Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio

Johnny Dollar - The Mickey McQueen Matter

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Duration:: 27m
Broadcast on:: 04 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Just head over to Sol Good Media.com and sign up to start your free trial today. No ads, no interruptions, just pure, immersive audio content. Don't miss out. Transform your listening experience with Sol Good Media. Visit Sol Good Media.com and start your free trial now. We can't wait for you to join our audio community. Happy listening. From Hollywood, it's time to offer Ed Miller-Brien as... Johnny Dallas. Mickey McQueen, Johnny. How are you? Mickey, I tried to phone you a couple of times, but I never reached you. And I'm out amongst these days. I heard about your promotional sergeant, Mickey. Nice going. That isn't good. They're taking my beat away from me and putting me behind the desk. Hey, Sam, I've got to talk to a friend about it. Would you be home tonight? You really sound worried, Mickey. Watch this. Enough of your Johnny, but there'll be murder before it's finished. My mind's made up. I want to talk to you about it. For sure, Mickey. I'll be here anytime you want to come up. Ed Miller-Brien and a transcribed adventure of the man with the action-packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly Johnny Dallas. Expense accounts submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dallas, to whom it may concern Hartford Police Headquarters, Hartford, Connecticut. I don't expect you to honor this statement, but since the reports to my regular employers go in on these forms, the following is an accounting of my expenditures during my personal investigation of the Mickey McQueen. You may wonder how I got mixed up there. Now it's been my privilege to have worked a number of cases with Mickey McQueen here in Hartford, and through the years a friendship developed between us. So when he phoned Tuesday night say he wanted to talk to me, I was glad to ask him up. But when it got to be 1.30 in the morning and he still hadn't arrived, I wasn't so glad. He arrived at two. I'm sorry I'm late, Johnny. Oh, I held you up. I was about to drop off. I had to sink, Johnny. You're in uniform, Mickey. What about your beat? Yeah, my beat won't miss me. After 20 years of walking it from dark to dawn, checking its doors and classing the time of night with its people drunk and sober. Is it too late for a drink, Mickey? I got your brand, some Irish. Yes, that was good of you. I... I've been a good policeman, Johnny. I can say that without sounding like I'm stuck on myself, can't I not? I've never heard anybody else say anything else, Mickey. And I've got more friends to make credit than I have arrests. I'll say that, but I've got a quiet beat. I think there are quieter beats in town. Maybe you're lucky. Here's to it. All right. But be careful what it is. There's... there's murder being done and planned right this minute, Johnny, and them that could stop it. Don't have the heart right or wrong. What are you talking about? I know what I'm talking about. Are you feeling all right? Feeling all right? I'm as healthy as I was yesterday, ain't I now? I didn't see you yesterday. You have to take in my job, putting me behind a desk. It'll be great in the end for a man that's been active for 20 years. After 20 years and your feet, you should take a rest. You've earned one. The very words of the commission, Johnny. But Johnny, I... Yes, Mickey. Never mind. The devil takes them all. I've used up enough of your time. Wait a minute. You came over to talk about something more than your new job. What's this stuff about murder being planned and being done? I shouldn't have said it. I wish you'd forget it. What's the matter with you? You know me well enough to tell me. You know me well enough to know I'll keep any confidence you want me to keep. You're a good friend, Johnny. Maybe that's why I've changed my mind about telling you. Then why did you come over? Because I thought I was going to talk to you, but I'm not now. All right, it's your business. But you're acting like a kid. If you don't have anything to say to me, it's after two. I'm gonna have a job in the morning. I'll write, Johnny. I'm sorry I bothered you. Now say goodnight. I didn't sleep very well for the rest of the night. And sort of a half-doze. Parts of Mickey's conversation kept coming back to me. And the more sleep I lost over it, the more I wished I'd been less grumpy and more sympathetic. There wasn't a job for me the next day, and right afternoon I decided to pop by his apartment and find out his move when he was off duty. Mickey's apartment occupied the ground floor of a narrow grey row house not far from mine. A girl or woman crying somewhere inside. I smelled domestic trouble, but I pushed the buzzer anyway. How are you? I'm Johnny Dollar, a friend of Mr. McQueen's. Oh yeah, Johnny Dollar. He said to phone you if I ever needed. Is he home? In there. She pointed in the direction of a door, smothering the outside door. The door to either a bathroom or a closet. It was a closet. The clothes were bunched at one end of the rod. And from the others, still in uniform. His own polished leather belt drawn tightly around his neck. And Mickey McQueen. I walked back into the lace curtain living room. The woman who had let me in was in her middle thirties. She wore too much makeup, and her white blonde hair was anything but natural. She had stopped crying, and she acted as if she were waiting for me to start something. Well, what about it? You explain yourself, or do I get three guesses? Never mind that look. I only live here. I didn't know Mickey had a wife. Oh, maybe he was ashamed of me. My name is Thelma. Sorry, Thelma. You an old friend of Mickey's? Yeah, but he never told me about you. Had you seen him lately? Yeah, last night. First he phoned me, then he came by to talk to me. What did he say? I'm not sure. He was pretty handy with double talk. Maybe I was supposed to understand it, but I didn't. What was it about? Got his job, change he was making, and something about murders being planned and done, and nobody doing anything to stop them. Then he didn't tell you. What? But I was leaving him. He's never mentioned you. Why were you leaving him? Well, because it was all wrong, I never should have married him in the first place. Why did you? Because he was the kindest, most wonderful man I ever lived. Does that answer his question? Not quite. Is that more? Did you know his first wife? Yeah. Well, I guess you know he took her death pretty hard. He'd been married ten years. I met him after she died. He was lonely, and so was I. Oh, he was pretty wonderful to me. I thought I could help him. It wasn't because of him. I was leaving. It was me. But I never thought he'd do this. I don't think he did. What do you mean? I think he was murdered. Why? Why did you find him? Oh, I came home about a half hour before you got here. Have you phoned the police? Not yet. I didn't know what to do. Where did you been? I told you. I was leaving him. I've been living in a hotel. Does it matter? Well, why'd you come back? Why did you just get some things I'd left? Why are you asking me these things? Well, it's murder. There's bound to be a lot of questions. I don't think it was. Everybody loved him. He didn't have an enemy in the world. Why would anybody want to kill a man like Mickey McQueen? For the rest of the day, I tried to talk myself into leaving the mander in the hands of the police where it belonged. But I couldn't do it. That night I started making the rounds of Mickey's beef. I talked to a corner magazine vendor who had sold him a mystery. A woman in a cigar store who had talked with him. And a cabbie who had borrowed five bucks from him. None of them gave me anything helpful. My next stop was the Cedric Hotel where I looked up the house detective. Ned Martin. Oh, poor old Mickey. I'll miss him. So are I. Did you see him last night? Yeah, he dropped in. He always did once or twice a night just to shoot the breeze, you know. Why did he do it? Did he leave a note of anything? I think he was murdered. What makes you say that? Came over to see me about 2.30 this morning. There's something on his mind. Wanted to talk about it, but he wouldn't. That figures. What do you mean? I noticed something about him last night. He was real low. I asked him what was the matter. He said it was because it was his last night on his beat. He was supposed to check into his new job today. But that didn't sound right to me. Do you know I had a wife? Yeah, I heard about it. And I hounded him until he showed me a picture of it. Bleed splund. Yeah, she looks it. I didn't want to embarrass him by asking, but I wondered about it. What makes you think it was murdered on? Do you think Mickey was the type to kill himself? Well, no, but how can you tell? I guess you can't. All you can do is try to find out. Well, if you don't have anything more, I'll be on my way. Oh, wait a minute, huh? I guess it was a dirty trick, and I wish I hadn't done it, but I snooped that marriage. I found out who she was. Her name was Thelma Weaver. She did a couple of years at Juliet. Where'd you get that? Things like that don't stay hidden. I'd drop it if I were you. I really would. What do you hold on to me? It's for your own good, Johnny. I was shaking out of here if I had to. Okay, hero. You know, Fred Kuhl, the Calcutter Club, over in Bartlett. I know of him. He's a police informer, isn't he? They're part-time. If he won't take my advice and forget it, go talk to him. And don't tell him who sent you. What do you want? I want to talk to you about Mickey McQueen, do you have an office? Your cop, too? Only a private one. I was a friend of Mickey's. Oh, sure. Ryan? Yes? I'm in my office for a little while. If there's any trouble, buzz me. Roger, Fred. Come on. This way. I've got quite a crowd tonight, Fred. Sure. Sometimes I get a lot of out of town, Fred. Did you see Mickey last night? No, I didn't. I get along fine with Mickey. He won't take any pay off, but he don't push me around. How is he? You know his wife? His wife. I didn't even know he was married. Her name was Thelma Weaver, before Mickey married her. She did some time in Joliot. Why do you bother me with this? I took what to do. You knew Mickey was dead. No, I didn't know that. I don't see how it would be enough, but it struck me that if somebody knew he was married to an ex-con, they might try to use the information. Mm-hmm. Of course you're right. Yeah? Right, Fred. I think you'd better come out. Important? Yes, I think so. Be right out. Pardon me, darling. A little trouble outside. Wait here. I'll come right back. All right. I waited. And while I did, I took a quick look around the office for another way out in case I might need it. There wasn't any unless the steel door in one of the walls was it. But before I could try it, the other door opened. I wasn't expecting Fred Coo to return so quickly. And the night I was, I expecting who did come in. I, uh, didn't expect to find Julian, Mr. Daller. Likewise. Mrs. McQueen. I was looking for Mr. Coo. What for? I thought I might help if I could. Mickey kept his notebook. See, he wrote down all the places he stopped when he made his rounds. This place was one of them. I thought if I could talk to this, Mr. Coo. Did you know Fred Coo? I know. You know anybody named Weaver, Selma Weaver? All right, Mr. That's enough reach. Don't be crazy. What good were that do? Say we are. We'll find anything. I really mean it. She looked like she really meant it. It was a small revolver, coat 25. I didn't know whether she had come in, meaning to use it on Fred Coo or me. But it didn't make much difference at the moment. She had it pointed at mine in section. I couldn't figure her. She held a little revolver as if she was used to the feel of it. But there had been something accuracy about the way she said reach. I couldn't figure her, but I decided not to take a chance. I grabbed up the inkwell from the desk and threw not it, but the contents of it. Hey, what's- Okay, drop it. Drop it. Drop it. Now sit down. All right. What are you- That depends on what you want. I told you. I want to find out who killed Mickey. At the apartment earlier today, you didn't think anybody had. What about it? All right, Johnny. How much do you know? That your name was Thelma Weaver that you spent two years in, Johnny? That's right. That's right. And after two years in that place, I didn't want to go back to the life and start all over again. I gave the bunch in Chicago to slip and came here. I was hanging around trying to pick up enough to pay my way to Florida or someplace. And that's how I met Mickey. He arrested me, vagrancy. That's what I'm left. He showed and caught the next morning and got me released in his custody. Oh, he treated me like a daughter. He'll own me some money, he'll offer to get me a job. And I really felt for the first time like I could start life all over again. Oh, I know it sounds corny, but- But good. You make it sound real good. You don't believe me, do you? Sure. I believe you as far as you've gone. I even believed the part about starting a new life. You saw that Mickey had a heart as big as the city and you didn't lose any time moving into it. That was smart. It was about the safest hiding place you could have found. For you, but not for Mickey. How did I know about Fred Coop? Somebody spotted me and told him. And he didn't waste any time getting in touch with Chicago. Oh, his men out there, they all from Chicago? Well, most of them. Did you spot the tall one? He talks with an English accent. Yeah, I remember him. Roy. That's him. He came first. He checked the possibilities on Mickey's being. Then he found out about Mickey being moved over to a new job. Where was he being moved? A desk job. Where? At the police arsenal. The arsenal. How did Roy find that out? I told him. I had some. He made me tell him. What are Roy's claims, you know? Yeah. The Marquardt building. The one that has all the wholesale jewels. No, that's no good. Mickey was supposed to help them with a job of that size. If they'd reveal that he was married to an ex-con, that's not enough. They must have more than that on you or him. All right. Might as well tell you. Can't hurt him now anymore than I've been hurt. His name is Vueva. I'm married to him. He threatened to bring bigger me charges and less Mickey helped him. That would do it. But your record bigger may would be a long stretch. Yeah, five years. Mickey would do almost anything rather than cause me to. Who killed him? Roy did. I didn't dare. I swear I wasn't. But they met him after he got through work at 5.30 this morning. Why did they kill him? Mickey was already for his new job and he had the keys to the arsenal. Here's your gun. If you're on the level, you may need it and the caliber's too small to do me any good. - What are you going to do? - I'm going to the police. Why not choose the phone? It'll be tapped and it would take too long to explain it. That bunch of being here before I got started. I wouldn't try it if I were you. I don't know. I'd try him. Why? Why? Where are you going, darling? I'm going home. I was waiting for Fred Q, but I guess he decided not to bother. Fred had to leave. But Mrs. Weaver entertained you with her sordid story. Yeah, it was very pleasant. The charming girl. You were going home to think about it. Well, if you don't mind, get out of my way. Paul, Benson, come. I'm afraid I do mind. I couldn't chance having Fred interrupted at the arsenal. Get out of my way. Hey, where you going? Come on, come on. That's enough. That's fine, Carl. Now, should we go back to the office and wait? Bring him along, Carl. It's a pity you became involved in this dollar. I'd hope there wouldn't have to be any more violence. You did stop him. Yes. Thanks for the buzz, darling. Oh, it was a pleasure. Look what the skunk did to my dress. Did Fred get started all the way? He's well on his way. Should be back within the hour. Hey, Mr. Weaver, what do we do with this guy? Keep him out of the way. Put him in there and see that he stays quiet. Sure. Hey, you. Turn around. At least I found out what was behind the steel door I noticed earlier in the evening. When my eyes opened and I got accustomed to the light from a single dust-covered bulb, I realized that I was in a sort of wine cellar. There were some bottles, but most of the storage space was taken up by a large, buried assortment of burglar stools. There were a few weapons, too, but I knew they were nothing compared to what Fred would bring back if the raid on the arsenal was successful. I glanced at my watch at 11.15, and right after that, heard the heavy latch on the door being turned. I got back into my position on the floor, closed my eyes, and listened. Don't forget the bars, Carl. You'll need them for the inside doors. I got you. Adventure, you'll take keys. I'll bring the rest. You want those guns in there, Mr. Weaver? We won't need them. We won't need them. Uh, Crucker. Listen closely now. We're behind schedule. Both cars are in back. In the Buick, you'll find the things from the arsenal. Yeah. I want you to move half of them over into the Cadillac. What about the grenades, Roy? They're in a case marked CN-DN, irritant gas M6. I got it. Open the case and put half in the Buick. The most important is the corded powder for the vaults. There are two boxes. Put one in the trunk of each car. Right. Be careful. Very touchy stuff. Yeah, I know. I've handled it before. All right. Get along, then. And hurry. They won't take long. Now, Fred will be in charge of one car. I'll be in the other. All right. We'll agree that we'll meet at the North entrance at quarter past midnight, both to approach the building from the Eastern Lincoln. You will have dropped two men to guard the South entrance. Two of my men will subdue the car to North. They better. They'll spin the alarm in a big hurry. You can trust me. They'll use Thompson's. Doma. Yes, Roy. Where are you going? Don't be so filthy. I'm going to part of a note. You're coming with us. You're all right. You want me to? I don't need you, but I don't think I should feel safe without you with me. Don't be laughing. Don't be right back. Think everything is running from in here, Mr. Wilbur. Good. Go to the cars in town. What about the shame us did? Oh, lock him up again. We'll decide what to do when we come back. I guess he can't cause no harm in there. I tried to force the door that time using one of the bars they left behind, but I couldn't do anything with it. Then I started cooking the cement holes. I knew better than to expect to find any other exit, but with the biggest burglary in the history of hot, but under way, I had to do something. I kept a check on the time. It was 20 minutes before they were due to arrive at the Marquardt building on a sound softly. The steel door was being opened. I moved behind it, still holding my bar. Dolly, Dolly, it's Ned Martin in here. Yeah, Martin. I'm here. How did you know I was here? Some day before the hotel, she told me you were here. What happened? Why should she call you? How should I know? I don't even know who it was. Just said she knew you came to the hotel, but you were locked up in here. I mentioned the cow cutter to you, so I came over to see what it was all about. What's the matter? Don't you believe me? I don't know what to believe. You said you were holding something out on me when I talked to you. I was. I knew Fred Koo was selling the information about Mickey's wife to some guns from Chicago. I knew it could have led to trouble. Why didn't you tell me you said it was for my own good? I thought it was, mine too. I didn't want you to know so much, you'd have to tell where you learned it, to prove how smart you were. I don't like this kind of stuff. You got a car? Yeah, but it stays right where it's parked, and you tell me what's going on. This Chicago bunch raided the police arsenal. They're armed with everything from courtite to tummy guns. They're going into the Marquardt building in less than 20 minutes. What's that? Wholesale Jewelers. Would you take me out there? I'll take your part way if you're crazy enough to want to go. That's good enough. Let's get into the office. It's dead. Who do you want, the police? Yeah. We could stop on the way. It'll take us 15 minutes to get to the Marquardt building. We run into a patrol car and the way we'll stop it. If we don't, you can drop me and then phone in. Where's your car? At the speed we traveled, we should have at least picked up a traffic cop if we didn't. Martin wouldn't take me any closer than the corner of Atlantic and Milton. When we reached there at 12 minutes after 12, that gave me two minutes to get to the Marquardt building. I didn't make it before they arrived, but it didn't make any difference. ♪♪ Both cars had pulled up and were unloading men. From a doorway about 50 yards down, I spotted Fred Kuh and Roy Weaver. Then I saw a film. She got out of the building and started toward me. Emma, where are you going? Weaver shouted at her, but she didn't answer. Instead, she stopped. And I saw the little gun glitter in her hand as she turned back to them. Then I saw what she was aiming at. The trunk of the building, where the cord eye powder was. Emma! Emma! Stop it! ♪♪ Powder up on a blast of powder and gasoline, and she moved back toward the other one. ♪♪ ♪♪ And that was it. Telma Weaver McQueen, as the department knows, was the OA at Emergency Hospital. None of them are, got out alive except Roy Weaver, who lived long enough to sign a confession to Mickey McQueen's murder. I want you to know that I may have lost a good friend, but you have lost a better policeman. I hope to see those early news accounts that call them a suicide-correcting expense account total, no dollars and no cents. It was truly Johnny Dollar. ♪♪ Yours truly, Johnny Dollar stars Edmond O'Brien in the title role and is written by Gill Dodd with music by Wilbur Hatch. Edmond O'Brien's latest picture is the Paramount Pictures production, The Red Head and The Cowboy. Featured in tonight's cast were Bill Conrad, Martha Wentworth, Herb Butterfield, Jack Moyles and Ray Hartman. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar was transcribed in Hollywood by Jaime Del Valle. ♪♪ This is your cutting, inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmond O'Brien returns us. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. ♪♪ There'll be fast-moving, true police adventure on CBS tonight when gangbusters comes your way again on most of these same stations. This evening, gangbusters presents the case of the stranger in the hall. Stay tuned now for five minutes at the latest news. ♪♪ This is CBS where you'll have to tack many every Sunday night, the Columbia Broadcasting System. ♪♪ Hey there, it's Solomon from Solid Good Media. A lot of our listeners have asked how to get ad-free access to our podcasts. You asked and we answered, we're offering an exclusive one-month free trial to our ad-free streaming platform, packed with over 500 audiobooks, meditation sounds and engaging podcasts. No strings attached, just pure listening pleasure. Sign up today at solidgoodmedia.com and dive into a world of stories and sounds that inspire and relax. Don't miss out on this limited-time offer. It's your gateway to unlimited audio enjoyment. 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