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This white…hot morality and a singular narrative gift aside； I think James has bee one of the finest writers of our time because he is the most disciplined scrivener I have ever known。 He rises early and spends io hours every day writing。 He has never been blocked。 He seems always to be juggling a novel； short fiction； and his magazine work。 Astonishingly； he has never missed a deadline。 He possesses the concentrationand the confidenceof a cat burglar； the outline of his novel…in…progress runs 343 pages。
Genius has its rewards。 Ellroy now mands advances robust enough to dine regularly at The Four Seasons。 Last October he flew from his home in Kansas City to New York where； resplendent in black tie （James is some bespoke dandy）； he accepted GQ's Man of the Year Award for Literature； for which he was selected by our ferociously intelligent readers。 The two previous winners are Norman Mailer and John Updike。 Mr。 Mailer and Mr。 Updike should feel flattered。
PART ONE
UNSOLVED
BODY DUMPS
I
DETECTIVE DIVISION/HOMICIDE BUREAU/LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT （EL MONTE PD ASSISTING）。 VICTIM： SCALES； BETTYJEAN。 DOD： 1/29/73。 DISPOSITION： MURDER/187 PC。 FILE #073…01946…2010400 （UNSOLVED）
I
The victim was a 24…year…old white female。 She lived at 2633 Cogswell； El Monte。 The city was downscale。 The racial mix was white trash and low…rent Latin。
The victim was married to William David Scalesa 26…year…old white male。 They had a 4…year…old daughter and a 3…monthold son。 The victim was unemployed。 Her husband installed insulation。
8：00 P。M。 Monday； 1/29/73：
The victim leaves her apartment。 She's alone。 Her stated intention： to deposit some checks at a bank night drop and shop at Durfee Drugs and Crawford's Market。 She takes off in her husband's Ford pickup。 Scales stays home。 He watches the kids and checks out the 〃Laugh…In〃 TV show。
The bank is a block from the market。 Durfee Drugs is one mile west。 Their apartment sits equidistant。
It's a tight local spread。 Scales figures his wife will be gone one hour。
9：00； 9：30； 10：00。 No Betty Jean。 The baby wants food。 Scales feeds him and slaps on fresh diapers。 He's ticked off and worried。 He's working on pissed off and scared。 He starts running abandonment tapes。
Betty left me and the kids。 Betty stuck me with the kids。 Betty's got a boyfriend。 They're at his place or a bar or a motel。 They're bopping at the Nashville West。
He calmed down。 He switched tapes。 Betty needs some time by herself。
To unwind。 To cut loose。 To visit her girlfriends。
He called Connie； Terry； and Glenda。 They said they hadn't seen Betty； He ran tapes from 10：30 to midnight。 He called the El Monte PD and the California Highway Patrol。 He described his truck and his wife。 He asked about car wrecks。
No go：
Your truck was not involved in any reported collisions。
He ran crash tapes to 2：oo A。M。 He called the El Monte PD back。 He got another No。 The desk man said sit tight and wait by the phone。
He tried to sit tight。 The tapes kept spinning。 He left his kids alone and walked by Crawford's Market and the Nashville West。 They were closed。 He didn't see his wife or his truck。 He walked home。 He called the girlfriends again。 He got three more No's。 He fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 5：30。 He called Betty Jean's dad in Corona。 Bud Bedford said he hadn't seen or heard from BettyJean。 He said he'd shoot up to El Monte。
Bill Scales and Bud Bedford connected。 They drove by Durfee Drugs； the bank； and the market。 They did not see Betty Jean or the truck。 They drove to the El Monte PD。 They filed a missingpersons sheet。 Scales said his wife was devoted。 She wasn't a runaround chick。 She didn't smoke dope or chase men。 She wouldn't just split unannounced。
The cops told Scales and Bedford to sit tight。 Don't think car wrecks or abductions。 We're legally constrained until your wife is gone forty…eight hours。 Think car wrecks or abductions then。
Bill Scales thought it now。 Bud Bedford thought it。 They did not sit tight。
They drove the #10 Freeway east/west。 They drove the 605 north/south。 They stopped at gas stations。 They talked to attendants。 They described Betty Jean and the truck。 Scales got a bug up his ass。 He knew his wife was kidnapped。 He 〃knew〃 the guy stopped to gas up。
More 〃No's〃。 〃No's〃 straight across。 No Betty Jean/no truck。
Bedford went home。 He'd divorced Betty's mother years back。 He had to break the news and say it don't look good。
Scales stuck the kids with a baby…sitter。 He borrowed a car and went at the freeways systematically。 He hit gas stations。 He flashed a snapshot of Betty。 He got a straight run of No's。
Wednesday； 1/3 1/73：
The missing…persons investigation kicked in pro forma。 An APB went out。 A Teletype detailed the truck and Betty Jean Scales：
WF/DOB 3/6/49； 54〃； 115； brown hair； brown eyes。 Last seen
wearing a red…pink top； brown Levi's； and white tennis shoes。
1：30A。M。 Thursday； 2/1/73：
An El Monte PD unit spots the truck。 It's parked in the lot at Vons Market。 The location： Peck Road and Lower Azusa。 The location： two miles north of 2633 Cogswell。 The location： 2。5 miles north of Durfee Drugs； the bank； and Crawford's Market。
A patrolman impounds the truck。 He tows it to a yard in South El Monte。 He talks to a clerk at Vons Market。 The clerk says the truck was in the lot at least forty…eight hours。 He noticed it around 4：oo A。M。Tuesday； 1/30。
Eight hours after BettyJean left her apartment。
The El Monte PD contacts Sheriff's Homicide。 The Scales thing vibes murder。 Deputy Hal Meyers and Sergeant Lee Koury drive to the tow yard。
They examine the truck。
In the bed： metal scaffolds； a milk crate； an empty cardboard box； a leather tool holder； a matching belt； and a length of rope。 In the cab： three bottles of baby formula in a small box。 A purse； a white bra； white panties； one left…foot white tennis shoe； and a pair of brown Levi's。
The box is on the floor。 The clothes are stacked beside it。
Koury and Meyers look under the seat。 They find the matching shoe。 A key ring is tucked inside。 They note a blood spot on the canvas。
On the seat： a red…pink sweater。 Distinct bloodstains。 A toolbox on the step by the passenger door。 Blood spotted。
More bloodwork：
Smears on the seat back。 Spatters on the inside of the passenger door。 Drops on the step near the toolbox。
Koury called the crime lab and told them to send out a crew。 Meyers opened the purse。 He found cosmetic items； three checks made out to William D。 Scales； Betty Jean Scales's ID； and a checkbook。 The last check logged in： 9。71； to Durfee Drugs； 1/29/73。 Meyers checked the box on the floor。 He found a cashregister receipt for 9。71。 Koury called the EL Monte PD and told them to contact the husband。
The lab crew arrived。 A print man dusted the truck inside and out。 He found no latent prints。 He found wipe marks on the steering wheel and dashboard。 A man scraped blood samples and cut a swatch out of the seat back。 He found a long brown hair congealed in a blood smear。
1：30 P。M。； 2/1/73：
Koury and Meyers meet Bill Scales a