Steven R. Burt

Hint of Copper Steven R. Burt

When Jack Hammer, night watchman at Auerbach's Department Store and part-time private investigator, discovers his first serious client, Yasa Cvito, beaten to death and floating in her own bathtub, he fears that his career as a private eye might be over before it can even get started. Murders like this one gather attention, and a single skewed news article mentioning his name could kill his reputation. Both the police and the FBI warn him to stay clear of the case-to let sleeping dogs lie, even as a cryptic message bearing his name makes that impossible: "Bring me Cvito device or lady will end up like Yasa. Saturday. No policeman." But what is a Cvito device? Who is the lady they're threatening? And how is it connected to recently murdered Yasa? Chasing clues through basement pool halls and the downtown cafes of post-World War II Salt Lake City, Jack follows a lead to a nearby mining town, home to one of the largest copper mines in the world. And as time runs down, he makes a bombshell discovery- a revelation that pulls him from a simple murder case into a shadowy mix of Russian spies, FBI obstruction, and quite possibly the best idea that Nikola Tesla ever had.