What is the full name of the person whose forerunner died inspecting a fire site?
Joe Martin is a fire fighter in Los Angeles who is assigned by his department chief to the Arson Detail. His first assignment is to investigate a suspicious fur store fire that seems to be set by the store owner himself, Thomas Peyson.
The reason why Joe Martin gets the assignment is because his predecessor in the Arson Detail was killed when inspecting the very same fire site. The predessor's file with his findings wasn't found on his body and hasn't been recovered. This is just one of many equally suspicious fires in the last few years, where the insurance claims following the fires has been filed by the same agent, Frederick P. Fender. There is suspicion that Fender is somehow involved in the disappearance of all the destroyed stores' goods as well.
Joe begins with Peyson, the store owner, and visits his apartment that was also raged by fire not long ago. He meets the baby-sitter, Jane, a pretty young teacher, and they get along so well that Joe drives her home and ask her out on a date the next evening.
It turns out Peyson and Fender is in cahoots together, since the first thing Peyson does after Joe leaves, is phone his accomplice. They also meet up the day after, just when Joe comes to see Fender as the next logical step in his investigation. Joe never sees Peyson, as he sneaks out through a back door. Joe gets very little information of use from Fender, but his visit makes Fender put one of his men, Pete, on tailing Joe to see if he finds out something.
Pete starts following Joe around everywhere he goes, even when he visits Jane. Soon Joe realizes that he is followed and when he knowingly enters an illegal gambling place Pete finalky makes contact, offering Joe a chance of making a little extra money. Joe decides to play along and go "undercover".
Joe Martin