A Man Is Missing

Начало книги

Sheriff Bill Catlin spilled the contents of the envelope on his battered desk and glowered at the younger man across from him, who sat uncomfortably attentive.

“The trouble with these dudes,” the sheriff said, “is that they think out here in Idaho we ain’t civilized. Now, here’s Ed Harvel, the chief of police who was visiting out here three years ago. He wants me to locate an amnesia victim, and he writes me a two-page letter telling me how to go about it.”

Hank Lucas nodded vaguely as the sheriff’s steely eyes looked up over the top of his spectacles.

“Now, this here chap,” the sheriff went on, “had a previous attack. He wandered off on his own. Was gone for three months, came back, and didn’t know where he’d been. Never has been able to remember a thing about it. Didn’t know what he’d done, what name he went under, where he lived, or anything about it. He just left his office five o’clock one afternoon and started for home. He showed up three months later. Ain’t that a heck of a note?”

Читать дальше →