"You Value Your Job, Boy, Don't You Do Any Detecting"

THE other day we featured a story by a prolific but relatively obscure pulpster. Today we're highlighting what looks like his last published story, this one entitled . . .

"Manners with Murder."

By Richard Howells Watkins (1895-1980; FictionMags, 2 pages HERE).

First appearance: Bestseller Mystery Magazine, May 1959.

Short story (9 pages).

Online at The Luminist Archives (HERE; go to text page 100.)

   "Sam looked down. It was the first time he had been introduced to a corpse."

She killed him. All the evidence says she did it. Even she says she did it. Case closed. But a smart sheriff's deputy isn't convinced; against his boss's orders he'll have to do some fancy "detecting" to prove otherwise . . .

Principal characters:

~ Cliff Raven:

  "His lean, courtly features made him look as if he belonged in these elegant surroundings, though the front of his head struck a sour note."

~ Clare Barrett:

  "I did kill him, of course."

~ Deputy Sheriff Sam Robbins:

  "What I mean, ma'am—don't talk. You need a lawyer, right fast."

~ Sheriff Ben Dunn:

  ". . . uttered a moan. With Ben, a bird in his cage was always worth two in the bush."

~ Hector Friend:

  ". . . a shrivelled, clever little man with large hands . . ."

~ Gabby Gelch:

  "You'll never get away with this!"

~ Ginny Wilding:

  "Ginny's alibi wouldn't crack."

References and resources:

- "Cape Canaveral, far up there to northward":

  At the time of our story, the Space Race was getting started, and that part of Florida was just beginning to swarm with Yankees; see Wikipedia (HERE).

- "plainly was no Sarah Bernhardt":

  Her name became synonymous with the acting profession; see Wikipedia (HERE).

- Our previous meeting with Deputy Sam Robbins and Sheriff Ben Dunn was (HERE).

Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.

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