10-Story Detective, March 1941 — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

—___—_—_——_—_CASE OF THE LIVING CORPSE scared green—that the safe-cracker, after all, had told the truth. Yet Ed Garvey couldn’t be alive. Kendall had gone to Garvey’s funeral and had seen him buried. Kendall changed his plans. He pushed Sweeny down into a chair, took out a pocketknife and opened it. “Rest your tail, Sweeny, and let me handle things,” he said. Sweeny looked at him queerly. “Don’t get excited,”’ Kendall added. “This is all in the way of justice. A little facial operation.” “What are you gonna do?” “Just grit your molars and sit tight. This is got to be the McCoy if we’re to fool Garvey.” Kendall knifed a deep gash along Sweeny’s jawbone. It bled a lot, sending red rivulets down Sweeny’s thick neck. “Of all the screwy ideas—’ Sweeny lifted his arm to wipe away the blood, but Kendall restrained him. “There’s got to be a lot of blood, Sweeny.” Kendall took up one of the light chairs and smashed it. He over- turned the table. Then, a tight expres- sion on his face, he walked to the win- dow. “Now to watch—” He stopped abruptly. ‘‘Lord, trou- ble’s come ahead of time! Somebody’s out there, climbing out of his car!’ He whirled to Sweeny, his fists knot- ted. “Up on your pins, Sweeny, we’re going to fight. And when I sock you, remember to play you’re out like a light!” WEENY’S coiled nerves sent him bounding up. His fists lashed out, and he met Kendall in the center of the room. It was a noisy, furious bat- tle. When the door squealed open, Kendall sent over a blow that prac- tically lifted Sweeny out of his socks. Sweeny went down. “What's going on around here?” snarled a voice from the door. Kendall turned, his fists cocked. His jaw dropped in shoeked incredulity when he saw the fat colossus that stood there. It was Ed Garvey—alive! 79 The same Ed Garvey he had seen buried in the Green Lawn Cemetery ! Garvey’s cold eyes glittered out of a saggy-jowled face. Sloppily dressed, he wasn’t wearing a vest, and his thumbs were hooked in the belt that was almost hidden by the folds of his big belly. ‘“What’s going on around here?” he repeated dangerously. Kendall controlled his surprise. He snapped: “What’s it to you? If you want to make something out of it—” “You can be lucky if I don’t,” Gar- vey interrupted. He padded over, hooked a foot under Sweeny’s shoul- der and rolled him on his back. Sweeny wasn’t shamming; Kendall had seen to it that it wouldn’t be necessary. Being so bloody, Sweeny looked in terrible shape. Garvey’s big nostrils flared as he jerked his head back to Kendall. “You sap! Sweeny was all set to doa job for me. Now look at him.” “Oh,” sneered Kendall, ‘‘so you’re the mug he was walking out on me for. Damn it, what did you have to come horning in for? We were all set for a loan-office job I’d cased. I come here to pick him up and he says no go. Huh, I should have given him worse. And as for you—”’ Garvey raised a _ bloated hand. “Take it easy. Seeing this is all your idea, maybe you’ll find yourself elect- ed. Can you blow a crib?” Kendall eyed him sullenly. “What if I can?” “It means you'll have to do Sweeny’s job for me.” “And if I say no?” Ed Garvey’s big hand flashed to a back pocket and returned gripping a .45 automatic. It was swift gun leger- demain, and Garvey answered Ken- dall’s surprised stare with his charac- teristic lopsided grin. ‘‘What do you think now, flat-heel ?”’ chuckled Garvey. Kendall rubbed his lean jaw with the back of his hand. “What’ll the kickback be to me?” “We'll see.” Garvey expertly comiicbook CO