Dick Tracy by Mike Curtis and Charles Ettinger for January 11, 2023

“However, most assassins like to get an early start. So if that fits your needs, keep it in mind.”

Good morning™, all!

So, Mr. Chandler likes to swim early in the morning, when there are no witnesses — I mean no crowds — on the beach. That’s pretty convenient for certain parties.

Good morning early risers! It appears that Paul is still alive wish him a long life!

Hopefully he swims between the flags.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise? It depends…

and watch Krip check in shortly after Paul’s arrival… they were on the same flight…

Good morning,™ about to be dead fish dead !

Do I see scarlet billows in this guy’s future ?

Maybe this is just me, but it would feel more logical if he had said “I like a solitary swim.” Maybe the point of the sentence isn’t to show that he likes swims to be early, but just swimming at all, and the emphasis should be on “swim” and not “early”, but still.

All the markings of an easy kill….accidental drowning, coming up!!!

Pretty friendly chat…..maybe she’ll join him and derail the plan in some way….

He’ll be swimming with the fishes later.

He likes to avoid the early crowds, I guess!

The beaches are packed here in Florida now with the illegal aliens swimming in from Cuba and Haiti !!! Paul better hope he can find space to swim !!!

Paul is gone down to Panama City and about to go further down….into the murky depths

Dekko apparently must have pretended to give in to Paul’s demands and comping this trip was a “peace offering”.

Panama City. Near where Steve and Johnnie from WGN radio Chicago have a home. “Daddy” Warbucks as already made a guest appearance, will Steve and Johnnie?

Either Paul is going to take a swim in the waters at the beach and some figure in scuba gear will take him out or an accident at poolside could take place. Art has set the wheels in motion. The guy is living on borrowed time.

The clerk is certainly friendly.

Lemme guess… Jaws X?

Murder most foul—but not in Tracy’s jurisdiction.

I would think that out of the jurisdiction would be the ideal outing for an offing. I wonder if Sue is up for a little comped vacay too.

The Harold Holt Memorial Beach…

Hmmm: Perhaps he WILL sleep with the fishes!……

“Oh,,but sir? Someone called in a spot you you with out new ‘pet the cute, very large shark’ event. I can watch your bags until you return.”

He will be found or not drowned……..

I hope he booked his room through Trivago!

Don Bagert (above) is probably right about how this came about, but why must we (the readers) constantly guess what is happening? We saw Paul tell Dekko he wanted more money, and we saw Dekko’s negative reaction. Now Paul is on vacation, apparently on Dekko’s dime, with no logical explanation. We know that Dekko has made arrangements to do away with Paul, but how did he convince Paul that everything was ok? “You just confronted me with a demand for a bigger cut, and I’m obviously not happy with your demand, but here, Paul. Take my credit card and have yourself a fine old time in Florida.” And Paul doesn’t wonder “What just happened?” If Mike hadn’t wasted so many panels on Fuzzy Cons and fuzzy slippers, he might have had space to tell a logical, understandable narrative without so many gaps.

Sticking my head up briefly to say I’m still entangled in major plumbing repairs to my house. Hopefully in another week or so I’ll be back here regularly again (though I must confess a deep and abiding apathy for the current storyline is also a factor in my absence).

1-MEANWHILE, at the Bed And Bug motel…

2-PERKY PEARS: Hee hee. Your card was denied, Mr. Chandler. Don’t be embarrassed though – we get that a lot at the Bed And Bug!

3-PAUL: Try this one, Perky. Never mind that it’s not in my name. Mr. uh…McCartney… said I could use it.

PERKY: No worries. We get that a lot here as well! Hee hee.

PAUL: Well, you’ve certainly earned your name Perky Pears!

PERKY: Because I’m so bubbly? PAUL: Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that…

Did Chandler jump over the counter? In panel 3 he looks like he’s right on top of that poor receptionist.

Meanwhile, in Florida, Paul Chandler still lives (at least for a while)! The perky (as firestrike1 dubbed her in his Reply to DiamondD, above n.b., I’m gonna assume that this is not “Diamond Dallas Page”]) clerk-y Blondie is giving him the royal treatment, and unwittingly setting Paulie up as an easy target for the Hitman, whatever his chosen instrument for dealing Death may be.

This whole Florida escapade seems like a waste of money by Dekko the gecko, (trips to Florida for both PC Paul and the Kypper, plus Surf and Swim accommodations for PC or both—I foresee no refunds), unless distancing himself from the hit counts for so much. Maybe Mike has something up his sleeve that requires this locale?

More accurately, Panama City Beach. PCB, baby! The heart of the Redneck Riviera!

Off to the happy and soothing resort where he will ‘accidentally’ lose in the much touted Be Like Fonzie and Jump The Shark event.

Checking in today.Checking out tomorrow.

MOVIE QUOTE—-

“Sir,the piranhas are eating the guests”.

PIRANHA—1978