The Big Money Man by Wayland Rice (hhouse pseudonym, credited to Norman Daniels) Read online

  Black Book Detective, October, 1945

  When the Cash Comes in Accompanied by a Corpse, Publicity Agent Hollister Has Reason to Wish He Were Broke Again!

  ONY ARNOLD looked worried.

  “Mess is the right word,” he replied.

  Across the table from him was the “It began innocently enough. I had a girl T young man who rented this office. His friend who aspired to the movies and wanted name was Hal Hollister and he was a slender, me to help her get publicity. I did—and the good-looking person of average height. “Mr.

  racket turned out to be just my dish. Well—I Hollister, how did you ever get into such a had to make or break myself on what I could mess?” Tony Arnold said.

  do for her so I put every nickel I had into it.”

  Hollister grinned. He was down, but

  “Did she get to Hollywood?” Arnold

  not exactly hugging the floor. One shoulder asked.

  still remained off the mat, though there was

  “Uh-huh. First, some night club work

  terrific pressure upon it.

  and neat publicity about getting married to a

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  millionaire. Of course it was rigged. Then she instrument.

  got into a musical show and I created more

  “I know all about it,” he said. “You

  publicity. The real stuff it was and it went can stop service when . . . what? Who did you over big. The movies came for her. That’s say it was? Cumming? Clark Cumming? THE

  when I moved into these offices, figuring I Clark Cumming? Well, I—yes, sir, I handle was all set.”

  publicity. Yes, of course. Right away? Well,

  “At two hundred and fifty a month you

  I’m somewhat tied up, but then you’re an took some risk.” Arnold glanced around the important man. I’ll be right over.”

  richly furnished office.

  Hollister hung up.

  “Why not?” Hollister asked. “I said it

  “Hold everything, including Angus,”

  was make or break and a publicity agent has to he told Arnold. “As building manager, you give a good account of himself too. This office haven’t seen me on business until morning.

  spelled success and money. Well—my girl

  That was Clark Cumming, the millionaire

  friend went to Hollywood, made a picture and philanthropist. The man who won’t let a

  fell flat on her pretty face. Seems there were reporter within a mile of him. He wants me for no brains behind it and making movies takes some publicity work. Imagine that!”

  brains, I’ve heard.”

  Arnold

  shrugged.

  ARNOLD glanced at his watch as he arose.

  “Well, Hal,” he continued, “I’m sorry,

  “This is a funny time for a new client

  but what I said still goes. You know, old man to contact a publicity agent. It’s almost Angus McVicker takes no credit from anyone.

  midnight. But—I wish you luck, Hal, Hate to You paid four months’ rent in advance. It was see a nice lad like you thrown out on your ear.

  up a week ago. Angus says you’ll have to Make Cumming come through with enough

  get.”

  advance to put old Angus off for another

  “Angus,” Hollister grunted, “has a month.”

  moneybag for a heart. Talk about publicity.

  “I’ll get enough to pay for the layout

  Did you see what I got?”

  for a year,” Hollister gloated. “Man alive, this Hollister passed over a copy of a legal

  is just what I’ve been waiting for. The one journal. In it was a paid ad to the effect that break a man needs and it came at my darkest Angus McVicker was in the process of forcing moment. From here on, I go places. Tony—

  one Hal Hollister into involuntary bankruptcy.

  got five? I’m plenty flat?

  “It’s really a laugh,” Hollister said.

  Arnold smiled and dug a hand into his

  “He thinks I own this furniture. All his ad did pocket.

  was to bring down every blasted creditor I

  “Well, if you’ve a client like

  have on my neck. Furniture company, printer, Cumming, I guess I can risk it. Good luck, hotel. Even the telephone company. You’d Hal.”

  think a big concern like that wouldn’t notice Half an hour later, while he rang the

  when a chap owes them forty-seven dollars.

  bell of Clark Cumming’s suburban mansion, Frankly, I expect to get a call any minute Hal Hollister still thought it was all part of telling me to listen well because it’s the last some beautiful dream. It was Cumming

  time I’ll hear anything over this phone. Well, himself who answered the door. He was a

  let them . . .”

  white-haired, austere man with a reputation The phone promptly rang, as if it had

  for generosity and self-isolation. His picture ears and a brain. Hollister laughed dryly, had been in the papers, about as many times as nodded to Arnold and picked up the Hollister had thumbs on both hands. Cumming

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  hated publicity.

  generous. A thousand dollars now—before

  “I’m Hollister,” Hal said. “You sent

  you even know about the case. Four thousand for me. Remember?”

  more if my name isn’t in the papers by day

  “Oh yes, Mr. Hollister. I’m glad you

  after tomorrow. If it doesn’t get in by then, it were so prompt. My business with you is

  never will.”

  vitally important and demands speed as well.

  A thousand dollars. Men had been

  Come in. This way—to my library.”

  killed for less. Hollister grabbed the straw A good part of the crowd at Grand

  with both hands this time. He almost grabbed Central Terminal would have fitted the single one-thousand-dollar bill that comfortably into the room Cumming called Cumming proffered. Yes, within himself,

  his library. It was lined with books and filled something warned Hollister to be careful.

  with deep, luxurious chairs. A pair of antique Taking on an assignment, the nature of which lamps were lit and they threw a feeble glow he hadn’t the remotest idea, was dangerous.

  over only part of the room. Hollister wondered Cumming might ask the impossible.

  if it was his imagination or the top of a man’s

  “I’m ready, sir,” Hollister said weakly.

  head which rested against the high back of one

  “Tell me the details.”

  chair.

  Cumming

  arose.

  At any rate, he figured this was none

  “Come over here and I’ll show you the

  of his business. If Cumming wanted someone details,” he said grimly. He walked to the present, he was at liberty to arrange that. high-backed chair in which Hollister thought Hollister sat down and accepted a cigarette he’d seen someone sitting. Now he knew he from Cumming.

  wasn’t wrong.

  “My qualifications,” Hollister opened

  The chair was occupied.

  proceedings, “can be checked with any movie By a man with a hole through his vest,

  company, stage producer, columnist or shirt—and heart. He was very dead and very newspaper. I get results. Guarantee ’em, sir.”

  chalky looking.

&n
bsp; “I’m not interested in that,” Cumming

  Hollister gulped. His stomach was

  smiled wanly. “You see. I hired you to do doing a flip-flop. He wasn’t used to this sort things in reverse. I want my name kept out of of thing. Without a word he turned to

  the papers.”

  Cumming and extended his right hand. The

  “Out of the papers,” Hollister said with fingers still gripped the thousand dollars.

  a sinking heart. “You mean—out?”

  “Nonsense, man,” Cumming snorted.

  “Precisely. I’m on the way toward “Put the money in your pocket and then listen getting some publicity which I hate. This will to me. I didn’t kill this man. He committed be adverse and therefore even more detestable.

  suicide.”

  I thought a good publicity agent might be able Hollister felt the first glow of hope. He to help me. You should know ways to keep automatically pocketed the bill, but turned my name out of the papers.”

  away from the grisly spectacle at the same

  “Perhaps I can.” Hollister was time. So long as Cumming hadn’t murdered grasping at straws and he knew it. When he the man, there might be a way out. At the met a reporter, he couldn’t hold his tongue if same time he need retain no more than an he had anything in the way of news and the uneasy conscience.

  mere mention of Clark Cumming could be

  “Here are the facts,” Cumming said.

  front page stuff.

  “You’re entitled to them. This man—frankly,

  “The terms,” Cumming said, “will be

  I don’t even know who he is—came to see me

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  about an hour and a half ago. Unfortunately, black eyes that were now filming over.

  all my servants are off this evening and I let Hollister’s

  mind

  began

  working.

  him in. He wanted money.”

  “It’s quite clear,” he said slowly, “that

  “A stickup?” Hollister gasped.

  if we follow the usual procedure and report

  “Oh no—hardly that. The poor fellow

  this to the police, nobody could keep your was entitled to a hearing, I suppose. You name out of the papers. Therefore, we can do know that I am accustomed to help my fellow but one thing. Put the body somewhere else.”

  men. I frequently provide money, in worthy Cumming

  sighed.

  cases, for medical treatment, college training

  “The very thing. Ever since it

  and things of such nature. Well, this man happened, I’ve tried to figure out some way, claimed he was very ill. Something about his but I must have been stunned by this ghastly stomach. He needed fifteen hundred dollars.

  thing. Thank you, Mr. Hollister. You are Now I’m not a fool. I demanded time to earning your fee. But how can we dispose of investigate his statements.”

  the corpse?”

  “Naturally.” Hollister was beginning to

  “Easy.” Hollister was remembering

  feel more at ease. He almost summoned the some crime movies. “We’ll cart the body to nerve to turn around and look at the dead man.

  some other place, arrange it to look like

  “Naturally,”

  Cumming repeated. “The

  suicide and then let the cops follow their usual man told me there wasn’t time for him to be routine. They’ll identify the man, of course.

  investigated so, because I didn’t like his They always do. They’ll discover he was attitude, I told him to leave. Instead, he pulled incurably ill and had no money.

  out a gun, placed the muzzle against his heart

  “That ought to explain it. Suicide—

  and pulled the trigger.”

  and we don’t know the vaguest thing about it.

  Hollister retained some measure of No one knew he was coming here. If anyone suspicion.

  did, you could tell the truth. Say you refused

  “So then you decided you required a

  to help the man until you had investigated his publicity agent to keep your name and all of statements.”

  this out of the papers. How did you happen to Cumming

  nodded.

  pick on me, Mr. Cumming?”

  “All right. I agree to that. Now—how

  The white-haired philanthropist smiled

  do we get the body out of my home?

  wryly.

  Obviously, I can’t do it. If anything

  “I’d just been glancing through a legal

  happened—if we were stopped for instance, newspaper and saw that you were in some

  the whole game would be up. It’s your job, financial trouble. I thought—frankly, that young man. Tell you what—I’ll double that you’d need money badly enough to help me.”

  fee.”

  “Thanks,” Hollister gulped. “Can I

  HOLLISTER screwed up his courage, turned borrow your car? And something to—to wrap and took a good look at the corpse. After it the corpse in. Can’t spill any blood or leave stopped swaying—In Hollister’s eyes and fingerprints. Gosh—no fingerprints.”

  brain—he realized that the most outstanding

  “I’ll arrange it,” Cumming said. “Stay

  thing about the dead man was his shock of here. I’ll be right back.”

  coal-black hair. It stood up on his head like He was gone five hours—in Hollister’s

  the quills on a porcupine’s back. It rose up estimation—not the actual five minutes it took like wire. Otherwise, the man was of dark him to fetch an old blanket. Hollister took it complexion. He had a thin mouth and coal and started for the corpse like a toreador goes

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  toward the bull. The blanket shook badly. into a large rocker. He let the right hand Cumming touched his arm and extended a

  dangle limply and put the gun on the porch glass.

  floor just below the hand. He flipped away the

  “Brandy,” he said, “I thought we’d handkerchief, stepped back and regarded his both need some.”

  handiwork.

  Hollister drank it at a gulp, nearly

  Then he groaned and moved back

  blowing his head off as the powerful stuff further. Something was happening to the

  lined his throat. At the time he thought he corpse. His skull was coming off! That shock could write publicity about the soul-saving of wild, wiry hair was actually moving. It slid properties of brandy, better than anything he slowly down the side of his head and fell could write on any other subject.

  completely off.

  He got the blanket around the man,

  If the corpse had risen and pointed an

  picked up the gun at his feet and took care to accusing finger at Hollister, he couldn’t have use a handkerchief and handle the weapon felt more alarmed. For a moment he was on very lightly. He stuffed this into his pocket.

  the verge of rout. Only the soft impact of the With Cumming’s help he carried the corpse wig on the porch floor brought back his

  through the house, across the dark rear yard senses.

  and put it into the back seat of a car.

  He picked up the thing and tried to put

  Two minutes later, he was driving off

  it back on the dead man’s head. It wouldn’t and wondering what in blazes he’d do with the stay there.

  body. A nice, dark, public park, a bench on Hollister stuck the thing into his

  which to seat the corpse and arrange things.

  pocket and decided he’d better get going That was it. Hollister wished he had another before he was seen. The wig didn’t matter.

  drink of brandy.

  He was afraid to start the car motor so

  Headlights swept the deserted street.

  he twisted the wheel to conform with the He turned a corner and the lights
seemed to turning drive, got behind and pushed. When fasten upon a sign below a large mail box. The the car was rolling, he jumped in. There was a sign read: ANGUS McVICKER. At first, the slight grade and he sailed through the gate, name meant nothing and then Hollister onto the street and took his foot off the clutch.

  automatically put his foot on the brake.

  The engine grabbed and he was traveling

  Angus McVicker. Old Scrooge! under power.

  Perhaps it was the brandy, perhaps just a He took the car back to Cumming. The

  whimsical wave of sadism, but Hollister philanthropist was waiting for him.

  suddenly made up his mind. He stopped the

  “It’s taken care of,” Hollister said.

  car just beyond the house and looked back.

  “Don’t worry about a thing.”

  The house was entirely dark. He backed up, turned into the driveway and throttling the CUMMING extended his hand. It held another engine very low, he rolled up to the spacious thousand dollar bill. “Yours,” he said. “We front porch.

  agreed to double the fee, remember? If the There was no time to waste. He body is found and there is no possibility of opened the car door, hauled out the body and tying up the man’s death with me, then I shall found that he was so accustomed to it by now forward you eight thousand more. Thank you, that he felt no more pangs of anguish than a Mr. Hollister.”

  slightly nervous embalmer. He carried the Hollister made his way to a corner

  body onto the porch and carefully propped it several blocks distant, suddenly recalled that

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