5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

68 hand— ‘found out you’d been in South America. They figured maybe I’d know you. I knew a lot of guys in South Amer- ica, so they had me come over.” “Yes?” Prentiss said. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t doing anything but enjoying the fact that the flat automatic made a _ comfortable weight at his left armpit. Jeffries was nodding again. “Yeah. The boys figured I might know you. And they also figured that you might know me and that you might listen to me. This is Mr.—” He hesitated for just a moment. Then he said, “This is Mr. Doe. And the man across from him is Mr. Ray. A couple of nice guys if you get to know them. I used to do business with them south of the Border.” “Yes?” Prentiss repeated emotion- lessly. He suspected now that the two yellow-skinned men were Chinese Com- mies. “Sit down, sit down.” Jeffries had had three or four drinks. His face, which had been burned to the color and toughness of leather by the tropical sun, looked a little redder than usual. “Yeah, they’re nice boys and they don’t like trouble, Prentiss. It just hap- pens that you butted into a game this afternoon. From what I hear, you butted in by accident, and they ain’t holdin’ that against you. See? But you’ve got some- thing they want, and they’re willing to pay for it. You’ve got a little head. It hasn’t any real value, you understand. It’s kind of a family heirloom. Belongs to Mr. Ray’s family. Doesn’t it, Ray?” “Very nice heirloom,” Mr. Ray said agreeably. “So sorry to have caused excellent Mr. Prentiss much trouble.” “You’re not causing me any trouble,” Prentiss told him. EFFRIES laughed. “You always were a card, Prentiss. Now you're a sen- sible young chap, and this detective gag is more or less a hobby with you. So how would you like to get ten thousand nice, round American dollars and take yourself a boat trip?” “And if I don’t?” Prentiss said. Mr. Jeffries looked pained. “If you don’t, something could just happen to you.” His voice hardened. As FIVE DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE if taking their cues from him, the other two men ceased to smile. “Listen, Pren- tiss, let’s talk American. You’ve got something these boys are after, and they don’t want any trouble. They’ i give you ten grand for that head, provided you take a boat trip afterward.” “And if I decide not to take a boat trip?” Prentiss insisted quietly. Jeffries shrugged. “Then I’m afraid you ain’t never going to take any kind of a trip again. I’m not kidding you, pal. These two lugs mean exactly what I say. What’ll it be—ten grand or a nice, quiet spot in a wet ditch?” Prentiss was thinking fast. “When would I get the ten grand?” he asked. Jeffries relaxed, and the two yellow men began smiling again. “That’s the stuff. I knew you’d see it* our way. You got the money, Ray?” Mr. Ray drew out a long, gold-bound folder from his inside pocket. From it he extracted ten bills which he spread out on the desk. They were highly attractive bills, each one a promise of the United States Government to pay on demand one thousand dollars. “As soon as you deliver that head, those are yours. And, brother, you never earned ten grand easier.” Prentiss nodded. “I never did,’ he admitted. “All right, the head’s in my car.” The men at the table looked at each other. Jeffries whistled. “Boy,” he said, “you’re a cool one! Or maybe you didn’t know it was worth ten grand. Anyhow, let’s go get it.” e sprang to his feet. Before Pren- tiss realized what he intended, Jeffries had taken a quick step forward. A gun had suddenly appeared in his hand and was jabbed against Prentiss’s stomach. “What the hell is this—a double- cross ?”’ the detective grated. Jeffries’ lips smiled, but his eyes didn’t change. “No, I’m just fine careful.” His free hand streaked out and yanked the auto- matic from Prentiss’s shoulder clip. Then he stepped back. “All right, let’s go and look at the head.” They went up a passage, which opened through a trap door in a greenhouse floor, and out into the rain. At Prentiss’s car, they stood waiting while he reached MICLOO (CO) S (C(O)