ALVREO MARCH SOi^ K HITCUCOCKSfi MYSTERy MAGAZINE NEW stories presented by the master of SUSPENSE LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED March 1967 Dear Reader: A profile of our time would not be ^a^ complete without a close perusal of pertinent issues. Historians of the fu­ ture could do no better in grasping a well-rounded picture of our era than to consult the magazine you are now hold­ ing. The latest electronic advances and a momentous de­ cision by the highest court in the land are among the current events mystery writers explore. The fine arts, child psychology, banking, botany, bridge and physics are some of the others represented herein—from parti­ cular viewpoints. It was brought to my attention that a citizen bent on extreme wrongdoing was attempting'to find a suitable method. He was so startled by the arts and sciences in these pages that, as a result, he returned to college, earned his degrees and became a doctor of medicine. So AHMM makes practical reading, whether you are snowbound or beachbound. At this time of year the chances arc even that you are one or the other, but which­ ever, you might prepare yourself for a sudden chill not necessarily related to the weather. '/z/^^^i Vol. 12. Ko. 3. Murcli l!tG7. Single coiilcs .50 cents. ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE Sub.s(TiptionsS(i.OO for one year in the Unit oil States jtrul Po.ssessioiis; elsewhere $7.00 (in U.S. funtls) for one year. Published niontlil.v by JI. S. D. Public^ations. Inc.. LM41 Beach Court. Riviera Beach. Fhi. 'i.UiU. Publications ollice, 10 Terry Siroet. Concord. X. if. 03302. .second class postage paid at Concord. N. H. Copyright II. S. D. Publicatiun.'-. Inc.. Ift67. All righls reserved, protection secured under the InterTiaiional and Pan-Aineri<;:ui copyright convention. Title registered \>. S. Pat. Oilice. Reproduction or use without express iKjrnii.-ision of editorial or pl(;torial content in any manner is pro­ hibited. Postage must accompany manuscripts if return is doslre<i but no re.si»onsibility will be assumed for unsoli(!ited material. Maimscr!i>ts and changes of addresses should be sent to .Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Maga­ zine, 2441 Beach Court, Riviera Beach. Kla. 33404. Xo similarity between any of ihe names, characters, i>ersons an<i/or instit.titloris appearing in this magazine and those of any living or dead person or institution Is Intended and any similarity which may exist Is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED VOLUME 12, NO. 3 MARCH 1967 ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S mystery magazine CONTENTS NOVELETTE THE LIFESAVER by Don Tothe 138 SHORT STORIES HEIR TO MURDER by Ed Lacy 2 THE PRIVILEGES OF CRIME by Taltnage Powell 17 STILL LIFE by Edwin P. Hic\s 24 PITTER-PATTER by Ed Dumonte 35 CALCULATED ALIBI by Richard Deming 42 A BIG BLACK HORSE by Patricia H. Sy\es 53 THE MARKSMAN by Clar\ Howard 61 LOADED WITH MONEY by Anthony Marsh 74 DEATH WISH by Lawrence Bloc\ 80 SPILT MILK by James A. Cox 90 THE MAN MUST DIE by Jonathan Craig 99 CARDS ON THE TABLE by Wenzell Brown 103 KILLER COP by Richard O. Lewis 119 THE BET by Arthur Porges 129 RICHARD E. DECKER, Publisher G. F. FOSTER, Editor Associate Editors Pat Hitchcock Ernest Mutter Victoria S. Benham Marguerite Blair Deacon, Art Director LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Where one's actions are so abstruse that normal human be­ havior is seemingly defied, we have a mystery indeed. strenuous than golf; say tennis. His blue eyes were on the jolly side as he said, "Mr. Columbia, you may not remember me. I'm Williams Sanford. I was the lawyer for Moorepark Appliance, which is why I thought of you when I de­ cided I need a private investiga­ IT WAS difficult to peg his age, but tor." The deep voice went with his I guessed forty-five. He was al­ build. ready bald, but his face was hand­ "After that mess, I'm surprised some, in a fleshy way, and the cus­ you'd want me for anything, Mr. tom-tailored suit showed off a good Sanford," I said poHtely. Actually build—from something .. more it hadn't been my fault. I'd been ALFRED HITCHCOCK S MYSTERY MAGAZINE LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED hired to get information on a rival months ago Mr. Massini's uncle outfit's new models and prices. died, leaving an estate worth over However, they must have expected 1800,000. Mr. Massini—that is Ste­ their ofSces to be bugged, for ven Massini—was willed $18,000. they'd had a whole false informa­ As executor, I've been looking for tion deal set up. Steven so the will could be pro­ "That's all in the past, Mr. Co­ bated. A few months ago I finally lumbia. For the present I need to located him in Nice, France. I find a man—that's the job." gather young Steven is an artist, a "Have you tried the police.?" kind of beatnik character. I imme­ "This isn't a police matter." The diately-airmailed him a letter ex­ blue eyes actually twinkled. "Aren't plaining that he had to be here be­ you seeking business, Mr. Colum­ fore the will could be probated, al­ bia.?" though his share is the smallest one "Like crazy, but I'm the wrong of the estate. -He wrote back, via type of investigator for you. My ordinary mail, asking why the field is electronics, electrical snoop­ money couldn't be sent to him. ing, bugging. For the run-of-the- Well, after an exchange of letters, mill detective work, I have a he finally flew to the States two friend, Al Peters, a retired cop weeks ago. I imagine you read who—" aboiit the jet that crashed and "I'd hke to hire you." burned at Kennedy.?" I shrugged. "Okay. But my fee I nodded. "Was he on it?" is $150 per day." "Yes. According to the papers, "That's rather steep. This won't Steven was one of the three sur­ require any of your electrical gadg- , vivors. He happened to be seated ets, Mr. Columbia—Fred." in the tail section, which broke off "That's why I suggested Al Pe­ on impact. Steven was thrown ters, Mr. Sanford. He'll only cost clear and escaped the flames and you $50 a day and he's an expert at death that ninety-two others met. shadowing, that sort of work. He was rushed to nearby Brook You'd be taking me from other Hospital for a check-up. He wasn't possible cases, so I have to charge injured but was merely in a mild for my time." state of shock. On reading about Sanford nodded his polished this, I called the hospital the next head. "I appreciate your frankness morning to speak to Steven. I was and agree to your fee. I'm looking told he had made a phone call an for a Steven Massini, About fifteen hour after he had entered, that a HEIR TO MURDER LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED young lady had come for him and "How did' you locate him, Mr. he had gone with her. That's the Sanford.?" last I know of Steven, although Sanford smiled. "One of his cou­ I've been running ads in the public sins happened to read a news item notices columns of the papers, urg­ about a Steven Massini being ar­ ing him to contact my office." Mr. rested for picketing the U.S. Con­ Sanford smiled, waved his hands sulate in Nice, some kind of peace as if to smooth the air in front of protest. As Massini is hardly a- com­ him. mon naine, I wrote him, established "Has this Steven been in touch that he was the missing heir. The with any of the other^ heirs, his only hard fact I know about Steven relatives ?" is that he's twenty-six years old." "No. He was adopted and not on "You've hardly given me any­ speaking terms with the rest of his thing to work on, Mr. Sanford. I family. As I told you, Steven's a want $300 now, as a binder, for sort of wild type, a nonconformist. two days' work, including today. His adopted parents died seven All I can tell you is, I'll give it the years ago in a car crash, and Ste­ old college try." ven's been abroad ever since. As "Fine. Let me know the moment you can understand, the other you locate him," Sanford said, get­ heirs are most impatient to have ting to his feet, taking six $50 bills the estate settled." from a fancy wallet, and his card, "Sure. And eighteen grand should and dropping them all on my desk. interest a struggling artist, too. Is "Of course, all this is strictly con­ he married.?" '' fidential, Fred." "Not as far as I know.' I've never "Sure, Mr. Sanford." seen Steven, haven't even a photo It was two-twenty p.m. when he of the lad. The last time any other left. I phoned a guy who works members' of the family saw Steven for a top credit rating house, asked was many years ago, when he was for a rundown on Sanford and on about four years old. His -father Steven Massini, of Nice, France. I was on the wild side, too, had mar­ do this with all my clients; credit ried an Indian girl.