The story in one page
Detective Sergeant Fitzgerald is tired of anonymous gifts and local protection rackets. While investigating the mob-controlled Elite Cleaners, he encounters Brink, a dry-cleaning proprietor with a very specific defensive strategy. Every attempt by Big Jake’s men to sabotage the business or assassinate its owner ends in a ridiculous accident, from fire bombs detonating prematurely to gunmen sliding helplessly across detergent-slicked floors. Brink manages these outcomes with the help of mysterious 'psi units.' As Fitzgerald realizes his city's criminal infrastructure is being dismantled by pure, improbable misfortune, he waits for the final showdown that ultimately sends the mob to the hospital.
Who's who
- Fitzgerald
A detective sergeant frustrated by the mob's immunity to law.
- Brink
A dry-cleaning proprietor who turns criminal violence into slapstick.
- Big Jake
A racketeer whose henchmen are consistently outmatched by bad luck.
What it's really about
- Psychic Defense
- Using invisible forces to manipulate physical outcomes.
- Inevitable Failure
- Criminals cannot beat the sheer absurdity of physics.
Why it's memorable
- A gunman sliding through a doorway on a wave of spilled detergent.
- A heavy water pitcher narrowly missing a detective's head.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Big Jake and his associates fail to overwhelm Brink with escalating violence, the police are forced to call for reinforcements. The ambulance makes two separate trips to remove the defeated racketeers.
For your book club
- Why crime syndicates are surprisingly susceptible to industrial accidents.
- The effectiveness of detergent as a tactical deterrent.