5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

42 the drugstore on the corner and dialed the number. When Hil answered, I just began spilling my brains out. Oh, it was terrible, the things I said, calling her dirty names and telling him she was two-timing him—” “Ydu knew that?” Ollin asked. She nodded, a little shamefaced. “I had spied before. She used to go out with a gigolo-looking Latin in a long yellow car and one of those go-to-hell blue suits.” Ollin asked, “Frequently ’ pe “IT saw them twice.” “Well, go on with your story. Last night—” oe WENT on unsteadily. “Well, I blurted out all I knew about her, and Hil didn’t say anything. At least, I didn’t hear a word from him. But then —then, all of a sudden that awful music, which I could hear playing all the time, came to an end, and there was a scream, a terrible scream. It wasn’t ‘whoopee,’ but it sounded a little like ‘yipee’ or ‘yeepee,’ and I guess it was ‘shee-pay,’ Xipe, the name of that horrible Aztec demon.” “Well? You went back to the place?” She sat up, tears falling from her eyes. “TI started to, but I just couldn’t. I ran out of that place and came on home.” Ollin took a deep breath. “That’s what you mean by saying you were guilty of her death? You mean it was the things you told Kern that caused him to kill her?” | “Oh, my God!” the girl sprang from her chair. “I didn’t say that! I think it was the other man, the gigolo, who killed her. Hil was still at the telephone when that cry sounded.” Ollin shook his head. “No sale. You admitted Kern didn’t speak. How can you say he was still holding the phone? What he did was leave the receiver hanging while you were still talking and go back into that room and cut the girl’s throat.” i “No, no,” she sobbed. “Anyhow, Hil wasn’t himself.” “That may be true,” Ollin said. “May- be he wasn’t. By the way, was he in the habit of mixing laudanum with his liquor?” FIVE DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE Siddington spoke up, “Hil never needed any drug in his liquor to go off his head. But you haven’t proved he did it yet.” “When I catch him, he’ll probably confess,” Ollin said. “About that cry, assuming it was the name of the god, Xipe, she cried out, I can see only one reason she might have done so. She and Kern were, presumably, enacting an an- cient ritual, she playing the victim, he the priest. Calling the god’s name was probably the climax of the grisly drama. So, it’s possible that when Kern came back from the telephone and advanced on her with his knife, the poor girl thought it was merely a part of the play —until too late.” Edna Ferry shuddered; Siddington hung his head. Ollin went on, “Any- how, I’m going to try to find somebody else who may have heard that music and the cry. Some passer-by may have heard it. I’m going to broadcast that recording over the radio—” Siddington jerked his head up. “No! You must not do that.” Ollin was startled. “Eh? You mean that you do believe Kern’s theories about the effect that music has?” Siddington said, in a low tone, “I be- lieve in the effect it may have on Hilary. As I said, nothing is proved on him. But if it should happen that, in a moment of derangement— Well, the music may have had something to do with it in his case. He’s still at large. To provoke those mad instincts again would be | aed criminal! Ollin said, “If he’s a madman, he’s got to be caught somehow. At least, it might cause him to give himself away.” Siddington stood up. “I’ll have noth- ing to do with it. And don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, if you’re through with Miss Ferry for the time being I’d like to take her home. She needs rest and pos- sibly a doctor.” When they had. gone, Ollin took up his telephone and called a local radio station. Arrangements were easily made. The public was already curious about the mysterious “murder music” the papers had mentioned, and the man- ager was glad to oblige. The music, and an appeal from the police, could be broadcast at nine o’clock. GoMmiGcdoo @) <S) (C(O) mM