10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

‘ 1083———__—_—__—10-STORY DETECTIVE—————— the wagon. But he hadn’t thought of it, then, “This says it’s a copper, boys,” said Hoberg to the two men. “It wants to talk to me.”’ “Yeah,” said Ben. “About Billy Elkins. He fell down your airshaft to- night, Suppose you’ve heard about it.”’ “Sure,” said Hoberg. He looked re- lieved, and became suddenly less belligerent, “Sure, I heard about it. When I got home. I—we were out then.” “When was this?” “Happened at nine-thirty, didn’t it? That’s what I heard. Me and my pals here didn’t get home till after ten. And if you think it ain’t an alibi, think again. We were in night court. Benny and Dutch were in a little trouble, and I bailed them out.” “Sounds good,” said Ben. “What time’d you leave there?” “Not till almost ten. Ask Judge Steinke, or the court clerk.” Hoberg grinned, “Steinke’s good enough for me,” said Ben. “T’ll check with him later. Seen Billy Elkins since he got out?” “No.” “Or Mitzie?” “Hell, no, Fhat wren’s poison. Billy was nuts about her; he’d have stuck a shiv In anyone that looked at her.” : “T have a hunch,” said Ben, “that somebody’s been looking at her plenty. You wouldn’t know who?” “T wouldn’t,” said Hoberg, “I have- n’t seen her around since she quit working at Durban’s place three months or so ago.” 66 K AY, Hoberg,” said Ben. “Guess you’re clean on the Elkins business. But you’ll have to come with me to the station just the same. We’ve got another charge against you.” “The hell you have. You coppers ain’t got a thinge—” Hoberg stared in- credulously at Ben. “Or did that louse Murro—” “Murro’s dead,” said Ben. He could have bit his tongue the moment he said it. Definitely, it was the wrong thing. If he’d kept his yap shut, Ho- berg would have come along without a struggle, He’d have figured it was a rap he could beat, nothing worth try- ing to shoot his way out of. But now there was a mean-looking little thirty- two in Hoberg’s hand, and Hoberg stepped forward and held it against Ben’s chest. “Hey,” said one of the ex-pugs un- easily. “Go easy, Frankie. That’s a copper and we don’t want to be tangled Py “Shut up,” said Hoberg. “If Murro’s dead, then maybe this guy’s got—” His free left hand had first tapped Ben’s poekets for a revolver, and then it slid into Ben’s inside coat pocket and came out with the folded paper that was Billy Elkins’ confession. Without letting the gun waver, he partly un- folded it and glanced at the signature. He sueked in his breath and let it out audibly, as he crumpled the paper into his own poeket. He said, “Benny, Dutch. We got to take this copper out and—” The mugs were standing now, be- hind Hoberg. One of them said, “Nuts, Frankie. This is your business, not ours, Why should we stick our heads into a noose just, because—” “You got to,” yelled Hoberg. “You got to help me, beeause I got plenty on both of you. How about that St. Louis business where the two guards got—” Something black and heavy rose in. the air behind Hoberg’s head, and de- scended. Hoberg dropped, and Ben— who had seen #t coming—tried to grab at the gun that had been in Hoberg’s hand. But missed. “Hold it,”’ said one of the two men, and the black automatic whose butt had hit Hoberg was now trained on Ben Hayden. The other man bent down over the huddled figure of Hoberg. He said, ‘““¥ou stopped his clock.” “Hell,” said the one with the gun. “We might as well’ve played along in the first place. Now we got to rub out _ the copper. Hell.” oe comicbooks.cor a pe =~ —? a : 7 =z ; ae < = = eA Sp Ame ae re we = ~ a7 a = Sess: —— —— x x ee io oN eS PS a Sl R= a a en ee ee Se a eR Mine Sie rea hi ve ~