Skip to content
quotesby

The guy was dead as hell. He lay on the floor in his pajamas with his brains scattered all over the rug and my gun was in his hand. I kept rubbing my face to wipe out the fuzz that clouded my mind but the cops wouldn't let me. One would pull my hand away and shout a question at me that made my head ache even worse and another would slap me with a wet rag until I felt like I had been split wide open.

Mickey Spillane#9

CrimeConfusionInvestigationPoliceShockTrauma

About this quote

What does it mean?
A narrator deals with shock and confusion after finding a dead body with a gun.
In plain terms
Someone finds a corpse and a gun, feels dizzy, and cops pressure them.
What can you take from it?
Trauma clouds judgment under pressure.

Where it applies

  • crime scene
  • police questioning
  • violent discovery

Putting it to work

  • stay calm under pressure
  • seek clarity
  • document facts

Questions to consider

  • How do you react when overwhelmed?
  • What helps clear a foggy mind?

Another view

Sometimes shock is a natural protective response.

More from Mickey Spillane

  1. She turned again, and this time she was closer. Her head nestled against my shoulder and she moved my hand up her body until I knew there was no marvel of engi…

    Permalink to quote #8
  2. I couldn't think. I couldn't remember. I was wound up like a spring and ready to bust. All I could see was the dead guy in the middle of the room and my gun. M…

    Permalink to quote #10
  3. When you sit at home comfortably folded up in a chair beside a fire, have you ever thought what goes on outside there? Probably not. You pick up a book and rea…

    Permalink to quote #7

Related quotes

  1. The cops aren't exactly dumb, you know. We can get our own answers. Not like I can. That's why you buzzed me so fast. You can figure things out as quickly as I…

    Mickey SpillaneMickey Spillane quote #4
  2. It's about time law enforcement got as organized as organized crime.

    Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani quote #1
  3. I've enjoyed the accommodations offered by police departments from Florida to Hawaii. Any time I saw a badge, something in me would snap.

    Grace SlickGrace Slick quote #6