"THE ADVENTURES OF VIC SOCOTRA, PRIVATE DICK"

TODAY'S EPISODE: "TERROR IN THE OFFICER CORPS"

RECAPPING OUR ADVENTURES SO FAR: NICK IS ONBOARD THE BIG GRAY BOAT in search of the mysterious and enigmatic Fat Man, the Octopus of Crime in Far East L.A. After drawing long time in the brig, he escapes and assumes the identity of ENS Frank Dracman ....

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I felt secure in my new disguise. I wasn't sure who this Dracman character was, but he was obviously a key man in the Organization. It was great. There was quite a line out in front of the newsstand where I bought a carton of Lucky Strikes.
 
The khaki costume got me head-of-the-line privileges. Just cut right in. There was a little grumbling, but I turned around and told them I was an undercover county dick, and that seemed to shut them up. It was also a secret message to the Fat Man to let him know I was on the prowl.

I didn't have any place to put all those Luckies, so I put as many packs as I could in my pockets and dumped the rest in the shit-can. I was a little lumpy, but at least I had smokes again.

I made a strange discovery while I was sleuthing down in the big steel cave. I looked out one of the big picture windows on the right-hand side of the ship - and there was nothing but water out there! I  raced across to the other side, and - sure enough - there was water out there, too!
 
I was surrounded by H2O. The Fat Man had taken the whole kit'n'kaboodle to sea!
Later that day, I noticed my stomach was growling like a Rams line-man. I had to get some grub, and pronto.
 
I followed my nose to where the food smells got thickest. I went down a steep set of stairs and saw a line of khaki costumes just like the one I had appropriated. It wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, but then I voted for Hoover, too. My gut was doing my thinking for me. All I could do was be as inconspicuous as possible.

I walked up to the front of the line and cut in front of some guy with silver round doo-dads on his collar. " 'Scuse me, buddy," I said, and reached for a plate.

TOMORROW: "SAY THAT AGAIN, SAM."