't you. Why Deptember of last year arrest made by officer C. J.
21:36
Barton charge possession of stolen articles subcap two auto radios, one camera.
21:42
Wasn't convicted. I asked if you'd ever been arrested, not convicted. It
21:45
was a frame up. I didn't have any evidence, apparently not witnesses for
21:51
the prosecution refused to testify. Case dismissed here. What are you going to
21:56
claim this time? Mario? Another frame up? I don't know why you
22:00
brought me in here. I don't know anything about anything. That bad memory
22:03
again, I just don't know what you're talking about. It's lucky for us
22:08
that any money had such a good memory. Yes, what about Eddie?
22:14
What do you mean? Is he a friend of yours? He's got a
22:18
fine memory. That boy too bad. You can't remember things the way he
22:22
does. What are you talking about? H that's true, all right,
22:25
Eddie remembers everything that happened, what he did, What Mario did? I
22:29
don't know what you mean. Well, that's because of your bad memory,
22:33
Mario. Why Eddie remembers the name of every boy who was in on that
22:36
job and just what each one of them did? What job? That warehouse
22:40
robbery? Have you forgotten about that. I don't know anything about any robbery.
22:45
Well, there's been a lot of talk. At least you've heard about
22:48
it, haven't you. I don't know anything about it. Maybe you've just
22:51
forgotten. I don't know what you're talking about. When did you see Eddie
22:55
last? I don't remember. Have you seen him since the robbery? No?
22:57
How can you be sure? Said you hadn't heard of any robbery?
23:02
Why I haven't? Still you haven't seen Eddie since the robbery? Come on,
23:11
Mario, tell us about it. I guess maybe I did hear about
23:18
it, so well, why shouldn't I hear? It was in the papers.
23:21
Everybody's been talking about it. So what if I did here? That
23:22
don't prove anything you said you hadn't heard, so I forgot. Guy can
23:27
forget something, Canty, Yeah, if he's got a bad memory, he
23:32
can. And Mario's got a real bad memory. Johnny not Eddie, though.
23:34
He remembers. How you guys loaded those furs into his truck. How
23:37
you waited across the street and read Weller's until the prowl car passed, How
23:41
you slug the night watchman Albert Christmas. That's a lot. How do you
23:45
know it? Is Mario. You don't even remember it. Eddie does,
23:48
though. He even remembers the next night when you stamped Red Weller to death
23:53
to keep him from coming to me. No, No, I didn't do
23:57
that. Of course you did. You don't think Eddie would lie, do
24:00
you? It's not true. It makes sense to us here? Do you
24:04
pick him up? How would we know what he remembers unless we picked him
24:07
up? Now? How do you think we got your name out of the
24:10
telephone Book's not true? What Eddie says? Well, if you've got anything
24:15
to say, we'll listen to it. But I don't think it's necessary,
24:18
do you, Johnny? No? I think Eddie remembers everything. Let's get
24:21
out of here. Yeah, he's lying. Who listened to me? I'll
24:26
tell you the truth. I'll get a stenographer. Now here's our star to
24:48
tell you about the final intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow, A cautious
24:53
search and ambush, bullets and tears, and the end is violence. Won't
25:00
you yours truly? Johnny Dollar? Yours truly? Johnny Dollar, starring Bob
25:18
Dailey, is transcribed in Hollywood. Written by Les Crutchfield, It is produced
25:22
and directed by Jack Johnstone, be sure to join us tomorrow night at same
25:27
time and station for the next exciting episode of Yours Truly. Johnny Dollar,
25:33
Roy Rowan speaking when when Welcome back, I think so far this episode is
27:12
just a fantastic as drama, not a ton of mystery, though we have
27:18
some questions here, Well this works. I think is a real adult crime
27:23
drama, even the thing with the picture of the car, which of course
27:29
we can't see. And I think their sort of impression and their ability to
27:34
see what he means by the look on his face really builds into their empathy
27:41
and they're feeling this kid took a tragic wrong turn in his life could have
27:47
been different otherwise. It doesn't quite so far at least, and we'll see
27:52
how Part five turns out. It doesn't quite pack the powerful emotional wallop that
27:56
you get at the end of Part five of the Valentine Matter, but it
28:00
may be a little bit more realistic and true to life, which I guess
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could help. We shall see in part five. Well, now we turn
28:07
to listener comments and feedback regarding the Calikles matter. Rebecca says, one of
28:15
my favorite Johnny Doller shows. And then we have a review on iTunes and
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a reviewer going by screen name, Well, one of my thinkings says,
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I really enjoy listening to all the great detective shows that Adam shares. He
28:30
does a great job on presenting the program and giving his take on them.
28:33
I'm so glad to find this podcast that plays only old time great detectives.
28:38
Well, thanks so much, and I'm glad you're appreciating the show and keep
28:42
on listening. All right, Well, that will do it for today.
28:45
Join us tomorrow for Nick Carter, Master Detective, and then we will conclude
28:52
the Silver Blue Matter on Friday. In the meanwhile, send your comments to
28:56
Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot nette, follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectors,
29:00
and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com, Slash
29:04
Radiodetectors from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Grahamson and off