Boy's Cinema (1939-40)

Every Tuesday BOY'S CINEMA The ni;in who threw that calpel at you," Bob said loarsely " did he look any- thing at all lii<c me ? " *l in his favourite detective magazine. He was a great reader of crime stories—in hospital time—and he was quite con- vinced that he would make a first-class sleuth. " ■ Earn easy money.' " he read aloud for the benefit of the girl who had scratched his face the night before. " ' Solve murders. Dig up divorce evi- dence. Trail beautiful women. Be a de- tective in twelve easy lessons by post.' Sister, that's me." "The only thing you could catch." scoffed Dora, " is your head in one of those dial phones." "Yeah?" "Yeah." And Dora's tongue was pro- jected. "Well," conceded Hank. "I may not be as smart as the next guy. but I could be on the strong-arm squad. Feel that muscle! " Dora pinched the flexed arm that was held in front of her face. "Why. rigor mortis is setting £ia al- ready ! " she exclaimed. The arm swept round her neck, but was dropped almost immediately because Tonv Green came shuffling along the corridor, cumbered with his cleaning utensils. " Oh. good-morning. Tony! " Dora greeted loudly. But Tony passed with- out a word, making for the stairs. " Poor guy." said Hank pityingly. " He's as deaf as a door-nail." "Yeah." said Dora. "But he'd make a great character for a bafifling mystery—a great character. You know I'd like to solve his murder." "I know it's a shame there's no su'osti- tute for brains." derided Dora. "Whv don't you quit reading that Bill Crane stuff and worry more about vour work?" "Don't you think I do?'' challenged Hank. "Why. I'm in touch with everv patient in the building." "Yeah? How about the patient in Room Three-thirty-three? " " He's out of danger." "Oh. he is. is he?" "Yeah—they buried him last night." Dora was caught, but she was quick at repartee. "Why didn't you go with him?" she asked. Tony was on his way to the dispensarv because he had abandoned all attempt to clean it the night before. He entered it by the door opposite Dr. Morton's office and found it untenanted. But there v;as an inner room where pills were com- pounded—a mere box of a room, almost completely occupied by a bench and shelves—and someone had slipped into that room as he had turned the handle of the door from the corridor. In his deafness he did not hear any sound of movement, but as he set down his bucket he dropped a feather duster, and as he stooped to pick up the duster he saw a shadow on the wall of the inner room, cast by the sunlight that was streaming in at its single window. "Oh, hallo!" he shouted, moving to- wards the doorway in which there was no door, " I clean up now? " A hand encased in a rubber glove reached out through the opening to a shelf in the dispensary itself and closed round a bottle. The janitor stood watch- ing in astonishment; and then for a moment he had a full view of the owner of the hand as the bottle was flung. It struck a metal rack beside which he was standing and was smashed to pieces, showering acid into his face, his eyes, and his wide-open mouth. In imutterable agony he fell to the floor, and was writh- ing there when mercifully he lost con- sciousness. GLOVED HANDS—AND FINGERPRINTS WHEN Dr. Finley Morton performed an operation he liked his skill to be witnessed by the younger surgeons, and he insisted upon the presence of Dr. Amos Thornton, his predecessor as chief sur- geon. Mrs. Van Royden. a private patient and a profitable one. was having a troublesome appendix removed that morning, and Bob was present as an assistant, as well as Norman Kennedy. Dr. Donald Fox, the young surgeon who had acted as anaesthetist for Bob in the case of the newsboy, filled a similar capa- city in this case. Lila Haines and Carole were the nurses, and Dr. Thornton was more of a compulsory witness than any- thing else. The operation was in progress, and Dr. Morton was bending over t'ne senseless woman, scalpel in hand, when abruptly the lights over the operating-table went out aiiu ihe theatre was plunged intc darkness. In almost the same instant there was a deep groan, a tinkle as of metal striking the floor, and then a heavy thud. The lights blazed again as suddenly as they had failed, and Lila gave vent to a piercing scream. Dr. Finlay Morton was lying face downwards between the operating-table and the dressing trolly. Dr. Thornton was the first to recover from the shock. He went down on one knee beside the fallen surgeon, but almos^. immediately was on his feet again. " Dr. Morton has been murdered! " he exclaimed. "Oh. Bob!" gasped Carole. Bob kept his head. "Get the superintendent." he said to her." and tell him what's happened. Every- body else stay here. Are you going ahead with this operation, or are you going to let her bleed to death? Lila! Clamps- sponge !" Carole sped to a lift, descended in its cage to the ground floor, and reached Dora's desk. The blonde receptionist was behind it and Hank was talking to her. "Dora, call the police," said Carole breathlessly. "Dr. Morton's been murdered!" "Murdered?" screeched Dora. "Huh. ain't that funny?" stuttered Hank, staring at the agitated nurse. "I thought you said Dr, Morton was murdered." "I did." said Carole. "Will you untie me. Hank?" Dora, scared nearly out of her wits, became busy on a switchboard while the porter fumbled with the strings of Carole's mask and overall. "Police headquarters?" quavered Dora. "I'd like to report a murder." Dr. Harold Gardner, the grey-haired and thin-faced superintendent of the hospital, was in his office on the other side of the main hall. Carole burst in upon him with the story of what had happened, and he went off to the theatre in a fine state of consternation. An orderly was pushing a wheeled stretcher in at the double-doors: the anaesthetist had risen from his seat at the end of the operating table, "Hov is Mrs. Van Royden?" asked Gardner shakily. Decctnber iiid. 1939.