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Viv cut me off。 〃It sounds like you have those names memorized。〃
I shuddered。 My chest mike shifted and settled off to the left。
Viv said； 〃Fixate on me。 Don't fixate on my husband。〃
I got pissed。 I got wild…hair…up…the…ass pissed。
〃I can't get work because of your husband。 He's run a big； goddamn guilt…by…association number on me。〃
Viv shrugged。 〃Then work for social justice。 Teach underprivileged Negro children to play the accordion； and I'll pay you what Las Vegas entertainers earn。〃
Don't blow your cool/Don't blast your cork/Don't
〃Really； Dick； you must overlook the few injudicious ments my husband has made about you。 Look to the real historical source of your troubles and try to understand the big picture。〃
I tamped my temper down。 〃For instance？〃
〃For instance； my husband is involved in big issues。〃
〃For instance？〃
〃For instance； a woman came to Trent recently。 Trent wouldn't tell me her name； but he told me she broke up with her boyfriend； and she knew something about a horribly draconian LAPD plot to initiate some truly Fascistic measures； all of it tied in to TV propaganda。 You see； Dick； those are the types of issues my husband deals with。〃
My skin prickled。 My hackles hopped。 The pitch tweaked and tantalized me。
〃What else did your husband say about the woman？〃
Viv said； 〃That she was a big； busty blonde。〃
My synapses snapped and snagged a connection。
Joi Lansing was a big； busty blonde。 Harvey Glatman said she just dumped Jack Webb。 Webb： LAPD lapdog。 TV propaganda。 〃Dragnet〃： top…rated TV fare and the LAPD'S PR lightning rod。
Viv said； 〃Dick； what is it？ You look abstracted all of a sudden。〃
I moved in on her。 I mixed a martini and guzzled it for guts。 Viv ran a 〃sloooow〃 hand down my cheek。
〃I'm tired of talking about my husband； and I'm tired of talking in general。 Let me duck into the loo for a moment。〃
I kissed her hand。 I made her as musk as Matchabelli's Midnight Madness。 She smiled and popped into a powder room by the door。
I popped to the front window。 I pulled the drapes。 I doused a light behind me and looked out。 A breeze blew in。 I peeped and perked my ears。
Two cars at the curb。 A curbside confab。 The nut…ward guy and the goon。 Danny Getchell and the kid who cozied up to Woodard at the gala。
Standing and smoking and staring into a book。
The goon said； 〃What's that？〃 The kid said； 〃It's a flicking thesaurus。〃 Danny said； 〃Limp…wristed lawyer lollygags at lavender lovefest！ Pinko plutocrat paralyzed as cops cop preadult playmate！〃 The kid said； 〃Cute； but remembera C…note down and no ass action。〃
〃e here； Dick。〃
I pulled the drapes。 I turned around slooooow。
Vivid Viv in a sheer peach peignoir。 Embroidered： crossed cocks and pointy pudenda and fierce fertility gods。
〃e here； Dick。〃
She wanted to siphon my seed。 SHE was the succubus！！！
I panicked。 I tore through my pockets for garlic cloves or wolfsbane。 Viv jumped on me。
She tore at my jacket。 She tore at my shirt。 She tore at the power pack packed on my pectoral muscles。
She stopped。 My microphone flopped free and dropped down to my cummerbund。 She saw the wires and the tangled…up tape。
The succubus shrieked。 She clawed my chest and kicked me in the balls。
The succubus went for my eyes。
I blocked her hands。 I judo…chopped her。 I caught her on the neck and dumped her flat。 I ran
I got out the door。 The nut…ward guy and the goon counterattacked。 They jumped in their car and blocked off the driveway。
I went for my car keys。 They were gone。 I lost them when I grabbed for garlic cloves or wolfsbane。
Somebody whispered； 〃Get back in there and fuck her！〃 Danny Getchell whispered； 〃Don't run！〃 Somebody whispered； 〃Quiet or she'll hear us！〃
I ran to the Packard Caribbean。 I found the keys in the dash。 I hit the gas and rammed my dad's car。
It spun into the big backyard。 It spun off wet grass and spun into a swimming pool。 It sunk down to its tailpipes。
I hit my headlights。 I saw a trellised fence and a dark golf course。 I punched the gas and plowed through the fence and spun fishtails and wild figure 8's。
II
5
I made it up to the Strip。 I leveled nine golf holes and left three miles of grassy tire tracks behind me。
The Packard was mud mottled and stained grass green。 I ditched it with the valet outside Ciro's。 I walked in and caught three bars of 〃You Belong to Me。〃
It tremolo'd and trickled through the foyer。 I stepped into the main room and caught it full on。 Joi Lansing held the room hostage。 Blonde hair and spray…painted spangles in a hot spotlight。
I stood at the back and scoped the room long…distance。 Harvey Glatman stood behind some drapes draping off a side exit。 He stared at la Lansing。 He had his hands full。
He held out a little camera。 The drapes popped and puckered off his pelvis。 Harvey was pounding his pud。
I looked left。 I looked right。 The room rocked to a torch…song tempo。 Jack Webb sat ringside。 He wept into a Rob Roy and tossed red roses onstage。 Joi ignored him。 Two toady types consoled him。
They screamed 〃LAPD。〃 The scene outside the Woodard house screamed 〃BACKUP SHAKEDOWN。〃 I was set to crucify a mie。 〃Hush…Hush〃 was set to humble him as a homo。 The package screamed 〃LAPD。〃
Joi whispered。 Joi warbled。 Joi torched Jack Webb's heart and tossed it away。
I couldn't brace her yet。 I got the Packard and laid tracks for the San Gabriel Valley。
I found the location。 I watched 〃Private Hell 36〃 wrap。 The shoot 〃had〃 to shoot into my whole web of intrigue。
They shot at a trailer park in downscale Duarte。 I parked in a vacant lot across the street。 I found binoculars in the backseat and freeze…framed my focus。 Arc lights gave me added eyeball oomph。
The trailers were beat…up and slapped down in rows sans tow hooks and cars。 They looked empty。 The crew stood on a pavement patch off to the left。 They looked itchy。
They dispersed at 12：01 A。M。 They peeled out in individual cars。 They left their arc lights up。 Two people stayed behind and paced the pavement。
Ida Lupino。 Steve 〃the Schvantz〃 Cochran。
Ida smoked and sucked on a hip flask。 The Schvantz sniffed a dress rack。 It was standing by a trailer marked #36。
I waited。 I watched。
12：08 A。M。：
A car pulls up。 Freddy O and Johnny Stompanato get out。
Ida shoots Freddy a tongue kiss。 Johnny Stomp shoots the Schvantz a mean look。 Stomp enters #36 and exits with a small movie camera。 The Schvantz dumps it in Freddy 0's car。
12：13 A。M。：
An LAPD van pulls up。 Six women hop out。 They're dressed in jail denims。 The driver hops out。 He's dressed in LAPD blue。
The girls hit the dress rack。 The girls hit #36。 The girls exit looking vampy and dressed va…va…voom。 The Schvantz licks his chops。
12：26 A。M。：
The girls get back in the van。 Ida and the Schvantz hop in Freddy O's car。 Freddy and Johnny Stomp hop in。 The LAPD man pulls down the arc lights and straps them to the roof of the van。
12：34 A。M。：
The car pulls out。 The van pulls out。 I pull out behind them。
We drive three blocks east。 The car and the van pull into a cou