Mystery Magazine
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ul DECEMBER 50< K MYSTERY MAGAZINE i^mi^i^j 1 ^«i>a»'jg;;inL NEW storieipresenfeLICENSEDd by TO th UNZ.ORGe AAASTER OF SUSPENSE ELECTRONICt REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED December 1969 Dear Reader: While not wishing to do mischief to the great tradition of turkey and cran ^a^ berry sauce, I herewith serve a banquet of hohday dishes and treats and trim mings fit for a king or queen—you. The contents are an artful blend of new mystery and suspense and related singular ofTerings by literary chefs de cuisine, many of them your favorites. All cook up plots to please, and I trust you will send your compliments, as have I, to their bizarre kitchens. Despite the number of courses, all of this sumptuous- ness comes packaged in just over four ounces of paper and ink, but as I have indicated it does go a long way. Simply add eyes, read and enjoy. •<JJt^^C*Nj<^^^^X£C-^ R chard E. Decker, Publish er Gladys Foster Decker, Editorial Director Ernest M. Hutter Editor Patricia Hitchcock , • Associate Editor Nick J. Sartorio C rculation Director Marguerite Blair Deacon Art Director LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED VOLUME 14, NO. 12 DECEMBER 1969 ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S mystery magazine CONTENTS NOVELETTE No ESCAPE by C. B. Gilford i... ..^LS.. .jjL.^.-.-ctor.iissaa: 138 SHORT STORIES THE SiNGLE WING EPICURE by Fran\ Sis\ 2 EULOGY by Pauline C. Smith :..; 19 A FINGER HERE ... A FINGER THERE . by Jac\ Ritchie 26 EARLY SUNDAY MORNING by Jonathan Craig 36 THE ALL-SEEING EYE by Edward Y. Breese 41 NOTHING BUT HUMAN NATURE by Hillary Waugh 58 WHO SITS IN JUDGMENT by Michael Zuroy 67 STRANGER'S GIFT by Talmage Powell 78 ASHES TO ASHES by Leo R. Ellis 91 THE CLINCHER by Jac\ Foxx > ... 100 DEATH AT STONEHENGE by Norma Schier 106 A ROCK HAS MANY SIDES by John G: Hill 121 SUCCESS STORY by Richard M. Ellis 133 ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE aMS^ilo?f„-„'«e%Wt\e"U^^^^^^ £ind Possessions: elsewhere S7.00 (In U.S. tuncis) lor one year. Published monthly by H. S, D. Publications, Inc., 2441 Beacb Court. Riviera Beach, Fla. 33404. Publications office, 10 Perry Street. Concord, N. H. 03302. Second class postage paid at Concord, N. H. Copyright H. 9. D. Publications, Inc., 1969. All rights reserved. Protection secured under the International and Pan-American copyright convention. Title registered U.S. Pat. Office. Reproduction or use without express permission of editorial or pictorial content In any manner Is pro hibited. Postage must accompany manuscripts U retiurn la desired but no responsibility will be assumed for unsolicited material. Manuscripts and changes of addresses should bo sent to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Maga zine, 2441 Beach Court, Riviera Beach, Fla. 33404. No similarity between any of the names, characters, persons and/or Instttutlona appearing In this magazine and those of any living or dead pereoh or Inatltutlon la Intended and any similarity which may exist Is purelLICENSEDy coincidental TO. Printe UNZ.ORGd in the U.S.A. ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED A man of demanding tastes may ris^ finding them all-consuming. THE NAME of my place is La Mai- and the letter s came off his tongue son d'etre. Mr. Seagrave first pa as a 2 sound and this is how I tronized us only five months ago. knew in the evening that he had It was, I well recall, a rainy Tues been the man on the phone that af day evening. He was accompanied ternoon. on that. occasion by the blonde He began by saying, "I zpeak for young lady named Bessie Schacter.. Mizder Zeagrave—Mizder Nicho- Also present, invariably as it de laz Zeagrave. Yez?" veloped, was the dusky little man The name was totally unknown called Darius. to me, but I made the good restau I'm unable to regard Darius as rateur's response. "We're delighted either a general factotum or a body to hear from him again." servant and yet he was a bit of "Again? I zink you miztaken. both and then something else. It Mizder Zeagrave never zeen you was Darius who phoned to make houze before." the reservations. The diphthong th "I'm most sorry. I was sure he ALFRED HITCHCOCK S MYSTERY MAGAZINE LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED had visited us in the past," 1 said. finement to such plebeian fare. An "Not zo. But he vizit you to artist with few equals, he often night maybe. But he very fuzzy yearns to show off the depth and man." breadth of his talent. Blanquette of For a moment I visualized a young rabbit would be the merest man adorned with a riot of hair soupgon from the reservoir. "No and then realized the word was trouble there," I said. "Rabbit for 'fussy'. Well, Tuesday is never a three." good day for restaurants in this "Not for zree. For two." city and the rain had already be "I understood you to say there'd gun. A fussy customer was better be three in the party," than none. "How may I accommo "Zat is right. But two only will date Mister Seagrave.'"' eat. Now next, a zchrimp or lobz- "You got zmall private dining der zoup can you make zick?" room?" Zick, that baffled me. "Repeat "Yes, it seats ten quite comfort that, please." ably," I hastened to convince him. "Tonight it zits zree." "Will you repeat that, please?" "Zree. One, two, zree." "That can be arranged. What "Zick like gravy. You make it?" time shall we set it up for?" "A veloute? But of course. Ei "Not yet. I muzt azk more quez- ther shrimp or lobster. They are tionz." standards with us." "Of course." "And zoze zmall eclairz, can you "Can you prepare a blanquette of fill zem wiz zweet creamz, all dif young rabbit?" ferent flavor?" Many people consider us strictly "Profitcroles, yes. What flavors a steak and chop house. We serve would Mister Seagrave like?" these items superbly, if I do say so "Vanilla, chocolate, maple, al myself, but our chef Fran5ois suf mond, cherry, banana, peach. Zoze fers spells of frustration from con okay." THE SINGLE WING EPICURE LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Seagrave was beginning to take est." And I meant it. No matter shape in my mind as a man of how bizarre were Seagrave's tastes flamboyant tastes, but I knew he in food, his knowledge of wines was going to make Francois hap was exceptionally high. py. The trio arrived at precisely 7:30. "Now next, za winez." Without any exaggeration, I think I "Our cellar is one of the finest." may say they were the strangest "I name zem, you zay if you trio ever to enter La Maison d'etre ain't got zem." in its twenty years, of operation. "As you wish." They were all wearing raincoats. "Champagne Pol Roger, 1959." The small dark man I came to "Yes." know as Darius was in the fore "Red Bordeaux Chateau Lafite, front. The bright orange slicker 1955." reached to his ankles. Immediately "Yes." behind him stood a stocky man of "Red Burgundy Pommard, medium height who bore himself 1959," like a hard-tempered ramrod. He "Yes." wore an expensive-looking silken "White Bordeaux Chateau raincoat draped over his shoulders. d'Yquem, 1957." His French pro His blunt head was protected, if nunciation was superior to his En that is the word, by a dove-colored glish. beret which emphasized the crim "Yes." son suffusion of his face. The "White Burgundy Montrachet, whites of his protruding green eyes 1959." were flecked with dots of blood. "Yes." This was, of course, Mr. Nicholas "Rhone Ermitage, 1947." Seagrave. Beside him was a thin "There you have me. It was the girl with a deep pallor suggestive last truly excellent year. I don't be of anemia. She was perhaps 22. lieve you'd find more than a few Her expression was one of bovine dozen bottles in the entire United blankness. She was chewing some States. And those privately owned." thing methodically—^gum, I soon "Zo.?" . learned—but it could have been "The 1960 Ermitage is very good cud. and available. here." Oscar, our maitre d', met them "Okay. Zeven-zirty tonight we at the cloak room and assisted in be zere." the divestment of rainwear. Darius "Til await you with every inter- was dressed in a tuxedo. Seagrave 4 LICENSED TOALFRE UNZ.ORGD HITCHCOCK S MYSTERY MAGAZINE ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED wore a tweed sport coat and gray introduction, along with Seagrave's flannel slacks. The girl's spindle order, by dropping her wad of like figure was somewhat con gum in an ash tray. Ugh, cealed in a sleeveless pink mini- "Darius, my shoulders, please," dress. The dusky man, standing ready From an alcove I watched Os behind Seagrave's chair, began ex car escort them to their private din pertly to massage neck and shoul ing room, then I presented myself. der muscles, Though I'm American as barbe "Tell me. Monsieur," Seagrave cue, my last name is French and purred, eyes partly shut, "how does right ofl Seagrave insisted on call your chef manage a blaiiquette of ing me Monsieur. young rabbit.?" "I thirst. Monsieur," he said. "My observations, though fre "Two bottles of chilled Pol Roger quent, are generally casual. He immediately," cuts the rabbit into uniform pieces I noticed now for the first time and soaks it in cold water for per that his left arm was missing. The haps forty minutes. Next he empty sleeve was secured inside blanches the pieces in brown but the coat pocket by a black safety ter, and then again soaks them in pin.