Spike, Katie, Pinky, and The Duchess — surprisingly humans, not puppies — are hanging out in the City Hall Press Room on a “dark and rainy night” when a fire alarm comes in. Apparently, the fire house is actually in City Hall because the three run just down the hall to see the fire engine pulling out. All three jump on the back of the vehicle as it pulls out. This is a thrill for the ladies because they were were told it is men-only. It is a thrill for Spike because he was once an 8 year old boy.
Turns out it is Kurt Bergstrom’s chemical plant going up. Spike says it is fine with him if Bergstrom is inside. Bergstrom might be an inventor and wealthy, philanthropic dude, but Spike says he is a publicity hound, and we are told “reporters do not like publicity hounds”. Unlike now when any camera-whore with a face will be put in a little box on cable news to give their unchallenged talking points.
They are happy to hear there was a fatality, but it is not Bergstrom. His assistant John Hamlin was working late and became smoked Hamlin. After getting the facts, they pile into a cab to go see Bergstrom who is dining at the Hotel Drake because the Drake Hotel was not fancy enough. Spike brusquely tells him that Hamlin is dead. Bergstrom takes the news calmly, then inexplicably invites the reporters to go with him to break the news to Mrs. Hamlin.
Mrs. Hamlin reveals that her husband had fortuitously just purchased an $80,000 life insurance policy. This immediately makes Spike and Pinky suspect that Hamlin’s death was faked for the insurance money. He suspects collusion between Bergstrom, Hamlin and possibly the Russians. They tell the story of a guy named Schwartz who had done exactly the same thing. The Duchess cracks the story and invites the gang back to the hotel for the denouement. Bergstrom and the widow Hamlin are also invited and an unlikely self-incrimination is made.
Pleasant enough, but not much going on here.
Other Stuff:
- First published in the September 19, 1936 issue of Detective Fiction Weekly.