10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

DEATH TAKES THE BUS-————————-—89 Drake was mildly accusing. “You did see more than I.” “You were watching Joe Grail, I was watching the gal.” “So then you sent for Tim?” “Phoned him long distance. He drove up the night before last. Last night he was going to try to see Joe Grail, privately.” “Did he?” Meg thought a moment, temporized. Then she said, “I don’t know. I have- n’t seen him since. Earlier in the eve- ning I was in the Lucky Ball and Joe passed me. He stopped and asked me to eome up later and see him in his ex- tra special private office,’ Meg drew a long breath, “I did. He was alone. And he was dead. I didn’t stay around.” “So that’s the whole truth?” Drake said skeptically. “Well, you haven’t told me a darn thing. Now, I—ah!”’ Her whisper sank into nothing. She gazed down the aisle of the coach. Drake was already leoking. Cy Knox had arisen from his seat, was turn- ing back into the aisle. Prake muttered: “This is the smoking. section. He’s coming back here.” Y KNOX moved cautiously to- ward them. He still had his hat on, pulled down tight. He always wore the hat. Some thought it might have been because of his faee and head. His eyes were strangely vacant, his head sloped back queerly; but if you could- n't see his eyes and the top of his head, he looked handsome. It seemed to Drake that the hat, usually immacu- late, was smudged around the hat- band. Knox saw Drake and Meg at once. He took off his topcoat, sat down next to Drake and said: “Well, two of my own people, eh? It’s a surprise!” There was no surprise in his voice or face, though. Knox never mixed with the people who worked in his places, but he knew them all. Drake and Meg. watched him as his hand ST ke Oe ee Fe oS So = -COMIEDOO: passed into his coat and came out again, rapidly. He had a cigar now. It was like a bit of magic, a way Knox had of doing things. Drake said: ““‘We’re just making a quick trip to Los Angeles, Mr. Knox. On the quiet. Be back in Las Vegas in a few days.” Cy Knox lit the cigar and blew smoke. “Romance, eh?” he said, “Well, . that’s out of my line.” He blew more smoke, slowly. “I had a little ear trou- ble,” he went on, “I’ve been down in Los Angeles for a month, and was just driving back up to Vegas. My engine went bad, but I managed to puil into Yucea Grove, Thought if I took this bus back to Baker, I could pick up another car there and go on.” “Maybe you could,” Drake said re- spectfully. Knox went on smoothly: “Nice, running into you two. You must let me buy you a luneh at Baker.” ' Drake said: “Thanks. By the way, did Joe Grail pass on my request to you?” Knox looked faintly puzzled, ‘“Re- quest?” he said. “Yes, sir. I wanted to get back to Los Angeles. I thought maybe you could find a spot for me there, I told Joe about it. He said he mailed you a report every day and would mention it on his report. That was last Fri- day.” . Cy Knox shook his head. He took a mixture of folded papers and enve- lepes from his inner pocket and rif- fled through them. He put them back . and took more papers and envelopes from a pocket in the topcoat beside him. He unfolded one of the papers, glanced through it. “Joe didn’t mention you,” he said. “But I'll see what I can do for you.” Knox returned the papers to the pocket, Ahead of them was a splurge ef light; they were running into Bak- er. Most of the light was made by the waiting room, which is the biggest - thing in town. The driver thumbed a switch and the lights went on in the coach, The passengers got up, moved com