Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Voysei, 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 want to encourage you. If
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travel plans, check john Nedollar Air dot com first. But now,
from May the seventeenth, nineteen fifty nine, here is the
Twin Trouble Manner from Hollywood.
Speaker 2: It's time now for.
Speaker 3: Johnny Deller Jolly.
Speaker 4: This is George Reads.
Speaker 2: Well, hi ya, George, what's troubling Fords?
Speaker 3: I mean, on this time, Jolly.
Speaker 2: One of our clients.
Speaker 5: Quite frankly, he's far more than just a client. Yes,
his life is being threatened.
Speaker 2: Oh George, you know I hate these bodyguard assignments. Every
time I handle one of them, it ends up with
my own life being in danger. I fully realize, Yeah,
one of these days my luck may run.
Speaker 5: Out, haven't forbid.
Speaker 2: Nonetheless, if somebody needs protection, why don't.
Speaker 6: You just call the police.
Speaker 5: There are certain well confidential aspects of this case. But well,
if any sort of publicity can be avoided, if it
can any way help to minimize the danger to yourself,
I'll gladly go along with you on this.
Speaker 2: You you mean literally physically go along with me? Yes,
well not, George. That's not the way I usually like
to work, I know, But as I.
Speaker 5: Told you that, this involves a man who is more
than just a client man.
Speaker 2: That's what does that mean?
Speaker 5: It's my brother, Johnny, my own brother.
Speaker 2: Oh yes, okay, George, I'll be able to see it.
Bob Bailey and the Exciting Adventures of a Man with
the Action fact expensive God America is fabulous. Freelance insurance
investigators truly expense accounts. I met it by a special investigator,
Johnny Dollar Floyd's of England, North American Office, Hertford, Connecticut,
allowing as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation
of the Twin Trouble matter expense account out of one
a dollar twenty for a taxi over to George Reid's
office at Floyd's of England and Downtown Hartred. I found
him pacing the floor waiting for me, and needless to say,
he didn't waste any time getting down to business. As
I told you over the phone, Johnny, this matter involves
my brother, my twin.
Speaker 6: Brother, Adam.
Speaker 2: Oh you're a twin. Yes, we're identical in every way
except perhaps for our manner of speaking. Why is that? Well?
You see, Adam completed his education at the University of Dublin,
whereas I stayed on in England, then.
Speaker 3: Did postgraduate work over here.
Speaker 2: Oh, I see, about eighteen years ago Adam and his
wife came here.
Speaker 6: To the United States.
Speaker 2: Is he also as some branch of Floyd's A No, Johnny.
Speaker 6: Adam owns a small brokerage office down in Newark, New Jersey.
He lives in a nearby town called Upper Montclair.
Speaker 2: Say tell me, has this business of his anything to
do with the thread against his life everything? I'm afraid now,
don't tell me. He went around selling a lot of
worthless stocks and bonds, and now somebody wants to get email,
And of course not. Adam is a completely honest, reliable
dealer in legitimate security, then wants the trunk.
Speaker 6: Well, you see, when he first.
Speaker 2: Arrived in this country, he traveled around quite a bit,
not only sightseeing, but oh looking for a good business connection.
Speaker 4: I guess.
Speaker 2: While on the West Coast he met two men, Shocky
and Barren, independent stockbrokers. They seem to like him immediately
offered to take him in with him since his funds
were beginning to run out. He jumped at the chains naturally,
but Johnny had turned out that they were swindlers of
the worst possible sort, dealing in completely worthless security. Oh yes,
Because of his lack of familiarity with American manners and methods,
he took Adam quite a while to catch on, but
when he did, charged George ahead. When he finally got
to them, he called in the law. So they got
set up the river, including your poor misguided brother. And now, yes, Johnny,
it was Adam's information his testimony that brought the whole
foul operation into the open.
Speaker 4: As a result, of.
Speaker 6: Course, his prison term was a relatively mild one.
Speaker 2: I didn't know there was such a thing. But now
that the others are free, there ought to get him
at least the one name Shockley is it's he who
has contacted Adam with this impossible proposition. When did he
and Baron get out.
Speaker 6: Of the clink about two weeks ago?
Speaker 3: We see?
Speaker 2: So what's the proposition Shockley has made? Your brother, Johnny,
Adam has spent the past nine years, ever since he
was released, out there building up this small brokerage office
here in the east. Now he and his wife are
finally beginning to reap the fruits of their labors. Children,
two fine upstanding kids, are in college over in New
York State.
Speaker 3: But if it were ever to become.
Speaker 2: Known that he once served a term in prison for
participation in a stocks fan, I would kind of pull
a rug right out from under him. What It would
completely ruin him, Johnny, And it would probably kill his wife.
This nine years of struggle of trying to make up
for that one mistake has been just as hard for
her as it has for him. Right now, she happens
to be in the hospital with a serious heart condition.
Speaker 6: I see.
Speaker 2: Is she the beneficiary of his insurance?
Speaker 6: Yes?
Speaker 4: She?
Speaker 6: And then of course the children.
Speaker 2: All right, now, what is this proposition that Shockley has made?
He's demanded seventy five thousand dollars.
Speaker 7: Wow.
Speaker 2: Yes, unless Adam pays it in cash in unmarked bills, Shockley.
Speaker 6: Will release to the papers anonymously. Of course.
Speaker 2: Well, he'll tell them all about Adam's unfortunate part in
that stock selling racket years ago, which means that if
Adam had a single customer left instead of a wake
to be America, then Shockley says, after he's.
Speaker 4: Ruined him, he'll kill him.
Speaker 6: He'll want unless he pays this money.
Speaker 2: Of course, he'll make it look like suicide after all,
under the circumstances, well you know, the ruined business man. Yeah,
I do know. Sure, there'll be no reason for any
one to think it isn't suicide. Exactly. Wait a minute,
that's the insurance angle, isn't it. Yes, if Adam's death
is called suicide, his policy will be void, his wife
and kids will get nothing. And if this man Shockly
is as clever as Adam says he is, he'll do
it in such a way that any court in the
land will call it suice. George, I, well, I just
can't believe it. And yet I suppose he's told Adam
that he's already got away with this sort of thing
once before, before Adam knew it. But why doesn't he
call in a police, the FBI if this man already
has a criminal record. No, no, well maybe the other one,
Baron is still working with him.
Speaker 6: And no, Johnny, don't you see don't you see he
doesn't dare.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess you're right. If he call in the cops,
the publicity would be just as bad, just as ruinous
to him as if Shockley were to shoot off his
mouth of the papers. Yes, Johnny, if he goes to
the police, he'll only bring his business crashing down on
his own head. George, your brother is in a pretty
bend spot. No matter what he does, he loses if.
Speaker 6: He pays off seventy five thousand dollars. But who knows
whether that one payment would be the end.
Speaker 2: Well, of course it wouldn't. But if he doesn't, don't
you see, it means not only his business, his wife,
his children, but his own life. I know, I know
if it were me alone, a bachelor with nobody else
to think about. But with Adam, Johnny, he couldn't do it.
Speaker 6: He might as well cut his.
Speaker 2: Own So we'll have to do something about it. What, Johnny,
what can we do, George, I wish I knew. It
was obvious this was to be more of a personal
affair than business, in spite of the insurance policy involved.
So for once I decided to forget patting out the
old expense accounts. Okay, then Adam two four to thirty
five a tankful of gas for my own car. It
was after business hours by the time he got down
to Jersey, so instead of trying to catch Adam Reid
in his office, George phoned a head and we went
directly to his home on Highland Avenue and Upper Montclair.
George stood beside me when the front door was open,
and you know something, it was like looking at George
in a mirror.
Speaker 6: Yes, can I George?
Speaker 2: Even they closed were.
Speaker 4: Life Hello, Adam.
Speaker 2: Yeah, these twins were certainly identical, except for the slight
difference in their manner of speech. Adam, this is the
man I told you about on the phone, the man
I hope can somehow help you.
Speaker 6: Johnny donnod, Yeah.
Speaker 2: How I am mister raid And excuse me for staring.
It's quite all right, daughter, quite understandable. And please call
me Adam if you don't mind, sure, but so help
me I've never seen two people look so much. I'll like,
you know something, Johnny, what do you think? Just a wild,
crazy idea, Adam, George, this perfect similarity might nah, Well
we'll see. Well I'll wait, maybe you have an idea there. No, look, George,
forget all about it from on us. Go inside where
we can talk about this thing.
Speaker 6: I'm in compete agreement, daughter, because we have no time
to waste. If there's anything you can do about it.
Speaker 2: Why do you say that, Adam, I've heard from sharply again.
Oh when this morning, after the last time I talked
to George, he called me at the office. I'm afraid
I didn't get as much business done to day as
I might have liked.
Speaker 6: Then I left as early as I could. I went
to the bank and called on my wife at the hospital.
She's very seriously ill, said yes, so I understand if
not yet had the heart to tell her about this
whole ungodly affair.
Speaker 2: And I can't say that I blame him.
Speaker 6: Yet, what difference would it make? Whatever happens, whatever this
man does to me, it's bound to affect my.
Speaker 2: Poor my darlin. It's a terrible king dollar now. This
phone call today yes, Yes, Sharkley says that he's coming
here tonight tonight, Yes, with my car out front. That's
why I stopped at the bank today. He says he
must have ten thousand dollars as a sort of down payment.
There's evidence of my good faith. Ten thousand. Well, I
say that he won't get on a minute, George, Lord, Johnny,
tell you I won't let Shartley get away with it.
Speaker 6: If he comes here tonight and demands that money, I'll
kill him rather.
Speaker 2: Than let Adam give him a single I told you, Johnny,
with me, it doesn't mean a thing.
Speaker 6: But Adam and his wife, the children.
Speaker 2: Do you think he'd come in here with my car
out front? If he does, I want to be ready
for him. Give me your gun, Johnny. Sure this whole
thing has gone too far. I tell you that if
I have to in order to stop it up. No,
I don't wait. Is there an extension phone in.
Speaker 6: The next room in the library.
Speaker 2: But Dollar, is it shocky and here's your pick it up?
Speaker 3: You want?
Speaker 2: If we do it right, however, I call it here,
then pick it up immediately. I'll do the same on
the other end.
Speaker 4: Yes, all right, Dollar, can you hear me?
Speaker 3: All right now, yes, are you alone, Adam?
Speaker 4: I'm alone?
Speaker 7: Shortly, you haven't called in the police.
Speaker 5: You know as well as I do what that would mean,
the publicity.
Speaker 7: I'm glad to realize that. And I don't trust you, Adam.
What so instead of my coming to your home, you're
going to meet me? You've got the ten pounds for me?
Speaker 2: I have all right?
Speaker 7: See the know about seven miles not here? Do you
know the place?
Speaker 4: Yes?
Speaker 7: See your no, there's a little check on top of it.
Empty and get into your car, your own car.
Speaker 5: RAI them, I'll recognize it. Meet me there very well, Shockedly.
Speaker 7: Just one thing, yes, just be sure that you're alone,
because if you're not, somebody's going to die, and it.
Speaker 5: Won't be me.
Speaker 7: But if there's anybody with you, you understand, I understand?
Speaker 3: See the no?
Speaker 2: H Well, I don't sounds so sorry. Your man, Shocky
is as clever as you see them. So it's your you.
Speaker 6: Listen to the phone next to my ear. As soon
as Shockly named the meeting place, George took the gun
out of my desk and.
Speaker 2: Let me what. He's going up there to George Sharkley
unless I can stop him, Adam he's going up there
to get murdered. Where is it, Adam, let's see your
no where Shockley will be your daughter.
Speaker 6: I can show you on the map. Here it's fifteen
or sixteen miles from.
Speaker 2: Here, Shockley said, it was only about seven.
Speaker 6: Then you must have been somewhere along the way when
he called.
Speaker 2: Means he'll get there long before George can.
Speaker 4: Yes, here, look, no, here.
Speaker 6: It is on the map.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I see straight up twenty three and west of
pumping planes. Yes, all right, George took your car? What
kind is it?
Speaker 4: A little coope?
Speaker 3: I saw out the street.
Speaker 2: That's it's all fine. There are ten million of them
on the highway. All I like, what's the license number? Well,
come on are you?
Speaker 4: I don't know.
Speaker 6: I don't remember it.
Speaker 2: Then, Adam, all I can do is try to get
there before George does, before he gets himself killed. Traffic
was heavy, and I don't know why, but Highway twenty
three was lousy.
Speaker 6: With belief the troll.
Speaker 2: I wanted to stop on him and tell him to
come along with me, but this was one case where
I couldn't, so instead I drove within the speed limit
except for a cutoff above Mountain View, where I could
open her up for a few miles before getting back
in the highway. I probably by past George as well
as the highway traffic, but the important thing was for
me to get there first. That's why I left twenty
three again, took the curving narrow but much shorter back
rowe to see her. No. Finally I could see then
a sort of big mound, a high barren hill. I
could see the little building on top of it, a
silhouette against the woonnut sky, and I could see a
car parked up there, a big sedan. So Shockley had
arrived and was waiting there at the bottom of the knoll.
I pulled off to the side, cut the engine and
douse the lights, and went the rest of the way
on foot. As I slowly approached the shack through a
drawn window shade, I could see a light in it
and waving around like a nashlight, and the shadow of
a man. Always for a moment there there were two
of them, two shadows that meant Shockly wasn't alone. And
knowing they'd be well armed, both of them killers, well,
this whole thing might not be so easy.
Speaker 6: Yet somehow I had to keep them from hurting George.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm killing Adam. Slowly, cautiously, I edged over
to their cars. I slid down under it and went
to work with my pocket knife on a small piece
of tubing near one of the wheels. It was slow
and awkward there in the dark under that low hung car,
but it was the one thing I knew that it
was George, and of all the times to pick with
me sprawled out under that sedan, unable to even pull
out my gun.
Speaker 3: Just stay out there, Adam. You take the money and
be on our way, your own, Shockley, this is all
you will take.
Speaker 2: Shakis got a gun, Yes, and I'll kill both.
Speaker 4: Of you, might have to. This is Adam Reeve, There
is no Oh, he talks differently.
Speaker 2: This is his twin. It's George. You're right, Shockley, and
I'm here to put a stop to this nefarious scheme
of yours. Well, listen to the fancy talk.
Speaker 4: Of course it isn't Adam, so it must be George.
George my name.
Speaker 6: No, don't move, don't drop your guns, both of you.
I'm afraid that mister Reed, that mister George Reed has
the advantage of us.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well listen, he shoots at you. I get him,
he shoots at me.
Speaker 6: You get him. That's right, I'll kill at least one
of you. So under the circumstances, I'm afraid there's only
one thing we can do. Yeah, what hand over our
guns to it?
Speaker 2: So here you are, George. I yanked myself up from
under the car and just in time to have George
land right square on top of me before I could
push him away and get to my feet without like
a light, and both shot me in his power on
top of me. I never got out of the ground
going down our way. Shoot you had enough, You had enough,
Misturns had a way shot let me shoot it.
Speaker 3: No, but listen, you've got to get.
Speaker 6: Out of here.
Speaker 2: Those shots he got off the coups when were coming
off from the highway to see what they want. Don't
you see if we leave him here, he got to
But we're not leaving this state until we kill his brother.
Speaker 3: Come on, no, Ah, you wait, you want some off?
Speaker 2: Never get away? Oh no, he card kill yourself up. No, listen, yeah,
you lessen all come on?
Speaker 4: Okay, okay, are you are you o king to me?
Speaker 2: It is?
Speaker 4: But they go away, you'll kill out of them.
Speaker 2: You're not going anywhere, George. What I cut the brake
fluid line and they have no break by the time
they get rolling down that hill. Good heavens, oh, George,
they're not going anywhere. By the time the highway police
got to the scene of the crash there on the
back road, and of course that car exploded and burned,
they had forgotten all about the gunshots, if they'd met
them at all. So George and I were able to
leave by the main road unmolested. At the bottom of
the hill, I picked up my own car without a
tranking attention. I suppose I'll have to make some sort
of report to the police, but I don't see any
reason why I should have to reveal the name of
the man they were out to get you. It's certainly
too late to need anyone to bring charges against them.
As for the expense account, so what's a couple of
gallons of gas in so good a cause? Yours truly,
Johnny Dollar, Now here's our star to tell you about
next week's story. Before I do, I just want to
say thanks to all you good people right in to
tell me how much you like the show. It may
seem like a little thing to you, but it means
a great deal to all of us. Believe me. I'll
answer our letters just as fast as I can get
around to them, but you just have to be patient
if it takes a little time. Now, as for next week, well,
I suggest you read The Cask of a Montado by
Edgar Allan Paul. Then join us, won't you? Yours truly,
Johnny Dollar? Yours Truly Johnny Dollars, starring Bob Bailey, originates
in Hollywood and has written, produced and directed by Jack
john Stone.
Speaker 6: Heard in our cast worre g Stanley Jones, Alan Reid and.
Speaker 2: Frank gr stool Be surely joined us next week, same
time and station, or another exciting story of Yours Truly,
Johnny Dollar. This is then coverly speaking Frank love Joy
stars and my hair raising psychological thriller A friend of
that is as a Spence follows. Next on the CBS
Radio Network.
Speaker 1: Welcome Back, And in this episode you heard one of
the most understated lines in the history of old time
radio when Johnny says, I suppose I'll have to make
some sort of report to the police. I just pictured
Johnny walking into New Jersey State Police headquarters and saying, yeah,
a couple of men died horribly after I cut their
brake lines and they plunged to their death.
Speaker 6: Do you have a form for that?
Speaker 1: To quote a character from the very first Johnny Dollar serial,
gee Whizz, Johnny, You've got an action packed expence account,
not a license to kill now, to be fair to Johnny,
and I guess to Jack Jonestone as well, this is
kind of a borderline case. There's a self defense argument,
and with Johnny having just a brief amount of time
and knowing that George Reed was driving into a trap,
he had limited options to save George's life as well
as that of his brother, and he did try to
warn them, but because they beat him up, the message
comes out someone didn't go hear it. Although sounding a
little bit like Gene Wilder as Willie Walker saying stop,
don't in Willie Walk on the Chocolate Factory. Still, no
jury in the world, certainly no jury in New Jersey
would end up convicting the Great Johnny Dollar in a
circumstance like this, so he probably wouldn't be charged. Still,
it's not one of his finest moments. The show does
reff how different the times were and reminds us of
the vigor of many of the institutions of the day.
Nineteen fifty nine entertainment programs thought nothing of giving you
a reading assignment, and there will be a quiz on Monday.
No not really. Listener comments and fayback now and we
go to Spotify, where a random Spotify us rights she
regarding the winsome widow matter she should have known as
a widow. You win some, you lose some. Thanks for that.
Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to thank Diane, Patreon supporter since July
twenty twenty three, currently supporting the podcast at the Detective
Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or more
per month. Thanks so much for your support, Diane. That
will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast,
please follow us using our favorite podcast software and be
sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you download
it from. We will be back next Friday with another
episode of Yours Truly Johnny Dallar, but join us back
here tomorrow as we give way to the great adventurers
of old time radio and Counterspy Where.
Speaker 8: Pappy County, what you know about Rod rig. He is
one of the richest, most fantastic, most powerful man in
Mexico and one of the cruelists, an international voker of
secret information. On his enormous ranch not far from here,
it is a big gus.
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 8: When American dancing shows come here, he invites everybody, make
you guess for a week. People come all over the world.
And when I met on his ranch, I've said to
be large puppies here for opium, A big dope smuggler.
Speaker 6: That's do boys.
Speaker 8: Most of his enemies disappear, he said. He takes them
into the desert and murders him. Others remained silent out
of fear.
Speaker 6: They had great thrill to what smart.
Speaker 1: I hope you'll be with us then in the meantime.
Send your comments to Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net.
Follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and follow us
on Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam graham
Speaker 8: Son and all