Read Online The Nothing Man by Jim Thompson - Free Book Online Page B

hand, and he took it like a child taking candy. He swigged it, shuddered, and swigged again. I sat down and began talking.
    Stukey scowled down at the floor. Dave listened, watching me curiously, but nodding occasionally at what I said.
    "… a very unhealthy situation here for some time, Mr. Lovelace. The sort of situation that breeds murder. Riffraff drifting in from everywhere because of the climate. Thieves, pickpockets, prostitutes, confidence workers. Keep that-them-in mind, and then bear in mind that we have a large floating, tourist population, people with money and-"
    "But-but I don't understand!" Lovelace frowned querulously at Lem. "Why have you allowed this, sir? Weren't you aware of these undesirables in our midst? What kind of chief of detectives do you call yourself?"
    "As a matter of fact," I said, carefully, "Mr. Stukey has kept them under quite good control. But he's only one man, not the entire department. And I think we've made his job seem a pretty thankless one. There's been little or no recognition for work well done. There's been no incentive to give the city the wholesale housecleaning it needs."
    "Incentive? Recognition?" He continued to frown at Stukey. "He draws a very handsome salary, as I recall. Why should he-?"
    "Don't we all, sir? Don't we all need more than mere money? For that matter, we've had something worse here than a lack of incentive. There's not only been no encouragement to do something about local crime, there's been every encouragement to do nothing. I think you know what I mean, sir. You're sensitive about the good name of Pacific City. The police department knows it, as do we all. Naturally, the tendency has been to keep the lid on crime rather than to expose it and cast it out."
    He didn't like that. Mr. Lovelace, need it be said, liked no criticism, either implied or direct. So, after letting him hang for a moment, I lifted him off the hook.
    "Of course, I'm not excusing Mr. Stukey. In the final analysis, the fault is largely if not completely his. He chose the easy way out, the course of least resistance. After all, sir, it hasn't been exactly pleasant for me to lay these facts before you. But I felt that it was my duty to do it-I did not see how I could delay longer in view of tonight's happenings-and I knew that you, sir, regardless of your personal feelings, have nothing but respect and admiration for the man who does his duty."
    He puffed up a little. Some of the sag went out of his shoulders. "Quite right, Mr. Brown. And-uh-thank you for the compliment. I hope, naturally, that the situation is not as bad as you believe… What do you recommend?"
    "Solving this murder," I said, "should be the first item on our agenda. At least, we should leave no stone un turned in trying to solve it. We want to serve notice to the world at large that murder is not taken lightly in Pacific City."
    He sighed, hesitated, nodded firmly. "Yes, yes. By all means… You, sir-Stukey, is it? What are you doing about this murder?"
    "What murder?" Lem grunted, sullenly. "He says it's murder. I don't."
    "How's that? Mr. Brown-?"
    "Mr. Stukey is a conservative," I said. "He's jumped to the wrong conclusions a time or two and it's made him ultra cautious. I wish it were an accident, sir, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that it couldn't have been…"
    I explained the circumstances under which the body had been found, bearing down heavily on the wiped-away fingerprints. He nodded grimly, scowling at Stukey.
    "Certainly it was murder, some mentally deranged person… You don't agree, sir? You intend to persist in your quaint theory that-"
    "I ain't overlooking any bets," said Lem, hastily. "I got the island boys workin' on the murder angle. I thought maybe-maybe I might have a line on the killer myself, but… but I'll keep 'em on it, Mr. Lovelace. We'll turn that place upside down."
    "Well, I should think so!" snapped Lovelace. "An accident! Whatever led you to think for a moment that-?"
    "I was just