The Fourth Corpse and Other Stories by Norman A. Daniels

Book Details

The Fourth Corpse and Other Stories – Four stories of vicious gangsters, sleazy grifters, and a pickpocket that saves the day, as only Norman A. Daniels can tell them.

Death On A High Note (1948) – She was a nightingale of Broadway, but she was doomed because a killer thought that she might sing!
Chapter I – Wanted for Murder
Chapter II – Just One Shove
Chapter III – Death Strikes Again
Chapter IV – Brief Escape
Chapter V – Manhattan Dawn

Man About to Die (1948) – Detective Steve Murdoch started his strangest assignment on his back—for he had to track down a killer from a hospital bed!

Corpse Collector (1935) – Captain Stone was an office cop till the Shotgun Gang mowed down a buddy in that bank stick-up. Then he decided to turn corpse collector—but the Shotgun Gang wanted Captain Stone for a death decoy, and they were ready to use bullet persuasion.

The Fourth Corpse (1949) – Three names had been crossed off that crimson-smeared memo. And now a fourth man was about to die. But when reporter Ted Sullivan neared the mystery solution, he discovered a new name on the death list… His own!
Chapter I – Cross Off the Dead
Chapter II – Vanishing Lady
Chapter III – Death at Her Heels
Chapter IV – Murder Man

Norman A. Daniels was the pen name of Norman Arthur Danberg, (1905–1995). Danburg typically wrote under the alias Norman A. Daniels, but he also published under the pen names John L. Benton, Frank Johnson, and house names including Will Garth, Kenneth Robeson, C. K. M. Scanlon, and G. Wayman Jones.

The Fourth Corpse and Other Stories has 5 illustrations.

Files:

1. TheFourthCorpse.epub

Excerpt: The Fourth Corpse

Chapter I

Cross Off the Dead

TED SULLIVAN tilted his hat down over his eyes, propped the straight-backed chair against the wall and wished he had some place to put his legs. He swore at the life of a newspaperman. Especially of a young reporter who dreams of interviewing celebrities or accompanying officials on world tours. And who gets assignments to the City Morgue or—like in his case—to the largest hospital in the city, where the emergency ward does as much business as an entire small-town hospital.

Ambulances backed to the platform and patients were unloaded. At these times Ted Sullivan raised one eyelid, glanced at the stretcher and at the ambulance doctors and then closed the eyelid again. He’d developed an unerring knack for knowing when important stuff was hauled in.

One of that kind was coming now. Sullivan’s other eye opened wide. The young doctor was slightly breathless, as if he’d worked hard. The orderlies were extremely solicitous—the girl who lay on the stretcher was quite beautiful.

She was unconscious, her clothes torn and dirt-covered. She was pale and drawn and Sullivan wondered if he’d ever seen a more beautiful creature. He slid off the chair and walked over to the stretcher. The young interne was talking fast for Sullivan’s benefit.

“Knocked down by a hit-and-run driver on Wilmont Place. Can’t tell how bad she is yet. Pulse and respiration okay. Must have got a hard rap on the head. Maybe skull fracture.”

Sullivan picked up the grey, trim suit coat which lay across the stretcher. It wasn’t a new garment, but one glance at the label told him this girl represented money.

Another ambulance pulled up to the loading platform. Business was suddenly very good and everyone rushed around. Sullivan had no trouble at all in picking up the purse which also lay beside the girl. He retreated to his chair and opened the purse quickly.

There was a little money—less than ten dollars. There were two lipsticks, rouge, a sterling silver compact and a gold cigarette case with what looked like genuine diamonds set in it. There was a leather wallet containing an identification card. The girl’s name, Sullivan learned, was Ann Shaw. This, in conjunction with the address, indicated a great deal to the reporter.

He poked further, investigated a small red notebook which contained nothing of interest. There were some old bills, a wedding announcement from some friend. The usual loose hair pins, a handkerchief and some tissues. And a folded square of crisp paper.

SULLIVAN opened this. There were four names and addresses on it. Through the first two, lines had been drawn with lipstick the same shade as one of those in the purse. Four names that meant nothing to Sullivan. He sighed, started to put the paper back into the purse and then the lightning struck.”

He opened that paper again. He read the names and gasped.

BIFF CARRIGAN
ROGER TUTTLE
DR. GEORGE DOWNING
PAUL HABER

An innocent looking list except for one thing. Biff Carrigan and Roger Tuttle were both dead. They had died by violence. And— Ann Shaw had crossed their names off her list.

Excerpt From: Norman A. Daniels. “The Fourth Corpse and Other Stories.”