10-Story Detective Magazine Cover — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

> i Spy ty) bit 4 on ‘ _ . =e Sine, << S55 2 ‘> the story of his hero brother, and bit his lower lip as McKay told it. . “T’ll get the car, sis,” he told Peggy. “Yes, sir, we've got to help out any pal of Alex’s. I’ll meet you in front of the house. He hurried away. Peggy sighed. “He’s like Alex. There are hundreds of jobs, yet he prefers hanging around poolrooms. I work on a night shift, so I can’t keep track of him. Ready, Corperal McKay?” McKay toek her arm as they descended the steep steps. He found himself lik- ing Peggy Garrick more and more, There wasn’t a complaint out of her for all the treuble she lived with. He liked the way she took the story of her brother’s death, too, Bravely. He held her arm a lit tighter. N OLD Chevvie was out front. Ed Garrick had disappeared, however. Peggy got behind the wheel, ery soon they were rolling over a smooth highway leading to this exclusive suburban section. They were perhaps two or three miles from their destina- tion, when the motor coughed and finally died. It didn’t take McKay long to find out they were out of gasoline. “Why, that’s odd,” Peggy said, “I in a whole month’s ration only yesterday. Edwin must have taken the ear out last night. He hasn’t a license, I’m going to be firm about this. But what'll we do now?” MeKay chuckled, “There was a gas #ta- tion half a mile back. It so happens I’ve got a book of rationing coupons which were given to me when I was mustered out. I asked for them, beeause I’ve got a ear back home. Fil get enough to see us through.” McKay hiked back to the gas station, got a can of fuel, and walked back to the car. He was still amazed at the utter lack of traffic, but he’d been abroad since right after the war began. There were a lot of things he had to lean. Soon the ear was rolling along again, Peggy finally turned into an imposing archway toward a large house. Directly behind it was the big lake. One of the largest in the state. There were lights on im the house. It had grown dark al- ready. ‘Pll wait for you,” Peggy said. “If _ Alex didn’t want me to hear the message rat ea Mr. Ste = x= . T™ = . >, “ 3% a - i - o © Ee : jb ge 2 gh a See es . > 3 a ~ ‘ initnen, Fa-boRer: tall, bland seuss: fae tenant =o Se . “ a Sn Oe Peete es 3 os ~ erage < pe nae .. 4 K TRIGGER MAN FROM TARAWA—————_7 not intrude. Alex worked here as a gar- dener and handy man. I think he liked it. ? McKay nodded, promised he’d soon come out. Then he walked up the porch steps and rang the bell. He heard chimes ring out somewhere deep in the big house, He waited, but no one came to answer the door, McKay raised himself on tiptoe to peer through the small window set high in the door. Some of his weight rested on the door. There was a click. The door had been loosely closed; now it swung open slowly, as if silently inviting him to enter. McKay hesitated. He wanted te see this man Cunningham, dispese of his busi- ness, and start fer home, Perhaps he had- n't heard the chimes or was taking a bath or something. McKay stepped into the luxuriously furnished reception hall. He called out Gunningham’s name and received no answer. He frowned, walked a little further down the hail, then stopped abruptly. -His nostrils twitched. There was a familiar, ghastly smell here. He'd learned to recognize it on various Pacific islands. It was the oder of fresh blood. Human blood! McKay began moving fast, inspecting the rooms, The third one was a stady. Sprawled in the middle of the rug was a man who was most certainly dead. His throat had been slit from ear to ear, The room was in confusion, as if the victim had put up a battle. McKay didn’ wince at the gory sight. He was used to things like this. He felt vainly for a pulse and discovered the body was very warm, The man had been dead only a short time. The killer might be still within the house, McKay walked over to a desk, picked up a heavy paper- weight and felt a little better with this weapon in his hand. _ He went to the front door, intending to - warn Peggy against entering, He was slightly amazed to find that neither she nor the Chevvie was there any longer. He didn’t have time to speculate on rea- sons for this. There was a murder to re- port. He headed for the telephone. Taventy minutes later, the house was filled with policemen, reporters, men from the mortuary, and all those whose busi- ness it is to hover about the omens AL