10-Story Detective, November 1942 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

KEEP YOUR SHROUD ON!——————_69 shot Lulu Shard at the Blue Moon last night. Bob’s just out of his head with fever from those gunshot wounds,” “Bob’s mighty sick, but he’s not out of his head,”’ Banning said dejectedly. *“‘Remember, we left him in the dining room to watch Lulu Shard while we searched the flat.” Sergeant Reilly nodded. ‘Well, it seems Eva’s been wanting a new buffet and this built-in one in Lulu’s flat caught Bob’s eye. He started to examine the mirror, a fancy cut-glass affair. That’s when Lulu grabbed the shotgun and let him have it.” “And so Bob told his wife all this and she potted Lulu at the first chance.” Reilly let out the clutch slow- ly, as he rambled on. “The whole thing has never made sense to me,” he said. “The only person who wants to kill the cop is the person who’s being ar- rested for the first time. And Lulu’s been picked up plenty. Why should she | have shot Bob?” “Nothing that women do makes sense,” Banning growled. ‘“There’s no good in them. If Bob had kept away from them—” “You’re just sore because Bob broke out of the groove you had planned for him and married Eva,” Reilly cut in. “I know you think of Bob as almost a son, but Eva isn’t such a bad kid. She went right back to singing with the orchestra at the Blue Moon the minute she found out Bob’s disability pay wouldn’t meet all the expenses.” “She did that so she’d get a chance to shoot Lulu Shard.” ‘““You’re being unreasonable,” Reilly protested. “Eva could have shot Lulu any time after Jake Folrem bailed Lulu out on the charges we had against her. There’s the real trouble!” Reilly said indignantly as he turned a cor- ner. “Folrem and his Protective Bail Bond Company. He bails all his criminal law clients out and has those skip that he can’t get free in court. And the state’s attorney has never been able to collect a cent on any of those defaulted bonds.” “The state’s attorney can’t get hold of the real accounts of the company,” Banning explained. ‘Folrem has dum- my books and keeps a legal jump ahead all the time.” 6¢QXNOMEONE ought to shoot Fol- rem,” Reilly growled. And then he added: “But that wouldn’t do Eva no good. If we’re going to help Bob we've got to prove Eva didn’t shoot Lulu and do it quick.” “What we’ve got to do is prove she did,” Banning countered. “Then we can force her to confess and rig up a self-defense plea. It’s our only chance.”’ “Maybe you know what you’re do- ing,” Reilly said doubtfully. “But Eva’s a little spitfire and may not take to the idea.”’ “Eva’s in jail where she belongs and won’t have anything to say about it,” Banning declared. “Now tell me something about this fellow Lulu Shard used to team up with. You were on the fraud squad once and ought to know all about him.” “Rube Jones is his name,” Reilly answered without hesitation. ‘Looks and dresses like a farmer. He and a pal used to meet travelers at railroad stations and match pennies till they got all the stranger’s money. Rube and Lulu used to shake down unsuspect- ing gents by threats to prosecute un- der the Mann Act. Rube hangs out at the Rancho Club.’’ “That sounds like a good place to start. Let’s go.” On the way Banning quickly ran over the pertinent facts of the pre. vious evening at the Blue Moon Club. Eva Perry had been found in the club office with the body of Lulu Shard and the door locked by key on the inside. Eva was lying unconscious on the floor with the gun beside her when Man- ager Duccion had the door broken open after hearing the shot. The office was dark, and it took sev- eral minutes to get a light because all the lamp cords had been pulled out of their sockets. But the patrolman on the beat was there and he had guard- cCoOnmmiclboooks (C©