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But now it is time for the conclusion of this week's Yours Tru lead Johnny
dol or Cereal. The original aired eates are June twenty seventh, twenty eighth,
and twenty ninth of nineteen fifty six, and it's The Long Shot Matter
episode three, four and five from Hollywood. It's time now for Shanny Deller.
Lieutenant Barry here, Oh hi, Lieutenant, you're stepping on toes Johnny
Boy, who's now doctor Victor Palm quizt here you had a chat with him,
just how he had chat with a clan whatever it was. He was
very unhappy about it. He called you, Yeah, very snide too,
said if we had any more questions, to leave him alone and call his
lawyers, and to keep unauthorized people away from him, meaning me meaning you.
Well, what's he worried about. You've already got his wife's killer in
jail, haven't you. Everybody buys it but you, Johnny, you said
it before. I'm a hard sale. Meet me for lunch. I'll try
to sell you tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey, in the Transcribed
Adventures of the Man with the Action Packed Expenser, cout America's fabulous freelance insurance
investigator, US Truly Johnny Dollar. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar location in Los
Angeles, California to National Underwriters' Association one one eight zero River Road, Hertford,
Connecticut assignment. The long shot matter Expencer count continued Item three one dollar
even taxi to the Barkley for lunch with Lieutenant Berry. But let me backtrack
for a minute. Coming down on the hotel elevator, I kept thinking over
what the Lieutenant had said, and I disagreed completely. I wasn't a hard
sale. It's just that I wasn't an early sale. There were too many
angles to the death of Missus Palmquist, too many things I didn't know yet.
I got proof of that the minute I stepped outside the hotel. The
white kids sit in parked directly across the street contained a really interesting combination of
people. Eric Palmquis, the doctor's son, and Stephie Lunn, the doctor's
nurse. The moment they saw me, they did whatever amatur sleuth does.
They drove away as fast as possible, thereby becoming just as conspicuous as a
second nose. By the time I reached the Barkley, Lieutenant Berry had ordered
for both of us. You don't like it, order something else, but
it's the best they got. Matter in fact, it looks pretty good now.
As I was saying, yeah, yeah, so Palmquist nurse and his
kid or an item. You waiting for me to look in priced you get
up out of the wrong side this morning, Lieutenant. Look, I don't
like the smell of this deal anymore than you do. But what does it
all add up to? You're sent out here to look into a possible killing,
which happens victim Missus Palmquist, So an ex convict, sits in a
cell accused of the murder the accuser and witness the dead woman's husband. The
con insists he's been framed that the husband is a killer, but the husband
is well alibi, bringing it down to the setup known as X con versus
respected citizen. You know there's more to it than that. Don't give me
lessons, Johnny. You think you've come up with one thing we don't already
know about. I got checkouts going on. The doctor, his nurse,
his son, everybody within shooting distance of this thing. Don't get any ideas.
We're asleep down at the hall, all right, all right, give
me a little fill huh Who Palmquist, nurse Steffy lunnon nice kid, never
been in trouble, at least we couldn't find any. What about the boy,
Eric Pomquist, typical rich doctor's son, kind of wild sensitive gambles,
but Papa can afford it. Also hits the booze too much for a kid
that young. What about the doctor's alibi? Laura Constantine, Yeah, to
skip that one. Your eyes look like they're whistling and then awful in my
age too. All right, Johnny, she's clean. By the way,
where does she live. There's a big house in Long Beach. Why no
doctor's there? Still a free country. I know people whose doctors live in
Patterson, New Jersey points. Oh, almost forgot. I got the lab
report on that anonymous note that started this thing. Anything untraceable, no prints,
cheap paper that can be bought anywhere, and the letters were cut from
a dozen different magazines. Didn't tell us a thing. What do you mean
at didn'ts why? It told us someone was going to try to collect on
a policy. We knocked it around a little while longer, getting no place
in particular. Then suddenly I was being paid for a telephone call. Barious,
raised eyebrows were eloquence. They made me feel like one of those would
be movie stars who have themselves paged in the brown derby so that other would
be stars w'll know they're there. I had a funny notion about who might
be calling, so I told the waiter I take it in the booth out
front, and left Lieutenant Barry by himself. Johnny Dollar, mister Dollar,
I'm so glad I found you. Oh this is this is Steffie Land,
doctor Palmquis, nurse. Well, the day's picking up. I'm sorry.
I hope I didn't interrupt your lunch. You say I called you a hotel
and they told me where you'd gone. I'm sorry. Well, don't apologize.
Steffie, a working girl who drives around in a beautiful white cadillact doesn't
have to, you know, I'll explain about that. Why should you owe
me any explanations? Mister I've got to see you right away. It's terribly
important. Mister dollar. Where are you. I'm at doctor Palmqui's office.
Can you come here now, right away? Okay, I'll be right over,
and please don't bring anyone along with you, will you? However you
want it? You're calling the shots. Thank you, and hurry. Please
expense account Item four citation for speeding twenty five dollars. The common copy reads
sixty three miles per hour and a thirty five zone. You ever trying to
talk an LA type cop out of a ticket? It's ridiculous. He's always
a big, good looking guy who listens seriously while you alibi, but never
stops writing. Then he smiles calls you, sir, and hands you the
ticket. I couldn't beef about it though two reasons, One I desert it
and two if I hadn't been stopped, I'd never have realized I was being
tailed because the tale knew what he was doing. A heavy set, thuggy
looking fellow on a black fifty one seed nan he circled the block twice while
I was getting the ticket, was right back on me as I started out
again. He was still there as I pulled up in front of doctor Pomki's
office, but he was smart enough to ride on by without even looking at
me. I waited to see if he'd come around the block again. He
didn't. Yes, sir, what is it? What do you want?
Well, now that's the switch. When you call me a few minutes ago
you said you're mistaken. I didn't wait just a minute, didn't call you.
Her words were deliberate, emphatic, but her eyes were suddenly doing the
real talking, signaling desperately into the room behind it, trying to tell me
that she wasn't alone. But I wasn't the only one who caught the signal.
Get away from the doors. Heavy, I mean you, did you
hear me? I said, come in, please hello, or what seems
to be the trouble around here? That's far enough. Oh, now,
come on, why don't you put that thing down? Your family's had enough
misery with thirty eighths. Do what he says? Why did you call him,
Steffie? Want? Because somebody's got to help you because of what you're
going through and what it's doing to you. Eric, I can't stand any
more of it. Your half out of your mind with fear. Now listen
to him, Eric, Maybe he can think he can help you. Think
anybody can one thing? Sure? That gun's not going to help you any
Come on now, can't put it down? No, no, because nobody
tells me what to do, not when I've got a gun. They're afraid
to. It's right, they're afraid to. You're both afraid, aren't you.
It's nice. It's nice for somebody else to be afraid. I like
that. I really liked it. He wasn't even looking at us anymore,
just somewhere off into space. Somehow Steffy sens that I was waiting for a
chance to grab his gun and motion for me not to. And suddenly I
remembered where I'd seen that lost empty look before missus palm Quist, Eric's mother.
She'd had her share of that look the day she died. Mister di,
help me with him, please. I picked him up, put him
on the couch. He had that terrible whiteness that a deep faint brings.
And Steffy didn't waste any time. She loosened his collar, shoved his head
forward. In a few minutes, he shut it once, came too,
took a deep breath. We made him comfortable on the couch, but you
could see that it had been a rough trip for him. He was conscious,
but he didn't have the strength to open his eyes. Steffi just stared
at him. He'll be all right now? What's wrong with him? Steffie?
Why that that thing that just happened? You want the technical name circulatory
liability sound impressive? A form of extreme hypertension, nerves after make him faint
like that, from anger, from fear. It's a lovely thing for a
man to go through. Isn't it well that that calls for a different kind
of medicine, doesn't it? Analysis with the psychiatrist. He's in it now,
me with Eric. It's going to take a long time, maybe a
very long time. But a kid like that, how why fear overpowering,
petrifying, fear of what his father of doctor Palmquist, Yes, the nice
doctor Pomquist, the gentle quiet healer, my employer, my father in law.
You and Eric at married two one or six weeks ago. Eric is
twenty five years old, mister Dalla, and he's so afraid of his father
was still keeping them marriage a secret. Why, Stephie, why is he
so afraid of Palmquists. His analyst hasn't been able to get through to that.
You expect me to or somebody better. Why did you say that?
Because he waved that gun around very convincingly for a scared kid, he never
would have fired. Don't you understand he's so frightened he couldn't have made himself
do it. I hope you're right. I didn't think it was quite the
time to mention one small fact that if Eric Palmquis was incapable of pulling a
trigger, it might turn out to be a very good thing for him.
As the sole beneficiary of his mother's will, he would soon have one hundred
thousand dollars in a nice, tidy lump. And if he really was afraid
of his father. A piece of money like that could take him a long
long way from the parental fold. In fact, no matter which way you
turned, you couldn't get away from the logic that Eric Palmquis might be regarded
by some parties as a first class suspect in the death of his mother,
STEFFI was still pretty much upset when I finally left her, and I must
admit that my own mind wasn't exactly at ease. Hoping that the fresh air
would help to clear my thoughts, I took my time driving back, and
it must have been nearly an hour later when I pulled into the Subterraine garage
at my hotel. I guess I was thinking too hard about what had just
happened. In any case, I wasn't quick enough. Just as I passed
one of the garage's big concrete pillars, a fig stepped out from behind.
It brought the business out of a cold banging down on my head. The
ground climbed up and got me, but not before I had a look at
him, my heavy set, tuggy looking friend who tailed me earlier in the
day. He could talk too, Yeah, no wrong, TNK. I
took a hand. I passed out, Johnny Dollar, this is talked of
and closer returning your call, mister Dollar. Oh yes, doctor, May
I ask who recommended me? I inquired about a good psychiatrist that came of
you. Yes. Well, the first step is usually an office appointment for
a preliminary change. That's what I had in mind today, But my schedule
is quite full. Would tomorrow be suitable? Today would be better, I
see. However, there should be ample time. There should be ample time,
but there is. In fact, I'm running out of it fast.
Sorry, well, fust off your couch. Roun Special investigator, Johnny Dollar.
Location in Los Angeles, California. Two National Underwriters Association one one eight
er River Road, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment the long shot matter Johnny Dollar,
hypochondriac, complete with assorted medical advisors. I needed one of them before
I even got down to the lobby of my hotel. It was a house
medic that's had him five five dollars would patch me up yesterday after a thug
had worked me over in the hotel garage. Now came check up time,
and the doctor was a fusser, and he disapproved of me. Hold still
now, hold still, yeah, yeah, but that's my head you're digging
in. I wouldn't have to if somebody else hadn't split it open. There.
Hey, well looks a little better. It don't sound so enthusiastic walking
into a wall. So the best thing I can think of at the moment
likely story, Hold still now, I want to redress that wound on the
other side. Hold still, temper, temper funny. He was working on
the outside of my head, but it was the inside that ateed most.
There were reasons, lots of them, like the murder of a sick old
woman the same day i'd arrived, and the anonymous note that had warned of
it, like the victim's husband and an ex convict accusing each other of committing
the crime. It was a rough one, real rough, because the picture
kept changing from minute to minute, and my company was on the hook for
one hundred thousand dollars. At eleven o'clock, I sat across the desk from
doctor Hans van Klauser, psychiatrist in his Beverly Hills office. He was small,
spectacle and charm. Maybe more important, he was the analyst who was
treating Eric Palmquist, the murdered woman's son, no, mister Dollar, afraid
I owe you an apology. Doctor, I deceived you a little bit.
I'm not exactly here as a patient. Everyone finds it difficult to begin,
mister Dollar. You suppose we hear some of the medical history first. I
tell you we're off on the wrong foot, doctor, and it's my fault.
Here. Take a look at these my credentials. I see that you
hardly hears the patient about a patient. Let's say, my dear mister Dollar,
I think you know very well that I can reveal nothing which is told
to me in this room. I know that. Then the purpose of this
visit, I just want answers from a competent authority about a certain illness.
I won't bring personalities into it. It's important, doctor, And the particular
illness something called circulatorial ability. You know that it's a form of extremely provoked
hypotension. Yeah, that much I do. Hypertension is a result of anxieties.
The anxieties may be real or of fencied, but the hypertension is very
genuine, indeed, and very dangerous, dangerous to the extent that a man
could turn to violence, maybe killed if sufficiently aroused. Yes, it has
happened I see, thank you, thank you very much, had them seven
tenth cents, recklessly squatted on a phone call to my hotel to check for
messages. There was one Lieutenant Berry of the LA Police Department, would like
to see me at my convenience? Would I? I? Would you get
practically nowhere? Ignoring police lieutenants. He stared at the bandage on my head
and my assorted cuts and bruises, and his opening line was quite inspired.
What happened to you? Somebody was pretty fast with a gun barrel last night?
Where did it happen? Garage under my hotel? It seems he didn't
like my being in town. You get a look at him enough. I
want to go through the mug book. No, I'll catch up with him
someday. Besides, whoever was paying him is the interesting one. Have it
your own way now. You didn't call me all the way down here for
laughs, Lieutenant anything special on your mind? Lonnie Miller the guy we got
sitting in cell number eight A, the prowler who shot missus Palmquist. So
doctor Palmquist, and he isn't the only one, Johnny, not anymore?
Why? Yeah, we finally traced the murder weapon. It was bought at
a pawn shop in Burbank. The pawnbroker positively identified among shot at the buyer,
Lonnie Miller. Police identification evidence is a pretty tough thing to ignore.
But I was still what the lieutenant called a hard sale. It wasn't stubbornness,
simply the fact that I'm very large for motivation. It can be as
wild as well as they come, but it's got to be there somewhere,
and somehow, with so many good ones around. The worn faded man in
saled A didn't write in that company. I asked the lieutenant for a couple
of minutes with Lonnie Miller. He shook his head as though he felt sorry
for me, But okay, the visit anyway. Well, you're angry about
something, mister Doller. I can tell it's in your face. Yeah,
about a story you told me the other day about doctor Palmquist giving you a
lift, keeping you around town, and using you as a patsy so he
could kill his wife. You want to change any of it? You ask
me if I lied? Mister? Is that that's it? He's figured to
be like this sooner or later. Goodbye, mister, Come on, Miller,
talk to me. I think I'd lie to the only man who even
looked like he believed me. You still have an answer, mister mister.
Don't you think I know. I haven't got a chance, that I'm dead.
I don't even care anymore. But I didn't lie, not one way.
A Birdbank pawnbroker says you did. Says you bought the murder gun from
him. I've never even been in burd Bank. I swear to you,
how could I have bought the gun? He identified a picture of you,
says you showed your driver's license as identification. Where is your license? Billy?
In my wallet? Downstairs? They took everything when they booked me,
mister Dollar. Tell it to me all over again, Miller, from the
minute duct that Palmquist gave you the lift, step by step, every single
detail. Tell it to me. He began, slowly, holdingly. The
words just kind of fell out of his mouth in a tired, hopeless fashion.
It was the same story he told so many times now. I had
reason for making him go through it. Some small, hazy idea that was
tugging in the back of my brain, jagged, undeveloped, but an idea.
When I left the sale. I had Miller's permission to look at his
wallet. The police custodian showed it to me five minutes after that. The
license wasn't there. Expenser cont Eida made ten cents an LA newspaper three days
old, one which played up the Palmquist killing. Big contained pictures of both
doctor Palmquist grieving husband and Lonnie Miller suspected killer, purpose to be used in
backtracking. The drive down to Long Beach could have been pleasant, sun ocean
or relaxing type day, but not for me, not with what was going
on inside my head. Even the soft breeze coming in off the Pacific couldn't
sweep the pieces together for me. Sure, for a few seconds everything would
make sense, Then a moment later, some small fact would make the whole
theory collapse. I knew one thing, though, If this whole deal was
a frame, it was a great one, a work of art, something
to be admired, provided your name was neither Lonnie Miller or National Underwriters.
About six miles this side of Long Beach, I found what I was looking
for, the little Tacos joint where Miller claimed he and doctor Palmquist that'd stopped
for coffee. Yeah, all, amigo, you like some tacos? Sure
I sit down at won't be a minute on a run. You're looking at
him, Amigo, Irving Gonzalis owner Irving, Sure I had a change.
Nobody could pronounce plutarco gon salis. See your point. It doesn't pat to
make problems for your customers and business. Yeah, when are you going to
work up to asking the questions? Ago? Man? I can make tacos
blindfolded, and I can tell a cop the same way. Well, you're
not too far around. I want to take a look at this newspaper.
Either of these men ever been in here? And doctor Victor pan quiz lonely
mirror? Oh I read about that killing? Very interesting? Yeah what about
it, Irving? What about what? Man? Have they ever been in
here alone together? Anytime? I look kind of familiar. But maybe it's
only because I see him in the papers. You know the best you can
do. Look at me, though, you stand behind a counter all day
and everybody looks like everybody else. You wouldn't want me to make a guess,
and that's all I'd be doing guessing. No, I wouldn't want that
nice and hot eat your thanks anyway, I'll skip him this turn. You
know something I don't blame you. Look at this peels fels feels. I
eat him by the dozen. Do you know why your amgo? There's this
about the racket. You try, you strike out. You can't waste time
thinking about it. You get on to the next step, the step.
Laura Consontine, doctor palmkoyts lovely Alibi. The night of his wife's death.
Her house was only a few miles out of long It seemed logical to head
for it. I reached it about twenty minutes later, a large, old
fashion and seemingly deserted house in a promontory that jutted out into the Pacific.
I got number two, the hostile iron fence that circle it made its point
keep out, so I did. Trespassing applies to everyone. From where I
stood, I couldn't identify the car that suddenly roared away from the back of
the house, but one thing was obvious. The driver was in a hurry,
and I was getting nowhere. I decided to head back to town.
It happened five minutes later, as I rounded a curve on my way back
to the Pacific Coast Highway Choice Pacific on one side granted cliffs. On the
other, I picked the cliffs. Funny what your mind does at moments like
that. I remember looking at the mashed inside of the car and wondering which
company carried the insurance policy. Then I thought of how good a marksman a
man must be to pick off a tire from any of those clips. And
then I remembered still another thing. Hadn't I been told about someone who was
a great shot, who made it a rule to hunt two months out of
the year, no matter how busy he was. Sure a highly respected citizen
named doctor Victor Palmquist, Johnny Dollar, This is no Dollar. You don't
know me, Oh but I do, missus Considine, You're the best friend
a doctor ever had, doctor Palmquist. That is, he paid you a
professional call, and that his wife was murdered. That was lucky. Alibis
don't grow on trees, just as Look, lady, I've been slug shot.
At a matter of fact, someone tried to pick me off with a
rifle a couple of hours ago, right near your house. Maybe doctor Palmquist
will alibi you this time returned the Curtis. Will you please listen, I've
got to see you I've got to talk to you all right when an hour
the bar at your hotel, the Martinez will be waiting. From Special investigator
Johnny Dollar to National Underwriters Association, one one Adoer River Road, Hartford,
Connecticut Assignment. The long Shot Matter expense account concluded there was still a lot
of questions, like where I was getting trying to find out who really had
killed Missus Palmquist, Like was it all a smoothly planned frame on the part
of our doctor husband, or had it been a prowler killing by another man
now in jail, or had the dead woman's son Eric a complex we didn't
know about. Missus Sadeen was five minutes late, but I hope she could
answer some of them. Mister Donner, Oh, come now, Missus Considine
that reading it implied we haven't met before, and you know that we have.
The day you visited doctor Palmquist in the hospital and pretended you had the
wrong, wrong snat there was a reason for that. Sure, there's one
for everything, is there? You think Victor Palmquist had something to do with
his wife's death or you're wrong, completely wrong direction, You don't know what
I'm thinking and being wrong as anybody's pross. You don't know about Victor,
mister Dollar, what his life's been like, what he had to put up
with. Why don't you tell me, Missus Considine, that wife of his,
a millstone around his neck, a woman in love with a bottle go
on. And that son of his, that Eric insane, completely insane.
He hates his father, he always has. He gains a fortune by that
woman's death. But you suspect him, No, of course not, you
badg You're a man like Victor Palmquist. How does that make sense? You're
building a big thing on the fact that a lot of people hate Victor Pomquist.
But you're overlooking something, mister docs. Where there's that much hate,
there's always a good reason. I went to the hotel garage, rented a
car and pointed a toward Burbank. There was a man in a pawn shop
there. I wanted to see the man who had identified Lonnie Miller as the
buyer of the gun that had killed missus Victor Palmquist. He turned out to
be a mild, friendly little guy with thick glasses and a desire to please.
He barely glanced at my identification pushed it back over the counter to me
and smiled, what do you want to know? Everything you can remember about
the man who bought the gun. Mister Lenner wants to remember A kind of
skin and gray haired fellow come in, said he wanted to buy a gun,
and I showed him when he bought. He showed you a driver's license
for identification, didn't he? I copied the information right here in the book.
Ronnie Miller one hundred and seventy three full of San Diego, hid six
feet wait, one hundred and fifty two colored right. Hey, hey,
look you saw yeah, look at this paper, mister Leerner one of these
the fellah I see. Lennar adjusted his glasses and leaned forward appear at the
newspaper I'd put on the counter. It was the way I was leaning on
the paper that really started the whole thing. The two pictures were side by
side, doctor Palmquist in a business suit and Lonnie Miller and a cap leather
jacket at work bands. My arm was covering everything but the faces. Lerner
moved my arm before pointing out Miller as the buyer of the gun. Then
he nodded emphatically, Sure, that's the fellaw who bought the gun that Miller.
You had to move my arm before you'd say so. Mister learner,
you were covering up half the picture. Where am I a mind reader?
No? But I think you might have made the most normal mistake in the
world. Wait, wait, you're trying to tell me this Miller didn't come
in here and buy a gun from me. That's about it. So how
come a fellow who wasn't here gave me a driver's license and said he was.
That's a good question, mister. There were two people I wanted to
see now, real bad Lieutenant Bury at homicide and Lonnie Miller's salied a city
jail. I speak down to headquarters and guess what the lieutenant was out on
police business. Should be back in a while. I knew Lonnie Miller was
not, so I settled for him. There were only two or three questions
I wanted to ask him, but they were important. I spent about fifteen
minutes in the cell with Miller, got my answers and they made sense.
Now. Then I spent an hour waiting for the lieutenant. He finally showed
this time he was the hard sale. Even after I discussed what I'd figured
out at the pawnshop, Johnny, Johnny, I'm tired. Oh, show
me too, and I'll look Lieutenant. You know what I'm pushing is possible.
Doctor Palmquist and Lonnie Miller are approximately the same size, age, coloring,
even the bone structure is fairly similar. But they don't look alike.
They don't have to, because it's the impression that counted him. Johnny,
That's exactly what Pomquist was counting on. Now, look, lieutenant, you've
been around. You know what people go by when they're asked to identify some
one and all over imprecious. Oh and you know a big factor is clothes,
particularly the type of clock. All right, all right, what are
you going for this? If doctor pomp Wist walked into that pawn shop wearing
a cap, leather jacket and work pants, and then six days later you
show the pawnbroker a picture of Lonnie Miller dressed in the same kind of clothes,
you know, whom he'll identify every time, especially when he'd already seen
a driver's license made out to Lonnie Miller A thousand ways to make a living?
What did I pike load tenants? Look? Suppose I buy that?
Where are you doctor pomp Wis for some reason or other, once his wife
dead. He needs a patsy, so he picks up Lonnie Miller, a
hitchhiker on the Pacific Coast Highway if you say so. At a coffee stop,
the doctor remembers something he left in the car. He goes out for
a minute, sticks a match or a toothpick, and a tire valve guaranteeing
a flat a few miles further on. So when they stomp, it's the
doctor who looks at the flat gets rid of the toothpick. Grateful for the
lyft, Miller changes the tire. You ever change a tire on a hot
summer night. Sure you took off your jacket, didn't you. How Else,
that's what Doc was counting on. He had a couple of minutes alone
with Miller's jacket and lifted his driver's license. Then he keeps Miller in town
on the promise of a job. He buys the gun at the Burbank pawn
shop, wearing work clothes and giving Miller's license his identification. Monday night,
he killed his wife, call Miller to the house with a phony story about
a job. Struck him from behind a stage the scene the police found smooth.
Huh, Johnny, can you see me going to the DA with all
that theory and no proof? Palmquist had laughed me out of top Parry Love,
knock it off. You're no kid, You know I'm right. Well,
don't go away mad. Sure, I know he was right. That's
what was driving me crazy. Proof one little piece of it? But where
old Palmquist had used his head? All right? But the smartest ones alive
always leave one little hole somewhere along the line. But three hours later in
my hotel room, I hadn't found it, Steffie, What are you doing
here? Eric's been drinking all day, brooding, working himself into a rage,
saying terrible things about Missus Considine and his father, and about his father
being a murderer. I don't know what he'll do. Help me, Johnny,
Please give you any idea of where he was headed. He mentioned going
home to get a gun and then going to Missus Considine's house. Johnny,
I'm afraid all right. Come on. The drive to the Pomquest house on
the Palisades was a long one, but educational because Steffi had nothing to hide
now, she was just a kid, worried to death about her husband and
her bitterness to a doctor, Palmquist came rolling on. It's an easy man
to hate my father in law. All charm on the outside, patty little
dictator inside. A man who's trying to prove something can't abide weakness, tries
to make everyone over into his own image. A horrible man. Tell me
about Eric's brother Paul. He was the favorite, the doctor's pride and joy.
They hunted together all the time on me. One day Paul had a
cold tried to get out of a hunting trip. This offended the doctor's weakness
fetish made the boy feel like a coward. So Paul went hunting and died
of pneumonia. Missus Palmquist never got over it, as you saw before she
was killed. Nice Johnny, you like the family. I married him too.
The house was dark when we got there. We hurried to Eric's bedroom
and Stephan leaned against the door, weak with relief. Eric lay sprawled on
the bed, snoring fine alcoholic noises. The rifle he still clutch made very
clear what he'd been thinking about before the liquor had taken over him. We
were just getting him comfortable when we heard it a car pulling into the garage,
Palmquist. I got Steffie down the back stairs and out of the house
as soon as I was sure he was inside, and then I turned back
because suddenly I was tired of a killer walking around free while everyone else stepped
softly. And the anger was good because it suddenly drove into my mind the
one thing palm Quist might have overlooked. I let myself into the garage,
but a small window moved to the doctor's big car. You ever try to
force open a car trunk with a claw hammer, don't he It's rough and
b it takes your eyes off the door leading to the kitchen. Why don't
you ask me for the key? A gone doctor, no instrument of healing.
Oh that's nice, And it tells me something about the trunk, that
there's a spare tire in there that's flat but doesn't have a puncture. A
service station might remember a thing like that. Huh, Doctor goodbye. He
couldn't pick me off because of the car, but the car was working against
me too. You did better with a rifle yesterday, Doctor sh ah man
my age through windows? No less he had it. Ah h, he'll
look good in court. Small question, lieutenant, not that I'm ungrateful?
Ask aren't you a long way from home? I didn't like to look in
your eye when you stomped out. You know something, Johnny, You're easier
to tail than a trolley car. Expense account had him twelve seventy one dollars
LA Hotel bill Adam thirteen one hundred and seventy four dollars and ninety cents return
air Fair to Hartford expenser count total four hundred and ninety dollars and eighty cents.
Details. Eric Palmquist admitted sending us the original warning note out of fear
of his father. He never knew till the death of his mother that he
himself was the beneficiary. Remarks about Hollywood, let's call it the Eastern is
revenge. Quote It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to
live there. Unquote yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Now here's our star to
tell you about next week's intriguing story. Next week, three million dollars worth
of a worthless gold mine, and there's blood on the desert sand. Join
us, won't you? Yours truly? Johnny Dallar, yours truly, Johnny
Dollar Is starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood. Written by Tony Barrett,
It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone. Heard in this week's cast
were Virginia greg Victor Perrin, Lillian Baya, Russell Thorson, James Mcallian,
Edgar Barrier, Don Diamond, and Herb Butterfield. Musical supervision by A.
Marigo Marino and Carl Fortina. Be sure to join us on Monday night,
same time and station for another exciting story of yours truly Johnny Dollar, Roy
Rowan speaking welcome back. Despite a couple of my nitpicks in the previous two
parts. This is a sould story and perhaps one of the best of the
nineteen fifties six serials. It does a really good job exploring challenges and potential
biases in witness identification of criminals. Sometimes it can be imagined that people are
paying rapt attention to what's going on around them, so eyewitnesses are extremely reliable
and can make no errors. This story plays with that and suggests a few
ways eyewitness testimony can go wrong and be manipulated. This story was written by
Tony Barrett. The name is familiar to old time radio fans. Of course,
the only regular recurring role I'm aware of him having is as the reliable
Cabby Mark Donovan on the syndicated series The Adventures of Frank Race. However,
we've heard him all over the Golden Age of radio in so many mystery and
dramatic programs, frequently playing tops or doing Hispanic or Spanish dialect roles on a
series like Tales of the Texas Rangers and Dangerous Assignment. Like many in the
Golden Age of radio, Barrett had ambitions beyond acting. The first writing credit
for Barrett was a nineteen fifty one Christmas episode of Tales of the Texas Rangers,
and I don't think I talked a whole lot about that on that episode.
He also wrote a couple episodes of Escape. In nineteen fifty five,
he made his TV writing career debut with an episode of Public Defender and was
definitely on the rise. In nineteen fifty six. He would write for more
than fifty TV shows and films. He wrote lots of drama, mostly in
the crime in western genres, all though he did write the screenplay for a
Sonny and Sheer smooth comedy film Good Times. His most important work would be
on a couple series. First of all, the classic Private Eye series Peter
Gunn, where he has a writing credit for the majority of episodes and wrote
most of season two. In season three, he was also the principal writer
and developed the series The Mod Squad in the late sixties and early seventies.
I think this serial reflects a slightly different style that works really well with Bailey's
interpretation of Johnny Dollar, but also with maybe a few modifications, could easily
work in a nineteen sixties Private Eye show. Also, it asked to me,
said, the ever versatile Herb Butterfield is always an asset to have in
the cast. He not only played doctor Palmquist, but was also the pawnbroker.
He's such an invaluable guy to have around, particularly late in the golden
age of radio when you needed to keep budgets time. And of course he
always did a great job no matter how many characters he had to play and
personally. One thing that I've enjoyed about playing Dangerous Assignment and to an extent,
Dragnet, is seeing if I can catch where Herb Butterfield is playing a
second character. I don't mention it because it happens so frequently and it seems
silly to harp on it, but nevertheless, we do find some ways to
amuse ourselves in listening to old time radio well listener comments and feedback. Now
over on YouTube, a listener highlighted a piece of dialogue in the first two
parts of The Indestructible Mock Matter, all the incidentals I could think of,
ha ha ha ha. That is a funny line. And of course it
reminds me because there's another listener who's been going through, like some of the
Baily half hours, and he's supposed to like two or three different comments suggesting
that the Home office needs to crack down on that expense account. And then
we have an email from Dave who writes, Harry and Peter Branson in The
Indestructible mic Matter are the comedic predecessors of Twin Antiques upraisers Lee and Leslie Keno
on Antique's roadshow. Good to know. Thanks for the comment. And then
we go to comments on our survey from survey Do Great Detectives dot Net.
Robert writes, love the show, Love Johnny Dollar, Well, thank you
so much, and now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and thank James. James has been one
of our Patreon supporters since July twenty twenty two, currently supporting the podcast at
the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, James, and that will do it
for today. If you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us you he's
your favorite podcast software. Be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you
download it from. We will be back on Tuesday with the start of another
yours truly Johnny Dollar Cereal. But join us back here tomorrow for Dragnet where
he got me into this and now he's trying to lie his way out,
blaming me. How you've been doing this burglarizing cars me only about two weeks.
It was supposed to be fun, something to do at night. The
rest of them been added a couple of months. Who's the head of the
game. I told you it's him, Stanley and Fred Milford and Jansen all
three. I only started going out with him two weeks ago, maybe less,
all right, Julianne tell it to this snographer the same way penographer being
in a minute. Joe, Okay, Marge, thanks, stay with it.
Just about a close case. Ben girl gave us a full confession.
She didn't. Oh, you're not tricking me again. She didn't. She
told us you're one of the leaders of the gang. Stanley said, you
got her into all this. The other two are George Jansen and Fred Milford.
About a dozen kids in the gang. All I'm about your age,
isn't they right? She's lying? Can't you tell she's lying? She got
me into the gang. I hope you'll be with us then. In the
meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram,
Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho. This is your
host, Adam Graham signing off.