10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

82 10-STORY DETECTIVE path to the car. He clambered in. To all appearances Detective Gerry Eivans was on his way to the home of Mrs. Fisher. The ear pulled away from the curb and vanished in the night. Gerry, still inside the waiting room, was hidden behind the big chair in which Mrs. Fisher had been seated. It covered his big frame completely. He drew a deep breath and waited. From behind the closed door he could hear Doctor Lasher walking up and down the floor. Muffled curses came to him. The doctor was talking to him- self and in strong language. Suddenly he heard the click of the phone. He listened to what he could hear of the one-sided conversation. “You fool!” lLasher’s voice was irate. “You’ve spoiled the whole thing. That detective is on his way to see you now. You'll tell him you made a mistake when you talked with him tonight. You came into my office first —or else how in the devil’s name could our scarred stranger murder Laden. A woman never could hold her tongue in the right place anyway. We'll have to get away now. The po- lice aren’t as dumb as they sometimes pretend to be. You’ll have to shake the men guarding you. Meet me to- morrow—” The rest of the conversation Gerry could not hear. Evidently Lasher had muffied this last, but it wasn’t im- portant anyway—after what he had already heard. Gerry loosened the gun in its holster. It was getting warm in the waiting room. He hoped Lasher would come out. As if in answer to his wishes, the consultation room door opened. It closed again quickly to smother the light that came from it. Lasher knew two men were guarding him. He laughed sardonically now as he thought of it. Guarding him! In the darkness, familiarity led him directly to the chair where Gerry waited with bursting lungs. He hadn’t dared to breathe. The stillness of the room would have betrayed him to the quick ears of the doctor in a moment. He felt Lasher rummage beneath the cushion of the chair. Slowly, Gerry reached out a hand. He could see the white cuff of Lasher’s sleeve. His hand tightened on it and clung there, talonlike. He straightened up and twisted the wrist unmercifully. He heard Lasher’s grunts of aston- ishment and then he found the light switch. He pressed it and grinned into Lasher’s face. “So, doctor,” he said smoothly, “you are going places—and with Mrs. Fisher, too. But what were you after here ?”’ E EK was slowly shoving the doctor against the wall. Gerry wanted an opportunity to drape handcuffs on his wrists and he cursed himself for not having them ready. He sensed the danger that stood before him, but he wasn’t quick enough to forestall the doctor. It suddenly occurred to him that Lasher’s arm was no longer in a sling. A revolver suddenly gleamed in his hand and was shoved in the pit of Gerry’s stomach. Slowly he dropped his grip on the doctor, backed away a few steps, and raised his hands. “Fool!” Lasher snarled. “Do you think you can outsmart me? From the moment I saw you, I knew I should have trouble with you. Well, it won’t be much trouble. I’m going to kill you, copper.” “Go ahead and _ shoot,” Gerry grinned. “The noise of that gat will bring more cops on you than you ever thought existed. That’s the gun you plugged yourself with, isn’t it?” ‘What if it is?” Lasher countered. “You'll tell no one, but I’m grateful for that little tip. In return Ill per- mit you to die an easy death. Walk ahead of me into my consultation room. I'll be right in back of you. The slightest move and I'll fire. I can say I thought you were the murderer, you know. After all, I was supposed to think you left here for Harriet— Mrs. Fisher’s.” Gomichbooks:com