5 Detective Novels Magazine Cover — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

86 back and see it sometime. The big building where Ward’s offices were stood not far from the waterfront, but it didn’t even have a watchman. We had to walk up but in no time we were in the main office. Galey’s two-room suite of offices was provided with a leather couch. Cora sat down on it and leaned back. She had the kind of legs best de- scribed as enticing. Even with death all around me, I thought a great deal about those legs. We talked for a little while, and then she dozed off. I walked around and came upon a bulletin board on which was post- ed all the sailing dates of the Larch Line ships. As I interpreted it, no ship had sailed for a week, though there had been four arrivals and one ship was due to sail with the tide about two the next morning. I sat down behind Galey’s desk after I turned off all the lights and smoked a couple of cigarettes while I tried to puz- zle it out. I had a lot of facts but most of all I needed Joan Haven to back them up. Until I had her, Lieutenant Barr at police headquarters would never be con- vinced. Ward had stowed Joan away somewhere. To best him at this game, I’d neve to try to determine just where she’d e, She had something on him, that was evident. She had a habit of talking too much when she was drunk, which was most of the time. Her evidence against Ward was evidently physical and ca- pable of making plenty of trouble for him. So killing her was out. But if he could convince her she was in trouble now—actually wanted for murder—then he could do pretty much as he liked with her. So long as she was on the run, she could hardly go to the cops with what- ever evidence she had against him. Obviously, that was why I’d been ali- bied by an assorted bunch of paid liars. Ward wanted Joan sought for the mur- der of that overgrown slob in her apart- ment. To put the cops on her trail, I had to be cleared, so he had arranged that. He was slick, all right, but he hadn’t reached any of the real rough spots yet, and I meant to arrange a few to slow him down, anyway. I was pleasantly con- templating various ways and means of making Ward sweat when I felt the cool FIVE DETECTIVE NOVELS MAGAZINE surface of the desk against my cheek. I was too tired to lift my head. Chapter IX ELLS—bells—bells! They clamored and jangled with hellish insistence. I didn’t want to wake up, but the bells were rattling my eardrums, so I finally opened my eyes. I had no idea where I was at first, but I realized that a tele- phone, practically in my ear, was ringing like crazy. Then I recalled that this was a busi- ness office, Galey’s private office at the steamship lines. The phone continued its shrill clamor for attention. I glanced at my watch. Only a quarter of six. Maybe the phone call was for me. I took a chance and answered it. The only reply I got was the other party trying to hang up softly. I jumped to my feet. This wouldn’t be a healthy place for either Cora or me to be found. I ran to the next office where I’d left her sleeping on the leather couch. She wasn’t there. I hurried through the of- fices, calling her name and getting no re- ply. She was gone and she must have left voluntarily. I wondered if I’d been a real sucker to confide in her. After all, she had lied for Sydney Ward. A great big and very serious lie. I had no reason to think she’d have changed for me, but there wasn’t time to consider her. In a little while employees would start coming to work. I went over to the bulletin board, studied the sched- ule of arrivals and departures once more, and then made my way out of the build- ing. Because I was very close to the water- front I decided to go looking around, an idea I gave up quickly when I saw all the tough-looking mugs posted around the piers where Ward’s ships were tied up. They may have been longshoremen but at the moment they were acting like guards, maintaining fixed posts and watching everyone who came into view. I took good care I didn’t. There was no place for me to go, so I ate breakfast in a side-street beanery before I headed for my own office build- ing. I had to use my key on the outside door. I’d never been in the building so early in the morning. I hated the silence. CoOMmiclooo SS (C@)