10-Story Detective Magazine, April 1946 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

18——_—__—_-____—_______}0 STORY DETECTIVE “He'll escape!” the detective cried hoarsely. “Oh, heaven help me, he’s beaten me again!” CHAPTER V ANYBODY can guess what it sounds like when four stories of tin water- spouting suddenly lets go. It’s a ripping, scraping, cracking hell. But when this happened a moment after the fade-out of the moon, Tommy Slawter distinctly heard, above the awful rending noise, the solid thud of Fane’s body kissing the sidewalk. He turned then and rushed back to Vale. Before he reached the spot where she had been, the moon came sailing out from its blind. She was no longer there. The snow told him the story of her disappearance—her footprints, testify- ing that she’d risen and walked away. Walked! those little footmarks were like an angel’s handwriting. The snow that gave their dainty contours such beautiful relief was as heaven’s own stationery. He ran along her tracks, leading back to the apartment, his heartbeats a high ‘chorus of wild joy, his mind returning to what the doctor at the hospital had said. “Sometimes a sudden shock will in- stantly remedy such a condition.” Vale was not in. the breakfast-nook, nor in the kitchen. He rushed into the hall, calling, “Vale! Vale, darling!” There came no answer. Downstairs then, onto the sidewalk, racing like a madman. Ahead of him where Fane had fallen a car was parked, a long, shiny car, He ran toward it. As he ran he saw a big man bending over Fane’s body. “Tommy! Tommy, stay back!” That was Vale’s voice, It had come from inside the car. And suddenly slash- ing at him was a stream of alternating fire: Somebody in the car was pitching hot marbles at him. . He swung into the shadows. of the building. The shooting roared on, the force of the shots punching big funnels in the falling snow. He saw the big man whirl and start running toward the car. It was Dr. Merryway. Then Tommy did what he always dreaded to do. He shot a man, One! Two! It was enough. He’d broken both of Merryway’s legs just above the knees. The doctor went down like a smacked jack-in-the-box, his legs bunch- ing up in front of him. Slawter glanced at Fane’s body, unable to believe his old enemy was out for keeps. The shooting from the ear stopped. Whoever was doing it had seen the doc- tor fall, saw him now, crawling toward the car, The doctor called out, his voice spilling pain and panic. “You got him, Brace. Come and help me.” Brace Useman was in the car, He’d trapped the whole bevy at once. But Useman didn’t show. Suddenty Vale appeared at the car, fighting to break a man’s grip en her wrists. In another instant she was free and run- ning toward the building. Useman’s voice went after her. “Come back or Pl kill you!” At that second Slawter opened up again. He shot out the windshield where he guessed Useman’s head would be. After that, 2 moment or two, Useman slid from the car, head first, and tumbled onto the street. All right, the jig was up. “Tommy! Ch, Tommy!” Vale called, running toward him, He grabbed her, hugged her hard, buried her face im ring Kisses. “Tommy,” she gasped, “Fane got the Pell boy’s letter from me, and—”- “You snitched it from my overcoat?” he cut in. “You was afraid it held some- thing that would lead me to Fane?” “Yes—Yes, but—” “Hush,” he told her. “I know what was . in-it. Go inside. Call the police, ask for Sergent Treckess.” “Fane came for it. He took it from me, Then the others came for it, They didn’t know Fane had it, He—” : “Go,” he said. “Quickly. Call Sergent Treckess. “But, Tommy—” “Tt know, darling, But ro now.” She went, running, kicking up her little heels to show him how well she could do it. SEMAN had a slug im his left shoul- der and was scared he was dying, Slawter disarmed them both, then helped the doctor into the car and went over to Fane’s body, The little beast was dead. Slawter searched his clothes and found Rodney’s ECOMIGDOOKs (©)