Ellroy – White Jazz

Noonan tugged his necktie-his underlings walked out.

Shipstad: “Do you wish to examine the arrest warrant, Mr. Klein?”

Noonan: “We’ll have to amend it to include violation of Federal narcotics statutes.”

I threw a guess out: “You rigged the warrant with a friendly judge. You told Ruiz to lie, then recant when you turned me. You told the judge what you were doing. It’s a Federal warrant on some trumped-up civil-rights violation, not a California Manslaughter One paper, because no Superior Court judge would sign it.”

Noonan: “Well, it got your attention. And of course we have binding evidence.”

Side 165

Ellroy – White Jazz

“Release me.”

Noonan: “I said ‘_binding_.'”

Shipstad: “Shortly after we released you early this morning, Abe Voldrich was released to take care of some personal business. He was found murdered this afternoon. He left a suicide note, which a graphologist examined and said was written under physical duress. Voldrich had agreed to testify as a Federal witness, on all matters pertaining to the Kafesjian family and this perhaps tangential burglary investigation that you and the late Sergeant Stemmons were involved in. An agent went by his house to pick Voldrich up for more questioning and found him.”

Noonan: “Agent Milner canvassed the area. A 1956 powder-blue Pontiac coupe was seen parked by his house around the approximate time of his death.”

Shipstad: “Did you kill him?”

Noonan: “You own a blue automobile, don’t you?”

“You know I didn’t kill him. You know it’s Tommy and J.C. You know that I own a dark blue ’55 Dodge.”

Shipstad: “The Kafesjians have an excellent alibi for the time of Voldrich’s death.”

Noonan: “They were at home, under twenty-four-hour Federal surveillance.”

“So they called out a contract.”

Shipstad: “No, their phone was tapped.”

Noonan: “And _had_ been tapped, going back prior to the time we picked up Voldrich.”

“What else did they discuss on the phone?”

Shipstad: “Unrelated matters. Nothing pertaining to that Richie you seemed to be so interested in last night.”

Scooped–no Herrick update–clueless on the South Arden slaughter.

“Get to it. Get to ‘binding evidence.'”

Noonan: “Your appraisal of the situation first, Mr. Klein.”

“You want to take three witnesses to the grand jury. I’m one, one just died, one’s this so-called major surprise witness. You’re short a man, so you’re doubling up on me. That’s my appraisal, _so let’s hear your offer_.”

Noonan: “Immunity on the Johnson killing. Immunity on all potential criminal charges that you might accrue. A written guarantee that no Federal tax liens will be filed against you should it be revealed that you have unreported income earned as a direct result of criminal conspiracies that you’ve engaged in. For this, you agree to enter Federal custody and testify in open court as to your knowledge of the Kafesjian family, their LAPD history and most importantly your own history of dealings with organized crime, _excluding_ Mickey Cohen.”

Light bulb–Major Witness Mickey.

Reflex jolt–never.

“You bluffed, I call.”

Shipstad ripped the draping off the walls. Shredded paper in piles– column graphs underneath.

I stood up. Boldface print–easy to read.

Side 166

Ellroy – White Jazz

Column one: names and dates–my mob hits.

Column two: my property transactions detailed. Corresponding dates–Real Estate Board kickbacks–five thousand dollars each–my clip fee funneled.

Column three: kickback receivers listed. Detailed: slum dives offered to me lowball cheap. Corresponding dates: escrow and closing.

Column four–Meg’s tax returns ’51–’57. Her _unreported_ cash listed and traced: to appraisers and permit signers bribed.

Column five–witness numbers–sixty-odd bribe takers listed.

Names and numbers–pulsing.

Noonan: “Much of the data regarding you is circumstantial and subject to interpretation. We’ve listed only the men that the underworld grapevine credits you with killing, and those five-thousand-dollar windfalls that followed are circumstantially seductive and not much more. The important thing is that you and your sister are indictable on seven counts of Federal tax fraud.”

Shipstad: “I convinced Mr. Noonan to extend the immunity agreement to cover your sister. If you agree, Margaret Klein Agee will remain exempt from all Federal charges.”

Noonan: “What’s your answer?”

Shipstad: “Klein?”

Clock ticks, heartbeats–something short-circuiting inside me.

“I want four days’ grace before I enter custody, and I want a Federal bank writ to allow me access to Junior Stemmons’ safe-deposit boxes.”

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