10-Story Detective, November 1942 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

MEMO FROM THE MURDERED——_————————lT TSD window frame seemed to be wrapped around his chest. The black silk sheets were rumpled over him like a shroud. He was dead. Ashes breathed deeply, then looked at the door. Jakie stood there, black eyes moist and liquid. “Where'd you get that package?” Ashes lashed. “On the table with the rest of the mail, sir,” Jakie replied woodenly. “But now that you mention it, sir, I don’t recall receiving it from the post- man. Someone must have entered the apartment and put the package with the mail.” Ashes bit his lip. Jakie was as in- scrutable as a Buddha. “Who came here today?” Ashes snapped. “Mr. Tony Ross, sir,” said Jakie softly. “No one else.” Ashes’ mind clicked. He got to the phone, called Centre Street. ““Why did you work for Slainte?” he shot at Jakie. Jakie shrugged impassively. paid well.” Ashes talked to Lieutenant Hart- zell, explaining what had happened and learning from Hartzell that Ma- rin Moerly had not been detained. Ashes called Marin at her hotel. “Do you have a key to your uncle’s strong box?” he asked. She hesitated, then said, “Yes. What’s the idea ‘pretending you’re a taxicab driver, Mr. Bly?” “That was a fluke,” Ashes said. “I was going to tail you in that cab, but you picked it to ride in. Never mind that. Get that key and meet me in your uncle’s office right away. Where’s Teny ?” “T don’t know.” Ashes swore ae “He’s in fore with you, but you don’t know where he is. We'll see!”’ Ashes pronged the receiver vicious- ly. He hadn’t expeeted Tony Ross to lam. He barked Lieutenant Hartzell’s number agaim and ordered Martzell to put out a Wanted for Tony Ross and a tail on Marin Meerly. “Stick here. I’ll be back,” Ashes “He snapped at Jakie and loped from the apartment. ... *You—louse!”’ In spite of himself, Ashes had to laugh. The rabbity little man had caught up with him again. It wasn’t luck, for Ashes’ movements had been confined to a small area. As he’d said, everyone in this case lived in every- one else’s back yard. The little man was no dummy, either. CHAPTER IV UT Ashes was lucky again. He got the cab under way before the lit- tle man caught him. He went to Katie Boyle’s office. “You’ve got fire in your eyes,” Katie said. “And it'll burn you, kitten, if you don’t talk fast,’’ Ashes said levelly. “Rosie just got bombed to whatever hell he was scheduled for.” Katie Boyle’s magnificent blue eyes dilated. “Then it wasn’t Rosie, after all?” ‘“‘What made you think it was?” “Because M.M. ordered Tony Ross to investigate Rosie. I thought, natu- rally, that it was Rosie who had the hold on M.M.” “Rosie did have a hold on M.M.,” Ashes said, “But he got it from some- body else. He told me a certain party he’d been blackmailing knew some- thing juicy about a certain other par- ty. I figure the certain other party was M.M. Macollum. But who is the first party, the one Rosie was black- mailing to start with? It wouldn’t be you, Katie Boyle?” Katie Boyle gasped at the blunt ac- cusation. “No, Ashes! Oh, no! You must believe me!” “Why?” Ashes lashed. “Because it looks bad for me, I guess. Listen, I’m going to tell you the truth. When Rosie quit the News and went over to the Clarion, M.M. told Tony Ross to get on Rosie’s tail. Tony was supposed to get proof that Rosie was a blackmailer. In order to do that, Tony made a deal with Jakie CoOnmiclboooks C©