10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

you do. I think Elkins’ death outside 104———_—_—_—_—_—___——__10-STORY DETECTIVE— “Um,” said Ben. “Not if it’s honest, it ain’t. You didn’t see Elkins today, since he got out? Nor hear from him?” “No.” “Know any reason why Billy E]- kins would have seen, or tried to see, Frankie Hoberg?” “Nig.” *“Um,” said Ben again. He took off his hat and looked at it, and then put it on again. There was something about this case he didn’t like. It was too simple, too pat, Everything fitted, except that in a building lousy with potential murderers, a guy like Elkins had to get himself accidentally killed. He tried a fresh tack. He said, “Billy Elkins was a small-time punk, and your services come high. Or so I’m told. You worked hard on Billy’s case. You got him off in a year, and otherwise it’d have been ten. Where’d he ever get the kind of sugar you’d ask for doing that?” Murro shrugged. “My fee wasn’t high, He paid it, and it’s not my busi- ness where he got the money?” “It ought to’ve been our business,” said Ben. “We should’ve looked into it at the time, But wait a minute, Sup- pose he didn’t pay you—in money.” “T don’t know what you mean,” “Sure, you do, Blackmail. Billy El- kins didn’t have any money, but why eouldn’t he have given you something that would have let you put the screws on somebody that had dough.” The lawyer smiled. “An interest- _ Ing theory,” he said. “Um,” said Big Ben. “The more you think of it, the more interesting it gets, It wouldn’t have been Durban; Durban’s legitimate. He makes enough out of his night club that I don’t think he has a racket. But Elkins did business with Hoberg. He could have put the finger on Hoberg, couldn’t he?” “T woulln’t know.” “I wouldn’t either,” said Ben, “but I aim to find cut. I’m going to use your phone, if you don’t mind—or even if your window is enough of an excuse that I ean get somebody sent down here with a search warrant.” He was squashing his way across the room toward the telephone while he talked. “And maybe if I stick around until the warrant gets here—” “Take him, Pete.” It was Murro’s voice, and it was hard as ice. Just be- fore Big Ben Hayden got to the phone. “Up, copper,” said another voice, and Ben raised his hands slowly as he turned. DARK, stoeky man Ben had never seen before stood in the doorway that led to the bedroom. He held a revolver with a silencer on its 7 barrel, aimed at Ben. “Hold it,” said Murro. He took down:a picture from the wall and spun the dial of a safe that had been .be- hind it; He thrust into his pocket a small bundle of papers that he took from the safe, and then closed it again. 7 He said, ‘‘We’ll have to take the copper for a ride, Pete. I should have had sense enough to get these things out of here before, after we found out Elkins broke his damn neck, We'll have to stash them somewhere else, too.” “Okay,” said the man he’d called Pete. “Look, step behind him and frisk him, will you, Rafe?” | Murro came around behind Ben, felt his hip pockets and side pockets first, and then stepped in close to reach around to the front. He had to stand close to do that; it took a man with long arms to encircle Big Ben Hayden’s girth. Murro’s hands felt his vest pockets, and that meant Murro - was standing very close to him and he could feel Murro’s breath on the back of his neck. Ben’s hands were shoulder high, and he’d bent his elbows so they were in close to his neck—and to Murro’s head, This, Ben had a hunch, was going . to be the best chance he’d be likely to a3 ee aed tahek, oe