The Shady Lane Matter - Ep 1

From Hollywood, it's time now for... Johnny Dollar. Pete Carlson, Johnny, Star Mujor. Oh, hiya, Pete. How's the family? Great. The lucky dogs are at Cape Cod for the summer while I toil and Fred. What's fretting you at the moment?

A letter, Johnny. Listen. If you're wanting to know who Murr... You just look real close to home. Bosemark, Shady Lane, Vermont. And the signature, I suppose, is that famous old name. That's right. Anonymous. Ellen Bates was killed a month ago. We shot to death.

We carried a $10,000 policy on her. And the beneficiary? Ben Bej, her husband. He's got a farm about four miles out of Shady Lane. Uh-huh, what's the status of the investigation? Stay on me, Johnny.

The coroner's jury brought in an open verdict, and there's been nothing turned up since. We were just on the point of paying off... Well, alright, Pete, I'll fret for you. If I can find Shady Lane on the map.

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... Yoursterly Johnny Dollar. From special investigator Johnny Dollar to the Home Office, Star Mutual Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut, the following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the shady lane matter.

Item 1, $36.70, transportation and incidentals, Hartford to shady lane, a quiet little town of around a thousand population. Drowsy streets lined with white frame homes, picket fences, and flower-bedded yards. A town with a well-chosen name, built under the protecting shade of venerable elms and spreading maples. A country crossroads town with one of everything. One in, one

restaurant, one garage, one general store, one barbershop, and one constable. A gaunt and lantern-jawed leather-faced man of middle-aged named Jed Bramler. It's a fact, Mr. Dollar, lived here all my life. First time I've ever seen it this hot. Yeah, it's warm all right. For this time of year at least. Whether it's changing,