The Second Mystery Megapack Read online

  COPYRIGHT INFO

  The Second Mystery Megapack is copyright © 2014 by Wildside Press LLC. All rights reserved.

  * * * *

  “Funny Stuff,” by Ron Goulart, originally appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 1996. Copyright © 1996 by Ron Goulart. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Pit on the Road to Hell, by John Gregory Betancourt, originally appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July/August 2006.

  “What Is Courage?” by Mack Reynolds originally appeared in Esquire, December 1946. Copyright © 1946 by Esquire, copyright renewed 1974. This version of the story has been edited for republication by John Betancourt. Edited version copyright © 2014 by Wildside Press LLC.

  “Just the Facts” is original to this collection. Copyright © 2014 by Meg Opperman. Published by permission of the author.

  “Ten Grains of Sand,” by Christopher B. Booth, originally appeared in Detective Story Magazine.

  “More Allisons Than I Know What To Do With,” by Michael Hemmingson, originally appeared in The Chronotope and Other Speculative Fictions, by Michael Hemmingson. Copyright © 2013 by Michael Hemmingson. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Grim Reaper’s Handicap,” by Fergus Truslow, originally appeared in 10-Story Detective, April 1945. No record of copyright renewal.

  “Cash,” by Arlette Lees, originally appeared in Hardboiled #35, Spring 2006. Copyright © 2006 by Arlette Lees. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Seas of Misunderstanding,” by Ray Cummings, originally appeared in

  “Hocus Pocus Homicide,” by Gene D. Robinson, originally appeared in 10-Story Detective, April 1945.

  “The Right Betrayal,” by John L. French, was originally published as “Turquoise” (Double Danger Tales 25, February 1999) and “Turquoise Betrayal” (Double Danger Tales 27, April 1999, Fading Shadows Publications). Copyright © 1999 by John L. French. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Sending of Dana Da,” by Rudyard Kipling, is taken from The Lock and Key Library: Classic Mystery And Detective Stories, Modern English.

  “Phantom Getaway,” by Leon Mearson, originally appeared in Secret Agent X, March 1939.

  “The Murder of Silas Cord,” by Harold F. Sorensen, originally appeared in 10-Story Detective, January 1942.

  “The Dead Woman,” by Dr. David H. Keller, originally appeared in Fantasy Magazine, April 1934.

  “Hook, Line, and Sucker!” by Robert Turner, originally appeared in Famous Detective, November 1952.

  “The Judgment of the Gods” first appeared as “The Judgement of the Gods,” in The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits, Third New Collection, edited by Mike Ashley (London: Robinson, 2005), and simultaneously as “The Judgment of the Gods” in The Mammoth Book of New Historical Whodunits, edited by Mike Ashley (New York: Carroll & Graf, 2005); and was reprinted, with minor changes, in The Judgment of the Gods and Other Verdicts of History, by Robert Reginald (Borgo Press, 2010). Copyright © 2005, 2010, 2013 by Robert Reginald. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Will for a Kill,” by Emil Petaja, originally appeared in 10 Story Detective, November 1946.

  “Bodyguard,” by James C. Glass, originally appeared in A Matter of Crime. Copyright © 1988 by James C. Glass. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Masked Alibi,” by John Gregory, originally appeared in 10 Story Detective, January 1931. No record of copyright renewal.

  “Dr. Watson’s Wedding Present,” by J. Alston Cooper, originally appeared in The Bookman, February 1903.

  A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

  I became a mystery writer almost by accident—I was attending a writer’s conference (as a speaker, talking about Wildside Press and careers in writing). Although I had published some 40 books and more than 100 short stories, all but one of them had been in the science fiction/fantasy/horror genre.

  That’s when I met her…Linda Landrigan, the editor of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine (also attending as a speaker). We ended up at the same banquet table, where, of course, every mystery writer and would-be mystery writer at the conference also sat.

  For after-dinner entertainment, the conference staged a Murder Mystery Theatre.

  Guess what? I was the only one at our table who solved it correctly.

  Then, at the end of the conference, the conference raffled off a selection of gift baskets. Every speaker received a complementary ticket. And I won one of the baskets. The Mystery Writer’s Basket, to be precise, complete with a half-dozen how-to-write-mysteries books, a pair of handcuffs, a vial labelled “poison” (I haven’t dared open it!), and similar murderous items.

  I figured the Fates were trying to tell me something. So I went home, wrote 3 mysteries in the space of 3 weeks, and mailed them all off to my Linda Landrigan.

  It took a year, but she bought all three stories…and so my career as an occasional mystery writer was launched. I’m including one of those original 3 stories, “Pit on the Road to Hell,” in this volume. (I’m particularly proud of it.) Peter “Pit-Bull” Geller—Pit to his friends—has gone on to star in 6 stories, one of which won the Black Orchid Novella Award. (Five of them are collected in Pit and the Pendulum. The sixth is forthcoming in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine as I write this.)

  * * * *

  I have very eclectic tastes. I like pulp fiction, but I also like contemporary work. One of the great things I’ve found about mysteries is that they really don’t age; stories written in the 1920s become period pieces (unlike, say, science fiction from the 1920s…or 1930s…or 1940s which…to put it kindly!…often creaks with age.)

  In selecting the stories for this volume, I looked primarily for the sort of tales I enjoy reading. I tried to find less familiar stories, or stories that have never been reprinted before.

  I turned up a brief Sherlockian tale from 1903 (“Dr. Watson’s Wedding Present,” by J. Alston Cooper) which is fun if you’re a big Holmes fan. And I’m delighted to showcase a few newer writers, like noir writer Arlette Lees and newcomer Meg Opperman. In fact,

  Meg’s “Just the Facts” is original to this collection—her third sale (the other sales being to Weird Tales and a regional anthology). I think you’ll be hearing a lot from her in years ahead. We don’t normally run original stories in the Megapacks, but this one is a worthy exception.

  And, of course, there are fun stories by great writers like Ron Goulart, Mack Reynolds (his first published story—before he became famous as a science fiction author), Michael Hemmingson, Ray Cummings, and many more.

  Enjoy!

  —John Betancourt

  Publisher, Wildside Press

  ABOUT THE MEGAPACKS

  Over the last few years, our “Megapack” series of ebook anthologies has grown to be among our most popular endeavors. (Maybe it helps that we sometimes offer them as premiums to our mailing list!) One question we keep getting asked is, “Who’s the editor?”

  The Megapacks (except where specifically credited) are a group effort. Everyone at Wildside works on them. This includes John Betancourt (me), Carla Coupe, Steve Coupe, Bonner Menking, Colin Azariah-Kribbs, A.E. Warren, and many of Wildside’s authors…who often suggest stories to include (and not just their own!)

  A NOTE FOR KINDLE READERS

  The Kindle versions of our Megapacks employ active tables of contents for easy navigation…please look for one before writing reviews on Amazon that complain about the lack! (They are sometimes at the ends of ebooks, depending on your reader.)

  RECOMMEND A FAVORITE STORY?

  Do you know a great classic science f
iction story, or have a favorite author whom you believe is perfect for the Megapack series? We’d love your suggestions! You can post them on our message board at http://movies.ning.com/forum (there is an area for Wildside Press comments).

  Note: we only consider stories that have already been professionally published. This is not a market for new works.

  TYPOS

  Unfortunately, as hard as we try, a few typos do slip through. We update our ebooks periodically, so make sure you have the current version (or download a fresh copy if it’s been sitting in your ebook reader for months.) It may have already been updated.

  If you spot a new typo, please let us know. We’ll fix it for everyone. You can email the publisher at [email protected] or use the message boards above.

  THE MEGAPACK SERIES

  MYSTERY

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Charlie Chan Megapack*

  The Craig Kennedy Scientific Detective Megapack

  The Detective Megapack

  The Father Brown Megapack

  The Girl Detective Megapack

  The First R. Austin Freeman Megapack

  The Second R. Austin Freeman Megapack*

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Mystery Megapack

  The First Mystery Megapack

  The Second Mystery Megapack

  The Penny Parker Megapack

  The Philo Vance Megapack*

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Raffles Megapack

  The Sherlock Holmes Megapack

  The Victorian Mystery Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  GENERAL INTEREST

  The Adventure Megapack

  The Baseball Megapack

  The Cat Story Megapack

  The Second Cat Story Megapack

  The Third Cat Story Megapack

  The Third Cat Story Megapack

  The Christmas Megapack

  The Second Christmas Megapack

  The Classic American Short Stories Megapack, Vol. 1.

  The Classic Humor Megapack

  The Dog Story Megapack

  The Doll Story Megapack

  The Horse Story Megapack

  The Military Megapack

  The Sea-Story Megapack

  SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Fredric Brown Megapack

  The Frances Hodgson Burnett Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Dragon Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Edmond Hamilton Megapack

  The C.J. Henderson Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack

  The Martian Megapack

  The E. Nesbit Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Mack Reynolds Megapack

  The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack

  The Science-Fantasy Megapack

  The First Science Fiction Megapack

  The Second Science Fiction Megapack

  The Third Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Fifth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Sixth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Seventh Science Fiction Megapack

  The Eighth Science Fiction Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  The Steampunk Megapack

  The Time Travel Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

  HORROR

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The Second Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack

  The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack

  The Ghost Story Megapack

  The Second Ghost Story Megapack

  The Third Ghost Story Megapack

  The Haunts & Horrors Megapack

  The Horror Megapack

  The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Macabre Megapack

  The Second Macabre Megapack

  The Arthur Machen Megapack**

  The Mummy Megapack

  The Occult Detective Megapack

  The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack

  The Vampire Megapack

  The Weird Fiction Megapack

  The Werewolf Megapack

  WESTERNS

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The Buffalo Bill Megapack

  The Cowboy Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack

  The Western Megapack

  The Second Western Megapack

  YOUNG ADULT

  The Boys’ Adventure Megapack

  The Frances Hodgson Burnett Megapack

  The Dan Carter, Cub Scout Megapack

  The Dare Boys Megapack

  The Doll Story Megapack

  The G.A. Henty Megapack

  The Girl Detectives Megapack

  The E. Nesbit Megapack

  The Penny Parker Megapack

  The Pinocchio Megapack

  The Rover Boys Megapack

  The Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Megapack

  The Tom Swift Megapack

  The Wizard of Oz Megapack

  AUTHOR MEGAPACKS

  The Achmed Abdullah Megapack

  The H. Bedford-Jones Pulp Fiction Megapack

  The Edward Bellamy Megapack

  The B.M. Bower Megapack

  The E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Second E.F. Benson Megapack

  The Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson Megapack

  The Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Second Algernon Blackwood Megapack

  The Max Brand Megapack

  The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack

  The Fredric Brown Megapack

  The Second Fredric Brown Megapack

  The Frances Hodgson Burnett Megapack

  The Wilkie Collins Megapack

  The Ray Cummings Megapack

  The Guy de Maupassant Megapack

  The Philip K. Dick Megapack

  The Erckmann-Chatrian Megapack

  The First R. Austin Freeman Megapack

  The Second R. Austin Freeman Megapack*

  The Jacques Futrelle Megapack

  The Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Second Randall Garrett Megapack

  The Anna Katharine Green Megapack

  The Zane Grey Megapack

  The Edmond Hamilton Megapack

  The Dashiell Hammett Megapack

  The C.J. Henderson Megapack

  The M.R. James Megapack

  The Selma Lagerlof Megapack

  The Murray Leinster Megapack***

  The Second Murray Leinster Megapack***

  The Jonas Lie Megapack

  The Arthur Machen Megapack**

  The George Barr McCutcheon Megapack

  The Talbot Mundy Megapack

  The E. Nesbit Megapack

  The Andre Norton Megapack

  The H. Beam Piper Megapack

  The Mack Reynolds Megapack

  The Rafael Sabatini Megapack

  The Saki Megapack

  The Darrell Schweitzer Megapack

  The Robert Sheckley Megapack

  The Bram Stoker Megapack

  The Lon Williams Weird Western Megapack

  * Not available in the United States

  ** Not available in the European Union

  ***Out of print.

  OTHER CO
LLECTIONS YOU MAY ENJOY

  The Great Book of Wonder, by Lord Dunsany (it should have been called “The Lord Dunsany Megapack”)

  The Wildside Book of Fantasy

  The Wildside Book of Science Fiction

  Yondering: The First Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  To the Stars—And Beyond! The Second Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  Once Upon a Future: The Third Borgo Press Book of Science Fiction Stories

  Whodunit?—The First Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories

  More Whodunits—The Second Borgo Press Book of Crime and Mystery Stories

  X is for Xmas: Christmas Mysteries

  FUNNY STUFF, by Ron Goulart

  Somebody else had died.

  Seemed like lately we were discussing the obituary of one of our colleagues or contemporaries at just about every one of our weekly lunches. On this particular autumn afternoon, Zarley was the first one to bring up the death of Ben Segal.

  “I absolutely loved Lucky Duck,” he added, bouncing enthusiastically in his chair. “I don’t mean the animated cartoons, which were okay, but the funny books. Segal wrote and drew most of those, and he was a blooming genius, just like Walt Kelly and Carl Barks.”

  “The Times obit,” said Heinz, “said that Segal died a multi-millionaire. It was good to see that Lon Destry Productions didn’t screw him out of every penny.”

  “He was a partner in Destry, wasn’t he?” I said.

  “Segal owned forty percent of the whole damn studio,” said Mert Younger. He’s semi-retired and is usually the oldest member at our Monday gathering of cartoonists at the Inkwell restaurant in Westport.

  Today, though, he’d brought a friend of his. Fellow of seventy or so named Mac Myers. Myers was lean and sunburned and had the sort of bright blue eyes Sinatra is supposed to.

  “Fifty percent,” Myers corrected.

  “Mac used to work at Destry,” explained Mert.

  “Doing what?” Zarley wanted to know.

  “After Ben Segal became a vice president,” answered Myers, “I took over the comic book and comic strip department.”

  “Then you must’ve had a hand in Maxie Mouse Comics and Veronica Vulture and Bix Bunnyrabbit and all.”

  “I did,” admitted Myers with a quiet smile.

  Zarley said, “What I’d like to—”

  “What I’d like to know,” cut in Heinz, “is how Segal, who started as a bullpen cartoonist, ended up owning half the Destry empire.”

  Ty Banner hadn’t said anything for a while. He’d been watching the Saugatuck River out the window and poking at the olive in his second martini. “I could tell you about that,” he said to us, glancing over at Myers. “Destry’s been dead for years, and now that Segal’s gone, too, I guess there’s no reason why not.”