The Counterfifth Detective
Issues 31 - 36

Milo Garret is a drinking and fighting private detective with a bad attitude, who has been working a missing persons case. Art dealer Karl Reynolds had hired Milo to find Monroe Tannenbaum. That is until a recent car 'accident' which has left Milo with his head in bandages. There is a recap of Graves giving Milo the attaché. Graves tells Milo his 'accident 'was a message, not for Milo though. Milo is the message.

Milo contacts Reynolds for a meeting, and arriving at his office, passes Lono on the stairs. He finds Reynolds sporting a third eye. It turns out Reynolds set up Milo's 'accident'. Tracking down Tannenbaum, Milo is told that the painting involved in the case has been stolen from a private collection. He gets the name of a shipping company as a point of contact.The investigation is leading towards a rich Bel Air home, the home of Megan Dietrich. Posing as an investor, Milo meets with Megan to discuss art. He figures she is behind the theft and the death of Reynolds, and also that Lono must be working for her.

Back at his office, Milo is visited by Echo Memoria, the prostitute from Paris. She is searching for Monroe Tannenbaum. Milo heads over to Tannenbaum's apartment where he is discovered by Megan. Tannenbaum is hanging from his belt in the bath. Milo and Megan discuss her involvement in the theft, the murders and her relationship with Lono. This is all very confusing as truth and lies are mixed equally. After meeting Cole Burns and facing off with Lono, neither of whom Milo recognises for who they truly are, Milo crashes Megan's party. Milo looks at the painting, and notices the word Croatoa inscribed above a door on the canvas.

The next thing Milo is aware of, he has again crashed his car. New memories are beginning to surface. These include Atlantic City. Megan arrives at the crash scene. Milo asks how her father is. They go to Milo's apartment where Megan offers herself to Milo.

Graves picks Milo up the next morning and attempts to fill in some of the blanks. Arriving at his office Milo receives a call from Echo, who reveals her true interest is not Tannenbaum but the painting. Milo goes to her hotel and is spun a yarn. Their conversation is disturbed by the arrival of some one Echo believes to be 'Karl Reynolds', Lono. Lono throws Echo and Milo from a second story window.

Leaving hospital again, Milo puts Echo on a plane back to Paris. He calls Megan. She accuses him of breaking into her house, murdering her guards and stealing the painting. She has found out who he really is. Milo can't say the same thing. He prefers being a private eye to a Minuteman. As he runs through the case looking to tie up loose ends, Lono enters the office. After a brief conversation, the meeting turns to violence, and Lono shoots Milo in the face. Lono leaves and gets into a car with his lover, Echo Memoria. As Milo dies, he finally puts all the pieces together.

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