Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio

Johnny Dollar - The Baskerville Matter

https://www.solgoodmedia.com - Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! Relive the excitement of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio, where each episode revisits the classic tales of Johnny Dollar, the iconic freelance insurance investigator. Discover how Johnny unravels mysteries and battles crimes primarily through sharp wit and keen perception. This series is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of vintage radio dramas and detective mysteries.

Duration:: 29m
Broadcast on:: 30 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

It is Ryan Seacrest here. There was a recent social media trend, which consisted of flying on a plane with no music, no movies, no entertainment. But a better trend would be going to Chumbakocino.com. It's like having a mini social casino in your pocket. Chumbakocino has over a hundred online casino style games, all absolutely free. It's the most fun you can have online and on a plane. So grab your free welcome bonus now at Chumbakocino.com. Sponsored by Chumbakocino, no purchase necessary. VGW Group, void where prohibited by law. 18-plus terms and conditions apply. This country was built on a distinctly American work ethic. But today, work is in trouble. We've outsourced most of our manufacturing to other countries, sending away good jobs and diminishing our capability to make things. American giant is pushing back against that tide. They make the kind of high-quality quilling staples you need for a comfortable, stylish and active summer wardrobe, like vintage-style teas, tough tank tops, breathable polos, lightweight sweatshirts, shorts and so much more. All made right here in the USA from growing the cotton to adding the final touches. So when you buy American giant, you create jobs for seamsters, cutters and factory workers in towns and cities across the United States. And it's about more than an income. Jobs bring pride, purpose. They stitch people together. Support America's workers and get 20% off your first order at american-giant.com with promo code Staple20. That's 20% off your first order at american-giant.com, code Staple20. From Hollywood, it's time to opt for Edmund Lebrian has... Johnny Donna, Ella Martin, Johnny, I've got a job for you. Fine. What is it? Mr. Carl Pascaville has insured with us. I've heard the name. Retired, wealthy. That's the best way. His brother is the beneficiary. Pascaville called us a little while ago and said he wanted the money to go to a charity in case of his death. What made him change his mind? He thinks his brother is out to kill him. That's Johnny. What do you want me to do? He's insured for a half a million, Johnny. He just made me a bodyguard. At least until we found out how true Bascaville's story is, we did some checking six years ago. He sent his brother William to prison for absconding with company funds. William was released from state prison a week ago. Aye, that's where I've heard the name. I remember the case. Oh, it's a strange setup. He sends his brother to jail, names him as beneficiary, wants to change because he says his brother is going to kill him. Cain and Abe will really start at something, didn't he? Edmond O'Brien and the Transcribe Adventure of the man to the action-packed expense account. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dallon. ♪♪ Expressed accounts submitted by special investigator Johnny Dallon to a home office, Columbia or a risk insurance company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Bascaville matter. ♪♪ Expressed account item 13887, plain fare and incidentals between Hartford and New York, after receiving from you the necessary information concerning Mr. Carl Bascaville. Expressed account item 2750, cab fare between Grand Central Run Bascaville's home on Long Island. The house was set back from the road, hidden by tall trees and surrounded by several acres of well-kept lawns and gardens. I walked up the long gravel cab to the front door and knocked. ♪♪ I lit a cigarette, waited, the afternoon sun was warm on the back of my neck, and the air smelled of wet grass and bright flowers. Yes? I turned around to see the biggest man since Goliath. He was close to seven feet and must have weighed in at about 280. He was nice-looking and wearing a well-cut blue suit, probably made from the best part of a tent. Can I do something for you? Then no, but I'm getting a stiff neck. I'm Johnny Dallon, here representing Columbia or a risk. They called and said you were on your way. I mean, I'm Mr. Bascaville's personal secretary. Mr. Bascaville is expecting it. ♪♪ The big man left away from the big house with the big friend stars that opened on the big garden. Kyle Bascaville was sitting in a chair feeding the birds. He was reaching his late fifties with a sour look of a man that didn't want to. As he tossed the breadcrumbs out on the gravel walk, a big diamond on his little finger flashed in the sun. ♪♪ Um, Mr. Bascaville. Uh-huh, how's it? Oh, Cowan, gee. Mmm, who's that, will you? The man from the insurance company. Mmm, hmm. Pull up a chance today on your name. Thanks. What's your name? Dallon, Johnny Dallon, Mr. Bascaville. Ah, she had company called, yeah? And just feeding the little birds. Yeah, baby. Baby! I've been doing it some time. Well, well, they're standing around for Cowan's. You want to talk to Mr. Dallon, private? Oh, yes, yes, yes. If you need me, I'll be in the study. I won't be again. I'll be just... Absolutely. Six feet, nine inches. He's been with me for some time. I've been retired for five years, yes, Dallon. I always wanted to spend my afternoons and garden feeding the birds. I used to get up at six and go to work and have breakfast and look out of that window, right over there. I used to see the little birds. I always said that someday, I'd spend my afternoons out here feeding the little birds. I'm glad you made it. Mm-hmm. Anytime. Mr. Bascaville, I was sent here. I know where you were sent. Sit down! Just a dollar and fifty cents. I expect most of that I have, making money, making a success of myself. Success in terms of what you consider a success of. That's an interesting statement. How is it, how do you say that? How do you know what I can say to the norm of this? Is it money important to you? Sure, it is to me. How important? Very important. Not all important. What else is important to you, Mr. Baller? A lot of people. Don't be vasey, tell me something. A philosophy. Oh, I think. What kind of a philosophy? Not taking people's, but granted. Oh, I think. Here, you feed the birds for us. Come on, come on. This is you, you're good. Good. Here, birdie. Birdie. Oh, that's fine. And a lot of that. I think you feed the birds. Yes, he's agreeing when he owes this. A lot like people aren't saying. Mm. I suppose you know about my brother, Mr. Dawer? William Baskerville. Worked for you six years ago. Closet Lake took some company fun. He definitely took some. $100,000? Sent to state prison for 10 years. It was parole last weekend for '36. You're insured with Columbia all risk for a half million, and your brother is the beneficiary. That's incorrect. Now you want to change. That is incorrect. Tell me tomorrow about your brother? Oh, you know, company's worth. Is that it? Happened in Thomas' worth. I suppose you consider it strange to have said my brother could prison. Then making my bank, this is it. I guess strange is a good word. I don't particularly care if you believe this or not, but I think he's a prosecutor and brother. But he was guilty, and it became more than just a family matter. There was stockholders to be considered, and his guilt was discovered before I could do anything. You're not too afraid. I'm out of crumb. Oh, he is. He is. He is. Now, I think that doesn't play a lot of crumb. He is the chairman of this. He doesn't get as much as he does. You know you're right about going to be my people. The chairman will never get enough, sending his fault by the way. You made your brother your beneficiary, and now you want to change it. No, that only has a precaution. That my money out of the way, perhaps within your big price, before he changed anything foolish. I'm having my will change, too. If he I originally left my entire state to him. What makes you think he might try? Just mess her. I spent five years in any room, but I learned the trade. I used the drawing blueprints to your shroud. And who always did go for the dramatic? - When did you get this? - I got it yesterday. The first I've heard from William is since he had prison. - Well, it was never going to pull it to a one. - And you know, who's did you in for the age of man? Since boyhood will end with my get-up-and-go. We never got along. It doesn't mean too much for my poor mother. She died very young. - Probably overworked from knitting straight jackets. - Right there. - Don't they flip a young man, that was uncalled for? - Yeah, I guess it was. I have a strange habit of getting flippened when I get confused. - I'm confused, Mr. Baskerville. - Yeah, yeah. - Well, William is the last of the Baskerville's hothead, childish, weak, and insecure. But he's a Baskerville. If he kills me, he'll be caught. If he doesn't gain by my untimely death, he may leaky to that. I still have hopes of a nuclear version of the Baskerville. - A regeneration of a Baskerville? - If you will, perhaps when he calms down, forget to his last six years, we'll talk. Then I plan on renaming him as my swimmer. Are you scared to keep this dark? - You haven't contacted him? - I told you didn't know I was. - Somebody out looking for him? - No, it's not. - Why? - 'Cause I think somebody should be. You're going to remove the temptation. This might be a good idea to inform William. How's he going to know? He's been momentarily disinherited. - Man? - Yes, Mr. Baskerville. - Yeah, I must admit. - If you don't want to call the police, I'd suggest a private detective. - Yes, Mr. Bill, tell me how much time. - Better than feeding the birds. Can you think of anyone who might know where your brother is? - Mm, that's good. - Girl, the whole William and prison. - I think he's sure she's still in New York. - What's her name? - Carter, Virginia Carter. In some place he lives, I only never want security. - I yourself a good private detective in a hurry and tell him about this Virginia Carter. She might know where William is. - Mm, all right. - In the meantime, I'd recommend that the change of beneficiary, the-- - Oh, I'm getting tired, I'm tired, I'm tired, I'm tired. - Finish feeding my birds. - Yeah, sure. - Good day, Mr. Gadde. - Oh, yeah. I had a few crumbs left over. - Oh, oh, okay. (birds chirping) Hey, brother, good day. (dramatic music) - I left him sitting with his friend. You have one good deed to take along with him. I went back to the French doors and started back to the house. I got as far as the hallway. (dramatic music) (dramatic music) - It's a basket. (dramatic music) - Oh, swell. (dramatic music) He was sitting in the chair with a pull of holes just over his heart. His head was resting on his chest and he still held the breadcrumbs. - Hey. - He seemed to be smiling. Like he knew he was going to be able to feed the birds for a long time. - Mr. basket, ooh! Mr. basket! (dramatic music) - Good Lord. - Where were you? - Where were you? - In the library I took the shot. - So were you where? - Over there at the far end of the garden, he had a gun. He turned and ran. - I saw a homicide. (dramatic music) - That is homicide. - Lieutenant is Johnny Donner. - Well, hello. I don't have to kneel a month. I got a killing for you. - Oh. - I'm out at the basketball estate. - The basketball? - He used to be Carl basketball. He was shot a few minutes ago in his garden. - Oh, William did it. I saw William of the gun. - Well. - Basketball secretary says he saw William basketball with a gun. - Brother, why don't you just get out of the state? - That's right. I'm here because Carl thought William was going to kill him. He showed me a letter. - Holy. - I'll let it. - Get out here. I think I just made the mistake of my career. (dramatic music) He just fell on the side, ran back out in the garden. Basketball was still smiling and things looked about the same. I went to his coat pockets and found what I was looking for. Nothing. A threatening letter from William was gone. (dramatic music) I went back in the library faster than I'd come out. I remembered what basketball had said about a girl in Carter. I grabbed a phone book and a while, Huntsman started looking up at Carter's in Greenwich. Only one Virginia in that part of town. So I said a quiet prayer to the guards with the vision of my employer's reaction when they found out their investigator had been on hand when they lost a full half million. Hand-pulled a cab in the hopes that I might at least save half the face. I told Collins not to touch anything and to wait for Lieutenant Brennan. (dramatic music) It's meant to go out and free $8.75 cap at Greenwich Village. It was a long shot, but it could be the same girl that it's known like. I went up the stairs on an old brownstone and knocked on the door, and it finally opened. I got the stickers scolding in history. She was wearing something tin enough to make a silkworm hang himself. - Yes. - Bet you had a hard time finding something to wear in July. - I'm not cold-blooded. What's that in mind? - I'd like to know that we didn't basketball. - Oh, that one. I haven't seen him in years. - Maybe you've got a picture of him? - I've got lots of pictures. It might be one of them somewhere. - Mm, let's look through the whole flock. I've got lots of time. - Well, I saw him. You've got to come in your name. I don't want you to steal anything from me. - Honey, if anybody stole anything from you, they'd get their fingers burned off at the elbows. - Mm. - She opened the door and let me in for loving you. Sat down, the shades were drawn, and I had a hard time finding the couch. - Oh. - Pardon me, I'm frying blindies. - Not to study braille. - Oh, how do we look at the pictures with a magic lantern? - I thought maybe you wanted to relax a minute. - What's nothing in the glass? I'll cool down. - I don't think. Never keep the couple out. - Doesn't leave you much in the field. What do you major in? - Figure that. Have one? - Yeah. - I haven't got a notch. - Just hold on to it. It'll light up. - I think I better get the pictures. How do you let that? - I got lonesome in the dark. - I'll just be a second, turn on the radio. - Where is it? - By your elbow. - Oh. - That's not? - Take it out myself. - Start with these. We're going to make a new pilot that lasts more. - They're not in the hurry, are they? - Not a bit. - Good. - We'll come right around into overtime. (dramatic music) - We will return you to your fuel aid, Donnie Donner in just a moment. - Saddle? - Saddle up the sofa and ride off to adventure with CBS radio every Saturday night. That's when most of these same stations bring you the Gene Autry show and Bill Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy. Russellers don't stand a chance. Props to the range go down under fire when those two riders for justice, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy empty their holsters. Enjoy their latest adventures night on CBS radio. Now with our star Edmond O'Brien, we bring you the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. (dramatic music) - Virginia Carter wasn't worried about working late. There was only one trouble with the job. It was tough keeping my mind on two things at once. It was like trying to read a mail order catalog in front of a blast furnace. She sat close to me and handed me one picture of the kind of striving each guy in the photograph and seen draft boards with small unplanned hair. Several times she stopped and looked at one of the pictures, smile and pants the guy to me. I was gonna mention no snapshot I had of myself when she tapped one of the collection with a polished fingernail. - Will you last again? - Yes. - Figure to be used in your way then. How long ago was this taken? - I couldn't say exactly, but I guess I'll six years. - I should keep a file. - One with a life guy had money, told me a good time. - What else do you know about it? - As a brother with a checking account for a knock. - Will you have any unusual habits? - A few, they wouldn't help you find you. - Well. - I remember something. You used to play the saxophone. - Hobby? - No, I'm not a saxophone player. You played around town, sell a small band. It's with me up after working with Go to a Dives someplace in history then. Love it. It was not on jazz. - You make money at it? - I guess so. Before I went to work for his brother. I don't think his brother liked him, fine sir. - Okay, I mean, thanks. I'll slap around again sometime. Take a look at your parlor. - I've been a nice, soft web. - Why did I take William with me? - Not if you bring him picture back in his mouth. - Maybe I'll just bring a camera. You can take it yourself. - Good. That's why I keep the room so dark. (upbeat music) - I hated to leave, but my hair was already curly enough. She had given me one lead. William was a musician of sorts and sometimes he made money at it. I started across the street to catch another cab and I was halfway there when I heard the car. It was an old trick. You drive by fast, open your door and if anyone is in the way, he winds up with a Facebook of all of a deal. I'd duck in a hurry. I picked myself up and thought about chasing him. He was so far down the street, I ain't could leave him yet the license. Vince come out of $4, $3.35. - Another cab to local 802 of the musician. I went in and a little short guy with a twitch looked up at me from behind a big desk. - Yeah, something I could do for your props? - That twitch? - Hmm, yeah. Too much pop. - Do you know a William basketball place, Max? - Oh, and she got a car. - Makes money. - Oh, for yeah, he better have. - See if he does. I'm an old friend and I'd like to get in touch with him. - Mm-hmm. - Between twitches, he found what I was looking for. William had just renewed his car. It didn't show a home address, but his mail was being sent to one of the swing joints in 50 seconds. I said thanks and met the little man in the middle of a twitch. - Vince can't add him $5, $3.85. Still another cab to the address on 52nd Street. - What a table, huh? - I'm looking for William Baskerville. - Baskerville? - Plays with sacks. - Yeah, he'll have to use one of the musicians. - I don't pay no attention to the music. - Ponder. (knocking) - Can I borrow you for a minute? - No, that you can talk to me. Move on, lean on the piano. - No William Baskerville? - Sure, he blows it. - Where is he? - He's off tonight. He got a phone call and took off. - Why? - I wanna find him. - He took off, that first one just took off. - Was he headed someplace? - Sure, everybody's headed someplace. - You can't go nowhere when I headed someplace. - Never quite looked at it that way. - What time did he leave? - About 4.30. - What do you want Willie for? - I got a message for him. - You cop? - What makes you think so? - I don't think so, I'm just asking. I just thought maybe not for sure. - What? - What do you mean what? - How do you feel? - Oh, yeah. One time when I got to patients, I'll tell you all about it, but don't bug me now. - It is fine. - Come down and tell me where William Baskerville is. - Take the five, but I'm staying right for a ride. I like you. - I may cry. - You're putting me on now. - You've got my five. - Five? Oh, yeah. What did it buy? - An address. - Great. - I want William Baskerville. - Okay, I can't make this much longer anyway. 69 East 12th Street. - Thanks. - Solid. (dramatic music) - Expense a gun out of six, cabin number four. 79 cents to the home of Brother Baskerville. I climbed the stairs of a beat-up building and stopped at a door on the third floor. According to the landlord, Brother Baskerville's rooms on the other side. I had tried my knuffles again and put my ear to the door. I couldn't figure it out at first. It was a strange sound, the light scraping like a rope over the wood. I tried the door. I had been right on both counts. - It was rope and it was rubbing on wood. It was Brother Baskerville was making the sound effects, but he was doing it the hard way. He was on one end of the rope hanging by his neck. (dramatic music) - He was turning slowly like a weather vane and a soft breeze. The chair was tipped over at his feet and there was a phone on the table. I crossed through it, it was not the call of Lieutenant Brenner's, and I looked at the dead man again and my stomach jumped up and kicked my mind into high gear. I walked back to him and picked up the chair. What I saw through the suicide theory right out of the window, if he had used the chair to stand on, he would have still needed a ladder just to tie the rope to the ratchet. I'd seen a couple of guys that hang themselves, but never won the jump four feet in the air to do it. I shoved the chair on him just to make sure he cleared it by a good foot. - Hello. - Hello, William. - He's tied up right now. - Who is this? - Oh, hello, who is this? (dramatic music) - Sometimes you get lucky. A guy would have to be congenitally deaf to Miss Virginia Carter's lovely voice. She'd been lying when she told me she didn't know where William lived, and I just have a natural aversion to lying women, especially when they mixed up in a murder. (dramatic music) You get Spencer Kahn item seven cab fare, $1.55 back to Greenwich in Virginia Carter's dark room. (buzzing) - Well, Mr. Dahmer, did you bring me a camera? - We were placed in the bottle some other time. How'd you know my name? - Well, you gave it to me this afternoon. - You're a bad liar, I'm coming in. - Oh, now wait a minute, I'm expecting someone. - That's who I think it is. You better hide all the rope in the house, now move it. - Of course. - You heard from Collins yet? - I don't know what you're talking about. - Only two people have lied to me today. You and Collins. You told me you didn't know where William lived and you called him 10 minutes ago. Collins said he saw William standing in the garden with a gun and a musician told me William didn't leave rehearsal until 4.30. I didn't leave the basketball home until four. - Get out of here. I don't know anybody named Collins. - Okay, but Collins just killed William Baskerville. Oh yes, he strangled him first and then stood on a chair and hunted the body to a rafter. - How'd you know it was Collins? - Because he forgot he's a foot taller than most guys. He gave William a boost, but he left him hanging too high. - Wait a minute, wait a minute. - He just left William waiting for oxygen. - You didn't tell anything about killing William? I want to get out of this man. - Slow down and tell me everything you know. - Well, I met him with William. William introduced me to him in the night. After William went to prison, I started seeing Collins. He told me that he'd been in some kind of a deal this week. He'd stolen some money and that was why William went to prison. He went out and was supposed to slip with Collins when he got out. - So William came back and wanted his share and Collins killed him. - I didn't know he was going to kill him. He poured some kind of a letter so that it would look like it came from Martin. - That's where the letter came. He was going to kill Carl basketball and blame it on William. - He's saying he's not killing anybody. - He killed him and stole the letter. Looked like William had killed him and taken the letter to hide the motive. - Listen, Mr. Daller. - Collins must have come in through the kitchen and started shooting. She went down like a diver would have ends and died on her face. He was trying for me when I jumped to one side and knocked over the only light burning in the room. He came close but the flash has gone hidden away and I threw enough lead to fill a sink. Collins stumbled back into the kitchen but he was dragging. I heard him drop and I moved in after him. The moonlight slanted down through one of the windows and splashed out on a hard floor. He was lying on his back like he wanted to get that far anyway. You better give it up, Callan. - Forget it, forget it. - No reason to kill you. - Before you close your eyes, tell me something. - You all right? - But it'll take too long. - Why didn't you go out and get William yourself? Why wait till I found him? - Couldn't take the chance. I know the old man had to have so many. Was that not concerned later? I killed him in the garden because I knew you'd make a good whip. Probably go looking for Virginia after he told you about her. - You'd call the urn and told her to tell me everything she knew. - That's right. Why don't you define yourself like a suicide? You nearly got away with it. You just forgot how tall you were when you hanged William. You tried to run me down? - No. I just wanted to scare you. Make it think it was William. - No, no. - Call an ambulance. - No, no. All right, all right, all right, all right. Three of 'em. Should be right enough. Too nice a night to die. - Eh? - Not a cloud in the sky. - It's a beautiful man. - Yeah. Well, I can't use it. But I'll give it to you. I called Brennan's and he came over with his boys and cleaned it up. Virginia, the girl with the road's gallery, was dead. Collins was long hatching up. It was pretty simple. Collins and young vascular had taken a hundred thousand from the brother's company, and William was caught. He did six years, knowing that when he got out, there would be 50,000 waiting. In the meantime, Collins had his girl and enough time to think that a hundred thousand was better if it wasn't split in the middle. Collins framed William with a letter and then started killing it. Expense account item 8, $23.45, dinner, and incidences covering the rest of the night up till the bar is closed. Expense account item 9, $10, a massage of steam ban. Item 10, another cab to Grand Central, $0.65. Item 11, $38.55, train fan, incidences back to Hartford. Expense account total, $137.27. Comments? Greater isn't so bad. A ride in any New York cab makes a killing look like a Sunday school tappy pool. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar stars Edmond O'Brien in the title role and was written by Blake Edwards, with music by Wilbur Hatch. Edmond O'Brien can soon be seen starring in the Paramount Pictures' Technicolor production, Silver City. Featured in tonight's cast were Stacey Harris, Bill Boucher, Howard McNair, Sidney Miller, and Virginia Gray. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar is transcribed in Hollywood by Jaime Delphi. This is Dan Coverley inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmond O'Brien returns. As yours truly, Johnny Dollar. ♪♪♪ Iti is Ryan C. Crest here. People always say it's good to unwind, but that's easier said than done. The exception, Chumba Casino. They actually make it easier done than said, or at least the same. 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