The Todd Dossier

by Robert Bloch

  HOLLIS TODD is one of the richest men in the world, a flamboyant and dynamic multimillionaire who possesses everything in the world, except a good heart. With death imminent, he is flown to the country’s most prestigious heart transplant hospital, where shortly afterward the dying victim of an automobile accident is brought in. He is Tony Polanski, former Olympic track star already suffering a fatal disease—and the perfect donor. After his death, his heart is successfully transplanted to Todd, and so “the heart of one of the world’s great athletes beats on in the body of one of the world’s richest men.”

  But to Dr. Charles Everett, a member of the surgery team, there is something too fortuitous about the circumstances. Against spirited opposition and stern warnings, he delves deeper and deeper into the case, eventually exposing a masterly conceived and executed plan to insure the longevity of Todd, the man who wants to stay alive more than anything in the world. His disclosure triggers a chain reaction that brings the story to a shattering climax. Emphasizing, throughout, the moral and ethical dilemmas posed by transplants, and at the same time combining good surgery (“Medicine is just another form of human endeavor, the good and the bad.”) with good mystery (“. . . he was a far better doctor than he was a detective.”), The Todd Dossier is a novel both topical and engrossing, entertaining and informative.

  The Todd Dossier was published in 1969 with Collier Young listed as author. The novel was actually written by Robert Bloch (1917–1994).

  Collier Young (1908–1980) was an American film producer and writer, who worked on many films in the 1950s before becoming a television producer for such shows as NBC’s Ironside and CBS’s The Wild, Wild West.

  In 1969 Young planned a film called The Todd Dossier, based on a story by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne and novelised by Robert Bloch. The film was never made; Bloch, who had contracted for a paperback release, was shocked to learn that Collier Young had placed his own name on the book as author when it was published in hardcover (Delacorte Press–1969) and in paperback (Dell–1970).

  “. . . there was no clause in the contract stipulating that writing credit should go to anyone; the authors of the film treatment and I were just cut out and the novel appeared in hardcover and paperback as ‘by Collier Young’ – and several reviewers remarked on what a fine job he had done on ‘his’ first novel.”

  ROBERT BLOCH

  Once Around the Bloch:

  An Unathorised Autobiography

  (Tor Books, 1993)

  Copyright © 1969 by Robert Bloch

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in connection with reviews written specifically for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper.

  JACKET DESIGNED BY Paul Bacon

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 70-84908

  ISBN: 0-333-10772-1

  Manufactured in The United States of America

  First Printing

  The

  Todd

  Dossier

  The following material was compiled at the request of the Commissioner of Police, Los Angeles Police Department. On the 12th day of December this year, the Commissioner requested the District Attorney’s Office, City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, to investigate events occurring on and after the 12th day of October this year for possible violations of California Penal Code as cited below. The investigation was assigned to Walton J. Overbrook, Assistant District Attorney.

  s / Frank J. Leary

  FRANK J. LEARY

  DISTRICT ATTORNEY

  CITY OF LOS ANGELES

  COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

  CALIFORNIA

  Excerpt From Viewpoint Magazine

  Cover Story on Hollis Todd

  “There’s no use looking up Hollis Todd in Who’s Who because he simply isn’t listed there. As the third (or is it second?) richest man in the world, Todd obviously regards personal privacy as his most valuable possession.

  “Preserving that privacy, a small army of security officers police Todd’s fabulous Hudson River estate on a round-the-clock basis. No feudal monarch or oriental potentate has ever maintained a more elaborate and efficient series of safeguards to protect both his person and his property. And few heads of state have ruled over a more dazzling domain.

  “Baldwin Lodge (named after Todd’s first stock market coup, a killing in Baldwin Aircraft) is a 48-room Tudor mansion—a multi-million-dollar showplace which has been shown only to the privileged few who are summoned to the Presence. The half-dozen guesthouses on the grounds are maintained by a separate staff of twenty servants, but are seldom used.

  “Among the facilities he regards as essential for gracious living, the head of Todd Enterprises enjoys his own polo field, complete with stable and a dozen mounts. An adjoining garage houses a fleet of custom-built cars, serviced by a staff of European mechanics on permanent duty.

  “Todd also prizes his own private game-preserve and forest, a man-made lake, a skeet-shooting range, six tennis courts and a heliport.

  “Directly behind the lodge is a glass-enclosed aviary which reportedly accommodates hundreds of rare specimens gathered from all parts of the world. But it is safe to say that the rarest and most elusive bird of all is Mr. Hollis Todd himself.”

  Extract From the Statement of George Mantle, M.D.

  My name is George Mantle. Before we go into anything else, I’d like to go on record that I find this whole investigation extremely distasteful. I understand the necessity, of course, but there’s a question of medical ethics involved. If you follow me—

  Q. Precisely, Dr. Mantle. Will you identify yourself for the record, please.

  A. I am a practicing physician, specializing in cardiovascular disease. For eleven years I was chief of Cardiology at Stanford University Medical Center, and for the past three years I have acted as personal physician to Mr. Hollis Todd.

  Q. You were attending him in that capacity on the afternoon of October 12th?

  A. Yes. We were at Baldwin Lodge, waiting for a report from the Coast—

  Q. We?

  A. Myself. My patient, Mr. Todd. Also Mr. Crosby McCullen, who as you know is involved in an executive capacity with Todd Enterprises. Mrs. Veillier was present, along with the household staff and perhaps a half dozen special nurses. As I say, we were waiting for word from Los Angeles General Hospital regarding the status of a possible heart donor. We were not, however, going to be able to wait much longer, which is what I told Mr. McCullen that afternoon.

  Q. What exactly did you say to Mr. McCullen?

  A. I told him that Mr. Todd’s condition had deteriorated seriously since that morning. The pulmonary arteries were clogged and the heart was simply not getting enough blood. I told him that if a transplant was to be successful, it had to be effected within the next seventy-two hours.

  Q. How did Mr. McCullen react to this information?

  A. He said he was going to call the Coast immediately. I reminded him that the young woman indicated as a possible donor was still alive, and in any event, nothing could be done without obtaining consent. Mr. McCullen insisted on making the call to Dr. Walter Geiger, head of the Cardiology Department at Los Angeles General. He said at least the matter of consent could be arranged immediately.

  Q. He spoke to Dr. Geiger then?

  A. No, to Dr. Everett—Dr. Charles Everett. He works directly under Dr. Geiger on the heart transplant team. He was on duty during Dr. Geiger’s absence and he took the call.

  Q. What was the substance of the conversation?

  A. Mr. McCullen was very upset when he learned Dr. Geiger was not available. He refused to deal with what he termed an “underling” and demanded to speak t
o Dr. Geiger at once. Realizing that Mr. McCullen was undergoing emotional stress, I intervened and spoke to Dr. Everett myself. I told him of my patient’s condition and asked the status of the possible donor. Dr. Everett informed me that the young woman in question was undergoing terminal aneurism—his prognosis indicated a life-expectancy of twenty-four hours, maximum. Her blood type was AB-negative, the same as Mr. Todd’s.

  Q. Would you call that a rare blood type?

  A. I would call that an extremely rare blood type. This, of course, influenced my decision to permit Mr. Todd to be flown to Los Angeles for transplant surgery. You must understand that such surgery cannot possibly be successful unless certain necessary conditions are met. A good tissue match is most important, but the blood type is the primary consideration. In this instance we had a possible donor available who met both specifications. Under the circumstances, I had no choice.

  Q. You told Dr. Everett you were flying your patient to Los Angeles?

  A. I informed him we would be airborne within the hour. A helicopter was in readiness to take us to the airport. Mr. Todd’s plane was on standby there with the necessary medications on board. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I estimated our arrival time in Los Angeles at approximately midnight, Pacific Time. Meanwhile I urged Dr. Everett to take immediate action towards obtaining consent of donorship from his patient’s next of kin.

  Q. And he agreed to do so?

  A. Yes. He said he would contact the patient’s parents at once.

  Extract From Viewpoint Magazine

  Cover Story on Hollis Todd

  “A perennial bachelor, Todd’s activities as a playboy made newspaper headlines for almost three decades. These headlines—and, presumably, Todd’s playboy antics—abruptly ceased, shortly after his first meeting with Mrs. Eva Veillier.

  “Known simply as ‘Eva’ when she pursued a career as Paris’ leading fashion model, Mrs. Veillier was a highly decorative member of the international jet set. She was married to Claude Veillier, race-car driver and four-times finalist in the Grand Prix. According to reports, Veillier never finished first in competition as a driver, and his record of losses carried over into his marital career. Five years ago at the Cowes Regatta, his wife met Hollis Todd. She never returned to her husband.

  “It was rumored at the time that Todd paid up Veillier’s considerable debts and, in addition, settled a million dollars on him. Mrs. Eva Veillier has been Todd’s constant companion ever since.

  “Claude Veillier committed suicide a year later at the Negresco Hotel in Nice.”

  Extract From the Statement of Alma Torrance

  Q. Mrs. Torrance, how long were you employed at Baldwin Lodge?

  A. Twelve years, almost thirteen. It would have been thirteen, come next March.

  Q. You were the housekeeper there?

  A. I was.

  Q. And just what was the precise nature of your duties at the lodge?

  A. Look, young man. I’m not about to tell you my age but you can see for yourself I wasn’t born yesterday. We both know good and well you didn’t haul me clear across the United States to ask questions about how I counted spoons or handled the laundry. What you’re getting at is how much do I know about what went on in Mr. Todd’s household, isn’t that so?

  Q. In a manner of speaking—

  A. All right. Let’s just say I know as much about what happened at Baldwin Lodge as anyone else. Probably more. And that includes Mr. Todd himself. It was my business to know.

  Q. Regarding your employer, now—

  A. Let’s get one thing straight before we go any further. If you think for one moment that I’m the sort of person who goes around telling tales out of school you’re badly mistaken. As far as I’m concerned, Mr. Todd’s personal affairs are none of yours or anybody else’s business.

  Q. That is understood, Mrs. Torrance. The purpose of this inquiry is to shed some light on the relationships between Hollis Todd and his associates. For example, Dr. Mantle, Mr. McCullen—

  A. Oh. Then why didn’t you say so? No sense beating around the bush. I can tell you about those two. I was there when they came.

  Q. Mr. McCullen?

  A. He started out as Mr. Todd’s secretary. That’s right—secretary. Not too many people know that, but it’s true. I remember thinking it was funny at the time, having a man for that kind of work. But Mr. Todd explained he wasn’t what you’d call a regular secretary—not like a stenographer, somebody to take dictation. He had to do with keeping track of business deals. And that’s why Mr. Todd took him out of his New York office and brought him up to stay at the house. You see at that time Mr. Todd did a lot of his work at night. He’d get an idea, something he wanted to do, and right away he’d be making notes, sending wires, cables all over the world. You wouldn’t begin to believe some of the phone bills just for the house alone. Of course you’ve got to remember when it’s night over here it’s daytime in London and Rome and Tokyo. He did business in places like that and in some of them he owned companies or set up offices. So he’d start on something and the first thing you know it would turn into a regular three-ring circus, calls coming in and going out at two o’clock in the morning. And Mr. McCullen was right there on hand to help. I don’t know much about that part of it except that Mr. Todd was very pleased with the way they worked together. And one of the things that pleased him most was that Mr. McCullen was always ready to work with him at any hour of the day or night. I remember him saying to him once, “I don’t know which is the most valuable to me, Crosby—your intelligence or your insomnia.” Mr. McCullen just laughed, but you could see it was a real compliment. After a while Mr. Todd hired two more secretaries and put in a whole room just for communications as he called it. Private lines, all sorts of gadgets. I really couldn’t tell you what-all because I never did go inside. No one did except Mr. Todd and the secretaries and Mr. McCullen. And Mr. McCullen didn’t spend too much time there after the secretaries came, either. That’s because Mr. Todd started to send him out on special assignments—visiting company branches and people he did business with abroad.

  Q. What was Mr. McCullen’s title?

  A. He didn’t have any, not that I know of. It’s just that he wasn’t a secretary anymore. You see, Mr. Todd was like that. At first he’d keep his eye on you until he was satisfied you knew what you were doing. But once he was sure, he’d leave you alone. That’s the way it was with me when I came to take over the housekeeping, and that’s the way it was with Mr. McCullen. After a while he just let Mr. McCullen handle things his own way.

  Q. How would you say you got along with him?

  A. Mr. McCullen? Very well. If you mean were we close in any way, the answer is no. I’m not the kind to go sticking my nose in anybody else’s business and neither is he. We both had our jobs to do and that was it. I must say Mr. McCullen was no bother to me at all. He was never fussy about eating and as long as his room was kept up and somebody looked after his laundry and cleaning that’s all he expected. I don’t recall the two of us ever having a cross word with each other in all those years. He was just as sweet as pie to me, and I only wish I could say as much for some other people I know.

  Q. Dr. Mantle?

  A. You brought up the name, young man, I didn’t. But that’s another story entirely. Dr. Mantle didn’t come to stay at the lodge until after Mr. Todd had his attack and naturally he had his own ideas then. You might say I was trying to run a household and Dr. Mantle was trying to run a hospital. You can’t imagine what went on—bringing in those private nurses and setting up all that special equipment. And of course he upset the entire kitchen staff with the diet menus. Plus the cleaning and the sterilizing. Would you believe it, he even made us install a separate dishwashing unit with live steam to scald all the dishes and silver Mr. Todd used, even the pots and pans his food was cooked in! I’ll never forget the time Goldie scalded herself—if it wasn’t for Mr. Todd being so sick and all I would have marched right up there and told him what I thought. I
was good and ready to give Dr. Mantle a piece of my mind but Mr. McCullen told me he’d handle it. And I guess he did at that, because things got better for a while. Of course nothing was really the way it had been. Even before Mr. Todd’s attack everything changed.

  Q. In what way?

  A. In every way. I knew it was going to happen, right from the start. From the very first moment she walked into the house I knew it. I could feel it in my bones.

  Q. When you say, “she,” Mrs. Torrance, to whom are you referring?

  A. I’m not “referring” to anyone, as you put it. You know perfectly well who I’m talking about. It was a black day when that one came to the lodge, a black day for all of us.

  Q. You resented Mrs. Veillier’s presence as a guest?

  A. There’s no need putting words into my mouth, young man. We both know she wasn’t a guest. And if you think that shocked me, well, all I can say is you’re very badly mistaken. Just remember I’d been working for Mr. Todd for almost eight years before she came, and a person would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to know that he was a great one with the ladies. And why shouldn’t he be? I’m not a prude and I’m not a hypocrite and I’m not a fool either. It’s only natural that a man in Mr. Todd’s position would have his share of lady-friends, even more than his share, you might say. He never made any bones about it and I guess anyone old enough to read the gossip columns in the newspapers would know. He certainly didn’t try to keep it a secret from me. Perfume, flowers, furs, jewelry, one time even a Rolls-Royce limousine for that dancer he met in Argentina. Oh no, I wasn’t shocked. After all the whole business had been in the headlines when she walked out on her husband and went away with Mr. Todd on his yacht. It wasn’t the first time something like that had happened. But when he came back from his trip and she came with him, that did surprise me. He’d never brought any of them to the lodge before. So I knew this time was different.