Speaker 1: Welcome to the great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're
going to bring you this week's episode of Yours Truly
Johnny Dollar. But first, I do want to encourage you.
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So remember when making your travel plans, check Johnny Dollar
Air dot calm first. But now, from July thirteenth, nineteen
fifty eight, here is the Moholly Red matter.
Speaker 2: From Hollywood. It's time now for Johnny Dollar.
Speaker 3: Will you accept to collect call mister Dollar. Huh It's
from Lake Mohave Resort in.
Speaker 2: Santa War Operators just put them on.
Speaker 3: Well, yes, sir, go ahead, please.
Speaker 2: By who is it this time? Buster favorite? HEMP read
Johnny Red. Yeah, Well, how's the fishing? Time for me
to make another check westward and find out huh, Red,
that's right, Johnny read who?
Speaker 3: Well, you know the guy out here, Red Bear.
Speaker 2: The fishing guy. Oh yes, who claims to know Lake
Mohave like the back of his hand, and every good
spot there isn't it? And I Johnny, Then I repeat
my question. How's the f just as fine as ever?
Speaker 3: If you know where the good holes are?
Speaker 2: That is? And you do? Yes, I do. So you
think it's high time I fly on out there and
went a line? Is that it? No? Sure, that's not
what I'm calling you about, Johnny, Well, what is it?
Speaker 3: I don't rightly think I ought to tell you over
the phone.
Speaker 4: Johnny, I think you better come here just about as
quick as you can.
Speaker 2: But unless I know why, I tell you when you
get here. Oh look, I usually do my traveling on
expense account for an insurance company, and you can this time? Huh?
What company?
Speaker 3: The one that insured him?
Speaker 2: The Greater Southwest Inshore Short who read, Johnny, I'll tell
you all that when you get here. Now, look, they
tell me there's a plane lives New York right at
high news listen, Red. That'll get you into last as
about nine forty five tonight. Okay, okay, listen, Johnny, crazy
old coach. He thinks for one minute, then I'm going
to get on and yes, one second thought. Bob Bailey
and the Exciting Adventures of the Man with the Action
Packed expens a count America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Yours truly,
Johnny Dollar, and now act one of yours truly Johnny Dollar.
Expense account submitted by special Investigator Johnny Dollar the Greater
Southwest Insurance and Liability Company, King Min, Arizona office. Following
is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of
the mojave red matter. Expense account had a one four
to twenty phone call at the King in Arizona office
of Greater Southwest Insurance and Liability on the theory it
might be well to check with their agent, Jake Kissler
before going off half cocked. Hi, Johnny, I haven't seen
hurt mus since two years ago when you came out
here to investigate the murder the old minis touched mine. Yeah,
I remember, Jake. Now listen, yeah, is uh is everything
going along okay? These days? What?
Speaker 5: Well?
Speaker 2: I mean, no trouble with any of your clients that
sort of thing. Huh?
Speaker 3: Why not a bit, Johnny.
Speaker 2: Why he has just wondered, Well, if.
Speaker 3: I did, have you know who I call no.
Speaker 2: Problems at all? Huh, I told you not a.
Speaker 3: Hey, just what do you got stuck in your craw Johnny?
Speaker 2: Nothing? Nothing? I just well, I just well, well tell
me this, any of your clients policyholders have any kind
of trouble, accidents, anything like that over at Lake Mohabby
Resort lately. Ah.
Speaker 4: So that's what's eating you, Oh Johnny, that fame was
legitimate in the Home office for settlement.
Speaker 3: The company will pay it.
Speaker 4: And that'll be that what claim. So just you stop
worrying about it.
Speaker 2: And forget what claim? Jake.
Speaker 4: No, sir, Johnny, there's not a single solitary thing for
you'd investigate out here.
Speaker 3: So just you forget it.
Speaker 2: And you know something, Jake, You just convinced me there
is something to investigate it. So I'm grabbing the first
plane I can.
Speaker 3: Johnny. I'd love to see you, But I what's.
Speaker 2: How I'm charging my expense account to your company?
Speaker 3: Oh and if you find out that I'm right and.
Speaker 2: You're wrong, okay, Jake, then you can shoot the crow
and I'll eat it. Expense account at I'm two one
hundred and fifty three dollars plane fair Heartford to New
York and New York to Las Vegas, Nevada. It was
nine forty five on the dot as the big mainliner
slowly circled down out of the clear starlet sky. Unless
you've seen the millions of stars that twinkle brightly through
the clean, dry air over the Mohabi Desert, you really
miss something. And as we glided down toward the landing
strip on the south edge of Las Vegas, the multicolored
lights of the fabulous resort town made it sparkle like
a vast field of jewels. Beautiful, yeah, and expensive, that is,
if you insist on trying your hand at the gaming
tables and the casinos that line the main drag. Believe me, brother,
I know, but that's not a hint of there. As
I grabbed my luggage and started for the car rental office,
a tall, angular man, well tanned and dressed in blue jeans,
high heeled boots and ten gallon hats sounded over to me.
So you wouldn't take my word for it. Oh Jay,
that's right, Jake Kesler in person, and Johnny, if you
were here to investigate the claim on the Hobbs policy. Well,
they're just nothing. Huh wow, oh, I know that much.
I suppose you tell me who Hobbs is. I'll tell
you all about it, and when I have you can
hop on another plane and go right on back to Hartford,
and all at your own expense. I still don't see
whatever made you come out here, Donny. Apparently the Hobbs matter,
so start telling me. Well, come on, Shay, come on,
all right, Donnie, all right.
Speaker 3: Elmer p.
Speaker 2: Hobbs real Estate in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3: Came over to the Lake.
Speaker 2: Mahove Resort about two weeks ago, spent a few days
fishing with his old padle of guide they have there,
you mean red red parent. Yeah, well, okay, come on.
And then Tuesday, a week ago, he rented one of
the boats and went out by himself. Apparently he went
up to a place called the Big Base. Yeah, oh, well,
at lake three or four miles wide up there. Yeah.
All that afternoon a big wind came up, regular screamer.
All the other boats came back, landing all but mister
hawks Ow. Next morning, when the wind died down, they
found his body walked upon the shore on the Nevada side.
That's all. That's all you said. Claim has been fun
that's right by one of his two beneficiary, oh, his
business partner back in La mister Stuart Manly. I've passed
the claim and the company will pay it. No investigation
of any kind of course, there was Johnny the kingman, please,
the Sheriff's office and the county corner accidental death, dude
to drought. So that's it, Johnny. Now you just make
your reservation back to Hartford. That window ride over there,
and you are paying the break. Oh not so fast, Shake,
I'm sticking around now. You you can see for yourself
there's no reason for you to be here, much less
a company extant. Well, after all, now that I am here,
it'll be kind of silly not to run down of
the lake. Oh you mean just to do some fishing
on your own tent? You want to drive me down there, Johnny? Yeah, Johnny,
do you know something about the Hubs case that I
don't and the police and the sheriff. Shake, I don't
know a thing about it. Okay, Johnny, how do you
want me to fix that crow? You're gonna eat BacT
two of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar in a moment.
Speaker 6: And now for.
Speaker 7: Another episode in the life of Sergeant Donald Bellweather.
Speaker 3: My husband.
Speaker 2: Reba read Ba, what is it? Donald? Can't founded? Rebey,
I can't find the fountain pen. I've looked all through
this desk. Here it is, dear.
Speaker 7: You must have used it as a marker when you
were reading this book. See this great literary classic six
gun showdown at Powder River Gulch.
Speaker 2: All right, never mind about my reading habits. Just look
at the coverage we're going to get with this new
auto accident policy. Let's see collision fifty dollars deductible, Royer
fifth public liability, property damn medical benefits.
Speaker 7: In other words, we have complete coverage.
Speaker 2: That's right. Of course, it's gonna cost us money. I'm
sending the company a check right now. Gee, it's too
bad we don't live in Rhode Island. Rhode Island. Why oh,
because in our rate should be lower. Rhode Island has
less accidents per capita than any other state. Oh, which
state has the highest? We see? Yeah here it is Nevada. Oh,
by Gollan, Nevada's second highest. Alaska has the most.
Speaker 7: Really, I didn't know that, you know, it's just too bad.
We can't eliminate traffic accidents completely. Not only would it
save life and land, but it'll be a lot less
straight in the pocketbook.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's for sure. These automobile accident policies get more
expensive every year just because there's so many costly accidents.
Speaker 7: Well, I'm glad we've got some good insurance coverage, Donald, But.
Speaker 2: Just remember one thing.
Speaker 7: Oh what's that, honey, Well, some auto accidents ruin a
fender and some ruin a family.
Speaker 2: That's true, very true.
Speaker 7: Well, as far as I'm concerned, I don't want any
of your older insurance money. I want you here at home, Satan.
Sound you always drive carefully, won't you?
Speaker 2: I will do. That's my Donald, that's my doll. And
now Act two of yours, truly Johnny Dollar and the
Mohave red matter. Elmer P. Hobbes of Los Angeles had
died of drowning when a small boat capsized in a
high wind on Lake Mohave. At least that's what Jake Kessler,
is insurance agent, told me. Accident appearance. Simply said, and
I could hire myself back to Hartford and forget about it.
But I didn't, simply because of the phone call I'd
received from old Red Bearrett, fishing guide at Lake Mohave Resort.
I was waited Jake to drive me over there, on
the excuse that as long as I was nearby, I
might as well do some fishing. So he dropped me off,
and since it was after midnight, went on back to Kingdom.
I wandered on down to the dock and boat house. Hello,
who's that Ham?
Speaker 8: Eh?
Speaker 3: Johnny?
Speaker 2: Johnny Dollard? Yeah, Jome Dollar? What are you doing here?
I am here? You know, Dawn well what he's doing here? Am?
The fishing has never been better? Only how'd you get
the word? Now?
Speaker 6: Are you?
Speaker 2: John?
Speaker 3: Oh?
Speaker 2: Just great, Busting. Did you stop by the office let
Maryland fix you up with the room? No? No, because,
as I recall all, Red usually sleeps here on the dock. Oh, Red,
Why do you say it that way? Buster? Because Ham
and I waste some good sleeping time down here wondering
why he hasn't come in yet. You mean he's still
out on the lake. Yes, Chris as black as the
ace of Spades out there, and no moon tonight. Buster
and I were about to take off about to look
for it. He pulled his very same stunt night before last.
We finally found him drifting around about nine miles up here.
He said he'd run out of gas. Shoulders have to
take to prove it? Yeah, but we knew better. What
do you mean busting? I mean when he saw us
coming after him, he dumped out what guess he had
oil slick all over the lake if somebody had struck
a match.
Speaker 8: You know, Rad's been doing a lot of crazy things
this past week or so ever since his old friend
mister Hobbs died.
Speaker 2: They were pretty close, and that is why he followed
me Red phone, yeah, early this morning. And if you
ask me, it's because he doesn't believe mister Hobbes' death
was accidental. Johnny, you know something, I didn't quite believe
it myself. Were sure. We have some pretty big winds
on the lake now and then, and it was a
big one that day. And then when the corner and
the other thought, he is, well, who's to argue with them?
Do you know if Red has found out anything anything
at all?
Speaker 8: All we know is he's giving up taking out fishing
parties and spends all his time prowling around the lake
every day and night.
Speaker 2: Says if he can find the boat. Mister Hobbs, you're
kind of a boat. Was it one of our regular rentals?
Rodom in the Arkansas Traveler? Yeah? With a ten horse
Johnson on it. Well, listen, those boats have flotation tanks,
so even if it did capsize, it wouldn't sink you, right,
john Man. And there's been no sign of it, not
at all. Then let's go up to the lake and
find Red. Except for the stars far overhead. The night
was black, a sink, A fifty horse outboard skimds along
it better than thirty miles an hour. Believe me, it
was a strange feeling, almost like flying through space. How
Buster found his way around the islands rocky points and reefs.
I'll even know what he did. Blow your flashlight over
to the left hand. You ought to be about even
with delta rock. Yeah, here it is, and we're coming
into the big Beaty. Will you please tell me how
you ever expect to find Red and all his darkness? Oh,
don't worry about him. Here's this comedy of signal by
striking a match or something good, Johnny. No matter how
crazy you are, you never let somebody wander around in
the dark looking play out here.
Speaker 8: Red knows that because he's head about too many people,
a guy itself.
Speaker 2: And look, yeah, on the east shore, I'm slinging over there.
So you're right, there's a fire of a beach. Yeah,
it must be Red. What's he doing out here? We'll
soon find out. Hang on, Well, all I have to said,
it took long enough to bring Johnny up here.
Speaker 8: Red, you all reprobate one under.
Speaker 2: The summer you up to this time. I just told
you I've been waiting for you to bring Johnny. Now
you can leave this and going back to the dock,
and I thank you very much. Red. We're not leaving
until we find out what this is all about. And
if I tell you what you promised to leave us alone? Sure, sure,
we promise anything. You see. I need Johnny's help well,
because with him to follow up what I found today. Well, Johnny,
you and I are going to prove that my old
friend mister Hobbs was murdered. Act three of yours, truly,
Johnny Dollar. In a moment, Times have changed, and so
has the man.
Speaker 6: The whistle of a long black bull whip, the strained
squeaking of wheels, the groan of wooden wagons, bulging muscles
in strong arms and gnarled, calloused hands.
Speaker 2: A stream of cusswords, then action. A long line of
wagons starts forging ahead. The Army is on the move.
Speaker 6: Its progress is the result of Hardy's strong, long suffering,
indispensable mule rules. This was the mule power of the
old Army. The new Army of today depends on horsepower
for its locomotion, now held not the four legged guind
but horsepower harnessed to the thundering engines of fleets of whirlibirds,
choppers or, if you prefer, helicopters. Any man with transportation
experience will tell you that the operation of these craft
requires a combination of modern equipment plus skill, plenty of
training and knowledge. The men who keep pace with the
New Army in transportation and in other military operations are
not only good soldiers, but skilled technicians. They have the
know how to do a specialized technical job and do
it well. Yes, times have changed, and so has the
man and.
Speaker 2: Now lack free of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the
Mojave Red matter. Oh, I'll tell you this, Johnny Red,
here's one of the wildest, most irresponsible old characters.
Speaker 8: I know when he wants to be, but he's okay. Nonetheless,
and if he thinks you and he can find proof
that mister Hobbeson murdered.
Speaker 2: Well you must have a good reason for it. Well right,
Oh now, Ham, do you think a man like Elmer Hobbes,
knowing the lake the way he did, would ever let
the big wind catch him off guard up here in
the base?
Speaker 8: Oh why don't Red? I know that's why Buster felt
about it too.
Speaker 2: I said that to you myself. Red. But now what's
this proof you have of murder? Well? Ham and Bustard,
aren't you going on back? Now that I've told you
why I wanted you to bring Johnny here? Was any
a harm? And I'm knowing what you found Red? After all,
we might be able to help you and Johnny. Yeah,
I thought about that, but you see I might just
possibly be wrong about it. Well, I might just be wrong,
and I wouldn't want to be ashamed in front of
a lot of people. By a lot you're being treated, Well,
that's three times as many. It's just Johnny here. Well,
I love Johnny. He means it. So Ham and I
are gone back to the dock. But I still don't
see what difference, Johnny.
Speaker 8: When you get to know Red as well as we do,
you'll stop trying to figure out the whys and wherefore
is and some of the things he does and what
makes him dick.
Speaker 2: But you'll also.
Speaker 8: Learn that in the long run, no matter how unorthodox,
some of those things are.
Speaker 2: Well, oh, come on, Buster, right, see you when you
get back to the doc, Johnny. Well you got some food, Red,
Now you know. I'll always keep something in my boat, Buster, Okay,
well farm here from me, right. But all I have
to say is that whatever you think you found proof
of it, it's sure got to be something. The way
it is, Johnny, at least I think it is. It
is scrunt yourself a places to sleep in the sand.
It's very late. Huh. Well, it took you so long
to get here, and we can't see anything in the
dark anyway. Oh now, look right for Heaven's sad night, Johnny.
Sleep well. And that was the end of our conversation.
But I began to wonder if Jake Kessler hadn't been
right in the first place, if I hadn't come out
here on a wild goose chase after all. But the
more I wondered and thought about it, with nothing but
the warm desert night about us, twinkling stars, the magic
sound of fish jumping in the lake. The sleepier I got,
so I slept. The smell of bacon frying over the
campfire awakening, although the sun still hadn't shone over the
mountains that bordered the eastern side of the lake. That's
your face in the lake. John then grabbed your chafs
some of this bacon in the I did, as I
was tall and squatting in the sand in front of
the fire, stuffed away a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs
and pancakes made from sour dough. You know there's something
about a meal over a campfire. That Well, we had
other things to do, so we climbed in the reds
old allow of a boat and slowly drove up the lakes,
thing close to the shore. Finally we reached a small
rocky coat. Right here is this put Johnny, this little
cold aspart for what? Right? You know you still have
a toll You see there? You see where somebody has
climbed up the rocks. Oh well, I'll take your word
for it. Well, he couldn't have climbed up off of
the water, so he must have climbed out of a boat.
Saw And there's foot prints leading away across the desert.
And Johnny, they aren't Elmer Hobbs footprints, you know, sir.
Saw somebody climbed out of a boat here for one
reason or another and took a walk into the desert.
A man who killed Elmer Hobbs. What makes you think?
So look down over the side in the water the
boats sunk down there. That's the boat that Elmer had,
and you see it, yes, Arne, Then you can see
it wasn't damage enough to sink it. Not that boat,
you're right ready, particularly since it has flotation tanks. But
it's down there, it's sunk. For you better strip to
your shorts, Johnny. I'll go down and take a look.
Me I already have, but I want you to look, Johnny,
And remember I knew everything that Elmer had in his
boat when he left the dock. Remember that, okay? And
you're sure the footprints leading into the desert couldn't possibly
have been made by mister Hawks that I'll swear to
Johnny by all that's good. And hold not slipping easy,
So he won't disturb the water too much. I took
a deep breath surface time and swam down to the
sunken boat, and the water was clear. I could see plainly,
and I saw the red was right. I bobbed back
to the surface. Did you see him the cut? Yeah? Right?
Those flotation tanks were slashed up with a nax or
a sharp heavy tool of some kind. But Elmer had
no act on that boot. So it was somebody else, Johnny,
somebody who murdered him. Yeah, and then sank the boot. Right.
I'm afraid you're right. Elma Hobbs was murdered, So then
you have a jake. And if I were you, I'd
call off payment on that claim immediately. Granted the cases
is nov yet I still had the job of finding
out who killed Elma Hobbs. But you know something, You're
gonna have to wait for my next report. Meantime expense
account total to the moment, including the cost of shooting
and retrieving one crow, Jake, how would you like it
cooked until the next report? Then? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar,
Yours truly, Johnny Dollar is storrying. Bob Bailey originates in
Hollywood and is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone, who
also wrote today's story.
Speaker 1: Heard in our cast.
Speaker 2: Were Lucille Meredith, Boris Lewis, Harley Bear, Alan Reid, and
Barney Phillips. Be sure to join us next week, same
time and station for the conclusion of this exciting story
of yours, truly, Johnny Dollar, This is Roy Rowan speaking.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back. This is one of only three episodes that
had back to back sequels since the serial era, and
this is really the only one that doesn't quite stand
alone as a story in its own right. Red delivered
on what he said, and now we've got a wide
open case for Johnny to investigate next week. I do
think it makes sense for this episode to be a
preliminary report to Jake. Obviously, finding out it was murdered
doesn't solve the case, but it is really important to
make sure that the insurance payment isn't made in the meanwhile.
The one thing I don't like about this episode, and
certainly this isn't the only time this happened, but the
vague part of the episode is Johnny's very vague communication
to people. He doesn't have any reason to be vague
with what would be so hard about telling Jake Kessler.
I received a report from someone I believe to be credible,
and so I'm going to talk to him before I
go back. Being all mysterious is weird when there's no
reason for Johnny to distrust Jake, and Jake is the
one who's going to have to make payment for this
in terms of Johnny's expense account. Anyway, a listener comments
and feedback now and there is a comment on the
virtuous mobster matter and my conversation about Johnny's potential reasons
for having life insurance more. Gerald Lush Tremaine says, who
needs Charles Schwab when we have Adam Graham? Well, thanks,
though I don't have my own online brokerage, so Charles
Schwab does have that on me. I had to do
a bit of research for that, but that whole question
did bring out a little bit of my whole financial
services industry background in answering the question. Well, now it's
time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and
I want to go ahead and thank John Patreon supporter
since February twenty twenty one, currently supporting the podcast at
the Shawmus level of four dollars or more per month.
Thanks so much for your support, John and that will
do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please
follow us using your favorite podcast software, and be sure
and rate and review the podcast wherever you download it from.
We'll be back next Friday with another episode of Yours Truly,
Johnny Dollar. Join us next Tuesday for the Big Story,
but we'll be back tomorrow with the great Adventurers of
Old time Radio on Cloak and dagger Ware.
Speaker 9: If she desires to travel, I will arrange for the
necessary permit.
Speaker 2: Of course, we're very kind, not at all, not at all,
you know. Let's you see, yea it is.
Speaker 9: She's boarded up our house at forty six Hold down,
say as you know, and move to another residences twenty
kilometers southwest of Pells in the village of Torri Ferrol.
Here right out exact address.
Speaker 10: Thank you for your help, her commandant. I assure you
I will never forget it. I took a train to
the village of Tourliferrot, and all the way I kept
thinking about Madame Jeanbert. The German High Command evidently considered
her one of the most important collaborationists. We considered her
our most important contact with the French underground.
Speaker 2: She certainly had someone fooled. I hoped it was the Nazis.
Speaker 5: Madame Jiebert is in here, Monsieur in the library, Mercy,
Monsieur Fontaine, Madame, come in, Come in, Jessill you may
go and close the door, Madame, come close, No go.
Speaker 10: Let me have a good look at you.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime.
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.