Ellroy, James – Big Nowhere, The THE BIG NOWHERE

Two negative shakes, Eisler with his head back down, his tears drying.

Mal said, “Not in the way of a formal pronouncement, but that sentiment stated.”

“Every one of us said it in anger, and it always meant nothing.”

“The grand jury will decide what you meant. Be specific. Who said it, and when.”

Side 101

Ellroy, James – Big Nowhere, The Eisler wiped his face. “Claire would say ‘The end justifies the means’

at meetings and Reynolds would say that he was not a violent man, but he would take up a shillelagh if it came to us versus the bosses. The Mexican boys said it a million different times in a million contexts, especially around the time of Sleepy Lagoon. Mort Ziffkin shouted it for the world to hear. He was a courageous man.”

Mal caught up on his shorthand, thinking of UAES and the studios. “What about the UAES? How did it tie in to the Party and the front groups you and the others belonged to?”

“The UAES was founded while I was out of the country. The three Mexican boys had found work as stagehands and recruited members, as did Claire De Haven.

Her father had served as counsel to vested movie interests and she said she intended to exploit and . . . and . . .”

Mal’s head was buzzing. “And _what_? Tell me.”

Eisler went back to his finger-clenching; Mal said “_Tell me_. ‘Exploit’

_and what_?”

“Seduce! She grew up around movie people and she knew actors and technicians who had been coveting her since she was a girl! She seduced them as founding members and got them to recruit for her! She said it was her penance for not getting subpoenaed by HUAC!”

Big time triple bingo.

Mal willed his voice as controlled as Dudley’s. “Who specifically did she seduce?”

Eisler picked and plucked and tore at the tissue box. “I don’t know, I don’t know, I honestly do not know.”

“A lot of men, a few men, how many?”

“I do not know. I suspect only a few influential actors and technicians who she knew could help her union.”

“Who else helped her recruit? Minear, Loftis?”

“Reynolds was in Europe then, Chaz I don’t know.”

“What was discussed at the first UAES meetings? Was there some kind of charter or overview they worked on?”

The Kleenex box was now a pile of ripped cardboard; Eisler brushed it off his lap. “I have never attended their meetings.”

“We know, but we need to know who besides the initial founders were there and what was discussed.”

“I don’t know!”

Mal threw an outside curve. “Are you still hot for Claire, Eisler? Are you protecting her? You know she’s marrying Reynolds Loftis. How’s that make you feel?”

Eisler threw his head back and laughed. “Our affair was brief, and I suspect that handsome Reynolds will always prefer young boys.”

“Chaz Minear’s no young boy.”

“And he and Reynolds did not last.”

“Nice people you know, comrade.”

Eisler’s laughter turned low, guttural–and supremely Germanic. “I prefer them to you, obersturmbahnführer.”

Mal held his temper by looking at Dudley; Mr. Bad Guy returned him the cut-off sign. “We’ll overlook that comment out of deference to your cooperation, and you may call this your initial interview. My colleague and I will go over your answers, check them against our records and send back a long list of other questions, detailed specifics pertaining to your Communist front activities and the activities of the UAES members we discussed. A City Marshal will monitor that transaction, and a court reporter will take your deposition. After that interview, providing you answer a few more questions now and allow us to take your journal, you will be given friendly witness status and full immunity from prosecution.”

Eisler got up, walked on rubber legs to his desk and unlocked a lower drawer. He poked through it, pulled out a leather-bound diary, brought it back and laid it on the table. “Ask your few questions and leave.”

Dudley moved a flat palm slowly down: _Go easy_. Mal said, “We have a second interview this afternoon, and I think you can help us with it.”

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