Quotes About Investigation

Even in chaos, there is order, purpose, and strange meaning that invites—but often thwarts—our investigation and our understanding.

Sheriff Hayden Eckman

The Demolished Man.

That Thursday afternoon, August 26, Vince Nasco drove to Johnny The Wire Santini's place in San Clemente to pick up the past week's report, which was when he learned of the murder of Ted Hockney in Santa Barbara the previous evening. The condition of the corpse, especially the missing eyes, linked it to The Outsider. Johnny had also ascertained that the NSA had quietly assumed jurisdiction in the case, which convinced Vince it was related to the Banodyne fugitives

Lem felt sick, not merely because of what had happened to Wes Dalberg but because of all the deaths yet to come. He was proud of both his management and investigatory skills, and he knew he could handle this case better than anyone else. But he was also a hardheaded pragmatist, incapable of underestimating the enemy or of pretending there would be a quick ending to this nightmare. He would need time and patience and luck to track down the killer, and meanwhile more bodies would pile up.

for whom arrest warrants were outstanding. He sought the name Nathan Palmer—and began to make a list of curious facts.

According to the autopsy, his blood-alcohol level was high

The cause of death was drowning.

one of his slippers was found on his dock.

bloodstream

Knowing the poison is never the same as knowing the killer.

We don't want to give people straight answers. We'd rather they question things for themselves.

last person besides her husband to see

There was nothing more satisfying than taking all the jumbled pieces and putting them together one by one to recreate the picture—the story—of the crime in question.

he wanted to pursue criminal charges

In order to shake a hypothesis, it is sometimes not necessary to do anything more than push it as far as it will go.

I'm a detective, but nuns could stonewall Sam Spade into an asylum

Without me, that girl will be gone. Gone-gone. You understand? Gone, baby, gone,' he sang.

If you have to help a person die, say nothing. Let the police do their own sleuthing.

It's always better to know. It is. That's the great thing about being a detective. Information makes you stronger. And if it's bad news, it makes you even stronger.

People disappear all the time. Ask any policeman. Better yet, ask a journalist. Disappearances are bread-and-butter to journalists.

You know historians - can't leave a puzzle alone

That's not what I asked," she said, a noticeable edge in her voice. "I asked why my father shot him." He sighed. She could have found gainful employment with the Spanish Inquisition, he thought ruefully; no chance of escape or evasion.

Restlessly, I moved around the surgery, picking things up and putting them down again.