10-Story Detective, June 1945 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

-INT FOR TY O——_———___—_ 7] that protection from the police’ lay in being one of many. His eyes were alert, reatiess. His hand was never far from his gun, He didn’t fear the police as much as feared sudden death from another source. He had too much knowledge to be permitted to live. YEARLY all the windows of the Medi- cal Arts Building were dark. The lobby was, at the moment, deserted. Eben went. past the elevators to the fire stairs and walked up eight flights. In front of a door marked Dr. August Finch he paused for breath. The door swung open when he turned the knob. Light was in in the waiting room, Loos- ening his gun in its holster, he- crossed to the reception room. The statuesque ae nurse sat behind her square white es ; She did not seem surprised to see him. “Hello, Mr. Hunt,” she said brightly. © es didn’t tell you my name when I was here.” “Dr. Finch told me, I said you went to college with him and described you, and» he told me your name was Eben Hunt.” She smiled up at him warmly and inti- mately, but the set of her luscious red mouth was too mechanical. “When did Dr. Finch tell you that?” Eben asked. “This afternoon when he came here.” “Did he stay long?” “He came and went.” The nurse glanced around to the door at her back. “He was worried and in a hurry. He told me to cancel all his appointments.” Eben went to the door behind the desk. With his back to-the nurse, he took out his wun and held it close to his hip and pushed in the door. The examination room beyond was dark. He stood peering into the darkness, listening. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the nurse had not even turned to see what he was up fo. Indifferently she was filing her nails. He took a single step into the dark room and fumbled along the wall for the switch. Light flowed over the spacious examination room. Nobody was there. ¥Frowning, Eben looked into the wash- room and into the closet. Then he put up his gun, put out the light, and closed the door behind him, The nurse looked up at him with her slow intimate smile. She didn’t ask him what he was looking for, “Isn’t it past your working hours?” he asked. “LT was just about to go home.” rose and stood inches taller than he. “Waiting for the doctor to come back?" “TY was making out bills. ” She put on cloth coat over her uniform and looked at him, waiting. Eben said, “Don’t you know that the police are looking for Dr. Finch?” “The police were here early this aft- ernoon; right after Dr. Finch lef¢, I told them I saw him take his gun. He keeps it in his desk over there.” Her words came out listlessly, as if she were not inter- ested in what she said. _ Together they left the office. When they were in the elevator, the nurse took his arm and hugged if close to her. The ele- vator operator turned his head to hide a grin. Eben squirmed, feeling that the woman who towered over him made him look ridiculous. | When they were in the street, she said, “My place isn’t far. Would you like to | come up for a drink?” Eben nodded. He hadn’t been absolutely sure before, but now he was. As they walked in silence, she held his arm close to her—his right arm, the arm he needed to get at his gun. He kept watching her, but he made no attempt to get his arm free, It wouldn’t come from the suteide. She was slated to be the instrument of destruction. She entered her apartment ahead of him, put on the light, and stopped. Eben stepped around her. A small red box stood on an end-table near the door. For a little time she stood fingering the box in bewilderment before she lifted the lid. A small red celluloid lobster lay inside. CHAPTER IV uk lobster held the nurse’s eyes. Eben leaned against the wall, saying noth- ing, his glance flicking about the room. When he looked back at her, the nurse’s set inviting smile was fixed on him. “Let’s sit down,” she said, taking his arm and leading him to the couch. He did not take his eyes from her. “How about the drink?” “Drink?” Briefly she looked puzzled be- fore the phony smile returned. “Oh, yes. Drink, Later.’”’ She dropped down on the couch and patted the cushion beside her. “Sit down here close to me.” She wasn’t really brazen. It was as if she were acting the scene out behind foot- lights. Gingerly Eben sat down. His muscles were bunched, his nerves taut. He watched her hands. The one nearest to him slid along the back of the couch. He turned quickly, fearful that she had slipped past his guard, But she was only putting her arm about his shoulder. He back to face her, knowing twisted that he had been tricked. Her other hand ~ “comicbooks