Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Bolt out of the Blue Matter (EP5050)

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas

Johnny Dollar investigates a threatening situation at the coastal home of retired sea captain Amos Weatherby after his niece, Thelma Jean We

Key takeaways

• Roger Burton's history of two mysterious wife deaths raises suspicion despite lack of evidence.

Main topics

• Suspicious death of former spouses
• Threats against a retired sea captain

Notable quotes

He even boasted that he could do it and get away with it. The things he did with a couple of nosy wives, those were his very words.

Conclusion

Johnny Dollar arrives at the Weatherby estate just as a storm looms, confronting a

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:11) © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Speaker 1 (0:28) Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. But first, I want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. And remember, when making your travel plans, check JohnnyDollarAir.com. Calm first, JohnnyDollarAir.com is a Priceline affiliate link, so part of your purchase price supports the great detectives of old-time radio at no additional cost to you. Remember, JohnnyDollarAir.com. But now, from July 26, 1959, here is the bolt out of the blue manner. Johnny Speaker 5 (1:18) Dollar. Oh, sure, Harry. How are you? What's on your mind? Speaker 2 (1:29) Okay, Speaker 5 (1:30) so I'm laughing. I Speaker 2 (1:31) mean funny, peculiar. No. Speaker 5 (1:32) Do I? Why don't you tell me about him, will you? Speaker 2 (1:35) Well, it appears that somebody is threatening... Speaker 5 (1:38) You call that funny? Speaker 2 (1:39) Uh, yeah. Speaker 5 (1:40) Yeah, you told me. At least come in with a client. Speaker 2 (1:43) Amen. Speaker 5 (1:48) How much insurance has he carried? Speaker 2 (1:50) A bit less. And who's Speaker 5 (1:52) the beneficiary? Speaker 2 (1:52) His. Speaker 5 (1:58) But she just can't wait for him to die a natural death. No Speaker 2 (2:02) wrong there. Speaker 5 (2:07) Eh, well now, Harry, you know as well as I do that if she's smart... And she is. And if she has got any intention, it's the best way to keep suspicion from herself. Speaker 2 (2:14) Wrong again, Johnny. I'm sure of it. Speaker 5 (2:17) Yeah. Young, did you say? Speaker 5 (2:25) Pretty. Okay, then, Harry, give me the address and telephone her that I'm on my way. 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. Act One of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Speaker 5 (3:14) Expense account submitted by Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to Speaker 3 (3:18) the Four Speaker 5 (3:18) State Mutual Insurance Company, Gloucester, Massachusetts Speaker 3 (3:20) office. Speaker 5 (3:21) Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the boat out of the blue matter. Knowing the Cape Man country pretty well, I decided to use my own car on this one. So, expense account item 1, 1470, mileage at the rate of 10 cents a mile, and a bargain for the company at half the price. Speaker 5 (3:50) Anna Squam on the northwestern end of the Cape is a pleasant little settlement, unspoiled by the vacation crowds. A kind of quiet summer haven for writers, poets, and painters, with a few large and very old homes. The address that Harry McQueen gave me turned out to be one of them. Set on a high, sandy knoll, it was a big frame house with hip roof, shingled turrets, and cupolas, half a dozen gables, and dormer windows, all of it dripping with gingerbread and covered with Boston ivy. Speaker 5 (4:20) It looked out over the sparkling blue waters of Enniswamp Bay. On one corner was a big tower with a platform on top surrounded by a heavy, well-polished brass railing. A flagpole carried not only the national ensign, but a couple of signal flags on separate lines below a sort of yard arm, I guess you'd call it. Another shorter pole supported a weather vane and one of those revolving things to measure wind velocity. The whole place, in spite of its well-eaten age, was in good condition. It was what the owner, according to Harry's description of him, would call a ship-shape. All very interesting in color, though. What interested me most, though, was the vision that greeted me at the front door. And I mean vision. Speaker 4 (5:04) Yes? Oh, you must be Johnny Dollar. Any Speaker 5 (5:08) description of Thelma Jean Weatherby could only end up in the Department of Understatement. She was tall, well-tanned, and beautiful. A sort of honey blonde with clear, exciting blue eyes. The sort of figure that you'd name a blonde. She was wearing a well-cut pair of blue silk capris. Speaker 4 (5:26) Johnny. And Speaker 5 (5:27) a blouse of lighter blue chiffon. The freshening breeze caught a wisp of her hair and gently flicked it across the beautiful face in a sort of caress. I caught the faint scent of our parish. Speaker 4 (5:39) Johnny, what's the matter with you? You are Johnny Dollar, aren't you? Speaker 5 (5:49) Yeah, sure. I'm sorry, Miss Weatherby. Speaker 4 (5:52) Miss Weatherby? Uh, Thelma? Thelma Dean. But come in, Johnny. Speaker 5 (5:57) Yeah, sure. Speaker 4 (6:00) The captain has just gone up to the bridge to look for the weather, so we can talk later. The captain? My uncle. Captain Amos Weatherby. Oh, boy. And the bridge is on that tower on the corner of the house. I see. He spends most of his time up there. It was about Captain Amos that I called the insurance company. So McQueen told me. Sit down, Johnny. And would you like a nice tea, drink, or something after your long drive? Speaker 5 (6:23) Well, I take it you'd like to tell me what this is all about while the captain isn't here, so why don't we save the amenities for later, huh? All Speaker 4 (6:30) right. I can tell you all about it in two minutes. All right. I was engaged to a fellow. That I can believe. His name is Roger Burton. Until a couple of weeks ago when the captain, who didn't like Roger from the start, Speaker 4 (6:48) Well, he found out some rather unsolvable things about it. Speaker 5 (6:51) Like what, Speaker 4 (6:52) Comergy? Roger never told me, Johnny, but he'd been married twice, as a matter of fact. And both of his wives died under very funny circumstances. I see. Also, they both had considerable money. Which I will if anything ever happens to Captain Amos. So Speaker 5 (7:09) I understand. His insurance. Speaker 4 (7:11) I not only broke off with him, but Captain Amos literally threw him out of the house. And believe me, in spite of