10-Story Detective Magazine, April 1946 — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

———“WELCOME HOMICIDE, LOUIE!”———— We go into the apartment and check on the names on the mailboxes. It says on one, Maria Mafia. “It occurs to me just now,” I says. ““Wasn’t there a very bloodthirsty or- ganization in Sicily called the Mafia, Louie?’ “Bright boy,” Louie says and leads me upstairs. We pause in front of a door and press our ears against it. We hear voices. A plaintive one ar- gues, “I won’t never get that eye right, Madam. The paint’ll look too new if I could. Whoever painted—” “Look, you punk,” a feminine voice says, “I promised you a thuusand bucks ~ to get that right eye on that old crow painted back on. I looked everywhere for the chip of stuff that fell off that old can- vas, but—” “Madam, only one man ever lived who could paint as nasty a lookin’ eye as the one I’m copyin’. He’s been dead a few hundred years. I’m doin’ my best. I fig- ure mixin’ blue an’ green an’ a little yel- low an’ that eye—oh, I can’t ever do it. Let me out an’—” “Do as the babe says, Mickey Angelo,” a very rough male voice says, “or we will make you eat what is in every tube you got there. You finish the job quick or you'll be as dead as the gee who painted that oi’ pitcher, see? Imagine it, two hundred grand for that pitcher!” WIE Pcie “All right,” the plaintive voice says, “T’ll do my best, but you won’t never get away with it. The fresh paint ain’t cracked like—” “We will worry about that, Buster,” the doll says. “Pour me another hooker, Cherub.” “Comin’ up, M’dam,” “There is at least two gorillas in there, Alvin,” Louie whispers. ‘They will liqui- date that guy even if he does a good job. Huh, what is two cheap mugs when I been up against a dozen Nazis while armed with only a nailfile, huh?” “What about me?” I ask. “T’m movin’ up, Alvin,” Louie says. “You be the rear echelon.” “If that means far behind, you can count on me,” I says. BOUIE goes across the hall and gets a good start. He throws a shoulder as big as ham against the door and it gives. “Put ’em up!” Louie yelps. “I got you cov—” : oA) NA) SAAR | Nn My Wea VAAN \\\ sine. S “7 Well, it might have happened to any- body. Just as Louie marks the order, the doll reaches for a shiv that she keeps in her stocking, I never will blame Louie for getting distracted. While he gapes at a very shapely gam, the rough boys begin the attack. A bullet washes a Hershey bar off Louie’s sleeve. Another slug goes right SS CO CORmicloo