Yours Truly Johnny Dollar - "17 the Phantom Chase Matter Part 3" (Old Time Radio)

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar presents “The Phantom Chase Matter, Part 3,” episode 5610 of the CBS Radio series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, originally broadcast October 17, 1956. Bob Bailey stars as insurance investigator Johnny Dollar in this serialized case, written by Robert Ryf and directed by Jack Johnstone.

Following a newspaper-photograph lead from New York to New Orleans, Dollar searches for missing investment-firm partner Thomas “Tom” Chase. In the French Quarter, a jazz-bar contact hints that Chase may be using an alias—but the information comes with a risky nighttime appointment.

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.

Chapters:
00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction
00:53 Original Broadcast
15:23 Closing

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Speaker 1: Wednesday, October 17th, 1956, marked the third installment of CBS

Radio's serialized Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar case, The Phantom Chase Matter,

Part 3, Episode 5610. Bob Bailey stars as insurance investigator

Johnny Dollar following a newspaper photograph lead from New York

to New Orleans in search of Thomas Tom Chase, a

missing junior partner accused of embezzling $ 120, 000 from the investment

firm of Everson and Chase. In the French Quarter, Dollar's

inquiry takes him to a jazz bar where an informant

suggests Chase may be living under an alias and will

speak only at a nighttime meeting. Robert Reif wrote the

script with Jack Johnstone directing. Now, back to the golden

age of radio.

Speaker 2: From Hollywood, it's time now for... Johnny Dollar.

Speaker 3: Brady Quintana, Tyler.

Speaker 2: Where you been, Quintana? You were supposed to contact me

again later last night.

Speaker 3: Yeah, look, this is a complicated deal. It takes time.

Speaker 2: What's complicated about it? I'm looking for a guy named

Tom Chase. You claim he's here in New Orleans under

the name Tom James. For 500 bucks, you'll tell me

where he's hiding.

Speaker 3: Sure.

Speaker 2: I think you're stalling.

Speaker 3: You saw that letter his last night, didn't you?

Speaker 2: Yeah, it's Chase's handwriting, all right.

Speaker 3: I'll find him again by tonight. You know that bar

we met in?

Speaker 2: Ace's Castle.

Speaker 3: Be there at 10 o'clock tonight. With the dough.

Speaker 4: Okay.

Speaker 2: But you'd better produce, Quintana. I don't have much time.

Speaker 3: If Chase finds out I'm trying to put the finger

on him, neither will I.

Speaker 5: Tonight, and every weekday night, Bob Bailey and the transcribed

adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account, America's

fabulous freelance insurance investigator.

Speaker 2: Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar, location

New Orleans. to the home office, Universal Adjustment Bureau, Hartford, Connecticut. Assignment,

the Phantom Chase matter. Expense account continued. Item 8, 425,

long-distance call to Pat McCracken at Universal Adjustment Bureau in Hartford.

Pat agreed that 500 was a small price to pay

if it got us a man who'd embezzled 120,000 from

a New York investment outfit. Item 9, 370, phone call

to George Everson, senior partner of the investment outfit in

New York. It was Everson who'd spotted a newspaper picture

of a New Orleans bar with a man in the

background who looked to him like Chase. Everson had been

afraid he was sending me on a wild goose chase,

and he was happy to hear his wild goose had

just laid a golden egg. Item 10, $ 2. Assorted newspapers

and magazines to kill time. Yeah, there was nothing I

could do until I met Freddie Quintana at Ace's Castle

at 10 p.m. Pops Harker, the trumpet player at Ace's Castle,

had told me Freddie was a bad one. But right now,

he was my only lead. The day dragged on. Finally,

it got dark, and I was just starting to think

about dinner.

Speaker 4: Hello, Johnny.

Speaker 2: Lola Chase.

Speaker 4: May I come in?

Speaker 2: Well, yeah, sure. Come on in. Well, what are you

doing here, Lola? I thought you were in New York.

Speaker 4: George Everson told me about your phone call to him

this morning. that you think Tom is here in New Orleans.

Speaker 2: Well, yeah. Heverson said he hadn't told you about the

newspaper picture before because he didn't want to get your

hopes up.

Speaker 3: I know.

Speaker 4: He explained. I got a plane down here right away.

Speaker 2: Yeah. Well, I'm not sure that was a good idea, Lola.

I doubt very much if there's anything you can do.

Speaker 4: I thought if you do find Tom... If I could

just talk to him. Maybe I could get him to

see that the only thing for him to do is

give himself up and return the money.

Speaker 2: Oh, I wouldn't count on that.

Speaker 4: Johnny, I had to come. He's still my husband. Yeah.

George Everson didn't go into details about the newspaper picture.

Speaker 2: Oh, there was an article on New Orleans Jazz, one

of the New York papers a few days back. It

showed a bar scene, a place called Ace's Castle. In

the background, sitting at the bar with his face turned away,

was a man George thought might be your husband. So

I came down here.

Speaker 4: And now you have proof he's here?

Speaker 2: I think so.

Speaker 4: What kind of proof? Johnny, please tell me.

Speaker 2: Okay. But I'm not sure you want to see it, Lola.

Speaker 4: Go ahead.

Speaker 2: Well, last night on Ace's Castle, a character named Freddy

Quintana contacted me. Told me he thought he had Tom Pegg,

that he was going under the name of Tom James.

Speaker 4: James. That's his middle name.

Speaker 2: Yeah. The kind of alias a lot of people use.

Speaker 4: But that's not proof of anything.

Speaker 2: Oh, I know. Then Quintana showed me a letter he'd

stolen from Tom's room. An unfinished letter. I checked it

against the sample of Tom's writing I'd brought with me.

It looks pretty genuine.

Speaker 4: What kind of letter?

Speaker 2: To you, Lola. Oh.

Speaker 4: Please, may I see it?

Speaker 2: Here you are.

Speaker 4: Lola. When you get this, I'll be far away. Don't

try to find me. It's better that way. I don't

know how to explain, but.

I'm sorry. That's... Tom's writing, Johnny.

Speaker 3: Yeah.

Speaker 4: What happens now?

Speaker 2: Oh, I'm supposed to meet Freddy Quintana at Ace's Castle

down on the quarter at ten o'clock tonight.

Speaker 4: I want to come with you. Please, Johnny.

Speaker 3: Oh, look.

Speaker 2: Expense account item 11, 820. Dinner for Lola and me.

She didn't say much during the meal. I guess there

wasn't much for her to say. Afterward, we started walking

through the quarter toward Ace's Castle.

Speaker 4: It's interesting around here, Johnny.

Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.

Speaker 2: The quarter hasn't changed much.

Speaker 4: You've been here before?

Speaker 2: A couple of years ago.

Speaker 4: Funny.

Speaker 2: What is?

Speaker 4: You, in a job like this. Why?

Speaker 2: You.

Speaker 4: Well, I don't know. You just don't look like a

person who spends most of his time looking for fugitives

and criminals. It seems like such a strange job for you.

Speaker 2: It's a job.

Speaker 4: Do you like it?

Speaker 2: Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I like it a lot.

Sometimes I don't like it at all.

Speaker 3: Like now?

Speaker 2: Like now. Thanks, Johnny. For what?

Speaker 4: For feeling that way.

Speaker 2: Well, I guess it's my turn to say funny things.

Speaker 4: What about?

Speaker 2: You're asking about... Well, Pops Harker seemed to think I

was in the wrong job, too.

Speaker 4: Who?

Speaker 2: Pops Harker. An old fellow who plays trumpet at Ace's Castle.

You'll hear him. He's blind. Oh. Yeah, that horn of

his has to make up for a lot.

Speaker 4: But why did he think you're in the wrong job?

Speaker 2: Well, mostly because of the company I sometimes have to keep,

like Freddy Quintana.

Speaker 3: Oh.

Speaker 4: I hate to see things work out like this.

Speaker 2: What's that mean?

Speaker 4: I mean, finding Tom this way through a cheap information

peddler like this Quintana. Oh, if he'd only turn himself in.

Speaker 2: I'm afraid that's a pretty remote possibility.

Speaker 4: I know. He seems to have forgotten what sort of

a person he was. After his arrest, he wouldn't even

talk to me about it. I guess he's forgotten a

lot of other things, too.

Speaker 2: All right, come on, Lola. That's Asa's castle right ahead.

Speaker 4: Do you think Tom will be there?

Speaker 2: I doubt it. Probably just Quintana. But he's supposed to

tell me where your husband is hiding. Here we are.

Speaker 4: That must be Pops Harker over there in the band

with the dark glasses.

Speaker 2: Yeah, that's him. Come on, that corner table.

Speaker 4: This is the place in the newspaper picture?

Speaker 3: Yeah. Yes.

Speaker 4: I can believe Tom's been here. He loved this kind

of music.

Speaker 2: Real nice, Pops. Thank you, Mr. Darling.

Speaker 6: How you doing?

Speaker 2: Oh, pretty good.

Speaker 4: Johnny, I thought you said he was.

Speaker 2: He is. He recognized my voice. You still messing around.

Speaker 6: With that mean one, Daddy?

Speaker 2: Freddy Quintana? Afraid I have to, Pops. I'm not enjoying

it particularly. Well, you stick to the good ones, Daddy.

Don't mess with the bad ones. Gossiping about me, Pops? Oh, Quintana.

Why don't you keep your face in that horn and

out of the people's business? Take it easy, Quintana. That's

all right, Mr.

Speaker 1: Dollar. I'll still be blowing away this here horn long

after some folks quit breathing.

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. Who's the dame, darling? Don't worry

about it, Freddy. Let's just say she's with me.

Speaker 4: Okay, okay.

Speaker 2: Don't be so touchy. Okay to talk? Go ahead. It's

all set.

Speaker 3: Oh, yeah.

Speaker 6: I got this Chase on ice for you. He thinks

I'm arranging passage for him on a boat out of

here with no questions asked.

Speaker 2: That's cruel. Easy, Lola. Business is business.

Speaker 4: Where is he now?

Speaker 2: Now, let's not get nosy, sweetie. Cut the smart talk, Freddy.

Speaker 3: My, my.

Speaker 2: You are in a pretty nasty mood tonight, darling. Yeah,

so just stick to business, huh?

Speaker 4: Okay, okay.

Speaker 1: Here.

Speaker 6: Now, this is the address of my rooming house. Chase

is going to meet me in my room at midnight.

You be there in a few minutes before. And Dollar,

be sure you bring a dough.

Speaker 2: You be sure you bring Chase. He's in the bag.

See you at midnight.

Speaker 4: Oh, what a horrible.

Speaker 2: person. Yeah, he's sure not the best.

Speaker 4: Johnny, let me go with you at midnight.

Speaker 2: I don't think that'd be a very good idea, Lola.

Speaker 4: Please.

Speaker 2: Why?

Speaker 4: Just say I'm pretty foolish, I guess. I just want

to see him once more.

Speaker 2: Look, why don't you....

Speaker 4: I know it won't do any good, but after you...

Take him. I probably won't see him again. He wouldn't

see me before. He probably won't afterwards, but... Just to

see him once more.

Speaker 2: Lola, I don't know what.

Speaker 4: I'd like to go back to my hotel and rest now, but...

Please pick me up before you go to Quintana's room. Johnny.

Speaker 2: Okay, Lola.

Speaker 5: What are you talking about?

Speaker 2: This is the address, Lola. Quintana's Rooming House.

Speaker 4: It's an awfully shabby place.

Speaker 2: The perfect spot for Quintana. What time is it?

Speaker 4: Five minutes to twelve.

Speaker 2: All right, let's go in. Number eight. Let's see. Oh,

here it is. Okay, we won't knock.

Speaker 4: There's nobody here, Johnny.

Speaker 2: Well, we're a little early. Okay, we'll wait. So we waited.

Fifteen minutes went by. Half an hour.

Speaker 4: Do you think he was just playing some sort of

fiendish joke on us, Johnny?

Speaker 2: I've been stood up on deals like this before. Ebola

wasn't used to it. Pretty soon the strain got a

little too much for him.

Speaker 4: Please, Johnny, I... I can't stand this anymore. Take me

back to my hotel.

Speaker 2: So I did. Now I was right back where I

started from, with no leads. I decided to go back

to Oasis Castle. That's where the trail had started. I

sat there for a few minutes, nursing a drink. Then

somebody slid into the chair across from me. You Janet Dollar? Yeah,

that's right. Who are you? Lieutenant Lefebvre, New Orleans Police. Ah.

What can I do for you, Lieutenant? How long you

been here, sir? A few minutes.

Speaker 3: Oh.

Speaker 2: Weren't you in here early? Yeah. What time did you leave?

A little after ten. Why? Where'd you go? To see

somebody who didn't show up. Look, Lieutenant, what's this all about?

You don't mind just answering questions, huh? Who was this

somebody you wanted to see? A character named Quintana. I

was supposed to meet him in his room. Well, you

won't see him back. Well, that's sort of a long story. Look,

here's my card, Lieutenant. Jones' investigator, huh? You mind come

with me, Mr.

Speaker 4: Dollar?

Speaker 2: Where to? Out back. There was a woman with you earlier. Yes, Mrs.

Lola Chase. I took her back to a hotel before

I came back here again. I see. Into the alley here.

What's this all about, Lieutenant? Go ahead, Dollar. Take a look.

There were two policemen and a photographer in the alley

over near a doorway. I moved in close. A man

was sprawled there face up. Freddy Quintana. And he didn't

look mean and nasty anymore. Just real tired. Real dead.

Speaker 5: Now here's our star to tell you about the next

exciting episode of this story.

Speaker 2: Somehow I managed to parlay a scrap of burnt paper

into a plane ticket for what almost turns out to

be a one-way trip. Join us, won't you? Yours truly,

Johnny Dollar.

Speaker 5: Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood.

Written by Robert Reif, it is produced and directed by

Jack Johnstone. Be sure to join us tomorrow night, same

time and station, for the next exciting episode of Yours Truly,

Johnny Dollar.

Speaker 2: Roy Rowan speaking. THE END.

Speaker 1: Our time with Johnny Dollar's The Phantom Chase Matter Part

3 comes to a close. Follow yours truly, Johnny Dollar,

for more classic broadcasts.