Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - The Parakoff Policy

System presents yours truly, Johnny Dollar. The next half hour has its baggage packed to take a half hour trip with America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar at Insurance Investigation, he is just an expert at making out his expense account.

He is an absolute genius.

Expense account submitted by Investigator Johnny Dollar to Home Office, East Coast Underwriters, Terminal Building, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of my expenditures and the investigation of the paracoffe policy for your company. Expense account Item one planefair to Benton, Ohio.

Forty dollars four cents.

Expense account idem two planefair Benton back to Hartford forty four cents.

Explanation purchased two one way tickets instead of saving money.

By purchasing one round trip because of a type of case on uge really assigned. I never pressed my luck by buying round trips. This time I was almost right. Expense account item free campfare airport to Valley Hotel two dollars and twenty cents.

Hip the driver gee a dollar. Usually they'll be staying on the table tonight. Welcome to Warfare City. Hey, dorman, Yes, sir, What can I do for you?

Sir?

Bring my bag and side with him?

Oh here, Donna always yes you boy.

Good easing, sir. Hello, do you have a reservation for Johnny Dollar? Oh? Yes, mister dollars in his room. He checked in about eight o'clock. Why I guess I ain't done there. I used to be what room is he in? Sorry?

See, I'm not permitted to.

Tell you that I can call.

Oh no, never mind, only have an envelope with him. I'd like to leave my card for this mister Dollar. Yes, here you are, thanks, here, just pop this in his box. The clerk popped the envelope the box number two oh seven. So I popped myself into an elevator going up to room.

Two o seven.

I'd come to Benton to investigate a murder, and in just a matter of minutes I found myself ready to commit one.

Hey, yes, who is it a bellboy? Sir? A package from Hartford? Just a minute? What kind of a delivery? Come on, get up on your feet. It's safe. It down here. I take it easy.

You must be jolly dolla.

Sometimes strangers in a hotel room can be a lot of fun. But not one. They're men and not one. They're using my name. What's your angle? Tell us th and dolla. I can explain everything had better be good and better be fast.

I didn't want to be seen waiting for you in the lobby, and it's important.

That I talk with you before anybody else does.

That's why I'm here.

I'm Eric Barker, Oh, the defense attorney in his Cara coff thing.

Huh.

Well, I hope you're better at defending your client and you are defending yourself.

Whether my client goes to the chair or not, unfortunately, has nothing to do with my being a good That's why I wanted.

To talk to you.

I suppose this is one time when the attorney won't mind relinquishing the floor. Why don't you get up on your feet?

Oh heys, phaps, I will.

I have no coward dollar, but if either one of.

Us is going to get any place in this case, we'll have to work together. I need your help, and I need it badly. Sorry, I do a single app Now, don't be hasty. I can help you too. Just how much do you know about the Paracoff murder?

Well, I know it's one of the screwiest cases I've ever run into. Beneficiaries are knocking off insured people all over the country, but not here Inventon. Oh No, here they tell me the insured man knocked off the beneficiary. And now I've got the jolly assignment. I'm trying to keep the state from executing the insured. My employer, East Coast Underwriters isn't anxious to see one.

Hundred thousand dollars of their money burn up in the electric chair.

Well, at least we're both stuck with the same tough job.

Look, I'll tell you a few things that I already know, and you fill it in from there.

All right.

All I want to know is is that Paracroff was shot to death and that his business partner, your client, Harland Wolf, was picked up making a quick trip out of town was being held for the murder.

What have they got on him?

Only what they found on him, and it's enough the murder weapon, any witnesses one Paracoff's widow, Marsha.

An eye witness.

Murder weapon, and an eye witness.

It seems, at least at first glance anyway, that the state of Ohio will be receiving a large electric bill one day soon any chance of my seeing Wolf.

No, not before he's indented.

Oh, great, Holland Wolf shot Parakoff in self defense.

There was no premeditation.

I'm convinced that I could get him off with a second degree manslaughter verdict.

It is I could if it weren't for the tactics of the prosecution.

Oh what's that?

They not only have intimidated my character witnesses, but they also have suborn their own to perjury.

Thing I am up against well as the insurance companies keep saying, Ever, say die, Where can I find the widow Parakoff?

They aren't holding her protective custody, so nobody can question as.

She may be at home.

That's thirteen seventy five ninety sixth Street.

That's a lot of figures.

By the way, how's hers expense account?

Item four cab fare the home of.

Murdered man and the girl he left behind him two dollars and forty cents. I shivered all the way out to the suburbs, but not from fear or anticipation, just a simple case of summer shorts in red flannel weather. The Parakoff place was obviously the product of a good income, and the bad architect. It looked like a great, big wedding cake, and Mother Nature admercifully iced the confection. The front walk was white and untrammeled as the driven snow.

Couple of hours.

I was playing detective and somebody inside was playing the radio. So I've played peeping Tom and loved every second of it. I couldn't see her face, but she had a lovely profile. I hastened to the door.

Ouch. Her hair was red and her eyes were green.

Her hair stopped your cold, and then her eyes gave you the ghost signal.

Yes?

Would you learn saving that? Yes for later?

I beg your pardon.

I've come to ask your help, and I hope you'll say yes. You see, my name is Johnny Dollar, and I've been sent to Benton to investigate the death of your husband.

Say what is it? Has it turned into a federal case?

Oh? I'm from the insurance coming.

Oh come in all right?

Uh? Where can I put my coat? This snow is melting all over your carpet?

Let it melt your code any place.

Okay, m good shot, combining by the fire, night and warm.

I should have brought some chestnuts.

I could have followed her with my eyes closed. She headed for the living room, leaving a pathway of perfume their behind.

Her, and I didn't waste a breath of it. That's a nice perfume.

Sit down, nice if you can stand a compliment before we get down to business.

You certainly do furnish your room.

Oh you like it.

Most of the things. That's reproduction, not the things I'm talking about.

Ah, you mean me.

This is a happy surprise. I expect you to find someone.

Fatter and fortier my husband was. Now what about his insurance?

Oh, you've got me wrong.

I'm I'm working for the company that insured the man being held for the murder of.

Your husband, Harlan Woolf.

What do you want from me?

Just the story of what happened? Oh?

Well, that I can't do. The district attorney had a lot long talk with me about it. I'm not supposed to say anything to anybody about it.

Until the trial.

Well, I'm not asking you for any state secret. I just want you to save me a trip out of the morgue.

Oh, don't be so brutal.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were still in the morning. That neglige confused me. Anyway, I'm at the newspaper Morgue, that's what they call their files.

He gave them a story. Why don't you give it to me?

I told you I can't.

Okay, So I wasted your time.

Oh wait a minute, you aren't leaving.

Well you want co operating?

Oh sit down, I'm going crazy in this house alone all the time. Can't we find something else to talk about?

Sure, waiter, But first things first?

Well, alright, well, I don't see how it could be wrong to tell you what's already been in the newspapers.

Oh gone, Well, all right.

Harlan Wilf and I were here in this room alone. We were discussing business, business business the Highland Coal Corporation. My husband was its president, Harlan is a secretary treasurer, and I'm the vice president.

I can't resist this, but you know, your kind of business woman makes this anthracite heart of mine feel very bituminous.

What I don't care it, let it go.

So you and Wolf were sitting here talking about your coal business.

Yes, and then my husband came home.

And no doubt accused you and the secretary treasurer of putting in too much over time?

Is that it?

Oh?

Yes, Oh it was terrible.

They fought, and finally Harland ran over to the couch over there and pulled his gun out of his overcoat pocket and started pulling a trigger.

Who called the police? The neighbors?

No, I did, Well, that's all there is, tuance.

Oh, that's all I wanted to know. It didn't hurt for him.

No, Now, how about using those big shoulders of yours to throw a log on the fire.

Well, sure, I'll go outside and get one.

Is there are lots in here?

Ah? I have one that's a little damn They burned slower.

Oh well, and while you're at it, get a big one.

I left Marsha gazing into the fire, called a cab and stepped out into the coal. And I are to wait for it. I one time on the front, walked with my mind on what lay.

Behind me instead of what was ahead.

Out of the white snow loomed two very large blue police uniforms completely filled.

Get out of this paragraph, mess, donna, matter of fact, get out of this.

Town, wild officer I'm just beginning to like it here.

This is from the top that makes it official. We got the guilty man. We don't want any trouble.

Well you go back to the top and tell them if this is one sure way of getting trouble.

They told us how to answer that one too.

I dove my best, my best to break every one of the marquess of Queen's.

I knew I was fighting a losing fight, but I was funny for a little time, and that's all I got. If this never stopped, my hip began to feel like a poo pot ball and a four handed game time.

Suddenly things look dub me flat on my back in the snow, singing stars, and then a boot team flying toward my.

Head and switched off all a little pretty.

Live All America is taken to sing it again CBS Saturday Night show of Fun, Frolic and the Fabulous Phantom Portune by telephone, listens all over the nation are asked for their answers to the rhythmic riddle songs, popular songs with new lyrics hiding the name of a movie star, radio star, or man about town. A right answer to a riddle and the listener gets a crack at sing It Again phantom voice fortune of twenty four five hundred dollars in prizes. It's a sensational session of me, music,

Johnny Dollar.

Expense a cat item five nikel supplies bonded seven dollars.

And here's something I'll give you for free.

I had the help for your regularly employed insurance investigators. When I find myself overwhelmed in a brawl unknown as sailings included, I do my best to take away more than just bruises and contusions. During my career, I've picked more pockets.

Than a rack boy in a pool room. And I added one more to the score during the brawl in front of the.

Parakoff House just before I went by bye in the snow.

Hey hey, mister, wake up, come on, wake up, you'll catch your desert.

Cold call of come yeah heay, so holy smokes, your fleece.

Was your round? What's the matter, isn't it there? Huh? Here? Come on? I'll give you a hand.

Thanks. Holy smoke. When I first seen you, lave and I thought you was a snowman tipped over?

How do you feel?

Cool? Forevermore? I shall look kindly upon the hattache in the deep freeze. Huh hey, hey, you're looking for I'm looking for a wallet. You lose it first? I found out and I lost it. Oh, here it is, Come on, let's get out of here. Work till mister police headquarters. Oh no, over my dead body.

Expense account item six breakfast and beds two dollars and forty cents E Spenser account Item seven photographic work six dollars for taking pictures of contents of wallet.

I left it from the police uniform the night before, which I sent to you, dearie post underwriters for safe keeping.

Expense account Item eight seventy cents cab fare to opposite ed Byron District Attorney.

I Denine tipped the driver one dollar. I have kept you waiting dollar.

Good heavens man? What happened to your face? Well, miss assault, Yeah, but I got a flash.

For you, not by person or person's unknown.

Splendid If you wish to prefer charge just half wrought again but not for felonious assault, and not against the guys who gave me going.

Over last night. And what are you talking about?

You know what I'm talking about. They were two of your harness bulls. But I don't want to waste time listening to you deny it, so forget it.

I don't have the slightest idea what this is all about.

Dollar, I said, forget it.

I want to talk about something more important. You're holding Harlem for the Parakoff murder, and what I want to know is one.

Are you gonna hand down your indictment and what it's gonna.

Be, first thing in the morning, first degree murdered. Anything else that you want to know before I have you thrown out of here?

Yeah? How do I get mixed up in these roof bars? Expense account item ten Five minutes phone.

Call to my partner in despair, attorney for the defense, Eric Parker, who agreed to lend me a set of police.

Photographs of the scene of the crime. They arrived at my hotel room just as I was leaving it to eat, and when I looked at them, I had lost my appetite.

According to the ex's marking, the various spots. Parakroff and wolf had been standing face to face in the middle of the room when Wolfe decided to punch Parakoff's ticket with a few thirty eight caliber preparations. According to the photographs of the Corpus delict guy, all of the steel jacket had forget me nots had gone banging straight into

Trade I could make on that wallet I picked up during the.

Winter Sports of the night before. The name in it was Ben Argold, and the address it's frecutable.

I don't want any brushes or what a coincidence? I'm not selling it.

What do you want?

I'm looking for Ben Arnold?

Who isn't he promised me the home by now?

By this time, I shaid, no, better, Well, I'll wait outside inside.

Hey, wait a minute, Ben won't like this.

Well that makes it even I don't like Ben. Look, I don't want any trouble. Okay, don't make any trouble.

What do you want here?

Anyway? Oh, let's just say I dropped in front unfriendly visits. If Ben fine to hear, it'll get real unfriendly.

Ain't sad face that you as marked up enough?

Well?

That mouse hanging under your eye isn't exactly a beauty mark. Ben really spreads his blessings, doesn't he? Ben had really spread one blessing right there close in.

Front of me. It was a small room, about the size of a large closet.

For the clothes sprawled high and low, making the whole place look like a classed clothesline.

And there, hanging on the back of the door was Ben Arnold's police uniform.

My eyes popped out, pushed one of its shiny brass buttons and rang the.

Bells there like little love letters on the brass for the initial CPD and CPD were never the initials of the Benton Police Department. Thanks for seeing me so quickly, Barker, good? What happened to your face?

A couple of police uniforms with over stuffed shoulders did this to me last night?

Eh?

There you are. I warned you that we're up against a bunch of ruthless people. Something should be done about it. Using the police force to beat up anybody who stands.

In their way.

No, Barker wearing uniforms, but they weren't police.

I'm afraid I don't follow you, Barker.

Can you give me one good reason for a Benton cop to be worrying an out of town uniform? And don't tell me they got mixed up at the cleaners out.

Of town uniform? Yes? And here's another one.

If the law enforcement set up here is so rotten, why would they go to all the trouble of.

Dressing up an outsider to do their muscle work? Right? No, what I mean is did they?

Why?

Who else would do it? It certainly couldn't have been Marsian?

Why not?

She isn't exactly harder for a motive. If Wolf goes to the chair, she collects his insurance money. Not only is she the widow of the original beneficiary, she's also a vice president of the coal company. Anyway you look at it, she's a secondary beneficiary.

But why should Wolf admit to the shooting. He has nothing to gain and his life to lose.

Marsha told me that the knight of the murder, she and Wolf were alone in the house talking about the coal business. Then she didn't know what I meant when I used the words bituminous an anthracite. Whatever they had on the fire that night, it wasn't coal.

If you're right about that, Marcia and Wolf were having wilt, some kind of a romance.

Yeah, okay. So let's say Marcia shot her husband. Let's say Wolf is madly in love with her.

Let's say she promises Wolf that she will testify he shot her husband in self defense. Marcia gets away with murder, Wolf gets away with a light sentence, no, none at all, and then Wolf gets away with a girl.

Now that does make sense.

What makes you think this is even possible, Parker?

Somebody had me beat up last night. I say, the prosecution wouldn't have volet sending fake cops. There's one thing I gotta check and check fast. What's that those police photos you gave me shure that Parakoff was shot by a left handed shoe.

Well, that's one of the prosecution's strongest points. Wolf is left hand.

That doesn't prove that Marcia isn't Barker. I'm gonna go out and see missus Parakoff. And there's only really one thing.

I hope that she's left handed. Ah, and she's wearing that same negliche that she had last night. Hello, Marsha, can I come out?

Why Johnny? What happened to your fate?

I didn't get down to the beauty fall today. You look like you've been fighting, not too well but wisely.

Well, I'll come on in the other room and uh, how about throwing another lad on the fire?

You're a real little fire bug, oh't you? You should have lived back an old narrows time?

Who is time?

Uh?

Well, I'll tell you what. I'll build a fire if you are lighted.

I'd last too. Oh you're getting a dry one from inside.

Last night you went all the way outside to get one that would burn for a long time.

Hey, you got some papers?

There we are?

Okay, hot point, here's my lighter. Touch it off?

Okay, here, that'll do it. Come on, sit down.

There's one more thing I'd like you to do for me. What is it? Very simple?

Take up your phone and call the district attorney. Tell him you want to change your story on the murder.

Of your husband.

What are you talking about?

If you don't, I will, Oh what have I done? Okay?

If you want to play games, I'll rage the rules. You know there's a big advantage to being on my side of investigation. See, fellows in my racket have the benefit of a lot of experience, But murderers we almost everyone is inexperienced at that business.

One moment they aren't murderers, the next moment they are. Oh Johnny, please, well, now, let's take a look at what's on my side.

For instance, for one thing, from the empty shells thrown off by an automatic pistol, the experts can get a better picture of a murder scene than they can.

From the witnesses.

Your husband was killed by a gun that was held approximately eighteen inches away and directly in front of him, and the bullets entered the right.

Half of his body. That means he was killed by a left handed shooter.

Kylin Wilson left handed, You can ask him.

He'll tell you I know that, and I'm right handed.

I just found that out too.

Then what more do you need?

Not much, now, Marsha, Let's see what you've got going for you. You've got a face and a body and not too much of a brain.

But baby, that's not enough. It's not enough to offset the things that I know.

You don't know anything.

Oh okay, So let's make this a guessing game. Let's guess after your husband was shot, you called.

Wolf when he got here, you told him you've given your husband a thirty eight caliber di vore.

Right. Then you choged him at the taking the rap for you.

Right, no, And then you told him you testify you shot your husband's self defense.

Right.

And once you got him a jaid, you told the district attorney that Wolf have committed premeditated murder.

And he's been asking you to leave your husband and had threatened to shoot him if you didn't.

Right step it.

Hur he knows what are we gonna do.

You'll have to get rid of a Merrick just as soon as we get rid of something else. All right, Dylla, I want Ben Arnold's wallet, and I want it right now.

You're welcome to it.

Barker, What did might interest you to know that I had its picture taken this morning, Your phony policeman's wallet and everything in it, and copies of the photos are in the mail right now. The insurance company won't have any trouble connecting you with the comedy cops who beat me.

Up last night.

Yeah, bluffing, but that's not.

All I've done in your Barker. This morning, when I was lying in bed reading the bumps on my head, it suddenly.

Dawned on me that you were the only one that knew where I was going last night, so you must have been the one who had me roughed up.

It also does my heart good to see you standing there holding that gun in your left hand.

You shot Park off and then got out of here while Marsha crawled wolf pull him she done and.

Talked to them into taking the rat him. Shoot americ for a lawyer, Barker, how do you like my case?

Good?

Isn't it the way you're waiting for?

Shoot him?

Kill him?

I can't cut up Marshall. Stand still if you want, I will give me that gun.

Bust out. Marshall made a rush, grabbed the gun from Barker.

She got between me and the gun, and I dove in behind her arms straight out, picked her up and she Marsha went to smash under Barker and I went on a frantic treasure hunt with that clailing mass of snorting, angry bodies to find the hand that held the gun.

Believe me, it was no place for a lady. But Marcia was no lad I wrapped deep in between them and the yank Parker's gun hand up out of the go around, and just to make sure the rest was strictly a fistfight, jam my trigger finger in the way the plaster was pulling. It was like another fight in the snow. At this time, Johnny Della came up heads instead of tails. Come on, barker up, come on, get up, telling you I don't all right, Marcia. I'll be a nice little girl, pick.

Up the nice little telephone and call the nice little district attorney and invite him out to you a nice little house.

Expense account item eleven, twelve dollars and forty cents.

That was lunch for District attorney, during which we agreed that it was the first case we'd ever worked on where the defense was working harder for a conviction the prosecution. Also that it was the first case where everybody turned out to be guilty. Defense attorney Eric Vicker of murder his girlfriend, Martha Parakoff of being an accessory before and after the fact, and Harland Wolf of conspiracy to defraud.

Oh Now, one of the nation's jails are getting overcrowded.

Spenc account item twelve hotel bill, twenty eight dollars spenceccunt Adam, thirteen flowers for the cell of unlucky Marsha Paracoff, five dollars A spense account item fourteen seven hundred dollars side trip to Miami, Florida, purpose to recover from catching forty wings and miserable cold inventing the Ohio Snowbank.

Expense account total twelve hundred and thirty dollars and twenty cents signed, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar.

Listening again next week when CBS Brings You Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, with Charles Russell as Johnny Yours.

Truly Johnny Dollar.

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