Fletch

Fletch is the nickname of the main character in a series of mystery/comedy novels written by Gregory McDonald; the novels spawned two comedy films starring Chevy Chase, though usually with considerable changes along the way.

The first Fletch novel introduces I.M. Fletcher, a journalist staying on a beach watching the drug culture for a story, waiting to find the dealer's source before publishing.

A millionaire businessman named Alan Stanwyck approaches Fletch to hire Fletch to murder him; the man tells Fletch that he is dying of cancer and wants to avoid a slow, painful death. Fletch accepts $1000 in cash to listen to the man's proposition; the man offers him $20,000 for the murder and Fletch talks him up to $50,000 in an effort to see if the man is serious. He appears to be serious, and Fletch begins investigating the man's story in between investigating the drug story on the beach and avoiding the two attorneys after him for alimony for each of his ex-wives.