10-Story Detective Magazine, April 1946 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

THE CHOKE'S ON ME wife, the whole business became clear. examined in the station wagon after the sccident—Kitty Melville, Henry Crowell’s new wife. The real Margaret Vail, I’m sorry & report, ia dead. She was killed, l think, by Henry Crowell. Her body was found out on the breakwater this morn- ing ee hairpin out of my pocket. “By the way, Mark, you might have your laboratory check on the blood on this. It will prob- ably check with Miss Vai'’s.” Mark stuck the little pin into an en- velope, then sat back again. I turned to Browning, smiling. “You almost stopped me from finding that bit of evidence.” Kat Boy suddenly looked embarrassed. “EF gaw you swipe the letter from the Colonel’s desk," he explained. “I knew you were a stranger in the house, I _ thought I'd better wet it back.” There was a brief pause while IL wait- ed for the next query. Mark finally aprung it, “All of which brings us te the motive. The Colonel, Margaret Vail, and the Chinese houseboy, Why.all the whole- sale slaughter?” | POURED myself another drink from the bottle of dwindling Scotch. Then I turned again to the old physician. “ioc Whitehead here is the one who really set me wise to that,” I explained. “You remember, Doctor, that you told me that you had witnessed the Colonel’s will recently, the ternta of which returned the bull of his estate to Margaret Vail. As soon a8 L heard that I began to catch on. “J began watching the so-called Misa Vail very closely. Two things clinched my hunch. The first thing was that she suddenly became very anxious for me to leave the place. That wasn’t natural, nor was it natural chat she should be spying on me from her window. And the second clincher came when I asked her for a drink and she couldn’t find where the liquor was kept in the pantry. Right thea L was certain something was wrong with Miss Vail.” I looked back at Mark. “Of course, when you told me that Crowell and this Melville dame were recently married, and thas, Miss Post was actually Harris‘’s i pulled the almost forgotten celluloid — ——_—_—_—49 Crowell and Harris, seeing that the Colonel's money was going to Margaret Vail after his death, hitched up the plot. - Just before the new guests arrived last evening, they did away with the real Miss Vail and fixed up Crowell’s new wife to take her place. Since very few visitors ever came to the Colonel’s house, no one would be the wiser after the Colonel was dead. The new Miss Vail—Crowell’s wife —would inherit the money. “It was an almost perfect setup. There were only two minor obstacles. One was the Chinese houseboy, who, if left around the house, would be able to identify the real Miss Vail. Hence Misa Post's little story cooked up ahead of time fo ret rid of him.” I turned once more to the old docter. “The second obstacle, Doctor Whitehead, was you. After I found they had got rid of Charley Lee and I couldn't use him for identification, I tried to think of some- one else. You were the only other living person about Miami, I imagine, who bbe acquainted with the real Margaret ail, “That explains the prand climarx. Crowell got panicky and took it on the lam with his new wife, leaving Harris and Miss Post to hold the bag. But it just happened that Harris wot wise. oe to him, no one had to even fire « shot.” Finally, aa Fat Boy and Doe White- head rose, I couldn’t resist the tempta- tion to rub it into Mark a little. “As neat a job of perfectly bloodless detecting as I ever saw—if I do say se myself,” I added, reaching for my hat. Then I turned for one more triumphant glance at the redhead slumped behind the desk. “But I'm surprised at you, Mark,” I went on chiding. “I’m afraid you're alip- ping. Where are your powers of detec- tion? You admitted you saw Miss Mel- ville dance once, yet you didn’t remem- ber her when you met face to face, How come ?” “T told you she was using fans, you dope,” Mark growled back. “I wasn% lookin’ at her face.” He had me thera, 4 fe. comicboooks (CO