10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

Then I thought of the attitude Meady and Kittring, the M. E. and the crimi- nologist, had taken toward me; and Tollam’s skepticism of my abilities. I thought of those doctors who'd been murdered, Police, hell! Pd flushed these rats from. their nests and I’d get them myself, I like to finish what I start, though I was still puzzled about the Plunkett angle. OR THE BENEFIT of anyone who might have been noticing from the windows opposite, I ap- peared to ring the night bell and wait a reasonable time fer some one to answer. Actually, my hidden hand was inserting a clever little gadget into the lock. I stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind me, Gun in hand, I balaneed a mo- ment in the darkness and heard voices beyond the door across the room. I walked toward it as though I were pushing pins and needles into a cushion. I thrust open the door. A man, obviously dead judging from the amount of blood on the floor, lay before me. Nearby was Gammer, unconscious, with an ugly bruise on the side of his head. Across the room, evidently Jollard’s office, and a shabby one at that, Matt Stellman and Droopy Denlan were mauling a tall, dark man. Droopy saw me and went for his gun, I fired, and the lobe of his right ear just wasn’t there any more. “Hold it,” I warned as Stellman whirled. “Droopy, if you try any more fast moves, my next shot will be about a foot lower ‘and to the left. Relax, boys, you’ve had a busy eve- ~ ning.” Stellman frowned. “Listen, Me- Carty, this setup isn’t what you’re thinking it is.” “No,” glared Droopy, holding his ear, ‘“‘we—” . » » Wouldn’t know about this,” I supplied. - sisted Stellman. I’m thinking,” I declared. Every- thing was clear now about Plunkett’s death. “So we all figured,” I re- marked, “who took the emerald heart from Keller’s body.” And I looked at Jollard when I said it. Jollard protested: “I haven’t any green heart.” “But you know about it,” I sug- gested. “Of course,” he snapped. the police didn’t find it on Keller, they questioned me and searched this en- tire place, They still didn’t find it and they exonerated me and said Keiler must have passed it to his confederates before he eame in here.” Stellman laughed at him. “Then what are Droopy and me doing here?” I saw Jollard’s face grow whiter. =S “everyone here “Jollard,” I said, knows you took that heart. It’s easy to figure. You heard Keller collapsing in the hall, and you went out, figur- ing you’d commandeer some one to assist you with the operation. When __ you saw Keller, you thought quickly. You knew there’d been a holdup. You searched him quickly and took the heart, then went on with your opera- tien.” “You can’t prove a word of that, es challenged Jollard. “Sure I can,” I declared. “I know where the green heart is. There’s only one place you could have hidden it, and that place ties you directly to the murder of Hardwicke and ex- plains the death of Plunkett.” Jollard gestured wildly. have anything to do with Plunkett’s —I didn’t have anything to do with either of them.” T smiled. “I heard you before you corrected yourself. I’ve got you on the Hardwicke death,” I aecused. I looked at Stellman. “Harlier tonight you suggested a deal to me. I think _ I know the information you were | = “This setup ia what you’re thinking.” ae I shook my head. “It’s exactly what “When “T didn’t. ~~~, >a ee on the level, McCarty,” in ee. You and ee se = =