10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

106 “Oh, yeh, you do.” “T don’t. But I got an idea.” “Well, be seein’ you.” Duryea rose and found his way from the building. N THE sidewalk, he glanced up at the gymnasium building. Two floors. Muffy’s apartment was on the top floor. At the corner of the building on the left was the ground entrance to the apartment. Duryea turned right. He passed an alley which bordered the apartment and gymnasium building. There was a sudden shot. A _ bullet clipped Duryea’s right sleeve. Quick as a flash, he whirled and ducked behind the cover of the building. From an open window above him came sounds of a scuffle. A shrill voice cried, “You fool!” Duryea glanced up. He saw that if his at- tacker should come to the window, he could easily shoot down at him. Duryea lumbered to the door which led to the apartment. It was not locked. He entered. He stood in a long hall. Midway down, on the left, were stairs leading up. He was on the point of mounting them when he heard indistinct curs- ing and a door above open. He tip- toed along the hall and hid himself under the staircase. Stealthy footsteps came down the stairs. At the bottom, they hesitated. Duryea could picture the man there listening to sounds outside. Then they turned and came down the hall to- ward the back, toward Duryea. The man passed without seeing Duryea. He had a rod in his hand. He was heading for the rear door. Duryea said: “Drop it!” The man stopped abruptly, started to whirl and fire but thought better -of it. He dropped his gun upon the floor. Duryea approached the man from behind. He recovered the weapon, which he tucked into his coat pocket. “Maybe you can explain to the chief,” Duryea said mildly, “how 10-STORY DETECTIVE your rod happened to go off as I was passing.” | “It was an accident, Duryea,” so help me!” “Yeh?” Then: “Get goin’.” As they marched through the front door, “New. in town, ain’t you?” The man cursed. He didn’t answer, “It don’t matter. [ guess we got your mug down to headquarters.” They had. After the prisoner had been identified, Duryea and Chief of Detectives Egan were seated in the latter’s office. “And you say you picked this bird up at Muffy’s apartment?” “He took a pot shot at me, like I told you.” ; “His gun proves that. But what’s Muffy trying to frame, Biff?” “You got me, chief.-It’s kinda fun- ny he sends outa. town for a big-time gun like Arty Burks.” “Something’s in the air. Muffy’s trying some new kind of game.” “He throws around enough weight —he don’t have to get outside help.” “Maybe one of the big city mob’s trying to muscle in on Muffy’s mo- nopoly.” “Yeh. And hang out in Muffy’s own apartment!” But Egan countered: “Maybe Muffy’s girl friend is crossing him.” “Not a lady killer like Muffy,” Dur- yea objected. Then: “Patty still locked up?” “No, Biff. I forgot to tell you. Weis came down and got her out.” “Muffy didn’t frame her, chief. He was as surprised as anyone when I told him about it.” “He may have been acting. Clever, Muffy.” Duryea shook his head unbeliey- ingly. “Hell,” he said suddenly, “it’s near- ly five. And I ain’t had a bite since ten o’clock!’ “Well, go out and feed yourself. No need to worry any more about Patty. Weis’il get her out from under, or I miss & guess!” comicbooks.com