Clues Detective Stories - September, 1939 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Pulp
Publisher: Clues Detective Stories
Published: 1939-09-12T05:00:00+00:00

Pike sailed into Harry Anson’s office, slammed the newspaper down on the desk, and glared at the face of the guilty little columnist. Anson was grinning from ear to ear.

“Hi, yuh, Johnny,” he cried gleefully. “What’s on your mind?”

“You know damn well what’s on my mind,” Pike said wrathfully. “What kind of brainstorm have you been having? You must have gone completely screwy!”

“Gone screwy?” Penny McGee said from her seat at the end of the desk. “He’s been there and is on his way back. After all, you can’t blame him. It’s not his fault that three months before he was born his mother saw a whirling dervish. He was born a little dizzy and has gradually been getting worse, day by day. He thinks that,” she pointed at the paper, “was a swell idea.”’

“If that’s a swell idea, then I’m the Black Widow myself!” Pike snapped. “What are you trying to do, Anson? Make a sap out of me?’

“Nix, Johnny! The idea is-that we’re going to find that Black Widow.”

“We are?” Penny grimaced. “You mean the idea is that Johnny will find her.”

“Then he’s got another guess coming. He can count me out,” Johnny blazed.

“Anson thinks he’s already got you counted in, Johnny. It’s his usual idea of putting you on the spot. The Black Widow and her pals will read the column. They’ll be afraid that you’ll try to tear down their playhouse, so they’ll come around and gun you out. But you ll be too smart to let them get you. You’ll a turn the tables on them and—”

“The idea is goofy,” Pike said flatly. “Every crook in town has learned not to believe a thing that’s printed in Anson’s column. The Black Widow and her crew have got away with eight kills—without leaving a clue. That means that they are plenty smart. They won’t fall for that old gag. They’ll read that column and laugh. They’ll know it’s a bluff.”

“Don’t be too sure: about that, Johnny,” Anson: said confidently. “You notice that I planted one undisputed fact in that story. The Black Widow did lunch with her latest victim a few hours before he died. Take it from me—she won’t laugh that off. She’ll know that somebody saw her there! She won’t know that you didn’t get a look at her face. Now, that dame is nobody’s fool. She’s going to take the trouble to find out jest how big the fire is.”

“It won’t get:a tumble,” Pike: insisted.

“I’ll bet my socks that it will,” Anson said, rubbing his hands together in intense satisfaction.

“I’ve got a hundred that says it won’t!” Pike challenged.

“I’ll take twenty on it myself,” Penny chimed in.

“Anson’s smite broadend to a beam. “You babes in the woods better save-your dough for your old age,” he chortled. “I ain’t got the heart to take your money.” He turned toward the door and shouted: “Joe!”

Joe Marks, Anson’s bodyguard and general handy-man, lumbered into the room. Joe was big, amiable with those he liked, tough and rough with those he didn’t like.

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