5 Detective Novels Magazine — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

BLOOD, SWEAT AND JEERS at the foot of the stairs, but I get the picture that she was a fairly sharp little operator. When the old man deferred the final decision about her job, started talking wine and caviar by candlelight, she figured to know what was on his mind. I can’t imagine she was especially naive.” Sheriff Tufts nodded. with that.” “Good,” said Kelly. “Now, here we have the old man overestimating his ca- pacity for booze. This, I have to admit, surprises me. I’ve seen Lucky put away a considerable load and not show it. However, I guess we all occasionally have one of those nights. Starr passes out downstairs, as he says. The cook is “T’ll go along 15 herself probably gave her some courage, too. Also fouled up her plot. First, she tried to make it too slick. She took off her stockings while she was undressing. Then, she got to the top of the stairs. Maybe she blacked out. I don’t know what happened—maybe she _ just tripped.” Tufts removed his hat, ran his strong, blunt fingers through the tangle of white-blond hair on his head. He wrin- kled his face thoughtfully. “IT suppose you could be right,” he said. “But I don’t understand how the girl fell downstairs—she must have screamed—without Lucky knowing it.” Kelly shook his head. “That doesn’t bother me, Sheriff,” he said. “Maybe Ss - =~. Ellen was floating lifelessly in the water through for the night, and Doris finds herself in a choice spot. “She’ll run upstairs, tear her clothes off, come down in her panties and bra, somehow wake Lucky—maybe by throw- ing a drink in his face, which would have been a good touch, too—then start screaming and let him chase her out the front door, until she was certain there were plenty of witnesses. Then she’ll claim Lucky tried to attack her, make the old boy pay through the nose.’ “Do you think he would’ve?” he Tufts wanted to know. Kelly shrugged. “He’d have to shut her up. He’s in a sensitive position, and Starr isn’t the hoodlum type gambler. If he were, she’d have been afraid of him. As it was, he looked easy to her. Of course, being more than a little loaded because, when I was a young cop in L.A., I had a Main Street beat. I’ve tried to wake a few thousand guys who were canned. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucky didn’t even turn over, when she landed at the bottom of the stairs.” UFTS had walked to the bedroom window while Kelly Wilson was speaking; stood with his back to the room, looking at the desert. He turned, grinned at Kelly. “There’s nothing like having your work done for you, is there?” he said. Kelly stiffened. “You asked what I thought, Sheriff. Remember?” Tufts held up his hand defensively. “Take it easy, Kelly,” he said. “I wasn’t being sarcastic. I was only trying to say I agree with you. Suppose we go down- CORAICLO® (Cc S