10-Story Detective, November 1942 — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

22 “Rosie had only suspicions,” it said. | “But he was becoming insistent, and I think he was having me watched. I needed only a little more time to com- plete my work, so I gave him that evi- dence to shut him up.” Tony Ross was facing the figure in the door. He paled. Katie Boyle whirled, gasped. Ashes didn’t move. He stood riveted to the floor, his back still to the man. His lips were ragged. He said through clenched teeth, casually, “It comes back to me now. M.M.’s body was huddled in that closet, It was pushed back. It was face down. Yet you took only one look and said, ‘Strangled with his own neck- tie ie be) Ashes turned now, without haste. He knew what he was going to do, and he was not afraid. “Only the mur- derer could have known that, Ester- ly,” he said. ’ The transformation which had oc- curred in Henry Esterly was unbeliev- able. His former nervousness had been an act. Now he was ice. The Lu- ger pistol he held close to his paunch was firm as if it were imbedded in concrete. “You were stupid not to have known at once,” he said to Ashes. _ Ashes let his black eyes travel slow- ly over Esterly. He looked as if he were completely detached from his surroundings. He looked almost inhu- man. “T have a .45 caliber automatic in a shoulder holster,” Ashes said, with- out emphasis. “I’m going to kill you, Esterly.” Only Esterly’s eyes moved. “I can shoot you three times before your hand touches it,” he said. “The im- pact of a Luger slug—” “We'll see,” Ashes said simply. “Ashes!” Katie Boyle screamed. Don’t!” “Pve got to,” Ashes said. “Some- body always has to get guys like him. He’s not a man. He’s going to kill us all He killed that little blonde recep- 10-STORY DETECTIVE tionist because his stooge, Carl Blim- mer, fell for her, and he thought may- be Blimmer had told the girl some- thing. He killed Blimmer in my arms, because when Blimmer saw the gir] dead, he was going to crack.” “He was a weakling,” Esterly said contemptuously. “We have no place for weaklings in the new order. Look at me. Is there anything weak about me? Do you honestly believe you'll ever pull the trigger on that gun, Bly ?” Ashes drew in his breath. “Look at me, Esterly. Do you believe there’s a power under the sun that can stop me?” “You’re a fool,” Esterly said. “But you have courage. I can give you pow- er you never dreamed of. A plane is waiting for me. My work here is done.”’ “How did you plant that bomb in Rosie’s apartment?” BQ STERLY’S lips curled. “I followed Tony Ross when he went to Slainte’s apartment this afternoon. It was simple to open the apartment door and put the package with the rest of the mail.” Ashes set himself. “Ashes!” Katie screamed again. It was happening. Ashes wasn’t tense. He was com- pletely relaxed. His brown face was a mask. His arms hung loosely. “Say it,” Esterly mocked. “Don’t you always say ‘ashes to ashes—dust to dust’ when you kill a man?” There was silence. There was com- plete absence of motion. There was no life whatever. Only death. Swift, grim, immediate death. The expression on Ashes’ Hips was not a smile. It was the expression men wear when they face death for what they know is good. Ashes lips moved. “Ashes to ashes—dust to dust—”’ He moved! Katie Boyle fainted, sprawling forward between him and Esterly. Es- terly wasn’t fazed. He was precise. CO IOOOLK C@ 5}