10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

— — es 2 tow back to the Aztec Reom. On _ his way he saw Granville prowling about. The man was easily recogniz- able in the semi-gloom because of his tall, lean figure. Nobody was in the Aztec Room. Jar- vis walked slowly toward the grim idol of the god of vengeance. Its cupped hands were still outthrust in supplica- tion as if it were actually asking for more victims. ARVIS frowned and wondered if there could be anything to the leg- end of this god. Sometimes, he knew, things happened which couldn’t be ex- plained. This might be one of them. He turned his flashlight on and sprayed the idol with its beam. The ray passed across those hands, hesi- tated and then returned. Jarvis let out a gasp. There was another head neat- ly placed inside the deep palms. He lifted this out carefully, placed it on a showcase and studied the grim object. The features seemed to be drawn in lines of the most intense agony. Across the throat, the macabre artist had created a deep, ugly gash like that which a knife might have made. Jarvis recognized the face quickly enough. It was that of Douglas Granville! Jarvis left the stone head on the exhibit case and started running. He called Granville’s name and drew a response from everyone but the man he wanted to see. Willard Post, Guy Walker and Gorman, the watchman, came running in answer to Jarvis’ alarm. “Look for Granville,” Jarvis or- dered tersely. “I’ve found another stone head, Granville’s! We’ve got to reach him quickly.” Jarvis recalled seeing Granville heading toward the rear of the place. His torch stabbing a path through the semi-gloom, Jarvis approached the spot where he’d seen the third victim and turned in the same direction which Granville had taken. He found himself facing two doors leiiet into an office and a laboratory, first, barged in and looked around for the light switch. There seemed to be none. Only several green-shaded lights hanging above the benches. He turned on two of these and slowly sur- veyed the room. In a corner, propped against the wall, sat Granville. Blood covered his white shirt front. His face was the color of chalk. One outflung hand held a knife, stained with blood. Jarvis knelt beside the man. He was dead. Granville hadn’t lived more than three or four minutes after that blade had been drawn across his throat. Jarvis heard footsteps. He lowered his head until he seemed to be listening intently. “You think you know? Man, you’ve got to talk fast.” someone gave a cry of horror. It was Gorman, the watchman, who had stumbled into the room first. In a mo- ment Post and Walker joined him. Jarvis straightened up slowly. “He’s dead, gentlemen. The idol seems to have won again. The idol— or whoever is taking advantage of its | gruesome reputation. One thing I’m reasonably sure of—Granville did not commit suicide, no matter what the evidence before your eyes indicates. He was murdered, just as Kent and Collins were murdered.” “Did he—talk?” Walker asked in a strained voice. “A littie,” Jarvis confessed. “I can’t make much sense out of what he told me yet, but I will. Furthermore, I don’t believe that stone idol had a thing to do with it.” “I do,” Walker put in almost angri- ly. “Post coes, too. Sergeant, if you had read the facts concerning that idol, you wouldn’t be so positive. I maintain it has the power to make a man commit suicide. But the victim must have been guilty. of something. We’ve got to find out what that is.” Jarvis gave a stunt. of disbeliet, 7 ehetivcig Jarvis : eeeed the ‘lab : i, CRY, § " ce be th a ie ! 4 € ae Wotan A ae ‘ \ if) ae ts + a t is wo 2h WY) SUT \) afk Caer ayer 5.” iO Pui tual i" 7 i ; ' eu \ ty Ae : He TINGAL Uh Pe ey oe Bh he Atyyeh ou de ty Tk VEL Uy WUE eat ar i 4 aM re £4 si il pot ice vs ? , Vit pity rye 4 ohare PS WR TE oF OY ST We Bee oye | A. Ma rian. GL seagate fwe he Wits f ¥ r be Lave J ONG We Varo Ss ote Afy te Tae TSS ii ‘ a B ou) } tay, MS Fe PAA RE aS Tan) Pe? Pe) wire \y ieee aal } y rival ‘7, ehh, } ie A