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ite children devastated for the rest of their lives。
Of course； it won't go down that simply。 This is one gigantic L。A。set Russian novel that exceeds the most extreme visions of Los Angeles as a bottomless black hole of depravity。 This is a bottomless meditation on celebrity that will not eclipse until someone more famous than Oj。 Simpson is accused of murdering two people sexier than Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in a considerably more outré manner。 This is a story told in a thousand voicesone of those microcosmic； kaleidoscopic； multiviewpoint jobs that sum up a time and place with interlocking subplots that go on forever。
This novel teems with grotesque characters and roils with unhinged incidents。 The multimedia creators of this novel are grateful for the opportunity to regroup in the wake of a major disappointment： The Michael Jackson scandal diminuendoed before they got the chance to exploit its full sleaze potential and work up a hypocritical load of bile over the plight of butt…flicked children。 They've got their teeth in the Oj。 case nowthey're pit bulls with a standing order for more； more； moreand verisimilitude and dramatic viability outgun outright veracity as the criteria for determining the thrust of their reportage。 Thus a longtime informant who says he heard two White men do the snuffs gets screaming national coverage before being dismissed with footnotelike shrugs； thus A。C。 Cowlings cavorting at a porno…industry wingding militates against Oj。 with an inference of 〃check this lowlife jungle bunny out〃； thus Valley…girl model Tiffany Starr pitching a boo…hoo number about her two…date relationship with Ron Goldman implies that any man who'd pour the pork to this bimbo deserved to get whacked。
Thus freedom of speech has given us a hybrid extravaganza that rests somewhere between haphazardly proffered obfuscation and willfully evolved fiction。 The exploitability of the case intersected with the ascendance of tabloid television and created a phenomenon of great magnitude； and to censor it or attempt to curtail it in any manner would be unconscionable。 The Oj。 Simpson case is a collective work of performance art that has to play itself out before it can be assessed； structured； deconstructed； and dissected for moral meaning。
It may boil down to issues of public disclosure and legal ethics。 It may boil down to an outcry for journalistic circumspection and objectivity at all costs。
The art of fiction hinges on subjective thinking。 Novelists must assume the perspectives of many different characters。 Some months ago； the Simpson defense team assumed Oj。's perspective and realized that their client was flubbing his performance as an innocent man unjustly accused。 Oj。 never screamed； 〃Let's nail the shitbird who killed my wife！〃
The defense team worked up some belated damage control。 They took their strand of this gigantic Russian novel interactive via a toll…free tip hot line。 Oj。 offered a fat reward for information leading to the apprehension of the real snuff artistscash he might or might not have after his lawyers bleed him dry。 The Los Angeles Police Department canvassed the area surrounding Nicole Simpson's town house in a search for witnesses to confirm or refute Oj。's guilt； and got nowhere。 The defense team； eager to cast the LAPD as both inpetent and racist； put out their public appealin case potential witnesses missed the canvassing cops and the media coverage attending the most publicized crime of all time。 This was a move of epic disingenuousnessspecious in its logical structuring and wholly cynical in its application。
The postRodney King LAPD would prefer not to hassle highprofile Blacks。 Popping a low…profile White killer for the job would vibrate their vindaloos no end。 The Simpson defense team understands the tortured history of the LAPD and Los Angeles Blacksboth its historical validity and the level of justified and irrational paranoia that it has produced。 They put out a magnet to attract misinformation； fear； and outright madnessand some of the more presentable bits they receive may show up in court as fodder to further confuse an already informationally swamped jury。
And the LAPD will be exhorted to check out 〃leads〃 that they know will lead nowhere； or risk a barrage of courtroom recriminations that will further obscure the facts of the case； serve to excite racial tension； and contribute to the cause of general divisive bad juju。
The defense team's probably thinking they can sell the hot…line tapes for big bucks。 The LAPD's probably wishing they framed some random pervert for the job。
If Oj。 is guilty； he should cop a plea behind exhaustion。 His 2；033 yards in one season rate bupkis when pared to his postfootball sprint。
Second…rate acclaim and the pursuit of empty pleasures wear a guy out。 Beating up women is a young man's game。 Attrition narrows your choices down to changing your life or ending it。
Change takes time。 It's not as instantaneous as a few lines of coke or some fresh pussy。
Suicide takes imagination。 You've got to be able to conjure up an afterlife or visions of restor be in such unbreachable pain that anything is preferable to your suffering。
Oj。 went out behind a chickenshit end run。 He didn't have the soul or the balls to utilize his first two options。
December 1994
THE TOOTH OF CRIME
Captain Dan Burt looks and talks like an enlightened fast…track Republican。 He's midsized； tan； and groomed。 If he wasn't running the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau he'd be saving America from both Bill Clinton and right…wing yahoos within his own party。 He knows how to talk； inspire loyalty； and wear a dark…blue suit。
Today he's riffing on the Simpson case and its lessons for homicide detectives。 Six team heads and two administrative aides pack his office SRO。
Burt says： 〃We can cop an attitude behind the Oj。 thing or we can learn from it。 I'm glad it wasn't our case； but I want to make damn sure we all go to school on it。〃
He's got seven lieutenants and one sergeant by the short hairs。 He lays out a dizzying spiel on crime…scene containment； evidence chains； and the need to recognize the media magnitude of celebrity murders at the outset； think them through from an adversarial attorney's perspective； and evaluate and define every investigatory aspect as they progress。 The pitch is tight and inside； with a slow…breaking kicker： The LAPD took the grief on this one； and 〃we〃 reaped the benefit。
A handsomely crafted ceramic bulldog sits on a table beside the captain's desk； replete with a Sheriff's Homicide baseball cap and a rubber turd behind its ass。 Burt pats the beast and wraps up the briefing。
〃This unit has flourished because we've made an effort to stay open…minded and learn from our mistakes。 We've never let our reputation turn us arrogant。 If we continue to assess the Simpson case and incorporate what we learn into our procedures； we'll make something good out of one big goddamn mess。〃
Murder is a big； continuous twenty…four…hour…a…day mess。 Murder spawns a numbingly protracted investigatory process that is rarely direct and linearc