10 Short Novels Magazine — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

riot broke out in ’Frisco. Her car was waiting. She’d parked it there when she flew north a couple days ago. And the in- spector at San Cristobal says she didn’t cross the line until nearly three A. M.” “That leaves an hour or so unaccounted for,” Flint said. “If there’s anything to Guevara’s suspicions, she must have a number two boy friend in Yuma—which might account for the missing hour.” “You mean Kane?” “She might have found him dead,” ad- mitted Flint. “Valencia and Guevara didn’t even pretend to be surprised when I sprung it on them. But neither of them seemed to know that that dead-pan China- man was prowling around in San Cris- a tobal. Guevara’s startled look is what saved my hide, and—” “But where does that lead you?” frowned McDonald. “First the Chinaman was at Kane’s place,” explained Flint. “Then he pops up in Mexico, in her shack. As though he was checking upon Valencia and Guevara in connection with Kane’s death. It’s a cinch he couldn’t have known I was going to be there.” McDonald conceded the significance of the mysterious lurker. Then, as Flint reached for his hat: “Calling it a day?” “Hell, no! I’m going back to Kane’s place. Guevara’s gag about Kane being at his desk and reaching for a phone is so damn impossible that there must be something in it.” Ten minutes later Flint arrived at Kane’s study. Drawer by drawer he ex- amined the desk but found no hidden com- MICOOOKS LO (E@