The Doting Dowager Matter

From Hollywood. It's time now for... Hi George, how are things at Floyd's of England? Now it can't all be good, he wouldn't be calling me. So what's happened? What's it worth?

Twenty-six bucks and a half wouldn't even cover my expense account. How it just happens that she carries hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of personal property. Oh I get it. You're afraid that if we don't go through the motions of trying to find it, she might take her insurance elsewhere.

Precisely. Real important to you, huh? Very. Then I take it, I won't have to be chintzy with the old expense account. Well now, Johny. Okay, George, I'll be in touch. Bob Bailey, in the intriguing adventures of a man with the action-packed expense account.

America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly... Johnny Dollar. Johnny Dollar. Expense accounts emitted by special investigator Johnny Dollar. Defloids of England North American office, Hartford, Connecticut.

Following us in the kind of expenses incurred during my investigation of the doting-dowage your matter. Expense account item one seven ninety taxi train fairness and thatles Harper to New York. Item two a dollar even for a cab from Grand Central Station to the address of Mrs. Dora Harkness Ballon over on East 73rd Street.

It turned out to be one of New York's famous old brownstone houses well preserved and reeking of an era long gone by. A uniform butler rushed me into a large high ceiling drawing room and I could hardly believe my eyes. On eight Great pre-Victorian furnishings, heavy red velvet draperies, huge lamps and crystal chandeliers,

oil paintings all over the place and gilded mirrors. Pretty fabulous. If you will be kind enough to wait here, Mr. Donald Rishol tells Mrs. Ballon that you have arrived. Thank you. I know that you'll want to see you.