Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Fatal Switch Matter 05/01/1960
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What is the Fatal Switch Matter about?
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Johnny Dollar. Johnny, listen. I've just looked up the plane schedule. Ah.
Yes. Now listen. If you hop into your car and drive on out to Bradley Field, you can just make the point to New York.
New York?
Who is Johnny Dollar and what is his role?
At this ungodly hour?
Listen, will you? you there just in time to get the morning 707 out here to the coast.
Hold everything, will you?
Get going, will you, Johnny, while this thing is still hot?
Wait a minute, wait a minute, I tell you. Who are you? What's this all about?
Oh, I'm sorry. This is Art, Art Bascom, Western Life and Trust Insurance here in Los Angeles.
Arthur, in the middle of the night... It's morning.
And, Johnny, you've got to make that jet flight out of New York, leaves here at 845. Why do I? Because this may be a case of murder.
Yeah, what may be a case of murder? Johnny... Make some sense, will you? Art! Hello! Okay, here we go again.
CBS Radio brings you Bob Bailey and the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account.
What leads Johnny Dollar to investigate a possible murder?
America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. And now, act one of yours truly, Johnny Dollar.
To the Western Life and Trust Insurance Company, Los Angeles office. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the fatal switch matter. Expense account item 1, 8 bucks for the flight to New York. Item 2, 176.25, the jet flight to Los Angeles. It was shortly after 11 a.m. Pacific time when Art Baskin met me at the L.A. International Airport. We took off in his car and headed south.
Balboa, Johnny. It's about 50 miles down the coast. Very successful. Based on Free Baron's exclusive rights to the patent on a radio control device.
Six ring rights, that is.
Big government order, that sort of thing.
I see.
All right, now tell me what's happened. Well... Free Baron's partner, so to speak, is the man who invented this device, who owns the patent. Young bachelor by the name of Edgar Porter.
And?
Johnny, it seems that Porter took the cruiser out for a trip yesterday morning. Last evening, Mr. Free Baron thought he'd call him by radio. You know, just to find out where he was, make sure he was all right.
Couldn't raise him?
No, he contacted him without any trouble. But then, in the middle of their conversation, suddenly... Well, Johnny, from what Porter said, his last words over the radio... Yeah?
What details emerge about Edgar Porter's last moments?
Well, it looks as though somebody killed him.
Where's the cruiser now, Art?
Somewhere out in the Pacific.
The Coast Guard's trying to find it. Well, then he hadn't given Free Baron his position.
No.
I guess he didn't have time before whatever it was killed him. Uh-huh. Who else was on board the boat with this man, Porter?
That's the first thing I asked Mr. Free Baron when he phoned me. Well? No one.
Huh?
Not even any other boats around. Porter and that cruiser were out there alone.
Yet, judging by what he said, someone somehow managed to kill him. What? Who said? Porter himself. Well, how do you know what he said? Lester Freebarron told me.
He and his wife were talking with Porter by radio when it happened.
Oh, well, then you only have his word for what Porter may have said.
Also, Johnny, Freebarron was making a tape recording of their conversation.
Oh, I wonder why.
I don't know. But he told me over the phone that he has that recording.
And you're sure that Porter was alone out there?
That's what he told Free Baron.
But if he was murdered... I know, I know.
How does Johnny Dollar gather evidence on the yacht?
It doesn't make sense. Brother, it sure doesn't.
Let's get on down there to Balboa.
The Free Baron home on Newport Bay was small compared to some of those around it, but nice nevertheless. A speedboat was tied up at the dock, but there was no sign of the cruiser. Lester Freebairn was a man of 57 or 58, I'd say, but right now he looked a lot older than it. His wife, considerably younger, was quite a dish. A tall, statuesque redhead. She wore an expensive silk housecoat with an ermine collar.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the Fatal Switch Matter about?
0:00–0:35
2
Who is Johnny Dollar and what is his role?
0:35–1:29
3
What leads Johnny Dollar to investigate a possible murder?
1:29–3:14
4
What details emerge about Edgar Porter's last moments?
3:14–4:12
5
How does Johnny Dollar gather evidence on the yacht?
4:12–5:45
6
What are the implications of the carbon monoxide poisoning?
5:45–6:43
7
What suspicions arise regarding Lester Freebairn's involvement?
6:43–7:39
8
How does the episode conclude with Johnny Dollar's findings?
7:39–21:51
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
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