5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

MEAT OF THE MURDER ceptibly, and the gravel pinged against the fenders as the car wound farther into the hills. Ted remarked, “And so, last night, when I called you and said I wanted you to drive Steve to Boulder Creek, you knew your big inspiration for our happy home life was kaput. I can see you weren’t being gored by any dilem- ma. If I wouldn’t let Steve be sent away to a mental hospital as a dangerous psycho to spend the rest of his life in a padded cell, you’d make sure I receipted for Betty’s death. “{ suppose you and Bennett had very little trouble with Steve. After you killed him, you brought him to my place. The car was parked out in front. You forced the trunk and put him in there. Sooner or later, somebody would dis- cover him—and then, I was had. There’s only one thing I don’t understand.” “What’s that?” asked Bennett, keep- ing one eye on the road which followed the irregular, jutting contour of the hill. “As long as you had me framed so beautifully,” Ted replied, “is this trip necessary? Why not let the State of California tidy up the mess for you with a quick trial and execution? Or have you two decided you like homicide better than canasta?” OREEN said, “This is insurance, dar- ling. When you’re found here in the hills, obviously a suicide, there won’t be any possibility of someone getting the mistaken idea that you’re innocent.” “Thank you, Lucretia Borgia!” com- mented Ted bleakly. “Now, does anyone sewsarionaL wew TANG CREAM FOR eee Ew EE: ge & j : #. .ORUGGISTS © 60 SECOND RELIEVE ITCHING - SOOTHES £ GUARANTEED CONTACT! BURNING BETWEEN CRACKED | TING must -— Same : PEELING JOES = ELVEN /F OTWER PRODUCTS oy 5 i nes a x SATISFY VOU IM Nave CAILED TRY AMAIING ( is i‘ Sr ney ‘ES, m; A WEEK-OR | ryne6 ceeau roomy —N AMAZING THING | 4 GA WN HOSPITALS a “IME RELEASED TO MONEY BACK! | GRAASELESS, STAWLESS 27 mind if the condemned man enjoys a last cigarette ?” Loreen held her purse out to him. “There’s a package in there.” Ted shook his head. “As long as it’s going to be my last one,” he said, “I’d just as soon it didn’t taste of your per- fume. There’s a package in the pocket of my jacket.” She slipped her hand in his pocket, started to say, “I—” Ted cut her off with his elbow, crash- ing it into her throat. His hand caught her gun wrist, held it away from him. At the same time, he was busy with Bennett, too. They were just rounding a wide curve. To the right, the ground fell away practically to the valley floor, with very little but scenery and fresh air between. Ted had got hold of the wheel and now put all his weight into swinging it out of Bennett’s grasp. Tires slued and screamed, spraying gravel, and the Cadillac careened off the road. For a moment it was airborne, then it nosed down, struck and began to roll. Ted never knew when it stopped. On the first handspring Bennett’s car did down the shoulder of the road, he blacked out. There had been a rush of earth, and the windshield had cob- webbed before his eyes. That was all he remembered about their plunge down the hillside. Ted Owen came to with a large aware- ness for every part of his body. He felt as though he’d spent a day in a rotary washing machine and had been spun dry afterward. Painfully he raised his head. Saw [Turn page] | FB. Bie /V LAB TESTS ee Steer 2 TING ceeam Sy \ ANS! prove EFFECTIVE ¢ IN KILLING SPECIFIC TYPES OF ATHLETES Foor ; FIRST USEO NOW | ALL QedGE/ STs ONLY OOF Tu5E AMICLOOOLKS (C(O) (Co)