Ellroy – White Jazz

Breuning and Carlisle watching us bug-eyed.

“They can’t hear us, lad.”

Don’t blink. Don’t tremble–

“Lad, your notes stated that you wished to act independent of Edmund Exley. I found that encouraging, and your mention of money even more so.”

“Breuning put that sword in my hand. I’ll trade you Vecchio for him, the movie and fifty thousand.”

“Mike was hardly the director of your cinema debut.”

“Let’s just say he pays.”

“Lad, you surprise me. I had thought your homicidal tendencies to be strictly profit-motivated.”

“I’m afraid you’ll just have to accept this new aspect of my personality.”

Dudley roared. “Lad, your sense of humor is beyond salutary, and I agree to your offer.”

“Tonight then. A public place.”

“Yes, my thoughts exactly. Shall we make it eight o’clock, the Hollywood Ranch Market parking lot?”

“Agreed.”

“I’ll have Mike bring the fifty. He’ll think it’s a payoff run, and he’ll be told to accompany you to fetch Vecchio. Take him with you, and when things are settled, call me at AXminster 6-4031 to tell me where Chick can be found. And, lad? Mike will be wearing a vest–you should know that and aim accordingly.”

“I’m surprised–you and Breuning go back.”

“Yes, lad, but you and I go forward. And on that topic, how do you assess the Side 209

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extent of Edmund Exley’s information?”

Seal it–touch him. That cologne–don’t gag.

“Lad . . .”

I draped an arm around his shoulders. “He knows everything that I do and whatever else Johnny Duhamel told him. There’s nothing on paper, and his Duhamel evidence is hearsay impossible to corroborate. He ran me against you on the Kafesjian burglary, and my only regret is that he’s too big to kill.”

“Are you saying our transgressions might go unpunished as a result of his lack of evidence?”

“I’m saying you’ll skate–_if_ you curtail your plans with Mickey.”

“And yourself, lad? Dare I proffer the word ‘loyalty’?”

“It’s the Feds, Exley or you. You’re the only one with cash money.”

Embracing me–Dudley Liam Smith. “You’ve made a wise choice, lad. We’ll discuss Exley later, and I won’t insult your intelligence with the word ‘trust.’

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

6:16: J.C. and Madge at home.

6:21: Tommy prowling dope pads–Lincoln Heights.

6:27: Lucille prowling bars–Lincoln Heights.

6:34, all units: no Richie Herrick sightings.

6:41: Tommy eating dinner: Kwan’s Chow Mein Pagoda.

3-B67, walkie-talkie: “I’m no lip reader, but I can tell Uncle Ace is telling Tommy how Lucille copped some white horse from him. Tommy’s goddamn fuming.

Oops, he’s walking. 3-B67 to base, over and out.”

6:50: Tommy cruising Lincoln Heights–random zigzags.

6:54: Lucille walking–Lincoln Park-chatting up bums.

6:55, 6:56, 6:57, 6:58–Mike Breuning pictured dead a hundred ways.

NO–

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“. . . so I’ll cross Dudley. I won’t hand over Vecchio–and Dudley thinks I’m going to kill Breuning. We nail Breuning for the Duhamel killing, and _I’ll_

eyewitness Tommy K. popping Steve Wenzel, which gives us a wedge on the Kafesjians. Breuning will fucking shit his pants when I ARREST him, then we’ll–”

“Klein, will you calm down–”

“Calm down shit, I’m a lawyer, you listen to me.”

“Klein–”

“No, you listen. Breuning snitches Dudley, then Gallaudet convenes a special County grand jury to hear evidence. We upstage the Feds on Narco and the Kafesjians tangential to Dudley, and I testify on the Duhamel killing and all conspiracies extant with the Kafesjians, Dan Wilhite, Narco, Smith, Mickey Cohen, my mob hits, all of it. I’m a cop, I’m an attorney, I’ll be the goat, Side 210

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I’ll testify when the trials start, the Feds’ll be fucked, you’ll look so good Welles Noonan’ll wither up and die and Gas Chamber Bob’ll ride the trials straight to the governorship and–”

“Klein–”

“Exley, PLEASE, let me do this. Dudley knows I’m a killer, and he thinks he’s operating me on Breuning. Now, if I bring Breuning in, he’ll punk out–without Dudley he’s got no guts. Exley, PLEASE.”

Tick tick tick tick tick–seconds/a minute–

“Do it.”

Phone-booth sweats-drenched–I cracked the door for a breeze.

“And no backup men at the Ranch Market–Breuning might spot them.”

“Agreed. Do it.”

——–

Pay phone to pay phone–bug-fear precautions. Long distance–twenty dimes–Newton Station to Mel’s Drive Inn, Fresno.

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