True North

My name is Billy Payne. I am a 36-year-old licensed private investigator, living and sometimes working in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles north-west of Philadelphia. Although real-life investigative work is seldom as thrilling or as lawless as Hollywood might suggest, I have managed to stumble into several of the shoot-em-up, cop and robbers scenarios you see romanticized on the screen. For the record, I’ve been shot four times, stabbed twice, and broken enough bones to merit my own private room in the emergency ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Insightfully, the nurses have stored a few extra pints of my blood type-just in case my latest case did not progress quite as smoothly as I had hoped. In my line of work, I’m afforded the opportunity to meet a great number of people-all at the absolute worst time in their lives. I’ve had my share of cheating spouses, insurance fraud, and custody battles. And while these cases may not have given me the greatest sense of accomplishment, they have managed to bring a steady paycheck.