Show J L' L telegram e Serial Guns at cat Cyrano's s jf By Raymond Chandler Rea Read a new mystery serial complete every week in The Telegram t I Th n. story rr far Ted Malvern en wealthy st finds find Stan Jean Adrian blond dancer blackjacked In Inthe Inthe the doom doorway of or f her hotel bolt room He lie c a Johnr aspects that 81 tat State St Sen ii John Courtway Court WhO picture he ht found In her room le 18 I implicated Je Bran JM n tells M Malvern her bo boy boyfriend friend Duke Duke- has been warned to low lost a fight win the the- bout Later Lu at Cyrano's t club where hen Jean lean dances Malvern m wes res Jean slipping toward Torsos Torso's booth broth 1 f CHAPTER THREE i GIRL with corn blond hair ina Ina In a white wrap Tap with a white fur collar came along the dge of the booths to the place ere had been standing J Malvern said aid Yeah To hell th lh this place Lets Let's go Tony in glow Ilow angry voice Then very cry softly in a tensed tone No wait No wait a mute minute I see sec another guy I dont don't tike Ike sf The man was on the thc far side of he e dance floor which was empty it ht the moment He was following Its Us curve around past the tables that fringed it He was the man who had run away from Jean Adrian's Adrians Adrians Adrian's Adrians Adrian's Ad Ad- rians rian's apartment in the Carondelet Malvern said sharply Walt Wait here Rue Tony He kicked his chair back and stood up Somebody rabbit-punched rabbit him Erom rom om behind He swiveled close to I grinning sweaty face t Back iBack 1 again pal the curly aired faired man chortled and hit him himan an 1 the jaw Malvern was still rocking when let Jet go with the other fist That hat was too slow v too wide Mal Mal- r rn slid inside it uppercut the Hirly haired mans man's nose savagely wobbled staggered crack mck a step and wit sat down on thedoor the thedoor door goor hard an eye ee on this bird Tony Malvern lvern growled swiftly Malvern almost didn't hear the wo shots were small and flat close together a sma small caliber gun Mal Mai- rem rem charged up a shallow carte car car- te Kited ted slope at the far end of booth doors stood wide open The man lay across the end of L his stomach and one side sider r f his face on the white cloth doth his eft left hand dropped between the able and the padded seat His sight hand on top of the table quite ho hold d a black gun a 15 5 with a a. cut barrel Cf LOOp LOOD leaked from under his ll test Iciest est vivid d scarlet on the white l loth th seeping into it as into blot- blot Il Ing g paper puke Duke was standing up deep leep in the booth His left arm the white serge coat was braced the end of the table Jeanan Jean rian an was sitting f down d wn at his e. e e. e looked at at Malvern t kA A small wh white te handled automatic auto auto- matic lay Jay on his palm frI I 1 shot him he said thickly tie fie pulled a gun on us and I sh shot t Am tro I t Jean Adrian Adrian was staring at Maltern Mal Mal- tern rn stiff eyed eed He flashed a smile ther put a hand against hest nest pushed him back Sit down Youre You're noting not noting ping ing any place placer f Benny Cyrano was shaped like Wo plo o eggs a little BlUe one that wasIs was Js Is head on top of a big one that t as s his body His small dapper gs and feet in patent leather es were pushed into the knee- knee bYc b a of a dark desk He Hefts fag saying l Now wait a minute boys bos Now eit it a minute There was a striped in built fa in one corner of the office lid fad Duke sat in the middle middleS S it between two headquarters leks He had a dark bruise overs over s cheekbone One of the dicks the gray haired fe e e had a split lip Jip The young youn youngie younge ie e with hair as blond as d a black eye They both looked d d. d Malvern Mahern straddled a c chair Ii h a air i r the wall and looked sleep- sleep at Jean Adrian near him in a ather ather ather L I ther rocker She was twisting handkerchief in her hands rub- rub g her palms with it Gus leaned against the closed door smoking S SOMETHING U pushed against the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and stepped toone toone to toone one side opened it a crack then opened it wide McChesney came in McChesney was a lieutenant of detectives tall taU sandy haired with pale eyes and a narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row suspicious face He shut thedoor thedoor the thedoor door and turned the key in it Make him the gra gray haired dick asked nodded McChesney Torchy Plant A gun for hire McChesney's long face was serious not hard Got a permit for the gun said Yes Benny got me one two weeks ago I been getting a lot Jot of threats Listen lieutenant Cyrano chirped some gamblers try to scare him into a dive see eee He Hewins Hewins Hewins wins nine straight fights by knockouts so they get a swell price I told him he should take one at that maybe I almost did said sul sul- lenly So they sen sent t the to him Cyrano said McChesney said I wouldn't say ay no Howd How'd you beat his draw Where was your gun On my hip Show Sho Shome me T i ARGO put his hand back into his right hip pocket and jerked a handkerchief out quickly stuck his finger through it like a gun barrel That handkerchief in the pocket McChesney asked With the thc gun big reddish face clouded a little He nodded McChesney leaned forward casually casually casually cas cas- and twitched the handkerchief handkerchief handkerchief chief from his hand He sniffed at it it folded it and put it away in his own pocket What did he say He said I got a message for you punk and this is it Then he went for the gat and it stuck a little in the clip cUp I 1 got mine out first McChesney walked stiff legged to the other end of the office stood a moment looking at a hand- hand tinted sporting print He came back slowly drifted over to the door A guy like that dont don't mean meana a lot Jot he said quietly but we got gol to do our job fob The two of you will have to come ome downtown and make st statements Lets Let's go They went out The blond dick waited for Jean Adrian to pass in front of him Gus er poured three glasses a third full Malvern stood up and downed do his drink After a moment MaJern Malvern Malvern Mal Mal- vern ern nodded at the two men crossed the room and went out closed the door behind him In the foyer the headwaiter was standing at the glass doors Malvern Malvern Malvern Mal Mal- vern said I 1 guess you didn't notice what happened to the kid I was with The headwaiter shook his head and reached forward to unlock the door M I l ALVERN nodded and went out into the rain He went along the street to where the car had been left It wasn't there Malvern Mal came to an like alley street one side of which was the rear wall of the Carondelet Theother Theother The Theother other side had two frame houses and a story four-story brick building Hotel Elaine Blaine was lettered on a around around around round milky globe over the Ule door The hallway was ver very silent There was weak light from a Gelling cell Gell- ing fixture The last Jast door butone butone but butone one on the lefthand side had a crack of light showing around its transom That was the door door He put his hand out to knock See Pago Page 9 Column 4 MYSTERY SERIAL Continued From Page rage Three then withdrew it without touching the door The door knob was vas heavily smeared with something that looked like blood He got a handkerchief out grasped rasped the door knob inside it turned it slowly The door was unlocked He went vent it Tony Acosta sat at the desk Hi His head was slumped forward on his left arm Under the chair on which he sat between the legs leg of the chair and his feet there was a glistening listening brownish pool Copyright Avon Book Co |