5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

62 of the nearby desert, and then, fun- filled hours later, watch it sink into the not-distant, blue bosom of the Pacific’ ?” The third man in the room looked interested. He asked, “Is that a fact? You can see the desert and the ocean both from here?” The questioner was Fred Fencer, a private agency operative from Los An- geles. He had been hired to take over at San Alpa for the two weeks of O’Han- na’s vacation. He was a short, stout, eye-glassed individual who might have been mistaken for a traveling salesman who had wandered into San Alpa by mistake, thinking the place a commer- cial hotel. Endicott ignored him. Endicott was fanatic in his loyalty to San Alpa, sin- cerely believing that no finer resort ho- tel existed anywhere in the world. To prove it, he always spent his vacations right here. And he couldn’t see why O’Hanna didn’t do the same. After all, he remarked now, San Alpa was good enough for the Hollywood film colony week-enders, the upper crust of California society, and the tourists with Wall Street addresses. “And they pay ‘twenty dollars a day and up, for the privilege of being here.” Fees ial Irish-blue glance dark- ened moodily. “You said it. What I need is a vacation from other people’s gold-plated vacations.” He admired a pair of old canvas pants, wrinkled like a map of the Bal- kans, before folding the pants into his suitcase. “This chromium-fitted bird cage is slowly driving me screwy,” he said. “I’m losing my sense of humor. I’m getting so I can hear a waiter explain that half a grapefruit has gone up from sixty cents to six bits on account of national defense, and I don’t even laugh.” Fred Fencer looked astonished. that a fact? You people get seventy- five cents for half a grapefruit?” O’Hanna said it was a fact. He said it was also a fact that the Hollywood week-enders, upper crust socialites, and Eastern refugeés from Wall Street liked to pay such prices. “They can’t enjoy anything unless it costs too much,” O’Hanna said. “It’s FIVE DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE contagious, too. I’m getting the same kind of ideas from them.” Endicott nudged his toothbrush of gray mustache with a thin forefinger. “Tut-tut,” he reproached. “They’re not all like that. Lots of rich people are real, genuine personalities. The majority of them are.” O’Hanna said, “I wouldn’t know. A’ guy doesn’t get-to rub shoulders with the real ones in this house dick racket. It’s always the phonies who get into the jams around here.” O’Hanna slammed his suitcase shut, bent his elbow, and consulted his strap- watch. “Six P.M. on the dot,” he said, suddenly cheerful. “Here goes! I’m heading for financial circles where a quarter is still considered spending money, instead of a tip you blush to leave for the waiter. I’m going to mingle with the social element which shaves holding hands with a safety razor instead of a manicurist, who—” The room phone range, and O’Hanna swallowed the rest of his farewell speech. “You take it,” he told Fred Fencer. “You’re on duty, beginning ten seconds ago.” He yanked the suitcase straps in a hurry, hauled the suitcase off the bed, and started toward the door. “Wait a minute,” Fencer said, hand capped over the phone. “It’s for you, personally. Somebody named Leland Cobb, in 402—and he says it’s urgent, a matter of life and death.” “Leland Cobb,” O’Hanna said. His flexible lips tailored a sudden, wide grin. “Well, I’m on my vacation—anéd having a wonderful time already! You tell him so, and tell him you’re in charge.” “No!” cried Endicott, in anguish. He waved his thin hands at O’Hanna. “Please, Mike! If it was anybody else —but you know how Cobb is.’ “Nuts,” said O’Hanna. “T’m asking you as a personal favor,” the assistant manager implored. “No soap.” Endicott said, “Mike, have a heart. Fencer is new here. It’s his first night. You’ll at least go along and help him, won’t you?” He clutched O’Hanna’s coat sleeve. “Where’s your spirit of noblesse oblige, your loyalty to a fellow detective ?” CoOmiclboooks @ (C(O) mM