Contrary Mary

Being a private investigator means two things. You can be sure you'll run into trouble, and you can never be sure you'll get out of it. What much you can do about it, I guess, except, like Julie always says.

Walk softly, Peter Troy. And now Peter Troy investigates contrary Mary. As you may have gathered, because I've more or less said so many times, trouble is the business of a private investigator. You get to expect it and you hope you can get out of it.

Whether or not you take the advice of my secretary, Julie, and walk softly or not. But it always puzzled me that I never managed to get into as much trouble as some other people do, and mostly without even trying.

Even hardened criminals with years of practice behind them don't seem to get into as much strife as a lot of amateurs do. There was, for instance, the case of George Blake, who, after 20 years as a bank guard, suddenly found himself arrested for complicity in a robbery.

Then consequently, under the piercing attention of my old friend, Inspector Caswell. Alright, Blake, sit down now. What do you want me for now? I've told you all I know. You haven't told us anything that makes sense.

Now, you say you're innocent of having anything to do with a bank robbery. That's right. Yet you were seen to levered your pistol at one of the robbers at Point Blank range without firing. I told you, my gun jam.

Blake, our armory examined that pistol of yours very closely. There's absolutely nothing the matter with it. with it. It simply couldn't have jammed. Did I tell you? I didn't show far at that bank robber. You afraid you might kill him? Was it the thought of actually killing another man that stopped you? I had nothing more to say. You mean there's shame because you didn't