The False Clara Burkhart E-Book

Carroll John Daly

• Herausgeber: Black Mask
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Race Williams wouldn’t touch a divorce case with a ten-foot pole. But when Mr. Burkhart, the prosperous owner of the well-known Burkhart & Co. publishing company, oozes through his office door seeking help, Williams is only too quick to jump at the chance for easy cash. The problem? One hundred and fifty thousand dollars of Burkhart jewelry has been stolen and old man Burkhart can’t seem to remember any relevant details of his inherited jewels. To make matters worse, the only prime suspect on Race Williams’ list—Burkhart’s young, beautiful wife Clara—must not be made aware of the misplaced jewels. Can Williams overcome a forgetful old man, a beautiful young wife, and a mysterious tail in time to retrieve the Burkart jewels and save his hide in the process? Story #13 in the Race Williams series. Carroll John Daly (1889–1958) was the creator of the first hard-boiled private eye story, predating Dashiell Hammett's first Continental Op story by several months. Daly's classic character, Race Williams, was one of the most popular fiction characters of the pulps, and the direct inspiration for Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer.

Leseprobe

The False Clara Burkhart

Race Williams book #13

A Black Mask Classic

by

Carroll John Daly

Black Mask

Copyright Information

© 2017 Steeger Properties, LLC. Published by arrangement with Steeger Properties, LLC, agent for the Estate of Carroll John Daly.

Publication History:

“The False Clara Burkhart” originally appeared in the July 1926 issue of Black Mask magazine.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the publisher.

“Race Williams” is a trademark of the Estate of Carroll John Daly. “Black Mask” is a trademark of Steeger Properties, LLC, and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The False Clara Burkhart

Chapter 1

Three times I called for him to come in, and the shadow of his dark hair, streaked with gray, would bob in and out of the partly open door. It was hard to tell if he were a little deaf, or if he expected me to bite his head off the moment he got it fully inside.

My final shout turned the trick and he sort of oozed through the doorway without opening the door wide. He was much taller than I expected when he straightened up, and though the rain beat against the window in great gusts, it was a cane that he had curled over his left arm.

Tall, yes, but not broad; a long drawn-out, serious affair, with mild brown eyes that blinked bewilderingly at me through heavy shelled glasses. His dark blue suit was expensive enough, but looked as if it had been bought in a hurry or that he had shrunk considerably since ordering it. He looked at me, slipped open the door again and read the lettering on it aloud.