Yours Truly Johnny Dollar

Johnny Dollar - The Baskerville Matter

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Duration:: 28m
Broadcast on:: 15 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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Gambling problem, call 1-800-Gambler. From Hollywood, it's time to offer Edmund LaBryon as... Johnny Donna. I love Martin. Johnny, I've got a job for you. Fine. What is it? Mr. Carl Baskerville has insured with us. I've heard the name. Retired, wealthy. That's the best way. His brother is the beneficiary. Baskerville 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. It's Johnny. What do you want me to do? He's insured for a half a million, Johnny. You just made me a bodyguard. At least until we found out how true Baskerville'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. Send his brother the jail. Name's him as beneficiary. Wants a change because he says his brother is going to kill him. Me and Abe will really start at something, didn't he? Edmond O'Brien and the transcribed adventure of the man with the action-packed Expensive Car. America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dallard. Expensive Car is submitted by special investigator, Johnny Dallard, to a home office, Columbia All-Risk Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Baskerville matter. Expensive Car. Item 13887, Frank there in Incidental's between Hartford and New York, after receiving from you the necessary information concerning Mr. Car. Baskerville. Expensive Car. Expensive Car. Between Grand Central and Baskerville'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 a long gravel path into the front door and knocked it. I lit a cigarette and 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 Dallard. I'm here representing Columbia All-Risk. They called and said you were on your way, and then I'm Mr. Baskerville's personal secretary. The Baskerville is expecting it. The big man left away from the big house with the big friend stars that opened on the big garden. Carl Baskerville was sitting in a chair, feeding the birds. He was reaching his late 50s 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, sliced in the sun. Mr. Baskerville? Uh-huh. How's it? Oh, Cowan's. Who's that real here? The man from the insurance company. Oh, pull up a chance at hanging me in. Thanks. What's your name? Dallard and Johnny Dallard, Mr. Mastery. Ah, it's your company called, yeah. I'm just feeding you little birds. Yeah, baby. I've been doing it sometimes. Well, what are you standing around for, Cowan? If you want to talk to Mr. Dallard and target? Oh, yes, sir. If you need me, I'll be in the study. I won't be yet. I'll be in the study. I'm going to talk to Mr. Dallard and target. Oh, yes, sir. If you need me, I'll be in the study. I won't be yet. Yes. Absolutely. Six feet, nine inches. He's been with me for some time. I've been retired for five years, you should go home. 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. Well, I used to see little birds. I always said that someday I'd spend my afternoons out here feeding the little birds. You'd be glad you made it. Mm-hmm. And darling? Mr. Basketball, I was sent here. I know why you were sent. Sit down! Mr. Dallard, I am fifty cents. I've spent most of that life making money, making a success of myself. Success in terms of what you consider a success. That's an interesting statement. No, is it? What do you say? How do you know what I consider the norm of success? Is it money important to you? Sure, it is. How important? There is. Not all important. What else is important here, Mr. Dallard? Mm-hmm. Don't be vasey. Johnson. A philosophy. Oh, hi. Thank you. Thank you. What kind of a philosophy? Not taking people, but granted. Oh, hi. Here, you feed the birds. Go on, run, run. You should feel real good. Good. Here, Breddy, Breddy. Oh, that's fine. Get a load of that. Now, yes, he's agreeing when he knows this. A lot like people aren't they? Mm-hmm. I suppose you know about my brother, Mr. Dallard? William Baskerville. Worked for you six years ago. Close it late. Took some company fun. Definitely took some. $100,000. Ten to state prison for ten years was parole last week after thirty-six during the pandemic. Ten to state prison for ten years was parole last week after thirty-six. You're insured with Columbia All-Risk for a half million and your brother is a beneficiary. That means correct. Now you want to change. That means again correct. You want to tell me tomorrow about your brother? Up with you, huh? Your company's worth. Is that it? Half a million dollars worth. I suppose you consider it strange. I'd tell my brother to prison, then make him my bank. I guess strange is a good word. I don't particularly care if you believe this or not. I hated the prosecutor and brother, but he was guilty, and it became more than just a family matter. There was stock cover to be considered, and his guilt was discovered before I could do anything. You're not too mean for it. I'm out of crime. Oh, he is. He is. He's a rookie. Now, I think that's what I like. Ah, he was the chairman of it. He doesn't get as much as he is. You know you're right about going to be like people. You have two millions, and now they get enough of them, and they fall by the way. You made your brother your beneficiary, and now you want to change it. No, well, only as a precaution, that my money out of the way, perhaps within will take price before he turns anything foolish, and having my will change too, is here I originally left my entire state to it. What makes you think you might try? It's a semester, a year, but I learned the trade. I used a drawing blueprint for your shroud. Oh, I always did go for the dramatic. When did you get this? I got it yesterday. At the first I've heard from William, since he had a prison. I don't know. I've never got a pull-up to a wand. I've heard him always did you in for the age of man, since boyhood was ended and I'd get up and go. We never got along. It wasn't me too much for my poor mother. She died very young. Probably overworked from knitting straight jackets. Don't they flip a young man? That was uncalled for? Yeah, I guess it was. I have a strange habit of getting flippant when I get confused. I'm confused, Mr. Baskerville. So William is the last of the last girls, 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 reconsider. I still have hopes of a recent version of the Baskerville. A regeneration of a Baskerville? If you will, perhaps when he calms down and forgets his last six years, we'll talk. And then I plan on renaming him with my swear, are you scared and keenly to die? You haven't contacted him? I told you didn't know I was. Somebody out looking for him? No, it's not. Why? Because I think somebody should be. You're going to remove the temptation that might be a good idea to inform William. How's he going to know? He's been momentarily disinherited. Man? Yes, Mr. Baskerville. Man, Mr. Baskerville. Man, Mr. Baskerville. If you don't want to call the police, I'd suggest a private detective. Yes, Mr. Baskerville. Tell me how much time. Better than feeding the birds. Can you think of anyone who might know where your brother is? No, not that. Mm-hmm. The girl of the whole William and prison. I didn't think she was still in New York. What's her name? Carter. Virginia Carter. In some places he lives. I only never want to succeed. And I yourself a good private detective in a hurry and tell him about this Virginia Carter. She might know where William is. Mm-hmm. 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 going to finish feeding my birds. Yes, you. Good day, Mr. Gadde. Oh, yes. I had a few crumbs left over. Oh, come on, let's hang. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey, brother. Hey. Hey. Hi, that's him sitting with his friend. We have one good deed to take on all of them. I went back through the French doors and started back through the house. I got as far as the whole way. It's basketball. Oh, well. He was sitting in the chair with a pull-up hold just over his heart. His head was resting on his chest. He still held the bread crumbs. He seemed to be smiling. Like he knew he was going to be able to feed the birds for a long time. Mr. Bosco. Mr. Bosco. Mr. Bosco. Mr. Bosco. 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. Thanks, Lord. I'm a fan. Well, hello. I got a killing for you. Who? I'm out at the basketball state. The basketball secretary says he saw William basketball with a gun. I'm out at the basketball state. The basketball? He used to be Carl Baskerville. He was shot a few minutes ago in his garden. William did it. I saw William with a gun. Well. The basketball secretary says he saw William basketball with a gun. The brother? The one who just got out of space? That's right. I'm here because Carl thought William was going to kill him. He showed me a letter. Holy... A letter? Get out here. I think I just made the mistake of my career. Jeff Collins aside, ran back out in the garden. Basketball was still smiling and Kings 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. I went back in the library faster than I'd come out. I remembered what basketball had said about a girl named Carter. I grabbed a phone book and a wild hunch and started looking up the Carter's in Greenwich. Only one Virginia in that part of town. So I said a quiet prayer to the gods that 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 pull the 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. It's meant to count item three, eight dollars and seventy-nine cents 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. When it finally opened, I got the stickers scolding in history. She was wearing something tenon up to make a silkworm hang himself. Yeah. I bet you had a hard time finding something to wear in July. I'm not cool as leather. What's that in mind? I'd like to know that we didn't basketball. Oh, that's what I haven't seen in years. And you've got a picture of him? I've got lots of pictures. You might be one of them somewhere. Let's look through the whole clock. I've got lots of time. Well, that's the one you've got to tell me 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 me. We sat down, the shades withdrawn, and I had a hard time finding the couch. Oh. Pardon me, I'm frying blindly. Not the steady braille. Oh, how do we look at the pictures with the magic lantern? I thought maybe you wanted to relax a minute. That's nothing in the glass. I'll cool them. I don't think. Never keep the something out. Doesn't leave you much in the field. What do you major in? Cigarette. Have one? Yeah. I haven't got a match. Just hold on to it. It'll light up. I think I'd better get the pictures. I'll be right back. 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 nice. Take it out myself. You start with these. You say they're making a new pilot that lasts more. They're not in the hurry, are you? Not a bit. Good. We might run into overtime. [MUSIC] We will return you to your truly Johnny 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 Gee-Notree show, and Bill Boyd has hop along Cassidy. Russellers don't stand a chance. Hook to the range, go down under fire. When those two riders for justice, Gee-Notree and hop along Cassidy empty their holsters. Enjoy their latest adventures night on CBS radio. [MUSIC] Now with our star Edmond O'Brien, we bring you the second act of yours truly Johnny Donner. [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 and describing each guy in the photograph. I've seen draft boards with smaller client hair. Several times she stopped and looked at one of the pictures, smiled and passed the guy to me. I was going to mention no snapshot I had of myself when she tapped one of the collection with a polished fingernail. Will you have asked again? Here he is. I figured to be using her later. How long was this taken? My friend says that way, but I guess about six years. I should keep a file. When was the light guy had money? Children could turn. What else do you know about him? As a brother with a checking account for a knock. Will you have any unusual habits? A few. They wouldn't help you find him. Well... I remember something. He used to play the saxophone. Hobby? No, not exactly. He played around town and saw a small band. He used to pick me up after working. He'd go to a dive someplace and he'd sit down. He loved it. He was not on jazz. You make money at it? I guess so. Before he went to work for his brother. I don't think his brother liked him find himself. Okay, Amy. Thanks. I'll stop 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 couldn't take me back. No. Maybe I'll just bring a camera. You can take it yourself. Good. That's why I keep the room so dark. 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 face full of order of a deal. I duck in a hurry. I picked myself up and thought about chasing him. He was so far down the street I couldn't even get the license out. Best 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. Yes, something I could do for your props. That twitch? Yes. Too much pop. Do you know a William basketball place that acts? Oh. Has he got a car? He makes money. Oh, for yeah, he better have. See if he does. I'm an old friend. I'd like to get in touch with him. 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," I'm not the little man in the middle of a twitch. It's meant to count out in $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's out there as one of the musicians. I don't pay no attention to the musical. It's just a poem there. Thanks. Can I borrow you for a minute? No. You can talk to me. Move. I mean on the piano. No William Baskerville? Sure. He blows you. Where is he? He's off tonight. He got a phone call and took off. Why? I want to 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. But 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. Are you a cop? What makes you think so? I don't think so. Just ask. Can 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 tell you all about it. But don't bug me now. He is fine. Come down and tell me where William basketball is. Take the five, but I'm staying right where I am. 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 basketball. Okay, I can't make this much longer anyway. 69 East 12th Street. Thanks. Follow. Expense a gun out of six, cab number four, 79 cents to the home of Brother basketball. I climb the stairs at the beat-up building and stop at the door on the third floor. According to the landlord, Brother basketball's room was on the other side. I 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 because Brother basketball 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. He was turning slowly like a weatherman in a soft breeze. The chair was tipped over at his feet and there was a phone on the table. I crossed to it. It was not the call lieutenant Brenners. When 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 raptors. I've 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? Hello, hello, who is this? Sometimes you get lucky. A guy would have to be congenital a death 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're mixed up in a murder. You get it. He spends a count item seven cap there, $1.55 back to Greenwich in Virginia Carter's dark room. Well, Mr. Donna, did you bring me a camera? We were placed in a bottle some other time. How do you know my name? Why, 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 what I think it is. You better hide all the rope in the house, now move it. Oh, 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 ten 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 4. Get out of here. I don't know anybody named Collins. Okay, but Collins just killed William Basketball. Oh, no. Oh, yes. He strangled him first and then stood on a chair and hunted the body to a rafter. How do you know it was Collins? Because he forgot he's a foot taller than those 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 say 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 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 up and was supposed to slip with Collins when he got out. So William came back and wanted his share and Collins killed him. He knew 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 figured. He was going to kill Carl Baskerville and blame it on William. He didn't say anything about killing anybody. He killed him and stole the letter. It looked like William had killed him and taken the letter to hide the motive. Listen, Mr. Doll. Collins must have come in through the kitchen and started shooting. She went down like a diver would have been 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. Came close, but Baskerville 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, Collins. Forget it. Forget it. There's no reason to kill you now. Before you close your eyes, tell me something. 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. I'll start looking sooner or 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 called her and told her to tell me everything she knew. That's right. I wanted you to find himself. 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 you think it was William. No. No. I'll go on an ambulance. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Three of them. They should be right enough. Too nice. A knife to die. A knife. 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 robes gallery, was dead. Collins was a 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 fifty thousand 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. ♪♪ Expense account item eight, twenty-three dollars and forty-five cents dinner, and incidentals covering the rest of the night up till the bars close. Expense account item nine, ten dollars. A massage of steam ban. Item ten, another cab, the Grand Central, sixty-five cents. Item eleven, thirty-eight dollars and fifty-five cents. Trained fan, incidentals back to Hartford. Expense account total, one hundred and thirty-seven dollars and twenty-seven cents. Collins? 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 on 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, Sydney Miller, and Virginia Gray. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar is transcribed in Hollywood by I May Delphi. ♪♪ This is Dan Coverley inviting you to join us next week at this time when Edmond O'Brien returns. And yours truly, Johnny Dollar. ♪♪ An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's extra help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov/extrahelp. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With Lucky Land Slots, you can get lucky just about anywhere. Daily Beloved, we're gathered here today. Has anyone seen the bride and groom? Sorry, sorry, we're here. 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