Johnny Dollar. Johnny, this is Don Boomer. Down in Sarasota, Florida. That's right. Don, how are you? How's the real estate business? Just fine, and business is booming. I haven't seen you since I flew down there to do some fishing with our mutual pal, Earl Porman. Ha, ha. That one, with this misguided sense of value. Oh, what's that mean? Oh, his trips out to California all the time. Uh-huh. And this time it looks as though he might stay out there. Uh, Don, I think all you Floridians are jealous of California. Now, Johnny, you think we'd ever admit it? Even to ourselves? Be rank heresy. Anyhow, with Earl Porman out of town, at least for a while, I'm kind of holding down the office of tri-state life and casualty these days. So, what happens? Trouble. Trouble. Client's name is Thomas Patterson. All right, what's happened? Somebody knock him off or something? No, not yet. But a few years ago when he was living up in jacksonville well tom was the sole witness to a murder yeah

the killer was tried and sent to state's prison uh-oh so now this killer's on the loose and you figure

tom patterson's life isn't worth a bag of beans that's it exactly uh want to come down here and see what

you can do about it?

Nope.

Now, now, not.

Okay, Don, I'll grab the first plane I can.

CBS Radio brings you Bob Bailey.

In the exciting adventures of the man

with the action-packed expense account.

America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator.

Yours truly, Johnny Dollar.

Thank you. Expense accounts submitted

to the Tri-State Life and Casualty Insurance Company Sarasota office

following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the deadly debt matter.

I'm happy. Following as an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the deadly debt matter.

Expense account, item 1, 7940, taxi in a plane out of Hartford. The flight was good, and by early afternoon, I was in Don Boomhauer's real estate office in Sarasota, Florida.

After the usual amenities. Now, let me lay it all out for you, Johnny. Yeah, sure, Don't, go ahead. And to begin with, the life insurance policy involved has a face value of $70,000. Don't you ever think of anything but money? Sure. Like what? Well, right now I'm thinking about the chances of staying alive. After all, with a killer on the loose,

well, at least the thought of a few bucks coming to me could help me die happy. Uh, the insured's name you said is Thomas Patterson. It is now. Huh? Some years ago, Johnny, young Tommy lived up in Jacksonville, worked as a milkman. Uh-huh. Early one morning, that was in 1951, he pulled up in front of an alley just in time to meet. Ah, so Kerry pleaded self-defense, huh? Well, he tried to, but the jury wouldn't go for it. You see, there'd been a long-standing feud between the two of them. Uh-huh. Only reason they didn't give Kerry the chair is because Harker had a record as long as your arm. I see. Instead, Carrie was given ten years to life. I see. The point is that Tommy Patterson's testimony was what really convicted him. So, of course, he made the usual melodramatic threat. Oh, yeah. That he'd get Patterson if it was the last thing he ever did. He didn't care when, he'd be in no hurry. But sooner or later, he'd track him down and kill him. So what's happened? The time it just got married, started a nice little family, two boys and a girl. So Kerry's threats scared him as much because of the wife and kids as for himself. Yeah, but now, now Don you know as well as I do how little

those courtroom threats usually mean now now wait yeah about that time some

relative died and left Tom a considerable sum of money so he changed his name

legally changed it to what to what it is now Thomas K. Patterson what it was

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