The Blue Book of Crime

A mysterious package arrived in the mail recently. It contained nothing but a slim hardcover volume, blue with black lettering: The Blue Book of Crime: Finger Prints, Secret Service, Crime Detection.

It is, if you will, a kind of Manual of Detection, only it was published in 1936 by the Finger Print Publishing Association, and authored by the esteemed Mr. T. G. Cooke, F.P.E., Director of the Institute of Applied Science, formerly Director and Official Editor of The International Association for Identification.

F.P.E., in case you’re wondering, stands for Finger Print Expert.

The usefulness of this book is immediately apparent. It contains information on the history of the fingerprint profession and on the life and work of the average “secret service man,” as well as descriptions of some real cases. Furthermore, it exhorts us to “PROTECT THE INNOCENT; CONVICT THE GUILTY.” I think anyone lucky enough to possess a copy of this book will feel inclined to do just that, and may even want to study with The Institute of Applied Science, which, according to the last page of the book, has been “training students by mail in the profession of secret service and identification continuously since June, 1916.”

Why do I call this package mysterious, apart from its contents? For this reason: the sender is unidentified. No note, no name in the return address—just my own address, written in big block letters which I’m sure would prove resistant to the efforts of all but the most skilled F.D.E. (Forensic Document Examiner).

I have only one clue to go on: an Atlanta, Georgia postmark. Assuming I know my benefactor, this narrows the list to several suspects.

• The copywriter. The similarities between the copywriter and the F.P.E. are well documented: both care about the finer details and are concerned with matters of identification. This copywriter also writes fiction, which is very suspicious behavior.
• The poet. The poet is an A.C.S. (Agatha Christie Specialist), so naturally she’s a prime suspect. She moved to Atlanta recently, so might feel inclined to browse used bookstores and send some of the more instructional findings to old friends, to make sure they don’t forget about her.
• The other poet. The other poet, I’m told, is engaged to the previously mentioned poet. Of particular note is the fact that he used to be a carnival employee.

I have little else to go on, so please let me know of any promising leads. And in case you need to identify fingerprints, I urge you to refer to the following illustration: