10 Story Detective, July 1942 — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

96—_— Albert Wahi caught his breath. He also caught his tongue, for he had been about to speak. This second reflex was instinctive because he was not aware even then why he kept si- lent, He gazed down at the counter, his eyes tightly fastened to the glittering diamond brooch that rested in the center of the tissue paper. It con- tained possibly twenty stones set in piatinum, twenty perfect blue-white gems that sparkled and shot forth a thousand facets of brilliant light. “Is that good enough security for you?” Curtin’s voice was patronizing, faintly sarcastic. Purely for the effect Wahi found his magnifying glass and screwed it into his right eye. He lifted the brooch and angled it against the electric bulb, simulating careful! scrutiny. The gesture was a needless one. He knew of this piece, knew its intrinsic value, and it was not hard 9 guess how Curtin had come into i{$ possession. It belonged to old Mrs. Prentice and it was worth a cool hundred thousand dollars. He looked up at Curtin. “Five thousand?” eV en”? “For one week?” “Maybe less.”’ Wahl nodded shortly, turned to the ancient Mosler behind him and knelt at the dials. He twisted it slowly, native eaution planting him so that the numbers were hidden from Cur- tin’s view. Left to twelve—then right to three—back left twice to eight. ‘The bolt dropped with a muffled click. The door swung open. Albert Wahi reached inside. He counted the bills out upon the counter. Curtin picked them up and angered them into his wallet. Wahl rewrapped the brooch, tucked it back into the safe and locked the heavy steel door. “T’ll take a receipt,” Curtin said. “With a description of the security.” 10-STORY DETECTIVE Wordiessly, Wahl filled out a slip of paper and passed it over. “One thing more,’ Curtin added. “No one is to know about this deal. It is strictly confidential. Understand?” The loan broker nodded. “As you say.” Curtin crammed the receipt into his pocket, turned on his heel and de- parted. : Alone in his office, Albert Wahl re- tired again to the back room. For thirty minutes he sat motionless in his chair, staring at the cover of the mystery book. It was like the siow fermentation of some rare wine, the thought proc- esses that took place in his mind, the cerebration that finally led to his ul- timate resolve. And that was to ap- propriate the Prentice brooch for his own. Such an opportunity, to acquire vast wealth at one fell stroke, was of- fered to but few men, and then only once in a lifetime. A smart man, a man with initiative and foresight and a measure of daring would accept the opportunity and utilize it. Wahl’s heavy-lidded eyes were closed avain, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. Old Mrs. Pren- tice, the owner of the brooch, was a widow, a silly, irresponsible woman whose husband had erred in be- queathing his money to her outright. She had squandered and wasted it in childish speculations. And then, only two days ago, close to the end of her resources, she had come into Wahl’s office, offering to sell the brooch at half price. F COURSE he had not been in a position to buy it. Such a sum was more than he could raise, even for so certain an investment. So she had taken the glittering diamonds away and Wahl’s greedy eyes had fol- lowed them in hopeless futility. He could deduce what had occurred afterward. She had gone to Curtin & Avery’s and asked Curtin to dis- pose of the brooch on commission. IGDoOo Gol S (CO im