5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

THE KILLER FROM BUFFALO Tony stopped between two cars parked in the lot to organize his plan of action. He was still both angry and amazed by Chief Murphy’s perform- ance, for he believed the man had delib- erately maneuvered him into position so that he could be killed safely and legally, which caused Tony to reconsider the entire situation. The most logical as- sumption to follow was that Chief Mur- phy wanted him dead because Tony was too close to the real answer. to the three killings. And the most logical assump- tion to follow the original assumption 27 the hood and finally to the car’s turret top. From it he was able to reach the first landing of the fire-escape without pulling down the iron ladder and risking its creak. Swinging himself up, he noise- lessly climbed to the second floor. The window giving out on the fire- escape let into Harry Short’s office, and it was locked. Tony wrapped his hand- kerchief tightly around his fist, struck the upper pane sharply just above the catch and was rewarded by a mild crash of splintered glass. Without pausing to determine if the noise had been heard CROOKS WILL BE Crooks ~TS SWANS 4 Vs g? Se “SSS Cay = NY WRATH S aos = Vibe. Sin! Ray we OR 7 rs . “ ‘ SAAS ey MA Lase. Brym aac) ee —~ Generally Hooversville, Pennsylvania, is a peaceful little town where nothing exciting ever happens. But a few years ago a crime wave hit Hooversville which is still talked about in police circles. First a man broke into a house. He was caught and imprisoned in the local jail awaiting’ sentence. Then someone broke into the jail and robbed the prisoner of $14.75. This second thief was likewise caught, but when brought before the judge he couldn’t find either his own money or the loot. Someone had picked his pocket! was either that Chief Murphy was the killer, or a part of the underworld or- ganization he claimed did not exist in St. Michael. Chas headlights flashed at the entrance of the alley, and Tony dropped between the two cars. A patrol car—probably the town’s sole one— went by slowly, playing a spotlight over the yards on the other side of the alley, against the rear of the fire hall on this side and into the parking lot. Momen- tarily it hovered on a fire-escape at the rear of the bingo building. As soon as the squad car passed, Tony rose and moved to a car parked directly under the fire-escape. Through the rear of the frame building he could hear the drone of a bingo caller’s voice announc- ing numbers. Stepping on the car’s bumper, Tony climbed to the left front fender, then to below, he reached through to release the catch, raised the lower pane and crawled through. Quickly he drew the shade behind him, and in pitch blackness felt along the wall for the light switch. He found it near the door. The room contained very little furni- ture. Centered against one wall was a scarred desk upon which sat a telephone. The only other furnishings were a filing cabinet, a safe and two straight-backed chairs. Tony tackled the three drawers of the filing cabinet first. The top drawer contained file folders which in turn seemed to contain general correspondence. The second held a large ledger which a cursory examination dis- closed to be a record of business dis- bursements. Apparently the record of profits, if any, was kept in the safe. Quickly Tony thumbed through it, AMICLOOO© CONMUG <S) (C(O)