5 Detective Novels Magazine — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

108 I got the long distance operator and reversed charges on a call to John Walsh, at his home. “This is Tommy, John,” I said when he answered. “Calling from the Illinois Hotel in Haverton. I want you to send me some more expense money. This case may have more to it than I thought.” “Sure, Tommy. Shall I tell EE man anything yet?” “No, not yet.” “Couple of hundred be enough? That, plus time for a week or so, oughtn’t to hit him too hard. He’s got it.” “That'll be plenty. I don’t think it’ll take too long, but I may have to hire a lawyer to keep me out of jail long enough to wind it up.” “Out of jail? Listen, Tommy, should I send another op down to give you a hand? Dutch is free for a couple of days.” “No, I want to handle it myself. Some- thing came up that makes me want to handle it myself.” “Okay, Tommy. Uh—how you feel- ing?” “Swell,” I told him. FTER I’d put the receiver back, I walked over to the window, and stood looking out. A clock struck twelve, and the street Itghts went off. That’s the kind of town Haverton is. There was a bright red glow in the sky to the north—almost, but not quite in the’ direction of Reeder’s place. A fire, somewhere out at the edge of town or a bit beyond. The glow was fading, though, and in ten minutes or so it was gone. My head hurt and I couldn’t think clearly. But tomorrow would be another day. I lay down gingerly on the bed. Knocking on the door woke me up, and it was bright daylight. It was a boy with a telegram. That would be the money from Walsh. I gave him a quar- ter, closed the door, and read the tele- gram that went with the money order for two hundred. TAKE IT EASY, TOMMY. SEND FOR HELP IF GOING TOUGH. Exactly ten words, of course. Walsh is famous for his ten-word telegrams. He ean give complete instructions for FIVE DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE handling a complicated. case in ten words, take a full ten words to say “Yes” or “No” if that’s all that needs to be said. It was ten o’clock by my wrist-watch. } bathed, dressed, and sent out for breakfast. Didn’t feel as bad as I should have felt. My head didn’t ache at all, al- though it was plenty sore to the touch. The adhesive plaster on my side bothered me more than the rib did. I got my two hundred at Western Union. I took a look at myself in the mirror, and didn’t like the looks of my suit after what it had been through the night before. I bought a new one and left the old one for cleaning. It was eleven o’clock, and I decided I’d better quit stalling and make my phone calls. IV Business came first, so I called Walter Reeder. “When shall I come?” I asked him. “Going to be pretty busy this after- noon, Tommy. Can you make it this evening?” “Sure. About eight?” “Uh—Tommy. Did Emil Wingerman send you here?” “Yes,” I-said. “I thought so. Emil mentioned in a letter, some time ago, that he’d heard you had been in the army—but that you had come back to Chicago and were a private detective again. If that’s why you want to see me, Tommy, the later you come the better. Maybe you can hear some of those signals I told Emil about, around midnight or one o’clock. If we get them at all tonight, it ought to be around that time. But come a bit earlier so we can talk first.” “Okay. I’ll be there between ten and eleven.’ “Good. Uh—Tommy, I hear you didn’t find the dead man last night.” “No. There wasn’t anybody there. Magnus didn’t seem to like it.” He chuckled. “Don’t let Magnus worry you, Tommy.” “T don’t. I wouldn’t think of it.” “He pops off, but he’s a good guy underneath. If he likes you, he'll auire you the shirt off his back.” - MICLOO Gomnile ‘iS if he has to; he can and does