Saul Lesnick left the apartment and took a cab back to his rest home, knowing Coleman Healy would wreak slaughter until he was slaughtered himself. And the frail old headshrinker had been trying to get up the guts for a mercy killing ever since.
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Side 195
Ellroy, James – Big Nowhere, The Lesnick ended his narrative with a deft storyteller’s flourish, pulling a revolver from the folds of his robe. He said, “I saw Coleman one more time. He had read that Upshaw died accidentally and was very disturbed by it. He had just purchased opiates from Navarette and was going to kill another man, a man who had been an extra on one of Reynolds’ films, an opium dabbler. The man had had a brief fling with Reynolds and Coleman was going to kill him. He told me, like he thought I would do nothing to stop it. I bought this gun at a pawn shop in Watts. I was going to kill Coleman that night, but you and Captain Considine got to him first.”
Buzz looked at the piece. It was old and rusted and would probably misfire, like the shrinker’s nutso take on Sleepy Lagoon as a fantasy. Coleman would have slapped it out of his bony hand before Pops could pull the trigger.
“You pleased the way it turned out, Doc?”
“No. I am sorry for Reynolds.”
Buzz thought of Mal shooting straight at Daddy–wanting Coleman alive for his career and maybe something to do with his own kid. “I’ve got a cop question, Doc.”
Lesnick said, “Please. Ask me.”
“Well, I thought Terry Lux hipped Gordean to all the stuff Gordean blackmailed Loftis with. Your story makes me think Chaz Minear told Felix some details, details that he put together when he blackmailed Loftis a second time just lately. Stuff that made him think Coleman was killin’ people.”
Lesnick smiled. “Yes, Chaz told Felix Gordean many things about Coleman’s clinic stay that could be construed as clues when put together with newspaper facts. I read that Gordean was murdered. Was it Chaz?”
“Yeah. Does that please you?”
“It’s a small happy ending, yes.”
“Any thoughts on Claire?”
“Yes. She’ll survive your grand jury pogrom like a Tigress. She’ll find another weak man to protect and other causes to champion. She’ll do good for people who deserve good done for them, and I will not comment on her character.”
Buzz said, “Before things got out of control, it looked like the UAES
had some kind of extortion scheme brewin’ against the studios. Were you playin’
both ends? Holdin’ back stuff you heard as a psychiatrist to help the union?”
Lesnick coughed and said, “Who wants to know?”
“Two dead men and me.”
“And who else will hear?”
“Just me.”
“I believe you. Why, I don’t know.”
“Dead men got no reason to lie. Come on, Doc. Spill.”
Lesnick fondled his pawnshop piece. “I have verified information on Mr.
Howard Hughes and his penchant for underaged girls, and much information on various RKO and Variety International actors and the narcotics cures they periodically undergo. I have information on the underworld associations of many studio executives, including one RKO gentleman who ran down a family of four in his car and killed them. The arrest was fixed, and it never went to trial, but that allegation by itself would be most embarrassing. So the UAES is not without weapons, you see.”
Buzz said, “Boss, I pimped them girls to Howard and fixed up most of them dope cures. I got that RKO guy off the hook and ran the payoff to the judge that woulda arraigned him. Doc, the papers would never print what you got and the radio would never put it on the air. Howard Hughes and Herman Gerstein would laugh your extortion right back in your face. I’m the best fixer this town ever saw, and believe me the UAES is crucified.”
Saul Lesnick got to his feet, wobbled, but stayed standing. He said,
“And how will you fix that?”
Buzz walked on the question.
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When he got back to his motel, there was a note from the manager on the door: “Call Johnny S.” Buzz went to the pay phone and dialed Stompanato’s number.