10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

THE MORGUE IS FULL OF HEROES—————---_- 11 “Where I go,” she said, laughing, “Ricconi’ll go.” I didn’t like that laugh. And [I didn’t like the way she finished it, either! “Unless I change my mind.” She seemed thoughtful about it, as if she’d maybe decided to change her mind, after tonight. I said: “You sure mow ’em down, sister.” I was getting ready to point out that maybe Ricconi wouldn’t think much of her changing her mind when a shadow fell between us, and Voss and Kane moved in. The little direc- tor’s eyes were nervous, jumpy, and his voice came out in a thin squeak. “We'll have to leave, Vera,” he piped. “We should never have stopped here in the first place, If you and Voss are going to be in any sort of shape tomorrow, we’ve got to be moving, And we've got to get an early morn- ing start on the picture.” The girl said, ‘“‘We always have to get an early start,” and then Hedge- wick was behind her, her wrap over his arm. I-veached out and slipped it off, holding it for her. I could feel three pairs of eyes glaring at me, and [ grinned to myself and let my arms fall down over her shoulders, straight- ening the wrap. Hedgewick said, “Well,” and brushed past me, taking _ the girl’s arm. I grinned again. I got a kick out of seeing them jump. She threw a smile over her shoul- der at me, and then they were gone, down the aisle between the tables. I turned back to my drink. I couldn’t quite figure that crowd, but I began to see why nobody had made a play to help Rieconi. Hedge- wick, Kane and Voss were probably bats over the girl, and Ricconi was the fly in the pastry. A very tasty bit of pastry, too, if you like a cyanide fill- ing. LET my eyes turn toward the door, but the girl was gone. Voss and Kane were standing there, the young actor pulling on heavy black riding gauntlets, and the director struggling with his searf. Kane looked even more like a spider that way, his thin, feeler- like arms twisting around his neck, but actor Voss was a handsome lad from a distance, The body of an Olympic diving champ, broad shoulders, well cut waist. And you couldn’t make out the sallow lines of his face from across the room. I decided they probably used him in long shots as much as pos- sible, and turned back to finish my drink. I downed the Scotch and wandered back into Madden’s office, but he wasn’t there. I sat down at his desk, thinking about the girl, and wonder- ing what they were going to call her next picture, I had a couple of good ideas myself, but I didn’t think they’d use any of them, I was sitting there, waiting for Madden, when Donato stuck his head in the door and said there was a guy asking to get a check cashed, and would I okay it. I went outside and okayed the check and then the night crowd started coming in and kept me pretty busy keeping an eye on them. From ten until three-thirty we’re al- ways rushed, and after that there's generally somebody who insists on sticking around, and this night was no exception. The sun was just be- ginning to ease its way into the sky when we finally closed up. I started back to say good night to the boss and changed my mind and went out the back way, toward my car. The crisp morning air worked on my brain a little, but I was still pretty foggy from cigarette smoke and liquor, I was that way, sort of half- asleep, until after I’d slipped into the car and pressed down the starter. Then I woke up. I could see him in the mirror, sit- ting in the seat behind me. It was maybe the only time the guy’s face had been twisted into a grin. I sat there, not shifting. I said: “All right, Ricconi.” He didn’t answer. He was leaning back in the seat, his lips partly open COmicloooks es * (C@