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〃Yes； but it's all one file； and Parker and Otash decide who gets smeared； and it's all so ugly that I wish I didn't know about it； and 。 。 。 and。 。 。 and。 。 。〃
Joi ran out of breath and lit a cigarette。 I said； 〃I need a tape recorder； and I need to get some license…plate information。〃
Joi squawked like a squad…car squawkbox。 She popped out a parcel of penal…code numbers； 〃Dragnet〃…style。
〃I know how to do things like that。 Jack taught me。 And I've got a tape gizmo inside。〃
I pulled a pen from my pocket。 Joi pulled some paper from her Girl Scout skirt。 She leaned over。 I used her back for a blotter and jotted down my vehicle dope。
She ran into the club。 I bayed at the big bright moon。
Pieces PALPITATINGLY popping into place。 A bonaroo blonde to rescue and redeem me。
Joi jumped into the alley。 She handed me a tape rig and a scratch…pad sheet。
〃I got the vehicle information and ran an employment crosscheck。 The six registered owners are all members of the L。A。 County Sheriff's Department。〃
I bayed at the moon。 I grabbedJoi and kissed her。 She kissed me back hard。 I tasted tobacco and sweet vermouth on her tongue。
We broke the clinch。 Joi said； 〃Be brave and stupid。 I go for guys like that。〃
I drove back to Duarte。 I hit the Larkcrest Motel at 5：33 A。M。 The courtyard was deserted and dead quiet。
I hit Love Hut #9 and pulled my power pack off the mattress。 I pulled the tape spool out of the pack and popped it in Joi's tape rig。
I sat on the bed。 I hit the Play button。 I heard bits of the Wllshire…Ebell bash and my clash with the succubus。 I heard tape hiss and fuck sounds and a real male and a fake female climax。
I heard voices。
Male voice： 〃Sweetie； that was 。 。 。 Jesus。〃
Female voice： 〃I could tell it's been a while for you。〃
Male voice： 〃Yeah； well。 。 。 the old lady's the old lady； but I guess that doesn't count。〃
Female voice： 〃Look； it's been a while for me too。 I've been out of circulation。〃
Male voice： 〃What do you mean？ I thought you got bit roles at M…G…M and lived here in L。A。〃
Female voice： 〃Yeah； I do。 It。 。 。 was。 。 。 well； just a figure of speech。〃
Male voice： 〃I'm glad Stompanato sets up these stag nights。 We all work hard； and we need to blow off some steam from time to time。〃
Female voice： 〃You must be really busy。 Didn't it say 'Captain' on that badge you showed me。〃
Male voice： 〃That's right； Sweetie。 I'm a captain on the inspector's list。〃
Female voice： 〃Tell me what you do。 I just love to hear men talk about their work。〃
Male voice： 〃Well； I run the West Hollywood Substation。〃
Female voice： 〃That's my old stomping grounds。 I used to work at a call house on Havenhurst； and the West Hollywood deputies were good to all us girls。〃
Male voice： 〃Well； you know how it is。 One hand washes the other。〃
Female voice： 〃I think I know what you mean； but tell me more。〃
Male voice： 〃Well； on the q。t。； all the call houses in the county kick loose donations to the Sheriff's Annual Rodeo Fund； so the money gets laundered that way。 See； Gene Biscailuz is a good guy。 He's not like that prick Bill Parker； and he knows a lot of deputies have drinking problems； so he shoots some of the rodeo money to a hospital where they can dry out。 I've dried out there six or seven times myself。 Pass me that bottle； will you； Sweetie？〃
Female voice： 〃Tell me more。〃
I heard footsteps。 I tossed the tap shit out a back window。 The door blew off its hinges and landed on my lap。 Two men charged me and beat me blank with big black saps。
I woke up chained to a chair。 I saw a dress rack and an arc light。 I recognized the dark little room。
Trailer #36 on the 〃Private Hell 36〃 set。
Fred O and Johnny Stompanato stomped in front of me。 They tapped black leather saps on their knees。 I heard voices outside。
Jack Webb and Ida Lupino。
My head hurt。 I felt woozy。 My teeth felt loose。 I saw tooth marks on the two saps。
Otash said； 〃Why'd you ditch out on Viv Woodard？〃
Stomp said； 〃Why did you steal her car？〃
Otash said； 〃Where's the bug apparatus？〃
Stomp said； 〃What did you and that mie cooze discuss？〃
I played it brave and stupid。 I said； 〃Bah fungoo；〃 with full Italian inflection。
Stomp sapped me。 I spat two teeth on his Sy Devore suit。 Fred O flashed a newspaper。 I caught a headline： PROMINENT LAWYER A SUICIDE。
Otash dropped the paper。 〃Our vice guys caught Woodard with his pants down。 He bailed out and drank some Dr？no。 The kid they caught him with gave 〃Hush…Hush〃 a statement。 The story's going on the May cover； unless you convince the widow to sit on everything she might know about a certain police agency。〃
I said； 〃Fuck you； Fritz。〃
Otash sapped me。 I spat two teeth on his Sy Devore suit。 Otash sapped me again。
〃Woodard's dead； Dick。 You're not much use to us anymore； and you just might prove to be a liability。 You killed a valuable buddy of ours； and brave and stupid guys like you are always better off dead。〃
〃Brave〃 and 〃stupid〃 clicked with 〃dead〃 and cleared my clogged head。 I screamed like a scared little baby。
Otash clamped down on my arms。 Johnny Stomp rolled up my shirtsleeves。 Harvey Glatman and the nut…ward guy popped in my periphery。
Somebody stuck a spike in my arm。 I whooshed into ecstasy and darkness。
Light and dark came and went。 Hypodermic needles slipped in and out of my arms。
I went wonderful places。 I returned to Private Hell 36。 I fucked the mermaid from the Chicken of the Sea tuna can。
Harvey Glatman photographed my arms。 Ida Lupino shot me up and shot my needle tracks with 3…D film。 My bladder burst。 Somebody said； 〃Oh； shit。〃
I flew to Mars。 The succubus siphoned my python and gave birth to trident…tailed twins。 I apologized to her husband。 He condemned my cowardice and deplored the damage I did。 Howard dove for my dong。 Linda Sidwell jumped on Jack Webb。 Joi Lansing saw the Lupino loop and left me for the Schvantz。
I heard voices or ventriloquistic voodoo。
〃We've got to move the master file tonight。 Stash it someplace safe at your studio。〃
〃Yeah； boss。〃
〃Dump Contino someplace。〃
〃Levant scares me。〃
〃You never know what he knows。〃
〃He's a hophead。 Those guys crap out all the time； and nobody thinks twice。〃
〃Torture him and find out what he knows； then kill him。〃
I flew to Pluto。 I asked Mickey Mouse why they named a planet after his dog。
〃You've got to move him or move the fucking trailer。 He's starting to smell； and our location permit expired。〃
I flew to Neptune。 I flew back to Private Hell 36。 Joe Friday said； 〃Hitch the trailer。〃 A spike went in my arm。 I flew to Venus。 It looked like Las Vegas。 I wondered how that could be so。
White。
White plastic。 White Naugahyde。 Maybe white leather。 Tucked and tufted。 Sticky。 Stuck against my cheek。
White。
Stiff…starched。 Mummifyingly tight。
I blinked。 I yawned。 I tried to rub my eyes。 My hands didn't move。 My arms didn't move。 I had myself in a bear hug。
A big bug bounced my way。 He bopped over white tucks and tufts。 He got close。 I tried to swat him。 I couldn't break the bear hug。