10-Story Detective Magazine, April 1946 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 to let Marjorie alone. You promised, It was your last word, She loved me.” BRELLs sat back, puffing. He looked up at Strom apologetically. “My heart. It’.. worse since you’ve been gone.” Then, he recovered more of his aplomb, reached deliberately for a cigarette. “Yes, I promised, for Marjorie loved you. Note how I emphasize the past tense, But can I help the workings of a woman’s heart? You knew I leved her too. And when she realized that you yourself had begun this business . The gun suddenly reappeared, its muz- zle pointing straight at Pelle’ heart. “7 began it!” Strom shook with rage for an instant, then abruptly quieted. “No, that’s just what you want, my dear doctor. To excite me so that I wili forget my purpose—the purpose for which I risked ny life. It was you who helped her mind to ehange. Don’t lie! Lying will do you no good. You’re going to die any- way.” Strom paused, letting this sink in. Then. he ground out his cigarette. “Where is she now?” Fells’ teeth were chattering. “Out,” he managed to gasp. “Out for a few hours to some friend’s house. She’ be back.” “When?” The other looked at the wall clock, “Not very long. Maybe an hour. Maybe two.” Strom’s face brightened. He knew Marjorie’s habits, knew that she never left a gathering until late. When she came back, she’d get the same treatment as he planned giving Fells, Abruptly he rose, stripped off his over- eoat, jacket, vest, revealing a blood- stained shirt. This he removed swiftly, the while keeping Fells covered with the gun. As the shirt came away, he stepped back. “You’re going to eperate, doctor,” snarled Strom. “They winged me in the shoulder. Hit me right between the clav- icle and the tep tensors—and the bullet. didn’t come out.” He expertly removed the erude bandage covering the wound. Fells again gasped. : “My heart. Strom, you’li not ask an old friend te...” “You'll do it scientifically, doctor and I'll watch you. First cross-sectional X- rays, then local anesthesia, then. the ex- traction of the bullet. Finally an injection of penicillin with beeswax to insure heal- ing of the wound.” 10-STORY DETECTIVE machine behind thick, “Strom} I warn you!” Fells stepped from behind the desk, pastored forward. “Tf you die . “That would. Sate you very happy, doctor, wouldn’t it?” barked Strom. “Now get to work. We’re alone in this house. You haven’t a gun or any weapon handy, have you? Always were afraid of fire- arms. Now we'll just lock the surgery temporarily.” He stepped to the surgery door, kicked it shut, locked it, then point- ed to the inclosed X-ray room, Suddenly his voice purred, “You will follew my direction, docter. There wilt be no mistakes. There had hetter not be. Now, set the controls for the X-ray. Vit load the plate myself.” He stepped with the surety born of long medical practice to the closet where blank X-ray plates were stored, drew out two, one large, one small. Moving to the glass-walled cubicle that held the X-ray teaded, sound- proofed walls, he opened its door with the hand that held the gun, hiked the plate under the top bed of the machine’s steel and stone table. As he came out again, the transformers were already Fells adjusting their giant thrust of power with expert, if trembling hands. Strom observed him with imterest. “Beautiful machine,” he remarked ap- preciatively. “Better than the one we had before,” His voice dropped, and for an instant took on a dreamlike pach Then he shook himself, grimaced with pdin, raised the gun. “TT shall enter the room, lie down on the table, and you shall take the X-ray. No tricks!” he warned as Fells crossed the room to the switches. “Remember I can keep my eyes on you even while you’re out here. One false move and you get a bullet between the eyes.” Fells nedded dumbly, as Strom reen- tered the machine’s: quarters, elosing the door behind him through sheer unforget- ten habit. Wy THIN, Strom lay flat on the table, waiched the projecting plate come rapidly down toward his shoulder as Felis made the necessary adjustments from outside. For an instant he was lost in admiration of the layout. K was cau- tion earried to its greatest extent. There was no possibility of the dangeraus rays leaking out, no necessity for the operator to hide behind plates of leaded glass and | (Continued on pege 80) : CofmMicloOokKs } } (SO)