10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 112: what you’re looking at

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

J rf Wald DiRT 1190 —————_————_—-10-STORY DETECTIVE————————__—_——- ——— “Yeah? What?” The odd thing was that he did have an idea. An idea that had come to him while he’d watched Dutch’s eyes wan- der around the room looking for some- thing to swipe. A long-shot idea, or was it? It started cut that Billy Elkins was a dip, maybe even a kleptomaniac type of dip. And it went on that Billy’d stick a shiv—according to Hoberg— into anyone who looked cross-eyed at Mitzie Elkins. “Five hundred dollars or five thou- sand dollars—whatever the guy’s got on him or can raise quick. How’d you like to have that much money for your getaway ? Within a matter of minutes from now?” “From who?” Ben said, “From the man who dropped Billy Elkins down the air- shaft.” “Nuts,” said the one called Benny. “The copper’s just trying to talk his way out of a jam. He’s stalling. Go ahead and—” Dutch said, “Shut up. The guy’s talking money. Just maybe he’s got something. All right, copper, speak your piece. How would we get this five grand?” Ben said, ‘““The man who killed Elk- ins pays you. The three of us go down there. I’m not heeled, and you both are, so you needn’t worry about a break. { convinee Durban—yeah, Paul Dur- ban killed Elkins—that I can prove a murder rap on him. Then you talk busi- ness with him.” “You think he’d pay us—” “Sure. Take him for whatever dough he’s got, for which you agree to save his neck by taking me for a ride. That gives you money to pull your freight on. Then you let me out on a deserted road somewhere and keep traveling. You’ve get te stage a get- away, don’t you. And with real money, you ean do it.” “It’s risky, but— Listen, copper, if you deuble-cross us, there am’t a chanee itll do yeu any good. If any- thing goes wrong, we shoot you first. We got nothing to lose; we already—” He nodded toward what was left of Frank Hoberg. “Sure,” said Big Ben. “Let’s get going.” “We better use the stairs,” Dutch — said. “Okay, copper, we don’t have to trust you. This heater’ll be in your back all the way. Go ahead.” The stairway was only a few steps from the door of 7-A. They saw no one in the hallway, nor in the hallway of the fifth floor. EN HAYDEN knocked on Dur- ban’s door. When it opened, the three of them pushed their way past Durban into the apartment. Dutch closed the door and leaned against it. Ben said, “Paul, here are a couple of boys who want to talk business with you—after I get through.” - Durban looked puzzled, and an- noyed. He said, “After you get through what?” “Talking,” said Ben. “I’m starting now. I know why you killed Elkms and how to prove it. You were playing around with Mitzie. You gave her the cigarette girl job at your club, until you talked her into giving it up and letting you install her at a hotel, Then when Billy got out of jail today, you knew he’d find out sooner or later, even though Mitzie had gone into hiding this morning, before he got out. And you knew Billy would kill you when he found out.” “T told you, Hayden, I hadn’t seen Mitzie for—” “Nuts. All we have to do is take you around to the Indiana Hotel for identi- fication by employes or other guests there. If I’m right, it'll be easy to prove it. “But here’s what happened tonight? Billy hadn’t found out yet. He was still looking for Mitzie, and he wanted to see you to make a touch. He tried the club, and then came here. You did an- swer the bell, and let him come up. Then, the way I figure it, he must have - been in here alone for a short while. * « + * . + : z — oa te ~ : oe < . a —- ee ee ee ee ee » 4 ° ™~ = ~~ ~—x