XXXXX8. E. Short left French house on 1/9/47 in company of man she called “Red.” (Desc. as: W.M., 25-30, tall, “handsome”, 170-180, red hair, blue eyes.) “Red” allegedly salesman. Drives a pre-war Dodge sedan with Huntington Park tags. Vehicle cross-check initiated. A.P.B. issued on “Red”.
9. Verified info: Val Gordon (W.F.) Riverside, Calif., called in, said she is sister of deceased air corps major Matt Gordon. Said: E. Short wrote to her and her parents in Fall of ’46, shortly after Maj. Gordon died in plane crash. Lied about being Gordon’s fiancee, requested $ from them. Parents, Miss Gordon, denied request.
10. Trunk belonging to E. Short located at Railway Express office, downtown L.A. (R.E. clerk saw vict’s name and picture in papers, recalled her storing trunk in late 11/46). Trunk being gone over. Carbons of 100’s of love letters to various men (mostly servicemen) found, and (many fewer) mash notes written to her. Also, many photos of E. Short with servicemen in trunk. Letters being read, names and descriptions of men being collated.
11. Verified phone info: former Air Corps Lt. J.G. Fickling called from Mobile, Ala. when he saw E. Short’s name and picture in Mobile papers. Said he and vict. had “brief affair” in Boston in late ’43, and “she had about 10 other boyfriends on line at all times.” Fickling has verified alibi for time of murder. Eliminated as suspect, also denies ever having been engaged to E. Short.
12. Numerous tips being phoned in to all L.A.P.D. and Sheriff’s divisions. Crank-sounding dismissed, others routed to applicable area squadrooms thru Cent. Homicide. All tips being cross-filed.
XXXXXX13. Address verified info: E. Short lived at these addresses in 1946. (Names following addresses are of caller or verified residents of same address. All but Linda Martin verified by D.M.V. records)
13-A-1611 N. Orange Dr., Hollywood. (Harold Costa, Donald Leyes, Marjorie Graham) 6024 Carlos Ave., Hollywood. 1842 N. Cherokee, Hollywood (Linda Martin, Sheryl Saddon) 53 Linden, Long Beach.
14. Results of SID findings in Leimert Park vact lots: no woman’s clothing found, numerous knives and knife blades found, all too rusted to be murder weapon. No blood found.
15. Results of Leimert Park canvasing (with mugs of E. Short): zero (all sightings obvious crank stuff.)
In conclusion: I believe all investigatory efforts should be centered around questionings of E. Short’s known associates, particularly her numerous boyfriends. Sergeant Sears and I will be going to San Diego to question her K.A.’s there. Between the APB on “Red” and the L.A. K.A. questionings we should get salient information.
Russell A. Millard, Lt.,
Badge 493, Central Homicide
I turned around to find Millard watching me. He said, “Off the top of your head, what do you think?”
I fingered my ripped pocket. “Is she worth it, Lieutenant?” Millard smiled; I noticed that rumpled clothes and a razor stubble didn’t dent his aura of class. “I think so. Your partner thinks so.”
“Lee’s chasing bogeymen, Lieutenant.”
“You can call me Russ, you know.”
“Okay, Russ.”
“What did you and Blanchard get from the father?”
I handed Millard my report. “Nothing specific, just more dope on the girl as a tramp. What’s with this Black Dahlia stuff?”
Millard slapped the arms of his chair. “We can thank Bevo Means for that. He went down to Long Beach and talked to the desk clerk at the hotel where the girl stayed last summer. The clerk told him Betty Short always wore tight black dresses. Bevo thought of that movie with Alan Ladd, _The Blue Dahlia_, and took it from there. I figure the image is good for at least another dozen confessions a day. As Harry says when he’s had a few, ‘Hollywood will fuck you when no one else will.’ You’re a smart bad penny, Bucky. What do you think?”
“I think I want to go back to Warrants. Will you grease it with Loew?”
Millard shook his head. “No. Will you answer my question?” I choked down the urge to smash or beg. “She said yes or no to the wrong guy, at the wrong time, at the wrong place. And since she’s had more rubber burned on her than the San Berdoo Highway, and doesn’t know how to tell the truth, I’d say that finding that wrong guy is going to be a hell of a job.”