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I dropped the address…book names。 Oscar didn't know Johnny Stomp or Harvey the Creep。 He said Steve Cochran packed the biggest 〃schvantz〃 in Tinseltown。 He said Ida Lupino dried out at Mount Sinai last year。 Freddy O snuck her Turpenhydrate。 Ida loved Freddy。 Ida feared Freddy。 She fed him bits for 〃Hush…Hush〃。 Ida and the Schvantz were making a picture right nowsome lox called 〃Private Hell 36〃。
I hung up and called a guy at 〃Variety〃。 He said 〃Private Hell 36〃 was shooting nights out in Duarte。 Howard Duff costarred with Ida and the Schvantz。
I drove downtown and skulked around the main library。 I pulled old clips and new clips and rolled microfilm。 I came up with insinuating shit。
The drive…in heist was hot。 Cal Dinkins took heat for Playboy。 He bopped away from his stakeout post。 Playboy plowed a barricade and skedaddled。
I saw a shot of Dinkins and Jack Webb。 The 〃Times〃 called them 〃tight…knit。〃 Dinkins taught Webb how to play his part on 〃Dragnet〃。
The 〃Times〃 ran heist copy。 The 〃Herald〃 ran context。
The stakeout was covertly co…op： the LAPD and L。A。 Sheriff's。 The stakeout was steeped in interagency grief。 It went way back。
The Sheriff's sanctioned Mickey Cohen's Sunset Strip incursion。 The LAPD hated Mickey。 Mickey was bushwhacked on Sheriff's turf in July '49。 He took two 。12…gauge pellets and walked。 His pal Neddie Herbert took a spread in the face。 The case was unsolved。 The LAPD was suspected。 The key suspect was Officer Fred Otash。
Chief Parker hated Sheriff Biscailuz。 Biscailuz hated Parker。 The LAPD and Sheriff's were knocking noggins now。 The state legislature had their budgets up for review。 Both agencies wanted more money。 Both agencies wanted a cut of the other guys' coin。 The LAPD got more money now。 Biscailuz wanted that money and more。
I skimmed a piece on Johnny Stompanato。
Johnny made bail on an extortion bounce。 The 〃Herald〃 hinted at horny housewives and naughty snapshots。 The D。A。 declined to file charges。
The 〃Herald〃 ran a picture。 Johnny looked like me。 He was one handsome guinea side of beef。
I found a piece on Viv and Trent Woodard。 Viv wrote poetry。 Viv took colored kids to the Civic Light Opera。 Trent lived off a trust fund。 He filed suits for drunks and derelicts pistol…whipped and pounded by the LAPD。
I saw a shot of Viv。 She's doing a curtsy at some debutante ball。 It's '47。 She's dark haired； rangy； and busty。 She's ing up on 45 fast。
The picture goosed my gonads。 I wanted to rip it off the microfilm roll and tape it to my bomb…shelter ceiling。
I found a piece on 〃Private Hell 36〃。 It said the Schvantz disrupted the shoot with two dates in court。 It implied Mickey Mouse misdemeanors。
I walked to a pay phone and called Oscar。 I ran it by him。 He said the Schvantz beat up a hooker and got caught with a fat bag of boo。 Ida Lupino told him。 She said the judge shot the Schvantz a suspended sentence in exchange for a part in his next picture。
My head buzzed like a bumblebee on Benzedrine。 My names bopped in a tight spread。
I pressed Oscar。 I wanted more dirt。 Oscar said he couldn't think。 The doctors deregulated his daily dope drip。
He wanted Demerol。 They gave him Dilantin。 He wanted to duck down to Darktown and dig up some Dilaudid。
I pressed harder。 Oscar said he talked to Barbara Payton。 Babs said she had a thing with the Schvantz。 She said the Schvantz measured in at 12。4 inches。
Harvey Glatman shaved my chest and taped on a microphone。 I looked around his back room。
TV tubes dumped on chairs and a dusty old couch。 A six…slat shelf packed with diodes and diagnostic devices。 Four walls of perverted pinup pulchritude。
Women trussed with rope。 Women spread…eagled。 Women gagged with black rubber balls。 Chaste shots of Joi Lansing on the 〃Dragnet〃 set。
I lingered on Joi。 Harvey caught it。
〃She just broke up with Jack Webb。 Jack's torching。 Joi's working the line at Ciro's； and Jack sits ringside every night。〃
Cal Dinkins knew Jack Webb。 Webb was LAPD Shill #1。
〃Did you take those pictures of her？〃
Harvey twisted three wires and taped them above my right nipple。 〃I used to be Jack's unit photographer。〃
I took a big whiff of Harvey。 I took in his peeper pix and his panty…sniffer paraphernalia。 I smelled ex…con。 I smelled snitch。 I smelled rabid Rottweiler。
〃Let me guess。 Jack heard you served time。 He cut you loose； and Freddy 0 picked up your option。〃
Harvey deadpanned me。 〃You should stand away from electrical appliances。 They screw up the sound quality。〃
I said； 〃Jack's tight with Chief Parker。 I heard the LAPD runs R & I checks on the 〃Dragnet〃 crew； and I'll bet they turned up a rap sheet on you。〃
Harvey pulled a wild hair off my chest。 I yelped。 Harvey dabbed a styptic pencil on the raw spot。
〃I'm a certified genius。 I can broadcast TV pictures from any installation to any individual TV set； which means I don't have to sit still for your insinuations。〃
I looked at the bondage pix。 I saw yellow bands on the girls' wrists。 Sybil Brand inmates wore yellow wristbands。
Cal Dinkins to Playboy：
〃Recruit colored tail for the movie gig〃 / 〃Chauffeur the girls out of Sybil Brand〃 / 〃All he wants to do is take pictures。〃
〃What did you go up for； Harvey？ Statch rape？ Flimflam？ Some weenie…wagger beef？ I think you〃
Harvey pinched a tuft of hair and ripped it off my chest。 I yelped。 Harvey said； 〃Be nice； Dick。 You're an ex…convict yourself。〃
4
My chest stubble itched。 My tape wrap stung。 My tuxedo smelled like mothballs。
I parked outside the Wilshire…Ebell。 I saw a sign by the door： SISTER KENNY FOUNDATION GALA。 I saw the nut…ward orderly and a strapping goon parked in a tow…away zone。
I walked inside。 They watched me。 I flashed my invitation to a hostess and zoomed straight back to the bar。
I was early。 The ballroom was almost empty。 Two nuns and a priest were blasting scotch at a bar…side table。 The nuns looked half…gassed。 They saw me and giggled。
I ordered a quadruple martini。 I told the barman to put it in a pail or a dog dish。 He brought me a pitcher and a glass and cleared out fast。
I drank。 I kept my back to the ballroom and heard it fill up behind me。 I heard people at the bar whisper； 〃That's Dick Contino。〃
I kept my snout in my glass。 The booze sparked political conversions and apostasies。 I moved left and denounced Joe McCarthy。 I moved right and shot Alger Hiss 2；000 volts。 I freed the Scottsboro Boys and beat Helen Gahagan Douglas to death with my accordion。
The booze enlightened。 The booze obfuscated。 I figured I'd see Viv and respond to stimuli like Pavlov's fucking dog。
I heard a familiar voice。 I recognized it。 I glanced two stools down。
Gene Biscailuz plucked the fruit off an old…fashioned。 L。 Trent Woodard sucked a cherry out of his Manhattan。
I saw Woodard。 He didn't see me。 I eavesdropped。
Biscailuz made small talk。 Polio and Sister Kennyblah； blah； blah。 Woodard said； 〃Sheriff； let's talk turkey。 You can't let Bill Parker and the city cops bootjack all that money。 You can't〃
Woodard saw me。 He dropped the Sheriff in midspiel and slid two stools down。 I