Skip-Tracing And Gossip

Perish By The Sword, 6.

"Yamamura...had other business on hand, a skip-tracing job." (p.54)

I think that there is a reference to a skip-tracing firm somewhere in James Blish's "Beep"/The Quincunx Of Time and I have read Perish By The Sword before but this is the first time that I have googled the term, "skip-tracing," and its name makes sense.

Poul Anderson's character, Oswaldo Pereira, says something that I approve of. When Yamamura asks him whether Arthur Colquhuon might commit murder, Pereira assumes that Colquhuon has found out about an affair between Janice Colquhuon and Michael Stefanik. However, when questioned further by Yamamura, Pereira acknowledges that this affair is mere gossip and rumor, then adds:

"'I don't hand on such stories myself...'" (ibid.)

Damn right. Pereira mentions the story to Yamamura only because the latter is an investigator and is asking about murder. Such stuff should not be repeated merely because someone has said it.