The Jones Matter

Originally Aired: June 30, 1953Johnny Dollar #169, "The Jones Matter," insurance investigator Johnny Dollar heads to Las Vegas to recover a stolen $30,000 diamond necklace belonging to Lily Lasseur, a glamorous aging showgirl who still packs them in at the Billion Dollar Club. Lily has two notorious weaknesses: gambling and collecting young men, both of which prove expensive. When Dollar arrives to investigate, he finds himself navigating a complicated web of admirers surrounding the star, including Eddie Lawson, a young man from the East; Buck Barclay, a phony Texan who works as a riding instructor at the Lazy J stables; and Joan Drake, a sharp casino floor manager who accompanied Buck to Lily's poolside supper where the necklace vanished.As Dollar interviews the various suspects, he discovers that nearly everyone present that evening seems to have designs on Lily—both romantic and financial. Buck claims he's aiming to marry her, while Eddie insists he's her "very dear friend." The local marshal points Dollar toward Joan Drake as someone worth investigating, describing her as smart and difficult to figure out. With multiple suspects, questionable motives, and the glittering temptations of Las Vegas surrounding him, Dollar must determine who made off with Lily's expensive bauble.