5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 91: what you’re looking at

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

HE’S IN THE DEATH HOUSE 91 She stared at me. “Why, yes, of course. He has a lot of pull, but it doesn’t help us. He wouldn’t do anything for our family if it meant a million to him.” I gave her a smile that she didn’t un- derstand. “He’s going to tonight,” I promised, “although he doesn’t know it.” I stepped over Van Doan’s body, crossed the room to the telephone, and dialed the operator. “Get me the governor at the state capital. And tell him it’s a matter of life and death.” I HEARD Judy draw in her breath sharply, but I couldn’t turn my head. It didn’t take long to make the con- nection—only a few minutes—but it seemed like hours to me. I heard a man’s voice say, “Gov- ernor’s mansion,” and I told him, “I’ve got to speak to the governor. It’s a matter of life and death.” I suppose the secretary had heard that before, and he wasn’t impressed in the least. “Sorry,” he said. “The governor has retired and has left orders that he is not to be disturbed. Call him at the capitol in the morning.” I schooled my voice, trying to get the flat, toneless sound just right. I said, sounding like a major-general issuing orders: “This is Petie Smith of Templeton. Tell the governor that if I don’t talk to him tonight, I’ll never talk to him again.” There was silence at the other end of. the wire. The secretary was evidently thinking it over. “Just a moment, Mr. Smith,” he said at last, “and I’ll see what I can do.” I flashed a look at Judy. I might be a bum, I might be a nobody—but I’d got through to the governor and if I played my cards right, Charley Garron would not hang,in the morning. The governor sounded sleepy, and he didn’t exactly sound pleased, but he did answer the phone. “Hello, Smith,” he said. “What’s on your mind.” I told him, still using the flat tone without inflection of any kind: “Young Garron is slated to hang to- morrow morning. You’d better issue a stay. New evidence has come up.” His voice sharpened. “But 1 thought you were certain of his guilt.” “There’s been two more murders in Templeton tonight,” I said. “Certainly Garron couldn’t have pulled them, and the main witness against Garron has changed his testimony. Think it over. You’re going to look like a fool after it’s proved that an innocent man has gone to the gallows.” S His voice got more lively, and I could tell that he was no longer half asleep. “What is this new evidence?” “Grant a stay for forty-eight hours,” I told him. “I’ll send the evidence up to the capital. I’m sending a man named Foster—Mike Foster.” He hesitated. “Let me think about this and call you back.” “That won’t do any good,” I told him hurriedly. “A forty-eight hour stay He made his decision. “All right. Forty-eight hours, but it had better be good.” The receiver clicked at the other end, and I turned around. The girl’s face was very, very white. “But, Mike, they can put you in jail for doing that,” she said. I nodded. “Yeah, but they can’t put me in the death house. That’s where your brother is, Judy.” I was being purposely cruel. I had to snap her out of it. “Come on, we’ve got to get mov- ing.” “Moving? Where?” “We’ve got to go down and see Smith,” I told here. “The chances are the governor won’t call back, but he may, and if he does, we’ve got to be ready for him.” “But, Mike—” “Listen, sweetheart. I’m tired of be- ing pushed around. I came into this town looking for a nice, quiet job, and from the first moment I hit here, people have been taking pot shots at me. So we're going to take a few ourselves be- fore these cops find all the bodies.” She didn’t argue, just followed me out to the big coupé. I still had the gun I’d taken from Van Doan. I went around the coupé and got into the driver's seat. She climbed in, and we headed down- town. -won’t hurt anything.” GomiGcbdoo @) S (C(O) im