10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

56———___—__——_—10-STORY DETECTIVE after the holdup fizzled. Two nights ago you figured things had quieted enough for you to come back to town and try and locate that heart. Everything pointed to Jollard, but you couldn’t get close enough to nab him, or the opportunity didn’t offer itself. So you trailed him, and he led the way to Hardwicke’s office.” Stellman scowled. ‘‘Are you accept- ing my deal?” “No,” I replied, “I don’t have to. I’ve got Jollard, Hardwicke’s mur- derer.” Droopy’s fingers fidgeted and I shifted my attention to him for a moment, AMMER § suddenly shouted from the floor. “Look out,” he warned, and fired. Jollard stiffened and toppled to the floor. Droopy and Stellman went for their guns, but a shot from me changed their minds. Gammer rose. “Jollard was going to give it to you,” he said. “I’m sorry you finished him,” I remarked. “I wanted to have a little téte-a-téte with him about that shot he fired at me in my hotel tonight.” I motioned toward the dead man ly- ing near the door. “He’s the fellow who trailed you and telephoned me tonight I guess.” Gammer nodded. “He’s Jollard’s handyman for this place.” Gammer looked at me. “It was neat the way you bluffed Jollard into giving him- self away. I mean about saying you knew what he had done with the green heart.” “My name’s Bluff McCarty,” I said. “Gammer, what made you tie these murders and your being trailed, to Jollard?” “Just luck,” he muttered. “I saw - him when I left Plunkett’s office last night. So after I saw you tonight, I came here to see if I could find out anything. Jollard had just killed the handyman.” “Jollard or you, Gammer!” I probed suddenly. | | I fired from the hip and got him through the shoulder as his gun came up. Gammer tried to catch his gun with his left hand. I kicked the gun away, but he grabbed my foot and yanked me off balance. Droopy and Stellman started forward. I snapped a shot toward them and _ they stopped. I smashed my left into Gammer’s face as he reached for my gun. He staggered back. “You can’t prove anything,” he panted, gritting his teeth as he clutched at his shoulder. “You’re the only one who could have killed Plunkett,” I declared. “Stellman and Droopy want infor- mation about the green heart. If they had gone to Plunkett, it would have been short-sighted of them to murder him if he knew anything. That leaves only you. And you came to my room tonight to find out just how much I knew, to find out if I was on Jollard’s trail so I could link you to him and the green heart. He glowered at me. “You’re just guessing. If Jollard killed Hardwicke, why should you blame me for Plun- kett’s death?” “Because Jollard’s clear on Plun- kett,”’ I declared. ““Not that he would- n’t have killed him if you hadn’t done the job for him. You still doubt me, eh? All right. Jollard hid that green heart, but he waited too long to take it from its hiding place. He needed you for that, but you got out of the sanatorium and he had you trailed till he could nab you and bring you back. But unconsciously you did- n’t give him a chance. “He had to kill Hardwicke because Hardwicke found out about the green heart when you went there. But the next night, when you went to Plun- kett, Plunkett revealed to you what he learned. And you, seeing a double chance to make money by selling that heart and blackmailing Jollard be- cause he had stolen it, killed Plunkett to silence him. Jollard couldn’t have done that murder, because at the comicboo cS (E(0)