5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

THE GHOST BREAKERS fied oe radio, I figured, and if it was in the neighborhood, it would probably be there before I got back. It was. There was a police car parked in front. Blocks away, I heard the siren of the police ambulance coming. Inside the house, I could see flashlights moving around, one upstairs and one down- stairs. The man upstairs must have heard my footsteps, for he threw up a window and leaned out, throwing the beam of his flashlight on me as I walked through the gate. “George Rice,” he called out. His face was in the shadow, but the voice was that of Sergeant Carey. “What the devil you doing here?” “IT put in the call, Sarge,” I called back. aT saw the guy fall down the . gtairs.” “What guy?” he asked. ROM the tone of his voice I knew he wasn’t ribbing me, but just the same I went on into the house on the double. The body wasn’t there. Sergeant Carey came downstairs with a funny look on his face, and another copper—one I didn’t know—showed up from the room I’d been sitting in up to a half hour, or less, ago. “He was lying right there!” I said and pointed out the spot. fall. Or anyway, I saw him land.” “Sure he was dead?” asked the copper I didn’t know. “Sure I’m sure,” I said. “His heart wasn’t beating. He looked dead. Sure he was.” Carey was still looking at me with _ that goofy expression. “You wouldn’t be kidding us, would you, George?” he said. “Heck, no,” I said. “I suppose you had business here?” I nodded. “And my client had permis- sion from the owner of the house for me to use it. I had a key.” I showed it to him. The ambulance was stopping out in front. “Walt,” Carey said to the other police- man, “go tell ’em it’s a false alarm.” Then he said to me, “George, you’ll have to go down to headquarters with us to make a report of this. And it ain’t going “And I saw him . 107 to do your rep any good. What were you looking for here tonight?” “Ghosts, Sarge,” I told him. His eyes narrowed a little. “If you know this joint is haunted,” he said, “didn’t you know that the ghost is sup- posed to be that of a tramp who fell downstairs here fifteen years ago?” “No, I didn’t know that,” I said. “All right, so we'll go in to headquarters. But first, is it okay if I take another look around this place, inside and out?” “Sure. Take your time, and we'll help you.” I heard the ambulance drive away, and the cop named Walter came back in. We went over the house thoroughly, even going up into the attic this time, as Carey had a skeleton key that opened the door. We looked outside in the yard and a block each way in the alley. Then I went back again and checked on whether the windows could be opened from the out- side. Several of them could be. A tramp could have got in easily enough. Getting out would have been easier, for I hadn't locked the front door when I went to phone. We got into the squad car and drove downtown. Of course, Captain Nelson was on duty. That was my luck. I’d tangled with Nelson before, and he was going to make the most of this. He was grinning before Carey got halfway through his story. Then he wiped off the grin and glowered at me, pretending he wasn’t enjoying it. “What’s your side of it, Rice?” he said. I told him. I’ll admit it sounded rather incredible here at headquarters. “And just what were you doing there?” he asked. “TI don’t think my client will have any objection to my telling,” I said, “but can I phone him first? I’d like to be sure.” E NODDED, and I went out into the hall where there was a phone booth. I looked up Pollock’s home number and called it. He sounded sleepy and annoyed when he answered, but when I told him the story, he was wide awake, all right. “Sure,” he said, “tell the police any- eldOO (C(O) mM S (C(O) mM