Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise Idahol. This is
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Johnny Dollar Air dot com first. Well, now let's go ahead and get
into the conclusion of this week's Yours truly, Johnny Dollar Cereal, we've got
the Star of Cape Time Matter Episodes three, four, and five from July
eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth of nineteen fifty six from Hollywood. It's time now
for Johnny Dollar liften and Vandal of the Cape Down Police. I was just
gonna call you, lieutenant something the matter. You sound very strange, probably
from nursing in lumb on my head. That put the stir of Cape town
of shame. I don't understand you found the diamond. No, to put
it politely, somebody slugged me here in my room in a while agoing why
to keep me from sailing on the Southern Empress. She just shoved off.
And I've got a strong hunch that diamond as a board that bears out what
we've learned from Julio Biac. Did he confess to force murder now, but
we're fairly certain he's involved. However, he swears he does not pay the
diamond either he parentsed it to somebody aboard the Southern Empress, or he was
chasing whoever's got it. Lieutenant, I've got to get on that ship you
say it is now on the way and out of the harbor. He wouldn't
happen to have a stray helicopter around with you. I can make arrangements for
one with the military. Can you be the airfield in fifteen minutes Mega ten
tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey, in the Transcribed Adventures of the
man with the action pact expenscout America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Yours truly Johnny
Dollar from Special Investigator Johnny Dollar location in Cape Town, South Africa to the
home office Trie Eastern Indemnity Associates assignment the Star of Cape Town matter, expenser
Count continued, I don't make can't ford to the airfield where the helicopter was
waiting for me. I don't know which was throbbing the most, the helicopter
engine on my head on the way I have to see. I had time
to try to put the pieces together, but as usually didn't fit. A
playboy named Andrew Forbes, and here it's a diamond called the Star of Cape
Town, worth one hundred and fifty g's. The insurance company gets FIDGETI at
the way Forbes is flashing the stone around, so they send me to Cape
Town to talk some sense to him. But now Forbes is dead and the
diamond is missing, and the fact that his probable killer was picked up aboard
the Southern Empress before it shoved off convinces me the stone is somewhere on that
ship. But I've got no proof. Even though I'm breaking my neck to
get there. At the moment, we picked up the Southern Empress about twenty
miles out at sea, and the helicopter pilot set being down on deck of
the Stern. A crowd of passengers had gathered, but I didn't see forbes
sister Agatha, nor Helen, the girl who'd spent so much time with him
the night he was killed. I got me a room and then headed for
Agatha forbes state room. As I stood at the door, I caught a
whiff of Forbes's favorite perfume, Forever, the kind Sheila had worn. Yes,
what we it's Helen, isn't it. I don't think we've met,
mister Dollar, Johnny Dollar. No, no, we haven't met officially,
but we were both at Forbes party the other night. You wish to speak
with Miss Forbes and you too, Helen Helen, mister Dollar, I'll be
in my stateroom if you want Miss f just a minute? How am I?
Hm? Well, mister Dollar, I must say you are a persistent
person on my job. I have to be Miss Forbes. Well. As
long as you're here, you might as well sit down. Thanks. I
still would rather not talk about what's happened. I can certainly understand that.
But if I can throw any light on it, which I doubt very much,
then I suppose it's my duty to one thing. I must ask,
however, what is it that there'd be as little additional publicity as possible?
Forbes's name has been dragged through the dirt enough as it is. I'll do
my best, very well. What is it you want to know? Well?
Several things. First, do you think your brother could have been killed
for a motive other than the diamond? I hadn't thought of that. After
all, you must admit that a diamond like the star of Cape Town be
motive enough to the kind of people my brother thought it amusing to consort with.
Yeah, you're probably right, But I'm trying to cover all the possibilities
about your brother's friend, Sheila, for instance. I prefer not to discuss
her, But do you think she could have done it? I don't know.
I'm afraid I wouldn't put anything past her. I read another thing,
Miss Forbes. I was pretty surprised to find Helen here in your stateroom when
I kncked. Why, I didn't know you knew her. I have engaged
Helen as my traveling companion. Oh kind of sudden, wasn't it. As
a matter of fact, it was my brother told me about her for one
of the few times in his life he was right about someone. She's a
thoroughly nice person. So you hired her. I think I told you before
how exhausted I am by all this. I needed someone to make arrangements for
me the last moment she decided to make the trip, when I was delighted.
Uh huh she made up her mind at the last woman. Huh.
May I ask quite all these questions about her? Or I know she's pretty
high on my list of possible That's impossible. As far as we know,
she was the last person to see your brother alive, and I refuse to
believe she could possibly in. I hope she isn't. But I've got a
run down every lead I can get. If I don't recover the Star of
Cape Town, the company I represented is on the hook for one hundred and
fifty thousand dollars. I have not filed a claim as yet, mister Darler,
nor do I propose to until we reached New York. I shall give
you every opportunity to recover the diamond. I appreciate that, miss Forbes,
but I'm afraid it still doesn't leave me much time. I went back to
my stateroom. The door was open, but I was sure i'd closed it
when I left. Inside was the same lingering smell of the same lingering perfume
Forbes' favorite forever, Sheila Warrant. But as far as I knew, she
was still in Cape Town, and I remember her saying that Forbes had given
Helen a bottle of it. I also remembered smelling it in my Cape Town
hotel room just before I got slug. I thought then it was a carryover
from Sheila's earlier visit. Now I wasn't sure. I started back out of
my stateroom just in time to collide with somebody in the passage. Oh sorry,
say Pardner, you sure took the wind out of my sale. Yeah,
well, I'm sorry I didn't when anyone was out here. Oh,
I just passing by, partner. Stacy's a name, Ben, Stacy.
What's yours? Dollar? On the level? Trusts my heart. When I
tell people I bumped into a guy named Dollar a board a boat, I'll
mean it. Zeerong partner, So he could have been just passing by,
like he said. But if so, he moved off quietly for a guy
his size. I locked my door and headed for the bar. Expense account
out of nine one fifty at double Martini, which occupied me just long enough
to get a couple of things nailed down in my mind, namely open stateroom
doors and the smell of perfume. Ah, it had to be Helen,
no two ways about it. At this point of my brilliant chain of deductions,
I made a big mistake. I looked down toward the other end of
the bar, and the person I saw sitting there made me realize, in
one big hurry that my trainer thought had just gotten itself derail. Hello Sheila,
Hi Johnny, I thought you were back in Kip Tom Why should I
be? What's to stay for now? Good question? But you didn't tell
me you were leaving. You didn't ask me, said I. You must
have decided in my hurry. It's the only way I ever decide anything.
Hum. Well, you picked an interesting boat to Ceylon. I suppose you
know Helen's abored small boat, isn't it? Oh? Look, she La,
I suppose we dropped the flip chatter. Huh, Okay, Johnny,
what do you want me to tell you that I hate Helen for taking Andy
Forbes away from me? Okay, I do. It's happened before, but
Andy always came back. What hurts this time is that he was killed before
he had a chance to Don't worry. I'll keep out of her way.
I won't make any trouble. And Johnny, do me a favor. What
is it, Let's just forget. I'm on board. I'd kind of like
a decent chance to forget a few things if I can. Okay, just
one thing? She Len, Yeah, were you in my room a few
minutes ago? No? On the level? Sure? Why let me skip
it? See letters? Okay, I hope you find your diamond. Thanks.
I hope you find whatever you're looking for. You know what it is?
No, I got news for you, neither do I. Well,
one thing was clear anyway, If Sheila hadn't been in my stateroom, then
the perfume might smell must have belonged to Helen. She seemed to be getting
higher on my list all the time. I had to have a talk with
her. But by the looks of things, I wasn't going to be easy.
She was doing a pretty good job of avoiding me. About half an
hour later, though, I spotted her top side in a deck chair where
I got the Forbes. Next to them was my old buddy from the wide
Open Spaces. Why some of the things we got out west, you just
wouldn't believe. I am certainly I've never been there. But oh hi,
everybody, well, sir for this and mister Dollar. So now I ask
you, ladies, if that isn't just about the most colorful name a fellow.
Yes, mister Dollar, i'pe be a little more arrested, Miss Forbes,
Thank you, I am, and Helen, I'm glad to see.
I wonder if you'd excuse me my suit. I'm afraid I have a headache.
Why don't you go lie down for a while. Thanks, I think
I will well, No, it was kind of a chilly reception. Partner
looks like a little lady doesn't like you much. Oh well, you can't
win them all. Yeah, thanks, I'm sure Helen's simply tired, mister
Dollar. Mister Stacy here tells me he was quite a good friend of my
brother's. Oh why sure, partner Andy Forbes and I was a pest.
Nobody's well I didn't see you at his ponty the other night. Well he
asked me, of course, but I just couldn't make it. I tell
you, though, dog, if I wouldn't have been there, if I
had I known it was gonna be old Andy's last party. Oh excuse me,
ma'am, that's all right. How long had you known Forbes, mister
Stacy? Years or years old? Andy and me was always bumping into each
other and undarned as places Cairo, Parie, Copenhagen. I tell you,
it was always a barrel of laughs. Well we got together. Why I'll
never forget one night in a little old daycar. We say we're gonna be
in daycar in a couple of days, aren't we. I believe so?
Yeah, I suppose everybody will be going to shore off you. Well,
you don't want to miss daycar. Why I can show you some places you
just wouldn't believe. I tell you what, Why don't we get up a
little party, mister Stacy? It sounds very pleasant, But I'm afraid you'll
have to excuse me. I'm not quite in the rood for sight. See.
Oh I understand, sure enough, Miss Forbes. A dollar? How
about you we'll see. Yeah, well, anybody care to join me for
a walk around a dick? No, thank you, I gotta keep up
my appetite, you know, see you later. But don't you forget about
me, car It'll be up bore. Yeah, it'll be a birrel of
fun, missus Forbes. Yes, did your brother ever mention this character Stacy
to you? No? Of course Andrew had many strange friends that he didn't
mention to me. Yeah, I'm sure he didn't. I went back to
my stateroom. This time the door was closed and there was no odor of
perfume. But when I went in, I saw that I'd had a visitor
again, and this time he or she had been much more thorough. The
room was torn apart from one end to the other. I sat down,
tired and beat. I thought of that building title somebody tried to drop on
me in Cape Town, and the bang on my head I'd collected in my
hotel room. I knew that whoever I was after was also after me,
and now it looked like a third party was involved. Whoever had torn up
my run must have figured I might have the diamond Sheila Helen Stacy. It
could be any of them. Or even worse, it could be somebody I
didn't even know about. But one thing was sure, I was no closer
to that king sized diamond. Pretty soon we'd beginning to the car, and
once everybody had the chance to get a shure, my chances of getting the
diamond back were practically zero. I had a strong and sickening hunch that the
car could be the end of the trail for me, and I didn't like
it. Johnny Doller, this is the person, mister dollar. Oh,
I was just about to call you better send a steward to my statement and
to put it back together. Somebody just tore it apart looking for something.
I guess the diamond. They think you would have it. Well, somebody's
got me peg wrong. What's on your mind? A cable graham was sent
to Cape Town about an hour ago, addressed to Julio Biac. Julio,
Yes, isn't he the man who's being held on suspicion of murdering Andrew Forbes?
Yeah? But the news hasn't been released, and obviously whoever sent the
cablegram isn't aware of it. What did it say? Contact me? Usual
placed car? Who signed it? The name was corner. I checked the
passenger list, but there's no such name as Steward delivered the message to the
radio room I've sent for him. He should be able to tell us who
sent him. Nice work, per Se, could be you just helped me
wind up this case. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar location at sea, I
wrote Cape Town to the car that the Home Office tries to indemnity associates as
silent. The Star of Cape Town matter expense account continued. I had them
ten ten dollars a token of appreciation to the purser for furnishing me the one
good lead I've had in this deal. A cable grammed to Julio Biock,
who was being held in Cape Town right now as Andrew Forbes probable Killer.
But Forbes's diamond, the Star of Cape Town, one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars worth, was still missing. The cablegram indicated that Julio hadn't been working
alone on the deal. Whoever, center was aboard ship and either had the
diamond or was looking for it before long, I'd know who that someone was.
I started for the Purse's office. Oh, Helen, I'd like to
talk to you. Hello. That's a switch. What do you mean?
Ever since I got aboard this ship, I've been trying to talk to you,
but you weren't having anything. I don't know what this is all about,
but you've gone to farms to dollar coming in. Don't try to pretend
when I found my room all torn up just now, I wrote, Hey,
wait a minute, your room's been torn of. What do you mean
by two? Mine got the same treatment a while ago. I don't understand.
I thought it was you. Look, Heleen, I think you and
I had better have a little talk right now. I steered it to the
bar expense account out of eleven five dollars drinks. I still couldn't figure out
which team she was playing on, but I had to find out. This
was the best way I can think of it. May I have a cigarette?
Please? Oh? Sure? Here? Thanks? Had been so confused,
mister Johnny Johnny confused about one home. Everything. It's all happened so
fast, and then when I realized that somebody was watching me and following me.
Look, I think you'd better start from the top. I suppose,
so maybe it'll make sense to you. I hadn't really known Andy Forbes very
long, longer than I had that party he gave It was so strange.
All those people I didn't know. I mean, well, I guess it
took me a little while to realize he was interested in quite a few people.
Sure. I feel sorry for Sheila. I guess she's pretty bitter about
everything. But I didn't do anything to encourage Andy, and I didn't realize
he was serious about me until the night of the party. And then he
told me he was. And he gave me a bottle of very expensive perfume
forever. Oh, his usual gift. I'm afraid, so I don't care.
He wanted me to have it, and it's lovely perfumer. I like
Dandy. He was completely irresponsible, but in his own strange way, he
was nice. So when they told me the next morning that he'd been killed
during the night, I couldn't believe it. And then the diamond was missing.
Yeah, his attitude about the diamond was very strange. What do you
mean He seemed to regard it as an inexpensive drinkt he he was so careless
with it. Oh, you're telling me. That's where I was sent down
to Cape Town to try and talk him into being more sensible with it.
But Helen, you said something about being watched or followed. Yes. When
I left Andy's house that night, I felt that somebody was watching me,
and later I knew somebody had been in my hotel room, and now my
stateroom torn apart. What does it all mean? That's a good question.
One more thing. Yes, you decided to make this trip rather suddenly,
didn't you. I wanted to get away from Cape Town. Miss Forbes was
kind enough to offer me a job as her traveling companion for the trip,
so I took it. Do you like working for her? Yes? She's
really a very nice person, perhaps a little on the dignified side. Yes,
I'm pretty concerned over the Forbes name. Wouldn't you be? After all
it's happened. Maybe, Oh, Johnny, I've got to be getting back
and see if she needs anything. But thanks for what talking to yours made
me feel a lot better somehow good good. It's been a big help to
me too, So oh makes things easier for tonight. They're having a dance
and I've been figuring how to go about asking you, No, dude,
there's a thing I need at the moment. Then if you don't mind,
I'll go to my State Room and chain. See you tonight, Johnny Ryan.
Well, you too seem to be getting along pretty well now, Yeah,
I guess so. I'm glad. I'm sure you realize by now that
Helen couldn't possibly be involved in the murder or the diamond theft. I hope
not. You are a very suspicious man, mister Dowler. It's part of
my job, Miss Forbes. I still don't have any idea who's got your
brother's diamond, and if I don't find out before we get to the can
tomorrow, all the chances are I never will. I don't see how you
can be so sure the star of Cape Town is aboard this ship. I
wasn't sure until today that Cable Graham convinced me. Cable g Yeah, I
was addressed to Holio BioC in Cape Town. Yeah, who's under arrest back
there? That's right. He was posing as a bartender at your brother's party.
We think he's the killer, but apparently whoever sent him the cablegram was
working with him and doesn't know he's been arrested. I hope you can clear
it up, mister Dollar, so that all this publicity will die down.
It's been terribly trying. Yes, I imagine it has. I know Helen's
felt the strain too, She's been so nervous lately. Oh if if we
Oh, I was just thinking, if only Andrew had met someone like Helen
sooner, perhaps none of this would have happened. Maybe not. And I
known she was coming to the party. I don't suppose i'd have tried to
talk Andrew out of giving it. She's spent the one bright ray in all
of this. Oh if only. But regrets are so futile. She looked
old and tired and lonely. Sure maybe she was too worried about the dignity
of the Forbes name. But when I could see now, it was about
the only thing she'd had all these ues, and with a brother who'd kept
tossing the name around like a cheap toy, I quit looking at the picture.
It wasn't very pretty anyway. I had another picture in my mind,
Helen. I couldn't quite figure her. Everything she told me could be the
truth, or it could be just one big lie. And there was something
else bothering me about the whole deal. Something I couldn't quite put my finger
on, A piece that didn't fit, A discord in the tune, but
Helen kept pushing everything else out of my mind, and the feeling didn't change
any That night, we danced and then we went out on the deck,
but all the while one of my stock confucianisms kept gnawing away at me.
He who gets too interested in suspects is building up to king size. Let
that go out here alone in the sea and the ships sliding along. It
almost doesn't seem real. I know, I almost wish it could go on
this way forever. No people, no places. There's just one thing wrong,
though, What that routine doesn't work for very long? I know,
Johnny, is there something wrong? It seems so far away, so preoccupied,
just too thinking about a lot of things. I guess it's not being
very informative. I'm sorry, I guess I'm not feeling informative. That's okay.
Sometimes talking isn't very important, you know, Johnny. The last few
days have been a sort of nightmare for me. But tonight everything seems so
nice. Why would that be, Johnny? Maybe I can make a kiss.
Maybe you could, Johnny. Sorry, we'll say now if you too,
don't look just like a picture postcard, Yes, sir, I tell
you if they can put a picture of what I saw a second ago,
and all her travel folders, they double her business. How nice for them.
You want us to run forward again for the proper camerangle. Oh come
on now, partner again't you take a little Josh and I'll try partner the
reason I've been looking for you too. We get into daycar in the morning.
Yes, and you can have a barrel of fun in that town.
What do you say we set up a little party. I can show you
some places you won't pull the fun. How about a dollar? Yeah,
you can come me in Stacey good, I'll see you in the morning.
Then right, He means, well, Johnny, you do sound very convinced.
I don't know. Half of my job has always been sizing up people.
Suddenly I seem to have lost my touch, meaning me. I didn't
say that. If it's any help in sizing me up. What happened a
moment ago? I meant that, Johnny, mister oh, oh, excuse
me, a man? Sure you're right back? Yeah? What is it?
Person? It's Stewart. I was telling you about mister Dolla, the
one who delivered the message for Cape Town to the radio room. Worries he
that's just it. I don't know what. I can't understand it. I've
looked everywhere. I'm worried. That's not good. I was counting on him
to tell me who sent that message to Julio Biac. Whoever did is probably
working with Biac and could have the diamond. Well, I'm sorry, mister
Dolla. I'll keep looking and let you know the minute I find him.
I turned back toward Helen, but she was nowhere in sight. I started
along with Dick. What happened? I was walking along the deck. As
I passed some lifeboat. Somebody stepped out from behind it and grabbed that.
It wasn't I couldn't see it. Come on, let's take a look.
He ran away, and I screamed, oh, I see so there it
was again. Was she lying or telling the truth? I took her to
her stateroom and told her to lock herself in for the night. Then they
went back to deck and tried for the empteenth time to put the pieces together,
but I didn't have long Suddenly everything was noise and confusion. Almost by
the time I got to the stern, the ship was certainly lowering a boat.
Twenty minutes later, they hoisted a body aboard. He was wearing a
Stuart's uniform and one look at the person told me which Steward it was.
Yeah, my one, good lead gone, Johnny Dollar. This is Ben
Stacy partner. Oh high Stacy. We'll be docking at the car in an
hour or so. Now, yeah, I know, don't forget. I'm
gonna show you and Helen around the town. Okay, I'll be ready.
Hey, Dollar, that was a little excitement we had aboard ship last night.
Huh at Stewart who fell overboard. That's putting it politely. What do
you mean? I think he got pushed from special investigator Johnny Dollar. Location
at sea on the Southern empress Our Road, Cape Town to Decar to the
home office train Eastern Intemnity Associates assignment. The start of Capetown matter expense account
concluded adam twelve fifty cents room service on two aspirins. Right from the start,
this whole deal had been a series of headaches. Had ache one Andrew
Forbes, international playboy and owner of the Star of Cape Town, ensured for
one hundred and fifty thousand bucks. Forbes was tossing that stone around like it
was a cheap toy. He wound up murdered, the diamond missing. Forbes's
probable killer, Julio Biock, was in a Cape Town jail at the moment,
but his confederate was still on the loose. The steward who could have
told me who the confederate was had been fished out of the drink dead last
night. Now we were going ashore at the car, and whoever had that
diamond could make it hard for me to find. It could be Stacy,
the boy from the Wide Open Spaces. It could be Helen traveling companion d
Wagatha Forbes, and I knew if it did turn out to be Helen,
it'd lead me kind of sick inside. Worst of all, it could be
somebody I didn't even know about, hence the aspro Stacey had asked us to
meet him at the gang Way at ten o'clock, but he was nowhere in
sight when I showed up. Pretty soon Helen and Aggera Forbes came along.
Morning, Johnny, Hi, Helen, miss Forbes, Good morning, mister
Darlan. Helen just told me about what happened last night. Somebody trying to
seize her on deck dread. Perhaps I shouldn't have told you, Miss no
No. I'm glad you did anything happened during the night, Helen No,
I kept my stateroom door a lot. Well, here you are. Sorry,
I'm late. I guess I were slept already already. Say now,
I'm mighty glad to see you with us, Miss Forbes. I was hoping
you'd come. I won't be going with you. I'm going to stay aboard
and rest. Oh come on now, Miss Forbes, do you good to
let your hair down and frisk around a bit? Really, mister Stacy,
I assure you I don't feel like frisking around a bit. I'll see you
when you get back. Say no, I guess I put my foot in
my mouth talking that way. Oh well, I usually do anyway, It's
sure big enough. Well, one thing I I had to give Stacy credit
for. He was a good guy. He threaded us through street after the
street in the Native quarter of the car narrow passageways crowded with people in stalls
where Native hawkers were peddling all sorts of merchandise. This is fascinating, isn't
it? Like I told you, Hell on day cars quit, I'll play.
I love it. I wonder if it isn't about time we started back
to the ship. See just a minute, Helen, I think there's a
shop around here. You'd be interested in Silk's perfume, stuff like that.
You interested here, Well, let me get my barons a minute. You
need more perfume. Johnny doesn't bother you that I still wear this perfume Andy
Forks gave me. If it does, I won't. Yeah. Yeah,
the shop I had in mind is right down the street. Come on.
Stacy led us to the shop. Helen began trying on dresses and rolls.
This I didn't like. If she had the diamond, this was a golden
opportunity to pass it along. There wasn't much I could do about it.
Then, all of a sudden I realized that Stacy was nowhere in sight.
I went outside and started along the street looking for him. Then I spotted
a man and following me, a native in a bernous so I ducked down
the next alley to shake him, but he didn't shake. Then I noticed
that this was a blind alley. The native was closing in, and what
he had in his hand looked strangely like a knife. Suddenly, a door
beside me. Come on in, Dollar, crazy, I said, come
on in. A gun in front of me, a knife behind me.
I guess I don't have much choice. So you had your stewed steer me
here. I figured sooner or later you'd start looking for me, so I
just thought i'd make it easy for you. Well, thanks, stick around,
Hassan. I may need you very well. Assan's a pretty effective persuader.
Dollar Jelly, So you're the boy i've been after, Stacy. Correction,
you're the boy i've been after. Dollar. What are you talking about?
A diamond called the star a Cape Town? Let's have it. Oh,
look, don't give me that routine. Fores was knife by your buddy
Julio back in Cape Town. You killed the steward aboard ship to keep him
from telling me. It was you who sent the cable grand to Julio.
Right, boy, Dollar, that should mean you've got diamond. Smart enough,
boy, you think i'd have a rangeous little reception for you if I
already had the stone. Wait a minute, you're the one who was doing
all the room searching aboard ship. I'm the one. Now, let's have
it. I don't have it, Stacy, and I don't know where it
is. You got a real sense of humored. Dollar, so has Hassan.
Why don't you show him Hassan very well, Hey, look, this
isn't going to do you any good. It's not gonna do your face any
good either, Hassan. Hey, look, you do try it, Dollar,
I guarantee you'll get yourself shot. Now. Look, so you're a
nice, brave boy, but you're being foolish. It's no good trying to
snow me. I got it all figured out. Just what have you got
to all figured out? That isn't in her stateroom, It isn't in yours.
I searched them both again this morning before we came ashore. That's why
I was late. You're talking about Helen. Who else? That's why I
stirreed her to that chop to try on dresses. Little lady who owns it
is a friend of mine. She had found the diamond if Helen was carrying
Helen, Yeah, Helen, how do you know she had it? Process
of elimination, buddy. She was the only one with Forbes before Julio got
to him. I've been watching you and hele him like a hawk. Dollar.
There's only one time she could have given you the stone that was during
that tender little clinch on deck last night, right under my nose. Why
don't there? What's the matter? Dollar? H nothing? Yeah? Yeah,
what Stacy had just said popped the whole deal into place suddenly, right
under my nose, right where it had been all the time. Tell you
what, Dollar, you got just five minutes to tell me where that diamond
is. Hassan will be here with you, and he's going to start persuading
again. If you don't talk, I had to get back to the ship
somehow. That meant I'd have to do some fast talking. I looked at
Hassan. I couldn't tell which was glittering more his black eyes of the knife
he held against my throats. One wrong word and I knew he'd start coughing.
Hazzan, what do you want? You come from the desert, don't
you why? You're a long way from home? Have you get homesick?
What do you mean? Oh? I was just thinking, with half the
money from that diamond, you could buy yourself an oasis with all the trimmings.
Do not worry. Stacy would pay me well when we get the jewel.
What's he giving you for this job? Three goats and a new bernous
easy with that knife. It's just that everybody who works for Stacy seems to
wind up getting paid off the wrong way. Wrong. Take Cooliobiac, for
one, the guy is Stacy hired to get the diamond in the first place.
He's roosting in the cape down jail right now. You'll lie now you
can check on it. Then there's the steward who sent Stacy's message to Biac.
He got shoved overboard. You can check on that too, But I'm
sure a thing like that would never happen to you. Go on dollar,
Okay, I know where the diamond is. How do I know I can
trust you? You can come with me to get it. I don't know.
At least he was thinking about it, and that's all I wanted.
His eyes got that far away look. That's what I was waiting for.
I whipped my arm up and knocked his knife in. I buried my fist
in his mitation, he checked knife. A rabbit bunch finished them off.
I dove for the wall just as Stacey came charging in water. I tak
the gun out of his hand. I went to work. Stacey was rugged,
but I finally made it. I got to the cor police to put
Stacey and the zan on ice, patched up my face and headed back to
the ship. But there was something else hurting me a lot more than my
face, Helen. Johnny, Yeah, Johnny, have you been I you
face? What happened? I have to hand it to you, Helen.
That was a real class a snow job you pulled on me. Yeah,
it was right under my nose all the time, the perfume Forbes gave to
you. Now, where's the bottle on my dressing table? Okay, A
pretty fancy bottle, solid base or maybe not so solid in the base of
the bottle, starve Cape Town. I bet you're a real surprise, don't
you, Johnny. I didn't know it was there. I didn't have any
idea. I swear it. She's telling the truths Wow, well I got
there. That gun looks sort of out of character. Perhaps I won't hesitate
to use it if necessary. I don't understand. It was cruel of Andrew
and me to use you like this, Helen, but we saw no other
alternative. Wait a minute, you and your brother rigged this whole deal right
from the beginning, didn't you? Sure? Sure? Because you slipped yesterday,
Agatha, when you told me you discussed your brother's party with him.
But back in Cape Town, he told me it was a surprise party for
you. Johnny. I still Oh it's simple, Helen. That bottle of
perfume would have turned up missing when you got to New York, Agatha would
have appropriated it. One big question, Agatha, why all this? Have
you any idea what it means to see somebody drag the family name through the
dirt time after time with his wild escapades. And have you any idea what
those escapades cost? A brother wasn't dead? Huh, terribly? We were
pressed to the war. Oh why didn't you sell the diamond? We were
bound by the will not to. But arrangements were made with someone in New
York. What we could get for the diamond, plus what we could collect
from the insurance, it would be enough. Oh, nice little scheme.
But you didn't figure on Julio b A trying for the diamond in Cape Town
and killing your brother in the process. No, first, I didn't know
what to do, but it soon became clear that more than ever I had
to go through with a plan. My brother's creditors began to make trouble right
after his murder the Diamond. Please, now, look, don't you get
at Agatha. You're elect? What do you mean You've done all this to
protect the Forbes name. Of course you've failed. The story's out. It's
known only to the two of you. How are you going to keep us
from talking? I'll do whatever is necessary, bribe us, kill us.
Sorry, neither one's gonna work. Mister Dollars, do not force trapped Agatha
by the same thing that got you into all this, the Forbes name.
Are you going to brand it with murder? No? I don't think you
are. I don't think you could. I don't I don't know. Please,
mister Galla, I'll take the gun Agatha. Thanks, Oh Johnny,
It's okay. I guess I have failed, haven't I? All the way
expense account adam thirteen three hundred and seventy five dollars and fifty cents transportation and
incigntals from the car home expense a count total twelve hundred eighty three dollars and
sixty cents. I turned the Diamond over to the authorities for safekeeping Agatha Forbes
to face charges of fraud. Hojlio Biak and Ben Stacy were indicted for the
murder of Andrew. Forbes remarks, how about Agatha, I guess she did
what she did because she thought the end justified the means, which is one
of the oldest sucker traps of them all. About Helen Allow that she's no
longer a suspect, could be I'm no longer building up to a big letdown,
whether at least it hasn't come yet, and I'm still waiting, and
the waiting is real pleasant, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Now here's our
star to tell you about next week. Story next week. A yacht that
wasn't there and a man who wasn't there. They never were, but that's
where I found them. Join us, won't you? Yours truly, Johnny
Dollar? Yours truly? Johnny Dollar is starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in
Hollywood. It is written by Robert Rife and produced and directed by Jack Johnstone.
Heard him this week's cast with Gene Tatum, Virginia, Greg Harry bartel
Chester Stratton, Marvin Miller, and d J. Thompson. Musical supervision by
Amerigo Marino. Be sure to join us on Monday night, same time in
station for another exciting story of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar, Roy Rowan
speaking welcome back. There are so many hallmarks of this being a Robert Rife
script, right down to Johnny's use of deal several times and a loud mouthed
Puris type being a villain. Nevertheless, this is not a bad serial at
all, with a lot of great action and I thought a really complicated plot
with some superb twist and a good solution. Well e Jack Newman writing is
John Dawson Unless Crushfield wrote the line shares of these serials with Jack Johnstone thirds.
The ones that are written by others such as Rife and Tony Barrett really
adds some variety to the stories that are told during the serial era. It's
worth noting that the teaser at the end is not actually for the episode that
ended up airing next Rather has happened once or twice before. Things got shuffled
around and another story would appear the next week, and then we would end
up getting the story that was described in that teaser the sea Legs Matter the
week after that. So if you were intrigued by that little teaser, just
pulled that thought for an additional week. Now, I do have an update
regarding my plans for the old time radio adventure series, and this is something
that we're planning to launch on the podcast after we finished Mister and Missus North,
so it'll probably be sometime in twenty twenty five. And what I had
kind of hanseled in as my immediate plans was to go ahead and play Bold
Venture as the first series we would do as that sort of new adventure series.
And I've had several listeners who've asked about Bold Venture, and I do
need to let you know that at this point, whether we're able to follow
through with that sort of plan is very much up in the air at this
point, and it's kind of a good news bad news situation. What happened
is that Carl Amori, who was the founder of Radio Spirits but has since
sold that business, obtained an agreement with the nonprofit organization that holds the physical
copies of Frederick Zim's radio library. Frederick Zim, of course, the famous
radio syndicator of many series, including Bold Venture. Mister Amari held a Kickstarter
campaign that was successful, so he will be making the complete Bold Venture set
available for sale probably sometime next year. The good news, I think for
those who are willing to purchase the set is that those who purchase the set
from mister Amari will, for the first time in seventy or eighty years,
be able to hear the complete Bold Venture radio series. By my account,
there are fifty nine episodes that are in general circulation so about nineteen. I
have not been heard since the nineteen fifties. For our purposes, it does
put into doubt what we will be able to do with Bold Venture. I
have stated and maintained a policy of not using any material that anyone claims is
license to them. This is something that becomes even more critical as we've moved
into another stage in terms of podcasting. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that
we're not going to be able to do it. What it does mean at
this point is that I don't know. Mister Marius stated that for anything other
than home use that there would have to be some sort of license. Now,
would the license phe be something that the podcast could afford, Would the
terms of the license be something reasonable that I could work with the answer to
those questions, or I don't know, and honestly I don't think that I'll
be in a position to address those with Stormy until things are more settled in
twenty twenty four. And I do want to say that we will do the
old time radio adventure series. We may just have to end up doing something
else and it might work out with Bold Venture. Again, I don't know,
but I also know that so many of asked about Bold Venture, and
I want just to be very transparent about where we're at. I would love
to do it, but it's kind of out of my hands right now.
Now onto listener comments and feedback, and we go onto YouTube. A listener
writes, my favorite radio Detective episode is Johnny Dollar The Nick schern Matter.
Well that's good news because we're actually going to be doing that cereal the week
before Christmas, and it's my favorite Christmas episode as well. And I think
actually the Johnny Dollar Cereal that I like the best. Now, of course
on YouTube, because we're a couple of weeks behind, it'll be a bit
later, but we are going to have our Christmas Radio Detective playlist posted right
at the top, and you can find The Nick sher Matter, along with
all of the other detective programs we've done. And then I received this interesting
Facebook message from Thomas, who writes, I've always said post nineteen fifty five,
Johnny Dollar and Jim Rockford are the same person. That's an interesting comment,
Thomas. I don't know if I would go quite that far, because
I think there are a couple of fundamentals with Rockford in the way his character
works that make him very different to Johnny. I think Jim Rockford is more
cynical than Johnny Doller. He also has a very negative relationship with the establishman
and in particular the law enforcement establishment, except for his friend Dennis, and
even then, I think Johnny relates better with Randy Singer, who's not even
his only law enforcement friend. Plus, there's also the essential nature of Jim
Rockford. Jim is a natural con man. He doesn't really use it to
defraud innocent people, but I think it's definitely a part of that character's nature,
and I don't think you can view Johnny in quite that same way.
That said, what I would say is that Johnny Dollar probably has more in
common post nineteen fifty five with Jim Rockford than he does earlier Old Time Radio
detectives, including previous takes on Johnny Dollar. Thanks so much for the comment
Thomas, I really appreciate it. Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporters
of the day, and since this is the first Friday in December, I
want to go ahead and thank Patreon supporters who have been supporting us for five
years this month, thank you to Debra supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant
level of seven dollars and fourteen cents per month or more. And thank you
to Robert supporting the podcast at the Shawmus level of four dollars or more per
month. Again, thank you so much for your support and that will do
it for today. If you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us using
your favorite podcast software. If you're listening on YouTube, be sure to lock
the video, subscribe to the channel, and check the notification bell as well
as leaving comments all those great things that help a channel to grow. We'll
be back on Tuesday with another yours truly, John ey Dollar Cereal, but
join us back here tomorrow for Dragnet where bone message for you Friday came in
a few moments ago. Thanks Davis Tomorrow and I they gotta make. Take
a look at No Make or Warren's on James Vickers Great, let's talk to
him. Come on, minor wound Joe bullet penetrated the fleshy part of his
hands, didn't touch the bone. About this guy at an arm wound too?
Just a nick man, that opficer. You shot the Pickers. He's
dying? Is he the family? Guy? Got a wife, two kids?
Has he? Why did you shoot him? Viger? Ask him?
We did? And you know the reason said, there wasn't any reason.
That's right, Lock. We're gonna make you on this, Pickers. You
know that, don't you. I don't know anything. Why you shoot him?
Shut up? Why I showed him? Joe? Yeah, hope you'll
be with us then. In the meantime, do send your comments to Box
thirteen at Great Detectives dot nat, follow us on Twitter at Radio Attack Does,
and check us out on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives
from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham signing off.