Flashback: that slot man eating that old lady’s brains.
I called El Segundo. Ring, ring–“Yeah, who’s this?”–Pete Bondurant.
“It’s me.”
“Hey, were you at the Ranch Market? Some news guy said Mike Breuning got it and one cop bugged out.”
“Does Chick know about Breuning?”
“Yeah, and it’s spooking him no end. Hey, _were you there?_”
“I’ll be over in an hour and tell you about it. Is Turentine there?”
“He’s here.”
“Have him set up a tape recorder and ask him if he’s got the equipment to monitor police calls. Tell him I want to tap into band 7 at Newton Street Station.”
“Suppose he doesn’t have the stuff?”
“Then tell him to get it.”
Side 213
Ellroy – White Jazz
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
The stash pad–my low-rent unit.
Pete, Freddy T.; Chick Vecchio cuffed to a heat pipe. A tape rig and shortwave set–with band 7 pickup.
Mobile units calling in to Newton. Broadcasting base to cars: Exley himself.
Incoming:
Tommy and Lucille cruising separate–Lincoln Heights, Chinatown, moving south.
The point man at the K. house:
“I heard it out the boom mike. It sounded to me like J.C. just slapped the piss out of Madge. To top it off, there’s Fed cars driving by on the QT every hour or so.”
Unit 3-B71: “Lucille’s walking around Chinatown asking questions. She’s looking sorta distraught, and that last joint she went into–the Kowloon–it looked like a dope front to me.”
Pete–wolfing spareribs.
Fred–nursing a highball.
Chick–purple bruises, half his scalp scorched.
Fred poured himself a refill. “The Kafesjians and you. I don’t get it.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Sure, and I wouldn’t mind listening to something other than these goddamn radio calls.”
Pete said, “Don’t tell him shit, it’ll end up in _Hush-Hush_.”
“I’m just thinking twelve mobile tail cars and Ed Exley monitoring calls himself means it’s some kind of big deal, which maybe Dave should elaborate on. Like for instance, who are these Tommy and Lucille chumps looking for?”
Light bulb:
Richie “Peeper” Herrick–Chino inmate/bugging know-how. Fred Turentine, drunk driver–Chino teaching gigs.
“Freddy, when were you teaching that electronics class up at Chino?”
“Early ’57 up till I got bored and hung up my probation maybe six months ago.
Why? What’s that got to do with–”
“Did a kid named Richie Herrick take the class?”
Light bulb–dim–juicer Freddy. “Riiiight, Richie Herrick. He escaped, and some psycho chopped his family.”
“So, did he take your class?”
“Sure did. I remember him, because he was a shy kid and he played these jazz records while the class worked on their projects.”
“And?”
“And that’s it. There was this other white guy that he palled with, and he took the class with Herrick. He stuck close to him, but I don’t think it was a queer thing.”
Side 214
Ellroy – White Jazz
“Do you remember his name?”
“Nooo, I can’t place it.”
“Description?”
“Shit, I don’t know. Just your average white-trash inmate with a duck’s-ass haircut. I don’t even remember what he was in for.”
Something?/nothing?–tough call. Chino files missing–
“Dave, what’s this all ab–”
Pete: “Leave Klein alone, you’re getting paid for this.”
Band 7:
Tommy mobile–Chinatown.
Lucille mobile–Chinatown near Chavez Ravine.
I doused the volume and grabbed a chair. Chick edged his chair back.
In his face: “DUDLEY SMITH.”
“Davey, please”–raspy dry.
“He’s behind all the trouble in Niggertown, and he just sent Mike Breuning out to die. Spill on him, and I’ll cut you loose and give you some money.”
“Suppose I don’t?”
“Then I’ll kill you.”
“Davey . . .”
Pete signaled me: feed him liquor.
“Davey . . . Davey. . . please.”
I handed him Freddy’s glass.
“You guys don’t know Dudley. You don’t know the kind of stuff he’d do to me.”
Bonded sour mash–three fingers. “Drink it, you’ll feel better.”
“Davey . . .”
“_Drink_.”
Chick guzzled it down. Grab the glass, refill it, watch him swill.
Instant booze panache: “So what kind of money are you talking about? I’ve got expensive tastes, you know.”
“Twenty grand”–pure bullshit.
“That plays lowball to me.”
Pete said, “Talk to Klein or _I’ll_ fucking kill you.”
“Okay, okay, okay”–refill gestures.
I filled the glass. “Chick, _give_.”