"THE ADVENTURES OF VIC SOCOTRA, PRIVATE DICK"
I PARKED THE PACKARD ON THE PIER, CLOSE TO THE BIG GREY BOAT. The hand brake clicked into place.
I lit up a Lucky Strike and looked over the situation. My sources had told me the Fat Man was aboard this ship. I had to find him if I was to unravel the mystery of the Great Rat of Sumatra. Lives hung in the balance. So did my expense account money. I pitched the cigarette butt out the window and got out of the car.
The wind was blowing in off the steel grey waters of the little harbor. A giant white mountain loomed up the south. Looked like an inverted ice cream cone. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I had the uneasy feeling I wasn't in LA any more.
I snapped the brim of my hat down low over my baby blues. I checked the Luger in the worn leather holster under my baggy, blue suit coat. I was ready for action ... or danger ... or whatever. I was Vic Socotra, Private Dick.
I ambled down the pier and looked at the little workers busy loading boxes onto pallets. Lot of Japanese in this part of West California. I sidled up to one of them and lit up a smoke.
"I'm looking for the Fat Man," I said, and produced the worn picture from my wallet. "You seen him around here lately?" I gave him my very best leer.
He looked up at me. "Nani?" he said.
"Listen, Bub, don't give me the runaround. I'm a tough fella and I get results."
The little guy didn't seem to see where I was coming from. I pitched my butt away and got ready to rough him up a little. He seemed to look up over my shoulder, at something looming.
I should have known better. Something that felt as big as a crane hit me in the back of the head. I went out like a light.
The Japanese worker looked down at the prone Yankee. Crazy gaijiin.
"Gomen asai, bakka gaijiin." Sorry, Crazy Westerner. He waved to the crane operator. Even the Yankees ought to know better than to stand under the crane aim ...
TOMORROW: THE EXCITING ADVENTURES OF NICK DANGER
CONTINUE WITH "SAPS AT SEA". STAY TUNED.