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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 courtyard motel。 I pull into a vacant lot fifty yards east。
The Larkcrest Motel。 Abandoned。 One light in one room lit。 A long string of dark doorways and windows。
I grabbed my binoculars。 I crept into the courtyard。 I peeped the scene perspiringly close。
12：46 A。M。：
The girls hit the lit…up room。 The cop hauls the camera and arc lights in。 Ida and the Schvantz hit the room。
12：50 A。M。：
Johnny Stomp walks around the courtyard。 He opens the doors and turns on the lights in every other room。
Six rooms are now lit。 Six rooms remain dark。
12：59 A。M。：
Freddy 0 hauls a box from his car。 He circuits the six lit…up rooms。 He drops a bottle of booze and two paper cups on six bright blue bedspreads。
1：04 A。M。：
The cop climbs in his van。 He unloads a dolly。 It holds six movie cameras。 The cop circuits the six dark rooms。 He dumps six cameras on six bright blue bedspreads。 He shuts the doors behind him。
I got the picture。 I got it in SIN…emascope。
The cop climbed back in his van。 I snuck way into the courtyard。 I hunkered down and entered a dark room on his blind side。
I flicked a light on。 I flicked it off fast。 I saw a 2…way peek built into the wall。 I fumbled in darkness and bumbled into a door。
I opened it。 I entered a lit…up love room。 The 2…way looked out on the bed。 I pulled the microphone and power pack off my chest and taped itto the bottom of the mattress。
I snuck back to the vacant lot 〃sloooooooooow〃。 I grabbed my binoculars。 I waited。 I watched。 I patiently peeped the courtyard。 I listened to grunts and groans in Ida Lupino's room。
1：36 A。M。：
Ida's door opens。 Johnny Stomp walks out。 I get a two…second tantalization。
Ida's got her camera in tight。 A blonde's got the Schvantz trapped in her tonsils。
He's huge。 He's a pineapple impaled on a pipe threader。
Stompanato shut the door and lit a cigarette。 I waited。 I watched。 I patiently peeped the courtyard。
2：08 A。M。：
Six cars pull in。 Six middle…aged men jump out。 They've got smirks on their lips and guns on their hips。 They whoop。 They holler。 Johnny Stomp greets them。
I zoomed in on their cars。 I latched my lenses on their license plates and memorized them。
I ran to my car。 I peeled out。 I heard Ida Lupino yell； 〃Cut！ That's a take！〃
3：26 A。M。：
I peeled into the alley behind Ciro's。 There's Joi Lansing。
She's dressed in a Girl Scout getup。 She's dumping red roses in a trash bin。
She blinked into my headlights。 I doused them。 She said； 〃Jack； Jesus Christ。〃
I got out of the car。 A flashlight flashed me。 Joi said； 〃Jesus； Dick Contino。〃
I didn't know what to say。 I hummed three bars from 〃Lady of Spain。〃
Joi laughed。 〃I don't know what you're doing here； but at least I know thatJack didn't send you。〃
I leaned on the trash bin。 Joi flipped off her flashlight。 A late moon lit the alley low and languorous。
〃How do you know Jack didn't send me？〃
〃Sergeant Joe Friday and 〃you？〃〃
I laughed。 〃You haven't asked me what I'm doing here。〃
Joi lit a cigarette and looked me over。 〃You're wearing a tuxedo； and you look like you've been crawling in dirt。 Your shirt's unbuttoned； and it looks like you've shaved your chest。 I couldn't begin to guess； and as long as Jack didn't send you； I don't care。〃
I laughed。 I coughed away a cloud ofJoi's smoke and tossed her a teaser。
〃I heard you and Jack broke up。 I think I read it in 〃Hush…Hush〃。〃
Ba…boom； bam； bingo：
Joi went bug…eyed and choked on a chestful of Chesterfield。
I let her cough up some posure。 She came back strong。
〃Over's over。 Jack didn't want to get married and have kids； and I did。 I wouldn't be playing den mother to a bunch of Mexican brats in Boyle Heights if I didn't。 Jesus； I mean； look at this outfit。〃
I tossed Teaser #2。 〃Politics had nothing to do with it？〃
Joi dropped her cigarette and stepped on it。 〃I'm an actress； a chorus dancer； and an occasional singer。 I've got about as much interest in politics as you do。〃
〃You'd be surprised。〃
〃Try me。〃
Try this：
〃You went to L。 Trent Woodard last year。 You told him you had inside information on an LAPD plot to put out propaganda on TV I'm betting Jack Webb was in on it； and I'm betting you had second thoughts and just dropped the whole thing； and I'm betting Woodard can't put any more of the plot together。〃
Joi said； 〃Jesus； Mr。 Accordion。〃 She said it breathless and 〃very〃 Hush…Hushed。
I said； 〃I nailed it？〃
Joi lit a cigarette and flicked ash off her Girl Scout sash。 〃I got ahold of some 〃Dragnet〃 scripts that Jack and Chief Parker wrote。 They had Joe Friday running speeches on how the LAPD needed to round up all the bums in Los Angeles and deport them to Cuba permanently； and how they needed to establish debtors' prisons and work farms to take all the deadbeats off the streets。 I told Jack； 'You and Bill Parker can't possibly be serious about proposing this sick shit；' and Jack said； 'It isn't sick； and we'll shoot those scripts when the time is right。〃
Puzzle pieces popped into place。 I said； 〃Does Jack know you approached Woodard？ Does he know that this sick shit convinced you to leave him？〃
Joi shook her head。 〃No。 He thinks the marriage issue queered things； and wait； it gets sicker。〃
I sniffed Jack Webb's red roses。 Joi shut the trash bin and smothered the smell。
〃I overheard Jack and Parker talking a few times。 Their plan was to shoot the scripts and air them on 〃Dragnet〃； to soften the public up。 Then they'd get up a public petition to deport the bums and build the debtors' prisons and work farms。 Now； dig this。 Jack and Freddy Otash own a big construction firm under the table； and Parker's tight with that Cuban dictator； Fulgencio Batista。 The plan was for the LAPD to sell the bums to Batista； so he could use them as slaves in his sugarcane fields； and Jack's construction firm would get the contract to build the debtors' prisons and work farms； and once they were built； the inmates would build the sets for all the movies Jack wanted to make。 The only thing holding all this back was seed money。 They needed a few quick million to get things going。〃
More pieces popped into place。 I said； 〃The LAPD's tangling over money with the Sheriff's right now。 Parker wants to get his hands on that seed dough。〃
Joi shivered。 〃William H。 Parker is the devil with horns。〃
I said； 〃Freddy O's right up there。〃
〃He is。 He's got a big dirt dossier on all of Parker and the LAPD's enemies； and he's got this sick twist Harvey who does bug work and phone taps for him。 Harvey's got this sick thing for me。 He used to follow me around the set when I visited Jack。〃
Pieces PERCOLATINGLY popping into place
〃And Cal Dinkins wasI mean istight with Jack and Freddy？〃
〃Yes。 Dick； how do you know all〃
〃And the LAPD dirt dossier is sort of like the big 〃Hush…Hush〃 master file that Freddy 0's supposedly got？〃
〃Yes； but it's all one file； and Parker and Otash decide who gets smeared； and it's all so ugly that I wish