Dudley said, “Let’s talk about Sleepy Lagoon.” Mal thought of his memo to Loew: nothing on the case should hit the grand jury–it was political poison that made the Pinkos look good. Rolff said, “I thought you wanted me to talk about Reynolds.”
“Digress a little. Sleepy Lagoon. Quite an event, wasn’t it?”
“The boys your police department arrested were innocent. Concerned apolitical citizens joined the Southern California left and secured their release. _That_ made it quite an event, yes.”
“That’s your interpretation, comrade. Mine differs, but that’s what makes for horse races.”
Rolff sighed. “What do you want to know?”
“Give me your recollections of the time.”
“I was in Europe for the trial and appeals and release of the boys. I remember the actual murder from the previous summer– ’42, I think. I remember Side 105
Ellroy, James – Big Nowhere, The the police investigation and the arrest of the boys and Claire De Haven becoming outraged and holding fund-raisers. I remember thinking that she was currying favor with her many Latin suitors, that that was one reason she was so carried away with the cause.”
Mal butted in, thinking of culling facts from Dudley’s bum tangent, wondering _why_ the tangent. “At these fund-raisers, were there CP bigshots present?”
“Yes.”
“We’re going to be getting some SLDC surveillance pictures. You’ll be required to help identify the people in them.”
“Then there’s more of this?”
Dudley lit a cigarette and motioned Mal to quit writing. “This is a preliminary interview. A City marshal and court reporter will be by in a few days with a long list of specific questions on specific people. Lieutenant Considine and I will prepare the questions, and if we’re satisfied with your answers we’ll mail you an official immunity waiver.”
“Are you finished now, then?”
“Not quite. Let’s return to Sleepy Lagoon for a moment.”
“But I told you I was in New York then. I was gone for most of the protests.”
“But you did know many of the SLDC principals. Duarte, Benavides and Lopez, for instance.”
“Yes. And?”
“And they were the ones who most loudly contended that the poor persecuted Mex boys got the railroad, were they not?”
“Yes. Sleepy Lagoon sparked the zoot suit riots, _your_ police department running amok. A number of Mexicans were practically beaten to death, and Sammy and Juan and Mondo were anxious to express their solidarity through the Committee.”
Mal swiveled his chair around and watched. Dudley was on a big fishing expedition, soaking up a _big_ dose of rhetoric in the process–not the man’s style. Rolff said, “If that sounds doctrinaire to you, I’m sorry. It’s simply the truth.”
Dudley made a little pooh-pooh noise. “It always surprised me that the Commies and your so-called concerned citizens never proferred a suitable killer or killers of their own to take the fall on José Diaz. You people are masters of the scapegoat. Lopez, Duarte and Benavides were gang members who probably knew plenty of white punks to put the onus on. Was that ever discussed?”
“No. What you say is incomprehensible.”
Dudley shot Mal a little wink. “My colleague and I know otherwise. Let’s try this. Did the three Mexes or any other SLDC members proffer sincerely believed theories as to who killed José Diaz?”
Gritting his teeth, Rolff said, “No.”
“What about the CP itself? Did it advance any potential scapegoats?”
“I _told_ you no, I _told_ you I was in New York for the bulk of the SLDC time.”
Dudley, straightening his necktie knot with one finger pointed to the street: “Malcolm, any last questions for Mr. Rolff?”
Mal said, “No.”
“Oh? Nothing on our fair Claire?”
Rolff stood up and was running a hand inside his collar like he couldn’t wait to ditch his inquisitors and take a bath; Mal knocked his chair over getting to his feet. He dug for cracks to throw and came up empty. “No.”
Dudley stayed seated, smiling. “Mr. Rolff, I need the names of five fellow travelers, people who are well acquainted with the UAES brain trust.”
Rolff said, “No. Unequivocally _no_.”
Dudley said, “I’ll settle for the names now, whatever intimate personal recollections you can supply us with in a few days, after a colleague of ours conducts background checks. The names, please.”
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