CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Two days since the Fleur-de-Lis grab–no way to tell how far he could take it.
Two days, one suspect: Lamar Hinton, age twenty-six, arrested for strongarm assault, a conviction on an ADW, a deuce at Chino–paroled 3/51. Current employment: telephone installer at P.C. Bell–his parole officer suspected he moonlighted tigging bootleg bookie lines. A mugshot match: Hinton the muscle boy at Timmy Valburn’s house.
Two days, no break on his stalemate: a made case would ticket him back to Narco, making _this_ case meant Valburn and Billy Dieterling for material witnesses–well-connected homos who could flush his Hollywood career down the toilet.
Two days of page prowling–every roundabout approach tapped out. He checked the collateral case reports, talked to the arrestees–more denials–nobody admitted buying the smut. One day wasted; nothing at Ad Vice to goose his leads: Stathis, Henderson, Kitka reported zero, Millard was trying to co-boss the Nite Owl–pornography was not on his mind.
Two days since: midway through day two he hit hard–the bootleg number, Muscle Boy.
No Fleur-de-Lis phone listing; brain gymnastics tagged his personal connection–the first time he saw the caffing card.
Tilt:
Xmas Eve ’51, right before Bloody Christmas. Sid Hudgens set up a reefer roust–he popped two grasshoppers, found the card at their pad, thought nothing else of it.
Scary Sid: “We’ve all got secrets, Jack.”
He pushed ahead anyway, that undertow driving him: he wanted to know who made the smut–and why. He hit the P.C. Bell employment office, cross-checked records against physical stats until he hit Lamar Hinton–tilt, tilt, tilt, tilt, tilt– Jack looked around the squadroom–men talking Nite Owl, Nite Owl, Nite Owl, the Big V chasing hand-job books.
The orgy pix.
Vertigo.
Jack chased.
o o o
Hinton’s route: Gower to La Brea, Franklin to the Hollywood Reservoir. His A.M. installations: Creston Drive, North Ivar. Jack found Creston on his car map: Hollywood Hills, a cul-de-sac way up.
He drove there, saw the phone truck: parked by a pseudoFrench chateau. Lamar Hinton on a pole across the street– monster huge in broad daylight.
Jack parked, checked the truck–the loading door wide open. Tools, phone books, Spade Cooley albums–no suspiciouslooking brown paper bags. Hinton stared at him; Jack went over badge first.
Hinton trundled down the pole: six-four easy, blond, muscles on muscles. “You with Parole?”
“Los Angeles Police Department.”
“Then this ain’t about my parole?”
“No, this is about you cooperating to avoid a parole rap.”
“What do you–”
“Your parole officer don’t really approve of this job you’ve got, Lamar. He thinks you might start doing some bootlegs.”
Hinton flexed muscles: neck, arms, chest. Jack said, “Fleur-de-Lis, ‘Whatever You Desire.’ You desire no violation, you talk. You don’t talk, then back to Chino.”
One last flex. “You broke into my car.”
“You’re a regular Einstein. Now, you got the brains to be an informant?”
Hinton shifted; Jack put a hand on his gun. “Fleur-de-Lis. Who runs it, how does it work, what do you push? Dieterling and Valburn. Tell me and I’m out of your life in five minutes.”
Muscles thought it through: his T-shirt bulged, puckered. Jack pulled out a fuck mag–an orgy pic spread full. “Conspiracy to distribute pornographic material, possession and sales of felony narcotics. I’ve got enough to send you back to Chino until nineteen-fucking-seventy. Now, did you move this smut for Fleur-de-Lis?”
Hinton bobbed his head. “Y-y-yeah.”
“Smart boy. Now, who made it?”
“I d-don’t know. Really, honest, I d-don’t.”
“Who posed for it?”
“I don’t kn-know, I just d-d-delivered it.”
“Billy Dieterling and Timmy Valburn. Go.”
“J-just c-customers. Queers, you know, they like to fag party.”
“You’re doing great, so here’s the big question. Who-”
“Officer, please don’t–”
Jack pulled his .38, cocked it. “You want to be on the next train to Chino?”
“N-no.”
“Then answer me.”
Hinton turned, gripped the pole. “P-pierce Patchett. He runs the business. He-he’s some kind of legit businessman.”
“Description, phone number, address.”
“He’s maybe fifty something. I th-think he lives in Bbrentwood and I don’t know his n-number ’cause I get paid b-by the m-mail.”
“More on Patchett. Go.”
“H-he sugar-p-pimps girls made up like movie stars. H-he’s rich. I-I only met him once.”
“Who introduced you?”