The Valentine Matter Ep 5

The Valentine Matter Ep 5

Originally Aired: November 4, 1955 Johnny Dollar #255, "The Valentine Matter Ep 5," The investigation reaches a devastating climax as Johnny Dollar witnesses the murder of Terry Valentine, the fourth victim in this deadly case. Racing from the Valentine house, Johnny tracks down two killers, brothers Sisto and Darby Chianti from New York, resulting in a fatal shootout. As Johnny grapples with his feelings for Terry, Inspector Debaca works to understand why the Chianti brothers targeted the Valentine family. The brothers leave no answers, both dying from their wounds. The mystery begins to unravel when the Chianti brothers' father, Pietro, arrives to claim his sons' bodies. Through dogged investigation, Johnny discovers the shocking truth: Dan Valentine's wife was Pietro Chianti's daughter. The old man reveals he ordered the execution of the entire Valentine family himself. In a chilling confession, Pietro explains that when his daughter married the bad man Dan Valentine years ago, only evil could follow. He saw the deaths of his own daughter, granddaughter Terry, lawyer Conrad Webster, and Dan Valentine as necessary acts of a father's judgment.

The Valentine Matter Ep 4

Originally Aired: November 3, 1955 Johnny Dollar #254, "The Valentine Matter Ep 4," Johnny receives devastating news from Roy Vickers: Danny Valentine and his wife have been gunned down by two unidentified assassins outside a hotel. Despite Johnny's efforts to protect him, Valentine had checked himself out of the hospital and disappeared, only to be tracked down by professional killers who finish the job they started earlier. Inspector Charles de Baca and Johnny discuss the case over dinner, trying to piece together why Valentine became a target. While de Baca suspects old enemies from Valentine's criminal past, Johnny believes the motive lies closer to home, pointing out that Valentine had reinvented himself as a peaceful man who spent his days painting and listening to music. Johnny travels to Valentine's house in Jefferson Parish, where he meets Teresa Ward, the daughter who has just discovered her true identity through newspaper reports of her father's murder. The well-educated young woman struggles with conflicting emotions about inheriting fifty thousand dollars from a father she never knew existed, while grieving the mother who kept the secret all these years. As Johnny comforts Teresa and explains her father's attempts to provide for her from prison, the mystery deepens around who wanted both Valentine and his wife dead.

The Valentine Matter Ep 3

Originally Aired: November 2, 1955 Johnny Dollar #253, "The Valentine Matter Ep 3," Johnny continues his search for Dan Valentine, the former racketeer from the Roaring Twenties who walked out of his hospital bed with two bullets still in him. After confronting Mrs. Valentine at her New Orleans hotel, Johnny presses her for answers about why her husband chose to live so far away from her and their daughter Teresa in New England. She reluctantly reveals that Conrad Webster, a disbarred attorney and old friend of Dan's who handled his insurance policy and daughter's trust, might be living in the city. Johnny wonders if the injured man sought refuge with this connection from his past. Following a trail through bars and flophouses, Johnny tracks Webster down at three in the morning to a rundown duplex on Gentilly Street. He finds a drunk, philosophical old man who speaks bitterly about their vanished era of Hamburg hats and the Charleston. Webster insists he hasn't seen Dan and doesn't know his whereabouts, though he reveals a deep melancholy about their faded generation. As Johnny leaves empty-handed, the mystery of Dan Valentine's disappearance deepens, with time running out for the bleeding fugitive somewhere in the New Orleans night.

The Valentine Matter Ep 2

Originally Aired: November 1, 1955 Johnny Dollar #252, "The Valentine Matter Ep 2," Johnny Dollar continues his investigation into the attempted murder of Dan Valentine, a former bootlegger and convicted tax evader who recently completed a prison sentence and was living quietly in New Orleans. Inspector DeBaca remains suspicious about the timing of the shooting, noting that Valentine met Dollar for drinks just before someone opened fire on him. While Valentine refuses to cooperate or identify his attackers, the insurance company wants Dollar to ensure their policyholder stays alive. A milk truck driver named Willie Blakely comes forward as a witness, describing how Valentine seemed to recognize the two men in the black Buick sedan before they shot him. The peculiar detail that catches everyone's attention is that Valentine appeared to smile sadly at his attackers rather than reach for a weapon, suggesting he knew them well. Dollar's investigation deepens as he reviews Valentine's extensive criminal file dating back to 1915, revealing a complex history involving the Irish Rebellion, the drug business, and prohibition-era crimes. When Dollar attempts to visit Valentine at the hospital, he learns the patient's condition has worsened from blood loss and requires a transfusion. A mysterious gray-haired, well-dressed woman also inquires about Valentine, prompting Dollar to follow her down the corridor.

The Valentine Matter Ep 1

Originally Aired: October 31, 1955 Johnny Dollar #251, "The Valentine Matter Ep 1," Johnny Dollar finds himself with unexpected free time in New Orleans after a case involving a bellhop who stole a diamond necklace and ran off with the hotel manager's wife wraps up quickly. While killing time at a bar on Burgundy Street, Dollar recognizes a solitary, gray-haired man as Dan Valentine, a former prohibition-era gangster who recently finished serving 13 years for income tax evasion. Valentine insists he's gone straight and just wants to live quietly in New Orleans without police harassment. Dollar believes him, and the two spend a pleasant evening together dining at Jimmy Moran's and making the rounds of local clubs. The next morning, Inspector DeBaca of the New Orleans police calls Dollar in, revealing they've been watching Valentine since his arrival three months ago. DeBaca questions whether Dollar had any business dealings with Valentine, but their conversation is interrupted by shocking news: Dan Valentine has been found on a sidewalk with two bullet wounds in his shoulder. When questioned, Valentine claims he was cleaning his gun, but Dollar and DeBaca know he's lying about what really happened.