5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE KILLER FROM BUFFALO a star shell went off in his brain, the momentary flash being followed by pitch blackness. . The first thing of which Tony’s dim consciousness grew aware was a large shoe. He closed his eyes until the noise in his head subsided to boiler factory intensity, then opened them and let his gaze travel from the shoe up a wrinkled pant leg, across a bulging stomach to the face of Chief Murphy. The chief stood some four feet away idly swinging a large revolver. Tony sat up and rubbed the back of his head. Finally he stood up, swaying slightly, and looked around the room. Except for the body of Ainslie, he and the chief were alone. On the floor next to where Tony had been a moment be- fore lay an automatic, and lying next to the dead man was a heavy cane. Neither had been present when Tony first en- tered the room. “You clip me?” Tony asked dully. The chief shook his head. “Just got here. Mayor Ainslie left word at the jail for me to drop around.” “He phoned me he had a lead on the murder,” Tony said dispiritedly. “Said something had been stolen from this room. When I walked in, he was lying like that and his murderer clunked me from behind. I didn’t see who it was.” “Sure,” the fat chief said tolerantly. “You was framed.” Tony peered at the fat man through aching eyes. “Think I shot him and then knocked myself out?” Murphy gestured with his gun to- ward the cane. “Looks like you shot him, then he biffed you with the cane before he died.” “Come awake, ”Tony said sourly. “Do I look stupid enough to let a guy with a cane bean me if I had a gun in my hand?” “No stupider than getting clipped from behind.” “All right,” Tony said. “Either way I’m stupid. But you’ll probably find that cane came from the stock room and hasn’t got Ainslie’s fingerprints on it. And if that’s supposed to be the mur- der gun, it’s not mine. I haven’t been carrying one because I got no permit for Missouri, but you'll find it in my suitcase at the hotel. You can check 23 which one is mine with Buffalo.” “Guys have been known to own two guns. Let’s go.” There was nothing Tony could do about it, so he went. The jail was in the basement of the city hall, which sat in the center of the town square. It con- sisted of three cells, all empty at the mo- ment. Tony was given the middle one. “Listen,” he said to Chief Murphy through the bars. “If you’re going to be a boob about this, at least you can check my story. George Erickson and Mrs. Larson were in my room when the mayor phoned, and could hear what he said because his voice carried. You might also try to find out what was missing from the dressing room. There must be a cleaning woman or something familiar with the place.” “Sure,” the fat man said. “We’ll put our homicide and arson squad on it.” Tony said a four-letter word. SG a night of fitful tossing on the hard, drop-down bunk, he was awake by seven when Chief Murphy ap- peared accompanied by a uniformed policeman carrying Tony’s suitcase. When the policeman had set the suitcase inside the cell and relocked the door, the chief sent him off to get some breakfast for the prisoner. The fat man examined Tony’s red- dened eyes through the bars. “No sleep, huh?” he asked. “No,” Tony said shortly. “Took the liberty of removing your gun from the bag,” the chief said. “Also checked with Buffalo by phone. It’s yours all right, and they got no record of you owning another. But your prints are on the murder gun and Ainslie’s on the cane.’ The little man began removing shav- ing equipment from the suitcase. “They could have been put there after Ainslie was dead and I was unconscious.” “Maybe,” the chief said non-commit- tally. “Also checked your story with Erickson and Mrs. Larson. They both say far as they’re concerned, you can rot in jail.” Tony looked up quickly. “You mean they refused to verify my phone call from Ainslie?” Said they “Not refused, exactly. AMICLOOO@ SJ (C(O) (C(O)