Thursday, October 16, 2008

Move over Runyon, Hammett, and Spillane


"North Philly, May 4, 2001. Officer Sean Devlin, Narcotics Strike Force, was working the morning shift. Undercover surveillance. The neighborhood? Tough as a three dollar steak. Devlin knew. Five years on the beat, nine months with the Strike Force. He’d made fifteen, twenty drug busts in the neighborhood.
Devlin spotted him: a lone man on the corner. Another approached. Quick exchange of words. Cash handed over; small objects handed back. Each man then quickly on his own way. Devlin knew the guy wasn’t buying bus tokens. He radioed a description and Officer Stein picked up thebuyer. Sure enough: three bags of crack in the guy’s pocket. Head downtown and book him. Just another day at the office. "

Guess the author. [Weekly Standard]


2 comments:

Stephanie said...

I know who it is. Heard is on NPR yesterday. Nina Totenberg read it with appropriate noir music for background.

Scooter said...

Guy Noir for SCOTUS.