But there was nothing like what I looked at when I whipped that piece of cloth aside. Nothing. I was one man when I pried the locks loose. And I was somebody else after I looked at the money. And I knew in some crazy way that I couldn’t ever go back to being the man who pried the locks, no matter how desperately I might want to.
The classic Noir is a moral tale, when it comes down to it. Something almost like a demonstration of the doctrine of Original Sin. Some ordinary guy, one like you or me, is faced with an irresistible temptation in a moment of vulnerability, and grabs it. And in that moment the trap is sprung, his fate is sealed, though he may not know it for a while.
Jerry Jamison, the “hero” of Soft Touch, a 1958 John D. MacDonald novel, is a World War II veteran. He did honorable service in the OSS in Southeast Asia. After his service he became a builder in Florida. Then he fell in love with the beautiful daughter of a land developer, married her, and went to work for her old man.
Only gradually did he realize that the old man is an idiot and the company is headed downhill. And his beautiful wife is an alcoholic. He wants to get out, but he’s short of resources.
Then his old war buddy Vince shows up. Vince has kept busy doing shady business in South America, and he has a business proposition. He knows a way to steal a fortune being transferred by a corrupt businessman planning a military coup. Nobody will claim the money, he promises. Finders keepers. After some brief hesitation, Jerry agrees.
The job doesn’t go as smoothly as they planned, of course. But they do get the money. More money than they even imagined.
And that’s when things really start going bad…
MacDonald, smart pro that he was, did not handle this story at all as I would have, which is just fine. Jerry Jamison is a well-drawn character, easy to identify with, which makes the tragedy all the more horrific. One element that’s unusual in this story (for a MacDonald book) is the inclusion of a humble Christian character, who tries – in all innocence – to steer Jerry the right way. Whether her admonitions are meant to be taken seriously, or rather as echoes of futility, is up to the reader to determine.
Soft Touch is a very effective Noir novel. Recommended, if you like the genre.