10 Story Detective, July 1942 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

68 you around. Get off my place—and stay off!” Buck said: “It’s your place, sir.” He plodded back to his car. T WAS noon when Buck got back to town. He stood just outside the bank and watched the entrance to the Citrus Café. Presently he saw Chief Bedford and Captain Reccord go in for their noon meal. Buck wanted to talk to Freddie Garcia again, and he knew that he wouldn’t have much chance if Bed- ford and Reccord were at the jail. With them away it was easy. The one man on duty was an old pal and made no objection. But Freddie didn’t want to talk. He said: “It’s no use, Buck. You know how it is with a guy like me. Tomorrow that guy from the sheriff’s office will take me away and that’l! be the finish. I’ve got no dough, no drag. So no chance!” “Listen, Freddie,’ Buck argued. “Y’m your pal. I’m out of a job be- cause I’m for you. That ought to be enough.” Freddie wagged his head. “I wish you hadn’t done it, Buck. I—I ean’t talk.” Buck said: “The reason you won’t talk is that you think anything you say would make things worse in- stead of better. And I can see why. I know that the night before last you were tailing Dick around town. It looks to me like you caught up with him in the grove, Dick’s face was bruised, so my guess is that you beat hell out of him and left him lying there.” Freddie’s eyes narrowed, He was silent a moment, then he said: “Okay, Buck. It will only make things worse, but I’ll tell you. I intended to give Dick a beating. I’d been taking his dirt for years. The day before yesterday, there in the grove, when he made remarks about that girl I go with, I made up my mind. But I knew I had to get him alone, ‘herwise others would interfere. 10-STORY DETECTIVE “So, as you say, I followed him around. It was in the pool hall that I heard him say that he would be in the grove, under that pepper-berry tree, at one o'clock, so I—” “Who did he say it to?” “Stokey Heaton himself, Dick was talking to him near the door. They didn’t see me, and they were talk- ing in whispers.” “You didn’t hear what else they were talking about?” “No. I slipped out. When Dick started for home, I followed him. I was waiting for him in the grove when he showed up at that tree. I knocked him out, and then left.” “Did you examine him before you left?” “Yes. He was all right. stunned.” “You saw no one else?” “No one.” “Well, Dick was jabbed three times in the neck with that pair of clippers. Your clippers.” Freddie shrugged. “I had the clip- pers in my hip pocket. I guess they just slipped out in the struggle, I didn’t notice. I went on home, and the next morning I heard about Dick being found dead. So I went into hiding — guilty knowledge I guess you'd call it. Anyhow, I knew I was slated for trouble.” Freddie’s fingers clutched the bars. “See what I mean? Talking would only get me in worse. No one would believe I didn’t stab Dick.” “No one would believe it,’ agreed Buck. “But I had to know how it happened. You heard nothing at the pool hall that would indicate why Dick intended to show up at that tree at one o’clock, or who he ex- pected to meet there?” “T heard nothing like that.” - “That makes it tough. Well, see you later, Freddie!’ Freddie forced a grin. “Thanks, Buck! But. you won’t be seeing me again, They'll be taking me away from here in the morning!” “Not if I know it,” said Buck, Only MIGoOo (C(O) S (C(O) nn