5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 105: what you’re looking at

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

MURDER IN FLORIDA Ryan reared up straight. “No! What makes you think so?” “I saw the reflection of lenses. A couple of minutes later, she came over to buy some gas she didn’t need—a stall to look me over and find out what the latest score was. My idea is that she’s teamed up with the shaggy man. Do I have to tell myself everything or will you save me some time?” YAN just sat there and looked tired. What I had said about the gal was more or less bluff, to open him up. But he wasn’t talking. The way things looked now, Borda was too drunk to be dangerous. As long as I was circulating around, he wouldn’t have the nerve to cool Ryan. Also, Borda had enough interest in Ryan to block any monkey business the shaggy man might pull. -But Hairy-face couldn’t have been a killer, or he’d have taken Ryan long before I arrived. Anyhow, that’s what I figured, when I headed downstairs to drive for the nearest dog stand or wherever there might be a phone. If I always figured things out right, I’d be a genius and not a cut-rate detective. As I left, Ryan was doing some tall frowning. He was good at meditation that got nowhere. A fellow gets that way when he’s been hiding out a long time. Gambling and some dame—that was how it sized up—hiding out from mugs he owed money and afraid they’d take it out of his hide since it wasn’t in his pocket. But he wasn’t broke, with that roll. Well, what some people con- sider being flat would make another guy rich. When they’re down to their last hundred grand, they dive out of win- dows. Then I got a real shock. Valeria del Rio was hoofing it down the drive, all breathless and worried, except for that high-powered smile. She had teeth that were good enough to model for advertis- ing. Her shoes were all dusty, and one of those perfect legs showed through a long runner. But she hadn’t been pawed. Nobody had made her get out and walk. “Oh, Mister—” “Carmody, madam. Honest John to you. Where’s the long and rakish car?” “That’s why I’m walking. I ran out DID YOU KNOW T in England, during the Norman rule, if a person, other than an Eng- lishman, was slain, the people living in the district in which the crime was com- mitted were compelled either to produce the murderer in a hurry, or shell out with a stiff fine... ? THAT in France, a judge always wears a black cap when pronouncing the sen- tence of death... ? THAT the Dum-Dum, or soft-nosed bullet, which expands on striking, was named after the town of Dum-Dum, in Bengal, India, where it was originally manufactured ... THAT in a court of law, a confession, though admissible as evidence against the person who made it, cannot be admitted as same against his accomplices .. . ? THAT 50 per cent of the youth doing time in reformatories in this country are mentally deficient—and that the same thing holds true of from 25 to 50 per cent of adult prison population ... ? THAT the average prison stretch in the U. S. (for major crimes) is slightly over 5 years. « « e 105 COnnicloo @) 6S (CO