Originally Aired: February 2, 1954
Johnny Dollar #200, "The Paul Gorrell Matter,"
Johnny Dollar arrives in Phoenix to investigate a brutal payroll robbery that left two guards dead and $100,000 missing. George Post, Plymouth Insurance's chief adjuster, reveals a shocking secret: the police don't know that one of the robbers, a man named Palavic, contacted him before being murdered. Palavic identified his partner as Paul Gorrell, claiming the killings violated their no-shooting agreement. Before his death, Palavic revealed Gorrell's escape plan and disclosed that the stolen money has already been mailed somewhere near Los Angeles. Rather than involve the police, who might prioritize catching the killer over recovering the money, Post asks Johnny to take an extraordinary gamble.
Johnny must pose as an ordinary passenger in a share-the-ride car heading to Los Angeles, where the ruthless triple-murderer Paul Gorrell will be a fellow traveler. Unable to carry a weapon for fear of arousing suspicion, Johnny finds himself at a severe disadvantage against a man who has already killed three people in cold blood. As he arranges his passage with the car's owner, Mr. Bovey, Johnny realizes he'll be completely at Gorrell's mercy during the dangerous journey west.